Indian Food Recipes

Pan Fried Fish Fry Recipe

2011-12-04T18:53:00.001-08:00

Fish fry recipe is a simple and heart healthy recipe made with marinated fish fillets fried on a non-stick pan over medium heat. In this fish fry recipe I have used the Tilapia fish. The fish that would taste the best in this recipe would be the Seer fish or Indo-Pacific king mackerel fish. You can use any other fish of your choice as well.

The Indo-Pacific king mackerel fish is known in India by various names, such as Surmai (सुरमई) in Marathi, Vanjaram in Telugu,Vanjaram (வஞ்சிரம்) or NeiMeen (நெய்மீன்) in Tamil, NeiMeen (നെയ്മീന്‍) or Aykkoora (അയക്കൂറ, ഐക്കൂറ) in Malayalam, Anjal in Tulu, Arkoli in Kannada, Iswaan in Konkani and Thora in Sinhala. [source: Wiki]

India has a very large coastal line that spans states like Kerala, Goa, Karnataka, Maharashtra, Andra and Bengal to name a few. Fish is an integral part of the cuisine and also the staple food in most of the coastal regions. Even if you are not in the coastal regions and if you are following a healthy diet then fish has to be part of your regular diet simply because of its health benefits. Fish is full of omega-3 fatty acids, which lowers "bad" LDL Cholesterol levels, lowers levels of blood fat called triglycerides by 20-30% and decreases blood pressure. The American Heart Association recommends at least two servings of fish per week for a heart-healthy diet. Now lets get back to the recipe.

Fish Fry Recipe Ingredients
Fish fillets - 1/2 KG or 1.1 lb
Cumin (Jeera) - 1 tsp
Chilly powder - 1 1/2 tsp
Turmeric powder - 1/4 tsp
Black Pepper - 1/4 tsp
Ginger Garlic paste - 1tsp
Fresh Coriander or Cilantro - 1tbsp (chopped)
Tamarind extract - 3 tbsp
Oil - 2 tbsp
Salt to taste
Preparation time: 10 minutes
Marination time: 60 minutes or more
Cooking time: 15 minutes

Fried Fish Recipe Cooking Method

Making the fish marinade

In a blender or mixer take cumin, chilly powder, turmeric powder, pepper powder, ginger garlic paste, coriander or cilantro, tamarind and salt. Grind all these ingredients into a fine paste. At this point you can taste the marinade and see if it is spicy enough or if it needs more salt, etc. Depending upon your taste needs you can add a little more of the ingredients.
Now apply the marinade on each of the fish fillets on both sides and keep it aside for 60 minutes or more. This time will allow the marinade to penetrate and infuse the flavors into the fish.

Frying the fish

In a non-stick pan heat the oil on medium heat. This being a heart healthy recipe you can adjust the amount of oil that you want to use to fry the fish.
Once the oil is hot enough place the marinated fish fillet pieces on the pan and fry them.
After roasting for around 5 to 6 minutes and once the fish is golden brown on one side, flip them over gently to the other side.
Roast the fish for another 5 minutes till golden brown.
Once done take the fish off of the pan and serve hot with lemon wedges and onion.

Indian Rice Recipes: Ghee Rice Recipe

2010-10-10T16:22:00.001-07:00

Ghee rice is a delicious Indian rice dish made with Ghee, the Indian Clarified Butter and spices to give the rice flavor and aroma. As a side dish you can use a non-vegetarian side like Butter Chicken or vegetarian side dish like Vegetable Korma.

Ingredients for Ghee Rice Recipe
Rice – 2 cups (jeera samba rice or basmati rice or sona masuri rice)
Green chilly – 10 nos
Tomato – 2 nos (medium, chopped finely)
Onion – 2 medium sized made into paste
Ginger Garlic paste – 4 tbsp
Beans – 1/4 cup
Carrot – 1/4 cup
Peas – 1 cup
Clove – 6 nos
Cinnamon – 1 stick
Bay leaf – 1 no
Star anise – 1 no
Cardamom – 3 nos
Kasturi Methi – 1 tsp
Cashew nut – 8 nos
Ghee – 3 tbsp
Oil – 4 tbsp
Coconut milk – 2 cups
Water – 1 cup
Salt to taste
Cooking time: 45 minutes
Serving: 3 to 4 people

Cooking Method for Ghee Rice Recipe

Take a rice cooker on medium heat and add ghee and oil.
After a couple of minutes add cloves, cinnamon, bay leaf, star anise and cardamom.
Then add onion paste. Stir the mixture and sauté till the raw smell of onion vanishes.
Add ginger-garlic paste and cook till the raw smell goes.
Then put green chilly, cashew nuts and cook for 3 more minutes.
Add tomato, peas, carrot and beans with 1 tsp of salt. Cook till tomatoes are mushy.
At this point add coconut milk and water. Bring the contents to boil.
Then add some more salt to taste and put rice.
Close the lid and cook till 1 or 2 whistles or 15 minutes on low heat.

The Ghee Rice is now ready to be served. Serve Ghee Rice with a side dish like Vegetable Korma or with any non-vegetarian gravy like Butter Chicken.

Pav Bhaji Recipe

2010-06-04T17:18:00.001-07:00

Pav Bhaji is a recipe native to Maharastra and is a very popular Indian street food in Mumbai and Pune regions. Pav Bhaji is a combination of “Pav” which means bread in Marathi and “Bhaji” meaning mixed vegetables. The origins of the Pav Bhaji goes back to the glory days of the textile mills in Mumbai when the mill workers used to have lunch breaks too short for a full meal, and so a light lunch was preferred. That is when food vendors replaced the roti and rice with bread/bun called as Pav and all the veggies were amalgamated into one spicy concoction called the 'bhaji' or mixed vegetables.

Pav Bhaji Recipe Ingredients

Potato - 4

Cauliflower – 1 cup (grated)

Carrots – 2 (chopped into circles)

Beans – 1/2 cup

Cabbage – 1 cup (chopped)

Green Peas – 1/2 cup

Onions – 4 (finely chopped-3 for the bhaji and 1 for garnish)

Tomatoes – 3 (finely chopped)

Ginger garlic paste – 2tbsp

Capsicum – 2 (finely chopped)

Green chilies – 4

Cloves – 3

Red chili powder – 1/2 tsp

Turmeric powder – 1/2 tsp

Coriander powder – 2 tsp

Garam masala – 1 tsp

Bhaji Pav masala – 3 tbsp (available in most indian grocery stores)

Cumin seeds – 1/2 tsp

Lemons – 2 medium sized

Butter – 5 tbsp

Asafetida or Hing – 2 pinch

Salt – 2 tsp

Sugar – 1 tsp

Chopped Coriander Leaves for garnish

Pav or bun – as required (you can use the hot dog buns if you are abroad like in the USA)

Pav Bhaji Cooking method

In a vessel boil the potatoes, mash it and keep it aside.
In another vessel containing some water add carrots, cauliflower, cabbage, beans and peas. Bring the contents to a boil.
Take the vessel of the heat and transfer the contents into a blender. Grind the vegetables coarsely with little water and set it aside.
In a pan add 5 tbsp butter, asafetida, chopped onions, ginger-garlic paste and chopped capsicum. Keep stirring the contents gently until the onions turn translucent pink.
Now add chopped tomatoes, green chilies, pav bhaji masala, red chili powder, coriander powder, turmeric powder, garam masala, cumin seeds, cloves and asafetida. Mix all the contents and simmer for 10 mins.
Add the coarsely grinded mixed vegetables from step 3, salt, sugar and mix well. Simmer for another 6-8 minutes.
At this stage add the mashed potatoes and mix well. Cook for another 8 minutes. While it cooks, use the back of a slotted spoon to mash the ingredients. Mash to a course texture. If required you can add another tablespoon of butter into it.
Now add juice of 2 lemons and mix well. Take the pan off the heat and now the bhaji is done.
In another pan or tava, melt a big dollop of butter. Since the pav or bread or bun in the center and put then on the tava facing inwards.
Turn them around after a minutes and let the outside turn golden brown.
Now take the pav or bun on a serving plate, add the Bhaji and garnish it with copped coriander leaves. Put some chopped onion, a piece of lemon and serve hot.

Shahi Paneer Recipe

2010-02-23T18:17:00.001-08:00

Shahi Paneer recipe is my fourth recipe in the Paneer recipes series. The other paneer recipes are Paneer Butter masala, Palak Paneer and Mutter Paneer recipes.

