Bombay Bistro

Paneer-Cheese Toast

noreply@blogger.com (KK) — Sat, 27 Jun 2009 23:05:00 +0000

Ingredients-

Makes upto 4 sandwiches

Grated Paneer – 1cup
Grated cheese (mozzarella or Cheddar or anyother prefered cheese ) – 1cup
Green Capsicum finely chopped – 1/2 cup
Tomatoes deseeded and finely chopped – 1/2cup
Onions Finely chopped – ½ cup
Coriander/Cilantro Finely chopped – 2tbs
Green Chilies Finely chopped – 1tsp or according to taste
Crushed red pepper – ¼ tsp (optional)
Freshly ground pepper – 1/2 tsp
Milk or cream to mix the mixture together - 1tbsp or as required
Bread slices – 4 to 6
Salt to taste

Note-
This can be made like an open sandwich by applying the mixture on one bread slice and roasting it on low flame till the cheese melts.

Method-
Mix everything together except the bread. Roast the bread a little on the pan on both the sides. Now take a bread slice, apply the mixture on the top and cover it with another slice. Apply some butter or cooking spray on the pan and roast the sandwich on both the sides till the cheese melts. Serve hot with ketchup and lettuce :)

Spinach-Onion Paratha-

noreply@blogger.com (KK) — Sat, 27 Jun 2009 21:42:00 +0000

Ingredients-

Prepares 4-5 parathas

Spinach finely chopped (Frozen n thawed or fresh)– 2 cups
Chopped onion- 1 cup
Wheat flour – 2 cups
Garam Masala/curry powder – 1tbsp
Finely chopped Garlic- 2 tbsp (optional)
Finely chopped Green Chilies – 1tbs or according to taste
Cumin seeds – 1 tsp
Asafetida- ¼ tsp
Red chili powder – ½ tsp
Salt to taste
Oil for shallow frying parathas.

Note- In the recipe I have chopped onions coarsely to give the parathas a good crunch and taste of roasted onions. This makes parathas tough to roll and need a bit practice. Onions can be finally chopped depending upon the preference.

Method-
Combine everything except oil and prepare dough (one teaspoon of oil can be mixed in the dough to make it non-sticky). As spinach n onion oozes out water make sure to use very little water to make the dough. Divide the dough into small balls n roll parathas. Roast it well on both the sides by applying little oil. Serve it with lemon-Onion salad, curd n pickle.

Couscous Salad

noreply@blogger.com (KK) — Fri, 01 Aug 2008 00:40:00 +0000

Hellooooooooooooooooo Everyone!!!!! Thanks so much for all your comments. Sorry for being out of picture for a long time. I had been real busy with office and some other extra curricular activities :) Finally took some time off and updating my food blog.

Before starting with new recipe I want to thank Roopa of rvkitchentreats for giving me Rocking Girl blogger award!! Thank you so much Roopa, I am honored and you are sweetest (No doubt u keep on getting awards) :)

Few months back I tried couscous in a Greek restaurant and just loved it. I used to feel really tempted to eat Greek food all the time so I decided to try it on my own. I started with Hummus and Couscous and now it has become my staple lunch from a long time. I love it for its versatility. You can eat it cold or hot with loads of veges and flavor. It's really quick and easy to cook this dish and it goes really well with hummus and Pita bread or Naan. If you are new to couscous then do some 'MSN-Live' (of yes it's a hot search engine from Microsoft..some tough competition for google ;)) for greek food/couscous and you will get a good variety of recipes and look out in my blog for more Greek recipes :) I am giving two of my favorite Couscous recipes here (first one I saw on food network and did some changes), hope you all will enjoy it :)

Couscous Salad with Sweet Cranberries

Serves 3-4 people

Ingredients-

2 cups instant couscous
3/4 cup sweetened dried cranberries
1-teaspoon curry powder
1/2-teaspoon sugar
1/4 cup orange juice
2 to 3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1-cup finely cut iceberg/romaine lettuce
2 tablespoons chopped fresh green coriander leaves
2-3 tablespoon lemon juice
3/4 cup roasted and chopped walnuts/cashews
½ cup mozzarella/cheddar cheese (optional)
Freshly ground pepper
Salt to taste

Method-

Stir the couscous, cranberries, curry powder, salt, and sugar together in a heatproof bowl. Bring water (amount will be listed on package directions) to a boil and pour it over the couscous. Add the orange juice. Give it a big stir, cover the bowl tightly and let it stand, giving it a big stir once or twice, until the water is absorbed and the couscous is tender, about 5-10 minutes.

Fluff up the couscous with a fork. Add the olive oil, lettuce, coriander, lemon juice and pepper. Stir around until everything is distributed evenly throughout the couscous. Keep it in fridge up to 1-2 hours. Check the seasonings just before you serve the salad. Add dry fruits for the crunch before serving. Serve with warm Pita break and Hummus.

Cold Couscous Salad with veges

Serves 3-4 people

Ingredients-

2 cups instant couscous
2 to 3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1/2 cup finely cut deseeded tomatoes
1/4 cup finely cut cucumber
¼ cup carrots
2-3 tablespoons chopped fresh green coriander leaves
2-3 tablespoon lemon juice
1-2 deseeded green chilies (optional)
½ cup mozzarella/cheddar cheese (optional)
Freshly ground pepper
Salt to taste

Method-

Cook couscous according to the packaged instruction. I take equal portion of couscous and water. Boil the water, add 1 tsp olive oil and some salt. Then add finely chopped carrots and couscous, stir it, cover it and keep it on gas for ½ min. Now switch off the gas. After 2-3 min, fluff-up the couscous with a fork and allow couscous to stand for almost 15-20 min. Now add tomatoes, cucumber, cheese and green coriander in couscous. In a bowl take olive oil, lemon juice, green chilies and salt. Mix well and pour it over the couscous. Stir around until everything is distributed evenly throughout the couscous. Keep it in fridge up to 1-2 hours. Check the seasonings just before you serve the salad. Serve cold with warm pita bread/naan and hummus :)

