Indian Masala Chia (Tea)

Indian Masala chai (Tea)

For 3 cups of tea. 

3 measuring cup water

1 1/2 measuring cup milk 

3 tbsp Sugar ( add more or less sugar as per your taste) 

1tbsp of black Wag bakri tea leaves ( use any Indian tea black tea any other but I prefer this brand)

1/2 tbsp of Tea masala (use 1/2 of the recommended measure if you don't like spicy tea. I make my own but you can get it from any Indian grocery stores)

2 pinch of Cardamom powder

Bring water and milk to a boil. Lower the gas to low flame. 

Add tea leaves, chai masala, cardamom powder and sugar. Stir for few seconds. Let the tea leaves turn the milk into desired tea strength of your choice over medium to low flame. You can keep boiling for 5-6 minutes until you get the color and aroma that suites your taste buds. Turn gas off. Filter tea with Indian tea filter and pour it into a cup. Enjoy it hot with biscuits, toast or just as is. 

Note: if you don't have tea masala just add 1 pinch of cinnamon powder, 1 pinch of black pepper powder, 3-4 pinch cardamom powder, 1-2 pinch of ginger powder (or 1/2 tsp grated ginger and couple mint leaves).

Jicama Pickle

Jicama pickle

2 cups of finely chopped jicama

Juice of 3 lemons

1 tsp ground coriander powder

3 tsp red chili powder

1/4 tsp turmeric powder

1/2 tsp asafetida (hing)

1/2 tsp mustard seeds

1 tsp cumin seeds

2 tsp oil

Method: Heat oil in a pan, add mustard seeds, cumin seeds and asafetida. Lower the gas to dim flame. Add jicama, salt, turmeric powder, and red chili powder. Immediately  add lemon juice and stir. Turn gas off right away. Do not over cook jicama, it should be crispy. Pickle should last for a week. 

Spicy tangy curried broccoli

7 minute 7 ingredients Spicy tangy broccoli 

Easy to make for busy collage kids

4-5 cups of broccoli chunks rinsed, steamed and little under cooked. Do not over cook the brocolli💀. If too busy to steam then just microwave broccoli for 4-5 minutes instead of steaming. 

1 tsp olive oil 

1 tsp sambar powder or curry powder

1 tsp chat masala ( MDH chat masala)

1/4 tsp red chili powder

1/4 tsp six pepper seasoning or garlic herb seasoning from GFC (Optional)

1 lemon 

Sauté broccoli in olive oil for a minute. Add all the above available seasoning and turn the gas off so you don't burn the seasoning. Squeeze lemon juice and it's ready to eat. The most time spent is in steaming the broccoli, it's that easy.

Just eat it hot don't need anything with it. Real easy, really tasty. And remember that if you don't have all the above seasonings  just add chat masala, red chili powder and lemon to the saluted broccoli and it will still taste amazing. 

Greek style bread sticks with Zattar

5 ingredients 5 minute flatbread garlic butter bread sticks.

Really easy to make for busy collage kids in their apartment for a quick filling meal. Goes well with salad or soup or as is.

1 flat bread Greek style

1 tbsp garlic butter ( available at most middle Eastern stores)

1tbsp

Zattar seasoning ( available at most middle eastern stores)

Crushed pepper optional.

1/4 tsp olive oil.

Method:

Brush olive oil on both side of pita bread and roast it on a skillet over gas on medium heat.

Cut pita into desired shape with pizza cutter or scissors. 

Spread garlic butter over pita bread, sprinkle zattar and crushed pepper and it's ready to eat.

Majadra daal fry

Majadra daal Fry

2 cup middle eastern majadra lentil 

5-6 cups water

(cook majadra on stove top with 5-6 cups of water until tender. It takes about 20 minutes)

For gravy:

1 large onion

7-8 clove garlic

2 cube ginger

1/4 tsp fennel seeds

1-2 green chilies

1/4 cup cilantro

2-3 mint leaves ( optional)

Take all the above ingredients and finely crush them in food processor. 

2 tomatoes (crushed in food processor separately) 

4-5 tbsp olive oil 

1 tsp cumin seeds

1/4 tsp asafetida 

1 tsp garam masala

1 tsp methi masala

1/3 tsp crushed roasted coriander seeds

1/2 tsp red chili powder

1/3 tsp turmeric powder.

Salt to taste.

Cooking method:

Heat 4-5 tbsp olive oil, add fennel seeds, cumin seeds and asafetida. Add the crushed onion, garlic, ginger, green chili and cilantro mix to the hot oil. Stir often till the onions turn brown. Add garam masala, methi masala, salt, turmeric, red chili powder, cherished roasted coriander seeds and stir for 2 minutes. Add crushed tomatoes to it and stir. cover with lid and let it cook until tomatoes are well cooked and blend into the onion gravy. Add this prepared gravy to cooked majadra daal. Add a cup more water if necessary. Continue cooking daal for another 10-15 minutes. Eat with rice or roti or as daal soup. 

Garnish daal with butter, cilantro and lemon ( optional) 

Henna designs by Vidhya jain

Peal Millet Bajri sweet and savory multiple combination!

Basic Bajri ( pearl Millet) moong Khichidi!

1 cup Bajri 

1/2 cup green moong dal

3 cup Water

Pressure cook all the ingredients  for 3 whistle. 

You can use this base Khichadi for the following combinations.

1. Hot Khichadi + honey+ ghee.

2. Hot Khichadi+ hot milk+ honey +cinnamon+ cardamoms+ nuts

3. Hot Khichadi + Kadhi.

bajri provides us with disease fighting phytochemicals that lower cholesterol, antioxidants, plenty of fibre, folate, iron, magnesium, copper, zinc, vitamins-E and B-complex, thiamine, riboflavin and niacin. It is a gluten free grain and rich in iron.