Bread Upma!!!!

Hi guys!!!

I have never really thought about bread upma as a proper meal till the day I actually tried it at home. Like I said this was never my most-sought option for breakfast or dinner. But then I had some bread slices that had to be used up on the same day and I was in a hurry to get myself tucked in to watch our weekend movie. So, I prepared bread upma for dinner. It indeed was a great dinner on a rainy day :-)

You can try this with any variety of bread that you have lying around at home. I have actually tried this plain white sandwich bread and the whole wheat variety. Both tasted good.. Now lets see the recipe.

Ingredients:
Serves 2 people

Bread slices(any kind) - 5 or 6
Onion - 1
Bell peppers - 1
Green chilly - 1
Assorted veggies - 1/2 cup (I used beans, carrots and peas)
Tomato ketchup - 2 tbsp
Turmeric powder - 1/2 tsp
Chilli powder - 1/2 tsp
Corriander powder - 1/2 tsp
Garam masala - 1/2 tsp
Chaat masala - 1/2 tsp (optional)
Salt - as per taste
Water - 1/3 cup (approx)
Oil - 2 tbsp

Procedure:

1. Cut the bread slices into 4 cubes each. I used the crust as well. You can remove them if you prefer it that way.
2. Heat oil in a wide kadai and add the onions, peppers and chillies. Toss till they turn soft. Now add all the veggies and the ketchup as well.
3. Add all the masala powders, salt and water and close the lid and let it cook for a while.
4. When the veggies are cooked add the bread cubes and toss well till the masala is absorbed by them.

Serve hot with raita or plain curd!!!

Crab Cakes!!!

Hi guys!!!

I had crab cakes a few months ago in a restaurant for the first time. I should say, I kind of felt bad for not having tried it for so long. I mean, I love sea food but I have never really enjoyed crab when my mom used to cook them back home. The main reason being that I found it REEEEEEEALLY difficult to crack the shell and taste the very little meat present. The curry used to be too good but still I was not a great fan. But, when I found that people here cook dishes with just the meat and infact we find crab meat cleaned in the stores, I could not stop myself from trying the crab cakes at home.

I wanted to make the crab cakes quite like how it is prepared in restaurants here. And by that I mean, no Indian spices. This meat could be used to prepare cutlets just like we prepare fish cutlets with all our glorious spices. But I went for the authentic crab cakes recipe. And with the meat all cleaned and prepared, it is indeed a piece of cake to prepare these tummy-pleasing crab cakes.

Now lets see the recipe.

Ingredients:

Crab meat - 1/2 lb
Mayonnaise - 2 tbsp
Bread crumbs - 1/4 cup (approx.) + to dip before frying
Salt - 1 tsp
Pepper powder - 1 tsp
Green bell peppers - 1/4 cup chopped
Onion - 1/4 cup chopped
Oil - 1 tbsp + for frying

Procedure:

1. Heat the 1 tbsp oil and cook the onions and bell peppers till they turn soft.
2. Now add the crab meat and other ingredients to this and mix well. Add the bread crumbs gradually to get  the right consistency.
3. Divide the mixture into golf ball sized portions and flatten them into patties. Now keep the prepared patties in the refrigerator for an hour. This helps to set the patties well.
4. After an hour, heat the oil on medium flame and deep fry after dipping them in bread crumbs. Fry both sides till golden brown.

Serve hot with ketchup or mayonnaise!!!

Chettinad Chicken Curry!!!

Hi guys!!!

Chicken is something I prepare twice a week. Just to make sure that I am not always stuck with repeatedly making biryani, I try to prepare different chicken curries. While being on this subject, I have to tell you guys that I came up with my very own version of Cashew Chicken curry, which I prepared for dinner yesterday. How I ended up with the ingredients I actually used was a pure accident :-) I will be posting the recipe soon!!!

Now getting back to Chettinad chicken curry.. I have never really experimented with chettinad dishes. The reason being very simple.. I AM LAZY!!!! The basic success of a chettinad recipe lies in using fresh ground masala. Not that it takes a long time, but why take the effort to grind a masala when you can prepare humpty number of curries with just the masala powders you always have in the kitchen??!!! Well, once I tried this curry I came to the conclusion that the extra few minutes is sure worth it. The curry was simply divine and tastes great with both rotis and plain rice. This recipe is definitely a keeper and am gonna make sure I prepare it quite often!!!

