Exclusive Recipes of North India by Chef Ajay Chopra

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  1. Thenthuk (By Chef Ajay Chopra, Host of Northern Flavours 2 on Living Foodz)
Preparation Time: 10 minutes
Cooking Time: 35 minutes
Ingredients:
  • 1 nos Onion
  • ½ inch Ginger
  • 3-4 cloves Garlic
  • 1 nos Chicken Breast
  • 1 nos Radish
  • 2 nos Spring Onions
  • 2 tbsp Oil
  • 2-3 cups Water
  • 1 tsp Soya Sauce
  • ½ cup Spinach
  • 1 cup Flour
  • Water as needed
  • Salt a pinch
Method:
  • In a deep pot warm 2 tbsp oil, add finely chopped 3-4  garlic cloves, ½ inch ginger and 1 nos chopped onion.
  • Add 1 nos diced chicken breast, 1 nos thinly sliced radish, 2 nos sliced spring onions and  sauté.
  • Add 2-3 cups of water, 1 tsp of soya sauce, ½ cup shredded spinach and stir thenthuk.
  • For pulled noodles make soft dough of 1 cup refined flour, pinch of salt and water as needed.
  • Roll the dough into ½ inch diameter cylinder.
  • Pull the dough between thumb and index finger into small flat sheet and drop into the soup or flatten them with the knife and add to soup.
  • Cook the soup till noodles are done
For Serving:
Serve thenthuk hot and enjoy!
  1. Chamba Fried Fish & Chuk (By Chef Ajay Chopra, Host of Northern Flavours 2 on Living Foodz)
Method:
For Chamba Fried Fish:
  • Mix lemon juice, red chilli powder, turmeric powder, salt and water and make a paste.
  • Apply the paste on piece of fish inside outside & marinate for an hour.
  • Make paste of ginger, garlic, coriander leaves & green chillies.
  • Apply the paste generously on fish.
  • Slightly coat fish in besan.
  • Deep fry fish till crisp & golden brown.
For Chuk:
  • Mix deseeded & boiled kashmiri red chillies, onion, garlic, green chillies and ginger and make a paste.
  • Dry roast fennel, fenugreek seeds, mustard seeds, carom seeds, cumin seeds & make powder.
  • Add powdered masala in mustard oil and saute.
  • Add red chillies paste and sauté.
  • Add raisins, tamarind pulp and mix well.
  • Add dry mango powder, honey and salt as per taste.
  • Add pinch of asafoetida and cook for some time.
For Serving:
Serve fried fish with chukh and garnish with fresh mint springs, slit green chillies and sliced onion rings.
  1. Channa Madra (By Chef Ajay Chopra, Host of Northern Flavours 2 on Living Foodz)
Preparation Time: 5 minutes (Excluding time for overnight soaking of chickpeas)
Cooking Time: 25 minutes
Ingredients:
  • 2 cups Chickpeas (Soaked Overnight and Boiled)
  • 2-3 Cloves
  • 1 tsp Cumin Seeds
  • 1 stick Cinnamon
  • 2 nos Black Cardamom
  • A Pinch of Asafoetida
  • ½  tsp Turmeric Powder
  • 1 tsp Red Chilli Powder
  • tsp Coriander Powder
  • 1 cup Curd
  • 1 tbsp Ghee
  • Water as Needed
  • Salt as per Taste
For Rice Mixture:
  • 2 tbsp Rice
  • ½ cup Water
  • 1-2 nos Green Cardamom
Accompaniment:
Steamed Rice
Garnish:
Clarified Butter
Method:
  • In a pan heat 1 tbsp ghee and  add 2-3 cloves, 1 tsp cumin seeds, 1 stick cinnamon, 2 black cardamom and  pinch of asafoetida, let all the spices splutter.
  • Add ½  tsp turmeric powder, 1 tsp red chilli powder 2 cups boiled chickpeas, 2 tsp coriander powder and saute.
  • Add 1 cup beaten yogurt and stir quickly so curd dosent curdle.
  • Add 2 tsp rice and green cardamom paste and mix well.
  • Add little water and salt as per taste.
  • Drizzle ghee on Channa madra and serve it with steamed rice.
