Barabar Ka Achar

 

“Barabar” refers to a pickle prepared by using all the main ingredients in equal quantities, along with selected spices.

In Bihar, barabar ka achar is traditionally made using equal quantities of green chilies, ginger, and garlic, along with raw mango. However, during winter, I prepare it using fresh turmeric instead of raw mango.

In this version, turmeric, ginger, and garlic are used in equal quantities. This pickle can be stored for up to 6 months. It pairs wonderfully with parathas, puris, or even simple dal–chawal.

This pickle is not only delicious but also very healthy. Turmeric is believed to have numerous health benefits and possesses many medicinal properties, including anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, anti-tumor, antiseptic, antiviral, cardioprotective (helps keep the heart healthy), hepatoprotective (supports liver health), and nephro protective (supports kidney health) effects. Regular use of turmeric can be beneficial for the body in many ways.

Garlic consumption is also highly beneficial for health, especially when eaten raw on an empty stomach. It contains allicin and antioxidants, which help boost immunity, regulate blood pressure and cholesterol levels, and protect against infections such as colds and flu. Garlic also aids digestion, strengthens bones, and reduces the risk of heart disease.

Ginger is extremely beneficial for improving digestion and provides relief from nausea, colds, cough, and mucus. Its powerful anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties help reduce arthritis pain, boost immunity, support weight loss, and improve heart health.

Preparation Time: 15 minutes

Cooking Time: 5 minutes

Author: Hem Lata Srivastava

Ingredients

1. Fresh turmeric – ½ kg
2. Ginger – ½ kg
3. Garlic – ½ kg
4. Green chilies – 250 g
5. Salt – 2 tbsp
6. Kashmiri red chili powder – 2 tsp
7. Amchur powder – 2 tbsp
8. Fennel seeds – 2 tbsp
9. Fenugreek seeds (Methi Dana) – 1 tsp
10. Mustard oil – 1 cup

Recipe Procedure

1. Peel the ginger and turmeric, wash them thoroughly, then pat dry with a kitchen towel and grate them.
2. Peel the garlic and coarsely grind it along with the green chilies in a mixer.
3. Dry roast the fenugreek and fennel seeds, then grind them coarsely.
4. Mix all the ingredients together well, except the oil.
5. Heat the mustard oil until hot and pour it evenly over the pickle mixture.
6. Store the pickle in a clean, dry jar and keep it in sunlight for 2 days. The pickle will then be ready to eat 😊

Notes:-

1. You can use rai (mustard) powder instead of amchur powder.
2. Adjust salt and chili powder according to your taste.
3. For longer storage, keep the pickle refrigerated.

Kamrakh/ Star fruit Pickle

Kamrakh, known as star fruit in English (Averrhoa carambola), is a tropical, star-shaped fruit appreciated for its tangy-sweet taste and health benefits. It is commonly used in salads, pickles, jams, and sometimes as a substitute for tomatoes. The fruit is rich in vitamin C, antioxidants, fiber, and potassium.

The fruits are aromatic, fleshy, and very juicy. Based on taste, there are two varieties of kamrakh—sour and sweet. Both varieties are used for medicinal purposes. The juice of kamrakh leaves is believed to help lower blood pressure.

Kamrakh pickles do not require many ingredients, but they do not have a long shelf life. To store them for a longer period, they can be kept in the refrigerator or preservatives can be added. However, I feel homemade pickles taste best when made without preservatives.

I do not use mustard seeds or coriander seeds in my pickles; instead, I always use mustard powder.

A little sugar enhances the taste of any pickle.

Since kamrakh (star fruit) is already quite sour, this pickle does not need much souring agent.

Preparation Time:- 5 minutes 

Cooking Time:- 5 minutes 

Ingredients:-

• Kamrakh 1 kg
• Salt 2 tbsp 
• Red chilli powder 2 tsp
• Turmeric powder 2 Tbsp 
• Rai powder 1 tbsp 
• Fennel powder ( coarsely grind) 2 tbsp 
• Sugar 1 tsp
• Kalonji 1 tbsp 
• Oil 2 tbsp

Method:-

• First, wash the kamrakh thoroughly, then cut it into pieces.
• Now, place the pieces in the sun for one day.
• After that, mix all the ingredients well except the oil.
• Heat the oil and pour it over the pickle.
• Mix everything well and store it in a jar.
• Keep it in the sun for two to three days.
• Your pickle is ready to eat.

Notes:-

• If you wish, you can add coriander powder to it.
• Adding hot oil helps increase the pickle’s shelf life a little.

Alaori/ अलौरी

 

The sweet puri made from Alaori chana dal is called this.

In Uttar Pradesh, it is prepared during the Vat Savitri puja, but in our home, we often make it whenever we feel like eating something sweet.

