From My Kitchen to Yours...

Spinach Salad with Mandarin Oranges

2012-01-26T10:56:00.002-05:00

Spinach mandarine salad

This simple salad is full of flavors from fresh spinach, soaked almonds, crunchy cucumber, diced tomatoes combined with the sweetness of juicy mandarins. I used the canned mandarines from costco that come with juice and are very sweet, you can use fresh mandarins if you want and add a little honey in the dressing.

Dressing is a mixture of lemon juice, honey, salt and pepper.

This salad is surely going to leave you feeling healthier and happier :)
enjoy

Ingredients

For the salad

Fresh spinach leaves- about 5 ounces
Mandarins- 1/2th cup
Cucumber - 1/3th cup diced
Tomatoes diced- 1/4th cup
Almonds soaked peeled and sliced- 10- 12

For the dressing

Fresh lemon juice- 1 1/2 tablespoon
Honey- 1 teaspoon (optional)
Salt - to taste
Pepper- to taste

Method-

Wash and dry spinach leaves
Toss all the ingredients for the salad in a bowl.
In a separate small bowl mix lemon juice, honey(if using) salt and pepper
Before serving drizzle the dressing over the salad and toss lightly

enjoy

Easy homemade Baklava recipe

2011-08-31T11:51:00.007-04:00

I know I have not been doing justice to my blog but I got really busy and was not making many new dishes lately. Well, here i am again and the credit goes to our potluck lunch that we(a group of friends) have once in a while. So I had to make dessert this time and I made Baklava which apparently turned out great. Since everyone liked it and it was damn easy to make, thought my blog deserves a post on this too!

Inspired by Sandra lee's Baklava Roll-ups, I made these rolls with some variations of my own. Hope you will like it too.

Ingredients

Phyllo sheets - 14 (thawed as per the directions on the packet)
Melted unsalted Butter - 1 cup (or you can use butter spray)
Pistachio - to garnish.

For the filling

Walnuts- finely chopped - 1/2 cup
Almonds- 1/2 cup finely chopped
Sesame seeds- 1/3 cup (roasted and chopped) - optional
Sugar- 1 tablespoon
Cardamom powder- 1/2 teaspoon

(You can use food processor to chop the nuts and sesame seeds)

For the Syrup

Water- 1 cup
Sugar - 1 Cup
Honey- 1 tablespoon
Vanilla extract- 1 teaspoon

Method

For the Syrup

Boil water and sugar in a pan for about 10 minutes
Add honey and boil for 5 more minutes
Add vanilla extract and let it cool.

For the Baklava

Mix all the ingredients for the filling and keep aside
Take two phyllo sheets at a time and lay on a flat surface one on top of the other, make sure to cover the rest of the sheets with damp cloth to prevent drying as they dry out very fast.
Brush or spray the butter on the entire surface of the top sheet
Spread the filling all over the surface and start rolling from one side.
Make sure to keep brushing the butter as much as you can while rolling
Grease the baking pan lightly with butter and put the rolls in the pan
14 sheets will make around 7 such roll
Bake these for 45 minutes at 350 degrees. Don't forget to preheat the oven!
Keep checking after abt 30 minutes to make sure they are brown and don't burn
Take them out and cut into pieces (you may also consider cutting before baking, i did after baking but I will try cutting it before baking next time)
Spread the syrup all over the hot baklava specially into the cuts so that it is absorbed nicely.
Garnish with chopped pistachio.

TIPS

Serve at room temperature and keep uncovered, they get soggy if kept covered.
Make sure to make sugar syrup before they are baked because you need to put warm or room temperature syrup over hot Baklava.
You can use any nuts of your choice for the filling.

Enjoy!

Roasted Vegetable Crispy Tacos With Quick Salsa

2011-02-02T13:36:00.001-05:00

Its amazing how leftovers can be used to prepare totally different, wholesome meals without much effort. I use leftover vegetable(sabzi) to make stuffed paranthas, pulaos, soups, tikkis etc all the time and I am sure many of you do that. I did the same with my leftover roasted veggies that I made on saturday and came up with these satisfying tasty tacos the next day. Obviously if you don't have leftovers, you can roast them fresh just for these tacos because they are worth it!

Ingredients -

Store bought Tacos------------------ I used Old El Paso
Roasted vegetables-------------------One cup (Click here for the recipe)
Shredded cheddar cheese------------2 tablespoon(I used low fat cheese)

For the quick salsa:-

Tomato-----------------------------1 small chopped
Onion------------------------------1 small chopped
Fresh Lemon juice------------------ 2 -3 tablespoons
Green chili--------------------------1 chopped finely
salt to taste

Method:-

For the quick salsa-

Just add all the ingredients of the salsa and mix well

For the tacos-

Heat the tacos as per the directions on the packet(I heated them in the microwave for 40 minutes)
Let them cool so that they get crispy
Fill the tacos with the roasted vegetable filling
Sprinkle some cheese on top of each taco
Serve with quick salsa, sour cream and Jalapenos!

Oven Roasted Vegetables

2011-01-29T22:08:00.002-05:00

Don't like vegetables? try them roasted. While steamed vegetables are considered the healthiest, roasted vegetables are not less healthy. Adding a little olive oil and some seasoning makes them so much tastier to eat.I love the aroma of roasted veggies and they look good too!. Roasting vegetables preserves the natural nutrients of the veggies and brings out the natural sweetness.

Since lighter density vegetables like onion, capsicum etc cook faster than higher density vegetables, its a good idea to par boil the higher density vegetables like potatoes carrots, beets etc. or else you can roast them separately till they are half done before adding to other veggies.

I used what I had in hand but you can use any vegetables of your choice.

Ingredients

Note:- make sure to cut all the veggies in similar sizes

Onion-----------------------1 medium (cut into chunks)
Bell Pepper ----------------1 small (deseeded and cut into chunks)
Mushrooms-----------------Approx 6 ounces(cut into quarters)
Eggplant--------------------1/4 cup(cut into cubes)
Carrots----------------------3 small(cut into chunks)
Tomatoes------------------ 1 small (cut)(or you can use cherry tomatoes if you have)
Dried basil------------------1 teaspoon
Dried rosemary------------1/2 teaspoon
Olive oil---------------------1 tablespoon
Fresh lemon juice---------1 teaspoon (or to taste)
Salt--------------------------to taste
Black pepper--------------1 teaspoon
(Freshly ground)

Method

Parboil the carrots and keep aside
Preheat the oven to 450 degrees
Add all the seasoning, olive oil and lemon juice to all the veggies(including carrots) and toss very well to coat them evenly
Foil an oven proof tray and spread the veggies in a single layer.
Bake for approx 35 to 40 minutes in till they are soft and slightly browned in areas
Check once in between and turn to ensure even cooking
Check the seasoning and serve

Mixed Vegetable-Chickpea Tikkis

2011-01-06T13:52:00.000-05:00

I had some boiled chickpeas left in my fridge so I entered into the kitchen planning to make falafel but apparently the chickpeas were not enough for falafel and I ended up making these delicious vegetable chickpea tikkis. I boiled whatever veggies I had in the fridge including cauliflower, carrots, peas, potatoes etc and mashed them together with the chickpeas, added breadcrumbs and masala and shallow fried them. We loved these tikkis and trust me you will too. do try.

