My Cooking Wonders

Paramannam/Rice Pudding in instapot

2020-11-26T18:15:00.000-06:00

From where I came from, Paramannam is one dish that is prepared as offering to God for almost all the festivals and rituals. This is the first dish that is made during gruhapravesam(house warming) as well. It has a divine taste which I am not sure comes from the dish itself or from the devotional feelings towards the God :). I made this divine offering in an instapot and it came out really good.

Ingredients

750ml Milk
1 cup water

1 cup rice

2 tbsp Tapioca/sabudhana/saggubiyyam

1 tbsp moong dal

1 cup jaggery finely grated

2 tbsp sugar

2 tbsp raisins

handful of cashews

2 tbsp ghee(more if preferred)

2 cardamom pods crushed

Turn on the instapot with saute mode on. Add milk, water and bring it to a boil. Add rice, saggubiyyam and moong dal. Close the lid and turn off the saute mode. Turn on pressure cooker mode, make sure the whistle in in sealing mode and set the timer to 4 minutes. Once the 4 minutes are up, turn off the instapot and let it sit for 1 minute. Manually release the pressure.

Meanwhile heat ghee and fry raisins and cashews. Set aside. Heat a pan and add 1/2 cup of water, jaggery and sugar. Let the jaggery and sugar melt. Turn off the flame, add in crushed cardamoms and set it aside.

Once the pressure is off, open the lid of the instapot and add the jaggery mixture to the cooked rice. Give it a good mix. If the consistency is too thick add boiled milk to get the right consistency. Garnish with raisins and cashews and more ghee.
Paramannam is ready to be served.

My preference is to eat it cold. So I always pop it in the refrigerator before eating.
Note:
If you want to make it in a pressure cooker, the process is the same except for cook for a single whistle and let the pressure release naturally.

Vaangi baath/Brinjal rice

2019-08-14T19:37:00.000-05:00

Vaangi baath is a rice dish very popular in Karnataka, our neighboring state back in India. The best part of the dish is the masala itself and if you make it fresh from scratch, the dish tastes DELISH!!! There are a lot of versions available on how this dish is made depending on the region you are from. And here is my version...

Ingredients

2 cups raw Basmati rice - washed and cooked

1 lb eggplant/brinjal

Salt per taste

2 tbsp ghee or butter

1 tbsp oil

3 green chillies slit lengthwise

15 to 20 cashews

couple of sprigs of curry leaves

1 tsp lemon juice

For Masala

1/2 inch cinnamon

2 cardamom pods

2 cloves

1 tbsp coriander seeds

2 bay leaves

1 small piece of stone flower(dagad phool)

1 small piece star anise

1/4 tsp peppercorns

4 dry red chillies(adjust per you spice level)

2 tbsp poppy seeds(gasagasalu)

2 tbsp sesame seeds

3 tbsp dry coconut powder

For Tempering

1/2 tsp mustard seeds

1/2 tsp cumin seeds

Method

Dry roast the masala ingredients one by one and set aside. Let them cool and grind to a fine powder.

Take a big bowl full of water and add in couple tbsps of salt. Cut the eggplant into desired size and soak them in salt water. Set them aside.

Heat butter and oil in a pan. Add in tempering ingredients and let them splutter. Add in green chillies, cashews and fry them for a minute till cashews turn golden brown in color. Add in curry leaves and let them splutter.

Add in eggplant pieces(just the pieces and discard the salt water). Add salt and give it a good stir. Close the lid and let the eggplant pieces cook till they become tender. Stir gently occasionally. Add in the prepared masala and give it a good stir. Fry for minute or two.

Add in the boiled rice, lemon juice and toss gently so that everything gets mixed well. Check and adjust salt if needed. Serve hot.

Vegetable pulao in instapot

2019-08-11T12:57:00.001-05:00

Another day..another instapot recipe😊. Back in the day when I was growing up, anyone throwing a party used to be a rare occasion. And whenever there is a party, one dish they always used to serve is Vegetable pulao with Kurma combination. I used to love that dish and even after all these years that taste just stayed with me. Now a days gatherings/parties have become super common and they rarely are serving veg pulao as there are so many other rice varieties in market today. But to me this one dish is so special and the dish I prepared today brought back all those memories.. It is simple, easy to prepare and so so flavorful... Hope you guys will like this dish as much I did...

Ingredients

3 cups basmati rice washed and all the water drained

1 cup Milk or coconut milk

4 cups water

1/2 cup thinly sliced onion

4 green chillies chopped into small pieces(adjust per spice level)

1 1/2 tsp ginger garlic paste

1/2 cup chopped potato pieces

1/2 cup chopped carrot pieces

1/4 cup green peas

3/4 to 1 tsp garam masala

2 tbsp ghee

fistful of coriander leaves

fistful of mint leaves

Roasted cashews for garnish

Tempering

2 Cardamom

4 cloves

small piece of cinnamon

2 bay leaves

1/2 tsp cumin seeds

1 star anise

1 piece of mace

couple of pinches of nutmeg powder

1/4 tsp peppercorns

Procedure

Turn on the insta pot with saute mode on. Heat butter, add in the tempering ingredients and let them splutter. Add in onion, salt and green chillies. Fry till onions become translucent. Add in ginger garlic paste. Fry till raw smell is gone for about a minute. Add in the potatoes, carrot and peas. Saute for 5 to 10 minutes. Keep stirring. Add coriander and mint leaves and fry for another minute.

Add in rice, milk, water and garam masala. Check and adjust the seasonings. Turn off the saute mode. Turn on pressure cooker mode, make sure the whistle in in sealing mode and set the timer to 7 minutes. Once the 7 minutes are up, turn off the instapot and let it sit for 2 minutes. Manually release the pressure. Garnish with roasted cashews.

Serve with raitha and any gravy curry. Made mirchi salan to go with this dish.

Moong dal Kichidi in instapot

2019-08-10T23:41:00.000-05:00

This is my first recipe using an instapot. I got instapot almost an year ago and finally decided to put it to work :). I was skeptical about it but boy I fell in love just after first use. Going forward I can see myself using instapot a lot.. Give this recipe a try..

Ingredients

2 cups basmati rice

1 cup moong dal

4 1/2 to 5 cups water(depending on how mushy you want you kichidi)

1/2 cup diced Potato cubes

1/4 cup chopped Carrot

1/4 cup chopped French beans or green beans

1/4 cup finely chopped tomato

1/4 cup finely chopped Onion

3 Green chillies slit length-wise

Salt per taste

1 tbsp garam masala powder

1 1/2 tbsp red chilli powder(Adjust per spice level)

1 tbsp black peppercorns coarsely crushed

2 tbsp Ginger garlic paste

1 tbsp oil

2 tbsp butter

1 sprig curry leaves

handful of coriander leaves

Temperings

1 tbsp cumin seeds

20 cashews roughly chopped

3/4 tsp turmeric powder

1/4 tsp black cumin seeds

Method

Wash and soak moong dal and rice separately in water for 30 minutes to 1 hour.

Turn on the Instapot with saute mode on. Heat butter and oil. Add the tempering ingredients and fry till cashews turn light golden brown in color. Add curry leaves and let them splutter. Add in onions, potatoes, carrots, green chillies and beans. Let them fry for 4 to 5 minutes. Stir occasionally. Add in ginger garlic paste and fry for a minute till the raw smell is gone. At this point add in salt and tomatoes. Let them saute for couple of minutes. Add in red chilli powder, crushed peppercorns and garam masala powder. Fry for a minute.

