MY FIRST GUEST POST

Hi Friends,

Yes, so finally I got this opportunity of doing my first guest post. The main thing is, it is one of my favourite vegetarian blog, Random ramblings :) of Meena Bhatia, my very close friend. Everything is so well explained in her blog. I often go back to her space for tips and tricks.

Meena is now conducting an event “BE MY GUEST CHEF” . I got that opportunity to be her
First Guest Chef.

The recipes I shared there, is a simple but flavorful vegetarian recipe, 'Sweet and Sour Pumpkin'. Which quite satistisfies our tastebuds, an exceptionally delicious vegetarian dish.

Here I am sharing my certificate of  first guest post, given by Meena. Thank you so much Meena for giving me such opportunity. I am really honoured by you dear today.

So, friends please visit my first guest post and leave your comments on 'Here'.

MUSHROOM FRY

Few years before mushrooms vegetables were not that much popular in all parts of India, but now it is becoming very famous. It is a good source of potassium and trace element, a good anti-oxidant. This mushroom fry is really very easy and tasty meal. If you like little spicy food, it is the perfect one. Goes perfectly well with any rice dish as well as rotis or parathas.

Recipe source & acknowledgement: www.vahrehvah.com

INGREDIENTS:
8 OZ / 227 gm Mushroom
1 Medium Onion (finely chopped)
3-4 pods of Garlic
4-5 Peppercorns
2 Medium Tomatoes (chopped)
1 tsp Cumin seeds
2 Bay Leaves
2 pods Cardamoms
2 pods Cloves
1/2" Cinnamon
2 Green Chillies (chopped)
1/4 tsp Turmeric powder
1 tsp Ginger-Garlic paste
1/2 tsp Cumin powder
1/2 tsp Coriander powder
1/2 tsp Red Chilli powder - optional (or according to taste)
1 tsp Lemon Juice
2 tbsps Oil
1 tbsp Butter
1 tbsp finely chopped Cilantro
Salt to taste

METHOD:
Wash and cut mushroom in slices.

Heat oil in a pan. Add bay leaves, cloves, cardamoms and cinnamon. Saute for 20-30 seconds, followed by adding 1/2 tsp cumin seeds in it. After few seconds, add chopped onion in it.

Add little salt and turmeric powder in it. Saute for 2-3 minutes till onion gets translucent. Now add ginger garlic paste and chopped green chillies in it.

Fry for another 2-3 minutes and add chopped tomatoes in it.

Fry till tomato gets cooked. At this time, add mushroom in it. Fold well.

Add  3/4 cup water in it. Cook covered for 2-3 minutes.

Then cook it uncovered for another 7-8 minutes uncovered, so that maximum water gets evaporates. Remove from heat, set aside.

Crush garlic cloves, peppercorns and 1/2 tsp cumin seeds in pestle and mortar. Heat butter in a separate pan.

Add crushed garlic-peppercorns-cumin mixture in it. Saute for 1 minutes, till nice aroma comes out.

Add cumin powder, coriander powder and red chilli powder in it.

Now pour the cooked mushroom in it. Mix well.

Keep stirring till water evaporates from it completely. Add chopped cilantro and fold nicely. Remove from heat. 

Serve hot with rotis, parathas or rice.

Enjoy!!!

AWARD CELEBRATING WITH GOBHI MATAR

Hi Friends,

I recieved wonderful winner's award from Akheela of Torview, thank you so much Akheela. When she announced 'me' as winner, I got surprised really and while I recieved this gift pack, I felt limitless happiness.

Recieved the book safely, while I opened it, got truely astonished. A book with lots of useful information with wonderful recipes, most of the recipes use only a few ingredients and very easy to understand with simple instructions. Simply Love it. Now, you will surely ask about the name of this auspicious book. Yeh, it is "Turbo Charged Recipes", written by Dian Griesel & Tom Griesel.

Here I put the photographs of "Turbo Charged Recipies"......

 

 

My heartiest thanks to you, Akheela.

 

So friends, now celebrating this award with a simple but flavorful dish.....Gobhi Matar. My husband's favorite veg dish. More or less every Indian is familier with this dish, I made in very easy and simple way, with little spices a light gravy still tastes great.

