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Dinner | 8pm Meal Lunch | 1pm Meal Most Popular Posts

Prawn Pulao Recipe | Easy Recipe with Coconut Milk

Prawn Pulao Recipe- Easy Recipe with Coconut Milk

If you are a crustacean fan (in your meals) then the chance are high that you would love this Prawn Pulao recipe with coconut milk. It is super easy to put together and so delicious that you will come back looking for seconds.

If you ask me, very few things spell comfort like a well made pulaao. Holding a bowlful of this rice dish with a spicy pickle or raita on the side , scooping out spoonfuls , savouring the aroma before devouring the morsels, in my opinion, is comfort which can bring peace to most distressed of minds.

And that this Prawn Pulaao is a complete one pot meal, makes it an even more desirable option on the menu. You can play around with the ingredients and sneak in some veggies too.

Some helpful tips to make a delicious Prawn Pulao:

  1. If possible try to test the brand of rice for the amount of water it takes to cook without having to drain any excess. Some long grained Basmatis cook well in 1:1 water ratio (1 cup rice to 1 cup liquid) , some 1:1.5 (1 cup rice to 1.5 cups of liquid) and some need 1:2. Testing this ratio out in advance will make sure you get perfectly cooked grains- not too mushy or not too hard
  2. In case you are unable to test it out in advance start with 1:1 (1 cup rice to 1 cup prawn stock) and reserve the rest. Test the doneness of rice 10 minutes into the cooking and if needed add more stock. Trial and error is the best way to get perfectly cooked grains
  3. I used already cleaned and deveined prawns . In case you buy fresh prawns, see here how to clean them
  4. Overcooking prawns impart a chewy and rubbery texture so be careful to not overcook
  5. Perfectly cooked prawns retain a mildly translucent pinkish colour while overcooked ones turn white
  6. Boiling prawns for 3-4 minutes is enough to cook them. Then drain and instantly transfer in an ice bath to stop the cooking process
  7. You can make extra prawn stocks by boiling more prawns than needed for the recipe and freeze it for later. This way you can have a lovely prawn flavoured pulao with veggies even if you do not have prawns on hand
  8. Controlling heat is important so the rice cooks evenly without burning
  9. Use a thick bottomed deep wok for even cooking
  10. Fresh coconut milk is best for the recipe, but thinned out coconut cream or canned coconut milk works as well

Ingredients for Prawn Pulaao:

  1. Fresh or frozen, deveined prawns: 500 gm
  2. Water: 2.5-3 cups depending on the kind of rice (see tips above)
  3. Salt: 1.5 tsp or to taste
  4. Onion, chopped fine: 1.5 cups
  5. Tomato, chopped: 1 cup
  6. Green chilies, chopped fine: 2 or as per taste
  7. Cloves (long): 4
  8. Cinnamon Stick (daalcheeni): 2 two inch pieces
  9. Green cardamom (choti elaichi): 3
  10. Bay leaf (tej patta): 1
  11. Garlic, minced: 1.5 tbsp
  12. Ginger, chopped fine: 1.5 tsp
  13. Turmeric powder: 1/2 tsp
  14. Red chilli powder: 1/2 tsp
  15. Basmati or any long-grained rice: 2 cups
  16. Coconut Milk: 1 cup
  17. Fresh coriander for garnish
  18. Ghee or Oil

Method to make Prawn Pulaao:

  1. Clean prawns and season with half a teaspoon each of red chilli and turmeric powders and set aside for 15 minutes
  2. Wash rice well and keep aside
  3. Bring 3 cups water to boil, then reduce heat and add prawns and cover; cook for 3-4 minutes
  4. Turn off heat and let prawns sit in the water for another minute, then drain and transfer prawns into ice bath to stop the cooking process
  5. Retain broth for later
  6. Sprinkle some salt on the cooked prawns and set aside
  7. In a deep and heavy bottomed wok heat some ghee, add onions and fry till light brown
  8. Then add the whole spices- cinnamon, bay leaf, cloves and cardamom and sauté on a medium high flame for 30 seconds until fragrant
  9. Add garlic and ginger and sauté for another minute or so until raw smell disappears
  10. Add tomato, chilli, turmeric and red chilli powder and cook until the spice blend well and tomatoes are cooked through and soft forming a homogenous mixture
  11. Then add prawns and mix well; stir for half a minute
  12. Add rice and cook for another minute keeping the flame low
  13. Add prawn stock and coconut milk, salt to taste , mix well and bring to boil; reserve some stock if the brand of rice used doesn’t need a lot of liquid to cook(see tips above)
  14. Cover and simmer until done. This should take approximately 15-20 minutes
  15. Halfway through you can test for doneness and add more stock if needed and adjust seasoning accordingly
  16. Garnish with coriander and serve hot with a side of papad, pickle or raita

