Country Wedges

Country Wedges

As my neck is playing up I am keeping my intros short!! After March you will dear reader get a full dose of my jabber!!

Starters that we love are French fries but I prefer country wedges that I had once in some restaurant.

Here I tried to replicate the flavours I remembered. Of course I could not get rid of my Indian tastes out and used chilli powder.

Country Wedges

Recipe Adapted  from here

Ingredients:

• 4 potatoes, washed
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• ½ tsp oregano
• ½ tsp rosemary
• ½ tsp sage
• 1 tsp chilli powder (optional)
• Salt
•  Freshly ground black pepper

Country Wedges

Method: 

• Cut the potatoes in half length ways, then cut each half into 1.5cm-thick wedges and place in a large bowl.
• Add the oil, salt and pepper and the spices and use clean hands to toss the potatoes until they are well coated with the oil.
• Let it sit and marinate for 15-30 minutes.
• Grease a baking tray.
• Spread the potatoes in a single layer over the greased tray and drizzle with any oil remaining in the bowl.
• Preheat oven 220°C.
• Bake in the preheated oven for 10 minutes.
• Reduce oven temperature to 200°C and bake turn the potatoes every 10 minutes you need to bake for furrther 30-35 minutes or until tender and crisp.
• Serve immediately.

Check out the Blogging Marathon page for the other Blogging Marathoners doing BM#50

Hi! First time here? Well then you are Most Welcome! I hope you keep coming back for more here. If you are my regular visitor then Thanks, for you encourage me to experiment more!! I would like you to please click on my link below and like my Facebook Page. I will be happy if you can follow me on on Twitter too!

 

Rice Balls

Rice Balls

This was to be my day 1 recipe. I had thought since starters are first this is day 1. However my laptop is under repairs and not delivered on the promised date. Yes fool that I was I believed him... So this is the last in the series Kids Delight.

Rice Balls was my kid’s choice, they watch some cartoon/ serial and apparently there is one person who makes delicious rice balls. This was okay as first try but bland.   Next time...

Rice Balls

Recipe Source: Adapted from here.

Ingredients:

• 1 cup rice cooked with extra water (I used sona masuri) 
• Salt
•  Pepper
• ½ cup grated Parmesan (I used regular processed Amul Cheese)
• 2 tblspn extra-virgin olive oil
• 1 small onion, diced
• 4 cloves garlic, chopped
• ½  capsicum each or red and yellow , diced fine
• ¼ cup cabbage
• 5  basil leaves, chopped
• 2 tblspn tomato sauce
• 1 tsp sugar
• 1 cup  bread crumbs
• 1  cup oil ( as needed)

Rice Balls

Method:

• Take the cooked rice in a large bowl.
• Add salt and pepper and cheese.
• Mash well kneading it to a smooth dough.
• Keep covered in the refrigerator for 2 hours or overnight. The rice must be chilled.
• In a large kadhai/wok over heat 1 tblspn oil.
• Sauté onions and the chopped garlic for 2 minutes.
• Add in basil, tomato sauce take off heat add the cabbage and capsicum mix well.
• Add salt and pepper to taste and set aside to cool.
• Lightly grease your palms take 2 tblspn of the rice mixture in the hand and form a small cup.
• Place 1/2 tsp of the filling mixture to centre of the rice cup. Close the opening and shape in a proper ball.
•  Roll the rice ball in the into the bread crumbs.
• You can either deep fry or like me use the appe/paniyaram pan and shallow fry the rice balls till deep brown.
• Transfer on a paper towel lined plate or dish.
• Serve with chilli sauce.

Check out the Blogging Marathon page for the other Blogging Marathoners doing BM# 45

Hi! First time here? Well then you are Most Welcome! I hope you keep coming back for more here. If you are my regular visitor then Thanks, for you encourage me to experiment more!! I would like you to please click on my link below and like my Facebook Page. I will be happy if you can follow me on on Twitter too!

