Recipes and More

Yummy Paneer Tikka

2008-11-14T09:27:00.000-05:00

The name refreshes the memory of your favorite restaurant and the taste of chunky paneer pieces marinated with yogurt and served on skewers along with grilled and delicious veggies. This recipe is sure to recall all your memories and make you crave for more and more. I was motivated to try this recipe as I love paneer and anything made with it and while surfing through Sanjeev Kapoor’s website is when I realized that this is such a simple dish and even an amateur like me can make it in no time with minimum efforts and the best results.

I made this recipe in the oven, and it could be made on a grill pan as well or even on a non stick pan and it gives the same result.

Ingredients:

1 cup of diced paneer pieces (medium sized paneer pieces as it helps to skew them)
1 tbsp besan or gram flour
1 cup hung yogurt or Greek yogurt
1 tsp dry fenugreek leaves (kasuri methi)
2 tsp garlic paste
1 tsp ginger paste
1 tsp cumin powder
Salt to taste
1 tsp amchur powder
1 tsp lemon juice
Oil to grease the paneer and veggie skewers
Water as required.

1/2 onion (diced similar to the paneer pieces)
2 tbsp capsicum (diced similar to paneer pieces)
1 tomato (diced similar to paneer pieces)

To serve:

Chopped coriander leaves
Lemon juice
Mint and coriander chutney

Method:

Preheat the oven to 350 degree F or 180 degree Celsius. In a bowl, mix together besan , yogurt, methi leaves, ginger paste, garlic paste, cumin, amchur, salt and lemon juice and mix well. Add the paneer pieces and let it marinate in the mixture for 30 mins.

Now add the veggies (onion, capsicum and tomato) to the marinade as well and mix well. Arrange the skewers with onion, followed by capsicum, then tomato and finally the paneer pieces. Repeat the same order to fill the skewer to three-fourth its length. You can prepare individual small portions of the skewers as well. Repeat the above mentioned procedure with the remaining marinated pieces as well.

Grease the baking sheet and place the skewers on the sheet and bake it for 15 mins. Now turn the skewers and bake for 10 mins as well till you get a golden brown color on both the sides.

Serve hot with green chutney and squeeze of lemon juice and garnished with coriander leaves.

All time favorite Pav Bhaji

2008-11-11T21:22:00.003-05:00

The photograph for this recipe did not come clear, but the pav bhaji tasted awesome. Here is the recipe.

1 large onion finely chopped
3-4 green chilies
2 carrots (roughly chopped)
4 potatoes (roughly chopped)
3-4 cauliflower florets
½ cup green peas
2 tbsp chopped green capsicum
5-6 large cloves of garlic roughly chopped
6-7 large tomatoes (pureed)
2 tsp lime juice
1 tbsp chopped coriander
1 tbsp cooking oil
Salt to taste
2 tsp red chili powder
1 tbsp pav bhaji masala powder

To serve:
Butter cubes
Pav
Chopped onion
Chopped coriander leaves
Lime juice

Method:

In a pressure cooker, add potatoes, carrots, capsicum, cauliflower, green chilies, green peas and garlic and pressure cook with 1 cup of water on a medium flame for 15 – 20 mins or till the potatoes are boiled.

Transfer to a large bowl and mash all the ingredients well and keep aside. In a large pan, heat oil and fry the onions till they turn their color to slight pink. Add the tomato puree to the pan and mix well. Add salt, red chili powder and pav bhaji masala. Now add the mashed vegetables to the pan and mix all the ingredients well. Let it cook for 15 -20 mins. Adjust the consistency by adding water as required. Add lime juice and chopped coriander leaves.

To serve, heat the pav with butter on a non stick pan or tava (griddle) and serve along side with the bhaji. Add butter, chopped coriander, lime and chopped onions to the bhaji and enjoy this roadside treat in your own home with as much delight as you would in a neighboring fast food or pav bhaji joint.

Gobi ke paranthe

2008-11-06T09:23:00.000-05:00

Gobi ke paranthe.... hmmmm the name itself makes the mouth water. This recipe is again gifted to me by my mother in law as she makes these awesome gobi ke paranthe with loads of love in each parantha she serves. It is usually a regular at my house and can be eaten for breakfast, lunch and dinner served along side with aam ka aachar and yogurt or with a glass full of buttermilk. Yummmmmmmmmmm!!!!

Ingredients:

1 cup grated cauliflower
1 medium onion (finely chopped)- Optional
5-6 chopped green leaves
2 tbsp chopped coriander leaves
salt to taste
1 tsp cumin powder
1 tsp amchur or dry mango powder
Oil to fry the parantha
Whole wheat flour dough to stuff the cauliflower filling

Method:

In a mixing bowl add the grated gobi, coriander, green chilies, salt, cumin powder, amchur powder and mix well. You can add onions to the mixture as well, but I don't include them as my husband doesn't like them in his parantha.

From the whole wheat flour dough, take a small portion of the dough and shape it to a ball. Now roll the dough with the rolling pin, squeeze the water from the gobi filling as it would make the parantha wet and mushy and place in the the center of the rolled dough. Fold it from all sides and roll it between your palms again. Toss it in the dry flour and roll again to a round parantha. Heat the tava and when hot put the parantha to the tava and cook from both sides. Apply oil to both the sides of the parantha, press the parantha with a spatula so that it gets crisp and brown from both sides. Serve hot with a tea spoon of butter, acchar and dahi, or eat just like that with a glass of buttermilk.