Add in rice and moong dal. Give it a good stir gently so not to break the rice. Fry for a minute. Add in water. Check and adjust the seasonings at this point. Turn off the instapot and turn on the instapot with Pressure cooker mode and set the time to 12 minutes. Make sure the whistle in in the sealing mode. Once the 12 minutes are up, switch off the instapot. Let it sit for a minute and do a quick release to let out the pressure.

Garnish with coriander leaves and serve hot with simple raitha and any pickle(I served with lemon pickle).

Note

If you do not own an instapot the same recipe can be made in a regular pressure cooker. If using a pressure cooker then cook till 3 whistles.

Chicken Dum Biryani

2019-08-10T12:03:00.000-05:00

Biryani can be made in gazillion ways but back home the most traditional way is cooking it DUM style. The marinated meat and parboiled rice are sealed in pan and cooked by steam on a very low flame. Making biryani this way is a long process but biryani made this way is so flavorful that at end all the effort is well worth it. Making quick biryani might be satisfying but cooking it the dum way is more special and the flavours are really soul satisfying..Give it a try and please keep in mind that sometimes it might take couple of tries to get it right :).

Ingredients

For Fried Onions:

1 big Onions sliced lengthwise

10 to 12 tbsp Oil

For Chicken Marination:

600 grams Chicken

12 Green Chillies Slit lengthwise

Mint Leaves fistful chopped

Coriander Leaves fistful Chopped

4 tsp Ginger Garlic Paste

1/2 tsp Ground Black Pepper

1/2 tsp Black Cumin

1 1/2 tsp Red Chili Powder(adjust for spice level - I used 2 tsp as my family likes it spicy)

1 tsp Kashmiri Chilli Powder(Optional - I add this for color)

1/2 tsp Turmeric

2 1/2 tsp Salt(Adjust per taste)

1/2 tsp Cumin Powder

2 tsp Coriander Powder

4 Bay Leaves

2 Star Anise

Mace few pieces

Nutmeg Powder Couple pinches

6 Cardamom crushed

6 Cloves

2 inch pieces Cinnamon

1 tsp Chicken Biryani Masala

3/4 tsp Garam Masala

4 tbsp Oil(the oil used to fry the onions can be used here)

Fried Onions handful

400 grams(roughly 1 1/2 cups) Thick Curd

1 big Lemon

For Rice:

3 Rice cooker cups Basmati Rice

2 to 3 tsp Salt(taste the water and adjust)

1 tbsp Oil

2 Cloves

3 Cardamom

1 inch Cinnamon stick

1 Bay Leaf

1/4 tsp Black Cumin

Coriander leaves few sprigs

Mint Leaves few leaves

For Assembly:

4 to 5 tbsp Ghee or Butter

Fried Onions handful

Saffron Couple of Pinches

2 tbsp Milk

Coriander leaves handful

Mint Leaves handful

Procedure:

Step 1: Fried Onions

Heat oil in a pan(Use the same pan you are going to make the biryani in). Add in the onions and shallow fry till golden brown. Drain and set the onions aside.

Step 2: Chicken Marination

Cut Chicken into big pieces. Wash the chicken and make sure the chicken pieces are dry. Add all the marination ingredients and mix them nicely. Marinate the chicken overnight if possible else make sure the chicken is marinated at least an hour.

Step 3: Rice

Soak basmati rice in sufficient water for 30 mins. Strain the rice and set it aside.

Take a big vessel with 10 cups of water. To this water add salt, oil, cloves, cardamom, cinnamon stick, bay leaf, black cumin, coriander and mint leaves. Let the water come to a boil. When water is boiling add in the rice and cook for 5 minutes till the rice is 70 to 75% done. Strain the boiled rice and set it aside.

Step 4: Assembling the biryani

Add saffron to warm milk and set aside.

Take a thick bottomed pan with a lid. Grease the pan on all sides with ghee or melted butter. Add the marinated chicken and spread evenly in one layer if possible.

On the chicken, add first layer of cooked rice(3/4th of the cooked rice) and spread evenly. Sprinkle half the coriander and mint leaves and half the fried onions. Add rest of the rice on the top. Sprinkle half the coriander and mint leaves and left over fried onions. Pour the saffron soaked milk all over. Add the leftover over butter on the top. Now seal the top of the pan with two layers of aluminum foil and make sure it is airtight. Now put the lid on the top. Cook on medium to high flame for 5 to 6 minutes. Then heat a tawa or any flat pan and transfer the layered pan onto the tawa. Cook on medium low flame for 35 minutes. Turn off the heat and let it sit for 10 minutes before opening the lid.

Serve hot with onion pieces and Raitha!!

Kodiguddu mulakkaya curry/Egg drumstick curry

2019-08-10T11:29:00.000-05:00

Yet another of mom's recipes. Egg drumstick curry is a spicy and tangy tomato gravy curry which mom used to make all the time while we were kids. Back then I am not a big fan of eggs and having drumsticks in the curry used to make my life easy. Now it is a different story - I love eggs and having drumsticks in the curry is a bonus :). This curry is like a party in your mouth with different flavors complementing each other..Give it a try..

Ingredients

6 hard boiled eggs
8 to 10 2 inch drumstick pieces
1 1/2 cup finely chopped onion
1 cup finely chopped tomato
1 tsp ginger garlic paste
half lemon sized tamarind soaked in water
1 tsp red chilli powder
Salt per taste
1/2 tsp Garam masala powder
A sprig of curry leaves
2 tbsp oil
1/4 tsp Sugar
couple pinches of turmeric

Tempering

1/4 tsp Cumin seeds
1/4 tsp Mustard seeds
couple of pinches of asafoetida
1/4 tsp Chana dal

Method

Extract the juice from the tamarind adding 2 cups of water and set aside.
Make slits lengthwise in eggs and set aside. Heat oil in a pan on medium flame. Add the eggs and roast for a minute or two. Set them aside. To the same pan add the tempering ingredients and let them splutter. Add the curry leaves and fry for few seconds without burning them.
Add turmeric powder, onions and salt. Saute the onions till they are translucent and turn light brown in color. Add in ginger garlic paste and fry for a minute till raw smell is gone.
At this point add in red chilli powder and give it a stir. Add in chopped tomato, drumstick pieces and cook for 3 to 4 minutes. Keep stirring in between.
Add in the eggs and give it a stir. Cook for two minutes. Add in tamarind water and bring it to a boil. Add in garam masala and sugar and cook till the gravy comes to desired consistency - usually take 10 minutes.

Garnish with coriander leaves and serve with white rice.

Notes

Depending on the tenderness of the drumsticks, we might have to pressure cook them beforehand sometimes.

Natu kodi koora/Country Chicken curry

2019-06-08T16:27:00.001-05:00

Country chicken is not your ordinary chicken. This is either 'you die for it' or 'do not even want to touch it' kind of dish. I most definitely will fall into the first category.. I love love love this dish. Growing up mom used to make this dish during Sankranti(Pongal) season and BOY OH BOY, it use to taste divine with Garelu. The best part of this dish is that we cook the chicken with skin on and trust me, it tastes the best that way. Now a days country chicken is available throughout the year and I do not have to wait for a particular season to eat it :). Here is my version of this yummy yummy recipe(actually version of my mom's recipe little bit improvised by me).

Ingredients

2 lbs country chicken

1/2 cup finely chopped onions

1 1/2 tsp red chilli powder(adjust per spice level)

3 tbsp ginger garlic paste

2 to 3 tsp garam masala powder

Salt per taste

Water 2 cups(adjust per the tenderness of the chicken)

1 tsp Turmeric

3 tbsp oil

3 tbsp ghee

1/4 tsp cumin seeds

Coriander leaves for garnish

For Powder

20 Almonds

12 whole Cashews

2 tbsp poppy seeds(gasa gasalu)

6 walnuts

Method

Cut the chicken into small pieces, clean the chicken pieces and set aside.

