Cauliflower Manchurian

This is one of my favorite. I had this in one of a restaurant called The Mintt in Pittsburgh, the best ever. I tried it the same way at home and yes it did come out very well.  Lets have a look.

Ingredients:
Medium sized cauliflower, cut into florets (place it in salted hot water for 10-12 minutes, drain it) – 1

Maida/all-purpose flour – 4 tsp

Cornflour – 2 tsp

Rice flour – 1 tsp

Ginger-garlic-green chilly paste – 1 tsp

Color powder – a pinch

Salt to taste

Spring onions, finely chopped – 1/4 cup

Green chillies – 2 (CHOPPED)

Finely chopped garlic – 1/4 cup

Finely chopped ginger – 1/4 cup

Green Chilly sauce – 1 tsp

Red chilly sauce – 1 tsp (optional – if you want it to be real spicy then u can add this)

Soy sauce – 1 tsp

Tomato ketchup – 3 tsp

Finely chopped cilantro to garnish

Method:   Heat oil for deep frying.  In a bowl, combine all purpose flour, cornflour, rice flour, salt, ginger-garlic-green chilly paste, color powder and water to make a thick paste.  Dip the washed and drained florets into the batter.  Coat it well.  Then deep fry it.  Deep fry until the florets are well cooked and until it turns golden brown.  Place all the cooked florets in an absorbent tissue paper.  Next, in a pan, add oil.  Add chopped ginger, chopped garlic, green chillies. Saute for 2 minutes.  Now add soy sauce, tomato ketchup, green chilly sauce, red chilly sauce.  Mix well.  Add the fried cauliflower. Toss it well in medium high flame.  Add chopped spring onions.  Toss it again.  Remove from heat and garnish with cilantro at the end.  Tasty cauliflower dish is ready.

Cheese Stuffed Okra

A known recipe with my own twist!

This recipe needs just few minutes for you to be in the kitchen… Just Okra, spices, Peanuts (or any nuts) and cheese. Isn’t that what you want?

Ok, so Here it is; No measures required just add it to your taste.

Okra – a Few

Peanuts / Cashews / almonds

Chilly Powder

Coriander powder

Curry Powder – for flavor

salt to taste

Preparation:

  • Wash and pat dry the Okras. Cut the Okra Pods into half keeping the top and one side intact.
  •  Mix Chilly powder, Coriander Powder and curry powder together like a paste.

IMG_7697

  •  Coarsely grind peanuts (or nuts of your choice) and mix it with the paste. Here I have not used any nuts but just the spicy mixture.
  •  Take the mixture and gently stuff the split okras, set aside.

IMG_7698  IMG_7701

  • In a pan, sauté the onions.
  • Once onions are cooked translucent, place each Okra finger in the pan along with the onions and gently stir.

IMG_7705

  • Cook it in low flame.
  • Once the okra is cooked (make sure the masala is not burnt), remove it from the pan and allow it to cool down.

IMG_7707         IMG_7708

  • Now take some cheese out of your fridge, it may be any kind (Mozzarella, swiss, american, flavored cheese etc..). I used mixed cheese grated

IMG_7710

 

  • Stuff the cooked okra with the cheese gently and make sure they do not break. And garnish with lots of cheese on top of the okra fingers too.

IMG_7711

  • In the oven (mine is microwave / convection oven) place the okra dish in 150 degree C for more the cheese to melt down in the okra and make it a tantalizing one.IMG_7712

 

  • Bring it out to see how the cheese has gone down to your okra pods to a heavenly melt in your mouth.

IMG_7716

Enjoii this dish with Grilled Fish and freshly cut Cucumbers.

IMG_7719

Try and Let me know…

Curly 🙂

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Spicy Egg Fry

I always love the boiled egg to be modified into a spicy dish. You can just show your own creativity and modify it as you like.  Here’s a simple way of making a spicy tasty egg fry.

Eggs – 2 (boil it)

Oil – 1 tsp

Chilly chicken powder – 2 tsp

Turmeric powder – 1 pinch

Salt – little (do not add salt if your chilly chicken powder already has salt contained in it).

Method:  Boil eggs.  In a pan, add oil.  Add turmeric powder.  Add chilly chicken powder.  Saute for a minute.  Cut the boiled egg into pieces.  Add the boiled egg into the pan.  Gently coat it with the masala.  Do not leave it for a longer time as it turns into a rubbery texture.  Once it is done, shift it into another bowl.  Cook in low flame throughout.  Spicy and tasty egg fry ready.

