Bhura Ghee Roti is a sweet, savory dish made with bhura (powdered sugar), ghee and leftover rotis. Haryanvis often indulge in this dish after a meal as dessert.
It took me back to my childhood days when Amma would roast chapati with ghee and top it with sugar…. We would tuck into it before the sugar could melt…. The slight crunch of sugar, the fragrance of home made ghee ……Nirvana!
In Bhura ghee roti, a generous amount of ghee is applied over the leftover Roti and it is sprinkled with powdered sugar.
Posting the link to the roti/ chapati. Just sprinkle powdered sugar on it and enjoy it.
Sirka pyaz or onions in vinegar are common at any hotel in North India. The trend has caught up in the other states of India as well.
Though this cannot be termed as a pickle per se, no meal is complete without onions and green chillies in North India.
The onions are steeped in vinegar to soften the sharpness. The vinegar too lends its sourness to them. Absolutely delicious!
Ingredients:
½ cup water
1/4 of a beetroot cubed
1 tsp sugar
2-3 cloves
1 inch piece of cinnamon stick
1 cup peeled pearl onions/ shallots
1 cup white/ synthetic vinegar
2 teaspoons salt.
Method:
Pour the water into a pan. Add the beetroot, sugar, cloves and cinnamon to it. Bring the mixture to a boil. Reduce heat to low and simmer the mixture for about 2-3 minutes. Allow to cool thoroughly. Tip the pearl onions into a glass jar. Pour the white vinegar, salt and the cooled water mixture over the onions and stir gently. Tightly cap the jar and refrigerate it. Use the onions after a day for up to ten days.
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One can make a number of water based pickles with choice of vegetables. They take about a week to mature and can then be eaten over the next few weeks. Do refrigerate them to avoid deterioration.
Ingredients:
1 cup juliennes of tender baby white radish
1 cup slices of turnip
20 pepper corns crushed
2 inch piece of cinnamon
200 gms sugar
1 heaped tbsp salt
1 cup vinegar
Method:
Tip the vinegar, sugar, crushed pepper corns, cinnamon, salt and 150 ml water into a pan. Bring to a boil, stirring the mixture till the sugar dissolves. Allow the solution to cool completely. Pour it into a clean sterilized bottle and add the pieces of radish and turnip. Mix well. Allow the pickle to mature for a couple of days. It can be stored at room temperature for four weeks. Enjoy it with Parathas, roti or even as a filling inside bread.
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Zafran translates to saffron in Urdu and Zafrani kheer is a dish prepared in the Northern states of India. Also called Gullathi, it is rice kheer which is served at weddings in most parts of the North. A fragrant and rich dessert it is also garnished with a variety of chopped dry fruits.
Ingredients:
1 litre full fat milk
1/2 cup khoya
2 tbsps Basmati rice
7 green cardamom
12 cashewnuts
A few strands of saffron
12 tsps sugar powdered
A handful of dried fruits like cashews, pistachio and almonds chopped.
Method:
Soak the saffron in three tablespoons of milk. Keep aside. Also soak the Basmati rice in water for about half an hour. Drain and grind it along with the twelve cashews and cardamom to a fine paste with a little milk. Pour the full fat milk in a heavy bottomed pan and bring to a boil. Keep simmering for about five minutes. Tip in the khoya, the ground paste and the saffron infused milk. Keep simmering, taking care to see that you keep stirring it once every couple of minutes till the rice is cooked. After another four minutes add the chopped dried fruits and powdered sugar. Simmer for another four minutes and switch off at this stage as the kheer turns slightly thick on cooling. Serve the Zafrani kheer hot or cold.
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As I have mentioned earlier Lassi is sweetened Yoghurt served either plain or with fruits added. You can make a variety of Lassi using fruit of your choice.
I decided to use up the fruits that I had. So blitzed together some orange, sweet melon, a few grapes, almonds and cashews along with thick yoghurt. Added some powdered sugar and chilled it. Lassi is best served chilled.
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Pickles are usually made with raw, unripe mangoes. The semi ripe ones go into making of murabba and the sweet and tangy variety of pickles. This Mango Pickle or Aam Ka Achar as it is called in North India is a recipe which is sour and makes for the tastiest accompaniment with any Indian meal because of the choicest of spices that are used to make it.
Ingredients:
250 gms raw mango
1/2 cup mustard oil or oil of choice
6 tsps salt
1/2 tsp turmeric powder
2 tbsps red chilli powder
1 tsp asafoetida/ Hing
1 tsp fennel seeds/saunf
1 tsp onion seeds/ kalonji
1 tbsp mustard seeds
1 tsp fenugreek seeds/ methi.
Method:
Wash and dry the raw mangoes thoroughly. Cut them into bite sized pieces. Heat the oil to smoking point and allow it to cool completely. Roast the fennel, onion seeds, mustard seeds and fenugreek seeds lightly to facilitate pounding in a mortar. Pound them coarsely. Mix together salt, red chilli powder and asafoetida along with the coarse spice powders. Gently mix this spice mix with the raw mango pieces. Immediately transfer into a glass or ceramic jar.
Cover with a muslin cloth and sun daily for about 3-4 days. The pickle can be used after four days.
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Tudkiya bhaath is a one pot meal from the Himachali cuisine. Lentils, vegetables and rice with the fragrance of spices make for a finger licking meal. It is served with a dal or a raita.
