Sunday, March 8, 2009

Mix Veg. Kurma



Ingredients:

1. Choppedcabbage, beans, carrots, cauliflower - 1/2 cup each
2. Small onions, sliced - 3
3. Salt - as per taste
4. Grated Coconut - 1/2 cup
5. Ginger - Garlic paste - 2 tsp.
6. Curd - 2 tbsp.
7. Poppy seeds/ Khus Khus soaked in warm water- 1/2 tsp.
8.
Jeera/Cumin seeds - 1 tsp.
9. Corriander Powder - 2 tsp.
10.
Green Chillies - 3
11. Dry Red Chillies - 2

12. Pepper - 1 tsp.

13. Saunf/Aniseeds - 1/2 tsp.

14.
Cinnamon - a small stick
15. Cloves - 2/3
16. Cardamom - 1
17. Tomato - 1 small
18. Cashewnuts(optional) - a few
19. Lemon juice - 2 tsp.

Method:

1. Steam the vegetables till they are about half done. Remove and set aside.
2. Heat the oil and fry the sliced onions and ginger garlic paste till they turn slightly brown.
3. Add corriander powder.
3. Grind together coconut, curd, poppy seeds, jeera, green and red chillies, pepper, saunf, cinnamon, cloves, cardamom, tomato and cashewnuts(optional).
3. Now add the blended masala to the frying pan and fry till the oil starts leaving the sides of the masala.
4.If the masala starts sticking to the pan, lower the heat and sprinkle a little water and continue frying, stirring continuously.
5.Then add the half cooked vegetables and salt to taste. Add some water. Mix well.
6.Boil it. Cook until the vegetables are soft and tender.
7.Remove from heat. Garnish with coriander leaves. Serve hot with naan or rice :-)


Whole Wheat Naan



Ingredients :

1. Aata/Whole wheat - 2 cups
2. Warm water - 1/4 cup
3. Curd - 3/4 cup
4. Salt - 1/2 tsp.
5. Dry yeast - 1 tsp.
6. Sesame seeds/ White til - 2 tsp.

Method :

1. Mix 1/4 cup warm water and dry yeast. Set aside for 5-10 minutes, until you see bubbles.
2. Make a dough out of wheat, curd, salt and this yeast mixture. Add water if required so that the dough comes together in a slightly sticky ball.
3. Place the dough in an oiled bowl, cover loosely with a damp cloth and let it rise for a couple of hours, until double in size.
4. Make balls out of this dough and roll them out flat. Add sesame seeds on top of the naans. You can add corriander leaves as well.
5. Bake in an OTG for 10 - 12 mins at 180 degree Celcius until it starts rising and turns slightly brown.
6. Serve with kurma.

Vanilla Sponge Cake

(Photo courtesy - my friend - Amby, who made this soft delicious cake)

My mom's recipe

Ingredients:

1. Maida/Flour - 2 cups
2. Powdered Sugar - 1 & a 1/2 cup or 1 & 3/4 cups
3. Unsalted Butter - 1 cup
4. Vanilla Essence - 1/4 tsp.
5. Baking Powder - 1/4 tsp.
6. Eggs - 2
7. Milk - as per requirement

Method :

1. Stir the butter till it becomes creamy.
2. Add sugar to it and mix well.
3. Separately, sieve maida and add baking powder to it.
4. Add this to the butter mixture, part by part, not all at once.
5. Separate the egg whites from the eggs and beat them till they increase in volume.
6. Add the egg yolks to the mixture.
7. Then add the egg whites and vanilla essence.
8. Mix well. You'll have to mix for a long time, as the batter should be of a ribbon consistency, i.e., when you hold the spoon in a slanting position, the batter should fall down like a ribbon.
9. You may add milk to achieve this semi-solid consistency.
10. Grease the cake pan with butter, pour the batter into it and bake in microwave for 5-6 mins. at 650 degree Celcius.
11. Do not take it out immediately. Take it out after 5 mins.
12. Insert a tooth pick into it, it should come out clean.

Variation:
For making chocolate cake, just mix 3 tbsp. of cocoa powder with maida.
You may add tooty fruity or dry fruits while mixing maida with baking powder.