Yummmmmmmmmmmmmmmm

Baked Shell Pasta

2008-11-03T21:24:00.000-05:00

On a cool chilly night nothing is more comforting as hot and yummy food and to add to it my baked pasta shells are healthy and comfortable dish that you can enjoy in less than 30 mins while you sit with a cozy blanket wrapped around you enjoying a good movie and glass of wine on the side.

Ingredients:

1 cup large shell shaped pasta
1/2 cup marinara sauce
2 tbsp part skim grated mozzarella cheese
1 tsp chopped coriander or basil leaves
garlic salt and pepper to taste
2 tbsp corn

Method:

Pre- heat the oven to 400 degree F. Boil the pasta shells with salt till they are al dente. Drain and transfer to a mixing bowl. Add 2 tbsp marinara sauce to the shells along with corn, garlic salt and pepper. Now take a baking dish and add 2-3 table spoons of shell mixture to the bottom of the dish. Now add some of the remaining marinara sauce over the shell mixture. Add grated mozarella cheese and chopped coriander or basil leaves. Repeat the layering process with shell mixture followed by marinara sauce, mozarella cheese and basil leaves. Cover the top with the remaining mozarella cheese. Bake it in the oven for 15 mins till you get a golden brown color to the top layer of the cheese. Serve hot.

Tip:
Add some bread crumbs along with the mozarella cheese to get a crusty baked topping over the shell pasta. Yummmmmmmmm

Happy Diwali!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

2008-10-28T06:56:00.003-04:00

Haare Chane ki Sabji with Brown Rice

2008-10-27T09:08:00.000-04:00

Green channa is very easily available in the northern parts of India and also in the MP region not so much in Mumbai.... and to get green channe in US where I stay was a blessing ..... and to top it I got these sprouted green channa which I love and anything sprouts is healthy and nutritious for you right...and to add to the healthy diet I serve the sprouted green channe ki sabji with brown rice. Brown rice has a nutty texture and requires more chewing than regualr white rice and tastes incredible with this recipe.

Ingredients:

1 cup sprouted green channa
1 medium onion chopped
3-4 tomatoes chopped
3 green chilies chopped
3-4 cloves of garlic chopped
1 tsp ginger grated
1 tsp turmeric powder
1 tsp coriander powder
1 tsp red chili powder
salt to taste
1 tbsp olive oil
1 cup vegetable stock
1 tsp lemon juice
coriander leaves for garnish

1 cup brown rice
water to boil the rice
salt to taste

Method:
In a heavy bottom pan add brown rice along with salt and water and let it cook for roughly around 35 mins, so that the rice is cooked. Keep adding water to the pot as brown rice takes longer and more water to cook than regular rice. Drain the rice and let it stand for 5-7 mins.

In a pressure cooker, add oil to the cooker and add onions and let it cook for 5 mins. Now add ginger, garlic, green chilies and tomatoes to the cooker and let it cook till the tomatoes have soften and have released all their juices. Now add salt, turmeric, coriander powder, red chilie powder to the cooker and let the dry masala mix well with onions and tomatoes. Now add the sprouted green chana to the cooker and let it brown and cook a bit with the masala.

Now add the vegetable stock and 1 cup of water to the cooker, stir well. Put the lid to the cooker and pressure cook the sprouted haare channe for 15 mins on a medium flame.

Serve hot with boiled brown rice.

Falafal

2008-10-25T09:28:00.002-04:00

Falafel is a fried ball or patty made from spiced fava beans and/or chickpeas. It is a popular form of fast food in the Arab World.Falafel is usually served in pita bread, either inside the pita, which acts as a pocket, or wrapped in a flat pita. In many countries falafel is a popular street food or fast food.

I had eaten Falafel in Netherlands and felt in love with it. The balls are filled with herbs and chickpeas and gives a unique flavor to the fried balls. This recipe is very healthy as I have baked the falafel balls and served them with whole wheat pita bread and the sauce is made of non fat yogurt mixed with mint and coriander chutney.

Ingredients:

To make Falafel balls

1 1/2 cup chick peas (soaked in water overnight or a min of 4 hrs)
1/2 cup chopped coriander leaves
1 medium sized onion chopped
4-6 cloves of garlic finely chopped
salt and pepper to taste
1 tbsp wole wheat flour
1 tsp green chili paste (adjust according to taste)
Olive oil to brush the falalfel balls

To serve:
4 Whole wheat Pita bread
1 medium onion finely chopped
1 cup lettuce leaves chopped
1 cup non fat yogurt mixed with 2 spoons of mint and coriander chutney
1 cup mint and coriander chutney

Method:
In a mixer or food processor add all the ingredients to make the falafel balls. Pulse or grind the mixture well so that the chick peas are minced into a crumbly paste and all the ingredients are mixed well with each other. Transfer the mixture to a clean bowl and make small golf size balls of the chick pea mixture and line them on a pre greased baking sheet. Make the remaining balls and place on the baking sheet. Once done, brush the balls with olive oil and bake them for 20 mins in a 375 degree F oven till they are golden brown in color.