Prawn Pulao Recipe- Easy Recipe with Coconut Milk

Watch a step by step video here :

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Prawn Pulao Recipe- Easy Recipe with Coconut Milk

Prep Time: 15 minutes

Cook Time: 20 minutes

Total Time: 35 minutes

Yield: 100

Serving Size: 4

Ingredients

  • Fresh or frozen, deveined prawns: 500 gm
  • Water: 2.5-3 cups depending on the kind of rice (see tips above)
  • Salt: 1.5 tsp or to taste
  • Onion, chopped fine: 1.5 cups
  • Tomato, chopped: 1 cup
  • Green chilies, chopped fine: 2 or as per taste
  • Cloves (long): 4
  • Cinnamon Stick (daalcheeni): 2 two inch pieces
  • Green cardamom (choti elaichi): 3
  • Bay leaf (tej patta): 1
  • Garlic, minced: 1.5 tbsp
  • Ginger, chopped fine: 1.5 tsp
  • Turmeric powder: 1/2 tsp
  • Red chilli powder: 1/2 tsp
  • Basmati or any long-grained rice: 2 cups
  • Coconut Milk: 1 cup
  • Fresh coriander for garnish
  • Ghee or Oil

Instructions

  1. Clean prawns and season with half a teaspoon each of red chilli and turmeric powders and set aside for 15 minutes
  2. Wash rice well and keep aside
  3. Bring 3 cups water to boil, then reduce heat and add prawns and cover; cook for 3-4 minutes
  4. Turn off heat and let prawns sit in the water for another minute, then drain and transfer prawns into ice bath to stop the cooking process
  5. Retain broth for later
  6. Sprinkle some salt on the cooked prawns and set aside
  7. In a deep and heavy bottomed wok heat some ghee, add onions and fry till light brown 
  8. Then add the whole spices- cinnamon, bay leaf, cloves and cardamom and sauté on a medium high flame for 30 seconds until fragrant 
  9. Add garlic and ginger and sauté for another minute or so until raw smell disappears
  10. Add tomato, chilli, turmeric and red chilli powder and cook until the spice blend well and tomatoes are cooked through and soft forming a homogenous mixture
  11. Then add prawns and mix well; stir for half a minute
  12. Add rice and cook for another minute keeping the flame low
  13. Add prawn stock and coconut milk, salt to taste , mix well and bring to boil; reserve some stock if the brand of rice used doesn't need a lot of liquid to cook(see tips above)
  14. Cover and simmer until done. This should take approximately 15-20 minutes 
  15. Halfway through you can test for doneness and add more stock if needed and adjust seasoning accordingly
  16. Garnish with coriander and serve hot with a side of papad, pickle or raita
https://onewholesomemeal.com/prawn-pulao-recipe-easy-recipe-with-coconut-milk/

Some other Pulaao Recipes you may like:

Methi Pulaao | Fresh Fenugreek Leaves

https://onewholesomemeal.com/tandoori-cauliflower-nuts-pulaao-tandoori-gobhi-pulaao/

Categories
Dinner | 8pm Meal Lunch | 1pm Meal Most Popular Posts

Sweet Potato Leaves Raita

Sweet Potato Leaves Raita
Sweet Potato Leaves Raita

Before I share with you the recipe for this healthy and yummy Sweet Potato Leaves Raita, let me give you some background.

Raita, the forever loved Indian side dish hardly needs any introductions. I however did a quick search to see how Sir Google describes it. One of the top few definitions was courtesy of the Cambridge English Dictionary, which describes it as below:

raita
noun [ U ]
UK

/ˈraɪ.tə/

US

/ˈraɪ.tə/
a South Asian dish consisting of yogurt with very small pieces of raw(= not cooked) vegetables mixed in yogurt.

What Is The Big Deal About This Humble Side Dish?

The above definition is not completely wrong. Oftentimes raw ingredients are used in raita. The usual suspects are cucumber, onion, tomato, coriander, mint, beetroot to name a few. This, however, is not the case always.
I personally feel that raita can be made out of practically any vegetable either raw or partially cooked (to retain its freshness, taste, and texture). The only two absolutely essential ingredients are yogurt and salt and everything else can be played around with. This, my friends, is one of the beauties of this dish. The other being its versatility and ability to be paired with practically any rice dish or Indian bread.
If you are still not convinced I will share a few examples:
  1. A good Chicken Biryani or any biryani for that matter is just incomplete without a well-made raita
  2. Too little time to cook? Plain ghee rice and raita is a complete meal
  3. Eating chapatis and no time to make a full-fledged curry? Raita to the rescue!
  4. Parathas– stuffed or plain again taste divine with a raita
  5. Kulchas again pair very well with raita
  6. A veg or meat pulaao is perfect with raita too!

