Hello Buddies,
Its been really loooong time now I have not come up with a blog !! I have been experimenting bigtime with some desserts and also had guests coming intermittently.
I am feeling really happy typing my blog right now. It feels as if I am catching up with my friend after a long time. Anyways..its nice to be back!!. Here in Saudi Arabia, the famous summer is slowly working its way up. Spending long time in the kitchen is starting to become a pain. So, off late I have been cooking dishes which takes very less time to cook ;). Also I formulated some more dishes which are healthy and at the same time effortless. Today I will be sharing the recipe for stuffed roti, the main ingredients for which are palak and paneer.
Look out for the ingredients below :
Wheat 200 gm (for 8 rotis)
Paneer 150 gm
Green chilly 2 finely chopped
Palak 8 tsp finely chopped
Coriander leaves chopped 1 tsp
Salt to taste.
Mix the dough with little warm water. Knead it enough to make it into a tight ball. Keep it aside for sometime. Now crush the paneer with your hand nicely. Chop the palak, coriander and green chilly. Add these ingredients and salt to the bowl in which you have kneaded the dough. Try to keep the palak and paneer as much dry as possible. Before cutting the palak, take out the water which remains after washing by shaking the leaves if required. You can squeeze out the excess water in the paneer before crushing, else it will make your dough loose. Knead the entire mixture nicely. Divide it into 8 pieces. Then pat it with dry dough and spread it to a nice round shape. Put it on the hot tawa and cook it nicely.
Serve it hot with with little butter spread on it, some fresh curd, some salad and pickle. One more thing, you can add fenugreek leaves instead of palak or you can combine both and make it. Take my word for it..it tastes really good.
See you soon. Till then, bye bye and take care.
Shruthi
Hi Everyone!!
So festival season is here - Vishu is in this week !! Vishu marks the new year for us malayalees. There are other states also, which celebrate New year around the same time, so anyways, wish you all a happy new year in advance !! When I think of Vishu, vivid images of new clothes, house cleaning, catching up with friends and relatives and the highlight- SADHYA, all spring into my mind.
So today, I have come up with a pickle recipe which is lip smacking tasty, yet healthy. It is Nellikka alias Amla alias Gooseberry pickle. Whenever there is some health related issue that I google, most of the times, if not always, it says that gooseberry will help cure the condition!!. How is that possible?? Anyways good for us, since it is an easily available cure. Somehow I cannot eat raw Gooseberry. I find it too bitter, but there are many people i
I know, who can easily have it raw. For me, it has to be either pickled or juiced with other ingredients.
Since Vishu is around the corner, I have started the preparation already. Things that do not have to be made at the last moment, I have already started making them. For instance, puli inji is done and dusted! That is a recipe for another time though. Now, onto the easiest pickle recipe !!
Nellikka/Amla/Gooseberry 200 gm/10 medium size.
Chilly Powder 2.5 teaspoon
Curry leaves 3 to 4 leaves
Mustard and sesame seed roasted and grounded 1 teaspoon.
Asafetida 1/4 teaspoon.
Oil 2 to 3 teaspoon.
Salt to taste.
Cut the Gooseberry into small pieces. Add salt and chilly powder to it and keep it aside in a separate container. In a pan, add mustard and sesame seed. Then roast it for a minute and ground it. Add this mixture and asafoetida to the Gooseberry which was kept aside in the container. Now in the same pan, add oil and once it is hot, add curry leaves. Then add the mixture which was kept aside into the pan. Mix well. Turn off the heat once everything is mixed (One Minute). Once it is cooled store it in a container and keep it in the fridge. You can keep it out for few hours or maximum overnight. Since we are not using much oil, avoid keeping it out for long. Do try this. You will love it !!
Take care and wish you a Happy Vishu in advance :)
Take care
Shruti
Hello People !!
Long time no see..Its been sometime since I came up with any new recipe. Was travelling and in the meanwhile, there was a new addition to my kitchen also - a new oven, with which i am in luvvv with. Got engrossed in playing around with it and trying to get a grip on it.
Today I am here with a recipe which I have been trying to learn for quite some time...Kozhikodan Biriyani !! In kozhikode, whenever there is a marriage, the day before the marriage will see more attendees than the actual day of the event. previous day night is more crowded than the marriage day. This, my friends is due to nothing else, but our very own biriyani! There will be small kids who will be bragging about the number of plates they had, trying to compete with each other, which is very cute to see :).
I wanted to learn it from an expert, which my uncle is. He is not a chef by profession, but does he make awesome biriyani or does he make awesome biriyani?!! He only cooks the biriyani when there is a family get together and at that time, its really hard to tear myself away from the discussions with my cousins and go to kitchen and learn it. Anyways, since I am in Riyadh, I finally found another willing volunteer, who would come home and teach me. He's my schoolmate, but he too got busy with his new born baby. It was in the stars that I would have to learn it all by myself. I could not wait anymore to learn it (or eat it) and so, without any further delay I started reading up on the dish. I spend googling, checking videos on youtube and finally kinda got an idea. It turned out to be delicious, but I still look forward to comparing notes with my uncle. Cos, his biriyani is just out of this world!!
