Paneer Tikka Wrap

Sorry for the delay in posting the recipe...the response seems overwhelming ...thank you friends:)..Paneer is as such a bland ingredients but it has an amazing texture that is versatile. Paneer can be used with almost all veggies and spices...it takes its flavor from the fellow ingredients..paneer is yet another ingredients that is always there in my refrigerator.i use it for making quick and yet flamboyant meal..be it parathas,any subzi or gravy paneer comes handy .okay here with the recipe.

For Marination

2TBSP of curd
2 Tsp of Besan(gram flour)
2 Tsp of mustard oil or any oil
1 Tsp of ginger garlic paste
1 Tsp of chilli powder
1 Tsp of coriander powder
1 Tsp of cumin powder
salt as needed
some chat masala

Ingredients

large chunks of paneer, onion and capsicum cut in cubes.

Method

Mix all the marination mixture and add in the veggies also to the marination.

Coat paneer and veggies in the marination well.

Cover and refrigerate this for at-least an hour.

The longer you refrigerate the better is the taste.

Take Skewers or tooth picks and soak it in water for few mins.

Now arrange the paneer alternating with veggies in skewers.

Shallow fry in tawa with little oil on a medium flame.till done on all sides.

These can be served with salad and some slice of lemon.


For Wrap

Take a  missi roti or a roti.
Apply some coriander mint chutney.
Arrange the paneer with veggies
Add some fresh carrot ,onion salad or any salad
Warp it up with foil and eat it when you want to .

Ensoy!

Thanks!

Rava Pongal...

Pongal is a dish which is loved by all... a best comfort food for even kids..Pongal is nothing but a SouthIndian version of Moong dal kichadi normally made with rice. Rava pongal is made using sooji (Rava)..this is little light on tummy and taste extremely good as well..this is quite easy to make but requires a slight change in the method for making the normal pongal .

Ingredients

1 cup Rava(Sooji)
1/2 cup boiled and mashed moong dal
2 cups of water
salt  to taste

Tempering

1 TBSP ghee
1/2 tsp asafoetida
1 tsp whole peppercorns
1 inch ginger finely chopped
couple of curry leaves
1 tsp of jeera
1/2 tsp of pepper jeera powder( Rasam powder)

Method

Roasted the sooji with little oil keep it aside
To the boiled mashed dal add 2 cups of water and bring it to a boil
To this add the roasted sooji little by little and mix it well
Cover and cook it for 10 mins or until sooji cooks well in dal.
Add the tempering and serve it hot.

Andhra Style stuffed Brinjal.

Brinjal is a staple vegetable at my home ...Vankaya Kobbari is what it is called in Andhra...this is real good with some plain rice and curd rice .I like stuffed brinjal dishes...the real taste of brinjal lies in its stalk looks like...stuffed brinjal cooked with stalk adds an extra taste to the brinjal...on the whole this is a soooper dooper dish..ok here i go with the recipe..

Ingredients 

8 Brinjals
2 TBSP oil
Salt to taste
2 TBSp of tamarind Pulp

For Stuffing

3 TBSP of grated coconut
1 TBSP of Sesame seeds
1 TSP of coriander seeds
2 dry chilies
1 green chilies

Method

Dry roasted all the stuffing ingredients 

Grind it with some coriander leaves and needed water and salt.

Stuff the brinjals with the masala and keep it aside. of atleast a 2 mins.

Heat oil in a pan and arrange the brinjals.

Cook it on medium flame by turning it on all sides.

Next add the remaining  masala followed by tamarind pulp.

Simmer the flame to low and cook it covered for about 10 mins.

Next cook another 5 mins open till steam evaporates

Dish ready to serve

Coriander Mango Chutney!

I am so fond of chutneys and thogayals( a kind of thick chutney had with rice)... I make chutney out of anything and everything available in my pantry :)...made idilies for dinner today and so is this chutney made from tender coriander stems and some raw mango....i really wanted to blog this super delicious recipe ..please try and let me your feedback..

Ingredients

1 TSP oil

1 bunch of tender stems of coriander

slice of raw mango with skin

2 TBSP of urad dhaal

5 green chilies

Pinch of asafoetida

  

Method

Heat oil 

Add urad dhal followed by asafoetida

when dhal turns golden brown add coriander and mango and green chilies

Saute this for a while till raw smell of mango goes.

