My Cookbook

Braised Pork in Creamy Buttery Sauce

2020-10-17T18:34:00.000-07:00

Ingredients

Two pork breasts
1 stick of celery (julienne)
1 tbsp butter
Salt to taste
1 cup heavy whipping cream

For marinade
1 tsp soya sauce
1 tsp sriracha hot chili sauce
1 tsp cayenne powder
1 tsp black pepper
1 tsp onion powder
1 tsp ginger powder

Method

1) Marinate the pork breasts with the marinade ingredients and keep aside for 20-30 minutes.
2) Heat 1/2 tbsp butter in a wok and and when butter melts, add the marinated pork breasts and lightly fry on both sides for 3 minutes on medium heat.
3) Add julienned celery into the wok and shallow fry.
4) Add heavy whipping cream with 1/2 cup of water and cook the pork covered on low heat for 20-25 minutes till the pork is tender.
5) Add the remaining 1/2 tbsp of butter and salt.
6) Serve hot with steamed rice.

Note: if the sauce begins to dry while cooking the pork, keep adding water in small quantity.

Cajun Spiced Pork Pasta

2020-05-13T22:27:00.002-07:00

Ingredients

200 gm Angel Hair pasta (enough for two people)

2 pork chops (cut into small pieces)

3 sticks of spring onions (chopped)

1 zucchini (chopped)

1 tomato (chopped)

1/4 cup of sweet chili sauce

1 tsp soya sauce

3 cloves of Garlic (minced)

1 tsp Cajun powder

1 tsp black pepper

Salt to taste

1/3 cup Parmesan cheese

1/4 cup of heavy whipping cream

White oil

Method

1) Toss pork pieces in Cajun powder and soya sauce.

2) Heat oil in a wok and add the pork pieces and fry them till they turn golden brown in color.

3) Add garlic, spring onions and zucchini. Fry the vegetables on medium heat.

4) Add tomatoes and mix in. Cook for 2 minutes stirring.

5) Add sweet chili sauce and black pepper and cook for 20-25 minutes, stirring occasionally. If it becomes dry, add 1/2 cup of water and cook.

6) When the pork is tender and cooked through, add Parmesan and whipping cream. Add salt and cook for 2 minutes.

7) Add pasta and mix in.

8) Serve hot.

Pork Stew

2020-04-30T20:25:00.002-07:00

Ingredients

Pork (500 gm) (chopped into bite size pieces)

1 stick celery (chopped)

2 Carrots (chopped)

1 can of lima beans (241 gm)

1/2 cup red wine (any brand will do)

Black pepper (taste wise)

1 tsp coriander powder

1 tbsp garlic (minced)

1 tsp of Smolderin’ fire-roasted chipotle mustard

1 tbsp of hoisin sauce

1 tbsp of balsamic vinegar

1 tsp of cornstarch mixed in 1 tbsp of water to thicken the stew

Salt to taste

1 tbsp butter or white oil

Method

1) Heat butter or oil in a wok. When oil is hot, add garlic and shallow fry. Add pork pieces and shallow fry them till pork begins to turn golden in color.

2) Add celery, balsamic vinegar, coriander powder, black pepper and hoisin sauce one after another and cook stirring for 2 minutes.

3) Add red wine and cook stirring for 1-2 minutes.

4) Add carrots, lima beans and chipotle mustard. Stir the mixture. Add 3 cups of water.

5) Cook partially covered for 40 minutes, checking occasionally.

6) Add corn starch and salt. Cook for 5-7 minutes more till the stew thickens up. Any time if you feel that the water has reduced too much in quantity, add more water.

7) The stew will not be exactly like soup. The stew will have a thick consistency.

8) Serve hot over mashed potatoes with butter-toasted bread on the side.

Sweet and Hot Pork

2020-04-28T23:15:00.000-07:00

Ingredients

500 gm pork (chopped into bite size pieces)

2 spring onions (chopped)

2 cloves of garlic

3 tbsp brown sugar

2 tbsp Soya sauce

2 tbsp rice vinegar

1/2 tbsp chili garlic sauce

1 tsp coriander powder

1 tsp black pepper

White oil

Method

1) In a wok, heat 4 cups of water and add spring onions and garlic cloves into it. Bring it to a boil and add the pork. Cook the pork for 5-7 minutes. Turn the heat off. Drain the water and pick the pork pieces separately on to a plate.