Note:  You can add curry leaves.  You can also alternate the chilly chicken powder with chilly powder (1/2 tsp) and coriander powder (1/2 tsp).

 

20140914_130122b

Tasty onion curry within minutes

 

 

There are days when you feel you are in no mood to cook for a long time or your fridge is completely out of vegetables or you are just thinking and thinking looking into all the blogs searching for an easy and quick recipe, here’s something I have to help you out!!! Lets have a look.

Small onions – 10

Garlic – 10

Tomato – 1

Coconut paste – 2 spoons

Curry leaves – Little

Gingely oil – 2 tsp

Tamarind paste – Little

Fenugreek powder – A pinch

Chilly powder – 1 tsp (adjust according to the spice level)

Coriander powder – 1 tsp

Mustard seeds – Half a tsp

Cumin seeds – Half a tsp

Cilantro to garnish

Salt to taste

Method:  In a pan, add oil.  Add mustard seeds.  Let it splatter.  Add cumin seeds.  Add curry leaves.  Now add the small onions, let it fry, add salt.  Add garlic.  Fry and then add tomato.  Saute it well until the oil oozes out.  Add chilly powder and coriander powder.  Saute well for few minutes.  Add tamarind paste.  Saute well.  Now add coconut paste. Mix well.  Let it cook for sometime.  Now you can see this becoming into a thick gravy.  Add water if you want to be liquidy.  Finally garnish with cilantro.  Serve with hot rice and little ghee.

 

Milagai/Red Chilly chutney

20150303_105237

This is one of my favorite that my granny makes.  It tastes so good with Idly and Dosa. Well, lets have a look.

Ingredients:

Red chillies – 10

Garlic – 10

Onion – 1

Tomato – 1

Tamarind pulp – little

Asafoetida powder – 1 pinch

Jaggery – 1 tsp

Curry leaves little

Mustard seeds – 1/2 tsp

Gingelly/Sesame oil – 1 to 2 tsp.

Salt to taste

Take a pan.  Add oil.  Add red chillies. Add garlic. Fry for 2 to 3 min.  Add onion. Add salt.  Saute.  Add tomato.  Add tamarind pulp. Once its well cooked. Take off the pan from the flame.  Allow it to cool.  Now grind this mix.  Now, take a pan.  Add oil.  Add mustard seeds, add asafoetida powder, curry leaves.  Sim the flame.  Add the ground mix.  Take care to cook in low flame as it splatters. Cover it with a lid.  You can feel the raw smell going away after a few minutes.  Now add jaggery.  Mix well.  Switch off the flame.  Spicy chutney ready.

Brinjal Sambar/Lentil Stew

This is definitely a veggie delight. You can add any vegetable for making Sambar and you can also add two or three vegetables. Lets look into the simple way of making it.  Total time – 20 mins.

Ingredients :

Toor Dhall – 1/4 cup

Garlic – 4 to 5 pods

Asafoetida – a pinch

Castor oil – 1 tsp

Turmeric – 1/2 tsp

Mustard seeds –  1/2 tsp

Methi/Fenugreek powder – a pinch

Coriander powder – 1 tsp

Sambar powder – 1 tsp

Tamarind pulp – Little

Onion – 1 (cut into slices)

Tomato – 1 (chop)

Brinjal – 4 to 5 (Cut length-wise)

Curry leaves little

Cilantro little

Ghee – 1 to 2 tsp

Salt to taste

Method:  Pressure cook toor dhall along with castor oil, turmeric, asafoetida powder, garlic.  While it cooks, take a pan.  Add ghee, add mustard seeds, cumin seeds, methi powder, curry leaves.  Fry for a min. Add onion. Add salt.  Saute for few minutes.  Add tomato.  Saute again, add brinjal. Add coriander powder, sambar powder.  Add tamarind pulp.  Saute well.  Now mash up the cooked dhall. Add vegetable mix into the dhall and pressure cook again just for a single whistle.  Once its done. Garnish with cilantro finally.  Tasty and yummy sambar ready.

Flaky parota recipe/ South Indian paratha

Paratha is a flaky layered flat bread made all over India!! A richer variation of the same is parota made with all purpose flour!!whenever we went to a restaurant 9 out of 10 times I would order this rich parota because it’s versatile and could be paired with both vegetarian and non vegetarian gravies!!The art of making parota should be mastered I would say!! Whenever I see a roadside cook make it I would stare as if it were the first time! The way they knead it, throw it up in the air ,clank clank clank sound of the tawa as the parota cooks ,appetizing aroma that would make you gulp some for sure!!
I ve experimented a lot of recipes to get a near to perfection of this yummy dish and voila finally got an easy yet awesome way of making it closest to the restaurant perfection ! Fear not you need not knead it for hours or circus the dough up in the air !This recipe was passed down by my mother in law and it’s a no fail way of making parota !! Gear up you are just hours away from tasting the king of all flat breads!!

