Pulao is an easy to make rice dish made with rice and vegetables,it’s mildly spiced and flavored with whole garam masala.Addition of cheese takes it to another level…one of the favorite dish in my kitchen.

Ingredients:

1 cup Basmati rice

1/2 cup Green peas.

1/2 cup Carrots chopped.

1/2 cup Processed Cheese cubes.(cut into bite size pieces)

12 Cashew nuts.

1 large onion sliced.

4 tbsp Birista (Fried Onion).

1 tsp Ginger-Garlic paste.

2 Green chillies.

1 tsp Lemon juice.

1 tsp Shahi Jeera.

6 Lavang (Cloves)

2 Tamal patra (Bay Leaves)

5 Elaichi (Cardamom)

1/2 piece Dalchini (Cinamon)

8 strands of Saffron.

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 and saffron.Mix well.

Now add cheese cubes and barista.

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.Also you can top it up with grated cheese before serving.

Happy Cooking !!!

Sameera

Few days back along with my foodie friends,I had visited a famous thali restaurant in pune,there I had tasted this dish for the very first time….and simply loved it…was pending for a very long time on my to do list….so finally tried it today and turned out yummy.. .

Here goes the recipe for simple yet delicious strawberry sheera.

Ingredients:

1 Cup rava(roasted in 3 tbsp ghee)

3/4th Cup Sugar.

1/2 Cup Water (hot)

1/2 Cup Milk (hot)

2 tbsp ghee.

A Pinch of salt.

Some broken Cashew Nuts.

3 tbsp Whole Strawberry Crush.

Method:

Heat Ghee in a kadhai.Add rava and roast till it changes colour( turns into light brown) stiring continuously.

Rava can be roasted in advance and stored in refrigerator.

Add cashewnuts & salt.

Stir well.

Pour boiling hot water on rava.

Stir.After the water is completely absorbed in rava add boiling hot milk,mix well.

Once all the liquid is absorbed, add sugar,mix well,cover and cook till sugar melts completely.

Add strawberry crush and mix well, cook till mixture starts leaving the pan.

Remove in a serving dish,garnish with fresh strawberry and serve immediately.

TIP:Fresh strawberry can also be used instead of pulp,in that case add 3 tbsp more sugar to balance the sour taste of strawberry.

Happy Cooking !!!

Sameera

This is a famous snacks from Gujrati cuisine,mostly served at tea time with masala tea.

This dish is made with ripe sweet bananas and fresh fenugreek leaves,hence the taste of this dish is a combination of mild sweetness,spiciness and bitterness.These bhajiyas are soft on the inside and crispy on the outside.

A must try during this chilled weather.

Ingredients:

2 Ripe Kela (Bananas),fully ripe.

1/2 cup Methi Leaves (Fenugreek Leaves) , washed and finely chopped.

1/2 cup Besan.

2 tbsp Aata.( Wheat Flour)

1 tspn Dhana Jeera Powder.

1 tspn Red Chilli Powder.

1/4 tspn Black Pepper Powder.

1/4 tspn Haldi Powder. 

1 tsp Sugar.

Pinch of Asafoetida.

Pinch of cooking Soda.

Salt to taste

Oil for frying.

Method:

In a large mixing bowl, add all dry ingredients.
To this add mashed bananas and chopped methi leaves

Now add water little by little and mix to make a smooth thick batter. Let the mixture rest for about 10 mins.

In a kadhai heat oil on a medium flame. Mix the batter well again and drop small dollops of batter into oil. Keep flipping the bhajiyas around in the oil and fry until it turns golden on all sides.

Remove on an absorbant paper.Serve hot withmasala tea and Pudina chutney.

Tip:To avoid frying same batter can be used in appe patra(paniyaram pan.)

Happy Cooking!!!

Sameera.

This is an interesting dessert from Mangalore made with different ice cream flavours and fruits.

It is believed that this recipe was discovered accidentally in a rush,the chef had to make some classic dessert ice cream and ended up making a mix of ice cream flavours with fruits,and hence the name gadbad.

In Hindi,gadbad means confusion or chaos,so basically you can say that it’s a total riot of flavors, textures, tastes & colors in a glass.

Traditionally the recipe is  served in ice cream parlours or restaurants, but can also be made at home with flavours of your choice.

The ice cream layers will create a melting moment in your mouth along with the crunchy nuts,soft jelly & crisp fruits.

So here goes the recipe…..

Ingredients:

1 scoop Vanilla Ice Cream.