2) Heat oil in a wok and when oil turns hot, add pork into it and shallow fry until the pork begins to turn golden in color.

3) Add brown sugar and coriander power and stir for a few seconds. Add soya sauce, chili garlic sauce, rice vinegar, and black pepper. Stir for 2 minutes. Then add 2 cups of water.

4) Cook covered for 45 minutes on low heat. Stir in between to make sure that the pork is not sticking to bottom of the pan. If water dries out, keep adding water in small quantity until the pork is cooked through.

5) Serve hot with steamed rice.

PS: I didn’t add salt into it as soya sauce is salty. If you want to add salt, then do it carefully to make sure that the dish doesn’t turn too salty.

Spicy Creamy Parmesan Shrimp

2020-04-12T00:01:00.002-07:00

Ingredients

21-22 medium size shrimps

1 tbsp butter

2 tbsp chilli garlic sauce

1 tbsp hoisin garlic sauce

1/2 tbsp minced garlic

1/3 cup whipping cream

1 tbsp roasted garlic parmesan sauce

1 tsp coriander powder

1 tsp cayenne pepper

1/2 tsp fish seafood seasoning

For marinade

2 tsp soya sauce

Salt

1/2 tbsp white oil

Method

1) Toss the shrimps in the ingredients for marinade and then shallow fry them on medium high till they turn golden in color. Take them out on to a plate and keep aside.

2) Heat butter in a nonstick skillet. When butter melts, add minced garlic and stir fry for a minute and add chilli garlic sauce, hoisin sauce, coriander powder and cayenne powder. Mix in and cook stirring continuously for 2 minutes.

3) Add the shrimps into the mixture.

4) Add roasted garlic Parmesan sauce and whipping cream. Cook stirring continuously for 2 minutes. Add fish seafood seasoning and give a good mix.

5) Turn the heat off and serve hot with fried rice or steamed rice or pasta.

Cajun Spiced Spicy Sweet Chicken Wings

2020-04-10T19:31:00.001-07:00

Ingredients

12 - 13 chicken wings
Salt to taste
1 tsp black pepper
1/2 tbsp white oil

For the sauce

1 tbsp butter
1 tbsp brown sugar
2 tsp Mexican hot sauce
1 tsp Sriracha
2 tsp Soya sauce
1 tsp Cajun spice
2 tsp minced garlic

A pinch of sesame seeds for garnishing

Method

1) Preheat the oven to 430 F.
2) Mix in chicken wings with salt and black pepper.
3) When oven is heated, bake the chicken wings for up to an hour till chicken wings are crispy with nice golden brown in color.
4) Heat butter in a nonstick skillet. When butter is melted, add garlic followed by brown sugar and when it turns into a thick consistency, add Soya sauce, Mexican hot sauce, sriracha, and Cajun spice. Mix together and when it turns into a nice thick consistency, turn the heat off.
5) Add the chicken wings into the sauce and coat the wings with the sauce evenly before serving.
6) Garnish with sesame seeds. Serve immediately.

Mini Tortilla Pizza

2020-04-09T23:32:00.001-07:00

Ingredients

2 tortillas

Leftover spicy steak fry (chop the steak into small pieces)

Onion and chive flavored cream cheese

1 half of a small onion (finely chopped)

1 tbsp dill pickle (finely chopped)

Pepperoni

1 tsp black pepper

Salt to taste

Shredded Cheddar cheese

Shredded Mozzarella cheese

2 tsp hot Mexican hot sauce (I used Valentina salsa picante)

Method

1) Preheat oven to 370 F.

2) Spread cream cheese across the tortilla on one side. Spread the steak pieces across the tortilla.

3) In a bowl, mix in onion, dill pickle, salt and black pepper. Now spread the onion mixture across the tortilla.

4) Put a few pepperonis on the top of tortilla and add both types of cheese.

5) Drizzle the Mexican hot sauce before putting the tortilla for baking in oven.

