Bharva Bhindi…

As a part of my new year plan of making new recipes… here is Bharva Bhindi or stuffed bhindi / okra

Ingredients::

Besan/ gram flour: 1 cups
Bhindi: 500 gms
Saunf: crushed: 1 tbsp
Dhania / Jeera powder : 1-1.5 tsp
Turmeric powder: 1 tsp
Chilli powder:according to taste
oil for frying
salt according to taste

Method:

1. Heat oil in a kadai. Add saunf , besan, little water and masala powders and saute till the raw smell of the besan goes away. Add a little salt and saute for some more time…
2. Once the raw smell from the mixture goes away, remove and keep aside.
3. Slit the bhindis vertically and stuff the besan mixture into the bhindis.
4. Take a shallow kadai and heat oil (2-3 tbsp) in it…
5. Once the oil is heated, place the stuffed bhindis one by one and cook on low heat.
6. Add salt and cook till the bhindis are completely cooked and a little crisp…
7. Remove from the flame and serve hot with rotis…

Corn Mushroom n Cheese Omlete

Hi everybody, apost here after a looooong time….. This is something which D made as lunch for us last week..so here goes….

Ingredients:For one omlete
Eggs: 2 nos
Milk: 1/2 cup
Button Mushroom: 4 - 5 nos
Sweet Corn: 1/4 cup
Chopped onion: 1/2 nos (medium size)
Chopped tomato: 1/2 nos
Cheese: 2 cubes
Butter: 2 tsp
Pepper, Salt , Sugar & Oregano: According to taste

Method:
1. Take the eggs and whisk them nicely in a bowl till it becomes frothy.
2. Add the milk to this along with salt and sugar.
3. Heat 1 tsp butter in a non sticky pan, add the egg mixture to it and spread it nicely so that it coats the pan uniformly.
4. On top of this add tomatoes, onions, mushrooms and corn.
5. Sprinkle the grated cheese & 1tsp butter on top of this and put powdered pepper and oregano and close the pan with a lid for 10 mins ( till the cheese spreads nicely on top of the omlete and the corners start becoming brown).
6. Serve hot with toasted bread…

Khandvi (Arusuvai Friendship Chain)

The Arusuvai Friendship Chain has been inspired by the Amish Friendship Bread starter chain doing the rounds outside of India. This chain is all about sending along a a surprise gift to your friends for them to prepare something tasty with it, share the recipe and pass on the surprise ingredient to other people..

As a gift, Kajal sent across to me a packet of Besan or Gram Flour…there were so many things that i could have made with besan, but i decided to make something which i have never tried before..one of my favourite Gujarati snack..” Khandvi”

Ingredients:

Besan: 1 cup
Buttermilk: 3 cups
Ginger-chilli paste: 1 tsp
Turmeric Powder: 1/2 tsp
CCorriander leaves (finely chopped): 1 tbsp
Grated coconut: 2 tbsps
Salt according to taste

For tempering:

Mustard seeds: 1 tsp
oil: 3 tsp
Green chillies: 2 nos
Asafoetida: a pinch
Curry leaves: a few

Method:

1. Mix besan, buttermilk and salt in a bowl and Micro Med for 4 mins.
2. Add turmeric powder, ginger - chilli paste and Micro High for 5 mins.
3. Remove from the microwave and spread immediately on a greased surface in a thin layer ( i used the back of a big plate, greased it and spread the besan mixture on it).
4. When set cut into strips and roll. Arrange the rolls in a serving dish.
5. Place all the ingredients for tempering in a bowl, Micro High for 1.5 mins and pour over the khandvi.

6. Garnish with chopped corriander and grated coconut…

As a part of continuing this chain.. i will be sending across a secret ingredient to Archana

Nutty & Minty Pasta

Today i decided to make a variation of the pasta that i usually make.. to change the taste decided to add some peanuts and mint leaves as well to see how it tastes…and the end result was quite nice..

