WrestleTracker

Eggless Chocolate Cake

2018-09-09T12:49:00.003+05:30

Well , it's Sunday again and there's no bigger reason to celebrate as it is last day of the Shraavan Month (Indian religious month , where non veg dishes are forbidden) so what better way to cape this off with an eggless chocolate cake!

Preparation- 15 mins
Cooking - 5 mins
Serves 12
Cal/Ser 108

So delicious!

Ingredients-

1/2 tin condensed milk
1/2 cup milk
1 tsp vanilla essence
1/2 cup oil
3 tbsp powdered sugar
100 gm (1 cup) plain flour (maida)
1/2 tsp soda-bi-carb
1/4 cup cocoa
3/4 tsp baking powder
chocolate sauce , walnut halves

Note: For plain cake , remove cocoa and add 1/4 cup cornflour instead

Method-

Sift maida , cocoa, soda and baking powder . Keep aside.
Beat sugar and milkmaid till fluffy. Add oil. Beat well.
Add milk and essence. Add maida. Beat well for 3-4 minutes till the mixture is smooth and light. Transfer to a greased bowl of 6" diameter.
Microwave for 5 minutes. Let it stand for 5 minutes in the microwave.
Let it cool. Transfer to a serving platter. Pour chocolate sauce on in and decorate with walnut halves.

Taddaaa! You cake is ready . Do share your pics on our fb and Instagram page using the #cookinisfun

Our facebook page - CookinIsFun on Facebook

Our Instagram page - @cookinisfun.blog

Happy Cooking!

Vinay Chhabria

Instant Khaman Dhokla

2018-09-08T14:23:00.001+05:30

Khaman-Dhokla is soft and fluffy , mildly tangy-sweet and a great snack anytime of the day . This famous Gujarati dish is everyone's favorite.It is also a Vegan dish so all the Vegans ou there I think this is the tastiest Vegan dish you'll get in the world. WE at , Cookinisfun will show you how to prepare this mouth-watering meal instantly.

Also read - Paneer Paratha Recipe in 15 minutes

Preparation- 10 minutes
Cooking - 10 minutes
Serves 8
Cal/Ser - 98

Yum!

Ingredients-

2 cups gram flour(besan)
2 tbsp semolina (suji)
1 cup water
1 tbsp oil
1/4 tsp soda-bi-carb (mitha soda)
1 tsp eno fruit salt
1 tsp salt
2 tsp sugar
1/4 tsp turmeric (haldi)
1 tsp green chilli paste
1 tsp ginger paste
2 tsp lemon juice

Tempering

1 tbsp oil
1 tsp mustard seeds (rai)
2-3 green chillies - slit into long pieces
1 tbsp lemon juice
3/4 cup water
3 tsp sugar
2 tbsp finely chopped coriander

Method -

Sift besan . Mix besan, suji, water ,oil , salt, sugar, haldi , chilli paste & ginger paste to as mooth batter of a thin pouring consistency. Beat well . Add eno & soda. Sprinkle lemon juice. Beat well for a few seconds. Don't over mix.
Immediately pour this mixture in the steamer or a dish. Cover dish with cling film & prick at 1-2 places for the steam to escape. Microwave for 6 mins. Give standing time of 5-6 mins.
For tempering , Mix oil, chillies, rai, water , sugar and lemon juice. Microwave for 4 minutes. Pour over dhokla. Wait for 20 mins to turn soft . Cut into pieces. Sprinkle coriander.

Your delicious Vegan dish is ready . Have a bite and do share your pics with me using the #cookinisfun on Instagram & Facebook .

Happy Cooking!

Vinay

Veggie Pizza

2018-09-04T21:12:00.002+05:30

An easy group dinner or a tasty midnight snack, pizza is a staple in the U.S. Americans love pizza so much that they eat 100 acres of pizza a day. (If you don’t measure your pizza consumption in acres, that’s about 350 slices of pizza per second!) Have you ever wondered how this Italian flatbread can be made within 10-15 minutes? Well, here's the exclusive recipe -

Enter Caption

Preparation - 5 minutes
Cooking- 10 minutes
Makes 2 Pizzas
Cal/Ser 127

INGREDIENTS-

2 ready-made pizza bases
100-150 gm mozzarella or pizza cheese - grated (1 cup)
1/2 onion
1/2 yellow or 1/2 green capsicum (cut into 1/2" squares)
a few olives
1 tomato- cut into 8 pieces
Tomato Spread
1 tbsp oil
1 tsp garlic paste
1/2 cup ready-made tomato puree
2 tbsp tomato ketchup
1 tsp oregano
1/2 tsp saly
1/4 tsp pepper

METHOD-

For tomato spread , put all ingredients of the tomato spread in a bowl & microwave for 2:30 minutes. Spread on each pizza base , leaving the edges.
Arrange some vegetables . Sprinkle some salt and pepper. Sprinkle cheese & some oregano . Arrange a few vegetables on top. Place pizza on the low rack.
Put pizza in the oven preheated at 250 degrees C & bake for 8 minutes. Alternately , you can use the grill mode also.First brush bottom of pizza with oil & grill with bottom side up on the greased tawa placed on a high rack for 3 minutes till crisp. Put tomato spread & then topping. Grill again for 4 mins.

