Wednesday, August 3, 2011

Chana Pulao


Ingredients:

1. Rice - 1 cup
2. Kabuli Chana/Chikpeas - 1/4 cup
3. Tomatoes - 3
4. Milk - 2 cups
5. Kasuri Methi/Dry Fenugreek Leaves - 2 tsp.
6. Garam Masala - 2 tsp.
7. Coconut - 1/4 cup
8. Onions - 1 small
9. Dry Red Chillies - 2
10.Jeera/Cumin Seeds - 1/2 tsp.
11. Sugar - 1 tsp.
11.Ghee and Oil
12.Salt

Method:

1. Soak the chana for 2-3 hours and pressure cook.
2. Fry the rice in ghee/oil for 3-5 minutes.
3. Boil the tomatoes, then de-skin them and grind.
4. Fry jeera, coconut, onions and dry red chilies to it and fry for a few minutes.
6. Grind this mixture.
7. In a pan, fry the tomato puree till slightly solid.
8. In this, add the coconut paste and sugar and fry for a few minutes.
9. Add kasuri methi and garam masala.
10.Add the boiled chana to this and stir for a few minutes.
11.Add milk to this and let it boil.
12.Add rice and salt. Boil.
13.Cook on low flame for 10-12 minutes.
14.Add 2 tsp. ghee to this and serve :)

Variation : Ginger Garlic Paste - 2 tsp., Cinnamon 1 inch stick, Cardamom 1, Cloves 2
Fry the cinnamon, Cardamom and cloves before frying the tomato puree, then add the ginger garlic paste and tomato puree.
You can use coconut milk instead of milk.

Veg. Burger


Ingredients:

1. Potatoes(boiled and mashed) - 4
2. Tomatoes - 2
3. Capsicum(Pepper) - 1
4. Salt
5. Chat Masala - 2 tsp.
6. Red Chilli Powder - 1 tsp.
7. Vinegar - 1 tsp.
8. Mustard Sauce
9. Buns

For the coleslaw :

1. Thinly sliced carrots, cucumbers and cabbage
2. Cheese
3. Salt
4. Pepper

Method :

1. Combine all the ingredients for the coleslaw and mix well.
2. Combine all the ingredients for the pattie, mix well.
3. Make small flattened balls out of the potato mixture and shallow fry.
4. Take one bun, cut it into half and spread the coleslaw on one half.
5. Keep the pattie on it, spread some mustard sauce on it and again put some coleslaw.
6. Keep the other half of the bun over this and enjoy :)

Chana Cutlets


Ingredients:

1. Kabuli Chana/Chickpeas - 1 cup(boiled and mashed)
2. Ginger paste - 1/2 tsp.
3. Mint(chopped) - 1 tsp.
4. Corriander leaves(chopped) - 1 tsp.
5. Black pepper powder - 1/2 tsp.
6. Cumin(Jeera) powder - 1/2 tsp.
7. Garlic paste - 1/2 tsp.
8. Lemon juice - 1 tsp.
9. Maida/Plain flour - 2 tbsp.
10.Onion(chopped) - 1
11.Salt
12.Garam Masala - 1-2 tsp.

Method:

1. Mix all the ingredients well.
2. Make small flat cutlets and shallow fry :)

Tuesday, May 31, 2011

Corn Hariyali


Ingredients :

1. Corn Kernels - 100g
2. Grated Coconut - 1/4 cup
3. Green Chilli - 1 big
4. Cumin Seeds(jeera) - 1 tsp.
5. Mint Leaves(pudina) - 1/4 cup
6. Corriander Leaves(dhaniya) - 1/8 cup
7. Cinnamon(dalchini) - 1/2 inch piece
8. Cloves(laung) - 2
9. Tomatoes - 2
10.Onion - 1
11.Corriander Powder(dhaniya powder) - 2 tsp.
12.Red Chilli Powder - 3 tsp.
13.Turmeric Powder(haldi) - 1/4 tsp.
14.Fennel(saunf) - 1 tsp.
15. Ginger-Garlic Paste - 1 tsp.
16. Salt

Method :

1. Boil the corn kernels. Wash the leaves properly.
2. Separately, grind together, coconut, chilli, cumin, mint leaves,corriander leaves, cinnamon and cloves.
3. In a pan, add 1 tsp. oil and add the fennel seeds. Once they splutter, fry onions and ginger garlic paste till the onions turn golden brown.
4. Add corriander powder, red chilli powder and turmeric.
5. Then add the tomatoes, corn and salt. Add some water.
6. Let the gravy boil for a few minutes. Then simmer it and cook for a while.

