Nan khatai

Nan khatai is an egg-less light and crispy biscuit that’s perfect to serve with  tea or coffee.
Recipe makes about 24 Nan khatai.

Ingredients:

• 1/3 cup all purpose flour (plain flour or maida)
• 1/3 cup fine sooji or semolina
• 1/2 cup gram flour (besan)
• Pinch of baking soda (a little less than 1/8 teaspoon)
• 1/4 teaspoon green cardamom seed coarsely powder (ilaichi)
• 1/2 cup unsalted butter
• 2/3 cup sugar
• 1 tablespoon sliced almond
• 1 tablespoon sliced pistachio

Method

1. Pre heat the oven to 375 degree.
2. In a bowl, mix the all-purpose flour, gram flour, sooji, baking soda and cardamom powder and set aside.
3. Let the butter come to the room temperature (butter should be soft not melted)
4. Add butter and sugar in a mixing bowl and beat for two to three minutes until light and fluffy.
5. Add the flour mix to butter and sugar mixture and knead them together to make smooth dough.
6. Divide the dough into about 24 equal parts and make them into balls.
7. Press each ball between your palms lightly; every piece should be about 3/4″ in thickness.
8. With a sharp knife softly draw a tic-tac-toe design on the top and put few pieces of almonds and pistachios and press them into the dough gently.
9. Put Nan khatai on a lightly greased cookie sheet and bake at 375 degrees for about 13 to 15 minutes or until Nan khatai are lightly gold brown.
10. After they are lightly golden brown remove the cookie sheet from the oven.  Let the Nan Khatais cool down for two to three minutes before taking them off the cookie sheet.

This is an easy recipe. What do you think?
Nan khatai make a great homemade gift for holidays. Your friends and relatives will love it.

Pumpkin Foogath

Cooking Time: 15-20 mintues
Servings: 4

Preparation Time: 10-15 minutes
 Category: Veg

Ingredients

•	Red pumpkin (bhopla/kaddu),cubed	700 grams
•	Olive oil	1 tablespoon
•	Black mustard seeds (radhuni)	1/4 teaspoon
•	Curry leaves	10-15 leaves
•	Onion ,chopped	2 medium
•	Green chillies,chopped	3
•	Salt	1/2 teaspoon
•	Coconut,grated	1 tablespoon
•	Lemon juice	1 tablespoon

Method

Heat the oil in a kadai and add the mustard seeds and curry leaves. When the mustard seeds start to splutter, add the onions and chillies. Stir on a high heat for 1 minute. 

Add the diced red pumpkin and salt. Cook, covered, on a low heat for 5–7 minutes, or until the pumpkin is cooked.

Add the grated coconut and lemon juice and mix well. 

Rajma Galouti Kababs

Cooking Time: 15-20 minutes
Servings: 4

Preparation Time: 8-10 hours
 Category: Veg

Ingredients

•	Kidney beans	200 grams
•	Cashewnuts	8
•	Oil	1 tablespoon
•	Caraway seeds (shahi jeera)	1/2 teaspoon
•	Green cardamom	4 pod
•	Black cardamom	3 pod
•	Clove	2
•	Cinnamon	2.5 inch stick
•	Saffron (kesar)
•	Kewra water	1/4 teaspoon
•	Olive oil	1 tablespoon + for greasing
•	Ginger,chopped	1 inch piece
•	Garlic,chopped	5 cloves
•	Green chillies,chopped	3
•	Khoya/mawa,grated	2 tablespoons
•	White peppercorns,ground	1/2 teaspoon
•	Salt	1 teaspoon
•	Lemon juice	1/2 tablespoon
•	Fresh mint (pudina)	1 sprig
•	Onion ,cut into rings	1 medium

Method

Soak the kidney beans in 1 litre water for 8 hours, preferably overnight. Drain, then boil in plenty of fresh water until the beans are soft. Drain and set aside. 

Dry roast the cashew nuts and sunflower seeds, then grind to a fine paste using a little water.

Dry roast the caraway seeds, green and black cardamoms, cloves and cinnamon stick. Cool and grind to a fine powder.

Soak the saffron in the kewra water.

Heat the oil in a pan, then add the ginger and garlic and sauté for a few seconds. Add the chillies and sauté for 1 minute.

Add the cooked kidney beans to the pan and cook for 3–4 minutes. Add the cashew nut paste, stir-fry for 4–5 minutes, then add the khoya, white pepper and salt. Stir-fry for another 4–5 minutes. Remove the pan from the heat and leave the beans to cool.

Mash the kidney beans to a smooth paste. (If the paste is not firm, cook it further in a non-stick pan to thicken it up.) Sprinkle on the roasted spices and soaked saffron.

Mix in the lemon juice, then divide the mixture into eight equal portions. Press them lightly into patties (tikkis).

Heat a non-stick pan and spray it with a little olive oil. Cook the patties until lightly coloured on both sides. Garnish with the mint and onion rings.

Saagwala Gosht

Cooking Time: 50-60 minutes
Servings: 4

Preparation Time: 15-20 mintues
 Category: Non Veg

Ingredients

•	Spinach,blanched , drained	250 grams
•	Sarson ka saag,blanched , drained	500 grams
•	Green chillies	3
•	Olive oil	1 1/2 tablespoons
•	Bay leaves	2
•	Green cardamoms	2
•	Black cardamoms	2
•	Cloves	2
•	Cinnamon	1 inch stick
•	Cumin seeds	1 teaspoon
•	Onions,thinly sliced	3 medium
•	Garlic cloves,chopped	3
•	Ginger,minced	1 tablespoon
•	Garlic,minced	1 tablespoon
•	Red chilli powder	1 teaspoon
•	Lamb,cut into cubes	450 grams
•	Salt	1 teaspoon
•	Ginger,cut into strips	1 inch piece

Method
Grind the spinach and mustard greens with the green chillies to make a coarse paste.
Heat the oil in a thick-bottomed pan. Add the bay leaves, cardamom pods, cloves, cinnamon and cumin seeds. When the cumin seeds begin to change colour, stir in the onions. Cook until the onions are translucent, then add the chopped garlic and mix well.
Stir in the minced ginger and garlic, chilli powder and cubed meat. Cook on a high heat, stirring continuously, for 5 minutes. Add 300ml water and cook over a low heat, covered, until the lamb is almost done – roughly 40–45 minutes.
Add the spinach-mustard greens paste and salt and cook until the lamb is fully blended and tender. Garnish with the ginger strips.