Tagged For MeMe

noreply@blogger.com (KK) — Tue, 06 May 2008 00:55:00 +0000

Roopa of My kitchen treats tagged me for Mimi. So here I go :)

1) LAST MOVIE U SAW IN A THEATER?
American Gangster, awesome movie

2) WHAT BOOK ARE U READING??
Primal Desires

3) FAVORITE BOARD GAME?
Chess

4) FAVORITE MAGAZINE?
Glamor, Instyle and Health

5) FAVOURITE SMELLS?
Ginger Tea, Coffee, Floral and lemony smells, smell of chocolate. Smell of my mother and husband when I hug them :)

6) FAVOURITE SOUNDS?
Water Fountain, birds chirping, when my husband talks which makes me feel how intelligent he is :)

7) WORST FEELING IN THE WORLD?
Staying without my family

8) WHAT IS THE FIRST THING YOU THINK OF WHEN U WAKE?
Depends..if something exciting is happening in the office, then how will I start my work, If giving interviews then how will I answer all the questions, if I am too sleepy (which always happens) then praying to the god that my husband shouldn’t get angry (since by that time he must have already tried waking me up for at least 10 times and I am getting late for office), when I have made something good for office lunch then thinking about eating it asap..list it long....

9) FAVOURITE FASTFOOD PLACE?
Only one place CHIPOTLE, I can eat it 7 days a week J

10) FUTURE CHILDS NAME?
Something short, simple and sweet so that people don’t struggle using it and he/she shouldn’t be embarrassed while explaining people about how to pronounce it J

11) FINISH THIS STATEMENT—’IF I HAD A LOT OF MONEY I’D’
Help all my near and dear once, sponsor kids for education, buy a sports car for my husband and loads of clothes and MAC cosmetics for me :)

12) DO U DRIVE FAST?
Yes, I love speed

13) DO U SLEEP WITH A STUFFED ANIMAL?
Yes, sometimes

14) STORMS–COOL OR SCARY?
HOT ;)

15) WHAT WAS YOUR FIRST CAR?
None but would love to have Mercedes, Toyota Solara or Hummer

16) FAVORITE DRINK?
Water and Ginger Tea

17) FINISH THIS STATEMENT-IF I HAD THE TIME I WOULD…
Unfortunately/fortunately I am not that busy but if I have more time I would have learned all the sports in the world, spent more time with my family.

18) DO YOU EAT THE STEMS ON BROCCOLI?
No

19) IF YOU COULD DYE YOUR HAIR ANY OTHER COLOUR, WHAT WOULD BE YOUR CHOICE?
blond

20) NAME ALL THE DIFFERENT CITIES/TOWNS U HAVE LIVED IN?
Mumbai, Georgia, Florida, Texas, Washington

21) FAVORITE SPORTS TO WATCH?
Tennis, Base Ball, Soccer, Golf, Pool, Volley Ball

22) ONE NICE THING ABOUT THE PERSON WHO SENT THIS TO YOU?
Most of the time, first one to comment on my blog’s posts :)

23) WHATS UNDER YOUR BED?
nothing

24) WOULD U LIKE TO BE BORN AS YOURSELF AGAIN??
Depends what other options I have ;)

25) MORNING PERSON OR NIGHT OWL?
Night Owl

26) OVER EASY OR SUNNY SIDE UP?
I am a vegetarian, don’t eat eggs

27) FAVORITE PLACE TO RELAX?
Wherever the family is

28) FAVORITE PIE?
None

29) FAVORITE ICE CREAM FLAVOR?
Belgium Chocolate

30) OF ALL THE PEOPLE U HAVE TAGGED, WHO IS THE MOST LIKELY TO RESPOND FIRST?
Asha of Aroma, as I am tagging only her :)

As Asha has done many Memes in the past and she wanted me to pass it to someone else, I am tagging Sagari of Indian Cooking:)

And yes thats me in Tulip field :)

Aloo Tamatar

noreply@blogger.com (KK) — Sun, 04 May 2008 20:33:00 +0000

Ingredients-

Serves- 2-3 people

Potato – 1 medium chopped in ½ inch cubes
Tomato- 1 medium finally chopped
Garlic – 1 tbsp crushed
Cumin seeds- ½ tsp
Mustard seeds – ½ tsp
Turmaric powder – ¼ tsp
Garam masala powder –1/2 tsp
Red chili powder – ¼ tsp
Curry Leaves – 4-5 (optional)
Salt to taste
Oil for cooking
Green Coriander for garnishing

Method-
In a bowl mix Turmaric, Garam masala, Red chili powder and around 2 tbsp of water. Now in a pan take oil, once its hot put mustard and cumin seeds and Curry Leaves. When seeds start spluttering; put the mixture of spices. Lower the heat and roast it for 20-30 secs. Now add chopped potatoes and salt, mix it well. Cover it and cook for 1min. Now add around 1- 1/2 cups of water. Increase the flame to medium high and cook it for 8-10 min till the potatoes get cooked. Now, add tomatoes, lower the heat and cook for another 5-7 min. Mash the potatoes in the gravy a bit so that gravy becomes thick. Switch off the flame; add 1/4 tsp of garam masala and green coriander. Allow it to cool down for aprox. 5 min and serve with parathas :)

"Yummy Blog" Award

noreply@blogger.com (KK) — Mon, 28 Apr 2008 15:05:00 +0000

"Yummy blog award is the award given to the blog with most yummy recipes/photos"

