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

(231) Phudina Paratha.

Ingredients

  • 1 ½ cup Mint Leaves (Phudina paan).
  • 3 Green chillies.
  • ½ inch Ginger piece.
  • ½ cup finely chopped Coriander leaves.
  • 1 tsp. Mango powder ( Aamchur powder)
  • 2 tsp. Salt.
  • 2 cup Wheat flour.
  • 4 tbsp. Oil.
  • 1 tsp. White sesame seeds.
  • ½ tsp. Garam masala.

Method

  1. Pluck  leaves from the stalk of Mint.
  2. Wash and keep aside in a colander.
  3. Wash finely chopped Coriander leaves and keep aside in a colander.
  4. Grind and make a fine paste of mint leaves, Ginger and Green chillies.
  5. In a big mixing bowl mix wheat flour with other dry ingredients and oil. Mix thoroughly and if flour holds the shape of your fist, it means oil is in perfect condition . Now mix mint paste and coriander leaves in flour and knead soft dough.
  6. With the help of dry flour roll parathas and roast with ghee on medium flame.
  7. Serve hot Phudina paratha with bundi raita, golkeri pickle and Tomato Soup or Chass or as you wish.
Categories
salads

(230) Sweet Corn Salad

Ingredients

  • 1 cup Sweet Corn seeds.
  • ½ tsp. Salt.
  • 1 tsp. Red Chilli powder or Black pepper powder.
  • 1 tsp. Butter.

Method

  1. Wash and pressure cook sweet corn seeds in a colander up to 2 whistles.
  2. Heat butter in a non-stick pan .
  3. Saute cooked sweet corn seeds for 1 minute.
  4. Mix salt and chilli powder.
  5. Serve with Roti, paratha bhakhri puri, Rice or as you wish.
Categories
Beauty tips

(226) Hair Vitaliser

Decoction of spices.

Ingredients

  • 10 -12 drops of Lavender oil.
  • 10-12 Bay leaves.
  • 2 tsp. Black seeds( Kalonji)
  • 2 tsp. Fenugreek seeds.
  • 500 ml. water.

Method

  1. In a saucepan heat water.
  2. Add all ingredients except Lavender oil and boil for 20 minutes on slow flame.
  3. Switch off the flame, add Rosemary essential oil and mix thoroughly.
  4. Fill the spray bottle with this infused water.
  5. Spray on the scalp and massage for 10 minutes. You can keep it as it is or wash it.
  6. Wash with mild shampoo and conditioner.
  7. Repeat alternately and regularly. You  can definitely see the difference.
Categories
Healthy food

(224)Celery na Bhajiya

Ingredients

  • 250 gms. Celery.
  • 1 cup Chana dal  flour.
  • ½ cup Rice flour.
  • 2- 3 Finely chopped Green Chillies.
  • 1 tsp. Red chilli powder.
  • ¼ tsp. Turmeric powder.
  • ¼ tsp. Asafoetida powder.
  •   Pinch of Soda bi carb.
  • 1 tsp. Salt.
  • 1 ½ cup+ 1 tbsp. Water.
  • Oil for frying.

Method

  1. Pluck all the leaves from Celery.
  2. Wash stalks as well as leaves thoroughly and spread leaves on kitchen nepkin .
  3. Finely chopped tender stalks and ½ cup leaves and keep aside. Remaining leaves keep aside.
  4. In a mixing bowl mix both the flours, spices and soda and make a smooth batter with the help of water. Adjust the consistency by adding more water ( see video).
  5. Add finely chopped leaves and stalks . Mix thoroughly.
  6. Heat oil in kadhai on a fast flame.
  7. Once oil heat check it by dropping 2- 3 drops of batter . If drops come immediately on the surface of the oil  it means oil is ready for frying bhajia but if drops sit at the bottom it means still you have to heat the oil.
  8. Dip 2-3 leaves at a time in batter and then drop it in oil. Fry till golden brown. Repeat the process till frying is completed. Sprinkle chat masala on bhajia.
  9. Serve hot Celery bhajia with Sweet chutney and Green chutney. Tomato ketchup
Celery
Consistency of the batter
Making of Celery na bhajia.
Categories
Healthy food

(223)Tur Dal Puran Poli. (Microwave recipe)

Ingredients

  • 2 cups Tur dal.
  • 6 cups of water.
  • 3 cups of sugar.
  • 12 cardamom.
  • 2 tbsp. Ghee.