One after another, dry roast almonds, cashews, poppy seeds and walnuts without burning them. Let them cool and grind into a fine powder. Set it aside.

Heat oil in a pressure cooker pan. Add cumin seeds and let them splutter. Add onions and saute them till they get translucent. Add in ginger garlic paste and fry for 2 minutes. Add in washed chicken, salt, red chilli powder, turmeric. Let the chicken fry for 5 to 10 minutes. Stir occasionally. Do not let the chicken or spices burn at any point.

Add in half of garam masala, half of butter or ghee. Give it a good stir. Add in water. Check and adjust seasonings at this point.

Close the pressure cooker lid, put on the whistle and cook till 5 to 8 whistles depending on the tenderness of the chicken. The tenderness of the chicken can be estimating while cleaning the chicken. This comes with experience :). When in doubt let it cook for 5 whistles and turn off the heat. Once the pressure is off then open the lid and check whether the chicken is cooked to tenderness or not. If it needs more cooking, at this point you would understand how many more whistles are needed for the chicken to fully cook. Now put the lid and whistle on and cook.

Turn off the heat and let the pan sit still the pressure is off. Once the pressure is off, take the lid off and return the pan to the stove, turn on the heat. Make sure there is little water remaining in there. Add in 6 tbsp of nut powder prepared earlier(Rest of the powder can be stored in a airtight container and refrigerated). Let the chicken cook for 5 to 10 minutes(till the gravy thickens). Add in rest of garam masala powder, ghee or butter and give it a good stir. Turn off the stove and garnish with coriander leaves if you have them handy.

Serve this curry with hot hot white rice or garelu(medu vada).

Kodi Pulao/Chicken Pulao in pressure cooker

2019-06-08T15:47:00.001-05:00

In our home, I am a big fan of pulao where as my husband loves his biryani... Pulao is a one dish wonder which is definitely not biryani! Pulao is prepared with less spices. Pulao is made using absorption method - no parboiled rice, no layering, can be made faster and everything is cooked together in one pot. Going out to restaurants, I get frustrated sometimes as I order pulao and I end up getting biryani instead which is why I make it at home the way I like it :)....Here is one of my chicken pulao recipes(Yes..I make different kind of pulaos depending on my mood of the day).. Give it a try..

Ingredients

2 cups Basmati Rice
1 lb Boneless skinless Chicken
10 whole Cashews
1 medium sized onion cut into chunks for paste(4 tbsp thick brown Onion Paste made from this onion)
2 tbsp thick yogurt
2 tbsp oil
4 tbsp ghee
6 to 8 Shallots or small onions
6 Green Chillies(Adjust per spice level)
3 tbsp Green Chilli Paste (adjust per spice level)(Grind around 25 to 30 green chillies into fine smooth paste with a tsp of water)
1 tbsp Ginger Garlic Paste
1/2 cup mint leaves
1/2 cup coriander leaves
1 cup coconut milk
2 cups Water
3/4 tsp garam masala powder

For Tempering

1/2 tsp Cumin seeds

1 star anise broken into pieces (Anasapuvu)
1/4 tsp nutmeg powder (Jajikaya)
2 small barks of Mace (Javetri)
2 green cardamom pods crushed
1 black cardamom pod crushed
3 cloves
1 inch cinnamon stick
2 Dried Bay leaves
1/2 tsp black cumin seeds
2 Sprigs Curry Leaves

Method

Preparation

Wash and soak rice in water for 20 to 30 minutes. Strain the rice and set aside.

Meanwhile, heat 1 tbsp ghee in pressure cooker pan. Add in cashew nuts and fry till golden brown. Remove them from the pan and set aside.

To the same pan add 1 tbsp oil. Add in sliced onions and fry till golden brown. Do not shy on the brown color. The onions should be nice golden brown color. Turn off the stove and take the onions into a blender. Let the onions cool down a bit and then blend into a fine smooth paste.

Get the green chili paste ready as well.

Wash and cut the chicken into big pieces.

Wash and peel the shallots/small onions and set aside.

Assembly

Take 4 tbsp brown onion paste and mix it with 2 tbsp yogurt, mix well and set aside.

Heat 1 tbsp oil and 2 tbsp ghee in the same pressure cooker pan which is used in the preparation. Add in the tempering ingredients except for curry leaves and fry for 20 to 30 seconds. Add in curry leaves and let them splutter. Add in shallots, green chillies and fry for 3 to 4 of minutes. Add in ginger garlic paste, brown onion - yogurt paste, green chilli paste, salt and fry for 5 to 6 minutes.

Add in coriander leaves and mint leaves. Fry for 2 more minutes. Add in the chicken pieces and give it a good stir. Cook for 2 minutes. Add in coconut milk and cook for another 2 minutes.

At this point add in water, garam masala powder and let it come to a boil. Once the liquids starts boiling add in Basmati rice and 1 tbsp ghee. Give it a good stir. Check and adjust the seasonings. Close the lid and cook till 4 to 5 whistles. Turn off the heat and let the pressure ease off from the pressure cooker before opening the lid.

Take into a serving bowl, garnish with cashew nuts and serve with raitha and/or with any kind of mild gravy curry like this.

Chicken in coconut milk gravy

2018-08-21T20:00:00.000-05:00

Today's recipe is a spur of the moment recipe. I have some ingredients that are left over on hand from some other recipe. Half can of coconut milk, handfuls of mint and coriander leaves that need to be used or I have to throw them away which gave me an idea for this recipe. To my surprise this curry did turn out really rich, creamy and yummy!!! A really simple, nothing fancy, fast recipe which can be made in a jiffy. Give it a try and see for yourselves!!

Ingredients

2 lbs boneless Chicken
1 tbsp ginger garlic paste
1/2 cup onion paste
1 cup coconut milk
Salt per taste
1 tsp red chili powder(adjust per spice level)
1/2 tsp garam masala powder
1 tbsp ghee or oil
1/2 tsp cumin seeds
1/2 tsp turmeric powder
handful of mint leaves
handful of coriander leaves + 1 tbsp for garnish

Method

Clean and cut the chicken into bite size pieces. Set aside.
Heat oil in a pan. Add in cumin seeds and let them splutter. Add in mint and coriander leaves and let them splutter as well.
Add in turmeric, onion paste, ginger garlic paste, salt and 1/2 cup of coconut milk. Cover and cook till onion paste turns light golden brown in color. Keep stirring occasionally.
Add in chicken pieces, red chilli powder. Cover and cook for 5 to 10 minutes. Add in rest of the coconut milk and cook covered for 10 to 15 minutes or till the gravy reaches desired consistency. Keep stirring occasionally. Add in garam masala powder and turn off the heat. Garnish with coriander leaves and serve hot with any kind of rice, pulao or roti.

Aratikaya Vepudu/Raw Plantain Fry

2018-08-14T18:05:00.000-05:00

It is raining outside and my palette is expecting something spicy to cope with the rainy weather. I am too tired to make snacks so decided to make some fry curry that works for both chapati(for me) and rice (for hubby dear)..

That is when the raw plantains that I bought over the weekend caught my eye. Raw plantains are one of the versatile vegetables that can be transformed into gazillion recipes. So, I made simple raw plantain fry(called as aratikaya vepudu in my native language). There are many versions of plantain fry recipes which I make and this is one of them. Give it a try while I enjoy my yummy plantain fry....

