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Sunday 17 November 2013

FRIED FISH TADKA

INGREDIENTS

6 fish fillet  or normal pieces
1 cup besan or gram flour
4 tbsps  ginger garlic paste
¼ tsp saffron powder
1 tbsp red chilli powder
2tsps. Dhania powder
1 tsp ajwain
1 egg
½ cup  curd
oil for deep frying  and cooking
Salt  and little sugar as per taste
¼ tsp cumin seeds
2 whole red chillies
4tbsps. Tomato puree




LETS COOK :-


 Wash the fish pieces. Rub some salt, half the ginger garlic paste, pinch of saffron and red chilli powder. Keep aside for 15 minutes. Make a batter of gram flour along with ajwain,  egg; finally add salt and water to have a flowing consistency. Place the marinated pieces of fish dipped in the prepared batter for about 10 minutes. Heat oil in a wok and deep fry the pieces of fish till the colour becomes golden brown .take the pieces out on a plate. Take a little oil add cumin seeds and red chillies for tempering. Now add the onion paste ,add a little salt .Fry it for some time ,next add the ginger –garlic paste, tomato puree. Take a bowl pour the curd, then add salt, sugar, saffron powder,dhania and garam masala powder and stir it well. Add this to the kadai.As it starts to boil add the  fish pieces and switch off the gas. You may add a little ghee if you wish.

CHEF'S TIPS :-

You may like the fresh fried pieces as an evening snack with a dash of lime juice and salad.

Friday 4 October 2013

I have been keeping Friday a veg. day for a long time. If someone comes to know they often say that it is due to Santoshi Maa, Yes to an extent and also for another reason , it being that 1 veggies day should be followed by peole who eat non -veg. regularly , so that the system gets a bit of rest. The problem is that on that particular day my daughter would like to eat some cake"please mommy.....". so I usually make this eggless cake for her.

EGGLESS CAKE

Maida - 1 and 1/2 cups
Plain yogurt (Curd) - 1 cup
Granulated Sugar - 3/4 cup
Baking powder - 1 and 1/4 tsp
Baking soda - 1/2 tsp
Vanilla essence - 1 and 1/2 tsp
Cooking oil - 1/2 cup (125 ml)
Milk - 1 tbsp






Method:
1.           Sieve maida slowly and keep aside. Mix sugar and curd so that sugar dissolves completely. Add baking soda, baking powder to the creamy mixture and blend well.
2.           Leave this aside for 5 minutes .you can see bubbles becoming visible. Add vanilla essence &cooking oil .mix all nicely.
3.           Slowly add maida a little at a time and mix with soaked ingredients. Beat well until creamy and thick. Preheat the oven to around 200 * C for 8 to10mins. in the meantime, grease a cake tin with little maida  & oil. Next pour the batter inside the tin ready to cook.

4.           Bake at 200 *c (preheated) for 10 minutes, then decrease the temperature to 180* C and bake it for 30-35 minutes or till a toothpick inserted in the cake comes out without any mix & clean. brush the cake (especially the top) with 1 tbsp milk, around 10mins prior to the finishing time to get a nice glaze. let the cake cool down , then turn it upside down and on a platter. Enjoy the cake in pieces.

Tuesday 1 October 2013

BREAD, SOY PATTIES

Ingredients


For The Filling
2 tbsp soya granules
1/2 tbsp oil
2 tbsp finely chopped spring onions (whites &greens)
2 tbsp shredded cabbage

3 tbsp finely choppedcarrots

3 tbsp finely chopped capsicum
2 tbsp chopped boiled noodles
1/2 tbsp tomato ketchup

1/2 tbsp chilli-garlic sauce 1/2 tsp soya sauce

salt as per taste
Other Ingredients
12 fresh whole wheat (atta)bread slices
melted butter for brushing



                                                                                                             


Method 
For the filling

  1. Soak the soya granules in  warm water for about 10 minutes. Drain & squeeze the water . keep aside.
  2. Heat a liitle  oil in a non-stick pan, add the spring onion greens & whites  Next sauté on a medium flame for 30 seconds.
  3. Add the capsicum ,carrots, cabbage & sauté on a medium flame for around 2 minutes.
  4. Add the  noodles & soya granules .Saute on a medium flame for 1  minute.
  5. Add the  tomato ketchup and chilli-garlic sauce ,next sauté on a medium flame for few  seconds.
  6. Switch off the flame, add the soya sauce and salt . Mix well. Keep aside.

