Tina's Cooking

Chicken Cafreal

2011-12-06T14:15:00.000-05:00

Recipe coming soon....

Cilantro Lime Chicken With Scallion Rice And Mango Salsa

2010-07-09T20:31:00.006-04:00

Cilantro Lime Chicken

4 small boneless skinless chicken breasts
1 cup cilantro leaves
2 cloves garlic
1 jalapeno
1 lime, juiced
1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
dash of pepper
salt, to taste

Blend all the above ingredients, except chicken, in a food processor. Remove into a bowl & marinate chicken breasts in the mixture for 4 hrs.
Heat a cast iron grill pan till nice & hot. Grill the chicken breasts till cooked & nicely browned.

Scallion Rice

2 scallions, chopped (whites & greens seperated)
1 clove garlic, finely chopped
1 green chilli, finely chopped
2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
salt, to taste
1 1/2 cups basmati rice
3 cups chicken broth

Heat oil in a nonstick pan. Add the chopped garlic & green chilli. Fry till fragrant. Add the scallion whites & cook till softened. Add the basmati rice & fry till it gives a nutty aroma. Add salt & chicken broth. Bring to a boil. Continue to boil, till you can see the rice on the surface. Cover the pan with a tight fitting lid & lower the flame to low & let cook for 20 mins. Switch off the flame. Open pan & mix in the scallion greens. Cover pan & set aside for 10 mins. Serve warm.

Mango Salsa

1 big mango, chopped
2 tbsp chopped onion (preferably red. I did'nt have.. so I used white)
1/2 jalapeno, finely chopped
2 tbsp finely chopped coriander leaves
1/2 lime, juiced
salt, to taste

Mix all the above ingredients in a bowl. Cover & put it in the refrigerator for approx 2 hrs. Serve along with chicken & rice.

Jalapeno Pepper Chicken

2009-12-22T10:28:00.010-05:00

Source : Self

2 big chicken breasts, cubed
2 big cloves garlic, cut into rounds
1 medium onion, sliced into 1/2 inch strips
1/2 green bell pepper, cut into 1/2 inch strips
1 jalapeno, sliced into rings
1/4 cup chicken broth
1 tsp cornstarch dissolved in 1/4 cup chicken broth
crushed black pepper, as desired
1 tsp dark soya sauce
3 tbsp chings all in one sauce (available at most indian grocery stores in the US)
1/4 cup chopped scallions (only the greens)
Oil

Heat a flat frying pan or skillet & put a tbsp of oil. Put in the chicken cubes, a pinch of salt & some crushed black pepper & fry till browned & 3/4th done. Remove & set aside.

Heat some more oil in the same pan if required. Add the garlic rounds & fry till fragrant. Next, put in the jalapeno & fry for 30 secs. Put in the onions & green bell pepper & fry till crisp (do not brown the onions). Add the chicken, soya sauce & the all in one sauce & mix well for 2 mins. Add 1/4th cup chicken broth & some more crushed black pepper & bring to a mild boil. Add the cornstarch broth mixture & stir well. Let cook till the sauce thickens. Remove from flame & garnish with chopped scallions.

Serve hot over steamed rice or noodles.

Note : I used canned chicken broth in this recipe, so did not require to add any extra salt. The canned broth & the sauces provided enough salt for this recipe.

Kheemo

2009-01-30T15:35:00.005-05:00

Recipe Source : My Dad

1 lb lamb/ beef mince
1 inch stick cinnamon
4 cloves
2 green cardamoms
1 black cardamom
4 - 5 whole peppercorns

1 big onion, chopped
4 cloves of garlic, finely chopped
1 inch piece ginger, finely chopped
1 big tomato, finely chopped
1/2 tsp turmeric powder
1 tbsp vinegar
salt, to taste
1/4 cup finely chopped corainder leaves
chopped green chillies, as per the heat desired

1/4th cup cooked or frozen green peas

Heat oil in a wok. Add the green chillies & fry till crisp. Next, add the whole spices, onion, garlic & ginger & fry till onions turn transparent. Add turmeric powder & mix well for 30 secs. Add the mince & fry till brown. Add tomatoes & salt & fry well on medium heat, stirring continously & breaking any lumps that you see. When the meat is about 75% done, add green peas & vinegar & fry well till all water is evaporated & meat is completely cooked. Add corainder leaves & saute for a few seconds.

Serve hot with rice/ chapati.