Ingredients for Shahi Paneer Recipe:

Paneer (Indian cottage cheese) - 250 gms

Ghee - 4 tbsp.

Onion – 1 (chopped into strips)

Ginger - 1/2 inch piece (chopped finely)

Green chillies – 2 (chopped finely)

Curd - 1/4 cup

Red chilli powder - 1/2 tsp.

Garam masala - 1/2 tsp.

Milk - 1/2 cup

Tomato sauce - 2 tbsp.

Tomatoes – 4 (chopped finely)

Cardamom – 2 (crushed)

Cashew nuts – 10 (made into a paste)

Salt to taste

Cooking time: 45 minutes.
Serving: 4-6 people

Shahi Paneer Recipe Cooking Method:

Cut the Paneer into medium sized cubes. Take a pan on medium heat. Add 1 tbsp ghee and fry the paneer cubes for around 3 minutes and keep it aside.
Heat 2 tbsp. ghee in a pan. Add onion,ginger, green chilli and cardamom. Fry for 3-4 minutes.
Add tomatoes and cook for 7-8 minutes with the lid covered on the pan.
Add curd and cook for 5 more minutes.
Add 1/2 cup water and allow the contents to cool.
Blend in a blender till smooth.
Heat remaining ghee and add gravy.
To this add tomato sauce, chilli powder and garam masala.
Boil to get a very thick gravy.
Now add milk, cashew nut paste and paneer. Mix well and boil for 3-4 minutes.
Garnish with chopped coriander and serve.

Prawn (Shrimp) Stir Fry Recipe

2009-12-15T18:39:00.001-08:00

This Prawn (Shrimp) Stir Fry recipe is for me the simplest and quickest non-vegetarian recipes to prepare. Of course there are other recipes like the chicken recipes that I have posted earlier that are also quick and easy but prawns are just so easy and they cook very quickly.

Prawn stir fry Recipe Ingredients

Prawn (Shrimp) – 1/2 kg or 1.1 lb (shell removed and deveined)
Tip: If you want to know more about cleaning and deveining Prawns (Shrimps) just follow the link.

Coriander (Cilantro) – 1/2 bunch

Garlic paste – 1/4 tsp

Ginger paste – 1/4 tsp

Green chilly – 2 no

Turmeric powder – 1/4 tsp

Red chilly powder – 1 tsp

Oil – 1 tbsp

Salt to taste

Preparation time: 10 minutes
Cooking time: 15 minute

Method:

In a pan take the oil and add all the ingredients including the Prawns. Do not add the salt yet. Mix all the above ingredient.
Set the pan aside for 5 minutes.
Then put the pan on medium heat. Sauté for around 5 minutes.
Add salt and mix well.
Continue sautéing for another 8-10 minutes until the Prawns are cooked and that’s it. Prawn Stir Fry recipe is done

Serve hot as a starter or as a side dish.

Lemon Vanilla Pound cake recipe

2009-11-25T20:07:00.001-08:00

This Lemon Vanilla Pound cake is my first cake recipe I am posting in this blog. This I believe is the simplest of cake recipes with few ingredients. If you just use the vanilla essence and leave out the lemon juice it will be a plain vanilla pound cake. As a variation you can also use the pineapple essence to make it a pineapple pound cake.

Ingredients:

All-purpose flour (Maida) – 2 cups

Powdered Sugar – 2 cups

Unsalted butter – 2 cups (4 sticks)

Pure vanilla extract or essence – 2 tsp

Lemon juice – 1/4 cup

Baking powder – 2 tsp

Plain milk – 1/2 cup

Eggs – 3 nos

Salt – 1 tsp salt

Preparation: 15 minutes
Cooking Time: 1 hour, plus cooling

Method:

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.
Take a cake pan and lightly coat it with butter including the sides and dust a little flour wherever the butter is coated.
In a blender or mixer on high speed beat the butter and sugar until light and fluffy.
Then add one egg at a time into the blender beat the mixture.
Transfer the blender content into a mixing bowl. Now add the all-purpose flour slowly and gradually into the bowl. Keep stirring the mixture in clockwise direction using a large spoon or spatula. You can use your hand as well. Do not over mix or over beat the mixture. Just ensure that flour is mixed well enough without any lumps.
Finally add the Vanilla extract, Lemon juice and milk. Mix everything together. Remember Lemon Juice is just to give another flavor to the cake. You can skip it if you want to. The pound cake with only the vanilla essence is just as good and very delicious.
Pour this mixture into the cake pan and bake for around 45 minutes. to test if the cake is done take a toothpick or knife and insert it into the center of the cake. If it is dry and clean when you remove it from the cake then it means it is done.
Let the cake pan cool for 15-20 minutes.
Run a knife around the sides of the pan and remove the cake by inverting it and then allow it to cool if it is still hot. Then you can cut the cake into thin slices and serve.

Coconut Burfi (Nariyal Barfi) Recipe

2009-11-17T17:19:00.001-08:00

The Coconut Burfi recipe is one of the simplest Indian sweet recipes to prepare and a favorite among the kids. It is made with very few ingredients that includes coconut mixed with sugar syrup flavored with cardamom (elaichi).

Ingredients:

Fresh grated coconut – 1 cup

Green cardamoms – 3 nos (powdered)

Sugar – 1 cup

All purpose flour (Maida) – 1 tbsp

Ghee – 2 tsp

Method:

In a deep vessel or a pan on a low heat, take freshly grated coconut. Cook it for one minute stirring it continuously.
Then add sugar and keep stirring frequently for 5 minutes.
When the sugar melts and begins to boil, add 1 tbsp of All purpose flour (Maida).
Mix the contents and then add cardamom powder. Keep stirring the mixture until it thickens.
Add ghee and mix well.
In about 10 to 15 minutes the mixture will thicken to a consistency where the sugar syrup is no longer clearly visible and cannot be separated from the coconut.
Now move the contents into a large enough plate and spread the mixture such that the height is around 3/4th of an inch. Make sure when you spread the mixture it does not tear in between. It should all be in one piece.
After a few minutes while it is still hot, cut into diamond or square shaped pieces with a sharp knife.
Allow it to cool completely at which time each piece would have hardened and you can easily separate out the pieces and store them.

Vegetable Pulao/Biryani Recipe

2009-11-12T20:21:00.001-08:00

Vegetable Biryani or Pulao recipe is a flavored rice recipe which includes cooking rice with vegetables and spices. Long-grained rice varieties like Basmati are the best for preparing biryani/pulao. You can also use Sona Masoori or Jeera Samba rice. In this recipe I have also used coconut milk, mint and coriander for added aroma and flavor.

Ingredients for Vegetable Biryani/Pulao Recipe

2 1/2 cup Basmati

2 Onions (long slices)

2 Big Tomatoes

15-20 Beans (cut into 1 inch pieces)

2-3 Carrots (cut into pieces)

1 1/2 cup Cauliflower

1 cup Peas

1 tbsp Mint leaves (chopped)

1 tbsp Coriander leaves

1/3 cup Oil

2 Bay leaves

1 inch Cinnamon stick

4 Cloves

1 1/2 tsp Kasuri methi (dry Fenugreek leaves)

3 Marathi Moggu (What’s this)

1 Star Anise

3 Cardamom

1 1/2 cup Coconut milk
TIP: If you don’t have canned coconut milk you can prepare it yourself. Grate one coconut. In a blender grind the grated coconut with one cup of lukewarm water for a few minutes. Then strain through a fine sieve to get the coconut milk.

Salt to taste

Grind the following ingredients into a thick paste:

20-22 Green Chilies

1 hand full of Mint (Pudina) leaves

1 hand full of coriander (Cilantro) leaves

1 inch cinnamon stick

6 Cloves

1/2 tsp Peppercorn

1/4 tsp Turmeric powder

2 tbsp Dhania (Coriander) powder

1/2 medium sized Onion

4 tbsp Ginger Garlic paste

Vegetable Pulao or Biryani Recipe Cooking Method

First wash and soak the Basmati rice for 10 to 15 minutes.
Take a pressure cooker or deep pan. Add oil and when it is hot add Bay leaves, Cinnamon stick, Cloves, Kasuri methi, Marathi Moggu, Star Anise and Cardamom.
After a minute or so add onion and sauté for 3 minutes.
Then put all the vegetables and 1 tsp salt. Cook for 6 minutes.
Add tomatoes and cook them till they are mushy or pulpy.
Then put the paste that was prepared earlier and mix well.
Cover and cook on simmer till oil separates.
Add coconut milk and 2 cups of water required for the rice to be cooked.
When the contents come to a boil. Taste the liquid and add salt if required.
Now add rice, mint leaves and coriander leaves.
Close the lid and cook till you hear 1 whistle (pressure release) if your using a pressure cooker. If you are using a deep pan then cook till most of the water dries up. You will know the rice is done when you press a grain between your thumb and index finger and it squishes completely. And you are done!

