Imarthi also known as Jaangiri is a sweet dish which takes its roots from Uttarpradesh during the Moghul era. Jaangiri is a sweet, and is a variant of jalebi prepared in India.

In North India and Pakistan it is called Imarti, and in South India it is called Jaangiri. In North India, this sweet frequently consumed with curd (dahi) for breakfast. In South India, this sweet is served after a meal and also popular at weddings and festivals.

Jaangiri is made from a variety of Urad flour, also colloquially called jalebi parappu (dal) or jalebi urad in south India. sugar syrup and saffron is added for colour.

Urad dal is soaked in water for few hours, and stone-ground into a fine batter. The batter is poured into ghee, though other oils are sometimes used, to make patterns similar to funnel cakes. The size of a piece is smaller than that of a funnel cake, however, and there is often a small ring in the middle around which the pattern is arranged geometrically.

Before frying the batter, sugar syrup is prepared and is usually flavored with edible camphor,cloves, cardamom and saffron. The fried material is then dipped in sugar syrup until it expands in size and soaks up a significant amount of the syrup. In Northern India and Pakistan, imartis are usually drained, so tend to be drier than jalebis. The pieces can be served hot, at room temperature, or sometimes refrigerated.

Ingredients:

Urad dal(skinless) - 1 cup

Rice - 1/4 cup

Sugar - 5 cups (use 3 cups if you dont have a sweet tooth)

Safforn (kesar) - 2 teaspoons

Edible orange colour (kesari colour) - 1 pinch (optional)

Cardamom Powder - 1 teaspoon

Ghee - for deep fry

Rose essence - 5-6 drops (optional)

For decoration:

Pistachios (blanched and slivered) - 7-8nos.

Method:

1. Soak dal and rice together for about forty-five minutes.
2. Drain and grind with the colour to a soft, spongy mixture with a coarse texture.
3. Just use one cup of water to grind, sinc the batter should not be too thin in consistency.
4. Add colour and mix very well.
5. If using a mixie, beat the dal well by hand till fluffy after grinding.
6. Keep aside for 3 hours. More is weather is cold.
   
7. Boil sugar with two and a half cups of water till a syrup of single-thread consistency is reached.
8. Remove from heat and strain the syrup.
9. Add saffron, rose essence and green cardamom powder. Keep the syrup hot.
10. Heat sufficient oil or ghee in a deep bottom kadai for frying the imarthis. Pour sufficient oil or ghee , so that the ghee.
11. Take one ladle full of batter in the imarti cloth, hold tightly and press the batter through the hole into the hot oil. For the traditional design, make a small circle around which make another circle and over these two make scallops in anti-clockwise direction ending at the starting point.
12. If cloth is not comfortable for making the Imartis, then use a bottle with noozle.
    
13. Lower the flame and make small batches and deep fry on both the sides till crisp and light golden brown.
14. Drain the hot imarti and dip into the sugar syrup. Let them remain immersed till they have absorbed enough syrup.
15. Drain and place the imarti on a flat plate. Repeat this process till all the batter is used up.
16. Soak for 3-4 minutes, drain and serve.
17. Repeat for remaining batter.
18. Make 4-5 imartis at a time, depending on size of frying pan.
19. Serve hot garnished with pistachio slivers.
    

Preparation time: 2o minutes (excluding the soaking and fermenting time)

Cooking time: 40-45 minutes.

Serves: 4-5 persons, makes 16-20 imarthis.

Shelflife: 5-6 days (if stored properly in air tight container).

Serving suggestion: serve hot or warm as per choice.

Note:

• Use a flat bottomed frying pan.
• The imarti bottle can be substituted with a soft plastic sauce bottle with a nozzle.
• If not available, take a 12"x 12" thick cloth, make a buttonhole type hole in centre.
• Place over a tumbler and pour in some batter.
• Hold like a pouch and press out imartis like icing.
• Shape the imartis as follows, make a ring first, then form small ringlets all along the ring.
• Till you come to the start.

Click here to know more about Uttar Pradesh foods and recipes - An Introduction To Uttar Pradesh Foods And Recipes.

