Your love for luchi/kochuri-mangsho can take on a Rajasthani spin this Saptami. Try your hand at culinary delights from the desert state and make Pyaaz ki Kachori, Safed Maas, Rajasthani Lapsi and Bajre ki Raab for a festive feast this Durga Puja.
(You can find last year’s Bengali recipes here.)
Pyaaz ki Kachori
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The luchi and kochuri have a delicious Rajasthani alternative with a flavourful filling.
Ingredients:
- Maida: 2 medium cups
- Salt: 1 pinch
- Ghee: 3 tbsp
- Finely chopped onions: 3 large
- Finely chopped green chillies: To taste
- Finely chopped coriander leaves: 2 tbsp (Optional)
- Lime juice: 2-3 tbsp
- Fennel seeds (mouri or saunf): 2 and ½ teaspoons
- Nigella seeds (kalo jeere or kalounji): 2 tsp
- Gram flour (besan): 3 tbsp
- Red chilli powder: 1 tsp
- Amchur powder (raw mango powder): 1 tsp
- Garam masala powder: 1 tsp
- Roasted coriander powder: 1 tsp
- Vegetable oil: To deep fry
Method:
- Mix maida, salt and 2 tbsp of ghee in a bowl and add lukewarm water to knead into a soft dough. Cover with a damp cloth and keep aside
- For the filling, add 1 tbsp of ghee in a nonstick pan and heat well. Now add fennel seeds, nigella seeds and chopped green chillies and temper well
- Add the onions and saute until the onions are golden brown
- Add the dry ingredients like besan, red chilli powder, amchur powder, garam masala powder, and roasted coriander powder along with lime juice. Saute well
- Sprinkle chopped coriander leaves, give a quick mix and turn off the flame
- Make small to medium sized balls from the dough that was resting and roll them flat
- Add a dollop or small spoonful of filling in the centre of the rolled out disc and bring all the corners together to create a little parcel. Roll the dough gently and shape into small discs
- Deep fry in piping hot oil on a low flame until light brown and serve hot
Safed Maas
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Everyone has heard of lal maas, but have you tried a Rajasthani safed maas? Mutton lovers, add this rich and creamy mutton recipe to your cookbook. And it pairs perfectly with the pyaz ki kachori.
Ingredients:
- Mutton: 1kg
- Peeled almonds: 8 tbsp
- Cashew: 10 tbsp
- Paste of boiled onions: 5 tbsp
- Bay leaves: 2 large
- Cinnamon stick: 1
- Cardamom pods: 2
- Cloves: 2
- Whole dry red chillies: 2
- Hung curd: ½ a small cup
- Ginger-garlic paste: 3 tbsp
- Full fat milk: ½ a medium sized cup
- Salt: To taste
- Sugar: To taste
- Slit green chillies: 3-4
- Ghee: 2 tbsp
- Mustard oil: 4-5 tbsp
- Lukewarm water: About 400 ml
Method:
- Marinate mutton with salt, ghee, 2 tbsp of onion paste, and 2 tbsp of ginger-garlic paste
- Add the cashews and almonds in a grinder with a Take almond and cashew with a spoon of milk and make a smooth paste
- In a pressure cooker, add mustard oil and heat well. Now add bay leaves, cinnamon, cardamom, cloves and dry red chillies. Saute well
- Add the remaining onion paste and ginger-garlic paste and mix well. Saute until the pastes are cooked
- Add the nut paste and sprinkle some water. Mix well and saute until the aroma changes and the gravy is fully cooked. Cook the spice paste in low flame with the lid loosely placed on top
- Add the marinated mutton and mix well. Add the hung curd at this stage, with some salt. Cook on high flame for 3 minutes, stirring occasionally, and on low flame with the lid loosely closed for 20 minutes
- Add the lukewarm water and close the lid. Cook on low flame for 3 whistles and allow the steam to release
- Uncover and check the mutton, add the remaining milk and balance the seasoning
- If the mutton is still not fully cooked, put the lid back on and cook for another whistle. Serve hot
Tips:
- This recipe requires a thick gravy. So balance water and milk quantities accordingly
- You can prepare chicken using the same ingredients. However, the cooking time will be 30-35 minutes approximately and instead of a pressure cooker, use a kadhai
Rajasthani Lapsi
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A unique dessert recipe to match with the kachori and mutton.
Ingredients:
- Daliya (Broken wheat) : 1 ½ small cup
- Ghee: 6-7 tbsp
- Powdered sugar: ½ small cup
- Cardamom powder: 1 tsp
- Chopped dry fruits: 5-6 tbsp
- Lukewarm water: 1 ½ large cup
Method:
- Wash daliya well and strain any excess water. Air dry it well before cooking
- Add 4 tablespoons of ghee in a nonstick pan and let it heat. Keep the flame low and add the daliya. Mix well with ghee
- Add lukewarm water, cover and cook until the water is fully absorbed. Stir at regular intervals
- Uncover, add sugar and mix well with the daliya
- Add the chopped dry fruits like cashew, raisins, pistachio, almonds, walnuts along with cardamom powder
- Mix and cook for another 3-4 minutes on low flame
- Add the remaining ghee, cook for about a minute more until it turns toasty and a brown colour, and turn the heat off
- Serve warm or cold
Bajre ki Raab
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A thirst quencher that you have never tried before.
Ingredients:
- Bajra atta (Pearl millet flour): 2 tbsp
- Ghee: 1 tbsp
- Jaggery powder: 1 ½ tbsp
- Dried ginger powder: 1 small pinch
- Carom seeds (ajwain or jowan): 1 small pinch
Method:
- Add ghee in a nonstick pan and heat well. Add the bajra flour, keep the flame low and saute the flour until it turns light brown. This process should take about 1 minute
- Now add jaggery and water and whisk well. Cook for about a minute and half. Keep stirring continuously to avoid lumps
- Add dried ginger powder and carom seeds. Cook for around 45 seconds and turn the flame off. The Bajre ki Raab is ready
