Mushroom Capsicum bhaji

This is a very tasty and no hassle dish . I frequently make this vegetable as it is a favourite of all in my family.

Ingredients :

1/4 kg ........................capsicums cubed
1 packet.....................mushrooms (sliced)
2 .............................onion chopped horizontally
1 1/2 tsp....................pepper powder
1 tsp......................sugar
1 tbsp......................fresh cream (optional)
salt
oil

Method :

Heat oil and saute the onions till golden and transparent.
Add capsicums and cook on high flame . Keep them crispy and half cooked.
Add sliced mushrooms , sugar, salt and pepper powder .
Saute them on high flame for 5 minutes add fresh cream and serve.
This simple dish is unbelievably tasty.
It can be served with rotis or parathas.

Stuffed Sausages

This is a simple dish which can be quickly made when you want something tasty in short time. I usually stack my freezer with sausages, salami, lollipops or boneless chicken . This sometimes eases your work when you have lot of other dishes to take care of. These sausages can be had along with the main course or also as starters before the party or just with a soup to make it a complete meal.

Ingredients :
6 ......................Chicken sausages
1 cup.................potato mashed ( I used ready made aloo mash)
1tbsp.................ginger garlic paste
1tsp...................tandoori masala
1tsp.................turmeric powder
1tsp...................chilli powder
1tsp..................Dry mango powder (amchur)
2 tsp....................sesame seeds (til)
salt
oil

Method :

Slit the sausages on one side without breaking them.
Mix the mashed potatoes with all the other ingredients except sesame and oil.
Stuff the sausages with this filling .
If the sausages are too long cut them into two halves.
Sprinkle sesame seeds on top and shallow fry them on a non stick pan.
You can also dip them in cornflour paste and deep fry them if you want a tastier and quicker version.
Serve with tomato ketchup or green chutney.

Garlic Coriander Rice

Rice is the staple diet of most of the Indians especially from south . But even in north we have rice specialities like dum biryanis and pulavs. Todays rice is very easy but a tasty preparation . Though it is chinese it  can be had with or without any Indian vegetable dish also. There is no need of daal if a gravy vegetable is served with this rice.

Ingredients :

2 cups ....................rice (any variety)
1tbsp......................green chillies chopped
2tbsp.....................garlic flakes chopped
2 to 3 tbsp.................coriander chopped
2tbsp.........................oil
salt

Method :

Heat oil and stir fry chopped chillies and garlic.
Wash the rice 2 to 3 times and drain it .
Add this rice to the oil and stir fry for 5 minutes.
Add 4 to 5 cups of water depending on the variety of rice .
Add salt and chopped corainder and cook till done.




This entry  goes to following events 

Sumee's festive-feast
rice recipes @ amritavishal
lets-cook-21-potluck @ tickling palates 
ginger-and-garlic-event @ cook'sjoy 

Rawa Besan Ladoos

During  Diwali we get to eat various types of sweets and namkeen varities. Out of them must are rawa ladoos and besan ladoos. This year I decided to combine both rawa besan and tried a new variety which was very delicious.

Ingredients :

2 cups ................besan
1 cup ..................rawa
2cups ...................sugar
1/2 cup................... water
1 cup....................mawa / milk powder
1/2 cup...................ghee
almond slivers
raisins
cardomom powder

Method :

Roast besan in ghee on medium flames till it is golden brown and gives out nice aroma.
In the same kadhai roast rawa till it also gives out good aroma.
Make a sugar syrup of 2 string consistency.
When rawa and besan cool down add almonds, raisins, cardamom powder and milk powder.
Mix every thing well add this mixture to the hot sugar syrup and mix properly.
After 10 minutes make ladoos.
If the mixture becomes hard you can break and crumble it and then make ladoos
with hands dipped in milk.

Sumee's festive-feast
 Jagruti' s eventcelebrate-navratri/diwali
 Cook's joy for  diwali-bash
 kids-delight-healthy
 christmas-event-giveaway
Sangeetha's Show me your hits @  Divya's

lets-cook-21-potluck @ tickling palates 

Lavang Latika

This is a popular bengali sweet . It is very tasty and has a melt in the mouth texture. It has a mawa filling inside and outsides are coated with sugar syrup.

Ingredients :

For the cover
1 cup maida
4 tbsp ghee

For the filling
5 tbsp mawa
1 tbsp sugar
2tbsp almond slivers
1 tsp cardamom powder
5 to 6 saffron strands soaked in 1 tbsp hot milk

For frying
Ghee

For Sugar Syrup
2 cup sugar
1/2 cup water

Method :

The Cover :

Make a stiff dough with maida , ghee and cold water .
Cover it with a wet cloth and keep it aside for some time.

