Monday, November 29, 2010

Mushroom Rice

Mushroom Rice

Ingredients

  1. Basmati Rice - 2 cups
  2. Mushroom - 300 gm
  3. Onion - 1/2 medium, chopped
  4. Tomato - 1 small, pureed
  5. Green chillies - 2, seeded and slit
  6. Ginger - garlic paste - 1 tsp
  7. Turmeric powder - 1/4 tsp
  8. Chilly powder - 3/4 tsp
  9. Garam masala - 3/4 tsp
  10. Whole garam masala - Cardamom - 2, Cloves - 6 - 7,  Cinnamon stick - 1 inch, Bay leaves - 1-2
  11. Salt - To taste
  12. Oil / ghee / butter - 1 tbsp

Method

1. Wash the mushroom slices and chop them.

   Wash the rice and soak for at least 30 minutes. Drain and keep aside.

2. Heat oil / ghee at medium heat and add whole spices. Stir for a few seconds and add ginger-garlic paste, chopped onion and little salt. Stir-fry until onion turns light brown. Add tomato puree, saute until oil separates. Add the masala powders, enough salt and chopped mushrooms. Water will ooze out from the mushrooms. Stir-fry until the water evaporates. It takes about 6 - 8 minutes at medium heat.

3. Now add the rice. Stir-fry for a few minutes.

DSC_0383[9] alt

altYummy O Yummy 

altalt

4. Add 4 cups of warm / hot water to the rice-mushroom mixture. Add enough salt. Bring it to a boil and cook covered at medium-low heat until water is absorbed and rice is fully done. OR You can transfer this mixture to a rice cooker and cook. Gently fluff the rice using a fork and transfer to a serving dish.

Pressure Cooker Method

Pressure cooker procedure - Transfer the whole mixture to a pressure cooker after step 3 and add 4 cups of warm/hot water to it. Add enough salt. Give it a mix. Let the mixture come to a boil. Close the pressure cooker with its lid and cook at medium heat. When steam starts coming out continuously and profusely from the vent, put the pressure cooker weight and switch off the stove. Open the pressure cooker when the pressure releases or after 15 - 20 minutes. Fluff the rice with a fork and transfer it to a serving bowl. Enjoy this delicious mushroom rice with raita and pickle.

 

Mushroom Pulav

Tuesday, November 23, 2010

Tandoori Chicken with Green Chutney

 

Tandoori Chicken

 

Tandoori chicken is one of the most popular dishes in Indian cuisine. Chicken is marinated with yoghurt and some spices and is cooked at a very high-temperature in a Tandoor or clay oven. It is  is mostly found in menus in Indian restaurants all over the world. Here I have used Vah chef’s recipe with some modifications and the method is from Food for 7 stages of life. You can find Radhika’s recipe and method here. I used to bake it at around 400 - 450 F before but this method calls for baking it at 500 - 550 F. Baking at a higher temperature makes the chicken slightly crispy but juicy inside, which makes it much tastier. Green chutney is an excellent combination with tandoori chicken, you can find its recipe below. You will never have cravings for the restauranty tandoori chicken if you taste this one. Prepare and enjoy!!

 

Ingredients

  1. Chicken Drumsticks - 6
  2. Ginger-garlic paste - 2 tsp
  3. Turmeric powder - 1/4 tsp
  4. Red chilly powder - 2 - 3 tsp
  5. Pepper powder - 1/2 tsp
  6. Coriander powder - 1 tsp
  7. Kasoori methi - 1/2 tsp
  8. Lemon juice - 2 tsp
  9. Cumin powder - 1/4 tsp
  10. Gram masala powder - 3/4 tsp
  11. Curd - 4 tbsp
  12. Salt - To taste

Method

1. Mix all the ingredients under marinade except the chicken drumsticks. Keep aside.

2. Wash the chicken drumsticks. Do not remove their skin. Pat dry with a paper towel. Make 2 - 3 deep slits on the fleshy part of the chicken so that the marinade can penetrate inside the flesh. Rub the marinade all over the chicken drumsticks one by one. Remember to rub the marinade inside the slits.  Put them in the refrigerator for at least 8 hrs or overnight.

3. Preheat oven to its maximum setting. The maximum temperature that I can set in my oven is 500 F so I baked them at that temperature. Line a cookie pan with aluminum foil. Lightly grease the foil with oil. Arrange the chicken drumsticks on the foil.  Brush the chicken with oil or pour little oil on them ( this step is optional). Place the tray in the center rack of the oven. Bake it for about 12 - 15 minutes. Take out the tray carefully using your oven mitts. Turn them over and  brush/pour a little oil on the chicken pieces (this is optional). Return the tray to the oven. Bake for another 10 - 12 minutes. Take out the tray when the drumsticks are done. Be careful not to burn the chicken pieces. (The juices that surrounds the chicken would be burnt and the skin of the chicken pieces might be stuck to the foil when you take it out.) Slowly take out the drumsticks after 2 minutes using a metal spatula. Enjoy with spicy green chutney.

