Archive | August 2013

Pasta in Tangy Orange sauce

Aug22

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Pasta is a generic term for noodles of various lengths,widths and shapes,either accompanied with sauce or filled with other ingredients.

Ingredients:

 2 cups Pasta.

1 tbsp finely chopped Garlic.

½ cup Chopped Onions.

1/2 cup chopped Carrot.

1 cup chopped Tomatoes.

¼ cup chopped Capsicum.

¼ cup boiled corn kernels

2 tbsp Tomato Ketchup.

1 tsp Red Chilli powder.

¼ tsp Pepper powder.

¼ tsp dried Oregano.

Salt to taste.

1 tbsp Oil.

¼ cup grated Cheese.

 Method:

 Take plenty of water in a pot and bring it to rolling boil .

Add pasta to the boiling water with a little salt.Keep stirring it to prevent it from sticking to the bottom of the pan.

Cook pasta till tender.You can check if it is correctly cooked by tasting it. It should be tender yet firm.

Now drain the cooked pasta into a colander and run cold water through the pasta for about 10 secs. Keep it aside.

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Heat oil in a pan, fry garlic and onion till they become soft.Add chopped tomatoes and carrots.

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Add tomato ketchup and half cup water and cook until the sauce is boiling, then reduce heat and simmer for another 10 minutes.

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Add  red chilli powder,oregano, salt and pepper powder.Mix well.

Keep aside to cool.

Blend it to a smooth sauce in a mixie.

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In another pan heat 1 tbsp Olive oil.

Add chopped capsicum and boiled corn kernels,add little salt.

Add prepared sauce and mix well.

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Add pasta and mix well.

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Remove in a serving bowl and top up with grated cheese.

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Heat in microwave for 30 secs or till cheese melts.

 Tip:I have used shell shaped pasta ,you can use any type of pasta.

 Happy Cooking!!!

 Sameera.

Egg & Cheese Sandwich.

Aug22

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Ingredients:

 4 slices Brown/White Bread.

2 tbsp Butter.

4 tbsp Mint Chutney.

Dried Oregano

2 hard boiled Eggs sliced.

2 Cheese slices.

Method:

 Place 2 slices of bread on a chopping board.

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Apply butter.

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Apply chutney..

On one slice arrange egg slices

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.Top it up with cheese slice.

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Sprinkle oregano,top it up with other bread slice,press down to make sandwich.

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Bake in oven on 2ooC for 5 minutes or till the cheese melts.

Cut diagonally and serve with tomato ketchup.

Repeat with remaining bread slices to make one more.

Tip: This sandwich can also be grilled in griller.

Shallow fried onions and capsicum can also be added to this sandwish.

I have used egg slicer to get even slices.

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Happy Cooking!!!

 Sameera.

Vegetable Sandwich

Aug22

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Ingredients:

 4 slices Brown/White Bread.

2 tbsp Butter.

4 tbsp Mint Chutney.

Sandwich masala.

4 tbsp peanut powder (dry roasted and grounded)

1 Cucumber peeled and thinly sliced.

1 Tomato sliced.

1 Potato boiled,peeled and sliced.(Optional)

 Method:

Keep all the vegetables ready.

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 Place 2 slices of bread on a chopping board.

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Apply butter.

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Apply chutney and sprinkle peanut powder on one slice of bread.

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On the same slice arrange tomato slices followed by cucumber and potato slices.

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Sprinkle sandwich masala,top it up with other bread slice,press down to make sandwich.

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Cut diagonally and serve with tomato ketchup.

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Repeat with remaining bread slices to make one more.

Tip:Many other vegetables like sliced beetroot,onions,capsicum,grated carrots or boiled corns can also be used in this sandwich.

This sandwich can also be grilled in griller.

Happy Cooking!!!

 Sameera.

Dal Palak

Aug21

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Ingredients:

1 Cup mix dals (Soaked in two cups of water for 2 hours).

1 Tomato chopped.

1  Onion chopped.

1 cup chopped Palak leaves.

2-3 Green chillies finely chopped.

5 cloves crushed Garlic.

1 tbsp oil.

1 tsp jeera.

1/2 tsp asafoetida.

1/2 tsp turmeric powder.

Salt to taste.

Method:

Pressure cook washed and soaked dal in pressure cooker upto 3-4 whistles.Keep aside.

Heat oil in a pan.Add jeera,asafoetida,crushed garlic,green chillies and turmeric powder.

