Paneer mutter and chappati roll

Paneer mutter and chappati rolls

This is a quick version of dry paneer mutter. It takes just under 15 minutes to make. Need to have three burners　going　on simultaneously.



Ingredients:
Frozen peas (thawed) - 1 cup
Paneer cubes (small) - 20 pieces
Onion - half (diced)
Ginger (grated) - 1 teaspoon
Tomatoes (without seeds) - 2 (chopped)
Cumin seeds - 1/2 teaspoon
Red chilli powder - 3/4 teaspoon or according to your taste.
Coriander powder - 2 teaspoons
Turmeric powder - 2 pinches
Garam Masala - 2 pinches
Salt - to taste
Oil
Coriander leaves for garnishing


Method:
Start three buners.

Burner1 - Simmer
Shallow fry the paneer on all sides.

Burner2 - Medium High flame
Blanch the peas.

Burner3 - Low Medium flame
In a kadai, heat the oil .
To the oil, add cumin seeds.
When the cumin seeds start to dance, add the onion and fry till it becomes translucent.
Add the ginger and saute for 30 seconds.
Add the tomatoes an saute for a minute (no need to be mushy). By this time paneer and peas are done.
Add red chilli powder, coriander powder, turmeric powder, salt and mix well.
Add half cup of water and mix well. After a minute, add green peas and shallow-fried paneer, garam masala and mix well.
Remove from fire after 2 minutes (should be dry).
Garnish with coriander leaves. May be used as a side for chapati, roti.
　
Chapati roll

Place chappati on a flat surface.
Arrange about 2 spoons of mutter paneer over the chapatti.
Roll the chappati firmly and wrap with a foil or paper napkin at the bottom.
This will serve as a great snack or kiddie lunch.

Paneer mutter and chappati roll, Healthy Yum-Yums, and Green Power-Ups are sent to the 15-minute cooking event.

Read More

Healthy Yum-Yums!

Whole Wheat Sandwiches

You may add any kind of stuffing for the sandwiches. My stuffings are lettuce, swiss cheese slice, sliced tomatoes, pickled sandwich cucumber, pickled sliced Jalapeños (in left side plate). Same stuffing with broccoli sprouts.

Fruit Kebabs

You may add any variety of seasonal fruit of your own choice. In the picture, the fruits are papaya, mango, golden apples, chikoo, strawberries, pineapples. Any flavored yogurt would do as a dipping sauce. In the picture, it's vanilla and cherry yogurt.

Whole wheat sandwich and Fruit kebab sent off to the 15-minute event.

Read More

Green Power-Ups!

I planned this drink and everybody in the family said 'NO!' and I just made it for myself only. When I drank this lime mint juice, everybody was looking at me so strangely!

How to prepare the juice:
Lime juice - from half of lime
Mint leaves - 15 fresh leaves
Sugar - 4 teaspoons
Water - 250 ml

Method:
Add mint leaves, sugar, lime juice into the blender with little water.
Grind.
Pour the remaining water into the mixture.
And blend well.
Chill!
Run the juice through the strainer, drop few cubes of ice and enjoy the lime juice with minty flavor.

Honeydew Melon Smoothie
Toss half fruit of honeydew melon, 2 frozen bananas, one cup of ice and blend well! That's it!

Sent off to the 15-minute event.

Read More

Yogurt Parfait & Pineapple Dessert

Yogurt parfait

How to concoct parfait:
Ingredients-Plain yogurt (or flavored yogurt), slices of pineapple, slice of strawberries, spoons of granola.
Method-At the bottom of the glass, include spoons of yogurt, then slices of strawberry, yogurt, and slices of pineapple, yogurt, strawberry, yogurt, pineapple and finally sprinkle granolas. You can also add your relished fruits. Source: Happy Home Baking

Pineapple dessert

This recipe was acquainted by my friend. This is a straightforward dessert, not even 5 minutes to prepare this.
Take 1 cup of condensed milk, 1 cup of pineapple chunks (canned -without juice), and 1 cup cool whip.
Mix all the ingredients and chill. Enhance with preferred nuts and serve.

