Yummy spinach dip!!!

My friend made this dip as a part of a surprise lunch party for me. It was so delicious that I borrowed the recipe from her and tried it out. I must say it is a very easy and tasty option if you want to include spinach in your diet.

You will need:

1 packet frozen spinach
2 tbsp reduced fat sour cream
1 tbsp mayonnaise

Method:

Thaw the frozen spinach under warm water and then squeeze the water completely from it. To this add the sour cream and mayonnaise and keep it in the refregerator for about 3 hours to marinate.

After 3 hours take it out of the refregerator and relish the spinach dip. It serves as a great side dish too.!!!!

Quick colourful pasta salad!!!!

For those of you who love pasta this is a very healthy and a quick recipe. I had exhausted all the veggies from my refregirator when I relaized I had some pasta and could make delicious salad with it.

You will need:

1 cup of tri color spiral pasta
1/4 cup sliced black olives
1/4 cup sliced cherry tomatoes (I used the regular roma tomatoes)
Some chopped basil
Some chopped parsley
pepper
1 tsp italian salad dressing

Method:

Boil 3 cups water. Add the pasta and cook for about 1o minues until it is done. Drain the water and keep aside

Take the cooked pasta in a bowl and add cherry tomatoes, olives, basil, parsley and italian dressing and toss it well. Add pepper to taste.

The simple colorful pasta salad is ready to be relished!!!

Zucchini and cherry tomatoes stir fry!!!!

Zucchini is my current favortie vegetable. It needs a little bit of sauteing and it tastes heavenly. I found this recipe in one of the calenders and tried it. It came out really tasty. It can be served as a side dish.

You will need:
1 tsp olive oil
2 medium sliced zucchini
2 clove garlic /finely chopped
3/4 cup halved cherry tomatoes
1 tsp dried basil
salt and pepper to taste

Method:

Heat olive oil in a pan. To this add the sliced zucchini and cook until lightly browned. Add the chopped garlic and mix well. Now add the cut cherry tomatoes and stir until softened for a minute or so.To this add the dried basil, salt and pepper to taste.

The Zucchini and Cherry tomatoes stir fry is ready to be relished!!!!!

Egg Biryani!!!!

I wonder why it took me so long to try out egg biryani. I have tried making chicken biryani, shrimp biryani and vegetable biryani before. I got this recipe from a friend of mine and tried it out for the first time. I must say it came out delicious.

You will need:

6 boiled eggs
3 cups cooked white rice
3 cloves
1 inch cinnamon stick
2 cardomom
1 tsp cumin
1 cup sliced onion
2 chopped green chillis
1/4 cup chopped cilantro
1/4 cup chopped mint leaves
1/4 cup yogurt
1 tsp biryani masala ( store bought)
1 tbsp ginger garlic paste
salt to taste

To marinate boiled eggs

1 tsp chilli powder
1 tsp ginger garlic paste
1/2 tsp coriander powder
1/2 tsp cumin powder
1 tsp basan powder( gram flour)
1 raw egg

Method:

Begin by marinating the boiled eggs. For this use a bowl and add chilli powder, ginger garlic paste, cumin powder, coriander powder , basan podwer and 1 raw egg and make it into a paste. Mariante the boiled eggs in this mixture and keep aside.

Take a pan and heat 1 tsp olive oil. Shallow fry the marianted boiled eggs until they get a reddish orange coating on them. Remove from flame and keep aside.

Take 2 tsp olive oil in pan and heat it. To this add the whole spices and ginger garlic paste. Then add sliced onions and saute it till it turns golden brown. Now add the chopped green chillis, cilantro and mint leaves salt to taste and mix well. Add yogurt and mix well. To this add the coriander and cumin powder and biryani masala mix well. Add the cooked rice and mix into it.

Finally add the fried eggs and add salt if required.

Egg Biryani is ready to be relished!!!!!!

Dry Chili Chicken!!!