Ingredients:
250 gms rice
125 gms masoor(whole)
1 onion chopped fine
2 potatoes cut into finger sized batons
½ cup thick curds whisked well
1 bay leaf
1 cardamom
1 black cardamom
1 inch piece of cinnamon
3 tbsps Ghee
To be ground to a paste:
1 tomato
1 onion
1 inch piece of ginger
6 cloves of garlic
A small bunch of coriander leaves
5 green chillies
1 green cardamom
1 black cardamom
1 inch piece of cinnamon
1 star anise
2 stone flower
½ teaspoon poppy seeds
2 cloves.
Method:
Tip the ground masala into a big bowl.
Add the potato batons to the ground masala. Add salt and mix well. Let it marinate for about half an hour.
Wash and soak the masoor in water for about half an hour. Wash and rinse the rice. Soak for about 15 minutes. Heat the ghee in a pressure cooker. Add the bay leaf, cardamom, black cardamom, cinnamon and sauté till you get a nice aroma. Add the onions and sauté until they turn translucent.
Add the ground masala and roast till you get a nice aroma. Add the curds and keep roasting till the oil starts to separate. Add the drained rice and masoor and add three cups of boiling water. Add salt. Mix well. Pressure cook on high flame for two whistles. Let the pressure release naturally. Fluff up the rice gently and serve with dal or raita.
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Lassi is yoghurt which could be sweet or salted. The sweetened one is usually served with a huge scoop of cream . Fruits like strawberry, mango, pomegranate too are added to the lassi and each of the lassi has it’s own unique flavour. I have posted a kesar lassi earlier in this website where in saffron and cardamom is used in the lassi. So go ahead and experiment with your favourite fruit and enjoy the experience.
Ingredients:
500 ml thick yoghurt
250 ml water
Sugar as per preference.
Whisk the curd/yoghurt and sugar together till creamy. Add chilled water and adjust the consistency. Mix thoroughly and serve chilled topped with cream. I prefer mine without it, so have kept it simple.
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North India is known for its variety of flat breads. Naan, kulcha, roti, paratha and a variety of stuffed kulchas and parathas. Posting an Aloo kulcha today that is extremely popular. It is served with a dollop of butter, curds and pickle though it honestly doesn’t need any accompaniment as it is so flavourful.
Ingredients for the Kucha dough:
500 gms Maida
5 tbsps curds
1 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp baking soda
Salt
1/2 tsp sugar
3 tsps oil.
Ingredients for the potato filling:
4 medium sized boiled, peeled and mashed potatoes
1 large onion finely chopped
2 green chillies chopped
2 inch piece of ginger chopped
3 tbsps Coriander leaves finely chopped
1 tsp chilly powder
1/2 tsp pepper powder
1 heaped tsp Amchur powder
1 tsp coriander cumin powder
Salt
To garnish:
Black sesame seeds
Finely chopped coriander leaves
Butter.
Method:
Prepare the dough for the kulcha first and allow it to rest for three hours so that the kulchas turn out really soft.
Take the maida in a bowl. Add salt, baking powder, baking soda and oil. Crumble well and then add the curds. Add enough water to bind a soft and pliable dough. Knead it well for about five minutes. Cover with a damp cloth and keep it aside for about two to three hours.
Take the mashed potatoes in a bowl. Make a coarse paste of ginger and green chillies and tip it into the potatoes along with the finely chopped coriander leaves and onion. Add salt, Amchur powder, chilly powder, coriander cumin powder and pepper powder. Mix well and divide it 12 balls. Keep aside.
Knead the dough again for a couple of minutes. Divide it into 12 equal portions. Take a portion and roll it into a ball. Dust it with a little flour and roll it into a three inch sized circle. Place the potato filling in the centre and cover it from all sides with the dough. Dust with flour and roll it into an oblong shaped Kulcha. Sprinkle some sesame seeds and coriander leaves as you roll it out. You can roll it into a circle if you wish to.
Heat the tava/ griddle. Gently place the kulcha on it and roast on either side till done. Place it on a plate and brush it with butter. Serve hot.
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Gorkhali chutney which is more of a subzi than a chutney is a popular dish of Ladakh. An extremely flavourful and unique dish. You can in fact eat it just like one would eat a salad..
Ingredients:
2 large boiled potatoes
2 tbsps sesame seeds
1 tsp chilly powder
1 tsp Amchur/ raw mango powder
1tsp roasted cumin powder
1 small onion finely chopped
Salt
Juice of one lemon
2 tbsps finely chopped coriander leaves.
For the tempering:
2 tbsps oil of choice
1/4 tsp Fenugreek seeds
1/2 tsp cumin seeds
1/4 tsp turmeric powder
3 green chillies slit.
Method:
De skin the boiled potatoes and chop them into bite sized cubes. Dry roast the sesame seeds till they splutter. Dry grind them keeping aside half a teaspoon aside for garnish.
Tip the chopped potato into a bowl. Add salt, chilly powder, cumin powder, sesame powder, amchur and the lemon juice. Toss with a gentle hand. Heat the oil in a pan. Drop in the Fenugreek seeds and once they turn a golden brown add the cumin seeds. Once they splutter add the green chillies and toss till the chillies change colour. Switch off the gas and add the turmeric powder. Drop the seasoning immediately into the potatoes. Add chopped onion and coriander leaves. Mix and serve garnished with the sesame seeds.
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