tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-374988582024-02-18T17:54:20.502-08:00The Chef in MeRecipes from inspirations and experiments!Unknownnoreply@blogger.comBlogger65125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37498858.post-5011954267864373942011-08-10T16:33:00.000-07:002011-08-10T16:33:34.916-07:00Asparagus KurmaIngredients:<br />
<br />
Vegetables <br />
Asparagus - 1 bunch<br />
if using frozen -5 Way veggie mix - 1 cup<br />
else 1 cup of carrot, peas, beans together<br />
Potato - 2 medium<br />
(optional) Onion - 1 medium - diced<br />
(optional) Paneer - 10 medium sized cubes<br />
<br />
Masala to Grind<br />
Coconut (wet) - 1 cup<br />
Jeera - 1 tbsp<br />
Clove - 3 nos<br />
Pattai/Cinnamon - 1 stick<br />
Kasakasa - half tsp<br />
Green chilies -5<br />
Tomato- 1 big<br />
<br />
To Splutter<br />
Oil -2 tablespoon<br />
Mustard seeds -1 teaspoon<br />
Bay Leaf - 1<br />
Turmeric powder - 2 pinches<br />
<br />
Salt to taste<br />
Curd - 1/4 cup<br />
Additional diced green chilli to taste<br />
<br />
Method De Prep:<br />
1. Cut veggies into medium sized cubes.For asparagus, take off the tip and the bottom and cut into medium size.<br />
2. Cook Asparagus in the microwave on high for 6 mins. Asparagus cooks pretty quickly, so depending on your microwave you may need more or less time. Check on the veggie every 5 mins.<br />
3. Cook the potatoes. You may choose to leave the skin or peel it off<br />
4. Grind the coconut, jeeera, green chilli, clove, pattai, kasakasa and tomato in a pulp<br />
5. In a thick bottom vessel, add oil, splutter the mustard seeds. <br />
6. Add the bay leaf, green chillis, onions and fry until the onions are transparent<br />
7. Add the paneer cubes and fry till the paneer turns slightly brown (optional line)<br />
8. Add the ground pulp and cook on medium heat. Add salt, turmeric and water as much required<br />
9. Once the gravy comes to a boil, add the cooked vegetables. Slowly turn the kurma so as to not smash the veggies.<br />
10. Add curd, cook on low for 5 mins and turn off.<br />
<br />
Delicious kurma is ready to be enjoyed w/ Rice, Roti or Parota!<br />
Bon App!<br />
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37498858.post-19568023816743122482010-12-15T09:38:00.001-08:002010-12-15T09:50:34.953-08:00Simple Veggie UpmaThis recipe is a hit with my daughter. It is a regular upma, but thought I'll give it a spot on the blog to preserve this for eternity(!).<br /><br />Ingredients:<br />1. Rava - Wheat/Rice - 2 cup<br /><br />2. Mixed Vegetables:<br />a. Cabbage - 1/2 cup<br />b. French Beans - 2 or 3 chopped<br />c. Carrot - 1/2 medium chopped<br />d. Peas - 1/4 cup<br /><br />3. Onion - 1 medium - minced<br /><br />For Tempering<br />1. Mustard - 1 spoon<br />2. Curry Leaves - 4 to 5 nos<br />3. Turmeric - 1 tsp<br />4. Ginger - to taste<br />5. Hing - 1 pinch<br />6. Green chillis - 2 nos<br /><br />Method De Prep:<br />1. If the rava is not pre-roasted, gently roast the rava till it turns very light brown.<br />2. In a wok, heat a spoon of oil. Splutter the mustard seeds. Add Hing, curry leaves, ginger pieces, green chilli pieces and the tsp of turmeric and toss. <br />3. Add the onions and fry till the onions turn translucent<br />4. Add the mixed chopped vegetables and toss. Add salt(a little extra to support the rava that will be later added) to this mix and cover with a lid. Let the vegetables cook for about 3 mins <br />5. Open the lid and pour 2 cups of water. Cover and cook. The water needs to start boiling and the mixed veggies need to cook in the hot water.<br />6. Add the roasted rava to the boiling mix of water and vegetables and carefully toss the mix. <br />7. The rava cooks in the boiling water and starts turning into a pulp and then starts solidifying. Cook on medium (ensure the water isn't completely dried out) till the rava becomes soft and cooked.<br />8. Turn off and garnish with corriander (optional).<br /><br />Hot and tasty upma is ready to be enjoyed with yogurt or Indian Pickle!Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37498858.post-55332833802615512692010-12-13T11:53:00.001-08:002010-12-13T13:57:53.190-08:00Mixed Vegetables SabjiI'm promising myself to make grocery shopping more planned, less frequent and more healthy. I'm setting a schedule of indian store once in 2 weeks to get vegetables, milk and TJ once a week for fresh bread and fruits. Since I'm conserving and watching,I had some vegetables left from using for other sabijis. With the need to use them quickly and tastily, I cooked up this simple and tasty mixed vegetable sabji and as always, with a surprise element<br /><br />Ingredients:<br />1. Green Bell Pepper - 1 medium - diced<br />2. Carrot - 1 large - diced<br />3. Onions - 1 medium - minced<br />4. Potato - 2 medium - diced<br />5. Paneer - 10 medium cubes<br />6. Surprise element - Garbanzo beans = 1 cup<br /><br />Spices<br />1. Turmeric - 1/4 tsp<br />2. Jeera - 1 tsp <br />3. Pepper powder - 1 tsp<br />4. green chillis - 3 nos minced<br /><br />Method de Prep<br />1. In 1 tsp of oil, splutter jeera seeds. Add ginger paste, green chillis, turmeric and quickly give a tish tosh.<br />2. Add Minced onions and fry till golden brown<br />3. Add green bell pepper, carrots and potato and toss couple of times. Then cook on medium with a covered lid. The vegetables cook in the steam. About 10 mins later, the veggies will be soft.<br />4. Now add the paneer and fry till golden brown. You may need to add a tsp of oil<br />5. Add the pepper powder and toss to spread it evenly. Add salt to taste<br />6. The garbanzo beans are next. You may use the canned ones (wash well) or pressure cook raw ones. If you are using the regular ones, you would need to soak them overnight and pressure cook them.<br />7. Toss well and garnish with corriander.<br />You may add a dash of lemon just before serving. Enjoy with roti or bread!<br /><br />Bon App!Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37498858.post-34278014355146130932010-12-13T11:23:00.000-08:002010-12-13T11:52:59.355-08:00Moong Dhal with Mint!A dhal is comfort food. It can be consumed as a soup on a cold/rainy day, enjoyed with roti or mixed with steaming hot rice and a lop of ghee or just simply eaten out of a bowl with a drop of Indian pickle on the side. As a tribute to this multifaceted Dhal, I offer my humble effort at making one more kind: the one with Mint.