Ingredients

3 Plantains

5 Green chillies chopped real fine
1/4 Red chili powder(adjust per your spice levels)
8 Garlic pods skinned and chopped real fine
Salt per taste
2 tbsp Oil
1 tbsp Ghee
1/2 cup chopped Onion
Coriander leaves for garnish
5 or 6 curry leaves
1/4 tsp turmeric

Tempering

1 tbsp chana dal
1/2 tbsp mustard seeds
1/2 tbsp urad dal
1/2 tbsp cumin seeds

Method

Step 1

Take a microwave safe bowl, add water and 1 tsp salt into the bowl. Chop the edges of the plantains and cut them into 2 inch pieces. Microwave on high for about 12 to 15 minutes. Keep checking the pieces so that the pieces does not overcook and become too mushy. Best way to test is, pierce with a fork and fork should go in and come out without any resistance. At this point remove the bowl from the microwave, drain the water and set them aside till they cool down a bit. Once they are cold enough to touch, remove the skins and chop into bite sized pieces. Set aside.

Step 2

Heat oil in a pan. Add the tempering ingredients and let them fry till the dals turn light golden color. Add in curry leaves and let them splutter. Add in garlic and let it fry for couple of seconds.
Add in onion, green chillies, turmeric and little salt. Let them fry till onions are light golden brown.
Add in plantain pieces and fry for 3 to 4 minutes. At this point check the taste and add in red chili powder if needed. Add in ghee and give it a stir.
Turn the heat to high and fry for 2 to 3 minutes. Keep stirring all the time carefully without mashing the pieces. Turn off the heat and garnish with coriander leaves.

Serve hot with white rice or chapati.

Guthi Beerakaya curry/Creamy Ridge gourd Curry

2018-08-11T23:59:00.001-05:00

During Summer months, ridge gourd cooked in milk gravy is an often made curry in our house. We tend to make it atleast once a week as this is pretty much one of my hubby dear's favorite curry. After eating the same curry for 3 to 4 months already, my taste buds started protesting and I have to think of a different recipe that can be made with ridge gourd.

This is one such recipe I tried and hubby dear is very reluctant to taste this at first. Once he tasted it, he went for second and third servings which made me super happy. Give it a try and I can say that you will not be disappointed..

Ingredients

1 Beerakaya/Ridge gourd
1/2 tomato finely chopped
1/2 cup onion finely chopped
1/4 tsp ginger garlic paste
2 tbsp Grated coconut or dried coconut powder
Red chilli pwd per taste
1 cup Water
Couple of pinches Garam masala
Juice of half lemon
Salt per taste
2 tbsp Ghee
1 tbsp Oil
1 tsp mustard seeds
1/2 tsp cumin seeds

For Paste

1 tbsp Sesame seeds

1/4 cup Ground nuts
8 Cashews
8 Almonds
5 Dried red chillies
1 tsp Salt

Method

Dry roast sesame seed, ground nuts and dried red chillies separately and set aside. Heat a tsp of ghee and roast cashews and almonds. Take all the paste ingredients into a blender and make into a paste. Do not add any water.

Peel the skin off the ridge gourd and cut into 2 inch pieces. Make deep slits on each piece 3/4th way in the form of a + making sure not to cut through the pieces completely as shown in picture below.

Now with one hand hold each piece and with the other hand stuff each of them with the masala paste. Keep the leftover masala paste aside.

Heat 1 tbsp ghee in a pan and roast the stuffed ridge gourd pieces lightly. Be careful and stir gently without breaking the pieces. Take them into a bowl and set aside.

Heat 1 tbsp ghee, oil in a pressure cook. Add in mustard seeds, cumin seeds and let them splutter. Add in onions, ginger garlic paste and salt. Let the onions cook till light golden brown. Add in tomato and cook for 2 to 3 minutes.

Add in 1 cup of water, leftover paste, garam masala powder and give it a good stir. Once the water comes to a boil, add in ridge gourd pieces, check and adjust the seasonings. Add in red chili powder at this point if required.
Close the pressure cooker lid, place the whistle and cook till one whistle.

Turn off the heat and set the pressure cooker aside till all the pressure is gone. Once the pressure is gone take off the lid and place on the stove on medium flame and bring the gravy to a boil.
Add in coconut and let the gravy cook till the coconut is cooked and gravy comes to desired consistency. Gently stir the curry occasionally without breaking the pieces. Add in lemon juice, check and adjust seasonings one last time and turn off the heat. Transfer to a serving bowl.

Serve hot with rice or chapati.

Note

The same stuffing can be used for eggplant or tindora as well.
You can pretty much add any nuts you want along with cashews and almonds.
You can always cover and cook the recipe in a pan till the pieces are tender instead of in a pressure cooker.

Simple Chicken Kebabs

2018-08-09T21:53:00.001-05:00

Hubby dear wanted to eat kebabs and I am feeling little lazy that day... so kind of went ahead and made this version of kebabs with very few ingredients and to my surprise they turned out pretty tasty... I just used regular ingredients we use in Indian meat dishes and at times simple and easy is definitely better :)

Ingredients

250 grams boneless Chicken
Cooking oil as required

3 to 4 skewers depending on length of the skewer(If using wooden skewers, soak in water before hand for 3o minutes)

For Marination

3 tbsp thick yogurt(preferably greek yogurt)

1 to 1 1/2 tsp red chilli powder(adjust depending on the spice level)

1 tbsp ginger garlic paste(adjust per spice level)
1 tsp garam masala
Salt per taste
1 tbsp lemon juice

Method

Clean and wash the chicken properly. Cut it into thin strips . Keep it aside.

Next, add the marination ingredients in the chicken and mix it properly. Keep it in the fridge for about an hour.

Preheat the oven to 400F.
Take the marinated chicken, add in oil and mix well. Now put them onto skewers. Take a baking tray and arrange the skewers on the baking tray so that the drippings will fall into the tray.

Spray with cooking spray and put the chicken in the oven. Let the chicken bake for 20 to 30 minutes. Turn the chicken half way.
Turn the oven to broil and let the chicken cook for another 4 minutes each side.

Serve hot with sliced onion and mint chutney.

Paneer Butter Masala - Restaurant style(Improvised version)

2018-08-09T21:25:00.001-05:00

If you are looking for something healthy or lighter version, no offense...you can just stop here and look for other recipes(hey..the name says it all....it is Paneer, BUTTER and whole lot of other good creamy stuff). I have never came across a restaurant in USA that does not serve Paneer butter masala. This mouth watering gravy is like heaven to your taste buds with right amount of spiciness, creaminess and little sweetness. Here is my version of this awesome goodness..Give it a try :)

Word of caution: This recipe looks little lengthy and takes time but trust me, it is all more than worth it at the end..

Ingredients

800 grams(around 2 lbs) Paneer sliced into bite sized cubes

2 big onions grind to paste(around 4 1/2 to 5 cups of onion paste)

3 tbsp ginger garlic paste

8 large tomatoes blanched(check notes below), skin removed and made to fine puree(around 4 cups of puree)

24 whole cashews

2 tsp poppy seeds/gasagasalu(optional)

4 bay leaves

2 cups milk(I highly recommend whole milk)

2 cups water

2 3/4 tbsp kasuri methi(dry fenugreek leaves)

2 tsp garam masala

4 tbsp corinader powder

2 to 4 tsp red chilli powder(adjust per your taste and spice level)

8 tbsp + 2 tbsp butter

4 tbsp oil

2 tsp sugar(optional)

4 tbsp fresh cream for garnish(optional)

Salt per taste

Method

Step 1:

Soak cashews in water for 15 minutes. Grind cashews and poppy seeds to a fine smooth paste adding 2 or 3 tbsp of water. Set aside.