 

Vegetarian Anticucheras or Anticuchos from Peru

Anticucheras or Anticuchos

 According to Wikipedia,” Peruvian cuisine reflects local practices and ingredients—including influences from the indigenous population including the Inca and cuisines brought in with immigrants from Europe (Spanish cuisine, Italian cuisine, German cuisine), Asia (Chinese cuisine and Japanese cuisine) and West Africa. Without the familiar ingredients from their home countries, immigrants modified their traditional cuisines by using ingredients available in Peru.

The four traditional staples of Peruvian cuisine are corn, potatoes and other  tubers, Amaranthaceaes  (Quinoa, Kañiwa and kiwicha) and legumes (beans and lupins). Staples brought by the Spanish include rice, wheat and meats (beef, pork and chicken).

The US food critic Eric Asimov has described it as one of the world's most important cuisines and as an exemplar of fusion cuisine, due to its long multicultural history. “

But I was interested in Street Food…. My chosen theme for the Mega Marathon that we have going for this month at Blogging Marathon which is named “Around the World In 30 Days” where we are blogging international cuisine alphabetically.  So toady for P I have chosen Peru.

In Peru, anticuchos, a type of kebab, are often sold by street vendors called anticucheras. Also, cuy, a species of Guinea Pig is served as a delicacy on religious holidays.

So I made anticucheras, okay you are right I did not use any meat I used potatoes….

Anticucheras or Anticuchos

Vegetarian Anticucheras or Anticuchos

Recipe Source: Food.com.com

Ingredients:

• 1 kg /4-5 big potatoes cut into wedges of about 2 inches long
• 8-10 small onions
• 2 cucumbers cut in thick roundels
• ¼ cup red wine vinegar
• 1 tblspn jeera/cumin powder
• 1 tsp kali mirchi/ pepper corns  ground
• salt  to taste
• 5 garlic cloves
• 1 tblspn fresh parsley, finely minced
• 2 tblspn dhania/ coriander leaves, finely minced
• 4 dried chillies
• ¼   cup oil plus 1 or 2 tblspn as needed
• 4-5 ears corn on the cob, cooked (save some of the husk)

Method:

• Par -boil the potatoes with a little salt.
• Soak the red chillies in hot water until they are soft. You could remove the seeds if you feel like. That will make the chillies less spicy. 
• Blend the vinegar, garlic, dried chilli, cumin powder, pepper powder, parsley and coriander leaves with ¼ cup of the oil until you have a soft paste. 
• Pour it on the pieces of potato and onions distribute evenly so all pieces are well covered and can absorb the marinade. Adjust the seasonings.
• Cover and let sit in the refrigerator. I marinated the pieces in the morning and cooked them in the afternoon.   
• I added the cucumber just before the grilling but that was a bad idea. They should have gone in before at least 1 hour before the actual grilling.
• In the meantime, place thick bamboo skewers to soak in water so they don't burn when they go on the grill if you are using bamboo skewers. I used the stainless steel ones. 
• In case you plan to use a charcoal grill and make sure the coals are very hot before you start.  I grilled them on the gas.
• Arrange the potatoes, cucumber and onions on the skewer.
• Save the rest of the marinade in a cup or small bowl and add the1 tblspn of the oil to it, mix well. This will be used for basting the potatoes on the grill.
• Tie some pieces of fresh corn husk with a string made out of some more husk and shred them half the way to make a kind of brush and use it for basting. 

Anticucheras or Anticuchos

•  If like me you are grilling over the gas stove then place the potatoes on the stove and baste them generously with the leftover marinade and oil mix. But be careful as this will drip and  cause the coals/gas to flame.  Make sure it flames over because this is what gives the anticuchos their distinctive flavour.

Anticucheras or Anticuchos

• Cook them well basting and flaming until they are done.
• In case you are cooking on coal fire then at the same time, place the pieces of corn and potatoes on a corner of the grill, baste them with the same marinade and allow them to be flamed too.
• Serve the skewers in each plate.
• Serve hot, right out of the grill, don't let it get cold! ENJOY! 

Check out the Blogging Marathon page for the other Blogging Marathoners doing BM# 44

An InLinkz Link-up

Hi! First time here? Well then you are Most Welcome! I hope you keep coming back for more here. If you are my regular visitor then Thanks, for you encourage me to experiment more!! I would like you to please click on my link below and like my Facebook Page. I will be happy if you can follow me on on Twitter too!