Your veggie pizza is ready . Easy recipe, wasn't it? Well do try that out and let me know your experience in the comments section below. For more easy-to-cook recipes keep checking cookinisfun.blogspot.com

Chicken Biryani

2018-08-31T10:26:00.001+05:30

Chicken Biryani has so many varieties and none of them deserve to be missed out at , but always ordering it from restaurants can be bad for our pockets so here I am with another delicious recipe that will help you cook your favorite Chicken Biryani at your home. So without wasting any time, lets's get started.

First of all the list of ingredients -

2 cups Basmati Rice
700 grams Chicken with bone
3-4 tablespoon peanut oil
2 stick cinnamon
2 Cardomom
3 Cloves
2 sliced onions
3 chopped tomatoes
1 pod garlic
2 inch piece of ginger
3 slit green chillies
1 tablespoon salt
1 tablespoon red chilli powder
2 tablespoon coriander powder
1 cup plain yogurt
15-20 Mint leaves
6-7 coarsely chopped Coriander leaves

A pretty long list there but as they the longer the wait , the sweeter the result.

Towards the cooking part now-

Heat Oil in a pan and add in the spices. Cinnamon, Cloves and Cardamom. Add in the onions and saute until the onions are soft.
Once the onions are soft, Add in the tomatoes and the ginger garlic paste.
Saute the mixture until streaks of oil appear on the top. Then, add in the green chillies and the chicken. Briefly saute for a minute to coat the chicken.
Add in the salt, red chilli powder and the coriander powder. Add in the yogurt.
Cover the pan with a lid and cook on medium flame for 7-8 minutes. When the chicken is cooking, soak the rice in cold water.
After 8 minutes, the chicken should be almost cooked. Remove the cooked meat to a bowl and roughly measure how much liquid is left behind. Mine had about 1.5 cup of liquid. Just measure roughly. It need not be accurate. Measurements used – 1 cup rice = 250 ml. We are using 2 cups rice and 750 grams meat. We require 2 times water to the quantity of rice. So we need to add 4 cups water. There was already 1.5 cups gravy that we measured before. So I added 2.5 cups water to the mixture. Let the mixture come to a boil.
Drain the rice and add it to the pan. Add in the coriander leaves, mint leaves and juice of a lemon.
I cooked the biriyani in the pressure cooker. If using pressure cooker, cover the lid and cook for exactly two whistles. Approximately 4-5 minutes. If cooking directly on the pan, then cover the pan with a lid and let it cook for the first four minutes on medium flame. Open the lid. Gently mix once from the bottom, cover the lid again and simmer for 10 minutes on very low flame.
Remove the pan from heat and set aside.
Wait for the pressure from the cooker to release naturally. If cooking in a pan, Do not disturb for the next 20 minutes. The rice will get swollen and absorb all the left out moisture. This time is very important. Do not rush.
Serve hot!

NOTES:

Add or reduce green chillies and red chilli powder according to your taste preference. If you do not want it spicy, omit the green chillies.
Always use chicken with the bone. Bone has a lot of flavour. We use skinless chicken for the biriyani.

This recipe has been taken from Quora.com read more recipes on Quora!

Paneer Parotha

2018-08-22T15:57:00.001+05:30

Ingredients:-

1 1/2 cups whole wheat flour
3 teaspoons oil/ghee
2 large, potatoes
1/2 small onion, finely chopped [optional]
A handful of finely chopped coriander
2 green chillies, finely chopped [optional]
1 teaspoon chaat masala or amchoor powder
1/4 tsp chilly powder, or according to your taste
Salt to taste.

Method:-

Boil the potatoes, peel them and mash them. (I prefer grating the potatoes, since it ensures there are no lumps).
Add chopped onion, coriander, green chillies, salt, red chilly powder, amchoor/chaat masala powder. Mix well. Taste it and adjust the seasoning.
Add the oil to the wheat flour and make a tight dough with water. I also add some salt and red chilly powder in the dough.
Make a small ball, about the size of a golf ball and roll it out into a small chapathi.
Apply a little oil/ghee as a layer on the top. Now put in a small ball of Alu mixture.
Close in the chapathi from all sides to make a small potli.
Add a little dry wheat flour and carefully roll it out into a thick chapathi ensuring that the alu remains inside.
On a heated pan, add oil/ghee and put this parotha to roast.
Turn over after about 30 seconds and add a generous layer of oil/ghee.
Repeat step 9 for the other side as well.
Roast the parotha well on both sides till it cooked on both sides, the aroma will tell you when it is done :)
Serve hot with raitha or pickle.

Happy cooking

Meh

Crustless Quiche

2018-08-22T15:48:00.001+05:30

Yummm!!

