Sweet Boondhi

Besan – 2 cup

Rice Flour – 2 tsp

Soda – 1/4 tsp

Oil

Sugar – 2 cup

Cardamom Powder – 1 tsp

In a large bowl add Besan, Rice Flour and Soda; mix well. Add Water little at a time and make a smooth batter.

Heat Oil in a large skillet. Pour the Batter on a Boondhi ladle held on top of the skillet. Tap gently until all the Batter has fallen into the Oil. Remove the Boondhi from Oil when it turns golden.

Put Sugar and 1 cup Water in a pot and bring to boil until it reaches half string consistency. Add Cardamom powder and mix well. Add all the Boondhi into the Syrup and mix well; then spread it on a large plate. When it is warm enough, gently separate the Boondhis.

Scallion Milk Bread Rolls

• 1 cup plus 1 tablespoon whole milk, divided

• 2 3/4 cups (about 11 5/8 ounces) plus 2tablespoons bread flour, divided, plus more for dusting

• 1 1/2 teaspoons active dry yeast

• 1/4 cup plus a pinch of granulated sugar

• 1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt, divided

• 2 large eggs

• 1/2 cup softened unsalted butter, cubed, divided

• Cooking spray

• 1 1/2 cups thinly sliced scallions

Directions

1. Whisk together 1/2 cup milk and 2 tablespoons flour in a small saucepan. Heat over medium-low, whisking constantly, until thickened to the consistency of soft mashed potatoes, 2 to 4 minutes. Immediately transfer mixture to a plate, and spread into a thin layer. Set aside.

2. Heat 1/2 cup milk in a second small saucepan over medium-low until starting to bubble, 1 to 2 minutes. (Alternatively, microwave in a microwavable glass measuring cup on HIGH until temperature reaches 110°F, about 40 seconds.) Add yeast and a pinch of sugar. Let stand until bubbly and frothy, about 5 minutes.

3. Stir together 1 teaspoon salt, remaining 2 3/4 cups flour, and remaining 1/4 cup sugar in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the dough hook attachment. Lightly beat 1 egg in a small bowl; add beaten egg, thickened milk mixture, and yeast mixture to mixing bowl. Beat on low speed until combined, about 30 seconds. Add 1/4 cup butter; beat on low speed until dough is smooth and pliable, about 5 minutes. (Dough will be tacky and stick to bottom of the bowl.) Shape dough into a ball, and place in a large bowl coated with cooking spray. Cover with plastic wrap, and let rise in a warm place until doubled in size, 1 hour and 30 minutes to 2 hours.

4. Meanwhile, stir together scallions, remaining 1/4 cup butter, and remaining 1/2 teaspoon salt in a small bowl.

5. Transfer dough to a lightly floured work surface; roll into a 16- x 13-inch rectangle. Spread scallion mixture evenly over dough, leaving a 1-inch border on both long sides. Starting on 1 long side, roll dough into a log. Cut off and discard 1/2 inch from each end of the log using a chef’s knife. Cut log crosswise into 12 (about 1 1/4-inch-wide) slices. Arrange slices in a lightly greased 13- x 9-inch baking pan; cover tightly using plastic wrap.

6. Let rolls stand at warm room temperature until puffed, 45 minutes to 1 hour. Preheat oven to 350°F during the final 20 minutes of proofing time. Whisk together remaining 1 egg and remaining 1 tablespoon milk in a small bowl; brush egg mixture evenly over rolls.

7. Bake rolls until golden brown, 25 to 28 minutes. Transfer baking pan to a wire rack, and let rolls cool 10 minutes before serving.

Make ahead

Bake, cool completely, and freeze rolls (well wrapped) for up to three months. Thaw the rolls at room temperature overnight, still wrapped. To reheat, cover with foil, and bake at 300°F until warmed through, then uncover briefly to recrisp the tops.