Click here to know more about Indian Sweets and Desserts - An Introduction To Indian Sweets .

Lassi, here comes my favourite beverage. I am die hard fan of lassi and i never any reason for having it. Whenever am at home, I make it a point of having this lassi and ejoy it sip by sip. Lassi is as such known all over the world, it even bagged prize for best beverage last year during a international beverage competition. Any takers of lassi? huh.

Lassi is a popular and traditional yoghurt based drink which originated in the region of Punjab (India). It is made by blending yoghurt with water, salt or sugar and ice. Traditional lassi is sometimes flavored with ground roasted cumin or powdered pepper or some indian spices. Sweet lassi, blended with sugar instead of spices, is also very popular. And this is sweet lassi which makes people weak on knees.

In some religious occassions, yoghurt sweetened with honey is used while performing religious rituals. Whereas in western countries, lassi are served with milk and layer topped with thick cream. We india used malai for added taste, this type of lassi is called Malai Lassi. Malai lassi tastes very delicious and is also my favourite. If you feel hungry try Malai Lassi, your tummy would be satified. Lassis are enjoyed chilled as a hot-weather refreshment, mostly taken with lunch.

There are various types in Lassi such as traditional mild salted lassi, sweet lassi, mango lassi , Bhaang Lassi , Peda lassi and Fruit Lassi. Mango Lassi is made from sweet mangoes while peda lassi are popular in Benaras and surrounding areas where Peda, a tradional Indian sweet is crushed and used to make lassi. Fruit lassi is made using different kinds of fruit like there are strawberry Lassi, Lichi Lassi and so on. Bhaang Lassi is highly poplular during the festival of Holi. Some shops in places like Rajasthan and UP have licensed shops for selling Bhaang Lassi since it uses a kind of marijuana (cannabis).

Many of us are aware about Chicken stock. This chicken stock is used to many dishes to add taste . It is used in soups, for making briyanis and Pulaos and also in some continental recipes.
Chicken stock is one easiest recipe which anyone can make it at home and use it when needed. And for those who are running out of time, when you are in the middle of preparing a recipe but dont have stock..here is a quick tip for you. Whenever you happen to make chicken stock, just pour it in a try or cup and freeze it in your refrigerator. It comes handy whenever you need it for makign recipes. Most of the Western countries have canned chicken stock, which is nothing but freezed but with some preservatives. But why waste money when you can make one in your own Kitchen.
Chicken Stock is prepared from chicken bones and is very nutritious and full of energy that is why it is also given to patients to re-gain some strength. It has various uses in cooking different foods to give extra chicken flavor like fried rice, any kind of chicken soup, lentils, etc.
Make use of chicken stock whenever and wherever possible to make your cuisines tasty and yummy.




Ingredients:
½ kg chicken with bones
3-4 garlic cloves
1 tbspn ginger (chopped)
2-3 bay leaves
4 cloves
2-3 cinnamon sticks
3-4 cardamom
Slat to taste
4-5 black pepper corns
6 cups water or as required.


Method:

1. Take chicken with bones and put it into a deep pan or pot (preferably one which has a lid).
2. Add water in it so that water level should 1inch above the chicken pieces, now put few cloves, cardamoms, cinnamon sticks, salt, pepper, bay leaves, garlic cloves and ginger.
3. Cover the pan and let it cook till water completely boils and white layer starts to appear on the top of the stock.
4. Turn off the stove and let it be cooled.
5. After it cools, drain out all the chicken stock/water using drainer.

Preparation TIme: 10 minutes
Cooking Time: 15 minutes
Serves: Enough to make dish for 4 persons
Shelflife: 1 -2 days. If refrigerated, it remains upto 1 week.
Serving suggestion: It is normally used while cooking food.




Note:

• The stock is of medium consistency. So dont get puzzled , if you get watery base. It thickens up with time.
• Use a good drainer while clearing.
• This chicken stock can be freezed in refrigerator and used when needed.
  

