Breakfast Eggs!

Tweet

Weekends I wake up late. This is one reason I need an easy recipe which will work up quickly to make brunch. And then of course it should be tasty and filling enough to tide me over till supper. That is why an omelette is great and this recipe is a close relative of an omelette.

Well, you don't beat the eggs here so maybe not an omelette then what is it?  It's a sunny side up on a bed of veggies.  Fantatic!  I make sunny side up and drop it over a bowl of noodles like you see in American chopsuey.  But when I came across Sneh's blog I loved how she made this fantastic egg and I encourage you to check her blog to see the different names for similar dishes like this.  Loved the pictures and recipes on her blog but here is how I made it. 

Ingredients:
1. Eggs – 2
2. Bell Pepper – ½
3. Mushrooms – 6 - 8
4. Onions - ½
5. Carrots - 1
6. Black pepper - to taste
7. Olive Oil - 1 tbspn
8. Garlic – 2 cloves
9. Oregano – sprinkle

Method:
1. Sauté onions - followed by garlic, mushrooms, bell pepper and season it with black pepper and oregano.
2. Reduce heat to low, and break two eggs over the vegetables, cover and cook until eggs are done like you would sunny-side-up

Enjoy with a cup of coffee or tea!

Contributor: Sunitha

Baked Omelette

Tweet

I thought I will totally crazy after last night. The temperature went as high as it goes in the Chicago area, and the A/C unit in our apartment went kaput! Sleep less night and woke up cranky. But we are not here to talk about my sleepless nights, right! Here is a recipe for baked omelette, which I am sure you will like. If someone as cranky as I was ate it with relish today, anybody will.

The peppers, oregano and cheddar flavors the egg to make a delicious breakfast, lunch or dinner. The recipe today will serve two.

I am having a party with all these blue painted bits and pieces of a tableware I picked up in Holland, Michigan.

Ingredients:

Eggs - 2
Onions - 2 tbspn finely chopped
Bell pepper - 1 cup chopped
Serrano Pepper - 1/2 optional
Garlic - 1 clove
Oregano - 1/2 tspn (if you don't like it too reduce the quantity)
Fine Bread crumbs - 2 Tbspn
Cheddar Cheese - 1 cup
Salt - 1/8 tspn
Butter - 1/2 tbspn

Method:

1. Beat egg lightly and set aside
2. Heat butter in a pan and saute the onions, garlic and oregano followed by the peppers.
3. After adding peppers saute for a minute or two. Slid it into the egg with juices if any and mix
4. Add the bread crumbs mix to combine and pour this into a casserole and bake at 325 D F for 30 minutes
5. I used 1 1/2 quart casserole round pan to bake this. The mixture will remain way down at the bottom so you could use a smaller casserole if you like.

Contributor: Sunitha
Adapted from Paula Deens recipe

Kadai Vegetable

Tweet

Indian cuisine is rich with vegetarian curries. But sometimes you get so used to making the same old sambar and rice it is an effort to break away and embrace variety. Also, when you try to incorporate different cuisine there is only so much one can make and eat, right? Everything said and done, today I decided it was about time to spin something different and put together a vegetable curry.

The subject of gravies as far as I can see can be contented. What goes into a korma as against a kadai? A korma can have cashews and cream while a 'kadai' will not. And if you are from the South of India then you probably make the korma with coconut gravy. Therefore, if one of you feel that this recipe has too many cashews for a kadai curry you are probably right. But I like a rich gravy and added a generous portion.

Spicy hot curry.

Ingredients:

Beans – 20

Carrot – 2

Bell Pepper – ½

Tomato – 1 medium

Onions – 1/2 of one large onion

For Gravy:

Cashew nuts - 25

Dry Chili - 6

Onions - 1/2 chopped fine

Ginger - 1/2 inch piece chopped fine

Garlic - 5 or 6 pods chopped fine
Tomato - 1 medium

Chili Powder - 1/2 tspn

Turmeric - 1/2 tspn

Coriander Powder - 2 tspn heaped

Kasturi Methi - 1 pinch
Tamarind - 1 marble size ball soaked in about 1/2 cup water

Oil - 2 - 3 Tbspn

Method:

Preparing the Vegetables:

1. Boil about a cup of water and slide in the carrots and beans. When they are tender and yet crisp remove using a slotted spoon from the broth and set aside. Reserve broth for later.

2. Line a cookie sheet and place the capsicum, onions and tomato and broil on hi for about 15 minutes. Alternately, in a skillet heat about a teaspoon of oil and on high saute onions, tomato and capsicum one at a time till the edges of the vegetables are browned. Remember to keep all the vegetables crisp, never over cooked.

For Gravy:

1.Fry cashews in a tablespoon of oil until golden brown and spoon it out to cool

2. In the same oil fry the dry chilies making sure you don't burn it. You will get a distinct smell of fried chilies when you can slot it out to join the cashews.

3. Add another tablespoon of oil to the pan, and saute ginger, garlic and onions till onions are golden brown.

4. Add turmeric, chili and coriander powder and saute until the fresh smell of coriander turns aromatic.

5. Add tomato and saute until all of the tomato blends in to a pulp.

6. Cool this mixture and make a paste using a blender.

7. Bring it back into the same pan and cook until oil clears the pan.

8. Add tamarind juice and salt to taste. Add the vegetable broth to adjust the consistency of the gray. Make sure to use only as much tamarind juice as you need.

9. Powder kasturi methi between your palms and add to the gravy.

10. Once the mixture boils add all the vegetables, mix and let it heat through.

11. Serve hot with rotis or jeera rice.

Notes:

1. Peas, cauliflower and mushrooms go well for this curry. I have just used what I had on hand but if you are making for a party you will definitely want to add these vegetables like most restaurants serve.