I'm sending off the parfait, dessert, raita, pineapple kesari and neer mor to the 15-minute cooking event.

Sent off to the 15-Minute event.

Read More

Cucumber Salad

These are the old posts which are sent to the 15 minute cooking event.



Green Salad


Strawberry Salad,


Chucumber


Sprouts Salad,


Carrot Kosumalli,


Healthy Fruit Salad




Cucumber Salad, Red Health Salad are sent to the 15 minute cooking event. Click on the picture for details.

Read More

Vegetable Kozhumbu and an Invitation!

Ingredients:
White Radish – 1 (medium-cut into cubes)
Broad beans – 10 (cut into half)
Brinjals – 2 (cut lengthwise)
Carrot- 2 (chopped)
Drumsticks – 1 (cut into 1 ½ inch)
Red chili powder – 1 teaspoon
Coriander powder- 2 teaspoon
Turmeric powder – ¼ teaspoon
Salt
Tamarind extract – ½ teaspoon
Onion – ½ (finely chopped)
Oil

To grind:
Grated coconut – ¼ cup

Seasoning:
Mustard seeds – ¼ teaspoon
Chana dal – ¼ teaspoon
Urad dal – ¼ teaspoon
Cumin seeds – 2 pinch
Fenugreek seeds – 10 seeds
Curry leaves
Oil

Method:
Add 1 cup of water to the tamarind extract, mix well and keep it aside.
Grind the coconut into a paste.
Pressure cook the vegetables by adding little salt and water.
In a thick sauce pan, heat the oil.
To the oil, add onions and sauté it becomes translucent.
Add the turmeric powder, red chili powder and coriander powder.
Sauté for 1 minute.
Add the tamarind water and let it boil till the raw smell goes off.
Add the boiled vegetables (with water), if required add some salt, and mix well.
After 3 to 4 minutes, add the coconut paste and mix well.
Finally, season the kozhumbu.
Serve with idlis or dosas.

Source: Recipe Book.

The Award
I received this award from Trupti! Thank you, Trupti!

Look at this. It's very old...Just for fun! I received this in a mail from my husband's colleague.

Read More

Hariyali Chicken Tikka

Ingredients:
Chicken breast – 750 grams (cut into cubes)
Coriander Leaves - 20 sprigs (tender)
Mint Leaves– from 15 sprigs
Green Chilies – 3 (medium)
Dry Fenugreek Leaves (Kasoori Methi) – 1 teaspoon
Yogurt – 3 teaspoons
Garlic (jumbo size) – 1 clove (finely minced)
Fresh Ginger – 1 inch (finely minced)
Salt - per needed taste
Cooking Oil for frying and basting
Metal Skewers

Method:
Let’s marinate first:
Heat one teaspoon of oil in a small frying utensil.
To the oil, add the mint leaves.
Fry for 3-5 minutes.
Remove from burner and allow it to cool.
In a blender, add coriander leaves, mint leaves, green chilies, curd, and grind them into a paste. (If required, add little water)
Mix the chicken pieces, grinded paste, minced garlic and ginger, salt, and kasoori methi in a bowl.
Cover the bowl and let the chicken marinate in the refrigerator for 4-6 hours, preferably eight hours (I marinated it overnight).

Time for tandoor:
Pre-heat the oven at 425 Fahrenheit.
Apply a layer of oil on to the skewers.
Insert the chicken pieces on the skewers.
Place the skewers on a baking tray.
Baste the chicken pieces with oil.
Keep the baking tray in the oven.
Let it go on in the oven for 15 minutes.
Then, turn the skewers upside down.
Another 15 minutes… or until cooked.
Increase the oven temperature to 450 degrees.
Bake for 5 more minutes to get that brown texture.
Note: It took me 35 minutes to cook this dish and it took 5 minutes to get the brown texture.
Remove from skewer and serve with shredded onions or any kind of green chutney.

