VEGETABLE PASTA

This is my version of vegetable pasta. Pasta is rich in protein and fiber. The colour and texture of this dish is very appealing and inviting. Fresh vegetables and whole grain pasta while mix up with sauces, makes a flavorful and delectable one. This is a simple dinner to be served with a side of salad and garlic bread.

INGREDIENTS:
1 cup Penne Pasta
1/2 Potato, cut in small cubes
1/2 Green Capsicum, chopped
1 medium  Onion, sliced
2 pods of Garlic (chopped)
1 Carrot, cut in thin 1" long slices
Handful of Green Peas (frozen)
1/2 tsp dried Basil
1/2 tsp Oregano
1/2 tsp freshly pounded Black Pepper powder
1 tbsp Pasta Sauce
1 tbsp Hot and Sweet sauce
2 tbsps Olive Oil
Salt to taste

METHOD:

Heat a heavy bottomed sauce pan with 3 cups of water and little salt. When water starts to boil, add penne pasta in it. Cook it for 10 minutes on medium heat. Seive pasta and drain water. Allow cool water running of it for  10-15 seconds. Set aside.

Heat olive oil in a non stick pan. Add chopped garlic in it. Saute for a couple of seconds. Now add onion, potato, capsicum, carrot and green peas. Fry for 3-4 minutes on medium heat. Add dried, oregano and salt in it. Fold well.

Add cooked pasta, black pepper powder, pasta sauce and hot & sweet sauce in it. Fold well. Remove from heat.

Serve hot with garlic bread. If you are not that much calorie consious, sprinkle shredded cheese on the top, otherwise serve as it is.

Linking to: Guru’s Cooking Giveaway Kids Special ’13

ACHARI BHINDI (OKRAS IN PICKLE SPICES)

Among all green vegetables, my hubby mostly likes okra or bhindi, so very often I make bhindi/okra dish in my kitchen. Long before, I saw this recipe and made it. It was with onions, but I skipped onion and reduced the spice level too. Since then, I make oftenly this simple yet tasty side in my kitchen. A very delicious dish goes very well with warm chapati, paratha or any Indian flat bread. The pungent achaari masala, makes this dish very flavourful and yummy! Tryout, will admire it.

INGREDIENTS:
350 gms Okras (bhindi)
1 Tomato (Chopped)
2 Green Chillies (chopped)
1 tbsp Pickle Spices (take spices from any pickle available in your pantry)
1/4 tsp Asafoetida
1/2 tsp Mustard Seeds
1/4 tsp Fenugreek Seeds
1/2 tsp Fennel Seeds
1/4 tsp Cumin Seeds
A Pinch of Nigella Seeds
1/2 tsp Turmeric Powder
1 tsp Kashmiri Red Chilli Powder
2 tsps Lemon Juice
3 tbsps Mustard Oil (preferably)
Salt to taste

METHOD:
Wash and wipe okras with a kitchen paper towel. Trim both ends and slit from the centre of each okra.

Heat mustard oil in a pan or kadhai. Add mustard, fenugreek, cumin, nigella and fennel seeds. Whatn they are cracking, add asafoetida in it. Add choped tomato and green chillies. Saute for a minute.

Add okras, Kashmiri red chilli powder, turmeric powder and salt. Mix nicely. Cover and cook till okras are tender.

Now add lemon juice and pickle spices. Fold well and turn off the heat now. Serve hot with rotis, parathas, naan or dal-rice & enjoy!

CRISPY STIRFRIED ARBI (COLOCASIA)

Stirfried crispy seasoned "Arbi" is a mildly spiced and a wonderful side dish or you may serve it as a snack too. I am so fond of arbi/colocasia root, that I make it oftenly atleast once in a week. The main aroma comes from the carom seeds/ajwain, which makes the dish more inviting. This is also a 'Vrat' or a 'fasting meal's recipe.

INGREDIENTS:
500 gms Arbi / Colocasia (taro root)
1 tsp Carom Seeds (ajwain)
1 tsp Cumin Seeds
1/2 tsp Asafoetida (hing)
2 tsps Coriander Seeds (roasted and then pounded coarsely)
1/2 tsp Turmeric Powder
3/4 tsp Dried Mango Powder (amchur)
1/2 tsp Kashmiri Red Chilli Powder
3-4 Chopped Green Chillies
1/2 tsp Garam Masala
1&1/2 tsps Grated Ginger
7-8 Curry Leaves (chopped)
2 tbsps Finely Chopped Coriander Leaves / Cilantro
1 tsp Sugar
Salt to taste
3 tbsps Oil + Oil for frying arbis

METHOD:

Wash arbis nicely. Put arbis in a pressure cooker. Let full pressure comes, then cook 2 minutes more on low heat. Cool down the pressure cooker normally and remove the peels of arbis. Place a arbi within your two palms, press a little to make arbi little flat and keep it aside. Follow the same with the rest of the arbis.  