6) Cook the tortilla pizza in oven for 10-12 minutes till cheese is melted and turn into a nice golden color.

7) Serve hot.

Cheese French Toast

2020-04-06T23:26:00.003-07:00

Ingredients

6 bread slices (cut lengthwise)

3 cheese slices (cut lengthwise)

2 eggs

¼ cup milk

2 tablespoons sugar

2 tablespoons Maple syrup (for serving)

white oil or butter for cooking

Method

1) Heat oil in a non-stick skillet.

2) Whisk the eggs well in the bowl. Add milk and sugar and mix in.

3) Put a cheese slice in between two bread slices.

4) Dip the bread into the egg mixture and add that into the skillet.

5) Fry on both sides for 1-2 minutes each.

6) Serve hot drizzled with Maple syrup on top.

Spicy Steak Fry

2020-04-05T22:15:00.000-07:00

Ingredients
Chopped lean stew beef 500 gm (1.12 Lb)
1/2 Red Bell Pepper (thinly sliced)
1 Yellow Bell Pepper (thinly sliced)
1 small onion (julienne)
1 tbsp chopped garlic
1 tsp black pepper
1 tbsp hot spicy taco powder
1 tbsp Soya sauce
Salt to taste
White oil for cooking

Method
1) Heat oil in a non-stick skillet. When oi turns hot, add garlic, bell pepper and onion. Fry for 2-3 minutes on medium high till onion and bell pepper begin to change color.
2) Add beef and stir in with the mixture. Add Soya sauce, black pepper and taco powder. Stir in and fry the beef mixture on medium high for 7-10 minutes until beef is cooked through. Mix in salt.
3) Serve hot with tortilla bread. You may use mayonnaise or sour cream while using the beef as filling.

Spicy Tilapia Fry with Egg Fried Rice

2020-04-04T23:48:00.000-07:00

Ingredients

4 Tilapia fillets

Tartar sauce (for serving)

1 tbsp white oil

For marinade

1 tbsp sriracha sauce

1 tbsp soya sauce

2 tsp chicken tandoori powder

1 tsp black pepper

1 tsp garlic powder

1/2 tsp ginger powder

2 tbsp white oil

For Fried Rice

1 cup of rice (cooked)

1 egg

1 tsp soya sauce

1 tbsp butter

Salt to taste

A pinch of black pepper (optional)

Method

1) Mix all the ingredients for marinade in a bowl. Then use the mixture to marinade the fish fillets. Keep the marinaded fish in the refrigerator for up to two hours.

2) Preheat oven to 370 F.

3) Heat oil in a nonstick pan and fry the marinaded fillets on both sides on medium high for 3-4 minutes.

4) When the oven is ready, put the fish in an oven proof dish and cook for 3-4 minutes on both sides each.

5) While the fish is getting ready, heat butter in a nonstick pan and add egg. Scramble the egg and add soya sauce. Add a pinch of black pepper, cooked rice and salt. Fry the rice on medium high for 2-3 minutes, stirring once or twice.

6) Now serve the fried fish on a bed of fried rice with a spoonful of tartar sauce.

Spicy Sausage Soup

2020-04-04T23:36:00.000-07:00

Ingredients

Sausage as much as you like (chopped into bite size pieces) (I used 10 breakfast sausages a d 4 maple sausages)

1 can of field peas and snaps

2 tomatoes (pureed)

1 stick of celery (Ground into paste)

1 tsp cumin powder

1 tsp coriander powder

1 tsp black pepper

Salt to taste

1 tbsp chopped garlic

1 tbsp whipping cream (optional)

1 tbsp butter

Method

1) Heat butter in a wok. Add garlic, sausage and fry on medium high till sausages turn golden in color.

2) Add tomato puree, celery paste, cumin powder, coriander powder, black pepper, field peas and snaps and cook for 10-12 minutes covered on medium high, stirring occasionally.

3) Add 1 cup of water and salt and cook for 5-6 more minutes.

4) Add whipping cream and turn the heat off.

5) Serve hot with bread.