At our place, savory puris or parathas made from chana dal are also prepared and eaten with potato curry..

Preparation Time:- 10 minutes 

Cooking Time:- 15 minutes 

Serves :- 12 piece

Author:- Hem Lata Srivastava 

Ingredients:-

• Chana dal  2/1/2 cup
• Powdered sugar 2 tbsp or as per taste 
• Ilaichi powder 1 tsp
• Chopped dry fruits 
• Refined flour 4 cup
• Desi ghee 2 tbsp
• Oil for frying 

• Soak the dal for 4–5 hours, then cook it by steaming or boiling in water.
• Coarsely grind it, add ghee in a kadhai, and roast it well.
• Add cardamom powder, powdered sugar, and chopped dry fruits, and mix well.
• Add ghee to the flour and prepare a soft dough.
• Divide the dough into equal portions.
• Fill each portion with the stuffing and seal it properly.
• Roll them into puris and deep-fry in ghee or oil on medium heat until golden brown.
• Serve hot or cold.

Notes:-

• You can also store them.
• You may garnish them with silver leaf (chandi ka vark) on top.

Dahi Fulki

 

Dahi Fulki is a dish from Uttar Pradesh, especially Lucknow, and is a part of Awadhi cuisine. It’s also found as street food in other states.

Light and easy to digest, Dahi Fulki is made especially during festivals like Holi and Ramadan.

In this dish, small and soft fritters made from gram flour (besan) or sometimes  Moong Dal are soaked in yogurt. Then a tempering of cumin, asafoetida (hing), and red chili is poured over it.

You can serve it at small gatherings or parties, and the best part is that it can be prepared in advance.

Unlike Dahi Vada, where the yogurt is thick and slightly sweet, the yogurt in Dahi Fulki is kept a bit thinner.

Preparation Time:- 10 minutes 

Cooking Time:- 15 minutes 

Serves:- 6

Author:- Hem Lata Srivastava 

Ingredient:-

• Gram Flour 1 cup
• Salt to taste 
• Chilli, ginger paste 1 tsp
• Oil for frying 

Other Ingredients:-

• Curd 3 cup
• Salt 
• Black salt 
• Roasted cumin powder 
• Red chilli powder 

For Tadka:-

• Ghee 1 tsp
• Cumin seeds 1 tsp
• Whole red chilli 
• Heeng 

For Garnish:- 

• Ginger julian 
• Chopped green chilli 
• Chopped coriander leaves 
• Cumin powder 
• Red chilli powder 

Recipe Procedure:-

• Start by making Besan ki Fulki (Gram Flour Dumplings).
• Whisk the gram flour with water, salt, green chili, and ginger paste to make a fluffy, pourable batter.
• Heat oil and drop small portions of the batter to make small pakoras (fritters). Fry them on medium heat until golden brown.
• Once all the pakoras are fried, set them aside.
• Now, beat the yogurt well and mix in 1 cup of water to make smooth buttermilk-like yogurt.
• Add salt, red chili powder, and cumin powder to it.
• When the pakoras have cooled slightly, soak them in the yogurt mixture.
• For the tempering, heat ghee and add asafoetida, cumin seeds, and a few broken red chilies. Pour this tempering over the yogurt-soaked fulki.
• Before serving, garnish with thinly sliced ginger, chopped coriander leaves, a sprinkle of cumin powder, and red chili powder. Serve and enjoy.

Note:

• You can also serve this dish by adding green chutney and sweet tamarind chutney.
• Instead of gram flour, you can make the fritters using moong dal (split yellow lentils) as well.

Mahua fruit sabji and kebabs

 

Some childhood memories never fade.

My father used to bring certain vegetables that took a lot of time to cook, but their taste always lingered in memory—like goolar, kantola fritters, gullu, kararua, dharti ke phool, etc.

But nowadays, it's very difficult to find these vegetables. Luckily, this time I managed to find mahua/gullu after 20 years.

Come, let me introduce it to you.

The mahua fruit, which we call gullu, is referred to as gulhainde in our village—as is their habit of distorting names!

The mahua tree is quite large, and its fruit is about the size of a small raw mango. The taste is mild, and it has a large seed. The green part that wraps around the seed is used for making vegetable dishes.

I still remember, whenever my father brought it, it used to be quite a task for me and my sister-in-law.

After cleaning the fruit, it is washed, boiled, and made into a dish called chaureethe, which tastes quite delicious—you could even call them fritters. This time, since there was a larger quantity, I made kebabs from it, which turned out to be really tasty and were loved by everyone. The first time I served this dish, my husband and everyone else liked it a lot. And why wouldn’t they? It had the hard work and love of my aunt and brother in it—along with my own efforts too 😍.