Read More

Chicken Fingers

Ingredients for making chicken fingers:

Chicken breast – 25 pieces (cut into long pieces about 1/2" thick)
Red chilli powder – 1 1/2 teaspoon or according to your taste.
Cumin powder – ½ teaspoon
Garlic (finely minced) – ½ teaspoon
Ginger (finely minced) – 1 teaspoon
Garam masala – 2 pinches
Salt as required
Oil for basting

Method:
Pre-heat the oven in broiler mode.
Mix all the ingredients with the chicken pieces.

Marinate for 15 minutes
Place all the pieces in a baking dish and baste it with little oil.
Set the oven in broiler high mode for 10 minutes.
Then turn the chicken pieces.
Again cook for 10 – 15 minutes or until cooked.
Remove and serve with cilantro sauce.

Ingredients for Cilantro sauce:
Cilantro sprigs – ½ cup
Parsley sprigs – ¼ cup
Blanched silvered almonds – ¼ cup
Garlic (plump) - 1 glove
Green chilli (medium) – 2
Lime juice – 1 teaspoon
Olive oil – 1 tablespoon
Salt as required
Water as required for grinding.

Preparation method for cilantro sauce:
Add all ingredients except water in the blender.
Blend until chopped.
Then add the water and grind into thick smooth sauce.
Note: If you don’t like the taste of parsley, neglect the parsley and increase the cilantro.
Adjust the chillies and masalas according to your taste.

I read this from a recipe book.

Read More

Dhudhi (Lauki) Halwa!

Bottle gourd is one of the most neglected vegetable in my food habits. My mom had tough time with me whenever she cooked the bottle gourd. But when she cooked halwa with this vegetable, it will almost be a main course for me. To this halwa I added mawa/khoya to enhance the taste.

Ingredients:Bottle gourd Grated (I medium) – 1 ½ cups (without seeds)
Sugar – ¾ cup or according to your taste.
Mawa/khoya – 2 tablespoons
Ghee – 1 tablespoon
Cardamom powder – 2 pinches
Green food color – few drops (optional)
Silvered almonds for garnishing

Method:Peel the skin of the bottle gourd and grate it. No need to discard the water.
In a thick kadai, melt the ghee.
To the ghee, add the grated bottle gourd and sauté in medium heat.
When water is absorbed, add the sugar and mix well.
When the bottle gourd and sugar becomes thick, add the khoya and food color (optional).
Again mix well. Finally add the cardamom powder and mix.
When the halwa leaves the sides of the kadai (சுருண்டு வரும் போது) remove from heat.
Garnish with silvered almonds.
Serve chill.

I'm sending this to the Mithai Mela event.

Read More

Salad 'n' Soup

Salad

Ingredients

Lettuce or mixed greens – 2 cups

Chickpeas- 1/4 cup (canned - rinsed and drained)

Olive oil – 1 teaspoon

Lemon juice – 1 teaspoon

Salt and pepper to taste.

Sprinkle of flaxseeds.

Preparation

Toss together mixed greens or lettuce and chickpeas.

Drizzle with olive oil and lemon juice, season with salt and pepper, and toss again.

Sprinkle with flaxseeds.
Source : The Internet

Creamy Tomato Soup

Ingredients:
Ripe tomatoes – 2 lb

Olive oil to coat tomatoes.