So, there you are, some great examples of dishes you can pair raita with!

Why Is This Raita Special?

The recipe I am sharing today is my take on this versatile dish. It happened because I absolutely LOVE sweet potato leaves! Yes, you heard me right! The leaves are delicious and full of nutrients. I am not a huge fan of sweet potatoes themselves but LOVE fresh sweet potato greens that make great stir-fries.

This time, however, I was in the mood to try something different and hence this dish. I usually make spinach raita in a very similar fashion but I am so happy I tried this version as it turned out much creamier and yummier than the original.

Unlike most raitas, the veggies a.k.a. sweet potato leaves were cooked before adding. One can consume them raw too but they are a tad bitter and cooking with some garlic really helps balance the bitterness and adds tons of flavour to the final dish.

So, after thoroughly cleaning the leaves, I chopped them finely. Next, I cooked them for approximately 5 minutes on a low flame with some finely chopped garlic and hing (asafoetida). Once the raw smell disappeared and the leaves looked dryish, I added a pinch of salt and mixed it well. Do keep it aside to cool to room temperature.

Sweet Potato Leaves RaitaSweet Potato Leaves Raita

While the cooked leaves cooled off I prepared my curd. Now, you may or may not need to add some water to the curd depending on how watery it is and what consistency you want your raita to be. Usually, store-bought yogurt is thicker than home set curd. I would recommend you add water to think out the yogurt as desired. I added half a cup of water to two cups of yogurt and whisked well.

Then I added the spices. I used roasted whole cumin which was coarsely hand pounded, roasted red chili powder and a pinch of cayenne pepper too (you can skip the latter), half a teaspoon of oregano, rock salt (you can use regular salt too) and mixed it all well.

Tadka Is Optional But Great

If you are feeling indulgent you can also do a tadka with mustard seeds and dried red chilies. I skipped it as I wanted to keep it light. I chilled the raita in the refrigerator for half an hour and served it topped with some chili flakes. And since I am HUGE fan of the Japanese Mixed Chilli Pepper Togarashi I added some of that too. It is hot and nutty with sesame and great on raitas!

Sweet Potato Leaves RaitaSweet Potato Leaves RaitaSweet Potato Leaves Raita

 

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Sweet Potato Leaves Raita

Prep Time: 5 minutes

Cook Time: 10 minutes

Total Time: 15 minutes

Yield: 90%

Serving Size: Serves 4

Ingredients

  • Sweet Potato Leaves, washed and finely chopped-3 cups
  • Garlic, finely chopped - 2-3 cloves
  • Hing (asafoetida)- 1/4 tsp
  • Yogurt-2 cups
  • Water- 1 cup or as desired
  • Red chilli powder, lightly roasted and cayenne pepper- 1.5 tsp
  • Whole cumin- 2 tsp
  • Oregano- 1/2 tsp
  • Togarashi (Japanese Mixed Chilli Pepper)- 1/2 tsp for garnish (optional)
  • Oil- 1 tbsp
  • Salt-to taste (use rock salt for best results)

Instructions

  1. Wash the sweet potato leaves well and patty dry on a kitchen towel, then chop fine
  2. In a heavy bottomed pan heat oil and once it is hot, add hing and garlic and saute on a low flame for a few seconds
  3. Then add finely chopped sweet potato leaves and cook until water evaporates and raw smell disappears, then add salt and mix well ; set aside to cool
  4. Roast the whole cumin in a dry pan on low flame , stirring continuously for almost a minute or until fragrant ; pound it into a coarse powder using a mortar-pestle and set aside
  5. Whisk together yogurt and water as per the desired consistency (I added half a cup water to 2 cups yogurt), then add the dry spices- red chilli powder, cayenne pepper, cumin powder and oregano and salt and mix well
  6. Chill in the refrigerator for half an hour , garnish with Togarashi if using and serve right away
https://onewholesomemeal.com/sweet-potato-leaves-raita/

 

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Afternoon Snack | 3pm Meal Breakfast | 8am Meal Most Popular Posts

Almond Turmeric Bliss Balls | Badam Haldi Laddus

Almond Turmeric Bliss Balls
Immunity boosting Almond Turmeric Bliss Balls

These almond turmeric bliss balls have the perfect blend of tasty and healthy.