DSC_0840Tandoori Chicken with Green Chutney

Green chutney

  1. Cilantro - 1 small bunch

  2. Mint leaves - 1/4 cup

  3. Garlic - 1 clove

  4. Ginger - 1/4 inch

  5. Green chillies - 2 small , seeded

  6. Yoghurt -  2 - 3 tbsp

  7. Lemon juice - 2 tsp or to taste

  8. Salt - To taste

Wash the cilantro and mint leaves. Drain well. Blend everything together in a mixer until you get a smooth paste. Adjust the salt and lemon juice. Serve immediately.

 

DSC_0854

Sunday, November 21, 2010

Chicken Kathi (Kati) Rolls

Chicken Kati Rolls

 

  These chicken kathi rolls make for a great snack or party food. Kathi roll also known as Kati Roll is a street-food originating from Kolkata, India. Its original form was a kati kabab enclosed in a paratha, but over the years many variants have evolved all of which now go under the generic name of Kati Roll. Today, pretty much any filling rolled up in any kind of Indian flatbread is called a kati roll. The innovations tend to be in two areas - the fillings or the wrap. Common variants on the filling are egg, potato, paneer, mixed vegetables and curried chicken or mutton. More exotic versions can have combinations of ingredients, or fancy curries such as Thai or Schezwan. (Source - Wikipedia). Try these easy and super-yummy kathi rolls.

Ingredients ( Makes 8 - 10 Rotis )

For dough

  1. Plain flour / maida - 1.5 - 2 cups
  2. Wheat flour  (atta) - 1/2 - 1 cup 
  3. Potato - 1 small, boiled and grated
  4. Oil - 1 tbsp
  5. Salt - 1 tsp or to taste

  For the filling

  1. Boneless chicken - 500 gm, cut to small cubes ( I used 2 chicken breasts)
  2. Onion - 1 large, ground to a paste (Chop the onions roughly to large chunks and grind in a mixer to a paste)
  3. Ginger - garlic paste - 2 tsp 
  4. Tomato - 1 large, chopped
  5. Chilli powder - 1/2 tsp
  6. Pepper powder - 1/2 tsp
  7. Salt - To taste
  8. Eggs - 3 , beaten
  9. Lemon juice - 2 tsp
  10. Sliced onion - 1/2 cup
  11. Green chutney - 1/4 - 1/2 cup (See the recipe below)
  12. Oil - 1 tbsp

Method

1. To prepare the dough - In a large bowl mix maida and whole wheat flour. Add grated potato, oil and salt. Mix well. Knead into a firm dough of rolling consistency with some warm water. ( I kneaded the dough in a food processor). Keep aside covered.

2. To prepare the filling, heat oil in a pan at medium heat. Add onion paste, little salt and cook till light brown. Add ginger-garlic paste and cook for a minute. Now add the chopped tomatoes and cook until they get mashed up. Add chilli powder and pepper powder. Mix well.

3. Add the chicken pieces and enough salt. Cover and cook on medium-low flame till chicken turns tender and cooked. Open the lid and stir-fry until they get somewhat dry. Switch off the flame. Check for salt and squeeze lemon juice to taste.

alt Chicken Filling

To prepare the rolls

1. Beat 2 eggs lightly with a pinch of pepper powder and salt. Divide the dough to equal sized balls. Flatten them with a rolling pin. Cook the chapathis on both sides (applying little oil or ghee on both sides, if you like) on a tawa. Pour 2 tbsp of beaten egg on the chapathi and flip it to cook the egg ( do not overcook). Remove from tawa, keeping the egg-coated side up.

 

2. Arrange chicken filling on the chapathi, add a little green chutney, some sliced onions, sprinkle little lemon/lime juice and kebab/chaat masala, if you like. Roll the chapathi tightly to form the kathi roll. To serve, wrap the lower part of the rolls in a paper napkin, butter paper or aluminium foil.

alt Chicken Kaathi Rolls

For the Green chutney

Grind a handful each of cilantro and mint, 1 garlic clove, 1/4 inch ginger, 1 seeded green chilly, 1 tsp lemon juice, 1 tbsp yoghurt and enough salt. Grind to a fine paste.

Chicken Kathi Rolls

Tips:

1. You can prepare these rolls well in advance. At serving time heat in a microwave for a few seconds along with the paper napkin.