This chicken pilaf is very much famous in South Asian cuisine and is generally known as “yakhni pulao”. This pilaf can be prepared with any meat of your own choice, it is very light and healthy rice recipe. This is pulav is rich in taste and ingredients since it contains many spices, and fresh chicken stock. This recipe is nawabi recipe which has its roots in Awadhi cuisines which is widely famous all over the world. Nawabs were known for their rich taste and meats. As such this pulao can be made using any meat, but chicken is the meat which goes very well with this.
But do remember to chop the chicken in big pieces so that you can enjoy its taste and juicy spicy flavour.
Reading this, many might think that pulaos are having same spices. Yes it does, but the style of cooking them and specific blend of spices makes them different from each other. There many types of pulaos and Briyanis which are famous in India like Hydrabadi Briyani, Yakhni Pulav, Matar Pulao, Dum Briyani , Nawabi Briyani etc to name few. In all this recipes, the spices are almost same to some extent, but ingredients and style of cooking differs from recipe to recipe and from place to place.
This recipe Yakhni Pulav specially is made from chicken stock and is cooked in manner which keeps them soft and tasty, unless various pulav where yoghurt is used to soften the food. Yakhni Pulav is usually served with any Indian curry, but it goes best with Non veg Indian curries like Kofta curry, Nargisi kofta curry shahi chicken or any moghlai curry.





Ingredients:
1 kg Chicken pieces (keep it big pieces)
4 -6 cups Chicken Stock (here is the chicken stock recipe)
1 kg rice, use Basmati Rice for good aroma and taste (soaked in water for an hour)
1 medium size onion (cut into julienne)
2 medium size tomato (cut into large pieces)
1 tablespoon ginger garlic paste
1 cinnamon stick
2 cloves
2 green cardamom
1 black cardamom
1 tbspn red chili powder
1 tspn turmeric powder
5-6 black pepper seeds
1 tbspn cumin seeds
3-4 green chilies
½ cup mint leaves (chopped)
Salt to taste
2/3 cup oil.




Method:

1. Prepare Chicken Stock beforehand and keep aside. Click the chicken Stock underlined for chicken stock recipe.
2. Take a deep-wide sauce pan so that rice can easily prepare in it.
3. Fry onions in the oil until they become light golden in color.
4. Mean while add cinnamon, cloves, cardamoms in the onion so that a pleasant smell and aroma starts to come from the oil.
5. Now add tomato pieces, ginger garlic paste, red chili powder and turmeric powder and cook until tomato becomes soft and tender to form gravy.
6. After that add green chilies, mint leaves and cook for further 2 minutes with ½ cup of water.
7. Now add hot boiled and drained chicken stock with chicken pieces only to the gravy and let it boil and mix in the gravy.
8. Add rice in the end and if rice would not completely dip in the stock sauce, add more water so that all the rice should cover.
9. Cover the pan and cook rice on high flame until the sauce starts boiling and absorb in rice, it would take 8-10 mins.
10. When the sauce almost absorbs in the rice, reduce the flame to very low and cook for further 10 mins so that rice become tender and soft.
11. When the chicken pilaf becomes ready serve it hot in a beautiful rice dish with raita or any meat curry.
    

Preparation time: 25 minutes
Cooking time: 30 minutes
Serves: 4 persons
Shelflife:1 day
Serving Suggestion: Serve hot with raita and any Non veg indian curry or moghlai curry like nargisi kofta, Shahi Korma, Chicken tikka masala etc.




Note:

• In case, chicken stock is not available with you, then use normal water. Chicken stock would make the recipe even more tastier but water can be used when it is not available.
• Chop the tomatoes finely and also chop the onions finely like julienne.
• Some do add chopped green chillies. But I havent opted for it.
• Use a non sticky deep bottom pan to avoid any trouble of stickings at the bottom.
• This Pulao doesnt need Basmati rice as importantly. So even a normal rice can be used to cook Yakhni Pulao.
  

Click here to Know more about Uttarpradesh Cuisines and Foods- An Introduction To Uttarpradesh Foods And Recipes.

The method of pouring Jalebis is shown below. This method is usually seen in shops and according to the mithaiwalas, this gives the batter smoothest flow. The man in the pic has used a cloth with hole at the centre of it and poured the batter in hot oil in coiled shape.




