Mutton Haleem with Lentils

Mutton Haleem is a special dish which mainly available during festive month of Ramadan when Muslims observed fasting. I have learnt the intricacies of this recipe from one of my Muslim friends. I have never tasted Hyderabadi Haleem, but one day during last Ramadan I prepared Haleem in my home and invited my Muslims friends to have a taste of it and all of them certified that my preparation is as close as Hyderabadi Haleem. The taste is really awesome and heavenly, but te preparation is not so easy and time consuming also. But you can do it your home. Just follow the steps as staed below, do some hard work, I bet - your hard work will not be wasted. 

But, I should also give you some health tips about Haleem:

Good points: This is very low in Sugar, High in Selenium, Vitamin B12 and Zinc.

Bad points: High in Saturated Fat and Cholesterol.

MUTTON HALEEM WITH LENTILS

Servings: 4

Ingredients:

Mutton- 500gms, boneless and cut into small pieces

Dalia (broken wheat)- 1/2 cup

Chana dal- 1tbsp

Urad dal- 1tbsp

Green moong dal- 1tbsp

Yogurt- 1 cup

Salt- as per taste

Ginger garlic paste- 1tbsp

Green chilli paste- 1tbsp

Shahi jeera (caraway seeds)- 1tbsp

Black peppercorns- 8

Red Chilli powder – 1 tbsp

Turmeric powder – 1 and 1/2 tbsp

Coriander powder – 1 tbsp

Cumin powder – 1 tbsp

Green Cardamom – 3 /4 pieces

Cinnamon – 1” size x 2 pieces

Cloves – 4 pieces

Bay Leaves – 2 pieces

Tomatoes – ½ cup, chopped

Onion – 1 cup or 3 medium, sliced

Garam masala powder- 1tsp

Mutton stock- 6 cups

Mint leaves- 1 bunch

Coriander leaves- 2tbsp (chopped)

Ghee- 1/4 cup

Lemon wedges- for garnish

Preparation:

Wash and clean the mutton pieces.

Marinate the mutton pieces adding salt and yogurt, mix well and keep aside for 30 minutes.

Take a pressure cooker heat ghee, add ginger- garlic paste, turmeric powder, salt. Sauté it and add mutton pieces, add sufficient water and put the lid on and let it cook for 3 whistle. Switch off the oven and keep it as it is till it becomes cool.

Soak the dalia and other dals separately (chana dal, urad dal, green moong dal) in water for 3-4 hours.

After 3-4 hours, drain the water from soaked dalia and dals.

Heat ghee in a frying pan and fry the sliced onions till they turns golden brown and caramelized. Keep aside.

Heat ghee on a deep nonstick pan, add bay leaves, green cardamom, cinnamon stick, cloves, black peppercorns, shahi jeera, sauté for a minute, add chopped tomatoes, sauté for few seconds and then add the dalia and dals to it.

Add cumin powder, turmeric powder, coriander powder, red chilli powder on the dals.

Mix well and cook for a few minutes. Add green chilli paste, ginger-garlic paste, half a cup of fried brown onions, garam masala powder, mix well, cook for few seconds and then add half a cup of water to it. Cook for a minute.

Mutton Stock

Then add mutton stock from the pressure cooker and mix well. Now add the mint and coriander leaves to it. Cook for another 5-6 minutes.

Add the mutton pieces, salt and mix well.

Cover the pan and cook on very low flame for about 4-5 hours, but stir occasionally.

After 4-5 hours, remove the lid from the pan, take out the mutton pieces in a bowl.

My Hand Blender

Now by using the hand blender, blend the dal mixture like a paste. Once it is done, add the mutton pieces to the pan and stir well for 3-4 minutes.

Once it is done, switch off the oven.

Your Mutton Haleem is ready to served. Garnish it with the remaining fried onions and lemon wedges. 

