Jaggery halwa(gud ka halwa) (post natal dish)

 Jaggery or molasses is the good source of iron therefore it is better to use it as sweetening agent.Let us make halwa with jaggery
Ingredients
1/4 cup whole wheat flour(atta)
1/4 cup ghee(clarified butter)
1/4 cup grated jaggery
Mix jaggery and water in a pan and heat .when jaggery dissolves  and water starts boiling then remove from heat.
In a thick bottom pan pour ghee and wheat flour and put it on burner.Start stirring and roast atta till it turns golden brown.This will take 8 to 10 minutes.Now pour jaggery water and keep stirring to avoid lump formation.When halwa is ready then it will leave the sides of pan.Remove from heat and serve piping hot.

Chat masala

                                             Chat masala



Ingredients required

Salt                                              1 tab spoon
Red chilli powder.                        1 tab spoon
Roasted jeera powder.                  1 tabspoon
Amchur powder                             1 tab spoon
Black salt powdered.                     1 tabspoon
Dried mint leaves powdered.         1 tabspoon
Mix all these spices and store in an airtight container.Can be used with salad ,raita or with fruit chat.

Mango pickle with gunda and kair

 Month of may is a busy month .summer vacation keeps moms busy.arrival of mangoes is another reason.Raw mangoes are to be processed in various ways to preserve like  chutney,pickles and kairy pana etc.I have posted the recipe of chutney already.Here is the recipe for pickle.
Ingredients required

Raw mangoes medium size 2
Gunda (called lassode in some parts)  15
Kair (a desert vegetation).                    1/4 cup

Salt.                                                        1/4 cup
Turmeric.                                               2 tab spoon


Chilli.                                                     4 tab spoon
Methi seeds.                                           4 tab spoon
Hing.                                                      1/4 teaspoon
Oil.                                                         1 cup



Wash and wipe mangoes and cut inti one inch pieces
Wash and steam gunda for five minutes by keeping in a trainer over a pot of boiling water.










Remove gunda from strainer and let these dry by spreading on a clean cloth for an hour.
Processing of kair
Remove the kair from small twigs and soak in a clean water for two days.
On third day change water and add salt to it .after every two or three days change water and add salt.
Initially these are bitter in taste but after ten to fifteen days these will become tasty giving a sour and salty taste .now these are ready to be pickled .
Wash with a clean water to remove extra salt and spread on a clean cloth for two three hours.

Pickling
Heat oil   3 tabspoon oil in a pan and hing powder.switch off the flame and add methi first and then
chilli and turmeric powder.Add salt and mix well.Let it cool for an hour.When it is at room temp then mix mango,Gonda and kair.Store in an air tight glass jar.On third day heat some oil and remove from

flame.add hing and let it cool.When at room temp then pour over the pickle.pickle should be always covered with oil in.   the jar.When methi seeds become soft then it is ready to use.It takes a week for pickle to be edible.

Tips. To keep pickle fresh avoid any moisture entering into the container.
For this pickle should be always covered with oil

One can buy pickle container which drains of the extra oil while serving and dips pickle  again in the oil.
This is very convenient device.Avalable on Amazon.