Hi Friends,

I am not very good in writing so keeping this short and simple. First of all I want to thank Roopa for honoring me with such a beautiful award and second all the people who appreciated my recipes by commenting on my blog. In my blog I have always try to put simple yet yummy recipes and this award means that my effort is well appreciated :)

Now as per the rules I am writing my favorite deserts. I am not a sweet lover, I like deserts which are less sweet. So here goes the list-

- Dark Chocolate with roasted almonds
- Belgium chocolate ice cream
- Dutch chocolate cake
- All Bangali sweets

According to me following blogs deserve this award-

Cynthia of Tastes Like Home
Sugnaya Tasty Palletes
Saumya Creative Saga
Lavi Home Cook Recipes

Congrats gals for winning :)

Rules for the ‘Yummy Blog’ award Receiver:

· The person who receives the award should display the "Yummy Blog !" logo on their blog and also the meaning of the award which is "Yummy blog award is the award given to the blog with most yummy recipes/photos".

· The receiver should also quote their favorite yummy-licious :) dessert(s) that they have ever prepared/eaten. Don’t restrict yourself to any dessert, chocolate bars also welcome.

· Also the receiver should pass on the award to four other bloggers whose blog they find "yummy" and let them know about the rules.

Eggplant Parmesan with Angel Hair Pasta

noreply@blogger.com (KK) — Mon, 21 Apr 2008 19:35:00 +0000

I just love Italian food and Eggplant Parmesan is one of my favorite dishes. Lately I was browsing through some of the food blogs and I came across rbcuisines blog and I found and very easy and delicious recipe of Eggplant Parmesan. I made this recipe with little variation in order to avoid use of oven. I hope you all will enjoy it.

Ingredients-
Serves- 2-3 people

Angel Hair pasta- cooked according to the package instruction
Eggplant-1 medium sliced into 1/4" lengthwise pieces
All purpose flour (Maida)-3 tbsp
Breadcrumbs-for coating
Any type of cheese- ½ cup
Ready made pasta sauce-1-2 cups
Freshly crushed pepper
Salt to taste
Oil for frying

Method-
Apply salt on the eggplant pieces and leave it aside for an hour. The salt will ooze out some water from the vegetable and remove its bitterness. Now in a frying pan put 1tsp oil and lay the eggplant pieces (2-3) and cook on slow heat. Turn it other side once the first side is done (poke the eggplant slightly with spatula/spoon, if its soft its done). Cook all the pieces like this. Now, make a thin paste of the flour and water. Seasoned it with salt and crushed pepper. In another plate spread breadcrumbs. Now take each slice dip it in the flour paste properly and after that lay it on breadcrumbs. Coat both the sides with breadcrumbs properly. Now in the frying pan put around 1tbsp oil and lay the coated eggplant pieces (2-3) and cook it both the sides on very low flame(this is to avoid breadcrumbs from burning and cooking the eggplant pieces from inside).
On a plate first pour around 2tbsp of pasta sauce, spread it making a circle in the middle of the plate. Put a layer of pasta. Pour around 2tbso of pasta sauce on that. Now put the cooked eggplant pieces. Put around 1-2tbsp of pasta sauce on the eggplant pieces. Sprinkle around 1tbp of cheese, crushed pepper and some olive oil(optional) and microwave it for 2 min till the cheese melts. If you do not have microwave then in that case make layers of pasta sauce (dilute pasta sauce a bit with water in order to avoid burning and sticking it to the pan), pasta, eggplant and cheese as described earlier in a pan, cover it and cook it on very low flame so that cheese melts. Enjoy with bowl of salad :)

For breadcrumbs- Break 2-3 breads in small pieces and roast it on medium heat till it becomes crisp and hard. Now add pepper, salt and red chili, herbs (optional) (basically any seasoning you like). Seasoning can be completely avoided if you want. This makes around 2 cups breadcrumb,s sufficient for coating eggplant pieces from 1 medium eggplant.

Eggplant Fry

noreply@blogger.com (KK) — Thu, 13 Mar 2008 23:56:00 +0000

This is my entry for Pooja's Vegetable Of the Week - Brinjal event. I love brinjal/eggplant. Whether it's baingan masala, baingan bharta or baingan pakoda I love all of them. Eggplant Fry is one of my favorite dishes and it goes really well with hot crisp parathas, pickle and chilled curd but I love it with rice yummmyyyy....I hope you all will like it

Ingredients -
Serves - 3-4 people

Eggplant – 1 mediumFinally chopped Tomato- 2 Large
Finally chopped Onion – 2 cups
Chopped Green Chilies - 1 tsp
Grated Ginger - 1 tsp
Garam Masala Powder – 1 1/2tsp
Red Chili Powder - 1tsp (optional)
Coriander Powder – 1tbsp
Saunf Powder – 1 tsp(optional)
Turmeric Powder - 1/2 tsp
Chopped Green Coriander – 2 tbsp
Oil– 4 tbsp
Salt To taste

Note- Instead of shallow frying the eggplant, one can deep-fry them as well.