Cheese Stuffed Rajma Cutlets

When I buy some ingredients for my pantry I get carried away. I know that there are some things that we read family will not eat but still I buy it, hoping that at least this time they will eat.  

I end up losing each time, one such ingredient is rajma or kidney beans. Not only they refuse to eat it not even consider it as a healthy option. Why I do not know but they just don’t like it. So last time I stuck the soaked & boiled rajma in the freezer and was wondering what to do with them.

Celebrating with French Onion Soup

 I  was featured in the print media. 
I need to thank first Almighty for all blessing he has given, always!

Then my husband for encouraging me in doing what I do. My daughters my who listen to all my mad ranting when things do not go my way and try and help me, my FIL for eating all the failures and my successful dishes.  My father and brother who keep telling me new dishes that they have tried… I need not necessarily make them but they update me, of course my bro is my IT expert.

Now can I forget you guys? That is not possible. You the reason that I blog about with the support of 200 friends, yes I have 200 friends now, it was a logical conclusion!

Thanks a lot for the support and for just being there for me!!

Last but not the least I need to thank Patricia and Vincent for the lovely piece that Pat wrote on me and Vincent for the flattering picture of me. Thanks guys!

Cucumber Rolls~ A Blog Hop#18

My brother and SIL had come down with his bundle of joy for three days.

I was to make supari with my father’s help and show Pooja, my SIL, some simple cakes. But the supari is on my kitchen shelf and the cakes are just not made.  I do not know where the days flew! One 7 month old baby Ayan and he had all of us dancing!

Before they left Pooja made us a delicious pancake and ice cream dessert  will share the recipe soon. They left for the US yesterday but it feels like ages that they have gone and the house feels empty without Ayan. May be next time I will do better.

Today I have some more relatives though there is no baby involved here I will be busy   to add to my woes the computer is acting up and I am not getting my daily fix of visiting my friends. Will do so after they leave hopefully for by then the Rain God will be visiting us........ And life continues.

But for today’s Blog Hop Radhika the brain behind it has paired me with Jayanti of Sizzling Veggies. In case you have not been there you are missing a treat. The pictures are a visual treat and the recipes are mind blowing. I had a hard time trying to choose what I wanted. Had I made something when Pooja was here then it would have definitely been Almond Cherry brownies but that was not to be.

 I had to go to the internet cafe to get my recipe and the first thing I saw was these awesome cucumber rolls.  I had to make them.

Baby Corn Stir Fry

My kids like corn but somehow they do not enjoy baby corn.

   It is a perpetual quest to make baby corn in the form they will enjoy. One of my recent endeavors has been Baby Corn Stir Fry.

This was for the first time that I had tried making snacks for evening but I was saving it up for the last day of BM.

The girls were not aware of the presence of this new member in the fridge so they had had their snack. But I still heated the container in the microwave and as the younger one was stepping out to play came back in reverse gear to check what was cooking.

Kandya- che-Appe

One recipe that had caught my eye long ago was on Priya’s Blog at Now Serving was Baked Pakoda.

And the wonder of wonders I followed her instructions the only place I deviated was( when I the kids got hungry and wanted immediate feeding ) I had to get out my appe patra also know  as gunpangala or paniyaram tava. 

They disappeared as fast as they appeared on the plate. Barely managed the pics.

Here is the original recipe.

Thus ends the story of baked pakaoda which turned into Kandya-che -Appe as my niece called them!!
Thanks Priya this one rocks!!

Sending this to Bookmarked Recipes by Aipi and Priya

Kalyani's Valentine Fest-Served with love

Sangeetha's Show me your Hits

Archana

Soothing Dalia Soup

I had then chosen to make Godi Kuttid Payasa for Blog Hop. Yummy and creamy and in short delicious! Living in a family of sweet haters or rather choosy sweet eaters (for there are few sweets that are eaten) I have forgotten about payasa or kheer.

