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
chutney dips

(97) Tomato ni chutney

Ingredients

  • 4 medium sized tomatoes.
  • ½ inch size ginger.
  • 2 green chilies.
  • ½ tsp. salt.
  • ½ cup mint leaves.

Method

  1. Wash tomatoes and cut into small pieces.
  2. Separate mint leaves from stalk and wash thoroughly.
  3. Peel ginger and cut into small pieces.
  4. Wash chilis and cut into small pieces.
  5. Mix all the ingredients and blend into smooth paste.
  6. Serve tomato chutney with chila, momos, muthiya, dhokla, vada, or as you desire.
  7. Serve with love and smile.
Categories
snacks

(96) Dudhi na muthia.

Ingredients

  • 3 cup grated bottle guard (dudhi ni chhin).
  • 3 cup wheat coarse flour ( jada atta) if you want gluten free muthiya then instead of wheat use 2 cup coarse jowar or nachni or oat flour and 1 cup fine powder of same grain( helps in binding).
  • 3 tbsp. curd.
  • 3 tsp. salt.
  • 6 tsp. sugar.
  • 1 tsp. whole Cumin seeds.
  • 1½ tsp. Red chili powder.
  • ½ tsp. Turmeric powder.
  • ½ tsp. Asafoetida powder.
  • 1 tbsp Coriander Cumin powder
  • ½ tsp.whole coriander seeds slightly crush in between 2 palms.
  • 1 tsp. ginger paste.
  • 1 tsp. green chili paste ( optional).
  • 1 tsp. black sesame seeds.
  • 5 tbsp. Sesame seeds oil.
  • 2 tbsp. finely chopped coriander leaves.

Ingredients for tempering

  • 2 tbsp. sesame seed oil.
  • ½ tsp. Mustard seeds.
  • ½ tsp.white sesame seeds.
  • 10 Curry leaves.
  • 1 or 2 finely chopped green chilies ( optional)
  • 1 tbsp. finely chopped coriander leaves for garnishing.

Method

  1. Wash and peel dudhi.
  2. Grate dudhi .Marinate with salt, sugar, and Cumin seeds.
  3. Keep aside for 10 minutes.
  4. After 10 minutes you can see dudhi chhin is softened and have released water.
  5. Add all other ingredients except flour. Mix thoroughly all ingredients.
  6. Add flour and mix well .Knead into soft dough.
  7. Mostly water is not needed due to juicy dudhi having released more water after marination and curd also helps in binding dough. If at all water is required then add spoon by spoon for getting soft dough.
  8. Apply little oil on your both the palms . Take fistful dough and make long cylinder shape muthia with light pressure.
  9. Arrange muthiya in one layer only other wise it will form lump, in steamer for 30 minutes or in pressure cooker upto 3 whistles.
  10. Once pressure is released from the cooker, open the lid and wait for 10 minutes to cool down muthiya.
  11. Cut each muthiya into ½ inch dice. If you will cut hot muthiya then while cutting muthiya will break at every cut.
  12. Once all muthiya are ready. Heat oil in nonstick kadai for tempering.
  13. Add mustard seeds and wait for crackling sound.
  14. Add sesame seeds and curry leaves togather and then add muthiya.
  15. Saute muthiya for 2-3 minutes on slow flame.
  16. Toss muthiya in pan inbetween otherwise it will burn.
  17. Serve muthiya in plate and garnish with coriander leaves.
  18. Enjoy hot and spicy muthiya with green chutney and red chutney or Golkeri, Tomato chutney or as you desire.

You can also make fried version of dudhi na muthiya. As these muthiya you can store for 10-15 days in air tight container. For making deep fried muthiya dough should be slightly hard then steamed one.and make small 1-2 inches cylinder shape. Deep fry these muthiya till golden brown.

cylindrical muthiya
Categories
snacks

(95) Khara Bundi

Ingredients

  • 1 cup Besan ( Fine Bengal gram flour)
  • ½ cup + 1 or 2 tbsp. water.
  • ⅓ tsp. salt.
  • ¼ tsp. Asafoetida powder.
  • 1 tbsp. Sesame oil.
  • Ground nut oil for frying.