I have tried to make the process as simple as possible. Ingredients as follows:
Serving for 2
Chicken - 200 gm cut in medium size
Onion - 1 Medium size (sliced thinly)
Green chilly - 2 (add or less as per taste)
Pudina and Coriander chopped - 3 teaspoon
Ginger garlic paste - 2 teaspoon
Thick Curd - one full teaspoon
Coconut Milk - 2 teaspoon
Chilly powder - Half teaspoon
A pinch of turmeric powder
Half of a medium sized lemon
Oil - 3 to 4 tablespoon
Ghee - half tablespoon
Salt to taste
Biriyani masala (bay leaf 1, half teaspoon funnel seeds, pepper corns and cloves, One 2 inch cinnamon stick, 3 cardamom. fried and powdered)
Jeera Rice One and Half cup (for two serving)
Half Onion thinly sliced
Cashew and kishmish one tablespoon
Rose water one tablespoon (optional)
Ghee - 2 to 3 tablespoon
Cardamom - 3
Marinate chicken with salt, chilly powder, turmeric powder and lemon. Keep it aside for 15 to 20 minutes. In a cooker, add oil and ghee. When it is slightly hot, add chopped onions, little salt and fry for a minute. Add ginger garlic paste, chopped coriander and pudina. Fry till onion is translucent and starts to change its color. You have to keep stirring because it might stick to the bottom of the cooker. Add biriyani masala and stir for a minute, and then add marinated chicken and mix it all nicely. Add curd to it and mix it again. Check for salt and add if you need more. Close the lid and let one whistle come. Once the steam has gone out from the cooker, open the lid and cook for 2 more minutes. Finally add coconut milk and stir nicely. Turn off the stove.
In a pan, add ghee. Once it is slightly hot, add cashew and raisins, fry till slight brown color and then keep it aside. In the same pan with ghee, add half chopped onion - lengthwise and fry till its brown and keep it aside. Again in the same pan, add rice with almost double the water. Add one cinnamon stick, bay leaf, clove (2 or 3) and cardamom. Add one teaspoon of rosewater and salt. Close it with a lid. Keep checking every 5 minutes. When it is almost cooked and all the water has evaporated, switch off the stove and keep the pan closed for some more time. Rice will be cooked completely in the steam.
Now keep a flat pan on the stove. On top of that keep, the cooker in which you made the chicken gravy. Sprinkle some freshly chopped coriander and pudina (half teaspoon each) on top of the gravy. On top of that ad d the cooked rice. Do not mix all together. Usually when you are making in huge quantity you can make two to three layers, alternating between rice and gravy. Finally on top of the rice, add the fried onions, cashew and kishmish. Close the lid and put weight. Wait until the pressure cooker is ready to blow the first whistle. Do not let the whistle blow. Switch it off before it does. Basically this is done so that the cooker fills up with the steam and the steam remains for some time. This will give strong flavour and the aroma to the dish !!
Thats it !! Serve it with some raitha and pickle !!
Take care guys. See you soon with a new recipe !!
Shruti
Hello Everyone !!
Scrambled eggs is one recipe which is a part of every chef's initial cooking days and one that would not have let you down!!. It is one of the easiest & fastest dish one can make. You can try making it with almost any vegetable and I bet you it will come out good, except maybe bittergourd though !! :D.
Scrambled egg is first recipe which comes to my mind when I am not in the mood to spend a lot of time in the kitchen but still would be craving to eat something nice which is homemade.
I like to have scrambled egg with lot of vegetables in it. I love veggies (just in case if you hadn't figured it out by now :) )!! I somehow like the dishes to be predominantly fresh vegetables than the other stuff, like pasta or noodles. I don't have it when it is made up of only sauces and spices, not because it might not taste good, but cos my brain keeps telling me that it would be healthier with the veggies and this brings down the pleasure of eating it !! :( . In my other blog I have mentioned how I eat my potato chips with lot of vegetables.
So today, I have prepared it with different colors of bell peppers. Bell peppers are rich source of vitamins, with each color having their own different level of vitamins & other nutrients. The red variant is said to have the highest. The icing on the cake however is, that using bell peppers will make your dish veeeery colorful !!
The recipe is :
1) Eggs - 4 Nos
2) Bell peppers - 1/4 of each, medium size (red, green, yellow and orange, can skip one or two colors if you do not have it)
3) Green Chilli - 2 Nos (as per your taste)
4) Chilly flakes - 1/4 table spoon
5) Coriander leaves - As per taste (I use 1 table spoon of the chopped leaves)
6) Onion half (medium size)
7) Pinch of turmeric
8) Sunflower Oil - 2 to 3 tablespoon
In a bowl mix four eggs (I use one and half egg yolk from four eggs). Add salt and turmeric - mix well and keep it aside. Heat a pan, add oil, finely chopped onions, green chilly (sliced lengthwise), salt and fry well till the onion turns light brown, add chilly flakes, then add all the finely chopped bell peppers to it and fry it till the bell peppers go soft. Check salt and add if required. Then mix the egg and keep stirring till it forms into small balls and is nicely fried & cooked. Last but not the least, add chopped coriander leaves and turn off the heat !! Your yummy homemade dish is ready.
