North Indian Cuisine:
A typical North Indian meal will consist of an assortment of dishes. They include chappatis, paratha or pooris (unleavened flat breads), pilafs, dals, mild curries made in ghee, thick, creamy dals, vegetables seasoned with yogurt or pomegranate powder, greens such as spinach and mustard greens cooked with paneer, North Indian pickles, fresh tomato, mint, cilantro chutneys and yogurt raitas. Hot, sweet cardamom milk is very common before going to bed. North Indian desserts and sweets are made of milk, paneer, lentil flour and wheat flour combined with dried nuts and garnished with a thin sheet of pure silver. Nimbu pani (lemonade), and lassi (iced buttermilk) are popular drinks of the North.
- Uttar Pradesh - Most families in Uttar Pradesh eat vegetarian food. Banaras, India's holiest city is in UP, famous for it's bazaars full of 'jalebis', sweetmeats and a myriad variety of 'kachoris.' The 'pethas'
-Awadh style of cooking are world famous for its tender meat dishes and excellent sweets.
-Lucknow is known world wide for its biryanis and different meat preparations. Nihari and naan, a mutton dish served for breakfast is one of the dishes that must be tasted to believe it.
Khaste Mathura Aloo Recipe (Spiced Potato Hashbrowns)
Ingredients: ( Serves : 6)
6 potatoes, boiled and peeled and cubed.
3 green chillies, finely chopped.
1/2 tsp. dry ginger powder.
1 tsp. mango powder (amchur).
1 tsp. red chilli powder or to taste
1 tsp. turmeric powder
2 tsp. sugar
1 tsp. cumin seeds
1/4 tsp. asafoetida
1 cup cilantro/coriander leaves, chopped
4 tbsp. oil or 3 tbsp. ghee
Salt to taste.
Method :
Heat oil/ ghee in a heavy pan or wok and add asafoetida and cumin seeds. When they pop, add turmeric, ginger, mango powder, sugar, chilli and salt. Add potatoes and mix to coat the potaoes withthe spices. Heat till potatoes brown but turn freqently.
Sprinkle cilantro or coriander leaves. Serve hot with Indian pooris and raita.
Dum Aloo Recipe (Baby Potato Curry)
Ingredients: ( Serves : 4-5)
20 Baby Potatoes
4 tbsp. Sugar
1 tbsp. Tamarind Paste or 3 tbsp. tamarind extract
2 tbsp. chopped green coriander
Oil for deep frying
For the Gravy :
1/4 Cup Oil
1/2 tsp. Fenugreek
1 tsp. Oregano
A pinch Asafoetida
1/2 tsp. Nutmeg powder
2/3 Cup plain yogurt (dahi)
Salt to taste
1 tsp. Ginger paste
1 tsp. Mustard seeds
1/4 tsp Nigella seeds
4 tbsp. coriander powder
1 tsp. red chilli powder or to taste
1/2 tsp. turmeric powder
1/4 tsp. cumin powder
Rock salt (kala Namak) to taste
Salt to taste
Method
Peel and wash the potatoes. Deep fry them in oil till golden brown. Keep aside.
In a bowl mix ginger paste, fenugreek, mustard, oregano, nigella and asafoetida.
In a pan heat a little oil, and add the ginger paste mixture, saute for a minute or two and then add coriander powder, red chilli powder, turmeric powder, cumin powder, nutmeg, both salts and 1/4 cup water. Cover the pan and allow to cook for a minute.
Add fried potatoes and yogurt and simmer until potatoes are done.
Add tamarind extract and sugar.
Garnish with chopped coriander.
Serve hot with parathas or pooris.
Masala Bhindi Recipe (Okra in Spicy Gravy)
Ingredients: ( Serves : 6)
1 lb. tender okra (bhindi), washed and dried and cut length wise
1 large onion, chopped finely
1 tsp. ginger-garlic paste
1 tsp. red chilli powder or to taste
1/2 tsp. turmeric powder
1 tsp. garam masala powder
2 tbsp. oil
Salt to taste
Other Seasoning
1 tbsp. fried onions from our store
4 cloves garlic, minced
1 tbsp. coconut powder from our store
1 green chilli minced
1/2 cup tamarind juice
Salt to taste
Method:
Heat oil in a pan and add the chopped onion and fry till it's brown in colour. Add ginger garlic, turmeric, garam masala, chilli powder and salt to taste. Saute for a minute. Add other seasonings and steam for 1 minute.