Method-
Cut the eggplant in ½ cm thick round slices. Take 1 tsp oil in the frying pan and when it becomes hot lay the eggplant pieces such that none of the pieces are covered by each other. Now sprinkle some salt and red chili on each (this gives taste to each piece). Once the piece become golden brown on the backside turn it and cook on the other side in the similar way such that each piece has become a bit soft. Do the same with all the pieces. Now, in pan take 3 tbsp oil or as per the requirement and add the onions, cook till it becomes translucent. Now add grated ginger (optional) and finally chopped green chilies. Cook till onions become golden brown in color. Now add chopped tomatoes. Add salt (remember we have already sprinkled some salt on the eggplant while shallow frying), garam masala(1tsp), saunf powder (optional), turmeric powder, red chili powder, coriander powder, ¼ cup water, mix it, cover it and cook on the medium till tomatoes become soft (stir it in between to avoid sticking to the bottom of the pan). Now add the eggplant pieces. Mix them well, cover it and cook on low heat for almost 7-8 min so that eggplant pieces becomes soft and mix with the spices. Switch off the stove. Sprinkle 1/2 tsp of garam masala and green coriander on top and keep it covered so that it absorbs the aroma of coriander and garam masala. Enjoy with rice and roti :)

Dal Palak (Split Red Gram and Spinach Soup)

noreply@blogger.com (KK) — Sat, 16 Feb 2008 19:47:00 +0000

Like any other vegetarian I rely heavily upon dals since is one of the few sources of Protein available to us. Dal Palak is a unique combination of spinach (which is a rich source of iron) and Dal and it has the best of both the worlds!! I don't like eating spinach and by cooking this dish, my husband makes sure that I eat it and truly speaking I just love it. Here is my husband's easy and tasty recipe :)

Ingredients -
Serves - 3-4 people
Split Red Gram (Tuvar Dal) - 1 cup
Finally Chopped Spinach - 2-3cups
Chopped Green Chilies - 1 tbsp
Chopped Ginger - 1 tsp
Finally Chopped Onions - 1 cup
Green Curry leaves - 3-4 nos
Cumin Seeds- 1tsp
Asafetida (Hing)- 1/4 tsp
Garam Masala Powder - 1tsp
Red Chili Powder - 1tsp (optional)
Turmeric Powder - 1/2 tbsp
Chopped Green Coriander – 2 tbsp
Oil/Ghee for frying – 3 tbsp
Salt To taste

Note- Here I have used Split Red Gram but one can use masoor dal (split orange lentils) , moong dal (split yellow lentils) or chana dal (bengal gram / yellow gram). Vegans avoid ghee/butter as it is made of milk.

Method-
Put split Red Gram (Tuvar Dal), chopped spinach and 2 cups of water in a pressure cooker with salt and turmeric powder and cook it for almost 3-4 whistles. Allow it to cool naturally.

In a pan take oil. Once it’s hot add the Asafetida (Hing) and cumin seeds. WhenCumin seeds start spluttering add Green Curry Leaves, Green chilies and Ginger. Once the ginger and chilies become slightly golden brown in color add chopped onions (Make sure you keep the flame on medium) . Cook onions till they become slightly golden brown. Now add the Garam Masala and Red Chili powder. Cook it for almost half a min on low flame (make sure you don’t burn the masala). Switch off the flame and add the boiled Dal mixture in the that. Stir it well and garnish it with green coriander and 1tsp ghee/butter. Taddaaaaaaaaaaa its ready to slurp :) Serve it hot with rice or parathas!!!

Aloo paratha

noreply@blogger.com (KK) — Sat, 09 Feb 2008 00:14:00 +0000

This is my husband’s favorite paratha in fact I think loads of people like it. There are different ways of making aloo paratha, in some recipes the potato filling is cooked and in some its not. Here I have used the later version. I hope you all will like it.

Ingredients-
4-5 Parathas

Boiled potatos- 2 medium sized
Finely chopped Onions - 1/2 cup
Chopped green chillies - 2 tbs(as per taste)
Chopped ginger - 1 tsp
Chopped Coriander - 2 tbsp
Chili flakes- 1 tsp (as per taste)
Salt as per taste

Note- For parathas the dough should be soft and potato for stuffing should be boiled one night/4-5 hours before preparation (preferably kept in refrigerator) which makes it hard and it doesn’t spill out while rolling the parathas. Vegans avoid ghee/butter as it is made of milk.

For Dough-
Mix the flour, salt and water. Make the dough and keep it covered for 15-20 min (It will make the dough soft). Now knead the dough well (approx 5 min) and it’s ready for stuffing.

Stuffing-
If possible grate the boiled potatoes instead of mashing it (this will avoid any lumps and won’t break the parathas while rolling). Add all the ingredients in grated potato and mix well. Make small balls (size of golf ball) by using approx 2 tbsp of the potato mixture.

Now take a small portion of dough. Roll it in small disk (puri). Take it in the Middle of your palm. Keep the potato ball at the center of the in the disk/ puri. Cover it from all the side with disk/puri and roll it smoothly. Roast it well on both the sides by applying oil. Before serving apply a teaspoon of butter and serve it with chilled curd, salad and pickle. Yum yum :)

Gobi Tamatar/Cauliflower with Tomatoes

noreply@blogger.com (KK) — Wed, 23 Jan 2008 20:33:00 +0000

Ingredients-
Serves 4

Cauliflower florets – 15 (broken in medium sizes)
Tomato - 1 medium
Sliced Onion – 1 cup
Finely Chopped Garlic – 2 Tbsp (optional)
Chopped Green chili – 1 Tbsp
Garam masala powder– 1Tbsp
Coriander Powder – 1 ½ Tbsp
Turmeric powder - ½ tsp
Chili Powder – 1tsp (to taste/optional)
Salt – as per taste

Note – Instead of cutting the cauliflower try to break it’s florets in equal sizes. It gives the dish good looks and some how a better taste (May be its sounding a bit crazy ;))

Method-
In a pan take oil. Once hot add Onions. Cook til translucent say around 2-3min. Now add the finely chopped garlic, green chili and cook till onions become golden brown. Now add cauliflower florets. Mix it well, add turmeric, cover it and cook on low till it becomes a bit soft but at the same time crunchy (to see whether its done or not, take a small floret in a plate and try to break it. It should break but with a little pressure not easily.Another tip is the florets become bit translucent in color) . Now add salt and all other spices. Mix it well, cover it and cook for 30 sec. Now add chopped Tomatoes and coriander, cover itand cook for another 2-3min till tomatoes become bit soggy and cauliflower gets cooked. Now sprinkle ¼ tsp of garam masala (optional) in that and allow it to set for 2-3min before serving and tada…its ready!!!!!! Eat it with rotis or rice.