Method

  1. ½ cup water and besan mix in the blender .
  2. Add salt , oil, asafoetida powder and 1 tsp. water .Again blend the batter till it becomes frothy .Check the consistency of batter. It must be pouring .
  3. Transfer the batter to sauce pan. Close the lid and keep aside for 10 minutes.
  4. After 10 minutes heat oil in kadhai. Once oil heated turn the gas stove on medium flame.
  5. Hold jara(sieve spatula) in your left hand half foot above the oil kadhai and pour ½ cup of batter with your right hand.
  6. Gently tap your right hand finger on the handle of the jara so that small round drops fall in the oil. otherwise if your batter is proper bundi fall automatically.
  7. If the batter is too thick bundi wont drop from jara and if batter is thin then instead of round bundi,you will get shapeless bundi.
  8. Fry bundi till golden brown and removed from oil with the help of strainer mesh spatula.
  9. Finish batter in same way .
  10. You can use bundi for making bundi raita, in making of bhusu or as you desire.
Making of bundi

List of my other recipes.

Categories
snacks

(94) Bhusu

Mixture of namkin

Ingredients

  • 100 gms. Besan sev.
  • 100 gms. khara bundi.
  • 100 gms. Fried Channa dal.
  • 100 gms. Tikha Gathiya.
  • 50 gms. Fried Cornflakes.
  • 50 gms. Fried Moong.
  • 50 gms. Fried Peanuts.
  • 50 gms. Fried Green peas.
  • 50 gms Fried Jada Poha( rice flacks)
  • 25 gms. sauted Black current ( kali draksh)
  • 25 gms. Sauted Raisins ( kismis)
  • 1 tbsp. farshan mixture masala

Method

  1. Mix all the above ingredients in big vessel .
  2. Add farshan mixture masala (optional).
  3. Mix thoroughly and store bhusu in air tight container for 2-3 months.
  4. Enjoy as tea time snack, one of the ingredient for making bhel, use in making misal or as you desire.
Categories
Breakfast

(90) Appum

Ingredients

  • 3 cup boiled rice
  • 1 cup tender coconut
  • salt
  • 1 tbsp. sugar
  • ½ tsp. baking soda or yeast
  • Appam pan or Appa kadai.

Method

  1. Soak rice for 6-8 hrs.
  2. Make a smooth paste of rice and coconut.
  3. Add sugar, salt and baking soda. Grind one more time for mixing all the ingredients evenly and keep aside for 6-8 hrs for fermentation. If
  4. Adjust the consistency by adding water .
  5. Consistency of batter is flowing.
  6. Heat Appa kadai . Turn the gas stove on slow flame. Grease with butter and pour ¼ cup batter and quickly spread batter evenly by swirling and tilting method.
  7. Close the lid for 1 minute.
  8. After 1 minute Appam is ready.
  9. Serve hot with vegetable stew or as you desire.
Categories
snacks

(93) Roasted Mamra

Puffed rice

Ingredients

  • 250 gms . Mamra.
  • 4 tbsp. Til oil.
  • ½ tsp. Asafoetida powder.
  • ¼ tsp. Mustard seeds.
  • 1 tsp. Black salt.
  • ½ tsp. Turmeric powder

Method

  1. Heat oil in big kadhai.
  2. Add mustard seeds.
  3. After crackling of seeds add asafoetida powder , turmeric powder and black salt.
  4. Add mamra and roast it on medium heat.
  5. Stir continuously .
  6. Inbetween check mamra .Once it becomes crispy switch off the flame.
  7. Store in air tight container.
  8. Enjoy crispy mamra with tea or use for making bhel.
Roasted mamra
Categories
Chats snacks

(92) Gluten-free Bhel

2 servings.

Ingredients

  • 1 cup Roasted Mamra ( puffed rice)
  • ½ cup bhusu
  • ½ cup corn flakes ( instead of wheat puri)
  • ½ cup onion and tomato finely chopped.
  • 1 tsp. green chutney.
  • 2 tsp. red chutney.
  • ¼ cup sev .
  • 1 tbsp. finely chopped coriander leaves.