Cooking time :4 hours(2 hours resting )

Ingredients(makes 8 medium sized servings )

All purpose flour(maida)-2 cups

warm water-1 cup

milk-3 tablespoons

oil- 3 tablespoons

salt to taste

sugar -1tsp

Method

Mix everything together into a loose,airy dough.It should be sticky and soft!

Cover with a damp muslin cloth and let it rest in a warm place for at least 2 hours

Make a runny paste with some flour and oil .Divide the dough into equal sized balls .Do not knead the rested dough as the incorporated air bubbles might escape!

Spread the balls using a rolling pin and stretch using hands! Shape really doesn’t matter so stretch as thin as u can!

Cut thin strips and pull them all together !Curl it into a spiral and set aside!repeat the same with the rest!

Apply some oil over the swirls and cover with a damp cloth .Let it rest for half an hour!

Pat the rested dough using fingers into thick rotis!

Cook them on a very hot tawa!apply oil as u turn them,once they turn golden brown cook on medium heat for few minutes

Stack few cooked parotta while hot and crush them with your hands!This brings out the layers in the parotas

Serve hot with chicken Salna or vegetable kuruma!!

Pictorial

photo 1

 

 

sticky consistency of the dough

photo 2

spread oil on the kneaded dough

 

photo 3

 

Divide into equal portions

photo 1 (1)

 

Roll out into thin chapathis

photo 4 (1)

Make a runny paste with oil and maida and spread our evenly on the rolled dough

photo 3 (1)

Stretch the corners using fingers

photo 1 (2)

 

Cut into thin strips

photo 2 (2)

 

Make swirls and cover with damp cloth(rest for 30-60 min)

photo 3 (2) photo 4 (2) photo 5

Fry on a very hot tawa and smash vigorously between your palms

photo 2 (3) photo 3 (3)

 

Serve hottttt!!!

 

photo 5 (3)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

All about a beautiful face

Well, a beautiful skin and we all definitely would love to have it.  There are so many tips that can add more beauty. Well lets look into it!  Lets keep it simple and homemade and stay away from synthetics.

  • Have a well-balanced food habits.  Drink plenty of water.  Keep well hydrated.  Drink orange juice on a daily basis.  Do not throw the leftovers after you squeeze out the juice from the orange.  Use the pulp. Rub it over your face.  Allow it to dry. Wash it later.
  • Once in a week, you can have juice with all the berries that is available to you.  I use blueberries, strawberries, raspberries, blackberries. Add little flaxseed.  Make it into a smoothie and have it on a regular basis once in a week.  This is purely antioxidant and will make your skin glow.
  • Take 4 to 5 almonds.  Soak it in milk for an hour. Use the same milk to make a paste out it. Apply evenly over the face and neck area. Leave it to dry completely. Wash it after you feel it has completely dried. While washing try to scrub your face with it, especially in the nose area to clear the pores.  Wash it completely and pat dry your face with a soft towel. You would have a completely fresh look.
  • Take ripe papaya.  Mash it into paste.  You can add rose water and milk and mix it with papaya. You can either use just the fruit or the mixture.  Either way, it would definitely give you the glow.  Apply evenly over the face and neck and wash it after it has dried up.
  • Take 1 to 2 tsp of green gram flour (payatham mavu).  Add little turmeric (I prefer Kasthuri Manjal).  Add rose water.  Make it into a paste.  Apply evenly over the face and neck.  Wash it after it has completely dried up. This acts as a bleach and gives you instant whitening of the skin.
  • Take 1 tsp of green gram flour.  Mix it along with curd and turmeric powder.  Make it into a paste.  Apply evenly over face and neck areas.  Allow it to dry and wash it later.
  • Take a tsp of lemon juice, a tsp of cucumber juice, mix it with turmeric. Make it into paste and apply evenly over the face and neck.  Allow it to dry and wash it later.
  • Take a tsp of Multani Mitti or Fuller’s earth.  Mix it with turmeric, sandal wood powder, rose water. Make it into paste.  Apply evenly over face and neck areas.  Allow it to dry.  Wash it later.
  • Massage your face once in a week with vitamin E oil.
  • Never leave your make up on before you go to sleep.  Wash it off completely.  Washing the face twice a day definitely helps.