Desi winter delights

Sarson Ka Saag with Makai Rotla
Ingredients:

• 1 kg Washed and chopped mustard leaves
• 1 tbsp Mustard oil
• 1 tsp Cumin seeds
• 1 tsp Mustard seeds
• 1 ½ tbsp Roughly chopped green chillies
• 1 tbsp Garlic paste
• 1 tbsp Ginger paste
• ½ cup Finely chopped onions
• ¼ tsp Asafoetida
• ½ tsp Turmeric powder
• 2 tbsp Makai atta
• Salt to taste
• Ghee for garnish

Method:

• Boil enough water in a deep, non-stick pan
• Add mustard leaves and cook on high flame for four to five minutes, while stirring occasionally.
• Strain using a strainer and drain well.
• Refresh the leaves in cold water immediately and drain well again.
• Set aside for two or three minutes to cool slightly.
• Blend in a mixer to a coarse mixture, using ½ cup of water and set aside.
• Heat oil in a non-stick kadhai and add cumin seeds.
• When seeds crackle, add garlic paste, ginger paste and asafoetida and sauté on a medium flame for 30 seconds.
• Add chopped onions, and green chillies. Sauté.
• Add the makai atta and stir continuously.
• Add mustard leaves, turmeric powder, and salt. Mix well and cook on medium flame for a few minutes.
• Drizzle ghee and serve hot.

Til Aur Gur Ke Laddoo
Ingredients:

• 2 cups lightly roasted sesame seeds
• 2 cup grated jaggery
• ¼ tsp green cardamom powder
• Pure ghee

Method:

• Take grated jaggery and mix it with pure ghee.
• Heat it on a low flame so that it melts and reaches a fine, semi liquid.
• Let the mixture cool down to room temperature, and then mix it with the roasted sesame seeds.
• Add the green cardamom powder to the mix.
• Roll the mix into lemon size laddoos and serve.

Gajar Halwa
Ingredients:

• 1 kg Carrots
• 2 1/1 cup Boiled milk
• Sugar to taste
• ½ tsp Cardamom Powder
• 3 tbsp Butter
• 10 Almonds
• 10 Pistachios
• 10 Cashews
• You can add other nuts like walnuts too

Method:

• Wash, peel and grate the carrots.
• Heat a pan with butter and put the grated carrot and cook on low flame till the raw smell disappears.
• Add milk and boil on low flame till thick.
• Once it starts thickening, add sugar and stir continuously.
• Cook on low flame for further thickness.
• Add cardamom powder and nuts.
• Stir continuously till ghee separates from the mixture.
• Finally, garnish with nuts and serve hot.

Recipe courtesy: Maharaj Jodharam Choudhary, corporate chef, Khandani Rajdhani.