Add chopped onions and tomatoes.Saute for 2 minutes.

Add chopped palak leaves,mix well,cover and cook till palak is cooked.

Add cooked dal and salt.

Let it come to boil.

Simmer for another 2 to 3 minutes.

Serve hot with steam rice or Roti.

Tip:If desired palak  dal can be tempered with ghee and red chillies.

I have used mix dal for this recipe,I buy a packet of mixed dal which has all types of dal in it,if you don’t have it,you can mix together 2 tbsp of each type of dal that you have at home,moong dal,chana dal,toovar dal,urad dal,masoor dal,etc.

If not same recipe can be done with only  toovar da l(pigeon pea) also

Happy Cooking !!!

Sameera

Aloo Bhindi Fry

Aug21

 

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This is one of my favourite north Indian dish.

Ingredients:

2 cup Bhindi (okra), chopped into medium pieces

1 cup potatoes, peeled and cubed

1/w cup chopped Tomatoes.

1/2 tsp Jeera.

1 tsp White seasme seeds.

A big pinch of  Asafoetida.

1 tsp Red chilli powder

1/4 tsp Haldi powder

1/2  tbsp Dhania/Jeera powder

1/4  tsp Amchur Powder

Salt to taste

1 1/2 tbsps Oil

2 tbsp chopped Corriander leaves.

Method:

Heat oil in a pan, add Jeera,sesame seeds and asafoetida,dhania/jeera powder, redchilli powder,turmeric powder and  2 tbsps of water.

Saute for 10-12 seconds. Chopped potato and salt. Cover with lid and cook on medium flame for 5 minutes.

Add chopped bhindi and mix well,add amchur powder,stir fry on medium heat for 2 minutes.

Add chopped tomatoes,sprinkle little water and mix well. Cook with lid and cook till the aloo and Bhindi turn soft.

Add chopped corriander leaves,mix well.

Serve hot with phulkas.

Happy Cooking !!!

Shirala (Ridge Gourd) Bhaji

Aug18

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Ingredients:

2 cups chopped Shirali.

1 big chopped Onion.

1 small chopped Tomato.

1 Tbsp Oil.

1 tsp Malvani masala.

1.4 tsp Haldi powder.

Salt to taste.

1/2 tsp grated Jaggery.

2 tbsp Vatan(Refer Glossary)

Method:

Wash and wipe dry Shirali.

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With help of peeler,peel out the outer skin.

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Cut it lengthwise and scoop out seeds,cut further into 2 pieces.

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Now,chop them finely.

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Heat oil in a pan,add onions and saute for 2 minutes.

Add chopped shirali,haldi,masala and salt,mix well.

Cover and cook for 5 mins,stirring once.

Add chopped tomatoes and jaggery.mix well,cook for further 5 mins,now add vatan,mix well.

Cook for another minute.

Serve hot with chappati.

Tip:Cooked kala chana,chana dal or potatoes can also be added to this bhaji.

Happy Cooking!!!

Sameera.

Tri Colour Pulav

Aug15

 

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Ingredients:

1 cup Basmati rice

1/2 cup Green peas.

1/2 cup Carrots chopped.

12 Cashew nuts.

1 large onion sliced.

1 tsp Ginger-Garlic paste.

2 Green chillies.

1 tsp Lemon juice.

1 tsp Shahi Jeera.

8 Kalimiri (Pepercorns)

6 Lavang (Cloves)

2 Tamal patra (Bay Leaves)

5 Elaichi (Cardamom)

1/2 piece Dalchini (Cinamon)

1 tsp Oil.

1 tsp Ghee.

2 cups Boiling water.

Salt to taste.

Method:

Wash and soak rice for half an hour in 2 to 3 cups of water.Drain and keep aside.

Put water for boiling.

Heat Oil and ghee in a thick bottom pan,add jeera and all garam masala.

Add sliced onions,green chillies and ginger garlic paste,stir fry for 2 minutes.

Once the onions turn pinkish in colour,add rice,green peas,carrots ,cashew nuts and salt.

Mix well,stir for 2 minutes.Add boiling hot water.Once the water starts boiling add lemon juice.Mix well.

Cover and cook till water evaporates completely.Stir once or twice in between with light hand,ensuring rice grain is not broken.

Serve hot..

Tip:Other Dry fruits like Pistachio,almonds and raisins can also be addeded to this rice to make it rich.

Happy Cooking !!!

Sameera