Contributor: Sunitha

Mixed Lentil Soup

Tweet

Here is a hearty winter soup just before the start of spring. Mixed lentils can be bought at any food store.  It is both pretty and healthy at once and you don't want to miss that combination.  Lentils, beans and barley! As much as it is good to look at, they make a tasty protein rich fare. The benefits continue. They freeze well and also keeps in the refrigerator for at least three or four days. If you are planning to make a big batch, like I have done, then make sure you separate the soup into smaller containers, cool and then refrigerate or freeze.

I like this soup because of all the above reasons and also because they are not too cumbersome to prepare. I agree that the the cooking time can be a little much, but preparation (chopping, peeling etc) and the time you need to stand by the stove is considerably less. I hope you will enjoy this soup as much I did.

Dunk in some toasted French bread for more fun. You deserve some carbohydrates when you are good enough to eat only a lentil soup. Right?

Ingredients: (Serves 8)

Mixed Lentils - 1 1/2 cups (Soak overnight)
Onions           - 1 big chopped
Garlic            -  4 - 5 cloves
Chili Powder - 1 tspn
Cajun Seasonings - 1 tspn
Oregano       - 1 tspn
Basil             - a dash
Bell Pepper  - 1 chopped
Tomato in garlic and onion - 14 oz (blend to make small chunks)
Parsley - to garnish
Yogurt - to garnish
Lime or Lemon Wedges - to garnish
French Bread or garlic bread to go with the soup

Method:

1. Pressure cook the soaked lentils with 1/2 tspn of salt and 4 cups of water.  Wait for one whistle and shut off the fire/heat.  Set aside until all pressure has been released.
2. In a large pot saute onions followed with garlic until the onions are translucent.
3. Add all the spices. Chili powder, Cajun seasoning and oregano and saute for a minute.  Add the chopped bell pepper and saute for 2 minutes
4. Add the crushed tomatoes, stir and cook for 2 minutes.  .
5. Add about 6 cups of water and bring to a boil.
6. Add the pressure cooked lentils in and cook for about 45 minutes.
7. Soups are always better when it cooks a while on the stove.  Therefore, simmer for as long as possible.  If you need the soup to be thin after it has cooked through add boiling water and bring the soup to a boil again.
8. Serve into soup bowls and top with a small scoop of plain yogurt and finely chopped parsley.  You may also use lime wedges instead of the yogurt.

Contributor: Sunitha

Chicken Tacos

Tweet

Do you like Mexican cuisine? How about a delicious meal that can be put together in less than an hour? Now, I am sure I have your full attention. Who after all can say no to less time in the kitchen, and yet tasty food on the table! Thriving fast food joints everywhere are a sure proof to this fact.

I am no different! Once I found out that tacos put together at home can hold it’s own to tacos from my favorite joint, there was no stopping me. With fresh ingredients, and chicken that is cooked at home this recipe is healthier. More over, children love this stuff and indulge and for once you don’t have to curtail them from having an extra bite or two.

And now, with cricket being my latest distraction, I am thinking it won’t be a bad idea to have some tacos while enjoying the game too. Please agree with me!










Ingredients:

Taco shells- 12

Chicken breast- 1 lbs, cut into bite size pieces
Pepper- 1 tsp
Salt
Olive oil- 1 tbsp
Lemon juice- 1 tsp
Garlic powder- 2 tsp
Jalapenos finely chopped- 1/2/to your taste
Chicken stock- 1 cup

Bell pepper julienne- 1/4 cup
Lettuce finely chopped- 1/4 cup
Guacamole- from 2 avocados(find the recipe here)
Mexican cheese- 1/2 cup (A Mixture of Monterey Jack, Mild Cheddar, Queso Quesadilla and Asadero cheese)
Sour cream- 1/4cup (optional)
Salsa/chopped tomatoes- 1/4 cup

Method:

1.Marinate the chicken with pepper, oil,salt,lemon juice and garlic powder and keep aside for at least 15 minutes.
2.Boil the stock and add the marinated chicken into it.
3.After 3-4 minutes add the jalapeno slices and continue cooking till chicken is almost done.
4.Increase the heat and cook till all the water is absorbed.
5.Switch off when there is still a little water left, just enough to moisten the chicken.
6.Prepare the shells according to package instructions.
7.Fill them with cooked chicken,sour cream,salsa and veggies sprinkle the cheese over.
8.Place them on a baking sheet/microwave safe plate and warm in an oven at 400 degree F/on high in a microwave for 30-45 seconds, till the cheese is melted.
9.Serve with guacamole and some Mexican cumin rice or as it is.





Linking this to Anyone can cook

Notes:

1.The fillings are completely versatile, as many of you know.
2.This is how my family likes it.You could make it vegetarian by using tofu and vegetable stock.And maybe add some bean chili for filling


Contributor: Namitha

Chinese Chicken/Vegetables Noodle Soup

Tweet

Keeping with the talk on love, these days my two- and- a- half year old lil imp comes first for me. Our regular readers need no introduction to my little boy since you have heard so much about him on this site. It is such an exciting age! The things a 2 year old comes up with can be funny to downright pull-out- your-hair types of things.



I am crossing my fingers and hoping you won’t mind another episode with my little guy. My boy has learned some numbers and mama is very proud. It is thanks to the cartoons that he watches religiously. And now, he loves to use this new found wisdom quite often. So much so, that my daughter prophecy’s that the whole family will forget to say numbers in the correct order in the near future. Yes, my son knows his numbers but for now, they are in random order, not in sequence. Can you see what little knowledge can do?