The filling :

Crumble mawa and add sugar, almond, cardamom and mix it well.
In the end add saffron milk and again mix well and keep aside.

How to Do :

Roll out a puri from the dough and keep some filling in the middle.
First fold both sides of puri as in masala dosa.
Then again fold from other two ends and shape it like a square.
Seal the over lapping ends with a clove.
Deep fry in ghee .
In the meanwhile make a sticky sugar syrup of 2 string consistency.
Add the fried sweets in the syrup and stir for just a minute .
Let the syrup coat well on the sweet.
Take out the lavang latika and keep it on a plate.
The syrup coat will harden within five minute.
The sweet it ready to be served and enjoyed.
It can be stored for 4 to 5 days due to the mawa filling.



Sumee's festive-feast
 Jagruti' s eventcelebrate-navratri/diwali
 Cook's joy for  diwali-bash
 kids-delight-healthy
 christmas-event-giveaway
Sangeetha's Show me your hits @  Divya's

lets-cook-21-potluck @ tickling palates 

Cornflakes Chivda

Chivda can be made in many ways with Poha, Kurmura, Cornflakes . This Diwali I made Cornflakes chivda which turned out very tasty. Its very simple and easy to make. Just take care to fry the cornflakes in Vanaspati ghee and this gives an very nice flavour to chivda as compared to the one fried in oil.

Ingredients :

1/2 Kg ..........................Cornflakes
100 gm ...........................Dale (bhajleli chana daal)
200 gm...........................Ground nuts
50 gm...........................Cashew pieces
50 gm...........................Raisins
10 to 15.......................Green chillies chopped
2 fistfuls .........................Curry leaves chopped
2 to 3  tsp..............................Hing (Asefoetida)
2 tsp..............................Mustard seeds
2 tbsp...........................powdered sugar
Vanaspati ghee for frying
salt
chilly powder

Method :

In the vanaspati ghee first fry Bhajleli chana daal, groundnut, cashew and raisins one by one and keep aside.
Then fry cornflakes in small batches till all cornflakes is fried.
Now in a kadhai take 2 tbsp vanaspati ghee and heat it.
Add mustard seeds, chillies chopped, curry leaves and stir fry till crisp.
Add hing , fried cornflakes and fried daal, cashew, groundnut and raisins.
Sprinkle salt, sugar, chilly powder and mix well .


Sending this entry to

 Sumee's festive-feast
 Jagruti' s eventcelebrate-navratri/diwali
 Cook's joy for  diwali-bash
  lets-party-every-month @  preeti-kitchen
 kids-delight-healthy

lets-cook-21-potluck @ tickling palates 

Palak Paneer ( with smoked flavour)

I must be making this dish at least twice a month since last many years and getting appreciative remarks every time I make it. That is because palak is my husband's favourite vegetable and any dish having palak is his favourite.

Whenever we go out he has to order at least one palak variety.

This is a simple and tasty dish which goes well with rotis , puris or pulavs............

Ingredients :

2 bunches.......................Fresh spinach
1 cup..............................paneer cubes
2 .....................................onions chopped
4 tbsp.............................Dry Kasuri Methi leaves
2 to 3 ..........................garlic flakes
1....................................green chilly
1 tsp..............................Garam masala
2 tbsp .............................Ghee
salt

Method :

Clean the spinach bunch and boil the leaves .
You can use the tender part of spinach stalk.
Grind the boiled spinach with kasuri methi, chilly and garlic.
Heat oil and saute onions till transparent.
Add the above ground paste and go on stir frying for 10 to 15 minutes.
When the ghee starts separating add little water if needed.
I don't add water at all as we like it almost thick and dry.
Add cut cubed panner ,give just one boil .
Don't stir much as this may break the paneer pieces.
In the end take one coal and keep it on flames till red hot.
Put it in a small steel katoi and keep it on the palak vege.
Put 2 tsp ghee on it when the smoke starts coming immediately cover the dish.
Keep something heavy on the lid so that the smoke doesn't go out.
While serving take out the katori , your dish with have a wonderful smoked flavour of tandoor.



Sending this to following events :
1) Festive feast @ sumeesculinary
2)gayathris  event @ preeti-kitchen

lets-cook-21-potluck @ tickling palates 

Chocolate Walnut Fudge

This simple and delicious fudge is my all time favourite. I hardly takes 10 to 15 minutes to make this fudge . It is soft sticky  and nutty fudge tastes divine and melts in mouth (offcourse not the walnut pieces those you have to chew) . A perfect sweet during Diwali or any other occasions to welcome and treat your guests.