Ingredients-
Makes about 10- 12 tikkis

Potatoes-2 medium cut anyways
Peas(I used frozen)- 1 tablespoons
Frozen corn kernels - 1 1/2 tablespoons
Carrots- 2 small cut anyways
Cauliflower - two big florets
Chickpeas - boiled- 2 1/2 tablespoon
Ginger garlic paste- 1 teaspoon
Red chili powder- 1 teaspoon or to taste
Garam Masala powder- 1/2 teaspoon
Bread- 1 big slice to make bread crumbs
Oil- to shallow fry
Salt - to taste

Method-

Boil all the veggies together in a pan till soft.
Drain and let cool.
In the meantime add bread pieces in the blender to make bread crumbs and keep aside
Blend all the boiled veggies along with boiled chickpeas in the blender.
Add ginger garlic paste, dry masala powders, bread crumbs and salt
Mix well (you might find the mixture sticky but it will be perfect when you cook it)
Now heat a griddle and spread some oil on it
Make golf sized balls from the mixture and shallow fry from both sides.
Flatten them a little bit in the process.
Squeeze some lemon juice and Serve hot with coriander chutney and ketchup

Happy new year and an Award!

2011-01-06T13:16:00.000-05:00

A very happy new year to all of you! Hope you all had a great start to the new year. I had a great one too. For me it was more of eating out or take out and less of home cooking but back in the kitchen now.

Wish you all health, wealth, happiness and lots of tasty food this year and always :)

Now to the award...This ones comes from a fairly new blogger friend of mine Sayali. She has a lovely blog with a great collection of recipes. do visit and explore her blog Treat Your Tongue .

Thanks Sayali for finding my blog lovely and passing this award to me :)

Healthy Vegetable Quesadillas From Scratch

2010-12-07T23:23:00.002-05:00

I know I haven't been posting for so long, just been busy in traveling and then celebrating all the festivals including Diwali and Thanksgiving :). But I am back now and have quite a few recipes in my hard disc ready to be posted here.
As I mentioned in the last post, this recipe is for healthy vegetable quesadillas. Quesadillas are delicious and easy to make especially if you have tortillas on hand, you can pretty much fill anything from leftover vegetables to cooked ground meat in them.
I made the tortillas at home and I can say that you won't miss store bought tortillas a bit if you try these.
enjoy!

Ingredients- for the tortillas

Whole wheat flour- 1 cup ( you can use all purpose flour if you like)
All purpose flour- 1/2 cup
Oil- 2 tablespoon
Salt - a pinch
Warm water- as required to knead the dough

Ingredients - for the filling

Mushrooms - 1 packet chopped
Onions- 1 small chopped
Capsicum- 1 chopped
Garlic- 2 pods grated
Salt- to taste
Pepper- to taste
Shredded cheese- few ounces. (you can use any cheese, I used monterey jack cheese)

Method- for the tortillas

Mix all the ingredients for the tortillas except water.
Knead the flour into a dough with the help of warm water and keep aside for few minutes.
Take golf sized balls and make flat rounds with the help of rolling pin and dry flour. (should look like a tortilla).
Now heat a griddle and cook these rolled tortillas from both sides till you see brown spots on both sides.
Tortillas are ready!
Can be stored in the fridge for 6-7 days or you can freeze them too.

Method- for the filling

Heat oil in a pan/wok
Add garlic and cook for few seconds
Add onions and cook till light brown
Now add capsicum and cook on high heat for 2 to 3 minutes.
Add mushrooms and again cook on high heat.
Add pepper and cook till mushrooms are brown.
Don't cook for too long else mushrooms will start leaving water.
Add salt at the end, mix well and keep aside to cool

Method- For the quesadillas

1. Take a tortilla and spread some filling on half of the tortilla.
2. Sprinkle lots of cheese on top of it.
3. Fold the tortilla.
4. Heat a griddle.
5. Brush both sides of the filled tortillas with some oil.
6 Cook from both sides on medium heat till they are crispy.
7. Cut them into wedges with pizza cutter or knife.

Serve with Guacamole(recipe here), salsa (recipe here) and sour cream.

Easy Peasy Guacamole Recipe

2010-09-10T10:36:00.000-04:00

I love Mexican food and i find it much healthier when i make it at home. I make quesadillas, tacos and burritos quite often but of course with lots of variations and try to use healthier alternatives as much as possible without compromising the taste. Fortunately or unfortunately there is no low fat alternative to avocado and i can't think of Mexican food without guacamole!.
yes, avocado has lots of fat!, but its a good kind of fat that tends to lowers cholesterol and despite that avocado is extremely nutritious with lots of fiber, vitamins and minerals in it., so i think its okay to treat yourself once in a while. :)
and...so i did, I made vegetable quesadillas with guacamole and salsa...yum!
will post the quesadillas recipe in the next post...till then enjoy the tasty guacamole recipe-

Ingredients

Ripe Avocados- 2 (peeled, halved and seeded)
Onion- 1 tablespoon
Fresh Lemon juice- 2 tablespoons
Cumin powder - a pinch
Fresh cilantro- 1 tablespoon
Salt- to taste
Pepper- to taste

Method-

Mash Avocados with a fork or with a potato masher.
Add all the remaining ingredients and mix well.
Taste for the salt and adjust if required.
Cover with a plastic wrap and let it sit for few minutes.
Serve!

Fresh and Healthy Salsa Recipe

2010-08-07T17:51:00.004-04:00

Salsa is a great option when you are looking for a healthy, low calorie food to satisfy your cravings. I eat it every once in a while with baked chips, baked potato, in a taco with grilled chicken or simply in a wrap with lettuce and avocado. Its uses are endless and benefits are many.

Given the fact that I use it so often, I started making my own at home which is not only easy but healthier too. It gives you the ability to put your choice of fresh ingredients and adjust the chunkiness, mildness or hotness to suit your taste.

Believe me, this is so good... I have stopped buying salsa from grocery store!

Go ahead and enjoy the freshness without worrying about the preservatives :)

Ingredients-

Tomato - 4 chopped

Onion - 1/2 chopped

Fresh cilantro - 1 cup chopped

Fresh lime juice - 2 tablespoons (adjust to your own taste)

Jalapeno pepper- 1 teaspoon (or more/less)

Fresh Oregano leaves - 1/2 teaspoon minced

Salt to taste.

Method-

Put all the ingredients in food processor and run until well chopped.

(If you want a chunkier salsa, just mix all the ingredients well.)

Taste and and let it sit for 20 minutes before serving.

Easy, Four Step Chicken Curry With Fried Onions.

2010-07-22T18:36:00.003-04:00

This recipe is great for the days when you don't want to spend much time standing in the kitchen. It can be made in 2- 3 short trips to the kitchen so you can enjoy blogging/browsing etc on the side :). It becomes really easy to mix everything together, keep it for a while and let it cook on its own and the result?... out of this world!. Believe me, you would want to make it again and again! A little twist from the tradition style of cooking but worth a try!

Ingredients

For marinate

Marinated chicken

Chicken - 10-12 pieces
Yogurt- 1 cup
Store bought fried onions(or homemade) - 4-5 tablespoons
Ginger garlic paste- 1 tablespoon each
Coriander powder- 1 1/2 tablespoon
Red chili powder - 1 teaspoon or to taste
Turmeric powder- 1/2 teaspoon
Big cardamom- 1
Garam masala powder- 1 teaspoon
Salt - to taste

For the curry

2 big tomatoes - blanched and chopped

few more minutes

Method

Step 1.
Mix all the ingredients of the marinate, add the chicken and marinate for atleast 2 hours(longer the better) in the fridge.

Step 2.
Heat oil in a pan and saute the chicken pieces for few minutes(don't discard rest of the marinade)

Step 3.
Add the rest of the marinade, cover and cook till chicken is half done. Keep stirring in between.

Step 4.
Add the tomatoes, cover and cook till done and oil starts separating. You can add water later to get the desired consistency.