Serve piping hot Vegetable Biryani with tomato, onion and cucumber raita.

Peas Rice Recipe with spices

2009-11-01T16:54:00.001-08:00

The Peas Rice recipe has long been prepared in our household for generations. I learnt this from my mother. Traditionally it used to be prepared with broken rice. But I have used basmati rice.

Peas Rice Recipe Ingredients

Rice – 2 1/2 cups

Green chilly – 15 nos (split lengthwise)

Tomatoes – 2 (medium sized)

Onion – 2 nos (Big sized chopped length wise)

Garlic – 8 nos (crushed)

Ginger – 1 inch (crushed)

Coriander leaves – 1/2 cup (chopped)

Mint leaves – 1/2 cup (chopped)

Peas – 1 cup

Clove and Cinnamon powder - 1 tsp

Bay leaf – 1 nos

Star Anise – 1 nos

Cardamom – 3 nos

Marathi Moggu – 2 nos

Kasuri methi – 1 tsp

Turmeric powder – 1/4 tsp

Oil – 1/3 cup

Salt to taste

Peas Rice Recipe Cooking Method

Wash the rice and soak it in water for 10 minutes.
Take a rice cooker and add oil. When oil is heated put all the spices (Bay leaf, Star Anise, Cardamom, Marathi Moggu, Kasuri methi) in.
Add crushed ginger and crushed garlic. Sauté for 4 minute.
Then add onion,green chilly and sauté for 5 more minutes.
Now add coriander and mint leaves, mix well and cook for 2 additional minutes.
Then add tomatoes and turmeric. Cook till the tomatoes are mushy.
Add peas and mix well. Cook for 4 minutes and add water.
Bring it to boil and add salt.
Put rice and clove & cinnamon powder.
Now close the cooker lid and cook till your hear 1 whistle.

Serve hot with raitha or pudina chutney! Also try out other Rice recipes.

Mutter (Matar) Paneer Recipe (Peas & Indian Cheese Recipe)

2009-10-24T21:06:00.001-07:00

This paneer recipe needs no introduction. It is a very popular north indian recipe made with peas (mutter/mattar) and indian Cottage Cheese (Paneer) into a rich creamy gravy. This is among my 3 most favorite paneer recipes. The other 2 being Palak Paneer recipe and Paneer Butter Masala recipe. If this is not your favorite yet then try this recipe and it will become one.

Ingredients for Mutter Paneer Recipe:

Paneer – 250gms

Mutter (Peas) – 1 1/4 cup

Green chilly – 2 no

Onion – 1 (medium)

Tomato – 2 (medium)

Ghee – 2 tbsp

Butter – 1 tbsp

Oil – 1 tbsp

Jeera (cumin) – 1tsp

Chilly powder – 1tsp

Poppy seeds (Khas Khas) – 1 tbsp

Garam Masala powder – 2 tsp

Ginger Garlic paste – 1 tbsp

Cashew nuts – 5 no

Kasuri methi (fenugreek leaves) – 1 tsp

Sugar – 1 tsp

Turmeric powder – 1/4 tsp

Food color (a pinch)

Salt to taste

Coriander leaves for garnish

Cooking Method for Mutter Paneer Recipe:

Take oil in a pan. Add onion and fry lightly.
Then put green chilly, ginger garlic paste, jeera, poppy seeds, kasuri methi, cashew and fry till you get aroma of poppy seeds.
Remove the pan from heat and add 1/2 cup of water and set aside for 30 minutes. Now grind the contents in to a paste.
Blanch the tomatoes in hot water, remove the skin and make puree out of it .
Cut the paneer into cubes and roast them with little ghee in a pan. When the paneer cubes turn light golden brown remove them from heat and set them aside in little warm water so that they stay soft and tender.
In the same pan in which you fried the paneer, add the paste from step 3 and sauté for 3 minutes.
Then add tomato puree, mix well and cook for 3 more minutes.
Now put chilly powder, turmeric powder, garam masala powder, food color and butter. Mix the contents well.
At this stage add mutter. If you are using fresh mutter from the shell, boil them for a few minutes in water and then add them. If you are using frozen mutter, you can add them without cooking. Cook the contents till the oil begins to separate.
Then add 1 cup of water, sugar, salt and bring it to boil.
Now add paneer and cook for five more minutes and the recipe is done

Garnish with coriander leaves and serve hot with paratha, naan, chapati, poori and any other kind of indian bread. You can also serve it as a gravy item for jeera rice and ghee rice.

Insane(Sand)wiches!!!

2009-10-22T21:15:00.001-07:00

It’s a cell phone…no wait…it is a toy phone… no no wait….it is a SANDWICH !!! Yes you read it right. It is a sandwich in the form of a cell phone. Who says a sandwich should merely be two slices of bread separated by some cheese and meat or veggies. It can be a work of art.

I found these photos on a website completely and solely dedicated to showcasing world’s craziest sandwich constructions. Check out the website for more bizarre sandwiches which is rightly called insanewiches.com

Images courtesy insanewiches.com

Gajar halwa Recipe (Carrot halva)

2009-10-20T22:11:00.001-07:00

Gajar ka halwa (Carrot pudding) recipe is a delicious Indian dessert recipe made with grated carrot, milk, khoya and loaded with nuts and dried fruits. It is one of the most popular recipes in most Indian wedding ceremonies and family occasions served as dessert with scoops of vanilla ice cream. This recipe also forms an integral part of many Indian festivals.

Ingredients for Gajar halwa Recipe:

Carrot - 1 kg

Milk - 1 1/2 cup

Khoya or mawa (Use Ricotta cheese to make Khoya. See below.) - 1/2 cup

Sugar - 1 1/2 cup (as per taste)

Ghee - 1/2 cup

Cardamom - 35 no

Arrowroot powder – 2 tbsp

Cashew nut - 1/2 cup

Raisin - 1/2 cup

Food color as required

Preparation:

Grate the carrot and set aside.

Peel the skin of 25 cardamoms. Take the peeled cardamom with the unpeeled ones in a blender. Add 2 tsp of sugar to the the blender and made powder.

Cooking Tip: Home made Khoya/Mawa from Ricotta cheese
In a heavy bottom pan cook the ricotta cheese on medium heat. Stir frequently until all the liquid evaporates. Now you are left with crumbled Khoya or Mawa which you can use for this recipe.

Cooking Method for Gajar halwa Recipe

Take a non stick pan or kadai. Put grated carrot and fry for around 8 minutes on low heat.
Then add milk and cook on medium heat till it is fully absorbed while stirring frequently.
Add khoya (Ricotta cheese) and cook till the khoya blends fully into the carrot. This usually takes about 15 minutes.
Now add sugar and mix well until the sugar melts.
Add ghee and mix well and cook for another 5 minutes.
Add the arrowroot powder and mix well. As you mix you will observe that the contents are now become a little sticky which is when you know the recipe is almost ready.
Meanwhile in another pan fry the cashew nuts and raisin for a couple of minutes in a little ghee and add it to the carrot mixture.
At this stage add the cardamom & sugar powder and mix well.

Spicy Hyderabadi Chicken 65 Recipe

2009-10-16T22:06:00.001-07:00

Chicken 65 is a very popular Hyderabadi deep fried chicken recipe. Like most of us I too am not sure how this recipe got its name primarily because there are so many stories to it.

One story claims that a hotelier prepared the Chicken 65 recipe with1 kilo of chicken using 65 chilies. Another attributes the number 65 to the year when the recipe was introduced and yet another attributes 65 to the age of chicken in days. What ever the story, there is no denying that this recipe is hot and spicy delicious. So without further ado lets get started.