INGREDIENTS:

1 Medium Cauliflower (florets only)

3/4 cup Green Peas (frozen)

1 tsp Ginger paste

1 tsp Garlic paste

2 Green Chillies (chopped)

1/2 tsp Cumin seeds

1/3 tsp Turmeric powder

1 tsp Coriander powder

1/2 tsp Red Chilli powder

1/2 tsp Kitchen King Masala

1/3 tsp freshly pounded Garam Masala

1 Tomato (finely chopped)

2 tbsps Cilantro (finely chopped)

1/2 tsp Sugar (for flavour)

1/2 tsp Clarified Butter (ghee)

3 tbsps Mustard Oil (or any oil)

Salt to taste

 

METHOD:

 

Heat oil in a pan. When oil is enough hot, add cumin seeds, saute for few seconds. Add ginger paste and garlic paste in it. Saute for 1-2 minutes on medium heat.

 

Add chopped green chillies in it. Fry for a minute.

 

Then add turmeric powder, red chilli powder, coriander powder, kitchen king masala, garam masala and 1 tbsp water in it. Fry till spice leaves oil.

 

Add chopped tomatoes, sugar and salt in it. Stir till tomatoes get mushy.

At this time add cauliflower florets in it. Mix florets with the flower nicely (if you add normal green peas, add this time. I used frozen peas, so I added it when cauliflower gets 50% tender). Add 1 cup warm water in it. Fold nicely. Cover and cook for another 6-8 minutes.

 

Add green peas at this time, fold nicely. Cook covered for another 5-6 minutes till cauliflower gets tender.

 

Now add chopped cilantro and clarified butter in it. Fold nicely. Remove from heat.

 

Serve hot with rotis, parathas, puris or simply with steamed rice.

ONIONS & POPPY SEEDS FRY / PYAJ POSTO BHAJA

This is a very delicious dish of eastern India, specially in Bengal, one of my favourite dish too. Poppy seeds are highly nutritious and contain several vital minerals, low calorie, recommended for pregnant women and new mothers. Other than that poppy seeds are good source of carbohydrates, which helps in enhancing energy levels in human body. We Bengalis are very much fan of Posto i.e. poppy seeds. Whenever I do make poppy seeds paste, I keep little paste aside for this fry. A simple recipe but tastes heavenly. Just try it!

INGREDIENTS:
3 Large Red Onions (thinly sliced)
2/3 Cup Poppy seeds (khas khas)
3-4 Green Chillies (or according to taste)
4 tbsps Mustard Oil (preferably)
Salt to taste

METHOD:
Soak poppy seeds in water for 30 mins to 1 hour. Grind it with green chillies and make a smooth paste. Keep aside.

Heat mustard oil in a pan till smokey. Add sliced onion in it. Fry onion till it turn in light brown.

Add poppy seeds paste in it, if it is too thick, may dilute with little water. Add salt in it.

Keep frying till it gets dry and leaves oil from the side of the pan. Switch off the heat now.

Now pyaj posto is ready to serve with hot steamed rice and dal.

Enjoy this flavour of Bengal!

VERMICELLI MILK PUDDING (SEMAIYER PAYESH)

It is a very well known and extremely delicious sweet or dessert item, made specially in festivals or any occassions. This is my favourite 'payesh' and also very simple to prepare with vermicelli, dry fruits, milk and sugar are the main ingredients. It is known as 'Kheer' in North and 'Payasam' in South, a flavourful dessert item of India.

INGREDIENTS:
1 Cup Vermicelli (semaiya)
1 Cup Sugar
2 Cups Milk
1/3 tsp Cardamom powder
2 tbsps Chopped Cashew nut
2 tbsps Chopped Almonds
2 tbsps Raisins
1 tbsp Dried Cherry
1-2 tbsps Chopped Pistachio
2 tsp Clarified Butter (ghee)

METHOD:

Heat clarified butter in a pan. Add almond, pistachio, cashewnut. Fry for 30 seconds, add raisins and dried cherry in it. Fry for another 30 seconds.

Then add vermicelli in it. Keep stirring till vermicelli turns into golden.

Add milk in it. When milk starts to boil, add sugar and cardamom powder in it. Keep stirring continuously.

When vermicelli gets soft and milk starts bubbling, switch off the heat now. After few hours it will be thick consistency.

Serve cold, by garnishing little dry fruits on the top.

You might like:

RICE KHEER / PAAL PAYASAM / CHALER PAYESH

 

POHA KHEER

 

PANEER PUDDING   

 

Linking to:

Festive Food Ganesh Chaturthi

Spotlight - Festive Food hosted by Chandrani

Vinayagar Chathurthi Festival Event

Sharan's Samayalarai - Onam Sadya - The grand feast

Fast Food - Vermicilli @ Easy 2 Cook Recipes