I know this too will pass, but not before he had his dad tearing out his hair. He and his dad have started taking the Parent-tot swimming class. This program is to familiarize children with the water, pool and swimming subsequently. One of the suggested ways, to make this program work, is for the children to jump from the bleachers, while a parent waits below in the pool to catch them. It’s great fun! His father is making up for time spent away during the week from his dear son. But this does not come easily when numbers are swimming in my son’s head. The stage is set - his Dad is in the water, my son on the bleacher and then the inevitable….
My son starts counting, “one, three, eight, and five...and then jumps! You should have seen his Dad’s concentration; he looks like the batsman waiting for the curve ball. While my husband is paying the price for the entire googly (a spin ball, term used in Cricket) he threw his own Dad, I cannot help but wonder what lies ahead.



Stories apart, this noodle soup is a very comforting meal that my family loves.'s.  By the way, these are wheat noodles and very healthy too.  It's very easy to concoct, believe me!  What is even better is that you can make it all vegetarian; if you don't eat meat.  Therefore, here we are, easy and versatile noodle soup recipe only for you.  :)



Ingredients:

Wheat Noodles- 250gm
Chicken breast/Tofu- 1 lb
Salt- To taste
Chicken/Veg stock- 1 packet(4 cups)
Sesame oil- 1 Tbsp
Ginger grated- 1 tsp
Garlic grated- 1 1/2 tsp

Soy sauce- 1 tbsp
Chilli sauce- 2 tsp
Black pepper powder- 1 tsp
White vinegar- 1 tsp
Carrot julienne- 1/4 cup
Broccoli pieces- 1/4 cup
Bell pepper julienne- 1/4 cup
Cabbage julienne- 1/4 cup
Spring onions- white part chopped from 1 bunch

Method:

1.Marinate the chicken cubes with salt.
2Heat the sesame oil in a pan. Add the grated ginger and garlic and saute till the raw smell leaves..
3.Pour and boil the stock and add the chicken and other seasonings.
3.After 5 minutes add the vegetables and cook until done.
6.Cook the noodles in boiling water with salt for 5-6 minutes or until done.
7.Serve the noodles topped with the chicken soup.Garnish with chopped green onions.

Notes:

1.As I've already mentioned, if you are a vegetarian,you could replace chicken with tofu and add vegetable stock instead of chicken stock.
2.The choice of vegetables is also up to you.
3.When you add chicken, you don't have to add a lot of veggies, if you want to get more flavor from chicken. My family prefers with all the veggies in it :-)



Contributor: Namitha

Navratan Korma/Navaratna Kurma/Mixture of vegetables in a creamy tangy sauce

Tweet

Quite the North Indian dish this is, yet, another one that has made its way to the hearts of us Southerners. My daughter so loved it she was glad to eat leftovers too.



It's quite a favorite with me because I can make one dish, and be sure it's packed with multivitamins. Oh! well, That's what I would like to think, all healthy and all. But honestly, we are more of a eat good food and well, then if it's too much walk it off kind of people. Then why I like it really is because each spoon of the dish carries a mystery. Let me explain! Until I bite into a vegetable, since there are so many in it, how am I to know what I've got?! See the mystery? I don't know about you ,but I think it is like unraveling a surprise gift and who does not like mysteries and surprise gifts, now!?



I do like to make every cooking and eating experience fun and this one has been tremendous.

Ingredients:

Boiled veggies- 5 cups ( I took Bell pepper,Cauliflower, Cabbage, Carrot, French beans, Green peas and Potato)
Tomatoes- 3(blanched and pureed)
Oil- 3 to 4 Tbsp
Onions, finely chopped- 1 cup
Ginger Garlic Paste- 1 Tbsp
Garam masala- 2 tsp
Kashmiri chilli powder-3 tsp
Red Chilli powder- 1/2 tsp
Coriander powder- 2 tsp
Milk- 1 1/2cup
Heavy Cream- 1/4 cup(optional)
Cashews- 2 tbsp
Raisins- 2 tbsp
Ghee- 1 tbsp

Method:

1.Cut the vegetables into cubes and steam them to cook.I usually begin with the veggies that take long time to cook( in this recipe, Potatoes) and keep adding the rest one by one.
2.Blanch the tomatoes by keeping them in boiling water for a couple of minutes and washing immediately with cold water. Remove the skin and puree them.
3.Heat oil in a non stick pan and saute the onion till it turns golden brown.
4.Add the ginger garlic paste into this and saute till the raw smell leaves.
5.Mix in all the spices and saute for a couple of minutes.
6.Pour the tomato puree into this and cook till the oil starts leaving the sides.
7.Pour the milk into this and mix well.This is the time to add any cream if you are using.
8.Heat this mixture till it starts boiling.In another pan fry the cashews and raisins in ghee.Add this to the gravy.
9.Throw in the cooked veggies and cook for 5-6 minutes, or till the gravy gets thickened.Keep in your mind that the gravy gets thicker once it cools down.
10.Serve with roti or nan after garnishing with cream or coriander leaves.



Notes:

1.You could add just water instead of milk, but then the gravy won't be that creamy.
2.Heavy cream is optional.
3.You could choose the veggies of your choice.
4.This serves about 12-15 people.(I made this for a party!)
5.I made this keeping the kids in mind, so the gravy is on milder side.
6.You could replace one tomato with a tablespoon of tomato puree, if you would like to have a brighter color.

Contributor: Namitha

Calzone

Tweet

Calzone is a baked turnover served with marinara sauce at its side. It is of Italian origin, but you may improvise by changing its filling. Today, I have kept the filling as true to Italian as possible. However, I will definitely try an Indian puff filling later. In short, there is no end to the variations you can concoct.

