Stuffed Capsicum in gravy

Since I felt like experimenting with capsicum, tried this recepie. To my surprise it turned out very good and my husband liked it a lot. So here it goes:

Ingredients for the stuffing:

2 boiled Potatoes

1/2 spoon garam masala

1/4 spoon jeera power

1/4 spoon turneric powder

1/2 spoon chilli powder (adjust as per taste)

salt to taste

1/4 spoon oil

Indredinets for the gravy

4 capsicums (small sized)

1 finely chopped onion

1 1/2 finely chopped tomato

1/4 spoon jeera

1 spoon oil

1/4 spoon haldi powder

1 spoon kitchen king masala (or garam masala)

1/2 spoon chilli powder (adjust as per taste)

1/2 spoon dhayina powder

some freshly chopped corriander

salt to taste

Method:

1. Boil 2 potatoes and keep them aside to cool

2. Then peel them and grate them. To the grated potatoes, add chilli powder, turmeric powder,jeera powder, garam masala, salt and oil. Mix well to make a dough like thing. Keep aside. Stuffing is ready

3. Boil 4 capsicums in a pot of water for 10-12 minutes. When capsicums, start to change color and become a little soft, you may remove the pot from the gas. Let the capsicum look for 10 minutes.

4. Cut the top hood of the capsicum and scoop off the existing stuff from the inside of the capsicum. Drain out the water that would have seeped in while boiling.

5. Fill the potato stuffing in the capsicum and keep aside.

6. In a pan add oil. When hot, add jeera. Then add the onions. Fry till they become golden. Add Cut tomatoes. When oil starts to separate, add kitchen king masala, turmeric, chill powder, dhaniya powder and salt.

7. Add 11/2 cup pf water and let the gravy cook for 5-7 minutes

8. Add the stuffed capsicum to the gravy and cover with a lid. Let it cook in the gravy for 5-7 minutes.

9. Decorate with fresh coriander leaves.

This tastes great with parathas or jerra rice.

Hakka Noodles

For a packet of noodles (180 grams) boiled and drained as per the instructions add 1-2 tsp. Oil and toss the noodles till well mixed. (This prevents the noodles from sticking).

Since my hubby insists that I use a lot of vegetables the quantity of vegetables I use is more than the normal usages please adjust them as per your requirements.

2 small or 1 big carrots, peeled and made into longish baton about ½ inch long
10 french beans cut to match the carrots
1 capsicum (I use green ones but you could also use the red and yellow ones) again cut like the carrots
½ cup cabbage cut fine but lengthwise (use the Anjali grater)
½ cup green peas (I used frozen so I did not boil them)
3-4 onions chopped lengthwise
Shoots of one spring onion (You can use the onions for decorations or chop them up and fry them with rest of the onions)
2 maggi cubes (veg) crumbled
1 tblsps soya sauce (dark)
1 tsp chilli sauce
1tsp tomato sauce
2-3 tblsps oil

Method
1. Heat oil the onions add a pinch of the maggi cube any fry till the onions become translucent.
2. Add the carrots again a pinch of maggi cube and fry till the carrot change colour.
3. Repeat with the French beans, peas.
4. Add the sauces and the capsicum, cabbage, noodles adjust the salt.
5. Remove from the flame mix in the spring onion shoots and serve.

Veg Manchurian

It was Akanksha' s Birthday & hence we had Veg Manchurian and Hakka Noodles for all of us. Here is manchurian recipe.

For the Manchurian balls

1 cup cabbage, shredded

1 onion chopped fine

1 green chilli (optional)

¼ cup coriander chopped fine.

Salt

Maida

Oil for frying

Method:

1. Heat the oil.

2. Mix all the ingredients and form small balls. The dough naturally becomes wet as you mix the cabbage. So I have not specified the amount of maida needed. I needed about 1 and ½ cup maida.

3. Immediately Deep fry till golden brown. Drain and keep aside.

For the Gravy:

2 medium onions chopped fine

15-20 garlic chopped fine

1 tsp ginger

2-3 green chillies chopped fine

1 green capsicum, chopped fine

1 cup Spring onions the green shoots chopped

2 tblsps dark soya sauce

1tsp chilli sauce

1 tblsp tomato sauce

½ cube of maggi

2 tblsps corn flour dissolved in ½ cup water.