Ingredients:

Penne Pasta cooked “as dante” : 2 cups
Finely chopped tomatoes: 5 nos
Peas: 1 cup
Finely chopped onions: 1 nos
Button mushrooms: 200 gms
Thinly sliced Carrot: 1 nos
Mint leaves: 20-25
Crushed peanuts: 1/2 cup
Salt: according to taste
Sugar: 1 tsp
crushed Garlic: 3-4 cloves
Dry herbs: Oregano, Rosemary & Red Chilli Flakes: according to taste
Bay leaf: 1 nos
Cheese: 1 cube

Method:

1. Heat oil in a vessel, add the onions and garlic and suate till the onions are golden brown in colour.
2. Add tomatoes, Carrots, mushroom and peas and let them cook.
3. Add the dry herbs, little salt and sugar and mix well.
4. Add the mint leaves and bay leaf and mix well.
5. Add the cooked pasta and mix well and cook for a couple of minutes.
6. Add the crushed peanuts, 1/2 cube of cheese and mix well.
7. Grate the rest of the cheese and grill in the microwave for 2 minutes.
8. Serve hot…

Sarson ka Saag & Makke di Roti…

Well this new year i have planned to try out new recipes…make dishes that i have never tried before… so to begin with..here goes Sarson ka saag and makke di roti…

Sarson ka Saag: Ingredients:

Sarson / mustard leaves: 1 bunch
Palak : 1.5 bunch
Tomatoes: 2 nos (medium size)
Onions: 1 nos
Oil: -3 tsp
jeera: 1 tsp
Salt: According to taste
Turmeric / chilli powder: according to taste
Ghee: 1 dollop
ginger-garlic paste: 1 tsp
cheese: 1 cube
Juice of 1 lemon or according to taste

Method:

1. Pick the leaves from both the greens and wash them nicely in water.
2. Blanch the greens in boiling water , after 3-4 minutes of blanching the greens, remove them from hot water and immediately wash them with cold water (this helps in retaining the green colour).
3. Puree the onions and tomatoes and set aside.
4. Puree the cooked greens and set aside.
5. Heat oil in a kadai and add jeera to it. Once the jeera starts spluttering.. add the ginger-garlic paste.
6. Once the paste loses the raw smell, add the onion and tomato puree and cook for 4-5 minutes.
7. Now add the pureed greens.. Add salt, turmeric powder and chilli powder ti it and cook for 5-8 minutes.
8. Remove the cooked greens from the flame and add a dollop of ghee and then add lemon juice and set aside.
9. Add 1 cube of cheese and serve hot with makke di roti

Makke di roti: Ingredients:

Maize flour: 1 portion
wheat flour: 1/3rd potion
salt: 1 tsp
oil: 2 tsp

Method:

1. Mix all the ingredients with water and knead it into a dough.
2. Cover the dough and Set aside the for 1 hour.
3. Make balls of the dough of size equivalent to 2-3 lemons put together.
4. Take a plastic cover or greased paper for making the rotis.
5. Grease the plastic cover with oil and keep the maize flour ball on it.
6. Slightly wet your hands and pat the balls flat to a desired size.
7. Heat a tava and gently place the makke di roti on the tava with the help of the plastic sheet / cover.
8. Cook the rotis on both sides and set aside on a plate..
9. serve hot with Sarson ka Saag…

Muttar Paneer…

This is my way of preparing Muttar Paneer. A simple sabzi to go with phulkas or rotis…

Ingredients:

Muttar / peas: 1 cup
Paneer: 150 gms (cut into small cubes)
Onion: 2 nos
Tomatoes: 4 nos or 2 cup fresh tomato puree
Powder masalas: Turmeric, chilli, jeera, dhania : as per taste
Ground masala: cloves, cinamon, badi elaichi: 2 tsp
Salt: according to taste
Ginger-garlic paste: 1 tsp
cream: 1 tbsp
Coriander leaves: for garnish
oil: 1 tbsp

Method:

1. Puree the onions and tomatoes seperately and set aside.
2. Heat oil in a kadai, and add ground masalas and ginger-garlic paste.
3. Once the paste loses the raw smell, add the onion puree and saute for 2 mins.
4. Add the tomato puree and saute for some more time. At this stage also add the muttar
5. Add the other masala powder and salt and cook for 2 mins
6. Once the purees are cooked and dont have the raw smell add the paneer cubes
7. Cook the whole sabzi on low flame and cover it with a lid for 2-3 mins
8. Remove the sabzi from the flame, add the cream and garnish with corriander leaves.
9. Serve hot with phulkas or rotis…