Now off to the recipe.

Ingredients:
Serves 2 people

Chicken - 250 gms
Onion - 1 big
Tomato - 1 big
Ginger & garlic paste - 1 tsp
Turmeric powder - 1/2 tsp
Chilli powder - 1/2 tsp
Salt - as per taste
Oil - 2 tbsp

To grind to a masala powder:
Cinnamon - 1" stick
Cloves - 5
Cardamom - 2 or 3 pods
Corriander seeds - 1 tbsp
Fennel seeds - 1 tbsp
Cumin seeds - 1 tsp
Fenugreek seeds - 1 tsp
Whole pepper - 1 tbsp
Dry red chillies - 8 (adjust according to taste)
Grated coconut - 1/4 cup
Oil - 1/2 tbsp

To season/ For tadka:
Oil - 1 tbsp
Mustard seeds - 1 tsp
Curry leaves - a bunch
Broken red chillies - 3 or 4

Procedure:

1. Dry roast all the ingredients required to grind masala powder except the coconut till they start to release a nice aroma. When they are done, remove them from heat and in the same kadai add the 1/2 tbsp oil and roast the grated coconut till it changes color. Now let all this cool for a while and grind to a powder.
2. Now in the same kadai add the rest of the oil and saute the chopped onions followed by ginger garlic paste and tomatoes. Cook till they blend and form a paste.
3. Next add the turmeric powder, chilli powder and salt. Then add the chicken pieces and mix well.
4. When the chicken is half cooked add the ground masala powder (I had to eyeball the measurement. If there is excess powder you can use it in any chettinad curry). Close the kadai and let it cook for around 15 mins.
5. Stir in between to avoid sticking. Add water only if necessary. When the chicken is well cooked and properly blended with the masala, prepare the tadka. (heat oil and add the items listed for tadka)
6. Add the tadka to the curry and switch off heat.

Serve hot with rice or rotis!!!

Mushroom Biryani!!!

Hi guys!!!

I have long wanted to try Mushroom Biryani at home. I remember my college days, when eating out used to be such a big deal. And any dish that had mushroom or paneer made it sound special :-) My mom has never cooked mushroom at home and that was one another reason that mushroom dishes were special to me. If I ever had to eat vegetarian in a restaurant it would be paneer or mushroom. But, the pleasure of cooking the once-so-special dishes at home now is great too.

My husband is very picky and fussy when it comes to food. His taste buds favor a limited number of food items. So, I have got to try hard and wreck my brain to come up with different dishes, appealing dishes actually, for the food items that he does not like right away. It is more like cooking for a kid :-) Mushroom is one such ingredient. Everytime I pick them up, he asks me a few questions about what I intend to prepare and if he is satisfied then he lets me go ahead. When I told him I was gonna prepare biryani he was more than happy..

Now lets see the recipe.

Ingredients:

Basmati rice - 1.5 cups
Button Mushrooms - 200 gms
Onion - 1 big
Tomato - 1 big
Green chillies - 2
Ginger & Garlic paste - 1 tsp
Corriander & Mint leaves - a bunch each
Turmeric powder - 1/2 tsp
Chilli poweder - 1 1/2 tsp
Corriander powder - 1 tsp
Biryani masala - 1 tsp
Cinnamon - 1" stick
Cloves - 5
Bay leaves - 2
Star Anise - 2
Cardamom - 2
Curd - 2 tbsp
Salt - as per taste
Oil / Ghee - 2 tbsp

Procedure:

1. Heat the oil or ghee on medium flame in a pressure cooker. Add the whole spices and let them sizzle. Then add the chopped chillies and the mint and corriander leaves and saute till the leaves wilt.
2. Now add the chopped onions and saute till they turn transparent. Next add the ginger garlic paste followed by the tomatoes and keep stirring till the tomatoes are cooked well.
3. Add the thinly chopped mushroom followed by all the masala powders and salt. Mix well till the masala is well incorporated. The mushroom lets out water so let it cook well in it.
4. Cook this mixture with the lid closed (without the whistle) for about 10 minutes or till the mushroom is well cooked and is shrunk.
5. When the mushroom is well cooked add the rice, curd and add 2.5 cups of water and close the lid. Cook under pressure for 10 mins.