Ingredients for Chicken 65 Recipe:

Boneless chicken – 1/2 kg

Egg – 1 no

Ginger-Garlic paste – 1 tbsp

Red chilly powder – 1 tsp

Red food color – 2 pinch

Corn flour – 2 tbsp

Green chilly – 8 no (split)

Curry leaves – 10 no

Ginger finely chopped –1 tbsp

Curd/Yogurt – 1 1/2 cup

Ajinomoto – 1 pinch

Black Pepper powder – 1/2 tsp

Coriander leaves for garnish

Oil for deep frying

Salt to taste

Cooking Method for Chicken 65 Recipe:

Take a bowl. Add ginger garlic paste, food color, salt, chilly powder, corn-flour, egg, chicken and mix well. Set aside this marinate for half an hour.
Take a heavy bottom deep frying pan with sufficient oil.
When oil is hot, fry the chicken pieces in batches and set aside.
Take another nonstick pan. Put 2 tbsp oil, add finely chopped ginger and fry for 2 min.
Put green chilies and sauté for another 2 minutes. Then put curry leaves and fry till curry leaves turn crispy.
Add yogurt and cook for a couple of more minutes. When the curd starts to bubble, add salt, ajinomoto , food color and then add the fried chicken. Now increase the heat and mix well.
Once you see that the chicken has absorbed 3/4th of the curd, add pepper and mix well.
Continue tossing the chicken slowly without breaking them into smaller pieces. I would recommend using a wooden spatula. Toss the chicken until all the curd is absorbed and you are left with almost dry chicken pieces.
Garnish with coriander leaves and serve hot.

Palak Paneer Recipe (Spinach Cheese Curry)

2009-10-10T18:21:00.001-07:00

Palak Paneer Recipe is a traditional North Indian recipe made from cooked spinach (Palak) and soft Indian cottage cheese (Paneer). Being an integral part of the Punjabi cuisine, this Paneer recipe consists of small soft Paneer cubes cooked in a Palak based creamy gravy or curry with onion, tomatoes and cumin.

As for the health benefits of Palak, we all know that it is considered a rich source of iron and calcium. In fact researchers have identified at least 13 different flavonoid compounds in spinach that function as antioxidants and as anti-cancer agents especially against Prostate and Ovarian cancers. There are many more health benefits of spinach but that's for another time. For now lets get started with the recipe.

Palak Paneer Recipe Ingredients:

Palak (spinach) – 2 big bunches

Paneer – 250gms

Onion – 2 nos (medium sized; 1 whole used for puree and the other finely chopped)

Tomatoes – 2 nos

Coriander leaves – 1 handful

Ginger garlic paste – 1tsp

Green chilli – 3 nos

Oil – 3 tbsp

Ghee (clarified butter) – 1 tbsp

Cumin seeds (jeera) –1tsp

Garam masala (cinnamon and clove powder) – 1/2 tsp

Bay leaf – 1 no

Cardamom – 1 no

Fresh cream (Doodh malai) – 2 tbsp

Sugar – 1 tsp

Kasuri methi (Fenugreek) leaves – 1 tsp

Dhaniya powder (coriander powder) –1 tsp

Chilly powder – 1 tsp

Salt to taste

Preparation Time: 15 minutes
Cooking Time: 45 minutes

Cooking Method for Palak Paneer recipe:

Blanch Tomato: Take a vessel, add a liter of water bring it to boil. Put tomato and cook for 8 minutes. Take out the tomato and allow it to cool. Then remove the skin and grind it to a paste and set aside.
Blanch Spinach: In the same water, cook palak and coriander leaves. Add a pinch of salt so that the color of Spinach remains intact. Let it cook for 3 minutes. Remove the palak and coriander into a separate container. Set the water aside for later use.
Make a puree of the cooked spinach with coriander leaves in a blender.
Also make a puree of one medium sized onion with 3 green chillies.
Take another vessel or kadai on medium heat. Add oil and then when it is hot add paneer cubes. Fry for 4 minutes. Take the paneer cubes out of the vessel and soak in warm water. This ensures that the paneer stays soft and tender.
In the same vessel or kadai in which you fried paneer with the same oil, add jeera seeds. When it starts to crackle add one finely chopped onion. Sauté till golden brown.
Add onion and chilly paste and fry for 4 minutes on medium heat.
Then add chilly powder and coriander powder. Mix well for a minute. Add tomato puree and cook for 5 more minutes on low heat.
Then add palak and coriander paste and cook for 6 additional minutes.
Add fried paneer, salt to taste and add little water that was used for cooking the palak. Cook for 10 minutes until gravy like consistency. Add more water if needed.
Now add cream, kasuri methi leaves, garam masala and ghee. Mix well and cook for 3 more minutes.

Serve hot with rotis, naan or rice.

Spicy Prawn Curry recipe

2009-10-03T18:26:00.001-07:00

The traditional Bengali, Goan and the Kerala prawn curry recipes involve use of coconut with ginger and/or garlic. This prawn curry recipe is a variation without these ingredients yet very delicious and flavorful. It goes very well with plain rice, jeera rice and ghee rice.

Prawn Curry Recipe Ingredients:

Prawns (Shrimp) – 1 lb or 1/2 kg (cleaned and deveined)

Onion (Medium sized) – 2 nos

Coriander leaves – 3 tbsp (finely chopped)

Curry leaves – 20 nos

Mustard seeds – 1/2 tsp

Home made Sambar powder – 1 1/2 tbsp

Dhania or Coriander powder – 1 tbsp

Pepper powder – 1 tsp

Turmeric Powder – 1/4 tsp

Oil – 3 tbsp

Salt to taste

Water – 1 cup

Prawn Curry Recipe Cooking Method:

Heat oil in a kadai or pan. Add mustard seeds.
When it starts to crackle, add onion and curry leaves.
Fry the onion till it is translucent then put the prawns or shrimp and let it cook for 10 minutes on low heat.
Then add coriander leaves and stir the mixture for 2 minutes.
Meanwhile take a separate bowl with 1 cup water. Add sambar powder, dhania or coriander powder, pepper powder, turmeric powder and mix well.
Then pour this water and spice mixture in to the pan containing the prawns and add salt.
Cook the shrimp for a few minutes until you get the gravy consistency and you are done.

Serve hot with Jeera rice, Ghee rice or plain rice.

5 Foods for Lower Cholesterol

2009-09-25T22:39:00.001-07:00

The Total cholesterol in our body is a combination of HDL and LDL. HDL is the good cholesterol while LDL is the bad one. The acronym "LDL" stands for low-density lipoprotein. When this number gets elevated, fatty substances called plaque have a tendency to stick to the inside of arterial walls.

This in turn can lead to coronary heart disease and in the worst of cases, it can be fatal. That is why it is important to lower LDL, which can be done by including these food items in you regular diet..

Fish:

They contain Omega-3 Fatty acids which are known to stabilize heart rhythms, lower cholesterol and triglycerides, and reduce inflammation in the arteries. One recent study claimed that there is 17 percent less risk of dying from cardiovascular disease by consuming just half a serving weekly.

Olives and Olive oil:

They contain mono-saturated fat which is good for the heart while other types of oils contain saturated fat. Also antioxidants called Polyphenols contained in Olives help reduce inflammation in the blood vessels, improving cholesterol.

Tomatoes:

The lycopene in tomatoes, a powerful antioxidant in the cartenoid family, protects against heart disease by preventing the oxidation of LDL cholesterol. Cooking tip: Because cooking releases lycopene from tomatoes, you'll reap greater reward from sauce, rather than raw tomatoes.

Apples:

The antioxidants in apples and apple juice delay the breakdown of LDL cholesterol by about 20 percent. Also Apple's antioxidants mimic statins, stimulating the liver to remove harmful LDL cholesterol from the blood.

Go Nuts!:

Nuts sure have a lot of fat, but its the good mono-saturated & polyunsaturated varieties which help to lower cholesterol while protecting your heart. This is possible because nuts offer fiber, protein, vitamin E, magnesium, b vitamins, and potassium

Indian Sweets: Besan Ladoo (Laddu) recipe

2009-09-19T22:59:00.001-07:00

Ladoos or laddus are the most common indian sweet recipes prepared and enjoyed on festivals and households occasions such as weddings. Among them the Besan ladoo or laddu is most delicious and easiest to prepare with very few ingredients.

Besan Ladoo Recipe Ingredients:

Besan (Gram flour) – 2 cups
Ghee – 1 cup
Sugar – 2 cups
Roasted Cashew nuts – 15 - 20 nos (chopped into small pieces)
Raisins – 10-15 nos (optional)
Pista (Pistachios) – 15 –20 nos (chopped into smaller pieces)
Cooking Time: 60 minutes

Besan Ladoo Recipe Cooking Method:

Take a heavy bottomed pan. Add besan.
Stir the besan on low heat for 3 minutes.
In a separate pan, heat the ghee until it melts.
Then add the melted ghee into the pan containing the besan.
On low heat, stir the mixture continuously until you get the typical aroma. This should take about 10-12 minutes.
Take the pan off the heat and allow the besan and ghee mixture to cool to room temperature.
Take the sugar in a blender and make it into powder. Then add the powdered sugar, chopped cashew nuts, pista and mix well.
Now you can take small lumps of the mixture and shape them into ladoos as shown in the pictures.