Grind the onions and make into a fine paste and set aside.

Get the tomato puree ready and set aside.

Heat 2 tbsp butter in a pan. Add paneer and saute till golden brown. Remove them into a bowl and set aside.

Step 2:

Heat 8 tbsp butter and 4 tbsp oil in a pan. Add bay leaves and let them fry for couple of seconds. Add in onion paste, ginger garlic paste and salt. Cover the lid and let the onion paste cook till all the water is evaporated and onion paste turns light brown in color and all the raw smell/taste goes away. Keep stirring in between. (Takes about to 15 to 20 minutes depending on the water content in the onions)

Add in red chilli powder, cashew-poppy seed paste and give it a good stir. Let it cook for 10 to 15 minutes. Keep stirring or else the curry sticks to the bottom of the pan.

Add in tomato puree/paste. Close the lid and let it cook for 10 to 15 minutes till all the water is evaporated and until oil starts to seperate from the gravy. Again, keep stirring in between so that the gravy does not stick to the bottom of the pan.

At this point add in coriander powder, garam masala powder and mix well. Let it cook for a minute.

Add in milk and water, give it a good stir. This is the perfect time to check and adjust the seasonings(salt and spice). Close the lid and cook for 5 to 10 minutes until oil starts to float on the surface.

At this point add in sugar(if gravy tastes little sour from the tomatoes), paneer cubes and kasuri methi. Give it a good stir and close the lid. Cook for 5 minutes or till the gravy reaches required consistency. Turn off the heat, take into serving bowl and garnish with fresh cream.

Can be served with any rice or roti or naan. I made Jeera rice to go with this today.

Notes

1. For tomato puree, you can make a X on the tomatoes with a knife, put them in a microwave safe bowl and cook for 2 to 3 to minutes. Let them cool and remove the skin. If cooked correctly the skin just peels off easily. Now puree them in a blender. If the puree is little watery, it will take little more time to cook off

2. You can always add in chopped green bell peppers along with paneer in the end so that they will still be little crunchy.

3. The key is to keep stirring occasionally so that the gravy does not stick to the bottom of the pan.

4. Because of high water content in the purees and pastes the gravy tried to jump of the pan which is why cook it covered till you add in paneer only removing the lid to stir or add in new ingredients.

5. Paneer can always be substituted with chicken or mixed vegetables.

6. To get the vibrant orange color, when adding in red chilli powder, add in a tbsp of kashmiri chili powder as well if you have that on hand. Kashmiri chili powder is super mild and it will not add any extra spiciness to the dish.

7. Only add sugar if tomatoes does not have that natural sweetness to them and little sour to taste.

8. Make sure cashews and poppy seeds are grind to a fine creamy paste without any grainy texture.

Andhra royyala vepudu/Andhra style Prawns(Shrimp) fry

2018-07-17T20:35:00.000-05:00

My version of shrimp/Prawn curry from my native place popularly known as royyala vepudu. This recipe brings back so many wonderful memories.
This being one of my favorite foods and me being a very picky eater growing up, my mom used to give me more of this curry than my brother.

Once I grew up, I was told if you leave your favorite food item in the name of god, your wish will come true. My wish came true and I gave up shrimp because this is hands down, the one food I love the most. Been 13 years I gave up Shrimp but still make the curry for hubby dear because this happens to be his favorite too.

Ingredients

3 cups finely chopped Onion

Salt per taste(around 3 tsp)

1 tsp Turmeric

2 tsp Coriander powder

6 Green Chillies slit length wise

1 tsp Cumin seeds

3 tsp Ginger garlic

3 to 4 tsp Red chilli powder depending on your spice level

1 tsp Garam masala

3 tbsp Oil

3 tbsp ghee

10 to 15 pieces cashews

Handful of Curry leaves, coriander leaves

Marination

1 pound(1/2kg) Prawns/Shrimp peeled and deveined

1 teaspoon salt

1/2 tsp turmeric

1/2 tsp chilli powder

1 tsp oil

1 tsp Ghee

1/2 tsp ginger garlic paste

Method

Wash the shrimp thoroughly with salt, turmeric and little curd. Drain all the water. To washed shrimp add all the ingredients except for oil and ghee under marination and mix well. Let it sit for 30 minutes.

Heat 1 tsp pan and add oil and 1 tsp ghee. Add the marinated shrimp and cook till the shrimp is cooked well(around 5 to 7 minutes). At this point drain the stock from the shrimp, set is aside and return the pan with shrimp to heat. Let the shrimp fry for another minute till any left over water is all evaporated. Turn off the heat. Take the cooked shrimp into a bowl and set aside.

Heat a pan and add 3 tbsp oil and 2 tbsp ghee. Add in curry leaves and let them fry till crisp. Remove from pan and set aside. Add in cashews and fry them till light golden brown and set aside. Add cumin seeds, onions, salt and give it a good mix.
Close the lid and let the onions cook till translucent. Add the saved stock from before, green chilies and cook till the water is all gone and onions turn golden brown. At this point curry must be moist but not watery. Add in turmeric, ginger garlic paste and let it cook for 2 minutes. Add in red chili powder, coriander powder and mix well. Fry for another minute. Add the cooked shrimp and let it cook on low flame for 10 minutes. Once the curry starts to come together, add garam masala and 2 tbsp ghee. Give it a good stir and turn off the heat. Garnish with coriander leaves, fried curry leaves and cashews.

Note:

If the curry is too runny but the onions are golden brown, add in grated coconut or dry coconut powder or any nuts powder to absorb that liquid.
Do not cook shrimp for too long as they tend to become rubbery instead of soft. 5 to 7 minutes is all it takes to cook shrimp.

Chickpea salad

2018-07-17T20:32:00.001-05:00

Yummy yummy chickpea salad with Avocado dressing. Perfect Summer salad with mouth watering rich creamy avocado dressing..what more can I say. Give it a try and enjoy!

Ingredients

1 cup dry garbanzo beans

1 whole cinnamon stick

couple of pinches of amchur powder(Optional)

3/4 cup chopped tomatoes

3/4 cup chopped onions

1/2 to 3/4 cup chopped cilantro

Avocado Dressing as much as you prefer. Recipe here

Method

Wash and soak garbanzo beans overnight in water. Add soaked garbanzo beans, cinnamon stick, amchur powder, salt and 2 to 3 cups of water to a pressure cooker. Pressure cook till 5 to 6 whistles. Once the pressure is off, open the lid and drain all the water. Let the chickpeas cool. 1 cup of dry beans should roughly yield upto 3 cups of cooked beans.

Once the chickpeas are cooled down add in tomatoes, onions, cilantro and avocado dressing. Check the taste for salt and spice. If not enough salt or spicy add in salt and 1 or 2 minced green chillies.

Serve the salad cold or at room temperature.

Avacado Dressing

2018-07-17T20:15:00.002-05:00

I love Avocados. Avocado is one of the vegetable or fruit(who cares what it is..all I care about is the taste) that I fell in love with after coming to States.

The rich and creamy textures always makes my mouth water. Here is one simple dressing recipe that will go well with salads and for people like me can eat it as is :)....