Method

  1. Wash twice tur dal.
  2. In a  cooker container  pressure cook  tur dal up to three whistles. If you want to keep dal directly in the pressure cooker then add 1 more cup of water.
  3. When pressure releases, remove the dal container from the pressure cooker.
  4. Place the lid on the container. Hold the container with cloth and strain extra water by tilting the container.
  5. With the help of potato masher mash dal thoroughly.
  6. Add sugar and mix vigorously  with a spatula
  7. Make a fine powder of Cardamom
  8. Mix thoroughly Cardamom powder and Ghee.
  9. Transfer whole content in a microwave proof glass bowl.
  10. Microwave for 24 minutes but after every 4 minutes stirring must with a wooden spatula.
  11. No need to remove the glass bowl from the microwave for 20 minutes. You can stir with a small wooden spatula in the microwave. But after 20 minutes  take out the bowl and stir continuously for 30 seconds.
  12. Again keep the bowl in the microwave for 2 minutes.After 2 minutes take out patiently and again stir for 30 seconds and wait for 10 minutes and again stir . Sometimes puran is ready in 22  minutes . All this depends on how much you can drain water from dal. So from 22 to 24 minutes,  heat the puran very carefully.
  13. When you feel hard to stir puran that time place your spatula in the center of puran and if it stands straight it means puran is ready.
  14. This can be further confirmed when puran has completely cooled. Then while forming a small ball with fingers it should not stick to your fingers.(see video).
  15. For making puran poli please refer to my moong dal  puran poli recipe.
Consistency of Puran
Categories
Healthy food

(221)Khaman Dhokla

Ingredients

  • 2 cup Chana dal.
  • 3 Green chillies.
  • 2 inches long Ginger piece.
  • 2 tsp. Salt.
  • ¼ tsp. Asafoetida powder.
  • ¼ tsp. Turmeric powder.
  • 1 Eno fruit salt sachet.
  • 2 tbsp. Oil.
  • Tempering Ingredients : 4 tbsp. Oil, ¼ tsp. Mustard seeds, 1 tsp. White Sesame seeds, 8 – 10 Curry leaves, 4 finely chopped Green Chillies, 4 tbsp. water, 2 tsp. lemon juice and 2 tsp. Sugar.
  • For Garnishing 1 tbsp. grated fresh Coconut and 1 tbsp. chopped Coriander leaves.

Method

  1. Soak Chana dal for 8- 12 hours
  2. Make a fine paste of chillies and Ginger.
  3. After 12 hours wash Chana dal for 2 times and in the same mixture jar make a coarse batter of Chana dal.
  4. Adjust the consistency by adding water.
  5. Empty Eno sachet and mix thoroughly but slowly so that air won’t escape from batter. Pour batter in pre-greased thali.
  6. In a big kadhai heat water . Once it starts boiling place dhokla thali on stand in the kadhai. Close the lid and steam for 15 minutes.
  7. After 15 minutes open the lid of kadhai, pierce the knife tip, take out the knife and check. If the tip of the knife comes out clean, it means dhokla is properly steamed. If not again steam for 3 – 5 more minutes .
  8. Take out dhokla thali from kadhai and keep aside . After 5 minutes cut dhokla into square shapes. Keep aside.
  9. Heat oil into a big nonstick pan. Add Mustard seeds and wait for crackling sound after that add sesame seeds, curry leaves and green chillies.
  10. Stir continuously and saute for 30 seconds and add water and sugar.
  11. When water starts boiling, add lemon juice and then dhokla pieces.
  12. Toss quickly and continuously so that all dhokla pieces are easily mixed with tempering. Switch off the flame.
  13. Serve hot with Green chutney, after garnished with coriander and coconut. Accompanied with a glass of chaas, masala tea, Immunity booster tea, herbal tea or as you wish.
Categories
Healthy food