I purchased some chicken breasts from the store the other day. My husband is not too fond of grilling it, so I decided to try making something quick from the chicken breasts. I tried making dry chili chicken and it came out YUMMY!!! The proof is not only my husband's compliment but also from my collegue who just loved it !! :)

You will need:

1/2 pound chicken breasts cut into small retangular pieces.
1 diced green bell pepper
1 finely chopped green chili
1 tbsp choped garlic
1 tbsp cornflour
2 tbsp all purpose flour (maida)
1 egg
2 medium onions diced
2 tsp soya sauce
1 tsp pepper powder
2 tsp chicken tikka masala ( store bought )
1/4 cup yogurt
salt to tatse

Method:

Take a large bowl and mix in all purpose flour, corn flour, egg, pepper powder, chicken tikka masala, yogurt, chopped garlic, soya sauce and salt to taste. Use this mixture to marinate the chicken pieces and keep it aside for about 30 minutes to 1 hour.

Take a pan and heat 2 tsp olive oil. Shallow fry the marinated chicken pieces until it is 3/4 cooked and keep it aside.

In the same pan, add 1 tsp olive oil, diced onions and saute it till it turns golden brown. Now add the diced bell pepper and cook it for about a minute. Add the cooked chicken pieces and mix well and cook it for another 5 minutes until the chicken is completely done ( you should be able to cut the pieces in the pan with the spatula). Add salt if needed. ( you could add buffalo wing sauce or even texas pete sauce for color and a little flavor if needed ).

Dry chili chicken is ready to be relished !!!!!!

Sabu Dana (Sago Grain ) Kichdi!!!

This is a very easy and quick recipe from Sago grains. In India it is mostly eaten during the days people do fasting for religious reasons. However it is a wonderful evening snack too. I used to love my grandmom's sago grains kichdi while growing up.

You will need:

1 cup sago grains( sabu dana)
3 cups water
1 sliced green chilli
1 tsp cumin seeds
1 chopped medium sized potato
1 tsp lemon juice
1/2 cup crushed peanuts
salt to taste

Method:

Soak the sago grains in water for a minimun of three hours. Add 1 tsp of lemon juice while soaking.

Drain the water from sago grains after 3 hours and keep it aside.

Take a pan and add 2 tsp olive oil and heat it. Once the oil is hot add cumin seeds, green chilli, chopped potatoes and salt and cook till the potatoes get tender ( soft and cooked).Add the crushed peanuts and roast for about a minute. To this add the soaked sago grains and mix well. Add salt if needed.

Sago grain kichdi is ready to be relished!!!!

Biscuit Ambado (Magalore bajji)

My aunty used to prepare wonderful mangalore bajjis for us during our holidays at grandmom's place. I had a friend over for lunch the other day and she requested some konkani cuisine. So I decided to make this bajji for her.

You will need:

1 cup urad dal
2 tbsp fresh coconut/ frozen coconut
1/4 cup finely chopped ginger
2 green chillies finely chopped
salt to taste

Method:

Soak urad dal in water for about 2 hours and grind it into a paste with as little water as possible.
To this paste add chopped green chillis, coconut, ginger and salt and mix well.
Heat oil in a frying pan. Using a spoon drop small amounts of the flour misture into hot oil. Fry it till it turns golden yellow and drop it on to a tissue paper to soak extra oil.

Biscuit ambado is ready to be relished. It goes well with ginger chutney.

Ginger chutney:

1/2 inch fresh ginger chunk
1/2 tbsp tamarind paste
1/4 cup chopped cilantro
1 cup grated coconut
salt to taste

Grind all the incredients in a blender.

Customized Chili!!!

This was my first try at making chili. I volunteered at a soup kitchen yesterday morning and we served chili for people. I was inspired by how much people loved chili that I decided to try it out. It usually includes ground beef but since we don't eat beef for religious reasons I decided to try making my customized chili using ground chicken and turkey. Traditional chili takes a long time to prepare especially when it is a crockpot recipe which needs slow cooking for 7 hours. But I decided to go for a easy and qucik recipe. My husband relished it !!

You will need:

1 pound ground chicken
1 pound ground turkey
1 large chopped oinion
2 chopped tomatoes
2 cans cooked kidney beans
2 tsp chili powder
1 tsp pepper powder
1/4 cup finely chopped garlic
salt to taste

Method:

Cook the ground chicken and turkey in boiling water until it is half done.( for about 15 minutes). Drain the water and keep aside.

