Celebrity chef Sanjeev Kapoor has come up with a Rakhi special thali in which every dish, from salty to sweet, is a perfect combination of taste and tradition.
Material: ½ cup green peas, 1½ cups basmati rice (washed, soaked for 20 minutes and drained), 4 tbsp ghee, 8-10 cashew nuts, 10-12 almonds, 12 15 raisins, 1 tsp shahi jeera, 6-8 whole black peppers, 4-5 cloves, 3-4 green cardamom, 1 bay leaf, ½ inch cinnamon, 2 medium Onions (thinly chopped), ½ cup whipped curd, 1½ tbsp biryani 1 tbsp chopped mint, ½ cup fried onions, salt, a big pinch of saffron (soaked in 2 tbsp lukewarm water), ½ tsp kewra water, ½ tsp rose water.
Method: Heat ghee in the pan. Now fry cashews, almonds and raisins. In the same ghee, add all the spices and onion and cook till it turns golden. Add curd and biryani masala and cook for 2-3 minutes. Add green coriander, mint, fried onions and peas and cook for 1-2 minutes. Now add rice, salt and half soaked saffron and mix gently. Add 3½ cups hot water to it. Cover and cook on medium flame for 10-15 minutes. Add remaining saffron, kewra water, rose water and fried dry fruits and mix gently. Cover and keep aside for 10-12 minutes. Garnish with fried onions and green coriander and serve with raita.
Material: 200 grams red pumpkin, peeled, cut into 1 inch pieces and boiled, 1½ cups wheat flour, ½ tsp red chili powder, ½ tsp cumin powder, 1 tsp coriander powder, ½ tsp turmeric powder, salt to taste, 2 tbsp finely chopped coriander, 2 tbsp semolina, 1 tsp oil, oil for greasing and frying.
Method: Mash the boiled pumpkin well with the help of a fork in a large bowl. Add red chili powder, cumin powder, coriander powder, turmeric and salt to it. Add green coriander, semolina and wheat flour, mix well and knead a stiff dough. Add 1 teaspoon oil in it, mix it and keep it covered for 10-15 minutes. Apply some oil on the wheel. Make a ball of dough and roll it into a small puri. Heat enough oil in a pan and fry the puri till it puffs up and serve.
Material: 300 grams bottle gourd (milk gourd), peeled and cut into 1 inch pieces, oil to grease the plate, 3 tablespoons finely chopped coriander, 2 green chillies (finely chopped), 1 inch ginger (finely chopped), ½ cup curd, 1 cup semolina, salt as per taste, 1 teaspoon fruit salt. For the tempering: 1½ tbsp oil, 1 tsp mustard, ½ tbsp white sesame seeds, ½ tsp asafoetida, 8-10 curry leaves, 2-3 green chillies (slit lengthwise), 1 tbsp sugar.
Method: First of all, grease the Dhokla thali by applying oil. Add bottle gourd, green coriander, green chilli, ginger and curd in a mixer jar and make a smooth paste. Take it out in a big bowl. Add semolina and salt as per taste and mix well. Now add fruit salt and mix well and spread the prepared mixture evenly in a greased plate. Heat enough water in the steamer. Place the plate in a steamer and steam for 15-20 minutes. Let the prepared Dhokla cool down a bit and then cut it into square pieces. To make tadka, heat oil in a pan. Add mustard seeds. When it crackles, add white sesame seeds, asafoetida, curry leaves, green chillies and sugar and mix. Add 1 cup water in it. When the sugar dissolves, pour this tadka over the dhokla and serve.
Material: 4 medium sized boiled potatoes (peeled and roughly chopped), 2 tbsp ghee, 1 tsp cumin, 1 tsp fennel, 2-3 green chillies (chopped), 1 inch ginger (chopped), 2-3 whole dry red chillies, 1 tsp red chilli powder, ½ tsp turmeric powder, 1 tsp cumin powder, 1 tbsp coriander powder, salt as per taste, ½ tsp dry mango powder, ½ small tsp garam masala, ½ tsp sugar, 2 tbsp finely chopped coriander.
Method: Heat ghee in a pan. Add cumin and fennel. When cumin seeds start changing color, add green chillies, ginger and whole red chillies and fry for a minute. Now add potatoes and fry for 1-2 minutes. Add red chilli powder, turmeric, cumin powder, coriander powder and salt and cook for 2-3 minutes. Add 1 cup water to it and cook for 2-3 minutes. Now add dry mango powder, garam masala and sugar and cook for 1 more minute. Finally add green coriander, mix and serve hot.
Material: For Malpua: 1 liter +½ cup full cream milk, 50 grams grated mawa/khoya, ½ cup all-purpose flour, ½ tsp cardamom powder, ghee for shallow frying.
for syrup: 2 cups sugar, 1 tablespoon milk, few saffron strands.
To decorate: 15-20 pistachios (boiled, peeled and thinly sliced), grated for serving.
Method: Boil 1 liter milk in a heavy bottomed vessel. Lower the flame and cook until it thickens and becomes a coating-like consistency. Add grated mawa to it, mix well and let it cool to room temperature. Keep aside 2 tablespoons of sugar to make syrup. Put the remaining sugar in a pan with 2 cups of water and let it dissolve. When it boils, add 1 tablespoon milk. Remove the dirt that comes up and throw it away. Add saffron and cook until the syrup becomes one string. Prepare the batter by adding cardamom powder, remaining sugar and flour to condensed milk. Heat ghee in a wide pan. Add a ladle of batter, spread it like a pancake, and cook on low-medium flame. Dip in syrup for 3-4 minutes. Garnish with pistachios in a serving plate and serve with hot rabri.
What are the main dishes included in Raksha Bandhan Special Thali?
This thali includes Shahi Matar Pulao, Pumpkin Puri, Halwai Style Potato Curry, Bottle Gourd (Dudhi) Dhokla and the juicy Rabri-Malpua for dessert.
Why is semolina added while making pumpkin puri?
By adding 2 spoons of semolina to pumpkin flour, the puris remain crispy, crunchy and fluffy for a long time.
How to make Lauki Dhokla spongy and soft?
Grind bottle gourd finely with curd, mix it in semolina and just before steaming, add fruit salt (ENO) and immediately place it in the steamer.
What to add to potato curry like Halwai to give it a special taste?
For halwai style taste, use fennel, whole red chilli, asafoetida, dry mango powder and a little sugar in the tempering.
What is the secret of making perfect Malpua batter?
Mix some mawa and flour in condensed milk (Rabri) and make a batter of uniform consistency, which makes Malpua soft from inside and crispy from the edges.
