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
Protein rich food

(255)Red Lentils Dosa.

Ingredients

  • Ingredients for Lentils Dosa :- 3 cup Masoor dal, ½ cup Udad dal, ½ cup Rice.
  • Ingredients for Masala Dosa Filling :-½ cup finely chopped Coriander leaves, ½ cup finely chopped Spinach, ½ cup chopped Carrot, ½ cup Red and Yellow bell pepper, ½ cup finely chopped Spring onion, ½ cup Sweet corn and 2 cubes Tomato puree
  • 3 tbsp. butter.
  • ½ tsp. Salt. (add less salt so you can use chat masala).
  • 3 tsp. Red chilli powder.
  • Chat masala.
  • Mozzarella cheese granules.

Method

  • Wash and soak all dals and rice together for 8-10 hours.
  • Grind dals and rice into fine paste and sauce like consistency.
  • Keep aside for 5-6 hours for fermentation OR you can use immediately for making dosa.
  • Method for making filling:-
  • Heat butter in a nonstick pan and saute onion for 2 minutes. Add salt and again saute.
  • Now add all other vegetables, close the lid and cook on a slow flame till it becomes tender.
  • Add tomato puree and red chilli powder and reduce water from the puree. keep the pan open and stir occasionally. Once you get the desired dry consistency of masala dosa filling, switch off the flame and transfer into plate to cool down.
  • Heat nonstick tawa and on slow flame, pour dosa batter and spread evenly in the circular manner and drizzle ghee on the periphery and over it.
  • In the center of the dosa place the stuffing length wise and sprinkle mozzarella cheese granules and then chat masala.
  • On a slow flame each dosa will take 4-5 minutes. So have patience and you will enjoy crispy dosa with Coconut chutney.
Categories
Healthy food

(145)Chana daal Puranpoli (Microwave recipe)

Ingredients for Puran

  • 2 cups Chanadal.
  • 3 cups water.
  • 2½ cup Sugar.
  • ½ tsp. cardamom powder.

Method

  1. Wash Chanadal thoroughly for 2 times.
  2. Add 3 cups water and keep aside for 2 hours  to soak.
  3. After 2 hours pressure cook chanadal upto 6 whistles.
  4. Once pressure releases from the cooker, open the lid and drain excess water from the boiled chanadal.
  5. In food processor crush channa dal and sieve with 1 mm sieve.
  6. Mix sugar and cardamom powder thoroughly with sieved dal and transfer whole content into microwave pan.
  7. Cook the above content for 15 minutes but after every 3 minutes take out the pan stir thoroughly and again cook.
  8. After 15 minutes spread 1 table spoon of puran on plate and wait for 10 minutes to cool down.
  9. After 10 minutes, dip your fingers in ghee and then scrape puran from plate. If puran doesn’t stick to your fingers then it is ready otherwise microwave for one more minute and repeat the testing procedure.( see the video )
  10. Once your are satisfied after test ,keep aside for 6-7 hours to cool down or If you want to make puranpoli immediately then spread whole puran in big plate to cool and then start making puranpoli.

Ingredients for Poli

  • 2 cups wheat flour.
  • 1½ cups water.
  • 4 tbsp. Oil

Method

  1. Knead roti dough ( see the video for consistency)
  2. Make table tennis size ball from dough.
  3. With the help of rolling pin roll small 4 inch size roti.
  4. Stuff golf ball sized puran and again roll in ½ cm. thick poli( roti).
  5. Roast like paratha .
  6. Apply ghee on both the sides . (see video)
  7. Serve hot or cold as you wish both tastes delicious.
Boiled channa daal
Sieve direct Chanadal .
Crushed and sieved dal.
Mix with Sugar
Test whether puran is ready or not
consistency of poli dough.
making of puranpoli
Categories
Pickle

(144)Karandas Pickle

Ingredients

  • 500 gms. Karandas.
  • 2 tbsp Salt and ½ tsp baking soda for soaking karandas.
  • ⅔ cup. Jaggery.
  • 5 tbsp. Til oil.
  • 1 tsp. Cumin seeds.
  • 5 clove.
  • ½ inch Cinnamon.
  • 1 tsp. Turmeric powder.
  • 1 tsp. Asafoetida powder.
  • 1 tbsp. Red chilli powder.
  • 1 tbsp. Coriander Cumin powder.
  • 1 tbsp. Salt..

