Soya - Kheema mutter (Vegetarian version)

Soy chunks are easily available now a days. Very healthy and a good substitution for meat. In fact if you can get the recipe right then it tastes much better than meat. 

Ingredients:

• Soy Chunks - 2 cups
• Oil - 2 tbsp
• Cardamom pods - 2
• Cinnamon stick - 1"
• Cumin seeds - 1 tsp
• Ginger garlic paste - 1 tsp
• Turmeric powder - 1/2 tsp
• Tomatoes - 2
• Onion - 2
• Green Chillies - 3
• Yogurt - 1/2 cup
• Salt - to taste
• Chilli powder - to taste
• Green peas - 3/4 cup
• Cumin powder - 1/2 tsp
• Coriander powder - 1 1/2 tsp
• Coriander leaves - few springs

Procedure:

Soya Chunks Kheema: (A)

• Add hot water to Soy chunks and keep it aside for 10 to 15 mins till all the water is absorbed. 
• Once the water is soaked completely, blend the chunks in to tiny chunks as shown in the picture. At this point it looks like cooked minced meat.

Kheema mutter:

• Heat oil in a pan. Add cardamom pods, cinnamon stick, cumin seeds and fry for a few seconds. 
• Once you get the aroma go ahead and add chopped onions, ginger garlic paste, turmeric powder and mix well. Cook till the onions turn translucent. 
• Add the Soy Chunks kheema from (A) and mix well. 
• Add chopped tomatoes, salt and chilli powder and cook for a few minutes. 
• Add yogurt, green chillies, frozen peas. Mix well and cook for for about 3 to 5 mins. 
• Add cumin powder, coriander powder and mix well.
• Add fresh coriander leaves and remove from heat. 

Enjoy with hot rice and yogurt on the side.

Small Jalebi

I love sweets. India is one country which has thousands of varieties of sweets. We have some special sweet for every occasion. I can eat them at any time of the day or I can say I eat sweets all the time. I have been trying to make different varieties and here comes one of my experiments. Well it is very very sweet.. and of course delicious! This recipe is for all the sweet lovers.

Ingredients:

Flour - 1 cup 

Corn Flour - 2 or 3 tbsp

Yogurt   - 1/2 cup

Baking powder - 1/2 tsp 

Orange food color - pinch 

Oil/ Ghee - to deep fry

Sugar - 2 cups 

Cardamom powder - 1/2 tsp 

Procedure:

1. Add flour, corn flour, baking powder in a bowl and mix. Add yogurt and mix well. 
2. Dissolve food color in about 1 tbsp water and add it to the above. At this point add enough water to the mixture to get a thick and smooth batter. 
3. Let this batter ferment over night. Then take this batter in to a piping bag and keep it aside.
4. Add sugar, cardamom powder and sugar in a pan and heat till we get a string consistency. (roughly for about 10 to 15 minutes)
5. In a separate pan add 1" layer of oil. 
6. Reduce the heat to low and at this point. Pipe the batter (from step 2) in circles as shown in the picture. Make sure to cross the circle to hold the shape. 
7. Turn the Jalebis when they are firm and fry them till they are golden brown. 
8. Remove from the oil and soak them in moderately warm sugar syrup (from step 3) for about 2 or 3 mins. 

Serve hot!!

Note: Crispiness of the Jalebis depend on the Cornflour. The more cornflour you add, the more crispier they become. 

Simple masala rice with Veggies

This is probably one of the most easiest and delicious recipe that I have tried. Its especially convenient to make when you have guests at home. I like to add what ever veggies I find in my refrigerator. So, its also the best way to finish all the leftover veggies. I have a 5 liter rice cooker at home and it makes it much more easier to cook this dish.

Ingredients:

Veggies - chopped 1.5 cups {I used carrots, peas, potatoes}

Onion - 1 chopped

Butter - 1 tbsp

Cardamom - 2

Cinnamon stick - 1/2 inch

Bay leaf - 1 

Cloves - 5

Ginger garlic paste - 2 tsp

Salt - to taste

Coriander powder - 1 tbsp 

Chilli powder - to taste

Uncooked rice - 1.5 cups 

Water - 3 cups [depends on the type of rice you use] 

Fresh coriander leaves - handfull

Procedure:

1. Add butter in to a rice cook and let it melt. Add cardamoms, bay leaf, cinnamon stick, cloves and mix well. After few seconds add ginger garlic paste and cook for a few seconds. 
2. Add chopped onion to the above and cook till they become translucent. 
3. Add in the veggies and cook till they become soft. 
4. Add rice to the above and mix well. Pour in the water and stir. 
5. Add coriander powder, salt and chilli powder and mix. Add freshly chopped coriander leaves and mix well. 
6. Close the lid and let it cook. Stir once or twice before the rice is completely done.

Serve with raitha or some curry on the side!!!!

Cheese Puffs

Its funny why I decided to cook this recipe. I had 3 egg and cheese left in my refrigerator, looked up on the internet and bumped in to this recipe. It sounded and looked Yummy, so I decided to go for it. Very simple recipe and if you also happen to have some cheese and eggs then do try it. It tastes best when hot.. so try not to leave it for the next day!

