Okra – Carrot Roast (Barbecue Style)

Okra – Carrot Roast (Barbecue Style)

Ingredients:
Okra / Ladies Finger – 500 Grams
Chilly Flakes – 6 Tsp
Pepper Powder – 2 Tsp
Salt - as per taste
Olive Oil – 6-8  tsp
Oregano  / Chat Powder – 4-5 tsp

Method:
1) Clean the Okra and Carrot and cut length wise.
2) Add the spices and mix it with the Okra and Carrots well.
3) Add olive oil.
4) Preheat the oven at 100 for about 10 minutes.
5) Place the tray of veggies and turn once in 15 – 20 minutes.
6) Depending on how crisp you want, you can vary the time between 45 – 70 minutes (just ensure you don’t burn them)

Spicy Meter - Medium
Tangy Meter - Medium
Taste Meter - High
Ease Meter - Easy
Unique Meter – Medium

Prawns Sauté Dry

Prawns Sauté Dry

Ingredients:
Prawns – 500 – 1000 gms or 15 – 20 Pieces
Chilly Powder – 2 Tsp
Pepper Powder – 1.5 Tsp
Salt - as per taste
Ginger Garlic Paste - 1/2 tsp
Oregano (optional if you want that Italian blend, then don’t add ginger garlic paste)- 1 tsp

Method:
1) Clean the prawns well and try to remove the black line in the belly which is the gut / intestine.
2) Add the ginger garlic paste, chilly powder, pepper powder (and oregano optional) and mix it with the prawns well.
3) Leave the marinated prawns in the freezer for 30 minutes or in the fridge for 2 hours.

4)  Heat some butter or a healthier option – nutralite in a deep vessel.
5) Saute the prawns for a little while and then turn it over for some time (longer than 10 minutes makes it rubbery)

Let it cook in slow flame and presto your dish 'Prawns Sauté' is ready. It can be served with white rice or separately as a snack.

Spicy Meter - Medium
Tangy Meter - Low
Taste Meter - High
Ease Meter - Medium
Unique Meter - Medium

Hyderabadi Mirchi ka Salan / Masala

Hyderabadi Mirchi ka Salan

Ingredients:
Shimla Mirchi - 8 - 10 Pieces or 300 Grams
Onions - 2
Green Chilly - 1
Chilly Powder - 1/4 tsp
Salt - as per taste
Ginger Garlic Paste - 1/2 tsp
Groundnuts - a palm full
Cashewnuts (optional) - a few
Almonds (optional) - 5-6
Haldi / Turmeric powder - Little
Copra / dried coconut - a few pieces (if not there use normal coconut)
Jeera - 1 tsp
Til /sesame seeds - 1 tsp
Menthiya / Fenugreek - 1 tsp
Tamarind - 2 small balls

Method:
1) Cut the onions length wise and stir fry it in oil.
2) Add the ginger garlic paste, haldi powder (little) and fry till the onions turn brown
3) Just slit the Shimla Mirchi length wise and add it to the onion oil mix.

Let it cook in slow flame for about 10 minutes

4) Grind the tamarind with little water and add the filtered mixture to the dish on the flame. (you can also just squeeze the tamarind water into the dish)

Let it cook in slow flame for about 5 minutes

5) Fry the groundnuts, cashew nuts, almonds, copra/coconut pieces, jeera, Sesame seeds, Menthiya seeds with a little salt and oil for about 5 minutes in slow flame.
6) Grind the mixture from 5) and once it is in a powdered form add it to the main dish.

Let it cook in slow flame for about 10 minutes and presto your dish 'Hyderabadi Mirchi ka Salan' is ready. It can be served with chappati's or white rice.

Spicy Meter - Low
Tangy Meter - Medium
Taste Meter - High
Ease Meter - Medium
Unique Meter - High

m.m

Pancake Exotica

A.K.A Veggie Dosa

The Exotica Veggie Filling - Mushrooms, Baby Corn, Red Chillies, Grated Carrot, Onions, Grated Capsicum, Pepper, Salt, Soya Sauce, Chilli Powder.


