Author: Rajeshree Gandhi

Life is a journey of evolving roles, each with its own beauty and wisdom. From the structured world of academia to the ever-evolving realm of homemaking, I have embraced each phase with passion and grace. When my children settled into their own lives, I found myself with a renewed sense of purpose—to document and share the wealth of knowledge I have gathered over the years.

During the lockdown, I realized that my experiences in cooking, home remedies, and life’s simple yet profound lessons could serve as a source of inspiration for others. Meticulously and with great concern for the palate, gut health, overall well-being, and the emotional gratification of savoring each preparation, I began crafting a collection of love-filled, cherished recipes, time-tested remedies, and stories woven with warmth and wisdom.

I write under the name "Rajeshree's Kitchen", where I share detailed recipes—the kind that provide exact measurements for ingredients like salt and water, which are often left to personal interpretation in most other kitchen blogs. Additionally, I include practical tips with clear reasons behind them, ensuring that every piece of advice is rooted in understanding and experience. My aim is to make cooking approachable yet precise, helping readers not just recreate dishes but truly connect with the joy of cooking.

This endeavor is my way of preserving traditions, sharing insights, and connecting with those who seek both knowledge and comfort in life's everyday moments.

Categories
Healthy food

(187)Whole Matki Misal

Ingredients

  • Sprouted Matki.
  • 3 cup Water.
  • 1 tbsp. Oil.
  • 2 tsp. salt.
  • ¼ tsp. Asafoetida powder.
  • 2 tsp. Red chilli powder.
  • 1 tsp. Coriander Cumin powder.
  • 1 tsp. Turmeric powder.
  • 1 cup finely chopped Onions.
  • 1 cup finely chopped Tomatoes.
  • ½ cup finely chopped Coriander leaves.
  • 2 cup Bhusu.

Method

  1. Heat nonstick pan with water and add raw oil and other dry ingredients.
  2. Once water started boiling add sprouted Matki and simmer for 5 minutes.
  3. Taste the dish before serving hot.
  4. Serving Instructions.
  5. In each plate serve Matki.
  6. Sprinkle Onions, Tomatoes, Bhusu and garnish with Coriander leaves.
  7. Accompanied with Bread and piece of lemon.
Categories
Healthy food

(177) Lachko Toor dal ( Spicy)

Ingredients

  • ½ cup Toor dal.
  • 2 cup water for cooking.
  • 1 tsp. Salt.
  • ½ tsp. Turmeric powder.
  • ½ tsp. grated ginger.
  • 1 tsp. Sugar.
  • 1 tsp. Lemon juice.
  • Tempering Ingredients ( Vaghar )
  • 1 tbsp. Oil.
  • ½ tsp. Mustard seeds.
  • ¼ tsp. Asafoetida powder.
  • 8-10 Curry leaves.
  • 1 finely chopped green chilli.
  • 1 tsp. Red chilli powder.
  • 1 tsp. Coriander Cumin powder.
  • 1 tbsp. chopped Coriander leaves.

Method

  1. Wash thoroughly Toor dal for 2-3 times.
  2. Pressure cook upto 3 whistles after adding water, salt and turmeric powder.
  3. Open the lid when pressure releases.
  4. By tilting dal pan, drain extra water from the dal. Do not discard drained water as it will use in preparing Osaman. Keep aside both dal and osaman.
  5. Heat oil in nonstick pan or thick bottom pan.
  6. Add Mustard seeds and wait for crackling sound.
  7. Add Asafoetida powder, Curry leaves, chopped green chilli, red chilli powder, Coriander Cumin powder and chopped Coriander leaves. Soute for 5-10 seconds and pour dal. Stir continuously otherwise toor dal will stick to bottom of the pan. Soute for 1-2 minutes. Stir continuously.
  8. Taste the dish before serving hot with Osaman, Steamed rice, Fulka roti or Bhakhri or Paratha or Jowar roti or Bajra roti
Categories
Protein rich food

(173) Channa Osaman

Ingredients

  • 1 cup strained liquid of boiled channa
  • 2 cup water.
  • 2 tbsp. chopped jaggery.
  • 2 Kokum.
  • 1 tsp. grated ginger.
  • Tempering Ingredients (Vaghar)
  • 1 tbsp. Desi ghee.
  • ½ tsp. Cumin seeds.
  • 2 Clove.
  • ½ inch Cinnamon stick.
  • ¼ tsp. Asafoetida powder.
  • 8-10 Curry leaves.
  • 1 tbsp. chopped Coriander leaves.