Ingredients

2 Avocados1/2 to 3/4 cup cilantro(I used leaves and stems)

couple leaves of mint

5 cloves garlic

3 to 4 tbsp freshly squeezed lemon juice(adjust per taste)

1 tsp salt(adjust per taste)

1/2 tsp black pepper powder

1/2 cup thick yogurt

2 to 4 tbsp Water

2 green chillies(adjust depending on the spice level)

Method

Peel and cut the avocados into pieces. Take all the ingredients into a blender and blend to a smooth paste. Take it into a bowl. If you like it thick and creamy leave it as is. If you prefer little thinner add little water. Give it a taste and adjust the seasonings.

Note:

I love mint which is why I added it. Mint is totally optional and you can skip it if you do not like the flavor.

Boiled Peanut Chat

2018-07-17T19:55:00.002-05:00

Boiled peanut chat is a spicy, tangy, delicious, lip smacking Indian street style food. This is one versatile dish that can be served as a snack or appetizer or salad or just as side dish for drinks.

Being away from these are the kind of foods I miss a lot and I try to recreate them at home. Preparing this chat is super easy and always makes me feel nostalgic. Give the recipe a try and I bet you will be hooked...

Ingredients

1 cup raw Peanuts(already shelled peanuts)

4 tbsp grated Carrot

1/4 cup finely chopped Onion

1/4 cup finely chopped Tomato

2 tbsp finely chopped Mint

4 tbsp finely chopped coriander leaves

Juice of 1 lemon(Use extra lemon if you like it tangier)

2 Green chilies finely chopped

Salt per taste

Method

Soak peanuts in water for about an hour.
Pressure cook peanuts with little salt and water for upto two whistles. Once the pressure is off, open the lid and drain all the water. Let the peanuts cool.

Add in all the ingredients and give it a good mix with a spatula or spoon. Check and adjust seasonings per your taste.

Note:

All the ingredients can be adjusted to you tastes. The recipe is kind of right mixture for my family.

Masala Vada/Mixed Dal Fritters

2018-07-08T09:51:00.000-05:00

Masala vada.... This is a popular South Indian snack traditionally made of chana dal(split bengal gram). Well, I am kinda gal who had a tad bit of rebel streak in her and sometimes(I say sometimes but my mom might not agree) like to go against the rules. So, I went a non-traditional route and made my vadas with mixed dals and lots of mint and coriander leaves. I luv luv luv mint flavor.

This recipe I am sharing today is inspired by mom's with twists of my own. The speciality of masala vada is that they have deliciously crunchy exterior and even more delicious soft interior, just like me ja ja ja ja. Enjoy!

Ingredients

4 Green Chillies chopped finely
3/4 cup finely chopped Onion
pinch of baking powder
1/2 tbsp cumin seeds
1/2 cup Besan/Chickpea flour(use as needed only if batter is runny or watery just to tighten up the batter)
Coriander Leaves and Mint leaves finely chopped( I love mint and coriander leaves and so used 1/2 to 3/4th cup chopped of each leaves. Adjust per your tastes or skip altogether)
Oil for deep frying

For Grinding

1 Cup Urad Dal
1/2 cup Moong Dal(I used combination of whole moong dal and skinless moong dal)
1/2 cup Chana Dal
4 Green Chillies
Small piece of ginger
Salt

Method

Soak Urad Dal, Moong Dal and Chana dal in water overnight or atleast for 4 to 6 hours. Drain the water completely. Set aside fistful of soaked dals in a bowl. Take rest of the dals, ginger, 4 green chillies and Salt in a blender and blend to coarse paste(Do not make into a smooth paste).
Now add saved dals from earlier and rest of the ingredients to the batter except for Besan. If the batter is runny or watery, then add besan to bring the batter to a consistency for it to be able to made into patties for deep frying. Check and adjust salt per your taste. The batter should look like this.

Heat oil in a thick bottomed pan or kadai. For making these fritters you can use your hands or use polythene cover or plastic grocery bag or wet cotton cloth. Wet the cloth or polythene sheet or grocery bag with your hand very lightly. Now wet your hand, take a small ball of batter onto the grocery bag and pat into round shape.

Drop gently into hot oil and fry on each side till golden brown(may be 4 to 5 minutes per side).

Take them out and drain them on a paper towel. These vadas need no side dishes and can be eaten by themselves hot or cold.

The above measurements yields around 40 vadas.

Deep fried might be little unhealthy but these snacks are packed with proteins and fiber. Give it a try...

Andhra Mutton Curry - Mom's Style

2018-06-17T20:17:00.001-05:00

Today's special is Mom's mutton curry with few of my additions. I have tasted so many mutton recipes but hands down, by far my mom's curry is the best.. This specific curry is finger licking good and lip smacking tasty..The paste made out of nuts add that extra richness and taste to this curry. YUM YUM YUM!!!!

The make or break for a perfect Andhra mutton curry is to cook the mutton till it is tender but the pieces should stay in tact without falling off...If you can figure out that exact balance you are a pro at making mutton curry andhra style!!

Ingredients

Oil 3 tbsp
Ghee 2 tbsp
Onion chopped 1/4 cup(Do not need much because gravy comes from nuts powder)

Gg paste 1/2 tbsp
Salt 2 tsp(Per taste)
Red Chilli powder 1 to 1 1/2 heaped tsp depending on spice level
1 cup water
1 tsp garam masala
Coriander leaves for garnish

Marination

Mutton 1kg
Salt 1 tsp
Red Chilli Powder 1 heaped tsp
Ginger garlic paste 1 tbsp
Garam masala 1/2 tsp
Lemon juice 1/2 lemon
Turmeric 1/4 tsp
Oil 1 tbsp

Nuts Powder

20 almonds
12 whole cashews
2 tbsp poppy seeds(gasagasalu)
6 to 8 walnuts

Tempering

1 tsp cumin seeds

1 tsp turmeric

1 or 2 small pieces of cinnamon

4 or 5 cloves

1 cardamom/elachi lightly crushed

5 or 6 curry leaves

Method

Pre Step: Dry roast all the ingredients under Nuts powder and grind to fine powder. Can be made in advance and can be stored in the fridge for 2 to 3 weeks.

1. Clean the mutton pieces and marinate the mutton using the ingredients mentioned under marination. Leave the marinated mutton overnight in the fridge or atleast for couple of hours.

2. Heat oil in a pressure cooker pan. Add tempering ingredients and let them splutter.

3. Add onion and little salt and fry for couple of minutes till translucent.

4. Add in marinated mutton, ginger garlic paste, salt and red chilli powder. Give it a good stir and cook for 5 minutes till water is released from the mutton.

5. At this point add in 1/2 tsp garam masala, half the ghee and 1 cup of water. Close the lid and place the whistle on the pressure cooker. Cook till 5 to 8(or more) whistles depending on the tenderness of the mutton. If mutton is little tough then it will take make more whistles. Turn off the heat and let it rest till the pressure is all gone and you can get the lid off the cooker easily.
6. Remove the lid, turn on the heat. Mix 2 to 3 tbsp of the nuts powder made in pre step with little water. Add in the nuts paste and little water if required and let it cook for couple of minutes till the oil separates at the top and gravy thickens to desired consistency. Add in rest of garam masala and coriander leaves. Give it a good stir and check the taste and adjust seasonings. Add rest of the ghee and turn off the heat.
7. Serve hot with rice or roti and slice of lemon and onion on the side. Rest of the nuts powder can be stored in the fridge and can be used later.

Notes

If the raw mutton feels tough(judging raw mutton is tough or not comes with experience), the easy way to tenderize it is to add grated raw papaya to the marinade. Raw papaya is good for tenderizing the meats. If raw papaya is not available, there are lot of tenderizing powders available in the market.