Laying the exotica filling on Dosa / Pancake Batter


Shaping the Dosa / Pancake in Various Shapes

Continental Food at Chinese Fast Food Rates...

Their aim - "We aspire to do to continental cuisine what the Chinese from Calcutta did to Chinese food decades ago - highly Indianized, very affordable and easily available."

Love economical continental food? Look no further! (and yes their website is very innovative)

Veekes & Thomas have opened a outlet in JP Nagar.

http://www.veekesandthomas.com/

Do let us know reviews of your visit.

Dosa Varieties

A bored mind with a frying pan and dosa batter would result in something similar!

Tiger Paw Dosa

Mini Dosa

Carrot Halwa

Ingredients:

Grated Carrot - 2 cups

Sugar - 2 cups
Ghee - 3-4 tbsps
Milk - to cook the carrot
cardamom - 3 (crushed)
saffron - 1pinch (optional)
cashews - 50 gms (optional)

Method:
Place a round bottomed non-stick pan on stove and add 2tbsps of ghee. Add the carrot and saute for 5 mins or until the carrot changes color.
Add milk such that the carrot is immersed completely. Close the lid and allow it to cook.
Once all the milk has been absorbed and the carrot is cooked, add sugar and stir continuously for 15 -20 mins.
Put off the stove once you get the required consistency.
In a small pan add the remaining ghee and fry the cashews. Once the cashews turn light brown add it to the carrot halwa.
Add the crushed cardamom and saffron and serve hot.

Beetroot Rice

Ever wondered if only subzi is possible with Beetroot, here is a simple yet tasty beetroot rice recipe.

Ingredients

Cooked White Rice - 1 - 1 1/2 Cups
Oil - 5 t spoons
Mustard - 1/2 tspoon
Jeera - 1/2 tspoon
Saunf - 1/2 tspoon
Curry Leaves - 10-15 leaves
Onions - 1-2
Pinch of turmeric powder
Beetroot - 1 - 2
Dhaniya / coriander Leaves
salt - to taste

Method

keep aside cooked rice. Add a little oil in the Kadai, do the seasoning with mustard, 1 teaspoon whole jeera, 1/2 teaspoon sombhu, curry leaves - add cut onions saute a little- add thin and small cut beetroot saute a bit- add salt , a pinch of turmeric and the required red chilli powder. Add a teaspoon of ghee. Add cut dhania leaves and put off the stove. Now mix the cooked rice with it. Papad will go very well with it.

Chicken 65

Ingredients

Chicken (boneless) - 250 gms
Chilly powder - 1tsp
Garam masala - 1/2 tsp
Ginger garlic paste - 1tsp
Lime juice - from that of 1/2 lime
curd - 2-3 tbsps
salt - to taste

Method

Clean and wash the chicken and poke each piece with a fork.
Add all the other ingredients mentioned above and marinate the chicken well. Refrigerate it for 30 minutes.

Heat oil in pan and fry the chicken immediately after removing it from refrigerator.Make sure that you fry the chicken on medium flame so that it gets cooked well.Remove from flame once chicken turns dark brown.
Pat with a tissue to remove excess oil and serve hot.

Kandi Podi / Toor dal spice pdr / Dosa pdr / Rice pdr

Kandi Podi / Toor dal spice pdr / Dosa pdr / Rice pdr

Ingredients

2 cups toor dhal (skin removed) 1/4 cup channa dhal, 8 no red chilly (medium size) 10 to 12 pods of garlic (peeled), 1/4 lemon size tamarind, 1 tablespoon jeera, 1/4 teaspoon sombhu, 3 cloves, 3 elachi, one handful of curry leaves (washed) 1 tablespoon gingely oil, salt,grated copra(optional)

Preparation

Saute well thinly cut garlic and tamarind in gingely oil. Now add toor dhal, channa dhal, red chillies, curry leaves. Saute till the toor dhal becomes golden brown. Put off the stove and then add jeera, cloves, sombhu, elachi and salt. Let the mixture comes to room temperature.Now powder it. Add grated copra if you like the taste.