Mutton Stock

Mutton Stock is a kind of stew which you can use in any preparation of mutton. Instead of adding water in your mutton recipe, you can add Mutton Stock for better flavour and taste.

MUTTON STOCK

Servings: 4

Ingredients:

Mutton Bones - 200 gms

Onion - 2 medium, diced 

Carrot - 2 medium, cut into big pieces

Celery - 1 stalk, cut into 1" pieces

Parsley - 3 stalks, chopped little bit

Black Peppercorn - 7 to 8 pieces

Cloves - 3 pieces 

Bay Leaf - 2 pieces

Water - 8 cups

Salt - as per taste

Preparation:

Wash and clean the mutton bones by removing excess fat from them.

Heat plenty of water in a pan, add the bones into the boiling water and boil only for 4 to 5 minutes. Drain the water and remove the blanched (bones will become white and pale) bones from the pan.

In a non-stick pan add bones, diced onion, carrot pieces, celery, parsley, black peppercorns, cloves and bay leaves h 8 cups of water and put on the flame and start boiling. While it is boiling if you find any scum on the top, remove them.

After 15 to 20 minutes, put the flame in low and cook for another 40 to 45 minutes.

Then remove the stock from the oven, strain the stock with the help of a strainer. Allow it to cool. Your Mutton Stock is ready and you can use it as per your requirement or keep it in refrigerator till further use.

Spicy Indian Red Lentil Soup

Red Lentils are the seeds from legume plants and cook very fast. Particularly in Indian food it is commonly used to prepare Dal, Soup etc. It is nutritious and also a high source of protein. Lentil also helps improving your health and weight loss. This Spicy Indian Red Lentil Soup is a great soup recipe which is really refreshing. Have this soup with bread toast, parathas and roti.

Servings: 6 to 7

Ingredients:

SPICY INDIAN RED LENTIL SOUP

Lentils – 250 g

Vegetable Stock – 8 to 9 cups

Tomato – 2 medium, crushed

Garlic – 2 cloves, diced

Ginger – 2 tbsp, minced

Onion – 2 small, diced

Curry powder – 2 tbsp

Turmeric powder – ½ tbsp

Dried Fenugreek – 1 tbsp

Curry Leaves – 4/5, diced

Jalapeno – 1 diced
Coriander leaves - 2 tbsp, chopped

Salt – as per taste

Sugar – 1 and half tbsp.

Pepper powder – as per taste

Vegetable oil – 2 tbsp

Preparation: 

Heat oil in a pan, sauté the diced onion, garlic, curry leaves and minced ginger in medium flame until they turn translucent.

JALAPENO

Add the diced jalapenos and sauté for 10 minutes.

INDIAN LENTILS

Wash and clean the lentils thoroughly until the water runs clear.

DRIED FENUGREEK

Now add all of your dry spices like curry powder, turmeric powder, dried fenugreek and mix them well.

The curry leaves may be discarded and add crushed tomatoes, salt, sugar.

Add the vegetable stock and also washed lentils. Turn up heat and allow the lentil mixture to boil. When it starts boiling, reduce the heat and cook for 30 minutes so that the soup becomes thick and the lentils are tender. Finally add pepper powder as per your taste and chopped coriander. 

Switch off the oven.

Serve Spicy Indian Lentil Soup hot.

Mixed Vegetable Soup Recipe

Mixed Vegetables Soup Recipe is very easy to prepare but at the same time it is very healthy and tasty. This is also very nutritious as you will have all sotrs of vitamins and minerals. So, today I will share with you a easy, healthy, tasty homemade soup recipe. 

