My Favorite Recipes

Prawn Malai Curry

2021-01-23T11:59:00.000-05:00

Ingredients:

400gm Tiger Shrimp
2 dry red chilli
1 dry bay leave
1/2 tsp cumin seeds
3 cardamom
3 cloves
1/2 inch dal chini
5-6 black peppercorn
2 tsp turmeric pwdr
1/2 spoon sugar
2 tsp red chilli pwdr
1 cup coconut milk
1 tbsp cumin pwdr
1 tsp coriander pwdr
1/2 tsp garam masala pwdr
1 Medium oinion chopped
1 tsp ginger garlic paste
3 tbsp oil
Salt to taste

Direction:
1. Clean the shrimps. Toss them in salt and half of the turmeric pwder. Lightly fry them till they are golden in color.
2. Crush cumin seeds along with all the whole garam masala(cloves, cardamom, black peppercorn and dal chini)
3. Heat oil in medium flame and red chilli, bay leaves, crushed garam masala, cumin powder, sugar and chopped onion. Fry for about 5 mins till nicely done.
4. Add the fried prawns and stir for about a min.
5. Now add coconut milk and add a little water.
6. Bring it to boil and then decrease heat and simmer for about 10-15 mins.
7. Serve it with hot rice.

JAMAICAN RICE AND PEAS (KIDNEY BEANS)

2014-03-10T22:33:00.000-04:00

I had watched about this dish on a TV food show. One of my colleague gave the recipe for their favorite Jamaica dish - Jerk Chicken. When I decided to make the dish, I realized that the rice would pair wonderfully with the Jerk Chicken. So I searched online and found this recipe for the rice. The next day I brought some of the rice to my colleague and she gave a thumbs up. That is great coming from a Jamaican!!

Coming up next will be the recipe for Jerk Chicken.

Ingredients:
2 cups long grain rice (washed and soaked)
1/2 white onion finely chopped
4 garlic cloves chopped
1 tsp grated fresh ginger
1 can (15-20 ounce) kidney beans, drained and rinsed
1 1/2 cup of chicken or vegetable stock. (Can be replace with broth.)
2 cups coconut milk
1 cup water
2 tsp dried thyme
1 whole Scotch Bonnet chili. (Can be substituted with Habanero)
2 1/2 tbsp vegetable oil
1 tsp (or to taste) salt
Lime juice of half lime (optional)

Preparation:

Heat the oil in a pot over medium high heat.
Add onions and saute for about 4-5 mins till the edges are almost brown.
Add the garlic and rice and stir well for about 2-3 minutes. Make sure they don't stick to the bottom.
Add the grated ginger, stock, coconut milk, water, salt and stir well.
Add the kidney beans and sprinkle thyme over them.
Add the whole Scotch bonnet chili (or habanero). It will season the rice much like a bay leaf would.
Turn down the heat, cover and bring it to simmer. About 15-20 minutes.
Check the rice. When done, remove from heat and keep covered for 10 minutes.
Fluff the rice before serving.
Sprinkle with lime juice. (Optional)
Remove the chili and discard. (You have the option of eating if you can endure it.)

SOUTH INDIAN TOMATO CHUTNEY

2014-01-12T21:13:00.000-05:00

Tomato chutney is one of the primary accompaniment with idli or dosa. It is also one the most easiest to make. This can be made as spicy as you want.

Ingredients:
3-4 tomatoes, roughly chopped
2 Medium Onion, chopped
2-3 Garlic pods
2 Green Chillies
1 tsp Red Chilli Powder
1/2 cup water
Salt to taste

To Temper:
1 1/2 tbsp oil
1 tsp Mustard seeds
1 tsp Urad dal
1 sprig of curry leaves
1 pinch of asafoedita (optional)

Preparation:

Chop the tomatoes and onion into cubes.
Add the garlic, green chilli and grind them into a paste preferably without water.
Heat the oil in a pan and temper with the items listed in "To temper".
Add the ground paste and about 1/2 cup water.
Add chilli powder and salt and mix well.
Cook for about 5 minutes till it is of proper, thick but not too thick consistency. Add more water if needed.
Serve with Idli or Dosa

Note: Use Kashmiri chilli powder if you want more bright red color.

