Bread Gulab Jamuns

Bread gulab jamun is made from bread and then dipped in sugar syrup to get a delicious new dessert. Its easy to prepare as everything is readily available at home.

Bread Gulab jamun

Ingredients :

Bread slices......................................................6

Milk..................................................................1 cup

Clarified Butter (Ghee)....................................for deep frying

For the stuffing

Khoya...............................................................6 tsp

Pistachios-Almonds-Raisins.............................2-3 tbsp,minced

For the sugar syrup

Sugar....................................................................1 cup

Water...................................................................1/2 cup

Rose Water..........................................................1 tsp

Red Food Colour..................................................2 drops

Method of Preparation :

Make a sugar syrup by boiling sugar and water. Add a few drops of red food colour and 1 tsp of rose water when the syrup thickens to a one string consistency.

Soak bread slices in milk after cutting off the sides and mash .

Form small balls from the mashed bread to make mini gulab jamuns. 

Mash the khoya very well with the palm of your hand to make it smooth. Add minced raisins, almonds and pistachios to the khoya. Now Stuff the bread balls to made medium size gulab jamuns. Keep aside.

Heat Ghee/oil for deep frying in a deep pan. Fry the mini or medium size gulab jamuns in small batches till golden. Remove and immediately immerse in syrup.

Let them soak for at least half an hour.

Serve.

You can prepare mini or medium size, stuffed or ordinary gulab jamuns........

Prawn Pulao

Ingredients :

Rice(Basmati)                                 250 grams
Prawns (small)                                1 cup
Red chilly powder                           1 tsp
Onion                                             1 large
Salt                                                 as per taste
Turmeric powder                            a little
Sugar                                             1 tbsp
Cumin(whole)                                 1 tsp
Green cardamoms                           2
Cinnamon                                       1 inch stick
Cloves                                            3
Refined oil/ghee                              1/2 cup
Water                                            as required

Method :

Wash rice well and drain. Chop the onion. Devein and clean the prawns. Wash the prawns and smear salt, turmeric powder and red chilly powder.
Chop the onion.
Now heat oil/ghee and fry the prawns lightly and remove to a dish. In the same oil add whole cumin, cinnamon, cardamom and clove and saute. Add the chopped onions and saute till golden.Add the rice, salt, and turmeric powder. Stir a bit Add water. The quantity of water has to be double the quantity of rice taken. Cover and let rice cook till soft. When the water has evaporated and the rice is soft add the prawns. Mix them in the rice very carefully with the help of a fork. Serve hot.

Fish Pulao

Ingredients :

Bhetki Fish                                       1Medium size
Rice (basmati)                                    2 cups
Ginger                                                1 inch piece
Garlic                                                 5 pods
Cumin seeds                                       1 tsp
Ghee(clarified butter)                          4 tbsp
Onion                                                 3 medium size
Garam masala powder                         1 tsp
Coriander powder                               1 tbsp
Red chilly powder                                1 tsp
Turmeric powder                                 as required
Salt                                                      as per taste
Tomato(chopped)                                1 medium size
Wheat flour                                         1 cup

Method :

I use Bhetki  Maach fillets as its easier to cut into cubes.

Cut the fish into  cube pieces.

Wash the rice well and keep it soaked in water for half an hour. Drain and keep aside.

 Grind the ginger, garlic and cumin into paste.

Chop the tomatoes into small equal pieces.

Grate the onion.

Knead the wheat flour into a soft dough and keep it covered with a wet cloth for use later.

Heat a pan and add ghee. Fry the onion till golden. Add the tomato and keep frying. Then add the ginger, garlic and cumin paste, coriander powder, chilly powder and turmeric powder. Saute a bit. Add the fish pieces and saute. Add a little water and salt. When the fish is cooked, remove the pan and keep aside. Remove the fish pieces from the gravy on to a plate. Divide the gravy into two parts. Keep one part aside.
Heat 4 cups of water in a large pan. When the water boils, add the gravy and add the rice as well. Cover and cook on low flame till the rice is soft.

Now place the fish pieces all over the rice and cover the pieces with gravy. Put a lid on the pan. Seal the cover with dough.

Place a large vessel of water to boil on gas flame . When the water is boiling place the sealed rice pan on it and let it cook for 15 minutes. Then after 15 minutes put the gas flame off, remove the dough from the pan, uncover and serve the fish pulao. This dish has to be served hot.

If desired, it can be put in the oven for 5-7 minutes at 180 degrees, instead of the water process.

Cauliflower kofta pulao

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Ingredients :

For the kofta :

Cauliflower                         3 flowerets
Onion,chopped                   1,small size
Ginger,paste                        1/2 tsp
Garlic,paste                         1/2 tsp
Coconut,grated                    2 tbsp
Posto (poppy seeds)            1/2 tsp
Fresh coriander leaves
chopped                              1/4 th cup
Green chilly,chopped           4
Cornflour                              2 tbsp
Salt &Sugar                          as per taste

Kofta Preparation:

Wash and drain off water.Completely dry the Cauliflower. Cut a few pieces.
Grate the pieces of the cauliflower  and  steam for 5 minutes.
Grind the posto and grated coconut together.
Mix the rest of the ingredients with the cauliflower and make small balls.
Heat enough oil in a wok to deep fry. When hot, drop the koftas, a few at a time and deep fry in hot oil. When golden, remove and keep aside.