Ingredients:

Butter - 100 gms
Grated Cheddar cheese - 1 cup
Eggs - 4
Flour - 3/4 cup
Salt - 1 pinch
Water - 3/4 cup

Procedure:

1. Add water in a hot pan, add butter and salt and stir till the butter melts. 
2. Preheat the oven to 180 C. Once the butter melts stir in the flour. 
3. Add eggs to the above and mix well. Add cheese to the above and mix well. 
4. Turn off the heat and transfer the mixture in to another bowl. 
5. Once the mixture cools, scoop the mixture on to a baking pan.
6. Place the baking tray in the oven and bake for 25 mins. 

Enjoy while they are hot!!!!

Tandoori Chicken

Yummy!!!! well since my description of this recipe already began with the word yummy it must be easy to guess that this is my favorite dish. In fact it is the favorite dish for most of the meat lovers in India. Not that complicate to make if you know the right ingredients. Back in India this dish is made in the hot clay ovens. But, my halogen oven works just fine - of course you will miss out on the charred flavor that comes from the clay oven. I prefer to make this dish using chicken thighs but feel free to experiment with what ever you like. This dish definitely lights up your day - so best option would be to make it on a moody day :)) or if you are in the mood to get some compliments!!!. You can have it with rice or chapathi or normal toasted bread. We like to have it as a snack with some type of sauce [either tomato sauce or garlic sauce] on the side.

Ingredients:

Chicken thighs - 4 to 6

Onion - 1

Oil - 2 tbsp 

Salt - to taste

Chilli powder - to taste

Turmeric powder - 1/2 tsp 

Ginger garlic paste - 1 tbsp 

Lemon juice - 1/2 tbsp 

Tandoori masala - 2 to 3 tsp 

Yogurt - 1/2 cup

Cashew nut powder - 2 to 3 tbsp 

Coriander powder - 1/2 tsp  (optional)

Cumin powder - 1/2 tsp (optional)

Procedure:

1. Clean the chicken thighs. Make 1/4 inch slits on the meat. 
2. In a bowl add salt, chilli powder, turmeric powder, ginger garlic paste, lemon juice, tandoori masala, coriander powder, cumin powder, 1 tbsp oil, yogurt and mix well.
3. Add the chicken pieces from step 1 to the above and mix well. 
4. Let them sit for 10 mins. Add cashew nut powder and mix well.
5. Let the chicken marinate for at least 4 to 5 hours. I usually let it sit over night in the fridge. 
6. Just before baking add chopped onion to the marinate chicken and mix well.
7. Grease the backing pan slighlty and place the marinated chicken pieces on it. 
8. Carefully add few drops of oil on each piece. You can just sprinkle some chopped onion at this point [optional].
9. Bake them in a halogen on high for 7 to 10 mins. Turn on the other side and repeat the same for 7 to 10 mins.

Serve with some onions and lime wedges on the side!!!!!!

Spinach stuffed Chapathi

This recipe is an experiment from leftovers of [ Aloo Palak & Chapathi] from. Spinach was never my favorite food, but this recipe turned out to be the best way for intake of spinach. Well, it turned out to be tasty as well. We had these Spinach chapatis with Alu fry and Raitha on the side and totally loved the combo. 

Ingredients:

Wheat flour - 1 1/2 cup
Water - 1/3 cup
Salt - 1 pinch
Yogurt - 2 tbsp
Oil - 1/2 tsp for each chapati

Spinach - 1 /2 cup [left over from Aloo Palak]

Procedure:

1. Add all the ingredients except oil, in to a food processor and blend it in to a stiff dough. [or you can always use your hand]
2. Let this dough sit for about 1 or 2 hours. 
3. Knead the dough once again just before rolling the chapathis. 
4. Divide the dough in to lemon size balls and roll them in to a round chapathi. (if you are trying for the first time then don't bother about the shape :))
5. Heat a pan and place the rolled chapathi on to it. let if fry on one side and then turn it to the other side and let it fry for some more time. At this point the chapathi will start to puffup.
6. Then add a little oil and fry it on both sides for some more time. 

Enjoy with some curry and raitha on the side!!!!!


Note: Incase you don't have any leftover spinach curry, just boil the spinach with very little water and salt. Blend it in to a fine paste and use it instead.

Kesari

I eat this dessert at least twice a week. One of the easiest recipes with very few ingredients and yet tastes wonderful. I am more of a dessert person and I always finish my meal with some thing sweet. When there are no sweets at home - I shift to my plan B [Milk chocolates]. I always have a stack of milk chocolates at home, just to be on the safe side :). Now it must be clear that I looooooove sweets. So here comes my favorite sweet.

Ingredients:

Milk - 2.5 cups
Rawa - 1 cup [semolina]
Butter - 2.5 tbsp
Cashews - 10
Sugar - to taste [ I used 3/4 cup:)]
Cardamom powder - 1 pinch

Procedure:

1. Heat 1 tbsp of Butter in a pan. Fry cashews in the butter and keep them aside. 
2. To the same pan add semolina and fry till the raw smell is gone completely. 
3. Add milk slowly at regular intervals and keep mixing. 
4. Add sugar and cardamom powder and keep mixing for at least 5 to 8 mins till the whole mixture becomes little stiff. 
5. Add fried cashews and the remaining butter and mix well till you get the desired consistency. 

Enjoy while it is hot!!!!!