STEAMED HILSHA/SALMON

2013-08-28T22:49:00.000-04:00

This is one of the most favorite and the most loved recipes for a Bengali. One of the most flavorful fresh water fish is Hilsha. This fish was not amply available in the western part of India. So when our fishmonger got them, mom used to get pretty excited. Even now when I think of steamed Hilsha in mustard paste makes my mouth water.
Here we don't get fresh Hilsha and this recipe tastes best with it. I saw that Salmon too works really great with this recipe. They both have the similar softness needed for this recipe.
There are 2 ways to prepare it - in pressure cooker and in the oven. I will list out preparing in both the ways.

Ingredients:
5-6 pieces of Hilsha fish or Salmon fillets
2 tbsp Black Mustard Seeds
2 tbsp Yellow Mustard Seed
6-7 Green Chillies
1 tsp Turmeric Powder
1 inch Ginger
3 tbsp Mustard Oil
2 cups Water (for pressure cooker preparation)
Salt to taste

Preparation:

Rub the fish pieces with little salt and turmeric.
Make a paste of black and yellow mustard seeds, green chillies, ginger and add a little salt to avoid it being bitter.
Place the fish on a pan and coat them liberally with the paste.
Pour the mustard oil on top of the fish.

For Pressure Cooker Preparation:

Pour the 2 cups of water in the pressure cooker.
Put in the steamer ring into it.
Place the above prepared pan on the ring in the pressure cooker.
Pressure cook for about 8-10 minutes.

For Oven Preparation:

Preheat the oven for 400 F
Seal the above prepared pan with Aluminium foil.
Place the pan in the oven and bake for about 30 minutes.
Serve the fish hot.

Tip:

If you don't want to make the mustard paste or if you want to add to taste, you can add 2 tbsp of Indian mustard sauce (Kasundi)

The picture above is of steamed Salmon. Below is a picture which I found from the internet of steamed Hilsha.

TOK DAAL/MANGO LENTIL SOUP

2013-08-28T19:57:00.002-04:00

This is a very common traditional Bengali - Indian recipe. It is made of green mangoes which are pretty sour. It is a very good food for respite against the hot Indian summer. It helps to keep the body temperature down.

Ingredients:
1/2 cup Masoor Dal/Red Lentils
3 cups Water
1 Green Raw Mango
2 tsp Mustard Seeds
2 Dry Red Chillies
2 Green Chillies, sliced
2/3 tsp Turmeric Powder
2 1/2 tbsp Mustard Oil
1 tbsp Sugar
Salt to Taste

Preparation:

Wash the lentils till they run clear.
Boil the lentils in water in a sauce pan. Boil the lentils till they are 'almost' done. Adjust water so that it doesn't become dry.
Add turmeric and salt to taste.
Meanwhile peel the mangoes and cut then into 1 inch cubes.
Heat 2 tbsp of oil in a pan and add 1 tsp of mustard seed.
When the mustard seeds splutter, add the mangoes and the green chillies.
Cook till the mangoes become soft.
Now add the boiled lentils to it. Add sugar.
Cover and simmer for another 10 minutes.
Add water to make it soupy and taste for salt and sugar. It should be sour-sweet.
Remove the lentils in a serving bowl.
In a small tempering pan, heat the remaining mustard oil. Add mustard seeds to it.
When it sputters, add the dry red chillies. Fry them for a few seconds.
Pour this directly on the lentils in the serving bowl.
Serve hot with rice or as soup.

CABBAGE SOUP

2013-06-03T23:46:00.001-04:00

This soup has been one of my most delicious and the easiest of soups. The ingredients are also the most healthy. If you are looking for a tasty way to diet, I found out online that this is a great filling soup.

Ingredients:
1/2 head cabbage, chopped
1 cup celery, chopped
3/4 cup yellow/white onion, diced
1 cup carrots, diced
1 cup bell pepper, diced
3 cloves garlic, minced
4 cups chicken/vegetable broth
1 1/2 cup tomato, diced
1 tsp basil
1 tsp oregano
1 tsp red pepper flakes
1/2 tsp black pepper powder
3 tbsp olive oil
salt to taste

Preparation:

Heat the oil in a large pot over medium heat.
Add the celery, carrots, bell pepper and onion. Saute until slightly tender.
Stir in the garlic and add the broth.
Stir in the tomatoes and cabbage and bring it to boil.
Reduce the heat and cook till the cabbage is tender.
Add the basil, oregano, red and black pepper and salt.
Taste the soup for seasoning and adjust.
Serve hot.