MIXED VEGETABLES SOUP RECIPE

Servings: 2 - 3

Ingredients:

Onion – 1 small, finely

Onion – 1 small, cut into big pieces

Fresh Tomatoes – 2 medium, cut into big pieces

Carrot – 1, cut into big pieces

Beans – 7, chopped

Fresh Green Peas – ½ cup

Broccoli – 1 cup, cut into medium pieces

Corn – ½ cup 

Green Gram (Moong dal) - ½ cup

Slit Green Chilli – 2

Butter – 1 tbsp, for cooking

Salt – as per taste

Pepper powder – as per taste

Coriander Leaves - 2 tbsp, chopped

Vegetables – U can add other vegetables also

Preparation:

In a pressure cooker, add all vegetables, moong dal and onions cut into big pieces. Add water to cover all the vegetables and then cover the lid. Cook for 10 minutes till all the ingredients are cooked well.

Switch off the oven. Pour the mixture in a bowl. Allow it to cool.

Then put everything in a blender and start blending the vegetables mixture. Once everything is ground finely, strain the juice in a different bowl.

In a pan, heat butter. Once the butter melts then add the chopped onions and sauté till onions turns to little brownish.

Then pour the juice on the pan, add salt, pepper as per your taste and requirement.

Bring the mixture to boil in low flame for 5 – 6 minutes.

Check the taste for salt.

Switch off the flame and pour the Mixed Vegetables Soup in a bowl to serve.

Add some butter, chopped coriander into it and finally add some pepper powder. Serve hot.  

Carrot & Tomato Cream Soup

Carrot & Tomato Cream Soup is an easy, tasty, creamy and healthy soup with sweetness of carrots and tanginess of tomatoes. The taste of the soup enhances when served with bread croutons. 

Carrot & Tomato Cream Soup

Servings: 4

Ingredients:

Fresh Tomatoes – 500 g

Carrot – 200 g

Black Pepper powder – ½ tbsp

Salt – as per taste

Sugar – 1 tbsp

Carrot – for garnishing (optional)

Fresh Cream – for garnishing

Coriander leaves – 2 tbsp, finely chopped

Bread Croutons - as required

Preparation:

Cut the tomatoes and carrot in big pieces.

Grate carrots and keep it aside as this is required for garnishing.

In a bowl heat water (1 cup) and add tomatoes and carrots and salt. Allow them to boil.

When it starts boiling, then turn the flame in low and cook the vegetables till they are completely cooked and become soften.

Switch off the flame and allow the mixture to become cool.

Once the mixture is cooled, pass the mixture through a strainer to get the juice. Put the remaining part in the blender from the strainer. Blend it well and again pour the blended mixture on the strainer and take out the juice as much as you can.

Add 5 cups of water in the juice, mix it well and put it on the oven to boil. When it starts boiling put the flame in low.

Then add sugar and pepper powder and simmer for 10 minutes.

Serve Carrot & Tomato Cream Soup after garnishing with fresh cream, grated carrot, chopped coriander and finally add some bread croutons.   

Sambar Recipe

In South Indian Sambar is a very popular dish. There it is served with steamed rice and also with side dishes for Dhosa, Vada, Idli and Pongal. But now, not only in South India, this Sambar Recipe has become one of the famous recipes in our country also. We have seen many exclusive South Indian Restaurants in all over the country and it has really become popular. You may call it a soup made of different spices and vegetables.

So, I have tried to share the preparation method step by step, in a very easy and simple way, so that you can understand the whole process of cooking.

SAMBAR RECIPE

Servings: 4 to 5

Step: 1

Ingredients:

Coriander Seeds – 1 tbsp

Red Chili Whole – 3 or 4 pieces

Peppercorn – ½ tbsp

Cumin Seeds – 1 tbsp

Rice – ½ cup

Chana Dal – ½ cup

Fenugreek Seeds (methi seeds) – ¼ tbsp

Whole Garam Masala – Green Cardamom (5/6 pcs, Cloves – 5/6 pcs, Cinnamon – 1” stick)

Mustard Seeds – 1/2 tbsp

Preparation:

Sambar Home Made Masala

To prepare the home made Sambar powder you need to roast coriander seeds, red chili whole, peppercorn, cumin seeds, rice, chana dal, methi seeds, whole garam masala, mustard seeds (1/2 tbsp) in a low flame for 10 minutes. Put this in the blender to make a powder mixture.

