Paneer Jalfrezi...and New York here I come!!!

>> Wednesday, September 05, 2007

Paneer - long rectangular pieces
Onions,Green Bell pepper, tomatoes ,Baby corn and green chillies - thin long slices
freshly grated ginger - abt 1 tsp
2 cloves garlic chopped fine
cumin seeds
red chilli powder
turmeric powder
Amchoor powder
salt to taste

Heat some oil in a skillet, add cumin seeds and saute' ginger garlic and onions until they turn brown. Add red chilli powder and turmeric. Add all the vegetables except tomatoes and stir fry for a while. Now mix in paneer pieces. Sprinkle salt and amchoor powder. Lastly add tomatoes when the rest of the vegetables are cooked semi soft. Stir well for a while on a low flame. Serve hot with Paranthas!!
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Going to New York for a vacation! Will return next Tuesday with lots of pictures.:)

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राखी पूरणीमा की शुभ कामनायें

>> Monday, August 27, 2007

My loving family and friends in India..to you all! Hope you had a colorful and flavorful Raksha Bandhan.
Wish we could celebrate it all together.
Best wishes
Vani and Chirayu


Both Chirayu and I were fasting on Monday (Narali Poornima and Shravani Somvar). We celebrated the auspicious day by savoring this simple yet very special "Sing Batata ni Khichdi" with Yogurt and a side of fresh fruits. This is a Gujrati recipe similar to upaaschi batata bhaji made in Marathi households.

Sing Batata ni Khichdi

Here is the quick recipe - Courtesy my Mom-in-law:)

Boil Potatoes and cut them in small cubes. Heat some Ghee in a pan and add jeera seeds. Once the Jeera starts to splutter, add finely cut green chillies and grated ginger. Mix well.Now add the boiled potatoes and red chili powder. Grind roasted peanuts in a blender with a tsp of sugar. Let the Daanya cha Koot - (ground peanut powder) remain a little coarse. Add this to the potatoes along with some salt. Cook the potato-peanut mixture some more uncovered till the potatoes start turning brown and a little crispy. Turn off the flame and add fresh lemon juice. Serve hot with dahi or chaas.

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Royal Rajma Masala

Rajma Masala (Adapted from this recipe posted by Asha on Foodieshope)

Sundays are special!

Sunday is one day of the week when I love to indulge in some elaborate cooking:). After a busy work week and a Saturday designated for Groceries-Cleaning-Laundry and all other big-small errands comes the Super-Sunday:). Waking up every Sunday to a bright clean house and a kitchen full of fresh supplies, is one of the most awaited and cherished part of my week, and hence calls for a special meal :)

The menu for this Sunday was the classic combination of Rajma - Chawal. I added a few shahi spices suggested by Asha to my usual rajma recipe, and wow! that did make our meal royal:)

The basics:


1/2 cup rajma (red kidney beans) soaked overnight and cooked in plenty of water
1/2 cup of tomato puree
1 small onion finely chopped
2 Garlic cloves minced
Grated Ginger
2 small green chillies
Fresh cilantro
Salt
Chilli powder
Turmeric

The works:










Jeera (Cumin seeds)
Meere (Black peppercorns)
Saunf (Fennel seeds)
Dalchini( Cinnamon)
Tejpatta (Mace)
Elaichi (Cardamom)
Amcoor powder( Dry mango powder)
Garam Masala
Laung (Cloves)

Heat some oil in a Kadhai. Add 1/2 tsp of Jeera , when the seeds start to splutter add the green chillies, ginger garlic and onions. Fry for a minute or two and add all the masalas. Saute' some more till the onions turn reddish brown. Now add the tomato puree and mix well. Cover the pan for some time , so that the tomato onion paste retains the aroma of all the spices. Now add salt and fry till you see some oil separate out and smell the fresh aroma. Add the cooked kidney beans to this paste along with the left over water in the cooker. Mash some beans with a wooden laddle , this makes the Gravy thick and creamy.Cover and let cook for 5-10 minutes.,add more water as needed.Slow down the flame and add 1-2 spoonsfull whole milk. Mix well. Garnish with cream and Cilantro.Serve with fresh Basmati rice. Enjoy!

Rajma Chawal with a side of Aloo matar and a glass of spiced buttermilk- Our Sunday Lunch

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Khichadi che Thalipeeth

>> Saturday, August 25, 2007

End of a week and I came home to an empty fridge. hmm..apart from the usual drinks and preserves,the only other thing in there was a bowl full of left over moong dal Khichdi which we had the day before. I had almost made up my mind to reheat it, add some fresh tempering, and serve it with some raita, but on closer inspection, the khichadi seemed too sticky n lumpy to recook. Thats when I decided to give it a complete makeover, and was born the"Khichadi thalipeeth":). It turned out something like a cross of missi roti and thalipeeth. Delicious and satisfying.