Break

These days i have been having a lot of office work …so will be taking a small breakkkk…

Happy cooking guys…

Dudhi ka Handwa

Handwa is a version of Indian cake made in Gujarat…and one of my favourite gujarati snacks…
The handwa vessel is made up of two parts, the bigger vessel in which the batter is poured and the smaller portion wherien the sand is added. The hole through middle of the vessel lets the heat from the gas to the batter and lets the batter cook and the sand indirectly heats the batter…

Ingredients:

Handwa flour: 3 cups
Grated dudhi/lauki/bottle gaurd: 750 gms
turmeric powder: 2 tsp
salt: according to taste
ginger & green chilli paste: according to taste
til: 50 + 50 gms
oil: 1 + 2 tbsp
curd: 1/2 cup
sugar: 2-3 tsp
Method:

1. Mix all the ingredients (include 50 gms til and 1 tbsp of oil) and soak for 4 -5 hours.
2. Grease the handwa vessel with oil from the inside and pour the batter into it. Add the remaining til and oil on top of the batter…
3. Pour dry sand in the smaller/lower part of the vessel and keep aside…
4. Keep the the vessel with sand on low flame and then put the bigger vessel on top of the smaller vessel and close the lid and let it cook for a couple of hours or till the batter is cooked.
5. To check whether the handwa is cooked or not, take a clean knife and dip into the handwa…if the batter does not stick to the knife then it means that the handwa is cooked and ready…
6. To remove the handwa, slowly slice it into big pieces (after it cools a little bit) and lay it on a plate and serve with chutney…

It might sound a bit complicated but the end product is really delicious to eat…

Happy Deepawali to everbody…Hope everybody has a a happy and safe diwali…

Thai Green Curry…

So now that the first part of the festive season and a short break is over..here is something that i made for my family some time back…

Ingredients:

Diced Vegetables: 2-3 cups (carrots, capsicum, peas, cauliflower florets, babycorn, mushrooms etc)
Diced tofu: 1 /2 cup
Thai basil leaves: 5-6 nos
Coconut milk: 3-4 cups
Kaeng Thai green curry paste: 50 gms
Salt: according to taste
Method:

1. In a large sauce pan, simmer half the quantity of the coconut milk. Add all the vegetables to it (exclude the tofu) and cook…
2. Add required amount of thai green curry paste and salt to it and let it simmer for 10 more minutes or till the vegetables are cooked.
3. Add the balance amount of coconut milk, tofu and simmer for some more time…
4. Add the thai basil leaves and serve hot with cooked rice…

Suhiyan for Saraswati Pooja…

Saraswati pooja is celebrated on the 9th day of navaratri. Goddess saraswati is the presiding deity of the spoken word. Mounting on her swan, she plays on Kachchapi, her veena and is worshipped as the presiding deity of knowledge… To know a little more visit here …

This Saraswati pooja i made Suhiyan for neivedyam / prasadam…

Ingredients:

Filling

Grated Coconut: 1 cup
Jaggery: 3/4 th cup
Cardamom: 5-6 (powder the spice)

Cover

Urad dal: 1 cup
Salt: 2 pinches
Oil : 3-4 cups for frying

Method:

1. Soak the urad dal for 3-4 hours in water.
2. Grind the urad dal in a processor or mixie with salt. The consistency should be a little thinner than what we grind for ulundu vadai (urad dal vadai)
3. Powder the jaggery and set aside…
4. Heat a kadai, add little water (1-3 tsp) and add the jaggery to it. Dissolve the jaggery in the water.
5. Once the jaggery starts frothing add the coconut and keep stirring on slow flame…
6. Cook till all the water is absorbed and the mixture thickens (if the mixture is rolled in the palm of the hands, one should be able to make small balls out of it). Add cardamom powder and keep aside…
7. Make small balls of the coconut mixture.
8. Dip the coconut balls in the urad dal mixture and fry them in oil…

This is my entry for Vcuisine’s RCI-Tamil Festivals …