Spicy Balsamic Pork

2020-04-01T21:40:00.000-07:00

Ingredients

2 tbsp balsamic vinegar

2 pound pork (I used pork ribs and chopped them into bite size pieces)

4 big red onions (julienne)

6-7 garlic cloves (chopped)

1 tsp cumin powder

1 tsp coriander powder

1 tsp dry red chili powder

1 tsp garam masala

1 tsp aamchur powder

1 tsp black pepper

Salt to taste

White oil for cooking

For saute

4-5 cloves

2 green cardamom

1 inch cinnamon stick

Method

1)Marinate the pork in balsamic vinegar for an hour.

2) Heat oil in a wok. When oil heats up, add the ingredient for saute and wait till they begin to sputter.

3) Add julienne onions and garlic cloves and fry the onions for at least 10 -15 minutes on medium heat until they are golden brown.

4) Add cumin powder, coriander powder, black pepper and dry red chili powder and saute the spices for 5-10 minutes on low heat until you see oil floating on the surface.

5) Add pork and mix in with the spice onion mixture. Add salt. Cook covered on medium heat for 20-25 minutes until pork is tender. In between if the mixture begins to dry, add half cup of water.

6) When the pork is cooked through, add garam masala and aamchur powder and stir in.

7) Cook for 2 more minutes before turning the heat off.

8) Serve hot with chapati or tortilla or rice.

Orecchiette pasta with Cajun Spiced Shrimp and Sausage

2020-03-28T20:28:00.003-07:00

Ingredients

2 cups Orecchiette pasta
1 red Bell pepper (chopped)
3 Bob Evans sausage (cooked and chopped into bite size pieces)
150 gm shrimps
1 tablespoon minced garlic
2 tbsp Parmesan cheese
1 tsp Cajun spice
1 tsp soya sauce
1 tbsp red chili sauce
1 tbsp shrimp sauce
2 tsp Worcestershire sauce
1 tsp black pepper
Salt to taste
Butter or white oil for cooking

Method

1) Cook pasta in microwave or stove top for 20 minutes or till the pasta is soft enough for cooking.
2) In a bowl, add Soya sauce into the shrimps and mix in. Dredge shrimps with Cajun spice.
3) Heat butter or white oil in a nonstick skillet
4) When oil is hot, add minced garlic into the oil and stir a bit. Once garlic begins to change color, add the marinated shrimps into the oil. Shallow fry the shrimps.
5) Add bell paper followed by Worcestershire sauce, red chili sauce and shrimp sauce. Add black pepper and saute the mixture for 3-4 minutes on medium high.
6) Add the cooked paste and salt. Fold in all the ingredients and cook for 2 minutes.
7) Add Parmesan cheese and fold in. Turn the heat off.
8) Serve hot.

Rice Patties with Leftover Rice

2020-03-27T23:41:00.000-07:00

I had some leftover rice from last night that I didn't want to waste. So I made some nice rice patties with the leftover rice and served it over dinner to my son.

Ingredients
2 tablespoon Lima beans
1 1/2 cup of rice (cooked)
2 eggs
1 celery stalk (rib) (chopped)
1 tablespoon rice flour
1 tsp Cajun spice
1 teaspoon black pepper
Salt to taste
White Oil for cooking

Method
1)      Apart from oil, mix in all the ingredients together in a bowl.
2)      Heat oil in a non-stick skillet. once the oil is hot, add 1 tablespoon of mixture into the skillet and on medium heat shallow fry the patties.
3)      Turn the patties over and fry on the other side too.
4)      Serve hot.

Sukha Mutton

2017-01-05T12:24:00.006-08:00

Happy New Year to all. Hope the new year brings prosperity and happiness in the lives of everyone.

I have not updated my blog for the last few months because I was really busy with my studies. Since I am enjoying my winter break until my college reopens on 9th January, I thought to share a recipe of a mutton curry I prepared recently with you. I got the recipe from a Facebook video and I changed the recipe slightly to suit my taste bud. Hope you all will like it. Thanks for visiting my blog.