Swagbucks !!!

2009-01-21T15:00:00.004-05:00

If you have'nt signed up for Swagbucks yet, you are definitely missing a lot of the good stuff. Swagbucks has become my favourite search tool these days. I joined Swagbucks last month & have already earned two $5 amazon gift cards & am already nearing my third gift card now.

So what is this swagbucks? : It is basically a search engine that pays you to search the web. The search results on swagbucks are similar to google & Ask. All you have to do is install their toolbar & do your regular search through it. Everytime you conduct a search through Swagbucks, you have the opportunity to win random swagbucks in the amount of $1, $2,$3 or $5 or even $10. I have earned a $10 for nearly 2 to 3 searches. You can then redeem your swagbucks for a gift card of your choice. To earn a $5 Amazon.com gift card, all you need is 45 swagbucks, but there are more gift cards or gifts to choose from.

Note : Not all searches are a win, but there are very high chances of wining atleast 1 swagbuck a day.

Click HERE to join Swagbucks & they will give you 3 Swagbucks to start with.

I Won !!!!!

2008-12-23T11:06:00.009-05:00

Yes people, I did !!!

A few weeks back Marcy from Stretching A Buck, had hosted a giveaway - An autographed copy of the cookbook Robin to the Rescue, by Robin Miller. Considering the fact, that i never win or have rarely ever won, I anways did leave a comment on her post hoping for that tiny ray of light to shine on my luck. To my surprise, it did. I was so happy to get an email from Marcy about her post announcing me as the winner.

For those who don't know Robin Miller, she is the host of Food Network's, Quick Fix Meals & cookbook author. The book Robin to the Rescue features 200 time saving & healthy recipes & is full of helpful hints & tips. She has also highlighted a few important meal time strategies & meal planning features which includes making meal kits to be used later in the week to help keep things simpler in the kitchen. This will definitely be one of those books that I would be referring to everyday in my kitchen.

Thanks Marcy, for such a wonderful giveaway. This arrived just in time for christmas.

My Favourite Survey Sites

2008-11-17T15:14:00.006-05:00

Besides being a full time mom, I also do surveys at home, find deals & try to stretch our budget on one income. I am not saying that you can make a fortune just by giving surveys. It's not a lot... but it definitely helps you get a good chunk of pocket money just by doing nothing. I have been with most of them for more than a year. The best thing about giving surveys is that not only do you get paid for your opinion, but sometimes they even send you full size products to try & give your opinion about them. Till now I have tried a weeks supply of chicken nuggets, cookies, lotions, soaps, hair products etc etc & they are mine to keep even after the survey is done. I will be listing & updating some of my favourite sites. If anyone is interested in earning extra bucks, do feel free to click on the below links & register with them. Just make sure that you set another email address dedicated only to surveys. This way your regular inbox won't be overloaded. If you are not interested in giving a particular survey, just delete it. There are no hard & fast rules stating that you have to complete it.

Note : All the below sites are completely free to join. You do not have to pay anything. Basically, they are only interested in your opinion about products & in return they will pay you for your time.

Daily Survey Panel : I have been with Daily Survey Panel for just 2 - 3 weeks now & I have already made $5 with thim. Basically, they give points for each survey qualified & completed successfully. Every 200 points is worth $1. Most of their surveys come with a point value of 110 to 200 or more. You do need to have a paypal account for redeeming your points. You need to have a minimum of 200 points in your account to redeem it.

Inbox Dollars : This is again one of my favourite sites. I get paid for doing absolutely nothing, but just check their mails. Inbox dollars pays you to just open their mails & read them. You have to click the confirmation link included in the email & thats where the cents get credited in your account. Besides mails, they will also send an occassional survey & you get paid more for giving these. If you join inbox dollars now, they will also give you a bonus of $5 as a start up in your account. How cool is that? You can redeem your money once your account reaches $30. After the first withdrawal they will upgrade you to a gold member & you can then withdraw your money weekly. It's slow money, but overtime they really build up.

Send Earnings : This is again the same as Inbox Dollars.

I will keep updating more & more sites as & when possible. I have a few more good sites. If anyone needs a referral to these, pls leave you name & email address in the comments. I will send you a referral link.

Swagbucks : Get paid for searching. You anyways use google for any internet search. How about getting paid for searching. Thats what swagbucks is all about. You will need to earn as little as 45 swagbucks for a $5 amazon gift card or 50 swagbucks for a $5 starbucks card. There are many more prizes & giftcards to choose from. The search results are the same as google & ask.