Serve hot with raita!!!

Kesar (Saffron) Lassi!!!!

Hi guys!!!

Spring is here... With the colors everywhere and the chillness in the air diminishing, there is a continuous need to store some refreshing drink in the refrigerator. Lassi is a classic Indian summer drink. The basic lassi recipe is quite simple and there are a variety of flavors it can be prepared in.

Kesar lassi is an usual form of lassi available across North India. I remember a small restaurant just beside Malad station in Mumbai where I used to pay Five Rupees for a tall glass of cold kesar lassi. That used to be an instant boost and refreshment. Last week in London, I picked up saffron and a bottle of saffron extract as well in an Indian store. So, I thought it was time to prepare Kesar lassi.

Now lets see the recipe.

Ingredients:
Serves 2 people

Yogurt (Fat free/ Whole fat) - 250 ml
Cardamom - 4 pods
Sugar - 1/3 cup (as per taste)
Kesar/Saffron extract - 1 tsp
Yellow food color - a pinch
Water - 1/4 cup (optional)
Saffron - few strands
Pistachios - 2 or 3 crushed

Procedure:

1. Take the yogurt, cardamom, sugar, kesar extract, food color and water (if using) in a blender and beat well till frothy.
2. Trasnfer to two tall glasses and garnish with crushed pistachios and saffron strands.

Serve chilled or with ice cubes on top.

Garlic Pull-Apart Rolls!!!

Hi guys!!!

I am a big fan of garlic breads. So is my husband. We like every version of it.. the native Italian thin flat version or the chunky version from any chain pizzeria.. When I came across the garlic pull-apart rolls recipe in Nag's space I knew I had to try it. Even if I could not succeed in achieving firm holding rolls, they turned out gorgeous and unbelievably yummy!!!

The recipe is simple and the rolls taste great with tea. This can also be used as an appetizer and is sure to win praises!!! Now lets see the recipe.


Ingredients:
Makes 8 rolls

All-purpose flour - 1.5 cups
Warm Water- 1/2 cup + 1 tbsp
Yeast - 1/2 tbsp
Salt - 1tsp
Sugar - 1 tbsp
Olive Oil - 1 tbsp + 1 tsp

For Garlic Spread:
Salted Butter - 6 tbsp
Garlic - 2 tbsp or 5 big cloves (Grated/Minced)
Chopped coriander leaves - 2 tbsp
Powdered pepper - 1 tsp

Procedure:

1. Add the sugar and yeast to the warm water and set aside for 10 mins or till it turns frothy. Once it is ready add it gradually to the flour and salt and knead into a smooth dough.
2. Add the oil and knead well. Keep this covered and let it rise for atleast an hour.
3. Meanwhile prepare the garlic spread. Mix all the ingredients together and keep it handy.
4. When the dough has risen, punch the air down and divide it into 2 equal parts.
5. Spread each into half an inch thick rectangle and spread the garlic spread and roll it from one end to other.
6. Cut this into 4 pieces. Repeat the same with the other part as well.
7. Preheat the oven to 180C and place all the prepared rolls in a greased pan and bake it for 25-30 minutes. Mine was ready exactly at 30 mins.

Serve hot with tea or an appetizer.

Note:
You can either egg wash or brush the rolls with milk to get an even golden brown on the outer sides. This is an optional step. I used to milk for my rolls.

Methi Paratha - With Kasoori Methi!!!!

Hi guys!!!

I recently picked up a large pack of Kasoori methi and ever since I have been using it in so many ways in different recipes. I have had methi parathas when I used to work in Mumbai. I loved them as such. As a matter of fact, I used to have them without an y curry :-) I did try making these amazing parathas when I was in Chennai once and it turned out lovely. I used fresh leaves then. But with the difficulty to find fresh methi leaves here I had to go with kasoori methi. Take my word, it still tastes wonderful!!!

Now lets see the recipe.