So, let me first share the recipe for the sabji (vegetable dish) and then the kebabs here. Why write two separate posts for the same vegetable.

Here is the ingredients for mahua fruit sabji 

• Mahua fruit 1 kg
• Soaked rice 1 cup
• Salt to taste 
• Red chilli powder 2 tsp 
• Turmeric powder 2 tbsp
• Coriander powder 1 tbsp
• Amchoor powder 1 tbsp
• Cumin powder 1 tsp
• Garama masala powder 1 tsp
• Onion 2 no.
• Garlic cloves 6 no.
• Ginger 1 piece 
• Oil for frying 

Recipe procedure:-

• First, wash the mahua fruit thoroughly, remove the seeds, and set the pulp aside.
• Then, wash it once more and boil it in water with salt and turmeric until it becomes soft.
• Now, grind the soaked rice along with onion, garlic, and ginger.
• To this paste, add turmeric, red chili powder, coriander powder, dry mango (amchoor) powder, cumin powder, and garam masala powder. Mix the boiled mahua into this mixture thoroughly.
• Heat oil in a pan (kadhai), and drop small portions of the mixture into the hot oil using a spoon.
• Fry on medium heat until they turn crispy and golden brown.
• Serve hot with dal and rice.

Now I am sharing the kebabs recipe:-

Ingredients:-

• Mahua fruit 1 kg 
• Boiled potato 1 large size 
• Gram flour 1tbsp 
• Bread crumbs 1 tbsp
• Salt as per taste 
• Red chilli powder 1 tsp
• Cumin powder 1/2 tsp
• Cinnamon powder 1/4 tsp
• Clove powder 1 tsp
• Chat masala powder 1 tbsp 
• Garam masala powder 1 tsp 
• Cumin seeds 1 tbsp 
• Chopped onion 2 tbsp 
• Chopped green chilli 2 tsp
• Chopped ginger 1 tbsp 
• Lemon juice 
• Coriander leaves 
• Ghee 1 tbsp 
• Oil for frying 

Recipe procedure:-

• First wash the mahua fruit, remove its seeds and finely chop it using a chopper.
• Heat ghee in a pan and add cumin seeds; let them crackle.
• Now sauté ginger, green chilies, and onions.
• Add the chopped mahua, mashed potatoes, and gram flour. Mix everything well.
• Now, except the oil, add all the spices and lemon juice. Mix the mixture thoroughly and turn off the heat.
• Shape the mixture into kebabs and cook them on a griddle with some oil until golden on both sides.
• Serve hot with chutney.

Notes:-

• Mahua fruit should be peeled immediately, otherwise they will ripen and spoil.
• You can use gram flour (besan) as well, but they won’t turn out as crispy.
• You can adjust the spices according to your taste.

Kathal/Jackfruit Kofta Curry

 

The scientific name for jackfruit is Artocarpus heterophyllus. Jackfruit is a tropical tree fruit grown in Asia, Africa, and South America. It belongs to the same plant family as figs and mulberries.

In addition to being a great meat alternative (more on that below!) and being rich in essential vitamins, jackfruit offers many health benefits. 

When unripe, jackfruit has a neutral flavor that pairs well with savory dishes. It can be used in vegetarian curries and other savory recipes.

Ripe jackfruit, on the other hand, has a sweet, tropical flavor that makes it ideal as a snack or in desserts. When ripe, it tastes similar to other tropical fruits like bananas, mangoes, or pineapples.

Jackfruit is also known for its high fiber content. It is rich in potassium, magnesium, and iron, which help support heart health and regulate blood pressure. The seeds are beneficial too—they can help relieve constipation.

Kathal ki sabji (jackfruit curry) is a great choice for people who don’t eat non-vegetarian food. It can even be served at parties as a special dish. Some people deep-fry the jackfruit before cooking, but I prefer making it without frying. Sometimes, I also prepare it with rice flour.

Preparation Time- 15 minutes 

Cooking Time - 30 minutes 

Serving - 4 

Author - Hem Lata Srivastava 

Course - Main course 

Ingredients:-

For the Koftas:

• Raw Jackfruit – ½ kg
• Roasted Chana Powder (or besan) – 2 tbsp
• Salt – 1 tsp
• Green Chilies – 2, finely chopped
• Red Chili Powder – 1 tsp
• Onion – 2 tbsp, finely chopped
• Lemon Juice – 1 tbsp
• Oil for frying 

For the Gravy:

• Onions – 3, roughly chopped
• Tomatoes – 4, roughly chopped
• Ginger – 1 tbsp, coarsely chopped
• Garlic – 4 cloves
• Cinnamon Stick – 1 piece
• Cloves – 4
• Black Cardamom – 2
• Cumin Seeds – 1 tsp
• Dry Red Chilies – 2
• Cashew Nuts – 8
• Salt – to taste

