Spring onion Pulao

Here comes yet another easy and very delicious recipe for rice. The mild flavors used in this dish makes it even more appealing. Combination of this rice with Kadai chicken (recipe for you which you find on my website) was very tasty. Raitha can also be used as a side dish. One important tip for this recipe - It tastes best when it is hot, so try to finish it off before it cools down to room temperature...

Ingredients:

Soaked basmati rice - 1.5 cups
Spring onions chopped - 1 cup
Spring onions chopped - 6  (for garnishing)
Oil - 3 tbsp
Cumin seeds - 1 tbsp
Garlic - 9
Salt to taste
Garam masala powder - 1 tsp
Lemon juice - 1 tbsp

Procedure:

1. Heat oil in a pan and add cumin seeds. As they begin to change color, add garlic and spring onions and saute till they change to brownish color. 
2. Stir in rice gently. Add three cups of water, salt, garam masala powder and mix.
3. Cover and simmer until the rice is cooked.
4. Sprinkle lemon juice and garnish with spring onions

Enjoy while it is hot!!!

Cheese Omelet

This can be had as a tasty starter or a snack. I love to eat spicy and steaming omelets especially when it is cold or raining. So I made this when the temperature in Saarbruecken hit -2 C.

Ingredients: 

Eggs - 2
Cheese slice - 1
Tomato (medium) - 1
Onion (medium) - 1
Freshly chopped Coriander leaves - 1 tsp
Chilli powder - to taste
Salt - to taste
Garam masala - to taste
long green chillies (mild version) - 1
Oil - 1 tsp

Procedure:

1. Chop the onion, tomatoes and chillies in to small pieces. 
2. Beat the eggs and add onions, tomatoes, coriander leaves, chilli powder, salt, garam masala, green chilli and mix well. 
3. Add oil on a nonstick pan and pour the batter from step 2. 
4. Turn the omelet on to the other side and cook it for 2 mins. 
5. Serve it on a plat and spread the cheese slice on the top when the omelet is still hot. (cheese melts immediately)

Enjoy the omelet while it is hot!!!!

Creamy mushroom pasta

I think its time to change the format of my posts. Old format is a bit boring and anyways I think the new post looks more interesting with more pics and fewer words. Coming back to the recipe - easy and delicious.

Ingredients:

Mushrooms - 350 gms

Fresh cream - 200 ml

Cheese - 1/2 cup (or to taste)

Salt - 1 tsp (or to taste)

Pepper - 1/2 tsp (or to taste)

Extra virgin olive oil - 2 tbsp

Onion - 1

Minced garlic - 3

Bow-tie pasta - 2 cups

Dried thyme - 1/2 tsp

Procedure:

1. Prepare pasta: I used bow-tie pasta this time. No special reason, was just interested in the shape. It took me about 25 mins approximately to cook the pasta. Add a pinch of salt and 1 tsp olive oil to the boiling water before adding pasta.

2. In a non-stick pan heat olive oil. Add chopped garlic and chopped onion and let it cook for 3 to 5 mins.  

3. Add in the mushrooms as shown in the figure. Let them cook for about 5 mins. Add dried thyme leaves and let it cook for some more time. Mushrooms will become soft after a while.

4. Add cream and let it cook for about 3 mins. Add salt and pepper and adjust the seasoning to your taste. Add the cheese and let it cook for a min. Add in the cooked pasta from step 1 and mix it well and serve.

Top it with little bit of cheese and enjoy while it is hot!!!

Note: Add white wine while cooking the sauce, it tastes even better. make sure you use Parmigiano cheese while making this pasta. If you think that the sauce is too liquidy, just use a tsp of flour (dissolve it in water and then add to the pasta)  or add more cheese. 

Kadai Chicken - Spicy and Non-Spicy versions

This is probably one of the most easiest ways to make chicken. I made two versions of this dish, obviously the spicy version is for myself and the non-spicy version is for my spanish friend Elena. She loved it. We had it in combination with Spring-onion rice (for which I will be uploading the recipe soon).  I love the fact that it was sooo easy to prepare and very delicious at the same time.

