poha cutlet

Ingredient Name	Unit	Quantity
boiled potato	number	1-2
fresh cilantro (coriander)	to taste
green chilli	number	1
lemon juice	pinch	3-4
oil	to fry
onion - (medium sized, chopped)	number	1
poha / chiwada	cup	2-3
red chili powder	tsp	1/4
salt	to taste
Directions | How to make Poha Cutlets
Wash poha thoroughly and put it a bowl. Add boiled and mashed potato, chopped onion, chopped green chilies, chopped coriander, salt, red chilli powder and lemon juice. Mix everything and make small balls and give desired shape. Shallows fry them on medium heat. Crispy cutlets are ready to eat. Serve hot with tomato sauce and mint chutney.

VEGETABLE JALFREZI

Ingredient Name	Unit	Quantity
chilly powder		1teaspoon
garam masala		1/2teaspoon
ghee		2tablespoon
ginger	oz	small
green bell pepper(chopped)		1 cup
green chillies	big	1
mixed boiled vegetable(french beans,potatoes,green peas,and carrots	cup	3
Onions	big	2
salt according to taste
sugar		1/2teaspoon
tomatoes	big	2
Directions | How to make Vegetable Jalfrezi
1. Chop the onions,tomatoes and cilantro separately. 2. Make paste of ginger and green chillies 3. Heat the ghee in vessel and fry the onions till golden brown,then add paste 4. Now add tomatoes and cook for a minute,then add boiled vegetables and green bell pepper. 5.Add chilly powder ,salt ,garm masala and pinch sugar . 6.Cook for 5 min and garnish with copped cilantro. 7.Serve hot

CAULIFLOWER CURRY

This recipe is an easy to make recipe with all the right and exotic ingredients and makes use of the most commonly available vegetable, the cauliflower which is also under used. The sauce is smooth and creamy and the tender cauliflower just melts in your mouth.

Recipe: (Serving size 4 people)

1 medium size cauliflower

1 medium onion

2 medium tomatoes

2 – 3 cloves of garlic

A small piece of ginger, almost the same amount as garlic

2 – 3 cloves

1 small cinnamon stick

Red chili powder as per your taste

1 tsp turmeric powder

1 cup milk or cream

Fresh cilantro for garnish

Salt as per taste

3 tsp vegetable or canola oil

1 tsp cumin seeds

Bring a large pot filled with water to boil. Add a good amount of salt in it. Remove all the green stems and leaves from the cauliflower and then immerse it in the boiling water. make sure that the water does not overflow but cover the cauliflower, if not completely but most of it. Cover it with a lid and let it cook. Puree onions in a food processor. Remove it and then puree the tomatoes, ginger, garlic. Heat oil in a non-stick wok like pan and when oil is hot add the cumin seeds. The seeds will cook and brown a little releasing it’s aroma. Now add the cloves and cinnamon stick. In just a minute add the onions and saute until it is almost cooked. Occasionally check on the cauliflower with a fork or knife to make sure it is cooked but not over cooked.

Whole head of cauliflower

Now add the puree of tomato, ginger,garlic. Let them all cook nicely, make sure to stir it occasionally until the raw smell goes away and the oil sort of separates on the sides. Now add the spices mentioned and make sure you add less salt because the cauliflower is already cooking in salted water. Add 1/2 the amount of milk/cream and stir well, bring it to a boil. This is your sauce. If you think that cauliflower will not immerse most of itself in this sauce add the remaining milk/cream and bring it to a boil. You can also add a little bit of water if needed.When the cauliflower is cooked, drain the water and place the cauliflower with its head up. Spoon some of the sauce over the cauliflower. Make sure that the cauliflower is almost immersed in this sauce. Cover with a lid and let is cook for another few minutes. Just 30 minutes before serving remove the cauliflower from the pan into a big bowl and pour the sauce over it so that the cauliflower absorbs all the flavors and spices. Garnish with cilantro or parsley. Cut like a cake individual portions using a knife and serve hot with rice or Naan.

Shahi Saucy Cauliflower

PUFFED RICE UPMA

Murmura Upma

Murmura or Puffed rice is a very common breakfast dish in India. It is so easy to prepare and tastes simply delicious. Murmura, if kept longer in your pantry starts to smell stale so it is best used as soon as possible. I have heard that if murmura becomes stale you can pop them in the over for a few minutes at 350F degrees and they will smell fresh once again, but I have never tried though. If you do try, let me know. Murmura does not fluff up as much as Poha does so you will need a lot of murmura; at least this is what my experience has been so far.