Heat enough oil for frying arbis in a pan. Add few arbis in it. Fry till arbis turn golden and crispy. Follow the same process and fry rest of the arbis. Keep those aside.

Heat 3 tbsps oil in a wok or pan. Add cumin seeds, carom seeds and asafoetida in it. Saute for few seconds. Add grated ginger, curry leaves and green chillies. Saute for a minute.

Now add turmeric powder and coarsely pounded coriander seeds in it. Add fried arbis now. Add dried mango powder, kashmiri red chilli powder, garam masala, salt and sugar in it. Sprinkle little water in it. Ensure that spice powders do not burn. Stir gently for 3-4 minutes on low heat, so that all arbis are coated well with the spices.                      

                                                                                                                                                             Add chopped coriander leaves in it. Fold nicely and turn off the heat now.                                                                                                                                      

Garnish with chopped coriander leaves and serve with rotis, parathas or rice as you wish. You can serve it as an appetizer/snack with any kind of chutney. 

CHICKEN BHARTA

I had this delicious dish on road side 'Dhaba' for several times, and tried to make it like restaurant style. A very popular side dish, chicken bharta served with rotis, naan or any kind of rice dish. It requires onion-tomato gravy with all Indian spices, cashewnut paste makes the gravy more flavourful and at the end using of kewra essence, butter, cream and whisked egg gives a royal texture of mughlai cuisine. It's yummilicious and worth the effort it requires.

INGREDIENTS:
250 gms Ground Chicken (keema)
200 gms Onions (finely chopped)
2 Tomatoes (paste)
2 tbsps Ginger Garlic Paste
1/4 Cup Whisked Curd / Plain Yogurt
1 Bay Leaf
1/2" Cinnamon
3-4 Cloves
1-2 Green Cardamoms
1&1/2 tsps Turmeric Powder
1 tbsp Cumin Powder
1/2 tbsps Red Chilli Powder (as per taste)
1 tbsp Coriander Powder
1 tbsp Kashmiri Red Chilli Powder
1/3 Cup Fresh Cream
1 tbsp Butter
50 gms Cashewnut (soak in warm water and paste)
1/2 tsp Garam Masala Powder
1 Egg (whisked)
1 tsp Sugar
Salt to taste
2 Drops of Kewra Essence
2 tbsps Finely Chopped Coriander Leaves / Cilantro
2 tbsps Oil

METHOD:

Heat oil in a pan or kadhai. Add bay leaf, cloves, cinnamon and green cardamom in it. Saute for 20-30 seconds. 

Add chopped onions in it. Fry till onion turns into golden brown.

Add ginger garlic paste and tomato paste in it. Cook for 3-4 minutes on medium heat, till tomatoes leave oil from the sides.

Add all dry spices one by one (except garam masala powder). Saute for a minute, pour whished curd and salt in it. Fry for another 2-3 minutes, till spices are well cooked.

Add ground chicken in it. Keep stirring for 3-4 minutes, so that chicken mixes with the spices well.

At this time add cashew paste, sugar and 3/4 cup warm water in it. Fold well. Cover and cook for 10 minutes on low heat. Open the lid now. Pour cream, kewra essence, butter, whished egg in it. Saute for a minute. Add garam masala powder and coriander leaves on it. 

Serve immediately with phulkas, parathas, naan or and rice dishes. Hope you and your family will surely relish this luscious non-veg treat!

NOTE: The amount of spices is upto you, whether you want a lot spicy or just a little. After finishing this dish, you can put a burnt charcoal on it and cover the bharta for 4-5 minutes for getting smokey flavour. Though I didn't do it, this dish itself very luscious like restaurant style.

Sending to: "Flavours of Cuisine - Mughlai" to Shruti & Julie

CHICHINGE CHECHKI (STIR FRIED SNAKE GOURD)

'Chichinge Chechki' is a very delicious and authentic dry curry from Bengali cuisine. In Bengali snake gourd called by 'chechinge'. Snake gourd is a green vegetable, with is rarely used and I have very limited knowled of preparations of snake gourd. I saw this curry in one of my blogger friend's space, modified it a little according to my tastebuds. It is very tasty and healthy, through I used very less oil in it. Mustard, coconut, poppy seeds paste made this curry very flavourful and yummilicious!