Cool mixture and then grind to required consistence.

Note: Additional tablespoon of urad dhal can be added to make it to a consistence of thogayal. The sourness of mango is balanced by five green chilies so you definitely need five chilies at least . 

Quick Fix...Methi Matar Pulav

Today for lunch I made Methi Matar Pulav..little one wanted to go to pond in the morning...so took her to the apartment pond...she had fun running and watching duckies and gooses ..we came back  late...had to quickly make something ,so thought why not make this one pot meal...this is quite quick and easy to make and is  loved by all little ones who like to eat some plain flavorful rice...ok here i go with my recipe..

Ingredients

1 cup of chopped methi leaves

1/2 cup of Peas

1 1/2 cup of Basmati rice

2 cup water

1/2 inch minced ginger

3 cloves of crushed garlic

3 Green chilies

1 TBSP tsp of oil

1 TSP of cumin

1 TSP of coriander power

1/2 TSP of turmeric powder

Method

Heat oil add cumin, ginger-garlic,green chilies followed by peas

Saute for about a min then add methi leaves.

Saute till it soften and releases its flavor.

Now add coriander powder followed by washed and soaked rice.

Saute about a min and then add water.

Once water starts to boil simmer to lower and let it cook for about 10 min.

Rice ready.

Note: Methi has its own unique flavor which I have not diluted by adding garam masala and tomatoes...you can add these if you like it that way.This rice can even be made richer by adding coconut milk instead of water.

Thanks!

Garden Nachos!!

Hi friends.. 

Today i made some quick snack y bite for B....B and I love Mexican food.....Nachos are complete delight served with bed of baked tortilla chips and array of fresh veggies and some re-fried beans with some cheese. just make a tray of these and microwave for about a min or till the cheese melts...and yup it all ready to go into the mouth..

Ingredients

Grated Carrot
Finely chopped capsicum
Finely chopped raw mango
Finely chopped onion
Finely chopped de- seeded tomato
Finely chopped coriander leaves
Shredded cheese
Sour cream

Method
 Take micro wave safe plate
 Arrange baked tortilla chips
 Add some shredded cheese
 Followed by all veggies and re fried beans and then again top it up with some cheese
 Micro wave for about a min
Serve with sour cream

Note: Flavor beans with sriracha sauce..traditionally jalapenos pickles and olives are also added for some extra flavor. 

Vada Curry...

Vada Curry is a famous South Indian side dish for Idly ,Dosa, Idiyappam....this dish is so flavorful and I'm sure will be liked by all...i jus love this dish and wanted to make it and see if B likes it the way i like it...well on any day B only loves paruppu podi(Dhal powder) and molaga podi (chutney powder) with Idly and Dosa....hmmm its OK lemme give it shot...im making this for first time and im keeping my fingers crossed ..This is  a unique combination of some exotic spice(cinnamon,fennel and bay leaves) and poppy seeds ..so lets see with the recipe now.

For Grounded paste

4 inch ginger

5 garlic cloves

some grated coconut

1 small cinnamon stick

2Tbsp poppy seeds

For Vadai

1 cup soaked and grounded coarsely channa Dhaal with red chilies(soaked for at least 4 hrs)

1Tbsp of the above grounded paste

1 finely chopped onion

Chopped coriander leaves

Salt to taste

For curry

1 Tbsp oil

1 Tsp fennel seeds

1 bay leaf

1 finely chopped onion

2 finely chopped tomatoes

1 Tsp Garam masala

1 Tsp Chilli powder
 Rest of the grounded paste

some Coriander leaves to garnish

Method

Mix all vada ingredients and fry them .Ideally these are made with leftover masala vadai.

Now for the curry ..heat eat oil in a pan add fennel seeds,bay leaf and onion and fry onion till they are slightly brown.

Next add in the chopped tomatoes and cook it till it blends well with the onion.

Next add rest of the grounded paste ,garam masala and chilli powder .

Put water to adjust the consistency of gravy.

cook till the oil separates.

Garnish with the some crumbled  vadas and some coriander leaves

Thanks!

