Mysore Bonda

Who can say no to snacks!! Its always feels good to treat yourself with small treats once in a while - even when you know that its just junk food. This recipe can be done in mins and calls only for few ingredients. Just watch out as we have to use very hot oil for deep frying. I couldn't get the round shape [which they normally are] but they taste just fine.

Ingredients:

Maida - 1.5 cup
Oil - for deep frying
Rice flour - 1/4 cup
Green chillies - 4
Backing soda - 1/2 tsp
Chopped ginger - 2 tsp
Salt - to taste
Yogurt - 1 cup
Water - Just enough to get a smooth consistency

Preparation:

1. Add all the ingredients [except water and oil] in to a mixing bowl. Keep mixing and add water as you need.
2. Once the batter reaches fluffy consistency stop adding water and leave the mixture aside for 1 to 2 hours. 
3. Heat oil in a pan and add little portions of batter to it. They automatically puff up in to smooth shapes. 
4. Remove when they turn golden brown. 

Enjoy with some Chutney or ketchup on the side!!!!

Alu Palak (Potatoes in Spinach Gravy)

Well, I am not a big fan of spinach, but I know that it is very healthy to eat leafy vegetables so finally added it to my recipes list. It did take a little longer to prepare than the normal curries. But, worth the wait.. We had it with hot chapathis and finished it in no time. If you are a fan of spinach and potatoes then this recipe is for you!!

Ingredients:

Chopped spinach - 3 cups
Onions - 2
Potatoes - 4
Tomato - 1
Green chillies - 2
Ginger - 1 inch
Lemon juice - 1 tsp
Flour - 2 tsp
Red chilli powder - to taste
Salt - to taste
Cinnamon -clove powder - 1/2 tsp
Turmeric powder - 1/4 tsp
Cumin seeds - 1/2 tsp
Asafetida - 1 pinch
Butter - 1 tsp
Garam masala - 1/2 tsp
Ghee - 4 tbsp

Procedure:

1. Put the washed spinach in a pan, add very little water and pinch of salt. Cover and boil over a high flame for 2 mins. Cool quickly, add green chillies and make it in to a fine paste in a mixi jar. 
2. Cut the boiled and peeled potatoes in to big pieces. Heat ghee and fry them till they turn golden brown. 
3. In another pan heat the ghee and add cumin seeds. 
4. Add ginger, onions and fry till they become very soft. Add tomatoes and fry further for few more minutes. 
5. Add all the dry masalas and fry till the ghee separates. Add spinach and potatoes and let it boil. Sprinkle some flour and still well. 
6. Boil for 3 mins and sprinkle some lemon juice. Just before serving heat butter and add asafetida. Pour over the curry and mix gently.

Enjoy with some hot rice or chapathis!!!!

Chocolate sponge cake

This is just an improvisation on my previous sponge cake recipe. In fact a delicious one. Well, there is one important thing that you have to remember - sponge cakes are definitely soft but not juicy like the pastries which we get in the stores. This basic sponge cake recipe is definitely fluffy but we need to sprinkle some juice or syrup [after cooking the cake] in order to make it juicy, other wise its a little dry. 

Ingredients:

Eggs - 6

Sugar - 1 1/3 cup

Flour -  1/2 cup

Cocoa powder - 1/3 cup

Corn starch - 1/3 cup

Butter - 2 tbsp

Vanilla extract - 1 tsp 

For the frosting

Butter :- 2 tbsp

Chocolate chips - 1 cup

Procedure:

1. Preheat the oven to 180 C. 
2. Separate egg yolks and whites. Add 2 tbsp sugar, vanilla extract  to the egg yolks and whip them. Keep this mixture aside.
3. Beat the egg whites in a large bowl until it form soft peaks. Add sugar [little by little] and keep whisking until it forms hard peaks. 
4. Add the egg yolks mixture from step 2 in to the egg whites mixture and fold it in gently. Do not over mix. 
5. Sift in the flour, corn starch, cocoa powder and gently fold it in to the mixture. This sifting procedure will help to remove the lumps. Keep gently folding the mixture until it forms a fluffy mixture.
6. Grease a baking pan with butter and transfer the above mixture in to the pan using a spatula. 
7. Bake it in the oven for about 30 mins. Keep an eye on the cake and make sure it does not burn. Use a skewer to make sure that the cake is cooked well. 
8. Remove the baking pan from the oven and let it cool. Remove the cake from the pan and serve it.
9. Frosting: In a separate pan melt the butter and add chocolate chips. Keep mixing until a thick chocolate liquid is formed. 
10. Remove from the heat and apply the chocolate liquid over the cake using a spatula and leave it aside to cool. Once cooled the frosting gets hard and looks delicious. 

Enjoy with some whipped cream !!!