INGREDIENTS:
4-5 Snake Gourds (chichinge)
1/2 Cup Grated Coconut (nariyel)
2 tsps Mustard Paste (sarshe bata)
2 tsps Poppy Seeds Paste (posto bata)
1 tsp Green Chilli Paste (hare mirch)
1/2 tsp Mustard Seeds (rai/sarshon)
A Pinch of Asafoetida (hing)
1/2 tsp Turmeric Powder (haldi)
1 tsp Sugar (sakkar/chini)
1-2 tbsps Oil (preferably mustard oil)
1/2 tbsp Clarified Butter (ghee)
Salt to taste (namak)

METHOD:

Lightly scrape the skin of snake gourds. With a sharp knife slit it, remove seeds. Wash and pat dry. Chop snake grourds finely. Set aside.

Heat oil in a wok. Add mustard seeds and asafoetida in it. When mustard seed splutters, add chopped snake gourd. Season with turmeric powder and salt.

Fold it for 2 minutes. You can see, snake gourd will release water this moment. So cover and cook it on medium low flame till snack gourd is almost tendered. Keep stirring inbetween.

Now add grated coconut, mustard paste, poppy seeds paste and green chilli paste in it. Mix well. Cover and cook for another 3-4 minutes on low heat.

Add sugar. Mix nicely for a minute. Remove from heat now.

Serve warm with steamed rice and dal and enjoy your lunch.
Recipe Courtesy: Recipe Junction

LITCHI COOKIE DESSERT

Today, I come here with a very simple dessert which I made with only 3 ingredients. Litchi is a sole member of soapberry family, is a very favourite to me in any form. It is a fragranced fruit with a very sweet in taste. I mix-matched litchi juice with butter cookie crumbs; within 3 minutes it came out to a yummilicious dessert. I had nothing in my pantry except few fresh cherries for garnishing of this dish. It gave a very nice look and the end product is really very luscious. I think tutti frutti will also go good with this dessert. So friends, here is the super delicious very easy to make dessert, tryout and enjoy!

INGREDIENTS:
2 Cups Butter Cookie Crumb
150 ml Litchi Juice
Few Chopped Fresh Cherries for Garnishing
Serves: 4

METHOD:

Heat the litchi juice till just lukewarm in a thick-bottom pan.
Slowly, mix in the cookie crumbs and vanilla essence, stirring continuously so that it does not stick to the bottom of the pan. The mixture should take only 3 minutes time to thicken.

Put off the heat now. Pour the mixture into differently shaped moulds. Bring to the room temperature.

Keep in the refrigerator for an hour. Unmould from the container or bowls. Spread chopped cherries on the top. Serve as a dessert.

Sending to: Guru's Giveaway Summer ’13 Drinks & Desserts

EGGPLANT POTATO DRY CURRY (MASALA ALOO BAINGAN)

'Eggplant', this versatile veggie is enjoyed in all types of cuisines. I tried out this dry curry with all Indian spices, like North Indian style and it came out fabulous! Simply superb if it is served with chapathi or parathas. Here is the easy but toothsome recipe........

INGREDIENTS:
1/2 kg Medium Sized Eggplants (medium cubed)
250 gm Potato (peeled and diced)
1/2 tsp Turmeric Powder
3-4 Pods of Garlic (minced)
1 tsp Minced Ginger
1/2 Cup Tomato Chopped
1/2 tsp Turmeric Powder
1 tsp Coriander Powder
1 tsp Red Chilli Powder
1 tbsp Dried Mango Powder
1/2 tsp Freshly Pounded Garam Masala
1 tsp Mustard Seeds
1/2 tsp Fenugreek Seeds
1/2 tsp Fennel Seeds
1/3 tsp Asafoetida
6-8 Curry Leaves (chopped)
2 tbsps Finely Chopped Coriander Leaves / Cilantro
5 tbsps Mustard oil
Salt to taste

METHOD:
Heat oil in a deep bottomed frying pan or wok. Add asafoetida, mustard seeds, fennel seeds, fenugreek seeds and curry leaves. Saute till mustard seeds crackling and fennel become golden.
Add potato cubes and turmeric powder. Cover and cook for 5 minutes on medium heat. Stir inbetween twice.
Now add eggplant cubes, minced ginger and salt in it. Fold nicely. Cover and cook for 5-6 minutes on low heat till the eggplant and potatoes are well cooked.
Add chopped tomatoes and all dry spice powder. Sprinkle little water on the top. Cover and cook for another 2-3 minutes on low heat.
Switch off the heat now, sprinkle chopped coriander leaves on the top.
Serve with rotis/parathas or dal rice.