Ingredients:

Wheat flour / Atta - 3 cups
Besan flour - 1 cup
Ginger & Garlic paste - 1 tsp
Chilli powder - 1 tsp
Salt - 1 tsp
Kasoori methi - 2 tbsp
Oil - 1 tbsp

Procedure:

1. In a pan add 2 cups of water and bring it to boil. Now add the Kasoori methi and let it cook for a few minutes. Turn off heat when the leaves have expanded a bit. Set this aside.
2. Take all ingredients other than oil in a wide vessel and mix well. Now add the kasoori methi leaves and gradually use the water you used to cook the leaves to knead the flour into a smooth dough.
3. When the dough has reached the chapathi flour consistency add the oil and knead well.
4. Divide the dough into small balls and spread them into thin discs.
5. Heat a tawa and cook the spread discs on both sides till brown spots appear. Add a few drops of oil if you regularly use them to make chapathis.

Serve hot with any curry of your choice!!!

Badam Halwa!!!

Hi guys!!!

Badam halwa is my favorite Indian dessert. I just love the way the halwa melts in the mouth. Infact, this is was the first dessert I ever prepared in my life without any assistance. I did mess up the sugar syrup consistency the first time I prepared it. I over stirred the syrup and that led to crystallisation once the syrup cooled. And the result was that the halwa started breaking into pieces the next day :-) The taste was good though...

But I did learn from my mistakes and have been careful with the syrup consistency ever since. I was so tempted to prepare badam halwa for a while now but was finding reasons to push it to later. But finally, I gave in to my temptations and prepared it.

Now lets see the recipe.

Ingredients:

Almonds(Badam) - 1/2 cup
Cashews - 1/4 cup
Sugar - 3/4 cup
Water - 3/4 cup
Ghee - 1/2 cup (according to preference)
Yellow food color - a pinch

Procedure:

1. Soak the almonds in warm water for an hour, peel them and grind them into a coarse grainy paste. Powder the cashews and keep aside too.
2. In a wide bottomed pan add the sugar and water and prepare the sugar syrup. Keep checking for the single thread consistency. You can find notes for checking the syrup consistency in my post for Kaju Katli.
3. When the syrup is at single thread consistency add the cashew powder and the almond paste and keep stirring. Break the lumps that are formed.
4.At some stage the mixture will start sticking at the bottom. That takes around 8 minutes. At this stage start adding ghee gradually.
5. When you have added all the ghee add the food color and mix well. You know when the halwa is ready when you take a pinch of halwa and roll it between your fingers, it forms a ball and is not sticky.
6. Turn off heat and garnish and serve.

Medhu Vada / Uzhundha Vadai!!!!

Hi guys!!!!

After 4 days of continuous fun in London I have finally come back to normal life. After sorting out the pics and uploading them on FB I finally sat down to post a few recipes today. When it comes to vada both me and Ganesh prefer the paruppu vada. But on every auspicious day I make the medhu vada for the pooja. So I made it on the Tamil New years day as well.

I usually grind the batter in my mixie and I have had a hard time in making soft medhu vadas. But this time the vadas turned out perfect and soft. Although both of us do not like this vada much, we enjoyed it and Ganesh was going on and on about how I finally succeeded in making tasty soft medhu vadas :-)

Now lets see the recipe.

Ingredients:
Makes 10-12 vadas

Urad dal - 1 cup
Ginger - 1 inch
Green chillies - 2 or 3
Asafoetida - a pinch
Cumin seeds - 1 tsp
Black pepper  - 2 tsp (crushed)
Curry leaves - a bunch
Salt - 1 tsp
Oil - for frying.

Procedure:

1. Soak the dal overnight or atleast 8 hours. Grind the dal into a fluffy smooth batter adding very little water.
2. Add chopped ginger, chillies and all other ingredients and mix well.
3. Heat the oil and keep it ready. Take a scoop of the batter in your palms (wet your palms to make the shaping easier) and flatten it and make a cavity in the centre and gradually drop it in the oil.
4. Fry the vada till golden brown on both sides and set aside on paper towels to absorb excess oil. Repeat this till you finish the batter.

Serve with sambar or chutneys of your choice!!!!

Blueberry Muffins!!!

Hi guys!!!

It took me so long to finally try baking my first batch of muffins. I have always loved muffins unlike my husband. Everytime I walk into Starbucks I get myself a muffin. I used to be so attached to the white chocolate muffin, but once I tried the blueberry muffin that has been my favorite.

I had a pack of blueberries in my fridge and wanted a way to finish it up. Though I pick up a combination of different berries every week hoping to force myself to eat them, I end up preparing something with it instead of having them fresh. These blueberries totally convinced me into preparing the muffins.

