Recipes by Rashmi

SWEET AND SOUR PAPAYA DRINK

2008-05-14T12:41:00.000-07:00

Papaya is a healthy and nutritious fruit which is ignored by people. Papaya helps people who are suffering from constipation. It also provides relief from piles and has anti-cancer properties. It prevents urinary stones and helps to lower down the cholesterol level. I am sharing this papaya drink recipe, which can help to prevent constipation and piles. You can also enjoy this chilled papaya drink in summer.

INGREDIENTS:

Ripe papaya cube – 1 ½ cup
Lime juice – 4-5 tbsp
Black pepper – 1tsp
Rock salt – 1 tsp
Salt – ½ tsp
Sugar – 3-4 tbsp or Splenda (sugar free sweetener)– 3-4 tbsp
Chilled water - 1- 1 ½ cup
Crushed ice

METHOD:

Take a blender and put all ingredients except ice. Blend them into a smooth puree.
Now, take a glass and put some crushed ice. After that pour blended papaya mixture over crushed ice and chilled papaya drink is ready.

CHICKPEAS BURGER

2008-05-14T12:18:00.000-07:00

Here is another veggie burger recipe which my son loves.

Cooking Time: 15 min

Serves: 5

INGREDIENTS:

Boiled chickpeas – 1 ½ cup or chickpeas - 1 can
Boiled potatoes – 2(medium size)
Spring onions – 3-4(chopped)
Green chili – 1-2(chopped)(optional)
Ginger grated – 1 tbsp
Sesame seeds – 3-4 tbsp
All purpose flour (maida) – 2 tbsp
Coriander leaves – 2 tbsp
White pepper – 1tsp
Black pepper – 1tsp
Salt to taste
Lettuce leaves -2 (cut into small pieces)
Tomato ketchup
Mustard sauce
Onion dip (optional)
Burger buns – 5
Oil for greasing

METHOD:

Take a bowl and mix boiled chickpeas, potato, spring onion, green chili, ginger, all purpose flour, salt, black & white pepper. Make smooth dough and divide this dough in 5 equal portions. Now make 5 flat patties and wrap up in sesame seeds.
Now heat a flat greased pan and put 2-3 patties on heated pan in one time. Cook them on medium heat for 5-6 min or until bottom side gets golden brown. Now turn the other side and cook another 5-6 min or until this side also turns golden brown. Repeat this procedure for remaining portions.
Now heat the burger buns on pan. Now take bottom piece of bun and put onion dip prepared patty, lettuce, mustard sauce. Cover it with other half of the bun. Now, put some tomato ketchup on the top of burger. Chickpeas Burger is ready to serve.

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TAMARIND CHUTNEY

2008-05-07T16:02:00.001-07:00

Cooking time – 20-30 min

INGREDIENTS:

Tamarind pulp – 4 tbsp
Cumin seeds – 1 tsp
Fennel seeds – 1 tsp
Cardamom powder – 1 tsp
Salt to taste
Sugar – 4-5 tbsp
Jaggery pieces – 1-2 (1 inch)
Cooking oil – 1 tbsp
1 ½ -2 cup water

METHOD:

Mix tamarind pulp with water. Now heat a deep vessel with oil. Add cumin and fennel seeds. When they crackle, add tamarind water and keep stirring. Bring it to boil. Now reduce the heat to medium low heat and add salt and sugar. Mix them well. Let it cook for 10-15 min on medium low heat. After that add jaggery pieces and turn off the stove. Let it cool for 2-3 hr and mix them well. Tamarind chutney is ready.

We can store this chutney for 1-2 months in refrigerator. Use this chutney with kachori ,dahi vada, chaat etc.

chutney dips sauce tamarind imli

VEGETABLE NARGISI KOFTA

2008-05-07T15:40:00.000-07:00

Nargisi kofta is an exotic Awadhi dish (Uttar Pradesh in India). It’s not as difficult as it looks or sounds. It is very easy to prepare and we really don’t need too many ingredients for this dish. All these ingredients would be easily available in your kitchen. I prepare this NARGISI KOFTA with all kinds of vegetables or with chicken & eggs.

Cooking Time: 45 min

Serves: 4-5

INGRDIENTS:

For Kofta

Boiled vegetables (potato, cauliflower, green peas, carrots) – 1 ½ cup
Paneer ( grated) – 1/2cup
Grated ginger – 1 tbsp
Black pepper – 1 tbsp
White pepper – 1 tbsp
Maida (all purpose flour) – 3-4 tbsp
Salt to taste
Oil for deep frying

For Gravy

1 medium size boiled onion paste
3-4 tbsp tomato puree or 1 medium size tomato (chopped)
Canola/olive/vegetable oil – 2-3 tbsp
Bay leaves – 2
Ginger paste – 1 tbsp
Garlic paste – 1 tbsp
Red chili powder – 1tsp
Turmeric powder – 1 tsp
Coriander powder – 1 tbsp
Garam masala powder – 1tsp
Milk – ½ cup
Fresh cream – 2 tbsp
Salt to taste

METHOD:

For kofta

Take a bowl and mix all ingredients of kofta except oil. Make small kofta balls from this mixture.
Heat oil on high in deep frying pan and deep fry all koftas until they turn to golden brown. (While frying if you find balls are splattering then add little more maida into this mixture.) Drain all koftas on absorbent paper to absorb extra oil and keep them aside.

For Gravy

Now heat a vessel with oil and add bay leaves. After that add onion, ginger and garlic paste. Reduce the heat to medium and fry this mixture until it turns translucent and oil starts to separate.
Now add red chili powder, turmeric powder, coriander powder and salt in this mixture. Mix well and cook it for another 5 min on medium heat
Add milk and little water into this mixture to make gravy. Bring it to boil on high heat. Reduce the heat to medium low. Add fresh cream and garam masala powder. Mix it well and cover this vessel with a lid. Cook this gravy for another 3-4 min on medium low heat. Now turn off the stove.
Add koftas into this prepared Gravy and serve hot with rice or chapatti. (Remember one thing; add koftas to gravy only 5-6min before serving otherwise kofta would break.)

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CORIANDER/CILANTRO MINT CHUTNEY

2008-04-22T09:01:00.000-07:00

Here is the coriander mint chutney recipe. It goes well with any veg or non-veg snacks. We can serve it with stuffed parathas.

Preparation time – 10 min

INGREDIENTS:

Coriander/Cilantro leaves – 2 bunches
Green chilies – 4-5
Ginger piece (about 1”)
Mint leaves – 1 cup
Salt to taste
Lime juice – 4-5 tbsp
Mustard oil – 1 tbsp

METHOD:

Wash carefully all coriander & mint leaves under running water. Chop all leaves, chilies & ginger and place all these ingredients in processor. Add salt in it and grind them to make a smooth paste. If required then add little water and make a smooth paste. Now place this chutney in bowl and add lime juice & mustard oil. Mix them well and serve with kebabs, samosa, fritters, cheela etc.

We can store this chutney for 7-8 days in refrigerator. Keep this chutney in air tight container or bottle and store for a week.

chutney dips sauce cilantro mint dhaniya coriander

DAHI VADA (BLACK GRAM LENTIL FRITTER IN YOGURT)

2008-04-22T08:56:00.000-07:00

Dahi vada is a kind of chat which is prepared by soaked Urad daal (black gram) fritter in thick spicy yogurt. This is a very famous dish in all over India and each part of India has its own taste & recipe. In North India we serve this dish by garnishing with tamarind chutney and in Southern part, it is seasoned with mustard seeds, chilies & curry leaves. During Holi in North India this is a very popular snacks.

Serves: 3-4

INGREDIENTS:

For Vada

1 cup black gram lentil (urad dal) soaked in water for 2-3 hr
2” piece of ginger
Black pepper -7-8
Salt to taste
Raisins
Oil for deep frying

For Dahi mixture

Yogurt (curd) – 2 cup
Chat masala -2-3 tbsp
Rock salt -1-2tbsp
Tamarind chutney – 5-6 tbsp
Roasted cumin seeds powder – 2-3 tbsp
Red chili powder – 2 tsp

METHOD:

Grind soaked black gram lentil (urad daal) with ginger & black pepper in a food processor by using little water and make smooth paste. Now mix salt to taste.
Now heat deep frying pan with oil. Make small round shaped vadas from the paste you made in the last step. Deep fry them in hot oil until vada turns to golden brown. Drain all vadas on absorbent paper and keep them aside to cool on room temperature.
After cooling vada , add these vadas in hot water for 2-3 min. Take them out from water and squeeze extra water from vadas. Now take one raisin and stuff in center of vada by pressing it with your finger. Repeat this procedure for remaining vadas. Keep them aside.
Now blend the yogurt (curd) with rock salt to taste and little water.
Place all vadas in shallow serving dish and pour blended yogurt mixture over vadas. Keep this dish in refrigerator for 1-2 hr to soak vadas in yogurt mixture and get chilled.
Take out chilled and soaked vada from refrigerator. Now sprinkle red chilli powder, roasted cumin powder over vadas and add little tamarind chutney on each vada.
Serve chilled dahi vada in snacks, starter or as side dish.

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PEARL SAGO PUDDING (SABUDANA KHEER)

2008-04-13T16:09:00.000-07:00

There is always a debate on whether pearl sago is heathy for diabetic people. Some say it’s good for them while others say it gives lots of carbohydrates which is not healthy for people having diabetes. So this is not good for diabetic people.

Let’s don’t indulge in this controversy. My mom says pearl sago is good for growing age of children and specially new moms. They need more & more energy and sago is good source of energy. 100 gm of pearl sago yields 100 calories, including approx 94 gm carbohydrate and very less amount of protein, fiber, fat.

Sago is kind of dry fruit and in India this is especially used during festive occasion like Navratri, Janamashtami…. Some other dishes prepared using sago are PEARL SAGO KHICHADI, PEARL SAGO PUDDING etc. Sago kheer/pudding is served to patients to help recover faster by gaining energy. The kheer/pudding is also served in dessert.

We were celebrating Navratri festival last week and used to prepare pearl sago pudding/sabudana kheer twice a day. This prompted me to share the recipe of this pudding.

Cooking Time: 30 min

Serves: 3-4

INGREDIENTS:

1 cup of pearl sago
½ -1 cup of sugar/sugar free (SPLENDA)
3 cup of whole milk
Cardamom powder – 1 tsp
Pinch of saffron
Chopped nuts (cashew, almonds, pistachio)

METHOD:

Wash the pearl sago and drain out all the water. Keep them aside for 1 hr to set.
Now heat milk in heavy bottomed vessel until it reaches to boiling state . Reduce the heat and add washed pearl sago. Mix them well and keep stirring otherwise sago will stick to the bottom surface. Continue cooking on medium heat until sago turns soft and translucent.
Add sugar/sugar free and chopped nuts. Mix them well and turn off the heat. Pearl sago pudding is ready, but serve chilled pudding. (Remember one thing while cooking this pudding should not be very thick otherwise pudding would be hard and sticky after 2-3 hours of cooking of this pudding.)

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STUFFED CHEESE RICE FRITTER (RICE PAKAURA)

2008-04-04T13:27:00.000-07:00

Sometime it’s really too hard to consume left over food. If you had thrown party, then I am sure you faced this situation that lots of cooked rice or any other foods left over. Last weekend it’s happened to me. Lots of cooked rice was left in my fridge. I was very confuse, what to do with that rice…… because we really did not want to have that rice again. I thought so much but couldn’t find the right solution and coincidentally by that time my favorite cookery programme was telecasting on TV. In that show chef was talking and preparing this fritter with left over rice. I liked this idea and adapted this recipe from that show. I made some changes and prepare this delicious fritter.If you are in hurry and have to prepare something for your guests then you can try this dish.

