Nov 19, 2009

Methi Matar Malai


This is a sweet tasting rich recipe of peas in fenugreek leaves.

Things required:

Fresh green fenugreek leaves (Methi): 500 gms.
Peas (boiled): 1/2 cup
cream (can use malai ): 1/2 cup
khoya (can use 1/4 cup milk powder): 25 gms
sugar: 1 tspn
ginger paste: 1/2 tspn
green chilly chopped: 1 medium sized
coriander powder: 1 tspn
saunf powder: (aniseed powder): 1 tspn
garam masala : 1/2 tspn
(to make fresh garam masala slightly roast 2 cloves, 4 black pepper corns, small piece of cinnamon, 4-5 seeds of cardamom, Mix all the ingredients, roast for a minute on pan and then grind coarsely)
mustard: 1 tspn
salt to taste
oil: 2 tbpn

Preparation:
Boil peas in cooker for one whiste or in microwave for 2 mins in water with 1/2 tspn sugar and 1/2 tspn salt.
Heat oil, add mustard seeds to splutter, add green chilly and ginger and fry for few seconds. Add coriander powder, saunf powder and then add fenugreek leaves (methi). Add salt and cook covered stirring in between till methi is cooked. If some water remains, dry it by cooking it uncovered.
Add peas, cream, khoya and sugar. Cook for 2 -3minutes, add garam masala and serve hot.

Nov 13, 2009

Pizza

Things required:

Pizza base: 4 nos
Capsicum chopped: 1 cup
Onion Chopped: 1 cup
Tomato chopped: 1 cup
Pepper: ½ tspn
Oregano: ½ tspn
Pizza pasta sauce/ tomato puree: 2 tbspn
Salt: to taste
Oil: 2 tbspn + to cook pan pizza
Finely chopped capsicum, onion for garnishing.
Butter: for layering pizza base
Mayonnaise: for layering on pizza base
Grated pizza cheese: 100 gms

Preparation:

Heat oil, add onion and cook till golden brown, add capsicum, cook for two minutes. Add tomato and cook for 10 minutes stirring in between or til it is cooked well. Add pizza pasta sauce, and salt. Add pepper and oregano and mix well. Layer the pasta base with butter and then mayonnaise. Divide masala in four portions. Place a layer of prepared one part of masala on pizza base, top it with grated cheese and chopped onion and capsicum. Heat thick bottomed pan, put some oil and place pizza. Cook covered for 5-7 minutes on slow flame till cheese melts and it is crispy at the base. Serve hot with tomato sauce, chilly flakes and oregano. Prepare other pizzas similarly.

Nov 9, 2009

Rajasthani Gatte


Making Gatte:


You need: Besan (gram flour): 2 cups
Oil: 3-4 tbspn
Salt: to taste
Ajwain (Carom seeds): ½ tspn

Preparation: Mix all ingredients in flour and knead it with warm water. Make 20 balls and roll each ball into a long stick of ½"  diameter. In a flat bottomed pan boil 1 ½ lts. water and lay gatte sticks side by side at the bottom of the pan (gatte should be properly immersed in water). Cook covered for 15-20 minutes till gatte are cooked well. You can check it by cutting it with a knife. Take out gatte from water and let them dry and cool for 10 minutes. Keep the water for curry. Cut them in ¾” long pieces of equal size.

Tempering

Green chilly : 1 chopped
Coriander powder: 3tspn
Saunf powder (aniseed powder): 3 tspn
Beaten curd: 1 cup
Turmeric powder: 1/2 tspn
Mustard: 1 tspn
Salt: to taste
Garam masala : 1 tspn
(to make fresh garam masala take 2 cloves, 4 black pepper corns, small piece of cinnamon, 4-5 seeds of cardamom. Mix all the ingredients, roast for a minute on pan and then grind coarsely) 
Oil: 3-4 tbspn

Heat oil, add mustard to splutter, green chilly, coriander powder, saunf powder, turmeric. Add gatte pieces and mix well. Add the leftover water in which gatte were boiled. Add curd . More water can be added to bring it to desired consistency. Bring it to boil add garam masala, garnish it with chopped coriander leaves and serve hot.