Mindfield Online Surveys : Again one of my favourite survey site. Minimum cash out value is $10. Each survey will usually pay you a minimum of $1 atleast or more. If qualified, the amount will be credited into your mindfield account within 10 - 14 days.

Green Masalo Daal Maas

2008-06-04T18:31:00.005-04:00

Recipe Source : My Mom

Vegetarians can skip the meat & just use the 16 beans mix.

1 lb chicken, mutton or beef, cut into small pieces (preferably with bones) (I used chicken)
1 cup dry 16 bean mix (soaked for 4 - 5 hrs)
1 medium sized onion, finely sliced

Grind to a fine paste without adding water:

1 tsp poppy seeds
2 tbsp grated coconut
1 tsp cumin seeds
1 inch ginger
6 cloves garlic
1 1/2 inch big piece cinnamon
3 cloves
3 tomatoes
1/2 tsp turmeric powder
1 small marble sized tamarind
3 green chillies
1/2 bunch corainder leaves

If using beef/ mutton - pressure cook these along with the soaked 16 beans mix till done. If using chicken, pressure cook the 16 beans mix till done. Then add the chicken & let is boil along with the lentils till done. Its ok if the beans mash up. The more they mash up the better they taste.
Heat oil in a vessel & fry the sliced onion till golden brown. Pour the masala & fry well till the oil seperates. Put in the cooked lentils & meat & bring to a boil. Switch off the flame & serve hot with rice or chappatis.

Boblen Ani Sungata Kadhi (Bottlegourd & Prawns Curry)

2008-05-23T14:17:00.002-04:00

Recipe Source : My Mom

1 medium sized bottlegourd, peeled & cut into big cubes
1 cup prawns, shelled, deveined & washed
Salt, to taste

Grind to a fine paste :

1/2 cup grated coconut
1 tbsp corainder seeds
1/2 tsp cumin seeds
1/2 tsp mustard seeds
3 - 4 dried red chillies (I used the kashmiri variety)
1 small onion, cut into big chunks
2 flakes garlic
1 marble sized piece tamarind
1/2 tsp turmeric powder

Set the ground masala paste aside. Put a cup of water into the blender & pulse the blender to remove any remaining masala sticking to the sides of the blender. Pour this masala water into a vessel. Add the bottlegourd pieces to the water. Cover & let it cook on medium flame till the bottlegourd pieces are cooked. Next add prawns & salt & stir to mix well. When prawns turn pink, add the ground masala paste & bring to one boil.

Serve hot with steamed rice.

Potato Chops

2008-03-19T10:08:00.003-04:00

Recipe Source : My Mom

Potato Mixture :

4 large potatoes, boiled & mashed
salt, to taste
pepper, to taste
Add salt & pepper to the potato mixture. Mix well & set aside.

Filling :

1 lb meat mince (lamb/ chicken/ beef/ turkey)
2 tbsp oil
3 - 4 green chillies, finely chopped
4 cloves of garlic & 1 inch ginger, ground to a paste
1 large onion, finely chopped
1/2 tsp turmeric powder
2 medium sized tomatoes, finely chopped
salt, to taste
1 tbsp vinegar
1/2 tsp garam masala powder
1/2 bunch of corainder leaves, finely chopped
Heat oil in a pan. Add chopped green chillies & fry well till they turn crisp. Add the chopped onions & fry till transparent. Add the ginger - garlic paste & fry till the raw smell goes away. Add turmeric powder & saute for a minute. Next, add the tomatoes & salt & fry well till the tomatoes turn pulpy. Add mince & saute well & let cook till it is almost done. Sprinkle vinegar & garam masala powder & mix well. Turn the flame to high & saute till all the water from the meat evaporates & the mince is well cooked. Add the corainder leaves, mix well & turn of the flame. Set the mixture aside to cool.

Coating :

2 eggs, beaten with a pinch of salt
rava/ semolina, as required

Heat a little oil in a pan. Take the potato mixture (apporximately the size if a huge lemon) & form it into a ball. Form the ball into a cup. Place about a tbsp or 2 of the mince mixture into the cup & enclose the potato mixture. Shape it into a ball again. If there are any cracks or if the mince is leaking out, just patch up the portion with some of the potato mixture. Flatten the ball into a round patty. Roll the patty into the egg mixture & then coat it with semolina/ rava. Place the patty into the oil. Fry till it turns brown on one side & then flip the patty & let the other side brown well. Repeat the process for the remainder. Make sure that in the entire frying process, you flip the patty just once. Frequent flipping can crack or break the patty.