Servings: 3-4

Cooking time: 15min

INGREDIENTS:

Pre-cooked rice -1 ½ -2 cup
Boiled potatoes (peeled & grated) – 2
Green chilies chopped - 2-3 (according to your taste)
Onion (chopped) – 2-3 tbsp
Crushed white pepper - 2 tsp
Coriander leaves (cilantro) chopped – 2 tbsp
Cheese cube – 10-12 small pieces (about 1/4”)
Ginger (grated) – 1 tbsp
Salt to taste
Oil for deep fry
Bread crumbs

METHOD:

Take all ingredients except oil and cheese cubes in a large bowl. Mix them well and knead soft dough.
Now divide this dough in 10-12 equal portions. Take one portion of dough and stuff cheese cube. After that, with the help of greased hand make round ball of this stuffed dough. Repeat this procedure for left portions of dough.
Spread the bread crumbs in shallow dish and roll the stuffed cheese rice balls in bread crumbs. Shake off any excess bread crumbs.
Now heat deep frying pan with oil on smoking point. Reduce the heat and deep fry all stuffed cheese rice ball until they turn to light brown in two batches. Try to avoid crowding the frying pan with fritters.
Take out the fritters on paper towel to absorb the excess oil of these fritters. Serve with any sauce and hot ginger tea.

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SWEET OMELET

2008-04-03T09:20:00.000-07:00

This is my husband's creation and I give him full credit for that. He is diabetic but cannot resist sweets. One morning he asked me to add sugar in the omelet instead of salt. First I laughed at the idea but just for fun I actually tried making a sweet omelet. It was not bad. In fact it was quite good. Even my 2 1/2 year old son liked it.

Cooking time: 10 min

Servings: 2

INGREDIENTS:
1. Eggs – 2 or ½ cup egg white
2. Almonds – 2-3 (chopped)
3. Cashew nuts – 2-3 ( chopped)
4. Raisins – 5-6
5. All purpose flour – 1 tbsp
6. Whole milk – 1-2 tbsp
7. Coco powder – 1 ½ tsp(optional)
8. Sugar/Splenda (sugar free)/brown sugar – 1-2 tbsp
9. Cinnamon powder - ½ tsp
10. Oil for greasing
11. Honey - 1-2 tbsp(optional)

METHOD:
1. Take a bowl and break eggs in it. Add milk, all purpose flour, coco powder, and sugar & cinnamon powder and make smooth batter. Keep it aside.
2. Now heat a flat pan and grease with oil. After that pour half of batter on heated pan and spread smoothly in 6-7 inches diameter. Sprinkle chopped nuts and cooks it on medium heat for 2-3 min or until bottom side turns light brown. Turn to other side and cook for 2 more minutes or until it gets cooked.
3. Sweet omelet is ready to serve. If you want eat this omelet with honey then pour 1 tbsp of honey over prepared omelet. We can serve this omelet in breakfast.

egg sweet nuts omelet splenda

PAPADI(HOME MADE CRACKER)

2008-04-03T07:54:00.000-07:00

Papadi is small round shaped crispy salty famous snacks of India. We prepare these snacks on the festive occasion of Holi or Diwali. It is also sold by roadside hockers.We can use these Papadis as evening snacks or we can prepare spicy chat with them.

Time: 20-25 min

INGREDIENTS:

1. 2 cup wheat flour
2. 3-4 tbsp ghee / vegetable oil
3. 1tbsp ajwain
4. Oil for deep fry
5. Salt to taste
6. Water

METHOD:

Take a bowl and mix all ingredients except oil (for deep frying) together. Now add little-little water at a time and make firm & stiff dough.
Now make 50-60 balls from this dough and roll them out in round shape papadi about 2” diameter. After rolling the balls, prick the papadi’s with fork all over. Remember one thing papadi should be very thin.
Now heat oil in deep frying pan. Add 4-5 Papadis in hot oil and deep fry them till they turn to crispy & golden brown. Take them out from oil and place on paper towel to absorb extra oil. Serve these papadi as snacks with hot tea or use in Papadis chat.

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QUICK VEGGIE RICE (TAHARI)

2008-03-26T08:45:00.000-07:00

This recipe is specially for bachelors. Quick veggie rice can be made without much effort. As we know cooking can be a painful job for bachelors but there are some quick, healthy, tasty & easy recipes for them. For example, rice poha, bread poha, veggie rice etc. I am going to share recipe of QUICK VEGGIE RICE, which is very popular in north India. This dish is known by the name of TAHARI.

Cooking time – 15 min

Serves – 2-3

INGREDIENTS:

Basmati rice – 1 ½ cup ( soaked in water for at least ½ hr but not necessary)
Butter/ghee/olive oil – 2 tbsp
Cumin seeds – 1 tsp
Frozen green peas - ¼ cup
Grated /thin sliced carrot - ¼ cup
Potatoes – 2 ( peeled & cut into bite size)
Cauliflower florets – 4-5
Salt to taste
Garam masla – 1 tsp
Water – 2 ¾ -3 cup
½ red onion (sliced )

METHOD:

Drain the water from soaked rice in colander and let it be in it for 10-15 min. If you are in a hurry then only wash the rice with water 2-3 time. Now heat a pressure cooker with butter /ghee /oil. Add cumin seeds, when they crackle, add sliced onion and fry them on medium heat for2-3 min. Now add green peas, carrot, potatoes, cauliflower florets & salt and mix them well. Stir occasionally and cook for another 2-3 min on medium heat.
After that add washed rice in cooker and mix well. Keep stirring for another 1-2 min otherwise rice will stick to the bottom. Now add water & garam masala and mix it well. Close the pressure cooker tightly with its cover. Increase the heat to high and cook till first whistle comes. Turn off the heat and let it cool. After 10-15 min uncover the cooker and serve hot veggie rice with salted yogurt or raita.

If you don't have a pressure cooker then you can prepare this rice in any other vessel. After adding water & garam masala, bring it to boil. Now reduce the heat to medium and cook till water evaporates. Turn off the heat and cover it with lid. Let it set and cool 10-15 min .Veggie rice is ready to be served.
veggie rice rice fried rice bachelors tahari

CHICKEN BIRYANI

2008-03-24T19:44:00.000-07:00

Biryani is derived from persian word 'Birian' which means fried or roasted. Basically this dish is south Asian dish made from mixture of spices, rice,meat or vegetables and curd. There is 20-30 kind of Biryani and each kind has its own taste. In India chicken biryani is very famous rice dish. We can find this dish every restaurant and parties. Its preparation took long time but finally when you have this Biryani you could realize its worth.
Servings: 4
Cooking Time: 45-60 min
INGERDIENTS:
1. Boneless chicken -1lb ( cut into bite size )
2. 1 cup non-fat yogurt
3. Ginger paste – 1tbsp
4. Garlic paste – 1tbsp
5. Cloves -3-4
6. Green cardamom – 4
7. Cinnamon stick – 1 ( about 1”)
8. Bay leaf – 1
9. Cumin seeds – 1tsp
10. Coriander powder – 2 tbsp
11. Cumin powder - ½ tbsp
12. Turmeric powder -1 tsp
13. A pinch of saffron ( soaked in water)
14. Garam masala – 1tsp
15. Red chili powder – 1tbsp
16. 1 large onion ( roughly chopped)
17. 1 large tomato (chopped)
18. 1 medium size red onion ( cut into thin slices)
19. 4 tbsp butter/ ghee/ olive oil
20. 4-5 tbsp olive oil
21. 10 cashew nuts
22. 8-10 raisins
23. 8-10 almonds
24. 2 cups white basmati rice ( soaked in water for 1 hr)
25. Salt to taste
26. 2 boiled egg ( cut into halves )
METHOD:
1. Drain water from soaked rice in a colander and let it be in it for 20 minutes. Now place the rice in a heavy bottomed vessel with 3 ½ cups of water, 1/2 tbsp of salt and few drops of oil. Cover it and bring to boil over high heat. Uncover it and cook without stirring on medium heat for about 7-8 min or until rice becomes just tender (take a few grains and chew them. Are they cooked??). Remember, rice should not be overcooked otherwise rice grains won't remain separated from each other. Turn off the stove and cover with lid.
2. Take a bowl and place boneless chicken, yogurt, cumin powder, bay leaf, garam masala powder, 2 cardamom pods, 2 cloves and garlic-ginger paste in it. Mix them well and keep this bowl in refrigerator for marinating the chicken.
3. After that, heat a pan with 3 tbsp of olive oil. Add cumin seeds, 2 cardamom pods, 2 cloves and cinnamon stick. When they crackle, add coarsely chopped onion and salt. Fry on medium heat until onions turn translucent. Now add chopped tomato and fry for another 2-3 min on medium heat. After that, add marinated chicken, turmeric powder, red chili powder, coriander powder and mix well. Fry them for 4-5 min on medium high heat and stir occasionally. Add 1 cup of water and cook till chicken pieces get cooked.
4. Again heat a pan with butter/ghee/oil. Add cashews, dry grapes & almonds and fry them for 1 min on medium heat. Now add red onion slices and sauté them till they turn to golden brown. Remove this pan from heat.
5. After that, take a heavy bottomed pot. Spread a layer of nuts and onion mixture (1/3 of the mixture prepared in the previous step) in it. Now, spread a layer of cooked rice (1/3 of total rice) over it and sprinkle saffron water. After that, spread 1/3 of chicken mixture prepared in 3rd step. Repeat this procedure for rest of the nuts & onion mixture, rice, saffron water and chicken mixture.
6. Cover the pot with lid and cook on low heat for 25-30 min or until steam starts coming out of the lid. Turn off the stove. Place this chicken biryani in serving bowl and place the boiled egg halves on rice & serve with raita.

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RASGULLA (CHEESE BALL IN SYRUP)

2008-03-19T09:44:00.000-07:00

Rasgulla is a traditional Bengali sweet dish, but it was invented in Puri, a temple city in Orissa, India. It is very soft, spongy cottage cheese ball cooked in sugar syrup.

Serves-4

INGREDIENTS:
1. Whole milk-4 cup
2. White vinegar-3-4 tbsp
3. Cotton cloth or muslin
4. Sugar-1/2 cup
5. Water-1 ½ cup
6. Cardamom powder-1/2 tsp

METHOD
1. Boil the milk in a heavy bottomed vessel on medium heat and keep stirring otherwise milk will stick to the bottom. When milk starts to boil, reduce the heat and add vinegar one by one tbsp and keep stirring. Within 1-2 minutes, you can see small curds floating on top. Wait till these curds get bigger. Wait for 3-4 min and turn off the heat & let it stand for 20 min.
2. After that take a colander wrapped with cotton cloth or muslin. Pour all curdle milk in this wrapped colander over your kitchen sink. Collect the curds and discard the whey.
3. Keep the curds in cotton cloth, tie a knot and hang it over the sink. Let it drip for 1-2 hr. Now open the knot. Paneer is ready. You can use it to make any other paneer dish too.
4. Now we have to knead this paneer in to a soft dough. You can kneed with your hand or can use a processor. Make a soft dough of paneer and cardamom powder.
5. Now make 10 small paneer balls with your palms. If required, grease your palm with little oil.

6. Heat a deep vessel with ½ cup of sugar and 1 ½ cup of water. When this syrup starts to boil, add paneer balls one by one. Cook them on high heat for 5-6 min. Now cover the vessel and cook them on medium low heat for 7-8 min. Turn off the heat and let it stand for 30 min.