<br /><br />Ingredients:<br />1. Moong Dhal - Split green / totally yellow kinds - 1/2 cup<br />2. Mint leaves - 8 to 10<br />3. Tomatoes - 1 medium, sliced into 4 pieces<br />4. Salt to taste<br /><br /><br />Spices to temper<br />1. Jeera - 1.5 tsp<br />2. Turmeric - 1 tsp<br />3. Green chillis - minced 3 nos<br />4. Pepper powder - 0.5 tsp<br />5. Asafoetida/Hing - 1 pinch<br />6. Ginger paste (Optional) - 0.5 tsp<br /><br />Method de Prep:<br />1. The moong dhal needs to be pressure cooked along with the tomato quarters<br />2. In a wok, heat 1 tsp of oil. When the oil is hot, add jeera, hing, green chillis, turmeric and ginger paste and fry till green chillis turn slightly brown.<br />3. Simmer and then add the mint leaves. Gently toss till the mint leaves are dark green. <br />4. Add the pressure cooked dhal and salt to taste<br />5. Simmer and boil for 2 mins<br />6. Garnish with corriander (optional)<br /><br />Pipping hot dhal is ready to be enjoyed anyway you like!<br /><br />Bon App!Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37498858.post-13702941441868377382010-12-13T10:54:00.000-08:002010-12-13T11:22:17.239-08:00Broccoli CurryOne vegetable that I crinkle my nose to is Broccoli. It is the smell more than the taste that bothers me. So this weekend, I decided to conquer the smell with one of my favorite - mint.<br />I made this sabji to be enjoyed with Roti/Naan<br /><br />Ingredients:<br />1. Broccoli - 3 medium<br />2. Onion - 1/2 medium<br />3. Mint leaves - 8 to 10 leaves<br />4. Corriander leaves to garnish<br /><br />Spices to grind:<br />1. Dhania - 1 tsp<br />2. Jeera - 1 tsp<br />3. Black Pepper - 1 tsp<br />4. Clove - 3 nos (spicy!)<br />5. Cinnamon Bark - 2 pieces (get the one from Indian store, the smell/flavor is different from the regular cinnamon roll that is available)<br />6. Optional tomato paste/puree - 2 tsp OR 1/4 tsp of tamarind paste<br /><br /><br />Method de prep:<br />1. In a work, heat 1 tsp of oil<br />2. Fry the spices along with onion and mint leaves. (You can twist it curry by adding Tomato puree/qtr tsp of tamarind paste for a l'll sour kick. )<br />3. Once cool, grind the spices into a smooth paste<br />4. Cook the broccoli florets in a container of water in the microwave for 6 to 8 mins<br />5. Once cooked, drain the water and set aside<br />6. Now to final assembly, in the wok, add a tsp of oil. Once the oil is hot, add jeera and pour the paste in. Let it cook till the aroma rises<br />7. Add the broccoli florets salt to taste and simmer.<br />8. Remove from flame after 5 mins and garnish with Corriander leaves.<br /><br />Yummy Broccoli curry is ready to be enjoyed!<br />Bon App!Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37498858.post-21732262488029678362010-12-13T10:29:00.001-08:002010-12-13T10:54:50.583-08:00Lemon Rice with a twistI know I've been MIA since a few weeks. Life has taken me over with a force. An invisible hand guiding me through days. An invisible girdle blinding me from loosing sight of my Things-to-do, appointments to make etc. My parents came over to spend half a year with me and my little one. So, I did not venture outside "traditional" stuff. After they left, I've been cooking on Sun evenings 3 or 4 items to last me through Thurs.<br /><br />One such sunday, there was an abundance of mint. Since in the past, I've always let the mint to wither before making good use of it, I decided to change. All the mint, one day, 4 dishes. Lets see what all I have<br /><br />A. Lemon Rice with Mint Leaves<br /><br />Ingredients:<br />1. Rice - 1 cup <br />2. Lemon/Lime Juice - 3 tbsp<br />3. Mint Leaves - 10 medium size<br />4. Onion (totally optional) - 1 medium<br /><br />For Tempering/Tadka/Thirumari/Thalikardhu<br />1. Mustard seeds - 1 tsp<br />2. Peanuts (I love them!) - 2 tbsp<br />3. Channa Dhal - 1 tsp<br />4. Asafoetida/Hing - 1 pinch<br />5. Curry leaves - 2 to 3<br />6. Green Chilli - 3 nos<br />7. Salt to taste<br /><br />Method de prep:<br />1. Cook 1 cup rice with 1 cup water in rice cooker. The rice needs to be separate pieces after cooking. A mushy lemon/lime rice isn't as enjoyable.<br />2. In a small frying pan, heat 1 tsp oil. Add Hing, channa dhal and fry a little till the channa dhal is light brown. <br />3. Add mustard seeds, green chillis and curry leaves and fry. The popping of the mustard seeds must stop.<br />4. Add the peanuts and fry till they are light brown. (If you are using onions, then fry the onions here)<br />5. Add the mint leaves and gently cook till the mint leaves are dark green<br />6. Remove from flame and add this to the cooked rice.<br />7. Add salt and mix well. <br />8. Once the rice is cooled, add Lemon/Lime juice. <br /><br />Delicious, simple, tasty and a new lemon/lime rice is ready to be enjoyed and shared!Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37498858.post-53578425663598500282010-08-05T11:01:00.000-07:002010-08-05T13:51:44.507-07:00An ode to MB Mess - Bread Pakora<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgoQpL9pn_UMyDKtoSpPAV4nEfVknLWIhzsuluWRfB1Z8Gl0YmYt034u7THrLtaDID_7957YHa4ONEnw8AE4-p4VoEvolAx5d8sMEh5YZn_EYyfYftoiMW0m8A0N0MVKGsDVy3m3g/s1600/photo.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgoQpL9pn_UMyDKtoSpPAV4nEfVknLWIhzsuluWRfB1Z8Gl0YmYt034u7THrLtaDID_7957YHa4ONEnw8AE4-p4VoEvolAx5d8sMEh5YZn_EYyfYftoiMW0m8A0N0MVKGsDVy3m3g/s320/photo.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5501992435132394738" /></a><br />Ola People! It has been quite sometime since I walked into here to talk about my adventures in the kitchen! I apologize! I do miss writing out what I tried in my kitchen and of course, later coming back to check and see how I did it the last time =). Before I loose track of how I made this delish comfort food, I'll pen it all down.