Crazy Raspberry Mug cake!!

Hi Friends...im back here with a crazy mug cake recipe....well these are quick ,simple and yum tooo...i have flavored it with raspberry ...but this can be made with almost any fruits available...this is one of those cakes that can be made quickly in microwave in less than 2 mins...yup throw all the needed ingredients...blend it all and micro wave...Baking cake is fun...but when your in mood to eat cake  and dunt  want to make a big cake....make it like this...quick and easy..okies  now with the recipe..

Ingredients

5 Tbsp of Flour
3 TBsp of Sugar
4 TBsp of Milk
1 Tbsp of butter
1/4 tsp of Baking soda
1/2 tsp of  baking powder
 pinch of salt
4-5 raspberries puree

Method

Cream Butter and sugar
Add the sieved flour,salt ,baking powder and soda mix.
Blend it well along with milk and fruit puree.
Micro wave for 90 sec.
Take out tap it a bit.
Microwave again for 1 min..
cake ready to eat..

Note : Raspberry can be replace with almost any fruit available...be it mango,strawberry,blueberry..etc...

A loved the cake....hmmm i sighed !!!:)

To Bake or not to Bake ( Coconut Cake)

Hello friends....yeah i m back with a new post... not been able to post frequently this month...well its just that i m too busy with the lil one....well better late than never :)...B loves coconut...be it coconut chutney..coconut rice...coconut burfi...he just loves coconut so much...to please his obsession i thought why not make some coconut cake...

A likes snack y salty savories more than sweetly creamy cakes....she is choosy about sweets and cakes...unless its real good she wouldn't try..after her second birthday this changed..she liked her b day cake so much that she is asking me to make different fruit flavor cakes...today she asked me to make some muffins...she got this sudden spark from this nursery rhyme " Do you know the muffin man ....the muffin man....who lives on Durey laneno"...to yield to her quick demand i made a cake as i didnot have muffin tray......baking is something i would like to do often..... i m exploring to  find what healthier mode we can adapt to make life simpler...."make life simple" tats what my hubby says as far as cooking is concerned...his profound principles have made me  look for more healthier alternatives which calls for less usage of oil and butter and other fatty stuffs... i have been experimenting with cooking like  i always do ...eat healthier and keep things simple tats the new mantra.....i am loving the way my experiments are turning up...ok for now i m ready to share  a delicious cake which is super spongy and flavorful.

Dry Ingredients

All purpose flour--                   11/2 cup

Sugar--                                   3/4 cup

Baking powder--                     1 Tbsp

Baking Soda--                         1 tsp

Sweetened Coconut shreds      1/4 cup

salt--                                      1/2 tsp 

Wet Ingredients

Unsalted Butter (at room temp)     1/4 cup

coconut milk--                             3/4 cup

Vanilla extract--                          1/2 tsp

Condensed milk or applesauce     1/4 cup

White vinegar--                             1 tsp

Frosting

it can be made in couple of ways...the best way to frost is beat all these into a creamy frost

Unsalted butter -- 1/4 cup

sugar --                3/4 cup

coconut milk        1/4 cup

the other way would need whipping cream n sugar...2:1 ratio

Method 

Preheat oven at 350 deg F..Grease baking tray with butter n coat it with dry flour

Mix sugar and butter add vanilla extract..beat it smooth adding coconut milk n condensed milk

Sieve flour ,baking powder,soda and salt and the add sweetened coconut shreds to this

Now mix the Butter sugar mix with the flour mix...beat it for a min or two till all ingredients blend well.

Last add vinegar and give it a mix before pouring into the greased tray

Bake for about 30 minutes.

Cool it completely and garnish it with frosting of you liking and some sweetened coconut shreds

Note : I have just creamed 1 TBSP of butter and  2 TBSP of sugar to make a light frosting...for a rich creamy effect the best way to frost is suggested above.And baking time for muffins will be 20- 25 mins appx.

Bye for now:)

Condiments of life (Pickles)!!!