If you are not cholesterol conscious add grated copra or dessicated coconut.




m.m

Recipe: RM

Nenthiram banana sweet snack / Pazhampori / Banana Fritters

Ingredients:
Maida- 1 cup
Nenthiram Banana (ethapazham) - 1 ripe
Salt - a pinch
Baking powder - a pinch

Method:
Make a mix of maida with a pinch of salt and a pinch of baking powder(optional) adding water so that the consistency is like dosa batter. No need to add sugar. Keep this aside.

Take the nenthiram banana(kerala banana / ethapazham).Cut the whole banana into three pieces. Then slit it lengthwise into thin rectangle pieces. Dip each piece in the maida batter and fry on a low flame.

m.m

Recipe: RM

pic courtesy

Rava - Banana Sweet Snack

Ingredients:
Rava (roasted)- 1 cup
Egg - 1
Banana - 1 ripe
Sugar - 6 tsp
Salt - a pinch
Baking powder - a pinch
Milk - a few drops / 50 ml

Method:
Take 1 cup of roasted rava. Mix it with 1 egg, 1 ripe banana(mash and add), 6 teaspoon of sugar(change the measure according to taste). With this add a pinch of salt and a pinch of baking powder. If the mix is thick, add a few drops of milk.

You can't flatten the mix like vadas. So use a spoon to scoop and drop it in the hot oil. Ensure that the stove is on medium flame or else the outer coating will become dark brown and the inside will be raw. Take it out when it becomes golden brown.

m.m

Recipe: RM

pic courtesy

Bread pudding

Ingredients:

Bread - 6 slices
Butter - 3 - 4 tbsp or as required to spread on the bread
Milk - 3 cups
Egg - 2 nos
Sugar - 1/2 cup
Vanilla essence - 1 tsp
Cashews & raisins - 1/2 cup (optional)

Method:

Spread the butter on both sides of the bread and cut each slice of bread into 4 pieces.
Beat the eggs and sugar together until a thick paste like consistency is obtained.
Now add milk and vanilla essence and beat for a few mins.
Spread the bread pieces evenly on a baking dish. Add the cashews and raisins.
Now pour the milk mixture over the bread slices until they are completely immersed.
Press the bread pieces with a spoon to ensure that they are soaked well.
Now place the baking dish in the oven and bake at 160 C for 40 mins.
Once done, cool completely and refrigerate for few hrs.
Delicious bread pudding is ready.

Paneer pulao

Ingredients:

Paneer - 200 gms
Basmati rice - 1 1/2 cups
Onion - 3 medium sized
Tomatoes - 2 medium sized
Oil + ghee mixture - 3 tbsps
Peas (boiled) - 100 gms (optional)

Whole masala:

Cinnamon - 2 small sticks, cardamom - 3 nos, bay leaf - 1 no, cloves - 4 nos, fennel seeds - 1 tsp


To grind:

Garlic - 5 - 6 pods
Ginger - 1 inch piece
Coriander leaves - 2 tbsp
Coconut (grated) - 2 tbsp
Green chillies - 3 nos
Onion - 1/2 no.
Garam masala - 1 tsp

Method:

Grind all ingredients under "To Grind" into a fine paste.
Soak basmati rice in water for 10 mins and cook in 3 cups of water and 1tbsp oil. Add salt as per taste.
In a deep pan, pour the ghee oil mixture, when the mixture turns hot add all items under "whole masala".
Slice the onions and add them once the spices splutter. Saute until onion is cooked.
Add the masala paste and saute till the raw smell leaves and the masala blends well with the onions.
Chop tomatoes into small pieces and add it. Close the lid and wait until tomatoes gets cooked.
Once done, add paneer, peas and salt to taste. Saute for few mins.
Pour 1/2 cup of water and close the lid and let it cook on medium flame for 10 mins.
Switch off the stove when a thick gravy consistency is achieved.
Spread the rice in a large vessel and let it cool completely.
Add the gravy to the rice and mix well. Place the vessel on the stove and put it on low flame for 10 mins and stir it occasionally so that the rice does not get burnt.
Turn off stove after 1o mins, garnish with coriander leaves.
Serve hot with raita.