<br /><br />Bread Pakora : The first time I enjoyed this snack was at my hostel- Meera Bhawan (shout out for all the MBites!). We were served this snack as a breakfast(!!!) every Tue morn. This dish immediately brings a flood of memories to all MBites. I craved this oily comfort and whipped it out in my kitchen. This snack is finger food and can be enjoyed with spicy ketchup/chutney<br /><br />Bread Pakora (the version I've had) is a triangular shaped, potato sabji filled deep fried pakora. Here is how you can cook this delight out:<br /><br />Ingredients for filling:<br />To make filling<br />1. Potatoes - 3 medium<br />2. Onions - 1/2 medium<br />3. green chillis - per taste - 2 medium well chopped<br />4. mustard<br />5. salt<br />6. red chilli powder - 1 tbsp<br />7. asafoetida - 1 pinch<br />8. Corriander - 1 small cup, chopped<br />(Optional) 9. Peas - 1 cup<br />(Optional) 10. tomatoes - 1 small, well chopped<br /><br />Method de Prep:<br />1. Pressure cook the potatoes. Peel and dice them.<br />2. In a pan, add a tsp of oil. When the oil is hot, splutter the mustard seeds. Add the pinch of asafoetida. I add asafoetida as it helps in digestion (trust me, you'll need it considering the size of the bread pakora ;)). <br />3. Add the green chillis and immediately add the onions. Cook till the onions are transparent.<br />4. If you are adding peas and tomatoes, add them now. I did not as my bread was already sweet and adding peas and tomatoes will just make the bread pakora a sweet and not savory =).<br />5. Once the peas and tomatoes are cooked, add the potatoes. Add some water so that the sabji is of mushy consistency. We want to use this as a filling and hence wouldn't help if the sabhji is too dry.<br />6. Add salt and red chilli powder to taste<br /><br />Now to the bread sleeve for Pakora<br /><br />Ingredients<br />1. Soft bread slices - 10 (makes 10 pieces of bread pakora)<br />2. Besan Powder - 5 tbsp<br />3. Rice Powder - 1.5 tbsp<br />4. Red Chilli Powder - 1 tbsp<br />5. Salt - to taste<br />6. Asafoetida - one pinch<br />7. Oil - To deep fry<br /><br />Method de Prep<br />1. Head oil in a deep frying pan<br />2. Cut the crust off the bread slices. Then cut them across to make triangles<br />3. Mix the besan powder, rice powder, salt, red chilli powder and hing. Add water 1/2 a cup at a time to make a batter, The batter shouldn't be of medium consistency<br />4. Slightly wet your hand. Take one triangular slice, add a spoon of the cooked sabji, place the other slice on top and seal the edges with just the water in your hand. Voila! you have an uncooked pakora. Dip this uncooked pakora in the batter.<br />5. Check if the oil is hot enough (you can put in a drop of the batter and it should immediately sizzle, cook and rise). If it is hot enough, add the uncooked pakora.<br />6. When the pakora is medium brown, remove it from flame.<br />7. Serve with spicy chutney!<br /><br />Bon App!<br /><br /><br />Important Tip: Make the pakora as needed. If you dip the bread in the batter and leave it aside, it will all mush up. So, it should be dip and fry, dip and fry cycle.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37498858.post-28485088396042815792010-04-26T10:34:00.000-07:002010-04-26T10:47:16.639-07:00Tangy Bagala BathI drew inspiration for this recipe from another Chutney recipe posted by my friend. You can find her recipe here.<br /><br />B is not a big fan of Eggplant. I am always looking for ways to incorporate it in our diet without him ewwing at it. Knowing his love for pulav style food, I decided to try this recipe. The core idea was to make it tangy and flavor it enough so that the eggplant doesn't play the main character.<br /><br />Ingredients:<br />1. Eggplant - I used the big fat one. 1/4th of it. Diced into cubes<br />2. Mango - 1/2 a medium. Shredded<br />3. Basmathi Rice - 1 cup<br />4. Onion - 1 medium- well chopped<br />5. Green chilli - 2 for taste/flavor<br />6. Mustard - 1 tsp<br />7. Salt to taste<br /><br />For spice powder:<br />1. Dhania - 1 tbsp<br />2. Jeera - 1 tbsp<br />3. White sesame seeds - 1 tsp<br />4. Curry Leaves - 4 to 5 nos<br />5. Asafoetida(hing) - 1 pinch<br />6. Vendiyam - 1 tsp<br />7. Peanuts - 1/4th cup<br />8. Gingelly oil - 1 tsp<br />9. Bengal Gram Dhal - 1 tbsp<br />10. Red Chillis - 3 to 4 nos (spicy)<br /><br />Method de Preparation:<br />1. Heat gingelly oil in a tava. Add the raw ingredients for the spice: Bengal Gram dhal, vendiyam, hing, dhania, jeera, red chillis, white sesame seeds, curry leaves and fry well. After the lentils turn slighly orange, add the peanuts and fry. The peanuts need to turn slightly brown. Remove from flame and cool<br />2. Meanwhile, you can cook the basmathi rice in the rice cooker. I use 3/4th cup of water for 1 cup of basmati rice. The rice needs to be cooked to end as separate grains (mushy rice wouldn't suit).<br />3. While the spice mix is cooling, heat some vegetable oil, add mustard and let it splutter. Add the minced onions and fry until transparent. Add the mango and eggplant pieces and cook on low flame. You can add just a little bit of water. Keep the vessel cover so that the vegetables cook just in steam.<br />4. While the veggies are cooking, grind the spices into a dry powder. The powder can be coarse.<br />5. Now, time to relax till the eggplant and mango veggies are cooked. Usually about 15 mins tops. Make sure that all the water is evaporated and the veggie mix is slightly dry. Once the veggies are cooked, you are ready to mix them all for a fantastic bagala bath<br />6. In a serving bowl, put a layer of cooked basmati rice, add the cooked veggies on top, sprinkle salt to taste and add the dry spice powder. Mix well. Continue to do this for the rest of the basmati rice you have. If you want a spicer bagala bath, just add more of the dry spice powder.<br />7. Decorate with some curry leaves. Your yummy, tangy bagala bath is ready to be enjoyed! This can be served with cucumber raita.<br />Enjoy!<br />Bon App!Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37498858.post-50457541063257633712010-02-27T03:23:00.000-08:002010-02-27T03:40:20.519-08:00Lettuce WrapsI have loved this appetizer from <a href="http://www.pfchangs.com/menu/">P.F. Changs</a> and have always wanted to try it at home. I have had something very similar at some Burmese restaurants, but the filling came with some rice noodles. From my earlier post, it must be clear that I'm not a big fan of scrambled eggs. But when eggs needs to be included in the diet, this method of enjoying them makes it fun and entertaining. Here is a very quick and healthy recipe to enjoy lettuce wraps<br /><br />Ingredients:<br />1. Eggs - 3 nos; chilli powder - 1 tsp; turmeric powder - 1 tsp; milk - 4 tbsp<br />2. Carrots - 1 nos shredded<br />3. Onions - red, half a medium, finely chopped<br />4. Green capsicum - one medium or half large, finely chopped<br />5. Lime/Lemon juice - 1 tsp, just for the zing<br />6. Salt to taste, oil<br />7. Fresh Lettuce - 8 medium wraps<br /><br />Lettuce:<br />Recently, my husband B got into Salads and we were buying a lot of ready-made salads for his lunch. After reading an article about money saving tips, I realized how expensive chopped lettuce is and decided to buy the veggie myself to try it out. This was the first time I bought the entire lettuce as-is from Trader Joe's. Much to my surprise, the veggie is pretty simple to cut and clean. Peel the layers, almost like you peel onions. You can peel just the right amount that you need, wash and cut or use it for this recipe. The deeper you go, the more crispy the layers are!!<br /><br />Method de Prep:<br />1. Beat 3 eggs with milk, chilli powder and turmeric powder till it froths a little. <br />2. Heat 1 tbsp of oil in a pan. Add the finely chopped onions, green capsicum and fry till onions are golden brown.<br />3. Add the beat eggs and salt. Scramble well depending on preference.<br />4. Peel and wash lettuce wraps.<br />5. On each wrap, place 1 tbsp of scrambled eggs, some shredded carrot and a tsp of lime/lemon juice. Roll it like a burrito. You may use a toothpick to hold the wrap. You can serve it with some peanut sauce.<br />6. Other flavors I tried are mint sauce, soy sauce and even with the <a href="http://www.wish-bone.com/Dressings/1881/Asian-Silk-Vinaigrette.aspx">Peanut Salad spray from WishBone</a><br /><br />It is a cool, simple and a healthy recipe for entertaining. <br />As always, Bon App everyone!Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37498858.post-36694226913366765812009-11-11T09:52:00.000-08:002009-11-11T10:04:55.096-08:00Scrambled TofuI don't enjoy eggs necessarily, but I do like the way scrambled eggs look on a plate, along with a piece of toast, piece of cheese and a glass of orange juice! That'z breakfast parfait! I made this simple, delicious and healthy breakfast this morning!<br /><br />Ingredients:<br />1. Firm Tofu - 1 box<br />2. Onions - 1/2 medium diced<br />3. Jeera - 1 tsp<br />4. Oil<br />5. Salt to taste<br />6. Green Chillis - 4 nos well chopped<br /><br />Method De Prep:<br />1. Dice the tofu into small cubes<br />2. Heat oil and splutter jeera<br />3. Add the onions and green chillis and fry well<br />4. Add the diced tofu and break them up unevenly. Add salt to taste<br />5. Fry the mix for couple of mins. The mix needs to be dry like scrambled eggs<br />6. Empty on a plate and garnish with chopped corriander.<br />7. I placed a slice of cheese and some fresh avacado along with 2 toast slices.<br /><br />Voila! a yummy breakfast ready to be devoured.<br /><br />Bon App!Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37498858.post-77416971148588107752009-11-11T09:35:00.001-08:002009-11-11T10:06:35.812-08:00Chow chow KurmaI personally like this vegetable: Chow Chow or Chayote. B isn't a big fan of this vegetable. I wanted to get him to enjoy this vegetable and could think of no other way but to try a kurma with it. Here is what I did<br /><br />Ingredients:<br />1. Chayote: 2 nos peeled and diced<br />2. Coconut - wet - 1 small cup<br />3. Green Chillis - 5 nos<br />4. Jeera - 1 tsp<br />5. Oil - 1 tbsp<br />6. Clove - 3 nos<br />7. Pattai/Cinnamon stick - 1<br />8. Bay Leaves - 2<br />9. Onion - 1 medium diced <br /><br />Method De Prep<br />1. Cook the diced chayote in pressure cooker without the whistle. Once the spout of the cooker starts steaming fast, you can remove the chayote. Chayote is high in water content and doesn't need to be completely pressure cooked<br />2. In a mixie, blend coconut and green chillis<br />3. In a pan, splutter jeera, add clove, cinnamon, bay leaves and fry. Add the onions and fry well till the onions are transparent<br />4. Add the ground mix of coconut and chillis<br />5. If you want some color, you may add a pinch of turmeric<br />6. Add the cooked chayote and simmer. Add salt to taste<br />The Chayote Kurma is ready to be enjoyed!<br /><br />Bon App!Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37498858.post-7369692256260059102009-10-23T05:12:00.001-07:002009-10-23T05:21:50.259-07:00Wheat HalwaThis is a recipe from my MIL. She made this sweet for Deepavali - the Festival of lights. It is a quick and easy recipe. What I love about this recipe is the simplicity of ingredients and execution!<br /><br />Ingredients:<br />1. Wheat Flour - 1 cup<br />2. Sugar - 2 cups<br />3. Milk - 1 cup<br />4. Water - 0.5 cup<br />5. Saffron - 1 pinch<br />6. Cardamon Powder - 1 pinch<br />7. Chopped almonds/pista/dry fruits - for garnishing as needed<br /><br />Method de Prep<br />1. In a vessel, mix wheat flour, sugar, milk into a loose batter. Ensure the batter is lump free and loose. You can add the saffron and cardamon powder to this loose batter<br />2. In a pressure cooker, cook the loose dough for two whistles<br />3. After the cooker cools, remove the dough and pour into a deep microwavable dish.<br />4. Microwave for 20 mins, but check on the dish every 3 to 4 mins. Stir now and then during intervals.<br />5. The dough would have become tight and chewy. While it is still hot from the microwave, it would be in a pourable form. Pour it into a open dish where you can cut it into pieces.<br />6. After it cools, garnish with the dry fruits and cut into servable size pieces.<br /><br />The Wheat Halwa is ready! Traditionally the tedious process involves soaking wheat grains, grinding and taking out the milk, stirring on low flame etc. This is a quicker shortcut which yields great tasting result too! Enjoy!<br /><br />Bon App!Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37498858.post-50272088691521027032009-10-23T05:07:00.000-07:002009-10-23T05:08:46.114-07:00Mintilicious FusilliI know! I'm back after aeons. My friend is visiting me this week and I wanted to show her some twists to a regular Pasta Dish. Here is one such variation I spruced up last night:<br />Mintilicious Fusilli<br /><br />Ingredients:<br />1. Mint - 1 bunch<br />2. Corriander leaves - 1 bunch<br />3. Green Chillis - 5 to 6<br />4. Onions - 1 medium<br />5. Mushroom (Optional) - 5 to 6<br />6. Yellow Squash - chopped 10 to 15 medium size pieces<br />7. Pasta - any variety - I chose Fusilli<br />8. Pasta Sauce - optional - readymade, any variety<br />9. Olive Oil - 2 tbsp<br />10. Salt to taste<br /><br />Method de Prep:<br />1. Remove just the leaves from the Mint bunch<br />2. Chop the corriander leaves<br />3. On a pan, add 1 tsp of Olive Oil. Add the green chillis, mint leaves along with the corriander leaves. Allow to cook on medium flame for 2 mins or less<br />4. Remove from heat and let it cool aside. After it cools, grind to a coarse paste.<br />5. You can use the same pan, in 2 tsp of Olive Oil, cook the finely chopped onions. Once the onions turn transparent, add the chopped mushrooms to it. Cook till they brown up and the juices start showing.<br />6. Meanwhile, cook the yellow squash in the oven by broiling it for 4 mins. Add the cooked squash to the pan along with the mushrooms and toss lightly.<br />6. On another stove, cook the pasta. Pasta is cooked al dente by adding it to a pot of hot water and salt.<br />7. Once the pasta is cooked, drain the water and set aside.<br />8. In a deep vessel, heat 2 tsp of olive oil. Add the cooked pasta, mint paste, cooked mushrooms and squash with onions and toss lightly. You may add the pasta sauce to this if you like.<br /><br />Your delicious Mint Pasta is ready! This is a different ring to the regular Basil based Pasta Dishes. Hope you enjoy it !<br />Let me know how it came out/any variations after you have tried it!<br /><br />Bon App!Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37498858.post-76645977904241455142009-10-03T15:50:00.001-07:002009-10-03T16:01:49.451-07:00Puratasi MaavilakuToday is 3rd Sat in the Tamizh Month of Puratasi. The month of Puratasi is said to be special for Lord Balaji, the lord of seven hills-Tirupati.<br />A special lamp of rice flour, sugar, powdered elachi is considered special for this day. To make the Maa-vilaku:<br />Ingredients:<br />1. Rice - 1 cup + one handful<br />2. Sugar - 1 cup + one handful<br />3. Powdered Elachi<br /><br />Method de Prep:<br />1. Soak the rice for about 30 mins in water at room temperature.<br />2. Remove the rice from water and let it dry on a paper towel for few mins<br />3. Grind dry in a blender<br />4. Add the sugar to the powdered rice and mix<br />5. Add Powdered Elachi (cardamon) and mix<br /><br />To make Maavilaku spread the rice on a round plate and shape it like a small mountain with a crater. Pour ghee into the crater with a wick. Place a small Betel Nut under the wick at the lighting end to separate it from the flour. Light the lamp in the name of Lord Venkateswara<br /><br />Maavilaku signifies Lord Balaji himself in the form of Jyothi Swaroopa. In the olden days, when the old, disabled and very young devotees of Lord Balaji couldn't visit him, it is said that the Lord himself visits them on this day. The lighting of the Maavilaku signifies the Lord Almighty himself visiting our home. As the lamp slowly burns down, it shows the Lord going back to his home- the seven hills. When the lamp is completely burnt out, we chant "Govinda Govinda" perform Deeparadhanai and offer prayers. The Maavilaku can then be made into sweet balls and distributed as prasadam.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37498858.post-69581230346658358172009-07-28T20:32:00.000-07:002009-07-28T20:36:27.904-07:00Payatham DosaiThis is a recipe from my creative MIL. This dosai is better to the body than Adai. It contains yellow moong dhal which is cooling to the system on a much needed summer day!<br /><br />Ingredients:<br />1. Rice - 2 cups<br />2. Yellow Moong Dhal - 1 cup<br />3. Ginger - 2 medium size pieces<br />4. Asafoetida - 1 pinch<br />5. Red chillis - 3 or 4 nos<br />6. Salt to taste<br /><br />Method de Prep:<br />1. Soak rice and yellow moong dhal in the ratio 2:1. Allow them to soak for atleast 4 hours<br />2. Grind the soaked mix with ginger, asafoetida, red chillis<br />3. You can add corriander leaves right at the end to get a green color. I haven't tried spinach, but sure think will work the same way.<br />4. Set aside the batter overnight. After it ferments, add salt the next morning<br />5. Make lovely dosa/crepe with the batter and enjoy!Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37498858.post-81926653862034510112009-01-18T17:28:00.000-08:002009-01-18T18:43:00.838-08:00Italian Cooking 101I finally decided to get outta my laziness and do something nice for my parents. I thought of the least effort way I can introduce something new to their taste buds. I whipped up this complete Italian Dinner for them. It took me matter of less than 30 mins.<br /><br />Menu:<br />Tomato Soup<br />Garlic Bread<br />Vegetarian Pasta<br />Apple Juice (since they don't drink alcohol)<br />Chocolate Cake with Vanilla Icecream<br /><br />I also served bread with Olive Oil and Balsamic Vinegar as they waited for the food :). You can buy both the ingredients right off the shelf in your local grocery store. The rest of the items are detailed below.<br /><br /><br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">Tomato Soup</span><br />Ingredients:<br />1. V8 :) - I took the flavor that was spicy<br /><br />Method de Preparation<br />1. Just heat up some V8 in the microwave<br />2. A small drop of butter and some chopped cilantro to garnish.<br />3. Ready to serve and be enjoyed!<br /><br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">Garlic Bread</span><br /><br />Ingredients:<br />1. Baguette - sliced<br />2. Just garlic bread spread :)<br />3. Butter<br /><br />Method de Preparation<br />1. Mix equal portions of the garlic bread spread and butter<br />2. Spread it on the sliced baguette<br />3. Set the oven to Broil and pop the baguette pieces in for 10 mins (till they turn crispy brown)<br />4. Ready to be enjoyed!<br /><span style="font-weight:bold;"><br />Vegetarian Pasta<br /></span><br />Ingredients:<br />1. Pasta - any kind<br />2. Bell Peppers - 3 nos<br />3. Marinated Artichokes <br />4. Garlic Cloves<br />5. Pesto <br />6. Pasta Sauce<br /><br />Method de Preparation<br />1. Cook Pasta in a bowl of water. You can add some salt to the water while boiling the pasta.