To serve warm the pita bread and cut open the top of the pita bread and place 4-5 baked falafel ball in the pita bread. Place the yogurt dip, chuntey, onions and lettuce on a serving tray along side the falafel and serve. Each individual can make their own dressing by adding the serving ingredients as necessary.

Cheese Rolls

2008-10-25T09:06:00.000-04:00

Diwali is just 4 days away and with the amount of guests that come home during this time; I am always looking for more and more snack recipe so that you are not spending too much time in the kitchen preparing the goodies to be served and at the same time the snacks are not repetitive.

Cheese Rolls is a quick and easy recipe which can be prepared ahead of time and need to be baked 20 mins before your guestes arrive.

Cheese Rolls is a healthy dish which can served as party or finger food as well.

Ingredients:

4 phyllo dough sheets
1/2 cup mozzarella cheese diced
1 cup corn
2-3 spring onions chopped
2 green chilies finely chopped
2 tsp soya sauce
salt and pepper to taste
1 tsp olive oil
2 cloves of garlic finely chopped
1 tbsp chopped coriander leaves

Method:

In a pan, heat oil and add the chopped garlic, green chilies and spring onions to the pan. Add corn to the pan and mix well. Add soya sauce, salt and pepper along with the coriander to the pan and let it cook for 5 mins. Remove the pan from the burner and add the diced mozarella cheese to the pan and mix well.

Line the 4 phyllo sheets one on the other on a flat surface and cut the sheets with the help of a knife to a about 5-7 inch size pieces. Add the filling to each sheet and roll them over in the form of spring rolls. Seal the edges with the help of water and transfer to a baking sheet (greased with olive oil). At this step you can either keep it refrigerated or bake it in the oven for 15 - 20 mins till the phyllo gets a golden brown color.

Serve hot with coriander and mint chutney.

Tastes divine and heavenly!!!!!!

Mixed Kadai Vegetables

2008-10-20T09:05:00.000-04:00

I was pretty bored with the regular veggies that I normally make and needed to try something different and I was going through my blog to see what else I can make for a side that I have not eaten before and can be made in no time; that's when the idea of Kadai vegetable clicked. The recipe is very simple, includes tofu as well as paneer, and loads of other veggies like carrot, onion,potatoes, peas and taste sinfully awesome. To add more flavor and taste to the veggies, I havae baked the vegetables in the oven with little bit of salt and olive oil for around 15- 20 mins, and this adds so much flavor and bite to the veggies.

Ingredients:

1 large onion thinly sliced
1 medium sized potatoes
1 carrot thinly sliced
1/2 cup extra firm tofu sliced
1/2 cup paneer sliced
1/2 cup peas
1 can of crushed tomatoes or 4-5 tomatoes blended into a puree
1 bay leaf
1 clove
1 cinnamon stick
2 dried red chilies
1 tsp dried coriander seeds
1 tsp cumin seeds
2-3 cloves of chopped garlic
1 tsp grated ginger
2-3 green chilies
1 tsp turmeric powder
2 tsp red chili powder
1 table spoon dried fenugreek leaves
1 table spoon coriander leaves (chopped)
1 table spoon lemon juice
salt to taste
2 table spoons olive oil or cooking oil

Method:

Take a baking sheet and line all the vegetables (onion, potatoes, carrot, tofu,paneer)on the sheet. Add olive oil and salt to the vegetables and mix well. Bake the vegetables in the oven at 400 degree F for 15- 20 minutes till the veggies are half cooked and they have a slight color to it.

In a large wok or kadai, heat oil and add bay leaf, clove, and cinnamon to it. Now add coriander seeds, cumin seeds and dried red chilies to the pan and let it cook till the oil is fragrant with all the flavors. Add ginger and garlic to the pan along with the tomatoes and let it cook for 10 mins. Add turmeric, red chili powder and salt to the wok. Remove the veggies from the oven and transfer all the veggies to the wok, add peas to the pan as well and mix all the ingredients well and let it cook till all the vegetables are cooked.

Turn off the heat, add lemon juice and fresh coriander leaves to the wok, mix well and serve hot with parantha or roti.

Veggie Wontons

2008-10-18T09:30:00.004-04:00

A wonton (also spelled wantan, wanton, or wuntun in transcription from Cantonese; the Mandarin pronunciation is hundun) is a type of dumpling commonly found in a number of Chinese cuisines.

The most versatile shape is a simple right triangle, made by bringing two opposite corners together to fold the square in half. Its flat profile allows it to be pan-fried like a potsticker, as well as boiled or deep-fried.

I have always loved the fried wontons that we get at the various restaurants and was surfing the grocery store the other day and found these wonton wrappers and thought of giving myself a treat by making Veggie Wontons. I fried the Wontons but I am sure they would taste equally good when baked as well.

To make a wonton, spread a single wrapper square across the palm of one hand, place a small clump of filling in the center, and seal the wonton into the desired shape by compressing the wrapper's edges together with the fingers. Adhesion may be improved by moistening the wrapper's inner edges, typically by dipping one's fingertip into plain water and running it across the dry dough to dissolve the extra flour. As part of the sealing process, air should be "burped" out of the interior to avoid rupturing the wonton from internal pressure when cooked.