We enjoyed this as an evening snack yesterday, but it was quite filling. So much so that we didn't eat any dinner. Therefore, enjoy it as a one pot meal or snack but either ways you will not be disappointed. It's delicious.

On a different note:

Today is festive because of a pretty little girl,
she was born on this day a few years back.
Her stories and spirit she lends this blog.
She is Nami's daughter, I wish her a very happy birthday!

M- God Bless!



Pizza Base:

I have used the recipe from our blog given here. This will make 8 Calzones.
1. Leave the pizza dough to rise to double in size, approximately 2 hours and go on to make the filling



Filling:
Chicken Breast - 1 big
Onion - 1 medium size
Tomato - 1
Garlic - 4 cloves
Peas - 1/2 cup
Capsicum - 1/4 to 1/2
Green Chilis - 3 nos (optional)
Seasoning - a generous dash
( Mrs. Dash Extra spicy seasoning)
Antipasto - 1/2 cup (this was a mixture of cured artichoke, black and green olives and bell pepper)
Olive Oil - 1 Tbspn
Cheese - 1/2 cup (mix of parmesan, Asiago and Romano)
Egg white - of 1 egg



Method:
1. Clean and chop chicken into tiny pieces
2. Heat oil in a pan and add chopped onions and saute, followed by garlic
3. Once the onions have become translucent add the chicken pieces and saute till it turns white
4. Add chopped tomato, seasoning, peas and salt about 1/4 tspn and saute
5. Keep the vessel covered and cook for 10 minutes or until chicken has cooked through
6. Add the capsicum stir in and cook for a minute and add the antipasto and stir in and remove from heat

Preparing Calzone

1. Once the dough rises, which takes about 2 hours, punch it down and divide into 8 equal parts
2. Roll each part into discs as much as you can roll out. About 1/4-1/2 inch thickness
3. Spoon in the filling, sprinkle over 1 Tbspn of cheese on one half of the disc.
4. Lightly apply water to the edge of the disc
5. Lift the other half over to cover the filling and edges of the disc meet. With a fork seal the calzone
6. Beat an egg white and using a pasty brush do an egg wash over the calzone
7. Bake in a pre heated over for 360 D F for 10 minutes or until the calzone is golden brown on top


Serve with marinara sauce as dinner or enjoy like you would a savory snack.

Contributor: Sunitha

Chicken in Peanut Sauce

Tweet

   This one is an experiment I did after reading through some thai recipes.  I did not have mountain sauce or thai paste to make it all thai so I improvised because it was one of those day when I was desperate for something different.  The flavor of pineapple, peanuts and capsicum/bell pepper brings the dish together.  My husband thought, for once, it had to be sweeter but I did not add any more sweet than what the pineapple was bringing in. 

Ingredients:

Chicken Breast - 2 cut into small pieces
Onion               - 1/2 of a medium sized one
Ginger              - 1 tspn chopped fine
Garlic               - 1 or 2 tspn chopped fine
Capsicum/ Bell Pepper - 1/2
Green Chilies    - 2 nos
Chili powder    - 1 tspn
Pepper             - for taste
Fish sauce        - 1 tspn
Peanut butter    - 1 Tbspn
Pineapple         - 3/4 cup chunks with some juice (I used canned pineapple chunks)
Canola Oil        - 1 Tbspn
Chicken Stock  - 1 cup

Method:
1. Heat 1 Tbspn of oil in a pan and saute onions, ginger and garlic
2. Follow with chicken pieces till it turns white
3. Add bell peppers and green chilies and saute for a minute
4. Add fish sauce, peanut butter, chili powder and tomatoes and saute
5. Add a cup of chicken stock and cook the chicken until the sauce thickens.  Add ground pepper if you want the dish to be spicier
6. Garnish with spring onions/scallions and serve with rice or rotis

Contributor: Sunitha

Chicken Chili

Tweet

Being in the south of USA it will be a shame if I don't write about its cuisine or at least my favorites. Chili's with corn bread or rolls are one of my favorites.  The recipe today is more or less opening cans and throwing things together, however, I will follow it some day with a more authentic' from scratch' recipe. A can of beans, tomatoes, cooked chicken and stock all thrown together can make a great chili like I have done today.  Hope you will enjoy this dish which will agree with our Indian palates with the addition of chili powder and cumin.  The combination of meat and beans too in this recipe is quite interesting you will agree.  A one pot meal, a choice on a lazy day.
       

      Ingredients:
Seasoned Southern Sytle field peas -  1 can (14 oz)
Onion                                             - 1/2 chopped
Tomato                                          - 1/2 of a big tomato chopped fine (To avoid skin showing in the dish you may blach the tomato and peel it)
Garlic                                             - 4 cloves
Cumin                                            - 1 tspn whole (powder/crush it)
Chili Powder                                  - 1/2 tspn
Pepper powder                              - as per taste
Salt                                                - to taste
Capsicum                                       - 1/2 finely chopped
Chicken Broth                                - 1/2 cup
Cooked/Grilled chicken                  - 1/2 to 3/4 cup chunks
Olive Oil                                         - 1 Tbspn

Method:
1. Heat 1 Tbspn of olive oil in a deep pan
2. Saute the onions followed by the garlic, tomatoes and bell peppers and saute after each addition
3. Throw in the can of beans and 1/2 cup of chicken broth
4. Add 1/2 cup of chopped cooked chicken (I used grilled chicken)
5. Simmer for 5 to 10 minutes on low heat and serve garnished with cilantro and a dollop of whipped cream

Notes: You can eat the chicken chili like you would a soup.  You could also serve it as a side dish with baked pork, steamed asparagus and potato salad .
2. I especially find chili's very close in taste to the Indian dishes with the addition of cumin so you could even make cook kidney beans at home and then add all the ingredients as mentioned in this recipe and make a chili.