Ingredients :

1 .................................milkmaid tin
2 to 3 tbsp...................cocoa powder
2 tbsp..........................milk powder
1 tbsp........................ghee or butter
1 tbsp..........................maida (all purpose flour)
4 to 5 tbsp.....................chopped walnuts

Method :

Grease a plate with ghee and keep it ready.
Mix all the ingredients except walnuts in a non stick pan.
Keep the pan on medium flame and go on stirring till the mixture leaves sides.
This hardly takes 10 minutes.
Add half the walnuts and again stir for 1 more minute.
Spread this in the greased plate.
Top with the remaining walnut.
Put the plate in fridge so that the fudge hardens a bit.
This will make it easy to cut it in desired shapes.

Sending this entry to

 Sumee's festive-feast
 Jagruti' s eventcelebrate-navratri/diwali
 Cook's joy for  diwali-bash
  lets-party-every-month @  preeti-kitchen
 kids-delight-healthy
 christmas-event-giveaway
Sangeetha's Show me your hits @  Divya's

lets-cook-21-potluck @ tickling palates 

Gavhache tikhat pole

When I am running out of time I usually think of dishes which take minimum of my time and at the same time I don't feel guilty for compromising on time and nutrition.

On days when I can't make an elaborate breakfast instead of eating biscuits or bread butter I prefer these pancakes . You can also add eggs to it if you want.

These are  made of wheat flour. This wholesome breadfast can be prepared in minutes and can be had with pickle, chutney or any vegetable.

Linking this to Kiran's  cooking-with-whole-foods event hosted by Soumya @ Nivedhanam


Ingredients :

2 cups ..............Wheat flour
2 to 3 .................green chillies chopped
1 tbsp..................jeera slightly crushed
2 tbsp...................fresh grated coconut
salt
sugar

Method

Mix all the above ingredients , add water and make the batter of dosa consistency.
Heat tawa, smear it with oil and spread the batter with a big spoon.
Cook on both sides .
Serve hot with any chutney or vegetable of your choice.

Batatyacha Kis (Fasting Dish)

This is a dish made during fasts usually on Sankashtis or Ekadashis . This simple dish is easy to make and tastes delicious. The Potatoes are to be used with skin after washing them thoroughly. Trick lies in cooking the potato grate. Wait till the grate sticks to the bottom of the kadhai and is light brown and then scrape it. Continue cooking like this till the potatoes are cooked. This brown and somewhat crunchy part make this dish yummy.


Ingredients :

1/2 Kg ....................Potatoes
3 to 4 .......................Green chillies
1 1/2 tsp.........................cumin seeds
1 cup ............................roasted and skinned groundnuts
2 tsp..............................sugar
4 to 5 tbsp.....................Ghee
Salt

Method :

After washing the potatoes thoroughly grate them without removing the skin.
Immediately put the grated potatoes in a vessel containing water.
This will prevent the potatoes from turning black.
Heat ghee in a kadhai and add cumin seeds and cut green chillies.
Squeeze the water out of grated potatoes firmly with your hands and add them in kadhai.
Add sugar salt and crushed groundnuts (roasted and skinned).
Cook by stirring occasionally without keeping a lid.
Let the potato grate stick  a bit to the bottom and become light brown.
Then scrape it and again stir . Keep on doing this till the potato is cooked.

Chole Chaat

We always hear that pulses are good for health and we should add them in our daily diet. But sometimes making the same usals and pulses gravies becomes quiet boring.
 But if the pulses can be added to the menu is an interesing way and along with all the vegetables than nothing like it.
 Here is a way to make sure that none of your family member with say no to pulses as the dish is simply irresistable.
You can use any other pulses like moong, matki, channa, vatana and so on instead of kabuli channa.
This dish can also be served instead of a salad with other main dishes.


Ingredients :

2 cups ................Kabuli channa soaked overnight
1 cup...................cucumber cut into small cubes
1 cup...................potatoes boiled and cut into cubes
1 cup...................onion chopped
1 cup....................pomogranate seeds
4 cups ................fresh thick curd
4 tbsp ...................sugar
salt accoding to taste
1 cup ................green pudina-chutney (See recipe)
1 cup...............sweet-tamarind-chutney (see recipe)


Method :

                       Boil the channa in a pressure cooker for 20 to 25 minutes or till soft .
               When cold add everything except curd and chutneys and keep in the fridge.
                               

                                            Add sugar and salt to the curd and whisk it .

                                                Keep the curd too in the fridge.

                       

                                    At the time of serving add the channa mixture on the plate.
                                                                 Pour some curd on it.
                                                       Top it with both the chutneys.
                                              You can also sprinkle some sev on it for crispiness.
                                                   Your healthy , delicious one meal dish is ready.