Crustless Quiche

Ingredients

Olive oil spray (make your own using a spray bottle)
1 (10 oz) package frozen chopped broccoli
6 large eggs
½ cup plain Greek yogurt
1 teaspoon kosher salt
¼ teaspoon ground pepper
1 tablespoon minced garlic
¾ cup (3 oz) shredded sharp cheddar cheese

Instructions

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Spray a 9-inch pie dish with nonstick spray.
Bring a medium pot of water to a boil. Add the broccoli. Cook 1 minute, just to defrost. Drain well.
In a large bowl, whisk together the eggs, yogurt, salt, black pepper and garlic. Stir in the broccoli and the cheese.
Transfer the broccoli mixture to the prepared pie dish. Bake until golden-brown and a knife inserted in center comes out clean, 30-35 minutes.

Margarita Vadapav ! From the streets of Mumbai to the Pizzarium of Italy

2018-06-29T12:23:00.001+05:30

Margarita Vadapav , have you heard a dish like that ever before? Well I'm sure that 99% wouldn't have even thought of it but there are people in this world ( Like me) who eat this easy-to-make dish every other weekend . After listening the dish's name I know many of you already want to give it a try , so here's the recipe for the Indo-Italian fusion.

INGREDIENTS -

1 Pound Pav ( You can even use 6 or even 12 as per your desire)

1 Potato Stuffed Vada (1 for each Pav)

1/4 cup Your favorite Pizza/Margarita Sauce

1 Tablespoon Olive Oil (You can even use Butter/Ghee)

1 Ounce Mozarella Cheese ( Amul Cheese Cube can also be used as an alternative)

1 pkt Oregano/ Chilli Flakes as per your taste

RECIPE-

ESTIMATED COOKING TIME- 10-15 Minutes (if you've made vadas)
30-35 minutes (if you cook Vada at home)

(For Potato stuffed Vada)

1. Boil 2 potatoes and mash them .
2. Heat 1 teaspoon oil in a pan .
3. Add mustard seeds
4. When it crackles, add ginger-green chilli paste . Then add curry leaves . Add turmeric powder,salt and pour this mixture on the mashed potatoes. Add salt and lemon.
5. In another bowl, take 1/2 cup Besan add salt,red chilli and make a smooth batter adding water as required.
6. Make small lemon sized balls of potato . Dip them in this batter and fry . Your Vadas will be ready.

Once the Vadas are ready, we move on towards our final dish - Margarita Vadapav!

1. Take a Pav and slit it from the middle .
2. Apply pizza/margarita sauce on both the inner sides .
3. Grate some cheese or / just spread it as a layer over the sauce.
4. Place the fried Vadas between the Pav.
5. Take a pan/tawa. Put some olive oil/ghee/butter (your wish) and roast your Vadapav for 1-2 minute on low flame.
6. Your Margarita Vadapav is ready!
7. Serve it with the Vadapav chutney after sprinkling some oregano and chilli flakes

Simple,isn't it? Well , do give this recipe a try and let me know your feedback in the comments section below .

Happy Cooking
Signing off
Vinay Chhabria

Chocolate Chip Cookies

2010-10-13T02:22:00.000+05:30

I finally did it!!!... I've been planning on baking chocolate chip cookies for ages now... Tomo is V's birthday, so to surprise him I finally gathered up all my courage and decided to bake some choco chip cookies... They look so awesome, I just had one cookie and it's so tasty; melts in your mouth immediately... I need to control myself before V comes home or I may end up eating all the cookies. :) These cookies are very easy and quick to prepare. Here's the recipe..

Ingredients:-

2-1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup (2 sticks) butter, softened (Remove the butter from the refrigerator about 3-4 hours before you bake)
3/4 cup granulated sugar
3/4 cup packed light brown sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 eggs
2 cups semi-sweet chocolate chips (or you can substitute with dark chocolate chips)

Method:-

Preheat oven to 375°F. (~200°C).
Sift together flour, baking soda and salt and keep aside.
Using a hand blender, beat butter, granulated sugar, brown sugar and vanilla in large bowl until creamy.
Add eggs; beat well.
Add 1/3 of the flour mixture, beating well to combine. Repeat till all the flour mixture has been combined.
Stir in chocolate chips by a spatula.
Use a round tablespoon drop the batter onto an ungreased cookie sheet about 2" apart. (Don't worry about the shape, once baked the cookies will be round in shape)
Bake for 8 to 10 minutes or until the edges are lightly browned. The center of the cookie may look raw, but don't worry, once cooled the cookie will firm up.
Cool slightly; transfer the cookies from cookie sheet to wire rack. Cool completely.
Store in air-tight box for about 10 days.

Tip:-

For a more "chocolatey" taste, add 1/3 cup unsweetened cocoa powder to the flour mixture in the chocolate chip cookie recipe.

Happy cooking!!!