Here is the recipe:

Ingredients:

12- 15 wonton wrappers
1/2 cup shredded cabbage
2 table spoons shredded carrot
2-3 spring onions chopped along with the greens
1 table spoon soy sauce
1 table spoon chili sauce
salt and pepper to taste
1 table spoon olive oil
Oil for frying
Chili Sauce to Serve

To make the filling:

Heat oil in a pan; add the spring onions, cabbage and carrot to the pan and let it cook for for 5 minutes till the veggies are tender. Now add soy sauce, chili sauce , salt and pepper to the pan and toss all the ingredients well. Let it cook for another 2-3 minutes. Turn off the gas and let the mix cool.

Take one wonton wrapper, add 1/2 spoon of the cooled veggie mixture in the middle of the wonton wrapper, apply water to all the 4 sides of the wrapper and fold the wrapper in the traingle shape first and then bring the two ends of the folded wrapper together. Repeat the steps to make the remaining wonton wrappers.

Heat oil in a large pot and fry the wontons till golden brown.

Serve hot with chili sauce!!!!!!!!! Yum!!!!!!!!

I am sending this recipe to Hima for her event Sunday Snacks with the theme bake it.

I am also sending this recipe to Easy Crafts for her event WYF - Party Food

Tomato Soup with toasted vegetable Sandwich

2008-10-14T17:23:00.000-04:00

“Soup” – the name taken reminds us of cool winter and our cozy house with warm blankets wrapped all across. Tomato Soup with vegetable sandwich is a hearty soup which can be eaten any time during the year and is loved by one and all. To add to the Oomph factor add some oven baked croutons and we are good to go.

Here is the recipe for the Tomato Soup:

1 can tomato (diced or pureed)
1 bay leaf
1 medium onion (finely chopped)
2-3 cloves of garlic (finely chopped)
2 tsp olive oil
2 cups water
3-4 sprigs of coriander leaves
Salt and pepper to taste
Butter to add to the soup

Method:

Heat oil in a pan and add bay leaf to it. Let it simmer for 2 minutes till the oil is fragrant with bay leaf and add garlic and onion to the pan and sauté for 2-3 minutes. Add the canned tomatoes along with the juice, coriander leaves and water to the pan and let it simmer for 15 minutes. Season with salt and pepper. Remove from the burner and allow the thick soup to cool down completely. Once cooled remove the bay leaf and blend the soup in the blender till all the tomatoes pieces have broken down and have blended with the soup.

Transfer the blended mixture to the pan again and let it come to a boil. Serve it in a large soup bowl. Add some butter to the soup and serve hot with toasted vegetable sandwich.
The coriander leaves add a lot of flavor and aroma to the tomato soup. This recipe goes to Siri's and Dee's event Herb Mania

Healthy and Delicious Poha

2008-10-12T08:00:00.003-04:00

Poha as we all know and love is famous in Maharashtra where they add sugar to the poha and is known by the name of kanda batate pohe, its very famous in Madhya Pradesh and Gujrat as well. I do remember a train journey to Jammu and we had got down at Ratlam to have some breakfast and has this yum and delicious poha - jalebi, a very famous dish in all of MP and you can't get anything better than this anywhere else in the world. It tasted just awesome. Every state has its own way and method to make poha and they serve it differently as well.

Here goes my recipe which was taught to me by my husband and I love the taste of this yummy, flavorful and delicious poha.

Ingredients:

2 cups poha (washed and dried)
1 medium onion thinly sliced
1 tomato finely chopped
6-8 green chilies (split)
1 tsp turmeric powder
4-5 curry leaves
1 tsp rai (mustard seeds)
1 tsp jeera (cumin seeds)
1 tsp sugar
A pinch of Hing (asafoetida)
1 table spoon oil
1/2 cup green peas
salt to taste
1/2 cup green coriander leaves (chopped)
2 table spoons lemon juice
Salt to taste

Method:
Take poha in a colander and wash under running water thoroughly. Drain the water completley and transfer the washes and drained poha to a serving plate. Spread poha evenly on the plate and let it dry out completley. Add some salt and sugar to the poha and mix well.

Heat oil in a pan, add hing to it. Add rai, jeera, curry leaves and green chilies to the pan and let it cook for 2 mins. Add sliced onions to the pan and saute till the onions get a slightly golden color. Add salt and turmeric powder to the pan and mix well. Add tomatoes and peas to the pan as well and saute for 2 mins. Add washed and dried poha to the pan and mix well. Cover with the lid and let it cook for another 5-7 mins.

Remove from flame, add lemon juice and coriander leaves and mix well. Serve hot with sev or jalebi. Eaten in any form, this poha recipe tastes yum.... Thanks Hubby!!!!!!!!!

This recipe goes to Vandana's (Cooking up Something Nice) food event Lunch Box Special

Brown Rice Fried Rice ready in minutes

2008-10-10T08:00:00.000-04:00

Brown rice (or "hulled rice") is unmilled or partly milled rice, a kind of whole grain. It has a mild nutty flavor, is chewier than white rice and becomes rancid more quickly, but is far more nutritious.Since brown rice still has the bran intact, it has more fiber than white rice. One cup of brown rice has 3 1/2 grams of fiber while the same amount of white rice has less than one gram of fiber. We all need from 25 to 38 grams of fiber in our diet everyday.

Brown rice also contains nutrients like magnesium, manganese, and zinc. White rice has reduced levels of these nutrients, but is often fortified with iron, and some B vitamins.