Veg Pulao

Veg Pulao is very common dish which is found in the menu of almost every Indian restaurant. It is very healthy and at the same time very very delicious. This dish is very very easy to prepare if you have a rice cooker. [You can also go ahead and make it in a big pan]. If you cook rice more often then owning a rice cooker is a best choice.

Ingredients:

Oil - 3 tbsp
Cardamom pods - 3
Cinnamon stick - 1/2 inch
Ginger garlic paste - 2 tsp
Cloves - 5
Bay leaf - 2
Cumin seeds - 1 tsp
Butter - 1 tbsp
Green peas - 1/2 cup
Carrots - 1 cup
Cauliflower - 1/2 cup
Frozen corn - 1/2 cup
Basmati rice - 1 cup
Onion - 1
Green chillies - 2
Water - 2 cups
Salt - to taste
Chilli powder - to taste

Procedure:

1. Wash and soak the basmati rice for 1 hour. 
2. In a pan heat the butter and toss the veggies in it. Cook them till they become soft. 
3. Heat oil in a rice cooker and add cumin seeds, cloves, cinnamon stick, cardamom pods. 
4. After few seconds add the sliced onion, slit green chilles and cook it till the onions turn translucent. 
5. Add ginger garlic paste and cook for few more mins. 
6. Add the veggies from step 2, sprinkle some salt and let them cook for 2 to 3 mins. 
7. Add water to the above and cook till the water comes to boil.
8. Add the soaked rice and close the lid of the rice cooker. 
9. After 3 to 4 mins open the lid and mix the rice gently from the bottom and close the lid again. The rice cooker turns off automatically when the pulao is done. 

Enjoy with some raita on the side!!!!

Chicken Sekhwa

This recipe is the continuation of my Chicken tikka recipe. 'Chicken Sekhwa' is a nepalese dish and tastes amazing. Well, having tasted it more than 50 times I decided it is time for me to try this at home. I have decided to split the recipe in to two parts, so that it is easy to understand. In this part I will show the procedure for making the gravy. You can find the recipe for the Chicken tikka here.

Ingredients:

Cinnamon stick - 1/2 inch
Bay leaf - 1
cloves - 5
Cardamom pods - 3
Ginger garlic paste - 1 tbsp
Onions - 4 
Green chillies - 4 
Oil - 3 to 4 tbsp
Concentrated tomato puree - 2 tbsp
Canned tomato puree - 500 gms
Salt - to taste
Sugar - 1 tsp
Chilli powder - to taste
Coriander powder - 1 tbsp
Cumin powder - 1 tsp
Coconut powder - 3 tbsp
Almond powder - 3 tbsp
Fresh cream - 200 gms
Garam masala - 1/2 tsp
Fresh coriander leaves - 1/2 bunch

Preparation:

1. Heat oil in a pan. Add cinnamon stick, bay leaf, cloves and cardamom pods and let them cook for a min.
2. Add ginger-garlic paste and fry it for few mins. Add onions and green chillies and saute them till they turn in to golden brown.
3. Blend the above mixture in to a smooth paste. Add this paste in to a hot pan and let it cook till the oil is separated. 
4. Add concentrated tomato puree and canned tomato puree and cook till the oil is separated.
5. Add salt, sugar and chilli powder and mix and let it cook for some more time.
6. Add coriander powder, cumin powder and cook for some more time. 
7. Add coconut powder and almond powder and cook for 2 mins. 
8. Add in the fresh cream and let it cook for 3 to 5 mins. Add garam masala and mix well. 
9. Add in the Chicken tikka pieces and cook for 3 to 5 mins. Garnish with fresh coriander leaves.

Enjoy with some hot rice!!! 

Note: Almond powder can be replaced with cashew nut powder. Add little bit of lime juice if you want a  slight refreshing taste.

Sponge Cake - 'Finally'

Finally!!! Now I know how to make a sponge cake. It was not at all easy. I failed in almost 8 attempts and got it right only in the 9th attempt. The best part of this recipe is it can be made with just 1 or 2 tbsp of butter. So, I dont have to feel guilty about eating the entire care. :).. It is also very easy. This is just the basic version with out any toppings. Here's the recipe. 

Ingredients:

Eggs - 5

Sugar - 1 cup

Flour -  1/2 cup

Corn starch - 1/3 cup

Butter - 2 tbsp

Vanilla extract - 1 tsp 

Procedure:

1. Preheat the oven to 180 C. 
2. Separate egg yolks and whites. 
3. Beat the egg yolks. Add 2 tbsp sugar, vanilla extract and whip it again and keep it aside.
4. Beat the egg whites in a large bowl until it form soft peaks. Add sugar [little by little] and keep whisking until it forms hard peaks. 
5. Add the egg yolks mixture from step 2 in to the egg whites mixture and fold it in gently. Do not over mix. 
6. Add the flour, corn starch to the above and sift it in to the mixture. This sifting procedure will help to make the batter even lighter. Add butter and fold it again gently. 
7. Grease a baking pan with butter and transfer the above mixture in to the pan using a spatula. 
8. Bake it in the oven for about 30 mins. Keep an eye on the cake and make sure it does not burn. Use a skewer to make sure that the cake is cooked well. 
9. Remove the baking pan from the oven and let it cool. Remove the cake from the pan and serve it.