  1. Arbi Ki Kadhi (By Chef Ajay Chopra, Host of Northern Flavours 2 on Living Foodz)
Preparation Time: 20 minutes
Cooking Time: 30 minutes
Ingredients:
  • ½ kg Colocasia Roots
  • 2 Green Onions stalk
  • 3-4 nos Fresh Red Chillies
  • 2 tsp Garlic
  • 2 tbsp Rice Flour
  • 400 ml Sour Buttermilk
  • ½ tsp Turmeric Powder
  • ½ tsp Red Chilli Powder
  • 1 tsp Coriander Powder 
  • 4 tbsp Mustard Oil (for frying colocasia)
  • 2 tbsp Mustard Oil (for making kadi)
  • Salt as per taste
Accompaniment:
Steamed Rice
Garnish:
Fresh Red Chillies
Method:
  • Roughly chop the 2 nos green onions stalk.
  • Make paste of green onion stalk, 3-4 nos fresh red chillies, 2 tsp finely chopped garlic.
  • In a bowl, put ½ kg boiled and peeled colocasia root and add salt as per taste and 2 tbsp rice flour and toss to coat rice flour on each colocasia root.
  • In a frying pan, heat 2 tbsp mustard oil and sauté the colocasia root in oil till it is crisp from outside.
  • In a separate frying pan, heat 2 tbsp mustard oil and fry green onion paste in oil.
  • In a bowl, whisk together 2 tbsp rice flour and 400 ml sour buttermilk. 
  • Add the buttermilk mixture to grren onion paste and mix well.
  • Add salt, ½ tsp turmeric powder, ½ tsp red chilli powder, 1 tsp coriander powder, salt as per taste and mix together.
  • Add the colocasia root to buttermilk mixture and mix well.
For Serving:
Put the hot arbi kadhi in a serving bowl, garnish with slit fresh chillies and serve with steamed rice. 
  1. Sheer Chai with Chochwur (By Chef Ajay Chopra, Host of Northern Flavours 2 on Living Foodz)
Preparation Time: 10 minutes
Cooking Time: 25 minutes
Ingredients:
For Sheer Chai:
  • 3 cups Water
  • 1 tsp Sheer Chai Leaves
  • 1/8 tsp Baking Soda
  • 5-6 nos Almonds (Crushed)
  • ½ tsp Cardamom Powder
  • 1 cup Milk
  • Salt to taste (About ½ tsp)
  • 1 tbsp Malai
For Chochwor:
  • 300 gms Whole Wheat Flour
  • ¼ tsp Baking Soda
  • ½ tsp Baking Powder
  • Pinch of salt
  • 2 tbsp Milk Powder (for adding in the dough)**
  • Water as required
  • White Sesame seeds as required 
  • 3 tbsp Milk
  • 1tbsp Milk Powder ( for basting)**
Method:
For Sheer Chai:
  • Warm 1 cup of water and add 1 tsp sheer chai leaves and 1/8 tsp baking soda.
  • Concentrate the tea by boiling till the colour of tea start getting red.
  • Add ½ cup of water and keep boiling till tea concentrates further and achives deep reddish colour.
  • Add another cup of water and boil for 3 minutes.
  • Add 5-6 nos crushed almonds, ½ tsp green cardamom powder and boil
  • Add 1 cup milk to get bright pink colour, add a pinch of salt and bring to boil.
  • Pour the tea in a cup and garnish with 1 tbsp malai, pinch of green cardamom powder and finely chopped almonds.
For Chochwor:
  • In a bowl, add 300 gms whole wheat flour, ¼ tsp baking soda, ½ tsp baking powder and 2 tbsp milk powder,pinch of salt and make a soft dough using water .
  • Cut dough into 7-8 equal shape pieces.
  • Shape each piece into a round ball and press in the center to create an indent.
  • In bowl add 2 tbsp milk powder, 3 tbsp milk, mix  and apply generously on the flattened dough balls.
  • Sprinkle white sesame seeds on each of dough balls.
  • Place the dough balls on baking tray and bake in a preheated oven at 180 degrees centigrade for 12 minutes till golden brown at the top.
  • Serve hot sheer chai with chochwor.
