Fennel (Soonf) has a sweet liquorice flavor and an appealing aroma. The flavor is greatly enhanced when the seeds are dry roasted, and can be used after meals as a mouth freshner and digestive.    

Chicken Curry
Ingredients

    * 1 Chicken (skinned and jointed)
    * 3 Tomatoes (large, skinned, deseeded and chopped)
    * 2 no: Onions (ground)
    * ½ tsp: Kashmiri mirch
    * 1 ½ tsp: Roasted, ground fennel seeds
    * 1 tsp: Ginger powder
    * 2 no: Cloves
    * 2 no: Cardamoms (large)
    * 2 tsp: Oil/ butter
    * 350 ml: Water/ stock


Method

Fry the chicken in hot oil for 5 minutes to seal. Remove from pan. In the same oil, sauté onions until golden brown in color. Add chilli powder, fennel seeds and ginger powder. Stir well and season with salt.Add tomatoes to the pan. Stir in cloves and cardamoms. Cook for 5 minutes before adding water/ stock. Bring to a boil. Return chicken to the pan and simmer over a gentle flame until tender.Strain the juices and serve with the chicken.


 Shimla Mirch aur Nimbu ka Achaar

1 kg large green peppers-washed and wiped dry
8-10 lemons-cut into small pieces
4 cups lemon juice
1 1/2 cups salt
3/4 cup fennel seeds-powdered coarsely
3/4 cup mustard seeds-powdered
1/2 cup turmeric
2 tbsp onion seeds


Roast and powder together
1/2 cup fenugreek seeds
1 tbsp asafoetida
1 cup vegetable oil


Method: Slit the capsicums lengthwise on one side, snipping a little on the base of the stem.Mix together 3/4 cup salt, the powdered fennel and mustard seeds, turmeric, onion seeds, fenugreek seeds and asafoetida. Mix in 1/4 cup each of lemon juice and oil.Fill the capsicums with spice mixture by pressing in firmly. Mix the lemon pieces into the rest of the salt. Fill a sterilised airtight jar with alternate layers of capsicums and lemons, pressing tightly to pack.
Pour remaining lemon juice over capsicums and lemons and leave thus for 3-4 days.

After 3-4 days, heat the rest of the oil, cool to room temperature and pour into a jar. This pickle can be served right away if you like the capsicum crunchy. If preferred soft, wait 10-15 days before serving. Keep the capsicums covered with oil, to prevent them from spoiling.


Thandai

Ingredients: 1/4 cup poppy seeds
1/2 cup melon seeds-dried and peeled
1/4 cup blanched almonds
2 tbsp fennel seeds
2 tbsp dried red rose petals
1 1/2 tsp peppercorns
1 cup water
1/2 cup milk
1/2 cup sugar
a few rose petals to garnish

Method: Soak the poppy seeds, melon seeds, fennel seeds, rose petals and peppercorns in the water for 2-3 hours.Finely blend the almonds, milk and sugar together in a blender.Blend or grind the soaked ingredients very fine and strain through a cloth, adding water if necessary.Mix the milk and strained mixture together and pour over crushed ice. Serve garnished with the rose petals.


Paneer Achari

Ingredients: 1/2 kg cubed paneer
100 ml oil
4 tsp fennel seeds
2 tsp black mustard seeds
1 tsp fenugreek seeds
1/2 tsp nigella seeds
2 tsp cumin seeds
4 ground onions
8 chopped green chillies
2 tsp turmeric
3 tsp ginger paste
200 ml whipped curd
3 tsp dry mango powder
2 tsp kashmiri mirch
2 tsp sugar


Method: Heat the oil and fry the fennel, fenugreek, nigella and cumin seeds. After 15-20 seconds, add onions and green chillies. Stir and fry until golden.
Add turmeric powder, garlic and ginger pastes. Fry for a minute. Pour in the yoghurt, dry mango powder, chilli powder, sugar and salt. Cook until oil separates.Add paneer with about 150 ml water. Allow it to heat through. Season and serve.


Sharbet Saunf
Ingredients:

100 gm fennel seeds(saunf)
1500 ml water
juice of 3 large lemons
150 gms sugar
1/4 tsp white pepper powder
10-15 mint leaves to garnish
salt to taste

Method: Soak the fennel seeds in water overnight.
Next day strain the water and squeeze out remaining juice from soaked fennel seeds.Add the remaining ingredients to the water and stir till sugar dissolves. Keep it in the refridgerater.Garnish with mint leaves and serve chilled in small quantities.Do not add ice as this will dilute the drink.


Bread Upma

Ingredients:

5-6 slices of bread cut into 1/2 inch squares
3 medium onions-cut into small pieces
5 tomatoes-cut into small pieces
5-6 curry leaves
1 tsp each cumin
1 tsp fennel seeds
1 tsp coriander powder
1 tsp cumin powder
1 tsp pav-bhaji masala
1 tbsp chilli powder
a pinch of turmeric
salt to taste
2 tbsp corn oil
2 tbsp fresh coriander

Method: Heat oil in a heavy bottomed pan. Add cumin seeds, fennel, turmeric, onions and fry for 1-2 minutes.Now add the tomatoes and fry for a minute and then add the cumin, coriander, pav bhaji masala. Stir for a while and keep on low fire until this sauce cooks; say 3-4 minutes.Add the bread pieces and mix very well such that the cooked sauce covers the bread pieces. Add salt and keep on a low fire for a minute or two uncovered.
Garnish with 2 tablespoons of fresh coriander and serve hot.


http://www.chow.com/ingredients/285

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