2. You can substitute chicken with mutton, beef or pork. Prepare them in a pressure cooker to make them tender.

4. You could also try this recipe with paneer filling and other veggies like bell pepper, tomato, cucumber or even cooked spinach.

5. I have used only about 1-2 tbsp of egg / roti. You can use 1 egg per roti if you wish.

6. You can cook the rotis in advance and keep them covered in an aluminum foil or in a casserole. At serving time, reheat them, pour beaten egg on one side, flip over and cook the egg, arrange chicken filling and roll up. You can even use store-bought chapathis or tortilla breads if you wish.

7. You could also try chicken tikka kati rolls. Click here for chicken tikka recipe.

Thursday, November 18, 2010

Green Peas Curry

Green Peas Masala

 

Ingredients

 

  1. Green peas - 1.5 cup, dried
  2. Onion - 1 small, thinly sliced
  3. Tomato - 1 small, chopped
  4. Green chillies - 2, seeded
  5. Curry leaves - 1 sprig
  6. Grated coconut - 1/2 - 3/4 cup
  7. Cumin seeds - 1 - 2 pinches
  8. Turmeric powder - 1/4 tsp
  9. Chilly powder - 1/2 tsp
  10. Coriander powder - 1 tsp
  11. Garam masala - 1/2 tsp
  12. Salt - To taste
  13. Oil - 2 tsp

 

Method

 

1) Soak green peas in water for at least 6 - 7 hrs. Drain and keep aside.

 

2) Grind the grated coconut with cumin seeds to a very smooth paste.

 

3) Heat oil in a pressure cooker and add sliced onions and green chillies. Saute until transparent and add the turmeric powder, chilly powder, coriander powder and garam masala. Saute for a few seconds and add tomatoes and curry leaves. Cook for a minute and add enough water to cook the green peas. Add enough salt. Bring it to a boil and add the soaked green peas. Cook for 1 whistle or until the green peas is done. The cooking time and number of whistles totally depends on the type of pressure cooker you use. Open the pressure cooker and add the ground coconut paste. Bring it to a boil, taste check for salt and switch off. Serve hot with appam/ idiyappam / chapatis / parottas.

 

Green Peas Curry

 

Tips:

You can substitute grated coconut with thick coconut milk ( around 1/2 cup).

Tuesday, November 16, 2010

Fish Moli / Molee

Fish Moli / Molly

Ingredients

Marinade

1. Fish - 1/2 kg (I used  3 fillets of tilapia. You can use other fish such as king fish, pomphret, pearl spot etc)

2. Pepper powder - 1/2 tsp

3. Turmeric powder - 1/4 tsp

4. Salt - To taste

For the gravy

5. White onion - 1 small, diced or thinly sliced

6. Ginger -  2-3 tsp, thinly sliced

7. Green chillies - 2 - 3, slit

8. Tomato - 1 medium, sliced to rounds

9. Whole spices - Cardamom - 1 - 2, cloves - 2, - 3, Cinnamon - 1” stick, bay leaf - 1)

10. Curry leaves - 1 sprig

11. Thin coconut milk - 1 - 1.5 cup

12. Thick coconut milk - 1/2 cup

13. Coconut oil - 1 tbsp + 2 tsp

14. Salt - To taste

Method

1. Clean and wash the fish fillets. Cube them. Marinate them with the ingredients under marinade for at least 30 minutes.  Shallow fry them at medium-low heat (only for a minute or two on each sides, do not brown them) in a wide pan and keep aside.

altalt

 

2. In  the same pan, add the whole spices at medium heat (add more oil if required). Stir for a few seconds and add onion. Stir until transparent, then add the thin coconut milk, sliced tomatoes, few curry leaves and enough salt. Bring to a boil. Now lower the heat to medium-low and add the shallow fried fish pieces. Swirl the pan gently to mix the fish pieces with the gravy. Cover and cook for 7 - 8 minutes or until the fish pieces are done. Now add the thick coconut milk and a few curry leaves. Mix well and switch off. Check for salt. Add 2 tsp coconut oil for an extra taste. Mix well and serve hot with bread or appams.

