Punjabi Mango pickle

Traditional Green Mango Punjabi Pickle Recipe

This tangy and spicy green mango pickle is a beloved summer special in Indian households. With bold spices and pungent mustard oil, it’s a delight to pair with everyday meals and it lasts up to a year when stored well!

Ingredients

• Kaccha Aam (Raw/Green Mango) – 500 gms (about 3 medium-sized)
• Mustard Oil – 1¼ cups
• Kalonji (Nigella Seeds)– 3 tbsp (30 gms)
• Saunf (Fennel Seeds) – 4 tbsp (25 gms)
• Methidana (Fenugreek Seeds) – 4 tbsp (25 gms)
• Laal Mirch powder (Red Chilli Powder Preferably Deghi Mirch) – 2 tbsp (20 gms)
• Kali mirch (Black Peppercorns) – 1 tbsp (10 gms)
• Jeera (Cumin Seeds)– 1 tbsp (10 gms)
• Haldi (Turmeric Powder) – 1 tbsp (7–8 gms)
• Hing (Asafoetida) – ¼ tsp (3 gms)
• Salt – 4 tbsp (60 gms)

Preparation Steps

1. Prep the Mangoes

• Wash the mangoes thoroughly and dry them completely.
• Cut off the stems and chop the mangoes (with skin) into small pieces — about ½ to ¾ inch each.

2. Prepare the Spice Mix

• Lightly roast the methi, saunf, and jeera on low heat for about a minute — just enough to remove moisture.
• Add kalimirch towards the end and roast briefly.
• Transfer immediately to a plate and let cool completely.
• Coarsely grind the roasted spices along with 10 gms of kalonji (reserve the rest to add whole).

3. Mix the Pickle

• In a large, dry mixing bowl, combine in this order:
• Chopped mangoes
• Coarsely ground spice mix
• Asafoetida
• Turmeric powder
• Remaining kalonji (20 gms)
• Red chilli powder
• Salt
• Mix everything thoroughly so the mango pieces are well coated.
• Now add the mustard oil and mix again until every piece is generously coated with the oil and spices.

Curing the Pickle

• Transfer the mixture to a clean, dry, airtight container.
• Place the container in direct sunlight for 5–6 days.
• Stir the pickle with a dry spoon every alternate day to ensure even curing.

Storage & Shelf Life

This pickle is ready to eat in about 5–6 days and can be stored for up to a year in a cool, dry place. Make sure to always use a dry spoon when serving to maintain its longevity.

Banana Walnut Bread

Ingredients

For the Batter

• 2 cups (454g) thoroughly mashed banana, about 4 or 5 medium fully ripe bananas
• 1/2 cup (99g) vegetable oil
• 1 cup (213g) brown sugar, packed
• 2 large eggs
• 11/2 cup Atta
• 1/2 cup Maida
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 teaspoon Vanilla Essence
• 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
• 1 teaspoon cinnamon
• 3/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 cup (57g) chopped walnuts, toasted if desired; optional*

*Leave the nuts out, if desired; or substitute up to 1 cup chopped dried fruit, chocolate or butterscotch chips, sunflower or pumpkin seeds, or other mix-ins of your choice.

For the Topping

• 1 tablespoon (13g) sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

Instructions

• Preheat the oven to 180°C. Lightly grease a 9" x 5" loaf pan; if your pan is glass or stoneware, reduce the oven temperature to 160°C.
• In a large bowl, stir together the mashed banana, oil, sugar, eggs, and vanilla.
• Add the flours, baking soda, baking powder, salt, cinnamon, and chopped walnuts into the banana mixture. Scrape the bottom and sides of the bowl and mix again to thoroughly combine the ingredients.
• Scoop the batter into the prepared(greased) pan. Mix together the sugar and cinnamon, and sprinkle over the batter
• Bake the bread for about 60 to 70 minutes, until the bread feels set on the top, and a paring knife (or other thin knife) inserted into the center comes out clean, or with just a few moist crumbs (but no wet batter).  
• Remove the bread from the oven. Cool it in the pan for 15 minutes, then loosen the edges, and turn it out of the pan onto a rack to cool completely.
• Store leftover bread, tightly wrapped, at room temperature for several days. Freeze for longer storage

Tips from our Bakers

• Want to bake and share? This recipe will make 15 standard-size muffins. Bake muffins in a preheated 175°c oven for 20 to 23 minutes, or until a thin paring knife inserted into the center of a muffin comes out clean.
• We love the slightly caramelised flavour brown sugar lends this loaf, but if all you have on hand is white granulated sugar — use it: 1 cup, same volume amount as the brown sugar.
• Prefer butter to vegetable oil? Substitute 2/3 cup melted butter for the 1/2 cup vegetable oil.