Ingredients:

Non-Spicy version

Chicken - 600 gms
Cumin seeds - 2 tsp
Coriander seeds - 2 tsp
Black pepper corns - 8
Dried red chillies - 5 (for non spicy - 1)
Oil - 3 tbsp
Onion (Large) - 1
Ginger-garlic paste - 1 tbsp
Green chillies chipped (mild) - 2 to 3
Tomato - 2 large
Salt - to taste
Garam masala powder - 1/2 tsp
Fresh coriander leaves - 1/4 th bunch

Procedure: 

1. Cut the chicken in to bite size pieces. Chop onion, tomatoes and coriander leaves. 
2. Dry roast the cumin seeds, coriander seeds, pepper corns and red chillies. Cool and make it in to a fine powder. 
3. Heat oil in a kadai. Add onion and saute till brown. Add ginger-garlic paste and green chillies and saute for a while. 
4. Add tomatoes and salt and let it cook. Add ground masala powder (step 2) and cook.
5. Add the chicken, stir, cover and cook till chicken is tender. Make sure all the excess moisture is dried up. 
6. Add garam masala powder and garnish with coriander leaves. 

Enjoy with rice or roti!!!!

Vegetable masala Pulao

This is one of the best variations of rice that I have cooked so far. I used a special masala (pav bhaji masala) which I never thought could go with rice. It was very easy to prepare and was very very very delicious.

Ingredients:

Boiled basmati rice : 3 cups 

Oil - 3 tbsp

Cumin seeds - 1 tsp 

Onion - 1 chopped

Tomato - 1 chopped

Beans - 1/4 cup 

Carrots - 1/2 cup 

Green peas - 1/4 cup 

Long mild green chilli - 2 chopped 

Pav bhaji masala - 2 tsp 

Garam masala - 1 tsp 

Red chilli powder - 1 1/2 tsp 

Lemon juice -  1 to 2 tsp

Procedure: 

1. Heat oil in a pan and add cumin seeds. Once they start to change color add chopped onion and cook it till it becomes translucent. 
2. Add tomatoes and salt. Cover it and cook it for a minute. 
3. Add carrot, beans and let it cook. 
4. Add green peas and sprinkle pav bhaji masala and cook for few mins. 
5. Add rice to the above and sprinkle pav bhaji masala, red chilli powder, garam masala, salt and mix well. 
6. Sprinkle some water to make it a little moist. Add the chopped chilli and coriander leaves and cook it. Sprinkle some lemon juice before serving.

Enjoy with raitha on the side!!!!

Mixed Vegetable curry

Happy Pongal to every one!!!!.. Since it is a special and very important festival I decide to make some tasty vegetarian curry. But, I was surprised to find that there are not many vegetarian recipes online. It took me almost 4 hours to decide on this recipe -- and its totally worth making. I made this dish with help of my friends Rowena and Ahra - and even they liked it.  It was fun cooking with them. Since all three of us like spicy food - we made it really spicy. But still we couldn't stop eating!!!!!

Ingredients:

Carrots (medium) - 2
Cauliflower - 1/4 pc
Beans - 10 to 12
Green peas - 1/2 cup
Oil - 2 tbsp
Cumin seeds - 1 tsp
Cashewnuts - 15 to 20
Peanuts - 2 tbsp
Chilli paste - 3 tsp
Turmeric powder - 1/4 tsp
Red chilli powder - 1 tsp
Tomato puree - 3 cups
Coriander powder - 1 1/2 tsp
Garam masala powder - 1 1/2 tsp
Yogurt -- 1/4 cup
Salt - to taste
Fresh coriander leaves - 1/2 bunch

Procedure:

1. Cut all the vegetables in to small pieces and separate the cauliflower in to small florets.
2. Soak cashew nuts and peanuts for 15 to 20 mins and make it in to a smooth paste. 
3. Heat oil in a pan. Add cumin seeds and fry for few seconds. 
4. Add carrots and saute for two mins. Add one cup of water and let it cook.
5. Add turmeric powder, chilli paste, chilli powder and still well. Add cashew nut-peanut paste and mix. 
6. Add Cauliflower and cook for a minute. Add tomato puree and mix. 
7. Add coriander powder and garam masala and stir well. Cover and cook till the vegetables are almost done. Add some water to get the gravy if necessary.
8. Add beans and green peas and let it simmer for four to five mins. 
9. Add yogurt and salt and mix. 
10. Simmer for two mins and take it off the heat. Garnish with coriander leaves and close the lid. 

Enjoy with hot rice or roti!!!!

Maggi - Meat version

This recipe may sound a little silly, but it turned out to be much more delicious than I thought. I like spicy food so spiced it up a little bit. Maggi - I used is the Indian masala version. I am not sure how it will taste with other kinds of noodles, but when you experiment, please let me know.