BLACK EYED BEANS CURRY

2013-05-22T22:57:00.001-04:00

Ingredients:
1 1/2 cup of black-eyed beans soaked in warm water for at least 1 hour
2 inch ginger root, grated
3 green chillies finely chopped
1 1/2 tsp turmeric powder
2 tsp coriander powder
1 1/2 tsp cumin seeds
1/2 tsp asafoetida(hing) or ajwain powder
1 tsp amchur powder
1 chopped tomato
1 tsp garam masala
2 cups water
For Garnishing:
2 green chillies, fried
1 Lemon wedge

Preparation:

In a bowl mix ginger, chopped green chillies, turmeric powder, coriander powder with little water.
Heat oil in a pressure cooker and add the cumin seeds.
When the seeds pop, add the asafoetida or ajwain powder and the above mixture and fry for a few moments.
Add the soaked beans, salt and water.
Pressure cook for about 10-15 minutes.
After opening put it on heat and add amchur powder, tomatoes and garam masala. Cook for 5 more minutes.
Garnish using fried green chillies and lemon wedges.

Notes:

If you pre-boiled canned beans, then use one 550ml can for this recipe. No pressure cooking required. Fry the ingredients in a pan add the beans. After cooking for about 5-7 minutes, add amchur, tomatoes, garam masala. Cook for about 15 minutes.

LEEK STUFFED SALMON

2013-04-05T23:42:00.001-04:00

When thinking of making something with leeks, I found this was one of the best that uses the whole leek. This recipe has been a hit at my house where normally fish is normally not a hit. Very filling and juicy.

Ingredients:

1 whole salmon fillet, descaled
2 whole leeks
2 tbsp olive oil
1 tbsp butter
1 lemon juice & zest
1 tbsp soy sauce
1 clove garlic, grated
salt & pepper to taste
small bunch dill/coriander
1 lemon sliced

Preparation:

To clean the leeks - remove the outer layer of white. Trim the base and make an incision in the middle of the white stalk to the green tips without severing it in two.
Wash under cold water pulling the leaves apart to clean in between them. Let them drain.
Roughly chop the leeks in 1/4 inch rounds.
In a pan heat the butter and 1 tbsp of oil.
Add leeks and saute slowly till they are soft.
Keep stirring and season them with salt. When cooked, remove from heat and let it cool.
Place the salmon skin side down and cut a generous slit on one side , deep into the center but not all the way through.
Preheat the oven to 350F.
In a small bowl combine lemon juice, lemon zest, soy sauce, garlic and the remainder olive oil. Mix well.
Place the salmon on a baking sheet and fold back the top layer.
Spoon the marinade all over the salmon fillet reserving a bit for the top.
Spread the leek mixture evenly over the bottom of the salmon and fold the top layer back down.
Spread the remainder of the marinade on top.
Bake the salmon for about 15-20 minutes till the salmon is still firm but moist.
Transfer the salmon on a serving platter and garnish with dill/coriander and lemon slices.

Tip: You can add sliced mushroom to the leeks when sauteing.

EGG KEEMA

2013-02-17T13:34:00.001-05:00

My husband had egg keema at a restaurant on his recent trip to India. He was so impressed by it that really had to find out the recipe. Quite frankly I just plain disagreed with him that there is such a dish. This Valentine's day I surprised him with the dish.

Ingredients:
2 tbsp oil
1 Bay leaf
2 Cardamom
3 Cloves
1 inch stick of Cinnamon
1 1/2 Onion, large grated
2 Tomatoes, medium, pureed
1 1/2 tbsp ginger-garlic paste
2 Green chillies finely chopped
1 tsp Turmeric powder
1 tsp Red chilli powder
2 1/2 tsp Coriander powder
2 tsp Cumin powder
1 tsp Garam masala powder
1/4 cup of green peas
4 eggs, hard boiled, grated
Salt to taste
Cilantro finely chopped, for garnishing
1/2 cup water

Preparation:

Heat oil in a non-stick pan over medium heat.
Add bay leaf, cinnamon, cardamom, cloves. Stir for a few seconds.
Add onion and a little salt and let fry.
Add ginger-garlic paste, mix well and let it fry.
Cover and fry till the oil starts to separate and its quite brown in color.
Add the green chillies and the tomatoes and mix well and cover and fry for another 10 minutes.
Keep stirring frequently to avoid the mixture from sticking to the bottom.
Remove the cover and continue to stir and fry till the oil starts to separate again.
Add the red chillies, turmeric powder, coriander powder, cumin powder and mix well.
Add the grated hard boiled eggs, salt (to taste) and little water and mix well.
Add the green peas and garam masala and cook for another 5 minutes.
Garnish with fresh chopped cilantro.

