Monday, 13 April 2015

Cheese and Herb Baked Bread

After a long vacation which include almost three countries (Swiss, Italy and France) I was too tired to get out of the bed and cook breakfast for the family so I came up this idea which is one of the most quick and lazy breakfast ideas.

Ingredients:
  1. 3 plain paw bhaji Buns (or 6 thick bread slices )
  2. 1 cup grated Cheese of your choice
  3. 1 table spoon of herbs / Oregano (I used Italian seasoning)
  4. 1 tea spoon Chilli Flakes
Directions:
  • Pre heat oven to 180 degrees.
  • Cut the buns from the centre to make two equal thick slices (avoid if using normal bread slices)
  • Put one thick layer of cheese on it, sprinkle the herbs and chilli flakes.
  • Put them on lightly greases baking tray and bake for 15 minutes on top rack.
  • Serve hot with your choice of dips.

Pizza Scrolls

This is one more version of pizza which is very popular among kids.Its very easy to make and a perfect starter for any party specially kids party.

Ingredients:
  1. 2 Cups Self Raising Flour
  2. 1-1/2 table spoon Butter (room temperature)
  3. 3/4 cup Milk
  4. 1/2 cup Tomato Pasta Sauce
  5. 1 cup grated Cheese (any of your choice )
  6. 100 gms chicken cubes (boiled and chopped)
  7. 1 table spoon seasoning.
Directions:

  • Preheat oven to 180 °C .Line a large tray with non-stick baking paper. 
  • Sift flour into a large bowl. Add butter and rub in with your fingertips until evenly combined.
  • Make a well in the centre of flour mixture and pour in the milk. Mix until mixture is moist and starts to clump together. Gather the dough into a ball.
  • Roll dough into a roughly rectangular shape using a rolling pin.
  • Spread pasta sauce over the dough leaving a 3cm space along the two long edges. Sprinkle cheese, chicken and seasoning over sauce.

  • Starting from a long side, roll into a log. Cut into equal slices. Place onto tray, cut side up and with ends turned inwards so they don't unroll while cooking.
  • sprinkle little cheese on each slice. Bake for 25 minutes until risen and golden brown.
 Tips: If you don't have self rising flour then make your own by combining 1 cup of all-purpose flour with 1 1/2 teaspoons of baking powder and 1/2 teaspoon of salt. Happy baking.


Wednesday, 25 March 2015

Masala Oats Paniyaram


Highly inspired by my new friends in London I have tried this recipe and to my surprise it came out to be wonderful and tasty. Instead of using actual batter for paniyaram I used oats mix which made it more healthy.Thanks Rupa for letting me use your paniyaram pan and also instructing me how to use it..you are a star.

Ingredients:
  • 1 cup Oats
  • 3 tablespoon Rice Flour 
  • 1/2 cup Thick Curd
  • A nice pinch of Baking Soda
  • 1 Carrot grated
  • 1 big Onion finely chopped
  • 1/2 teaspoon Red Chilli powder
  • Oil 
  • Salt - to taste
  • Paniyaram pan
  • To Temper:
  • 1 teaspoon Oil
  • 1 teaspoon Mustard Seeds
  • 1/2 teaspoon Urad Dal
  • 2 teaspoon Curry leaves chopped finely
Directions:
  • Dry roast oats for 2mins.
  • In a pan heat oil add mustard seeds,urad dal and curry leaves let it splutter.Then add onion and sauté till transparent.
  • Then add carrot and sauté till raw smell leaves, add chilli powder and give a quick mix.
  • In a mixing bowl take roasted oats,carrot onion,rice flour,curd,baking soda and coriander leaves.
  • Add water, mix well to form a medium thick batter , like our idly batter.
  • Grease the paniyaram pan with oil and add a spoon full of the batter in each hole.
  • cook covered until it gets cooked. When the top part looks cooked then turn and cook on other side till golden brown.
  • Serve hot with any chutney or sauce of your choice.






Saturday, 21 March 2015

Baked Chicken Pasta

I am very big fan for Big chill baked pasta( anyone from Delhi can understand what I am saying),well its a food chain which is famous for its unique pastas. I wanted to try out this recipe since long and finally I got a you tube video of similar recipe by Todd's kitchen.