Cover and steam till the okra changes color and becomes soft. Serve hot with parathas and raita.
Khatta-Meetha Kadoo Recipe (Sweet -n- sour Hubbard Squash or Pumpkin)
Ingredients: ( Serves : 4-5)
1 lb. or 400 gms. Yellow Pumpkin peelwd washed and cubed
A pinch of Asafoetida (Hing)
1/2 tsp. Fenugreek seeds (Meyhi Dana)
1 tbsp. grated Ginger
2 Green chillies, finely chopped
2 tsp. Coriander powder
1/2 tsp. turmeric powder
1/4 tsp. Garam masala powder
1 tsp. Red chilli powder or to taste
Salt to taste
2 tbsp. Sugar
11/2 tbsp. Lemon Juice
Fresh Coriander, washed and finely chopped
3-4 tbsp. Oil
Method:
Heat oil in a kadai or wok. Add Asafoetida, fenugreek seeds. Now add ginger. When it turns brown add green chillies and pumpkin and mix.
Add salt, turmeric powder, coriander powder, garam masala powder and red chilli powder and mix well. Cover and cook on a medium heat for 10-12 minutes. Stirring occasionally.
Now add sugar and lemon juice, mix well. Cover and cook for another 10 minutes or until done. The pumpkin pieces should look like mashed.
Garnish with chopped coriander. Serve hot with pooris.
Lucknow Kofta Recipe - Vegetable Balls in Indian Curry
Ingredients:
For Koftas :
2 cups shredded cabbage
1 Cup shredded carrots
1/2 Cup Methi (Fenugreek), washed and chopped
1/2 Cup Coriander, washed and chopped
Salt to taste
Juice of 1 Lime
1/2 cup Corn Flour or Besan (Gram flour)
1/4 tsp. red chilli powder
Oil for frying
For Curry Gravy :
2 medium size Onions, finely chopped
1 large Tomato, pureed
1 cup plain non-fat yogurt (dahi)
1 cup milk
1/4 cup cream
1/2 tsp. turmeric
2 tsp. coriander powder
1/2 tsp. sugar
Salt to taste
1/4 tsp. Garam masala powder
4 tbsp. Oil
Curry thickner to Grind to paste :
12 Almonds, soaked and peeled
3 tbsp. poppy seeds
3 tbsp. melon seeds
1 tsp. each Ginger-garlic paste
3-4 Green chillies
Method
For koftas, mix all the ingedients of koftas together and divide into equal portions and shape into long rolls, deep-fry till golden in colour. Drain and keep aside.
Heat oil in a pan and fry chopped onions till golden brown. Add the grinded ingredients and stir-fry for few minutes. Add turmeric powder, corriander powder,sugar and salt. stir-fry for few seconds. Stir in tomato puree and cook on high heat, stirring continuously till oil begins to separate. Now add yogurt, milk and cream and cook stirring continuously till oil begins to separate. Add 1 cups of water and bring to boil. Simmer and cook for 5-10 minutes or until desired consistency.
Just before eating, place the fried koftas in a serving dish and pour the hot gravy over and serve immediately garnished with garam masala powder and chopped cilantro.
Moong Dal Kachori Recipe-stuffed wheat pastry
Ingredients
1 cup Whole wheat flour (atta)
Salt to taste
Oil 4 tbsps + to deep fry
For stuffing Green gram split skinless (dhuli moong dal, soaked) cup Oil 2 tbsps
Asafoetida a pinch
Ginger (finely chopped) 1 inch piece
Green chillies (finely chopped) 2
Garam masala powder 1 tsp
Red chilli powder 2 tsps
Dry mango powder (amchur) 1 tsp
Method of preparation
1. Take whole-wheat flour in a bowl. Add salt, four tablespoons of oil and mix. Add sufficient water and knead into a medium soft dough.
2. Boil the moong dal in half cup of water till just cooked and dry. Mash lightly.
3. Heat two tablespoons of oil in a kadai. Add asafoetida, ginger, green chillies, moong dal, garam masala powder, red chilli powder, amchur, salt and mix. Saut for few minutes.