Check the salt and serve hot with roti or rice.

Boiled Peanut Salad

2010-07-14T22:10:00.007-04:00

BOILED PEANUT SALAD

Being from north India, I had never had boiled peanuts until I went to Chennai. Had them for the first time at a Chennai beach from a thelewala and they instantly became my new favorite! they were in shells which were even tastier. Since then I boil these raw peanuts (without shells) you get in Indian grocery store every now and then and make a salad. I have also heard that boiled peanuts are the healthiest way to eat peanuts. Mmm ...tasty, healthy and so addictive!

I recently came to know that boiled peanuts (the original green ones boiled in shells) are a very popular snack in Southern US too...and they are even sold on stands by the roadside..how exciting is that?! Will try to find some when I visit next!

Though peanuts have nuts in their name, they are in fact legumes and hence this goes as an entry to the popular My Legume Love Affair, a brainchild of Susan of 'The Well Seasoned Cook' hosted this month by Siri of Siri's corner.

Here goes the recipe for boiled peanut salad...

Ingredients

Raw Peanuts - I cup
Onion - 2 tablespoons (chopped finely)
Tomato- 2 tablespoons (chopped finely)
Green chili - 1 or 2 (chopped finely)
Fresh lemon juice- 1 teaspoon or to taste
Salt- to taste

Method

Soak the peanuts for at least 2- 3 hours
Boil the soaked peanuts till done- (I pressure cook till 3 whistles)
Drain and let them cool
Now add onion, tomato, green chili,lemon and salt
Enjoy!

Sending this recipe to Eat Well Live Well event by Ayeesh.

Quick Broccoli and Carrot Stir Fry

2010-06-27T10:44:00.014-04:00

Broccoli and Carrot Stir Fry

Wanting to make something quick for lunch, here I was standing in front of my fridge, scratching my head over what to make for lunch, just then... my little son came running (which he always does whenever I open the fridge to close it!) and picked up the broccoli saying- I want thees(this)!

Yes, broccoli is one veggie he loves in more or less any dish. I wanted to make something we could eat as a main course and what else could be easier than a stir fry which by definition itself is a method of quick cooking food. I made broccoli and carrot stir fry in a simple and light garlic sauce. It was healthy, simple and yet so satisfying- he loved it and ate it happily!

Ingredients-

Broccoli-1 bunch(cut into florets)
Carrots- 2 small cut into rounds
Onion -half medium(sliced thickly)
Garlic- 1 tbsp grated
Soy sauce- 1/2 teaspoon
Chili sauce-1 teaspoon- (I used Ching's secret red chili sauce)
Dried crushed basil- 1/2 teaspoon
Red wine vinegar(optional)- 1/2 teaspoon
freshly crushed pepper- to taste
Water- 2 tablespoon
Salt- to taste

Method-

Boil carrots and broccoli just till al dente, drain and keep aside
Mix soy sauce, chili sauce, vinegar and water, mix well and keep aside.
Now heat oil in pan(preferably a non stick or cast iron pan)
When oil is hot, add garlic, stir for a few second.
Add onions, cook for a min on high heat , then add all the veggies and stir on high heat for few more minutes.
Add the sauce mixture, salt, pepper and basil.
Cook on medium high heat till done.
Serve hot with rice or noodles!

Sending this recipe to Healing food events - Broccoli. ! Started by Siri from Siri's corner
and also to eat well live well event

Aloo Matar(Potato Peas) Parantha

2010-06-23T15:55:00.002-04:00

With a toddler at home, I often end up having long discussions about his eating habits with so many
mothers I know and in one such chat with my own mother :), she told me how picky I was when it came to eating. I simply used to like toor dal, yogurt, bhindi, cucumber and thats it! No other dal and not many veggies. Oh but aloo parantha was my favourite always, I could eat not one, not two but four paranthas at a time when I was in school and I loved them with butter, what a combo! yum. I still love aloo parantha but just try to avoid butter and eat it with yogurt and chutneys etc. and yeah I sometimes just make aloo rotis and put a dab of butter on it, at least I am avoiding the oil by not frying. lol

Not just for the taste but since it is so quick and easy to make, I make it often especially when I am not in a mood to make elaborate dinner or simply don't have enough time to make many items.

So I decided to click a snap(not the best one) and post the recipe for Aloo matar parantha that I made yesterday.

Ingredients:-

For the Dough

Whole Wheat flour- 2 cups
Oil- 1 tbsp(optional)
Salt- a pinch
Water - to knead the dough

For the stuffing

Potatoes - 2
Peas- 1/4th cup
Salt- to taste
Turmeric(optional) - 1/4th teaspoon
Garam masala powder- 1/2 teaspoon
Mango powder- 1/2 teaspoon
Red chili powder- 1/2 teaspoon
Chopped coriander - 2 tbsp(I didn't use as i didn't have it )

Method-

Mix all the ingredients for the dough and knead into a smooth, pliable dough, cover and keep aside
Boil potatoes and peas either in a pressure cook or in a microwave.
Drain and mash while warm.
Add all the masalas for the stuffing into the mashed potatoes and peas and mix well.
Now take a ball of dough and roll it into a small circle with the help of rolling pin.
Put 2- 3 drops of oil and spread it on the rolled circle.
Now place some stuffing in the center (depends entirely on you how much stuffing you want, i like lot of stuffing and thin layer of flour).
Pull the edges and bring together to cover the the filling, seal and gently press on top to flatten it a bit.
Roll this into a parantha of desired thickness, don't worry if a little filling comes out, you can just remove it.
keep dusting the parantha with dry flour while rolling to avoid sticking.
Now put the rolled parantha on a preheated tawa/griddle, flip once after few seconds when you see very light brown spots on the surface facing the griddle.
Once flipped, apply the oil and spread all over the parantha.
Now flip again and apply oil on the other side.
Cook till its golden brown on both sides.
Serve hot with yogurt and pickles.

This time my parantha didn't puff up but I still clicked. A well made parantha should puff up and should be uniformly cooked from all sides.

Enjoy!

Honest Scrap and Blog loving awards!

2010-03-31T17:06:00.005-04:00

Just today I received the honest scrap award and Blog loving award from Suhaina of My Singapore Kitchen( she has a lovely recipe blog with lots of interesting dishes that I have to try- specially the chicken and mutton curries). Thanks Suhaina for passing this to me, It was very thoughtful of you.

Now here is the interesting part! as a rule I have to write 10 honest things about me and then pass the awards to 12 fellow bloggers.

and here are the 10 honest things about me :)

I love cooking and that is why I am here - even though I don't put enough effort into my food blog especially in clicking the photos.
Comfort food for me is whatever my mom cooks and I miss that a lot here. Even a simple parantha made by her is so satisfying.
I want to maintain a health blog too and yes I did start one (Being Healthy), but currently don't have time to work on it.
I want to write a book one day, maybe when my children get married and I have all the time in the world.
I like to paint and have tried my hands on it, its on my list of things to do later this year.
I love playing all kinds of video games from pc games to xbox to wii fit. I was once hooked on a game called Age of Empires and can still play it all day long!
I can't wink with my left eye.
I can fold my tongue in half.
I aim to become an entrepreneur someday, no idea when and how though. :D
Currently I am trying to study for CFA exam, though its becoming difficult to study with a small kid.

And now I have to pass these to 12 fellow bloggers, but I know only few for now- so here goes-

Deepti of Some salt to taste

Pranis kitchen of Praniskitchen

Divya vikram of Dil se

Padhu of PadhusKitchen

Namitha and sunitha of Collaborative Curry

Daisy blue of Spicylounge

Subhasini- Spoonsnforks

Srivalli of Cooking4allseasons

Happy Blogging!