RED POTATO & TOMATO GRATIS

2013-02-13T21:07:00.002-05:00

I wanted to make something using Leeks. It was the first time for me using leeks. So I searched around for a nice recipe with leeks and found this French recipe which has been a hit at our house. This also a perfect thing to serve to guests.

Ingredients:
For Leeks -
1 tbs olive oil
3 cups sliced leeks (white and pale green parts), washed thoroughly

For potatoes -
1 lb red potatoes, unpeeled, cut into 1/4 inch slices
1/2 tsp salt; more for boiling the potatoes
1 1/2 tbs olive oil
2 tsp chopped rosemary (can also use 1/2 tsp dried rosemary)

To assemble the gratin -
1 tsp chopped fresh rosemary (or a pinch of dried rosemary)
1 1/4 lb ripe tomatoes. cored and cut into 1/4 inch slices
1 3/4 cup grated Gruyere cheese (can use any Swiss cheese)
1 tsp salt
ground black pepper to taste
1 1/2 tbs olive oil
2/3 cup breadcrumbs mixed with 2 tsp olive oil

Preparation:
The leeks -

Heat oil in medium skillet over medium heat.
Add leeks and saute, stirring frequently until limp and lightly browned - about 15 minutes.
Spread the leeks evenly in the bottom of an oiled 2 quart shallow gratin dish (or baking dish), preferably oval. Let it cool.

The potatoes -

In a medium saucepan, cover the potato slices with well-salted water and bring to a boil.
Reduce the heat to a gentle boil and cook for 5 minutes or until the potatoes are just barely tender.
Drain and rinse under cold water until cool.
Pat dry. Toss the potatoes with salt, olive oil and rosemary.

Assemble the gratin -

Heat oven to 375F.
Sprinkle 1/2 tsp of chopped rosemary over the leeks
Starting at one end of the baking dish, lay a row of slightly overlapping tomato slices across the width of the dish.
Prop the tomatoes against the dish at a 60 degree angle.
Cover the row of tomatoes with a generous sprinkling of cheese.
Arrange a row of potato slices over the tomatoes.
Sprinkle again with cheese.
Repeat with alternating rows of tomatoes and potatoes, sprinkling each with cheese until the gratin is full.
Sprinkle about 1/2 tsp salt and the remaining rosemary and season with pepper.
Drizzle with olive oil.
Mix any remaining cheese with the breadcrumb mixture and spread this over the while gratin.
Cook until gratin is well-browned all over and the juices have bubbled for a while and reduced considerable - about 60 minutes.
Cool it for a bit before serving.

SAUTEED ASPARAGUS / GREEN BEANS / MUSHROOM

2011-12-08T22:25:00.003-05:00

Ingredients:
1 doz firm asparagus, peeled
or
1 doz green beans, cut into 2 inch pieces
or
8-10 oz button mushroom sliced

3-4 garlic cloves minced
3 tbsp unsalted butter
2 tbsp chopped parsley or dried parsley
2 tsp dried oregano
1/2 tbsp ground black pepper
2 tbsp lemon juice
salt to taste
water

Preparation:

In a large skillet boil water and salt. Add asparagus/green beans. Return to boil, cover and cook for 1-2 minutes. Shock them in cold water.
Heat butter in a saute pan on medium-low and add garlic, parsley, oregano, black pepper. Cook for 30 seconds. Add salt.
Add the asparagus/green beans/mushroom. Mix and cover to cook. Stir occasionally to prevent sticking to the bottom.
Sprinkle water if they stick to the bottom.
Cook for about 7-8 minutes. Add lemon juice just before taking them down.