Hariyali Chicken Tikka Kebab

2018-06-11T22:07:00.002-05:00

It is weekend and my brother's family came over. We are playing cards around 6 in the evening and all of a sudden hubby dear says "Pasi(that is his nick name for me), can you make chicken kebabs that you made couple weeks ago?". My response is "Why not?? Go get some chicken and I will have the marinade ready by the time you guys get back".... That is the story behind this recipe :)..... Hubby dear always have this food cravings on a whim and he should be really glad and thanking god because I love to cook(well..most of the times :) ) ...

The great thing about these kebabs is that you do not need too many hours marination for them to taste better. Everyone loved the chicken which we ate for dinner along with some corn.

Ingredients

3 lemons

Oil or cooking spray

Couple of pinches of chat masala

1 big onion chopped lengthwise

6 to 8 skewers depending on length of the skewer(If using wooden skewers, soak in water before hand for 3o minutes)

Marinade

2 lbs Chicken

1 packed cup Mint(My family loves mint flavor. If not a big fan, cut down to 1/2 cup)

1 small bunch or 1 packed cup cilantro

10 green chillies(reduce to 8 for medium spice)

2 tbsp Ginger garlic paste

10 tbsp greek yogurt

Salt per taste

pinch or two of garam masala

Method

Step 1:

Clean the chicken and pat it dry. Cut the chicken into big bite size pieces. Prick each chicken piece with fork and set it aside. Grind all the marinade ingredients except for chicken into a fine paste. Add the marinade to chicken pieces and mix well. See that all the chicken pieces are well coated. Let the marinated chicken sit in fridge from 1 hour upto 24 hours(minimum of 1 hour will let the flavors sink into the chicken well)
Preheat the oven to 400F.

Step 2

Take the marinated chicken and put them onto skewers. Take a baking tray and arrange the skewers on the baking tray so that the dripping will fall into the tray.

Spray with cooking spray and put the chicken in the oven. Let the chicken bake for 20 to 30 minutes. Turn the chicken half way. Take the chicken off the skewers. Turn the oven to broil and let the chicken cook for another 5 to 7 minutes.

The chicken is ready to eat at this point but there is one extra step I do to get the perfect taste.

Step 3 - Final Step

Heat tawa and add some ghee once the tawa is hot. Place couple of chicken pieces and keep turning the chicken until charred on all sides.

When the chicken is about almost done, sprinkle onion, lemon juice and chat masala. Take the chicken off the tawa and serve hot with mint chutney or gobble up as is.

Perugu garelu/Avada/Perugu vada/Fried Urad Dal Dumplings soaked in Yogurt Sauce

2018-06-07T19:23:00.002-05:00

Aaaavadaaaaaaa......This dish needs no introduction if you are from Andhra Pradesh. I have grown up seeing my mother, grandmother, great grandmother(yes, my mom's mom's mom) make this dish for festivals and such. Welllll, that being said, I am not a big fan(am not saying I do not like them...just not a big fan.....not the same thing)... On the other hand hubby dear Loves(with a capital L ...note that point) this dish like crazy...

So this is how it goes in our house...I love garelu and he loves Aavada. If you put 1 and 1 together, it will make both of us happy..Some garelu for me and some avada for him from left over garelu...ha ha ha.....What are you waiting for...we do not need festivals to make yummy food..right guys????

Ingredients

For Garelu

Urad Dal
Ginger
Green Chilli
Salt
Onion
Coriander leaves/Cilantro
Oil for frying

For Curd mixture

Curd
Green chilli
ginger
Cilantro
Carrot
Salt

Tempering

Oil
4 Dried red chillies
1 tsp mustard seeds
1/2 tsp Cumin seeds
1/2 tsp Chana dal
1/2 tsp Turmeric
couple of pinches of Asafoetida (Inguva)
12 Curry leaves

Method

Step 1 : Yogurt Sauce

Grind the green chillies, ginger and salt to a paste. Take the curd in a deep bowl and beat it lightly with a whisk. Add the paste, half of the grated carrots and chopped cilantro. Heat oil in a pan. Add dried red chillies, mustard seeds, cumin seeds, chana dal, turmeric and Aestofedia. Let them splutter. Add in the curry leaves and fry for few seconds. Turn off the heat and add the tempering to yogurt mixture. Mix well and set it in the refrigerator till the vadas are ready.

Step 2 : Garelu

Soak Urad dal in water overnight.
In a mixer/grinder grind the urad dal, green chillies, ginger and salt, without adding water to tight paste. Grind in batches. The batter must be really tight to make garelu.
Take the batter into a bowl and add onions, cumin seeds, baking soda and coriander leaves. Mix well.

Place thin buttermilk in a medium sized bowl next to the stove.

Heat oil in a thick bottomed pan or kadai. For making the garelu you can use your hands or use polythene cover or plastic grocery bag. I used a plastic grocery bag. Wet the polythene sheet or grocery bag with your hand very lightly. Now wet your hand, take a small ball of batter onto the grocery bag and pat into round shape and punch a hole in the center.

Drop gently into hot oil and fry on each side till golden brown(may be 4 to 5 minutes per side).

Take them out and drain them on a paper towel and immediately drop into the buttermilk bowl. Let them soak for 2 minutes and press each vada between your palms lightly and arrange them on a serving plate.

Step 3: Assembly

Once all the vadas are ready and arranged on the serving platter, pour the curd/yogurt mixture on the vadas evenly. Garnish with rest of grated carrot and cilantro. Let them sit in the refrigerator for couple of hours for better taste.

Yummy yummy avada ready to be gobbled up!!

Apple Kheer

2018-06-07T19:01:00.000-05:00

One thing about is me that I am a big fan of fresh fruit juices and so I usually get bulk fruit from Costco all the time. Well another thing about me is that at times I am the most laziest person on the face of earth..I think you got where this is going..Yeah yeah you got me right...sometimes all the fruit end up in my refrigerator and I tend to do these experiments with food instead of throwing them away..The dish I made today is one such experiment which turned out good to my husband's surprise he he ..I hope you guys will enjoy this dish as much as we did......

Ingredients

2 apples chopped into medium pieces
3/8 cup Apple Butter/Apple Sauce
2 cups Milk
1 cup/1 14oz can Condensed Milk
3/4 cup Brown Sugar
2 tbsp butter
Cashews
A pinch of Cardamom

Method

Take a large microwave safe bowl and add the chopped apples. Pop the bowl in the microwave on for 3 mins and allow to cool.
Grind the apples with little milk.
Add this ground apple puree to a large microwave safe mixing bowl. Add apple sauce, milk, condensed milk and sugar to the pureed apples in the bowl and mix well.
Microwave on HIGH for 7 minutes. Take the bowl from microwave and add cardamom powder.
Place the bowl back in to the microwave and cook for another 3 to 4 minutes.
By now, the milk should have thickened to a kheer consistency. If the mixture is not thick enough pop the bowl back in the microwave and cook for another 2 to 3 minutes. Take the bowl out of the microwave and set aside.
In a small microwave safe bowl, add butter and cashews and microwave it for 1 to 2 minutes till the cashews are roasted to light golden brown color. Add the cashews along with ghee to the kheer.
This dish can be served hot but for me I like it chilled. If you like it chilled, let the kheer come to room temperature and then pop it in the refrigerator for couple of hours before serving.

Note

1. You can always garnish the kheer with saffron strands for extra color and look.
2. You can add raisins along with cashews.
3. Brown sugar can be substituted with jaggery. If using jaggery, melt the jaggery separately in another bowl, run it through a sieve to get rid of any impurities and then add to the pureed apple mixture.
4. Apple sauce is optional. You can leave that ingredient out completely if you do not have it on hand. But I find adding apple sauce helps in getting the thick consistency.

