MICROWAVE SPICY OKRA (BHINDI MASALA)

In our house everyone loves okra, for this reason I have made okra a number of times in my kitchen. Microwave Spicy Okra is a quick and tasty, which is specially cooked in rich Indian spices and flavorful coriander seeds. When I saw this yummy recipe on my dear friend Meena Bhatia's space Homely Food, could not resist myself by making this wonderful North Indian delicacy in just few minutes in microwave. Try this, you would surely love it.

INGREDIENTS:
250 gm Okra / Bhindi
2 Whole Dried Red Chillies
2 tsps Coriander Seeds
1/2 tsp Turmeric Powder
2 Green Chillies, cut in slits
1 tsp Dried Fenugreek Leaves (Kasuri Methi)
1 tsp Ginger Garlic Paste
1 Medium Sized Tomato (chopped)
8 Curry Leaves
1/2 tsp Garam Masala
2 tbsps Finely Chopped Coriander Leaves / Cilantro
2 tbsps Oil
Salt to taste

METHOD:
Wash and wipe okras dry. Trim the tip head and tail part of each okra. Cut the okras in desired shape.

Dry roast coriander seeds and whole dried red chillies for 2 minutes. Let them cool a little. Pound and make a coarse powder. Keep it aside.

Pour oil in microoven safe bowl, heat at high power for 30 seconds. Add ginger garlic paste, pounded masala, curry leaves, green chillies and microwave at 100% MW power for 5 minutes. 

Stir in between once.

Now add okras and turmeric powder. Fold nicely. Cover and microwave at 100% MW power for 7 minutes. Stir in between twice.

At this time, add chopped tomato, garam masala, dried fenugreek leaves and salt in it. 

Mix well. Cover and cook for another 6 minutes at 100% MW power. Stir in between once.

Garnish with chopped coriander leaves and bhindi masala is ready to serve now. Enjoy this microwave bhindi masala with rotis and parathas.

Linking to: Homely Food Event / Giveaway

Linking to: "Spotlight: Show Your Best Creation" @ Cuisine Delights

Linking to: JCO's Gain Popularity event

2 MINUTES EGGLESS CHOCOLATE CAKE

This dense moist easy chocolate cake we can make just in 2 minutes. I got this recipe from Meena's space, Homely Food. I slightly adjusted the recipe to suit our taste. I prefered to add lemon juice, as it makes cake super moist and spongy. We can prepare this cake with very few ingredients, which are easilly available in our pantry. I simply loved this cake and I was completely satisfactory with the outcome. Let us begin cooking this delicious cake.......

INGREDIENTS:
3 tbsps All Purpose Flour (maida)
1&1/2 tbsps Unsweetened Cocoa Powder
3 tbsps Confectioner's Sugar / Powdered Sugar
3 tbsps Butter (melted)
1 tsp Vanilla Essence
A pinch of Salt
1 tsp Baking Powder
3 tbsps Milk (at room temperature)
1 tsp Lemon Juice
Few Nuts for Topping

METHOD:
Put 3 tbsps confection's sugar in a mixing bowl, add milk in it. Keep stirring till sugar dissolves in milk.

Sieve all purpose flour, cocoa powder, baking powder and salt.

Add vanilla essence, lemon juice and butter in it.

Fold nicely, so that all ingredients are incorporated well.

Grease a microoven safe bowl with little butter, arrange few nuts at the bottom of that bowl.

Pour beaten mixture on it.

Place the bowl in microoven, micro it for 2 minutes at 100 MW power. Keep it 5 minutes on standing time. Cool for 10 minutes, take out the bowl now.

Turn cake out of the bowl, yummy super moist chocolatey cake is ready now. 

I served each cake wedge with topping by a scoop of vanilla ice cream. Enjoy!!!

Sending to: Homely Food Event / Giveaway

Sending to: "Spotlight: Show Your Best Creation" @ Cuisine Delights

Sending to: JCO's Gain Popularity event

MISAL PAV

A mouthwatering yummy tasty and popular dish is spicy Misal Pav. It is the most popular street food in the entire state of Maharashtra. Very simply, misal is nothing but mixture which mixed in gravy and serve with pav buns. Traditionally it makes with matki or moth beans, though it is not available in our place, I used dried white peas instead of that. This recipe requires loads of oil, I made it by using a very less oil to make it healthy. Try this yummy street food, you will surely love to have it.

Recipe Source & Acknowledgement: Homely Food

INGREDIENTS:

FOR MAKING PASTE:
3-4 Dried Red Chillies (as per taste)
4 Onions (chopped)
4 Cloves Garlic
1/4" Ginger (chopped)
2 Tomatoes (chopped)
1/3 Cup Grated Coconut
3 Cloves
3-4 Black Peppercorns
1" Cinnamon
1 tbsp +1 tsp Oil

FOR PREPARING USAL:
1&1/2 Cups Dried White Peas
1/2 tsp Cumin Seeds
1 tsp Kashmiri Red Chilli Powder
1 tsp Coriander Powder
1/2 tsp Turmeric Powder
1/2 tsp Dry Mango Powder (amchur)
3 tbsps Oil
Salt to taste 
Water as needed
1 tbsp Chopped Coriander Leaves

FOR GARNISHING:
Mix Farsan / Hot Mix as required
Finelly Chopped Onions
Finelly Chopped Coriander Leaves

TO SERVE WITH:
Pav Buns as needed
Lemon wedges

METHOD:

FOR COOKING DRIED WHITE PEAS:
Wash and soak dried white peas overnight.

Drain water and add new water, boil peas in pressure cooker upto two whistles. They should be cooked, but not mushy. Set it aside.

FOR MAKING SPICES FOR CURRY:
Soak dried red chillies in 1 tsp oil overnight.

Now pour soaked red chillies, ginger, garlic, cloves, cinnamon and black cardamom in a chutney jar of a grinder.

Grind for 30 seconds to make a coarse paste. (instead of grinding, you may use pestle and mortar)

Dry roast grated coconut till it turns golden colour, and keep it aside.

Heat 1 tbsp oil in a wok or pan. Add coarsely pounded paste in it.

Saute till a nice aroma comes out, add onion in it. Fry till onion turns golden brown. Switch off the flame now and let onion comes cool down completely.

Now grind, fried onions tomatoes and roasted coconut with a small amount of water to make a smooth paste. 

HOW TO MAKE USAL:

Heat 3 tbsps oil in pan or wok. Add cumin seeds in it. When cumin splutters, add onion paste in it. and saute for 8-10 minutes on medium heat. 

Add turmeric powder, Kashmiri red chilli powder, coriander powder, dry mango powder and salt in it. 

Fry for another 5-6 minutes till spices leave oil from the sides of the wok.

Add cooked white peas in it. Fold well.

Add 1/2 cup water in it and mix nicely. Let it boil for 2-3 minutes. Sprinkle with chopped coriander leaves on top. 

Remove from heat now. Usal is done here. Usal means the gravy, which can be had as it is with pav buns.

HOW TO MAKE MISAL:
In a bowl, pour usal. 

Top it with mixed farsan/hot mix.

Garnish with chopped onion and coriander leaves.

Sprinkle 2 tbsps usal gravy on the top and misal is ready to serve now.

SERVING PROCEDURE:
Serve it with pav and a slice of lemon. Serve immediately otherwise farsan will be soggy.

Linking to:  Homely Food Event / Giveaway

Linking to: "Spotlight: Show Your Best Creation" @ Cuisine Delights

Linking to:  JCO's Gain Popularity event