Tips:

Cut about 11/2 inches off the asparagus from the bottom before peeling. Lightly peel from bottom to the head.
It is not mandatory to boil and shock the asparagus and green beans. They can be sauteed as is.

GARLIC CHICKEN

2011-12-08T21:00:00.008-05:00

This is a Halloween recipe published by the Globe magazine. What better way to keep the vampires at bay than with garlic.

Ingredients:
40 large garlic cloves, peeled
1 chicken (about 3 pounds) cut into 8 serving pieces(or 3 pounds of bone-in thighs)
2 tsp minced fresh thyme
1 1/2 tsp minced fresh rosemary
2 bay leaves
3/4 cup dry white wine
3/4 cup chicken broth
1 tablespoon unsalted butter
2 tsp fresh lemon juice
1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley
salt and pepper
oil

Preparation:

In a saute pan heat oil over low heat and add the garlic and a pinch of oil.
Cover and cook the garlic stirring often to prevent them from sticking. Cook till the garlic cloves are browned and softened about 25-30 minutes.
Remove the garlic to a small bowl leaving as much oil in the pan as possible and set aside.
Rinse and dry the chicken pieces and very lightly sprinkle with salt and pepper.
Heat the remaining oil over medium high and add the chicken. Do not crowd them, brown them in batches if necessary.
Cook them undisturbed, until browned for about 4 minutes. Turn the chicken pieces and cook till brown for another 4 minutes.
Transfer chicken to a large plate. Pour out all the oil only leaving about 2 tsp oil in the pan.
Heat the oil at medium and add thyme, rosemary and bay leaves and cook stirring constantly until fragrant, about 20 seconds.
Add the wine and adjust the flame to medium- high and bring to strong simmer.
Simmer stirring occasionally until liquid is reduced by half.
Now add chicken broth and return to strong simmer till the liquid is again reduced to about half.
Add the chicken pieces along with any accumulated juices and half of the garlic cloves and return to a simmer.
Reduce the heat to very low, cover the pan and simmer gently until the chicken is cooked through and tender for about 40 minutes turning the chicken over. If there are chicken breasts add them after 20 minutes.
Remove the chicken to a serving plate and remove the bay leaves.
With a wooden spoon thoroughly mash the garlic cloves in the pan to thicken the sauce. Add the remaining garlic cloves.
Adjust the heat to medium-high and bring to a strong simmer stirring vigorously. About 4 minutes.
Now adjust the heat to medium-low and stir in the butter. Add in lemon juice and most of the parsley and stir
Taste the sauce and adjust the seasoning with salt and pepper.
Top the chicken witht he sauce and the remaining parsley and serve.

POTATO SALAD

2011-11-21T23:28:00.000-05:00

Ingredients:
5 new potatoes (or red potatoes)
1 stalk of celery finely chopped
2 tbsp chopped pimento pepper (cherry pepper)
1/2 medium onion finely chopped
1 tbsp chopped sweet pickles or dill
1 tbsp pickle juice
1/2 tbsp French's mustard
1/2 tsp dry mustard
1/4 cup mayonnaise
3 hard boiled eggs
Salt & pepper

Preparation:

Boil the potatoes, peel and cube them. Let them cool.
Peel the hard boiled eggs and dice them. Let them cool.
In a bowl mix mayonnaise and French's yellow mustard to make it into soft yellow.
Mix in the pickle juice, celery, chopped onion, pickles, salt & pepper.
Now add in the potatoes and diced eggs and mix them well to coat them together.
Serve cool.

GREEK STUFFED PEPPERS

2011-11-09T18:26:00.003-05:00

Ingredients:
2 large green/red bell peppers
1/2 cup(or 5 1/2 tbsp) rice
1 medium onion chopped
2 cloves garlic minced
2 tsp black pepper powder
5-6 mint leaves
1 tsp dried oregano
2 tbsp tomato sauce
any grease (butter/oil/ghee)
1 potato thinly sliced
1 tbsp bread crumbs.
2 tbsp finely chopped parsley or cilantro
1/2 tsp sugar
water as needed
salt

Preparation:

Cut the top off the pepper and scoop off the flesh and seeds from inside. Preserve the top.
Wash and soak the rice for about 15-20 minutes.
In a pan heat oil. Add onion, garlic, black pepper.
After a few moments add the rice in and fry. Add the mint leaves, salt and fry for 3-4 minutes.
Add about a cup of water to it.And add tomato sauce and sugar to it. Fry by covering for another 3-4 minutes.
Take it out of the heat and cool it.
Fork the peppers all around and stuff the fried mixture into it. Don't over stuff it as the rice will rise after cooking.
Sprinkle the bread crumbs and chopped cilantro/parsley on top of it.
Coat a baking pan with butter/oil/ghee and pour in about 1/2 inch of water. Add oregano and salt to the water and mix it.
Cover the peppers with their tops and place them in the pan.
Add the thin sliced potatoes to the water.
Bake it at around 375F (180C).

SWEET TOMATO CHUTNEY

2011-10-31T16:11:00.000-04:00

Ingredients:
4 medium sized tomatoes
1 tsp mustard seeds
1/2 cup dried dates / raisin / cranberry
1tsp turmeric powder
3 tbsp sugar
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 cup water (if needed)
1 tbsp oil

Preparation:

Cut the tomatoes into 1 inch cubes.
Heat the oil in a pan. Add the mustard seeds and let the seeds pop.
Add turmeric powder to it.
Now add in the tomatoes.
Add salt and sugar and let it cook for about 5 minutes.
Now add the dried fruit (whichever you are using.
Cook the tomatoes on medium-low flame for another 10 minutes till the tomatoes become tender.
Add a little water if needed.
Serve it warm.

TAMARIND RICE (PULIHARA)

2011-10-17T13:11:00.000-04:00

Ingredients:
1/4 cup peanuts
11/2 tsp urad dal
1 1/2 tsp chana dal
1 tsp mustard seeds
1 pinch asafedita (hing)
2-3 sliced green chilies
1 tsp sliced ginger
7-8 curry leaves
2 tsp red chili flakes
3 tbsp tamarind paste
1 tsp turmeric powder
1 cup rice, freshly cooked
1/4 cup water
3 tbsp oil
salt to taste

Preparation:

Heat oil in a frying pan fry the peanuts till they are brown. Keep them aside.
Now in the remaining oil, add chana dal, urad dal and mustard seeds and asafedita. Fry them till they are light golden brown and the mustard seeds have popped.
Add the sliced green chilies, sliced ginger and curry leaves and fry them for a minute.
Now add the red chili flakes and the peanuts and mix well.
Add the tamarind paste, turmeric powder, salt and little water and cook the mixture for about 2-3 minutes.
Mix in the freshly cooked rice.
Serve hot

Tips:

For people who like it a little sweet can add 1 tsp of jaggery to the tamarind paste while cooking.

CHILLI CHICKEN

2011-10-17T12:47:00.000-04:00

Ingredients:
1/2 lb boneless chicken(cut in 1" cubes)
3 tbsp soya sauce
1 egg
2 1/2tbsp corn flour
5-6 green chilies, finely chopped
2 green onion tops, finely chopped
1 tsp garlic paste
1/2 tsp white pepper powder
a pinch of ajinomoto (optional)
1 tsp sugar
salt to taste
2 cups chicken broth/water
oil to fry

Preparation:

Take 1 1/2 tbsp soya sauce, 1 1/2 tbsp corn flour, egg, salt in a bowl and marinate the chicken pieces in the mixture for about 15 minutes.
Heal oil and deep fry the chicken pieces till golden brown.
In a separate wok/kadai, heat 1 tbsp of oil add garlic paste and green chilies and saute` for a few seconds.
Add 2 cups of chicken broth or water and bring it to boil. Add sugar, pepper powder, salt, ajinomoto and remaining soya sauce.
Add the fried chicken pieces to it and cook for a dew minutes.
Dissolve the remain corn flour in 1/2 cup water and it to the curry stirring to avoid lumps. This makes the gravy thick. Cook. for 2-3 minutes
Serve chili chicken garnished with green onion tops.

Tips:

You can add 1 inch cut cubes of onion and green peppers to it when the mixture of garlic paste and green chili is frying (before adding chicken broth/water).