Serve hot.

Gobi Matar

2008-02-27T09:29:00.003-05:00

It feels so good to be back to blogging... after this unusually long longgggg break. Blame it on my kid, a move, family visits, vacations & most of all the LAZY ME :)
I dont promise to update on a regular basis, but will try to make it atleast once a week.
Here is a really simple dish from a very old issue of femina magazine. I have made this many times & it has always tasted good. Hope u all like it too..

1 medium sized cauliflower, cut into small florets
1/2 cup of frozen or cooked green peas
2 tbsps butter
1 tsp cumin seeds
1 inch ginger, julienned
2 green chillies, finely chopped
salt, to taste
1/4 tsp garam masala powder
a few sprigs of fresh corainder leaves, finely chopped

Melt butter in a non-stick pan. Season with cumin seeds & ginger juliennes. Fry for a while till ginger turns crisp. Add green chillies, cauliflower & salt. Saute well. Cover & cook for 10 mins or till done. Add green peas & mix well. Sprinkle corainder leaves & garam masala powder. Mix well & turn off the flame.

Serve hot with rotis.

Beans Foogath

2006-09-11T13:37:00.000-04:00

Foogath is a very popular dish in Mangalore. Foogath can be made of vegetables, meat, fish etc with slight variations in the preparations.

To make green beans foogath, you need :

400 gms green beans, french cut
1 onion, chopped
2 green chillies, chopped
2 tbsp oil
1 tsp mustard seeds
8 - 10 curry leaves
salt, to taste
1/2 cup freshly grated coconut
juice of 1 lemon
2 tbsps finely chopped corainder leaves

Heat oil in a kadhai/ wok & season it with mustard seeds. When they splutter, add curry leaves, chopped onions & green chillies. Stir on high flame for a minute. Do not brown the onion. Add the french cut green beans & salt. Stir well. Cook covered on low heat for 5 to 7 minutes till the beans are cooked, but are still a little crunchy. Do not overcook the beans as they tend to lose colour & texture. Remove from heat. Add the grated coconut & juice of a lemon. Mix well.

Garnish with finely chopped corainder leaves & serve hot with dal & rice.

Prawns & Peas Risotto

2006-08-26T09:54:00.000-04:00

I have been so very busy recently, that I am unable to give enough time to my blog. I should come out of my busy schedule in a few weeks & continue with my regular posts.

I have had a lot of inquiries about this wonderful italian feast from all my blog visitors & I really apologise for the delay in posting the recipe. Risotto is a wonderful italian treat, I used to feast on this treat only in italian joints. But after watching a couple of episodes on Food Network, I decided to try it at home. I was so happy with the results & the process is not really difficult. All you need is a little patience.

1 cup arborio rice
12 - 15 cups of chicken stock/ broth
1/2 cup white wine
1 large clove garlic, minced
1 shallot, sliced
1 cup shrimps/ prawns
1/2 cup frozen green peas
handful of finely chopped parsley
salt, to taste
pepper, to taste
handful of freshly grated parmesan cheese
2 tbsp olive oil

Pour the chicken stock/ broth in a saucepan & keep on medium-low flame.

Heat oil in a flat bottomed wide skillet over medium flame. Put in the minced garlic & saute for a few seconds till you get a nice aroma. Put in the sliced shallots & saute till it turns transparent. Add the arborio rice to the pan & saute for a few more mins. Pour in the white wine & saute well till the alcohol evaporates. Pour a ladleful of the chicken stock/ broth into the pan. Saute till the rice absorbs the liquid. Pour another ladleful of the stock/ broth into the pan & saute again till the rice absorbs the liquid. Continue this process till the rice is completely cook. It is not necessary that you use up the entire stock/ broth. Just keep pouring the liquid till the rice is almost done. Add the prawns & peas & continue the process till the rice is completely cooked. This should take approximately 20 mins. Season with some salt & pepper. Garnish with finely chopped parsley & freshly grated parmesan cheese.

Serve hot.