 

DSC_0310

Monday, November 15, 2010

Vanpayar Mezhukkupuratti / Red Gram Stir-fry

Vanpayar Mezhukkupuratti / Ularthiyathu

Ingredients

  1. Vanpayar / Red cow peas / Red gram / Red chori  -1 cup
  2. Pearl onions - 6 - 7, crushed or chopped (Optional)
  3. Turmeric powder - 1/4 tsp
  4. Red chilly powder  or crushed dry red chillies - 3 /4 tsp
  5. Coriander powder - 3/4 tsp  (Optional)
  6. Pepper powder or crushed whole pepper - 1/2 tsp
  7. Mustard seeds - 1/2 tsp
  8. Dry red chilly - 1
  9. Curry leaves - 1 sprig
  10. Salt - To taste
  11. Coconut oil - 2 - 3 tsp

Method

1) Cook vanpayar in enough water (at least 3 - 3.5  cups or as required) and salt for 5 whistles or until it is soft and fully cooked. When the pressure releases or after 15 minutes, drain the water completely and set aside. If you want a slightly mashed up mezhukkupuratti, you can overcook the vanpayar.

2) Heat oil in a pan at medium heat. Splutter 1/2 tsp mustard seeds and fry the dry red chilly. Now add a few curry leaves and pearl onions. Fry until the pearl onions turn light brown. Now add the spice powders except pepper powder. Stir for 1 - 2 seconds and add the cooked vanpayar. Check for salt. Season with pepper powder. Stir fry for a few minutes and switch off. Serve with rice / kanji.

 

Vanpayar Mezhukkupuratti / Stirfry / Ularthu

 

Tips:

1) You can substitute vanpayar with cherrupayar / green gram.

Sunday, November 14, 2010

Cashew Cardamom Coconut Cookies

 

Cashew Cardamom Coconut Cookies

Ingredients ( Yield - About 3 dozen little cookies)

  1. Butter - 2 sticks or 1 cup, softened
  2. Powdered sugar - 1 cup
  3. Vanilla extract - 1 tsp
  4. All purpose flour - 2 1/4 cup
  5. Ground cardamom -  1 tsp
  6. Finely chopped cashews - 1/2 cup
  7. Shredded coconut - 1/3 cup

Method

1. Preheat the oven to 350 F. Cream the butter and sugar using a hand mixer. Add the vanilla extract. Blend. Now add the all purpose flour and cardamom. Mix everything until you have a dough. Now add in the cashews and mix until evenly distributed. (I also mixed 2 tbsp shredded coconut with the dough as I love its flavor but that's completely optional).

2. Place the shredded coconut in a shallow dish. Roll small spoonfuls of dough into balls. Now roll the balls in the coconut to coat them. Place the balls on a greased cookie sheet.

DSC_0803

3. Bake 20 - 25 minutes until the coconut is toasted. Use oven mitts to remove the cookies from the oven. Let the cookies cool for a couple of minutes in the pan, and then use a metal spatula to transfer them to a wire rack to cool completely.

 

Cashew Cardamom Coconut Cookies

 

Tips:

If you like coconuty flavor in cookies, you can mix about 2 tbsp shredded coconut with the dough.

Recipe Source - The Year of the Cookie By Rose Dunnington

Thursday, November 11, 2010

Bottle Gourd (Lauki) Dal

 

Lauki Dal

 

  Dal is one of the most important staples in Indian diet. There are many different types of dal in India and it is regularly cooked in one form or the other in almost every homes. Dal recipes are really easy to prepare.  As a protein source eaten with a starchy food like bread or rice and a milk product like yoghurt, dal is a key part of a healthy, well-balanced diet. In this recipe, chana dal (split chick peas, Bengal gram) is combined with bottle gourd ( doodhi, lauki) to give a lightly spiced, nutritious and tasty dish that goes well with chapatis and even rice.

 

Ingredients  (Serves 4 - 5)

  1. Lauki / Bottle Gourd - 1 medium-sized, cubed
  2. Chana Dal /Bengal gram / kadala parippu - 1/2 - 3/4 cup
  3. Ginger - garlic paste -1 tsp 
  4. Green chillies - 2, finely chopped
  5. Tomato - 1 medium, chopped
  6. Cumin seeds - 1 /4 tsp
  7. Turmeric powder - 1/2 tsp
  8. Chilly powder - 1/4 tsp (optional)
  9. Coriander powder - 1/2 tsp (optional)
  10. Mustard seeds - 1/4 tsp
  11. Cilantro - 1 tbsp, to garnish
  12. Salt - To taste
  13. Oil - 2 tsp

Method

1. Soak chana dal in water for at least 1 -2 hrs. Cook chana dal in enough salt, turmeric powder and water till they are soft and cooked but not mushy. It takes around 20 - 25 minutes.

2.Wash the lauki and peel off its skin. Cut it to cubes. Cook them with little turmeric powder and salt in a pressure cooker, for two whistles or until soft.  You can also cook them covered in a vessel with some water until it gets soft. Mash them lightly with the back of a rounded spoon.