Indian Style Chicken Nachos

2016-08-12T09:52:00.002-07:00

Nachos are a Northern Mexican dish consisting of tortilla chips covered with meat and cheese based sauce. Though nachos are mainly served as a snack, it can be served as a fulfilling main dish if the ingredients added on the top of tortillas are more in quantity. Since I love nachos very much, I decided to try it out at home using Indian spices. Hope you all will like my version of nachos.

Please don't forget to check out other cool recipes like this:

Pizza Bombs

Chicken Mole Poblano

Stir Fried Prawns in Chilli Garlic Soy Sauce

Croutons

Falafel Fritters

Falafel Wrap

Pizza Bombs

2016-07-31T10:16:00.003-07:00

I got the concept of this recipe from Tasty videos, but I tweaked the recipe a bit according to my convenience of ingredients available at home at the time. I have prepared these mini beauties couple of times now, and what pleases me most is seeing my otherwise choosy and fussy 2 year toddler polishing these mini bombs off, 3 or 4 at a time, happily without complaint. Nothing makes me more happy other than seeing my son delightfully devouring food cooked by me. I am one happy mom !

Rava Paniyaram

2016-07-28T20:29:00.000-07:00

Paniyaram is a popular breakfast item in Tamilnadu. I happened to eat it for the first time at a friend's place. I liked it so much that I asked for the recipe of paniyaram from my friend who shared it readily and I bought a paniyaram pan the very next day to cook paniyarams at home. Paniyaram pan, which shares a resemblance with muffin pan, is easily available at Indian grocery stores. Paniyaram goes well any idli or dosa chutney, but I tried it with tomato garlic chutney. The combination of the two was full of flavorful goodness.

Bhapa Elish - Bhapa Hilsa

2016-07-25T23:04:00.002-07:00

I am yet to meet a Bengali who does not drool over Elish. Two of the favorite foods of traditional Bengalis are mango and Elish. Of the variety of ways my mother cooks Elish, Bhapa Elish is my most favorite. The pungent taste of mustard seeds enhances the sublime flavor of Elish manifold. Earlier I posted a microwave version of Bhapa Elish, but today I am posting the recipe of Bhapa Elish cooked in steamer. I used a normal Indian steamer available in grocery stores. I put the fishes in a tiffin box, snap the lid into it and then put it inside the perforated floor of the steamer. It took about 25 minutes to get the fishes cooked.

Achari Bhindi

2016-07-23T18:20:00.002-07:00

I love potlucks. Potlucks are occasions when people bond over food. Usually when me and my friends do a potluck, the theme remains heterogeneous so that we can enjoy variety in our meal, but last week we decided to keep a homogeneous theme by cooking something using the same main ingredient. Since most of my friends are vegetarians, we decided that we would cook varieties of dishes with the majority's favorite vegetable, bhindi or okra. I prepared Achari Bhindi, which was liked by all my friends who kept asking for the recipe. So here goes the recipe and if you cook it at home and like it, please don't forget to comment. Thank you for visiting my page !

Please don't forget to check out the recipe of another amazing bhindi preparation, Spicy Bhindi.

Paneer Lababdar

2016-07-17T09:01:00.003-07:00

'Lababdar' is a Hindi word meaning strong craving for a food. The recipe I am going to post today is of Paneer Lababdar, which is one of the popular restaurant style paneer preparations in northern India. Indeed, the exquisite taste of a lababdar preparation rich with creamy buttery gravy makes one experience seventh heaven at every morsel. Please leave a comment below if you try it out at home.

Please don't forget to check out the recipes of other delicacies in this blog:

Chicken Lababdar
Paneer Fried Rice
Paneer Malai Kofta
Paneer Bhapa - Steamed Paneer
Paneer La Jabab
Palak Paneer

Soya Chana Kofta Curry

2016-06-29T14:31:00.001-07:00

This is one of my favorite soya chunk preparations of all time. Both soya and chana are full of nutrition and when these ingredients combine into a curry, it becomes a powerhouse of nourishment and wholesome goodness. Please don't assume that chana is a lentil product. I know chickpeas are popularly called 'chana', but this 'Chana' in Bengali refers to the fat extracted out of curdled milk. All you need to do to produce chana is to curdle the milk and separate the whey water. With the help of a muslin cloth or strainer, then the milk fat or the chana needs to be completely drained of water. You may let the chana dry for one or two hours in open air before proceeding with making the koftas. The moisture or the water content in chana will then completely evaporate, making it easy to work with.