Try it out and let me know if you like it!!
Take care
Shruti
Hello People,
Hope you all are doing good!!
Each of us has some or the other delicacy that we relish forever, and just the thought of the dish, will bring vivid memories of the taste, lingering there for longer than the thought that provoked it.
I had been to pune few years back in connection with the recruitment process for the organization that I was working for. It was a two day program in a campus. Even though it was part of work, for me it was like a joy trip. The reason being, this was the first time I was travelling so far, without parents !! People who had strict folks might be able to relate to the euphoria I was experiencing :). Every day, after work we would rush to some nice restaurants and gorge ourselves.
The campus was enormous and recruitment was taxing given the scope of recruitment that we were supposed to accomplish. The staff at the campus were very cooperative and helped make the whole experience much more easier. They took good care of us, making sure we were never lacking for anything. What stood out for us, was the effort that they took to make sure we got amazing food while we were at the campus. The college had a decent canteen facility, but they arranged for homemade food for all of us!! For me someone taking an effort to cook a good meal makes me feel very special and affectionate.
It was lunch time and we were generally discussing and having our food. Thats when I saw a dark pinkish coloured dish. I had never seen this dish and had no idea what it was made of, so I initially thought of giving it a pass. Then I see my colleagues having it again and again and relishing it, so I think why not give it a shot and I loved it !!!. I just couldn't stop once I started. I didn't know the name of the dish then and I do not know it now, but I tried my best to get the taste as similar to it as possible.
The recipe is here
1) Beetroot half (medium size)
2) One cup curd
3) Green chilly 1 or two
4) Black salt pinch (optional)
5) Coriander leaves.
6) Salt.
Add grated beetroot, chopped green chilly, coriander leaves and black salt and salt to curd and mix it well. Aaand its ready!! As simple as that :)
Instead of having curd / raita with your meal you can have this for a change or when you have guest coming this is one quick, interesting addition to the menu.
Will see you soon with a new recipe and experiences and I look forward to hear from you about the dishes that you relish about. Any thoughts/comments on any of the dishes, please go ahead and comment below. Till then..
Take care
Shruti
Hello People!!
Hope you all are doing good.
Prawns - no guts, no spine and a head full of @#$t. Still, we all love them (unless you are among the unfortunate ones who are allergic to them or god forbid - a vegan!! ;).
I am yet to come across people who do not like prawns, unless, you are among those mentioned above. Now, out of the ones who are not allergic / vegan, prawns tend to transcend the boundaries for all and figure in everyone's menu.
Prawns is one seafood which is used commonly across countries. They come in various sizes and my personal favourite is the smallest. The smaller, the better for me. During my childhood in Kerala, I remember the delicious, mouth watering dishes, we used to have, with great fondness. During the rainy season, my cousins and me would fish tiny prawns from the water canal and whenever, we would be able to get a lot of them, my aunt would fry them for us.
In Kerala, prawns agriculture is very common and you find even small towns having prawns factories, especially in the malabar area. It is a common participant in the culinary habits of most Keralites on a day to day basis, be it in the form of prawns curry / prawns pickle / prawns fry etc.
Sharing one of my favourite and easiest recipes for a rendezvous between this crustacean and our stomach :). Hope you like it.
Ingredients are:
1) Prawns (medium sized)- 15 p/cs
2) Chilly powder - 1/2 tablespoon
3) Turmeric powder - Pinch of powder
4) Lemon juice - Half of a medium sized lemon
5) Curry Leaves - 10 leaves
6) Salt - Add to taste
Marinate Prawns with salt (as per your taste), chilli power, turmeric, lemon juice and curry leaves. Wait for 30 mins. Then fry it along with the curry leaves, with whichever oil you prefer. I generally use coconut oil. I used a flat pan to fry it, but you can barbeque or grill it also.
Till next time!
Take Care,
Shruti
Hi all,
Just a quick easy recipe for potato chips lovers! A healthy way to have them ;).
Potato chips with lot of vegetables !! Recipe as below:
Potato chips
Tomato
Onions
Coriander leaf
Green Chilly (if the potato chips is plain).
I have not mentioned the size or quantity of the above ingredients. I usually take equal or more amount of vegetables to the potato chips. You can chop nicely all the vegetables and add some salt if your chips is not very salty. You can put the chopped vegetables on top of the chips. One thing you should always keep in mind is as soon as you put vegetables, start eating immediately or else the vegetables will make chips go soft.
I usually have this to satisfy the cravings that I have in the evenings :). I hope this was of help !! See you soon with a new blog till then...
Take Care
Shruti