7. Now place the all rasgullas with syrup in a bowl and keep them in refrigerator for 1-2 hr. Serve chilled rasgullas as a dessert.

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MATAR PANEER (INDIAN CHEESE WITH PEAS)

2008-03-19T09:24:00.000-07:00

This dish is very common and popular in India. Basically this dish is very rich and high in calories. People use ghee /butter and purchased paneer for this dish but I use vegetable oil and home made paneer (from low fat milk) for less calories. I enjoy this curry with tandoori roti and raita.
Cooking Time: 20-25 min
Serves: 4
INGREDIENTS:
1. 1 cup of fresh peas /frozen peas
2. 1 ½ cup of paneer cubes
3. ½ cup of milk
4. 7-8 cashews’ paste (soaked in milk& blend into paste)
5. 1 medium onion (roughly chopped)
6. 2 medium tomatoes/1 cup tomato puree
7. 1 ½ tbsp ginger garlic paste
8. 1tsp turmeric powder
9. 1tsp cumin powder
10.1tbsp coriander powder
11. 1 tsp chili powder
12. 4 tbsp olive oil / clarify butter( ghee)
13. Salt to taste
14. 1 tsp cumin seeds
15. 1-2 bay leaf

METHOD:
1. Take a blender and blend roughly chopped onion into paste. If you are using fresh tomatoes then blend tomatoes separately into puree.
2. Heat oil/butter in a deep pan and fry paneer cubes until they turn to light brown. Drain on paper towel & set them aside.
3. In remaining oil, add cumin seeds & bay leaf. When they crackle, add onion paste & ginger garlic paste and fry them on medium heat until they turn to translucent. Now add tomato puree and all spices (cumin, turmeric. chili, coriander powder) & salt. Keep stirring and cook this mixture on medium heat for 5-6 min or till oil starts to separate from mixture.
4. Now add milk & cashews’ paste and mix them well. At last add fried paneer cubes and mix them well in gravy. If required then add little water and cook another 5 min on low heat. Turnoff the stove and sprinkle chopped coriander leaves on this dish.
5. Serve prepared Matar paneer with naan, paratthas or chapaties.

MUNG DAL KACHORI

2008-03-10T18:15:00.000-07:00

Kachori is a very famous, spicy & mouthwatering north Indian snack or breakfast. It is a flatten puffed bread stuffed with yellow lentil (mung). Last weekend we decided to enjoy our evening with a movie at home. Also, I prepared mung dal kachori and served with chutney. It was a great treat as everyone enjoyed very much.

Cooking Time - 30 min

Preparation Time – 15-20 min

INGREDIENTS :

For dough:

1. 1 ½ cup wheat flour

2. 1 cup sooji

3. 1 cup of ghee /oil

4. 1 tbsp salt

5. 1 tsp baking powder

For filling :

1. 1/2 cup mung dal ( soaked in water for 2-3 hr )

2. 2-3 green chilies

3. ½ “ of ginger piece

4. Salt to taste

5. 1 tsp onion seeds

6. Pinch of asafoetida

7. 1 tsp turmeric powder

8. 1 tsp red chili powder

9. 1 tsp dried mango powder

10. 1 tsp cumin seeds

11. 1-1 ½ tbsp olive oil/ canola oil

12. 2 tbsp gram flour

For frying :

1. 2 cup ghee / canola oil

METHOD:

For dough :

1. Take flour, sooji, salt & baking powder in big bowl. Add oil /ghee into it. Use required water and knead to make a firm dough. Keep aside for 15-30 min and cover with wet cloth.

For filling :

1. Grind soaked dal in processor with green chili, ginger & salt.

2. Now heat a frying pan with oil. Add asafoetida and cumin seeds. When they crackle, add mung dal's mixture and keep stirring till they get cooked ( If mung dal mixture does not stick to the pan then it means mixture is cooked ).

3. Now add turmeric, red chili powder, gram flour, dried mango powder & onion seeds and saute for 6-8 min on medium heat. Turn off the stove and let the mixture cool.

For kachoris :

1. Divide the dough into small ball-sized portion and roll into balls between your palm till they are smooth and without cracks.

2. Roll a ball into 3”-4” circle and keep 1-2 tbsp of moong dal's mixture in center. Gather the edges and seal. Now again roll it like 4”-5” of circle. Make all kachoris in the same way. Keep them aside for 15-20 min.

3. Now heat a deep pan with oil on smoking point. After that add 1-2 kachori to the heated oil and fry them till they turn to golden brown. Remove the kachoris from oil and drain on paper towel to remove the excess oil. Serve hot kachoris with tamarind / coriander chutney or potato curry.

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PITA BREAD PIZZA

2007-10-07T14:18:00.000-07:00

Pita bread is ideal for breakfast, lunch, dinner, snacks, appetizers and even desserts. It makes the perfect pizza crust. Last week I tried this bread for a home made pizza.

Cooking Time – 10-15 min

Serves – 2

INGERDIENTS:

8 inch flat pita bread – 1
5-6 thin slices of bell pepper/capsicum
5-6 thin slices of mushroom
1-2 tbsp grated carrot
4-5 olives (diced)
2 tbsp of hummus
2-3 tbsp of salsa
2 tbsp of cheddar cheese

METHOD:

Preheat an oven at 370 degree for 10 min.
Meanwhile take a pita bread and spread over hummus & salsa. Place all thin sliced vegetable and diced olives. At last sprinkle grated cheddar cheese.
Now place this bread in greased baking tray and place this tray in a preheated oven. Bake this bread for 12-15 min or until cheese melts and pita bread has reached desired crispiness. Turn off the oven and take it out. Cut into 4-5 pieces and serve hot.

pizza pita snack home made cheese baked

MUSHROOM PUFFS

2007-09-15T20:25:00.000-07:00

Serves : 2-3

Cooking Time : 30-35 min

INGREDIENTS:-

whole button mushroom-6
eggs-3 OR 1/2 cup egg white
1 spoon chopped onion
1 spoon grated carrot
1 spoon green peas
1 spoon corn
1 spoon grated cheese
1 spoon grated tofu
thin capsicum slices-6
¼ teaspoon black pepper
salt to taste
1 spoon olive oil/ Pam spray

METHOD:

Wash mushrooms under running water. Wipe with paper towel softly. Now take a knife and separate the stem from mushroom cap. It looks small bowls. Keep them aside.
Heat a pan and grease with oil or Pam spray. Add chopped onion, carrot, green peas, corn, tofu
and saute for 2min. Remove the pan from heat. Take a bowl and beat all eggs. Add salt to taste and black pepper. Pour this mixture in mushroom caps. After that keep one capsicum slice on each cap and sprinkle some of grated cheese.
Preheat an oven at 375 degree. Take a baking tray and wrap it with foil paper. Grease with oil or spray. Place the stuffed Mushroom caps in that tray and bake for 15 min. After baking it we should broil it further 5-10 min. Now remove the mushroom cap from oven. It is ready to serve.
Enjoy the Mushroom puffs as starter or as evening snacks. Serve it with any kind of drinks.

mushroom eggs cuisine recipe puffs snacks mushroom recipe

GARLIC PANEER ROLL

2007-09-15T20:09:00.000-07:00

Paneer/ Indian Cottage Cheese is a great option for vegetarian people. In India party or special family dinner can not be complete without paneer dishes. I prepare many dishes of paneer like shahi paneer, malai kofta, palak paneer, rasgulla, paneer tikka etc. I just tried this Garlic paneer roll with garlic herb tortilla and paneer. Its not like paneer tikka roll but it's taste is really good. Paneer tikka roll is traditional Indian dish but this one is my experiment.

Cooking time – 15 min

Serves – 2

INGREDIENTS:

2 zesty garlic herb tortilla/plain tortilla
1-2 tbsp coriander/cilantro chutney
3 tbsp olive oil
8-10 paneer pieces (in 1” size)
2 baby corn (cut in lengthwise)
1 mushroom (cut in thin slices)
Garlic salt to taste
seasoning salt to taste (optional)
White pepper powder – 1tsp

METHOD:

For roll filling, heat a pan with 2 tbsp oil. Now add cut baby corn & mushroom slices and saute them for 2 min on medium high heat. After that add paneer pieces and fry on medium heat for 2 more minutes. Sprinkle garlic salt, seasoning salt & white pepper powder and mix them well. Turn off the stove and mix cilantro chutney in paneer mixture. Keep it aside.
Now heat a pan and heat all tortillas on this pan. Place heated tortilla on plain surface and keep ½ of paneer mixture in the mid of tortilla. Make a roll like in the picture.
Now heat a pan with ½ tbsp of oil or pam spray and fry these prepared rolls each side until they get light brown. Cut into 2 pieces of roll and serve hot with tomato sauce or tamarind chutney.

indian cuisine recipe recipes paneer paneer roll cheese cottage cheese garlic

SPICY BREAD CHAAT

2007-09-15T19:50:00.000-07:00

In India chaat is a very famous snack. I make various kind of chats like samosa, tikki, spinach chat etc. Bread chat is one of them. It is a bit spicy but irrest. Fat free croutans are easily available in grocery stores which you can use to make this chaat. You can buy ready made tamarind chutney from Indian grocery store but I prefer to use home made tamarind chutney.

Serves:2

Preparation time: 10 min

INGREDIENTS:

Croutans/fried bread pieces – 20
½ tortilla (cut into small pieces) deep fried
Chat masala – 2 tsp
Roasted cumin powder – 2 tsp
Boiled chickpeas/canned chickpeas / chickpeas curry ( chana masala ) – 1 cup
½ red medium size onion (chopped)
1-2 green chilies (chopped)
2 tbsp tamarind chutney/tomato sauce
Mint leaves – 4-5
Chopped coriander leaves – 1 tbsp
Chopped tomato – 1-2 tbsp
Boiled & peeled potato – 2 (sliced)
Salt to taste
Beaten & salted yogurt - ½ cup

METHOD:

If you do not have croutans then you can use deep fried bread pieces.
Soak the dry chickpeas in water for 5-6 hr and after that boil in pressure cooker with salt and water. Drain the chickpeas in colander. You can also use canned chickpeas.
Cut the boiled and peeled potato in thin slices.
Now take a bowl or snacks plate and spread half of potato slices & half of boiled chickpeas. Pour salted yogurt over them. Sprinkle cumin powder, spread half of croutans, chopped onion, green chili and coriander leaves. Now pour 1 tbsp of tamarind chutney and add some of deep fried tortilla pieces. At last sprinkle 1 tsp of chat masala. Mouthwatering bread chat is ready to serve.

chaat bread croutans traditional indian cuisine dish recipe recipes bread chaat

MANGO KULFI

2007-09-15T19:34:00.000-07:00

Kulfi is traditional Indian ice cream. It is very easy to make that we don't even need electric ice cream maker to make it. Traditional kulfi is made in earthenware cones but we can make it in our home freezer too. In India , still traditional kulfi sellers come door to door with their traditional earthenware pot of kulfi on hand carts. Whenever I go to my parents place in summer, i enjoy my most of evening with traditional kulfi ( matka kulfi ). My favorite is mango kulfi.