Quick fix savory Indian pancake/Godhuma pindi attu

2018-06-07T18:58:00.004-05:00

Thursdays are my vegetarian, no rice, eat only one meal kind of days. When I am too lazy to make any kind of batters before hand, these are my go to munchies. Every time I make them, I tell myself that I should not eat more than two of these but guess what...never able to stick to it. Trust me when I say that these are that good if made right.....

These are really easy to make because all the ingredients used in this recipe are available in pantry or fridge at all the times. The best thing is that this batter does not have to ferment!! Give it a try folks..

Ingredients

1 cup wheat flour/Godhuma pindi
1/2 cup thick yogurt
1/2 cup chopped onion
4 green chillies minced real fine
1/2 tsp cumin seeds
Salt per taste
Water

Method

In a big bowl mix wheat flour, salt and cumin seeds. Add in the yogurt and little water to the flour and mix. The batter should of medium consistency just to be able to pourable into a thick attu. Add more water to get the right consistency.

Now add in green chillies and onions and give it a good mix and set aside for 15 minutes.

Heat a tawa or griddle. Add 1/2 tsp oil and once the oil is heated pour ladle full of batter on the tawa. Spread it little bit starting from the middle to a round shape. The attu have to little thick. Let it cook for 5 to 7 minutes till you see light brown color here and there and the edges become golden brown and crispy.

Now flip the attu. Cook the other side for another 3 to 4 minutes. Transfer it to a plate. Repeat the same process for all the batter. This can be served on its own. No chutney or side needed.

Peanut butter chocolate bars

2014-04-01T20:58:00.000-05:00

If you like chocolate and if you like peanut butter this is the perfect recipe to satisfy your sweet tooth..With very few ingredients and without breaking a sweat you make this little pieces of heavenly dessert..

Ingredients

For Peanut butter layer

1 cup butter

1 cup smooth peanut butter (not crunchy type)

2 tsp vanilla extract

2 cups graham cracker crumbs

2 cups powdered Sugar

For Chocolate Layer

1 1/2 cups chocolate chips

1/3 cup smooth peanut butter

For Topping

8 oz mini reeses chopped into peanut sized pieces

Method

Peanut butter layer

Melt butter and peanut butter together on medium heat. Stir until smooth and turn off the heat.
Add in the vanilla extract, graham cracker crumbs and powdered sugar to the peanut butter mixture and stir until everything is well combined. Line a 9 X 9 or 9 X13 pan with parchment paper, pour the mixture and layer it out evenly.

Chocolate Layer

In a microwave safe bowl take the chocolate chips and peanut butter and microwave for 45 seconds. Remove the bowl from the microwave and stir the mixture. Continue to heat in microwave in 20 second intervals until the mixture is smooth and shiny.

Pour chocolate mixture over peanut butter layer and spread the mixture evenly. Wait for 10 minutes for the chocolate layer to set firmly and then sprinkle your chopped peanut butter cups on top of the chocolate layer.

Place in refrigerator for about 30 minutes for everything to set. I left mine in the refrigerator overnight.

Note

Always use a good quality chocolate for melting. The first and foremost rule while melting chocolate is to avoid any contact with water.
The most critical part of melting chocolate in the microwave is choosing an appropriate container. Choose a microwave-safe bowl that remains cool or only slightly warm after several minutes of continuous microwaving. I use the corningware bowl which is perfect for melting chocolate.
If you have overheated your chocolate, immediately pour it into a cool bowl add chunks of unmelted chocolate, and stir continuously.
The times for melting the chocolate vary from microwave to microwave but rough estimate would be 45 seconds to 1 minute for 1 ounce of chocolate, 2 to 3 minutes for 8 ounces.
Do not forget to stir the chocolate every 20 seconds while melting.

Ginger cookies with cheesecake filling

2013-11-14T20:59:00.000-06:00

My Official kick off for the holiday season!!

This is my favorite time of the year to bake and cook just because this is one season people eat food without counting calories(that is what I think atleast). So this year I started it off with these wonderful cookies I happened to see pictures of on pintrest..These taste as good as they look. Give it a try and a very Happy Holidays!!

Ingredients

For cheesecake filling

4 ounces cream cheese, softened
1/4 cup granulated sugar
Pinch of salt
1 egg yolk
1 tbsp sour cream
1/4 tsp vanilla extract

For cookie dough

1 cup butter, softened
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1 tsp vanilla extract
1/4 tsp salt
1 egg yolk
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 tsp ground ginger
1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
1/8 tsp ground nutmeg
pinch of ground cloves

For Topping

4 ounces semi sweet chocolate
1/2 tbsp vegetable or canola oil

Method

Step 1 : For cheesecake filling

In a mixing bowl, beat cream cheese until light and fluffy. Beat in sugar and salt until smooth. Beat in egg yolk, sour cream and vanilla extract. Cover the bowl and place in the refrigerator for 30 minutes.

Step 2 : To make the cookies

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
In a bowl sift together salt, ginger powder, clove powder, cinnamon powder, nutmeg and flour. Set aside
In another large mixing bowl, beat together butter, sugar until creamy and combined. Mix in egg yolk and vanilla extract until incorporated.
Now fold in the flour with a spatula into the sugar-butter mixture in batches until cookie batter is fully incorporated.

Line baking sheets with parchment paper and spray with non sticking spray. Take level tablespoons worth of the dough and roll into balls. Place balls onto parchment-lined baking sheets. Using the thumb or handle end of a thick wooden spoon(I used reversed 1/4 teaspoon), lightly dipped in flour, make an indentation in the center of each ball.

Place into the oven and bake for 10 minutes. Remove from the oven and carefully use your thumb (or the end of the same wooden spoon) to press the middle of the cookies back down to remake the indentations. Put cookies back into the oven, rotating them from their original position, and continue to bake until slightly golden around the edges, about 8 minutes.

Remove cookies from the oven and fill the indentations with the cheesecake filling using a teaspoon. Place the cookies back into the oven and bake for 8 to 10 minutes. Remove from the oven and transfer cookies to a wire rack to cool off completely.

Step 3 : Melting the Chocolate

Take the chocolate and chop up into almond sized pieces as shown in the picture.

Add half the chocolate and half the oil to a microwave safe bowl. Now melt the chocolate in the microwave for about 1 minute and stir the chocolate with a rubber spatula every 20 seconds. It might take from 1 to 1 1/2 minutes depending on the power of the microwave. So it is very important to stir the chocolate every 20 seconds and melt till the chocolate is smooth, shiny, and completely melted. Check the instructions below for melting the chocolate in a microwave.
Once the chocolate is melted pour it into a smaller(and deeper) bowl.

Final Step : Assembly

Add melted chocolate to a piping bag fitted with a small tip or a ziplock bag with the corner cut off and drizzle over the cookies.

When cool, place cookies into the refrigerator to chill before serving.

Note

Always use a good quality chocolate for melting. The first and foremost rule while melting chocolate is to avoid any contact with water.
The most critical part of melting chocolate in the microwave is choosing an appropriate container. Choose a microwave-safe bowl that remains cool or only slightly warm after several minutes of continuous microwaving. I use the corningware bowl which is perfect for melting chocolate.
If you have overheated your chocolate, immediately pour it into a cool bowl add chunks of unmelted chocolate, and stir continuously.
The times for melting the chocolate vary from microwave to microwave but rough estimate would be 45 seconds to 1 minute for 1 ounce of chocolate, 2 to 3 minutes for 8 ounces.
Do not forget to stir the chocolate every 20 seconds while melting.