We live in uncertain times with new diseases emerging every other day and making our already stressful lives even harder. It is natural to worry about our health and that of our loved ones. However, worrying and stressing only impairs one’s immunity. Easier said than done I know and I feel I take 5 steps ahead and 6 steps back. But staying away from negative media and constant reminders to bring yourself back to the present moment helps.

How Do You Live A Healthy Lifestyle?

It was on one such stressful afternoon when I watched a video by the famous and well respected holistic lifestyle coach Luke Coutinho. In that short video, he spoke about small steps that one can take to boost one’s immunity. It involved taking a balanced diet and including protein in every meal, and working out. He also highlighted certain food items like – almonds, turmeric, ginger, kiwi, pumpkin amongst others which have great immunity-boosting properties. But most importantly, I feel, were his closing lines that no matter how healthy and how well one eats, it is going to be of no help if we are not mentally healthy. In other words, positive thoughts and good quality sleep, are a holistically healthy lifestyle in the truest sense of the word. And I feel this is pertinent and poignant not just in the current times when the world is trying to fight COVID19 but at all times.

Boost Your Immunity With Almond Turmeric Bliss Balls

As I watched the video, I tried to figure the best way possible to get all the immunity boosters Luke mentioned in our diet. It had to be simple and more importantly kid-friendly. My instant thought was laddus or bliss balls. This is an extremely forgiving recipe. Play around with the ingredients and their quantities based on your taste. For example, I added some ghee roasted makhanas (fox nuts) to add more body and crunch to the laddus.

Try my other recipes for energy balls, bliss balls and laddus.

Immune Boosting Almond Turmeric Laddoos inspired by Luke Coutinho

When I make bliss balls or laddus I usually blended all the ingredients in a high-speed blender or NutriBullet. This time I did not have NutriBullet at hand so I powdered all ingredients separately and then eventually blitzed it together for a few seconds to give it a nice mix.

I used two tablespoons ghee in the recipe but if you like a smoother texture you can use a little extra. I recommend eating a laddu first thing in the morning on an empty stomach with warm water or enjoy it as an afternoon snack. Sharing this just in time for Holi for you to try.Immune Boosting Almond Turmeric Laddoos inspired by Luke Coutinho

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Almond-Turmeric Laddoos

Prep Time: 10 minutes

Cook Time: 10 minutes

Total Time: 20 minutes

Yield: 100

Serving Size: Makes 12-15 medium sized laddoos

Ingredients

  • Almond- 1 cup
  • Fox Nuts or Makhana, roasted in ghee- 3/4 cup
  • Pumpkin seeds- 1/2 cup
  • Turmeric- 1 tsp
  • Ginger Powder- 1 tsp
  • Freshly pound Black Pepper- 3/4 tsp
  • Jaggery, powdered or chopped fine- 1.5 cups or as per taste (can be substituted with honey)
  • Pure Ghee or Cold-pressed Coconut Oil- 2 tbsp

Instructions

  1. Blend almonds, fox nuts and pumpkin seeds one at a time in a high speed blender
  2. Next, mix all the powdered ingredients with the remanding ingredients and blend for 10-15 seconds again
  3. Empty the contents in a bowl, grease palms with some ghee and make laddoos of desired size
  4. Place in an air-tight container at room temperature and consume within a week
https://onewholesomemeal.com/almond-turmeric-bliss-balls-badam-haldi-laddus/

Immunity Boosting Almond Turmeric Bliss Balls inspired by Luke Coutinho

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Lunch | 1pm Meal Most Popular Posts

Vegan Beetroot and Tofu Burger

Vegan Tofu Burger
Vegan Beetroot and Tofu Butter

While I am very excited that I cracked this Vegan Beetroot and Tofu Burger recipe and cannot wait to share with you, I also have an urge to share something else as important.

We live in difficult times. Phones are smarter than people and our planet is in the wrong hands. Most of us continue to live in the optimism bubble that the human race is going to find a way. Maybe it will and everything will be alright eventually. But we need to take some preventive steps nonetheless. Unfortunately very few of us are actually doing so

My Two Bits

We as a family are committed to taking baby steps too. We almost never use single-use plastic-shoppings bags, straws, water bottles. This year we are also committed to reducing our meat consumption. Red meat at home was always a no-no, and now even white meat is consumed once a week. And I am always looking for ways to make delicious, meat-free meals at home.