Meh

Marinara Sauce

2010-10-05T03:41:00.000+05:30

I love trying out Italian dishes, but I'm not very fond of the cheesy sauce with these dishes. The other option to enjoy the Italian food is to have it the tomato based marinara sauce :). Here's a simple recipe, make this in advance and have it ready in your fridge for a quick italian meal the next time you crave it :)

Ingredients:-

3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 small onion, finely chopped
2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
1 stalk celery, finely chopped (optional)
1 carrot, peeled and finely chopped
Salt to taste
Black Pepper to taste
1 teaspoon sugar
6 large tomatoes
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1 teaspoon dried basil

Method:-

Boil water in a pot, add in the tomatoes and simmer for about 5 mins. Remove the tomatoes and let them cool. Once cooled, peel off the skins and puree the tomatoes.
In a large pot, heat the oil over a medium-high flame. Add the onions and garlic and saute until the onions are translucent, about 10 minutes.
Add the celery, carrots, and little salt and pepper. Saute until all the vegetables are soft, about 10 minutes.
Add the tomato puree, sugar, salt, pepper, basil and oregano and simmer uncovered over low heat until the sauce thickens, about 30-40 minutes.
Taste and adjust the seasoning if needed.
Cool, then cover and refrigerate. Rewarm over medium heat before using.
This sauce can be stored in the refrigerator for 2-3 days. To store it longer, freeze it in ice tray, transfer the ice cubes to ziplock bag and store in the freezer for 2-3 months.

Happy Cooking!!!

Meh

Thai Chicken Red Curry

2010-10-05T03:14:00.000+05:30

V and I love to try Thai food, but we usually end up trying the different varieties of rice and noodles at Thai places. Once we tried out the red curry and fell in love with it :). With a little research, I realized that Thai curries are very easy to prepare :). And the best part is that when you prepare it at home, you can adjust it according to your taste!!! For a vegetarian version, substitute the chicken pieces with tofu. Here's how I made it:-

Ingredients:- (Serves 2)

1 lb boneless chicken breast
1/4 cup canned bamboo shoots, sliced
1/4 cup carrots, cut into round thin slices
1/4 cup onion, sliced
1/4 cup red bell pepper, sliced
1/4 cup green bell pepper, sliced
1/4 cup chopped baby corn
2 teaspoon thai red curry paste
1 can (13.5 oz or 400ml) coconut milk
2 fresh red chili, sliced diagonally (optional)
1/4 cup Thai sweet basil leaves , torn (substitute - dry basil) (optional)
2 teaspoon fish sauce or soya sauce
Salt to taste
1/2 teaspoon palm sugar (substitute - white/brown sugar)
Zest of 1 lime. (Grate the green peel of the lime, make sure to avoid the bitter white rind)
Thai sweet basil leaves, chopped for garnish
Coriander, chopped for garnish

Method:-

Wash the chicken, slice diagonally into 1/2 cm thick, 3 cm wide and 3 cm long pieces.
Pour 1 cup of coconut milk into a wok. Bring to a boil over medium high heat, stirring constantly.
Add the thai red curry paste, stir until oil comes to the surface.
Add the chicken pieces and saute until it turns white and is cooked through, about 10 minutes.
Add the remaining coconut milk. Season with soya sauce, sugar, and salt and bring back to a boil. Taste and adjust the seasoning if needed. I add some red chilly flakes to add in some heat.
Sprinkle with the lime zest, Thai basil and red chillies. Add in onions and carrots and cook for about 2 mins.
Next add in the red and green bell peppers, bamboo shoots and baby corn and cook for another 2 minutes. The vegetables should be just cooked and crunchy. Do not over-cook the veggies.
Turn off the heat. Arrange on a serving dish and garnish with chopped basil and cilantro before serving.
Serve hot with a cup of brown rice.

Tips:-

For a vegetarian version, avoid adding chicken in step 4. Add in some tofu while adding the onions and carrots in step 6.
Sometimes, I also add in some cooked, frozen shrimp while adding the bell peppers and cook it just for 2 minutes.

Happy cooking!!!

Meh

Meethi Boondi

2010-09-10T06:59:00.001+05:30

V loves meethi boondi. Well, he loves sweets :)... So anyways, I wanted to surprise him with something sweet and decided to try meethi boondi... I was intimidated about ever trying this dish, but once I made it, I realised it was not so difficult. And of course, V was impressed :) :) Here's how I made it :)

Ingredients:

1 cup gram flour (besan)
1/2 cup water
1 1/2 cup sugar
1 cup water
1 tablespoon sliced almonds
6 cardamoms, peeled and crushed to powder
Oil to deep fry

Method

Mix 1 cup water and sugar in a pot and boil on medium-high heat, stirring frequently to dissolve the sugar. When the syrup boils, turn the heat to medium and cook till half thread consistency. Turn off the heat and keep the syrup aside.
Meanwhile, mix besan and 1/2 cup water to form a batter, slightly thicker than dosa batter.
You will need a flat skimmer with holes to make the boondi. Pour little batter on the skimmer and hold it above your batter bowl. The batter will drop like little pearls. If the batter is too thick to fall through the holes, add some more water and adjust the batter's consistency.
Heat the oil in a frying pan on medium high heat. To test if the oil is the right temperature, drop a pinch of batter into the oil; if it rises immediately without changing color then the oil is ready to start frying the boondi.
Hold the skimmer about 1 to 1 1/2 inches above the oil over the center of the frying pan and pour some batter on the skimmer. The batter will start dropping through the holes into the oil. Drop enough boondi into the oil so they just cover the surface of the oil in frying pan in a single layer
Fry them until the sound of sizzling stops and boondis are light gold in color but not crispy! Remove the boondi out of the oil, drain out the excess oil and put them directly into the warm syrup and mix.
Before making the next batch of boondi, wipe clean the skimmer. This helps to keep the boondi round.
Repeat the process of making boondi and adding to the syrup with rest of the batter.
When finished frying the boondi, let them soak in the syrup for few minutes.
Add the crushed cardamom seeds and sliced almonds to the syrup.
Serve warm or store in the refrigerator for a few days.