My First Blog Award!

2010-03-29T14:50:00.003-04:00

I am excited and very thrilled to announce my very first blog award! I never thought I could get an award to write my recipes...thanks to Deepti of Some salt to taste to pass this Sunshine award to me.

I am one of those lucky ones who get to taste what she makes and I am a big fan of her cooking, you should try her vegetable saagu!! I simply love it.

Thanks again Deepti to pass this on to me...it means a lot!, though i don think my blog really deserves an award.. hehe

I am once again motivated to blogging and very soon will change the look of it too. A bit busy till July.

Though I have not been told to do so but I would love to pass this award to the following bloggers-

Divya Vikram of http://divya-dilse.blogspot.com/

Malar Gandhi of http://www.kitchentantra.com/

Namitha and Sunitha of Collaborative Curry

Suhaina of My Singapore Kitchen

Palak Paneer(Cottage Cheese in Spinach Gravy)

2010-03-16T22:30:00.005-04:00

Paneer is one thing that can be eaten as is or can be turned into absolutely fantastic delicacies. Palak paneer is one such combination of nutritious palak and yummy paneer. Its a popular dish found on almost every north indian restaurant menu and is one of those recipes that I make so very often simply because my whole family adores it and it is so full of nutrition (remember Popeye! :) ) -what better way to get our doze of iron and nutrition.

This is my version of palak paneer and I am sure you will like it too. I added gram flour in the masala before adding the palak, this gives it a different texture and makes it even more flavorful. Also, adding fresh ground coriander instead of store bought powdered one makes a lot of difference. I used milk instead of cream but you can use heavy cream to make it even richer.

Worth a try!

Ingredients-

Palak - 1 bunch
Paneer- 200 gms (or as required)
Onion- 1 medium(chopped)
Tomato- 1 big(chopped)
Garlic- 3-4 cloves(grated or chopped)
Green chili- 1 big (cut in half)
Coriander (freshly ground)- 11/2 tablespoon
Turmeric powder- 1/2 teaspoon
Red chili powder- 1 teaspoon( to taste)
Gram floor(besan)- 1 tablespoon
Water - 1/4 cup
Milk- 1/2 cup
Heavy cream(optional) -I haven't used in this recipe
Whole red chili - to garnish
Salt- to taste

Method-

Wash, boil and blend palak- ( I do it in a chopper so that it doesn't become like a paste)
Heat oil in a deep pan and add onions, saute till light brown.
Now add garlic and saute for another minute
Add green chili, ground coriander, red chili powder, salt and turmeric and stir.
Add chopped tomatoes and cook till oil separates.
Mix gram flour(besan) in 1/4th cup of water making a thin smooth paste and add it to the masala.
Cook for another minute so the gram flour is not raw.
Now add palak and milk, close the lid and cook for few minutes.
Add paneer at this time and cook for few more minutes.
Garnish with whole red chili tadka.

Enjoy with hot roti, naan or parantha!!

(Pressure Cooker) Chicken Curry

2009-12-22T13:28:00.009-05:00

I always used to feel that when I don't marinate the chicken for the curry, the chicken remains relatively bland and the masala is not absorbed properly but this time it wasn't the case. I didn't marinate the chicken and neither did I fry it (I rarely do) but the result turned out to be simply awesome. The chicken was also not bland and the curry was yummy.

I am a big fan of chicken curry and I can have it almost every weekend! this one is perfect for a relaxing treat on a weekend, very easy with no special ingredient, just the common indian spices we use everyday.

Do try this one.

Ingredients :-

Chicken- 10-12 medium pieces
Onion- 2 medium finely chopped.
Tomato - 2 big blanched and chopped.
Yogurt- 2 tablespoons
Ginger- 1 tablespoon(grated or paste)
Garlic- 2 tablespoon(grated or paste)
Coriander powder- 2 tablespoon
Turmeric- 1/2 teaspoon
Red chilli powder- 1/4th teaspoon or (to taste)Bay leaf- 1
Salt - to taste

To grind-

Cumin seeds(jeera)- 1 teaspoon
Cloves- 6-7
Black pepper corns- 10 -12
Black cardomom- 1 Big
Green cardomom- 1
Dry red chilli- 1 (seeds removed)

Method :-

Grind cumin, cloves, cardamoms(black and green), black pepper corns, dry red chilli using mortar and pestle.
Heat oil in a heavy bottomed pan or directly in the pressure cooker.
Add bay leaf and add onions and saute till rich golden brown.
Add all the grind spice mixture and saute for a minute, don't let it burn.
Add ginger garlic paste and cook till raw smell goes.
Add all the powdered spices, mix well.
Add yogurt and cook till oil seperates.
Now add the chicken pieces and cook on medium high heat for 4-5 minute till the chicken becomes slightly brown, keep stirring.
Reduce the heat to low, add a little water if required and cook till the chicken is half done.
Now add the chopped blanched tomatoes, cook for another minute.
Add little water(not too much else it would be too watery), close the lid and pressure cook for 5 minutes.
For best results, Open the pressure cooker only when all the steam has escaped.

Garnish with fresh coriander leaves.

enjoy with hot chapatis and rice!

Low Fat Mango Ice Cream

2009-12-18T00:35:00.009-05:00

People who love Ice cream and sweets and are calorie and health conscious are surely going to like this recipe. This is no fuss homemade mango ice cream which can be made easily and kept for the times when you crave for cold and sweet.

The ingredients are usually in your refrigerator. In summers its best to use fresh flavorful mangoes and in winters you can always use frozen mangoes or any other fruit you like.
Ice cream molds are also quite easily available in the grocery stores so that should not be a problem too.

Ingredients -

Milk - one and a half cup(low fat)
Mango- 1/4 cup pureed (or more if desired)
Mango- 2 tablespoon chopped
Vanilla essence- 1/4th teaspoon
Sugar - 3/4th cup or (as per your taste)
Almonds - 1 teaspoon chopped(you can use pistachio also)

Method-

Heat milk on slow heat and reduce it to half the amount. keep stirring so that it doesn't stick to the pan.
Add sugar and stir well and remove from heat.
Add the mango puree, chopped almonds, vanilla essence.
Mix well and let it cool.
Add the chopped mangoes and pour the mixture into the ice cream molds.
Freeze for 5 to 6 hrs.

Tip: Run the molds under warm water for few seconds to make it easy for the ice cream to come out.

enjoy!

Vegetable Cutlets

2009-09-03T23:24:00.011-04:00

Yet another wonderful roadside snack that is quite common in India and also is one of my favorites, Vegetable cutlets.

After all, these are spicy mixture of potatoes and veggies that too deep fried! who wouldn't like. Talking about deep frying and roadside food reminds me of the days when I was staying in a pg in Delhi. There was this thelewalah who used to stand right on the side of the road just outside our house and he used to sell these delicious(fully loaded with calories) deep fried burgers for just 5 rupees. Little did we care about the quality an nutrition then.

His recipe was as simple as abc. He used to first cut the burgers into halves, deep fry both halves and load it with deep fried potato patty, one round onion slice, one tomato circle(sliced), a paneer slice and sprinkle some masala over it(maybe that was his secret ingredient) and thats it... but it was so tasty and satisfying to hungry souls like us coming back from study/work... I tell you. Nothing can beat these roadside snacks...there surely is something about them.

Okay, lets come back to our home made cutlets :) here is the recipe and these were tasty too in their own way

I used corns and potatoes but you can add any vegetable(boiled peas, carrots etc) you like. Don't forget to sqeeze the water from the boiled veggies.