Simple Vanilla Sponge Cake

Ingredients:

Plain flour (maida) - 1 1/2 cups
Sugar - 1 1/2 cups
Eggs - 3 nos
Butter - 1/2 cup
Milk - 1/2 cup
Baking powder - 1 1/2 tbsp
Vanilla essence - 1 tbsp

Method:

Mix plain flour and baking powder together and keep aside.
Remove the butter from the refrigerator an hour before you start the process so that the butter is soft and blends easier.
Powder the sugar and keep aside.
In a deep bowl beat the butter with an electric blender until it is soft.
Add sugar and continue beating until you get a thick smooth batter.
Add the eggs one at a time and beat continuously.
Pour the milk and continue to beat until you get a smooth batter.
Add the vanilla essence and fold the batter using a spatula.
Now slowly add the plain flour and baking powder mixture and fold it in with the spatula. Ensure that there are no lumps formed. After adding the flour you can beat the mixture for a minute using the blender. This is to ensure that the batter is smooth and there are no lumps.
preheat your oven at 180C for 10 mins
Grease a cake mould with butter liberally (else it might be difficult to remove the cake from the mould) and sprinkle some flour. and dust it so that it spreads all over the mould.
Pour the cake batter into the mould and place the mould in the oven at the centre position.
Allow it to bake for 40 mins at 180C.
Once done remove from the oven and let it cool for 30 mins and then invert into another dish.
Yummy vanilla cake is ready.

Tip: 1) You can sprinkle some powdered sugar as soon as you remove the cake from the oven. This gives a frosting look on the cake. However this should be done when the cake is hot failing which it doesn't set.
2) You can also pour some chocolate sauce over it just before serving. However it tastes yummy even just plain.


P.S.: I made this cake at home and it came out very well. It was very soft and tasty. Everyone at home just loved it that it got over within a few hours :-)

Vegetable Cutlet

Ingredients

Carrot - 2 nos (medium sized)
Beans - 100 gms
Peas - 100 gms
Onion - 1 no (medium sized)
Potatoes - 200 gms
Jeera - 1 tsp
Chilly powder - 1 tsp
Garam masala - 1/2 tsp
Turmeric powder - 1/2 tsp
Oil - 1 tbsp for seasoning and as required for tawa frying the cutlets
Salt - to taste
Rusk powder / bread crumbs - as required to coat the cutlets
Corriander leaves - 2 tbsp

Method:

Cut the carrot and beans into small pieces and boil them along with green peas and turmeric powder until they are well cooked. Simultaneously pressure cook the potatoes until they are completely cooked.

Chop the onions. Heat oil in pan and add jeera. Once the jeera changes colour add onions and saute until they turn transparent.

Now add the cooked vegetables and fry for few mins. Add salt, garam masala and chilly powder and saute until all ingredients blend well. Once done remove from flame and keep aside.

Peel the skin of the potatoes and mash them well using a masher and combine the vegetables mixture. Mix well and add chopped corriander leaves.

Now make round balls of this mixture and flatten them to make cutlets, placing them between your palms. Coat these cutlets with rusk powder/bread crumbs and keep them aside.

Heat tawa on medium flame and grease it with oil. Now place the cutlets on the tawa and fry until they are golden brown. Turn them up and repeat the same process. Add oil when necessary. Remove from tawa when both sides are done.

Serve hot with tomato sauce or pudhina chutney.

Mutton Stew Recipe

Mutton Stew

***Also similar to Chicken Stew and Vegetable Stew***

Ingredients

Mutton ½ kg, potatoes medium size 2 , 4 nos green chillies, 1” piece ginger crushed, onion 2 sliced thin and long, elachi 2 (cardamom), clove 2, whole pepper corns 5 nos, salt, curry leaves, dhania leaves, 1 teaspoon jeera., 1 cup thick coconut milk.

Preparation

Pressure cook mutton with one cut onion, jeera, curry leaves and salt. Keep this aside.