Ingredients:

  1. 1 cup Pasta any shape ( I mixed two shapes)
  2. 1 tablespoon Oil
  3. 1 small Onion chopped
  4. 1 Tomato chopped
  5. 1 Capsicum
  6. 2-3 cloves of Garlic finely chopped
  7. Salt to taste
  8. 1 tablespoon Italian herb seasoning (oregano)
  9. 2 tablespoon Pasta Sauce / spicytomato salsa
  10.  1/2 cup boiled chicken breast fillets, cubed (increase or decrease according to your choice)
  11. 1/3 cup Cheddar cheese (increase with your choice)
  12. 1/4 cup mozzarella Cheese (optional)
Directions:
  • Cook pasta in water along with little salt.Drain it and keep aside
  • take little bit oil in a pan and fry the chicken pieces little bit so that it doesn't taste like boiled. This step is purely optional you can skip it and use the boiled chicken directly
  • Heat oil in a pan add  garlic, onions, capsicum, tomatoes cook for 2 minutes. when raw smell goes add herbs. sauces and chicken pieces and salt, give a quick stir
  • In a baking dish add pasta, sauce mixture and little bit of shredded cheese and mix well.
  • Now cover the top portion with enough cheese and bake it in 220 degrees for 10 minutes or till the cheese have melted and browned a bit.
  • Serve with your choice of bread.

Note:
  1. I have used the basic pasta sauce. you can make your own flavour.
  2. you can even make it pure veg by adding veggies instead of chicken.
  3. I have used two types of cheeses but choice is all yours.
  4. Be very careful while serving as the dish will be very hot.

Monday, 16 March 2015

Bhappa Doi Bengali Style

Never thought steamed sweet yoghurt or bhappa doi would be so easy to make.This recipe will drag you back to the streets of Bengal. Thank you my dear sister-in-law(supriya bhauja) for the idea of making this at home.

Ingredients:
  1. 1 cup plain Yoghurt / Curd
  2. 1 cup Milk
  3. 1/2 can (200 gm) sweetened condensed milk
  4. 5 almonds sliced
  5. 10 pistachio nuts sliced
  6. 5 raisins
  7. 2 cups water for steaming
Directions:

  • Beat together yoghurt, milk and condensed milk till well blended. 
  • Add almonds, pistachio nuts and raisins, and mix well.
  • Pour the mixture into a pudding mould. cover the mould with a plate or with aluminium foil.Fill a large bowl half with water and bring the water to boil, put the covered mould into the water (making sure water can’t splash into it), reduce the heat and cover the bowl. 
  • Steam for 20 minutes. 
  • Remove the bowl from heat.open the cover and allow to cool naturally.
  • Once cooled refrigerate until well chilled (approx. 4 hours). 
  • Place a serving dish on top of mould and invert. Shake it gently to release. Remove mould and Serve cold. 
Note: The original source called out to use full tin (400 gm) of condensed milk but it was too sweet for us to handle so I would suggest to use 1/2 tin.

Thursday, 12 March 2015

Suji / Rawa Toast

If you are bored of same cereals or butter toast for busy mornings then you can definitely try this Indian version of bread toast.This is my mother in laws creation which we all love to have in the morning.Even my 2 year old kid loves the crunchiness and taste of it.

 

Ingredients:
  1. 1 cup Suji / Rawa
  2. 1 Onion chopped
  3. 1 Tomato chopped
  4. Salt to taste
  5. 2 Green Chillies chopped
  6. 1/2 teaspoon Curry Powder
  7. Butter or oil to toast
Directions:
  • In a bowl add ingredients except bread , add enough water to make it a batter consistency.
  • Heat few drops oil/ butter in a flat pan, spread a nice layer of above mixture on one side of the bread and put it on the pan to toast.
  • while its in pan spread the other side of the bread with the mixture.Wait till one side is  golden brown colour then flip it and wait till other side also colours.
  • When both side are golden brown colour and little bit crispy remove from pan and serve hot.
  • Serve with with ketchup and some freshly squeezed orange juice to complete your meal.

Creamy Green Peas Masala

If you are carving for food from local dhabbas but don't want to buy from there due to the oil portion in it then you are in the right page. This creamy green peas masala tastes just like local dhabba -creamy and yummy with less oil. I bet you will go for second round for this side dish. It goes well with anything to everything like roti , phulka, chapati, rice, pulao etc etc..