Contributor: Sunitha

Khara Bath (Vegetables and semolina)

Tweet

   If you have been to Bangalore, India you will see a lot of Khara Bath, chow chow bath etc served in the 'sagar' restaurants.  My husband loves this stuff.  I could never understand for the life of me how someone asks for 'upma,' as I call it, when in a restaurant.  I mean, you have choices of batura, puris or even dosas.  Well, like all things goes in life men and women are wired different and I attributed this taste of his also as being another of the man syndrome.  However, after trying several times to imitate the taste of the restaurant khara bath at home and eating them I have developed a taste for it myself.  Now, once in a while we make some khara bath for breakfast and have decided man or woman you can enjoy this food.

  Weather Report: When its awful I can't help but let you in on some news on the subject.  Its dreary, murky, awful outside. I have been stuck at home except for an occasional walk around the block now and then for the last week or so and its a bother.  Without dragging you into my woes let me suffice by saying I have bad weather around here and a dish that looks like 'spring just arrived' helps lift my spirit a wee bit.  Some cheer, any cheer for this weather.  Cheers!!

Ingredients:
Semolina                   - 1 Cup
Butter                        - 1 Tbspn
Oil                             - 2 Tspn
Mustard                    - 1/2 tspn
Onions                      - 1/2 cup chopped
Green Chilies             - 3 or 4 thai chilies
Tomato                     - 1/2 cup finely chopped
Green Peas               - 1/2 cup
Carrot                       - 1 medium size finely chopped
Bell Pepper               - 1/2  of a medium sized pepper about 1/4 cup when chopped fine
Curry Leaves            - 1 sprig
Coriander Leaves      - 3 - 4 sprigs finely chopped
Asafoetida                 - 1/4 cup (if you do not like the taste then just a pinch or so)
Turmeric Powder      - 1/4 tspn
Coriander Powder    - 1/2 tspn

Method:
1. Boil 3 cups of water and set aside
2. Heat oil in a pan and either add clarified butter or splutter the mustard
3. Add the chopped onions and saute along with the butter (I add butter at this point or sometimes even later because if we try to add it along with the oil the butter turn an awful brown color)
4. Once the onions are golden brown add turmeric, asafoetida and coriander powder and mix and quickly add in the tomatoes and stir to avoid burning off of the powders
5. Once the tomatoes are cooked for a couple of minutes add all your vegetables and stir fry them to cook
6. Once you vegetables are all done or about 3/4 done add a cup of the upma rava (semolina) and stir
7. Stir until you can hear crackling sound or you can detect the aroma of fried rava.  If you are not sure what you are looking for make sure you stir fry the rava atleast for 5 minutes making sure its does not burn
8. Add chopped coriander leaves and stir it in along with 1 tspn of salt.  It maybe a good practice to add the salt to the water and tasting to make sure its salty enough.  I added about 1 tspn salt and it worked well but you might need a little more or less as per your taste.
9. Add the boiling water slowly stirring all the while.  Make sure you do this at medium to low fire because it tends to bubble and splatter and if not careful and you get it on your hand it stings and may even burn.   
10. Taste to make sure the semolina is cooked which it will in a couple of minutes
11.  The dish is kind of gluey and sets on cooling.  Serve hot with coconut chutney and pickle

Contributor: Sunitha

Szechuan Chicken

Tweet

   Photographing Chinese food is a joy.  Their color on black or white background is stunning.  My love for this food though goes beyond photography.  I am addicted to Chinese food.  Addiction can sometimes lead people in the positive.  I started experimenting with Chinese food a long time back.  I always have soya sauce and oyster sauce at my disposal.  A very sharp chili sauce which I found after coming to the US has  become indispensable now.  Today's recipe uses soya sauce and vinegar for sure but otherwise the flavors are more from the garlic, dry red chili and sesame oil making it piquant and I loved this variation.   It's a brave move to name this dish Szechuan because I am unable to vouch for authenticity.  However, after chasing the internet for some history I found that Szechuan cuisine originated in Sichuan Province in China and the cuisine used Sichuan pepper which makes all the difference.  I used regular chilies from the Indian store and hence this is probably more of a Indian Szechuan Chicken.  The only other reason I braved this move in naming it so is the liberal use of sesame oil, a generous amount of ginger and garlic.  Either ways it is tasty.  I know you have only my word to go by but try it for sure you will not be disappointed.

Ingredients:
1. Chicken Breast      - 2
2. Ginger                   - 1 Tbspn
3. Garlic                    - 2 Tbspn
4. Onions                  - 1/2 of medium
5. Cabbage               - a small wedge
6. Carrot                   - 1
7. Bell Pepper           - 1
8. Pepper                  - 1 tspn
9. Dry Red Pepper    - 10 nos
10. Tomato Ketchup - 1/2 Tbspn
11. Soya Bean          - 4 Tbspn
12. Scallions (spring onions) = 2 for garnishing
13. Rice Vinegar      - 1 Tbspn (most recipes for Schezwan I have seen Sherry being used.  I din't have any so used rice vinegar and I know this is not a preferred substitute.  Please use dry sherry if you have)
14. Sesame Oil         - 3 Tbspn (The taste is quite sharp, use canola oil and just a little sesame oil if you are not used to or like the taste of sesame oil.  The sesame taste is distinct and gives the dish a feel as if from a restaurant)