1 scoop Strawberry Ice Cream.

1 scoop Mango Ice Cream.

1/2 cup chopped seasonal Fruits like grapes, apple,banana, strawberry, mango,Chikoo,oranges.

1 tbsp Strawberry Crush.

2 tbsp Strawberry jelly.

2 tbsp Nuts (cashew, almonds, pistachios)

1 tspn Tutti Frutti.

Method:

Chop all the fruits into small pieces and keep aside.

In a tall glass add1 scoop vanilla ice cream,add strawberry crush and some chopped fruits.

Add 1/2 scoop strawberry ice cream and strawberry jelly.
Add 1 scoop mango ice cream and some chopped fruits.
Top up with remaining strawberry ice cream,now add chopped nuts and tutti frutti.

Serve Immediately.

Tip:Any available seasonal fruits and ice cream flavours can be used to make this recipe.

Happy Cooking!!!

Sameera.

Sweet Potato,ratalu or shakarkandi is one of my favorite root vegetable.

We usually have it boiled with some salt,It also goes well with cluster beans .

All potato dishes like tikkis and cutlets can be made using Sweet Potato.  

My mom has a beautiful terrace garden in Goa,where she grows all types of vegetables,recently she couriered me a big sweet potato from her garden along with some other vegetables..

So I made this long awaited dish…

Ingredients:

250 gms Sweet Potatoes.

2 tbsp Crushed roasted Peanuts.

1 tspn Green Chilli,Ginger and Garlic paste.

4 tbsp Corn Flour.

1 tspn Chaat Masala.

Bread Crumbs or Rava for coating

Salt to taste.

Oil for shallow frying.

Method:

Rinse the sweet potatoes thoroughly in water.
Boil them in cooker with water and salt for 3 whistles.

Once cool,drain the water, let them cool and peel.

With a potato masher, mash the sweet potatoes well.add all the ingredients except oil. Mix well.

Shape into medium sized tikkis,coat with Bread crumbs or rava.

Shallow fry till both the sides are well browned.

Remove on absorbant paper,sprinkle chat masala and serve with mint  chutney.

Tip:If the mixture feels a little loose, then add some more corn flour.

Happy Cooking!!!
Sameera.

I am an ardent fan of cricket,during IPL days I don’t miss a single ball from Mumbai Indians match and watching match is my favorite me time…so on match day, I usually stir up a mocktail with some appetizer and enjoy my evening.

Masala kaju is my favorite appetizer to go with the mocktail, it’s easy to make and tastes delicious…

Ingredients:

15 Cashwnuts.

1/2 tsp Oil.

Pinch of Red Chilli Powder.

Pinch of Chat Masala.

Pinch of salt.

Method:

Heat Oil in a pan.

Add cashew nuts and roast on low heat until golden.
Add salt,red chilli powder and chaat masala to the cashew nuts and mix well.

Serve Immediately with any kind of mocktail or Cocktail.

Tip:In same way you can make pepper kaju,by seasoning cashewnuts with only salt and black pepper powder.

Happy Cooking!!!

Sameera.

Matar Ki Puri is a delicious dish made during winter,when fresh green peas are abundantly available. variant of the beloved Indian Puri. Pureed   green peas and some spices are mixed into dough to make these yummy puris.

Can be served as snacks or in breakfast with any chutney, sauce or pickle.

But my family’s favorite combination is this puri with bhandarewali aloo ki sabji.

Now a days you will see markets flooded with fresh green peas,do give this dish a try.

Ingredients:

2 cups Aata(Whole Wheat Flour.)

1/2 cup Rava.(Semolina)

1 cup Green Peas.

2 Green Chillies.

1 tbsp Ginger chopped finely.

1 tspn Red Chilli Powder.

1/2 tspn Haldi Powder.

1 tspn Dhana Jeera Powder.

1/4 tsp Ajwain.

1/4 tsp Til

1/4 tsp Amchur.

2 tbsp Coriander Leaves finely chopped.

1 tbsp Oil.

Salt to taste.

Oil for frying.

Method:

In a mixie jar grind together green peas,ginger and green chillies without using water.

In a big mixing bowl,mix all the remaining Ingredients along with prepared paste.

Mix well,knead a hard dough.If required use little water.Grease with oil and keep aside for 10 mins.

Meanwhile, heat oil in a kadhai for frying puris.
Take a lime sized ball of dough and roll it out into a circle which is two and a half inch in diameter. Roll out the remaining dough into similar puris.

