Saturday, May 25, 2013

The most favorite of all North Indians is Paneer


The most favorite of all North Indians is Paneer (cottage cheese)
and if wish to make it quickly at home then...
Put to boil 1 litre Milk to which have to add 11/2tsp vinegar or citric acid diluted in water. Add to the milk.
When the milk curdles take it off the heat.
Pour into a cotton/muslin cloth and tie it with a tight knot.
When all the water is drained then put heavy weight on the tied paneer for 1 to 2 hours, paneer is ready..
From one liter milk you can get 150 grams paneer[ approximately ]

Stuffed Besan Ka Chila


Stuffed Besan Ka Chila
Ingredients
1 Cup Besan / Bengal gram flour,
2 Tbsp Paneer grated,
2 Tbsp Tomato cut finely,
Salt, Turmeric powder and Red Chilly powder
to taste.
FOR THE STUFFING..
2 Tbsp Paneer grated,
3 Tbsp Sweet Corn, boiled,
2 Tbsp Tomato cut in very small pieces,
2 Tbsp Cucumber cut very finely,
2 Tbsp Onion cut finely.
Add Salt, Pepper powder, Chaat masala to taste.
METHOD
Mix all well, use water to make a thick batter.
Put a non stick tava to heat.
Put a spoonful of batter and spread to make
small size pancake.
Sprinkle drops of oil and after few seconds, flip
the side.
Again spread some oil, allow to cook golden
color.
Serve with few spoons of the stuffing and fold into half.

Dumplings are .

Dumplings are cooked balls of dough. They are based on flour, potatoes or bread, and may include meat, fish, vegetables, or sweets. They may be cooked by boiling, steaming, simmering, frying, or baking. They may have a filling, or there may be other ingredients mixed into the dough. Dumplings may be sweet or savoury. They can be eaten by themselves, in soups or stews, with 
gravy, or in any other way. While some dumplings resemble solid water-boiled doughs, such as gnocchi, others such as wontons resemble meatballs with a thin dough covering. There are many different types of dumplings.
The Chinese dumpling which generally consists of minced meat and finely chopped vegetables wrapped into a piece of dough skin.
The heavier type is used in soups and stews. Fried dumplings can be served with other foods or eaten alone.

Pizza is truly a universal food


Pizza is truly a universal food that almost everyone enjoys.
Basic pizza most likely began in prehistoric times, with bread cooked on flat, hot stones. Pizza is a baked pie of Italian origin consisting of a shallow bread-like crust covered with seasoned tomato sauce, cheese, and often other toppings such as sausage or olive. The word pizza is believed to be from an Old Italian word meaning "a point," which in turn became the Italian word "pizzicare," which means "to pinch" or "pluck." Pizza is an oven baked, flat, round bread typically topped with a tomato sauce, cheese and various toppings. Pizza was originally invented in Naples, Italy, and the dish has since become popular in many parts of the world. October is traditonally national Pizza month.
The ancient Greeks covered their bread with oils, herbs and cheese. Modern pizza originated in Italy as the Neapolitan flat bread. The bottom of the pizza, called the "crust", may vary widely according to style could be thin as in a typical hand-tossed pizza or Roman pizza, or thick as in a typical pan pizza or Chicago-style pizza. 
The most popular cheeses to use on pizza are mozzarella, provolone, cheddar and parmesan. Romano and Ricotta are often used as toppings and processed cheese manufactured specifically for pizza is used in mass-produced environments.
few facts..
Pepperoni is America's favorite topping and the other popular pizza toppings are mushrooms, extra cheese, sausage, green pepper and onion.
Ever wondered why is pizza round?
What could the answer be? ?
If you'd ever seen an American chef prepare it, after the dough has been mixed, kneaded and has risen, the dough ball gets formed into a flat disc in the air by rapidly spinning it and flattening it with the chef's hands. The round spin imparts a circular shape on it.
In Italy they will toss them, spin them and then reshape them into a rectangle or square and cut them in square pieces to serve to guest. Also when the pizza is round for the heat to spread evenly.
The second answer searched was .. Round is the easiest shape to make the dough. When you toss dough, it doesn't form a square, corners take a little more work. Sheet pizzas are rectangular but you may have never seen one locally.