In another vessel cook potato pieces(cut small) in water (3 cups) with green chillies, cut onions, pepper corns, elachi , cloves and crushed ginger. Ensure that at least half the cooked potatoes could be mashed. Add the cooked mutton with this and let it boil together for 5 minutes. Now add 1 teaspoon of corn flour dissolved in water to this stew( to make the stew thick). Add the coconut milk now and immediately put off the stove.

In a small pan, do the seasoning with mustard, crushed garlic (2 pods) and curry leaves and add this to the mutton stew. Add cut thania leaves.

For vegetable stew add the vegetables along with potatoes and jeera and follow the same method. For chicken stew add small pieces of chicken along with potatoes and continue.

Pic Courtesy

m.m

Recipe: RM

Pic Courtesy

Caramel Pudding Recipe

Caramel Pudding

Ingredients

2 cups boiled milk (1/2 litre), 3 eggs, sugar, elachi powder or vanilla essence.. a little custard or cornflour.

Preparation

Take a shallow bottomed vessel, may be a cooker container – it can be either steel or aluminium- Sprinkle 4 teaspoons of sugar on the dry vessel. Keep it on the gas on slow flame to caramelise the sugar. Once the sugar melts and becomes brown, take it off the stove and swirl it so that it gets evenly coated at the bottom.. Keep this vessel to cool for 15 min.

Break 3 eggs- if too small you can have 4 also. Add sugar. For 1 glass of milk, I add 6 to 7 teaspoons of sugar. Beat the sugar and egg together. Now add milk (keep aside quarter glass of milk) but ensure the milk is cold- not fridge cold but of room temperature, never hot. Add a teaspoon of either custard powder or cornflour to the quarter glass of milk kept separately, mix thoroughly and pour into the mixture- this is to solidify the pudding or else it will become a little watery. Add a little vanilla essence or powdered elachi . Now pour this over the caramelised sugar, slowly so that it does not disturb the caramelised coating. Keep it inside the cooker for 20 minutes, on low flame. Don’t use the cooker weight, it has to be steamed. Cover the vessel inside the cooker with a lid so that water does not seep in.

It tastes good if kept in the fridge not inside the freezer.

m.m

Recipe: RM

pic courtesy

Foodie Site

Another one

http://www.eveningflavors.com

Easter Menu

Hi All,

As we near Easter here is a suggested menu for the great day,

Easter Menu

Drink
1) Lemonade Juice
2) Wine - Red

Starters / Appetisers
3) Potato Wafers / Salted Cashews / Papads
4) Oven roast bread crumbled mushrooms

Main Course
5) Peas Pulav - [Recipe available in the blog]
or
6) Ghee Rice - [Recipe available in the blog]

7) Ghee Pepper Chicken [Recipe available in the blog]
or
8) Chettinadu Pepper Chicken [Recipe available in the blog]

9) Bread / Rava battered Fish Fry - Mangalore style

Dessert
10) Chocolate Crumble/pudding etc...
or
11) Apple Payasam - [Recipe available in the blog]

Have a great Easter and nice weekend.

m.I.m

Peas Pulao

Ingredients

Basmati rice - 2 cups
Onion - 2 (sliced)
Green Peas - 1 cup (100 gms)
Cashews - 50 gms
Ginger garlic paste - 1 tbsp
Garam masala - 1 tsp
Green chilies - 3-4
Salt - to taste
Coriander leaves - 1tbsp
Pudhina leaves - if required
Ghee and oil mix - 2tbsp
cloves - 4 no’s
bay leaves - 1- 2 (cut into medium pieces)
cardamom - 3-4 no’s
pattai - 3-4 pcs
saunf - 1tsp

Preparation

Wash basmati rice and soak in water for 15 mins.

