sheer brunj, birunj or biranji, the kheer that cooks without rice....

Author : sangeeta      Blog : banaras ka khana      Date : 6/16/2013 12:56:00 PM

'Have you heard of sheer brunj? Well, this is a variety of kheer but not just another kheer I would say. We all love kheer or milky rice puddings as I would introduce it to anyone who hasn't known Indian food. Which is quite unlikely in this age as I remember a Thai friend 23 years ago knew about kheer and pulav and he was introduced to pakode and much more at my place. You would agree people'

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triple lemon cakes for a kid's birthday : the kind of cakes that spread sunshine...

Author : sangeeta      Blog : banaras ka khana      Date : 6/7/2013 3:34:00 PM

'Yes, a triple lemon cake with lemon glaze and another triple lemon cake with quark and cream filling and frosting. And the cake frosting was decided by the kid herself. She had told me her choice of lemon 2 weeks in advance. That's how a cake like this is born. I have been in love with lemons too, another lemon cake with zucchini has been a perennial favorite but this one just beats'

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sarson wali sookhi bhindi : baby okra stir fried with mustard seasoning...

Author : sangeeta      Blog : banaras ka khana      Date : 6/4/2013 6:17:00 PM

'Okra, ladies fingers or bhindi as we call it in Hindi, is a favorite summer vegetable at my home. We both love it and I get 2 kilos of okra every week when I do my vegetable shopping at the weekly market. I can have a dry okra stir fry for a meal, especially if it has some kind of souring agent added, be it yogurt or amchoor or tomatoes. A ghee fried salt and pepper okra is a favorite of the'

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a quick pearl onion stew with sun dried cherry tomatoes served with appams for breakfast...

Author : sangeeta      Blog : banaras ka khana      Date : 5/18/2013 6:54:00 PM

'Vegetables stews the way it is cooked in Kerala homes or even in Tamilnadu are very aromatic and rich with coconut. Spicy and lightly sour most of the times but I have not tasted too many of them. To me these vegetable stews were meal time curries most of the times but when I realised these curries are served with breakfast dosa or even idlis as well, I thought of trying it. The husband wont'

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kachhe aam ka panna : preparing aam panna concentrate for a week to last ...

Author : sangeeta      Blog : banaras ka khana      Date : 5/13/2013 7:10:00 PM

'Amm panna concentrate in the fridge that you just use a couple of tablespoons for a glass of chilled water ans stir instantly. What bliss in this scorching summer. Kachhe aam ka panna is something we are chugging in large amounts every single day. Delhi is so hot that it is essential to have a glass of aam panna first when you come back after a walk outside or just after a household chore.'

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sama ke chawal ka dhokla : a healthy fasting recipe that can be a regular snack

Author : sangeeta      Blog : banaras ka khana      Date : 4/29/2013 7:15:00 AM

'Dhokla used to be my go to snack few years ago when I would steam an instant dhokla every other day. It was always for our evening tea or when my brother came who loves dhokla. And then our evening tea changed as we started having early dinners. So the evening tea was just tea and nothing else with it most of the times. I had bought some 2 kilos of sama ke chawal (Barnyard millet) during'

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Kerala style shrimp curry : prawns or shrimp curry in coconut milk...

Author : sangeeta      Blog : banaras ka khana      Date : 4/23/2013 6:43:00 PM

'Since I love coconut milk based curries and cook my prawns almost all the time in one or the other coconut milk recipe. Be it the bengali chingri malai curry or the kerala style prawn curry. This coconut milk based shrimp curry inspired from Kerala nadan chemmen is enjoyed by both of us and whosoever has tasted it till now. The spice content is toned down from the authentic version as I have'

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sama ke chawal aur moongphali ki kadhi | Fasting recipes for Navratri....

Author : sangeeta      Blog : banaras ka khana      Date : 4/16/2013 6:40:00 PM

'Jeera rice made using sama ke chawal or Barnyard millet is as tasty as jeera rice cooked with any short grain rice. You have to try it to believe it. And if it is served with a kadhi, it becomes a comforting meal that is light on the system. The kadhi I am talking about is made using peanuts. Fasting foods are made using a limited number of ingredients but that doesn't mean it has to be'

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sama ke chawal ki tehri for vrat ka khana | fasting recipe for navratri...

Author : sangeeta      Blog : banaras ka khana      Date : 4/15/2013 7:18:00 PM

'Sama ka chawal or Mordhan as this grain is called in Hindi, the botanical name is Echinochloa colona . A very tasty grain that can replace rice for those who want to eliminate grains from their diet or for fasting days. A tehri is a fried rice or pulao/pilaf like dish that is mildly spiced and requires a side dish like raita and a curry or chutney etc. This sama ke chawal ki tehri is made'

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kuttu ki khichdi lauki tamatar ke saath | buckwheat khichdi with bottle gourd and tomatoes...

Author : sangeeta      Blog : banaras ka khana      Date : 4/14/2013 7:22:00 PM

'Kuttu ki khichdi is more like a stew that you can cook in about 20 minutes if all the vegetables are chopped. So technically it may be a buckwheat and bottle gourd stew with some bits of paneer for protein in the meal. A khichdi should have a grain and a lentil or more than one grain and lentils if we talk about authentic khichdi, but buckwheat groats can become almost khichdi like in'

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rasse wali paneer bhurji | a curried paneer scramble that can be your dinner soup...