<br />2. Slice the Bell Peppers into halves and broil them in the oven. In about 10 mins, the peppers will be well cooked and the skin will be peelable. You can use any color. More the merrier. Peel the skin and slice the peppers<br />2. In a deep vessel, add some olive oil. Add the chopped garlic cloves and sautee. Add the chopped bell pepper.<br />3. Marinated Artichokes are available right off the shelf in any grocery store. Just add as many as you like.<br />4. Drain the boiled and cooked pasta and add it to this mixture<br />4. Both the pesto and pasta sauce is also off the shelf. Add the two finally and mix well. As a vegetarian, I usually get the pasta sauce that contains some veggies in it, just so that it isn't too plain.<br />4. Garnish with chopped corriander leaves and serve!<br /><br />Chocolate Cake with Vanilla Icecream<br />Ingredients<br />1. Chocolate Cake - bought from the local grocery store<br />2. Vanilla Icecream - again bought from local grocery store<br /><br />Serving Ideas<br />1. Slice the cake and serve with a scoop of vanilla icecream. You may garnish with Chocolate syrup or raspberry syrup.<br /><br />Bon App!Unknownnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37498858.post-60486600656009586932008-08-11T21:43:00.000-07:002008-08-11T21:43:03.069-07:00Black Eyed Peas SundalSundal is one of my favorite snacks. It reminds me of my childhood days when sundal was the plat du jour for all days of navarathiri. During navarathiri, kids are treated with this snack every evening. Missing my good old times, I tried reliving those memories with this quick snack.<br /><br />Ingredients:<br />1. Black Eyed Peas - 1 cup, soaked for 4 hours<br />2. Grated coconut - 1/2 cup<br />3. Green chillis - 2 to 3 nos<br />4. Oil, mustard for tadka<br />5. Curry leaves - 2 or 3<br />6. Salt to taste<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3DWESuElUxuGxIZFS2-251Q10uktU0j_1cM0vvXj93w8hRspIYK1S9QixRvjEeucYw1ZGpYtiNJPYoZbKhLE92XbWVx3MCwiFgHYxHFjxO0xSfoTFSs7PNY85RI8fzxhr6YTSyg/s1600-h/DSC00587.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3DWESuElUxuGxIZFS2-251Q10uktU0j_1cM0vvXj93w8hRspIYK1S9QixRvjEeucYw1ZGpYtiNJPYoZbKhLE92XbWVx3MCwiFgHYxHFjxO0xSfoTFSs7PNY85RI8fzxhr6YTSyg/s320/DSC00587.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5231261148434693154" /></a><br /><br />Method de preparation:<br />1. Pressure cook the soaked lentils. Let 1 whistle go by. We don't want the dhal to overcook and turn mashy.<br />2. On a small tava, heat some oil, splutter mustard seeds, add curry leaves, green chillis and grated coconut. <br />3. Couple of quick turns, add the cooked lentils after draining it well. <br />4. Add salt to taste<br /><br />Enjoy!<br />Bon App!Unknownnoreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37498858.post-15898605161227148362008-08-10T12:25:00.000-07:002008-08-28T12:50:09.631-07:00Quick Paneer DishB likes Paneer, he likes fried paneer even better. My fridge was almost empty. Only veggies I had left were some onions, capsicum and paneer..yah I need to do groceries :). Here is what I did with them<br /><br />Ingredients:<br />1. Paneer - sliced into cubes<br />2. Onions - 1 big finely chopped<br />3. Bell Peppers - 2 big<br />4. Lime Juice<br /><br />Method de Prep:<br />1. Cut the bell peppers in halves. Roast them in the oven. I broiled them on low for about 5 mins till the skin can be peeled off.<br />2. Finely chop the onions and green chillis.<br />3. On a tava, heat some oil, you may add some jeera seeds if you like the taste. Fry the onions and green chillis.<br />4. Meanwhile, skin the capsicum and chop them into medium size pieces<br />5. Once the onions look cooked (they will appear a little transparent), add the capsicum and gently toss it around<br />6. Broil the paneer cubes in the oven on high. Keep a regular watch on them. Once they are light brown in color, take them out<br />7. Add the paneer cubes to the mix cooking on the tava<br />8. Toss gently around. The paneer and capsicum shouldn't break and mash.<br />9. Take off the stove, add a handful of finely chopped corriander and a dash of lime juice<br /><br />The quick dish is ready to enjoy with roti or bread!<br /><br />Bon App!Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37498858.post-1227767502464119312008-08-09T16:11:00.000-07:002008-08-09T21:27:55.245-07:00True InspirationIt is a lazy saturday afternoon and I am on my couch watching all the 'Food Network' that I want to. While watching 'Throwdown with Bobby Flay' I got inspired to cook up a dish(in my head!). Yes, ladies and gentlemen, for the first time, I am blogging about a dish that is an inspiration and hasn't touched my stove yet. Drawing the idea from a 'Meat Loaf', I am hoping to try this dish out sometime soon.<br /><br />Ingredients:<br />Here is all what I hope to mix into this dish:<br />1. Brinjals/Eggplant - round big fat ones - 2 nos<br />2. Onions - 1 large, finely chopped<br />3. Bell Peppers - bring on the colors! red, green, yellow, orange- 2 nos finely chopped<br />4. Celery sticks (optional) - 3 sticks, well chopped<br />5. Garlic(optional) - 2 or 3 cloves<br />6. Bread crumbs<br /><br /><br />Method de preparation:<br />1. Roast the Eggplant on the stove. Peel the skin and mash well with salt, pepper and crushed red pepper.<br />2. In a pan, heat some oil and fry the onions, chopped bell peppers, celery sticks with garlic.<br />3. Add the fried vegetables and mash well. Add some bread crumbs just like you would for cutlets.<br />4. Make round pattis and place them on a baking sheet.<br />5. Preheat the oven upto 350F. Place the pattis in the oven and cook for about 15 mins? <br />6. Take out the pattis and place them on a dish to serve.<br />7. I have two ideas for serving:<br />a. Olive Oil, balsamic vinegar and a dash of lime juice. Whisk them and simply coat the top of the crispy pattis with this.<br />b. Simple, spicy ketchup coating on the top<br />8. Serve with toasted bread or baguette slices<br /><br />I'll try this out soon and post some pics. If you happen to try it before me, leave me a note with your creativity spiced in..<br /><br />Enjoy! Bon App!Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37498858.post-21524520793701438592008-08-07T21:33:00.000-07:002008-08-07T21:33:08.239-07:00Black Eyed Peas Dhal<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7PIhCdeJk3ENFJuctAvTUeMu17s9oONkOjw3Gm68pBwh5QvqpOr43QauoaFTjN7TtX7_qPkteFzgIUBFnlVVokEUsChop_WXmpLl9p9lDY9-dHzAAI4FQG5sL-qXn5TdAUY_XWg/s1600-h/DSC00586.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7PIhCdeJk3ENFJuctAvTUeMu17s9oONkOjw3Gm68pBwh5QvqpOr43QauoaFTjN7TtX7_qPkteFzgIUBFnlVVokEUsChop_WXmpLl9p9lDY9-dHzAAI4FQG5sL-qXn5TdAUY_XWg/s320/DSC00586.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5231260746847890434" /></a><br />It was raining Black Eyed Peas @ home. After trying out couple of different recipes in my head, I finally tried a couple out.<br /><br />Black Eyed Peas Dhal<br /><br />Ingredients<br />1. Black Eyed Peas - 1 cup soaked in water for about 4 hours<br />2. Tomato paste/puree - 2 tsp/1 small cup<br />3. Ginger paste - 1 tsp<br />4. Garam masala, chilli powder - 1 tsp<br />5. Onions - 1 small finely chopped<br />6. Green chillis - 2 nos<br />7. Oil to fry<br />8. Salt to taste<br />9. turmeric powder - optional 1/4 tsp<br /><br />Method de Preparation<br />1. Pressure cook the soaked black eyed peas. Let 2 - 3 whistles go<br />2. Heat 1 tsp of oil in a tava, add the ginger paste, onions, green chillis, garam masala and fry well. Add the tomato paste/puree and cook well. Add a spoon of chilli pwoder, garam masala, 1/4 spoon of turmeric powder. Let the mix boil for a few mins till the aroma rises. <br />3. Now add the cooked black eyed peas. Add salt to taste and mix well.<br />A delicious and healthy dhal is ready to enjoy. It can be enjoyed with roti/rice. While serving, chop up some fresh corriander and generously sprinkle on top. Add a dash of lemon/lime juice.<br /><br />You can even make samosa chat with this dhal. Just break up the samosa and mix with the dhal. This can be instead of the chick peas chole sabji that is normally used for samosa chat.<br /><br />Bon App!Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37498858.post-70337397455839107282008-08-06T21:24:00.000-07:002008-08-06T21:24:08.307-07:00Couscous UpmaAs I needed something tasty, healthy and at the same time quick, I turned to couscous for help. Mornings are my busiest time of the day. Making an elaborate lunch is hard and this recipe came in very handy for a tasty lunch box meal.<br /><br />Ingredients:<br />1. Mixed Veggies - 1 cup<br />2. Onion - 1 medium, finely chopped<br />3. Green chillis - 2 nos<br />4. couscous - 1 cup<br />5. Oil to fry <br />6. Salt to taste<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiOhOJxwN7cqn35DNA8NewLkoABxoz8jVG9FcF-AHi-pR8cNT7DW9d1bikE08m9C2OHKSYLXRsag6ILoV01AdiEiHKTmuq6i-AoiVhSSsx4dil_16kjWDQHGM7zA1cMCrea_flf6Q/s1600-h/DSC00582.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiOhOJxwN7cqn35DNA8NewLkoABxoz8jVG9FcF-AHi-pR8cNT7DW9d1bikE08m9C2OHKSYLXRsag6ILoV01AdiEiHKTmuq6i-AoiVhSSsx4dil_16kjWDQHGM7zA1cMCrea_flf6Q/s320/DSC00582.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5231257745768484818" /></a><br /><br />Method de Preparation:<br />1. Cook the mixed veggies in a bowl of water in the microwave. It usually takes me about 10 mins<br />2. Meanwhile, finely chop onions and green chillis<br />3. In a hot tava, add a spoon of oil, splutter some mustard seeds, add the onions and green chillis and fry well.<br />4. Once the veggies are done, strain the water and add the cooked veggies and mix them well.<br />5. Take 1 cup of couscous, add less than half a cup of water and microwave for 3 mins. <br />6. Add the cooked couscous to the mixed veggies and toss well.<br />7. You may add finely chopped corriander for a wonderful flavor.<br /><br />A tasty lunch is ready!<br />Bon App!Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37498858.post-9954361095162384942008-08-05T20:57:00.000-07:002008-08-06T11:30:11.674-07:00Carrot Rice and RaitaHey All!<br />I am back from my slumber, but may be not too long. This recipe was the result of a lot of carrots in my fridge and a sudden urge to better my vision :).<br /><br />Ingredients<br />1. Carrots - 3 medium size<br />2. Onions - 1 medium<br />3. Green Chillis - 3 nos<br />4. Bay Leaves<br />5. Cloves.cardamon/a spoon of dhania or jeera powder<br />6. Rice - 1 cup<br />7. Green Bell Pepper - 1 medium<br />8. Salt to taste<br />10. Oil to fry<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqwTF0S8JefmWlCKvJxnBxeMeWM4BL2q2WaFBxw7mcHEVu8vnfD5kGKpNLmDoeBl6U-x29IQ5tw9nJ8_chjJHa46C7dW2HynzIGFHtFmRv85vCjP-zEQO3jpmcYye2F4IP5WlJJg/s1600-h/DSC00588.JPG"><img style="float:right; margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqwTF0S8JefmWlCKvJxnBxeMeWM4BL2q2WaFBxw7mcHEVu8vnfD5kGKpNLmDoeBl6U-x29IQ5tw9nJ8_chjJHa46C7dW2HynzIGFHtFmRv85vCjP-zEQO3jpmcYye2F4IP5WlJJg/s320/DSC00588.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5231255817456594402" /></a><br /><br />Method de Preparation<br />1. Cool Rice in 1 cup of water. I used basmati rice for flavor and fragrance<br />2. Wash, Peel and grate the carrots<br />3. Cook carrots in the microwave in 1.5 cups of water. I microwaved the carrots for about 10 mins<br />4. Finely chop the onions and green chillis and the green bell pepper<br />5. On a tava, melt a spoonful of ghee. Add the bay leaves, cloves, cardamon and the dhania or jeera powder. Add the chopped green bell pepper, onions and green chillis.<br />6. Once it is well fried, add the cooked carrots (strained from the water). Add salt to taste and cook till you get the flavor of the spices.<br />7. Once well cooked, add rice and the carrot mix in layers and toss all together.<br />8. If you like the taste of corriander, you can add some fresh, finely chopped corriander leaves to this rice.<br /><br />The rice is now ready to enjoy! <br />I made cucumber/tomato raita to go along with this rice. Here is the quick and simple yet tasty recipe<br /><br />Ingredients:<br />1. Yogurt - 4 tbsp<br />2. Cucumber - 1 medium, chopped. <br />3. Tomato - 1 medium, chopped<br />4. Green chillis - 2 nos, finely chopped<br />5. Oil, mustard for tadka<br /><br />Method de preparation:<br />1. Heat 1 tsp of oil and add mustard to prepare tadka<br />2. Once the mustard seeds pop, add the cucumber, tomato and green chillis. <br />3. Once the tomatoes look half cooked, remove from flame and add to a cup of yogurt<br />4. Add Salt and some chaat masala and mix well.