Pineapple Crumble


Ingredients:

1. Plain Flour - 2 cups
2. Egg - 1
3. Butter - 3/4 cup
4. Sugar - 1/2 cup + 3 tbsp.
5. Pineapple

Method:

1. Pressure cook the pineapples for 2 whistles.
2. Melt 3 tbsp. sugar and then add the pineapple pieces to this and heat for around 15 minutes.
3. Beat the butter and sugar together.
4. Add an egg to this, mix well.
5. Add the plain flour to this and make a soft dough.
6. Divide the dough into two parts and roll them out.
7. Spread one part of the dough on a greased baking tray, spread the caramelized pineapples on top of it and cover with the other part of the dough.
8. Bake at 140 degree Celcius for 25 minutes.(The temperature and time may vary depending on your oven). The texture of the dough after baking should be slightly crisp, slightly soft.

MasterChef India's Spiral Cone Chaat



Ingredients


For cones
1 kg+for dusting: Maida
150 gms: Amul Ghee
To taste: Salt
For frying: Fortune Refined Oil

To be mixed into a filling
4nos. Medium-sized Potatoes (peeled, boiled and diced)
¾ cup: Chana
4 tbsp: Saunth chutney
3 tbsp: Green chutney
3 tbsp: Amul Curd
1/3 cup: Onion (finely chopped)
1/3 cup: Tomato (finely chopped)
1 tbsp: Chaat masala
3 tbsp: Coriander leaves (finely chopped)

For Saunth Chutney
½ cup: Tamarind Paste
½ cup: Jaggery/Gud (grated)
½ tbsp: Red Chilli powder
½ tbsp: Dry Ginger powder
¼ tbsp: Cumin powder/Jeera Powder
¼ tbsp: Black Pepper powder
½ tsp: Black salt
½ tbsp: Cumin seeds/Jeera (roasted and crushed)

For Green Chutney
1 bunch: Coriander leaves
1 bunch: Mint leaves
10-12 nos. Green Chillies
2 piece: Ginger
To taste: Salt

Method

1. Combine maida, ghee, salt in a glass bowl and knead to a semi stiff dough using water.
2. Divide the dough into roundels. Shape each roundel into a chapati, using minimal flour for dusting.
3. Using a knife, cut into thin long strips.
4. Roll these strips around the cone mould like a coil, starting from the pointed end towards the broader end, till the entire cone is uniformly covered with the strips. Seal well to ensure that it doesn’t open.
Now I didn't have the mould, so i made shapes in the form of a boat, bag etc.
5. Follow the same procedure for the remaining dough.
6. Heat oil in a deep kadhai and deep fry the cones till they turn golden brown in colour. Drain on absorbent paper.
7. Once the cones have cooled a bit, shake them off the cone mould. Keep aside.
8. Combine all the ingredients for the filling.
9. For saunth chutney, in a frying pan, combine tamarind pulp with ¼ cup water and bring to a boil. Mix in jaggery, red chilli powder, dry ginger powder, cumin powder, black pepper powder and black salt. Mix well and cook till jaggery dissolves and chutney is thick.
10. Strain the mixture and mix in crushed roasted cumin. Keep aside.
11. For green chutney, combine the coriander, mint, green chillies, ginger and salt and grind to a smooth paste. Add a little water if required.
12. To serve, fill prepared filling into cones, top with saunth chutney and green chutney and serve.

Tuesday, March 22, 2011

Banana Pancakes


Ingredients :

For the Pancakes :

1. Wheat - 1/2 cup
2. Banana - 1 small
3. Nutmeg Powder - 1/2 tsp.
4. Black Salt - 1/2 tsp.
5. Cocoa Powder - 2 tbsp.
6. Milk - to make batter
7. Baking Powder - 1/4 tsp.
8. Salt - as per taste

For the Syrup :

1. Milk - 3 tsp.
2. Jaggery(gur/sharkara) - 1 small
3. Water

Method :

For the Pancakes :

1. Combine all the ingredients for the pancake and make the batter. It should not be runny.
2. Heat a pan and spread around 2 tsp. oil on it.
3. Spread a small portion of the batter in a circular manner. It should be slightly thick.
4. Cook both sides till brown.