Finding The Middle Path

The boys love a good burger. The could have it thrice a day, seven days a week. And I usually do not stop them from enjoying a regular burger when we are out, but at home, it is mostly veg or at the most chicken. And over time I have realised that burgers are a great way to conceal veggies and make it a complete meal!

The Impossible Burgers are a current rage here in Hong Kong (and I presume the rest of the world too) and la familia loves it. And because I love a good challenge, I decided to create it at home :))

Using the ready to use impossible meat was a possibility. I wanted to try something different, however.  So, I used some other special ingredients. And boy it tasted gooood! The fussy family polished it off for lunch and wanted the same thing for dinner too! Mission (Im)Possible was well accomplished!!

Vegan Beetroot Patty
Vegan Beetroot Patty

The star ingredient was of course finely grated beetroot.  I have another version of beetroot tikkis or cutlets on the blog, but this time I decided to switch things around a bit and also played with flavours. I also gave a desi (Indian) twist to it. Two ingredients that greatly impacted the texture were hard tofu (the variety one uses for frying) and boiled mashed green peas. I also added boiled potatoes, breadcrumbs, and roasted chickpea flour as binders. And threw in some spinach(which I cooked with onions and garlic) to make the patty healthier and wholesome. Raw onions release water when they come in contact with salt , making the patty soggy and hard to bind, hence I cooked the onions with garlic until translucent. And last but most importantly, I added Chettinad Spice Mix to flavour things up a bit. I did mean it when I said, the simple way doesn’t come easily to me :))

 

 

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Vegan Beetroot Burger

Prep Time: 60 minutes

Cook Time: 15 minutes

Total Time: 1 hour, 15 minutes

Yield: 100

Serving Size: 6-8

Ingredients

    For the patty
  • Beetroot, finely grated- 1 cup
  • Carrot, finely grated -1/4 cup
  • Boiled and mashed green peas- 1/2 cup
  • Spinach finely chopped cooked with onion and garlic- 1/3 cup
  • Potato, mashed - 2/3 cup
  • Tofu, mashed - 1/2 cup
  • Finely chopped onion-1/2 cup
  • Finely chopped garlic- 1 tbsp
  • Roasted Chickpea flour- 1/2 cup
  • Breadcrumbs- 1cup
  • Coriander (dhaniya) powder- 1 tsp
  • Chettinad Masala- 3 tsp ( feel free to swap it with garam masala or cajun spice as desired)
  • Salt- 1 tbsp or to taste
  • Oil for shallow frying
    • For the burger
  • Burger buns- 4
  • Butter to warm the buns in
  • Lettuce
  • Tomato
  • Onions
  • Mild or Smoked Cheddar Cheese Slices
  • Other vegetables or accompaniments of choice you enjoy in your burger

Instructions

  1. Boil two medium sized potatoes, mash and keep aside
  2. Boil green peas, drain water completely, mash and keep aside
  3. Roast the chickpea flour on a low flame, stirring continuously for 2-3 minutes till a nutty aroma releases; be careful not to over roast and burn, just enough until the flour slightly change colour
  4. In a thick bottomed pan add some oil and to it add garlic ; stir on a low flame until light brown and fragrant , then add onion and cook till translucent
  5. Add chopped spinach to the above mix and cook till tender; keep aside to cool
  6. In a wide and deep bowl add all ingredients of the patty and mix well; taste for salt and adjust if needed
  7. Form into discs almost as big or a tad smaller than your burger bun and refrigerate for 30 minutes
  8. Heat oil in a pan and shallow fry the patties until golden and crispy, flipping sides halfway through
  9. Lightly toast the burger buns on both sides in a pan with melted butter
  10. Assemble your burger and enjoy with your favourite dip!
https://onewholesomemeal.com/vegan-beetroot-tofu-burger/

Vegan Beetroot Patty
Vegan Beetroot Patty
Categories
Dinner | 8pm Meal Lunch | 1pm Meal Most Popular Posts

Litti Chokha | Traditional Bihari Recipe

Litti Chokha
Traditional Bihari Recipe Litti Chokha

“So, you are a food blogger? What part of India are you from?”

“Bihar”

“Aah! Then you must teach me how to make litti chokha!”

Remarks like this are the reason I have not shared one of the most loved recipes from my home state Bihar! It is almost like saying that Italians eat only pizza. Or that tapas are an everyday feature at the table in a Spanish home! This and many other similar stereotypes and expectations made me almost pledge to never share this recipe. The fact that being a Bihari in India comes with its own share of woes and discriminations, and I had suffered a fair share of them studying and working outside of my home state. This baggage did not help either.