Method

  1. In one bowl mix onion, tomato, red chutney, green chutney, ⅒ spoon chat masala ( optional) and ⅛ spoon dry Garlic chutney ( optional).
  2. In big sauce pan mix all ingredients except sev and coriander leaves.
  3. Serve in plate , garnish with sev and coriander leaves.
  4. Enjoy either with tea, coffee, green tea or herbal tea or as you desire.
Onion tomato with red and green chutney
Mamra, roasted córnflakes, bhusu, sev, coriander leaves,onion tomato mix with chutney
Instead of puri using cornflakes
Gluten free Bhel
Categories
Chats

(91) Moong dal na dahi vada

Ingredients

  • 2 cups green split moong dal.
  • 1 tbsp. salt.
  • ½ tsp. Turmeric powder.
  • ½ tsp. Asafoetida powder.
  • 2 tsp.ginger chili paste.
  • Ground nut oil for frying.
  • 1 kg. curd.
  • 2 tbsp. sugar
  • 1 tsp. salt for curd.
  • Jeera powder.
  • Red chili powder.
  • Phudina powder.
  • Green chutney.
  • Red chutney.

Method

  1. Wash dal for 3 times.
  2. Soak dal in big sauce pan for 10 – 12 hrs.
  3. After 12 hrs. all skins of moong dal separates from dal . My advice is not to remove skin and grind complete content into smooth batter.
  4. Add all ingredients in the batter .
  5. Give nice stir and mix all the ingredients thoroughly.
  6. Start making vada .
  7. Heat oil in kadhai. Take one big spoon for making vada.
  8. On the back side of spoon put small portion of batter . Make hole in the centre and flip the spoon in oil so vadu will drop in oil . (see the video)
  9. Make 4-5 vada at a time .
  10. Fry all vada till golden brown.
  11. Take plain water in another kadhai and transfer fried vada in water.
  12. Check immersed vada if soft then squeeze gently in between two palms and keep aside.(see the video)
  13. Add salt and sugar in curd and churn the curd with churner.
  14. Now in serving plate place 2- 2 vada.
  15. Spread ½ cup curd on vada.
  16. Put droplets of red and green chutney.
  17. Sprinkle Jeera powder,red chili powder, Phudina powder.
  18. Serve the dahi vada plate with love and smile.
Moongdal batter
Making of moongdal dahi vada
Categories
Home remedies Quick Cooking Tips Spices

(89) Jeera powder

Ingredients

1 cup Cumin seeds (Jeera).

Method

  • Grind jeera into powder.
  • Use this powder for sprinkling in Buttermilk, Curd of dahi vada, Jeera rice etc.
  • Use raw jeera for preparing jeera powder instead of roasted as raw jeera is more healthier than roasted.
  • Generally you will get coarse powder of raw jeera.
  • if you want fine jeera powder than dry roast jeera. wait for cool down and then grind.
Jeera powder
Categories
Quick Cooking Tips

(88) Home made Paneer

Ingredients

  • 1 litre full cream baffalo milk.
  • 2 tbsp. fresh lemon juice.

Method

  1. In thick bottom sauce pan boil milk.
  2. Add 1 tbsp. of water in lemon juice.
  3. Once milk boil,turn the gas stove on slow flame.
  4. Slowly, spoon by spoon add lemon water in milk while continuously stirring.
  5. Once you observe that milk start curdling switch off the stove flame.
  6. Stir continuously while adding lemon water.
  7. Pour remaining lemon water in milk and stir continuously.
  8. Now you can observe that milk is curdled and solids separate from the whey.
  9. Strain the whey liquid. Don’t throw this whey liquid. You can use this liquid for preparing Paratha,Kulcha or Naan dough. You can also use in preparing batter for Idli, Dosa or Dhokla.
  10. Solids in the strainer is paneer.
  11. Transfer paneer into muslin cloth or handloom cloth and squeeze thoroughly to drain off whey liquid.
  12. Unwrap the cloth and you will find round block of paneer.
  13. Immediately immerse this paneer block in plain water so smell as well as traces of lemon wash off . Keep block in water till further use.
  14. Refrigerate and use within 48 hours.
  15. Out of 1 litre milk you will get 115 gms. paneer.
curdling of milk
solids in whey liquid
Panner in handloom cloth
squeezed paneer block
Paneer block in plain water.