Here is the quick recipe :

1) Knead left over khichadi with some wheat flour (atta), gram flour (besan), salt, turmeric , chiili powder and oil. For the extra zing I added some amchoor powder, ajwain and saunf to the mix.You could use any mix ox masalas. ( add water as needed)

2) Divide the dough into small balls. Roll out the balls on a plastic sheet.

3.) Heat a pan and slowly turn the thalipeeth on to the pan. Allow it to properly cook on both sides, it will turn brown and slightly crispy ( add little oil on the sides as needed).

4.) Take it off the pan and enjoy hot with dahi n chutney of your choice:)









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Veggie Fajita Quesadilla with spinach and corn rice

>> Sunday, August 19, 2007

Quick fix Mexican - My entry for the "Summer Express cooking event"


Things you will need:

Wheat/Flour Tortillas
Can of fried beans ( I used a mix of Black beans, Pinto beans and Red kidney beans)
Kraft mexican grated cheese mix
One small onion
1/2 Bell pepper
Olive oil
Butter
Black pepper
Salt

Procedure:

1.) Prepare the Fajita mix ( 5-8 minutes)
In a skillet heat 1/2 tbsp o olive oil and 1/2 tbsp of butter. Saute' onions and green bell peppers ( sliced in thin long strips). Heat until the onions become translucent. Sprinkle freshly grounded black pepper and salt. Mix well and keep aside.Meanwhile also slightly warm the beans(1-2 mins) in the microwave.
Fajita mix - saute'd onions and bell peppers

2.) Assemble the Quesadilla( 5 minutes)

heat a little butter on a flat pan. place the tortilla and heat it till it starts getting a bit crisp. sprinkle cheese generously on one half of the tortilla, then spread the beans and the fajita mix. Add some more cheese and then fold the Tortilla in half. Heat the Tortilla on both sides till the cheese melts. Place carefully in a plate and cut into wedges using a sharp knife or a pizza cutter.

Cheeeezyyy huh??

3. ) Relish the cheesy delight with a side of chips and salsa.
I also stir fried left over rice with spinach and corn to complete the meal. (8-10 mins). It took me close to 20 mins. to prepare the meal, but believe me we ate it all in less than 10!Enjoy...:)

Veggie Quesadilla and spinach fried rice




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I share my birthday with....

>> Friday, August 17, 2007

Release of the IBM PC or Personal Computer

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Craving for fresh ???

Quick tossed salad
Toss together tomatoes, cumumbers, bell peppers, black olives, cilantro and some peanuts in a large bowl with some olive oil, dash of lemon , salt and pepper. Serve chilled. tastes Delightful

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Damn! Its best to shut up

>> Thursday, July 26, 2007

" Diplomacy is thinking twice before saying nothing"...I better learn.

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Rashomon

Black and White and Grey. Theatrical. Human. Simple.Gripping. reflection . motion. storytelling. multi layered. long. sharp cuts. series. images. loose. psyche. complex. classic. experiment. raw. shadows. event. interpretive. values. light. discomfort. experience. grim. thematic. open. honest. belief. reality. questions. perception.


well! words are never enough..




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My comeback post

>> Tuesday, July 24, 2007

Its been an year and a half
and things are not the same..
for I have put on 20 pounds
and now got Mrs. in my name..:)



My blog will tell a different story now.

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Time flies..and how.!

>> Tuesday, June 26, 2007

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Lady's Fingers if you please!

>> Wednesday, April 18, 2007

Finally I get some time to blog after a busy week at work. The weekend was well spent though watching movies, lazing around and catching up with friends :)

I made Bhindi Fry on Friday and intended to post it as my entry to Nupur's L of Indian vegetables, but never got to doing it on time. Still I am contended with the fact that I actually cooked something on a Friday night. Blogging has its own advantages for lazy bums like me:)

Here is a delicious way of cooking Okra/Lady's Fingers/Bhindi dry. Amchoor powder is the magic ingredient in this recipe, which gives the bhindi a tangy twist. This dish goes very well as a side with Dal and Rice.
You need :
1 onion finely chopped
25-30 Okra sliced length wise
Ginger grated
cumin seeds
amchur powder
garam masala
red chilli powder
salt to taste
oil

To make Bhindi Fry

Heat some oil in a skillet and add cumin seeds and grated ginger. Once the seeds start spluttering add the chopped onions and fry until golden brown.Add the Garam Masala, Amchoor Powder and Salt. Mix the spices well and add the sliced bhindi. Mix lightly and cover the lid. Cook well with occasional stirring. Make sure that the Masala does not stick to the pan. Once fully cooked,let the Bhindi cool for a while. Serve as a side with Dal Chawal.




