Shahi-tukda

Shahi-Tukda is a simple sweet-dish that’s easy to make and craves your sweet tooth quite sumptuously.
Sugar syrup: It would be great if you had leftover Rasgulla or Gulabjamun chaashni but nevermind if you don’t. Take 5 cups (normal cups not mugs) of water and add about 25 tea-spoon full of sugar into it and put to boil. The sugar will slowly dissolve into the water and will achieve a syrupy consistency. Taste it and see if you want it sweeter. If you do, add more sugar to it and continue to boil. Remember, you need a syrupy consistency, so add more water if you find it getting too thick. Allow the syrup to cool.
Milk concentrate: You can get concentrated tinned milk (like the brand Milkmaid) from the grocery or you can prepare a home-made kheer. To do it at home, take about a quarter litre of milk and add about 5-7 Tea-spoon full of sugar into it and keep on boiling it till it reduces to less than half the volume and achieves the consistency of thick cream. Allow it to cool.
Bread fry: Take 10 pieces of bread and cut-off the edges. Cut them into four square pieces each or two pieces if you want them bigger. Fry the bread pieces and fry them deep so that they are hard and crusty. Let them cool a little. Put these pieces into the cool syrup you made earlier and let them soak it up.
Shahi tukda: Take the bread pieces out of the syrup before they become soggy and start breaking. Now, lay them flat on a platter. Now spread the milk concentrate on each bread piece separately, thickly. You may want to flavour it with a pinch of cardamom-seed-powder garnish but the dish is fine enough even without it.

Aaloo-Gobhi sabzi

Potato- 3 Medium sized (4 – 5 cm lengthwise and 3-4 cm width at the widest part), cut into rectangular pieces of 1 inch length and 0.5 inch thickness
Cauliflower- chop cauliflower stalks into 1 inch long pieces. The quantity of the cauliflower should be equal to or a bit more than the amount of potato pieces you have
Tomato- 1 small (or medium, if you like it) chopped
Green chilly- 2-3 slit lengthwise into half (you may skip them if you prefer it less hot)
Ginger- finely chopped, 2 cm long and 1 cm thick
Coriander- de-stalked leaves, chopped
Haldi powder- 1 pinch
Red chilly powder- ½ Table spoon (Tb. Sp.) or less according to preference
Dhania (coriander) powder- ½ tea sp.
Garam masala powder- less than ½ tea sp.
Salt- to taste
Oil- 7-8 Tb. Sp.

Heat 7 Tb. Sp. Oil in a wok (Kadhai) for approx. 1 min (not more) on high flame.
Put salt in the oil. If you don't know the approx. amount you should put, begin with half Tb. Sp.
Reduce the flame to medium. Put Jeera (Cumin Seeds) and chopped ginger in the oil after 20 – 30 secs. Put Potato and cauliflower pieces in the oil as well and mix the ingredients.
Cover the wok with a metal plate (not a plastic one!), reduce the flame some more and let the potatoes and cauliflower pieces get tender. Let the ingredients cook like this for about 5-7 minutes.
Remove the lid and put in the following: Pinch of Haldi powder, red chilly powder 1/2 Tb. Sp. (Or as hot or bland as you prefer), dhania (coriander) powder 1/2 Tea spoon, Garam Masala powder less than ½ tea spoon (optional). Mix them well with the other ingredients.
Put in chopped tomato, chopped coriander leaves and chillies into the ingredient mix and mix all of it well.
Pour in water such that the ingredients are just submerged in the water. Increase the heat to medium, cover the wok with a lid and let it cook for about 10 mins. While the Sabzi is cooking, check it from time to time such that all the water does not evaporate and chars the Sabzi. If need be, you can pour more water in between, but do it in moderation.
To check if the potatoes and cauliflowers are cooked properly, you may take a spoon and try to cut the potato or cauliflower pieces with that. A tender and cooked piece should cut easily.
If you find that the potato and cauliflower are cooked properly, you may take the lid off the wok. Depending on how runny or dry you want the sabzi to be, you may add more water and let it boil for some time or you may increase the flame and let some water evaporate to do away with water, respectively.

Kaali Daal Tadka

Kaali dal/ lentils- 1 cup
Garlic- 4 medium sized cloves chopped
Ginger- 1.5 inches long and 1 inch thick size piece, chopped
Green chilly- 2-3 (depending on your taste) chopped
Onion- 1 medium sized, chopped
Tomato- 1 small sized, chopped
Haldi powder- ½ tea spoon
Red chilly powder (optional)- 1 Table Spoon (Tb. Sp.)
Dhania (coriander) powder- ½ Tb. Sp.
Oil- minimum: 5 Tb. Sp.; max…ur wish. PS- if the ingredients start charring and sticking to the bottom of the pressure cooker, add more oil.
It is advisable not to fry on high flame if you are an amateur. You may do it on medium flame. (I am assuming you will be cooking on a Gas-stove)

Wash kaali dal and soak them in water for 15-30 mins.
Heat 3 tb. Sp. Oil in the pressure cooker (lid off)
After the oil is a heated a bit, put salt (according to taste…1 tb. Sp. To begin with if you don't know the right proportion).
Fry chopped ginger a garlic in the oil.
When the garlic is turning a bit golden, put chopped onions along with and fry ginger, garlic and onion together. After a while add chopped green chillies in the same.
Once the onions become tender and start looking translucent, put ½ tea spoon Haldi powder; 1 tb.sp. red chilly powder (this is optional if you want it less hot), ½ Tb. Sp. Dhania (coriander powder). Stir the spices along with the ginger, garlic, onion and chilly and mix well. Add chopped tomatoes to this and stir again.
After half a minute, add the soaked dal (water drained) and fry for 1 min along with the rest of the mixture. Mix the dal well with other ingredients while frying.
Pour 3 cups of water to the mixture and stir well.
Secure the lid of the pressure cooker and allow the dal to cook for at least 2 pressure-cooker whistles.

Once the dal is cooked, check out the consistency. You can add more water to it and let it boil (lid off). Alternatively for a thicker consistency you may heat the dal more and let the water evaporate.

You may add a dollop of butter on top of hot dal to have it in true Punjabi style!