Kewra Dry Fruit Rice

Kewra Dry Fruit Rice  


My interest towards cooking got developed during my childood in the company of my mother, father, grand mother and my Bua. I learned a lot from them. This recipe credit goes to my Bua. Whom I saw many times preparing this when there was need of rich dish but available time was not enough.

Many times you need to prepare a dish good in taste like Biryani, but the time available is not sufficient. Here this option is really a good alternative. Now a days during roza also when one has to break fast with a rich dish this is a great option.

So when you are in hurry nevertheless you want to delight your guests or your family with blend of aroma, richness of dry fruits, delicious, make this Kewra Dry Fruit Rice .

Preparation Time : 40 min

Cooking Time : 30 Min

Ingredients :  

• Basmati Rice 1 Cup
• Onions 2 sliced (fried golden brown)
• Onion 1 Sliced
• Green pea 1 cup
• Rasine 1 Tablespoon
• Cashew-nuts 15 -20
• Garlic 1 Tablespoon crushed 
• Ginger 1 Tablespoon crushed
• Green chilly chopped 2
• Cumin seed 1 Teaspoon
• Green cardamom 2 -3
• Black pepper 8 -10
• Clove 2 -3
• Bay Leaves 2-3
• Cinnamon 1 inch stick
• Star Anise 1
• Dry roasted and crossly grind garam masala 1 Tea spoon
• Kewra essence few drops
• Oil or Ghee 2 Tablespoon
• Salt according to taste
• Water 2 Cup

Procedure :  

• Wash and soak the rice in water for an hour
• Slice onions and keep aside
• Fry onions and keep aside

• In a pan take Ghee/oil add cumin seeds and all dry spices 

• Now add garlic, ginger and cook for minute or two

• Now add sliced onions, cook it till it is light brown in colour, now add cashew-nuts and roast it

• Add raisins, green chilly and green peas cook it for 4 to five minutes

• Now add rice and salt and cook it gently for few minutes, add half of the fried onions

• Now add 2 cups of water and few drops of Kewra essence as we are not pressure cooking rice so 2 cup is fine

• Now close the pan with lid and cook it for 7 to 8 minutes on medium flame or till it is cooked

• Once you feel that 90% of rice is cooked, keep your tava under a pan for 5 minutes on slow flame as shown in picture

• Now switch off the gas remove the lid and cover the pan with tava as shown in picture

• After 5 - 6 minutes remove the tava open the pan and serve rice with curd or raita garnish it with fried onions

Tip :  

• You can add other vegetables of your choice 
• Make sure that dry fruits should be cooked in slow flame other wise it will be burnt 

Moong Dal Kachori

Moong Daal Kachori  

The recipe which I am sharing today is very near to my heart as this is few of those recipes which I learned during my school days. There is a short and sweet story behind this recipe. I learned making these kachories during my school days. My father got transferred to another city and  he was managing it alone there. He had a good neighborhood there. In Indian culture the best thing is when ever we prepare something good we use to share that with our neighbors.

His neighbors also used to share things with my father and this one is one of those items. In fact they told him about its benefits. It has a shelf life of 3-4 days and if someone is going out and may find uncomfortable in eating out, he can always carry these kachories. and as my papa was living alone and travelling frequently he liked the idea and taste

So when father came back he brought some for us as well. We all liked its taste and I was as usual determined to create the same taste. With few trials I could achieve the taste. One thing I specifically liked about this is that it uses Moong Daal. Normally we use Urad daal which is comparatively heavier for digestion. Using moong daal gives it reduced calories and you won't feel guilt in enjoying it.

This is is one of our favorite food when ever we are on vacation.

Preparation Time :  40 Min

Cooking Time :  20 Min

Resting Time : 1 hour

Ingredients 

 For Filling :

• 1 cup moong dal soaked for 1 hour
• 1 tbsp besan (gram flour)
• Oil 1 tbsp
• Coarsely grind 1 tbsp Indian spices (3-4 green cardamom, 2 black cardamom, cinnamon, 5-6 cloves, 1 tsp black pepper, 1/2 tsp cumin seed, 2 bay leaves, pinch of asafoetida)
• Tea spoon dry mango powder 
• Ginger 1 inch piece chopped
• 2 chopped green leaves
• 1/2 tsp fennel
• 2 tbsp chopped coriander
• Salt according to taste
• Red chilli powder according to taste
• Water 1/2 cup or as needed

For Dough :

• All purpose flour (Maida)1 1/2 cup
• Soda bi carbonate (baking soda)1/4 tsp
• Oil 2 tbsp
• Salt according to taste
• Water as required
• Oil for frying

Procedure :    

• Wash moong dal, soak it in enough water for 1 hour and keep it aside
• In a bowl sieve the flour, salt and soda bi carbonate together. Add 2 tbsp of ghee and rub between your palms to get bread crumb texture.

• Knead it into a soft dough with water. Cover with a moist cloth and set aside.

• In a pan, dry roast all the Indian spices and coarsely grind them and keep aside.
• In a pan add spices powder along with gram flour and roast it for 5 to 6 minutes on slow flame till you get a nice aroma. Transfer this in a dish

• In a pan add 1 tablespoon of oil, heat it, add pinch of hing, fennel seed, chopped ginger. Soute this, add chopped green chilies now add moong dal and cook for 4 to 5 minutes add 1/2 cup of water. Cover the pan with lid and cook for 7 to 8 minutes or till the dal gets properly cooked but make sure that we should not over cook the dal 

• Once the dal is cooked add spices and gram flour mixture and cook both the things together
• Now add salt, chilly powder, dry mango powder and chopped coriander, mix all together and transfer this to a bowl and let the mixture get cooled

• Make small ball from dough. flatter the ball, place a tablespoon of filling in the centre and bring the edges together to form a ball as shown in picture

• Flatten it slowly as shown in picture

• Heat oil in kadhai. Fry kachoris on a slow flame till these are cooked properly and are light brown in color

• Repeat the steps with rest of the dough

• Enjoy 

Tip  :

• In case if you feel bringing spices is problem you can use readymade garam masala. But fresh masala has nice aroma
• Try to cook kachori on slow or medium flame
• You can keep spices according to your taste