kaleji masala dhaniye wala

Mutton liver is called kaleji in Uttar Pradesh and it is cooked as a dryish curry mostly to be enjoyed with parathas ....mutton liver has a distinct taste of it's own and does not soak much flavor it seems....at least i am in this impression till now , actually the reason is , i myself do not like liver pieces much ....but the husband is very fond of kaleji.....the dry liver roast is a common recipe we usually make at home but since i want some more flavor into the otherwise boring kaleji , i do include some intense flavor in the form of green coriander...other herbs may work well too but with a strong n hot masala curry i love the intensity of green coriander .......... to make the green coriander flavor more intense i choose mature coriander plants for such curry and use the roots and stems during frying the masala and the leaves for garnish.......this way the kaleji masala is transformed to another level altogether.......

ingredients......

mutton liver 300 gm
onions finely chopped 1/4 cup
ginger garlic paste 3 tbsp
hot red chilly powder 2 tsp or as per taste
turmeric powder 2 tsp
everyday curry powder 2 tbsp ( any north indian curry powder can be used according to your taste)
special garam masala powder 1.5 tsp ( this powder is very aromatic and gives good results , do not substitute if possible)
coriander greens ( mature) 150 gm
lemon juice 1 tsp
salt to taste
mustard oil 1 tbsp
whole cumin seeds 1 tsp
whole dry red chillies 2 nos.

procedure.....

Clean the coriander greens and chop them keeping the stems and roots separate from the leaves ...take care to chop the roots n stems very finely or make a coarse paste ...keep the leaves aside , coarsely choppes for garnish  or last minute addition as i did....

Now heat oil in a thick base kadai and throw in the cumin seeds to splutter....add the dry red chillies too...

Quickly throw in the chopped onions and let them brown on medium heat , then mix in the ginger garlic paste and the powders with a tbsp of water and keep stirring till the aroma of roasted spices starts wafting through...

Add the liver pieces , coat them well with the masala and keep stirring to cook from all sides.....sprinkle some water and cover to cook............it may take about 20 minutes till it's almost done.......

This is the time to add the coriander roots n stems ...mix them well with the liver n masala , turn the flame to lowest and let the flavors settle in while cooking slowly ....for about 10 minutes....add some water if want to keep a little gravy as i did ....

Open the lid, sprinkle all the coriander leaves and lemon juice , mix lightly , cover again and put off the flame....let it sit for about 5 minutes before serving....

The powerful aroma of coriander greens makes this masala gravy very very tempting and the essential oils of the coriander greens which are more concentrated in the roots and stems are capable to penetrate the liver pieces as well, making it more appetizing for a person like me who tries to avoid kaleji otherwise...

We enjoyed it with plain boiled rice and some tomatoes n onion rings on side......yummy...

mung ka halwa step by step | easy recipe of mung daal halwa...

Mung ka halwa is one dessert which is seen brushing shoulders with brownies, tarts, tiramisu, truffles and the likes on the modern party menus. A traditional recipe which has survived the test of time well. It is definitely higher on calories but if you eat sensibly it makes an enjoyable dessert, and if you cook it sensibly, it doesn't make your arms ache and your tummy grumble. Believe me.

Many of us dread making this halwa simply because of two reasons. One, it is too heavy and two, it takes a lot of stirring and mixing and whipping while cooking it. So much so that your arms are sore the next day. Right!!

This has been my signature dessert for many large get-togethers and as I have made it many times and in large quantities. I can say I have worked on ways to make it a bit easier and healthier, I mean a bit low on ghee and that too when you make it in smaller quantity.

When you make it in large quantity you need to have enough ghee otherwise it is tough to keep up with stirring to prevent sticking n burning in the base of kadhai......

The best way to make it in less quantity of ghee is to make it in the largest thick base kadai you have and always use a flat spatula to stir the halwa while frying (bhunoeing). Another trick for preventing your arms from getting sore, I shall describe with the procedure. read on....

ingredients....

mung dal (split and husked mung beans) 1 cup
ghee 3/4 cup
sugar 1/2 cup
a handful of almonds, slivered
procedure

Soak the mung dal in water for 2 hrs or overnight  and grind it in mixie to make a smooth paste, you'll get about 2.5 cups of mung paste.

Now heat ghee in a large thick base kadai and coat the kadai well with ghee all over, keeping the flame very low, pour the mung paste in it and stir well.

The first thing you notice is, that the mung paste becomes lumpy and sticks to the base of kadai. This is enough to scare a first timer, but do not worry and keep stirring after every few minutes.

Normally it needs to be stirred and whipped continuously. To make it easy, spread the paste in a layer in the kadai and let it brown for a while.

Then turn it scraping the paste from the base of kadhai and spread again to get it browned again......

 Repeat the process until the mung mixture becomes nicely browned and aromatic.

Add sugar and put off the flame. Mix well and cover with a lid and let the sugar melt and get absorbed into the halwa.

Some people add cardamom powder for flavor but I feel that the aroma of fried mung daal is so delicate and mildly aromatic, that any other flavoring agent is not needed.

Mung daal halwa should taste like mung daal and not elaichi. Though you may go by your own choice. Add cardamom, rose water or whatever spice you like.

You may need to sprinkle a little milk if the mixture has become too dry. Mix well and throw in the slivered almonds (any type of nuts and any amount  and serve hot.

The halwa keeps well on room temperature (in winters here) for about a week and in the fridge you can keep it for months. Just heat it in the microwave and serve when needed.

I made it for Arvind's birthday as halwa (Kadah prasad) is made for such occasions traditionally and this time I choose mung ka halwa as he said it had been ages since I made this. These are some of the foods he loves.

I hope you noticed how I turned and stirred the cooking halwa only when it gets browned on one side. That is the trick to not keep stirring it all the time. Try doing it and let me know if you liked this slightly dry mung ka halwa. 

You can add a little milk every time you reheat it before serving, it gets moist that way.