Fried Chicken Kebab (Kabab) Recipe

2009-09-12T15:50:00.001-07:00

Most of the Chicken Kebab or Kabab recipes are the skewed and grilled or tandoor variety where the chicken chunks are marinated in special spices and then grilled on skewers or cooked in tandoor. This is so even though the word Kabab or Kebab in Arabic actually means fried meat and not grilled meat.

This Chicken Kebab recipe is different in that the marinated chicken are fried instead of being grilled and it tastes heavenly.

Chicken Kebab Recipe Ingredients:

Chicken – 1 kg/2.2 lbs

Cooking Oil - As required for deep frying

Chicken Marinade Ingredients:

Maida (All purpose flour) – 4 tbsp (tablespoon)

Corn Starch – 2 tbsp

Eggs – 2

Ginger Garlic paste – 2tbsp

Lemon – 2 medium size

Red Chili powder – 2 tbsp

Garam Masala – 2 tsp (teaspoon)

Dhania (Coriander) powder – 1 tsp

Jeera (Cumin) powder – 1 tbsp

Kebab powder – 1 tsp (optional)

Green chili – 3 nos (finely chopped)

Ginger – 1 tsp (finely chopped)

Coriander or cilantro leaves – 2 tbsp (finely chopped)

Food color powder – 1/4 tsp (optional)

Oil for deep frying

Salt to taste

Preparation Time: 15 minutes

Marination time: 4 hours

Cooking Time: 10 minutes

Serving: 4-6 people

Chicken Kebab Recipe Cooking Method:

Break the eggs into a container and whisk them using a spoon.
Add all the above ingredients except the chicken and mix well.
If the paste is too thick then you can add more lemon juice or little water.
Once a thick paste is formed, taste the marinade and then based on your taste needs you can add more of the ingredients.
Then add the chicken pieces and coriander leaves and mix well until every chicken piece is evenly coated with the marinade.
Now set aside the marinated chicken for about 4 hours. These 4 hours are important to allow the flavors from the marinade to get into the chicken.
Heat the cooking oil on a heavy-bottomed pan and deep fry the kebabs till golden as seen in the picture (Note: The dark color in the picture is the result of using food color).
Allow the Chicken Kebabs to cool on paper towels. Serve hot with onion slices and lemon pieces.

British laying claim to indian food

2009-07-08T19:17:00.000-07:00

Last week it was Birmingham City Council that launched a campaign to protect the famous Balti name by preventing Indian restaurants outside the city from using it. And now the curry crazy Scots are staging a tikka takeover, laying claim to Britain's most popular dish the Chicken Tikka Masala.

Its a know fact that British are crazy about Indian Food so much that across the UK, 2.5 million people dine in 9000 curry houses every week. The very first Balti dish, which is named after the pot it is cooked in, is believed to have been served by a Pakistani immigrant called Mohammed Ajaib in Birmingham in 1977. The dish became so popular that the area of Birmingham between Sparkbrook, Balsall Heath, and Moseley became known as the “Balti Triangle” because of the large number of restaurants serving it. Today, the Balti is a staple at Indian restaurants nationwide in Britain.

However, Birmingham City Council claims that because the Balti originated in the city, it has the right to protect the name, similar to other protected goods such as the Melton Mowbray Pork Pie or Wensleydale cheese.

Elsewhere in Glasgow, which has won the Curry Capital of Britain title three times, the Shish Mahal restaurant wants the city to be recognised as the home of chicken tikka masala, which it claims to have invented in the Seventies. Around 25 million portions of Chicken Tikka Masala are devoured in the UK every year as they spend £2.8billion on Indian food. Shish Mahal wants the dish to have the same legal protection as other regionally designated food, such as Arbroath Smokies. It could be renamed Glasgow chicken tikka masala.

Wimbledon champions love Indian Food

2009-07-04T21:29:00.001-07:00

Rajdoot, the Indian restaurant located in Wimbledon has become one of the prime eating spots for the tennis crowd during Wimbledon fortnight. Mimom Rahman seen in the picture with Roger Federer is a waiter and top tennis celeb spotter at Rajdoot.

He proudly shows the restaurant autograph book featuring superstars like the Williams sisters, Andy Roddick, Lleyton Hewitt, Andre Agassi, Lindsay Davenport, Steffi Graf, Maria Sharapova.

Roger Federer in particular has taken a liking to this restaurant calling in 3 times in the first week of Wimbledon. One of his orders included Butter Chicken, pilau rice and 8 naan. [via Guardian]

Paneer Butter Masala Recipe

2009-06-27T19:00:00.000-07:00

Paneer Butter Masala or Paneer Makhani is a very popular Punjabi recipe made from Indian Cottage cheese with gravy that is thickened by using butter, onions, tomatoes and cashew paste. This recipe goes very well with all types of indian breads like rotis, naan, poori, chapathis, etc

Ingredients for Paneer Butter Masala Recipe:

Paneer: 250 gms

Onion Paste: 1/2 cup

Tomato Puree: 1 cup (Boil 4 tomatoes, peel the skin and then make the puree)

Curd: 1/2 cup

Butter: 5 tbsp

Ghee: 2 tbsp

Ginger Garlic Paste: 1 tbsp

Kasoori Methi: 2 tbsp

Cashewnut paste: 4 tbsp

Dhania (Coriander) Powder: 1 tbsp

Garam Masala: 1tbsp

Cumin Powder: 1/2 tbsp

Turmeric Powder: 1/4 tsp

Chili Powder: 1-2 tbsp

Food Color: 1 pinch

Green Chili: 4 nos

Sugar: 1/2 tbsp

Cream/Malai: 2 tbsp (Optional)

Salt to taste

Preparation time: 30 minutes

Cooking time: 60 minutes

Serving: 4-6 people

Cooking Method for Paneer Butter Masala Recipe:

Cut the Paneer into medium sized cubes. Take a pan on medium heat. Add 2 tbsp butter and fry the paneer cubes for around 4 minutes.
Now take out the paneer and soak it in a container with 3 tbsp of curd. This is to make the paneer soft. Keep the paneer aside for 15 minutes.
In the same pan in which the paneer was fried, add the onion paste and saute for 5 minutes.
Add green chili, ginger garlic paste and stir for another 3 minutes.
Add dhania powder, turmeric, garam masala, cumin powder and chili powder. Mix well.
Add the tomato puree. Cook for an additional 6 minutes. Occasionally stir the mixture and if the gravy in the pan becomes too thick add some water in between.
Add the remaining curd and keep stirring the mixture for a couple of minutes.
Then add the remaining butter, kasoori methi, ghee, cashew nut paste, sugar, salt to taste and food color.
Now add the fried and soaked paneer cubes into the pan and mix the contents. Simmer it for 3-4 minutes.
Finally add the cream to the gravy. Remove the pan from the heat and keep it aside for around 15 minutes before serving.

You can serve the Paneer Butter Masala with naan, rotis, chapathis or poori. Try this recipe and let me know how it comes out.

Also don’t miss the other Paneer Recipes: Shahi Paneer Recipe, Palak Paneer Recipe and Mutter Paneer Recipe.

Cup of Black Tea a day keeps heart disease away

2009-06-21T18:43:00.000-07:00

As per a recent study, drinking one cup of black tea everyday might protect you against cardiovascular disease. This was the outcome of a study conducted at University of L'Aquila in Italy and supported by the Lipton Institute of Tea.

In the study 19 healthy men with 33 being their median age, were given one of five prescribed intakes of the tea over five periods lasting one week each. The caffeine level of each dose was standardised but the dose of tea flavonoids was controlled at the levels of 0 (the control dose), 100, 200, 400 and 800 mg per day.

It was found that black tea consumption improves blood vessel reactivity and reduces blood pressure and arterial stiffness, indicating a notably better cardiovascular health profile.

10 Health benefits of Turmeric

2009-06-20T21:56:00.000-07:00

Turmeric revered in India as "holy powder" or yellow-gold spice has being used for centuries in Indian Cuisine as a seasoning that provides flavor to Indian curries. It has for centuries been an important part of traditional Asian and Ayurvedic medicine used to treat everything from a runny nose to chest pain.