Ingredients:
  1. 1 cup Fresh or Frozen Peas
  2. 1.5 teaspoon Channa/Chole Masala
  3. 1/2 teaspoon Red Chilli Powder
  4. 1 teaspoon Kasoori Methi
  5. 1 Onion chopped
  6. Salt to taste
To Grind:
  1. 2 large Tomatoes
  2. 2 Onions
  3. 1 tablespoon Ginger-Garlic paste(you can also use fresh)
  4. 2 Green Chillies
  5. 5 Cashews
  6. 2 tablespoon Curd
  7. Milk (instead of using water to grind use milk for more rich gravy)
To Temper:

  1. 2 cloves
  2. 1/2 inch Cinnamon
  3. 1/2 teaspoon jeera
  4. 1 tablespoon Ghee/ butter
  5. 2 tablespoon Oil
Directions:
  • Heat one teaspoon oil in a pan add to grind ingredients except curd, cashews and milk. Sauté till the tomatoes are soft.Let it cool down for sometime, then add curd cashews to the mixture and grind to a fine paste by adding little milk at a time or as required
  • Heat butter and rest oil in a pan , add to temper items. Once the spice aroma starts coming add onions and sauté till golden brown.
  • Add the masala paste ,chilli powder, channa masala, salt and cook for 3-4 minutes.
  • Add peas and little water to the masala- mix, cover and cook for 5 minutes
  • Check for gravy consistency.
  • Add kasoori methi and mix well, Serve hot with rice or roti.




Wednesday, 11 March 2015

Mint Chickpeas Pulao / Channa Pudina Pulao

I love to experiment a lot with rice as its a perfect lunch box item for my hubby. Yesterday I had boiled black chickpeas without any idea of what to make from it. After a bit of search in the internet I got a recipe for chickpeas pulao but the idea of the twist with mint and coconut was from my new friend in London. Rupa thanks for the idea we all loved the flavour. Its quick and easy with full of flavours.
 Ingredients:

  1. 1 cup Rice
  2. 2 cups Water
  3. 1/2 Cup soaked and boiled Black Chickpeas / kala Channa
  4. 1 Onion chopped
  5. 1 teaspoon Channa Masala
  6. 1 teaspoon Chilli powder
  7. 1 tablespoon Ghee
  8. Salt to taste
To Temper:
  1. 2 teaspoon Oil
  2. 1 teasoon Ghee
  3. 1/2 inch two Cinnamon
  4. 2 Cloves
  5. 1 Cardmom
  6. 1 Star Anise
To Grind:
  1. 1 Fist full of mint leaves
  2. 1 teaspoon Ginger-Garlic paste (you can make fresh also)
  3. 1/4 Cup grated Coconut (fresh or dry anything is fine. I used fresh)
Direction:
  • In a cooker (rice cooker/heavy bottom pan, I used rice cooker) heat oil and ghee together, add the to temper items in the list.
  • Once aroma starts coming add onions and sauté till golden brown.
  • Add masala paste, channa masala powder , chilli powder give a quick mix and add boiled kala channa and cook for two minutes.
  • Add washed rice and two cups of water, salt and mix well cover and cook.
  • Once the rice is done add ghee and fluff it up. Serve hot.
Note: If you are using pressure cooker then cook up to 2 whistles.

Lego Masala Biscuts

Masala biscuits is something I wanted to try since long and the Lego idea came when I didn't find any appropriate cookie cutter in my kitchen. I know its weird idea but it worked well but when you come up to such ideas don't forget to sterilise that stuff before using.

Ingredients:
  1. 1 cup All purpose flour / Maida
  2. 3 tablespoon Butter
  3. 1 tablespoon Sesame seeds / Til
  4. 1 tablespoon Curry leaves chopped
  5. 1 tablespoon coriander leaves chopped (optional)
  6. 2 Green chillies finely chopped
  7. 1 teaspoon Salt
  8. 1/2 teaspoon Sugar
  9. 4 tablespoon Milk ( more or less according to the consistency of the dough)
Directions:
  • In a mixing bowl add flour with butter and rub it gently until it resembles breadcrumbs.
  • Now add salt,sugar, curry leaves, coriander leaves, sesame seeds, green chillies and milk. Knead it to a stiff dough like a roti dough.
  • Flour the surface and roll the dough thin of about 1/4 inch thickness. Cut with cookie cutter with desired shapes. I used one of the Lego blocks from my kids Lego set
  • Collect the scraps and repeat the process until you are done with the entire dough.Prick the biscuits with fork to avoid puffing up.
  • Preheat the oven at 180 deg C for 10 minutes. Meanwhile arrange the biscuits in a lightly greased baking tray.
  • Bake the biscuits for about 20 minutes.They are soft when hot, once cooled down they are crispy.
  • Store is a air tight container, 

Wednesday, 4 March 2015

Egg Capsicum Masala

Eggs, eggs, eggs... It can be added to your daily meal in any shape or form and its super healthy. There are days you crave for eggs, today is the craving day for me but I had to finish few veggies which are sitting in my fridge since ages,so the result is this...