Veg Makhanwala

veggies for veg makhanwala

• ▢ 100 grams cauliflower, chopped into medium florets or about ¾ cup chopped medium cauliflower florets

• ▢ 100 grams potatoes or 1 medium potato, diced or cubed or cut into batons or ⅓ to ½ cup chopped potatoes

• ▢ 8 to 10 french beans, chopped

• ▢ 80 to 100 grams carrots or 2 medium carrots, chopped or cut into batons or ⅓ to ½ cup chopped carrots

• ▢ ⅓ cup peas – fresh or frozen

for ground paste

• ▢ 200 grams ripe red tomatoes, chopped or about 1.25 cup chopped tomatoes

• ▢ 2 tablespoon cashews or 20 to 22 cashews

• ▢ ½ inch ginger – chopped

• ▢ 3 to 4 garlic – chopped

for veg makhanwala gravy

• ▢ 2 tablespoon Butter

• ▢ 1 small to medium tej patta (indian bay leaf)

• ▢ ¼ to ½ teaspoon Garam Masala

• ▢ 1 green chili – slit

• ▢ ½ teaspoon kasuri methi (dry fenugreek leaves)

• ▢ ½ inch ginger julienne (optional)

• ▢ ⅛ teaspoon turmeric powder

• ▢ ½ teaspoon Red Chili Powder

• ▢ 2 to 3 tablespoon low fat cream

• ▢ 1.25 to 1.5 cups water

• ▢ ½ teaspoon sugar or as required

• ▢ salt as required

• ▢ few coriander leaves for garnish (optional)

• ▢ ½ inch ginger julienne (optional)

INSTRUCTIONS

prepping and cooking the veggies

• First heat 1/3 cup water and soak 20 to 22 cashews in hot water for 30 minutes. After 30 minutes drain the cashews.

• Meanwhile while the cashews are soaking, rinse & chop the veggies. You can also cut the veggies in batons. Add about 2 to 2.5 cups of chopped mix vegetables like cauliflower, carrots, french beans, potatoes, capsicum and peas. You can also add mushrooms. If adding mushrooms then better to saute them instead of steaming them.

• Now you can steam or fry/saute the veggies. for steaming, steam then in a pressure cooker, electric rice cooker or a pan. Just add about 2 to 3 cups water in the cooker (pressure or electric). Place the chopped vegetables in the pan/steamer pan and keep in the cooker. While pressure cooking, cook for 2 whistles.

• For sauteing veggies, heat 3 tbsp oil in a pan. Add the veggies in batches to the pan.

• Saute the veggies, till they are browned from the edges. Remove them on a plate and keep aside. Add more oil if required while sauteing.

preparing the ground paste

• In a grinder or blender jar, add 1.25 cups of chopped tomatoes, soaked cashews, ginger and garlic (½ inch ginger & 3 to 4 garlic, chopped).

• Without adding any water make a smooth paste in the grinder or blender. There should be no small pieces of cashews in the paste.

making veg makhanwala gravy

• Heat 2 tbsp butter in a pan. Add tej patta or bay leaf and saute for a few seconds.

• Add the tomato cashew paste.

• Keep on stirring and sauteing the paste on a low flame.

• Saute and stir till you see fat leaving the sides and on the surface. The entire sauteing of the tomato-cashew paste takes about 9 to 10 minutes on a low flame.

• Add ¼ tsp turmeric powder & ½ tsp red chili powder. Stir and saute for a minute.

• Add 1.25 to 1.5 cups water. Stir very well.

• Add 1 slit green chili. The green chilies give a bit of heat to the gravy. You can also skip the green chilies.

• Bring the gravy to simmer on a low to medium flame for 6 to 8 minutes. You should see some fat floating on top. The gravy will also thicken.

• Add the steamed or fried veggies. Stir gently.

• Add ½ tsp sugar or as required. Add salt.

• Add ½ tsp kasuri methi/dry fenugreek leaves. Crush and then add the kasuri methi.

• Stir and then add 2 to 3 tbsp low fat cream.

• Stir so that the cream mixes very well with the gravy. Switch off the flame.

• Lastly sprinkle some ¼ tsp garam masala powder. If using homemade garam masala, then add ¼ tsp and if using store brought, then add ½ tsp. You can even add ginger julienne at this step or garnish with them later.

• Stir again and veg makhanwala is ready to be served.

• Serve vegetable makhanwala hot or warm with rotis or parathas or naan or tadoori roti or rumali roti.

• While serving you can garnish with coriander leaves or ginger julienne.

NOTES

• In this recipe, you can add vegetables like cauliflower, green peas, potatoes, carrots, french beans, capsicum, baby corn and broccoli.

• The grated paneer or grated cheese can be added while serving.

• If you don’t have low fat cream then you can skip adding it. But there will be some change in the taste.

• Instead of low fat cream you can add 1 to 1.5 tablespoons of heavy cream.