Kadai Paneer (Cottage cheese delicacy)

This is an extremely simple and tasty recipe from my friend, Priya, who resides in Dubai. Paneer or cottage cheese, as everyone knows, is very nutritious, and very popular among the young and old alike.. so here goes..

You will need

Cottage cheese chopped : 2 cups
Capsicum diced (any colour) : 1 cup
Tomatoes diced : 1 large (discard seeds)
Garlic paste : 1 tsp
Ginger chopped fine : 1 tsp
Green chilly chopped fine : 1 tsp
Coriander powder : 1 tsp
Kasoori methi
(dry fenugreek leaves) : 2 tsp
Salt to taste
Fresh chopped coriander leaves : 1 tbsp
Oil or ghee : 2 tbsp

1. In a pan, heat the oil or ghee (ghee imparts a better flavour, but for the health conscious, use any cooking oil).

2. sauté the garlic paste for a moment, and add in the diced capsicum. Stir fry for a minute and add the coriander powder.

3. Keep frying for half a minute and add the chopped ginger and chilly to it. After stir frying for another minute, add the diced tomatoes. Stir well and add the Kasoori methi and salt. Stir continuously for a minute.

4. Add the required salt, and stir well. Add the diced paneer to it and stir gently for two minutes, till the paneer is properly coated with all the masala.

5. Sprinkle fresh coriander leaves, and serve hot as a side dish or even as a starter.

Strawberry Whip

Cool yourself with this delicious treat...

1. Strawberry flavoured jelly : 1 packet
2. Fresh strawberries : 12
3. Cream : 1 ½ cups
4. Sugar as required

Make the jelly as per instructions in the packet and chill.
Mash up the strawberries into pulp.
When the jelly is cold and nearly set, beat in the strawberry pulp, the cream, and the sugar( if required), over ice.
Pour into glasses, chill, and serve topped with a fresh strawberry.

Easy Omlette

Just today, while i was chatting with my bachelor cousin residing at Dubai, he asked me as to why i couldn't post some simple recipes like omlette, tea, etc on my page, which may be helpful to people like him, surviving alone... They don't have the time nor the expertise to make elaborate meals, and most of them go to office without any breakfast, or go by the same old bread-butter-cheese routine.

So, this is for you, Sujith, Mithun, and the likes. Pack your breakfast with some easy nutrition...

I am starting with a Basic Omlette..

For a single serve, You will need

Egg : 1

salt to taste

Pepper : 2 pinches

warm water : 1 tsp

oil : 2 tsp

Break the egg into a bowl and add 2 pinches of salt and a pinch of pepper, and the warm water. Whisk till the mixture becomes fluffy. You may beat it with a fork, or better still, you may use a wire whisk, which is available in most stores.

heat a frypan, and spread the oil. Gently pour the egg mixture and let the egg cook on gentle heat. cover for a minute or so.

remove the cover, and gently flip the egg to the other side. Initially it may break, but with practice, you will be an expert. Cook for another 30 seconds or so.

Remove to a plate, and have it with hot buttered toast.

As a variation, you may mix finely chopped onions and chopped green chillies to the egg mixture after whisking it. The rest of the preparation is the same.

Enjoy your omlette breakfast, and do give me the feedback.

The humble Drumstick

Drumsticks are a favourite with most malayalees and has always had a privilaged place in our cuisine. After all, what is a sambar without a drumstick??

I found this link, which gives us all information pertaining to durmsticks and i was really impressed. Did you know that the leaves of the Muringa tree prevents around 300 diseases??

well.. more of that later. Let us get down to business. This is a unique drumstick recipe which has been in my family for quite some time. Do try it out and see if you like it. Don't be stingy with your comments...

Drumstick in tomato gravy

You will need:

durmsticks cut into 2" pieces - 1/2 kg

tomatoes sliced - 3 large

Onions sliced - 2

garlic crushed - 1 tsp

cumin seeds crushed - 1 tsp

red chilly powder -2 tsp

turmeric powder - 1/4 tsp

salt to taste

curry leaves - 2 sprigs

oil - 1 tbsp

water - 2 cups

Boil the drumstick with salt, turmeric, and red chilly powder, crushed garlic and crushed cumin seeds.

Meanwhile, heat oil and saute the onions till soft and pink. Add in the sliced tomatoes and fry till it becomes sloppy.

Add the drumsticks along with whatever water that is left over, to the tomato mixture. Boil till the gravy is really thick. Stir in the curry leaves and serve hot with boiled rice.

Sausages in tomato gravy

You will require:

Sausages : 400 gms

Tomatoes : 2

Onion : 1

Garlic : 1 clove

salt to taste

garam masala : 1/2 tsp

red chilly powder : 1/2 tsp

corriander powder : 1/2 tsp

oil : 2 tbsp

water : 1/2 cup

Chop the tomatoes and onions finely. Heat pan and saute the onions in 1 tbsp oil till soft. Add the tomatoes, chopped garlic, and fry further for a minute or two. Now add the powders and fry for another minute. Add the water and required salt and let it simmer.

cut the sausages into half or three pieces and fry in 1 tbsp oil till brown. It should be done on a low flame.

Add sausages to the tomato gravy and stir. Let it simmer till well blended. The gravy should be thick. Garnish with fresh corriander leaves and serve hot.