Step: 2

Ingredients:

Asafetida (hing) – 1/8 tbsp

Ginger/Garlic paste – 1 tbsp

Curry Leaves – 10 to 12 leaves or as per your taste

Grated Coconut – ½ cup

Turmeric Powder – ½ tbsp

Chopped Tomatoes – 1 small, chopped

Oil – 4 to 5 tbsp

Preparation:

Heat oil in a pan, add little asafetida (hing), ginger/garlic paste, curry leaves, grated coconut, turmeric powder, chopped tomatoes. Fry for 5 minutes. Let it cool down. Put this in the Blender to mix with the spice powder. Keep it aside.

Step: 3

Ingredients:

Tamarind Juice – 1 small lemon size ball

Preparation:

Soak tamarind in hot water for 30 minutes and get 1 and ½ cup tamarind juice using a strainer and discard the pulps.

Step: 4

Pigeon Pea (Arhar Dal) – 1/3^rd cup

Boiled & Mashed Dal

Pigeon Pea

                                   

Preparation:

Wash and clean the dal and soak it for 30 minutes and boil it. I don’t prefer to boil in pressure cooker in all the cases considering the food values. Once the dal is boiled then mashed the dal in a blender. Keep it aside.    

Step: 5

Ingredients:

Mustard Seeds – ½ tbsp

Cumin Seeds – ½ tbsp

Fenugreek Seeds – ¼ tbsp

Turmeric powder- ¼ tbsp

Onion – ½ cup, chopped in bigger block

Green Chili – 5 to 6, chopped

Curry Leaves – 12 to 15 leaves

Mixed Veggies (carrot, Beans, Drum stick, Raw Banana, ladies finger, pumpkin etc) – 1 cup

Tomatoes – 1 medium, chopped

Salt – as per taste

Tamarind juice – 1 and ½ cup

Water – 3 cups

Preparation:

Heat oil (4/5 tsp) in a pan, add some mustard seeds, fenugreek seeds, cumin seeds, turmeric powder, onion chopped in bigger block, chopped green chili, curry leaves and salt, fry for a minute.

Then add mixed veggies (carrot, Beans, Drum stick, Raw Banana), fry for another 1 minutes and add Chopped Tomatoes. Cover the lid and sauté in low flame for 5 to 6 minutes.

Add tamarind juice and water.

Tamarind Juice

Step: 6

Ingredients:

Molasses - 1/4^th  cup

Pigeon Pea (Arhar Dal) – 1/3^rd cup, boiled and mashed

Chopped Coriander – ½ cup

Salt – as per taste

Oil – 4 to 5 tbsp

Preparation:

Once the mixture is boiling add the blended paste (follow steps 1 & 2) ). Then add molasses. Add plenty of Water and boil. Lastly add boiled and mashed dal and boiled in low flame. Finally add chopped coriander and boiled for 3 to 4 minutes. Taste the salt and serve it with Vada, Idli, Dhosa.

Mutton Paya/Tangri Soup Recipe

This Mutton Paya/Tangri Soup is awesome and very nutritious and probably that is reason why it is being served to somebody who is sick and it is considered as a nutrient supplement who cannot eat solid food properly. This Mutton Paya/ Tangri Soup is very popular in any old cities of any parts of the country. You can enjoy this soup or stew alongwith Jawar Roti, Roomali Roti. If you want to serve it for sick people, then instead of adding chili powder and garam masala spices, just add pepper, salt and other spices as mentioned below.

MUTTON PAYA/TANGRI SOUP

Servings: 5

Ingredients:

Mutton Paya/Tangri pieces - 500 g

Cardamom – 3/4

Cloves – 4/5

Cinnamon – 1” size

Shah Jeera – ½ tbsp.

