Tuesday, December 25, 2012

Sweet Corn Salad

Hi Readers,

This is another recipe that is easy and is full of nutrients.

Ingredients :-

1 cup fresh sweet corn boiled
1 capsicum chopped
1 tomato chopped
1 onion chopped
1 tsp lemon juice
salt to taste
1/2 tsp chili flakes
1/2 tsp oregano
1 tsp olive oil



Method :-

Add sweet corn, capsicum, tomato and onion in a bowl. Add the olive oil, sprinkle chili flakes and oregano and add lemon juice. Toss and serve. You can refrigerate to serve cool.


Methi paratha

Hi Readers,

Now, its time for some yummy methi ke parathe with green chutney.



Ingredients:-
6 cups Wheat Flour
1 cup Besan
1 tspn. Cumin seeds
Salt as per taste
1/2 tspn. Turmeric Powder
2 tspn. Chilli Powder
2 bunch of fresh green Methi Leaves
1 bunch of Coriander Leaves

Method;-
Cut methi leaves and coriander leaves into small pieces.
Crush the cumin seeds and keep aside
Take a wide mouthed container, put wheat flour, besan, salt (as per taste), turmeric powder, chilli powder, crushed cumin seeds, cut methi leaves, coriander leaves and mix well. Put water in the mixture and make it a dough.
Convert the dough into small size balls enough to roll like chapatis.
Roll each ball like chapatis and put on the pre-heated pan on the stove. When one side becomes brown, flip on the other side.
When both sides are done apply ghee on both sides
Your hot-hot methi parathas are ready. Serve hot with green mint chutney.


Rajma masala


Hi,

This is a delicious Red kidney bean preparation, that is authentic Punjabi cuisine and tastes best with steamed rice.



Ingredients
•Red kidney beans (rajma),soaked overnight 1 1/2 cups
•Salt to taste
•Oil 3 tablespoons
•Bay leaves 2
•Onions,finely chopped 2 medium
•Ginger,chopped 1 inch piece
•Garlic,chopped 6-8 cloves
•Tomatoes,pureed 3 medium
•Coriander powder 1 tablespoon
•Cumin powder 1 teaspoon
•Red chilli powder 2 teaspoons
•Turmeric powder 1/2 teaspoon
•Garam masala powder 1 teaspoon



Method
Pressure cook rajma with five cups of water and salt till totally cooked and soft. Heat oil in a deep pan. Add bay leaves and onion (you can grate the onion if you wish). Add ginger and garlic and continue to sauté till the mixture turns golden. Add tomato puree, mix and continue to cook. Add coriander powder, cumin powder, red chilli powder, turmeric powder and cook till the oil leaves the masala. Add rajma along with the cooking liquour and mix. Adjust salt and add garam masala powder. Lower the heat and simmer for about fifteen to twenty minutes on low heat. Serve hot with steamed rice.

Sunday, December 23, 2012

Enduri Pitha (Stuffed idli ) Authentic Odia Dish

Hi,

I am going to share one authentic Odia dish that is made on the special occasion of Prathamastami in the month of November each year. This is made using turmeric leafs, which leave behind its awesome fragrance with the Pitha(idli). I have named it Idli as it has many resemblance with idli. In Odisha we call all dosha's and Idli like preparation as Pitha. There are many varieties of these Pitha's. One of the most adorable variety is Enduri pitha.



Ingredients :-
1 and 1/2 cup rice
1 cup black gram
1 cup grated coconut
1 cup paneer made from curd
150 gm jaggery
3 cardamom cloves
6 peppercorn
Green turmeric leaves
salt to taste



Method :-  Soak rice and black gram overnight and then grind into a smooth paste. Leave the batter for another 3 hrs to ferment.
Stuff :- Place a pan in medium flame. Add little oil, add the coconut, paneer and jaggery and mix well. Add powdered cardamom and black pepper. Keep aside.
Preparation:- Put a wide mouthed pot and fill it with 1/3rd part water and bring to steam. Cover this with a clean muslin cloth which is tied to cover it. You can also do this using a Idli maker. take a green turmeric leaf. Place little batter and then place little stuff in it and wrap the leaf and place on the vessel to steam.


Vegetable Upma

Hi,

This is South Indian breakfast, easy to make and healthy.

Ingredients :-         
        One cup Rava
  One cup mixed vegetable
  Water 3 Cup (16 tbs)
  Vegetable oil 2 Teaspoon
  1 tsp arahra dal
  Mustard seeds 1 Teaspoon
  Onion 1 Medium, chopped
  Green chillies 2 , chopped
  Some Curry leaves
  Lemon juice


Method:- 
Take the pan and cook the rava (without oil) until it gets brown. Stir continuously. Take it out from the pan. Take a pan and warm the oil in it. Pop the mustard seeds in the oil and then put the green pepper, arhar dal, curry leaves and chopped onion in it. Cook these things until onion become brown. Put the vegetables in the pan and add three cups of water, salt, lemon juice and cover the pan for 2 minutes. Now add cooked rava in the pan and mix it well. Turn off the flame, cover the pan and put aside for 1 minute.

Bhindi Sarso Masala


Hi,

This is easy to make and with minimal ingredients that are readily available in Indian kitchen. This is tasty and is best served with rice in Lunch.