Fresh Murumura

Recipe: (Makes for 2 people)
2 cups of murmura
1 medium size carrot diced
1 medium size aloo diced
1 small onion chopped
1 green chili finely chopped
1 small tomato diced
1/2 bell pepper chopped
1/2 tsp haldi powder
1 tsp of red chili powder or per taste
1/2 -1 juice of a lime
Salt per taste
2 tsp oil
1 tsp rye or rai
1 tsp urad dal
Dhania (herb) for garnish
A few kari leaves

Wash murmura and drain the water. Let it sit aside. Heat oil add rye and let it splutter, then add urad dal, let it turn golden brown. Now add kari leaves, onion and sauté well. Then add the carrots & aloo and mix well, sprinkle some water, cover it with a lid and let it cook. Then add the tomatoes, bell pepper, sauté and then add the spices mentioned. Now add the murmura and mix it gently to coat it with all the spices, squeeze lime juice as per taste. Garnish with chopped dhania. Serve hot. Tastes too good.

PASTA

Humble, Satisfying & Wholesome ~ Rigatoni with legume and vegetable soup

Soups are always comforting and soothing. It could be had as part of a meal or a whole meal by itself depending on it’s ingredients. I was in a mood for something thick, hearty, wholesome, satisfying and of course what can ring a bell but Soup. I wanted something like a minestrone yet something different. I thought I will put my culinary skills to test and tried my variation of Minestrone. The result was a humble satisfying meal with pleasantly surprising medley of flavors which did not clash with each yet stood by itself in every scoop.

There is no hard and fast rule for this soup. Just throw in whatever vegetable is available fresh and use your imagination of herbs and spices to suit your taste. Of course, try my recipe and I bet you will fulfill the desires of your taste buds.

Vegetables and Rigatoni Pasta saute

Recipe: (Makes for 4 – 5 people)

Few Broccoli florets
1 potato diced into 1/2″ thick pieces
1 beet, diced into 1/2″ thick pieces
1 carrot cut into 1/2″ thick round pieces
2 -3 shallots diced
Parsley – fresh or dry
Basil – fresh or dry
1 cup Rigatoni Pasta – I use Brown rice pasta
1 8oz can chickpeas
Few Crimini mushrooms cut into half or any mushroom of your choice
2 -3 garlic cloves crushed
1 scallion or spring onion or green onion chopped
Salt and pepper
Olive oil

Heat oil in a sauce pan, add the garlic and shallots and saute. Now add the potatoes, carrots, beets, pasta and mix so that the oil coats all through the vegetables. Add some water and cover it with a lid until the pasta and vegetables are almost cooked. Now add more water depending on the consistency you like, salt and pepper & bring it to a boil. Add the chickpeas, mushroom, broccoli and mix well. Finish it off with herbs, scallions and a drizzle of olive oil. Serve it with toasted bread if needed.

Rigatoni Pasta with Vegetables and Chickpeas served with whole grain bread

Yummy aloo Tikki

Aloo Tikki or Potato Cutlets is one of the most popular snack dishes in India. Aloo Tikki comes under a collective group of snack items called ‘Chaat’ . In India, street vendors cook hot, spicy and yummy chaat on hot griddles fresh to order. The aroma of the spices invites all on goers whether they are hungry or not. The distinctive, tangible touch of flavor sensed with every spoonful makes one feel blissful. People stand in line and wait for their turn to be served; and when it arrives you have to see them finish it in no time. It’s an art.

Recipe:
6 – 8 medium size potatoes – red or white
1/2 cup thawed and crushed peas
1 tbsp grated or finely chopped ginger
1 green chili finely chopped
some freshly chopped cilantro
1 – 2 tsp red chili powder or as per taste
salt to taste
3 – 4 tbsp bread crumbs
1 – 2 tsp garam masala
Oil for cooking

Cook the potatoes and mash them well. Mix all the above ingredients in the list. Make small balls of the mixture by placing in between your palms, then press it to flatten a bit.

Aloo Tikki ready to be cooked

Heat a non-sick pan or iron skillet and drizzle some oil. Place the patti and cook it on medium flame. Once golden brown, flip it to cook on the other side. Add some oil if needed. You can cook many patties at a time on the pan depending on the surface area. You can eat hot and fresh tikki just plain or with chole, drizzle of dahi(yogurt), tamarind date chutney, cilantro chutney. It could also be used as a burger in between bread. It tastes heavenly eaten any way of your choice.

coconut burfi-coconut fudge

You will love this sweet if you like coconut. It is most often made on occassions like Diwali (the Hindu festival of lights) and Christmas.

Ingredients:

• 3 cups of fresh or dessicated coconut (fresh gives the best results)
• 1 1/2 cans (400gms each) of sweetened condensed milk
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 1 tbsp cardamom powder
• 5 tbsps ghee
• 1 cup almonds blanched and cut into slivers

Preparation:

• Heat a heavy-bottomed pan on a medium flame and add the coconut, condensed milk and sugar. Mix well and cook till the condensed milk is reduced to a quarter of its original quantity or till you get a fudge-like consistency.
• Add the ghee and mix well. Cook till the ghee begins to separate from the fudge.
• Add the cardamom powder, mix well and turn off the fire.
• Grease a large platter, put the fudge on it and smooth out into a thick layer. Top the entire surface with the slivered almonds.
• Allow to cool a little and cut into squares while still warm.
• Allow to set, remove from the platter and store in an air-tight container.