Method

  1. Mix water with strained cooked Channa liquid.
  2. Add all other ingredients and boil on medium flame.
  3. On another stove heat oil in tempering vessel.
  4. Add Cumin seeds and wait for crackling sound and add Asafoetida powder, Curry leaves, Clove, Cinnamon stick and Coriander leaves. Soute for 5-10 seconds and pour vaghar in Osaman .
  5. Boil Osaman for 5 minutes and taste the dish before serving. Serve hot with Dry brown Channa, Fulka roti or Bhakhri or Bajra roti or Jowar roti, Steamed rice or as you wish.
Categories
Protein rich food

(172)Whole Brown Channa (Dry)

Ingredients

  • ½ cup whole Brown Channa
  • 2 cups water for cooking.
  • 1 tsp Salt.
  • ½ tsp. Turmeric powder.
  • 1 tsp. Sugar.
  • 1 tsp. lemon juice.
  • Tempering Ingredients (Vaghar)
  • 1 tbsp. Oil.
  • ½ tsp. Mustard seeds.
  • ¼ tsp. Asafoetida powder
  • 1 chopped green chilli.
  • 8-10 Curry leaves.
  • 1 tsp. Red chilli powder.
  • 1 tsp. Coriander Cumin powder.
  • 1 tbsp. chopped Coriander leaves.

Method

  1. Soak whole Channa overnight.
  2. Next day morning wash 2-3 times and pressure cook upto 4 whistles after adding salt and turmeric powder.
  3. Open the lid once pressure releases.
  4. Strain cooked Channa with the help of strainer. Keep aside . Don’t throw away strained liquid as this liquid we will use in preparing Osaman.
  5. Heat oil in nonstick pan or thick bottom pan.
  6. Add mustard seeds and wait for crackling sound. Now add Asafoetida powder, Curry leaves, Red chilli powder, Coriander Cumin powder and chopped Coriander leaves. Soute for 10-15 seconds.
  7. Now add channa and Sugar. Mix thoroughly. Again soute for 10 – 15 seconds.Now switch off the flame and add lemon juice. Mix thoroughly
  8. Taste the dish before serving. Serve hot with Osaman, Steamed rice, Fulka roti or Bhakhri or Paratha or Bajra roti or Jowar roti or as you wish.
Categories
Protein rich food

(170) Whole Red Toor ( Lentil)

Lal tuver

Ingredients

  • ½ cup whole red toor.
  • ½ tsp. Soda bi carb.
  • 2 cup water for cooking.
  • 1 tsp. Salt.
  • ½ tsp. Turmeric powder
  • 1 tbsp. Besan( Channa dal flour)
  • 2 washed kokam or 1 tsp. lemon juice.
  • 2 tbsp. finely chopped jaggery.
  • Tempering Ingredients (Vaghar)
  • 1 tbsp. Oil
  • ½ tsp. Mustard seeds.
  • ¼ tsp. Asafoetida powder.
  • 1 tsp. Red chilli powder.
  • 1 tsp. Coriander Cumin powder.
  • 8-10 Curry leaves.
  • 1 tbsp. Chopped coriander leaves.