Ingredients:
  1. 3 Hard-boiled Eggs
  2. 3 Capsicum finely chopped
  3. 1 Tomato finely chopped
  4. 1 Onion finely chopped
  5. 1 teaspoon Turmeric powder
  6. 1 teaspoon Red chilly powder
  7. 1 Green Chilly-finely chopped
  8. 1 tablespoon Oil
  9. 1 teaspoon curry powder
  10. Salt to taste
Directions:
  • In a bowl, add  ½ teaspoon turmeric, ½ teaspoon red Chilly powder, salt with 1 tablespoon water and mix  well.
  • Remove the egg shell, roll the eggs in the above mixed ingredients.
  • Heat the  1 teaspoon oil in pan, fry the eggs for 2 minutes and keep aside.
  • Heat the remaining oil in pan, add capsicum, onion, tomato, sauté until onion and tomato becomes soft.
  • Add  the green chilly with remaining turmeric, chilly powder, salt and curry powder sauté well for another 2 minute.
  • Add the fried egg with the capsicum masala and cook for 1-2 minutes.
  • Serve hot with rice / roti. 

Tuesday, 3 March 2015

Almond biscuits

Everyone loves to munch something in the tea time and best partner of tea is biscuit. Biscuit is something we have with us by default, whether we r travelling or going for work we make sure we have a packet with us every time as an emergency food. How about if those things can be made at home.. So next time don't buy it just bake it and trust me it takes just 10 minutes of effort and other 10 minutes the oven will work for you.


Ingredients:

  1. 1 cup + 2 tablespoons all purpose flour / maida
  2. 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
  3. 1 pinch salt, skip if using salted butter
  4. 1/2 cup unsalted butter at room temperature
  5. 1/2 cup sugar
  6. 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
  7. 2 tablespoon milk
  8. 1/4 cups broken almonds
Directions:
  • Preheat the oven at 180 degrees for at least 10 minutes.
  • Take the dry ingredients in a bowl and mix it properly.
  • In another bowl take butter and whisk it till smooth.
  • Add sugar to butter and whisk for another 2 minutes
  • Then add vanilla extract and milk and mix it properly.
  • Add dry ingredients and almonds and fold them till soft dough is formed.
  • In a lightly floured surface roll the dough till 1/2" thickness.
  • Use circle cookie cutter to cut into biscuit shape.
  • Place on a lightly greased baking tray few inches apart.
  • Bake them for 10 minutes in pre heated oven or till edges are brown.
  • Let it cool in the tray for 5 minutes, then remove them and cool it in a cooling rack completely.
  • Store it in air tight container.
Note: If  you don't have a cookie cutter then you can use a wide mouth bottle cap or a small steel bowl.



Monday, 2 March 2015

Chilli Prawns

As a kid we all loved Chinese a lot. I still remember those days when we used be all dressed up in the evening and waited for dad to come back from work and take us to some new place for dinner, we used to be very excited to eat new stuffs but my mom was a very choosy eater but she tasted everything and tried to find how it was prepared, and next day whoa the same dish was made at home my her and tastes ditto the same. Till now she has the same nature - choosy eater but keen observer, 
This is one of her mouthwatering Chinese dish recipe.