Spicy Aloo

noreply@blogger.com (KK) — Wed, 28 Nov 2007 04:42:00 +0000

This is the recipe which my mother used to make for navratri fast along with Sabudana khichadi and ginger tea. As kids we never used to keep fast but used to love this dish. Loads of good memories attached to it. Though I can’t make exactly the same way my mother makes but I gave it a shot and it came out well. Here I have given the recipe, I hope you guys enjoy it.

Ingredients-
Serves 4

Boiled and cubes potatos – 3 cups
Lemon juice – 1tbsp
curry leaves – 4-5
Coriander seeds – 2tbsp
Red chilies – 2
Cumin seeds- 2tsp
Asafetida/Hing – a pinch(optional)
Turmeric powder – 1/2tsp (optional)
Mango Powder/Amchur- 1/2tsp
Garam Masala powder – ½ tsp(optional)
Green coriander for garnishing
Salt to taste

Note- You can add ½ cup of roasted and coarsely ground peanuts to it which gives it a good crunch. When making for fast avoid garam masala and turmeric.

Method-
Take all the whole spices(keep 1tsp of cumin seeds aside for tampering), roast them on slow heat till a nice aroma starts coming. Allow them to cool naturally and make powder of the spices. If you don’t want to do all this you can take all the spices in powder form.Mix them and microwave it for 10-20 sec. Microwave temperature varies so just make sure not to burn the spices since its in the dry form.

In pan take 2 tsp of oil. When its hot add 1tsp of cumin seeds.Ones it starts spluttering add curry leaves. Cook for 10 seconds and now add cubes boiled potatoes. Add salt and Turmeric.Cover it and cook it for 2-3 mins. Now add the powdered spices and salt. Mix well, cover the pan and cook it on medium flame for around 3-4 mins so that all the flavor of spices goes into the potatoes. Turn off the heat, add leamon juice, garnish with coriander and serve hot.

Zucchini/Carrot rice

noreply@blogger.com (KK) — Wed, 28 Nov 2007 04:13:00 +0000

This is the dish I saw the other day on You tube . Tried and loved it. It’s very nutritious since we are using zucchini/carrot. It’s really easy to make and tastes yummy. Eat it with any gravy or just like that. Here goes the recipe, I hope you everyone enjoy it.

Ingredients-
Serves 4

Rice- 1 cup
Grated Zucchini with the skin/Carrot – 1cup
Water- 2 cups (double the quantity of Rice)
chopped green chilies – 1 tbsp
Finely chopped ginger – 1tsp
cumin seeds – 1 tsp
Cinnamon stick- ½ inch
Green cardamom – 1(slightly crushed)
Black pepper – 6-8
cloves- 2-3
Bay Leaves – 1-2
salt to taste

Note- when cooking rice in pressure cooker I use equal proportion of rice and water and cook it for 2 whistles and open the cooker after 5 mins (if pressure is still there in the cooker and I am unable to open it. I keep it under running cold water which helps to cool down the cooker. while doing this please don't remove the whistle else water will go inside). Vegans avoid ghee/butter as it is made of milk.

Method-
In a cooker take 1tbsp of ghee or olive oil. When it’s hot add cumin seeds. Once it starts spluttering add all the whole spices, cook it about 1 min and add chopped green chilies and ginger. Cook it for another 1 min and now add grated carrot/zucchini. Cook for 30 seconds and add the soaked rice. Cook till rice is done (Here I have not given the cooking time or method for rice since it differs the way one makes it). Garnish with coriander and serve hot :)

Palak Paneer

noreply@blogger.com (KK) — Mon, 15 Oct 2007 20:13:00 +0000

Ingredients-
Serves 4

Paneer - 10 cubes of 2 inches long each
Fresh Spinach – 5 oz
Tomato Puree of 2 large fresh tomatoes
Milk (optional) – 1/2 cup
Coriander powder – 1tbsp
Cumin powder- 1tsp
Aniseed/Saunf powder – 1tsp
Red chili powder – 1tsp
ginger paste – 1tsp
Garam Masala – 1 tsp
Bay Leaves- 1-2
Black cardamom – 1
Green cardamom – 1
Cinnamon stick – 1 inch
turmeric powder- ½ tsp

Note- If the Paneer is hard soak them in warm water after frying with pinch of salt for 5-10 min. I prefer blanching over boiling spinach.For blanching, fill a large pot with water, bring it to a boil and add pre-washed spinach leaves. Don't cover it. Blanch the spinach for approximately 30 seconds or until they turn a brilliant green. Remove the spinach from the pot with a slotted spoon and drain. Plunge the leaves into a bowl of ice/cold water to stop the cooking. Drain the leaves.

