Kabuli Chana / Kabuli Chole / Pindi Choley / White Chickpea Curry / Garbanzo beans curry

Chana or Chole Masala is a very popular North Indian dish.Its a spicy chana curry that goes excellently with a variety of indian breads be it puris, rotis,naans or even steamed rice.
So make sure you try this tasty recipe ,when you host a party next time!
Ingredients:-
1. 1 cup garbanzo/chickpea/chana beans. Soaked overnight in water
2. 1 large onion sliced
3. 1 large tomato sliced.
4. 1 tsp ginger-garlic paste
5. 1/4 tsp tumeric/haldi
6. 1 tsp red chilli powder/paprika
7. 1 1/2tsp coriander powder
8. 1/2tsp of pomegranate powder
9. 1/4 tsp amla powder
10. 2 green chillies sliced
11. salt to taste
12. 4 sprigs of cilantro/coriander finely chopped for garnishing
13. 2 tsp of oil(vegetable/olive oil)
14. 1 tsp of cumin/jeera seeds
15. 1 tsp chole masala( available at any Indian store)
16. 1 1/2 cup water

Method:-
1. Take a pressure cooker and turn on the heat.
2. Add 2 tsp of oil and let it turn hot.
3. To this add the cumin seeds and let it sizzle. It will change color to dark brown.
4. Add tumeric powder and sliced onion to it.
5. Add a pinch of salt and saute the onions till they turn translucent.
6. Now add ginger garlic paste and give it a stir. This should remove the raw flavour from the garlic.
7. Add the tomatoes and sliced green chillies and mix.
8. To this add the dry masalas ie. chilli powder,coriander powder, chole masala,pomegranate powder and amla powder.
9. Mix the masala with the onion-tomatoes to make a thick sauce . Incase, the mix is dry add a tsp of water to avoid the masalas from getting burnt.
10. Add salt.
11. Drain the water from the chana/garbanzo/chickpea beans and add it to the masala.
12. Add 2 cups cup of water to the mixture.
13. Pressure cook the chickpea curry for around 3-4 whistles and then keep it on a simmer for 10 minutes. Make sure the water you add is enough to cook the beans.
14. Turn off the heat and let the pressure from the cooker be released completely before attempting to open the cooker.
15. Check the gravy consistency to your desire. You can add more water if you like .
16. Garnish the curry with freshly chopped cilantro/coriander.
17. Enjoy!

Tip: The chickpea/chana/garbanzo beans may take a few whistles to cook. Ensure you have soaked them for atleast 6 hours before making a gravy. Check to see if they mush easily when cooked. They should break on a little squeeze.

Sooji Halwa/ Kesar Sheera

Sooji Halwa/Kesar Sheera is an easy and tasty recipe to make. Made for pujas or during festivals ,it is an ideal dessert that can be made with everyday ingredients.
Semolina made from duram wheat comes in two varieties thick and fine. Make sure you use the finer variety for this recipe.
Ingredients:-
1. 1 1/4 cup of fine semolina flour/sooji/rawa
2. 1 cup clarified butter/ghee
3. 1 cup sugar
4. 1/2 cup water
5. 1/2 cup milk
6. handful of sliced almonds
7. raisins
8. few stands of saffron soaked in 2 tbsp of milk

Method :-
1. Turn on the stove to low heat, add the clarified butter/ghee to a non-stick pan.
2. Add the semolina flour/sooji/rawa to the clarified butter.
3. Toss the semolina flour/sooji for about 7-8 minutes on low heat. The sooji will start leaving a sweet smell while you roast it.
4. Now add the sugar to the above mixture and give it a mix.
5. Add the milk and water to the semolina /sooji/rawa and mix.
6. Add the sliced almonds and raisins and saffron to the semolina /sooji/rawa.
7. Stir the mix till the clarified butter/ghee leaves the sides of the pan.
8. Sooji Halwa/ Kesar Sheera is ready to serve.
9. Enjoy!

Caramel Bread Pudding

Since this is the first recipe I'm writing in my blog, I would like to start our journey on a 'sweet note'. So I have just the perfect dessert recipe for you to try out.

Bread Caramel Pudding is a great dessert option for holidays, parties or that perfect comfort food to elevate your spirits :-) It can be served warm or cold and can be prepared in advance for special occasions.
So lets get started...

Serves : 4-6
Ingredients:-
1. 8 Slices of bread.
2. 5 cups of milk
3. 7tbsp of sugar
4. 1 Egg(optional)
5. 1 tsp Vanilla extract
6. A handful of Golden Raisins
7. 3tsp Sugar for caramel.
8. 3tsp water

Method:-
1. In a saucepan, add the milk and sugar and bring it to a boil. Then turn off the heat.
2. Cut the bread slices into quarters .
3. Add the bread pieces to the milk.
4. To this add an egg.
5. Add the golden raisins and vanilla extract.
6. Let this mixture rest for 10 minutes.
7. Pre-heat the oven to 180 degree centigrade.
8. Grease a baking dish with little butter.
9. To carmalise : Take the sugar and water in a saucepan and heat.
10. Do not stir but you can swirl the mixture at intervals.
11. When the sugar begins to leave a golden brown color, caramalisation has begun.
12. Turn off the heat at this point and add this caramel to the greased baking dish.
13. Now, add the pudding mixture mentioned in step6 to the dish.
14. Bake in oven at 180 degrees for 35-40 minutes.
15. After 35 minutes, check the pudding by inserting a toothpick /knife into it. If it comes out clean, your pudding is ready to Serve!
Serving tip: You can serve it hot or cold. Add fresh cream or drizzle some maple syrup.
Health Tip: You can use skimmed milk and whole wheat bread to make a healthier pudding.
Variation: Also feel free to add fruit bits like apple with cinnamon powder , to make a delicious fruit pudding.

Enjoy!