4. Remove from heat and transfer the mixture into a bowl and mash slightly.
5. Divide the dough into even sized balls. Roll them slightly, put the stuffing and gather the edges to seal. Roll into a ball again and flatten slightly. Roll as for poories with hand or rolling pin.
6. Heat sufficient oil in a kadai and fry the kachories till light golden. Drain onto an absorbent paper. 7. Serve hot.
Matar Aur Monodi Ki Sabzi Recipe
Ingredients
2 cups Green peas (shelled)
1/4 cup Moong mangodi
Potatoes ( inch cubes) 2 medium sized
2 tbsps. oil or ghee
Asafoetida a pinch
1 tsp Cumin seeds, 1/4 tsp Turmeric powder, 1 tsp. Coriander powder, 1/4 tsp Red chilli powder 1 tsp Garam masala powder, Salt to taste
Tomatoes (chopped) 2 medium sized
Method of preparation
1. Heat one tablespoon oil in a pan, add mangodi and saut till reddish.
2. Heat the remaining oil in another pan. Add asafoetida, cumin seeds, turmeric powder, potato pieces and saut for two to three minutes. Add salt, mix and cover. Cook for three to four minutes.
3. If using green peas boil them (frozen peas too can be used, no need to boil then, just thaw them).
4. Add coriander powder, red chilli powder, garam masala powder to the potatoes. Stir and add tomatoes and two cups of water. Stir and add mangodi and green peas. Mix and cook covered on medium heat for ten minutes.
Sweet Rice Pudding Recipe (Kesari Kheer)
Ingredients: ( Serves : 4)
4 Cups Whole Milk
1/4 cup Sugar
1/4 cup Rice washed and soaked in 3/4cup water for an hour and kept aside with water
1/2 cup Condensed Milk
2 tbsp. Golden Raisins (Kishmish)
Small Piece of Nutmeg, powdered
15-10 Almonds, blanced and silvered
4 Green Cardamoms (Chotti elaichi), powdered
1/2 tsp. Saffron threads, soaked in little warm milk
Method
Cook the rice in the same water until the rice is fully cooked and water has dried up.
To the cooked rice add milk. when the milk starts boiling, simmer and leave the kheer to cook till the milk starts thickening, stirring occassionally. Mash the rice a liitle, add sugar and condensed milk.
Add raisins, almonds and saffron. Boil the mixture one more time. Remove from flame, add cardamom powder and nutmeg powder.
Keep aside. Allow to cool and then referigerate. Serve well chilled.
Moong Dal Ka Halwa Recipe
Serves 6
Ingredients:
2 cups yellow gram (moong) dal, without husk, soaked overnight in water
2 cups sugar
1 cup khoya or unsweetened condensed milk
1 cup ghee
1 tsp. cardamom powder
½ cup mixed almond and pistachio slices
silver vkh/leaf
Method:
Drain dal and grind to a coarse paste. Heat ghee in a pan; add dal paste and fry, stirring frequently on a low flame till the mixture is light brown and aromatic. Add khoya or milk and cook for a while. Add sugar and stir till it is mostly but not fully absorbed by the dal mixture. Add cardamom powder, mix and garnish with nuts and silver varkh (leaf).
Jelebi or Fried Spirals in Syrup Recipe
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Ingredients:
2 cups white flour
3 cups sugar
1 tbsp. lemon juice
1/2 tsp. orange water and color
1 tsp. cardamom powder
½ tsp. saffron
ghee as needed
Method:
Mix flour with water enough to make a sticky pouring batter. Beat well and leave covered for 24 hours. Boil 3 cups of water add sugar and simmer till the syrup is thick. Remove the scum on top of the syrup with a wire sieve or spoon and add lemon juice, crushed saffron, orange water and colour and cardamom powder.
Heat ghee in a wok and when hot, lower the flame. Beat the overnight batter and pour it through a piping bag or a similar device into the hot ghee in a circular motion, making four or five circles for each jalebi.
Fry on both sides till just crisp and remove with a slotted spoon, draining out all ghee. Soak in the syrup and remove after five minutes. Serve Hot.