How to proceed

  1. Now you have to trim off the edges of each bread slice.
  2. using a rolling pin,roll each bread slice very thinly  .
  3. Place a little (1 tblspn) of the stuffing on one end of the bread and roll it  so that the filling is sealed.
  4. Repeat  the same for the other bread slices.
  5. Brush slight heated melted butter on each bread patties and bake in a pre-heated oven at 200ºc  for about 10 minutes.
  6. Cool for sometime, then cut each roll into 2 equal pieces to be served.

Handy tip:

  1. always try to use a fresh bread to get a perfect patties.
  2. You may try out other shapes too as shown in the pic.






Friday 27 September 2013

BHARELA PARWAL

O my God -to prepare what to cook everyday in summer is really a pain.My younger daughter will take 1 veg item, but that has to be tasty & unique. now what do you get in summer -only parwal or potol (in Bengali). so , i decided to make bharela parwal in my own way.

INGREDIENTS:

1. POTOL - 1KG (PARWAL)
2. COCONUT- SCRAPED 1 CUP
3.POPPY SEDDS (POSTO) PASTE WITH 1 GREEN CHILLI - 1/2 CUP
4. CURD - 1/2 CUP
5. CASHEW NUTS - PASTE 2 TBLSP.
6.- DHANIA, JEERA  POWDER - 1 TBLSP.
7.TURMERIC --1/2TSP.
8. RED CHILLI POWDER -1/2 TSP
9. TOMATO -1
10. MASOOR OR CHANA DAL PASTE - 2TBLSP.
11. OIL - 1 CUP
12. SALT - AS PER TASTE
13. SUGAR - 1 TSP.
14.CUMIN SEEDS - 1/2 TSP.
14- GREEN CHILLIES -2




PROCEDURE :


Make a vertical slit in the parwal, but it should not cut into 2 halves.Next scrape out the seeds.Fry the dal paste,scraped  coconut & posto in a little mustard oil ,add a little salt to this.Then let it cool for sometime. After it cools take each parwal and fill it with the fried paste. Make a thick batter with besan and wipe it gently to close the gap. After filling each parwal , pour enough oil to fry the parwal in a non- stick pan.Take care to sprinkle little salt and turmeric and let the parwals simmer in low flame ,otherwise it will remain hard. Take out each parwal and place them on a tissue paper to absorb the oil.

Now we need to prepare the curry.Take the non stick pan, some oil will remain , in that add cumin seeds, and green chilli, chopped tomato,add a little salt.by this time as it simmers take a bowl mix together curd, the powders, salt ,sugar, cashew paste and beat nicely into a smooth paste.Add this to the pan, then add a little water.As it starts to boil place the fried parwals and switch off the gas.Your bharela parwal is ready to be taken with roti or rice.

CHEF'S TIPS- You may add a little ghee at last. Sometimes you need not make the curry and take the crunchy parwal with sauce as a snack.

Sunday 22 September 2013

YUMMY PAPDI CHAAT WITH LEFTOVERS

As I am a working woman, Sundays always remain hectic, so I just run around to manage everything . This goes with food too.I feel my family should be happy to get a touch of my prepared food.Now like every week, this week too there were leftovers. These always are a pain as no one would touch them any more.This week there was some potato smash from breakfast,small  papad and curd from lunch . So I made papdi chaat for evening snacking.Lets see how:-


 INGREDIENTS:
1. small fried papad -7 for each plate
2.boiled or smashed potato leftover- 1 katori( large cup)
3.curd -2 cups with half tsp. salt & 1 tablespoon sugar
4.fried and powdered cumin, coriander( 1tsp each) and red dried chilli  (1)
5.coriander leaves (optional)

PROCEDURE: 

Spread the papads as shown on the plate.take a spoon and add a little left over aloodum, or potato smash on each papad.Mix the prepared powder in the dahi mix by stirring  carefully.finally spread the dahi mix on the potato and papad. Garnish with coriander leaves.

CHEF'S TIP:
Always keep this cumin, coriander and red chilli mix in your kitchen. It really comes handy.Enjoy snacking.