INGREDIENTS:

1 tbsp unflavored gelatin
4-5 tbsp hot water
2 ripe mango's pulp
½ liter whole milk
½ cup milk powder
¼ cup sugar / SPLENDA ( sugar free )
1 tsp cardamom powder
Handful chopped nuts ( almonds + pistachios )
15-20 raisins

METHOD:

Take a bowl with hot water and add gelatin. Allow to dissolve it in water.
Now take milk & milk powder in a deep heavy bottomed vessel. Mix them well and bring to boil. Add sugar or sugar free ( SPLENDA) in that vessel. Now reduce the heat to medium low and cook for 10-12 min or until mixture gets thick. After that turn off the heat and let it cool for approx 1 hr.
Now add dissolved gelatin, mango pulp and cardamom powder in the mixture. Mix them well and transfer this mixture in a freezer container.
Place this container in freezer until mixture is half frozen. Remove this mixture from freezer and blend in blender or processor until it becomes smooth. Now repack in individual molds or bowl and freeze again until half frozen but, still smooth & creamy. Mango kulfi is ready. Garnish with chopped nuts & raisins and serve chilled.

mango kulfi icecream dessert sweet dish indian traditional indian

KALAKAND (MILK CAKE)

2007-08-25T22:55:00.000-07:00

Kalakand is a very famous Indian sweet dish. On the festive and joyful occasion of Raksha-bandhan, I prepare kalakand at home for my sweet younger brother. This is my favorite and my brother's too. This year Raksha-bandhan is on 28th August and my brother won't be with me at that time. Don't worry..this recipe is for him only :)

Cooking time – 20 min

INGERDIENTS:

Whole milk -1 liter
Home made paneer – 500 gm
Sugar / Splenda sugar free - ½ cup
Chopped nuts - ½ cup ( Almonds, Pistachio )
Cardamom powder – 1 tsp
Butter / ghee for greasing

METHOD:

Turn on the stove and boil milk in a heavy bottomed vessel. Meanwhile, mash paneer with your hand. When milk comes to a boil add mashed paneer and keep stirring. Reduce the heat to medium and stir till liquid evaporates and the mixture thickens.
Add sugar /Splenda sugar free & cardamom powder in this mixture and mix well. Keep stirring till excess liquid evaporates. Now it should look like semi-solid mixture. Remove this mixture from heat.
Take a plate/tray and grease with butter/ghee and spread all chopped nuts. Now spread this hot semi-solid mixture in the greased plate/tray. Let it cool for 2-3 hr. Cut into burfi or desired shape and serve this Kalakand as dessert.

kalakand milkcake sweet indian recipe recipes dessert cake

VEGGIE SOY BURGER

2007-08-18T17:43:00.000-07:00

I adapted this recipe from one of my favorite cookery shows. Soy products are very healthy and nutritious. This recipe is made from soy chunks. I also love soy chunk curry & pulav but I never thought about this soy burger. Thanks to the cookery show for this easy, delicious and healthy dish.

Cooking time – 20 min

Serves – 4

INGREDIENTS

Burger buns – 4
Soy chunks – 20-25
Milk - ½ cup
2 tbsp grated carrot
2 tbsp green peas
2 tbsp cut corn
2 tbsp red onion (chopped)
1 tsp ginger (chopped)
2 tbsp all purpose flour
2-3 green chilies
Olive oil – 2-3 tbsp
Ranch (salad dressing) – 3-4 tbsp
Tomato sauce – 3-4 tbsp
lettuce leaves
4 slices of tomato
4 slices of red onion
Salt to taste

METHOD

Soak soy chunks in hot milk for ½ hr. After that take a processor and add soy chunks, carrot, green peas, corn, chopped onion, green chilies, ginger, salt & grind them .Take this mixture in a bowl and add all purpose flour. Make a smooth dough.
Divide this dough in 4 equal portion and make 4 flat patties.
Now heat a flat greased pan and put patties and cook them on medium high heat for 7-8 min or until bottom side gets golden brown. Now turn the other side and cook for another 7-8 min or until this side also gets golden brown.
Now heat the burger buns on a pan. Now take bottom piece of bun and put ranch, prepared patty, tomato slice, onion slice, lettuce, tomato sauce. Cover it with the other half of the bun. Veggie soy burger is ready to serve.

soy burger breakfast patty veggie vegetarian healthy

CHICKPEAS CURRY

2007-08-18T17:15:00.000-07:00

Chickpeas are also known as garbanzo beans. It is a good source of cholesterol lowering fiber and protein. Its high fiber content prevents blood sugar level from rising too rapidly after taking meals and hence, a very good diet for diabetic people. Chickpeas is a very popular ingredient in middle eastern and Indian dishes such as hummus, falafel and Chana masala. Chana masala is a very popular dish in north India. You can find this dish in every restaurant's menu. It is very easy cook so lets give it a try.

Cooking time – 20-25 min

Serves – 4

INGREDIENTS

Chickpeas – 2 cups (soaked in water for 5-6 hr) / 2 small cans
Onion – 1 ½ medium size ( finely chopped)
Tomato – 2 medium size (pureed)
Garlic paste – 1 tbsp
Ginger paste – 1 tbsp
Bay leaf – 2
Clove – 2-3
Cardamom – 2
Cinnamon stick – 1
Cumin seeds – 1 tsp
Red chili powder – 1 tsp
Turmeric powder – 1 tsp
Coriander powder – 1 ½ tbsp
Cumin powder - ½ tbsp
Yogurt (beaten) - ½ cup
Kashmiri chili powder / paprika – 1 tsp
Olive oil / vegetable oil – 3 tbsp
Salt to taste
Coriander leaves / cilantro leaves (chopped) – 1 tbsp

METHOD

Soak the chickpeas for 5-6 hr in water. Cook in a pressure cooker till chickpeas get tender (3-4 whistles). Do not discard the water. If you are using chickpea cans then you don't need to soak and cook but discard the liquid.
Now heat a heavy bottomed vessel with oil & add cumin seeds, bay leaves, cloves, cardamom and cinnamon stick. When they crackle, add finely chopped onion, ginger, garlic paste and salt. Fry on medium heat till onions turn translucent. Now add tomato puree and all spices (chili powder, turmeric powder, coriander powder, cumin powder) and keep stirring. Cook this mixture on medium heat for 5-6 min.
Now add yogurt and pressure cooked chickpeas with water or canned chickpeas. Mix them well and cover this vessel .If you are using can then add ½ cup of water. Cook for 10-12 min on medium low heat or until it gets nicely cooked. Turn off the stove. Chana masla is ready to serve. Serve with rice, roti, naan or parantthas.

chole chana chana masala chick peas garbanzo beans recipe indian spicy

ACHARI CHICKEN

2007-08-12T12:16:00.000-07:00

Here is a chicken recipe, flavored with garlic, ginger, lime juice, mustard oil, chili and onion seeds. Last year when we were in India, a cooking competition was organized in my husband's office and this dish was appreciated by all. I could not ask for the ingredients which left me guessing all the time. After some googling and a bit reverse engineering, I finally tried it and it turned out pretty well. It is an excellent side dish which you can serve with rice, roti, naan, tortilla etc.

Cooking Time – 30 min

Serves – 4-5

INGREDIENTS:

Boneless chicken – 1 lb (cut into bite size )
Green banana pepper – 2-3
1 medium sized onion ( cut into thin slices)
1 large tomato ( chopped )
1 tbsp garlic paste
1 tbsp ginger paste
4 tbsp yogurt
1 tsp cumin seeds
1 tsp red chili powder
½ tsp fenugreek seeds
1 tsp turmeric powder
1 tbsp fennel seeds
1 tbsp mustard seeds
2-3 tbsp lime juice
½ onion seeds
½ ajwain/carom seeds
Salt to taste
Olive oil/ mustard oil – 3-4 tbsp

METHOD:

Heat a deep pan with oil and cumin seeds. When cumin seeds start crackling, add onion slices and fry them till they turn to light brown.
Now add chopped tomato and cook them until they turn into puree. After that add chicken pieces, yogurt, ginger garlic paste, salt, chili powder and mix well. Cover the pan with lid and cook on medium heat till chicken is half done.
On a separate pan, roast mustard seeds,fennel seeds & fenugreek seeds together until they turn to light brown.
Take 1 tbsp of this roasted mixture and keep it aside. Grind rest of mixture. Now add onion seeds and carom seeds in the ground mixture.
Now add turmeric powder & lime juice in ground mixture and make a paste. Stuff this paste in banana pepper and keep it aside. Keep some paste aside.
Add remaining paste and roasted mixture to the chicken and cook for 5 min on medium low heat. After that, place the stuffed banana pepper on chicken and cook another 5-7 min on low heat. Hot, sour and spicy Achari chicken is ready to serve.

chicken achar pickle non-veg pepper banana pepper indian cuisine recipe recipes

MANGO LASSI

2007-08-07T18:50:00.001-07:00

Lassi is on of the traditional north Indian beverages. Last summer, I visited my mother's place in India. We have a mango farm there and in summer we really got bored eating mangoes. My father, who can not survive a single day without lassi in summer, suggested me to make lassi with ripe mango. Mother and me tried this lassi and we loved it.

Servings – 3-4

INGREDIENTS:

Ripe mangoes – 2-3
Non-fat yogurt – 2 cups
2-3 tbsp sugar
1 tsp cardamom powder
3-4 chopped cashew nuts
3-4 chopped almonds
1 tbsp rosewater
Crushed ice

METHOD

Peel and cut the mangoes into small pieces. Take a blender and put all cut mangoes, yogurt, sugar, cardamom powder, rose water and blend them well.
Now take a glass filled with some crushed ice and pour blended mango pulp over crushed ice.
Garnish with chopped nuts and serve chilled.

dessert drink lassi summer mango curd yogurt

CHICKEN MUSHROOM SOUP

2007-08-01T16:19:00.000-07:00

Here comes a tasty healthy chicken soup.

Cooking time – 25-30min

Serving size – 2

INGREDIENTS:

Button mushroom – 4 (cut in slices)
Chicken pieces – 15 (bite size)
Bay leaf – 1
Cloves – 2
Water – 2 cup
White pepper powder - ½ tsp
Salt to taste
Garlic -2 cloves (chopped)
¼ medium size onion (roughly chopped)
½ cup milk
Dry fenugrick leaves – 1 tbsp
Chopped coriander leaves – 1tbsp
Croutons – 8-10 or boondi -4 tbsp (optional)
Olive oil/butter – 1tbsp
Soy sauce – 1 tbsp

METHOD:

Take a microwaveable bowl and put chicken pieces, bay leaf, red chili, cloves and salt. Add 2 cups of water and cook them in microwave for 5-6 min
or
take a heavy bottomed vessel and put all the above ingredients with water and cook them on high heat for 7-8 min. Keep it aside and let it cool
Now heat a deep pan with oil/butter. Add chopped garlic and saute it for 1 min. After that add roughly chopped onion. Fry them on medium low heat for 3-4 min. Now add sliced mushroom and saute them for another 5 min.
Pass the cooked chicken with water through a sieve and collect the liquid and chicken separately.
Now pour this liquid in sauteed mushroom in a pan. Bring to boil and reduce the heat to medium heat. Cook for 5-6 min. Turn off the stove and roughly blend this soup with hand blender or blender.
Again heat this blended soup and add the chicken pieces. After that slowly add milk and keep stirring. Add white pepper powder, dry fenugrick leaves and soy sauce & mix it well. Cook them on medium heat for 5 min. Remove the soup from heat and place in a soup bowl. Garnish with coriander leaves and croutons. Add any seasoning salt according to your taste.

soup chicken breakfast brunch mushroom mushroo chicken soup chicken soup

CHEESE MUNG BEAN PANCAKE(CHEELA)

2007-08-01T15:53:00.000-07:00

Here is another pancake (cheela). Earlier I have shared Besan cheela (gramflour pancake) with you people. This one is more healthy and tasty. Mung bean (yellow split lentil) is easy to digest and highly nutritious.