Turmeric is truely one of nature's most powerful healers. Scientists in Michigan are reporting discovery of the secret behind the fabled healing power of Turmeric.

Using a high-tech instrument termed solid-state NMR spectroscopy, the scientists discovered that molecules of curcumin, the active ingredient, act like a biochemical disciplinarian. They insert themselves into cell membranes and make the membranes more stable and orderly in a way that increases cells' resistance to infection by disease-causing microbes.

Small studies have found that curcumin the active ingredient, cuts cholesterol
Animal research suggests it inhibits tumor formation.
Turmeric is a natural antiseptic and antibacterial agent, useful in disinfecting cuts and burns.
It prevented breast cancer from spreading to the lungs in mice.
Reduces the risk of childhood leukemia.
May prevent and slow the progression of Alzheimer's disease by removing amyloyd plaque buildup in the brain.
A new research, just published in the May 2009 issue of The Journal of Nutrition, involving mice provides clues that turmeric could be helpful in the fight against obesity.
Speeds up wound healing and assists in remodeling of damaged skin. Also helps in the treatment of psoriasis and other inflammatory skin conditions.
Because of its anti-inflammatory properties, it is a natural treatment for arthritis and rheumatoid arthritis.
Now more than a dozen studies in humans are investigating whether it protects against cancer and other diseases like multiple myeloma, pancreatic cancer

Butter Chicken Curry Recipe

2009-06-13T15:33:00.000-07:00

Butter Chicken Recipe (Murg Makhani) is my Mother's favorite recipe and is also among the best known Indian foods all over the world. Butter chicken is usually served with naan, roti, parathas, ghee rice, jeera rice or plain steamed rice and its gravy can be made as mild or hot as you like so it suits most palates.

There are many stories surrounding the origin of Butter Chicken. According to a documentary by the Discovery Channel, the butter chicken recipe was invented by a person working in the kitchen staff of a famous restaurant called Moti Mahal located in Daryaganj, the central region of Delhi.

Butter Chicken Recipe Ingredients:

Chicken: 1 kg or 2.2 lb
Onion paste: 1 cup
Tomato puree: 2 cups
Ginger Garlic paste: 2 tbsp
Green Chili: 2 nos
Meat Masala powder: 2 tbsp
Red Chili powder: 1 tbsp
Food Color: 1/4 tsp
Garam Masala: 1 1/2 tbsp
Dhania powder: 1 1/2 tbsp
Kasoori Methi: 2 tbsp
Butter: 100 gms
Coconut paste (Optional) : 1/2 cup (Add more if you need more gravy)
Turmeric Powder: 1/4 tsp
Cinnamon (Dalchini), Cloves (Lavang) and Cardamom (Elaichi) powder: Make 1/4 tsp of powder with 2 sticks of cinnamon, 4 cloves and 2 cardamom
Salt to taste
Coriander for garnish

Butter Chicken Recipe Cooking Method:

Chicken Marination

In a bowl add chicken, 1/2 cup onion paste, 1 tbsp ginger garlic paste, 1 tsp salt, food color and mix well. Keep aside for 1 hour.

Butter Chicken Curry or Gravy

In a pan on medium heat add butter. When the butter melts add the remaining onion paste and saute for around 5 minutes till the raw smell of onion no longer exists.
Add the green chili cut into long slices and ginger garlic paste to the mix and stir for 3 minutes.
Add tomato puree and cook for another 6 minutes
Then add 1/4 cup water.
Add dhani powder, meat masala powder, garam masala powder, turmeric powder, chili powder and mix well.
Now add the marinated chicken and cook for 15 minutes with a lid covering the pan on low heat.
At this stage add cinnamon, cloves and cardamom powder, kasoori methi and coconut paste. If you want more gravy you can add more water and salt.
Cook for another 10 minutes or so until the chicken is well cooked.

Garnish with coriander and serve hot. This delicious Butter Chicken goes very well with all types of Rotis and flavored rice like Ghee Rice and Jeera Rice.

Tomato Rice Recipe

2009-06-10T23:10:00.000-07:00

Tomato Rice recipe is a simple south indian vegetarian recipe and one of my husband's favourite recipes. As the names indicates tomato is the main ingredient in this recipe with onions, rice and spices.

You can also add green peas if you wish but do not add any other vegetables. Increase or decrease the spices depending on how spicy you want the recipe to be. So lets get started!

Tomato Rice Recipe Ingredients

Tomatoes - 5 large chopped

Peas - 3/4 cup (Optional)

Rice (Basmati or Sona Masoori) - 1 1/2 cups

Onion - 2 medium sized (long slices)

Ginger Garlic Paste - 3 1/2 to 4 tbsp

Green Chilies - 4 to 5 nos

Chilli powder - 1/2 to 1 tbsp

Turmeric - 1/4 tsp

Bay leaves - 2 nos

Cloves or Laung - 5 nos

Cinnamon - 2 sticks

Cardamom or ilaichi - 2 nos

Star anise (What is this?) - 1 nos

Marathi Moggu - 2 nos

Kasuri Methi - 1 tsp

Salt to taste

Oil - 1/3 cup

Preparation Time: 15 mins
Cooking Time: 1 hour
Servings: 3-4 people

Tomato Rice Recipe Cooking Method

First wash and soak rice for 15 minutes in water. Drain water and keep it aside.
Take a heavy bottom vessel (you can use a pressure cooker as well) and heat the oil on medium heat.
When the oil heats up, add Bay leaves, Cinnamon, Cloves, Cardamom, Star Anise, Marathi Moggu and Kasuri Methi into the vessel.
After a minute or so, add vertically sliced green chillies and onions cut into long slices to the vessel. Saute for 8 minutes until the onions turn translucent.
Add ginger garlic paste. Stir until the raw smell of the paste no longer exists.
Add chopped tomatoes, peas (optional) and turmeric powder to the mixture and stir well.
Cook for 10-15 minutes until the tomatoes turn mushy.
Add salt to taste and chilli powder and mix well.
Then add water. Bring the contents to boil. Take a few drops of the liquid from the vessel and taste it. Add salt and chilli powder if required to suit your taste requirements.
If you are using 1 1/2 cups of Basmati rice then use 2 1/4 cups of water. For other kinds of rice use equal amount of water.
Cover the vessel and cook for 15 minutes on low heat and you are done.

The tomato rice is now ready to be served. Serve it hot with raitha. Also check out other Rice recipes.

Health Tips: Control blood sugar with Fenugreek (Methi)

2009-06-10T20:17:00.000-07:00

These little seeds are commonly used as a spice in Indian cuisine, but did you knonw that fenugreek (or methi) is also powerful medicine. In fact, it's one of the oldest plant medicines. Fenugreek have been found to lower blood sugar, increase insulin sensitivity, and reduce high cholesterol, according to several animal and human studies.

In one of the largest studies on fenugreek, 60 people who took 25 grams daily showed significant improvements in blood sugar control and post-meal spikes.

Fenugreek actually belongs to the legume family (as do lentils) and the seeds are 50 percent fiber, which probably explains their blood sugar benefits. The seeds also contain an amino acid that appears to boost the release of insulin. An added bonus: They also reduce cholesterol.

Red Chili Tomato Chutney Recipe

2009-05-24T12:45:00.000-07:00

Usually idlis are eaten with the green coconut chutney and sambar combination. If you are bored with eating idlis with this same combination you can try this delicious red tomato chutney to go along with it or you can prepare this simple chutney recipe to replace the green chutney and the sambar altogether.

This is very simple to prepare in less amount of time as compared to the green coconut chutney and sambar put together.

Ingredients:

Tomatoes - 2 large chopped

Onion - 1/2 medium sized

Green Chilli - 4 nos

Red Chilli powder - 1/4 tsp

Cumin seeds(Jeera) - 1/2 tsp

Garlic cloves - 3 nos

Ginger - 1/4 inch piece

Asafoetida (Hing) - 1 pinch

Coriander or Cilantro - 1 tbsp finely chopped

Oil - 1 tbsp

Mustard - 1/4 tsp

Dry Red Chilli - 2 nos

Curry Leaves - 5-6 nos

Salt to taste

Method:
1. Heat oil in a cooking vessel on medium heat. Add jeera, hing, tomato, onion, green chilli and garlic cloves. 2. Saute for 10-15 minutes.
3. Then allow the mixture to cool down.
4. Add chopped coriander, ginger, chilli powder and salt.
5. Grind all these in a mixer or grinder to a semi-liquid (chutney) consistently. You can add water during this process accordingly to get whatever consistency you desire.
6. For tadka, heat the oil in a pan. Add mustard and when it begins to crackle add red chilli and curry leaves.
7. After a couple of minutes add the tadka to the chutney.