Note: Recipe adapted from https- //www.kingarthurbaking.com/recipes 

Thengol

 

• Soak Urad dal  2 measures in 2 measures of water.
• Pressure cook
• Take rice flour, 6 measures, add 1 and half teaspoons of salt.
• Add a pinch of hing, 1 teaspoon of jeera, 1 teaspoon of til, mix well
• Heat half measure or 80ml. Of cooking butter or refined oil or ghee.
• Mix well.
• Cool the cooked dal and grind it.
• Grind smoothly. Grind it very smooth, if you need to add a few teaspoons of water,but try to avoid adding water. Mix the ground deal with rice mixture. Make the dough, knead it very well.
• Insert the thengolu bills, in the instrument.Make small balls, and put it in the instrument. Put the upper part. Heat oil nearly 250ml.,and press it, in a circular way. Remove when it turns golden, remove and drain, then spread a newspaper and put it on it and cool.
• Thengolu is ready. Enjoy eating the crispy Thengolu and store the rest in an airtight container.

Onion tomato chutney

Onion tomato chutney

Ingredients:

• Udad dal- 1 tea spoon
• Onions- 3 medium size
• Tomatoes-3 medium size
• Chilly powder- 1 tea spoon
• Oil - 2 tea spoon

Method:

1. Finely chop onions and tomatoes
2. Heat oil
3. Add udad dal
4. When it becomes light brown- add onions and roast well
5. After that add the tomatoes
6. Keep stirring occasionally, when it is cooked add chilly powder and stir for few minutes.
7. Allow it to cool down.
8. Add salt as per taste and grind without water.

* You can make this as an additional chutney with Dose. You can have it with akki rotti and chapattis too.

Dosa Idli proportions

*Dosa* :
4 cups rice
1 cup urad dal
1 handful channa dal and one of toordal.
a teaspoon of methi seeds.

 *Idli* :
2 or 2 1/2 cups of rice
1 cup of uraddal and
a handful of poha
all soaked separately

Healthy oat-atta choco-chip cookies

These are lower on sugar than standard American cookie recipes, and healthier as they use oats and atta.

1 cup/ 200 g butter
1 cup brown sugar
2 eggs
1 tbsp vanilla essence

Blend butter and sugar, add eggs one by one while beating, 
then add vanilla essence.
1 cup powdered oats
1/2 cup whole oats (quick cooking, thin & small)
1.5 cup atta
1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt

Mix gently and finally add 1 cup chocolate chips. Semi-sweet or dark. If using milk chocolate chips, reduce sugar to 3/4th cup.

Make whatever size you like and bake at 180 degrees Celsius for 12-15 mins till golden on top (vary time based on size of cookies).

Makes soft cookies. 

Variations:

Freeze small portions of Nutella for 15 mins and stuff inside for Nutella filled cookies. Similarly peanut butter.

Add gems on the top just before baking.

These are totally awesome and healthy. You’ll never buy store cookies again!!

Basic Cake Recipe (with eggs)

Ingredients:

Keep one measure

1. 2 eggs
2. 1 cup sugar
3. 1 1/2 cup Flour (Maida or Atta)
4. 1 cup butter
5. 2 tsp baking powder
6. 1/2 cup to 1 cup Hot milk ( as the required consistency)
7. 6-8 drops of Vanilla Essence

To this now you can add whatever flavor you like

1 cup chocolate horlics OR

3/4th cup Cocoa OR

3/4th cup grated carrot OR

3/4th cup Tutti Fruity OR

3/4th cup dates and walnuts OR

3/4th cup chocolate chips

(don't beat this-just mix it together with a spoon in the end)

Method:

Prep: Grease your baking pan with butter and then flour. Keep that ready. You can somewhere in midway start preheat of Oven 

• Take a container. Beat the egg whites to stiff peak
• Take another container and start with beating the butter, once it is smooth add the sugar, the ass the egg(yellow) 
• Then add the flour, the baking powder and the vanilla essence.
• Add the Egg whites in the end. Beat it  well.
• (Preheat the oven) and bake on 180 degree for about 40 to 45 minutes.
• After 35 minutes. do the 'toothpick test' Just stick a toothpick/a skewer or a thin knife into the middle of the cake gently.If you find the batter sticking to the cake then its not done. Is your toothpick is clear then your cake is done.
• Once you remove the Cake from the Oven- let it rest as it needs to set. Let the cake remain in the baking pan for atleast 15 minutes before removing
• Take a butter knife and run it around the edge of the cake so that it loosens from the pan. Then flip over the cake on a clean plate.

Here are some of the cakes I have baked with this recipe

I use the same recipe for muffins. 

Happy Baking!