Happy cooking!!!

Meh

Sweet Rice

2010-09-10T06:24:00.000+05:30

a.k.a Taayri in sindhi, this is a quick and easy recipe to make. Thanks to my sis for teaching me how to make this.

Ingredients:

1 cup rice
1 cup sugar
1 cup water
1/4 teaspoon cardamom powder
A pinch of saffron or saffron color
1 tablespoon ghee
Chopped almonds (optional)

Method:

Wash the rice and cook it in a large pot of water until half-cooked. Drain and wash the rice to remove the starch.
Meanwhile, mix the sugar and water and cook just till the sugar dissolves. Let it boil once and turn off the heat. Add in the saffron color ( or saffron dissolved in milk) and cardamom powder.
In a heavy bottom pot, melt 1/2 tablespoon ghee. Layer half of the rice and top it with half of the sugar syrup and some chopped almonds. Top it with another layer of rice and syrup.
Add in the remaining ghee, cover and cook on low heat till the rice is fully cooked, about 30 mins.
Garnish with chopped almonds and serve hot.

Happy cooking!!!

Meh

Apple Pie

2010-09-10T05:59:00.000+05:30

V and I had an apple pie once and we loved it. I'd read this apple pie recipe some place and decided to give it a shot. I tried to make the pie crust from scratch but it was a disaster :(... So I decided to use the ready-made pie crust(available in the frozen section in the grocery store) and voila!!! It was a big hit :) Here's how I made it... ( The recipe here is for an "over-stuffed" pie... we like it like that ;) )

Ingredients:-

Ready made Pie Crust.

For filling:
5 granny-smith apples (green apples, cos they're sweet and tart)
1 cup sugar
2 tablespoon flour
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
1/2 tablespoon lemon juice
1/2 tablespoon orange juice
Zest of 1/2 lemon
Method:-
Preheat oven to 400F.
Peel and slice apples. Just before you roll out the dough, combine all the pie filling.
Arranging the pie:-
Roll out the dough into 2 - 9" circles and lay the bottom layer in the pie pan and slightly press to form a plate. Add in the filling. Cover it with the second dough layer. Seal the edges and cut slits with knife to let out the steam.

Bake at 400F for 30-50 mins or till the crust is golden brown.
Tip:- If you don't want to bake a whole pie, use small oven-safe cups and bake mini pies :)

Happy cooking!!!
Meh

Methi-Carrot Parotha

2010-07-16T03:43:00.000+05:30

V and I love parathas. I usually make parathas for dinner and we have them with curd raitha and papad... mmmm.. my mouth's watering now.

Anyways, I try changing the flavors of the parathas I usually make, by adding in a different ingredient. Here I'm sharing with you the methi-carrot paratha, which we love. The extra ingredient is the kasoori methi in the usual carrot paratha... Hope you guys like this :)

Ingredients:-

2 cups wheat flour
2 tablespoons kasuri (dried) methi [adjust the quantity according to your preference]
1 tablespoon oil
2 carrots, grated
1/2 teaspoon red chilly powder, or to taste
1/4 teaspoon amchur powder
Salt to taste

Method:-

Mix all the above ingredients and make a dough with water. (You can also use milk to make the dough)
Make a small ball, about the size of a golf ball and roll it out.
On a heated pan, add oil/ghee and put this parotha to roast.
Turn the parotha after about 30 seconds and add a generous layer of oil/ghee.
Repeat the above step for the other side as well.
Roast the parotha well on both sides till it cooked.
Serve hot with raitha or pickle.

Happy cooking!!!

Meh

Tomato Soup

2010-07-16T03:18:00.000+05:30

The other day while I was chatting with my sister (one of those endless hours of chat :) ), she told me about the tomato soup that she prepared. I was surprised as to why I'd never tried making this simple soup yet. So the next time when we went to the grocery store I picked up some extra tomatoes and decided to give it a shot. Guess what, it was so yummy, I'm never buying the ready-to-make tomato soup pack again :)

Thanks J di :)

Here's how I made it:-

Ingredients:-

6-8 tomatoes, roughly chopped
1 medium onion, roughly chopped
2-3 cloves of garlic
1/2" piece of ginger
Salt, to taste
Black pepper, to taste
2 teaspoons cream, optional
1 teaspoon cornflour

Method:

Pressure cook the tomatoes, ginger, garlic and onions for about 1-2 whistles with very little water.
Once cooked, blend the veggies and filter with a sieve to remove the tomato seeds and skin.
Transfer the soup to a stock pot. Add in some water if needed. Season with salt and pepper. Allow the soup to boil.
In a small bowl, mix the cornflour with 2-3 tablespoons of water and form a smooth paste.
Turn the heat to low and add in the cornflour paste to the soup. Mix well to ensure no lumps are formed. Simmer for about 2 minutes.
Add in the cream just before you turn off the gas. Serve hot!!!