So What Changed?

Well! Let me first share with you a little secret about my personal journey. I have always been a sensitive person. Since I started blogging, it was very hard to deal with constant judgment and brutality. Something that bloggers are perpetually subjected to. I am not exaggerating but most of the brutality came from people who know me. I was already dealing with my own demons already. This added burden did not help. I started to question my decision to blog. Nothing good seemed to be coming out of it. In fact, things were only going south – not many followers on the blog, not much remuneration, and definitely no peace of mind! Then why was I doing what I was doing?

Now, as with most things in my life, by some cosmic intervention, a few things happened almost at the same time which helped to pull me together and bring my mind and soul to a safe place:

  1. I was recommended a book on Goodreads called the Power of Subconscious Mind and I started reading it
  2. A friend who had just completed some sessions happened to speak about her therapist to me
  3. And most importantly in one of the rare moments of optimism I reminded myself why had I started a blog in the first place – for the pure love and joy of sharing!

To deal with constant judgment, remember this – People’s opinion of you is a reflection of their character (and life experiences) and not yours. So, every time I am faced with opinions and unkind remarks I just remind myself of this. I stay true to myself and focus on my goal, no matter what 🙂

It’s in 2020. So Let’s Start New.

Why am I sharing all this with you when I should be focussing on more important matters like the recipe for Litti Chokha? Well! First things first, blogging or not, we all go through significant ups and downs in life. But not all of us are infused with copious amounts of endorphins to deal with these ebbs and flows and take it in our stride. Many of us find ourselves at sea and overwhelmed, to say the least, dealing with these. So, since my job is to share I  took the liberty to share the above with you the things that worked for me and helped me cope. I sincerely hope that at least one if not all of these help you too. Do remember that no matter how much love of family and friends you are surrounded by, there is nothing more important and effective than self-love. So, be it seeing a therapist, taking a few hours every day to be with yourself or just reading a self-help book, take the plunge, without any guilt or second thought. We all need constant reminders- one cannot pour from an empty vessel!

And Finally Litti Chokha!

Coming back to the recipe, there are four parts to it – making the litti, baingan bharta (eggplant mash), aloo bharta (mashed potatoes), and tomato chutney. While together it might sound like a lot of work, when you start putting it together you will realise it really isn’t hard. Just a little bit of planning and patience goes a long way. Here are a few tips to help you make the perfect litti chokhas.

Littis: They should not be disjointed when they come out of the oven hard. If you like them soft and crumbly, double the amount of ghee while kneading the dough. The best way to enjoy them is piping hot. Use two hands to break them and then dunk it in some melted ghee and mix with the bharta/chutney. Traditionally the litti stuffing was some oil, lime juice, and salt. Today however you will find various takes on the stuffing. Here I am sharing the one we enjoy as a family.

Litti-Chickpea flour stuffed whole wheat dumpling

Baingan Bharta: Whether you roast it on an open flame or on an iron tawa placed on an open flame, do slit them halfway in the centre. Not all the way to the end splitting it into two! Insert 6-8 pods of garlic. Roast the baingan and garlic together. Later use the garlic for flavouring both the bhartas and chutney. Yumm!!

Eggplant/Aubergine Mash(perfect accompaniment with Littis and parathas)

Aloo Bharta: You can boil potatoes in a pressure cooker and then further roast in a preheated oven for 5-10 minutes to add that smoky flavour. It would taste great both ways.

Mashed and spiced potatoes/Aloo Bharta

Tamatar Chutney:  Peel the skin of the tomatoes and roughly chop the tomatoes. Mix this with other ingredients of the chutney using a fork or blend together. It just changes the consistency, the former is lumpy and latter is liquid but it doesn’t effect the taste.

Tomato/Tamatar Chutney-Perfect accompaniment with litti Chokha

With my pro-tips up your sleeves, you are sure to rock this recipe 🙂

 

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Litti-Chokha (Chickpea flour stuffed Dumplings with Aubergine Mash)