Method:
1. Marinate chicken with salt and pepper for at least 1/2 hour
2. Heat some oil in a wok and saute the thinly sliced chicken till the pink flesh turns white and its cooked through and keep aside
3. Add some more oil into the wok followed by chopped onions and saute for a couple of minutes
4. Tip in the chopped ginger and garlic in this order and saute
5. Add julienne carrots, cabbage and bell pepper sauteing after each addition
6. Add a tablespoon of rice vingegar, 2 tbspn soya bean sauce and check for salt and if needed
7. Move this off into another dish.
8. In the same wok add either 1 1/2 cups of chicken stock or water and let it boil
9. Add 1 Tbspn of corn starch into 1/2 cup of water and stir to dissolve
10. Pour this and 1 Tbspn ketchup and 2 Tbspn or soya bean sauce, thicken
11. Tip in the chicken and vegetables and stir in and serve hot over rice or cooked noodles

Notes:
1. When making chinese food I prefer having all the ingredients chopped and kept ready before the wok is heated
2. On medium high or high flame the ingredients and dropped in and cooked quickly
3. Make sure your chicken is cooked well
4. Szechuan cuisine uses star anise and brown sugar and you may use one of star anise when you start frying the onions and 1 tspn of brown sugar when you make the sauce
5. Since I did not want the sweetness and still have a little to bring the flavors together I used 1 Tbspn of ketchup.

Contributor: Sunitha

Home made Paav with Paavbhaji masala-The most popular streetfood in India

Tweet

  Bad weather has its own share of positive; it’s the best time to bake. I have been flirting with the idea of making pav bhaji for a while, and after trying out Sunitha’s recipe for bun and their whooping success it was inevitable. I shaped them into paav and made a hearty portion of bhaji which was received with a roar of excitement by my girl. Well, my daughter needs her share of experiment with the famous street food of India, won’t you agree?

I have enjoyed street food and am still very fond of them, like you can see. Pav bhaji tops the list. The pani puri, masala pav etc are all equally good and they all bring back a flood of memories. Times with friends. Money was difficult to come by those days but there was always enough for a plate of pav bhaji. Hot off the stove, enjoyed on a cool evening after the nasty heat spell of the day. Wash it down with some sugarcane juice and voila it’s the perfect fix.

For Paavbuns

 Follow our recipe here.  If you do not have White Lily flour you can also make them with the following differences.  When you keep making breads you will discover how to make your own changes.  We wanted to tell you this so that you may dare to experiment and come out with successful results every time you make bread.  Please feel free to ask us in case of questions.   

Tips:
1.All purpose flour and bread flour in 1:1 ratio.
2. More water, and less milk, making the final water content the same.
3.When you reduce the fat content you can use less yeast, say for ~7 cups of flour ,I only used 2 packets of yeast. ( yes I made a bigger batch this time !)


For Paavbhaji masala :

Ingredients:

Onion- 1
Garlic crushed- 5-6cloves
Tomato- 1
oil-2 tbsp
Frozen green peas- 1/2 cup
Bellpepper(finely chopped)-2 tbsp
Potato- 1
Cabbage- 1 small piece
Cauliflower florets- 1/3 cup
Beans- 4-5
Carrot- 1 small
Paavbhaji masala- 2 tbsp
Red chilli powder- 2 tsp/acc to your spice level
Butter- 2-3 Tbsp
Criander leaves- for garnishing
Lemon wedges-for serving
Finely chopped onions-For serving

Method:

1.Coarsely chop all the veggies except green peas and bell pepper and cook them in a pressure cooker with a little water and salt.If you are planning to cook on steam then chop them finely.
2.Heat oil in a pan and saute the finely chopped onions.
3.When it starts turning golden brown,throw in the crushed garlic and saute till the raw smell leaves.
4.Now add the chopped tomatoes and saute till the oil starts leaving the sides of the pan.
5.throw in the green peas and chopped bellpepper into this and saute well.
6.Add the masala powder and chilli powder and stir till the raw smell leaves.
7.When the veggies are cooked mash them well and pour it into the masala mixture.
8.Stir well and add little more water if required.
9.Boil this and cook for 8-10 minutes on low heat.
10.Add the butter and stir well.
11.Serve warm with sprinkles coriander leaves on top.
12.It is bettr tokeep the pan on a low-heated stove while you serve it with hot paav buns.
13.heat a pan and apply butter, keep the paav buns, that is cut into halves with cut ends facing the pan. Take out and serve warm with the paavbhaji masala.
14.usually we also serve some chopped onions and lemon wedges sprinkled with chopped coriander leaves with the masala.




Contributor : Namitha

Hoisin Chicken

Tweet

The gloomy weather shows no signs of letting up. The weekend was misty , murky and mundane except for some hoisin chicken I made. Doesn’t that sound like fun? Yes it was. The other day, I saw some pictures of hoisin chicken in Peanutts blog and drooled.  Instantly decided I need to try this sauce. I picked up a bottle on my regular shopping fix at the grocers and I have to say, not disappointing at all! Let’s try a positive statement. It‘s exquisite!

The recipe on Peanutts blog called for steaming the chicken but I did my own thing. Her recipe looks scrumptious and was helpful to understand how much of the sauce I can add without totally messing up. Please click on the highlighted link to reach her page.

If there are any authentic ways of cooking with hoisin sauce I am in the dark of the same.  Today’s recipe has nothing to do with authenticity but a lot to do with fun, both cooking and eating.