White onion – 1 (chopped)

Carrot – 1 (chopped)

Small fennel bulb – 1 (chopped)

Unsalted butter – 3 tablespoons

Chicken or vegetable stock or water– 2 cups (I used water)

Fresh tarragon – 6 sprigs

Fresh parsley – 6 sprigs

Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

Heavy cream - ½ cup

Parsley Croûtons

Baguette – 12 thin sliced

Olive oil to coat both sides of each piece of baguette

Garlic - 2 gloves (cut into half)

Teleme cheese (or Parmesan) – I used parmesan

Fresh parsley – ¼ cup (chopped)

Method:
Pre-heat the oven to 425 degrees F.
Cut the tomatoes and remove the seeds. Coat them with olive oil.
Place the tomatoes in the baking dish for 30 minutes in the oven.
In between turn the tomatoes every 10 minutes.
When the tomatoes' skin begins to darken and blister, remove the baking dish. Let it cool.
Remove the skin. Reserve the pulp and the juices.
Melt the butter in a thick saucepan and add the chopped fennel bulb, carrot, onion and saute.
When the veggies turn soft add the water, fresh tarragon, fresh parsley.
Simmer for 30 minutes.

During this time, let's cook croutons.
Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.
Coat olive oil on both sides of the sliced baguettes. Place it on a baking sheet.
Rub one side of baquette with garlic and add the teleme cheese or sprinkle parmesan cheese. Sprinkle the parsley and bake till brown.

After 30 minutes, remove the sprigs of tarragon and parsley.
Add the tomato pulp and juice to the soup.
Let it cool.
Blend the vegetables in batches.
Return the soup to the pan and add the heavy cream. Heat it till warm.
Season it with pepper and salt.
While serving, float the croutons on the bowl of soup.

Source: Noble Pig.

Salad sent off to the 15-Minute event.

Read More

V(w)ada Pav

Life is not normal in Mumbai without vada pav. It is the most popular dish in Mumbai. It is a scrumptious snack sold everywhere ubiquitously in Maharashtra. Vada pav is the Mumbai’s burger. It is a combination of Batata vada and split pav (bun). Batata vada is boiled mashed potatoes with masalas dipped in besan batter and deep fried. This vada is stuffed in pav with chutneys and dry red chutney. Vada pav is also served with fried green chillies.

Method:

Vada:
Stuffing masala:
Potatoes – 4 (medium – boiled and mashed)
Green chillies – 3 (medium-crushed &minced)
Garlic – 1 cloved (minced)
Turmeric powder – 2 pinches
Cumin seeds – ¼ teaspoon
Garam masala – ¼ teaspoon
Lemon juice – ½ teaspoon
Asafoetida – 2 pinch
Coriander leaves – 2 teaspoon (chopped)
Salt as required
Oil

Batter:
Gram flour or besan – 1 cup
Red chilli powder – ½ teaspoon
Baking soda – 2 pinch
Salt as required

Method:
Combine the batter ingredients in a bowl and add water.
Merge till it becomes thick consistency. Keep the bowl aside.
In a pan heat the oil and add the cumin seeds. Then toss in the garlic and green chillies and sauté.
Throw in the mashed potatoes, turmeric powder, asafetida, salt, coriander leaves and mix well.
Sauté this mixture for 1 minute and finally pour the lemon juice. Remove from heat. Keep the mixture out of the way. Let it chill.
Deep frying the vada:
Heat the oil in a kadai for deep frying.
Segregate the potato masalas into equal portions and shape into balls.
Immerse this ball in the batter and drop it in the oil (repeat the same process for all the balls).
Fry on both sides and take out when it's golden color.

Chutneys:

Dry garlic chutney:
Garlic – 2 big cloves
Dry coconut Or Kopra (grated) – ¼ cup
Red chilli powder – 2 teaspoon
Oil – ½ teaspoon
Salt as required

Method:
Heat the oil in a small kadai.
Sauté the garlic and dry grated coconut in a low medium flame.
When the coconut changes into golden color, remove from the fire.
Add the garlic, grated coconut, red chilli powder and required salt and grind them.

Sweet and sour chutney:
Tamarind – 1 tablespoon
Dates – 8 (pitted)
Jaggery – 2 to 4 tablespoons
Chilli powder – ½ teaspoon
Cumin powder – ½ teaspoon
Salt – ¼ teaspoon
Black salt - 1 pinch (I didn’t use this ingredient)

Method:

Boil the tamarind, dates, jaggery and salt in 2 cups of water for 5 minutes.
Cool.
Add this to the blender and blend.
Strain this mixture.
Add red chilli powder, cumin powder, and black salt and mix them up well.