Lauki / Bottle Gourd  alt

3. Heat 2 tsp oil in a pan. Splutter mustard seeds, cumin seeds and add the ginger-garlic paste. Sauté for a minute until the raw smell is gone and add the green chillies. Sauté for a few seconds and add  1/4 tsp chilly powder, 1/2 tsp coriander powder and chopped tomatoes. Cook until the tomatoes get mashed up and then add the cooked lauki along with the water in which they were cooked. Boil for a few minutes and add the cooked chana dal. Mix everything well, cook for a few minutes stirring occasionally and switch off. Garnish with cilantro. If you want more gravy, you can add more water and reheat. The gravy tends to get thick after a little while. Serve hot with chapatis or rice.

 

altalt

 

Lauki Dal

 

Tips:

You can cook the chana dal and lauki together in a vessel or a pressure cooker ( for about 1 whistle or until they get soft but not mushy) adding enough salt, water and turmeric powder.

 

Recipe Courtesy - Biji Krishna

Tuesday, November 9, 2010

Brownies

 

Brownies

 

These simple brownies are quick, easy to prepare and extremely delicious. I have prepared it many number of times and every time they have turned out great. I tried it from here. I followed the recipe exactly, except that I halved it. I guarantee that you will never go wrong with this recipe!!

Ingredients

 

  1. All purpose flour - 1 cup
  2. Cocoa powder - 1/4 cup ( I used Hershey's unsweetened cocoa powder)
  3. White granulated sugar - 1 cup
  4. Butter or margarine - 1/2 cup or 1 stick melted (You can melt it on stovetop( at low heat for about 1 - 1.5 minutes stirring continuously ) or microwave (takes less than 25 - 30 seconds) or double broiler method or at room temperature (takes at least 1 hour ). Allow it to cool slightly before using.
  5. Vanilla extract - 1/2 tsp
  6. Egg - 1
  7. Nuts, raisins, chocolate chunks - Optional

 

Method

 

1. Preheat oven to 350 F.

 

2. Cream butter and sugar. You can either use a hand mixer or a spoon/fork. I used a hand mixer for this step.

 

alt  alt

 

3. Now switch to a spoon/spatula and add vanilla extract, egg and mix until smooth. Do not over mix.

 

alt

4. Stir in the cocoa powder and all purpose flour and mix until smooth until there are no lumps. If you are planning to add chocolate chunks, nuts etc, add them now.

 

altalt

 

5. Spread in a greased 8 inch pan using a spatula or with your fingers. Bake for 18 - 20 mts at 350 F. Cool completely and cut to  16 squares. Enjoy!!

alt alt

 

Brownies

Sunday, November 7, 2010

Bhindi / Okra / Vendakka Masala

 

Bhindi Masala

 

Bhindi masala is one of my most favorite veggie dish. The okras are stir-fried with an onion-tomato masala mixture to make a very tasty side dish for chapatis and rice.

 

Ingredients (Serves 3)

  1. Vendakka / Okra / Bhindi - 25 - 30 
  2. Onion - 1 medium, sliced and chopped
  3. Tomato - 1 medium, chopped
  4. Green chillies - 1 small
  5. Garlic - 1 tbsp, finely chopped
  6. Ginger - 1 tbsp, finely chopped
  7. Green chillies - 2 - 3, finely chopped
  8. Turmeric powder - 1/4 tsp
  9. Chilly powder - 1/2 tsp
  10. Coriander powder - 2 tsp
  11. Garam masala - 1/2 - 3/4 tsp
  12. Amchur powder - 1/4 tsp
  13. Cumin seeds - 1/4 tsp
  14. Salt - To taste
  15. Oil - As required

Method

1.  Wash the okras well and pat dry. Cut the okra to half lengthwise and then slice each halves again. Keep aside.

Okra / Bhindi / Vendakka alt

2. Heat 2 tsp oil in a non-stick pan. Stir in the okra slices and stir-fry until they are done (this is done to prevent them from getting slimy. You can skip this step and add them after step 3 ).  It would not take more than 10 - 12 minutes at medium heat. Transfer to a plate and keep aside.

3. Heat 2 tsp oil in the same pan at medium heat. Splutter cumin seeds and add ginger, garlic and green chillies. Stir for a minute and add sliced onion and little salt. Stir-fry until the onions turn lightly brown. Now add the chopped tomatoes. Cook for two minutes. Add turmeric powder, chilly powder, coriander powder, garam masala and amchur powder.

4. Stir in the cooked okra. Mix everything well and stir-fry for a few minutes until dry. Switch off. You can garnish it with fresh chopped cilantro. Serve hot with chapatis or plain rice.

alt alt

 

Bhindi / Vendakka / Okra Masala