This being my first batch of muffins I was so eager to have my first bite. Baking is indeed therapeutic 'coz when you have a sample of your baked item you are in cloud nine. I loved the texture of the muffins and I even succeeded in making my husband eat them :-)

The thing I liked about baking muffins was the entire process was 30 mins. Preheat the oven and meanwhile mix up all the ingredients. Bake it for 25 minutes, let it cool and indulge in these beauties!!!!

Now lets see the recipe.

Ingredients:
Makes 12 muffins.

All-purpose flour - 2 cups
Baking powder - 2 tsp
Sugar - 1/2 cup
Butter - 4 tbsp (melted and cooled)
Egg - 1
Milk - 3/4 cup
Blueberries - 1 cup



Procedure:

1. Preheat the oven to 180C.
2. Wash and pat dry the blueberries and roll them in some flour taken in a kitchen towel and set aside.
3. Mix all the dry ingredients in a bowl.
4. Slightly beat the egg in a separate bowl using a fork. Now add the melted butter and milk and mix it lightly.
5. Now add the wet mixture to the dry mixture and just mix till incorporated using a spatula. Do not over mix or beat. A few lumps are acceptable.
6. Finally add the blueberries and very carefully mix it up. If you over mix at this stage you will end up with a blue batter.
7. Line a muffin tray with cup-cake liners. Transfer the batter to the muffin tray with a spoon until each is about 2/3 full.
8.Pop it in the oven and bake for 25-30 minutes. (Mine took exactly 25 minutes. You will know its done when its turned golden brown). Let it cool in the tray for 10 minutes and remove the muffins.

These muffins can make a great accompaniment for tea or can be had for breakfast as well!!!

Methi Chicken Curry!!!!

Hi guys!!!

Methi chicken curry is probably the best chicken curry I have prepared till date. A very simple recipe resulting in a flavor-rich dish is the best part. Generally, fresh methi leaves are used for the curry. Due to the difficulty in finding fresh leaves here I settled with Kasoori methi and still the dish tasted fantastic.

I prepare chicken twice a week and atleast once I try to come up with a curry for chapathis. As I was running out of ideas for chicken curries, I tried this. My husband was so pleased with the dish and by now I guess he would have told a bunch of his friends about this curry :-) What more do I need!!!

Now lets see the recipe.

Ingredients:

Boneless chicken - 250 gms
Onion - 1 big
Tomatoes - 1 big or 2 small
Ginger & garlic paste - 1 tsp
Chilli powder - 1 tsp
Corriander powder - 1 tsp
Garam masala - 1/2 tsp
Pepper powder - 1/2 tsp
Kasoori methi - 2 tbsp (heaped)
Yogurt - 1/3 cup
Cumin seeds - 1 tsp
Salt - as per taste
Oil - 2 tbsp

Procedure:

1. Clean and dice the chicken and set aside. Grind the tomato into a puree and keep it handy too.
2. Heat oil in a kadai on medium flame and add the cumin seeds. When they splutter add the chopped onions and saute till they turn transparent.
3. Now add the ginger garlic paste followed by the chicken pieces. Next add all the masala powders, salt and sprinkle some water and let it cook for about 10 minutes.
4. When the chicken is almost done add the tomato puree and yogurt. Check salt and spice level and finally add the kasoori methi.
5. Simmer the curry for 15-20 minutes and switch off heat.

Serve hot with rotis.

Cheese and Onion Puffs!!!

Hi guys!!!

I have always loved puffs, whatever the filling may be. Everytime I go out with my mom around the tea time in the evening we stop at some local bakery and grab a few puffs (veg or egg) to accompany the tea or coffee that we manage to get on time. That used to be a regular thing we did on our day outs. Ahhhh... I miss my mom and our day outs :-(

Anyways, back to the puffs. I have always wanted to try making puffs at home. The task cannot be any more simplified with the ready-made pastry sheets that are available here. I have also bookmarked a few sites and videos that explained how to achieve good pastry sheets at home. I am definitely going to try them but not yet. I certainly am not a very patient person and these ready-made sheets come in handy.

The first time I had cheese and onion puff was here in the UK. They are available at every bakery and even in the baker sections of the big supermarkets. They taste just great and is relatively easy to prepare too.