Brown rice takes longer than white rice to cook, so increase the amount of water slightly. Brown rice doesn't have the fluffy texture of white rice, but its nutty flavor and chewy texture makes brown rice a tasty way to get fiber into your diet.

Brown rice fried rice is a prep that I had made with left over rice;under 10 mins and with loads of healthy and colorful vegetables.

Ingredients:

2 cups left over cooked brown rice
1 medium onion thinly sliced
1/2 cup shredded cabbage
2 table spoons red capsicum thinly sliced
2 table spoons green peas
2 table spoons soya sauce
salt and pepper to taste
1 table spoon oilve oil

Method:

Heat oil in a pan and add onions and cabbage to the pan. Saute for 2 mins. Add red capsicum,peas, salt, pepper and soya sauce and mix well. Now add the left over brown rice and mix all the ingredients well. Transfer into a serving bowl and serve hot!!!!!!

Ragda Pattice

2008-10-08T11:00:00.001-04:00

Ragda Pattice brings to mouth the fond memories of street food mumbai style. Ragda or vatana as it's usually known are dehaydrates green peas are a good source of protien and can be eaten in the sprouted form as well. Back in Mumbai, ragda pattice is a very famous street food and is loved by one and all. The pattice is usually shallow fried and is served with ragda along with the mix of sweet and tangy tamarind chutney and hot coriander chutney.

This recipe is very figure friendly and healthy as well as the pattice is baked; so lets keep the guilt aside and start cooking.

Ingredients:

To make Ragda:

1 cup vatana
2 tomatoes (finely chopped)
1 table spoon besan
1 tsp turmeric powder
1 bay leaf
1 clove
1 cinnamon stick
1 tsp jeera
2 tsp ginger (grated)
2-3 green chilies (slit from middle)
salt to taste
1 tsp red chilly powder
1 table spoon lemon juice
1 table chopped coriander leaves
water as required
1 tsp olive oil

Method:

Soak the vatana for atleast 4 hrs. Drain the water and pressure cook the vatana with 3 cups of water for 10 -15 mins. Make sure that the vatana is not completely mushed. It must have a crunch to it. Heat oil in a separate pan and add jeera to it. Add clove, cinnamon, ginger and slit green chilies to the pan as well. Now add chopped tomatoes to the pan and saute till the tomatoes are nice and mushy. Add the vatana to the pan alongwith the water in which the vatana was cooked and mix all the ingredients well. Add besan and red chilly powder to the pan and mix well. Add 1 cup of water and let it simmer till the besan is completly cooked. Add lemon juice to the pan along with chopped coriander leaves and mix well. Keep aside.

To make pattice:

4-5 medium sized boiled potatoes
2-3 green chilies (finely chopped)
1 table spoon grated ginger
1 table spoon chopped coriander leaves
salt to taste
1 table spoon milk
1 cup bread crumbs
Olive oil to brush the pattice

Method:

Mash the boiled potatoes in a bowl and add the green chilies, chopped coriander, grated ginger and salt and mix well. Make small patties out of the potato mixture and dip it in milk and then coat it completely in the bread crumbs and line them on a greased baking sheet. Use the above method to make similar pattice and line them all in the baking sheet. Refrigerate the pattice in the fridge for min 30 mins. Preheat the oven at 350 degree F. Remove the baking sheet from the fridge, brush the pattice with olive oil and bake the pattice for 25 - 30 mins till the pattice has a golden brown color.

To Serve:

1 medium sized onion ( finely chopped)
green coriander chutney
tamarind chutney
chopped coriander leaves

In a bowl put 1-2 pattice and add hot ragda over the pattice, add the coriander and tamaring chutney, add chopped onion and coriander and serve!!!!!

Yummy Nutrela

2008-10-06T08:00:00.001-04:00

Nutrela are high protein soya chunks which can be used in a variety of ways and is delicious in each and every recipe it is tried and tested in. Nutrela is also available in minced form and can be used to make soya cutlets as well. I make this very yummy nutrela dish with loads of tomatoes, add some peas to it and it really makes a great combination.

Ingredients:

1 cup nutrela chunks/ mini nuggets
1 medium sized onion finely chopped
4-5 tomatoes (blended into a puree)
2 cloves garlic (finely chopped)
1 tsp grated ginger
4-5 green chillies (finely chopped)
1 tsp turmeric powder
1 tsp jeera powder
2 tsp amchur powder
1 tsp red chilly powder
2-3 table spoon chopped coriander leaves (for garnish)
1 table spoon Olive oil or any cooking oil
Salt to taste

Method:

• Take the soya chunks in a bowl and add enough water to cover them completely. Microwave in the oven for around 7-8 mins. Remove from the microwave and let the soya chunks rest in the warm water for another 5 mins. Wash the soya chunks thoroughly under running water pressing in between your palms. Drain the water completely from the soya chunks and keep aside.
• Heat oil in a pan and add the chopped onions to it. Now add ginger, garlic and chopped green chilies and sauté them together for 2 – 3 mins.
• Add the tomato puree to the pan and mix well. Add turmeric, red chilly powder, salt and jeera powder to the onions and tomatoes and mix them well. Add the drained nutrela to the masala and let it simmer for another 5 – 7 mins.
• Now add the amchur powder to the nutrela and mix well. Transfer the dish to a serving bowl and garnish with chopped coriander leaves.
• Serve yummy yummy nutrela with hot hot rotis………

I am sending this recipe to Ruth from Ruth Kitchen Experiments and to Meeta from Whats for Lunch Honey

Mixed Lentils Dosa

2008-10-01T17:15:00.001-04:00

Mixed lentils dosa is a quick and easy dish which is rich in proteins; has similar ingredients to one of my previous posts i.e. Mixed Lentils Idli and when paired with coconut chutney and sambar it tastes awesome! Mixed Lentils Dosa is a healthy dish and is a great recipe for kids as well and it helps to get the kids eat their lentils which they normally run away from. This recipe is figure-friendly as well as the amount of oil used to make the dosa is negligible.