Cooking time – 10 min (for each cheela)

INGREDIENT:

Mung daal (yellow split lentil) – 2 cups (soaked in water for 3-4 hr)
Turmeric powder – 1.5 tsp
Chili powder – 1 tsp
Cumin powder – 1 tsp
Pinch of asafoetida
Salt to taste
Paneer - 100 gm (chopped)
Green chilies – 3-4
1 medium red onion(finely chopped)
½ cup green peas
Olive oil for greasing
Onion seeds - ½ tbsp

METHOD:

Drain out all the water from soaked daal. Now take a food processor and transfer this daal in it. Add green chilies, salt & 1 ½ cup of water and grind them to make a smooth batter. If required, add more water and make a smooth batter.
Place this batter in a large bowl and add all other ingredients except oil. Mix them well and let it stay for 20 min.
Now heat a greased flat pan. Pour ladleful batter on heated pan and spread it in round shape with diameter of 6-8 inches.
Reduce the heat to medium and cook it for 4-5 min or until bottom side gets cooked. Now turn the other side and cook for 4-5 min on medium high heat or until it turns to golden brown.
Paneer Moong daal cheela/Cheese Mung Bean Pancake is ready to serve. Serve with chutney or salsa.

cheela pancake mung daal breakfast brunch

SESAME CHICKEN STRIPES

2007-06-24T14:43:00.000-07:00

Cooking time – 20 min

Serves – 3

INGREDIENTS:

2 boneless chicken breast (cut in 2 inch long stripes)
White vinegar – 1/3 cup
Salt to taste
White pepper – 2 tsp
Black pepper – 1 tsp
All purpose flour – 2 tbsp
Sesame seeds – 3-4 tbsp
Oil for greasing

METHOD

Wash all chicken stripes. Take a ziploc bag and place all chicken stripes in it.
Now take a bowl and pour white vinegar and add all ingredients except sesame seeds & oil. Mix them well and pour this liquid marinade in ziploc bag/sealable plastic bag over chicken stripes. Seal this bag and shake it well to mix the chicken with marinade. Keep this ziploc bag in refrigerator to marinate the chicken for 4-5 hr.
After marination, take out the ziploc bag and place chicken stripes in a greased baking tray. Sprinkle sesame seeds over marinated chicken stripes.
Preheat an oven at 400 degree F for 8-9 min. Now place the baking tray in oven at lower rack and bake the chicken stripes for 10 min. After that place this tray at upper rack and broil them for 6-7 min. Remove sesame chicken stripes from oven and serve hot with sauce/chutney.

chicken recipe recipes snacks sesame oven

PEANUT CAPSICUM CHICKEN CURRY

2007-06-19T17:10:00.000-07:00

So, here is my new experiment "Peanut Capsicum Chicken Curry". We enjoyed this dish with rice and parantha. If you are worried about the cholestrol content then relax. It is not going to increase your cholesterol level. Many people do not know that nuts are very important for our health. Nuts contain good fat and can reduce LDL and increase HDL. Here is the recipe:

Serves – 4

Cooking time – 30 min

INGREDIENTS:

Boneless chicken – 1 lb(cut into bite size)
1 capsicum [(green bell pepper) cut in ½ inch square pieces]
Peanuts [soaked in water for 1 hr(approx 30)]
1 medium size onion (finely chopped)
1 tbsp paste
1 tbsp garlic paste
1 bay leaf
1 tsp cumin seeds
1 tbsp roasted sesame seeds
1 medium size tomato
1 tsp red chili powder
1 tsp garam masala
½ tsp turmeric powder
1 tbsp coriander powder
salt to taste
Olive oil – 3-4 tbsp

METHOD:

Take a processor and put roughly chopped tomato, soaked peanuts and sesame seeds in it. Make a smooth paste.
Now heat a heavy bottomed vessel with oil. Add cumin seeds & bay leaf. When they crackle, add chopped onion, ginger, garlic paste and salt. Fry them till they turn to translucent.
Now add prepared paste (peanut,tomato & sesame seeds) in this vessel and mix them well. Reduce the heat to medium heat and stir occasionally. Add all spices (garam masala, chili powder, coriander powder & turmeric powder) and mix them well. Cover this vessel with lid and cook for 5-6 min on medium heat.
Now uncover the vessel and add chicken & capsicum (bell pepper) pieces and cook on high heat for 3-4 min & stir occasionally. Now reduce the heat to medium low heat and cover it again. Cook for 10-12 min on medium low heat. Add little water if the gravy is thicker than desired.
Remove from heat .Serve hot with rice, roti, naan or parattha.

Chicken Side dish Healthy Recipe Recipes, Indian Capsicum Pepper Green Pepper

CRISPY TASTY TOASTY TOAST

2007-06-08T18:10:00.000-07:00

It is one of my own experiments which turned out pretty good :). I just got tired of ready made snacks and thought of trying something on my own. This post was due for very long. I had tried it way back but I could not take pictures. Day before yesterday, I made it again for a small get together. So, here it is..

Cooking time – 10-12 min

Serves – 3-4

INGREDIENTS:

Wheat bread /white bread slices – 4
Hummus – 4 tbsp
Salsa sauce- 4-5 tbsp
Sesame seeds (roasted) – 2 tbsp
Mushroom (thin slices) – 8-9
Green bell pepper (capsicum) slices – 8-9
Mozzarella cheese (grated) – 2 tbsp (optional)

METHOD:

Take all bread slices on a chopping board and cut them diagonally.
First spread chickpeas spread and then salsa sauce on each diagonally cut slice.
Use mushroom slices and bell pepper slices as toppings. Sprinkle sesame seeds and add grated mozzarella cheese on them. Place all bread slices in lightly greased baking tray.
Preheat an oven at 400 degree F. Keep the baking tray in oven at lower rack and bake the slices for 10-12 min or until they turn to crispy.
Turn off the oven and remove the tray. Serve it hot with honey mustard sauce.

Snacks Appetizer Toast Bread Breakfast Hummus Baked

MANGO-MINT CHUTNEY

2007-06-08T17:45:00.000-07:00

Are you fed up with all kind of sauces and dips??? Try this! This is real easy to make. Serve it with fries, samosa, kebabs, pakoras or kachauris. No preservatives, home made and really awesome!

Serves – 4-5

Preparation Time – 5 min

INGREDIENTS:

1 cup mint leaves
1 medium size peeled raw mango
5-6 green chilies
2 red chilies
3-4 roasted garlic
½ inch of ginger piece
Salt to taste
1 tbsp mustard oil/olive oil

METHOD:

Take all ingredients except oil, in food processor and grind them finely. If required, add 1-2 tbsp of water. Place it in a bowl and add mustard oil. Mix it well. Mango-mint chutney is ready. Try this chutney with Shahi Kebab, Shami Kebab, and Gram Flour Pancake.

Indian Cuisine Recipe recipes Chutney Sauce Dip

SPINACH RICE

2007-06-08T17:17:00.000-07:00

Spinach is good for health but it can be really boring and monotonous to eat regular salad and other bland dishes. If you are really bored of it then try this dish. I first tasted it at a friend’s place and instantly liked it. It is really easy to cook and does not take much time either.

Serves – 2-3

Cooking time – 15-20 min

INGREDIENTS:

1 cup white basmati rice (soaked in water for 1 hr)
2 cups spinach (chopped)
½ red onion (roughly chopped)
2-3 green chilies (cut along length)
1 tsp chopped ginger
1 tsp cumin seeds
2 tbsp butter/olive oil
1 ¾ cups of water
Salt to taste

METHOD:

Soak the rice in water for 1 hr. Drain the water in a colander and leave the rice for 15 min to drain the extra water.
Take spinach leaves and wash them properly. Drain the extra water.
Take a heavy bottomed vessel and heat oil/butter. Add cumin seeds, chilies & ginger. Sauté them for 1-2 min on medium high heat. Now add roughly chopped onions and fry them till they turn to translucent. Add chopped spinach and mix well. Keep stirring for 3-4 min on medium heat.

Now add soaked & washed rice. Fry for 3-4 min. Keep stirring otherwise rice will start to stick to the bottom.

Add 1 ¾ cups of water. Mix well and cook on high heat till water gets evaporated. Reduce the flame to low heat and cover with lid. Let it cook for 4-5 min.
Remove the rice from heat. Let it stay for a while so that the grains become separated.
Spinach rice is ready to serve. Serve hot with any curry.

Indian Cuisine Recipe recipes Rice Spinach palak healthy food

SHAHI (Royal) KEBAB

2007-06-06T17:44:00.000-07:00

Here comes another kebab. Last one was Shami Kebab. This time it is Shahi (Royal) Kebab. Why is it Royal? Well, you better taste it first!! Yesterday, my husband requested me to prepare something which I had never made. I vaguely knew how to make Shahi Kebabs but had never tried before. After googling for an hour and talking to my mother and Maneesha, I decided to make it. My husband also deserves some credit for his suggestions.

INGREDIENTS

Ground chicken – 200gm
Paneer/ tofu – 100gm (mashed)
Ginger paste - ½ tbsp
Garlic paste - ½ tbsp
Chopped coriander/cilantro leaves – 2 tbsp
Dried fenugreek leaves – 1 tbsp
Chopped red onion – 2 tbsp
White pepper powder – 1 tbsp
Black pepper powder - ½ tsp
Salt to taste
White vinegar – 2 tbsp
Cumin powder – 1 tsp
Coriander powder - ½ tbsp
Red chili powder – 1tsp
Chopped cashew – 2 tbsp
Chopped almonds – 2 tbsp
Pistachio – 2 tbsp
Butter/olive oil – 2 tbsp
Egg – 1 or egg white - ¼ cup

METHOD:

Take a bowl and mix all the ingredients except butter/oil in it. Make soft dough from the mixture. Place this dough in a covered box or Zip lock and keep it in refrigerator. Let it marinate for 2-3 hr.
After marinating it, divide in 10-12 equal portions. Now grease your palms and make kebabs like italian sausage/ salami. Put bamboo or steel skewer through them and brush little bit of oil/butter.
Now preheat an oven at 375 degree F. Keep all kebabs with skewer in a baking tray. Place this tray in oven at upper rack and broil them for 8-9 min each side or until they turn to golden brown.
Remove the kebabs from oven and serve hot with Mango-Mint chutney/dip.
If you are going to use bamboo skewer then soak them in water for 15-20 min to prevent burnnig of bamboo skewers.

Indian Cuisine Traditional Indian Appetizer Snack Recipe Recipes Kebab Royal Shahi Kebab Chicken

HOW TO MAKE PANEER/INDIAN CHEESE IN YOUR KITCHEN

2007-05-30T18:34:00.000-07:00

Paneer is one of the very important ingredients of many Indian dishes like palak paneer (Spinach and Indian Cheese Curry), rasgulla, shahi paneer etc. Refer to my one of the earlier posts about Palak Paneer ( Spinach and Indian Cheese Curry).

Anything fresh is always preferred for health as well as taste. Although you can buy frozen Paneer from an Indian grocery store, but why to put so much effort if you can prepare fresh paneer in your kitchen. It is very easy to prepare and you don't need any expertise to make it.