Keep cooker/pressure pan on stove and keep flame on simmer. Pour the ghee oil mix and add the masalas (cloves, bay leaves, cardamom, pattai, saunf). Once they splutter, add onions and green chillies and fry till onions turn transparent. Then add ginger garlic paste - sauté for few mins. Now add green peas and cashews. Fry till cashews turn light brown. Now add garam masala, salt, coriander leaves and pudhina leaves. Sauté for 10 mins until the mixture is well cooked. Now add basmati rice, sauté well and pour 3 cups of water. Close with lid and place the weight. Put on high flame. Wait for 1 whistle then simmer and wait for two mins and turn off stove. Open lid after 15 mins and garnish with coriander leaves.

PS: You can also add coconut milk while cooking, if you would kike the flavor of it.

m.I.m
Recipe: FAMS

Ghee Pepper Chicken

Ingredients

Chicken cut pieces – 1 – 2 kg’s
Onion - 3 (sliced)
Garlic – 4 – 5 Cloves
Cashews - 50 gms
Ginger garlic paste - 1 tbsp
Green chilies - 3-4
Salt - to taste
Curry leaves
Ghee and oil mix - 4tbsp
Pepper Powder – 2 tsp
Pepper cloves – 7-8 pieces


Preparation

Crush green chillies, pepper cloves and garlic in a hand grinder to make a coarse paste and keep aside [1].

Pour the ghee – oil mix and add the onions, fry till they turn transparent. Now add the coarse paste [1] and the cashew nuts and fry it till the cashews turn brown. Now add the ginger garlic paste and salt and the pepper powder. Add a little tiny bit of chilli powder and salt.

Now add the curry leaves.

After a few minutes add the chicken pieces and leave the flame on a low – medium range and leave for 15 – 20 minutes (taste for salt and check if chicken is cooked well). Add a bit of ghee if needed.

Recipe: m.I.m

Ghee Rice

Ingredients

1 cup rice,2 medium sized onions cut length wise, ginger garlic paste, whole garam masala (2 elachi, 2 cloves. 1 piece patta etc) juice of 1 lemon, curry leaves, thania leaves, and half cup shelled peas, ghee, oil and fried cashew nuts.

Preparation

Pour oil in a pressure cooker. Add all the whole garam masala. Now add the slit green chillies and cut onions, Sauté a little and add the ginger garlic paste, fry nicely. Now add a tablespoon of ghee. Add green peas, curry leaves, lime juice and salt. After a minute add 1and a 1/2 cups of water. When the water begins to boil add rice and pressure cook it, Garnish with cut thania leaves and fried cashew nuts.

m.I.m
Recipe: RM

Chettinadu Pepper Chicken

Ingredients

1 kg of chicken(cut into small pieces), 2 sliced onions , 1 medium sized tomato, 1 tablespoon of ginger garlic paste, 1/4 teaspoon turmeric powder, whole garam masala(4 elachi, 4 cloves , 1 patta etc) 1 teaspoon pottukadalai, curry leaves, thania leaves.

Dry roast and dry grind 1 tablespoon coriander seeds, 2 teaspoon pepper, 1/2 teaspoon jeera, 1/2 teaspoon saunf, 1 teaspoon cascas, and 4 red chillies(whole)

Preparation

Pour oil in a kadai. Add all the whole garam masala. Add the sliced onions and fry till golden brown. Now add the ginger garlic paste. Add lots of curry leaves. Add the cut tomato and fry nicely.. Now add the chicken pieces, turmeric powder and the dry ground masala and salt. Once the chicken pieces are cooked and become almost dry , powder the pottukakdalai and add. Sauté a little. Garnish with cut thania leaves.

m.I.m
Recipe: RM

Apple Payasam

Ingredients

1 cup grated apple (skin removed), 2 cups milk(more if necessary - depends upon the quantity of apple grated), 1/2 cup sugar(less or more as per taste), 1-2 teaspoon of ghee, 1/4 teaspoon elachi powder, cashew nuts. 1/2 teaspoon corn flour dissolved in cold milk.

Preparation

Boil milk. Add the grated apple. After 3 minutes add sugar and ghee. When the apple is done add the corn flour. Finally add the ghee fried cashew nuts and elachi powder. To enhance the taste add 1/4 cup of coconut milk after the payasam becomes cold.

m.I.m
Recipe: RM