Ingredients:
½ cup urad dal
½ green moong dal
½ tovar dal
Salt to taste
1 tsp oil

Method:

Mix urad, tovar and moong dal in a bowl and wash them thoroughly. Soak the dals (lentils) for couple of hours. Grind the lentils together to get a thick paste (adding small amounts of water). Add salt to the batter and add enough water to get pourable consistency.

Heat a non stick tava and pour the ladle full of batter on the tava and roll in out on the tava starting from the center and moving across the circumference of the tava. Let the dosa get crispier from one side. Flip the dosa with the help of the spatula and let the dosa cook from the other side as well.

Serve hot!!!!!!!!

Capsicum and Spring Onion Uttapam

2008-10-01T07:00:00.001-04:00

Incontiuation of my previous post of the "All so famous Dosa"; here is a very simple recipe for the Capsicum and Spring Onion Uttapam which is a refreshing change from the regular uttapam that we normally eat in udipi restaurants.

Red capsicum and green spring onions makes the uttapam very colorful and very delicious.

Ingredients:

1 cup rice
1/4 cup urad dal
1 tsp methi dana
1/2 cup poha (pressed rice)
Salt to taste
Water to blend
1 table spoon red capsicum (finely chopped)
1 table spoon spring onions along with the greens (finely chopped)
1 tsp oil

Method:

Soak the rice, poha, urad dal and methi dana in a bowl for atleast 4-5 hours. Drain the water completely and transfer the soaked rice and dal to the blender. Blend the rice and dal along with poha and methi dana adding water in small amount to the blender to form a thick batter of pourable consistency. Transfer the batter to a bowl and cover with a lid and keep it in a warm corner overnight or atleast for 8 hours. The batter will rise and ferment during this time.

Now add salt and enough water to the batter incase the batter is thick enough. Make sure that you control the amount of water is added to the batter as we need a thicker batter to make the uttapam. Heat a non stick tava, pour the laddle full of onion uttapam and start rolling it across the circumference of the tava. Make sure that we dont thin out the uttapam. Now add the finely chopped green onions and red capsicum all over the uttapam. Let it cook from one side. Now add oil over the side of the uttapam that has the onions and capsicum and turn the uttapam upside down and press it with the spatula and let it cook on the other side for 5 mins till it is crisp and ready to be served.

Serve hot with coconut or green coriander chutney!!!!!!!

The all so famous Dosa!!!!!!!!!!!!!

2008-09-30T21:52:00.001-04:00

Dosa or rice pan cakes is a very light and hearty meal which can be served at the table in no time although it does require a little bit of preparation ahead of time as the dosa batter needs to ferment and that does require the rice to be soaked along with the lentils for 4-5 hours and it further needs to be blended and then fermented in a warmer place overnight. Though it requires a little preparation but the result of the batter turning into the " All so famous Dosa" is worth the effort and to add icing to the cake serve the dosa with sambar and cocunut chutney. Awesome!!!!!!!!

Ingredients:

1 cup rice
1/4 cup urad dal
1 tsp methi dana
1/2 cup poha (pressed rice)
Salt to taste
Water to blend

Method:

Soak the rice, poha, urad dal and methi dana in a bowl for atleast 4-5 hours. Drain the water completely and transfer the soaked rice and dal to the blender. Blend the rice and dal along with poha and methi dana adding water in small amount to the blender to form a thick batter of pourable consistency. Transfer the batter to a bowl and cover with a lid and keep it in a warm corner overnight or atleast for 8 hours. The batter will rise and ferment during this time.

Now add salt and enough water to the batter incase the batter is thick enough. Heat a non stick tava and add the laddle full of the batter and gently move starting from the center in circles across the pan till the batter is thiny distributed. Let it cook from one side. Roll the dosa and serve in a plate along with sambar and chutney.

Enjoy!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Delicious Aloo Palak

2008-09-29T17:00:00.001-04:00

Palak or Spinach as we all know is a rich source of iron and calcium and should be incorporated in our daily diet.We normally eat spinach in the form of palak paneer; here is a different recipe to make spinach with potatoes and it tastes awesome with boiled rice.
Saarson ka saag is another very famous dish from Punjab which incoporates spinach along with other vegetables like turnip and is served with Makki di roti (corn flour roti. It's a perfect meal during the winter season.

Delicious Aloo Palak as the name suggests will water your mouth with its unique flavor and can be made any time during the year!!!!!!