1 tblsps oil

Method:

1. Heat oil add the ginger garlic and green chillies and sauté till the garlic is golden.

2. Add onions and fry till pinkish.

3. Add the sauces and magi cube.

4. To make a gravy you have add water (decide on the amount of gravy you need and adjust corn flour accordingly) adjust salt and bring to boil. Lower the flame and mixing continuously add the corn flour mix.

5. As the mixture thickens add the capsicum and spring onion shoots.

6. Add the Manchurian balls.

7. Mix and serve immediately.

Chana Dal Khichidi

My punjabi aunty taught me to make Chana Dal Khichidi. Its easy to make and takes really yummmmmmm........

Ingredients:

1 Cup Chana Dal soaked in water for 30-40 min

2 cup basmati rice

Ghee 2 teaspoons

1 spoon jeera

3-4 whole elaichee

Pepper

2 long cut Onions

1 teaspoon Garam masala

Salt to taste

1. In a kadai, add ghee to heat. When hot, add the jeera.

2. Fry onions, till they turn pink.

3. Add pepper and whole elaichee to the onion mix and fry for 2-3 min

4. Add garam masala and salt to take

5. Next add chana dal and fry for 1-2 min

6. Add rice and water to let the khichidi cook.

Khichidi is ready. This tastes great with curd. You could roast some papaas well.

Zatpat Corn biryani

This is Smita's recipe.

The other day i had some leftover rice to finish off but no vegetables to be used for
a pulao or something of that kind. All that I had was a packed of shelled corn in my freezer.
I decided to put it and my unused masalas to good use and here was the final product.

1 cup cooked basmati rice
1 cup shelled and cooked corn
1 tsp ginger-chilly paste
3-4 Maggie vegetarian masala cubes
Everest Shahi Biryani masala
Ghee
Jeera for tempering

Heat the ghee and add jeera.
After it splutters add ginger-chilly paste and fry for some time.
Then add Shahi Biryani masala and cooked corn.
After frying this for some time add the cooked rice.
I nromally add salt to the rice before cooking it so do not have to add too much of salt
later on. After the rice is mixed well add the masala cubes to the rice and your zatpat
biryani is done!!!!U can add veggies of your choice and it still tastes good..

Eggless Chocolate Cake

I had a lot of butter left, we had all the ghee we needed and some more. I was at my wits end as to how to finish the butter before we left on holiday so Smita suggested this recipe. Boy did we love it.

Method:
100 grams maida
100 grams powdered sugar
3 tblspn drinking chocolate
2 tblspn cocoa

1tsp baking powder

A big pinch of soda-bi -carb

Essence
4 tblsp homemade butter
½ cup milk mixed with ¼ cup milk (lukewarm)


Ingredients:
1.Sieve all the dry ingredients.
2.Run the butter in the mixer. Since the quantity for my mixer was too small I ran it with the milk and water mixture.
3.Fold in all the dry ingredients.
4.The mixture bubbles a little.
5.Pour in a greased container and microwave for 5 minutes if glass container is used and 4 if plastic container is used.

Almond Biscotti

Ingredients:
3 eggs
1 tsp vanilla extract
1/2 tsp almond extract
2 cups plain flour (260 grams)
150 gms sugar
1 tsp baking powder
Pinch of salt
150 gms almonds

Method:
Roast the whole almonds (blanched or otherwise) & let them cool.
Preheat oven at 300 F (150 degree C)
Mix all the dry ingredients (excluding almonds) with an electric mixer (or a hand mixer) or sieve them together a couple of times.
Mix eggs with the extracts & beat a little.
Slowly add the egg mixture to the flour & continue mixing with an electric mixer (or a hand mixer) When the dough forms add the roasted almonds.
On a lightly floured surface form a log of the mixture & then place it on a baking tray.
Bake for 30-40 mins in the oven.
After taking out let it cool for 10 mins & then cut it with a sharp knife into thin slices.
Bake the slices on one side for 10 mins again then turn on the other side for baking another 10 mins.
Cool & Store. (Lasts for a good few days in an airtight container.)

I have this recipe shared by one of the members of this forum.

The only changes I have made is that since I did not have almond extract I used vanilla essence.

Also I could not knead the dough as the recipe needed as my dough was a sticky mess I just transferred it to the baking tray I had greased and lined with flour.

I will post the pictures when I next make it as Akanksha has finished the last slice.