Monday, February 23, 2009

Green Tomato and Beans Sabji



Ingredients:

1. Green Tomatoes, chopped - 1 cup
2. Beans, chopped - 1 cup
3. Red chilli powder - 2 tsp.
4. Turmeric powder/ Haldi - 1/4 tsp.
5. Corriander powder - 1 tsp.
6. Ginger - garlic paste - 2 tsp.
7. Jeera/ Cumin seeds - 1 tsp.
8. Salt


Method:

1. Fry jeera and ginger garlic paste in little oil.
2. Add corriander powder, cook for a minute.
3. Add the tomatoes, red chilli powder and haldi. Cook for some time.
4. Add beans and salt, and cook till they are done.
5. Serve with rotis.

Hare chane ke kabaab



Ingredients :

1. Green kabuli chana - 1/2 cup, soaked in water and pressure cooked
2. Chopped onions - 2
3. Chopped tomatoes - 2
4. Ginger-Garlic paste - 1 tsp.
5. Turmeric powder/Haldi - 1/4 tsp.
6. Jeera/Cumin seeds - 1 tsp.
7. Amchur powder - 1.5 tsp.
8. Salt
9. Corriander Leaves
10. Chilli Sauce - 2 tsp.
11. Vinegar - 1 tsp.
12. Garam masala - 2 tsp.
13. Red chilli powder - 2 tsp.

Method:
1. Grind the cooked chana till mashed.
2. Mix with all the remaining ingredients.
3. Heat a non-stick pan and add lillte oil.
4. Make small flat balls of the mixture and place them on the pan,turn them to make both the sides brown.
5. Serve with any sauce.

Do try this out as this tastes differnet from the normal cutlets :-)

Carrot Cake



Ingredients:

1. Wheat/Atta - 2 cups
2. Grated carrots - 2
3. Cinnamon powder/Dalchini - 1 tsp.
3. Nutmeg powder/Jaiphal - 1/2 tsp.
4. Baking powder - 1/2 tsp.
5. Butter - 1/2 cup
6. Grated jaggery/Gur - 1/2 cup

Method:
1. Melt the butter and jaggery over a low flame. Keep aside.
2. Sift the flour with the cinnamon powder, nutmeg powder and baking powder.
3. Combine the butter mixture, flour mixture and grated carrots and pour into a greased baking pan.
4.Bake in a pre-heated oven at 180°C for 1 hour. Cool and cut.

This cake is not only different in taste from other cakes, but also is healthy as it contains jaggery, a rich source of iron and carrots, which contain Vitamin A.

Variation : You can add honey to increase the sweetness. Njooooy :-)

Wednesday, January 14, 2009

Semolina Vermicelli Idli




Ingredients:

1. Semolina/Rava - 1 cup
2. Vermicelli/Semiya - 1 & a 1/2cup
3. Curd - 1 cup
4. Chopped green chillies - 2
5. Mustard Seeds/Rai - 1 tsp.
6. Curry Leaves
7. Hing/Asafoetida - a pinch
8. Urad dal - 1 tsp.
9. Baking Powder - a pinch
10. Salt

Method:

1. Fry vermicelli and semolina in little oil till slightly brown.

2. Add curd to this mixture.

3. Let it stay for 10 minutes.

4. Add salt,baking powder and green chillies.

5. Fry mustard seeds,urad dal, hing and curry leaves in oil and add to the mixture.

6. Pur the batter in greased idli stand and steam them.

7. Serve with chutney and sambhar or podi (a South Indian spicy powder).

Variation : You can add red chilli powder instead of green chillies.

Macaroni



Ingredients:
1. Macaroni - 1 packet
2. Red chilli powder - 1 tsp.
3. Turmeric powder - 1/4 tsp.
4. Salt - according to taste
5. Tomato Sauce - 2 tsp.
6. Vinegar - 2 tsp.

Method:
1. Boil the macaroni in 1 & a 1/2 cup of water.
2. Add red chilli powder, turmeric powder and salt.
3. Cook till the water evaporates and a nice smell fills the house :)
4. Add tomato sauce and vinegar, and serve.

Daliya Halva


Ingredients:
1.Broken Wheat/Daliya - 1 cup
2.Milk - 1 cup
3.Grated Jaggery - 1/2 cup
4.Cardamom Powder - 1/2 tsp.
5.Ghee - 1 tbsp.

Method:
1. Fry the daliya in ghee.
2. Add the jaggery, then add milk and cardamom powder.
3. Cook till the mixure leaves the sides of the vessel.
4. You can garnish with dryfruits.