Bombay Toast

This is an easy and popular dish, very suitable for breakfast or evening tea. It is also known as the french toast. Some like it less sweet. So they can omit the sugar and increase the quantity of the salt.

You will need:

1. Bread slices : 5

2. Egg : 1

3. Milk : 1 cup

4. Sugar : 2 tsp

5. Salt : a pinch

6. vanilla extract : 1/2 tsp

7. Butter/oil : 2 tbsp

Mix in thoroughly the egg, milk, sugar, salt, and vanilla essense. transfer it onto a shallow dish or plate.

Heat the frying pan and drizzle in some butter or oil.

Dip each piece of bread in the egg mixture so that both the sides are equally coated. fry them indivudally in the frying pan, turning both sides till it becomes a golden brown.

serve hot either plain, or with honey.

Chicken Biryani

Biriyani's are a great one-dish meal and a favourite of all. Here is an easy pressure cooker version of the popular dish.

The ratio of chicken and rice is 1 kg : 1 kg. this easily serves around 8 people.

Ingredients:

Chicken (washed and cut into med. sized pieces) : (around 8-10 pieces)

rice (Basmati or Jeerakashala/Jeerakachemba) : 2 cups

water : 4 cups

onions chopped : 2 med

tomatoes chopped : 3 med

green chillies (whole) : 4

shallots (optional) : 1/2 cup

garlic : 6 flakes

ginger : 2 inch piece

cloves : 5

cinnamon : 3

cardamom (elaichi) : 4

chilly powder : 2 tsp

corriander powder : 2 tsp

turmeric powder : 1/2 tsp

garam masala : 1 tsp

salt to taste

cooking oil : 5 - 7 Tbsp

Ghee : 2 tbsp

corriander leaves chopped : 1/2 cup

mint leaves chopped : 1/2 cup

juice of 1/2 a lemon (removes the stickyness of rice)

Method

wash, and soak the rice for around 20 minutes. drain and keep aside.

cursh the garlic and shallots(small onion) and keep aside.

make a paste of ginger, clove, cardamom, and cinnamon, and keep aside.

wash the chicken pieces and keep aside.

Heat oil directly on the pressure cooker and saute the chopped onions till they turn soft. add the crushed garlic-shallot mixture and fry further for around 2 minutes. Now add the ginger-spices paste and fry till it becomes light brown. add the chopped tomatoes and fry further till the mixture turns sloppy.

to this add the chicken pieces, chilly powder, turmeric powder, corriander powder, and salt. keep frying for a while till the chicken pieces are properly coated with the masala. to this, add the water and wait till it boils.

now you can add the drained rice, corriander and mint leaves and ghee. squeeze half a lemon over this mixture, and close the cooker. you should not put the weight.

after steam comes thickly through the vent, put the weight, and wait for 15 seconds. switch off the flame and let it stand undisturbed for atleast an hour!

Your tasty chicken biryani is ready to be eaten... You may garnish it with fresh corriander leaves or fried onions and nuts if you desire. This goes well with a plain onion raita and crispy papadums.

Chole Bhature

This is another tasty dish, popular with everyone all over India. Bhatura is a delicious fried Indian bread, which is served with a chick-peas curry, slightly tangy in taste.

Bhatura

Refined flour or Maida : 4 tea cups
Egg : 1
Yogurt or curd : 5 tbsp
Salt : 1 tsp
Baking powder : 1 tsp
Warm water : ¼ cup
Cooking oil : to deep fry


Seive the flour, baking powder, and salt on to a large plate or bowl. Make a depression in the centre, and break in the egg. Add the yogurt and knead. Add the warm water as required and knead firmly into a soft pliable dough. Cover with a damp cloth, and keep aside for 2 hours.

Make balls (lemon sized) of this dough (makes around 12-13 balls), roll out on a floured board and deep fry in hot oil. Unlike poori’s the bhatura is rolled out slightly thick. When immersed in hot oil, it will puff up. Fry to a golden brown, remove and serve hot with chola.

Chola or Chick peas curry

Chick peas boiled : 3 cups
(Soak overnight and pressure cook the next day with required salt and ¼ tsp baking soda)

Onions : 2 medium sized, chopped
Tomatoes : 2 med sized chopped
Green chillies : 3 whole
Ginger : 1 tbsp. chopped
Garlic : 1 tbsp chopped
Lemon : one half
Chilly powder : 1 tsp
Coriander powder : 1 tsp
Turmeric powder : ¼ tsp
Jeera powder (cumin) : 1 tsp
Garam masala : ½ tsp
Cumin seeds : ½ tsp
Salt : as required
Coriander leaves : 2 tbsp chopped
Oil : 3 tsp

Heat oil in a thick bottomed pan, and add the cumin seeds. After they splutter, add the chopped onions and whole green chillies and sauté till light brown.
Add the chopped ginger and garlic and fry further for a few minutes.
Now add the chilly, coriander, turmeric and jeera powders and fry for a minute.
Add the chopped tomatoes and fry till sloppy. You can add a bit of salt to hasten the process.
Put in the boiled chick peas or channa and add the garam masala and required salt. let it cook for some time. add the coriander leaves and squeeze half a lemon for a tangy taste. You may garnish it with onion rings and lemon quarters.
Serve hot with Bhatura.