Our holiday snaps

We had been on a holiday to Delhi, Agra, Nainital and Kausani.

Here is a picture I have loved the most.

HACHID AVALAKKI

Like I have said in my earlier post METHKUT OR MENTHE HIT has a lot of uses. One of kid's favourites is HACHID AVALAKKI in Kannada. In my college days (that is the only time I have studied in Karnataka) my friend Savitri used to swear that she had an additional stomach to eat HACHID AVALAKKI.

The difference in Dadpe Pohe, as it is called in Marathi is that METHKUT OR MENTHE HIT is not used nor is CHATNIPUDI.It is more like Chivada.

The proportions I am giving are approximate you can mix it anyway you want. Please feel free to add/leave out some more ingredients (only let me know so that I can try them out).

For 1 cup of thin avalakki/pohe(the kind you use to make chivda) add 2 tsp of methkut or menthe hit 2tsp of chatnipudi add salt to taste, a little say ¼ tsp chilli powder.

Put a tblsps of oil to heat and add 1/2 tsp mustard seeds when they splutter add ½ tsp of hing/asafoetida, add curry leaves. If you wish to add nuts now is the time, traditionally peanuts or groundnuts and phutani are added and stirred a little till they become a little reddish. Cool the mix a little. It's a good idea to make this phodni/vagarni first and then make the mix of avalakki.

You can keep this mixture in a container till you need or put in some diced cucumber, freshly grated coconut, tomatoes, capsicum, coriander, lime, sev, farsan. Mix all the ingredients together and serve.

It tastes very good so good in fact that I don't think I will ever be able to post a photograph in fact I am hungry now and I have fished all the avalakki/pohe so I have to hunt for something else to eat.

METHKUT OR MENTHE HIT

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Hot rice, ghee, salt a dash of lime, papad and methkut or menthe hit.

This is one of my favourites.

Methkut as in Marathi and Menthe hit as in Kannada is considered healthy and boy is it versatile.

In Karnataka it is used in almost anything rice, pohe/ awalakki (the thin variety), churmure/churmuri, in curds as an accompaniment.

This is how you make the powder.

Ingredients:

2 cups Channa dal/ split chick pea

A small bit of asafoetida/hing (if you are using powder use 1 tsp)

1 cup urid dal/ split black lentil

A few seeds Gahu/ wheat (optional)

Turmeric powder

1 tblsps Jeera /cumin seeds

Little less than 1 tblsps Dhania /coriander seed

Few seeds menthe/fenugreek seeds

1 tsp rice

Method:

1. Wash the rice remove all the water and pat dry.

This is the important part don't lose patience and raise the flame!!

2. On low flame dry roast till light brown, the chana dal/ split chick pea.

3. Then dry roast the urid dal/ split black lentil, again till light brown.

4. If you are using wheat dry roast them till they splutter.

5. Dry roast the asafoetida/hing, Dhania/coriander seeds, jeera/cumin seeds, and menthe (for an added flavour my mom used to put one red chilli) till they you get an aroma, individually.

6. Lastly dry roast the rice grains till they are pinkish.

7. Add the turmeric and cool all the ingredients.

8. Dry grind in the mixer to a fine powder.

9. Sieve the powder use the fine powder as METHKUT OR MENTHE HIT.

Store in an airtight container on your kitchen shelf. Remember to use a dry spoon.

Eat with rice,salt and a dash of lime mixed together with papad and pickle.

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P.S. The coarse stuff left over in the sieve can be mixed with finely chopped onion, tomato and curds as an Accompaniment (you can use the powder also). You could also add phodni/vagarni of oil, mustard, asafoetida/hing and green chillies and coriander. Serve with chapatti.

BIRYANI

I made Biryani!!

You may wonder what is so big about it, every woman makes it sometime or other but you see it was something everyone has liked. That is something!! Yes!! No complaints only questions as to why I made so little.

So how did I hit on the right mix?

It began with the tomatoes which were ripening and spoilt by the end of the day. So I decided that I will make an onion tomato paste and stick it in the freezer.

1) I made a crush of 4 large onions in the mixer.