Method -
Make pure of blanched spinach (try not to use water, if required used ¼ cup of water). It makes around 2 to 2 ½ cups pure. Take all the powdered spices and ginger paste in a bowl, add ¼ cup of water and make paste of it. Shallow fry the paneer on non-stick pan with 1 tsp oil. You can deep fry the Paneers too. Keep it aside. Now, in a pan take butter/ghee/oil, add all the whole spices. Now add the prepared paste. Roast it for 5-8 seconds on medium flame till oil starts appearing on the surface. Now add chopped onions. Stir it well. Allow it to cook till onions become translucent in color and oil starts separating from side. Add Tomato Pure. Cover and cook on medium heat till it becomes red it color. Now add the spinach pure. Cover it and cook for 2-3 minutes so that raw taste of spinach goes away. Now add fried paneer. Cover it and cook it on slow flame for another 2-3 min. If it looks too thick add ½ cup of milk instead of water which makes the dish rich too. You can add cream also but to avoid the calories I prefer adding milk. Garnish with cream or coriander leaves and serve hot with Rice, pulav or parathas :)

Malai Paneer

noreply@blogger.com (KK) — Sat, 13 Oct 2007 18:56:00 +0000

Ingredients-
Serves 4

Paneer - 10 cubes of 2 inches each
Tomato Puree of 3 large tomatoes
cashew – ½ cup
Poppy seeds – 1 ½ tbs
Milk – 1 cup
Coriander powder – 1tbsp
Cumin powder- 1tsp
Aniseed/Saunf powder – 1tsp
Red chili powder – 1tsp
ginger paste – 1tsp
Garam masala – 1 tsp
Bay Leaves- 1-2
Black cardamom – 1
Green cardamom – 1
Cinnamon stick – 1 inch
turmeric powder- ½ tsp
salt to taste

Note- You can deep fry paneer cubes too. If the paneer is hard soak them in warm water after frying with pinch of salt for 5-10 min.

Method-
Soak cashew nuts and poppy seeds separately in lukewarm water for 30 min. Gind them with ½ cup milk in mixer in a smooth paste (if required u can use remaining ½ cup of milk too). If you want to make the recipe rich, you can add ¼ cup of heavy cream too.

In a pan take 1 tablespoon oil and roast the paneer cubes, keep them aside. Now in the same pan take 2 tbsp oil/ghee/butter. Add bay leaves, black cardamom, green cardamom, cinnamon stick. After approx 10 seconds, add the tomato puree. Cover it and allow it to cook till it reduces half of its size and becomes deep red in color. Now add salt and all the powdered spices one by one. Stir it well, cover the pan and cook it on medium flame till the oil starts separating from the pure. Now add the cashew-poppy seed paste/ mixer. Stir it well. If it’s too thick use some more milk. Allow it to simmer on low flame for almost 2 min. Now add the paneer cubes and cook it on medium-low flame for another 5 min. Keep it stirring from time to time to avoid it burning. Garnish it with either cream/coriander leaves and serve with rice, paratha or nan.

Onion-Cheese Paratha

noreply@blogger.com (KK) — Fri, 12 Oct 2007 23:07:00 +0000

Ingredients-
4-5 Parathas

Wheat flour- 3 cups
Mashed Boiled potato- 1 cup
Grated Cheese – 1cup
Chopped onion(optional)- ½ cup
Grated Ginger – 1tbsp
Chopped chili – 1tbsp
Black pepper powder- 1/2 tsp
Green Coriander chopped – 2tbsp
Oil for roasting
Salt to taste

Method-
For Dough-
Mix the flour, salt and water. Make the dough and keep it covered for 15-20 min (It will make the dough soft). Now knead the dough well (approx 5 min).And it’s ready for stuffing.

Stuffing-
Mix all the ingredients except wheat flour and oil.

Take stuffing and make small balls (size of golf ball). Take a small portion of dough. Roll it in small disk (puri). Take it in the Middle of your palm. Keep the stuffing ball at the center of the in the disk/ puri. Cover it from all the side with disk/puri and roll it smoothly. Roast it well on both the sides by applying oil. Before serving apply a teaspoon of butter and serve it with chilled curd, salad and pickle. Yum yum :)

Gobhi Paratha

noreply@blogger.com (KK) — Fri, 12 Oct 2007 05:21:00 +0000

Ahhh another paratha which I just love!!! Me being a north Indian want some or the other form of roti/paratha in my luch and dinner everyday. Since my husband also loves Parathas I try to make them atleast twice a week.
As everyone knows Cauliflower is a very versatile vegetable (atleast for me..I cook them with almost everything..hehehe). Like potato you can use it in mix veg, aloo gobhi, gobhi matar, pulav, gobhi manchurian and of course gobhi paratha. I love gobhi so I will be posting loads of recipes of gobhi in the blog. All the gobhi lovers can check this blog from time to time for other gobhi recipes :) Lets make yummy gobhi parathas..

Ingredients-
4-5 Parathas

Wheat Flour – 3cups
Finely chopped (approx ½ inch pieces) cauliflower – 2cups
Finally chopped Green chili – 1tbsp
Grated Ginger – 1tbsp
lemon juice(optional)- 1 tsp
Garam Masala powder – 1tsp
Turmeric powder – ½ tsp
Red chili powder – 1tsp
Chopped green coriander – 2tbsp
Oil/butter/ghee for roasting
Salt to taste

Note- One can add 1/2 cup of boiled and grated potatoes in the filling to avoid the filling to spill out while rolling the parathas. Vegans avoid ghee/butter as it is made of milk.

Stuffing-
In a pan take 2 tbsp of oil. Add green chilies, cumin seeds, grated ginger, and cauliflower pieces. Mix it well, cover it and cook for 1 min. Now add turmeric and salt in that and cover it and cook till it becomes tender. Now put garam masala and chili powder and cook it without covering it for few min so that it becomes dry. Ones its done add green coriander and lemon juice and mix it well. Allow it to cool naturally. Ones it cools down mash it well. It’s ready for stuffing.

Take a small portion of dough. Roll it in small disk (puri). Take it in the Middle of your palm. Put approx 2tbsp filling at the center of the in the disk/ puri, cover the stuffing from all the side with disk/puri and roll it smoothly. Roast it well on both the sides by applying oil. Before serving apply a teaspoon of butter(optional) and serve it with chilled curd, salad and pickle.