Ingredients- for 12-14 cutlets

Potatoes- 4 medium
Frozen corns- 2 tablespoons
All purpose flour - 1 tablespoon
Coriander leaves - 2 tablespoons chopped
Salt- to taste
Mango powder- 1/4th teaspoon
Red chili powder- 1/2 teaspoon
Garam masala powder- 1/4th teaspoons
White Bread- 1 loaf
Rice Flour- 2 table spoon

Method-

Boil, peel and mash the potatoes.
Boil the frozen corns as directed on the packing(should take few minutes in microwave).
Damp the bread with water and add it to the mashed potatoes
Add rest of the ingredients except rice flour and mix well(taste and adjust salt and spices)
Make small patties from the mixture and shape into whatever shape you want
Take rice flour in a plate.
Coat each cutlet in the rice flour
Deep fry till golden brown and drain on paper towel
Serve hot with coriander chutney and tomato sauce.

Aloo Paneer Samosa ( Potato and Cottage Cheese stuffed pastries) recipe

2009-07-07T17:38:00.013-04:00

Having a tea party? or want to make some appetizers for dinner party?...make samosas at home. I didn't know it was so easy to make samosas until my mom made it one day at home when i went home from hostel for holidays. I learnt there and then and believe me... its easy.

I make samosas quite often as weekend breakfast or evening refreshment on weekdays... and you know what, there can be a healthier version of it too if you use wheat flour instead of all purpose...

The trick is to use right amount of oil for the dough...so enjoy! and do let me know.

Ingredients- For 14- 16 samosas

For the Dough-

All Purpose Flour- 1 cup
Oil( I used canola)- 1/5th cup
Salt - 1/2 teaspoon
Water to knead the dough

For the Filling-

Potatoes- 4-5 large
Paneer(Cottage Cheese) - 50 gm
Coriander powder- 1 and half tablespoons
Garam masala powder- 1 tablespoon
Red chili powder-1/2 teaspoon
Mango Powder- 1 teaspoon
Salt- to taste
Oil

Method-

For the Cover:-

Add flour, salt and oil(1/5th cup) in a bowl and mix well
Knead it into a soft pliable dough by adding little water at a time.
Keep the dough aside covered with a muslin cloth for abt 10-15 min.

For the Stuffing -

Boil, peel and mash the Potatoes.
Cut the paneer into very small cubes.
Heat oil in a pan and add Coriander powder , chili powder and saute for few seconds...don't let it burn
Add potatoes and paneer cubes and mix well
Add garam masala powder and mango powder and mix well
Keep this mixture aside and let it cool

For the Samosa-

Take a small ball of the dough and roll it into a circle
Cut the circle into two halves
Take one semicircle and fold it like a cone.
Fill the cone with little stuffing and seal the third side with the help of little water
Fry the samosas in hot oil on medium heat till golden brown

Serve hot with Coriander Chutney and/or Tomato ketchup.

This is my second entry to Divya's Show me your Breakfast event.

Breakfast Egg Burrito Recipe

2009-06-29T16:46:00.024-04:00

So here it is -the breakfast burrito I talked about in my last post. simple yet tasty, kid friendly and healthy weekend breakfast. I happened to have flour tortillas but if you want to make it even healthier, you can use wheat tortillas instead of flour tortillas.

To make the mango salsa at home click here f or the recipe

Ingredients:- For 2 burritos

Flour/wheat tortillas- 2
Eggs -3
oil for making eggs
shredded cheddar cheese- 1-1/2 cup
Mango salsa(click here for the recipe)- 1 cup
salt and pepper- to taste

Method:-

Crack eggs in a bowl
Beat eggs with fork and add salt and pepper
Heat oil in a pan and add the egg mixture
Keep stirring to make scramble eggs of desired consistency and keep aside
Cover one tortilla in a damp paper towel and microwave for 25-30 seconds
Put a line of cheese, scrambled eggs and salsa in the center of the warm tortilla
Fold the tortilla into a burrito
Repeat the same with the second one

Enjoy!

Sending this recipe as an entry to Divya's Show me your Breakfast event.

Super Simple Home Made Mango Salsa Recipe

2009-06-19T00:04:00.015-04:00

This delicious mango salsa I first ate in costco and I figured how easy it is to make it at home. The combination of sweet juicy mangoes with onions, tomatoes and hot peppers...yummy. Its super easy to make your own and enjoy as a topper for various meats.

Use it along with fillings in tacos or just use as an appetizer dip. I made it as a filling in breakfast burrito which is going to be my next post. till then enjoy- :)

Ingredients:-

Mango - 1 cup peeled and diced
Onion- 1/2 cup peeled and diced
Tomato- 1 cup diced
Jalapeno Peppers- 1 tablespoon chopped
Cilantro- chopped 1/4th cup
Lemon juice- 2 tablespoon
Salt to taste

Method-

Mix all the ingredients mentioned above in a bowl, adjust salt, cover and allow to sit for at least half an hour before serving.

Note: you can pretty much make any fruit salsa by adding your choice of fruits. you can keep it sweet or make it hot by adding jalapeno peppers.

Leftover Delight- Khichdi Tikki Recipe

2009-06-14T21:20:00.018-04:00

Just recently I have started to think a lot about doing something creative with leftover food which in my home is unavoidable. I almost daily have something or the other left in my fridge.

I made khichdi for the dinner last night and today I made really tasty tikkis out of it for the breakfast just by adding few more ingredients. Khichdi is basically a one pot meal of rice, lentils and veggies cooked together in spices. Its one of the favorite comfort foods in india and is very nutritious in every way.

You can also use leftover rice, dal or even few vegies to make tikkis by mashing them and adding gramflour, onion and spices.

so try these tikkis and let me know how you liked it...

Ingredients- for 8- 10 tikkis

Leftover khichdi - 1 and 1/2 cups
Gramflour(besan)- 1/4th cup(you may need more or less, it should be enough to bind the tikkis)
Onion - one small(finely chopped)
Green chili- one(finely chopped)
Garlic- one clove (grated)
Red chili powder - 1/2 teaspoon
Coriander leaves- 2 tablespoon (chopped finely)
Oil - for frying
Salt - to taste(be careful as there will already be some salt in khichdi so adjust by tasting)

Method-

Take the khichdi in a bowl.
Add all the ingredients mentioned above except oil and mix very well.
Make equal sized balls of the mixture and gently flatten a little bit.
Heat oil in a pan and shallow fry the tikkis from both sides on medium heat till they are golden brown.

To serve- squeeze a little lemon juice on top and serve with tomato ketchup and/or coriander chutney

Onion, Mushroom and Tomato Pizza

2009-05-05T03:26:00.022-04:00

Writing after a long time, visiting my home country India justifies my absence from blogosphere. :)
The Pizza that I made two months back and captured in my camera as it turned out to be tastier than pizza hut's or papa john's pizza has been waiting in my laptop's memory to be published here.
I made my own sauce and the base i used was ready made from boboli which was great too. If you like you can make the base at home.

What more can we ask for- A tasty pizza with our own choice and amount of toppings and cheese.

This recipe is for the vegetable Pizza with tomato, onion, mushroom as shown in the pic.
You can use the same recipe for non veg pizza just add a layer of cooked chicken or meat as topping or substitute any vegetable with your choice of meat/chicken etc.