Lets see the recipe.
Makes 4 puffs

Jus-Rol Pastry sheet - 1 no
Onion - 1 big / Onion powder - 1 or 11/2 tsp
Cheese - 1 cup grated
Salt - a pinch
Pepper powder - 1 tsp

Procedure:

1. Roll out the pastry sheet as per instructions and cut them into 4 rectangular pieces.
2. Mix the onions, cheese, salt and pepper in a bowl and set aside.
3. Preheat the oven to 200C.
4. In each piece of the pastry sheet place enough cheese and onion mixture and seal them around by folding over.
5. Bake this for 15-20 minutes or until the top is golden brown. Mine took close to 17 minutes.

Serve with ketchup. Makes a great accompaniment for tea.

Aloo Gobi Masala/Potato and Cauliflower Curry!!!

Hi guys!!!

Aloo gobi masala is a classic North Indian curry. Every restaurant in India would serve their own version of this curry and I have never been disappointed with any of the versions I have had so far. It is the same when it comes to the different versions at each home. My mom's version is way too different from mine. Yet, I like both. I have tried my hand at various recipes for this curry before I settled on this one.

Lets see the recipe.

Ingredients:

Potatoes - 3
Cauliflower - 1 small
Onion - 1 big
Tomatoes - 2 medium or 1 big
Green chillies - 1 or 2
Ginger & garlic paste - 1 tsp
Turmeric powder - 1/2 tsp
Chilli powder - 1 tsp
Corriander powder - 1 tsp
Garam masala - 1 tsp
Salt - as per paste
Oil - 2 tbsp
Heavy cream - 2 tbsp

Procedure:

1. Heat oil in a kadai and add the chopped onions and chillies and saute till the onions turn transparent.
2. Now add the ginger garlic paste and mix well. Next add the chopped tomatoes and mix till they form a paste with the onions.
3. Add the cubed potatoes and the cauliflower florets and mix well. Now add all the masala powders, salt and about half cup of water and close the lid and let it cook for about 15-20 minutes. Saute in between to avoid sticking to the bottom.
4. When the veggies are cooked add the cream and mix well and switch off heat.

Serve hot with rotis or pulao. 

Arbi Fry / Cheppankizhangu Varuval!!!

Hi guys!!!

This is one of my favorite sides for sambar rice apart from potato fry indeed. Just mix up a few spice powders and rub them on the arbi slices and fry them to get these crispy fried side dish. Right from the first time I prepared them, it has been a favorite to both of us and is a quite frequented dish too.

Now lets see the recipe.

Ingredients:

Arbi / Cheppankizhangu - 250 gms
Besan flour - 1/4 cup
Turmeric powder - 1/4 tsp
Chilli powder - 1 1/2 tsp
Corriander powder - 1 tsp
Fennel powder - 1/2 tsp
Salt - 1 tsp
Oil - for frying

Procedure:

1. Boil water in a vessel and place the arbi roots in them. Just cook them till a knife inserted is able to make its way in. Do not overcook.
2. Drain the water and peel them and slice them in thin circles.
3. Mix all the ingredients and toss the arbi slices and mix well with your fingers. Do not add water.
4. Heat oil on medium high and fry all the slices till golden brown.

Serve with rice and dal or sambar.

Dal Khichdi!!!

Hi guys!!!

Any comfort food lover will vote a favorite high for Dal khichdi. My bond with this dish goes way back to my working days in Mumbai. This used to be my weekend lunch most of the days. Please do not misunderstand that I used to cook. I was not a great fan of cooking my own food then. The small restaurants near my house had amazingly tasty versions of Dal khichdi. Most of the restaurants had a near-liquid version of this dish. But when I started making my own I made mushy but firm khichdi. Still tastes good!!!!

Now lets see the recipe.

Ingredients:

Rice - 1.5 cups
Toor dal - 1/2 cup
Tomato - 1
Onion - 1
Green chillies - 2
Garlic - 3 pods
Turmeric powder - 1/2 tsp
Chilli powder - 1/2 tsp
Mustard seeds - 1 tsp
Cumin seeds - 1 tsp
Cloves - 5
Cinnamon - 1/2" stick
Kasoori methi - 1 tsp (optional)
Ghee - 2 tbsp
Salt - as per taste

Procedure:

1. Heat the ghee in a pressure cooker and add the mustard seeds and cumin seeds and let them sizzle. Now add the cinnamon and cloves as well.
2. After a minute add the onion, garlic and green chillies and saute till the onions turn transparent. Then add the tomatoes and saute till it mixes well and forms a paste with the onions.
3. Now add the masala powders, salt and kasoori methi if using and mix well. Finally add the rice and dal and add 5 cups and water and cook under pressure for 15 minutes.