Spinach-Pesto Pasta

noreply@blogger.com (KK) — Wed, 10 Oct 2007 03:28:00 +0000

Ingredients-
Serves 2

Almonds – 3/4 cup
Fresh Spinach- 4 oz
Garlic cloves – 3 (big)
Olive oil – ½ cup
Pepper- ½ tsp
Grated Parmesan Cheese – 1/2 cup
Your choice of Pasta – approx 6 oz
Salt and pepper (optional) to taste

Method-
Cook the pasta as per package instruction (I have used whole wheat pasta). Roast the almond and allow them to cool naturally. Now in a food processor combine spinach, garlic, almonds and salt and grind it to a smooth paste. Add the cheese and grid again. Add the oil at regular interval until you get the desired consistency. I like to keep almonds bit coarse rather than a powder which gives it a crunchy taste. Mix pasta in the sauce, sprinkle some freshly ground pepper (optional), garnish it with some cheese and serve it with roasted garlic bread and salad. Note – You can blanch the spinach before using to reduce its bitterness. You can replace the spinach and almonds with fresh basil and Pine nuts, which is used in authentic Pesto sauce.

Bell Pepper-Carrot Fry

noreply@blogger.com (KK) — Tue, 09 Oct 2007 19:01:00 +0000

This is my entry for "power-less cooking event" !!

Ingredients-
Serves 2

Lengthwise chopped Carrot - 1 cup
Lengthwise chopped Red/yellow bell pepper– 1cup
Lengthwise chopped Onion – 1cup
Chopped Ginger – 1tbsp
Chopped Green chili – 1tbsp (or as per taste)
Turmeric powder – ½ tsp
Red chili powder(optional) – 1/2tsp
Cumin powder – 1 tsp
Coriander powder – 1tbsp
Garam masala powder – 1 tsp
Hing/asafetida powder (optional) – ¼ tsp
Green Coriander – 1tbsp
oil - 2 tbsp

Method-
In a pan take 2tbsp oil. When it’s hot add onions and cook it on medium pan without covering the pan till they become light brown in color. Now add green chili and ginger. Cook it for few seconds and add carrots, salt and all the spices. Stir it, cover the pan and cook it on low flame till the carrots are done but still crispy, for around 3-4 min. Now add the red bell pepper, stir it and cook for another 2 min without covering the pan. Add 1/ tsp garam masala (optional) and green coriander and serve hot.

Besan Chilla/Dosa(Gram Flour Pancake)

noreply@blogger.com (KK) — Mon, 08 Oct 2007 19:13:00 +0000

Ingredients-
Serves 2

Besan/Gram flour- 1 1/2 cup
Rice flour (optional)- 1/4 cup
Grated zucchini- 1/2 cup
Grated carrot - 1/2 cup
Chopped coriander - 2 tbsp
Chopped Green chillies - as per taste
Grated Ginger- 1 tsp
Garam Masala- 1/2 tsp
Turmeric powder - 1/2 tsp
Red Chilli powder - 1/2 tsp
Salt as per taste.

Note- Rice flour helps in making the chilla/dosas crispy n makes the spreading of batter on pan easy. You can use any veges like finely chopped onions, grated squash or may be chopped spinach. Some people put Tomato too but I think it makes the chilla/dosas bit soft.

Method-
Make thick batter of all the ingredients with water. Add 1 tsp of oil (to make it crispy) in the batter. Put the pan on the flame (i prefer non-stick to avoid sticking and excess oil). grease the pan with 1/4 tsp of oil. Now make small pan cakes with the batter. Cook it both the sides by applying little oil. Serve hot with pickle or chutney or mango/peach salsa :)

Removing Odor From Room

noreply@blogger.com (KK) — Mon, 01 Oct 2007 20:41:00 +0000

Who doesn't like good smell and when it comes to good smelling house, I thoroughly believe that its well kept and clean:) But after cooking good spicy Indian food the whole house smells like a restaurant. And since in US one tends to use AC , it does wonders in spreading the smell in the entire house. It’s even worse when you have guests for lunch or dinner. Poor guests, sometimes they end up carrying the lovely aroma of spices in their hair and clothes!!!

In order to avoid such miracles I do following tricks (some of which I got from internet) -

Lit few scented candles (candles absorbs the food odor really well) in the kitchen and living room while cooking along with switching on my exhaust fan. After finishing cooking, I spray an air freshener or sometimes warm scented oil in oil burner. Along with that opening window helps a lot in circulating fresh air in the room. Though it takes around an hour for the smell to completely go but it usually do the trick.
keep potpourri in different corners of your house. Good Smell from that will help in reducing the cooking smell.
Alternatively Combine 2 cups (16 fl oz/500 ml) water, 1 cup (8 fl oz/250 ml) vinegar and 1 tsp. whole cloves in a shallow, wide pan. Simmer uncovered for 10 to 15 minutes. Repeat later if needed.
You can pick up a few favorite essential oils. They can be found in many floral shops or even craft and department stores or use your favorite perfume. Depending upon the scent you want, choose oil and place a few drops of it on a cotton ball then stash the cotton ball somewhere in the room you wish to scent, preferably on a small dish.
You can make your own air freshener by taking two tablespoons of cinnamon and some orange/lemon peels or just add drops of spicy oil and boil them in a cup of water. Then allow the fresh scent to permeate throughout your house giving it a pleasant fruity smell. This will also help humidify the house as well as make it seem fresher.
For removing cigarette odor, place a bowl of water and vinegar in the room. The vinegar-water will absorb the smoke.
In order to remove smell of wood or fresh paint, place a bowl of coffee beans for few days in the room. It will absorb all the smell.
Take a fresh orange, and using a toothpick poke holes through the rind. Stuff whole cloves through the holes. This makes a wonderful scent and lasts a while. You can even wrap a 1/4" - 1/2" wide ribbon around the orange so it can hang.
To remove pungent cooking odors from cooking things such as cabbage or cauliflower, add a tablespoon of lemon juice to the cooking water. You can also add lemon juice to your dishwasher cup so that it smells lemony clean.
Spicy air freshener using apple sauce and cinnamon-
You need 1 cup of chilled apple sauce, 1/2 cup of ground cloves, 1/2 cup of ground cinnamon, and 1/2 cup of nutmeg. Mix all ingredients together and it will form a dough. Roll the dough out until it is 1/4" thick and cut into any shape you wish, with a cookie cutter or free hand.Using a straw poke a hole in the top of the shapes for hanging. Lay out shapes on wax paper until they are completely dry, which can take 24-48 hours. Insert ribbon or string through hole and hang as desired.