Paneer is an ancient

Paneer is an ancient Indian word that simply means ‘cheese’. Indian cheese making traditions are simple. Paneer can be made from any milk, homogenized or un-homogenized, full fat or low fat though a high fat milk will yield more cheese because of its higher solids content. Paneer is a close cousin to Ricotta. 
Paneer is an Indian cheese which is used in many recipes for appetizers, main courses and desserts. It does not melt when heated. Paneer is very easy to make at home.
To make paneer, all you have to do is bring milk to a high temperature, then add an acidic ingredient to it.
Which could be any vinegar or lemon juice that will yield a different paneer. But Paneer made with lemon juice will be softer and more difficult to strain then when made with vinegar.
But in India, paneer is made traditionally by adding yoghurt to the hot milk. Yoghurt is much less acidic than vinegar or lemon juice.
How to flavor paneer .. When milk curdles and it is strained through a muslin cloth..
If you wish to flavor the Paneer with herbs or spices, this is the time to do it. Add in dried or fresh herbs to give the cheese another level of flavor. Or add fresh edible flower petals.
The paneer should be pressed with weight for approx 30 minutes at least. Salt can be added to the paneer after it has been pressed and Knead it well.
The whey which remains while making paneer can best be used to knead chapatti dough or as a stock for soups and curries.

SAFFRON MORE EXPENSIVE THAN GOLD


Sugarcane juice is the juice


Sugarcane juice is the juice extracted from pressed sugarcane. 
It is consumed as a beverage worldwide, and especially in regions where sugarcane is commercially grown such as Southeast Asia, South Asia, and Brazil.
This is a popular drink in India especially in states such as Gujarat, Maharashtra, Andhra Pradesh, Tamil Nadu, Punjab, Haryana, Himachal Pradesh, Rajasthan and Uttar Pradesh. It is known as "Oosacha Ras" or "Ganneka Ras" in Maharashtra in Marathi and Hindi accordingly ('Ras' translates to 'juice', whereas the former in both terms, 'Oos' and 'Ganna' translate to 'Sugar cane'. 

It is called Roh in eastern Punjab. People usually like this drink in the summer months. Some other additives are added to the fresh juice like lemon,ginger, mint, and ice. Most of the vendors prepare fresh juice quickly by passing sugarcane through a juice making machine.
Sugar cane juice is the national drink of Pakistan, where it is called Roh and more commonly referred to as "gunney ka rus".
Do you feel exhausted after a small walk in the scorching heat during summers? So to quench your thirst and replenish the lost liquids, sugarcane juice comes as the best rescue during summers. The sweet, fresh cane juice not only feels heavenly but also offers dozens of health benefits. Apart from quickly refilling your body fluids and sugars, it also provides instant energy that is required to keep yourself active and on the go. Though it consists of only sugar, it contains the right sugar i. e the unrefined sugar.
Cane juice contains sugar in raw form which is good for health.
It contains essential nutrients and minerals.
Since cane juice can be easily digested, it provides instant energy to the body and hydrates the body.
Cane juice is very helpful in preventing and treating sore throat, cold and flu.
Fresh and natural, cane juice is a great alternative for aerated drinks and cola which contain artificial sugars.
Cane juice contains several essential nutrients, such as calcium, potassium, iron, magnesium and phosphorous, which are necessary for the normal functioning of the body.
Sugarcane is a tall grass with a stout, jointed and fibrous stalk that looks similar to bamboo. As a member of the grass family, its juice has a high potency equivalent to wheat grass juice, only with less chlorophyll and more sugar content. However, counter to what you might think, sugarcane juice contains only about fifteen percent total sugar content, all of which is in a raw unrefined form. The rest of the juice consists of water brimming with an abundance of vitamins and minerals. Sugarcane is rich in calcium, chromium, cobalt, copper, magnesium, manganese, phosphorous, potassium and zinc. It also contains iron and vitamins also. Several scientific studies have revealed that sugarcane is extremely high in a unique mix of compounds called polyphenols. Polyphenols are a large class of phytonutrient compounds with powerful antioxidant properties and numerous health benefits.
The reason raw sugarcane juice is so healthy is because of all of the life-giving nutrients contained in it.