For the Syrup :

Heat jaggery in milk and water till it completely melts.

Pour the sweet syrup over the pancakes and serve hot :-)

Dhaniya Pakode


Ingredients :

1. Wheat flour(gehun ka aata) - 1 cup
2. Rice flour(chaaval ka aata) - 1 cup
3. Corriander Leaves(Dhaniya) - a bunch
4. Red chilli powder - 2 tsp.
5. Black pepper powder - 2 tsp.
6. Garam Masala - 2 tsp.
7. Methkut - 1 & a 1/2 tbsp.
8. Salt

For Methkut :

1. Bengal gram(chana dal) - 2 tbsp.
2. Urad dal - 1 tbsp.
3. Rice - 1/2 tbsp.
4. Wheat flour - 1/2 tbsp.
5. Cumin seeds(jeera) - 1/2 tsp.
6. Dry red chillies - 2
7. Corriander seed - 1 tsp.
8. Asafoetida(hing) - 1 tsp.
9. Turmeric powder - 1/4 tsp.
10.Dry ginger powder(soonth) - 1 tsp.
11.Nutmeg powder - a pinch
12.Salt

Method :

1. Dry roast all the ingredients for Methkut and grind.
2. Mix wheat flour, rice flour, corriander leaves, Methkut, red chilli powder, black pepper powder, garam masala and salt.
3. Add water and make a semi solid mixture.
4. Heat oil in a pan. Take a small portion of the patter and drop it inside the pan.
5. Deep fry till the pakodes turn brown.
6. Enjoy with green chutney and sweet chutney :-)

Easy Creme Brulee


Ingredients :

1. Thickened cream - 200 ml
2. vanilla essence - 3/4 tsp.
3. Egg Yolks - 2
4. Caster Sugar - a little less than 1/4 cup + 6 tsp.

Method :

1. Preheat oven to 120°C.
2. Place the cream in a saucepan over medium heat, add vanilla essence and bring to boiling point, then remove from heat.
3. Whisk together egg yolks and caster sugar in a bowl for 2-3 minutes or until pale.
4. Pour hot cream over egg yolk mixture, continuing to whisk until well combined. Strain mixture into a jug, evenly divide between ramekins(I used cupcake molds).
5. Carefully place ramekins in a deep roasting pan lined with a folded tea towel. Pour boiling water into pan to come halfway up the sides of ramekins. Cover pan loosely with foil.
6. Bake in the oven for 40 minutes or until the custard has just set. Remove ramekins from the water bath, and set aside to cool.
7. Sprinkle sugar evenly over the surface of the baked custards. Run a kitchen blowtorch over the custards, or place under a preheated grill until the sugar bubbles and caramelises. Serve.

Wednesday, February 16, 2011

Vegetable Wrap with Hummus


(Tarla Dalal's Recipe with a bit of modifications)

Ingredients :

For the Chapatis/Rotis :

1. Whole Wheat Flour (Aata) - 2 cups
2. Warm Water
3. Salt

For the hummus :

1. Chick peas (kabuli chana), soaked - 1/2 cup
2. Garlic, chopped - 1/2 tsp.
3. Juice of 1 lemon
4. Low fat curds - 4 tbsp.
5. Garam Masala - 1 & a 1/2 tsp.
6. Red Chilli Powder - 1 tsp.
7. Salt to taste

For the salad :

1. Tomatoes, thinly sliced - 1/2 cup
2. Spring onions, sliced - 1/2 cup
3. Carrot, cut into thin strips - 1/2 cup
4. Bean sprouts - 1/2 cup
5. Finely chopped coriander - 2 tbsp.
6. Finely chopped mint - 2 tbsp.
7. Roasted cumin (jeera) powder - 1/2 tsp.
8. Juice of ½ lemon
9. Olive Oil or Sunflour Oil - 1 tsp.
10.Garam Masala - 1 tsp.
11.Salt to taste

Method :

For the chapatis/rotis :

1. Mix together the wheat flour and water with a bit of salt and make a non sticky dough.
2. Let it rest for atleast half an hour.
3. Make thin circles out of the dough and then heat on a pan from both sides.