Goan Prawns Ambot Tik

2006-08-17T11:47:00.000-04:00

'Ambot' means 'Sour' in konkani & 'Tik' means 'Pungent'. This is a traditional dish in both Goa & Mangalore. The preparation style is a little different though, but the majority of the ingredients remains the same. I got this recipe from one of my Goan friends.
The tamarind, peppercorns & red chillies add a distinct flavour to the dish. You can substitute prawns for any other fish of your choice. Mangaloreans & Goans prepare Ambot Tik of skate, shark or catfish as they absorb the hot & sour flavour of the gravy very well.

To make Ambot-Tik, you need :

1/2 kg prawns or any fish of your choice
1 onion, finely sliced
2 tbsp oil

Grind the below ingredients using very little water :

10 dried kashmiri red chillies ( they are less spicy & add more colour to the curry)
1/4 tsp cumin seeds
4 peppercorns
1/4 tsp turmeric powder
4 cloves garlic
1/2 inch ginger
marble sized ball tamarind

Apply salt to the prawns & keep aside.

Heat oil in a vessel. Fry onion till it is golden brown. Add the ground masala. Fry for sometime. Add a cup of water & allow to boil. Add the prawns. Cook till tender on low flame. Add salt & vinegar, only if necessary.

Goes well with steamed rice.

Promfret Fry

2006-08-15T14:40:00.000-04:00

Ask about my favourite fish & I would call it Promfret & I like them fried crisp. I am not much crazy about them in gravies. Fried frish with dal & rice was often a great & comforting meal at our home. Occassionally, my mother would stuff promfrets with green masala or ground shrimps & then fry them.
Promfrets are not available everywhere in the US. You would only find them at local chinese markets. Last week, I was lucky to find a chinese market on my trip to Jersey. So not looking for a second chance, I just hopped into the market & bought 2 beautiful large sized promfrets. I just could'nt wait to get back home & fry it up.

So here it is, fried all crisp..

1 medium to large sized promfret, cleaned well by removing all the internal inedible stuff
3 - 4 tbsp rava (semolina)
2 - 3 tbsp oil, for frying
1 lemon, cut into wedges

For Marinate :

1 tsp tandoori masala powder
1/2 tsp red chilli powder
1/4 tsp turmeric powder
1/2 tsp cumin powder
1/2 tsp corainder powder
salt, to taste
3 cloves garlic, ground to a paste
1/2 inch ginger piece, ground to a paste
1 tbsp vinegar

Wash the promfret well. Make gashes on both sides of the promfret for the marinade to seep in.

In a small bowl, mix all the ingredients for the marinade. Apply marinade to the promfret, rubbing well into the gashes & inside the promfret. Set aside to marinate in the refrigerator for atleast an hour.

Heat a heavy bottomed pan on medium flame. Pour oil into the hot pan.

Coat the promfret with semolina (rava) & place it on the hot pan. Let it fry undisturbed on medium flame for 10 minutes. Flip & turn over the promfret on the other side. Let it fry for 10 minutes more.

Serve hot with lemon wedges.

Kesar Badam Nankathai

2006-08-14T20:21:00.000-04:00

Baking has become one of my recent passion. I have always baked cakes. Now its time for cookies, since my toddler loves nibbling onto them. I recently tried Nupur's - Kesar Pista Nankathai. Since I did'nt have pistachios at home, I substituted it with almonds & they turned out awesome. I also skipped the addition of water as per the recipe.

Overall, the nankathai's were kind of melt-in-the-mouth & a good tea-time snack.

Thanks Nupur, for such a great recipe.

Mom's Traditional Meatloaf

2006-08-04T15:09:00.000-04:00

Another top recipe in my mom's list is her meatloaf & if its meatloaf, this is the standard way she would make it & nothing on earth would ever make her change the recipe. My mother generally uses about 1/2 kg bacon mince & 1/2 kg beef mince for this recipe. Since bacon mince is not easily available in the US, I use the meatloaf mix that you get in the meat section of the grocery store. It has a combination of pork, beef & veal & the right amount of fat to deliver a perfect meatloaf. Secondly, she wraps the meatloaf in an aluminium foil & steams it in an idli steamer. So you really dont need an oven to make this meatloaf. This recipe is a must try.

1 pkg of meatloaf mix (approx. 1 lb package)
1 egg
1/2 - 1 tsp nutmeg powder (depending on the intensity of the flavour desired)
3/4th tsp pepper powder
1 big lemon, squeeze juice
2 - 3 slices of bread, crumbed
salt, to taste

Mix all ingredients together. Shape into a loaf & bake in a 350 deg F, pre-heated oven till done & the top of the meatloaf looks nice & brown (approx. 45 - 50 mins). Alternatively, you can even wrap the meatloaf in an aluminium foil & steam it in an idli steamer. Once done, set aside for 15 mins & then slice it.