In my mother’s place breakfast menu was fixed jowar roti and bhaji, chutney and curds or chapatti, bhaji and payasa. Amma used to make many kinds of payasa moong daal, seviya, carrots, bottle gourd, sweet potato she was not as adventurous to make out of peas but I am sure that will taste good too. They will have to be boiled and then crushed so that the kheer looks lovely green and yummy. Hmmm...! I will make some for myself tomorrow and let you know.

Potato and Spinach Kabab?

W hat do you when you have potatoes, that ane not too big to be called small potatoes and not too small to be called baby potatoes?

What do you do when you have palak that has about given up on you?

Cook them together right?

 That is exactly what I have done here. Since I am not too sure about the classification of this dish I have called it Kabab?

Chilli Corn Wedges~~Blog Hop 3

 For this week’s Blog Hop initiated by Radhika  of Tickling Palates I was to visit Monika of Sin-A-Mon.

 The place is wonderful to say the least. Lovely recipes and pictures! As I was going through her blog I came across this recipe Chilli Corn Muffins!!

Honestly they are Chilli Corn Muffins to a person who associated muffins with sweets this was a full stop, my choice for today’s BlogHop,all the other delicious recipes that I have bookmarked will be tried later.

Here is the recipe that I have used.

Ingredients:

1 ½ cup corn flour

½ cup Maida

3 eggs

¼ cup corn kernels

1 onion, chopped

2 green chillies (could have used more)

4 flakes garlic

1 tsp chilli flakes

½ tsp oregano

3 leaves of basil

3 mint leaves

½ cup cheese

½ cup milk

1 tsp baking powder

 Salt to taste

Method:

1.     First I washed the corn kernels added enough water to cover the corn and salt and pressured cooked them for 2 whistles.

2.   Since I have one kid who does not like biting in chillies I decided to grind the chillies, garlic but since the quantity was too little for the mixer I added ¼ cup of onions, the oregano, mint and basil to make a fine paste.

3.     Preheat the oven to 180°C.

4.     Next mix both the flours and the baking powder and salt.

5.     Since I cannot fin the muffin papers here in Goa I decided to use the regular round mould (by hindsight I should have used a smaller one or the ice cream tray) greased   well.

6.     Beat the eggs and milk and mix in the flours till well incorporated.

7.     Fold the chilli paste, corn, cheese.

8.     Transfer to the mould and bake for 30 minutes.

9.     Once done let it sit in the tray for 10 minutes before turning it on the wire rack.

10.   If you are lucky family will wait for it to cool down, you can cut them and dish them beautifully else you get pictures like mine here.

Off these go to 

Archana

Garlicky Cheese Toast

It is raining in Goa. It does not get cold but after coming back from work inspite of the raincoat you are a bit wet and want something warm.  

What more than a warm veggie soup and toast? Toast that has garlicky cheese spread on it and grilled crisp?

I will tell you about the toast first.  

Ingredients:

2 heaped tblspn cheese spread

5 slices cheese

½ tblspn tomato sauce

2-3 cloves garlic

1 packet of chili flakes (I did not use this but will taste lovely)

¼ tsp Basil (optional)

¼ tsp oregano

Bread slices

Method:

1.       In a medium bowl add the cheese spread, cheese slices, crushed garlic, tomato sauce, chili, oregano and basil.

2.       Microwave on high for 20 seconds or till the cheese slightly melts. Mix well and microwave again till the cheese melts fully. About 20-30 seconds.

3.       Spread on the bread and grill till the bread is crisp.( A few that I grilled were not crisp. This is my FIL's plate picture)!

I was called kanjoos as I spread this mixture thin.

Once we have also added olives slices to this cheese. It tasted yummy.

Archana

Sweet Potato veggie(?)

As I have said that my husband had brought baby sweet potatoes a few got this makeover

and the rest ended up as thus.

Since there is no method or proportions to this madness just add what you feel will suit your taste.

Splutter mustard, jeera/ cumin seeds, methi/fenugreek in oil.

 Add the boiled sweet potatoes.

 Add salt, I used rock salt, pepper, dry mango powder, haldi, chili powder and stir till you get a nice aroma.

Serve garnished with coriander, tamarind chutney and dates chutney. (Since I had a stock out of both the chutney I served it garnished with coriander).

Appetizers

some tasty