BAIGAN KA BHARTA

BAIGAN KA BHARTA

I love eggplants and brinjals as you can experiment a lot with this vegetable from making a curry to even pakodas.

Try this yummy fire roasted Eggplant dish served hot with Rotis and your favourite Daal.

INGREDIENTS:

2 medium sized eggplants

1/2 tsp mustard seeds

1/2 tsp cumin seeds

10 fresh curry leaves

2 onions finely chopped

1 tsp finely chopped garlic

2 medium sizes tomatoes chopped

1 tsp coriander powder

½ tsp garam masala powder

2 green chillies chopped

1 tsp tamarind pulp

1 inch piece of jaggery

salt

Fresh coriander chopped

oil

METHOD:

Wash and pat dry the eggplants.

Prick the eggplant’s surface with a knife or a fork.

Brush the eggplant with some oil and roast it in an oven at 180 C or roast on the gas cooktop till charred.

Place the eggplant in a bowl and cover with a lid and keep aside for 10 mins.

Now you can easily peel off the skin.

Discard the skin and mash the eggplant’s pulp.

In a kadhai,heat oil and add mustard seeds,cumin seeds and curry leaves.

Let them splutter,then add the onions and chopped garlic.

Saute till onion and garlic turn golden brown.

Add the chopped tomatoes and slit green chillies.

Saute for 5 mins.

Then add the coriander powder and garam masala powder.

Cook till the masala starts secreating oil.

Now add the charred eggplant pulp to the kadhai.

Stir well.

Add the tamarind pulp,jaggery and salt to the bharta.

Cook for another 5 mins on slow heat.

Garnish with fresh chopped coriander leaves.

EGG BIRYANI

EGG BIRYANI

I love eating eggs be it in any form at any given time of the day. When I do not have the time to make Egg Curry and Rice separately.I simply make this easy yummy Egg Biryani. 

INGREDIENTS: ( serves 4)

4 boiled eggs

400 grams basmati rice

1 tsp cumin

3 cloves

2 green cardamom

1 star anise

2 small cinnamom sticks

5 blackpepper corns

3 large onions sliced

2 green chillies slit

2 bayleafs

4 big tomatoes chopped roughly

2 tsp fresh ginger garlic paste

1 tsp garam masala

2 tsp coriander powder

½ tsp cumin powder

½ cup beaten curd

2 tsp kashmiri red chilli powder

Pinch of nutmeg powder

½ tsp green cardamom powder

A few drops of kewra

Freshly chopped coriander and mint leaves

Salt

Oil

600 ml hot boiling water

METHOD:

In a thick bottomed vessel,heat oil and add cumin seeds,cloves,green cardamom,star anise,cinnamom sticks and blackpepper corns.

Fry the spices till fragrant.

Then add the onions,green chillies and bayleafs.

Fry till the onion turns golden brown.

Add chopped tomatoes,ginger garlic paste,garam masala,coriander powder and cumin powder.

Fry the masala well.

Add beaten curd,kashmiri red chilli powder and salt.

Mix well,then add the boiled eggs (slit halfway).

Sauté for 2 mins.

Add presoaked basmati rice and roast the rice with the masala.

Remember not to stir too much otherwise the rice may break.

Add hot boiling water to the rice.

Now add the nutmeg and green cardamom powder along with a few drops of kewra.

Add freshly chopped mint and coriander leaves.

Stir well.

Cover and cook on medium flame till the water is ¾ th absorbed.

Keep the flame on the lowest possible now and cook the rice on dum(sim).

Serve hot with raita.

BADSHAH-PURE VEGETARIAN RESTAURANT

BADSHAH-PURE VEGETARIAN RESTAURANT

Cuisine:INDIAN AND CHINESE

Hours/Days open: ALL DAYS (9AM -10PM)

Badshah – was established in 1905 and has been serving some delicious food for more than a century now.Badshah has only one branch in pune (M.G Road) and one in Mumbai. 
Other eateries around the area may have come and gone but Badshah, much like single screen theatres and the charm they evoke, refuses to lose its loyal customers to newer and fancier places.

The ambience of this restaurant is simple(almost basic)yet family friendly and seats around 70 people at a time having outdoor and indoor seating facility.

The variety of food here is simply astounding and there are various delicacies on offer right from north to south Indian cuisine to popular western foods like pastas,pizzas,burgers,hotdogs and Chinese as well.

The most popular item here at badshah is the cutlet which they serve along with some coleslaw,French fries and toast.This is by far the best vegetarian cutlet I’ve had after the one served at Alok hotel in Mumbai.
The badshah thali is economical and comprises of-dal,mutter paneer,aloo gobi,chaas, gulab jamun and dry samosa along with roti,rice,salad,achaar and papad - enough to fill you up good for a few hours at least.

The puri bhaji and pav bhaji here is also worth trying as it reminds one of home cooked food.The tangy red sauce macaroni here is absolutely lip smacking which comes loaded up with cheese.
They also have an extensive beverage menu providing fresh juices to organic ones,faloodas,syrups with milk/water,lassis,milkshakes,milk cold drinks.