Quick and easy dal khichdi is ready!!! Serve with papad.

Note:
1. You can use more water if you prefer the khichdi to be more watery.

Paneer Butter Masala!!!

Hi guys!!!

Paneer butter masala is an all-time favorite curry to me and so would be to most others as well. During my college days, when we had very bad hostel food, going out to have a meal would mostly mean having naan or roomali roti with paneer butter masala. That was always considered a treat :-) When I started working in Mumbai this curry was almost in the menu once a week in my office cafeteria and everytime we were served paneer butter masala I would wait eagerly to plunge into my food!!!

Later when Ganesh and I started going out, we used to frequent a restaurant in Velachery ('coz that was just 2 blocks from where I stayed). All the north indian dishes were top-notch there. On the days we decide to eat vegetarian (that is usually rare) we dont even look at the menus. The order would be naan and paneer butter masala. Ahhhh!!! The good old days when the only effort from my end for any meal was to EAT!!! Well, to be honest, cooking all the favorite dishes at home that you tried from different restaurants does give a great sense of accomplishment.

Enough stories.. So I am going to the recipe now.

Ingredients:

Paneer - 250 gms
Onion - 1 big
Tomatoes - 2
Ginger & garlic paste - 1 tsp
Tomato ketchup - 1 tbsp (Squeeze in a little more if u like the curry sweeter)
Kasoori methi - 1 tbsp
Chilli powder - 1 tsp
Corriander powder - 1 tsp
Garam masala - 1/2 tsp
Salt - as per taste
Heavy cream - 1/3 cup
Butter - 2 tbsp

Procedure:

1. Heat a kadai on medium and let the butter melt. Add the chopped onions and let them cook till transparent. Takes about 5 minutes.
2. Meanwhile grind the tomatoes into a paste and keep aside.
3. When the onions are cooked add the ginger garlic paste and saute for a minute. Now add the tomato paste and the tomato ketchup and mix well.
4. Add all the masala powders and salt, followed by kasoori methi and keep mixing till they incorporate. Add water to make the curry reach the consistency you prefer and check salt and spices and cover and let it cook for about 10 minutes.
5. Finally add the paneer cubes and cream and mix well.

Super creamy paneer butter masala is ready to serve.

Note:
1. People generally fry the paneer pieces before adding them in the curry. But I skip that part in all my paneer curries.
2. You can add food color to achieve the restaurant curry's color.

Egg Fried Rice!!!

Hi guys!!!!

I love fried rice. I prepare fried rice, either Chinese or Thai, occasionally for a weekend lunch. The preparation process is simple and yet you get the satisfied feeling of having had a lunch that is different from the usual. I guess its part of having a Chinese dish. You do feel like you had a good eating-out experience even though you cook them at home.

Using cooked and cooled rice does make the fried rice better looking but it is not a mandatory requirement. I have always used freshly cooked rice and the taste has never changed. Also, I do not use onions in the fried rice 'coz both of us cannot stand to bite into semi-cooked onions. Now lets see the recipe.

Ingredients:

Basmati rice (Cooked and cooled) - 3 cups
Chopped vegetables - 1 cup (I use beans and carrot)
Bell peppers - 1
Sugar - 1/2 tsp
Soy sauce - 2 tsp
Ground pepper - 1 tsp
Eggs - 2
Salt - as per taste
Olive oil - 2 tbsp

Procedure:

1. Scramble the eggs and keep them aside.
2. Heat the olive oil in a wide wok on medium heat and add all the chopped vegetables and bell peppers and saute till they turn soft and semi-cooked.
3. Add soy sauce, salt, sugar and pepper powder and mix well. Next add the cooked rice and mix well till everything is well incorporated.
4. Switch off heat and add the scrambled eggs and mix well. Garnish with spring onions if using. (I, for one, do not garnish my food. Come on!!! We are eating at home not a restaurant!!!)

Serve hot with any Chinese curry!!!