Prep Time: 30 minutes

Cook Time: 45 minutes

Total Time: 1 hour, 15 minutes

Yield: 100

Serving Size: 3-4

Ingredients

    For Litti Dough
  • Whole wheat flour- 2 cups
  • Ghee- 1.5 tbsp
  • Salt- 1.5 tsp or to taste
  • Water- 1 cup approx (to knead the dough)
    • For Litti Stuffing
  • Sattu (roasted gram flour)- 1 cup
  • Ajwain (carom seeds)- 1/2 tsp
  • Saunf ( fennel seeds)- 1/2 tsp
  • Red Chilli powder- 1/2 tsp
  • Lemon juice- 2 tsps
  • Onion, finely chopped- 1.5 tbsp
  • Coriander leaves, finely chopped- 1.5 tbsp
  • Mustard Oil ( or oil from homemade mango or red chilli pickle)- 2 tsps
  • Finely Chopped Ginger- 1 tsp
  • Finely Chopped Garlic- 1 tsp
  • Salt - 1.5 tsp or as per taste
  • Water- 2 tbsp approx to bring the stuffing together
    • For Baingan Chokha/Bharta
  • Baingan -1 (large variety)
  • Garlic pods roasted - 2-3
  • Green chilies roasted- 1-2 or as per heat level desired
  • Mustard oil- 1 tsp
  • Chopped coriander leaves- 1 tbsp
  • Salt-1.5 tsp or as per taste
    • For Aaloo Chokha
  • Medium sized potatoes- 2
  • Green chilies roasted- 1-2 or as per heat level desired
  • Finely chopped onions -1.5 tbsp
  • Mustard oil- 1 tsp
  • Chopped coriander leaves- 1 tbsp
  • Salt-1.5 tsp or as per taste
    • For Tomato Chutney
  • Medium sized tomatoes- 2
  • Garlic pods roasted - 2
  • Green chilies roasted- 1-2 or as per heat level desired
  • Mustard oil- 1 tsp
  • Chopped coriander leaves- 1 tbsp
  • Salt-1.5 tsp or as per taste

Instructions

    Making Litti Dough
  1. In a deep and wide mixing bowl,place all ingredients; do not add water yet
  2. Between the palm of your hands rub the flour-salt-ghee mix for 5-7 minutes
  3. Then add little water and combine the dough; add water gradually to make sure the dough is of right consistency- soft and pliable and not very hard. Cover and keep aside
    4. Preparing Litti Stuffing
  4. In another deep bowl bring all the stuffing ingredients, except water together and mix well with your hands
  5. Add 1 tbsp water and mix well. The mixture should not be too dry but also not very wet, just sightly clumpy. You can test it by pinching some mixture between your fingers and if it almost holds shape it is good to go; add some more water if its very dry and powdery
    6. Rolling,Stuffing and Baking Litti
  6. Pull out a small ball of dough and roll between your palms as you would when making rotis
  7. Then roll out these balls to make almost a 4-6 inch roti, then place about 2 tbsps of the stuffing mixture in the centre
  8. Seal the edges by bringing them in the centre and pressing together
  9. Then gently roll them between your palms to make a ball
  10. Proceed similarly for the remaining dough
  11. Preheat your oven to 200 degrees and line a baking sheet with foil
  12. Place the stuffed littis on the tray and brush them all over with ghee
  13. Bake for approximately 20-30 minutes or until the exterior is slightly charred and baked well
  14. Also, halfway through the process , flip the littis over for even baking; brush them again with some more ghee
    15. Making Baingan Chokha
  15. Slit the baingan/eggplant halfway (and not all the way till the end), press 6-8 garlic pods inside and roast on open flame or an iron tawa placed on the flame till the exteriors are charred and black and the white inside is cooked through;keep turning the eggplant while roasting so it is evenly done
  16. Roast 4-6 green chilies alongside
  17. Then peel off the skin, remove the stem and pull out the garlic pods
  18. Peel the garlic pods and keep aside
  19. In a bowl mash together two garlic pods, roasted green chilies as per taste, mustard oil, salt and roasted eggplant using a fork until well combined
  20. Garnish with chopped coriander
    21. Making Aaloo Chokha
  21. Boil potatoes in a pressure cooker until done
  22. Roast these boiled potatoes over flame on an iron tawa or in an oven at 200 degrees for 10 minutes; you can also skip the roasting step if you are pressed for time
  23. In a bowl mash together roasted green chilies as per taste, mustard oil, salt and boiled/roasted potatoes
  24. Garnish with chopped coriander
    25. Making Tamatar Chutney
  25. Poke holes into tomatoes and roast on an iron tawa , turning sides till the skin is nice and charred and tomatoes cooked through
  26. Peel the skin, chop into cubes and mix well with the remaining ingredients using a fork or you could blend all ingredients except the coriander to make a more homogeneous thick liquid
  27. Garnish with coriander
  28. Serve hot littis with a side of ghee, chokhas and chutney. Winter is truly incomplete without this meal!
https://onewholesomemeal.com/litti-chokha-traditional-bihari-recipe/

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Prawns in Coconut Cream Sauce

Prawns in Coconut Cream Sauce recipe by OneWholesomeMeal
Prawns in Coconut Cream Sauce

There are busy days and then there are ultra busy days. And when it comes to food, what is our go to for most of us during the latter case? Takeaway, frozen or restaurant food! Do you agree? What to do, such is Life! But I have a quick-fix recipe for you – Prawns in Coconut Cream Sauce.