Ingredients:
  1. 1/2 kg large size prawns
  2. 1 egg
  3. 1 tablespoon ginger-garlic paste
  4. Salt to taste
  5. 1/2 teaspoon chilli powder
  6. 1 tablespoon cornflour
  7. 1 tablespoon besan (gram flour)
  8. Oil to deep fry
  9. 2 onions large diced
  10. 1 capsicum large diced
  11. 1-2 green chillies (as per taste)
  12. 1 small tomato diced
  13. 1 teaspoon soya sauce
  14. 1 teaspoon chilli sauce
  15. 1 teaspoon tomato sauce
  16. Coriander leaves for garnishing
Directions:
  • Remove the skin of the prawns and clean it properly
  • Add egg, ginger-garlic paste, salt and chilli power to prawns and mix well .Marinate it for 30 minutes.
  • After the marination time add besan and cornflour to it and deep fry till golden brown colour.
  • In a large pan (preferable non sticky) heat little oil.
  • Add onions and fry for 1 minute, then add capsicum , green chillies and tomatoes and fry for another 1-2 minutes.
  • Add all the sauces and salt according to the onion quantity , mix will and cook for another minute.
  • Add the fried prawns to the sauce and fry for 2-3 minutes or till the onions are cooked. Don't over cook it, the dish tastes good when onions and capsicum are bit crunchy.
  • Garnish with coriander leaves and serve hot.


Note: For more strong Chinese flavour you can add a pinch of Chinese salt/ aji-no-moto , but I personally avoid it when I cook for my family as its not that healthy.

Drums of Heaven in Schezwan Sauce


Happiness is when you plan a surprise and successfully implement it. 

There is a famous saying 'Way to a man's heart is through his stomach' and in 99% cases its true. So, next time you want to give a surprise to your loved ones make it a food surprise and I am sure they will love it.
Here is one easy and yummy recipe for you to make. Enjoy and have fun..


There are two phase of this recipe one is making the chicken lollipop and second making the sauce in which the chicken lollipops will be tossed.

Ingredients for Chicken Lollipop:

  1. 6 nos. chicken leg pieces
  2. 1 tablespoon ginger-garlic paste
  3. 1 egg
  4. Salt to taste
  5. 1/2 teaspoon pepper powder
  6. 1 teaspoon chilli sauce
  7. 1 teaspoon soya sauce
  8. 1 teaspoon vineger
  9. Enough oil for deep frying
Ingredients for Schezwan Sauce;
  1. 4-5 garlic chopped
  2. 1" piece ginger chopped
  3. 1 medium size onion chopped
  4. 3 green chillies (reduce according to taste)
  5. 1 teaspoon chilli sauce
  6. 1 teaspoon soya sauce
  7. 1 teaspoon vinegar
  8. 1 teaspoon tomato sauce
  9. Salt to taste
  10. 2 teaspoon oil
Directions for chicken lollipop:
  • Clean the chicken and keep aside.
  • In a different bowl add one egg and all other ingredients except oil and whisk properly.
  • Marinate the chicken in the egg mixture for at least one hour.
  • Once the chicken is well marinated deep fry the pieces till golden brown. 
  • Chicken lollipop is ready. It can be served like this with ketchup if you want or else proceed further for the sauce.
Direction for Drums of Heaven in Schezwan sauce:
  • Heat oil in a pan and add chopped garlic-ginger and sauté  for a minute.
  • To this add the chopped onions and green chillies and sauté for a minute or so till the onions are pink.
  • Now add the sauces and sauté for another minute.
  • Add salt and very little water to prepare the sauce.
  • Once the right consistency is reached toss the chicken lollipops in the sauce and serve hot.
  • You can garnish it with spring onions or coriander leaves.

Friday, 27 February 2015

Cheesy Bread Rolls

There are days when your energy level is very low, you don't even feel like getting off the bed but with a kid around you cannot act lazy. There are few things which will never go wrong for kids i.e. cheese and bread.So I thought to make it interesting for him. Its very easy and super fast to make, best when you are lazy but want something yummy to eat.
This is for you my lovely kid Arav for being such a star and behaving well when your mommy was not so well 


Ingredients:

  1. 2 slices sandwich bread
  2. 2 cheese slices
  3. 1 tablespoon butter
  4. Tomato ketchup to serve with 
Directions:


  • Lay out pieces of sandwich bread on a flat surface. Use a rolling pin to flatten. Then, if desired, use a knife to cut the crusts off of each piece of flattened bread.
  • Place a slice of cheese on top of each slice of bread, then roll up tightly to form a cheese roll.
  • Heat 1 tablespoons butter in a skillet over medium heat until melted. Place the cheese rolls joint side down in the skillet, and cook on all sides until the bread is toasted and the cheese is melted. You can press the rolls down with a spatula to be sure that they do not unfold while cooking
  • Serve hot with tomato ketchup.