<br />A tasty raita to complement the carrot rice is now ready!!<br />Enjoy<br />Bon AppUnknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37498858.post-91294681343690172162008-07-25T09:58:00.000-07:002008-07-25T10:00:06.789-07:00Crazy BZ!Hey Everyone,<br />Sorry, I know it is sometime since I stepped into my blog world to share with you all what I've been cooking in my kitchen. My work has been crazy since couple of weeks now. I have some recipes in my bag, but haven't found the time to pen those down and share it with you all.<br />Just decided to check in and see how everyone is doing. See you very soon.<br />Cheers!Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37498858.post-71167185127299226602008-07-08T11:31:00.000-07:002008-07-08T12:38:22.497-07:00Quick PBMHello Everyone!<br />Hope all of you had a fantastic 4th of July. We had a really nice time. We finally managed to get some organizing done, met some old friends and just had a quiet time. <br />Over the weekend, B's friends visited us. I decided to cook at home. Just something quick and delicious. B was in no mood for South India. So, I chucked the idea of Microwave Paruppu Usili and decided to try my hand at his favorite north indian dish-Paneer Butter Masala.<br />I searched online for a quick recipe and I found a fantastic one here: <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rSygSz7aj9w">PBM in minutes!</a>. I leveraged this recipe and added a twist of my own.<br />Here you go, enjoy!<br />Ingredients:<br /><br />For Gravy:<br />1. Corriander powder - 1.5 tsp<br />2. Garam Masala - 1 tsp<br />3. Chilli Pwder - 1 tsp<br />4. Kasoori Methi - half tsp<br />5. Tomato Paste - 2 tsp<br />6. Milk - 1 cup<br /><br />For Veggies<br />1. Onions - 1 medium, chopped finely<br />2. Capsicum - 1 medium, chopped<br />3. Peas - 1 small cup<br />4. Paneer - chopped into cubes<br />5. Butter - as required<br />6. Salt - to taste<br /><br />Method de Preparation:<br />1. Make the gravy by adding corriander, garam masala, chilli powder, kasoori methi, tomato paste and whisk it all with half cup of milk. In the video, he does advice to add tomato ketchup. I don't like the taste of ketchup in PBM, hence, I avoided it. But I added enough of tomato paste instead. <br />2. On a hot pan, add some butter and fry the onions and capsicum in the butter. You need to get the butter aroma rise up while frying. You can also add cashews/raisins to this and fry them along. I prefer PBM not too sweet. Hence, I just added some cashews for richness<br />3. Once the onions and capsicum is well fried, add the peas and gravy that has been sitting out. Add a little of food color (optional) and salt. Cover it for 5 mins and let it boil. <br />4. Once the gravy is boiling well, add the paneer cubes. The paneer cubes need not be fried before adding.<br />5. Toss it around couple of times till all the paneer is soaked well in the gravy. Let it boil well for another 6 mins.<br />6. Your dish is ready to be served and enjoyed!<br />Garnish with corriander and serve<br /><br />Tip 1:Paneer can be broiled in the oven too, instead of frying. But you need to keep a constant eye on the oven<br />Tip 2: If you would like your PBM even more richer, you can grind a handful of cashews with onions. Make it into a paste and add it to the gravy while boiling.<br /><br />Bon App!Unknownnoreply@blogger.com11tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37498858.post-43312808143116213052008-07-03T17:21:00.000-07:002008-12-12T23:14:55.474-08:00Thanks for all the awards!<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgpvts8iXUtfuEbK6mlYyzAMpL5Q-J2TLKkMNCAlLJVqxfzKnKCiB1yHu6frSs3tdKJ5XHb7EL6QBhFG3Y_soOU849Gi67JGamH0A9Cn5ruO5r2pSoR57GdeeZhnuEcegSfhN9wYg/s1600-h/yum-yumaward.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgpvts8iXUtfuEbK6mlYyzAMpL5Q-J2TLKkMNCAlLJVqxfzKnKCiB1yHu6frSs3tdKJ5XHb7EL6QBhFG3Y_soOU849Gi67JGamH0A9Cn5ruO5r2pSoR57GdeeZhnuEcegSfhN9wYg/s320/yum-yumaward.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5219594053472876914" /></a><br />Sailaja from <a href="http://sailajasrecipes.blogspot.com/">Sailaja's Recipes</a>. gave me a giant bear hug! Thanks for the hug, Sailu. <br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGJN4_yxM5MTVgcd0EmV6g7n9r_0LjEOwK77yhuD-Y7-aan7J-zHG30leAORCN99vEVZJ_RwIirnhIfimfV7EpJAZnCWPPeiqQiYKl3-g8q4E_oUzTGHOmDxoh_oZv212mVaHUKQ/s1600-h/award_bear.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGJN4_yxM5MTVgcd0EmV6g7n9r_0LjEOwK77yhuD-Y7-aan7J-zHG30leAORCN99vEVZJ_RwIirnhIfimfV7EpJAZnCWPPeiqQiYKl3-g8q4E_oUzTGHOmDxoh_oZv212mVaHUKQ/s320/award_bear.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5219592313627301074" /></a><br /><br />I would like to pass on this bear hug to <br />Sagari from <a href="http://indianhomefood.blogspot.com/">Indian Cooking</a><br />Mitr from <a href="http://mitrideas.blogspot.com/">Mitr's Ideas from Bay Area</a><br />Smitha Karthik from<a href="http://spicedforlife.blogspot.com/">Spiced for Life!</a><br /><br />Sailaja also gave me another award. <br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjoESk3EwbTzZpa4tk7Lm0aeaB2oUHlvno71pdmfXLp7vhmglFp4QVD2eyAnXTl86daRnq7HHjy-SlZQNuQqFpAxIbngLpjfvWUBQm9yvrhjyZJMW__8Jh0s27Dt5Lu_xt9OUwX8Q/s1600-h/purpose.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjoESk3EwbTzZpa4tk7Lm0aeaB2oUHlvno71pdmfXLp7vhmglFp4QVD2eyAnXTl86daRnq7HHjy-SlZQNuQqFpAxIbngLpjfvWUBQm9yvrhjyZJMW__8Jh0s27Dt5Lu_xt9OUwX8Q/s320/purpose.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5219592551196046466" /></a><br /><br />I would like to pass on this award to <br />Sailu from <a href="http://www.sailusfood.com/">Sailu's Food</a><br /><br />Maheswari from <a href="http://publishtoday.blogspot.com/">Beyond The Usual</a> awarded me Yum Yum Blog :). <br /><br />I would like to pass this award to<br />Sailaja from <a href="http://sailajasrecipes.blogspot.com/">Sailaja's Recipes</a> for her delicious and simple Dates Burfi with Nuts<br />Sagari from <a href="http://indianhomefood.blogspot.com/">Indian Cooking</a> for her healthy palak puri<br />Kalai from <a href="http://samaithupaarkalaam.blogspot.com/">Samaithu Parkalam</a> for her lovely Green Sprouts adai<br /><br />Congratulations! Enjoy Ladies!Unknownnoreply@blogger.com6