Method

  1. Soak whole toor overnight after adding soda bi Carb.
  2. Next morning drain water, check and discard hard grains.
  3. Wash thoroughly 2-3 times. Add water, salt and turmeric powder.
  4. In pressure cooker arrange toor vessel at bottom and on top of it keep small vessel contains kokam with 3 tbsp. water.
  5. Pressure cook upto 4 whistles.
  6. Open the lid when pressure releases.
  7. Drain water from cooked Toor and keep aside.
  8. Mix besan in 2 tbsp. of drained toor liquid and make lump free batter. Keep aside.
  9. In another thick bottom pan mix cooked toor, kokam, besan batter and jaggery. Mix thoroughly and stir continuously otherwise besan will stick at bottom.
  10. Heat oil in tempering vessel.
  11. Add mustard seeds and wait for crackling sound. Now add Asafoetida powder, Curry leaves, Red chilli powder, Coriander Cumin powder and Coriander leaves. Soute for 10-15 seconds.
  12. Pour vagar and besan batter into toor vessel. Stir continuously till it starts boiling. Close the lid. Allow to cook for 5 minutes in slow flame. Stir occasionally. Adjust the consistency by adding cooked toor liquid.
  13. Taste the dish before serving. Serve hot with steamed rice, Bajri roti, Jowar roti, Fulka roti, Bhakhri, Paratha, Jeera rice or as you wish
Categories
Protein rich food

(166)Khata Udad( Black Gram).

Ingredients

  • ½ cup whole udad ( Black Gram).
  • ¾ cup water for cooking.
  • 1 tsp. Salt.
  • 1 tsp. Turmeric powder.
  • ½ tsp. grated ginger.
  • ½ cup Curd.
  • 2 cup water.
  • Tempering Ingredients ( Vaghar)
  • 1 tbsp. Oil.
  • 1 tsp. Cumin seeds.
  • ¼ tsp. Asafoetida powder.
  • 2 whole Red chillies.
  • 8-10 Curry leaves.
  • 1 tbsp. chopped coriander leaves.

Method

  1. Wash and soak Udad overnight.
  2. Drain water. Check and separate out hard water less grains. Wash twice and cook in pressure cooker upto 3 whistles.
  3. When pressure releases, remove the pan from cooker and strain cooked Udad.
  4. Discard drained water and keep aside Udad.
  5. In pan mix curd and water with the help of churner. Add whole Udad from strainer and heat on medium flame. Stir continuously otherwise curd starts curdling.
  6. After 2-3 boils switch off the flame or on another stove heat oil in tempering vessel.
  7. Add Cumin seeds and wait for crackling sound. Add Asafoetida powder and red chillies. Add Curry leaves and Coriander leaves. Soute for 10-15 seconds.
  8. Add this vaghar to boiling Udad and again cook for 2-3 boils. Stir continuously.
  9. Taste the dish before serving. Serve hot with steamed rice and bajri roti or jowar roti.
Categories
Healthy food onepot recipe

(158)Dhokli nu Shak

Any beans you can use in this recipe like Cluster beans( Gavar), French beans(Fansi), Lobia beans(Choli) and Broad beans( Val papdi).

Ingredients

  • Ingredients of dhokli:-
  • 1 cup coarse Wheat flour.
  • 2 tbsp. Oil.
  • ½ tsp. Salt.
  • 1 tsp. Chilli powder.
  • 1 tsp. Coriander Cumin powder.
  • ½ tsp. Turmeric powder.
  • ¼ tsp. Asafoetida powder.
  • ½ tsp Carom seeds ( optional).
  • 2 tsp. Sugar.
  • ⅓ cup water.
  • Ingredients of shak:-
  • 2 cup  beans of your choice.
  • 2 tbsp. Sesame seeds oil.
  • ¼ tsp. Asafoetida powder.
  • ½ tsp. Turmeric powder.
  • ½ tsp. Salt.
  • 2 tsp. Sugar.
  • ½ cup water.
  • ¼ cup finely chopped coriander leaves.