Total preparation time: 2-3 hr

INGREDIENTS:

Whole milk-4 cup
White vinegar-3-4 tbsp
Cotton cloth or muslin

METHOD:

Heat the milk in a heavy bottomed vessel on medium heat and keep stirring, otherwise milk will stick to the bottom. When milk starts to boil, reduce the heat and add vinegar slowly and keep stirring. In next 1-2 min, you can see small curds floating on top. Wait till these curds get bigger. Wait for 3-4 min and turn off the heat & let it stand there for 20 min.
After that take a colander which is wrapped with cotton cloth or muslin. Pour all curdled milk in this wrapped colander over your kitchen sink. Collect the curds and discard the whey.
Keep the curds in a cotton cloth, tie a knot and hang it over the sink. Let the whey drip for 1-2 hr. Now open the knot. If any extra whey is there, squeeze it out. Paneer is ready.
Now, knead this paneer into soft dough. Spread it over a cellophane paper. Cover it with another cellophane paper Give it a flat shape by pressing it with a flat heavy container (Keep it a bit thick, say about 1/2 inch). Leave the container over paneer for 1 hour. After that, remove the container and cellophane papers. Cut into desired shapes.

Technorati Tags:paneer, indian cheese, milk, vegetarian, cottage cheese, recipe

MUSHROOM & PEAS CURRY ( MUSHROOM MATAR)

2007-05-28T20:39:00.000-07:00

Earlier, I did not even like mushroom to see in my kitchen. Few months back, my husband was detected with high cholesterol and high sugar in his blood. After that, ofcourse I had to change his daily diet. While searching for good & healthy food, I found mushroom very healthy, low in calories, fat and cholesterol free yet providing several nutrients. I tried to prepare some dishes using mushroom and they turned out to be decent. Now I make mushroom soup, puffed mushroom, mushroom peas curry and lot more. Last week I tried mushroom peas curry for a potluck and it was one of the favorites :)
So, here is the recipe.

Servings: 3

Cooking time: 30 minutes

INGREDIENTS:

White button mushrooms – 5-6
Green peas – 1 cup (frozen or fresh)
Onion Paste ( 1 medium sized onion)
3 tbsp butter/olive oil
Cashew nut paste-2 tbsp
½ tsp garam masala
Garlic paste – 1 tbsp
Ginger paste – 1 tbsp
Coriander powder – 1 tbsp
Cumin powder – 1 tsp
Bay leaf – 1
½ cup milk
Salt to taste
Sour cream – 2-3 tbsp
½ tsp turmeric powder (optional)
Mint leaves (for garnishing)

METHOD:

Wash all mushrooms under running water. Wipe them softly and cut into slices. Now heat a greased pan and saute the mushroom slices till they turn light brown.
Now again heat a deep pan with butter/olive oil. Add cumin seeds & bay leaf to heated oil. When they crackle, add onion, ginger, garlic paste & salt and fry on medium heat for 5-6 min.
Now add cashew paste and all spices (cumin, coriander,garam masala powder). Keep stirring otherwise cashew paste would stick to the bottom and get burnt. Cook them on medium low heat for 4-5 min.
Add green peas and fry for another 2-3 min on medium high heat. After that add sauteed mushroom slices in this mixture and mix well. Keep stirring it and slowly add milk. Reduce the heat to medium and cover the pan. Cook them for 4-5 min on medium heat. If gravy becomes thick then you can add little water to make it thinner.
Remove the pan from heat. Place mushroom peas curry in serving bowl and garnish with sour cream and mint leaves. Serve it with fried rice, roti, naan or parantha.

Technorati Tags:recipe, recipes, indian cuisine, mushroom, peas, mushroom matar, side dish

KATHAL BIRYANI (JACKFRUIT FRIED RICE)

2007-05-26T09:36:00.000-07:00

Here comes another Biryani (also see egg biryani). My mother is an expert of this dish and she only taught me how to make it. This is one of the most delicious vegetarian biryanis. To be honest, I am a vegetarian at heart. Now, because of my loving husband I have already tried almost every kind of meat. In turn, I also had quite an effect on him. Earlier, for him, a meal without meat was a fiasco. But, now he has started loving vegetarian substitutes and this dish is one of his ‘vegetarian yet delicious’ favorites. While I was in India, I used to prepare it occasionally, but after coming to

USA

I could not make it as I couldn’t find jackfruit anywhere. Recently, I went to a Chinese market with a friend and to my surprise, I found fresh as well as canned jackfruit. Wow! Yesterday, I tried this dish.

Ask me please… was it tasty or was it tasty!!! Actually, it was great!!

Serving: 4

Cooking time: 50-60 minutes

INGREDIENTS:

1 can green jackfruit (drained weight 250 gm) - cut in to bite size
1 cup non-fat yogurt (curd)
Garlic paste-1 tbsp
Ginger paste-1 tbsp
Cloves-4
Green cardamom-4
Cinnamon stick-1 (1 inch)
Bay leaf-1
Cumin seeds-1 tsp
Coriander powder-1 ½ tbsp
Cumin powder-1 tsp
Turmeric powder-1 tsp
A pinch of Saffron (soaked in water)
Red chili powder-1 tbsp
Garam masala-1 tsp
Chopped coriander leaves-1 tbsp
1 large onion (roughly chopped)
1 medium tomato (chopped)
1 medium size red onion (cut in to slices)
4 tbsp butter/ghee/olive oil
4-5 tbsp olive oil/vegetable oil
8-10-cashew nuts
8-10- dry grapes
8-10-almonds
1 ½ cups white basmati rice (soaked in water for 1 hr)
Salt to taste

METHOD:

Drain water from soaked rice in a colander and let it be in it for 20 minutes. Now place the rice in a heavy bottomed vessel with 2 ½ cups of water, 1/2 tbsp of salt and few drops of oil. Cover it and bring to boil over high heat. Uncover it and cook without stirring on medium heat for about 7-8 min or until rice becomes just tender (take a few grains and chew them. Are they cooked??). Remember, rice should not be overcooked otherwise rice grains won’t remain separated from each other. Turn off the stove and cover it.
Now heat a pan with 2 tbsp oil. Add jackfruit pieces and sauté them for 10 min on medium heat. (Traditionally, we should deep fry the jackfruit pieces, but I prefer to sauté them for health reasons.) Turn off the stove.
Take a bowl and place sautéed jackfruit, yogurt, cumin powder, bay leaf, garam masala powder, 2 cardamom pods, 2 cloves and garlic-ginger paste in it. Mix them well and keep this bowl in refrigerator for 1-2 hr for marinating jackfruit.
After that, heat a pan with 3 tbsp of olive oil. Add cumin seeds, 2 cardamom pods, 2 cloves and cinnamon stick. When they crackle, add coarsely chopped onion and salt. Fry on medium heat until onions turn translucent. Now add chopped tomato and fry for another 2-3 min on medium heat. After that, add marinated jackfruit, turmeric powder, red chili powder, coriander powder and mix well. Fry them for 4-5 min on medium high heat and stir occasionally. Add 1 cup of water and cook till jackfruit pieces get cooked and become tender. Turn off the stove.
Again heat a pan with butter/ghee/oil. Add cashews, dry grapes & almonds and fry them for 1 min on medium heat. Now add red onion slices and sauté them till they turn to golden brown. Remove this pan from heat.
After that, take a heavy bottomed pot. Spread a layer of nuts and onion mixture (1/3 of the mixture prepared in the previous step) in it. Now, spread a layer of cooked rice (1/3 of total rice) over it and sprinkle saffron water. After that, spread 1/3 of jackfruit mixture prepared in 4^th step. Repeat this procedure for rest of the nuts & onion mixture, rice, saffron water and jackfruit mixture.
Cover the pot with lid and cook on low heat for 25-30 min or until steam starts coming out of the lid. Turn off the stove.
Place it in serving dish or bowl. Garnish with chopped coriander leaves and serve with raita.

Technorati Tags:biryani, mughlai, kathal, jackfruit, kathal biryani, indian, cuisine, recipes, recipe, vegetarian biryani

QUICK CHICKEN NOODLE SOUP

2007-05-23T20:22:00.000-07:00

This is the simplest recipe of chicken noodle soup which I could think of. I have simplified a few things but haven’t compromised with the taste. For people novice in cooking, this can be very helpful. My husband just loves it; even he loves to prepare it as he can make it real fast. So, here is my recipe for you.

INGREDIENTS:

1 can chicken broth
½ cup boiled egg noodles
½ cup 2% fat milk
½ cup water
8-10 small pieces of chicken (½ inch)
1 tsp black pepper
1 tbsp soy sauce
1 tbsp corn starch
2 tbsp chopped fresh parsley
1 tbsp garlic paste
1 tbsp olive oil
Grated Anejo or Feta cheese (for garnishing)
Salt to taste (if required as chicken broth already has some salt)

Servings: 2

Cooking time: 15 – 20 minutes

METHOD:

Heat oil in a heavy bottomed pan. Add garlic paste, soy sauce and chicken pieces & sauté for 2-3 minutes on medium heat.
Add chicken broth and chopped parsley to the pan. Mix 1 tbsp corn starch to ½ cup water in a bowl and add to the pan. Keep stirring it otherwise the mixture will start sticking at the bottom. Bring it to a boil and then cook on medium heat for 4-5 minutes.
Slowly add milk and cook for another 4-5 minutes on medium heat.
Add boiled egg noodles and cook for 2 minutes on medium heat.
Remove from heat and add black pepper. Mix it well. Place it in soup bowls. Garnish it with grated cheese and croutons.

Technorati Tags:chicken, noodles, soup, non veg, soups, stews, recipe, recipes, chicken noodle soup

BAINGAN BHARTA (Mashed Eggplant/Brinjal Curry)

2007-05-21T22:04:00.000-07:00

Rashmi never liked Eggplant, but I (Maneesha) always loved it. My favorite eggplant dish is Baingan Bharta (Mashed Eggplant/Brinjal). It is a very delicious north Indian curry. There are many ways to prepare it, but I am writing the one which is easy to make without compromising with the original taste.
Brinjal or eggplant is very nutritious. It is low in calories and contains vitamin D. It also controls LDL cholesterol.

Cooking time: 45 min

Serve: 2-3

INGREDIENTS:

1 large sized eggplant (brinjal)
1 – medium sized onion (finely chopped)
2 – medium sized tomatoes
2 - Green chilies (coarsely chopped)
¼ cup – green peas
8-9 cloves of garlic finely chopped
1 tsp - Ginger paste
1 tsp - Lime juice
2 tbsp - Oil (Preferably Mustard)
¼ tsp – Asafoetida ( Heeng powder)
½ tsp - Turmeric Powder
1 tsp Coriander Powder
½ tsp Cumin Powder
1 tsp ghee (optional)
½ tsp Garam Masala
½ tsp Red Chili powder
Chopped fresh coriander/cilantro leaves
Salt to taste

Method:

Wash the eggplant (brinjal) and 1 tomato. Wipe them properly. Apply 2-3 drops of mustard oil on their surface. Make a vertical cut in the eggplant and poke it with a knife at 7-8 places to avoid bursts while roasting. Don’t cut the tomato.
Preheat your oven to 400 - 450 F and bake the eggplant and tomato for 30 min or until their skin starts to peel off easily. They will become soft and wrinkles will be visible due to burnt skin.
I personally prefer roasting eggplant and tomato on a stove at medium low heat, but it is a bit inconvenient for some people. But, I bet it is worth as the taste improves considerably. Keep rotating the eggplant and tomato regularly so that they cooked uniformly. Roast them until the skin becomes soft and you can peel them easily with your hands. Be careful; don’t get your hands burnt.

