Homemade Garam Masala Powder - Gujarati Family Recipe | Traditional Indian Spice Mix for Curry / Rice Dishes

Any Indian preparation, be it curries or rice dishes, is incomplete without Garam Masala powder – a traditional blend of spices. Regionally, across India, it has different variations. Ours is a family recipe of a Gujarati household.

Ingredients:

• 50 gms Star Anise / Chakra Phool

• 50 gms Black Pepper / Kali Miri

• 50 gms Cloves / Lavang

• 50 gms Green Cardamom / Chhoti Elaichi

• 25 gms Ceylon Ironwood / Nagkesar

• 50 gms Caraway Seeds / Shahjeera

• 50 gms Cinnamon / Dalchini

• 50 gms  Mace / Javitri

Method:

• Transfer the spices in a mixer jar and ground them into fine powder.

• Store in an airtight container for upto 6 months.

Til Ladoo | 3 Ingredient Healthy Indian Sweet Sesame Balls | Makar Sankranti Special

Makar Sankranti is celebrated across India with much fervour and joy and is often referred to as the Kite Festival of India. Every Indian household devours a special sweet on this day – ‘Til Ladoo’ (sweet sesame balls) - which is delicious yet healthy and easy to prepare.

Ingredients:

• 250 gms Sesame / Til

• 250 gms Jaggery / Gur

• 100 gms Peanuts / Singdana (roasted and crushed)

• Ghee / Clarified Butter (to grease the palm)

Method:

• Heat a pan on medium flame.

• Add sesame and toast it for 5 mins or until golden brown.

• Transfer the toasted sesame into another bowl.

• Heat the same pan on low flame.

• Add jaggery and 2-3 tbsp water and melt till it has one string consistency.

• Now add the toasted sesame and crushed peanuts and mix everything well.

• Let the mixture cool till it’s warm to touch.

• Grease your palm with Ghee.

• Take some mixture and roll it into lemon-sized ball. Repeat the procedure until all the mixture gets converted into balls (ladoos).

• Store it as long as you wish.

How to make Coconut Milk at home - Healthy and Affordable | Cooking Basics

Coconut milk is an essential part of south Indian and southeast Asian cuisines. Though there are many packaged coconut milk brands available in the market, it’s ideal to make it at home as it turns out healthier and way affordable than the market ones.

Ingredients:

• 1 Coconut

• 1 cup Water

Method:

• Wet the coconut in running water and remove its husks.

• Break the coconut into two parts and start grating the coconut.

• Transfer the grated coconut into a mixer jar and grind it with 10 tbsp of water. Do not add all the water at once – add little by little.

• Transfer the ground coconut into a strainer and place it atop a vessel.

• Squeeze the ground coconut well so that the extracted coconut milk collects in the vessel. This is the first milk aka thick coconut milk which is mainly used to thicken curries and soup.

• Now transfer the remaining coconut again into a mixer jar and grind with 4tbsp of water.

• Transfer this ground coconut into the strainer and place it atop a different vessel now.

• Squeeze the coconut well and now what is collected in the vessel is the second milk aka thin coconut milk.

Tips and Suggestions:

• Don’t throw away the husks, rather use them as natural body scrubber (loofah).

• Break the coconut atop a vessel so that you can collect the coconut water so that you can drink it or use it as a natural face spray.

Rasam - South Indian Homestyle Hot & Sour Soup | Homemade Rasam Powder Recipe

Rasam is a tangy and spicy south Indian soup best had during winters and monsoons.

Ingredients 

·        Chopped Tomatoes – 5

·        Cloves of Garlic – 10

·        Tamarind - 2 tsp 

·        Coriander Leaves - 4 tbsp

·        Dry Red Chillies – 5

·        Curry Leaves - 10 

·        Turmeric - 1/2 tsp

·        Mustard Seeds - 1 tsp

·        Asafoetida - 1/2 tsp

·        Water - 5 litre

·        Oil - 4 tbsp

·        Mustard Seeds – 1 tsp

·        Salt as per taste

Roast and grind – 

·        Coriander Seeds - 2 tbsp 

·        Black Peppercorns - 1 tbsp

·        Cumin seeds - 1 tsp

Method

·        Dry roast the spices listed under roast and grind on a low flame. Coarsely grind them into powder.

·        Soak Tamarind in 1 cup hot water and keep aside.

·        Boil water on medium flame in a sauce pan and add chopped tomatoes.

·        After 10 mins add soaked Tamarind syrup, salt, Coriander leaves and ground spice mix and stir well.

·        Boil for 30 mins on medium flame till the tomatoes get soft and mushy.

·        Once the tomatoes become mushy. Switch off the flame.

·        For the tempering in a wok, Add oil and heat it. To the hot oil add mustard seeds, curry leaves, dry red chillies, turmeric and asafetida. Let it splutter.

·        Add the tempering to the tomato broth and garnish with freshly chopped Coriander leaves.