Now the Tomato Chutney is ready to be served with steaming hot idlis.

Cooking Tips: Too much salt! How to fix salty food

2009-05-15T20:38:00.000-07:00

Added too much salt to your dish by adding it twice or being a little too heavy-handed with the salt container resulted in too much salt getting into your recipe...Worry not...Here are some easy ways to salvage the food you just prepared.

Fixing Salty Soup:
A lot of salt in the soup can result in it dominating all the other flavors not to mention the terrible taste of salt itself. To counter balance the taste of salt you can add sugar to the soup. Make sure you add small quantities of sugar to ensure you don't end up sweetening the soup too much. The next tip can also be very effectly applied here.

Fixing Salty Stew or Curry:
A salty curry can spoil the whole lunch or dinner. To fix this quickly peel some potatoes and slice them into rounds or cubes. Add these to the stew or curry to lighten the salt a little. The raw potatoes will absorb the salt as they cook briefly (until they look translucent) and then you can remove them (fish them out with a spoon). The remaining stew should be less salty. Another quick fix is to add finely chooped tomato (may not be suitable to use in all cases) to the stew and cooking for some time.

Fixing Salty Vegetables recipe or Dry Chicken or Other Meat recipe:Again, the same fix mentioned above applies if the veggies or chicken or other meat are in water or broth as for the stew. If they are steamed or stir-fried, you will probably need to start again, although you can try adding a little bit of lemon juice and mixing well. You could also try adding curd if approrpiate to the recipe to reduce the effect of salt.

Spicy Chicken Dry Recipe

2009-05-13T22:12:00.000-07:00

The Spicy Chicken dry recipe is one of the lesser known chicken recipes. I learnt this recipe long time ago on one of the regional cooking shows on TV in India.

Just like the Pepper chicken dry recipe, this recipe is very very delicious and the people who eat it will end up asking for more!

Ingredients for Chicken Dry Recipe:
Chicken - 1/2 kg or 1.1 lb
Soya Sauce - 1/2 tsp
Tomato Ketchup - 1 tsp
Chilli Powder - 1 tsp
Tumeric Powder - 1/4 tsp
Ginger Garlic paste - 1 tsp
Cinnamon + Cloves (Lavang/Laung) Powder - 1/4 tsp
Pepper Powder - 1/4 tsp
Food color - 2 pinch
Oil - 2 tsp
Coriander or Cilantro Chopped - 2 tbsp
Salt to taste
Preparation Time: 5 minutes
Cooking Time: 25 minutes
Serving: 3-4 people

Cooking Method for the Chicken Dry Recipe:

Put a non-stick pan or khadhai on medium heat. Add chicken and stir for 2 minutes.
Reduce the heat a little and add soya sauce, tomato sauce, chilli powder, turmeric, ginger garlic paste and mix well.
After a couple of minutes add salt, cinnamon and cloves powder and food color. Mix well, close the lid and leave it to cook for 15 minutes on low heat.
Add coriander leaves and oil. Mix well and wait for 2 minutes.
At this stage there will be some liquid from the chicken in the pan. You need to now allow the chicken to cook in its own liquid until all the liquid evaporates.
Add pepper powder, mix well. Wait for another minute and the dish is done.

Crispy Masala Dosa recipe with Potato filling and Chutneys

2009-05-10T18:47:00.000-07:00

Crispy Masala Dosa is one of the most popular among the South Indian recipes. It is a typical South Indian dish, eaten mostly for breakfast and is rich in carbohydrates and protein. It is considered as the staple food in the South indian region. In the rest of the country too, Dosas are hugely popular and Udipi restaurants serving them and other South Indian foods can be found in almost every suburb.

In this recipe I will share the secret to making the Dosa crispy just like it is made in restaurants. You will also learn how to make the onion potato filing and red chili chutney which is smeared on the dosa before putting in the potato filling. And finally you will also learn how to make spicy hot green coconut chutney to go with the dosa.

Making the Dosa Batter

Ingredients:

2 cups - Idli rice or parboiled rice

1/2 cup - Skinless split urad daal (skinless black gram)

1/2 teaspoon - Methi seeds (Fenugreek seeds)

1/4 cup - Poha (beaten rice)

1/4 cup - Cooked rice

1/4 teaspoon - Cooking Soda

3 to 4 teaspoon - Sugar

1 tablespoon - Salt

1 handful - Chana dal (Yellow split peas)

Add parboiled rice, methi, poha, cooked rice, yellow spilt peas into one large vessel containing sufficient water for soaking. Then soak urad dal in water in a separate vessel. Soak for 6-7 hours or overnight.
Then grind the contents from both the containers separately to a smooth paste adding water as required. After grinding the urad dal, add it to the main batter container and mix well. Add water as required until you get a pouring consistency.

Now add sugar, salt, cooking soda and mix well. Cover and keep aside in a warm place for at least 7 hours. During this time the batter raises and reaches approximately two and a half times the original volume. So make sure you use a big enough container for the dosa batter.

Red chili chutney

Ingredients:

1/4 cup - Coconut

4 to 5 nos - Red chili

1 teaspoon - Roasted split chickpeas

4 to 5 - curry leaves

Tamarind - Size of a grape fruit

Coriander or cilantro - 1 tablespoon chopped

Salt to taste

Grind all the above ingredients and make a thick paste as shown in the picture.

Onion Potato Subji or Palya (Dosa Filling)

Ingredients:

4 nos - Potato, medium sized

1 to 2 - Onion, medium sized long thinly sliced

12 nos - Small green chilies, not to be chopped. Just split them at the center

1/4 tsp - Turmeric

Salt to taste

1/4 tsp - Mustard

1 tsp - Urad dal (black gram)

1 1/4 tsp - Chana dal (yellow split peas)

10 nos - Curry leaves

2 tbsp - Coriander leaves or Cilantro

1 tbsp - Ghee

2 tbsp - Oil

Cut the potatoes each into 2 pieces with the skin intact and cook them in a cooker until one whistle. Then peel the skin of the potato and smash or squeeze them coarsely by hand and set aside.

Heat oil in a khadhai or a pan amd add mustard. When the mustard starts popping or bursting add urad dal and chana dal. Keep stirring for a minute and then add onion, curry leaves, green chilies and turmeric. Saute for around 10 minutes. Add Salt and 1/2 cup water and stir well. Add the mashed potato, coriander leaves, ghee and mix well. Now take the pan of the heat and the potato subji is done.

Green Coconut Chutney

Ingredients:

1/2 cup - Coconut grated

3 tbsp - Roasted split chickpeas

6 nos - Small Green chili

2 pieces - Ginger (small)

3 tbsp - Coriander or Cilantro chopped

Tamarind - size of a grape fruit

1/4 tsp - sugar

Salt to taste

Grind all the above ingredients with a little water into a paste. For tadka add 1 tsp oil, little mustard and few curry leaves in a pan on medium heat. When the mustard starts crackling for a minute add the tadka into the chutney paste and you are done.

Making the Dosa

1. Take a dosa tava or a non-stick pan and put it on a medium to high heat.

2. Apply few drops of oil on the pan. Take a piece of cloth and rub it all over the surface of the pan to grease it. Do this step for each dosa.

3. Now sprinkle a little bit of water with your hand. Wait for the water to crackle and evaporate. This ensures that the Dosa will spread evenly and not break because the pan is too hot. Do this step for each dosa.

4. Take 1/4 cup of dosa batter and gently pour this batter onto the center of the pan.

5. Now begin to spread the batter in sweeping circular motions to form a circle. Do not be alarmed if the Dosa develops tiny holes as you spread the batter. This is normal.

6. Apply oil and ghee over the surface of the dosa and also around its edges. If you wan tyou can hold the pan by its handle, lift up and swirl it so as to make the drizzled oil spread all over the Dosa.

7. After a minute or two you will see the the thinner part of the dosa is turing dark brown. This indicates that the dosa is coming out crispy and is almost done.

8. Now smear a little bit of the red masala chutney on the dosa as shown in the picture. the quantity of this chutney depends on how spicy you want the dosa to be.
9. As the last step add the onion potato subji to the center of the dosa and flip the 2 sides of the dosa one over the other such that the subji is covered. The dosa is now ready to be served.