2) In between I decided to add some

a) green elichi rinds that I have been hoarding for God knows what say about 10 skins,

b) 2 green elichi/cardamom (optional),

c) 1 inch piece of cinnamon/dalchani,

d) 2 cloves/laung,

e) 5-6 peppercorns/miri,

f) 2 teaspoons of kacha masala,

g) 1/2 tsp of Goan masala (optional),

h) 3-4 green chilies,

i)3 tblspn ginger garlic paste

i) A large teacup heaped coriander leaves, a handful mint leaves 3-4 holy basil/tulsi leaves and grind away.

3) Now add 3 tblsps of oil add all the crush above and

microwave for 3 minutes.

4) In the meanwhile crush 4 tomatoes in the mixer.

Since I had some ½ cup of very old cashew nuts pieces I added them and crushed them.

5) Add this to the onion paste stir well and microwave for another 2-3 minutes. Cool and freeze. This paste you can use in any of your Punjabi gravy dish or a quick fix for any vegetable depending on your taste.

6) In another bowl mix chopped vegetables like cauliflower , carrots, green peas with 1 ½ cup of curd, turmeric, 1 tsp chilli powder,2 onions sliced lengthwise and fried in oil golden brown, salt to taste. Keep aside for 2-3 hours. (I used only green peas as vegetables, because of the girl's mutiny and threat, that they will not eat if I use the cauliflower etc. and left it in the fridge overnight).

7) Next day cook 1 cup rice with only 1 cup of water.

8) While the rice is cooking add to 1 cup of the onion paste mixture that you have marinated and cook for 1 minute in the microwave. (As I was feeling quite disappointed with the amount of vegetable I decided to add paneer cut fine. So I mixed the paneer and microwaved for 1 minute).

9) Then arrange one layer of rice then add one layer of vegetables gravy repeat with rice in a thick bottomed pan. Since my quantity was small and pressure pan quite big I was done in 3 layers.

10) Add 1/2 cup of milk in which you have soaked saffron on top of the rice layer. Cover.

11) Return the pan on the stove on low flame. Since I use the pressure pan I use the gasket and do not use the weight /whistle on top. My test of the biryani done is when it starts gently steaming on the top.

12) Serve with tomato, cucumber, boondi raita.

Chermoula Mushrooms

Food expert Rushina in Reader's Digest May'09 give the recipe of Chermoula Prawns. She has said that Chermoula is a marinade used in Algerian, Moroccan and Tunisian cooking, usually for fish and seafood but she likes it with chicken, potatoes and mushrooms.

She has also said Chermoula has many recipes using different proportions here is what I made and we have liked.

1/3 cup olive oil

3 tblspn chopped coriander leaves

5-6 tulsi i.e. holy basil leaves

2 tblspn lemon juice

2 green chillies

200 g mushrooms cut into quarters

1. In the mixer grind all the ingredients into coarse puree season with salt.
2. In a bowl arrange the mushrooms sprinkle some salt.
3. Spoon the above mixture covering the all the mushrooms well.
4. Cover and refrigerate for ½ an hour, stir occasionally.
5. Arrange the mushrooms in a foil lined tray and grill on one side for 3 minutes.
6. Turn the mushrooms carefully and grill again I did it for 5 minutes this time.

Tastes just yummy!!!

P.S. Girish has asked me to try it on boiled vegetables. Will do it sometime next week and report.

Instant Appe/Gundpangala

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2 cups buttermilk

2 cups Bombay rava

2 -3 onions chopped fine

Green chiliies

Coriander

Salt to taste

1. Mix the buttermilk and rava and keep aside for 30 minutes.
2. The mixture should resemble idli batter in which you add the rest of the ingredients.
3. Prepare appe in the appe mould,as you normally (in case of doubt click here).
4. Serve hot with chutney and sambhar or as Smita has suggested as dahi wada.

Kaccha Masala

Kaccha Masala

1 cup coriander seeds
1/2 cup jeera seeds
1 tbsp shahjeera
some cloves
some pepper seeds
dalchini
4-5 masala velchi

Dry roast all the ingredients and make a powder. A little variation from the usual dhania-jeera powder that we make. Can be used as masala instead of the garam masala or the goda masal that we usually add.

Dahi vada with a difference!!!

Had a packet of instant appe. Had read on one of the food blogs, sorry don't remember which, that they can be used to make low cal dahi vadas. So decided to do just that!!