The chicken was marinated for a couple of hours and stir fried with vegetables that I picked up on random from the refrigerator. They were the misplaced, running around kinds who were looking lost in my vegetable tray, needing help. I spruced then up with some trimming and tossed in. Following, I thickened the sauce,  pouring over the cooked chicken and vegetables and sprinkling with sesame seeds to close the deal.



Ingredients:
Chicken Breast - 2
Green chillies    - 4 nos
Capsicum red and green (Bell Peppers)         - 1/2 cup diced
Cabbage          - a couple of leaves torn
carrots              - 1/2
Hoisin sauce      - 3 Tbspn
Oyster sauce    - 2 Tbspn
Soya bean sauce - 1 - 2 Tbspn
Sesame seed     - to sprinkle on top (approximately 1 tspn)
Oil                     - 2 tbspn
Ginger                - 1 Tbspn thinkly chopped
Garlic                 - 1/2 Tbspn chopped
Corn starch        - 1 Tbspn
Water or Chicken broth - 1 and 1/4 cup


Method:
1. Marinate the chicken in 1 tbspn hoisin sauce, 1 tbspn oyster sauce and 1 tbspn soya bean sauce for 2 hours or freeze it till you want to use next
2. Heat oil in a pan and stir fry the chicken with ginger and garlic till cooked
3. Spoon them out and in the remainting oil proceed to saute the vegetables like bok choy, cabbage, bell peppers, broccoli, cauliflower etc.  I have used cabbage, bell peppers and carrots.
4. Add some more of all the three sauce just enough to spice up the vegetables.  Just a little is fine.
5. Once they are cooked al dente throw back the chicken and cook them all together and transfer into your serving dish
6. Add a cup of water and all the three remaining sauce and bring to a boil.  Add the corn starch dissolved in 1/4th cup water and add to the boiling sauce.  Thicken and add to the prepared chicken and vegetables and sprinkle with sesame seeds


Notes:
1. All meaurements are approximate
2. Avoid or reduce green chillies.  I like the dishes hot and add quite a few chillies.  This one was quite piquant so reduce the no of chillies if you like your dish mild.
3. I like cabbage, bok choy, peppers, broccoli or cauliflower, celery, scallions etc in the chinese style dishes I make. I have never used potatoes for example in these preparations and so cannot vouch for it going well even though I tend to loosely state add vegetables of your choice.

Kadhai Paneer/Indian cottage cheese with bell pepper

Tweet

The weather is getting warmer.  There is an occasional bird chirping on the tree and signs of struggling but strong sprouts peeking through my snow covered back yard. I am itching to fold the blankets and woolies and stash them away. It's about time winter called it quits and gave way to spring.  What do you say?  My eyes are sore trying to will those struggling sprouts to break free and come forth.    All this mental wait for spring coaxes me to brighten my cooking!

 So, today's recipe is adapted from the world famous Punjabi cuisine and this will surely brighten your dreary days. Rich in flavors this cuisine is a delight. Tandoori chicken, Chicken tikka, Chole-Batura, Dal makhani, Kebabs. Makki-di-roti and sarson -ka-saag to name a few are the popular ones. Milk and milk products are an important part of their cuisine and kadhai/kadai paneer is no exception. I love this recipe especially for its simplicity, unlike most other paneer recipes.

I hope you will enjoy this paneer with the dash of spring colors.



Ingredients:

Paneer cubed- 400g
Bell pepper (green-cubed)- 1/3 cup
Bell pepper (red-cubed)- 1/3 cup
Tomatoes- 3 (finely chopped)
Ginger grated- 1 Tsp
Garlic grated- 2 Tsp
Coriander powder- 2 Tsp
Red chilli powder- 1 Tsp
Kashmiri chilli powder- 1 tsp
Chopped green chillies- 2
Kasuri methi(dried fenugreek leaves)- 1 1/2 Tbsp
Salt- To taste
Oil- 1/2 cup
Chopped coriander leaves-2 Tbsp

Method:

1.Cut the paneer and bell peppers into one inch cubes.
2.Shallow fry the paneer cubes till they start turning slight golden brown.Keep aside.
3.Now throw in the bell pepper cubes into it and fry them too, for 3-4 minutes and transfer onto a kitchen tissue paper.
4.Meanwhile heat 2 Tbsp of oil in another pan and saute the ginger and garlic.
5.To this add the chopped green chillies and tomatoes, cover and cook till the oil starts separating .
6.Add in all the spice powders except kasuri methi and saute for a couple of minutes.
7.Add the kasuri methi and mix well.
8.Now add the fried paneer and bell pepper to it and mix well.
9.Cover and cook for 3-4 minutes.
10.Throw in half the chopped coriander leaves, mix well.
11.Garnish with rest of the coriander leaves, serve with roti or naan.




Contributor: Namitha

Entered in Jay's 'Relish Paneer' Event

Easy Veggie masala with Cauliflower and Bell Pepper

Tweet

After a month of snow we are seeing a rise in mercury level today. Though I don't believe that 2012 is the end of the world, the erratic weather had me wondering for a while. Global warming has been the hot topic for ages, and now the world is worried about the cold spells. I have no clue, whether it is kaliyuga, or the El Nino, one of the scientific reasons, what do you think?

Whatever comes in 2012 or whatever happens tomorrow, we need to deal with the present, right? So far no controversies on that bit, I hope. Since food is an essential and we are on a food blog, let’s get back to the obvious. Ever since Oraphan announced her giveaway, I have been thinking of sharing this recipe, but got delayed with the holiday season and the recipes thereof.



This Cauliflower-Bellpepper masala is an easy dish. I make this as a side dish for chappathi, whenever I am not in a mood to saute onions, or in a time crunch.