Meal Planning Tips to Eat More Homemade Meals

I recently came across an interesting video on Goalcast that spoke about the increasing obesity rates in America and the primary reasons behind it. And the crux of the 3-minute video was – eat everything, just cook it yourself! Now, I know, that’s easier said than done. At least it’s almost impossible to manage 100% of the times what with social gatherings and last-minute commitments. However, with a little discipline and a certain amount of planning, it is not hard to do it at least 80% of the time. Here are some things that work for me.

  1. Stocking up your refrigerator and pantry with only healthy and easy to cook ingredients
  2. Planning your menu a week (or two) in advance so the groceries are not left to the last moment
  3. Filling or bookmarking easy to whip up healthy recipes
  4. Categorizing them based on your busy and light days

Cutting a long story short, if you really commit to eating healthy, it is very much doable and achievable with a wee bit of planning!

A Quick Fix Recipe for a Busy Day

This prawns in coconut cream sauce is one such recipe that I go to rather often on uber-busy days. It requires minimal prep (even less if you get pre-cleaned prawns from your local fishmonger) and is cooked in less than 15 minutes. No kidding! Simple and readily available ingredients and yet this curry is full of flavours. Also, it is especially liked by children because of its minimal spice levels and mildly sweet flavour thanks to the coconut milk. However, if you do like your curry on the spicier side, you can up the red chili powder in the marinade and add a few extra green chilies to the actual curry.

Try it and rest assured, it would soon become a favourite and make regular appearances during your day to day meals or even when you are entertaining.

Step By Step Prawns in Coconut Cream Sauce Recipe

1. Heat coconut oil and add curry leaves, black mustard, chopped garlic, and green chilies (if using). Once the garlic is brown, add finely chopped onions and sauté till nice and brown.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

2. The prawns previously marinated in red chili powder, turmeric, salt, and coriander powder are added now. Cook on a low flame for another 2 minutes. Once the prawns are 50% cooked add coconut cream and coconut milk. If you like your curry runny, you could skip the coconut cream. Swapping cream with milk would have no effect on taste.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

3. Let the mixture come to boil on a high flame. Then reduce heat, taste for salt, and simmer covered for another 5 minutes or till the prawns are cooked thoroughly. Turn off the heat and serve with steamed rice. Please be careful not to overcook the prawns or they turn chewy. It doesn’t take more than 3-5 minutes for them to cook.

Prawns in Coconut Cream Sauce by OneWholesomeMeal

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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Prawns in Coconut Cream Sauce

Prep Time: 5 minutes

Cook Time: 10 minutes

Total Time: 15 minutes

Yield: 100

Serving Size: 3

Calories per serving: 183

Ingredients

  • Prawns, shelled and deveined- 300gm
  • Coconut Milk-250ml or 300 ml if not using coconut cream
  • Coconut Cream-100ml
  • Onions, finely chopped- 3/4 cup
  • Garlic, finely chopped- 4 small pods
  • Black mustard-1/2 teaspoon
  • Curry leaves-1 tablespoon
  • Green Chilies-1 or as er taste
  • Red chilli powder-1/2 teaspoon or 1 teaspoon if high spice levels desired
  • Turmeric-1/2 teaspoon
  • Coriander powder-1 teaspoon
  • Salt-1/2 teaspoon for marinade and 3/4 teaspoon for curry or as per taste

Instructions

  1. Clean and marinate the prawns in red chilli powder, turmeric powder, coriander powder and 1/2 teaspoon salt and keep aside for 30-45 minutes
  2. In a thick, deep wok heat oil, then add black mustard, chopped garlic, curry leaves and green chilies
  3. Once the garlic is brown, add chopped onions and cook on medium-high flame till nice and brown, then add marinated prawns and cook with continuous stirring for 2 minutes (till prawns are 50% done)
  4. Then add coconut cream and coconut milk and mix well
  5. Bring to boil, reduce the flame to medium, taste for salt and cover and simmer for another 2 minutes
  6. Turn off the heat and serve hot with steamed rice
https://onewholesomemeal.com/prawns-in-coconut-cream-sauce/

[kkstarratings]