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Weekend Brunch-Toad in the Hole

>> Sunday, April 08, 2007

This recipe is a prefect solution to our weekend brunch crisis when there is nothing substantial remaining in the fridge except the box of eggs, and also when I am too lazy to prepare anything elaborate. Otherwise also I love eggs for breakfast. I learned this recipe from my dear friend Ellen and found a very interesting alternative to omelettes and boiled eggs. Chirayu mastered this recipe long before I did( He is just so much more patient than I am).Its a very quick and easy no mess recipe and does not even require any utensils other than the frying pan. (whoaa! No pots, knives or cutting board)

Here is how to make it:
Take a bread slice and carve out a hole in the middle. ( I use a small katori/vati with sharp edges).Heat some butter in a pan and fry the bread slice till golden brown. Now crack open an egg in the central hole.It looks like one small floating yellow toad :)



Season with salt, pepper and red chilli powder. Let the bread and egg cook properly on a low flame. Whenever I tried to make this in a haste,the yellow remained uncooked. Now I have learned to be patient while cooking:).Once one side is properly cooked and the bread and egg are firmly set together, flip the slice.

Meanwhile also fry the bread hole till golden brown. (In the original recipe you just discard these bread circles, but I hate wasting food and found a better use for these). When both sides of the bread are cooked and set,top it with a slice of cheese and the golden brown bread circle. This is how it looks when done. (Here served with tomato ketchup and spicy potato chips).
Ah! a perfect start for my weekend :)

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Kicking off with K..!!

>> Saturday, April 07, 2007

K is for Kumbh Pulao


I never considered Kumbh or Mushroom a 'real' vegetable back in India. I used to love them on the tomato mushroom pizzas at Nirulas. (One of those occasional royal treats out, long before we got Pizza Hut, or any other real Pizza chains.), but that was about it. Clearly Mushrooms were never a part of my aai's or aaji's home cooking. Even living in Delhi, they always stuck to the usual gilki ( ridge gourd), bhopla( pumkin), vange(Eggplants) type of vegetables ( I hated all of these as a kid) apart from the usual aloo gobhi bhindi etc.

I started experimenting with Mushrooms only after coming to the US, after a friend here gave me a recipe for kumbh matar malai. It came out pretty decent actually. Well Mushrooms are still not a part of my weekly grocery list, but I use them more often now .

I got this very easy and quick recipe for Mushroom
Pulav at Recipe Junction.I changed it a bit to make use of all the vegetables I had - my entry for K of Indian vegetables on Nupur's blog.



Ingredeients ( For 2 to 4):

Basmati Rice ( 1 cup)
1 Pack of Mushrooms
1 Onion(thin slices)
Grated ginger ( about 1 Tbsp)
Fresh Garlic chopped ( 2 cloves)
1 capsicum sliced into thin strips
1 carrot( small round thin slices)
2 green chillies
fresh tomato puree ( medium sized tomato)
1Tbsp Soy sauce
Pepper powder
Jeera seeds
Red chilly powder
Salt to taste
Olive/vegetable oil

Soak Basmati rice in water for half an hour. Cook the rice and keep it aside.
Heat 1 tsp of oil and add the cumin seeds. After the seeds start spluttering, add the green chilies, ginger and garlic. Fry for some time and add the onions. Add the rest of the vegetables and soy sauce after the onions turn golden brown. Once the vegetables are semi cooked, add the tomato paste, mushrooms, pepper powder and salt. Cover the pan and let everything cook for a while. On a slow flame add the cooked rice and mix well.
Kumbh Pulav is ready to serve.

We had it with
Boondi Raitha and Lemonade, quite a hearty meal after a busy day at work :)

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Inspired ..

>> Sunday, March 25, 2007

I have been visiting a lot of food blogs lately. All of them are just fantastic!, special in their own way..Delicious descriptions, mouth watering pictures served with interesting tales and tit bits ..

Thanks to all the food bloggers out there, I too am set to" Spice " up my usual work-home -work routine.Lets see how far I can take this venture...

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