Ingredients:

Maggi - 1 packet

Schinker (beef) - 4 slices

Chilli garlic sauce - 1tbsp

Tomato ketchup - 1 tbsp

Procedure:

1. Add adequate amount of water as the package suggests. 
2. Add the maggi masala, chilli garlic sauce and tomato ketchup and mix well. 
3. Add noodle and mix well. Once it is done remove from the stove and serve it in to a plate.
4. Cut the Schinken slices in to small pieces and sprinkle them on the top. 

Enjoy while it is still hot!!!!!

Chicken sandwich - Indian Version

I brought some chicken sausages. Had no clue, as to what I will be doing with them. But then, tried an experiment and never thought it would turn out to be so tasty. (To be honest, dont even know if I can cook sausage this way). In the end we (myself and my husband) loved this simple yet delicious recipe and I can imagine myself making it once every week. 

Ingredients:

Chicken Sausage : 1 tin (6 to 7 medium)

Onion - 1 Medium 

Tomato - 1 medium
Cheese - to your taste (I like to use less cheese)
Chilli garlic sauce - 2 to 3 tsp
Salt - to taste
Tomato ketchup - to spread on sandwich base
Turkish bread - 1 (looks like bigger version of flat bread used for kebabs)
Oil - 1 tsp

Procedure:

1. Cut the chicken sausages in to small pieces as show in the pic. 
2. Add oil in to a pan and fry the above for few mins. Add 2.5 tsp of chilli garlic sauce and fry for few more mins. Taste a piece and add some salt if required. Fry for few mins and switch off the stove.
3. Cut onions, tomatoes and cheese as shown in the pic. (Grated cheese can also be used).
4. Try to cut the flat bread in the middle, parallel to the surface, in a way convenient to make a sandwich. 
5. Take the base of the bread and spread tomato ketchup and chilli garlic sauce evenly. (Chilli garlic - optional). 
6. Arrange sliced tomatoes, onions on the base and spread fried chicken sausage (from step 2) and the cheese pieces as shown in the main pic. 
7. Spread little chilli garlic sause or tomato ketchup on the top. 
8. Place the base in the over at 180 C for about 5 to 8 mins. 
9. Cover the sandwich with the top layer and apply pressure gently on the top so that it sticks to the base, and place it back in the oven at 180 C for another 5 mins. 

Enjoy while it is hot!!!!

Mango Lassi

Finally here comes my family's all time favorite drink, in fact most preferred "Indian beverage" by non-Indians. Very easy to prepare, very few ingredients and take only a few minutes. No one can say no to mango lassi. Also, very very filling. I tried to make it with mango juice but my brother gave the secret for the best recipe - which is to use canned mango puree instead of mango juice, and definitely it works just perfect.

Ingredients:

Mango puree : 350 gms
Sugar - 4 tbsp
Yogurt - 500 gms

Preparation:

1. Add sugar and mango puree to the yogurt. 
2. Blend in a blender for 5 to 10 mins. 
3. Add a little bit of water to adjust to your desired consistency.

Enjoy!!!!!

Fish Biryani

Biryani is one of my favorite dishes. Biryani from the northern part of India hugely varies from the one that is made in the Southern part. In north it is slightly sweetened by adding raisins, where as in the south it is spiced up a little bit more by adding some extra spices. As we eat lots of spicy food in the southern part of India - I love the spicy version biryani. The city (Hyderabad) I come from is especially famous for Biryani, although Hyderabadi biryani is made using chicken or mutton. I made a slightly healthy version of biryani by using fish. [Although, I love biryani which is made with chicken].The process is slightly big but it is totally worth to make it.

Ingredients:

Fish (boneless) - 500 gms
Salt - to taste
Chilli powder - to taste
Green chilli paste - 1 tsp
Coriander powder - 1 and 1/2 tbsp
Cumin powder - 1 and 1/2 tsp
Garam masala - 1/2 tsp
Lemon juice - 1 tbsp
Biryani masala - 1 and 1/2 tbsp
Green cardamon - 2 pods
Black cardamom - 1 pod
Bay leaf - 2
Cinnamon stick - 1 inch
Oil - 5 tbsp
Onion (medium) - 3
Coriander leaves - 1/2 bunch
Dried fenugreek leaves - 1 tbsp
Yogurt - 1 cup
Rice - 2 cups
Shahi jeera - 1 tsp
Food color - 1 pinch
Fried onions - 1 cup
Cashew nuts - 15 to 20

I. Preparation Fish -

1. Clean the fish and cut it in to 1 inch cubes. 
2. Add 1tsp oil, 1/2 tsp salt, 1/2 tsp chilli powder, 1/2 tbsp coriander powder, 1/2 tsp cumin powder, 1/2 tsp garam masala and 1 tsp lemon juice and mix well. 
3. Heat 2 tbsp oil in a pan and fry each fish piece delicately. Make sure that the fish is cooked on both the sides. Cook only until the fish is 80 percent done. 
4. Remove from the flame and take these pieces on a separate bowl. 