Bay Leaves – 2

Chopped Onion – 2 medium, chopped

Ginger/Garlic paste – 1 tbsp

Turmeric powder – ½ tbsp.

Green Chilli – 4/5

Coriander powder – 1 tbsp

Cumin powder – 1tbsp

Garam Masala powder – ½ tbsp

Pepper powder – ½ tbsp.

Chilli powder – ½ tbsp

Oil – 2 tbsp

Salt – as per taste

Preparation:

In a pressure cooker heat oil, then add cardamom, cloves, cinnamon and shah jeera, bay leaves, chopped onion. Sauté a little bit, add ginger/garlic paste, turmeric powder, salt. Mix all this ingredients.

Then add green chilli.

MUTTON PAYA

Once we sauté the ginger/ garlic paste, add Mutton Paya/Tangri. Mix and sauté it little bit. Add plenty of water.

Go ahead and put the lid of the pressure cooker. After we put the lid then allow it to cook till the legs are nicely soft, so that meat has to be come out from the bones and it should melt in your mouth.

After it is cooked, add coriander powder, cumin powder, garam masala, pepper powder and chili powder. Mix all the ingredients. If you want to increase the soup, add little water.

Cook it for another 10 minutes and your Mutton Paya/Tangri Soup is ready.

Add chopped coriander a mix it.

When it is properly cooked you will find that the meat actually starts separating from the bones.

Taste the soup whether salt is required, if so add some salt.

Serve the soup hot.   

Potato Salad with Egg

In my childhood days my mother used to make this "Potato Salad with Egg" for me as a breakfast. My mother still make this for my kids and they really enjoyed it.This is a complete and classiic recipe in terms of food value for the kids and they will really love this unique rich, creamy recipe because of presense of Mayonnaise and egg. So here I must share this recipe with you, which you should cook for your kids. 

POTATO SALAD WITH EGG

Servings: 5

Ingredients:

Potato – 6 medium

Egg – 2

Egg – 6, hard boiled, peeled and diced in small pieces

Sugar – ½ cup

Corn Starch – 1 tbsp

Vinegar – ½ cup

Evaporated Milk – 1 cup (see the tips below for preparation of this item)

Yellow Mustard sauce – 1 tbsp

Butter – ¼ cup

Mayonnaise – 1 cup

Onion – 1 small, finely chopped

Celery – 3 stalk, finely chopped

Salt – as per taste

Preparation:

Peeled potatoes, cut it in small pieces. Put them in a bowl. Add enough water to cover the potatoes, bring them boil and then reduce the temperature and sim them for 20 minutes. Drain the water and let them cool. Add 1/2 tbsp of vinegar with the potato pieces while it is warm. Keep them aside. 

When the potatoes are cooling, prepare the dressings. Heat a pan in low heat. Add raw eggs and whisk them together. Add sugar, corn starch and salt, mix well. Whisk all thoroughly. Then add vinegar and evaporated milk. Mix them well over medium heat. Add yellow mustard sauce, again mix. Stir it continuously for 10 minutes. Remove it from heat and add butter, mix well. Pour the mixture in a separate bowl, allow the mixture to become cool. 

When the mixture is completely cool then add mayonnaise and whisk it well.    

In a separate bowl take the boiled small pieces of potatoes, add chopped onion, celery and diced boiled egg pieces. Add salt (1 tbsp) and then pour the dressing on the potato salad. Toss them gently so that the potatoes are evenly coated. Chilled the potato salad for several hours or overnight for best flavor.

Garnish the salad with chopped coriander (this is optional) and serve chilled.  

CANNED EVAPORATED MILK

Evaporated Milk : It is simple. The water in the milk has to be evporated .Take a thick bottomed pan, pour the milk. Start boiling the milk in high flame, stir continuously till the quantity or the volume of the milk reduced to half of the initial quantity or volume or else you can buy from grocery shop as shown above.

You can try other EGG recipes for your kids.