1 instant appe packet
chopped onion
chopped coriander
ginger, green chillies paste
appe mould
sweetened yogurt
chaat masala
red chilly powder
jeera powder

Add chopped onion, coriander, ginger chillies paste to the appe batter and make appe in the appe mould. Once done top it with sweetened dahi, and sprinkle red chilly powder, alt, chaat masala, jeera powder.
Delicious yet low cal dahivada with a difference is ready to serve.

Bread Pizza

We have been self-confined to our houses for the last whole week because of the Swine flu scare in Pune. Used to the usual hectic schedule of school and various activities the first two days were bliss but the third day onwards I had to rack my brain and be creative to keep Rutika busy. Saturday and Sunday are a relief because D is at home and so they have been playing bat and ball and carrom and so on. So I was left with being innovative in the kitchen. The markets were closed and so i had to think of something with the veggies and ingredients i had at home. The result was Bread Pizza. This allowed me to explore the grill function of my microwave too!!!

4 slices of sliced bread(u can use multigrain to make it more healthy)
2 tpsp of Amul butter
7-8 cloves of chopped garlic
1-2 greeen chillies chopped fine
chopped coriander
1 cup seeet corn(steamed)
1 finely chopped onion
1 finely chopped tomato
Maggie Pizza sauce
grated cheese
Pepper powder
Salt
Chat Masala

Soften the butter and add garlic, green chillies and coriander leaves. Apply this on the slices of bread and keep aside. Mix together the sweet corn, onion, tomato and add chat masala, salt, pepper powder. Add this topping to the bread slice and then sprinkle grated cheese (liberally if u r not watching your weight and cholesterol!!!!). Place two slices at one time on the grill stand and grill them until the cheese melts. Delicious bread pizza is ready to serve.

Patoli/Modak

Today is" Nag Panchmi" the day snakes are worshiped.

Mythology has many stories about this day; the most recent one that I read was that a woman was tilling her field and she accidentally killed the cobra's babies. The mother cobra cursed the woman. So you do not use sharp objects on this day.

So no chopping, no tava/ griddle is used.

But, I do believe that all these stories had a scientific background and were put forth by our ancient sages, in this form to stop people from hurting the snakes. After all snakes have an important role to play in ecology.

Also the food that you eat on this day is steamed. Good for your tummy.

Our ancients were indeed wise!

Today I made patoli. It's a Goan Delicacy that is made from coconut Goa's staple food. The only difference between steamed modak and patoli is the shape and that patoli is steamed in fresh green turmeric leaves. The end result is a fragrant and healthy low fat completely satisfying experience.

I have already said that the ingredients for both modak and patoli. Make the filling first so that it cools down for you to use your hands if necessary.

For the filling:

1 ½ cups coconut grated

1 ½ cups jaggery

5-6 cardamom/ elichi powdered

1. Mix all these together and fry till the mixture forms a uniform mixture and is almost dry.
2. Cool.

For the covering:

2 ½ cups water

1 tsp oil

A little salt

2 cups rice flour

1. Boil the water with salt and oil.
2. Lower the flame and add the rice flour mix well so that no lumps are formed.
3. Cover with a tight lid and keep aside.

To put together:

1. Clean and dry the turmeric leaves.
2. Smear the leaves with a little oil.
3. While it is still warm rub some ghee on your palms and take a small portion of the rice flour. Make a ball out of it.
4. With your fingers spread on the turmeric leaf into a thin layer. (You could also roll it with a rolling pin but it's very messy).
5. With a spoon spread the jaggery mixture along the length of the leaf on one side.
6. Close the other section of the leaf and press gently but firmly.
7. Place them in a colander.
8. Place the colander in a steamer and steam the patoli for 10 minutes.
9. Serve hot drizzled with ghee.

Variations:

This is the regular patoli to make modak replace point 4 as with your thumb shape the ball into a cup. Put two teaspoons of the filling and close the ends in a manner to get the shape of a fresh fig. only use a greased colander for steaming and don't let the modak touch one another.

If you are still interested dear reader you know that there has to be something different in my recipe, so here goes.

1 ½ cup coconut, freshly grated

¼ cup fresh coriander leaves

2 green chillies (Adjust as per taste)

½ tsp asafoetida

2 tsp red chilli powder (Adjust as per taste)

A pinch of sugar

Salt to taste

1.Grind all the ingredients except the coconut.

2. Mix with coconut.

Use this mixture in place of the sweet filling.