Ingredients-

For the sauce

Fresh Tomato - 1 big pureed
Tomato sauce- 1/4th cup
Tomato paste- 4 tablespoons
Garlic- 4 cloves( grated)
Italian herb seasoning- 1/2 teapoon

For the Topping-

Tomatoes- 1 big sliced in thin rounds
Onion- 1 big sliced thin
Mushrooms- one cup sliced
Shredded Mozzarella cheese- 1 and half cup

Method-

For the sauce-

Heat 1 tablespoon of olive oil in a pan and add garlic
Saute for a minute then add pureed fresh tomato cook for one minute.
Add tomato sauce and tomato paste, mix well
Add pepper, salt to taste and herb seasoning.
Cook till the sauce is mixed well and thick.

For the Pizza

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.
In a pan heat oil and add onions saute till translucent.
Add mushrooms and cook on high for few minutes.
Apply sauce on pizza base Spreading evenly.
Spread a layer of this mushroom onion mixture nicely.
Now arrange round slices of tomatoes on top.
Cover the pizza with a thick layer of shredded mozeraella cheese.
Cook in the oven for about 20 minutes or till the cheese is melted nd golden brown.
Garnish with red chili flakes and oregano serve hot.

Top 10 Entrecard Droppers of March

2009-04-01T17:49:00.013-04:00

Thanks to Top 10 Entrecard droppers of March 2009 as well as to those who didn't make it to the top 10. I appreciate your time and effort. Enjoy!

Recipe for Baingan Ka Bharta(Mashed Eggplant in spices)

2009-03-09T14:57:00.018-04:00

Baingan bharta I think is one of the tastiest dish that can be made from Baingan(eggplant/Brinjal).
I love its unique smoky flavor that comes when you grill/roast it and then it is peeled and mashed and mixed in onion tomato masala... oh heaven :).

It tastes best if roasted on open flame on a gas stove but if you don't have one you can always broil it in the oven.

Ingredients-

Eggplant - 1 big
Onion - 1 medium(chopped)
Tomatoes- 2 medium(chopped)
Green chilies- 2- 3 chopped(seeds removed)
Salt- to taste
Red chili powder- 1 teaspoon
Garam masala- 1/4th teaspoon
Turmeric powder- 1/4th teaspoon
Coriander powder(optional)- 1/2 teaspoon
Coriander leaves - to garnish

Method-

Roast the eggplant on the flame till its skin is perfectly charred and starts to fall
Let it cool or put in cold water
Peel the eggplant and mash it nicely
Heat oil in a pan and add onions and saute till very light brown
Add green chillis and saute for another minute
Now add all the spices and tomatoes
Cook till tomatoes are soft
Add mashed eggplant and mix well
Cook for another minute
Garnish and Serve Hot!

Bhindi(Okra) recipe

2009-03-02T16:53:00.026-05:00

When I think of bhindi, I always think of paranthas or pooris with it and not to mention hot spicy pickle!. Bhindi is also called Okra in American English and Lady's finger in British English. Okra or bhindi is quite slimy and sticky and because of this reason many people don't like it..but if you dry it well after washing, it won't be too slimy.

Another thing you can try to reduce the stickiness is squeeze little lemon juice as soon as you start cooking okra and cook on high heat for one minute. There are lots of different ways of making it...this is the recipe for the one I usually make.

Ingredients -

Okra- 250 gms cut
Onion- 1 big chopped
Green chili- slit lengthwise
Red chili powder- 1 teaspoon
Salt- to taste
Turmeric- 1/2 teaspoon
Coriander powder- 1 tablespoon
Lemon- 1/2
Oil for cooking

Method-

Heat oil in a Pan
Add onions and green chilies and saute for a minute.
Add bhindi and squeeze lemon juice.
Cook on high heat for one minute, keep stirring
Now lower the heat add all the dry masalas and mix well.
Cover and cook on low heat till done.
You will need to keep checking and stirring in between.
Garnish with coriander leaves and serve hot with paranthas

Note:- there is another version of this recipe that my mom usually makes. She adds two tablespoons of crushed fennel seeds along with other spices. It gives it a unique flavor and bhindi tastes even better!

Recipe for Hot Pakoras(vegetable fritters) and Chai(Indian tea)

2009-02-04T15:10:00.047-05:00

Last weekend I made Pakoras along with garam chai. I added little milk in the pakora batter this time and it turned out great...I made aloo(potato) and pyaz(onion) pakoras but you can also use cauliflower, eggplant, spinach etc to make pakoras.

I am dedicating these recipes to my mother in law who loves pakoris as well as chai and sending these recipes as an entry to Alka's just for you event and to Asvadha's Made for each other event.

Serves -4

For the Hot tea-

Ingredients-

water- 3 cups
Milk - 1 cup
Ginger - one inch Grated
Sugar - 2 teaspoons
Black tea leaves (chai patti)- 2 teaspoons

Method-

Put the grated ginger in water and bring the water to boil
Add milk and boil again
Now add sugar and tea leaves
keep boiling untill you get the desired strength and colour.
Strain through a strainer and pour into the cup
Serve hot.

For the Pakoras-

Ingredients-

Onion- 2 sliced
Potato- 1 big sliced in rounds
Gram flour(besan)- 1 1/2 cups
Green chili - 1 chopped
Carom seeds(Ajwain)- 1/2 teaspoon
Turmeric powder- 1/4th teaspoon
Red chili powder- 1 teaspoon
Milk - 2 tablespoon(optional)
Salt- to taste
Water- to make the batter
Coriander leaves- 1/2 cup chopped

Method-

Make a thick batter with besan (gram flour) and water and milk(if using)
Add turmeric powder, ajwain, red chilli powder, salt, chopped coriander and green chili and mix well.
Dip potatoes one at a time in the batter, coat well and drop in hot oil.
Repeat the same with Onions.
Fry on medium heat till they are golden brown.
Drain on a paper towel.

Serve hot with chutney and sauce and garam garam chai!

How to make Tasty Pav Bhaji

2009-01-27T19:50:00.013-05:00

Pav bhaji, a well loved indian street food originated in Mumbai was created specially for the textile mill workers in mumbai as a quick alternative to heavy full meal. you can read more about its history here.
Pav bhaji is now popular among Indians all over the world.

I make bhaji in half butter and half oil but to make it authentic use only butter(the more the merrier)

Ingredients-

Potatoes- 5 big
Frozen peas- 1 cup
Carrot - 2 big
Onion- 2 chopped finely
Tomato- 2 chopped
Green chili- 2 small
Ginger garlic paste- 1 tablespoon
Turmeric powder- 1/2 teaspoon
Pav bhaji masala- 2-3 tablespoons
Red chili powder- 1/2 teaspoon
Water- to boil the veggies
Salt to taste

Method-

Peel and cut the potatoes and carrot
Boil the potatoes and carrot in a pressure cooker
Drain the water and Mash the boiled veggies and keep aside
Heat butter in a pan
Saute onions and green chillies till onions are translucent and brown
Add ginger garlic paste
Saute for a minute and add tomatoes
Fry till its cooked and oil starts separating
Add pav bhaji masala, turmeric, red chili powder and salt.
Add peas and all the mashed veggies, mix well.
Add the drained water(little) and keep mashing the veggies.
Continue adding water little by little and cook till you get the required thickness.

Slit the pav into two and fry with butter till light brown.

Garnish with coriander leaves and onion.

Notes-

You can use any vegetables you want. Capsicum tastes really good in it.
You will have to taste and adjust the masala and salt.

Tasty Paneer Curry in a Hurry Recipe

2009-01-20T15:05:00.013-05:00

This is a paneer curry my mom makes in microwave. .I made it on stove top though.and it took me 15 minutes from start to finish.. went very well with ajwain paranthas.
I added gram flour, onion and carom seeds in wheat flour dough for the parathas and they came out awesome too.
Here is the recipe for the paneer curry in a hurry. It has lots of ginger which gives it a unique flavor.