When the oil is hot, slip the puris in one by one pressing down gently so they puff up. Flip them to make them brown on either side.
Remove with a slotted spoon, drain on kitchen paper and serve immediately.

Happy Cooking!!!
Sameera.

I have adapted this recipe from a famous Bengali dish karela bhaja….only difference being in that recipe onion and karela are deep fried.

I love karela made this way,its Crispy and very flavour full….

Ingredients:

5 medium size karela(Bitter Gourd).

2 tbsp Oil.

2 Onions sliced thinely

1 tsp Chili Powder.

1 tsp Turmeric Powder.

1tsp Dhana Jeera Powder.

1/2 tsp Amchur Powder.

Salt to taste

Chopped Coriander leaves for Garnishing.

Method:

Cur karela into half length wise, de-seed, slice the bitter karela into thin semi round pieces.Add 2 a pinch of turmeric powder and salt. Mix well and set the bitter-gourd pieces aside for 15 minutes.

Now, wash the bitter gourd slices under running water. Squeeze the excess water from the pieces and keep aside in a bowl.

Heat oil in a medium-sized pan. Add onion and saute till it turns golden brown, add prepared karela pieces and sauté till they turn golden brown and crisp.

Add chilli powder,dhana jeera powder,haldi powder, amchur and salt,mix well.

Once the bitter gourd is cooked, turn off the flame and serve hot. Garnish with coriander leaves.

Goes well with roti or even plain Dal rice.

Happy Cooking!!!

Sameera.

This is an mazing bowl of pasta adorned with Chinese spices and assorted vegetables. This delicious twist to classic pasta is the right way to sneak greens into your diet.

If you are a fan of fusion food,you are definitely going to love this recipe…

Ingredients:

300 gm Pasta.

1 tbsp Oil.

6 garlic Cloves chopped finely

1/2 cup chopped Vegetables (Broccoli, Green Capsicum, Carrots)

1/2 cup Onion(cut into big square pieces)
1 tbsp Soya sauce

2 tbsp Tomato Ketchup.

1 tspn Red Chili Sauce.

1 tbsp Cornflour mixed into 2 tbsp water.

Salt and Pepper to taste.

Spring onions green for garnish.

Method:

Cook macaroni in a large pot of salted boiling water for 8-10 minutes or until al dente (check package for instructions). Drain and set aside.

Mix cornflour and water to form asmooth slurry, keep aside.

Heat oil in a large frying pan over medium-high heat. Add garlic, and sauté for a minute or until fragrant. Add onions and vegetables  stirring occasionally, for 3 to 5 minutes or until tender.

Add soya sauce,tomato ketchup,and chilli sauce, mix well stirring occasionally, for 2-3 minutes.Add 1/2 cup water,bring it to boil add prepared cornflour slurry, salt and pepper powder, mix well and cook till the gravy thickens.

Add cooked pasta and stir fry for 2 minutes or until heated through. Garnish with spring onion greens.
Serve immediately.

Happy Cooking!!!

Sameera.

My soul sister my friend from Mumbai visited us for a few days to celebrate my son’s 20th birthday…it’s a ritual to have a one day trip whenever she visits…so this time it was lonavala….we had a lovely time….streets of lonavala were full of vendors selling pink guava.

So I couldn’t resist myself from buying a few…

That’s how this recipe gets posted today….Pink Guava Juice.

Ingredients:

250 gms or 2 cups chopped Guava.

1 cup Water add as required.

4 tbsp Sugar.

2 tbsp Lemon juice.

Salt and Chilli powder as per taste.

Method:

Rinse the guavas very well in water. Chop in small pieces and add to a large blender jar along with sugar.You can peel them if you like.
Add little water and blend the guavas to a smooth pulp. Chop the guavas in small pieces so that they grind or blend faster and the seeds are not ground.

Blend in batches if the blender size is small.

Add the prepared pulp to a medium mesh strainer placed on top of a bowl.
Using a spoon stir the pulp, so that the smooth pulp is extracted in the bowl.
Add salt,chilli powder and lemon juice,mix well.

Add 1 cup cold water to the prepared guava pulp in the bowl. Stir to combine.
Pour the juice in glasses with ice and serve guava juice immediately.

Tip:You can add a small piece of beetroot or a drop of edible pink colour to get a bright colour..

Also soda can be added instead of water just before serving for some fizz.

Happy Cooking!!!
Sameera.