Green chutney:
Coriander leaves – 15 sprigs(or) few with tender stems
Mint leaves – 10 leaves
Tamarind pulp – 1 teaspoon
Green chillies – 2
Salt as required
Sugar – ¼ teaspoon

Method:
Toss all these in the blender and blend by adding little water!

Photos (for adding the chutneys).

Tamarind chutney is added.

Then Dry Garlic Chutney is added.

After that, the Green Chutney is added.

Then the vada is stuffed in the pav.

Finally, it's ready! And press the vada and serve!

Note: Adjust the red chilli powder ,garlic and green chilli according to your taste.

I'm sending this recipe to the Sunday Snacks - Chaats/Indian Street Foods. Click on the picture for details.

Read More

Stuffed paratha (aloo, tofu, and gajar)

Stuffed paratha (aloo, tofu, and gajar)
Ingredients:
For dough:
Whole wheat flour – 2 cups
Salt as required
Water for mixing

For stuffing:
Potatoes – 3 medium sized (boiled and grated)
Tofu – 2 tablespoons (crumbled or grated)
Carrot – 2 tablespoons (grated)

Ginger - 1/2 tea spoon - grated
Chilli powder – ½ teaspoon
Cumin powder – ¼ teaspoon
Amchur powder – ¼ teaspoon
Chat masala – 2 pinches
Garam masala – ¼ teaspoon
Green chillies (finely chopped) – 2
Coriander leaves – 2 teaspoon (finely chopped no stems!)
Salt as required

Oil or butter for cooking paratha.

Method:
In a bowl, add wheat flour and salt. Mix well.
Add water, and form dough.
Cover and keep it aside.
Pat dry the tofu and crumble/grate.
In another bowl, add all the stuffing ingredients and mix well.
This stuffing mixture should be dry and soft.
Take lime sized dough and flatten it the diameter of 2 inches.

Stuff the required potato mix into the flat dough and wrap into a ball (whole stuffing should be dry).

Flatten again gently.

Fry on flat griddle. Apply oil or ghee on the both sides of the paratha.

Note: Squeeze out all the water from the tofu. Pat-dry and then crumble/grate.

Egg masala:
This recipe is referred to Malar Gandhi’s chicken tomato thokku. I made some changes in the ingredients according to our taste added egg, instead of chicken. We all loved the dish. Thanks Malar!

Heat the oil in a kadai.
To the oil, add saunf, 2 cloves and one cinnamon stick.
Then add, half cup of chopped onion piecesand fry till it becomes translucent.
Add a teaspoon of grated garlic and fry.
After 2 minutes, add tomato pieces, chopped from a big tomato.
Add salt.
Fry till the tomatoes become mushy.
Add a teaspoon of red chilli powder, ¼ teaspoon of turmeric powder and mix well.
Add ¼ cup of water and mix well.
After 3 minutes, add 4 boiled eggs, 2 pinch garam masala and few curry leaves, mix the egg with the masala and remove from fire.
Serve with chapathi.

Capsicum and tofu kurma.
This recipe is from Asha’s bell-pepper kurma. Made some changes by adding tofu and using the onions directly without grinding. I cooked this for dinner tonight. Shallow fry the tofu and add this to the masala. Thanks Asha! We loved this dish!

Read More

Chicken Biryani

My mom cooks the best chicken biryani. She always dums her biryani with a moistened, thick cloth and some hot charcoal pieces. When there is family get together, she cooks it in big vessels. She made sure that the onions are sliced thinly; mint leaves are fresh from garden for the biryani. And the aromatic spices are used too… Even if I can’t cook the dish like her, I still remember the perfectness of the biryani.