If you like this recipe, please check out other soya chunk recipes in my blog:

Baingan with Soya Nuggets

Soya Malwani

Eggless Semolina Mango Cake

2016-06-28T23:12:00.002-07:00

The season of mango is in. Now is the time to try a variety of dishes cooked with mango, either with raw mangoes or ripe ones. Back home in India during mango season, my father used to bring home cartons of mangoes. My mother used to keep the mangoes in rice jars so that the mangoes ripen and once ripe, we used to make a hole in the middle of the fruit and suck the juice out of the mangoes directly. The juicy succulent taste of the ripe mango pulp would take one to seventh heaven. Lest we got tired of eating ripe mangoes, my mother in a bid to add variety to our consumption of mangoes used to cook Mango Kheer with ripe mangoes. With the raw ones, she would Hilsa Mango, Aam Diye Dal, Rohu Mango Curry and Aamer Aachar. The beauty of mangoes is that it enhances the taste of a dish manifold, be it dessert or curry.

The recipe that will be posted today is of Eggless Semolina Mango Cake. I prepared this cake last Sunday when I invited a group of friends over dinner. Since they are vegetarian, I prepared this eggless cake that they savored delightfully. I was especially carried away when the my friend's daughter, who just turned one a few months back, happily polished this cake off asking for more. Now what else can express a compliment so purely other than a child's desire to have more of your food.

Strawberry Cupcakes topped with Homemade Strawberry Frosting

2016-06-25T11:11:00.001-07:00

Finally I have completed half the quantity of strawberries that I brought home from my last visit to the local strawberry farm. The number of items that I prepared with strawberries over the past few days are Strawberry and Cream, Homemade Strawberry Ice Cream, and Strawberry Cupcakes topped with Homemade Strawberry Frosting. The beauty of strawberry desserts is that you will never get bored of eating strawberries for the variety of preparations that you can do with strawberries is never ending. The favorite thing of mine concerning these cupcakes is that these gems are super moist. Glazed in homemade frosting, these cupcakes have a melt-in-mouth texture that makes eating them a pure heavenly experience. I bet you cannot stop at eating only one. That is guaranteed. I for one polished off 4-5 cupcakes at one go. Now that's an appetite !!

If you love the recipe of Homemade Strawberry Ice Cream, please don't forget to check out other cool recipes of strawberries on my page,

Strawberry and Cream

Strawberry Sponge Cake

Homemade Strawberry Ice Cream

Homemade Strawberry Ice Cream

2016-06-24T11:57:00.000-07:00

In the summer months when the mercury rises, nothing beats the heat and humidity as much as ice cream does. During my childhood days, while coming back from school, I would have at least one stick of ice cream on my way. Growing up, as I became more figure conscious, I started giving ice creams a deliberate miss to keep the intake of extra calories at bay. However, the love of ice cream is not lost yet, as I run out to buy ice creams drawn by the catchy jingle played in the cart of the ice cream vendor who visits our complex almost every afternoon to sell ice creams. My son, who just turned two, has developed a fondness, just like his mother, for ice cream, and whenever we take him out in the scorching afternoon of the ongoing summer, he gulps one whole ice cream down leaving me agape with surprise given the amount of troubles he otherwise gives me while feeding him.

Due to our last weekend visit to the strawberry farm, we have a few pounds of strawberries in the refrigerator. Though I am up to preparing all the delicacies imaginable with the strawberries, one item that is a special favorite of mine is the homemade strawberry ice cream. I love homemade ice creams, because they are fresh and free from any unknown chemical or preservatives added to the store bought ice creams. Another advantage of preparing ice cream at home is one can control the amount of sugar added to the ice creams and thus make it of reduced calories. I for one added sugar substitute Truvia in my ice cream.

If you love the recipe of Homemade Strawberry Ice Cream, please don't forget to check out other cool recipes of strawberries on my page,

Strawberry and Cream

Strawberry Sponge Cake

Strawberry Cheesecake