Their famous Falooda is known as the pride of badshah and is available in an array of unique flavors like butterscotch,shirazi,kesar,royal falooda and more.The coffee here is my favourite.Its not one of those fancy frothy coffees from a machine that one gets nowadays  but the real deal.

Badshah is economically priced and a scrumptious meal for two can be had just under 250 bucks. The service is quick and the waiters are very friendly, always greet everyone warmly and all of them are well-versed with the menu.
 Badshah is an iconic landmark in the city and I make it a point to regularly visit this place at least once a week as I am guaranteed a consistently good meal. 
Although the lure of coffee and cutlet is too hard to resist, I wonder if the real reason I frequent Badshah is because it reminds me of the theme song from the TV sitcom Cheers, 'I wanna go where everybody knows my name and they're always glad you came.'

Ambience:2.5/5

Food:3/5

Service:3/5

Price:3.5/5

Meal for 2: 250 INR

Overall ratings:3/5

Address: 7,East Street,Opposite Vicory Cinema,Camp,Pune 411001

Phone: 6362667/6361805here and always greet one warmly,they also are knowlegeable  money. fresh juices to organic one,ike to

MIDDLE EASTERN DAJAJ HAREES / HALEEM (CHICKEN PORRIDGE)

MIDDLE EASTERN DAJAJ HAREES / HALEEM (CHICKEN PORRIDGE)

I think the title says it all,enough to make everybody’s mouth water.

I have been in love with Haleem for 10 years now,yes,it was love at first sight!!

Call it Haleem,harees,porridge or khichda for me it’s the ultimate comfort food.

Haleem is especially made in the holy month of Ramadan as it’s a complete meal in one.

Traditionally it is slow cooked on firewood for 12 hours but since that’s not possible at home,here is an easy recipe of Haleem which can be made in 2 hours.

INGREDIENTS: (MAKES 8 BOWLS)

1 cup bulgur wheat / broken wheat / daliya

700 grams chicken pieces with bone

1 ½ cup fried onions

6 big tomatoes chopped

4 tbsp green chilly and coriander blend

2 tbsp fresh ginger garlic paste

1 cup beaten curd

1 tsp garam masala powder

2 tsp coriander powder

Ghee 

FOR GARNISH:

Red chilli oil

Fresh Mint and coriander chopped

Fried onions

Roasted almonds

Sliced onions

Lemon juice

METHOD:

Soak the bulgur wheat overnight.

Remove in a Pressure cooker,add water as required and cook till 4 whistles.

Meanwhile,heat ghee in a vessel and add a cup of fried onions,tomatoes,green chilly and coriander blend and ginger garlic paste.

Sauté till masala starts secreating oil.

 

Add the chicken pieces and roast the pieces in the spices.

Then add beaten curd,salt,garam masala and coriander powder.

Cover and cook for 15 mins till the chicken pieces are cooked thoroughly.

Let the chicken gravy cool.

Then remove the chicken pieces on a chopping board and shred the meat with help of a fork.

Then add the shredded chicken meat back to the gravy.

 Add the cooked bulgur wheat to the gravy and churn with the help of a wooden churner till the wheat and meat merge with each other to form a thick,sticky Haleem.

 Reheat the Haleem and remove in bowls to serve.

Garnish with red chilli oil,roasted almonds,mint leaves,onion rings,fried onion and lemon juice.

YUM!!!

MURG YAKHNI

MURG YAKHNI

 Bored of eating and making the same types of chicken gravies??Try making Murg Yakhni – spicy, refreshing gravy with a hint of mint!! An absolute favourite of me and my mom.

 

 INGREDIENTS:

500 grams boneless chicken

1 cup curd

A cup of fresh coriander leaves

A sprig of mint

3 green chillies

2 tsp fresh ginger garlic paste

2 green cardamom

2 cinnamom sticks

2 bayleafs

3 blackpepper corns

2 onions sliced

3 large tomatoes chopped

1 tsp coriander powder

½ tsp garam masala powder

½ tsp shahi zeera powder

1 tsp tamarind pulp

Salt

Oil

METHOD-

In a blender,combine the coriander leaves,mint and green chillies.

Blend to a puree,add little water if necessary.

Marinate the chicken pieces in ginger-garlic paste,beaten curd and 4 tsp green chilly coriander puree.

Keep aside overnight or minimum 2 hours.

In a kadhai,heat oil and add cloves,green cardamoms,cinnamom sticks,bayleafs and blackpepper corns.

When fragrant,add sliced onions and fry till golden brown.

Then add the roughly chopped tomatoes.

Saute for 5 mins.

Add the marinated chicken pieces to the kadhai and the spice powders as well i.e coriander powder,shahi zeera powder,salt and garam masala powder.

Stir everything well.

Cook the chicken pieces in the masala till the pieces are cooked.

Well almost done add tamarind pulp and chopped coriander.

Cook for 2 mins more.

The Murg yakhni is ready!!