Take a pot and heat 1 tsp olive oil. To this add chopped garlic and onion and saute it for a minute. Now add chopped tomatoes and kidney beans and continue mixing. Then add the half cooked chicken/turkey mixture and add 3 cups of water. Add chili powder, pepper powder and salt to taste and mix well.

Cover and cook for about 45 minutes.

Chili is ready to be relished!!!!

Pepper shrimp with onions and tomato!

I tried this shrimp dish yesterday for dinner. I didn't have much time to cook shrimp in a very exotic way like making curry which I usually do. So I tired making a simple shrimp dish which was done in less than 30 minutes. It came out delicious!

You will need:

1 pound jumbo shrimp( cooked or raw)
1 green pepper chopped( capsicum)
1 cup chopped red onion
1 tomato chopped
dried basil leaves
dried oregano
1 tsp ginger garlic paste
1/2 tsp pepper powder
1 tbsp tomato ketchup
salt to taste

Method:

After removing the skin of the shrimps , marinate it in a bowl with ginger garlic paste, pepper powder. Mix well. Sprinkle oregano, basil and salt and mix well.

Take a pan and heat 2 tsp olive oil. When the oil gets hot, add chopped onions and saute it till it turns golden brown. Now add the chopped green pepper and cook for 3 minutes. Add the marinated shrimp and stir well. ( If you use cooked shrimp you need to saute for 2 minutes but if you use raw shrimp you need to cook it till the color changes to pinkish orange ) Now add the chopped tomatoes and cook till the tomatoes get tender. Add 1 tbsp tomato ketchup to this and mix well. Add salt if needed.

Pepper shrimp is ready to be relished!!! It can be served over pasta or rice!!! It can also be used a side dish.!!!

Masala Aloo!!!

Last friday, my friends and I went to an Indian restaurant for dinner and we happened to order masala aloo from their menu. It tasted heavenly with roti. I decided to try it for weekend lunch at home. I tried giving my own twist to it and it came out delicious.


You will need:

3 medium sized potatoes
2 tbsp olive oil
1 tsp coriander powder
1 tsp cumin powder
1 tsp cumin seeds
1 tsp mango powder
1/4 tsp asafoetida powder
1/2 tsp turmeric powder
1/2 tsp chilli powder
1/2 tsp red chilli flakes
1/2 tsp fennel seeds
salt to taste

Method:

Dice the potatoes into small cubes with the skin intact and keep them aside.

Heat oil in pan. To this add cumin seeds and asafoetida powder. Lower the flame and add coriander powder, cumin powder, mango powder and saute it well. Add the diced potatoes and mix well. Now add turmeric powder, chilli powder, chilli flakes and fennel seeds and saute it well. Add salt to taste and mix well. Sprinkle some water and cover the lid and cook for 10 minutes. Keep sprinkling water to avoid the potatoes from getting burnt. Once the potatoes become tender , remove from the stove and serve hot.

Masala aloo is ready to be relished . It goes well as a side dish with rice and also with roti.!!!

Aloo Gobi!!!

I am sure everyone loves potatoes. This weekend I happened to buy two huge bags of potatoes. I have tried aloo gobi a lot of times but never got the restaurant taste. But this time I tired the recipe from internet and I must say the sauce really tasted like a restaurant one. So I decided to put it in my blog and share the recipe with you all.

You will need:

3 mediun sized potatoes
1 fresh cauliflower
2 medium tomatoes finely chopped
1 medium red onion finely chopped
1 tbsp ginger garlic paste
1/4 cup finely chopped green chillies
1/4 tsp turmeric powder
1/4 tsp red chilli powder
1 tsp coriander powder
1 tsp cumin powder
1 tsp garam masala powder
salt to taste

Method:

Dice the potatoes into small cubes with the skin intact and place them in a bowl immersed in water. Cut the cauliflower into small pieces and keep it aside.

Heat a pot with 3 tbsp olive oil.Once the oil gets hot, add the chopped green chillies and ginger garlic paste and saute it. To this add the finely choped onions and salt and saute it till the oinions turn golden brown. Then add the finely chopped tomoatoes,turmeric and red chilli powder and cook till the tomatoes get tender. To this add coriander powder, cumin powder and garam masala powder and mix well. Now add the diced potatoes and cauliflower pieces and mix well. Coat them properly with the masala. Add 1 cup water and close the lid and cook for 15 minutes till the veggies become tender. ( keep checking to avoid overcooking) Garnish with finely chopped cilantro.