II. Preparation Gravy - 

1. Heat 3 table spoons oil in a pan. Add sliced onions and fry till they turn brown. 
2. Add yogurt slowing on slow flame and keep mixing. 
3. Add chilli powder, salt, 1/2 tbsp lemon juice, biryani masala, green chilli paste, ginger garlic paste, 1/2 tbsp coriander powder, 1/2 tsp cumin powder, 1/2 tsp garam masala, fenugreek leaves and mix well.   
4. Adjust the seasoning at this point. Spiciness has to be on the higher side as it will be diluted later when layered with rice. 
5. Add the chopped coriander leaves and mix well and remove from flame.

III. Preparation Rice -

1. Soak the rice for about 1 hour. 
2. Boil water in a large vessel. Add 1/2 tbsp oil, 1 tsp salt, 1 tsp shahi jeera, cloves, cinnamon stick, bay leaf, green cardamom and black cardamom to the boiling water. 
3. Add the soaked rice to the above spiced water and let it cook till the rice is 90 pecent done. 
4. Drain the water from the spiced rice rice and keep it aside

IV. Preparation biryani -

1. Take some water and mix the food color in it. 
2. Heat some oil in a pan and fry the cashew nuts till they slightly change their color. 
3. Take a oven proof bowl. Add a layer of spiced rice from step III.
4. On the rice add a layer of the spiced gravy from step II. 
5. Add some chopped coriander leaves and sprinkle some colored from step 1. 
6. Add another layer of rice and add the spiced fish from step I.
7. On top of the fish add a layer of the gravy and repeat step 4.
8. Finally finish off with the last layer with the remaining rice.
9. Add the remaining coriander leaves, fried onions and sprinkle colored water. In the end add the cashew nuts on the top.
10. Close the oven proof bowl tightly with a lid and put it in the oven for about 15 to 20 mins at 180 degrees centigrade.

Enjoy with raita on the side!!!!!!

Panner Butter Masala

Paneer butter masala - a very famous dish in India. It is found on the menu of almost every Indian restaurant and Indian weddings. Butter and cream used in this dish not only enhances the flavor of the dish but also makes it look wonderful. This dish perfectly suits to the title of my blog as it is both spicy and colorful.

Ingredients:

Paneer - 300 to 350 gms
Butter - 3 tbsp
Tomato puree - 800 gms
Cream - 300 ml
Salt - to taste
Sugar - 1 tsp
Chilli powder - 1 tsp or to taste
Cloves - 2
Cardamom - 1
Cinnamon - 1/2 inch stick
Bay leaf - 1
Oil - 1 tbsp
Ginger garlic paste - 1 and 1/2 tbsp
Onion (big)- 1
Coriander powder - 1 tbsp
Cumin powder - 1 tsp
Garam masala - 1/4 tsp
Lemon juice - optional
Coriander leaves

Preparation:

1. Heat the oil and 2 tbsp of butter in a pan. Add cloves, cinnamon stick, cardamom pods, bay leaf and fry till you can smell the aroma. 
2. Add ginger-garlic paste and fry for 20 seconds. Add chopped onions and 1/2 tsp salt and fry till they become golden brown. 
3. Add salt, chilli powder, sugar and mix well. 
4. Add tomato puree and cook for about 15 mins to 25 mins on slow to medium flame. This step takes some time. Hurrying this step could make the curry sour due to the uncooked tomatoes. 
5. Once the oil starts separating from the tomatoes add coriander powder, cumin powder, garam masala, and mix well. 
6. Add cream and mix well. 
7. Adjust the seasoning to your taste at this point.
8. Add paneer to the above and mix gently. Have to be careful while mixing otherwise paneer might break in to small crumbles.
9. Add butter and mix gently.
10. Add (lemon juice - optional) chopped coriander leaves just before switching off the stove. 

Enjoy with hot rice or naan or roti!!!