Happy cooking!!!

Meh

Mix Veg Fried Rice

2010-07-16T02:47:00.000+05:30

I love trying different varieties of rice with vegetables, sometimes pulao or biryani... Yesterday I made mix veg fried rice and it turned out to be very tasty.

I made this in a different manner compared to the usual Chinese fried rice. Here's the recipe, hope you enjoy.

Ingredients:

2 cups cooked rice( I cook rice with salt)
1 medium onion, chopped
3 big cloves of garlic, finely chopped
1/2" piece of ginger, grated
2-3 green chillies, finely chopped
1/4 cup sliced mushrooms
1/2 green bell pepper, diced
1/2 red bell pepper, diced
1/2 cup shredded cabbage ( red or green)
2 carrots cut into thin long strips
1/4 cup green beans cut into thin long strips
1 teaspoon red chilly-garlic paste
3 teaspoons tomato ketchup
3 teaspoons soya sauce
2 teaspoons vinegar
2 teaspoons hot sauce
1 teaspoon hot and sweet sauce
3 tablespoons oil
1 teaspoon ajinomoto
Salt to taste
Black pepper to taste

Method:

Take oil in a wok and add in the ginger and garlic, heat this on medium heat. This helps to add in the ginger-garlic flavor to the oil.
Once the garlic is slightly fried, add in the onions and green chillies and sauté for 2-3 minutes.
Add in the red chilly-garlic paste and fry for 30 seconds.
Next add in the mushrooms, green beans and carrots and sprinkle them with little salt and little ajinomoto. Fry for about 2 minutes.
When the veggies are halfway done, add in the cabbage and sprinkle in some more salt and ajinomoto. Fry for about 2 more minutes.
Finally, add in the red and green bell peppers and fry for just about a min to maintain the crunch in the bell peppers. I also add in some chopped onions with the bell peppers for some extra crunch.
Meanwhile, in a bowl mix all the sauces together - tomato ketchup, hot and sweet sauce, hot sauce, soya sauce and vinegar with about 2 teaspoons of water. Taste this and add in any more of the sauces if needed.
Add in the mixed sauce to the prepared veggies and fry for a minute. Sprinkle some black pepper, if needed for some extra spice.
Finally turn off the gas and add in the cooked rice. Mix it well.
Serve hot.

Tips:-

For egg fried rice, you can add in some scrambled eggs when you add in the rice.
Replace rice in the above recipe with boiled and drained noodles to make mix veg noodles.

Happy cooking!!!

Meh

Mushroom Masala

2010-06-09T00:41:00.000+05:30

I used to hate mushrooms earlier, but recently I have developed a taste for them. I try to make mushrooms in a lot of different varieties. I add them in pulao, fried rice, curries and I also make them as appetizers... I love the versatile ways in which mushrooms can be used :). They're very good for your health too!!!

Here's the recipe for mushroom masala... A dish which I make by combining couple of different recipes... You can also add a twist to this recipe by using boiled corn with mushrooms to make mushroom corn masala... Enjoy!!!

Ingredients:

1/4 kilo button mushrooms, chopped
1 medium onion, finely chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
3 medium tomatoes pureed
1/2 teaspoon red chilly powder
1 teaspoon dhaniya powder
1/4 teaspoon garam masala powder
Salt to taste
1 tablespoon oil
1/4 teaspoon cumin seeds
Chopped coriander for garnish.

Method:

Heat oil in a pan. Add the cumin seeds fry till it splutters.
Add in the chopped onion and garlic and fry till onion is transparent.
Mix in the tomato puree and all the dry masala powders and salt. Cook till tomatoes are done and oil leaves sides.
Taste and adjust the seasonings if needed.
Finally add in the chopped mushrooms. Mix well. Add a little water according to the consistency you desire. Cover and cook till the mushrooms are done ( about 5-7 minutes).
Garnish with chopped coriander and serve hot with chapathis.

Tips:

Sometimes I use store bought tomato puree for more color and flavor.
Once in a while I substitute the tomato puree with "ragu pizza sauce" for aditional flavor.

Happy cooking!!!
Meh

Ghaatiya

2010-05-14T04:30:00.000+05:30

V loves to snack when he is back home from work in the evenings. So he loves picking up the "ready-to-eat" Indian namkeens whenever we're at the Indian stores.
Once I planned to surprise him by trying to make some home made namkeens. Thanks to my sis for the recipe!!! Also I wanted to try my new sev-maker machine :) It turned out very tasty and crispy snack... Who can say no to fried namkeens...