(220)Moola ni bhaji na Muthiya

Ingredients

  • 1 cup Moola ni bhaji(Leaves of Radish).
  • ¼ cup Coriander leaves.
  • ½ cup Suji.
  • ½ cup Moong flour or besan.
  • ½ cup Mix dal coarse flour( masoor, tur and moong dal) Optional.
  • 4 tbsp. Oil.
  • 1 ½ tsp. Salt.
  • 4 tsp. Sugar.
  • 1 tsp. Aamchur powder ( Mango powder).
  • 1 tsp. Dhana Jeera powder ( Coriander and Cumin seeds powder).
  • 1 tsp. Red Chilli powder.
  • ½ tsp Turmeric powder.
  • ¼ tsp. Asafoetida powder.
  • 1 tsp. Green chillies and Ginger paste.
  • Tempering Ingredients :- 4 tbsp Oil, 1 tsp. white sesame seeds, ½ tsp. Mustard seeds, 1 tbsp. Chopped Coriander leaves, 8-10 Curry leaves.

Method

  1. Pluck leaves from the Radish.
  2. Wash thoroughly and finely chop the leaves.
  3. Marinate with salt and sugar and keep aside.
  4. In a mixing bowl mix three flours and add oil in it . When mixed thoroughly with the oil, flour will hold the shape of the fist then the quantity of oil is proper else add little more oil .
  5. Mix all spices and marinated moola bhaji with flour and knead into soft dough. If required add a water spoon by spoon.
  6. Make muthiya with this soft dough ( see video).
  7. Pressure cooks up to three whistles.
  8. Once pressure is released from the cooker, take out all the muthia and keep aside.
  9. After 10 minutes cut into ½ cm. thick slices.
  10. Heat oil in a non-stick pan . Add mustard seeds and wait for crackling sound after that add all other ingredients and saute for ½ minute and add muthiya slices. Stir continuously and saute for 2 -3 minutes on a fast flame.
  11. Serve immediately with tomato ketchup or Sweet chutney and Green chutney accompanied with a glass of buttermilk, masala tea , Immunity booster tea , herbal tea or as you wish.
Making of Muthiya.
Categories
salads

(218)Beet root Salad

Ingredients

  • 2 Beet root.
  • ¼ tsp. Salt(optional).

Method

  1. Peel and wash Beet root.
  2. Make ½ cm. thick slices.
  3. Pressure cook up to 3 whistles.
  4. Serve hot after sprinkling Salt.
Categories
Health Drinks

(217)Gud Kokam nu Pani

Ingredients

  • 2 cups of water.
  • ¼ cup Jaggery (Gud)
  • 5-6 Garcinia (Kokam)
  • ¼ tsp. Asafoetida powder.
  • 1½ tsp. Salt.
  • ¼ tsp. Turmeric powder.

Method

  1. In a sauce pan boil water.
  2. Add all ingredients and again boil for 5 minutes on slow flame.
  3. Taste before serving and serve hot with khichadi, biryani or as you wish.
  4. Gud Kokam pani also helps in reducing stomach aches and sore throat.
Categories
Quick Cooking Tips

(216)Ready masala for stuffing Vegetables.

Sambhariya Shak no msalo

Ingredients

  • 2 tbsp. Desiccated coconut powder. or
  • 2 tbsp. Groundnut powder.
  • 2 tbsp. White Sesame seeds powder.
  • 2 tbsp. Dariya dal powder.
  • 2 tbsp. Sugar powder.
  • 1 tbsp. Aamchur powder. OR Kokam powder
  • 1 tbsp. Coriander powder.
  • 1 tbsp. Red chilli powder.
  • 1 tsp. Cumin powder.
  • 1 tsp. Fennel powder.
  • 1 tsp. Turmeric powder.
  • ½ tsp. Asafoetida powder.

Method

  1. Dry roast Dariya dal, Ground nut and Sesame seeds separately.
  2. When cool completely grind separately on pulse mode otherwise oil separates out.
  3. Dry roast Coriander seeds, Cumin seeds and Fennel seeds separately.
  4. When cool completely grind together into fine powder.
  5. In a big mixing bowl mix all the ingredients thoroughly. Approximately this masala mixture is 200 gms.
  6. Store in an air tight container in the refrigerator.
  7. How to make Kokum powder Wash soft kokam and drain all the water from the kokum. In a mixture grinder, grind kokum along with dry shredded coconut and you will get lump free kokum powder.
  8. How to use this masala :–When you want to cook vegetables then that time, 500 gms of vegetables requires 200 gms. of this masala for stuffing after mixing 1 cup of fresh finely chopped Coriander leaves and salt in this masala.