Method

  1. Pluck stalk from the Karandas.
  2. Add salt and baking soda to tap water. Soak karandas in this water for 10 minutes.
  3. Wash thoroughly.
  4. Heat oil in non stick pan for tampering.
  5. Add Cumin seeds , wait for crackling sound and add clove, cinnamon and then add asafoetida powder and turmeric. Give quick stir to all whole spices and then add Karandas. After adding salt close the lid and cook for 2-3 minutes to soften on medium flame. Stir in between.
  6. After softening add remaining spices and jaggery.
  7. Stir continuously and cook for one more minute and switch off the flame. Karanda pickle is ready.
  8. Bottled the karanda pickle once it cool down.
  9. Enjoy with Roti, Bhakhri, Thepla, Puranpoli, Chila, Handva, Dhokla, Vada, Bhajia or as you wish.
Karandas Pickle
Categories
Quick Cooking Tips

(142)Mixed Herbs Garlic Bread.

Ingredients

Method

  1. On each slice of bread apply generously mixed herbs garlic butter .
  2. Either use as it is or make a toast of bread in non stick pan.
  3. Mix herb garlic toast is more tastier than bread.
  4. Enjoy with Olive-Tomatoes pasta or Basil pasta or Tangy tomato pasta or with masala tea or as you wish .
Categories
Healthy junk fóod pesto Quick Cooking Tips

(141)Olive Tomato Pesto

Ingredients

  • 1 kg. tomatoes.
  • ½ pkt. Cherry tomatoes.
  • ⅔ cup green olives. ( or take half of black olives)
  • ⅓ cup Jalepino.
  • 2 medium size onions.
  • 5 cloves of garlic
  • 1 cup (100 gms.) fresh parsley.
  • 1 cup( 100 gms.) fresh basil.
  • 1 tbsp. Mix herbs powder.
  • 125 ml. Olive oil.
  • 2 tbsp. salt.
  • 1 tbsp. sugar.

Method

  1. Cut cherry tomatoes, make a paste in mixture. Sieve the pulp and discard seeds portion. Pulp keep aside.
  2. Cut each tomatoes into 8 parts, remove seeds , make a coarse paste and keep aside.
  3. For use of seeds please go through my Beauty tips from kitchen
  4. Make fine paste of onion and garlic and keep aside.
  5. Make fine paste of Olives and Jalapeno. keep aside.
  6. Pluck leaves of Basils and Parsley from the stalks, wash thoroughly and make a coarse paste .
  7. In big thick bottom pan mix all pastes. Add salt, sugar and Olive oil and cook on slow flame.
  8. Stir continuously till oil separates. Add Oregano powder, mix thoroughly.
  9. Switch off the flame, Olive Tomatoes pesto is ready and keep aside to cool down.
  10. Fill mould trays with pesto and refrigerate.
  11. After 6-7 hours unmould pesto cubes and fill in either freezer safe box or in ziplock bag for further use.
  12. For 1 cup saute exotic vegetables and 1 cup boiled pasta you need 7-8 cubes of Pesto. Cubes are half spheres of 1½ cms.diameter.
  13. Enjoy Olive Tomatoes pasta with Garlic bread.
Seeds remove from Tomatoes
leaves of Parsely and Basil
Tomatoes cut into dice for making pulp
pulp of tomatoes
sieve portion of cherry tomatoes pulp.
coarse paste of Parsely and Basil.
Paste of Green Olives
Paste of Onions and Garlic pods
Olive-Tomatoes Pesto
Olive-Tomatoes Pesto ready
Olive-Tomatoes Pesto in ice tray.
Olive-Tomatoes Pesto cubes.
Categories
Healthy food