Ingredients:

2 cups besan
1 teaspoon red chilly powder or to taste
1/4 teaspoon ajwain
1 tablespoon hot oil
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
Salt to taste
Oil for deep frying

Method:

Heat oil in a kadhai to fry the ghaatiya.
Meanwhile in a bowl take besan, salt, red chilly powder, baking soda, ajwain and some hot hoil from the kadhai and mix well.
Make a tight dough by adding water.
Use the thick holed plate in the sev-maker, place a ball of dough in the sev-maker and press out ghaatiya in the kadhai.
Cook on medium heat first and once the ghaatiya raises in the kadhai, increase the flame and fry till you get a nice golden color.
Remove the ghaatiya and place it on paper towel to soak up the extra oil.
Once cooled, store the ghaatiya in an air-tight container to keep it fresh for 2-3 weeks.

Tips:-

Add about 1 tablespoon of garlic paste to the mix, to make garlic flavored ghatiya.
Add 1 tablespoon of dried mint powder to the mix for mint flavored ghatiya.

Happy cooking!!!
Meh

Masaledar kala chana

2010-05-14T04:15:00.000+05:30

This dish is simple and a great snack. With just a little prep, you can make this lip-smackin dish in no time (except for the soak time :) )

Ingredients:

1 cup dried black chana
3 tablespoons grated coconut
1 tablespoon oil
1/4 teaspoon cumin seeds
1/2 teaspoon red chilly powder
1/4 teaspoon amchur powder
Salt to taste.
Lemon juice (optional)

Mehtod:

Wash and soak the kala chana for 6-8 hours or overnight.
Pressure cook the soaked kala chana with salt till done.
Heat oil in a pan. Add the cumin seeds and let it splutter. Add in the red chilly powder and amchur powder, fry just for 30 seconds and add in the kala chana.
Mix well and adjust the seasoning if needed.
Take it off the gas, add some lemon juice if needed and mix in the grated coconut.
Enjoy it just as a snack topped with chopped onion, tomato and coriander leaves or add it on top of some papdi chaat or alu chaat :)

Happy cooking!!!
Meh

Mix Veg Korma

2010-04-20T07:57:00.000+05:30

A simple easy dish to include all the veggies you want in your meal... Feel free to add in more veggies if you like :)

Ingredients:

1 carrot, chopped
1 medium potato, chopped
1 cup chopped beans
1/3 cup peas
1 medium onion, finely chopped
1/3 cup grated coconut, (fresh or dry coconut is fine)
2 tomatoes, chopped
4 cloves
4 cardamoms
1 medium bay leaf
1/2 teaspoon cumin seeds
2 tablespoons oil
1/2 teaspoon chilly powder, or to taste
2 teaspoons dhaniya powder
Salt to taste
Chopped coriander for garnish

Method:

Roast the grated coconut in a pan for about a min till slightly aromatic. Grind the roasted coconut, cumin seeds, bay leaf, cloves and cardamoms to a fine paste with some water.
Heat oil in a cooker. Add in the chopped onions and fry till transparent.
Stir in the mix veggies and fry for 2 mins.
Next put in the ground masala, salt, chilly powder, dhaniya powder and chopped tomatoes. Mix well and pressure cook till ready.
Garnish with chopped coriander and serve hot with puris.

Happy cooking!!!
Meh

Soya chunks pulao

2010-03-18T04:12:00.000+05:30

This morning when I was browsing my pantry trying to decide what to prepare for lunch, I looked at the box of soya chunks and pulled it out to make some soya chunk curry with rice. But then I decided to try something new, so I planned to make some pulao. It turned out to be quite easy and very tasty meal.

Here's how I made it...

Ingredients:

1 cup rice (preferably basmati)
1/2" stick cinammon
1 small bay leaf
3-4 whole peppercorns
1/2 teaspoon cumin seeds (jeera)
3 cloves
2-3 small cardamom
2 tablespoons oil
1 small onion finely sliced
1/2 teaspoon ginger-garlic paste
1 medium tomato finely chopped or pureed
1/2 teaspoon dried mint powder or 4-5 finely chopped mint leaves
1/2 teaspoon red chilly powder(or to taste)
2 teaspoon dhaniya powder
1/4 teaspoon garam masala powder
3 tablespoons curd
Salt to taste
Chopped Coriander for garnish

Method:

Wash and soak the rice and keep aside before you start with the rest of the ingredients.
Boil water in a pot. Add the soya chunks to the boiling water and cook for a min. Drain out the water. When cool to handle, squeeze out all the water from the soya chunks and keep aside. This step helps remove the strong odor from the soya chunks.
Heat the oil in a pressure cooker. Once hot, add the jeera and the whole garam masala(bay leaf, cardamom, cinnamon, cloves and whole peppercorns) and fry for about 30 seconds.
Add in the sliced onions and fry till golden brown in color. (You can add in a little salt to the onions to speed up the cooking)
Add in the ginger-garlic paste and saute for a min.
Now pour in the tomato puree, mint powder. Mix well.
Add the masala powders - red chilly powder, dhaniya powder and garam masala powder. Mix well and cook till the oil oozes out.
Now add in the curds and cook for a min.
In the meanwhile drain out the rice and then add it to the pressure cooker with soya chunks, 2 cups of water and salt to taste. Mix well and taste and adjust the seasonings if needed.
Pressure cook till the rice is cooked.
Garnish the pulao with coriander leaves and serve hot with curd raita.