BAKED RED POTATOES

2011-08-22T21:22:00.000-04:00

Ingredients:
4 large unpeeled red potatoes
1tbsp butter; melted
3 cloves minced garlic
1 stem green onion finely cut
1/4 tbsp black pepper
3/4 tbsp dried oregano
1 tbsp dried onion
3/4 tbsp salt
shredded cheese to garnish

Preparation:

In a bowl mix garlic, green onions, black pepper, oregano, dried onion and salt.
Cut the potatoes into wedges (about 1 inch thick).
Mix the potato in the bowl and toss.
Preheat the oven to around 425F
Coat a baking pan with melted butter and add the mixture to it. Sprinkle the cheese on top of it
Bake the potatoes till golden brown (around 1/2 hour). Halfway through the baking, stir the potatoes.

VEGETABLE CUTLET

2011-08-20T00:11:00.000-04:00

This recipe has been handed down from my mother. One bite of it takes me back to my childhood.

Ingredients:

2 potatoes boiled
1/2 carrot grated
1/4 beet root grated
1 tbsp coriander powder
1/2 tbsp cumin powder
1 tbsp chaat masala
1/2 tsp garam masala
1 tsp red chilli powder
salt to taste
oil for frying
3-4 tbsp corn flour
1/4 cup milk
1 cup bread crumbs

Preparation:

Boil the potatoes and mash them.
Add salt, red chilli powder, garam masala, chaat masala, cumin powder, coriander powder and mix them well.
Now add the grated carrot and beet root and mix them with the mashed potato.
Heat about 2 tbsp oil in a frying pan. Add the mashed mixture to it and fry it for about 5-6 minutes.
When the mixture cools down, take handful of the mixture and make oval patties out of it.
In a flat bottomed bowl mix corn flour and milk In another plate take the bread crumbs.
Now dip the patty in the corn flour-milk mixture and then roll it in the bread crumbs. To make a crispier cutlet dip it again in the corn flour-milk mix and roll it again in the bread crumbs.
Heat oil in frying pan. Shallow fry the cutlets.
Serve them hot with onion rings, cucumber slices and ketchup.

DAL MAKHANI

2011-08-06T13:20:00.000-04:00

Ingredients:
2 cups whole urad dal
1 large onion chopped
1 large tomato chopped
3-4 green chillies chopped
2 garlic cloves minced
1/2 tsp ginger grated
2 tsp coriander powder
1 tsp garam masala
1/2 tsp cumin powder
1 tsp turmeric power
1/2 tsp red chilli powder
1/2 cup stirred fresh cream (malai)
2 tbsp plain yogurt
1 tbsp butter
Fresh coriander for garnish
salt to taste

Preparation:

Soak the dal overnight in water.
In a pressure cooker add the soaked dal, water, chopped onion, tomato, ginger, garlic, green chillies, coriander, cumin, red chilli powder, garam masala, turmeric, salt.
Pressure cook them in high flame for about 5 minutes and then in low flame for around 20 minutes.
After opening the cooker, keep cooking the dal in low flame.
Add the cream and yogurt and continue stirring every few minutes to avoid it being stuck in the bottom.
Keep mashing them as you stir so that the dal becomes half whole half mashed and it gets a medium thick consistency.
Keep cooking for about 35-40 minutes. Add the butter just 2 minutes before taking it down.
Garnish it with coriander and butter
Serve with rice, roti, parothas or naan.

Tips:

You can add 1/2 cup of Kidney beans (rajma) along with the urad dal.

CRISPY GREEN BEAN FRIES

2011-08-02T23:53:00.000-04:00

Ingredients:

1 egg beaten
1 cup milk
4 cups chicken broth / water
6-8 ounces green beans cut to about 2 inches
1 cup all-purpose flour
1 cup plain breadcrumbs
3/4 tsp salt
1/4 tsp onion powder
1/4 tsp garlic powder
1/2 tsp black pepper powder
oil for frying

Preparation:

Bring the chicken broth/water to boil. Add the beans and bring to boil for about 15 minutes.
Now plunge the beans in ice cold water to prevent them from getting soft.
In a bowl beat the egg with milk. In another bowl mix the bread crumbs with salt, black pepper, onion powder and garlic powder. And take all-purpose flour in another bowl.
Remove the beans from the cold water and coat them in flour. Shake off the excess flour and dip them in egg-milk mixture and then coat them in the breadcrumb mixture.
Heat oil in a fryer and fry the beans for about 1 minute or till they are golden brown.
Drain them on a rack or paper towel.
Serve hot as appetizer with dips like blue-cheese or ranch or wasabi-cucumber ranch.