Ingredients:

1 bunch palak leaves
1 large potato or 2 medium sized potato ( diced into bite size pieces)
1 medium onion ( finely chopped)
2 tomatoes ( pureed in the blender)
2-3 green chilies
1 cup thinly sliced cabbage
2 tsp chilly powder
1 tsp turmeric powder
1 table spoon olive oil
Salt to taste

Method:

Wash the palak (spinach) leaves thoroughly and transfer them to a pressure cooker. Also add the cabbaage leaves to the spinach along with the green chillies. Add some salt to the cooker with 1/2 cup water and pressure cook the spinach for 10 mins or till you get 2-3 whistles from the pressure cooker. Once the palak and cabbage has cooled down, transfer them to the blender and just pulse the spinach. We are not looking to puree the spinach completely and want the hearty thich texture of the spinach. Transfer the mixture into a separate bowl and keep aside.

Heat oil in a pan and add the diced potatoes and cook the potatoes for 5 mins. Add the chopped onions and saute for 2-3 mins as well. Now add the turmeric powder and red chilly powder to the onions and potatoes and mix well. Add the tomato puree to the pan and mix well. Now add the spinach and cabbage puree to the pan and stir so that the spinach is blended well with the other ingredients in the pan. Cover with the lid and let it simmer for 10 mins on a medium flame till the aloo palak is cooked completely. Serve with roti or boiled rice.

Tip: You can also blend the spinach puree and refrigerate in the fridge it. Whenever you plan to make this recipe; just prepare the onion and tomato mix and add in the pureed palak and the dish will be ready in no time.

You can also add paneer instead of potatoes if required and the same recipe could be turned into palak paneer.

Curry Pasta

2008-09-25T21:52:00.000-04:00

Curry pasta as the name suggests is made with curry powder which embarks the yellow color to the pasta and adds a unique flavor to the recipe. Curry powder has the heat in it as well which makes the pasta slightly spicy as well, so if you are in the mood for having something spicy or you want to make a quick and easy dinner which has all the nutrition in it and yet tastes awesome this recipe is just right for you and it would be ready to served under 10 minutes

Ingredients:

2 cups boiled rotini pasta ( whole wheat)
1/2 cup corn ( fresh or frozen)
2 table spoons marinara sauce
1 tsp curry powder
3-4 basil leaves
1/2 cup green peas
Garlic Salt and pepper to taste
1 table spoon grated parmesan cheese (optional)

Method:

Boil and drain the pasta as per the instructions on the pasta box. Whole grain pasta takes roughly around 7-8 mins to cook till it is al dente. If you want it to be more cooked you can boil the pasta for another minute or so. Please season the water with enough salt before adding pasta to the boiling water as it helps in seasoning the pasta itself. Add corn and peas to the boiling water as well and drain along with the pasta.

Take the boiled pasta along with corn and peas in a bowl and add marinara sauce, curry powder, salt and pepper (to taste) to the bowl and mix all the ingredients well. Adjust the seasoning as required. Add basil leaves to the pasta, sprinkle grated parmesan cheese to the pasta if required and serve hot.

Yogurt Curry with Onions and Tomatoes

2008-09-23T21:52:00.000-04:00

Yogurt curry with Onions and Tomatoes is qucik and easy dish which gets ready in less than 10 mins and is a so delicious to taste with the sweetness of the tomatoes and the tangy taste of the yogurt. My mom in law shared her secret with me and I am sharing this recipe with all of you. I hope you guys enjoy it as much as I did making and serving this recipe.

Ingredients:

1 medium onion thinly sliced
1 large or 2 medium tomatoes thinly sliced
3-4 green chilies thinly sliced
1 cup yogurt ( whisked)
1 tsp turmeric powder
1 tsp chilly powder
Salt to taste
1 table spoon olive oil
1 table spoon chopped coriander leaves

Method:

Heat oil in a pan and add the sliced green chilies to the pan. Now add the sliced onions and tomatoes and sprinkle salt over them as it helps in removing the moisture from them. Saute for 2-3 minutes. Now add turmeric and red chilly powder to the pan and mix all the ingredients well. Adjust the seasoning by adding more salt as desired. Now remove the pan from the heat and add the whisked yogurt to the pan and mix the onions and tomatoes well. Add coriander leaves to the yogurt curry and serve hot with hot roti or steamed rice.

Tip:

Remember to keep the yogurt out from the refrigerator atleast 30 mins before making the recipe.

You can also prepare the onion and tomato mixture and keep ready. Just before serving, reheat the onion and tomato mixture and add yogurt to the mixture and serve.

Italian Panini with Indian Twist

2008-09-21T21:52:00.001-04:00

Panini in italian means sandwich which is normally made from Cibatta bread which is cut horizontally , filled with the filling of ones choice and is sometimes served hot.

Panini can be made using typically any kind of bread and is a great last minute option for suppers and can be eaten in thye form of snack as well.

This sandwich or panini is made with the Italian flavors but is finished with the Indian touch.

Ingredients:

1 Cibatta bread
2-3 basil leaves
Mozarella Cheese 2 slices
1 tomato sliced
1 medium sozed onion sliced horizontally
2 table spoon green chutney
2 table spoon tomato ketchup
1 table spoon butter ( for grilling the panini)
Salt and Pepper to taste

Method:

Slit open the cibatta bread. Place sliced tomato, onion and mozarella cheese on one side of the bread. Apply green chutney and tomato ketchup on the other side of the bread. Place the basil leaves over the sliced mozarella cheese and sprinkle salt and pepper over the cheese. Place the other slice of the bread over the one holding the tomato, onions and mozarella cheese. Butter the cibatta bread from outside on both the sides of the bread. Heat the griller and place the panini on the griller and grill the panini till you have the grilled marks on both the sides of the sandwich.