Aloo Paratha!!!

Hi guys!!!

Aloo paratha has become a fortnightly dish. I either prepare them for brunch on weekends or for dinner when we have a light lunch. Not much effort involved and both of us prefer to have them with just sweetened curd, so no need to prepare a sabji. All-in-all a very simple yet tasty dish. No arguments there!!!

Ganesh loves potatoes and that leaves me no choice but to prepare some dish with potato as the main ingredient atleast thrice a week. I do complain everytime he asks me to cook potatoes saying they are not the most healthy option. But aloo parathas are always my idea :-) I simply cant resist them.

Lets see the recipe.

Ingredients:
Makes 4 or 5 parathas

For the paratha:
Wheat flour / Atta - 2 cups
Salt - 1 tsp
Water - as required for kneading

For the filling:
Potatoes - 3
Green chillies - 2
Corriander leaves - a fistful
Garam masala - 1 tsp
Salt - as per taste

Procedure:

1. Knead the atta just like you would for making chapathis. Divide them into 4 balls and set aside.
2. Boil the potatoes and mash them when they are ready. ( Wait for the potatoes to cool down instead of running them under cold water. The latter makes it too soft and way too mushy to hold their shape)
3. Add the finely chopped chillies, corriander leaves, garam masala and salt to the mashed potatoes and knead well and divide them into 4 balls.
4. Now spread the atta ball into a circle of about 4 inch diameter. Place a potato ball in between and seal it back like preparing a dumpling. Repeat the same with all the balls.
5. Set them aside for a few minutes before spreading them again.
6. Heat the tawa on medium high and start spreading the balls again. Dip them and coat them well in atta flour to make it easy to spread. The paratha might tear in some spots but that is OK.
7. Place it on the heated tawa and cook both sides till you see brown spots. Repeat till you are done with all the parathas.

Serve hot with curd/pickle/any sabji.

Carrot Halwa!!!!

Hi guys!!!

Carrot halwa is what I prepare when I have friends over and have no idea what to make for dessert. And every single time it turns out delicious and is a sure hit!!! This sinfully sweet dessert is yummy just alone or makes a great combination with vanilla ice cream too. When serving with ice cream, the halwa needs to be warm to really compliment the chill vanilla scoop.

Now lets see the recipe.

Ingredients:

Carrot (shredded) - 2 cups
Milk (2% or full fat) - 1 cup
Sugar - 1 cup (adjust as per taste)
Ghee - 1/2 cup (again adjust as per taste. I am awfully generous with ghee in desserts)
Broken or chopped nuts - for garnishing (optional)

Procedure:

1. Add the milk and shredded carrot in a wide pan and let it cook on medium flame till the carrot absorbs all the milk.
2. When the carrot is half done add the sugar and mix well and let the sugar dissolve completely.
3. When the sugar has completely dissolved and the milk is fully absorbed add the ghee gradually and mix it well. Switch off heat and garnish with chopped nuts and serve.

Quick Prawn & Egg Fry!!!

Hi guys!!!

This is one of the often prepared dishes with prawns. This is quite easy and the combination of prawns and egg is just so YUMMY!!!!! This is a perfect side dish for rasam or sambar rice. All you need is onions, prawns, eggs and the masala powders that you have all the time. How simple is that!!!!

Now lets see the recipe.

Ingredients:

Prawns (deveined and cleaned) - 250 gms
Eggs - 2
Onions - 1 big
Turmeric powder - 1/2 tsp
Chilli powder - 2 tsp
Corriander powder - 1 tsp
Salt - as per taste
Oil - 2 tbsp
Mustard seeds - 1 tsp
Cumin seeds - 1 tsp
Curry leaves - a bunch

Procedure:

1. Heat oil in a kadai and add the mustard and cumin seeds and let them sizzle. Add the curry leaves followed by the chopped onions and saute till the onions turn transparent.
2. Now add all the masala powders and salt and mix well. Make sure the heat is medium so that the masala powders do not get burnt.
3. Next add the prawns and mix well with the masala. The prawns let out some moisture when cooked on medium heat so there is no need to add water. When all the water let out is absorbed and the prawns are fully cooked, add the eggs into the kadai and keep mixing till they scramble uniformly with the prawns and masala.

Quick and simple prawn and egg fry is ready!!!