(140)Kobi Dadam Dana ni Salad

Ingredients

  • 250 gms Cabbage (Kobi)
  • 1 medium size Pomogranate. (Dadam)
  • 1 tbsp. finely chopped coriander leaves
  • 1 tsp. lemon juice.
  • 1 tsp. Chaat masala.
  • 1 finely chopped green chilli( optional)

Method

  1. Shred washed cabbage with potato slicer.
  2. Remove seeds from Pomogranate and keep aside.
  3. Finely chop washed coriander and green chilli .
  4. In mixing bowl mix shredded cabbage with seeds of Pomogranate. Add coriander and green chilli, lemon juice and chat masala
  5. Cabbage Pomogranate Salad is ready to serve.
  6. Serve with fulka roti, bhakhri, puri, kulcha, thepla, khakhra or as you wish.
Categories
Healthy food

(139)Moong dal Puran poli.

Ingredients for Puran

  • 2 cups yellow moong dal.
  • 3 cups sugar.
  • 6 cardamom powder.
  • 2 tbsp. ghee.

Method

  1. Wash yellow moong dal twice.
  2. Add 1½ cup water and pressure cook till 3 whistles.
  3. After 10 to 15 minutes when pressure release open the lid of the cooker. You will get dry cooked moongdal.
  4. Grind moongdal in pulse mode.
  5. Sieve the whole content.
  6. Add sugar in sieved portion.
  7. Mix thoroughly and cook in slow flame for 5-10 minutes.
  8. You will get thick lump of moongdal puran .
  9. For confirming that the puran is ready or not. Keep spatula in the center of the puran while cooking and if it remains standing still then puran is ready. If not then again cook for 1-2 minutes.
  10. Switch off the flame and add Cardamom powder and ghee in puran.
  11. Mix thoroughly and keep aside for cooling.
  12. Make Golf ball size balls from puran.

Ingredients for Poli (Roti)

  • 2 cups wheat flour
  • 4 tbsp. oil.
  • 1½ cups water.

Method for Poli

  1. Knead roti dough ( see the video for consistency)
  2. Make table tennis size ball from dough.
  3. With the help of rolling pin roll small 4 inch size roti.
  4. Stuff golf ball sized puran and again roll in ½ cm. thick poli( roti).
  5. Roast like paratha . Apply ghee on both the sides . (see video)
  6. Serve hot or cold as you wish both taste delicious.
confirmatory test for Puran by spatula stands still in centre.
Moongdal puran
Wheat dough consistency
Making of Puran Poli
Moongdal Puranpoli
Categories
Healthy food

(138)Instant Poha

Ingredients

  • 1 cup white thick poha
  • ⅛ cup Peanuts.
  • ⅛ cup Daria dal.
  • 1 red chilli powder
  • ¼ tsp. turmeric powder.
  • 1½ tsp. fresh lemon juice.
  • 1½ tbsp. oil for tempering.
  • ⅛ tsp. Mustard seeds.
  • ⅛ tsp. Asafoetida powder.
  • ½ tsp. salt .

Method

  1. Heat oil in sauce pan.
  2. Add mustard seeds and wait for crackling sound.
  3. Add Asafoetida powder, red whole chilli and curry leaves. Saute till it turns crispy.
  4. Add peanuts and Daria dal. Saute it at low flame. Stir continuously till it turns crispy.
  5. Add turmeric powder and mix quickly. Add poha and lemon juice in it.Stir continuously till poha turns crispy.
  6. Crispy poha chivda is ready. This chivda you can enjoy with your evening tea. But for breakfast you need some filling items. So when you are away from home same poha chivda you can use as instant poha.
  7. For instant poha in microwave: Take 1 cup (or as you required ) chivda in medium size bowl. Fill water till chivda submerges. Microwave for 2-3 minutes. Enjoy home made poha in your breakfast.
  8. For instant poha without microwave: You can add boiling water till chivda gets submerges and close the bowl for 3 minutes and after that your poha is ready.
  9. Enjoy instant poha as dry snacks as well as in breakfast when you are away from home and want to eat some home made item.
Ingredients for instant Poha
Chivda
Instant poha
Categories
Healthy food