Ingredients:-

Paneer(Cottage cheese) - 250 gms ( cut into cubes or triangles)
Onion - 1 (finely chopped)
Milk - 1 Cup
Curd - 1/2 cup
Cardamom(Choti elaichi)- 1
Ginger- 1 and half teaspoons( finely chopped).
Red chilli Powder-1 teaspoon
Turmeric Powder- 1/4th teaspoon
Salt- to taste
Tomato paste(optional) - 1 teaspoon
Green chillis- 2(chopped)

Method-

Heat oil in a Pan
Add Onion and fry till they become light brown in colour
Now add green chillies, cardamom and ginger and saute for another minute
Add Salt, turmeric powder and red chili powder, mix well.
Add curd and keep stirring till it is cooked and whiteness is gone.
Now add milk and paneer, cover and cook on low heat for few minutes.
In the end add tomato paste and cook for a while.(which is optional as it tastes great even without it ).

Enjoy with Parantha, puri or roti.

Mangodi Aloo rasedaar sabzi(curry) Recipe

2009-01-13T14:00:00.020-05:00

Sun dried ground lentil dumplings and Potato curry

Though I am not a big fan of daal baati and choorma but rajasthani cuisine offers much to tempt my palate. Papad ki sabji, ker and sangria ki sabzi, buttermilk,mirchi bada, mangodi aloo, bajre ki roti etc. the rajasthani cuisine has its own unique flavour and is quite rich. Papad ki sabzi is one of my favourites.will post the recipe for that soon.

Here is the recipe for Mangodi Aloo. Mangodis are basically sun dried ground lentil dumplings. we make this curry often for dinner with paranthas. It is made from ground Moong dal. This is also my entry to Srivalli's My legume love affair, the seventh helping event originally started by susan from Well Seasoned cook

Ingredients-

Mangodi - 1 cup
Ginger/Garlic Paste- 3/4th teaspoon
Onion- 1 (finely chopped)
Potatoes- 2 (cut in cubes)
Tomato- 1 (finely chopped)
Turmeric Powder- 1/4th teaspoon
Red chili powder- 1/2 teaspoon
Coriander Powder- 2 tablespoon
Salt- to taste
Coriander Leaves- to garnish
Oil
Water as desired

Method-

Heat 1 tablespoon oil in a Pressure cooker and brown the mangodis and keep aside.
In the same cooker heat Oil and add chopped onions.
When the onions turn light golden brown add ginger garlic paste and saute.
Add all the dry masala powder and 1 tablespoon of water and saute again.
Now add chopped tomatoes cook till oil starts to seperate.
Add Potato and browned mangodis, mix well.
Add desired amount of water(I personally like thin curry in this recipe)
Pressure cook till three whistles or till done.

Serve hot with Roti or Paratha

Dhania/Coriander and Tomato chutney recipe

2009-01-12T16:00:00.012-05:00

Coriander chutney is one of the favorite chutneys in our family. Have it as a dip, sandwich spread or use it in chats. A delicious blend of Coriander leaves, chili, garlic and tomato compliments any dish you eat.

Ingredients-

Fresh Coriander/cilantro leaves – 1 Cup
Green chilies- 2
Garlic-2-3 cloves
Lemon – 1 small
Salt- to taste
Tomato- 1 small cut into pieces

Method-

Wash and chop Coriander leaves.
Add coriander leaves, green chilies, salt and tomato in a blender
Blend it into a smooth paste by adding little water
Add the juice of one lemon.
The dhania chutney is ready.

Tip:

You can keep this chutney in the refrigerator for 7 to 10 days.
Adjust the spiciness by adding more/less chili and lemon according to your taste.
You can avoid adding garlic if you want to keep it for few days.

Recipe for Healthy Beet Root Paranthas

2009-01-09T17:51:00.014-05:00

Beet root Parantha ..one of the easiest and good ways to get your kid to eat beetroot which is a good source of protein, dietry fibre and is high in important minerals and vitamins required by our body.

Has no fat and no cholestrol so needless to say how good it is for adults too.I like its bright red/purple colour which is due to betalain pigments. Instead of using artificial colours beetroot can be used to make any dish colourful.

I started making betroot paranthas just recently after eating at my cousin's place and beleive me its not that bad..:)

Ingredients-

Whole wheat flour - one cup
Ghee/oil- 2 tablespoon
Beetroot(small)-1/2 grated
water- enough to knead the dough
salt-1/2 teaspoon(to taste)
Ajwain(carom seeds)- 1 teapoon

Method-

Mix all the ingredient in whole wheat flour(atta)
Add little water at a time and knead into dough
Divide into eqaul round balls
Take these dough balls one at a time and roll into a parantha with the help of rolling pin
Shallow fry these paranthas on hot griddle(tawa) from both sides.

Serve hot with any curry or Simply with curd and achaar

Aloo Tikki Chole Chaat Recipe

2009-01-04T17:12:00.007-05:00

Today's recipe is Aloo Tikki...the sweet and savory Chaat or take any Indian street food ..its so appetizing, delicious, mouthwatering, tempting and satisfying. I think the whole concept of roadside food in India is wonderful..the different flavors and textures are so well combined together and the aroma is so overpowering that you can't escape a chaatwala or for that matter any street food vendor..can't say about you but I am a die hard fan of Indian street food..pani Puri/Gol guppas and Aloo Tikki .yummy ain't it?

The latest but not so latest in my list is momos. Will post the recipe for momos when I make next time.

I Posted gol guppa recipe earlier on my other blog click here for Pani puri/gol guppa recipe.

Here is the Recipe for Aloo tikki-

Ingredients-

Potatoes- 4 big
Rawa/sooji/semolina- 2 tablespoons
Bread- 2
Green chillis- 1 big(chopped finely)
Coriander leaves- chopped finely
Salt- to taste
Garam masala- 1/4 th teaspoon
Red Chilli Powder - 1/4th teaspoon
Mango powder - 1/4th tablepoon

Method-

Boil Potatoes, peel and mash well or grate while warm and keep aside.
Soak bread pieces in water and instantly squeeze and mix with potatoes.
Add all the masalas and semolina and mix well.
Make 10-12 equal rounds from this mixture.
Gently flatten each one a little
Heat oil and Shallow fry the tikkis from both sides till golden brown

Note: Keep the Heat low throughout and flatten little more as they cook.

To Serve-

Take Two Tikkis in a plate. Add Chole(click here for recipe) on top. Add green chutney and Meethi chutney
Garnish with chopped onions and serve hot.

Chatpate Chole/Chickpea Recipe

2008-12-29T14:41:00.008-05:00

I keep on experimenting on different recipes ..you know adding, deleting ingredients or trying a new version all together..depending upon the ingredients I have and the kind of food we want to eat that particular day.

Last Friday I made Chole ..very simple no tantrum recipe. I made tikki along with it but this recipe will go well with Kulchas and bhaturas too. very flavorful yet light..good for a winter weekend at home.Will Post the Tikki recipe in next post..

Ingredients-

Chole(chikpea) -- 1 and half cup
Tomato- 1 Big cut in small peices
Coriander powder- 2 teaspoon
Green chilli- 1 slit lengthwise
Turmeric Powder- 1/2 teaspoon
Chat masaala Powder- 2 teaspoon
Sugar- 2 teaspoon
Garam masala powder- 1/2 teaspoon
Salt- to taste
Lemon- 1/2

Method-

Soak chole Overnight or 6-7 hours covered with water.
Boil chole and keep aside. ( seperate water from chole)
In a pan Heat oil and add green chilli and tomato and saute for a minute.
Add turmeric and coriander powder saute and add Boiled Chole.
Mix well and add garam masala, sugar and chaat masala powder
Add the strained water as required.
Adjust salt and squeeze lemon.
Serve Hot with Kulcha, tikki, Parantha, Bhatura or Puri!