    Saturday, 21 February 2015

    Egg Chicken Rolls- Orissa Style

    When you are away from home you miss your city a lot specially the local food. No matter how big city you stay in, how many varieties of food you get to eat, there is something which keeps you attached to your own city, i.e.. the local food.
    We spend our long holidays at home and during our visit to Orissa every single evening is spent relishing the taste of local food, but now being so far away from my home my country its impossible to go home every now and then. Oh! I miss the local street food so much that sometimes I wish I had a magic spell which would take me straight to those places within fraction of seconds.
    Today my temptation made me prepare one of the famous street food of Orissa i.e. egg chicken rolls
    Ingredients:

    For Parathas:
    1. 1:1 ratio mix of all purpose flour and wheat flour
    2. 1 tablespoon oil
    3. salt to taste
    4. water to knead
    5. 3 eggs ( for 3 rolls)
    For Stuffing:
    1. 400 gms boneless chicken cut into small pieces
    2. 3 large onions Thin sliced
    3. 2 medium onions finely chopped/ diced
    4. 1 large tomato diced
    5. 1 teaspoon chilli powder
    6. 1 teaspoon curry powder
    7. 1 teaspoon chicken masala (optional but I love the flavour)
    8. salt to taste
    9. 1/2 teaspoon turmeric powder
    10. 1- 1/2 tablespoon Oil
    11. tomato sauce
    12. chilli sauce
    13. pepper powder
    14. lemon juice (optional)
    Directions:

    To prepare the stuffing:

    • Heat oil in a pan add the chicken pieces and fry till golden brown.Take them out and keep aside.
    • In the same pan add onions and sauté it till raw smell is gone.
    • Add tomatoes and all dry spices and cook for 2 minutes, then add the chicken pieces and cook till the chicken pieces are cooked.
    This is your main stuffing. Now time for making the outer cover i.e. the parathas
    •  Take flour mixture in a bowl add salt and oil to it and mix it properly.
    • Add little water at a time and knead the dough . keep kneading the dough till it becomes pliable and soft. 
    • Cover it and let it rest for 10-15 minutes.
    • Now make large balls of the dough (larger then what you make for normal paratha)
    • roll them into medium thick chapattis of approx. 6" size in a lightly floured surface
    • Lightly beat one egg at a time in bowl add a pinch of salt to it and keep aside.
    • heat a flat skillet, place a chapati and cook on the griddle for 30 seconds then flip it.
    • Pour 1 tsp oil on one side of the paratha and cook for a minute.Then remove the paratha from  Then remove the paratha from  the griddle and pour 2 tsp oil on pan. Pour beaten egg, tilt and rotate slightly to spread and place that paratha's no-oil side back on the egg mixture so that it sticks to the paratha.
    • To stick better slightly press the paratha with the back of a spatula. Cook for 2 minutes and flip. Remove from the pan and follow the same steps for the remaining parathas.
    • Place the paratha on a platform (egg side up)pour some tomato sauce and chilli sauce  over it and add some chicken stuffing along with diced onion season with salt, pepper and some lemon juice.
    •  Roll the paratha with the chicken stuffing tightly so that while eating the chicken pieces shouldn't fall. Wrap the bottom half of the chicken roll in a tissue paper and tuck the remaining tissue inside the roll at the bottom. Your Chicken roll is ready to devour.





















    Friday, 20 February 2015

    Chettinad Pepper Chicken

    Its been ages since my husband was asking me to make pepper chicken for him, every time we plan for a chicken meal we end up with same typical chicken curry. After a little bit of research finally the happy day for my husband has come.. lol.. This is for you my dear husband enjoy your happy meal.


    Ingredients:
    1. 250 gm of boneless chicken pieces, cubed
    2. A spring of curry leaves 
    3. 2 tbsp of oil 
    4. 1 tsp of black mustard seeds 
    5. 1/4 tsp of fennel seeds/saunf 
    6. 1 tablespoon ginger-garlic paste 
    7. 1 big of onion, sliced 
    8. 1 tomato diced 
    Spices
    1. 1 tsp of cumin seeds
    2. 2 tsp of coriander seeds
    3. 1-2 dry red chillies (as per your taste)
    4. 1 tsp of whole black pepper
    5. 3" piece of cinnamon
    6. 3 green cardamom pods

    Direction:

    • Dry-roast the spices in a skillet until they turn a shade darker and fragrant.
    • Cool and grind coarsely in grinder.
    • Heat the oil in a wide pan and turn to low heat. Add the mustard seeds and fennel and when they sizzle, add the ground spices, fry for few seconds until nice aroma comes
    • Then add the ginger-garlic paste, onions, and curry leaves. Sauté until the onions are soft and then add the tomatoes and mix well.
    • Now add the chicken pieces and stir well to coat them with the spices.