Jalebi or Jilebi is a deep fried Indian sweet which is popular not only in India but also in its neighbouring countries like Pakistan, Bangladesh and few other countries like Morocco and others. Jalebi was initially named as zalebi but the alphabet got replaces to 'J' instead of "Z". Jalebi was introduced during the Mughal era under the Muslim rule and was widely spread all ober middle east countries.
Jalebi is a traditional sweet which was first started from Uttar Pradesh, which is its birth place then got spread everywhere. Jalebi is a deep fried Indian sweet which is later soaked in sugar syrup with a touch of natural colouring ingredient called Kesar to add a ectastic look to it which makes it look orange or yellowish in colour. It looks like a coil and is usally large in shape but goes melting in mouth and leaves you drooling after having tasted once. It is served warm or cold. It ihas chewy like texture and is coated with crystalized sugar from outer side. There is a similar sweet called Imarti which is slightly different from it, which is also made in Uttar pradesh. But unlike jalebi, its coiled beautifully like a knitted design. Jalebis is Orissa are made of chenna (which is a dairy product). You can find them in my blog, i have posted oriya style jalebis in my blog in the name of Chhena Jalebi.
Intresting this sweet is popular in Govt offices where it is offered during Independence day and Republic day.
I came across few facts about Jalebi( through Surfing) which i would like share with everyone. The Persian word for jalebi is "Zoolbiah". In Maldives its "Zilebi, in Nepal its "jeri " or "jahangiri after the moghul emperor Jehangir in whose era Jalebi was prepared.




Ingredients:
For Jalebi Batter:
2 cups All purpose flour (maida)
11/2 tbsp fine grained semolina or rice flour or gram flour
1/4th tsp baking powder
2 tbsp curd (plain yogurt)
11/4th cups warm water.

For Sugar Syrup:
1/2 tsp saffron threads, slowly dry-roasted and powdered (or soaked in little amount of milk)
3 cups sugar
22/3rd cups water
1/2 tsp green cardamom seeds powder
11/2 tbsp kewra water or rose water
Ghee or vegetable oil for frying.



Method:

1. Mix the flour, semolina or rice flour, baking powder, curd and 3/4th cup of the water in a bowl (preferably a ceramic bowl). Mix well with a whisk.
2. Mix well and then add remaining water and 1/8th tsp. of saffron powder, and whisk until smooth.
3. Whisk them till it is of free flowing consistency.
4. Set aside for about 2 hours to ferment.
5. Whisk thoroughly before use. That is again whisk it before deep frying them.
6. Prepare one string syrup by dissolving sugar in the water.
7. Just before the syrup is ready add saffron and cardamom powder.
8. Heat oil in a kadai.
9. Take a pressable plastic bottle with a nozzle or place a hole at the top of it. Use this for making jalebis. Even coconut shell with a hole can also be used. Or a plastic cone with a nozzle can be used for the same.
10. Pour Batter with the help of the bottle in the kadai. Pour slowly and one by one. Pour them in the shape of coil. (see pic2)
    
11. Make just few at a time.
12. Deep fry them until they are golden and crisp all over but not brown.
13. Remove from the kadhai and drain on kitchen paper and immerse in the syrup.
14. Leave for at least 4-5 minutes so that they soak the syrup.
15. Take the jalebi out of syrup and serve hot.It can be served warm too. Enjoy the tempting delicious Jalebis.

Preparation Time: 2 and half hours.
Cooking Time: 25 minutes.
Serves: 4 persons, makes 16-18 jalebis.
Shelflife: upto 2 days.
Serving Suggestion: Enjoy it hot during monsoons and enjoy then warm during any time.



Note:

• The pouring consistency of batter should be smooth and free flowing.
• These days jalebis bottles are available in market, or else you can use sauce bottle with a hole at the top of it for pouring the batter.
• Garnishing can be added with few strings of kesar strings and finely chopped Badams.

Click here to know more about Uttar Pradesh foods and recipes - An Introduction To Uttar Pradesh Foods And Recipes.


Click here to know more about Indian Sweets and Desserts - An Introduction To Indian Sweets .