Ingredient:
Basmati rice - 2 cups
Chicken (cut into biteful pieces) – 500 gm
Onion (finely chopped) – 1 cup
Garlic (minced) – 1 teaspoon
Ginger (finely minced) – 2 teaspoon
Tomatoes (without seeds) – ¾ cup
Green chilies (crushed) – 2
Mint leaves (finely chopped) – 10 leaves
Red chili powder – ½ teaspoon
Coriander powder – 1 teaspoon
Salt to taste
Ghee – 2 teaspoon
Oil

For chicken marination:
Garlic (finely grated) - ½ teaspoon
Ginger (finely grated) – 1 teaspoon
Red chili powder – ½ teaspoon
Curd/plain yogurt – 1 ½ tablespoon
Salt

Spices to be ground:
Fennel seeds – 1 teaspoon
Cloves – 3
Cinnamon desi – 1
Cardamom – 3
Javanthri – 1
Star anise – 2 petals from a flower
Bay leaves – 2
Nut Meg powder – 2 pinches
Cumin seeds – ½ teaspoon
Pepper corn – 5

For color rice:
Basmati rice – a handful
Food color (red/orange) – ¼ teaspoon

Method:
Marinating:
In a bowl, add the chicken.
Then add the marinating ingredients in the chicken.
Cover and keep it in the fridge.
Soak the rice in water for 30 minutes.
Grind all the spices (except bay leaves) into a coarse powder.

Cooking:
Heat the oil in a thick bottomed cooking vessel (whatever vessel you use for cooking biryani).
Add the ground spices and sauté for 30 seconds.
Then include the ginger and garlic and fry till the raw smell disappears.
Add the onions, and fry till it changes color.
Throw in the green chilies and mint leaves and fry for a minute.
Toss in the tomatoes and required salt and sauté till it gets mushy.
Add the red chili and coriander powder and mix well.
At this time, throw the chicken in and stir-fry.
Keep stir-frying till it dries up.
Pour the ghee and sauté for a minute.
Drain the rice from the water with a strainer and toss it in the mixture. Mix gently.
Pour 2 cups of water and again mix gently.
Cover the vessel and let it cook for 10-15 minutes in a low-medium flame.
Remove the lid and cover the vessel with a sheet of aluminum foil.
Then place the lid on the foil.
Change the heat to simmer mode.
Cook it for 10 minutes.
After 10 minutes, the rice and chicken must be well-cooked.
Note: Check it and if not properly cooked, take your time. To me, it takes 10 minutes.
Mix the rice with ghee (optional) and coriander leaves.

For color rice (optional):
Boil the water in a small pan.
Add the rice and food color and mix well.
IT SHOULDN’T BE STICKY!
After rice is cooked, get rid of the water!
Finally add this color rice to the biryani.
Garnish as you desire. Remove bay leaves while serving.
Serve with raita or kurma or chicken fry.

Read More

Thayir Vadai

For vadai refer to my last year's post. It is not necessary to make donut shaped vadai.

For Curd:
Thick Curd - 2 ½ cups
Grated coconut – 3 tablespoons
Green chillies - 2
Ginger – ¼ inch
Salt

Tempering:
Mustard seeds – 2 pinch
Cumin seeds – 2 pinch
Whole dry chilli – 2
Curry leaves- 5
Oil
Garnishing:
Corainder leaves


Method:
Soak the vadais in hot water for 2 to 4 minutes.
Meanwhile grind the coconut,green chillies and ginger into thick paste.
Add this to the curd with salt and mix well.
Take the vadai from the hot water and press the vadai so that the water is squeezed out.
Place it in a bowl or plate. Pour the curd.
Temper the mustard seeds, cumin seeds , whole dry chilli,curry leaves.
Spread the tempering over thayir vadai.
Garnish with coriander leaves.
Note: Tempering is your option. Cover the vadais and keep them in the fridge for 1-2 hours. Serve them chill.

Read More