Banana -Strawberry Milkshake

noreply@blogger.com (KK) — Sun, 30 Sep 2007 20:02:00 +0000

This is my entry for JFI:Banana event.
In the morning when I want something healthy and quick I like this milkshake along with my cereals. It hardly takes me 5 mins to make it and in summers it's a bless :)

Ingredients-
Serves 1

Ripe Banana – 1
Strawberries – 2-3
Vanilla Ice cream – 1 scoop(optional)
Milk – 1 cup
Sugar to taste

Method-
Blend all the ingredients together along with some crushed ice. Banana Strawberry milkshake is ready to serve. Serve chilledIsn’t it easy and quick?

Spinach Pesto Pasta

noreply@blogger.com (KK) — Fri, 28 Sep 2007 16:16:00 +0000

Ingredients-
Serves 2-3

Almonds – 3/4 cup
Fresh Spinach- 4 oz
Garlic cloves – 3 (big)
Olive oil – ½ cup
Pepper- ½ tsp
Grated Parmesan Cheese – 1/2 cup
Your choice of Pasta – approx 6 oz
Salt and pepper (optional) to taste

Method-
Cook the pasta as per package instruction (I have used whole wheat pasta). Roast the almond and allow them to cool naturally. Now in a food processor combine spinach, garlic, almonds and salt and grind it to a smooth paste. Add the cheese and grid again. Add the oil at regular interval until you get the desired consistency. I like to keep almonds bit coarse rather than a powder which gives it a crunchy taste. Mix pasta in the sauce, sprinkle some freshly ground pepper (optional), garnish it with some cheese and serve it with roasted garlic bread and salad.

Note – You can blanch the spinach before using to reduce its bitterness. You can replace the spinach and almonds with fresh basil and Pine nuts, which is used in authentic Pesto sauce.

Spinach-Cheese Stuffed jalapeños

noreply@blogger.com (KK) — Mon, 10 Sep 2007 04:17:00 +0000

Ingredients -
Serves 2

Large fresh jalapeño peppers - 4
bread crumbs- 2 cups
Parmesan Cheese – 1 ½ cups
Spinach fresh- 4 cups, frozen- 2 cups
crushed black pepper- 1tsp
grated ginger- 1tsp

Note- Here I have used large jalapeños which are very mild in taste. If these are not available use red/green/yellow bell pepper. Split them in half length wise, remove the seeds and use. Stuffing has to be adjusted according to the size.

Method-
For stuffing-
In a pan take 1 tbsp of olive oil. When it’s hot add the spinach and ginger and stir fry it on medium heat till the water from spinach evaporates. Now add salt. Allow it to cool naturally. When it cools down, mix 1 cup cheese and 1 cup of bread crumb and crushed black pepper in it. Mix it well.

For jalapeños-
Split jalapenos in half length wise and remove the seeds. In a pan take 1tsp of oil and place the Jalapeños in that. Cover and cook them both the sides for 1-2 min till the color of the Jalapeños become pale. Allow them to cool naturally. Now stuff the Jalapeños with one layer of spinach-cheese mixture, one layer of cheese and one layer of breadcrumbs (this is to avoid the cheese from coming out). Secure the Jalapeños with toothpick. Now take 1 tbsp of oil in a pan and place the jalapenos in that. Cover it and cook it on both the sides for almost 3-4 min. Meanwhile add some more oil in order to avoid them for burning/sticking to the pan. Server hot with crisp salad :)

Stir Fried Garlic Noodles-

noreply@blogger.com (KK) — Mon, 10 Sep 2007 03:36:00 +0000

Ingredients-
Serves 2

Boiled pasta/noodles- 1 ½ cups
garlic finally chopped- 2 tbsp
green chillies chopped - 2 tbsp
Soya sauce - 2 tbsp
Vinegar – 1tsp
Red chili sauce- 2 tbsp
Black pepper powder - 1 tsp
Aji-no-moto (mono sodium glutamate) - ½ tsp (optional)
1 cup of following veges cut in thin strips –
Carrot ,Baby corn, Green/Red/yellow bell pepper, French beans

Note- Some sauces has extra salt in it so should be adjusted according to the taste . If you don like or want to avoid garlic, replace it with ginger. Use high flame for stir fry in order to avoid veges becoming soggy. Veges can be adjusted according the taste/availability.

Method-
Cook noodles/pasta according to the package instruction. In a sauce pan/wok take 4 tbsp oil. When the oil is smoking hot add garlic. Stir fry it till it becomes golden brown in color. Now add chopped green chilies and stir fry it for another ½ min. Now add all the veges and stir fry it on high flame for a min. Now add soya sauce, chilli sauce, vinegar, ajinomoto, salt and stir fry it for another ½ min. Now add the boiled pasta/noodles. Stir fry it on high flame for 2 min without covering it on high flame. Now add freshly ground black pepper, stir it well and Tadaaaaaaaaa!!! It’s ready to serve :)