  1. Auria & Kohlrabi Pickle (By Chef Ajay Chopra, Host of Northern Flavours 2 on Living Foodz)
Preparation Time: 15 minutes
Cooking Time: 35 minutes
Ingredients:
For Auria:
  • 2 tsp Black Mustard Seeds
  • 4   tbsp Curd
  • 2 nos Boiled Potatoes
  • ½ tsp Turmeric Powder
  • 1/2 tsp Red Chilli Powder
  • 1 tsp Fennel Seeds
  • Salt as per taste
  • 2 tsp Mustard Oil
For Kohlrabi Pickle:
  • 3-4 nos Kohlrabi
  • 1 cup Mustard Oil
  • 2 tsp Carom Seeds
  • 1 tsp Fenugreek Seeds
  • 1 tsp Asafoetida
  • 2 tsp Black Mustard Seeds
  • 2 tsp Red Chilli Powder
  • 1 tsp Turmeric Powder
  • Salt as per taste
Garnish:
Green Chillies
Method:
For Auria:
  • In a bowl mix 2 tsp black mustard powder with 4  tbsp of dahi  and leave it aside for fermentation for 10 hours.
  • In another bowl add 2 nos medium boiled potatoe dices with salt as per taste, ½ tsp turmeric and ½  tsp red chilli powder.
  • In a pan warm 2 tsp mustard oil, add 1 tsp fennel seeds and let it splutter, add spiced potatoes and sauté.
  • Pour the fermented Mustard and curd paste on potatoes and saute till curd is cooked .
  • Serve auria   in a bowl and garnish with slit green chilly.
For Kohlrabi Pickle:
  • Wash and clean  kohlrabi bulb and leaves. Peel and cut the bulbs of kohlrabi (kadam) into dices of your choice and sun dry them for a day.
  • Dry kohlrabi leaves on a cloth for a day or two till it becomes stern.
  • Rub the leaves with hands and make a fine paste.
  • In a frying pan, warm 1 cup mustard oil, add 2 tsp carom seeds, 1 tsp fenugreek seeds, 1 tsp asafoetida, 2 tsp powdered black mustard seeds, salt as per taste, 2 tsp red chilli powder, 1 tsp turmeric powder to the pan and saute.
  • Add the kohlrabi leaves paste to pan and mix well.
  • Pour cooked leaves paste over diced kohlrabi bulb and coat them gently.
  • Take out the pickle in a clean glass jar, close the jar tightly and keep in sun for few days before use. 
For Serving:
Kohlrabi pickle is ready.
  1. Chok Wangun (By Chef Ajay Chopra, Host of Northern Flavours 2 on Living Foodz)
Preparation Time: 10 minutes
Cooking Time: 25 minutes
Ingredients:
  • 2 nos Long Black Brinjals
  • 2 tbsp Mustard oil
  • 3-4 nos Cloves
  • 1 tsp Red Chili Powder
  • 1/4 tsp asafoetida (mixed in 2 tsp water)
  • 1 tsp Fennel Powder
  • 1 tsp Kashmiri Ver Masala
  • 1 cup Tamarind Liquid
  • 1 tsp Dry Ginger Powder
  • 2 nos Green Chillies
  • Water- as needed
  • Salt- to taste
  • Oil- as needed
For Garnish:
Fresh Coriander Leaves, Green Chillies
Method:
  • Clean and cut the brinjal lengthwise in four long pieces and cut in half.
  • In a deep frying pan, heat oil and fry the brinjal pieces till golden brown in colour.  Remove brinjals from oil and sprinkle salt.
  • In another frying pan, heat 1 tbsp mustard oil, add 3-4 nos cloves, 1 tsp red chilli powder, salt to taste and 1/4 tsp asafoetida mixed in 2 tsp water.
  • Add little water,  1 tsp Kashmiri ver masala and mix till masala dissolves in the water.
  • Add fried brinjal pieces to the gravy and stir.
  • Add 1 cup tamarind liquid, 1 tsp dry ginger powder to the pan and mix well.
  • Add 2 nos green chillies broken in two pieces and let the brinjal cook in the gravy.
  • Garnish  chok wangun with fresh coriander leaves, slit green chilli and serve hot. 
  • Awaiting your response.

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