Summer has started ...high time i do something about my patio garden...still taking time...i started making my own compost from kitchen wastes..it has really come up well...now that i m ready with my soil...i need to start sowing seeds...hope that some day (hopefully end of this year) i have my own patio garden...this my new found interest :)...California is bright and sunny now...good weather to make some good pickle...good sun helps to mature mangoes and other seasonal vegetables ...a good pickle needs decent  sunlight  to infuse taste of spices into the pickled vegetables...i always use fresh raw ingredients and spices to make pickle...i never cook them on stove tops for quick results..sun cooked pickle stays longer and tastes better with time....last year i made a whole lot of pickle about 6 kilos...3 kilos of mango pickle (Avakkai) South Indian style...and about 2 kilos of Punjabi pickle and about a kg of mixed vegetable pickles and distributed to all near and dear folks!!...i m a pickle lover...pickles are great condiments of life i would say...these add a whole lot of life to the dish served ...show me the pickle, i would jump for a second round of meal anytime:) 

 Avakkai, Garlic, Gongura, Pachranga Achar ,Mixed veg pickle, green chilli and lemon pickle are some of my favorites ....on my to do list i have a whole lot of pickles yet to make...this time i made pachranga...i have eaten lot of this store-bought, but making this for the first time....these are so good with parathas.. also i found good amount of lotus stem (kamal kakdi) easily available here which is one of the prime ingredient of this pickle..Pachranga achaar is a famous punjabi pickle which is made using mustard oil.  I drool over this pickle!..  Pachranga achaar as its name suggests is made using five main ingredients - raw mangoes, chick peas, lotus stem, karonda and amlas or limes, pickled with whole spices. In this recipe, i have used a combination of raw mangoes, lotus stem,   ginger omitting karonda(Conker berry of Bush Plum ), amlas(gooseberry) and chickpea but you can add more vegetables too if you like. Serve this achaar with parathas, to tantalize your taste buds.

Ok now for some life...here i go with the recipe :)

Top most is pachranga/ Left is mix veg(carrots,radish,turnip n Gobi)/ Right is lemon n  green chilies

Ingredients

3 large mangoes diced in cubes

3 medium size lotus stems sliced

3 inch of Ginger cut finely

4 Tbsp of Kalonji(onion seeds)

2 Tbsp of fennel(Sauf)
1/2 Tbsp of carrom seeds(Ajwain)

1 Tbsp of fenugreek seeds (methi)

3 Tbsp of red chilli powder

1 Tbsp of coriander seeds (Dhaniya)

1 1/2 cup of Mustard oil

Method
-- Cut mangoes and put it on boiling water for a min and pat it dry on a muslin cloth 

--Place the mango pieces on a large sieve. Cover the sieve with a clean muslin cloth and place it under the   sun for 4 to 6 hours.

--Combine the nigella seeds, coriander seeds, turmeric powder, fennel seeds, ajwain, fenugreek seeds, chilli powder, mustard oil and salt and mix well.

--Add the mango pieces,ginger and lotus stems and toss well.
--Bottle the pickle in a sterilized glass jar.
--Press the ingredients in the jar using the back of a spoon so that all the pickle ingredients are immersed in oil.
--Keep the jar in the sun for 4 to 5 days, tossing the ingredients in the jar occasionally. This pickle is then ready to serve. This can be stored for up to 1 year.

Hot n Sour Yogurt Soup with Spinach Fritters(Palak Pakodi Kadhi)

Today Saturday morning 5 o clock lil A woke up...i have no choice but to wake up and play with her...she is down with cold and cough...still on recovery mode..its been about a month we all are suffering from sore throat,cold and cough..and its been almost like 3 weeks i made fresh curd...its lying there as we don't feel like eating curd with sore throat and all...what to do now.

 I decided to make palak pakodi kadhi today with the sour curd...also a change from melagu rasam ( peper rasam) which we have been thriving on for about a month now...today i decided to make some North Indian meal..of course we both enjoy best of both regions...now that's an advantage of an interstate marriage..hahaha..jokes apart...