Cooking Tips: How to easily peel Garlic Cloves

2009-05-02T14:46:00.000-07:00

Often for people who are new to cooking peeling garlic becomes a rather difficult and messy task. I had a first hand expereince of that when I started cooking long time ago. The shell of the clove doesn’t come away without a significant amount of scraping, usually with my fingernails and I usually ended up getting chunks stuck in my nails and my fingers used to stink of garlic for a long time.

Not any more!. There are a couple of simple and easy ways to peel garlic cloves. If your recipe requires that the garlic must be chopped or minced or crushed then the easiest way to peel it is to use a chefs knife or a knife that is a little wide on its sides.

First, pick off your cloves from the bulb, and lay the flat side down. Then, take your chef's knife and with one hand holding the knife handle, lay either flat side of the knife on top of the garlic clove. The garlic should be closer to the knife handle than the center of the blade. With your free hand, slap the heel of your hand down and smash (no too hard though) the side of the blade against the garlic clove. And that's it. The outer skin would have magically detached from the clove, and you now have a perfectly peeled clove ready for chopping.

If your recipe requires that the garlic cloves be used has a whole, then just soak the cloves in cold water for 10-20 minutes. The peel slips off easily, leaving the whole clove intact.

Chicken (Murg) Dum Biryani Recipe

2009-04-29T19:45:00.000-07:00

Chicken Dum biryani(biriyani) though being elaborate in preparing, is a sinfully tasty and very well savored recipe. It is found in all parts of India, Pakistan, Afganistan and other countries and forms an integral part of their cuisine.

The word Biryani is derived from the Persian word berya(n) which means "roasted" or "fried". Legend has it that a Nawab of Punjab wore a matching turban for each variety of biryani. The Nizam's kitchen boasted of 49 kinds, which included biryani made from fish, quail, shrimp, deer and hare. Now lets get started!

Ingredients:
Chicken - 1k.g/2.2lb
Basmati Rice - 1k.g/2.2lb
Onions - 6 medium sized (long thinly sliced)
Tomato - 6 medium sized (chopped)
Ginger Garlic paste - 1 cup or 6-8 tablespoons
Mint (Pudina) - 1 bunch
Coriander (Cilantro) - 1/2 bunch
Green Chili - 6 nos (Whole)
Lemon - 1 medium sized
Red Chili powder - 1 1/2 tablespoon
Oil - 250ml
Curd or yogurt - 1 to 1 1/2 cup
Turmeric powder - 1/4 teaspoon
Bay leaves (Biryani leaf) - 1
Cinnamon (Patta) - 6 nos
Cloves (Lavang) - 8 nos
Cardamom (Elaichi) - 4 nos
Salt - 3 tablespoons (Powdered) or 2 handful (rock salt)

Preparation Time:30 minutes
Cooking Time:1 1/2 hours
Servings:6-8 people

Method:
Biryani Masala or Gravy:
1. In a heavy bottomed deep pan, heat the oil on medium heat.
2. Add bay leaves, 3 cinnamon, 4 cloves, 2 cardamom, 6 chillies and onions.
3. Fry the onions until golden brown.
4. Add ginger-garlic paste and fry until the raw pungent smell of the paste leaves.
5. Keep aside a hand full of Mint and add the rest to the pan. At this stage add the coriander as well. Fry for 5-10 minutes until you get a nice aroma.
6. Now add the chicken and mix the content of the pan thoroughly.
7. Add turmeric powder and 1 1/2 tablespoon of salt. Mix well and cook for 5 minutes.
8. Add tomatoes to the pan and cook until it gets soft and mushy.
6. Now is the time for curd (yogurt) and chili powder.
7. Cover the pan with a lid, reduce the heat and cook for 10-15 minutes until you see some oil floating on the top.
8. At this stage remove the pan from the heat.
9. Now empty nearly 3/4 of the pan contents into a separate container and set it aside.

Rice Preparation:
1. Soak the basmati rice in cold water for 15 minutes.
2. Meanwhile take a large container with sufficient water. Bring it to boil.
3. When boiling add the remaining mint, cloves, cinnamon and cardamom.
4. Now drain all the water from the soaked rice and add it to the container. Add 1 1/2 tablespoon salt.
5. Cook the rice until it is 3/4 done.
6. Now take the container off the heat and drain the remaining water from the rice.

Layering the Biryani and Dum cooking
In the same pan where you had 1/4 of the biryani gravy, add a layer of cooked rice. Then add another layer of the biryani gravy (that was keep aside in a seperate container) and top it with rice. Repeat until all the rice and biryani gravy is layered. Also squeeze or add a little bit of lemon juice on every layer during the layering process.

'Dum' cooking is a traditional method of slow-cooking, normally on a bed of coal with pots over them, sealed with kneaded flour so that no heat escapes it. Sometimes coal is spread out on the pot lid to distribute heat evenly.

To get the same effect as the traditional method of dum cooking, take a right fitting lid for the vessel, cover and seal the lid with heavy object. The idea is to make a air tight seal. Alternatively you can knead the wheat flour and use that to seal the lid to the vessel. Now put the the vessel on low heat and cook for approximately 15-20 minutes.

That's it! Spicy hot Chicken Dum Biryani is now ready to be served and enjoyed.

Pepper Chicken Recipe (Murg Kali Mirch)

2009-04-27T16:13:00.000-07:00

Pepper Chicken (Murg Kali Mirch) is one of the most popular and tasty recipes from the world of Chettinad cuisine.

This is one of my signature dishes which my family and friends absolutely love. They just can't have enough of this recipe and always want more. This is one of the fairly simple recipes to cook requiring few ingredients and yet it is so very delicious.

Ingredients for this finger licking Pepper Chicken Recipe:

Chicken - 1k.g/2.2lb

Garlic cloves - 10-15

Onions, chopped - 1/2 (medium sized)

Green Chili - 4

Curry leaves - 25 individual leaves

Soya Sauce - 1 1/2 tablespoon (for dark Soya Sauce) or 2 tablespoon (for light colored Soya Sauce)

Pepper Powder - 1 or 1 1/2 tablespoon

Lime or Lemon juice - 1 teaspoon

Ghee - 1 teaspoon

Oil - 1 teaspoon

Turmetic powder - 1/4 teaspoon

Salt to taste

Coriander or Cilantro for garnish

Preparation Time: 5 minutes
Cooking time: 30 minutes
Servings: 4-6 people

Method:
1. Heat oil and ghee under medium heat in a deep frying pan or khadhai.
2. Add crushed garlic cloves. Saute and stir for 2 minutes
3. Add onion, green chillies (vertically sliced) and curry leaves to the mixture. Stir the ingredients for 2 more minutes
4. Then add chicken and mix the contents of the pan.
5. Now lower the heat and cover the pan with a lid. Allow the chicken to cook for 10-15 minutes.
6. Add tumeric, salt to taste and mix it thoroughly
7. Put the lid back over the pan and cook for 5 more minutes
8. Add soya sauce and wait for 2 additional minutes
9. At this moment all the liquid in the pan should have evaporated which indicates that the chicken is fully cooked.
Note: If there is some liquid left you can increase the heat a little and cook until no liquid is left.
10.When there is no liquid left in the pan add pepper powder, lemon juice and mix well.
11.Garnish with coriander leaves and serve hot.
Please follow the method for preparing this recipe exactly in the same sequence as mentioned above for great tasting pepper chicken. Happy cooking!

About Me

2009-04-27T16:08:00.000-07:00

I am Bharathi. I am a food enthusiast living with my husband, daughter and son. I am passionate about everything food and spend hours and hours cooking food, learning and trying out new recipes. My culinary knowledge spans South Indian, North Indian, Chinese and other regions as well.

I would like to share my culinary knowledge and my recipes in this blog. It also presents an opportunity for me to learn and try out new recipes. Please join me in this endeavour. You can stay in touch and get regular updates on recipes by subscribing to RSS Feed or by subscribing to Email updates. You can also reach me with any queries and info at bharathiskitchen@gmail.com.

Copyright Notice: The Recipes and Food photgraphs on this blog http://recipes-indianfood.blogspot.com are copyright protected and hence are NOT permitted to be copied, distributed or published without permission from Bharathi. All rights are reserved.

Use of this blog's content including pictures without permission will be violation of these terms and in turn is a violation of my copyright. To request for permission to use the text and images please contact me via email at bharathiskitchen[at]gmail[dot]com.

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