For the hummus :

1.Soak the chick peas in water for 6 hours making sure that they are covered with water.
2.Cook the chick peas in a pressure cooker. Cool and drain. Keep the drained liquid aside.
3.Add the olive oil, lemon juice, curds, red chilli powder, garam masala, cooked chick peas, garlic, garam masala, red chilli powder, salt and some of the strained water in a blender and blend until smooth.
4.If the mixture is too thick, add 2 to 3 tablespoons water.
5.Keep refrigerated.

For the salad :

1.Combine all the vegetables, bean sprouts,leaves, red chilli powder and garam masala in a bowl and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes.
2.Just before serving, add the cumin powder, lemon juice, olive oil/sunflower oil and salt and mix well.

How to proceed :

1.Place one chapati on a clean dry surface.
2.Spread an even layer of hummus on the chapati.
3.Top with a generous portion of salad in the centre of the chapati and roll up tightly.
4.Serve immediately.

Chaat Crispies


Ingredients :

1. Plain Flour(Maida) - 1/4 cup
2. Semolina(Sooji/Rava) - 1/4 cup
3. Red Chilli Powder - 1 tsp.
4. Garam Masala(optional) - 1 tsp.
5. Salt - around 1 tsp.
6. Potato - 1
7. Onion - 1
8. Sev
9. Oil - to deep fry

For the green chutney :

1. Corriander leaves - 1 cup
2. Small onion - 1
3. Green Chilli - 1 big
4. Ginger - 1 inch piece
5. Lemon - 1/2
6. Water

Method :

1. Pressure cook the potato upto 5 whistles and then mash it or grind it with very little water. It should not be a liquid.
2. Make a dough out of plain flour, semolina, red chilli powder, garam masala(optional), salt and the mashed potato. Use water as per requirement.
3. Now make small flat circles out of the dough and cover them with sev. Be sure to press the sev onto the circles so that they don't come off while frying.
4. Heat oil in a vessel, and then slowly, add the circles into it and fry till both sides become brown(neither light brown, not dark brown).
5. Chop the onions finely.

For the chutney :

Grind together all the ingredients with very little water.

Serve the crispies with chopped onions and green chutney. Tastes good when eaten with onions rather than with the chutney alone :-)

Cashew Delight


Ingredients :

1. Cashew nuts - 100g
2. Sugar - 1/2 cup
3. Water - to blanch + 1/2 cup
4. Milk - 2 tbsp.
5. Ghee(Clarified Butter) - 2 tsp.
6. Cardamom Powder - 1/4 tsp.
7. Grated Pistachios - a few to garnish

Method :

1. Blanch the cashew nuts. Boil them for a few minutes, then heat on medium flame till they turn soft. Takes around 10-15 minutes.
2. Drain the water and grind the cashewnuts.
3. Fry the ground paste in ghee.
4. Make sugar syrup with sugar, cardamom powder and 1/4 cup water, boil for a few minutes, then heat on low flame till the mixture turns sticky and achieves a thread consistency, that is, when you pour the mixture from a spoon, a thread should be formed from the spoon to the vessel.
5. Add the cashew paste and milk, and cook until the mixture turns light brown.
6. Quickly transfer the mixture to a bowl, garnish with grated pistachios and serve :)

Monday, January 3, 2011

Triple Decker New Year Cake


Ingredients :

1. Plain Flour/Maida - 3 cups
2. Butter - 1 & a 1/2 cup
3. Powdered Sugar - 1 cup
4. Eggs - 3
5. Orange juice - 3 tbsp.
6. Orange Food Colour - a pinch
7. Cocoa Powder - 1 tbsp.
8. Baking Powder - 1 & a 1/2 tsp.
9. Vanilla Essence - 1 tsp.