    • Add 1 cup of water, bring to boil, lower heat to simmer, and cook covered for about 15 mins or until the chicken pieces are cooked through.
    • Don't forget to uncover and stir in between every 5 mins to make sure it doesn't burn. 
    • After about 15 mins, the gravy should be thick and the spices should be coating the chicken. If this is not the case, cook in the open pan for a few more minutes. 
    • Adjust the thickness of gravy according to your taste. If you are making as an appetizer cook till all gravy is reduced and if you are using for main course with roti or rice keep it bit gravy.

    Crunchy Palak/ Spinach

    You should eat healthy to stay healthy but how many of us likes to eat our greens specially when it comes to spinach. As a kid I always hated green leafy veggies but this recipe from my mom's kitchen never went wrong, every time she makes this we all ask for second round and same thing I noticed for my kid as well. So being a happy mom I proudly share my secret of eating greens. Hope it works well at your homes too...
    Happy eating and healthy living..



    Ingredients

    1. 3 cups packed chopped spinach leaves/palak leaves
    2. 1 medium size onion chopped to small dice
    3. 2 tablespoon sesame seeds/ til seeds
    4. 1 teaspoon salt/as per taste
    5. 1 teaspoon chilli powder
    6. 1/2 teaspoon garam masala
    7. 4 tablespoon rice flour
    8. little oil
    Directions
    • Wash and drain the spinach/palak leaves properly and then chop it .

    • Add diced onions all dry spices except rice flour mix well and keep it for few minutes
    • Add rice flour to the mixture and mix well. If the mixture is too dry then sprinkle little bit of water and mix.
    • Heat a flat skillet /dosa tawa preferable a non stick one so that less oil is used. 

    • Sprinkle few drops of oil .Take little bit of  this mixture at a time and put it as pancake. Cover and let cook  till sides starts to brown. Press it and flip to cook the other side too. 
    • When both sides are cooked and the green colour of palak have shaded to brown and bit crispy.
    • Serve hot as a evening Snack.
    Note:
    •  Instead of spinach you can use the same process for any green leafy veggies you get in market.
    • One more all time hit ingredient is radish leaf, If you have not tried this with radish leaf then I bet you missed a delicious healthy snack.

    Thursday, 19 February 2015

    Bread Rolls/ Pav/ Buns


    As a kid I was very much fascinated about bakeries..I love the smell that comes out of the shop and the different shapes and sizes of the breads increases my eagerness to see how its made but never got a chance to visit the kitchen ..poor me.. now as I am into cooking n all  I was very excited to bake a bread of my own.. so here I am, its my first ever bake and it turned out to be really good, Never thought baking a bread is so much easy and I hope to try other fascinating shapes in near future



    Ingredients

    1. 2 -2 1/4 cups all purpose flour
    2. 2 tablespoon sugar
    3. 2 teaspoon of rapid rise yeast
    4. 1/2 teaspoon salt
    5. 1/2 cup milk
    6. 1/4 cup water
    7. 2 tablespoon butter
    8. 8 inch square or round baking pan
    Directions
    • Combine 3/4 cup flour, sugar, dry yeast and salt in a large mixer bowl and stir until blended. 
    • Combine milk, water and butter in a small microwave-safe bowl.  Microwave on HIGH in 15 second increments until very warm but not hot to the touch  (Butter won’t melt completely). Add to flour mixture.
    • Beat 2 minutes scraping bowl occasionally. Add 1/4 cup flour; beat 2 minutes. Stir in just enough remaining flour so that the dough will form into a ball. 
    • Knead  on lightly floured surface until smooth and elastic and springs back when lightly pressed with 2 fingers, about 6 to 8 minutes. Cover with a towel; let rest for 10 minutes.
    • Cut dough into 12 equal pieces; shape into balls using your hands. Place in greased  8-inch round or square pan.  Cover with towel; let rise in warm place  until doubled in size, about 30 minutes .
    • Bake in preheated 190ºC oven for 20 minutes or until golden brown. Remove from pan by running a knife around the edges and invert onto wire rack; brush with additional melted butter, if desired. 
    • Serve warm with loads of love added as toppings.