Enjoy with some whipped cream or even fruits as toppings!!!

Spicy Turkey Kebabs

This is one of my experiments which turned out very taste. They were gone in less than 5 mins. The best part of this dish is it is made with very little oil. So, I was happy to finish them off. Well, since little oil is used some patience is needed to cook this. If you decide to bake them in the oven then go ahead but they might end up a little dry and hard. I prefer to make them on the stove top so that I can keep a close watch and make them as I want. 

Ingredients:

Minced turkey meat: 300 gms

Egg : 1 

Salt - to taste

Chilli powder - to taste

Lime juice - 1 tsp

Oil - 1 1/2 tbsp

Turmeric powder - 1 pinch

Tomato ketchup - 2 tbsp

Concentrated tomato puree - 1 tbsp

Garam masala - 1/2 tsp

Coriander powder - 1 tbsp

Cumin powder - 2 tsp

Fresh coriander leaves - 1/4 bunch 

Procedure:

1. Add salt, chilli powder, turmeric powder, lemon juice to the minced meat and mix well. Add tomato puree, tomato ketchup, cumin powder, coriander powder, garam malasa, and oil and mix well. 
2. Add egg to the above and mix. In the end add coriander leaves and mix well. Leave the mixture aside for about 3 to 4 hours. After resting take small portions of the meat and make them in to your desired shapes. [or like the shape shown in the figure]
3. Heat a pan and sprinkle very little oil. Place the spiced meat balls on the pan and let them cook till they turn brown on one side.
4. Turn them to the other side and repeat the same procedure. Do not turn them too many times. Serve with some fresh vegetables and onions.

Enjoy with some how and sweet chilli sauce or some ketchup on the side!!!!!

Note: Make sure that the balls are not too thick as they might takes longer time to cook. Sprinkle very little oil if you see that the pan is getting dried up

Chicken tikka

One of my favorite Indian restaurant in Germany is in Kaiserslautern [which is about 75 kms from the place where we live]. We go there very often. In a way I am addicted to this restaurant. There is this one dish which we order each and every time we go there - which is 'Chicken Sekhwa'. It is a nepalese dish and tastes amazing. Well, having tasted it more than 50 times I decided it is time for me to try this at home. I have decided to split the recipe in to two parts, so that it is easy to understand. In this part I will show the procedure for making chicken tikkas [grilled chicken pieces]. You can find the recipe for the gravy in my other post.

Ingredients:

• Chicken - 1000 gms
• Ginger garlic paste - 1 tbsp
• Thick yogurt - 1/2 cup
• Turmeric powder - 1/2 tsp
• Lemon juice - 1 tsp
• Salt - 1 tsp
• Chilli powder - 1 tsp
• Garam masala - 1/2 tsp
• Almond powder 2 tbsp
• Oil - 1 tbsp

Procedure:

1. Clean the chicken and slice them in to bite size pieces. 
2. In a separate bowl add yogurt, salt, chilli powder, ginger garlic paste, turmeric powder, lemon juice, garam masala and mix well.
3. Add the chicken pieced to the above marinade and mix well. Add almond powder, oil to the above and mix well. 
4. Refrigerate the marinated chicken pieced for 2 to 6 hours. 
5. Heat the grill pan and spray some oil on top.
6. Grill the marinate chicken pieces till they are completely cooked.

Enjoy with some hot rice or even as a snack!!!

Note: You can use cashew nut powder in stead of almond powder. I like grilling the pieces, if you have a tandoor oven go ahead and bake them

Simple 'Salad'

This is a very basic recipe that can be made with the veggies that are normally available at home. In India, Salad is usually not included in the menu of every day meal. But, more and more people started eating salad due to health reasons. In Europe Salad is included in the menu of almost every restaurant and I was even surprised to know that there are hundreds of varieties of salads. Well, in the beginning it was definitely not easy for me to get used to eating salads, increasingly I not only started liking salads but I am also preparing them at home.

Ingredients:

Lettuce - 1 Stick
Cherry tomatoes - 8 to 9
Red onion - 1
Salt - to taste
Olive oil - 1 tbsp
Croutons - 1 pkt
American salad dressing - 100 ml

Preparation:

1. Chop the onion in to thin slices. Shred the lettuce and chop the tomatoes. 
2. In a large bowl add the lettuce, onions and tomatoes and mix well. 
3. Add olive oil, salad dressing, salt and mix well. 
4. Add the croutons just before serving the salad on to the plates.

Enjoy!!!