(137)Gluten free spicy Waffles

Ingredients

  • ½ cup Sorghum (Jowar) flour(tightly filled).
  • 1 tbsp.finely chopped Fenugreek leaves.
  • 2 tbsp finely chopped coriander leaves.
  • 2 tbsp. grated carrots ( cheese grater).
  • 1 tsp. freshly grate Ginger.
  • 1 finely chopped green chilli( optional).
  • 1 tsp. salt.
  • 1 tbsp. til oil.
  • ⅛ tsp. Asafoetida powder.
  • ⅛ tsp. soda bi carb.
  • 165 ml. water.

Method

  1. In medium size pan mix all given ingredients.
  2. See the video for consistency of batter.
  3. Use til (sesame)oil for greasing the sides of waffle maker.
  4. Pour batter and fill till rim of waffle maker.
  5. Close the lid and cook for 7 minutes .
  6. Lovely, crispy from out sides, spongy from inside and spicy waffles serves hot with Tomato sauce and green chutney.
consistency of batter
waffle maker
Fill batter till rim of waffle maker.
😍crispy spongy spicy waffle
Categories
Dessert

(136)Doughnuts

Ingredients

  • 2 cups all purpose flour ( Maida)
  • ½ cup warm mik.
  • ¼ cup butter.
  • 2 tbsp Sugar
  • 1 tsp.dry active yeast
  • ½ cup sugar powder.
  • ½ cup melted brown chocolate.
  • Oil for brushing and deep frying.

Method

  1. In big size mixing bowl mix  flour  with dry active yeast, butter and sugar.
  2. With the help of luke warm milk knead dough.
  3. Keep kneading for 5 minutes to get soft dough.
  4. Spread dry flour on rolling board and make ½ centimeter thick round circle with the help of rolling pin.
  5. With the help of 3 inches bottle cap or steel glass cut the small round circles from big circle.
  6. Each small circles cut with the help of ½ inch size bottle cap. So you get each doughnuts with hole in center.
  7. Roll left over dough again and make doughnuts again. In this way keep on making doughnuts till dough last.
  8. Brush the doughnuts with oil so doughnuts do not get dry up.
  9. Keep aside all the doughnuts under wet cloth for 2 hours.
  10. All doughnuts becomes puffy. Now they are ready to fry.
  11. Deep fry all doughnuts till golden brown on medium flame.
  12. Glaze some doughnuts with powdered sugar when they are hot.
  13. Melt brown chocolate slab for glazing doughnuts.
  14. Chocolate slab can be melt in double vessel and not directly on same vessel which kept on  flame.
  15. For melting chocolates: For smooth and shiny liquid choco chips are the best option but you can also use finely chopped chocolate slab.
  16. Take medium size sauce pan. ¼ level of pan filled with water and start heating on medium flame.
  17. Take another bigger size bowl with choco chips or finely chopped chocolate slab. Put it on first bowl and stir occasionally. After 3-4 minutes you will get smooth silky chocolate liquid.
  18. Deep upper layer of remaining doughnuts into liquid and keep aside.
  19. Serve warm doughnuts for better taste.
  20. Remember flame should be medium to slow, so that water doesn’t reach its boiling point otherwise melted chocolate will burn .
  21. During melting procedure, work with clean and dry kitchen tools and vessels. Water should not touch to melted chocolate otherwise it will seize the chocolate liquid and it becomes dry, hard and grainy.
Glazing doughnuts with powdered sugar