This meatloaf can be served hot as well as cold.

Butter Cookies

2006-07-16T19:28:00.000-04:00

I have always wanted to try my hand at baking cookies, but was scared at messing up. I guess, I was wrong. My first hand at trying these was successful. Moreover, my 1 yr old daughter kept munching them as if they were the best things in the world.

I got this recipe from another site & its the best. Click here for the recipe.

Prawns & Potatoes Bhaji

2006-06-12T10:24:00.001-04:00

This is the most easiest version of a prawns dish. The taste is unbeatable & it goes well with chappatis.
A must try dish.

250 gms prawns, cleaned, shelled & deveined
250 gms potatoes, peeled & chopped into bite sized pieces
250 gms onions, thinly sliced
3 to 4 cloves garlic, crushed
red chilli powder, as per the pungency desired
1/2 tsp turmeric powder
salt, to taste
handful of finely chopped corainder leaves, for garnish
2 tbsps oil

Mix prawns, potatoes, onions, chilli powder, turmeric powder & salt in a bowl & set aside for 15 to 20 minutes.

Heat oil in a wok/ kadhai. Add the crushed garlic & saute till it turns light brown. Add the prawns & potatoes mixture. Mix well & let cook on slow flame till the potatoes are cooked. Saute occassionally. Once done, garnish with finely chopped corainder leaves & turn off the flame.

This goes great with chappatis.

Prawns Pattie

2006-06-02T09:36:00.000-04:00

Cutlets & kababs are my favourites & they are always stocked up in my freezer. I carry this trend from my mom, who always had something for us to snack when we were hungry. My mother owns hundreds of recipes alone on cutlets & kababs. The below recipe is a combination of my mothers recipe & my own. These prawn cutlets are so delicious, that you will find yourself smacking on these, while you cook. Just ensure that you don't finish it off before your guests arrive.

1 lb medium sized shrimps, cleaned, shelled & deveined
1 small onion, finely chopped
1 jalapeno, finely chopped
3 cloves garlic, finely chopped
2 medium potatoes, boiled & grated
handful corainder leaves, finely chopped
1 egg
1/2 tsp turmeric powder
1 tsp vinegar
salt, to taste
pepper, to taste
oil, for shallow frying

Divide the shrimps into 2 equal portions. Grind 1 portion of the shrimps to a fine paste. Remove into a bowl. Add the other portion of the shrimps to the ground shrimps. Add all the other ingredients except oil into the shrimps mixture. Mix well. Cover the bowl with a plastic wrap & refrigerate for 30 minutes.

Heat oil in a pan. Form round shaped cutlets out of the prawns mixture & fry the cutlets in hot oil till nicely browned.

Serve hot.

Whole Wheat Bread

2006-06-01T10:48:00.000-04:00

Making bread is not as difficult as it sounds. Home made bread is so tasty & it just melts in the mouth. We have now stopped buying bread from the store as it lacks the taste & freshness of home made bread. Give it a try. It is as easy as cooking rice or making chappatis for your daily meal.

2 1/2 cups whole wheat flour
7 gms packet of rapid rising yeast
1 tsp sugar
1/2 tsp salt
1 tbsp melted butter
1/2 cup warm water

Stir in the yeast & sugar in the warm water & set aside for the yeast to rise. Meanwhile, sift the flour. Add salt & melted buter & mix well. Add the yeast mixture & knead to a soft dough. Add more warm water if required. Put the dough in a bowl & cover it with a plastic wrap & leave it in a warm dry place till it doubles in size. This should take about an hour or so.

Spray a loaf pan or a baking tray with an oil spray. Set aside. Pour a tsp of oil on the dough & knead well for a minute. Shape into a loaf or individual sized buns & place it in the greased baking tray. Cover with a warm damp cloth & leave it again in a warm dry place to rise until doubled in size.

Preheat oven to 350 deg F. Bake for 20 to 25 minutes or until done. Brush the tops of the bread with some melted butter. Let cool & then cut into slices.