For the Frosting :

1. Icing Sugar - 1 cup
2. Chocolate - I used a small packet of Kit Kat
3. Cocoa Powder - 1 & a 1/2 tsp.
4. Horlicks Nutribar

Method :

1. Mix the butter and sugar together. Keep stirring till you get a creamy mixture.
2. Separate the egg whites and egg yolks, and whisk the egg whites for a few minutes.
3. Add the egg yolks and the egg whites to the butter mixture and stir properly.
4. Now divide this mixture into three parts.
5. Separately, add baking powder to flour and mix properly.
6.
For the Cocoa Layer : Add cocoa powder
For the Vanilla Layer : Add vanilla essence
For the Orange Layer : Add orange juice and food colour
7. Stir well, add milk and/or water to this and continue stirring till you get a semi solid mixture.
8. Now I coudn't fit in all the three layers in my baking tin, so i first baked two layers, and then the third, and then placed the third on top of the other cake.
You can bake all the three layers together. Pour them separately to the baking tin.
9. I baked in my OTG at 140 degree celcius for 30 minutes. the temperature and time may vary according to your oven.
10.After it's done(toothpick test - it should come out clean), let it stay in the oven for 5 minutes.
11.Let it cool.

For the frosting :

1. Heat the chocolate, icing sugar and cocoa powder.
2. Spread this mixture on the cake and top with nutribar pieces.

Happy New Year :-)

Indizones with sauce


Ingredients :

For the dough :

1. Plain Flour - 1 and 1/4 cup
2. Red Chilli Powder - 3/4 tsp.
3. Salt - 1 tsp.
4. Vegetable Oil or Butter - slightly less than 1/4 cup
5. Yeast - 1 tbsp.
6. Water - 1/2 cup

For the stuffing :

1. Chopped Onion - 1
2. Chopped Garlic - 4 cloves
3. Chopped Ginger - 1 inch piece
4. Chopped Tomato - 1 big
5. Chopped Capsicum - 1/2
6. Red Chilli Powder - 1 tsp.
7. Garam Masala Powder - 1 tsp.
8. Corriander Powder - 2 tsp.
9. Cumin Seeds(Jeera) - 1 tsp.
10.Salt

For the sauce :

1. Black peppercorns - 1 tbsp.
2. Dry Red Chillies - 5 small
3. Salt - 1/2 tsp.
4. Ginger Garlic Paste - 1 tbsp.
5. Soy Sauce - 2 tbsp.
6. Oil - 1 tbsp.

Method :

For the dough :

1. Heat the water. Let it come to a boil.
2. Add yeast to this and let it rest for 10 minutes.
3. Mix together the flour, red chilli powder, salt, oil and the yeast mixture.
4. Make a soft dough and cover it with a damp cloth. Keep aside for 30 minutes.

For the stuffing :

1. In a pan, heat 1 tsp. oil and add the cumin seeds.
2. When they splutter, add the onions, ginger, garlic and fry till the onions turn light brown.
3. Add red chilli powder and corriander powder. Fry for a while.
4. Add tomato,capsicum,salt and garam masala powder. Add 2 tbsp. of water and cook for a few minutes. Let the water evaporate.

For the sauce :

1. Dry roast the peppercorns and salt.
2. Separately, heat oil in a pan and add the seeds of the red chillies and ginger garlic paste.
3. Add to this, the pepper mixture and soy sauce.
4. Cook for 2-3 minutes.

1. Roll the dough into one large circle, make 4 equal partitions/zones and keep the stuffing on each partition.
2. Bring together the edges of a partition/zone and make any shape you like.
3. Pre-heat the oven at 180 degree celcius for 5 minutes.
4. Grease the tray and bake the Indizones at 200 degree celcius for 10 minutes. They should turn brown.
5. Let them rest in the oven for 5 minutes.
6. Serve with the sauce.

This is an Indianized version of 'Calzones'. The sauce is a recipe from Masterchef Australia. Do tell me how it turns out :)

Corn Cakes ( from Masterchef India)


Ingredients :

1. Corn Kernels - 100g
2. Rice Flour - 1/2 cup
3. Green Chillies - 2
4. Curd - 4 tbsp.
5. Ginger - 1/2 tsp.
6. Grated Coconut - 2 tbsp.
7. Salt
8. Milk - a little

Method :

1. Boil the corn kernels and grind into a paste. The paste need not be fine.
2. Add to this, rice flour, chillies, curd, ginger, coconut and salt.
3. Add a little milk to remove the dryness of the mixture.
4. Grease a vessel, transfer the mixture to this vessel and steam it for 25-30 mins.
5. Make small ovals or rectangles out of the steamed mixture and roll them in rice flour.
6. Shallow fry these cakes and enjoy :-)