Author : sangeeta      Blog : banaras ka khana      Date : 4/7/2013 11:25:00 AM

'Paneer bhurji is a scramble cooked quickly using paneer and some onion, tomatoes and herbs. I have done Amritsari paneer bhurji from a cookbook and keep scrambling paneer all the time for convenience. Basically a quick fix meal or a side dish or even a sandwich filling. Every home has it's own recipe of paneer bhurji with additives like bell peppers, spinach, green peas  or sometimes kasoori'

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sweet chilly-ginger and tamarind sauce...

Author : sangeeta      Blog : banaras ka khana      Date : 3/31/2013 12:37:00 PM

'Sweet chilly sauce is a common condiment and sauce in the western, Thai and Malaysian cuisine. Commonly used for seasoning stir fries or as a dip for fried snacks or to smear on sandwiches and rolls. The uses can always be to suit personal taste as I have liked Thai sweet chilly sauce with my omelets too. But this one is a slight variation of Thai sweet chilly sauce. This sweet'

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thandai : the quintessential holi drink | recipe of easy homemade thandai ...

Author : sangeeta      Blog : banaras ka khana      Date : 3/26/2013 12:10:00 PM

'Homemade thandai and easy? Yes. It takes just under 5 minutes to soak the ingredients and then another 10 minutes to make a paste after the soaking time. A concentrate of thandai is ready to be refrigerated and used as required. Add milk and enjoy thandai any time you like. You must have come across Haldiram's Thandai or Mishrambu that is manufactured in Banaras. These bottles of thandai'

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a rose flavored sugar free kaju katli and a regular kaju katli...

Author : sangeeta      Blog : banaras ka khana      Date : 3/26/2013 11:24:00 AM

'Yes two ways with Kaju katli, the famous Cashew nut fudge that is the most loved mithai all over India.  Probably more so because it has a better shelf life than any other good mithai. Stays well for a month or so. And both these versions of kaju katli are microwave cooked. I made this no sugar added version which has some lactose in the form of the milk powder I added to bind, this'

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angoor ki chutney | green grapes chutney with ginger...

Author : sangeeta      Blog : banaras ka khana      Date : 3/21/2013 7:30:00 PM

'Angoor ki chutney or green grapes chutney is no less than the Mango chutney we love with our Indian meals or with crackers and cheese. While I myself don't eat much chutneys and jams, Arvind loves them. He loves the jams, marmalade and such chutneys more than fresh fruits sometimes. I am more for the fresh fruit but then such chutneys are a good way to use up any leftover fruits or when you'

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laal mirch ka bharva achaar | pickled stuffed red chilies : UP special...

Author : sangeeta      Blog : banaras ka khana      Date : 3/17/2013 4:33:00 PM

'Laal mirch ka bharva achar or just call it bhari laal mirch. Almost everyone knows it what it is when you say bhari laal mirch in Banaras or any part of UP. Many pickle brands and small time pickle makers run a thriving business thanks to Bharva laal mirch. I have seen people getting this pickle packed in large quantities to be taken to different parts of the world. Such is the power of'

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dahi wala gosht or dhaba style mutton curry...

Author : sangeeta      Blog : banaras ka khana      Date : 3/13/2013 7:40:00 AM

'Dahi wala gosht means meat cooked with yogurt and dhabe wala mutton means the mutton curry one gets in highway eateries. This is yet another rustic mutton curry that doesn't involve many steps in the cooking procedure. The highway eateries cook large amounts of meats with balanced spicing but the cooking procedure is not complicated. Almost all of them cook the marinated meat in just one'

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home made paneer, the kind that can be cut into neat cubes...

Author : sangeeta      Blog : banaras ka khana      Date : 3/12/2013 8:50:00 PM

'Freshly made paneer is incomparable. Homemade makes it really the best available option. See how the paneer is porous and so soft that it can bend and take a new shape while it is still hot. I took this picture while the paneer was still hot. Just pick up a cube a eat it to believe how different and how much better it is from the store bought paneer. You can make paneer within 20 minutes'

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harey chae ka nimona | a typical UP curry made with green garbanzo beans...

Author : sangeeta      Blog : banaras ka khana      Date : 3/8/2013 8:41:00 PM

'Talking about traditional UP curries one thinks of a spicy hot curry with deep colors and robust flavors. Winter and spring time curries are more spicy than the summer curries. Seasonal produce is used in the most appropriate way. I have been cooking spicy curries this winter more than ever.  Harey chane ka nimona was also cooked for the love of eastern UP style curries. I have been'

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mutton curry UP home style...

Author : sangeeta      Blog : banaras ka khana      Date : 3/4/2013 3:09:00 PM

'Meat curries in UP mean mutton curries essentially in Hindu homes. Made spicy using home ground spices or whole spices sometimes, simmered in heavy bottomed pans for hours in leisurely times and pressure cooked when the meal needs to be quicker if not instant. But the flavors of the spices remain the same for most conservative food snobs of the state. They wont 'like' a mutton curry enough'

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