CHICKEN 65

2011-07-22T18:18:00.004-04:00

This recipe was given by my brother-in-law even before he married my sister. This is now one of our favorites at our home and also among my friends who keep asking me for it.

Ingredients:
1/2-1 lbs boneless chicken cut in small pieces
2 tbsp lemon juice or vinegar
1/2 cup all purpose flour (maida)
1 tbsp corn flour
1 egg
1 tsp black pepper
1 tsp red chilli powder
2 cloves garlic cloves
8-10 curry leaves
3-4 green chillis finely chopped
2 tbsp plain yogurt
salt to taste
oil for frying
2-3 drops red food color (optional)

Preparation:

Marinate the small cut pieces with lemon juice/vinegar and salt for about 30 minutes.
In a bowl mix the flour, corn flour, egg, black pepper powder, red chilli powder and add salt. Mix it into a batter. Add the color if you want.
In a pan heat the oil.
Mix the chicken pieces in the batter and fry them till they are brown.
In another pan heat a little oil.
Now add the garlic, curry leaves and green chillies.
Fry for a few seconds and add the yogurt.
After frying for 1-2 minutes add the fried chicken pieces.
Serve hot as an appetizer

GHUGNI

2011-07-16T00:33:00.003-04:00

Ingredients:
2 cups soaked white peas
2 tbsp oil
1 small stick of cinnamon
3 pods cardamom
1 bay leaf
1 tsp ginger grated
1 tsp garlic finely chopped
1 onion chopped
1 tomato chopped
1 1/2 tsp cumin powder
1 1/2 tsp coriander powder
1 tsp turmeric powder
1/2 tsp red chilli powder
1 tsp tamarind paste
salt to taste

Preparation:

Soak the peas overnight. Boil it till it is soft.
Heat the oil and add garlic and ginger to it. Add cardamom, cinnamon and bay leaf to it.
Add onion to it. Fry them till they are soft and pink.
Now add the tomatoes and tamarind and fry.
When the tomatoes turn soft and pulpy add cumin, coriander, turmeric and chilli powder. Fry them well.
Now add the boiled peas to it with a little water.
Add salt to taste. Let them boil.
Add garam masala and simmer for a few minutes.
Garnish with coriander leaves and onion rings.

PEANUT/GROUNDNUT CHUTNEY

2011-05-18T15:33:00.001-04:00

Ingredients:

1 cup roasted and peeled peanuts
1 small onion sliced
3 dry red chillis, de-seeded
small lemon sized tamarind paste
3 garlic flakes, crushed
salt to taste
3/4 cup water
1 tsp oil

Ingredients for Tadka:

1/2 tsp mustard seeds
1/2 tsp split black gram dal
8-10 curry leaves
1/2 tsp oil

Preparation:

In a pan heat oil and add the garlic and red chillies, stir fry for a few seconds.
Now add the sliced onions and saute for another 2-3 minutes. Remove from heat and allow it to cool.
Now grind the peanuts, sauteed onion and garlic, tamarind along with salt and half a cup water.
Now for seasoning heat oil in a pan and add the mustard seeds.
Once the mustard seeds splutter add the split gram dal and let it turn golden brown.
Now add the curry leaves and remove it from heat.
Pour it over the chutney and serve it with idlis or dosas.

SAUTEED BRUSSELS SPROUTS - INDIAN STYLE

2011-04-18T20:05:00.003-04:00

Ingredients:

1/2 lb Brussels sprout
1 tbsp oil
1 tbsp mustard seeds
8-10 curry leaves (kadi patta)
1 tsp turmeric poder
1/2 tsp chilli powder
2 tbsp plain yogurt
1/2 cup water
salt to taste

Preparation:

Wash and cut the Brussels sprouts into quarters
In a skillet heat the oil till it shimmers and add the mustard seeds. Let the seeds pop
Now add the curry leaves. Don't let it burn.
Add the turmeric powder, chilli powder and salt. Let them fry for a minute
Add the brussels sprouts and sautee them stirring occasionally for about 7 minutes.
Add water if it starts to stick to the bottom.
Just before taking it down add the yougurt, stir for about a minute and take it down.
Serve them hot as a side dish.