Note: You can add in mix veggies for mix vegetable pulao. Also try the same recipe for chicken pulao by using partly cooked chicken instead of soya chunks.
Happy cooking!!!
Meh

Pineapple Juice

2010-02-06T05:00:00.000+05:30

Welcome the summer with this easy-to-prepare chilled drink that is sure to cool you down and leave you asking for more :)

Ingredients:

2 cups of chopped pineapple
1 cup orange juice
1 tbsp lemon juice
4-5 fresh mint leaves, chopped
1/4 tsp salt
4 tsp sugar or to taste
Ice cubes, optional

Method:

Blend all the ingredients together.
You can filter the juice to remove the pulp, if needed. I usually serve the juice with the pulp.
Garnish with mint leaves and serve chilled

Happy cooking!!!
Meh

Chicken Broth

2010-02-06T04:20:00.000+05:30

Lots of people, including me, think it is much better to open a can of readymade chicken broth. However, the good news is, it is worth the time and effort to prepare chicken broth at home. It tastes so much better than readymade broth.

Ingredients:

1 kg chicken parts or meaty bones, such as backs and necks
6 cups cold water
1 medium onion, diced (abt 1/2 cup)
1/2 carrot, diced (abt 1/4 cup)
1 celery stalk diced
2-3 whole black peppercorns
1-2 parsley stems
1 small bay leaf
1 sprig fresh thyme
Salt to taste

Method:

Place the chicken and water in a large pot, (water should cover the chicken by atleast 2"). Bring the water slowly to a boil over medium heat.
As the water comes to a boil, skim any foam that rises to the surface. Once it boils, simmer. Cover partially and simmer for 2 hrs. Skim as often as needed.
Add the remaining ingredients. Continue to simmer, skimming as needed, until the broth is fully flavored, abt 1 hr.
Remove the chicken, cool and shred the meat. Reserve to garnish or save for another use.
Strain the broth through a fine sieve into a large metal container. Discard the solids.
To store - cool broth quickly by placing the container in a sink filled with ice-cold water. Stir as it cools and then transfer it to a storage containers.
Store in refrigerator for 5 days or 3 months in the freezer. Label and date the containters clearly before putting them into the freezer.

Happy cooking!!!
Meh

Dal Tadka

2010-02-06T04:02:00.000+05:30

a.k.a Aamti, this is a maharashtrian dish. There was this time when I was on a spree to try out different cuisines and decided to try out this maharashtrian dish. I got the recipe from a dear friend of mine and decided to give it a try. It turned out pretty delicious :) Do give it a try and enjoy :)

Ingredients:

2 cups toor dal
1 tbsp oil for tadka
A pinch of hing (asafoetida)
1/2 tsp haldi
1 tsp dhania powder
1 tsp jeera powder
1/2 tsp whole jeera
1/2 tsp mustard seeds
1/2 tsp till (sesame seeds)
2-3 red/green chillies, finely chopped
1 tsp Jaggery
1 tsp ginger-garlic paste
A few curry leaves
2 tbsp grated coconut
1/4 tsp tamrind extract
Salt to taste
Chopped corriander for garnishing

Method:

Rinse toor dal well. Preferably soak the dal for 1 hour so it will cook faster.
Pressure cook the dal, 2 vesseles should be enough.
Add haldi , dhania powder, jeera powder & chillies, tamarind extract, jaggery, coconut, and salt to taste.
Simmer for 10 minutes or so, adding water as needed to make a thin preparation.
For the tadka, heat oil in a pan, add cumin seeds, mustard seeds, ginger-garlic paste, hing and curry leaves. You can add 1-2 whole red chillies if needed.
When the mustard seeds start popping, pour over hot dhal; simmer a bit longer.
Add corriander leaves, remove from heat and cover for a few minutes; stir well and serve hot.

Happy cooking!!!
Meh

Eggless Strawberry Cake

2009-05-01T00:15:00.000+05:30

I'd been looking for an eggless cake recipe for quite a while. When I came across this recipe, I wasn't too sure about using vinegar as a replacement for eggs in a cake. I doubted that the cake might taste sour, but it doesn't. It tastes wonderful. :) And the strawberry flavor tastes awesome...

Ingredients:

1.75 cups all-purpose flour (maida)
3/4 cup sugar
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 cup oil
14 strawberries, pureed
1 tablespoon white vinegar
Oil and flour for the baking pans

Method:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. ( 180 degrees C ) Grease and flour the baking pan.
In a large bowl, combine all the dry ingredients: flour, sugar and baking soda.
In another vessel comine all the wet ingredients: vegetable oil, strawberry puree and vinegar.
Add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients and blend with a hand blender till combined well.
Pour the mixture into the baking pan. Lightly drop the pan on the table a few times to get rid of the air bubbles.
Bake for approximately 40 minutes. Remove from oven and cool for 5 minutes.

Happy cooking!!!
Meh