Additional Ingredients for Gravy:

• Ghee or Butter – 2 tbsp
• Cumin Seeds – 1 tsp
• Turmeric Powder – 1 tsp
• Kasoori Methi (dried fenugreek leaves) – 1 tbsp
• Honey – ¼ tsp
• Fresh Cream – 2 tbsp

For Garnishing:

• Fresh Coriander Leaves – chopped
• Cream
• Ginger – cut into thin juliennes

Recipe procedure:-

• First apply oil to your hands and peel the jackfruit, Then cut into small pieces.
• Now boil it in water with some salt.
• In a pan, add tomato, onion, ginger-garlic, cumin seeds, cinnamon stick, cashew nuts, 2 dry red chillies, and 1 green chilli. Boil until the tomatoes become soft.
• Mash the boiled jackfruit well using a masher (you can also use a masher tool).
• In a wok (kadhai), heat some ghee and add cumin seeds and bay leaf. Let them crackle.
• Now add finely chopped green chilli, ginger, and onion. Sauté until the onions turn golden.
• Then add the mashed jackfruit along with salt, red chilli powder, and gram flour (besan). Sauté everything on low heat until the mixture blends well. Then turn off the gas.
• Add lemon juice.
• Divide the mixture and shape it into koftas (balls), then fry them.
• From the boiled tomato mixture, remove the cinnamon stick and dry red chillies, and make a smooth puree.
• Add ghee to a pan and let cumin seeds crackle.
• Now add turmeric powder, followed immediately by the blended gravy. Keep the heat low.
• If needed, add some water.
• Once the gravy comes to a boil, add cream and honey. Taste for salt, and add more if required.
• Now crush the dried fenugreek leaves (kasoori methi) with your hands and mix them in.
• Turn off the heat.
• Add the koftas and stir gently. Let them boil for 2–4 minutes.
• Garnish the koftas with coriander leaves, ginger, and cream. Serve hot with chapati, paratha, or rice.

Chef tips-

• Always choose a small-sized jackfruit or one with small seeds.
• If the tomatoes are not too sour, you can skip the honey.
• Do not blend the jackfruit in a mixer; mash it using a masher.
• If the koftas are breaking apart, add some roasted chana powder.

Aloo Ka Halwa

 

The potato is a starchy, tuberous vegetable that is consumed as a staple food in many parts of the world. Potatoes are the underground tubers of the plant Solanum tuberosum, a perennial in the nightshade family, Solanaceae.

It has many beneficial properties. Potatoes contain antioxidants, as well as vitamins and minerals, including vitamin C, B 6, and potassium, which can help with heart and digestive health.

The iron, phosphorous, calcium, magnesium, and zinc in potatoes all help the body to build and maintain bone structure and strength.

The potato’s fiber, potassium, vitamin C, and vitamin B 6 content, coupled with its lack of cholesterol, all support heart health.

Potatoes contain significant amounts of fiber. Fiber helps lower the total amount of cholesterol in the blood, thereby decreasing the risk of heart disease.

Aloo Ka Halwa is delicious with only 3 ingredients required to prepare.

It is an easy and quick dessert that you can make for any occasion as well.

you can make it when you have sudden cravings for something sweet.

This also makes an ideal falahari,  fasting recipe during fasts.

Preparation Time:- 5 minute 

Cooking Time:- 20 minutes 

Serves:- 4 

Type:- Dessert 

Author:- Hem Lata Srivastava 

Utensils:-

Sauce pan 

Kadhai or Non Stick Pan 

Specula 

Ingredients:

1. Potatoes – 6 (medium-sized)
2. Fresh grated coconut – 2 tbsp + 1 tbsp (for garnish)
3. Desi ghee – 2 tbsp + 1 tbsp
4. Sugar – as per taste
5. Chopped nuts – as desired
6. Green cardamom powder – 1 tbsp

---

Method:

1. Peel the potatoes, cut them into cubes, and wash two three times, soak the potatoes in water for 10 minutes, then boil until tender.
2. Grate the boiled potatoes using a grater.
3. Heat 2 tbsp of ghee in a heavy-bottomed or non-stick pan. Add the grated potatoes and sauté until they turn light golden brown.
4. Add the chopped nuts, cardamom powder, 2 tbsp grated coconut, sugar (to taste), and the remaining 1 tbsp of ghee. Mix well and cook for another 5–8 minutes or until the ghee separates.
5. Turn off the heat. Garnish with the remaining 1 tbsp grated coconut and serve hot.

---

Note:-

If the starch from the potatoes isn't removed, the halwa will become sticky, so it's important to wash them thoroughly, soak them in water for a while, and only then boil them.