Flavorful Kadhi is definitely a good option to get rid of the sour curd and sore throat :)..what say...ok here i go with my hot and sour yogurt soup with palak fritters :)

Ingredients

For Pakodi

2 cups of  spinach finely chopped

crushed coriander seeds--1 tsp

minced ginger green chilli paste about 1tsp

some salt to taste

Gram flour 3-4 tbsp

For Kadhi

2 cups of sour Yogurt

2 Tbsp of gram flour

1 tsp of minced ginger and garlic

1 green chilli

finely chopped fresh coriander leaves

salt to taste

For tempering

I Tbsp of Ghee

5-6  methi seeds(fenugreek seeds)

1/2 tsp of nigella seeds(kalonji)

1/2 of cummin seeds(jeera)

a pinch of asafoetida

2 whole red chillies

a pinch of red chilli powder

some curry leaves

Method

Mix spinach and salt and keep it aside for few mins.

After some time the spinach will leave its natural water.

At this point add  rest of the ingredients of pakodi.

Pour this onto oil coated pancake maker well this what i used( for less oil factor:))

cook it till done.

In another pan add lil ghee and lump free yogurt n gram flour mix.

Cook this  by constant stirring .

Once the kadhi comes to a boil and thickens a bit add the pakodi and bring it to a boil once again.

Switch off the stove garnish with the some coriander leaves and the tempering.

Vada sans Oil!

Well how does this sound " Vada sans oil". Here I am not going to give recipe for vadas ..I am sure each one of you is expert  in your own way..What I am going to share is how to make Vada without oil...can this  happen ?...The answer is YES !!!..My usage of oil  is very low...Making pooris itself is like a big celebration for B....I make it like once in 3 months that to when somebody visit us ...This gap is compensated by gulping few pooris here and there from the restaurants B visits during office lunch breaks:).

A's Cheethappa is here :) ..he just came to U.S few weeks back....He came from Seattle to celebrate A 's BDay...I had asked him to get couple of things from India..was waiting to get hold of them..what were they a mini cooker and our magical equipment Kuzhi paniyaram maker....if you don't have this you can also make these in cupcake pan that you get here.Friday i soaked extra urad dhaal for vada while preparing Idili batter...

Saturday was fun celebrating A's birthday with all our close circle of friends and relatives here.Thanks for coming and making the event all the more memorable.A's favorite cheethappa  is here from Seattle ...and one other friends had come all the way from Sacramento..i also met one of my school buddy after 8 yrs ..was really nice catching up with all... Thank you all..That was overwhelming. 

Here i  go with the recipe.

Method

-- Flavor vada batter with ginger green chillies and jeera paste

-- Pour it into paniyaram maker coated with little oil..cook it till done.

-- Soak it in hot water with a pinch of salt for few minutes and drain excess water and 
    keep it aside.
--  Refrigerate the vadas if it is not for immediate use.

For Garnishing Sambar vada

A bowl of hot sambar 

Some boondi and fresh coriander leaves

For Garnishing Dahi Bhallas (North Indian Style)

Some beaten sweetened curd

Some Green chutney (Mint with coriander leaves and ginger)

Sweet Chutney (Date and tamarind )

Roasted Cummin powder

Red chilli powder

Chat masala

Boondi 

Fresh coriander leaves

For Garnishing Thayir vada

Tempering with mustard seeds, asafoetida ,red chillies and curry leaves

Note-- These Vadas are great to make large batches of Dahi and sambar vada for parties...for authentic crispy vada use oil :)

I made  guilt free sambar vada today morning .  You will miss the hole in the vada but on the whole these were great on taste :)...Make as much as you want and eat ..and ya do lemme know once you try...chalo bye now:)

On rush with parathas..................

Hi Guys its Sunday morning:) ...we woke up late and me not in real mood to make a whole meal platter as we are going to head out for quick last min shopping for my little ones 2nd birthday and also some driving lesson from hubby dear...on such rush the only thing i think  to make are the parathas .. these are handy option to carry for the little one to feed on while in car. My little one love parathas .i usually make parathas on Friday mornings and Sunday late mornings.Friday lil A goes to activity school so these are easy and less messy things to carry and feed her.Needless to mention these have balance source of crabs from potatoes  iron from spinach and of course fiber from the whole wheat ...i make different kinds of stuffing for parathas...but for now I am sharing aloo with spinach combo..