Alternatively,if you dont have the griller, heat the tava or a gridle and place the buttered sandwich on the tava and place a heavy bottom pan over the panini, so that the weight of the pan presses the panini to the hot tava and we have a toasted panini sandwich with the Indian Twist ready to be served hot with some more green chutney and tomato ketchup. The Italian flavors of tomato, mozarella and basil blends pretty well with green chutney and tomato ketchup which adds the Indian twist to the sandwich.

Whole wheat Rotini Pasta with Pesto and Mozzarella Cheese

2008-09-19T13:30:00.001-04:00

Pasta is one of my favorite comfort foods and to add to it, if it is made from whole wheat or whole grain; I really don’t feel guilty eating a big bowl of pasta. Whole wheat pasta has all the nutrition and health benefits and it’s no longer considered an ingredient which is eaten by people who are on a diet. Rotini pasta has the twisted shape to it and it blends really well with the various pasta sauces.

Pesto has the goodness of basil leaves and is blended with pine nuts, garlic and olive oil to a smooth paste, which is then mixed with the pasta to make a delicious pasta salad or it could be eaten as a stand alone as well.

Ingredients:

2 cups whole wheat rotini pasta
2 table spoons pesto sauce
2 table spoons marinara sauce
½ cup corn kernels (frozen/ fresh)
½ cup pasta water
2 table spoons mozzarella cheese (cut into dices)
Salt and pepper to taste
1 table spoon chopped coriander leaves

Method:

• Fill a large pot with water and bring it to a boil. Add the rotini pasta to the pot, season with salt. Boil the pasta till its al dente and it roughly takes about 8-10 mins for the pasta to cook. Retain ½ cup of the pasta water. Drain the pasta and transfer to a mixing bowl.
• Add the marinara and pesto sauce to the pan; add corn to the bowl as well. Add salt and pepper to taste along with the mozzarella cheese. Mix all the ingredients well. Now add pasta water to the bowl little by little mixing all the ingredients well so that we have a thick sauce which is well coated throughout the pasta.
• Add chopped coriander leaves to the pasta bowl for garnish and serve warm or you could also chill the pasta in the fridge and serve chilled.

I am sending this recipe to Easy Crafts from Simple Indian Food WYF series is "Salad/Starters/Soups".

Homemade Peanut Chikki

2008-09-17T12:00:00.001-04:00

Remember the trips to Lonavala to enjoy the beautiful nature and eat the all so famous chikki from the various stores all across Lonavala. I am sure you have water in your mouth while reading this blog and relishing the taste of the sweet chikki. Worries no more as I share this delightful recipe of homemade peanut chikki with you and you can enjoy the trips to Lonavala sitting right at your home.

Ingredients:

3 cups sugar
2 cups crushed/ whole unsalted peanuts
A pinch of salt
Oil to grease the baking sheet

Method:
• In a pan take the sugar and heat it on a medium flame till all the sugar caramelizes.
• Once the sugar turns brown and had caramelized add the peanuts to the pan. Add a pinch of salt and mix the sugar, salt and the peanuts well till the peanuts are coated with the caramelized sugar.
• Now quickly transfer the sugar and the peanut mixture on to the greased baking sheet and spread it with the help of a spatula.
• Let it rest for 10 mins. Take care not to touch the peanut sugar mix while it is hot as it may burn your fingers.
• Adding salt to the peanut sugar mixture enhances the sweetness in the chikki.
• Once the chikki is cooled break the chikki into smaller bite size pieces and store in an air tight container.
• Voila!!!!!! enjoy 

Tip:
The same process can be used to make badam or kaju or mixed dry fruit chikki as well.

Pizza Margarita

2008-09-16T14:48:00.002-04:00

Pizza Margarita is a very famous Italian recipe which has very simple ingredients which includes mozzarella cheese, basil leaves and tomato sauce. We have a very famous café in Maryland called Cosi and that is where I ate this pizza for the first time and loved it so much that I had to give it a try. I did add red capsicum to the pizza as it adds bite to the dish.

Try this recipe and I am sure you will love every bite of this simple Italian pizza.

Ingredients: Serves 4

Ready to bake Pillsbury thin crust pizza dough – 1 can
1 cup tomato sauce
10 -12 basil leaves
1 cup sliced mozzarella cheese
Salt and Pepper to taste
Oil for greasing the baking sheet
½ cup sliced red capsicum

Method:

• Preheat the oven to 400 degree F for 10 mins. Grease the baking sheet with olive oil
• Take the thin crust pizza dough and spread it on to the baking sheet.
• Add the tomato sauce all over the pizza dough and spread it evenly.
• Now add the red capsicum, basil leaves and sliced mozzarella cheese. Keep aside some basil leaves for garnish
• Sprinkle salt and pepper to the pizza and bake it in the oven for 10 mins or till the cheese melts and the crust is golden brown.
• Garnish with basil leaves and serve hot.