Remove both eggplant and tomato from heat. Keep them in a bowl of cold water and let them cool for 10 min.
Peel off their skin and remove the stem of eggplant.
Mash them with your hand or a potato masher so that there does not remain a lump.
Heat the oil in a pan and add chopped green chili, garlic, ginger paste and asafoetida powder. Fry it over medium heat for 30-40 sec. Add chopped onion and sauté till they turn translucent. Add 1 chopped tomato, green peas, turmeric powder, coriander powder, cumin powder, garam masala, red chili powder and fry at medium heat for 3-4 min or until oil starts separating from the mixture.
Add mashed eggplant and tomato to this mixture. Add salt and mix it well. Cook it for 8-10 minutes on low heat.
Remove it from heat. Sprinkle lime juice over it. Add a teaspoon of ghee if you want to make it rich. Garnish it with chopped green coriander leaves. Serve it hot with rice or chapattis (made of 50% wheat flour + 50% gram flour) or litti.

Useful Tips:

Mustard oil is a key ingredient. Although it is ok to use any other oil, but traditionally mustard oil is preferred.
Try to remove as many seeds as possible. Remove the portion of the pulp which is a bit lumpy and does not get mashed properly.

Technorati Tags:baingan, brinjal, eggplant, begun, baigan, bharta, recipe, recipes, indian cuisine, mashed eggplant, puree

BAINGAN BHAJA (Eggplant/Brinjal Fries)

2007-05-20T11:50:00.000-07:00

I never liked eggplant/brinjal or any of its dishes before my marriage. I always knew how to make different eggplant dishes but barely tasted them. Unfortunately… naah..actually, fortunately I got a husband who likes eggplant a lot. He made me discover its actual taste and now I am really in love with many of the eggplant dishes. This recipe is one of my personal favorites. It is a traditional dish of Bengal (I am not a Bengali though..) but I like to make some variations in the conventional recipe.

Preparation Time: 40 min.

Cooking Time: 20 min.

Serves: 4

INGREDIENTS:

Large eggplant(baingan/brinjal)-1
Garlic paste-1 tbsp
Ginger paste-1 tbsp
Red chili powder/ Paprika-1 tsp
Turmeric powder-1 tsp
Mustard powder-1 tbsp
Coriander powder-1 tbsp
Corn flour-1 tbsp
Roasted gram flour - 2 tbsp
Salt to taste
Oil for frying-1 ½ cup
Chat masala-1 tsp
Vinegar - 1 tbsp
Tomato slices - 4-5
Dried mango powder - 1 tsp
Mint leaves - 2-3
Ranch or white sauce -1 tsp

METHOD

Wash the eggplant and cut it in thick slices.
Now take a big bowl and put garlic - ginger paste, turmeric, chili, coriander powder, corn flour, roasted gram flour, salt, vinegar, dried mango powder and 2 tbsp of water. Make a smooth paste and rub it on each eggplant slice. Keep it aside for 30-40 min to marinate.
Heat a frying pan with oil. Place 4-5 slices in heated oil. Fry them each side till they turn to golden brown.
If you are calorie conscious, want to avoid oil/fat, and/or do not want to eat fried dish then you can skip the frying step. Instead of frying, heat a flat pan and grease it with 1 tbsp oil. Place 4-5 slices in pan. Cook them on medium heat for 7-8 min each side or until they turn to golden brown.
Keep fried eggplant slices on kitchen paper towel to absorb excess oil.
Place them in a serving plate. Sprinkle chat masala over fried slices, garnish with tomato slices, ranch and mint leaves. Serve it as a side dish.

Technorati Tags:baingan, begun, indian cuisine, recipe, recipes, baingan bhaja, begun bhaja, side dish, egg plant, brinjal

PALAK PANEER (Indian Cheese with Spinach Curry)

2007-05-19T00:10:00.000-07:00

Spinach or Palak (in Hindi) is one of the healthiest foods which we can add to our diet. It is low in calories and high in vitamins and minerals like iron, calcium. Spinach is naturally very bland and usually people are not very fond of it. But, there are some very popular traditional Indian dishes like spinach pakora and 'Palak paneer'(Indian Cheese with Spinach Curry) which you will relish. Palak paneer is one of my favorite indian curries. It is very easy to cook and tastes very good.

Also see 'How to make paneer/Indian Cheese'.

Serves: 3-4

Cooking time: 25 minutes

INGREDIENTS:

Spinach- 1 lb
Paneer/ Indian Cheese- 10-15 cubes (softened)
Medium size onion- 1 (chopped)
Garlic paste- 1 tbsp
Ginger paste- 1 tbsp
Large tomato- 1 (pureed)
Olive oil/Ghee- 2-3 tbsp
Cumin seeds- 2 tsp
Green chilies- 3-4
Chili powder- 1-2 tsp
Cumin powder – 2 tsp
Coriander powder-1 ½ tbsp
Garam masala powder-1 tsp
Roasted cashew- 8-10
Roasted almonds- 5-6

METHOD:

Chop the spinach and boil it for 6-7 minutes or until it become very soft in ½ cup of water.
Remove the boiled spinach from water and let it cool for a while. Grind it with 2-3 green chilies to make a smooth puree.
Heat cooking oil in a heavy bottomed vessel. (Traditionally ghee or butter is used for this dish, but I prefer using olive oil for health reasons.) Add cumin seeds and 2 chopped green chilies. Fry them for 1 minute.
Add chopped onion, garlic and ginger paste. Fry it till onion gets transparent and very soft. Now add pureed tomato, salt, and all spices (coriander, chili, cumin, garam masala powder). Sauté this mixture for 4-5 minutes on medium heat.
Now add powdered roasted cashew, almonds and spinach puree. Mix it well and cover the pan. Add little water if required (gravy should not be very dilute). Cook it on medium heat for 5 minutes.
Add paneer cubes to the pan and cook for 3-4 minutes on medium low heat. Many people like to fry paneer cubes in oil or ghee for a while before adding to spinach puree. But, if you have soft and fresh paneer cubes, I would recommend adding it directly.
Remove from heat. Add a little bit of Ghee/ Butter for taste if you have used oil for cooking. If you want you can garnish it with shredded paneer, chopped coriander leaves. Palak paneer/ Indian Cheese with Spinach Curry is ready to be served. Serve it with rice, roti, naan, parantha, chapatti, tortilla, bread etc.

Technorati Tags:palak, spinach, side dish, indian cuisine, recipe, recipes, saag, paneer, indian cheese, cheese dishes, curry

PAV BHAJI (BUNS with SPICY MIXED VEGETABLES)

2007-05-17T17:47:00.000-07:00

'Pav bhaji' is one of the most popular dishes of Bombay(India). 'Bhaji' means a mix vegetable potato based curry and 'pav' means a kind of bread. It is a vegetarian dish yet it is very popular in western India. There, it is easily available in local food stalls and on hand pulled carts. Due to high potato and butter/ghee content, it is rich in carbohydrate and fat. Inspite of being high in calories and fat, there is no denying that it is irresistible. Even if you are diet conscious you should try this once.

Serves - 4

Cooking time - 40 - 45 min

INGREDIENTS:

Buns(pav)-8
½ onion (chopped)
2 green chilies (chopped)
1 tbsp spoon garlic-ginger paste
2 tbsp spoon olive oil
1 tsp of mustard seeds
4 tbsp butter
1 tsp turmeric
1 tsp garam masala
1 tbsp coriander powder
2 spoon lime juice
salt to taste
¼ cup chopped cauliflower
¼ cup chopped capsicum
¼ cup chopped carrot
¼ cup green peas
¼ cup green bean
¼ cup cabbage
½ bunch coriander/cilantro leaves (chopped)
1 chopped tomato
3 medium size potatoes boiled and peeled
onion rings

METHOD:

First we are going to make 'bhaji' for this dish. Steam all the vegetables (chopped cauliflower, capsicum, carrot, green peas, green beans, cabbage) for 7-8 minutes or until they become very tender.
Heat a heavy bottomed vessel with oil. Add mustard seeds and chopped chilies. When they crackle, add chopped onion & salt and saute it for 2-3 min or until onions turn to transparent.
Add chopped tomato or pureed tomato and all spices (ginger garlic paste, turmeric, coriander powder, garam masala). Fry them for another 5-6 min on medium low heat or until oil starts to separate from the mixture. Meanwhile, mash the boiled and peeled potatoes along with all steamed vegetables in a bowl.
Add the potato and vegetables mixture to the pan and cook on medium low heat for another 7-8 min. Keep stirring the mixture and add little bit of water if it starts sticking at the bottom. Add 1 cup water and cook on high heat for another 5 min or until it gets cooked properly and the gravy looks consistent.
Remove pan from heat. Sprinkle chopped coriander leaves on 'bhaji' and add 2 tbsp butter to it. Hot and spicy bhaji is ready.
Again, heat a pan for roasting buns. Grease it with butter or oil and fry/roast the buns each side.
Serve these buns with bhaji and onion rings. You can add more butter to 'bhaji' while serving it.

Technorati Tags:indian cuisine, recipe, recipes, pav bhaji, vegetarian, bombay pav bhaji, snacks, brunch, breakfast

SHAMI KEBAB

2007-05-15T12:53:00.000-07:00

INGREDIENTS:

1 lb ground chicken
2 eggs (beaten)
2 tbsp roasted gram flour
1 tbsp lime juice
1 tbsp vinegar
½ tsp black pepper
½ medium size onion (chopped)
3-4 spring onions (chopped)
1 spoon garlic paste
1 spoon ginger paste
2-3 green chilis (chopped)
1 tsp paprika
1 spoon corn flour
1 tsp garam masala
Salt to taste
2-3 spoon olive oil
2 cups of oil for deep fry (optional)
Red onion rings (soaked in vinegar & salt)

SERVES: 2 – 3

COOKING TIME: 30 – 40 minutes

METHOD:

Take all ingredients except onion rings & oil in a bowl. Mix them well and keep this dough in refrigerator for 4-5 hr to marinate.
Now make balls of ¾ inch diameter from this marinated dough.
Grease your palms with oil. Take one ball on your palm and press it with your other palm to make flat round shape. Repeat this procedure for rest of the balls.
Preheat your oven to 375 degree F. Take a baking tray and wrap it with greased foil paper. Keep all kebabs in this tray and place it in the upper rack of oven. Broil the kebabs for 10-12 min each side or until they turn to golden brown. Remove the tray from oven.

If you do not have an oven, you can deep fry these kebabs. Heat a deep frying pan with 2 cups of oil. Place 4-5 kebabs in heated oil. Fry on medium heat for 10 min each side or until kebabs look golden brown.

Shami kebab is ready to serve. Serve it with onion rings, tomatoes and cilantro/coriander sauce (dhania chutney).

Technorati Tags:recipe, recipes, indian, indian cuisine, kebab, kabab, chicken, snack, appetizer

Dalia (Broken Wheat) Moong Khichdi

2007-05-13T21:39:00.000-07:00

If you don’t want to eat rice and you love khichdi, this Dalia moong khichdi is the best solution. It is easy to prepare. This khichdi is very nutritious as it is full of fiber and wellness of broken wheat as well as moong dal. It is a light meal so you can even have it as breakfast.