INGREDIENTS

Whole wheat flour ----- 2 cups

Salt                      ------ 1 tsp

Carrom seeds(Ajwain) ---1/2 tsp

Water as needed to make stiff yet soft dough

For Stuffing

Boiled mashed potatoes 1 large

Grated ginger/garlic       2 tsp

Spinach                        1 cup

oil                                1 tsp

Cumin seeds (Jeera)       1 tsp

Coriander powder          1 tsp

Cummin powder             1 tsp

Chat Masala                   1/2 tsp

Amchur                         1/2 tsp

Gram masala                  1/2 tsp

Chilli powder                 1 tsp 

METHOD

Heat oil it pan . Add jeera ,ginger then add clean cut spinach and saute for about a min.

Next add boiled mashed potato and all the dry spices and saute for about a min or so till it releases all its flavors.

Switch off the stove and set this aside till the mixture cools down.

Make equal sizes of the wheat dough or as you require.To this add the aloo spinach mix.Usually the stuffing should be little more than the dough.You need to feel the tasty tangy mix of the stuffing rather than the paratha .The proportion should be such.Now set these aside for few mins before rolling into parathas..this standing time makes it easy to roll.

Heat tawa...place a paratha...once it cooks on one side..this is usually indicated by small air balloons..add oil and toss on the other side..cook on medium flame till they are golden brown.

Serve them directly into the plate.

Else transfer them onto  a bowl or something .Placing one on one may make them soggy.

Crisp parathas taste better than soggy ones so please do it this way and then store.

Note- The spinach can be replaced with methi as well  as soy greens( dill leaves).They also taste excellent. Traditional aloo parathas calls for roasted and crushed coriander  and anardana seeds instead of coriander powder and a handful of fresh coriander leaves instead of the greens. 

I usually make lots with dill leaves..One should be aware of the numerous benefits of dill.Dill or dill weed belongs to the same family as parsley, bay leaf and cumin. It originated from the Mediterranean region and has been used to flavor foods and to treat various ailments since ancient times. Dill contains substantial amounts of iron, manganese and calcium. It also contains flavonoids which are powerful antioxidants with anti-viral and anti-inflammatory properties.

Bye for now :).. see you soon with my next recipe :)

An Ode to Karachi Biscuits!!!!

what better way to start my blog with one of my favorite biscuits ...I am not a great fan of cookies...i love pastries and cakes though...but this one is my all time lovable biscuit and  I am sure it is same for most of you too...but these are not easily available especially not in U.S ....you need to go to Hyderabad to get real hold on these..i wanted to relish these biscuits...they came into my mind and the only way to get it out is bake it...today afternoon soon as my little one went to bed i did the prep work for the biscuits ...chopped some assorted nuts and fruits for the biscuits... here you get all kinds of cookies...but this one has a unique flavor .....the slight sweetness of fruits with a ting of salt and mild rose aroma takes us to a different level when we relish these with a cup of good Chai....here i go...

INGREDIENTS

All purpose flour(Maida)--- 1 cup
Vanilla Custard powder --- 1/2 cup
Milk Powder              ----- 1/3 Cup
Unsalted butter             --- 1/2 cup

Sugar                           ---  1/2 cup

Rose water                   --- 1 tsp
Salt                              ---- 1/2 tsp
Baking Powder              ---- 1 Tsp
Assorted fruit and nuts

(golden raisins,red and green cherries,cashew and almonds)    ---- 1 1/2 cup

Milk as required for knead a dough about 3 -4 tbsp

METHOD

Mix sugar and butter until they are light and creamy.

Add in Milk powder,rose water,  and assorted fruit and nuts and mix it.

Then add sieved flour and Custard powder and milk as required and make it into  a dough .

Next take a butter paper/parchment paper or even aluminium foil which ever available.Place the dough mix and give it a cylindrical shape.Roll the foil and give it a nice shape as required. Refrigerate the dough at least for an hour .

Whenever  required preheat oven for about 180 deg c(app 350 deg F) and bake the cut biscuits for about 15min.

Note- Keep and eye after 5 mins as the temperature may vary depending on the oven.  

The biscuits turned out yum...my little one simply enjoyed it with her evening milk.She was asking I want some more ..some more :)..which was so satisfying to me..And now for the best part to share these can be refrigerated for about 1 -2 months.Pullout and bake fresh as needed .Hope you guys enjoy these and never miss those Karachi biscuits from Hyderabad :).