Ingredients :-
Oil
½ tsp kalo jarred(nigella seeds)
3 green chillies-slit lengthwise
30 small dharosh-head and tail cut
3 tbsp sarson(mustard) seeds
1 tbsp khus khus(poppy seeds)
3 green chillies
A pinch of salt
Soak all the above for 30 minutes and make a paste
For gravy/sauce
2heaped tbsp sarson(mustard) –of the prepared paste
1 tbsp dahi(yogurt)-mix with the mustard paste and leave for 2 minutes
Peanut oil
Mustard oil (optional)
Sugar
Salt
Turmeric

Method :-
Heat oil in a kadhai/ frying pan. Temper with jeera and green chilli
When the spices start sputtering add washed and dried okra.
Sauté okra for 44-5 mins with a pinch of turmeric
Do not deep fry them, they should be tender and half cooked. You will know because they will glisten and have turned soft by this time
Mix the mustard paste with yogurt and add the mixture to the okra
Add salt and sugar.
Mix well, add a dash of mustard oil and cover and cook.
Stir intermittently till orka is done

Vegetable Manchurian

This ever popular Chinese dish is really easy to make. When you eat these deep fried vegetable balls in a soy sauce based gravy, do not let mundane things like the weighing scale bother you! just dig into these deep fried delights and enjoy!

Ingredients :- For The Vegetable Balls
3 cups finely chopped cabbage
1 1/4 cups carrot , grated
1/2 cup chopped onions
2 tbsp cornflour
5 tbsp plain flour (maida)
3 to 4 clove of garlic (lehsun) , finely chopped
1 slit green chilli , finely chopped
salt and freshly ground black pepper powderto taste
oil for deep-frying

For The Sauce
1 tbsp garlic (lehsun) , finely chopped
2 tsp finely chopped green chillies
2 tsp finely chopped ginger (adrak)
1 cup clear vegetable stock or water
1 tbsp soy sauce
1 tbsp cornflour mixed with 1 cup of water
2 pinches of sugar
2 tbsp oil
salt to taste

Method :-For the vegetable balls

  1. Combine the cabbage, carrots, onions, cornflour, plain flour, garlic, green chili  salt and pepper in a bowl. Mix well.
  2. Shape spoonfuls of the mixture into small balls. If you find it difficult to form balls, sprinkle a little water to bind the mixture.
  3. Deep fry in hot oil until golden brown. Drain on absorbent paper and keep aside.

For the sauce

  1. Heat the oil in a wok or frying pan on a high flame. Add the garlic, green chilies and ginger and stir fry over a high flame for a few seconds.
  2. Add the stock, soya sauce, cornflour paste, sugar and salt and simmer for a few minutes.

How to serve

  1. Just before serving, put the vegetable balls in the sauce and bring to a boil.
  2. Serve hot.

Tips
  1. Add some water or vegetable stock to thin down the sauce if it is too thick.

Colorful veg fried rice

Hi Readers,

This is yet another variation that I experimented last weekend. This turned out to be a successful experiment and my husband liked it. It was awesome feeling to watch him take turns to eat when I make something interesting. I usually do not judge food by myself and do not rely on the compliments, but instead try to find out the expression of someone who is having it.

Well, I just tried this one with lots of vegetables like cauliflower, beans, carrots and beetroot. Here is the recipe below, try this and share your valuable feedback.


Ingredients :- 250 gm rice ( preferably Basmati) cooked
 1 small cauliflower chopped into small peices
2 carrots roughly chopped
100 gm beans chopped
1 big onion chopped to form rings
1 tsp ginger garlic paste
1 cinnamon stick
1 cardamom
1 star anise
1 tsp cumin seeds
2 tsp oil
1 small beetroot chopped finely



Method :- Stir fry chopped cauliflower, beans and carrots and keep aside. Stir fry beetroot, do not mix beetroot with other vegetables and keep separately. Heat oil in a pan, add cumin seeds, star anise, cinnamon and cardamom. Then add the onion rings and fry till they turn pink. Add ginger garlic paste and cook till its strong smell is gone. Add cooked rice, vegetables, salt and mix well. Cook for 3 mins and serve hot.


Makai(daliya) ka upma

Hi Readers,

This is a healthy breakfast option that takes much less time to prepare. I hope you will try it and let me know your valuable feedback.

Ingredients :-

2 tbsp oil,( Tel)

1-½ tsp Mustard seeds,(Sarson/ rai)
10 curry leaves, (curry patte)
1 onion, finely chopped, (pyaz)
2 green chillies, finely chopped,( hari mirch)
1/2 cup mixed vegetables,  finely chopped (carrot and beans,)
2 cup corn meal,( makai ka daliya)
2 tbsp coriander, finely chopped,( dhaniya)
2 tbsp lemon juice,( nimbu ka ras is cooked.

Add chopped coriander and mix it well in the upma.
Serve garnished with a spring of coriander.



Method :- 
Heat oil in a pan

Add mustard seeds and curry leaves in hot oil and fry for 10 seconds
Now add onions and green chillies. Fry for 1-2 minutes.
Add all vegetables, carrots, beans and cook till the onions start sweating.
Cover with the lid and cook for 2 minutes or untill the vegetables are done.
Add turmeric powder, salt to taste and lemon juice.
Now add corn daliya and keep stirring while you add.
Add water to this mix and cook until the mixture thickens and the corn daliya is cooked.
Add chopped coriander and mix it well in the upma.
Serve garnished with a spring of coriander.