Cooking time: 20 min

Serve: 1

INGREDIENTS:

Dalia ( Broken Wheat ) - ½ cup
Washed split moong dal ( yellow mung beans) - ½ cup
Green Peas – 2 tbsp
Chopped French Bean – 1 tbsp
Chopped Capsicum – 1 tbsp
Chopped Carrot – 1 tbsp
Onion – 2 tbsp
Chopped Green chili – ½ tsp
Water – 2 cups
Oil or Pure Ghee– 1 tbsp
Red Whole Chili – 1
Heeng powder (asafoetida) – ½ pinch
Cumin seeds – 1 tsp
Salt to taste

METHOD:

1. Wash mung dal and dalia 2 times and leave in a colander for 5 min. Heat ½ tsp of ghee in a pan and add dalia and moong dal mixture. Fry it till it turns light brown. Remove the mixture from heat and set aside.

2. Again heat the pan with remaining ghee or oil. Add cumin seeds and Red whole chili. When they crackle, add the chopped onions, heeng powder and fry till light golden brown. Add the rest of vegetables chopped beans, capsicum, carrot, green chili and green peas. Mix well and keep stirring for 3-4 min on medium heat. Add dalia and moong dal mixture to it. Mix it well.

3. Add 2 cups of water and salt according to taste. Mix it and put a lid. Let it cook for about 8-10 min at low heat. Garnish with anything which you like in salad. Khichdi is ready.

Technorati Tags:khichdi, dalia, moong dal, healthy dish, indian cuisine, recipe, recipes, broken wheat,

SALTED GRAM FLOUR PANCAKE (BESAN CHEELA)

2007-05-11T21:49:00.000-07:00

My husband calls this dish ‘Jhatpat(quick) Breakfast’. This recipe is so easy and simple to prepare that we can make it within 10 min. That’s why it is one of my favorite breakfasts. Easy to cook and good to taste. My son has already hit his terrible 2 and keeps me busy whenever he is awake, especially in the morning it is very difficult for me to cook for myself. So, whenever I get late for breakfast, I make this cheela or pancake in "JHATPAT"(quickly) and eat it with chutney & hot ginger tea. My mother makes this pancake in traditional way. She mixes chopped onion, chili, salt, turmeric, and mustard oil, but I prefer to mix some more items to make it more tasty and healthy like chopped spinach, tomato etc. So, here is my favorite besan cheela/pancake:

Cooking time: 10 min

Serves 2 - 3

INGREDIENTS:

Gram flour (besan)-1 cup
Olive oil 1-2 spoon
Salt to taste
Onion seeds ( kalaunji, mangraila) -½ teaspoon
Turmeric-½ teaspoon
Chopped green chili – 1 teaspoon (or according to taste)
Green peas -2 spoon
Chopped onion - 2 spoon
Chopped coriander leaves - 1 spoon
Baking powder- ½ teaspoon
Water – ½ cup

METHOD:

Mix all the ingredients in a bowl and make a smooth batter for pancake. The batter should be homogenous so that there are no lumps in it.
Now heat a flat pan and grease it with oil or Pam spray. Now pour some batter on the pan and spread it in a round shape with a diameter of 6 inches.
Reduce the heat and cook it for 2-3 min or until one side gets cooked. Then turn the other side and cook it for 4-5 min on medium heat or until its color turns to brown.
Salted pancake is ready to serve. Serve it with any kind of dip ,dhaniya chutney and hot ginger tea.

Technorati Tags:pancake, breakfast, besan, gram flour, indian, recipe, recipes, cheela

SCRAMBLED EGG BIRYANI/ FRIED RICE

2007-05-10T13:22:00.000-07:00

I should not say that fried rice is synonymous to Biryani as it will be a real insult of one of the most famous dishes of Indian cuisine. But to give you a feel before you actually taste Biryani, I want you to assume that it is somewhat close to fried rice, yet very different and way too tastier. I am keeping this recipe very simple and skipping some of the steps required for making traditional Biryani. This dish requires very less effort as compared to traditional Biryani but still you are not compromising with the taste. A more elaborate and traditional approach is coming up very soon.

INGREDIENTS:-

1 cup raw basmati rice
4 eggs
1 medium size onion (chopped)
2 spoon chopped coriander leaves
1-2 sliced green chilies
bay leaf, 2 clove, 1 cardamom
1 teaspoon cumin seeds
1 spoon ginger paste
1 spoon garlic paste
1 tomato (chopped or pureed)
1 teaspoon red chili powder
1 teaspoon coriander powder
1 teaspoon garam masala powder
½ teaspoon turmeric powder
1 teaspoon cumin powder
3 spoon olive oil or butter
1 spoon capsicum (sliced)
1 spoon grated carrot
1 spoon green peas
salt to taste
2-3 onion rings
4-5 cashews
4-5 almonds

METHOD:-

Soak the rice in water for 1-2 hr and drain it in colander. Cook it with 2 cups of water and 1-2 drop of oil. Although basmati rice grains tend to remain separate once cooked properly (and that is what we want), do not over cook. Keep aside the cooked rice and let it cool for a while. Meanwhile, beat the eggs in a bowl with little bit of salt. Heat a pan with 1 spoon of oil. Pour all beaten egg batter in the heated pan and stir regularly until the batter gets cooked. Heat a deep pan with 2 spoons of oil (or Ghee/Butter if you do not mind a bit of fat). Add cumin seeds, bay leaves, clove, cardamom and sauté for 1 min or until everything starts looking light brown. Add chopped onion, garlic-ginger paste, and salt. Stir regularly until onion gets transparent. Now add chopped tomato and all the spices ( chili, coriander, garam masala, turmeric, cumin powder ) and cook it for 3-4 min. After that add all chopped vegetables and cook for 5 min or until oil starts separating from the mixture. The mixture is prepared and now we add cooked rice, cooked egg batter and salt in the pan and mix it well. Transfer everything to a baking tray and cover it with foil. Now preheat your oven to 270 degrees F and bake it for 10 min. If you do not wish to use an oven then cover the pan and cook it for 10 min at low heat. Garnish the dish with chopped coriander leaves, roasted cashew, almonds and onion rings. Mouth watering delicious Biryani is ready. Serve it with raita.

Diabetic people can replace white basmati rice, whole eggs and butter with brown rice, egg white and olive oil respectively. The dish will be still tasty, yet healthy for you.

Technorati Tags:biryani, indian cuisine, recipe, recipes, scrambled egg, basmati rice, fried rice

SABUDANA/PEARL SAGO KHICHDI

2007-05-08T10:43:00.000-07:00

In INDIA many people keep fasting on the holy occasions like NAVRATRA etc.I also believe in fasting. I keep fasting on every Thursday and in NAVRATRA. On these days people eat only fruits and vegetables. Sabudana/ Pearl Sago is also a kind of fruit but gives lot of energy. When I am on fasting, sometimes I prepare sabudana khichadi for myself with various types of vegetables and sindhav salt, which is allowed to have in fasting day. If you do not intend to prepare this dish for fasting then normal salt is also fine.

This khichdi is very tasty and healthy. Especially for new mom who feeds her baby. Sabudana is a very energetic food.

INGREDIENTS:-

1 cup sabudana(soaked in 2 cup water for 3-4 hr)
Salt to taste
1 spoon lime juice
1 spoon chopped tomato
1 spoon chopped coriander
1 spoon chopped French beans
1 spoon green peas
2 spoon grated carrot
2 spoon chopped cauliflower
½ Tspoon chopped ginger
1 teaspoon mustard seeds
1-2 green chili sliced
1-2 spoon olive oil or Ghee
pinch of turmeric

METHOD:

Soak the sabudana in water for 3-4 hr. Drain in colander and place the sabudana in plate on a paper towel to soak excess water.

Heat a flat pan on stove with oil and add mustard seeds, green chili, chopped ginger and saute it for 1 min. Add all chopped vegetables except coriander leaves and stir regularly for 3-5 min. Now, add salt and pinch of turmeric and saute it for another 3-4 min. Reduce the heat and add soaked sabudana in the pan and keep stirring frequently for 4-5 min on low heat until it becomes translucent. Remove the pan and and sprinkle chopped coriander leaves and lime juice. It is ready to serve now.

Technorati Tags:indian cuisine, sago, sabudana, vegetarian, khichdi

SPICY AND CRUNCHY FRENCH TOAST

2007-05-08T10:38:00.000-07:00

INGREDIENTS:-

1. Bread slices - 2

2. Eggs - 3 or 4 egg white

3. ¼ medium onion chopped

4. 1-2 green chili chopped

5. some corn flakes

6. chopped coriander

7. ½ teaspoon black pepper( ground)

8. salt to taste

9. olive oil or Pam spray

10. 2 spoon chopped tomato

11. 2-3 spoon nonfat milk

12. 1 spoon corn starch

METHOD:-

Make a batter with eggs, chopped onions, green chili, coriander leaves, black pepper, corn flakes, chopped tomato, milk, corn starch and salt. After that heat a flat pan on stove and grease it with oil or Pam spray. Now take a bread slice and fully dip in batter. Keep it on heated pan. Fry it both side until its looks golden brown. It is ready to serve. Serve it with hot ginger tea to elders and with milk shake to kids. I am sure they will be happy to have it in breakfast.

We can use only egg white instead of full egg for high BP, high cholesterol, and heart patients as egg white is cholesterol free and full of protein which is good for these patients. But, for kids and pregnant women we should use egg with yolk. In growing age and in pregnancy, egg is very healthy.

If you want to eat low calorie food then you can use Pam spray as it is a fat and cholesterol free oil. I also use Pam spray in this recipe and in many others too.

Technorati Tags:french toast, recipe, recipes, breakfast, egg

Chicken with Cashew Gravy

2007-05-08T10:12:00.000-07:00

INGREDIENTS:-

1 lb boneless chicken in bite size
2-3 spoon non fat curd
15-20 cashew nuts
1-2 bay leaves
1 cinnamon stick
1 teaspoon garam masala (you can get it from an indian store)
2 teaspoon cumin powder
½ bunch coriander leaves chopped
1 medium size onion
1 spoon garlic paste
½ spoon ginger paste
1 spoon lime juice
½ cup non fat milk
2 spoon olive oil Or butter
salt to taste

2-3 clove
2 cardamom

METHOD:-

Mix chicken cubes, curd, lime juice, half of the chopped coriander leaves, a little bit of salt,1 clove ,1 cardamom, and 1 spoon garlic ginger paste in a pot. Keep the chicken mixture in refrigerator to marinate it for 30 min.

After that, make a smooth paste of onion, ginger, garlic, garm masala, cumin powder and cashew nuts.
Now heat a thick bottom deep frying pan with oil or butter and fry bay leaves, clove, & cardamom for 30-40 sec. Now, add the paste and fry it until the oil starts to separate from mixture. Reduce the heat and add marinated chicken in it and stir regularly for 3-4 min. Now cover the pan and leave it on stove on low heat for 15 min or until chicken is cooked. Take the pan off the heat and add ½ cup non fat milk and leave it for 30 min. Again heat the pan with chicken for 5-10 min. CHICKEN WITH CASHEW GRAVY is ready to serve. Garnish with chopped coriander leaves and sliced tomato.

Serve with tandoori roti or nan.

This recipe is very tasty and mouthwatering and moreover it is very good for heart patients, diabetes and high BP patients. Since we make it in olive oil, cashew nuts, nonfat curd & milk, it is very healthy for these patients . Olive oil and cashew are good source of good fat(mono-saturated fat) which raises HDL(good fat in human body)and lowers LDL(bad fat in human body).

Bad fat i.e., saturated fat and trans fat increases the risk for certain diseases whereas good fat i.e., mono-saturated fat and poly-saturated fats lower the risk.

"THE KEY IS TO SUBSTITUTE BAD FAT WITH GOOD FAT"

Technorati Tags:recipe, recipes, chicken, cashew gravy, non veg, curry, healthy food