Carrot Cake Recipe

2008-12-24T11:18:00.003-05:00

I usually make raspberry cake or banana cake.. made carrot cake for the first time. I had neither raspberry nor banana at home but I wanted to make a cake ...I added grated carrot in the basic cake recipe and it turned out awesome. In fact,It was for the first time that I actually liked a cake made by me..:) ..
you must try it.

For the cake shown I used

Ingredients-

All purpose flour/Maida- 1 and1 /4th cup
Sugar - 1 cup
Eggs- 2
Baking powder- 1 tablespoon
Vanilla Extract- 1 teaspoon
Carrot- 3 big Grated
Salt-1/4th teaspoon
Oil - 3/4th cup
Baking dish

Method-

Oil the baking dish lightly and sprinkle some flour over it and keep aside
Preheat Oven at 350 degrees.
In a bowl add flour, sugar, salt and baking powder mix well.
Now add vanilla extract and eggs mix very well..might take a minute.
Add grated carrot and again mix well
Finally add oil and mix
Pour this mixture in the baking pan and bake in the preheated oven for about 40 minutes or till done. keep checking.

Best way to check if the cake is done is by putting a knife or toothpick in it ,if the toothpick comes out clean without any cake sticking to it ..the cake is done.

Enjoy..

sending this recipe to Purva's Christmas Feast Event and to Vandana's Baking for Beginners event

Spicy Tasty Chicken Curry Recipe

2008-12-23T14:10:00.005-05:00

Easy to prepare with minimal ingredients usually available at home. tastes best with naan,rice or roti .
I posted this recipe earlier on my other blog....click here for the recipe

Masala Goat/Lamb Chops Recipe

2008-12-17T13:55:00.006-05:00

This is my version of masala chops , just tried this way and came out great. I made goat chops but you can make with lamb too.

Ingredients-

Goat chops- 2lbs
Onion- 4 medium
Tomato - 4 big
Yogurt- 1 and half cup
Green chilli- 2
Garlic- 5-6 cloves
Ginger- 1 and half inch
(big)cardamom- 1
Cardamom- 4
Jeera(cumin seeds)- 1 teaspoon
Black pepper corns- 6-7
Coriander seeds(optional)- 1 tablespoon
Red chilli powder- 3/4th teaspoon
Turmeric Powder- 1 /2 tablespoon
Coriander powder- 4 tablespoons.
Salt- taste
Oil

Method-

Grind cumin seeds, coriander seeds, pepper corns, cardamom(big) and cardamom small.
Mix this ground masala in 3/4th cup of thick yogurt.
Rub the washed chops with this mixture such that all the chops are coated well and keep aside.
Now make a paste of onions, green chillies, ginger and garlic.
Heat oil in a saucepan and brown these chops lightly from both the sides on high heat. should take a minute or two.
Now heat oil in a pressure cooker. add the paste and cook till oil separates.
Add red chili powder, turmeric and coriander powder and cook for a minute.
Now add yogurt and tomato. cook for a minute.
Add the chops mix well and add water.
Close the pressure cooker and cook till 4 whistles.
Cool and open and cook open till the masala thickens and the chops are coated with masala.
Garnish and serve.

Lauki(bottleguard) ke Chilke(Peels) and Besan ki Sabji Recipe

2008-12-12T16:59:00.005-05:00

Most people find it boring but few like me love it, bottleguard(lauki) has many names like guava bean, white flowered gourd, dudhi, ghia and more and is a very nutritious vegetable. It has many medicinal qualities like balancing liver function, is an excellent source of fiber, very light on stomach and also helps in treating urinary problems.

the recipe I am posting today uses peels of bottle guard and besan(chickpea flour). My mom has been making it since my childhood and now whenever i make lauki I make this too..its very easy and tasty as well.

Ingredients:-

Peels of bottleguard- 1 cup
Chickpea flour- 3/4 cup
Cumin(jeera)-1/4th teaspoon
Turmeric powder- 1/4th teaspoon
Green chillies-1 cut in small pieces
Red chili powder-1/2 teaspoon
Coriander powder- 1/2 tablespoon
Water 5-6 tablespoons
Salt- to taste
Oil

Method-

Lightly brown the chickpea flour in a saucepan without oil till you can smell the aroma keep aside
Boil the peels(lauki ke chilke) in microwave for 10 minutes( time depends on the microwave).
Heat Oil in the same saucepan and put jeera and green chili.
Add all the dry masala mix and add the peels. mix well
Now add the water and besan cook for one minute and serve.

Spicy Vermicelli(Jave) Recipe

2008-12-04T18:32:00.007-05:00

How to make tasty vermicelli (jave)

Spicy Vermicelli also called jave in hindi can be a great easy to make evening snack or breakfast.

Ingredients -

Vermicelli - 1 and a half cup
Onion- 1 small cut lengthwise
Tomato- 1/2 cut into small pieces
Potatoes- 1/2 cut into thin small cubes
Peas(matar) - 1/4 cup
Green chilli- 2 slit lengthwise
Salt- to taste
Turmeric- 1/4th teaspoon Red chilli powder- 1/2 teaspoon
Water - 3 cups
Ajwain(carom seed)- 1/4 teaspoon

Method-

Brown the vermicelli lightly without oil on medium heat and keep aside.
Heat oil in a pan put ajwain seeds and green chillis saute for a minute. now add onions and potatoes saute for another minute.
Add all the other vegies cook for few mintues.
Now add turmeric, chilli powder and salt mix well.
Add the browned vermicelli and water. cover and cook till done.

Serve hot with Chutney or Sauce.

Peas(matar), carrot and corns sabji recipe

2008-12-03T14:43:00.006-05:00

Ingredients-

Corns-1 cup
Frozen Peas- 1 cup
Carrot- 1 cut into pieces
Ginger- 1 inch- grated
Turmeric powder-1/4th teaspoon
Coriander powder-1 tablespoon
Red chili powder- 1 teaspoon
Salt- to taste
Mango powder- 1/2 teaspoon

Method-

Mix ginger and all dry masala powder except mango powder in a lilttle2 tablespoons) water and keep aside.
Heat oil in a pan, when hot add this masala mixture cook for few seconds and add the veggies.
Sprinkle little water cover and cook.
Add mango powder at the end garnish with coriander and serve hot.
(you can precook carrot in a microwave for 5 minutes to make it even faster)

Dhuli(washed) Urad Dal Recipe

2008-12-02T19:00:00.008-05:00

Dal is something we Indians are used to eating daily and call it our comfort food..eat it with roti, nan, or rice..tastes great and a great source of daily protein requirement. Though most dals are easy to make and every dal can be made in variety of ways.

This recipe is for the simple to make yet tasty Urad dal(washed split or washed whole) and is also my entry to Srivalli's My legume love affair, the seventh helping event originally started by susan from Well Seasoned cook

Ingredients-

1 cup washed Urad dal(split or whole)- whole tastes better
Turmeric powder - 1/4 th teaspoon
Salt to taste
Onion - one small
Red chilli powder
Ghee/oil for tadka

Method-
For dal-

Boil the dal with turmeric powder and salt - cook till done, it should not be pasty.

For tadka-

In a separate pan heat oil and fry onions till golden brown, close the heat and add red chili powder.

Add tadka on top of dal and serve hot with chapati-