Prawns Masaledar

2006-05-25T09:45:00.000-04:00

This is my husbands favourite dish. When I buy shrimps, I have to make a portion of the shrimps this way & we relish it with hot chappatis. This dish is nice & spicy. So if you cannot take the heat, just reduce the amount of chilli powder & green chillies.

1 kg medium sized prawns, cleaned, shelled & deveined
1 tsp red chilli powder
1/2 tsp turmeric powder
1 tsp coarsely powdered black peppercorns
juice of 2 lemons
salt, to taste
2 tbsp oil
1 tsp mustard seeds
1 tsp coarsley powdered corainder seeds
200 gms onions, chopped
1 tsp ginger paste
1 tsp garlic paste
200 gms tomatoes, chopped
6 green chillies, chopped
1 tsp cumin powder
handful of corainder leaves, chopped

Pat dry & marinate the prawns with chilli powder, turmeric powder, pepper powder, lemon juice & salt. Set aside for 15 to 20 minutes.

Heat oil in a wok. Add mustard seeds & the coarsley powdered corainder seeds. When they splutter, add onions & fry till they turn golden brown. Add the ginger-garlic paste & fry till light brown. Add tomatoes, green chillies & salt & keep stirring occassionally for 8 minutes or until the gravy becomes thick. Add prawns along with the marinade & simmer for 5 minutes, stirring occassionally. Sprinkle cumin powder over & cook for a minute. Garnish with finely chopped corainder leaves.

Serve warm with steamed rice or crisp rotis.

Pineapple Dessert Shells

2006-04-10T09:45:00.000-04:00

This is a superfast way of preparing a yummy dessert. The dish is really versatile. You could use any other canned fruits or just mix up a few of your favourites.

You need :

dessert cake shells (usually available at all supermarkets in the US)
canned pineapple
whipped cream

Arrange the dessert shells on a serving plate. Spoon in the pineapple juice from the canned pineapple into each dessert shell. Spoon in some shredded canned pineapple on each dessert shell. Top with whipped cream & arrange some shredded pineapple on the whipped cream.

Refrigerate till it is ready to serve.

Beef Pita

2006-03-29T10:15:00.000-05:00

This is one of our favourite dinners on a sunday evening. I make this often for a gathering of family & friends. You could also substitute beef with chicken.

1 lb beef, cut into thin long strips
1 big onion, cut into thick slices
2 flakes garlic, sliced
2 splashes of soya sauce
salt, to taste
pepper to taste
1 jalapeno, chopped
1 small capsicum, cut into strips
1 cup sliced mushrooms
2 tbsp olive oil
4 pita breads

Marinate the beef strips with soya sauce, some salt & pepper. Set aside for 30 mins.

Wrap pita breads in an aluminium foil & let it slowly heat up in a 250 deg F oven till nice & warm.

Heat oil in a wok. Cook the entire dish from step one till the end on high flame. Put in the garlic & jalapeno. Fry till garlic turns brown. Add the onion & saute till they turn transparent. Add the mushrooms. Saute for around 4 mins. Next add the capsicum. Saute again for sometime. Add the marinated beef strips. Mix well. Season with salt & pepper. Saute till the beef strips get completely cooked & all the pan sauces has completed dried up.

Spoon the beef mixture onto individual pita breads, roll & serve hot.

Simple Pulao

2006-03-14T20:21:00.000-05:00

One amongst my favourites, that my mom used to make at home. A very versatile dish, you could use your own combination of ingredients; anything you have at hand works for this pulao.

Here's how I made this :

2 cups boiled basmati rice
2 tbsp olive oil
2 strips of bacon, chopped
1 cup chopped veggies (I used only peas & corn)
1 cup meat or shrimps (I used just chopped shrimps. You could use shredded chicken, beef, pork or a mix of all meats)
1 clove garlic, finely chopped
1 - 2 green chillies, finely chopped
salt, to taste
pepper, to taste
chopped scallions

Heat olive oil in a deep wok/ kadhai. Add bacon & let it sizzle in the oil for a few seconds. Add garlic & green chillies. Fry till garlic turns light brown. Add the veggies & fry till they turn tender. Add shrimps/ meat. Add salt & pepper & fry for sometime. Lower the flame & add rice. Mix slowly. Spread chopped scallions on top of the pulao. Cover the kadhai/ wok with a tight fitting lid.

Heat a heavy bottomed flat pan. Simmer the flame to low & keep the kadhai or wok on the heavy pan. Keep it on dum for 30 minutes.

Serve hot.