Aloo Gobi is ready to be relished . It goes best with chapati or roti!!!

Khara (spicy) Pongal !!!!

This year for Shankranti (January 15 2011) I made til laddus like last year. I happened to be chatting with my best friend Ramya when we discussed about this dish called Pongal. I was also reminded about the spicy pongal that my aunty used to cook. I got the recipe from my friend and though I didn't have a lot of ingredients she had mentioned to add , it came out tasty. So basically, cooking is all about customizing!!!

You will need:

1 cup rice
1 cup moong dal (split green gram)
3 cups water
1 tsp ghee
1 tsp pepper powder( usually they use 1/2 tsp peppercorns)
2 small chopped green chillies
1 tsp chooped ginger
1/2 tsp cumin seeds
1/2 tsp turmeric powder
a few curry leaves( optional)
salt to taste.

Method:

Add the rice, moong dal and water and pressure cook it and keep aside.

In a pot heat 1 tsp ghee ( I substituted with olive oil). To this add the cumin seeds ,ginger , turmeric, peppercorns( or pepperpowder ) and curry leaves. Once the peppercorns start to splutter mix the cooked rice/dal mixture into the pot.Add salt to taste. Add 2 cups water and stir well. Heat it for anout 2 to 3 minutes.

Spicy Pongal is ready to be relished!!!!!

There is a sweet version of pongal which I will be trying next year on the auspicious day of Makara Shankranti!!!

Vegetable Saagu!!!

This a very famous South Indian dish served with pooris in most of the restaurants. We have grown up eating poori saagu at my granny's place for breakfast. I decided to make this saagu for my husband birthday (jan 8, 2011) which was a surprise one , had some friends over. Everyone loved it.

You will need:

chopped vegetables like carrots, potatoes, beans, peas ,cauliflower
1/2 tsp Mustard seeds
3-4 Curry leaves
1/2 Onion (finely chopped)
a pinch of hing
a pinch of turmeric
Salt to taste

For the masala

1/2 cup grated coconut
1 inch cinnamon stick
3-4 cloves
3-4 Black Peppercorns
small piece of ginger
1/2 chooped onion
3 tsp roasted chana dal
1/4 cup chopped cilantro
3 small green chilies

Method:

First boil the vegetables and keep aside.( You could pressure cook the vegetables too). Then for the masala, grind all the ingredients to a smooth paste adding water. Heat oil in pot and add mustard, hing, turmeric , curry leaves. To this add finely chopped oinions and saute till it is cooked. Add the masala paste and cook till it starts to boil , Then finally add the vegetables and cook for another 8 to 10 minutes. Add salt to taste. Add water to get the required consistency.

Vegetable saagu is ready to be relished.
It is best eaten with pooris, but can be served with chapatis or rice!!!!

Thai green curry with jasmine rice!!!

Thai food is the only cuisine I love after Indian.Finally I succeeded in making the exact same thai green curry they serve in the restaurant. I used the store baught thai green curry paste to make it.

You will need:

1 cup jasmine rice
1 can coconut milk
2 tbsp thai green curry paste(store baught come in a small bottle)
1 tsp brown sugar
1/2 cup sliced carrots
1/4 cup snow peas
1/2 cup brocolli florets
1 cup cubed extra firm tofu.

Method:

Cook the jasmine rice with 1 1/2 cup water in a rice cooker. Keep it aside.

In a pan, heat 1 tsp oil and slightly fry the cubed tofu till they turn golden brown. Keep it aside. Heat 3 cups water in a pan and add the sliced carrots , brocolli and snow peas and oil then for about 5 minutes. Drain the water and keep it aside.

In a pot , add 1 can coconut milk and bring it to boil. To this add the 2 tbsp of thai green curry paste and mix well. Add 1 tsp brown sugar and cook for about 2 to 3 minutes. Into this add the fried tofu and the boiled veggies and cook for another 6 to 8 minutes. Add more green curry paste depending on your spice level.

Serve it hot with Jasmine rice!

Thai green curry is ready to be relished!!!!