Ingredients

Cauliflower- 1 small/half of a big
Broccoli- 1medium
Bell pepper- 1/2 of a big
Tomato- 1
Garlic(crushed)- 9-10 cloves
Coriander powder- 1 Tbsp
Red chilli powder- 1 tsp
Turmeric powder- 1/2 tsp
Garam Masala- 1/2 tsp(optional)
Chaat masala- 1 Tsp
Coriander leaves- For garnishing
Cooking oil- 2-3 tbsp
Butter/Oil-1 1/2 Tbsp

Method:

1.Cut the cauliflower and broccoli into bite sized equal pieces.
2.Heat oil in a wide pan and add crushed garlic and saute for 2-3 minutes.
3.Add salt and all the powders except chaat masala and mix well
4.Throw in the cauliflower and broccoli pieces and mix well to coat with masala.
5.Pour 2-3 Tbsp of water, cover and cook till the veggies are 3/4 done on medium low heat..
6.Meanwhile slice bell pepper and tomato into juliennes
7.Heat another pan and add butter/oil and saute bell pepper followed by tomato till they are almost cooked.This is done separately to mainain the crispiness of bell pepper
8.Add this to the cauliflower masala,mix and cover to cook for almost 4-5 minutes or till the veggies are done. Do not overcook ,as it will make it mushy.
9.Switch off the heat and add the chat masala and mix well.
10.Serve warm with roti or naan after garnishing with coriander leaves.



Notes:

1.Cooking the bell pepper and tomato is optional and so is cooking in butter.
2.This is a dry preparation, so try to use minimal water.

Contributor :Namitha

Veg Pizza

Tweet

It was during my college days in Mangalore that I first tasted Pizza in my life! Those were the days before Pizza hut opened up their chains in all the major cities of India.  Since then, I have had Pizza from many places around the world and always thought making Pizza is the toughest thing in the world :-)  I dared to make them myself only after coming to US.  Today I would like to share the recipe of a simple Pizza that is loved by my family and friends.  And remember, if you have the right flour; making Pizza is just a piece of cake :D



Ingredients

For the crust:(I have referred to the recipes online and cook books. This is my adaptation from all those and it has been working well for me for the past 2 years)

Bread Flour(I use King arthur)-3+1/2 cup(measure by scooping and leveling)
Active dry Yeast-1 packet
Lukewarm water(should be 100 degree F-body temp)-1 cup [That is the optimum temperature for the yeast to grow :-)]
Milk-1/2 cup (at room temp)

Salt-2Tsp
Sugar-1Tsp
Olive oil-2tbsp

For the topping:

Bell pepper-1
Onion-1/2
Mushroom-1 cup
Broccoli-1 small floret
Tomato-1/2
Parmesan cheese(grated)-1/4 cup
Mozzarella cheese-1 Big slab cut into cubes




For the sauce(this is the simple method)

Tomato Puree- 3 Tbsp
Tomato Ktchup-3 Tbsp
Oregano(dried)-2 1/2 tsp
Marjarom (dried)-1 1/2Tsp
Basil(dried)-1 1/2 tsp

You could make fresh tomato sauce by this method:

Garlic paste-1tsp
3 tomatoes- Cut into cubes
3 Tomatoes skinned and pureed (Remove the skin after immersing them in boiled water for a couple of minutes)
Heat a Tbsp olive oil in a pan and saute the garlic paste.Then add the tomato cubes and puree and cook well.(takes about 15-20 minutes).Cool it and add the spices I mentioned in the simple sauce



Method:

1.Sift together the flour, salt and sugar in a mixing bowl.
2.Take a few Tbsp of water from the lukewarm water and dissolve the yeast.
3.Pour 2 Tbsp of Olive oil to the sifted flour followed by the dissolved yeast.
4.Knead the dough by adding the rest of the lukewarm water slowly.Knead well and punch down the dough.
5.You should be able to make a fine ball out of the dough when you are done.Not too dry or not too sticky.
6.Pour a tspn of olive oil in the bowl and roll the dough in it and cover the bowl with a plastic wrap/a plate.This will save the dough from getting dried.
7.Keep the dough in a warm place(like a preheated oven-I use a preheated oven at ~70 degree F) for 2 hours.If you have enough patience you could take out the dough after 1 hour, knead it again and keep it back.
8.After 2 hours the dough should be, almost, doubled in size.
9.Knead it again and divide into 2.Preheat the oven at 450 degree F.
10.Take one part and flatten up on a floured surface using a rolling pin/hand to get the thickness you like.(1/2 inch is preferable)
11.Shift this onto a floured pizza pan.(If you are using a Pizza stone preheat that for atleast half an hour and slide the Pizza on to it just before baking)Pour and spread a TBsp of Olive oil on top.
12.To prevent bubbling you can make small dents in the dough.
13.Keep half of the prepared sauce and spread it evenly using a brush.
14.Sprinkle the Parmesan cheese over it, followed by the vegetables.
15.Spread the Mozzarella cubes on the top and bake for 12-13 minutes/ when the cheese on the top starts turning golden brown.(after 9-10 minutes you can take out the pizza and sprinkle a few more Mozzarella cheese)
16.Take out and serve warm.
17.Repeat for the other half of the dough.



Notes:
1.You could use cooked chicken cubes(after mixing with little bit garam masala and salt and turmeric)instead of mushroom and make it a chicken Pizza ;-)
2.Sauteing the vegetable for the topping is your choice. We prefer it crunchy, so I just cut the veggies thinner and do not saute them.
3.You could use fresh herbs instead of the dried ones.Parsley is also nice herb which will go well.
4.If you add too much topping the Pizza will get soggy.

Contributor: Namitha