Method

  1.   Wash and Chop beans of your choice.
  2. Add all ingredients of shak in pressure cooker
  3. Pressure cook upto  two whistles.
  4. In mixing bowl mix wheat flour with oil and then mix other 2 ingredients of dhokli and knead into soft dough. Keep aside for 1 hour.
  5. After 1 hour due to the coarseness  of the flour soft dough now turns into medium hard.
  6. Hold small portion of dough and with another hand pinch small 1portion of dough roll press into small dhokli.( see Video).
  7. Make all dhokli and keep aside.
  8. Open pressure cooker stir 2-3 times and mix cooked ingredients
  9. Add 3 cup of water in same cooker and boil on high flame.
  10. Once it starts boiling add all dhokli , give one quick stir and close the lid and pressure cook upto 2 whistles.
  11. Once pressure releases, open the lid and ajust the consistency and taste  by adding water and extra spices.
  12. Add coriander leaves and give one boil on high flame.
  13. Taste the dish before serving. Serve hot dhokli nu shak with Fulka Roti, bhakhri, paratha, rice  or as you desire.
Proper quantity of oil in the flour hold the shape.
Dhokli
Cooked beans.
Making of Dhokli
French beans and dhokli.
Categories
Pickle

(154)Amla Gunda nu Athanu

Indian Gooseberry and Gumberry Pickle

Ingredients

Method

  1. Wash and wipe Amla and Gunda.
  2. Cut each amla in to lengthwise wedges and keep aside.
  3. Cut each Gunda into 4 and remove seeds and keep aside.
  4. If we measure after cutting Amla and Gunda whole content is 7 cups.
  5. In big vessel , mix amla, gunda and athana no sambhar . Also mix seeds of gunda.
  6. As mucilaginous pulp of fruit, which remains stick with seeds, having medicinal value and when pickle will season in a week time whole mucilaginous pulp will mix with pickle.
  7. Store in air tight glass jar at room temperature. After tightly fill jar with pickle, pour extra oil on the top and make sure that layer of the oil is above the pickle layer but if you are storing pickle in refrigerator then no need to add extra oil.
  8. Enjoy pickle with any of your favourite food but it taste best with steamed rice, khichadi or with plain Roti, Paratha, Bhakhri and Rotla.
Categories
Healthy food

(149)Kerda Pickle

Ingredients

  • 500 gms. Kerda.
  • 5 tsp. Salt.
  • 1 tsp. Turmeric powder.
  • 6 lemons

Method

  1. Wash Kerda thoroughly for 2-3 times.
  2. Soak kerda for 3 days and change water two times a day.
  3. On the 4th day cut the stalk of each kerda with the help of scissors ( optional).
  4. Wash thoroughly after cutting stalks.
  5. Spread kerda on cloth for drying for 15 minutes.
  6. In a mixing bowl, mix kerda with salt, turmeric powder and lemon juice( optional).
  7. Keep aside for 4- 5 days and stir properly for two times a day.
  8. On 5th day Kerda pickle is ready.
Kerda
After 3 days
cut stalk of kerda
Kerda Pickle
Categories
Healthy food

(254)Oats Chila

Ingredients

  • 1 cup oats coarse flour.
  • ⅓ cup Udad flour.
  • ¼ cup Barley flour or Wheat or Chana flour.
  • 1 Onion.
  • 1 Tomato.
  • 1 tsp Salt.
  • 1 tsp. Cumin seeds.
  • 1 tsp. Black pepper powder OR 1 tsp. Green chillies paste.
  • 2 cups of water.
  • Chat masala or Milagai podi

Method

  1. Grind Oats into coarse flour.
  2. In a saucepan mix all dry ingredients together. Either you make a paste of onion and tomato and mix in flour or finely chopped and keep aside .
  3. Make a thick batter ( see video) and keep aside for 10 minutes to set.
  4. After 10 minutes check the consistency of batter and if ok then start making chilas otherwise add water spoon by spoon and make desired consistency.
  5. Pour batter on non stick tawa and spread evenly in a circular manner. Drizzle ghee and cook on a slow flame for 4-5 minutes. Flip the side and now spread chopped onion, tomato and coriander evenly over it and sprinkle chat masala. Cook this side on a slow flame till it turns light golden brown. Generally it takes 4-5 minutes.
  6. Serve hot with Coconut chutney