Ingredients :

For the pulao:

Basmati rice                         2 cups
Onion,chopped                    2
Garlic paste                          5 pods
Ginger,chopped                   1/2 inch piece
Tomato                                 250 grams
Milk                                      1/4 th cup
Bay leaves                             1
Coriander powder                 2 tsp
Ghee(clarified butter)             5 tbsp
Salt& Sugar                             as per taste
Cashew nuts                          10
Raisins                                   10
Garam masala powder            1 tsp

Method :

Wash the rice well under running water and keep aside.
 Take soft over ripe tomatoes and grind. Then strain out the tomato juice adding water. We require 4 cups of tomato juice.
 Heat1 tsp ghee in a pan and lightly saute the cashew and raisins and remove.
 Heat ghee in a pan and fry the onion golden. Keep some aside for garnishing. This is also called Barista.
Now in d same ghee add  bay leaf, half of the fried onion,sugar, salt,all powdered spices. Saute all.
Mix ginger and garlic pastes and milk to the tomato juice. Reduce the flame. Add this tomato juice to the rice.
When the rice is soft add the kofta balls prepared earlier.
Add the golden fried cashew and raisins and the fried onions(barista).
Keep covered for 5 minutes. Serve.              

Cauliflower polao

Ingredients :

Basmati rice                                    250 grams
Cauliflower                                      1,medium size
Onion                                              1
Cumin,whole                                    1 tsp
Bay leaves                                        2
Garam Masala (Whole):
       Cinnamon                                        1 inch stick
       Cloves                                             2
      Green cardamom                              3
Salt                                                  according to taste
Turmeric powder                             as required (Just a Little)
Ghee(clarified butter) /oil                  1/2 cup
Chopped Fresh Coriander                 1 tsp(Optional)

Method :

Chop the onion.
Crush the cardamom, cinnamon and cloves.
Wash the rice and drain all water well. Leave on the strainer to dry.
Chop the cauliflower in to small  pieces and wash well. Pat dry.
Heat ghee  in a wok and fry the cauliflower till golden in color. Keep aside.
Heat ghee or oil and add whole cumin, bay leaves and the crushed cardamom, clove and cinnamon. Saute a bit.
Now add the chopped onion and fry.
Add rice, salt and the turmeric powder and saute a bit.
Add water (double the amount of rice )and the fried cauliflower. Cover and cook on very low heat.
When rice is soft, put gas off. Sprinkle some chopped coriander if you like.
Serve.

Capsicum-Mushroom Polao (vegetarian pilaf)

 Ingredients :

Mushroom                               200 grams
Capsicum,medium size              5-6
Basmati Rice                             2 cups
Onion,chopped                         1 large size
Ghee                                         4 tbsp
Bay leaves                                 2
Lemon juice                              2 tsp
Pepper,whole                           1 tsp
Salt                                           as per taste

Method :

Wash and pat dry the mushrooms . Chop the mushrooms into four pieces each .
Wash the capsicum. Discard the seeds and chop.
Wash rice and keep aside.
Heat ghee in a heavy bottom pan and fry the onions red.Reduce the heat. Add the mushroom and capsicum and saute for 3-4 minutes.
Add the bay leaves, salt,pepper and rice. Saute for a few minutes and add four cups of water.Very lightly stir. Cover and cook.
When the rice is half done, put a ladle  under the pan , reduce the flame and let cook on very low heat for 10-15 minutes till the rice is soft. Remove the cover and add the lemon juice.
Serve hot.  

Polao

Rice with vegetables in it is made in different ways in different places. Vegetables, cottage cheese and mushrooms can be used to make various types of pilau and fried rice. In this reciepe cashew nuts, raisins and mewa have been used.

Ingredients :

Basmati Rice                                      2cups
Ghee/Vegetable oil                              4 tbsp
Kesar color                                         a pinch
Green Cardamom,crushed                   2
Cinnamon,crushed                               2
Clove,crushed                                     4
Sugar(optional)                                    1 tbsp
Salt                                                     According to taste
Bay leaves                                          2
Cashewnuts,chopped                          1 tbsp
Raisins                                                1 tbsp
Javetri powdered                                 1/4th tsp
Jaiphal(nutmeg)powdered                    1/4th tsp
Ginger paste                                        2 tsp
Cumin paste                                         2tsp
Red chilly powder                                1 tsp
Peas,boiled                                          1/2 cup
Mewa                                                  2 tbsp

Method :

Wash rice well and soak for sometime.Remove and drain. Add a pinch or two of saffron color and keep aside. Boil water in a pan.
In a second pan heat 4 tbsp ghee/oil. Lightly saute the cashew nuts and raisins and remove. Keep aside. Add, in the same pan, bay leaves and all the crushed garam masala's. When u get a wiff of good smell,  add the rice, ginger paste, cumin paste, red chilly powder, peas and saute. Then add 4 cups boiling hot water. Adjust salt and sugar.Mewa is sweet, so adding sugar is optional. Cover and cook on low flame till rice is soft. When rice is soft remove cover and add the lightly fried cashews , raisins,  mewa, javetri and jaiphal powders.Cover and keep.
After giving a standing time of five minutes,remove cover and serve hot.