Nov 7, 2009

Tangy Pasta



Things required:

Pasta Fusilli: 1 cup
Pasta Farfalle: 1 cup
Capsicum chopped ; 1 cup
Onion Chopped: 1 cup
Tomato chopped: 1 cup
Pepper: ½ tspn
Oregano: ½ tspn
Pizza pasta sauce/ tomato puree: 2 tbspn
Mayonnaise: 1 tbspn
Ginger garlic paste: 1 tsp
Salt: to taste
Oil: 3 tbspn

Preparation:

Boil 1 ½ lts of water, add pasta and boil on slow flame till cooked. Strain and wash with cold water. Heat oil, add ginger garlic paste, fry for 1 minute. Add onion and cook till golden brown, add capsicum, cook for two minutes. Add tomato and cook for 5 minutes stirring in between. Add pizza pasta sauce, mayonnaise, boiled pasta and salt. Add pepper, oregano, mix well and serve hot.

Sweet Corn Soup


Things required:
Frozen corn/ fresh corn: 1 cup
finely chopped vegetables (carrots, french beans, capsicum, cabbage, some corn kernels)- 1 cup
sugar: 1 tspn
salt to taste
pepper: 1/2 tspn
vinegar: 1 tbspn
aginomoto: 1/2 tspn (optional)
Corn flour: 2 heaped tspn

Preparation:and
Grind corn in mixer and take three whistles in pressure cooker with six cups water. Keep on slow flame for 5 minutes. Cool and strain. Mix corn flour in one cup water and add to the soup base. Add salt, sugar, aginimoto, pepper, vinegar, pepper and boil it. More corn flour can be added to get the desired thickness. Add chopped vegetables and stir for 2-3 minutes to keep vegetables crunchy. Serve hot with soya sauce, green chilly in vinegar, and green chilly sauce.

Nov 3, 2009

Low Cal Spinach Corn

This is a easy to make and low calorie tasty curry.


Things Required:
Spinach: 500 gms

Fresh or frozen American corn: 3/4 cup
Ginger: ½"  piece grated
Green chilly : 1 chopped
Coriander powder: 1 tspn
saunf powder (aniseed powder): 1 tspn
Turmeric powder: 1.2 tspn
Mustard: ½ tspn
Sugar: 1 tspn
Salt: to taste
Garam masala: ½ tspn
(to make fresh garam masala slightly roast 2 cloves, 4 black pepper corns, small piece of cinnamon, 4-5 seeds of cardamom, Mix all the ingredients, roast for a minute on pan and then grind coarsely
Oil: 1 tbspn

Preparation:

Sort spinach to remove stems. Boil 1 ½ lts of water, add 1 tspn salt and sugar in water. Add spinach and cook for 2-3 minutes and remove from fire. After 5 minutes drain spinach, let it cool and grind it to paste in mixer. (The colour of palak is preserved green by adding salt and sugar). Similarly microwave covered corn in 1/ 2 cup water with a pinch of turmeric for 2 minutes.

Heat oil, add mustard to splutter, add green chilly, ginger, coriander powder, saunf powder, turmeric and roast the masala for ½ minute. Add spinach paste. Add sweet corn ; salt and stir it well. Cook covered for 4-5 minutes and add garam masala. Serve hot.

It can be garnished with grated cottage cheese (paneer). Baking it in preheated oven for five minutes gives a sweet flavour to the curry.

Fried mini Idly

This is a healthy snack that my family loves very much. I must thank my friend Mahima for this recipe.

Things required:
Coarse grained Rawa (Semolina): 2 cups
Curd: ½ cup
Fruit salt (eno): 1 tspn

For tempering:
Vegetables (shredded/ grated): 2 cups (French beans, capsicum, cabbage, carrot)
Onion (chopped long): 1 medium sized
Green chilly: 1 (chopped)
Curry leaves: 7-8
Green coriander for garnishing
Til (sesame) seeds: 1 tb spn
Poppy seeds (optional): 1 tbspn
Mustard (rai): 1tspn
Garam masala: 1 tspn
Oil: 3-4 tbspn
Salt to taste

Preparation:
Roast rawa slightly for 5 minutes on slow flame, add curd, salt and luke warm water to make idly batter of dropping consistency. Keep for five minutes. Add fruit salt and if required more water (rawa may soak water). Steam it in greased mini idly pans.

For tempering heat oil, add mustard to splutter, green chilly, curry leaves, til seeds and poppy seeds. Add onion and cook till golden brown, add French beans and cook for 2-3 minutes. Add other vegetables and cook stirring till they are tender. Add salt for vegetables. Add mini idlys, mix well and add garam masala. Garnish with green coriander and serve hot.