Spicy Aloo

This is the recipe which my mother used to make for navratri fast along with Sabudana khichadi and ginger tea. As kids we never used to keep fast but used to love this dish. Loads of good memories attached to it. Though I can’t make exactly the same way my mother makes but I gave it a shot and it came out well. Here I have given the recipe, I hope you guys enjoy it.

Ingredients-
Serves 4

Boiled and cubes potatos – 3 cups
Lemon juice – 1tbsp
curry leaves – 4-5
Coriander seeds – 2tbsp
Red chilies – 2
Cumin seeds- 2tsp
Asafetida/Hing – a pinch(optional)
Turmeric powder – 1/2tsp (optional)
Mango Powder/Amchur- 1/2tsp
Garam Masala powder – ½ tsp(optional)
Green coriander for garnishing
Salt to taste

Note- You can add ½ cup of roasted and coarsely ground peanuts to it which gives it a good crunch. When making for fast avoid garam masala and turmeric.

Method-
Take all the whole spices(keep 1tsp of cumin seeds aside for tampering), roast them on slow heat till a nice aroma starts coming. Allow them to cool naturally and make powder of the spices. If you don’t want to do all this you can take all the spices in powder form.Mix them and microwave it for 10-20 sec. Microwave temperature varies so just make sure not to burn the spices since its in the dry form.

In pan take 2 tsp of oil. When its hot add 1tsp of cumin seeds.Ones it starts spluttering add curry leaves. Cook for 10 seconds and now add cubes boiled potatoes. Add salt and Turmeric.Cover it and cook it for 2-3 mins. Now add the powdered spices and salt. Mix well, cover the pan and cook it on medium flame for around 3-4 mins so that all the flavor of spices goes into the potatoes. Turn off the heat, add leamon juice, garnish with coriander and serve hot.

Zucchini/Carrot rice

This is the dish I saw the other day on You tube . Tried and loved it. It’s very nutritious since we are using zucchini/carrot. It’s really easy to make and tastes yummy. Eat it with any gravy or just like that. Here goes the recipe, I hope you everyone enjoy it.

Ingredients-
Serves 4

Rice- 1 cup
Grated Zucchini with the skin/Carrot – 1cup
Water- 2 cups (double the quantity of Rice)
chopped green chilies – 1 tbsp
Finely chopped ginger – 1tsp
cumin seeds – 1 tsp
Cinnamon stick- ½ inch
Green cardamom – 1(slightly crushed)
Black pepper – 6-8
cloves- 2-3
Bay Leaves – 1-2
salt to taste

Note- when cooking rice in pressure cooker I use equal proportion of rice and water and cook it for 2 whistles and open the cooker after 5 mins (if pressure is still there in the cooker and I am unable to open it. I keep it under running cold water which helps to cool down the cooker. while doing this please don't remove the whistle else water will go inside). Vegans avoid ghee/butter as it is made of milk.

Method-
In a cooker take 1tbsp of ghee or olive oil. When it’s hot add cumin seeds. Once it starts spluttering add all the whole spices, cook it about 1 min and add chopped green chilies and ginger. Cook it for another 1 min and now add grated carrot/zucchini. Cook for 30 seconds and add the soaked rice. Cook till rice is done (Here I have not given the cooking time or method for rice since it differs the way one makes it). Garnish with coriander and serve hot :)

Palak Paneer

Ingredients-
Serves 4

Paneer - 10 cubes of 2 inches long each
Fresh Spinach – 5 oz
Tomato Puree of 2 large fresh tomatoes
Milk (optional) – 1/2 cup
Coriander powder – 1tbsp
Cumin powder- 1tsp
Aniseed/Saunf powder – 1tsp
Red chili powder – 1tsp
ginger paste – 1tsp
Garam Masala – 1 tsp
Bay Leaves- 1-2
Black cardamom – 1
Green cardamom – 1
Cinnamon stick – 1 inch
turmeric powder- ½ tsp

Note- If the Paneer is hard soak them in warm water after frying with pinch of salt for 5-10 min. I prefer blanching over boiling spinach.For blanching, fill a large pot with water, bring it to a boil and add pre-washed spinach leaves. Don't cover it. Blanch the spinach for approximately 30 seconds or until they turn a brilliant green. Remove the spinach from the pot with a slotted spoon and drain. Plunge the leaves into a bowl of ice/cold water to stop the cooking. Drain the leaves.

Method -
Make pure of blanched spinach (try not to use water, if required used ¼ cup of water). It makes around 2 to 2 ½ cups pure. Take all the powdered spices and ginger paste in a bowl, add ¼ cup of water and make paste of it. Shallow fry the paneer on non-stick pan with 1 tsp oil. You can deep fry the Paneers too. Keep it aside. Now, in a pan take butter/ghee/oil, add all the whole spices. Now add the prepared paste. Roast it for 5-8 seconds on medium flame till oil starts appearing on the surface. Now add chopped onions. Stir it well. Allow it to cook till onions become translucent in color and oil starts separating from side. Add Tomato Pure. Cover and cook on medium heat till it becomes red it color. Now add the spinach pure. Cover it and cook for 2-3 minutes so that raw taste of spinach goes away. Now add fried paneer. Cover it and cook it on slow flame for another 2-3 min. If it looks too thick add ½ cup of milk instead of water which makes the dish rich too. You can add cream also but to avoid the calories I prefer adding milk. Garnish with cream or coriander leaves and serve hot with Rice, pulav or parathas :)

Malai Paneer

Ingredients-
Serves 4

Paneer - 10 cubes of 2 inches each
Tomato Puree of 3 large tomatoes
cashew – ½ cup
Poppy seeds – 1 ½ tbs
Milk – 1 cup
Coriander powder – 1tbsp
Cumin powder- 1tsp
Aniseed/Saunf powder – 1tsp
Red chili powder – 1tsp
ginger paste – 1tsp
Garam masala – 1 tsp
Bay Leaves- 1-2
Black cardamom – 1
Green cardamom – 1
Cinnamon stick – 1 inch
turmeric powder- ½ tsp
salt to taste

Note- You can deep fry paneer cubes too. If the paneer is hard soak them in warm water after frying with pinch of salt for 5-10 min.

Method-
Soak cashew nuts and poppy seeds separately in lukewarm water for 30 min. Gind them with ½ cup milk in mixer in a smooth paste (if required u can use remaining ½ cup of milk too). If you want to make the recipe rich, you can add ¼ cup of heavy cream too.

In a pan take 1 tablespoon oil and roast the paneer cubes, keep them aside. Now in the same pan take 2 tbsp oil/ghee/butter. Add bay leaves, black cardamom, green cardamom, cinnamon stick. After approx 10 seconds, add the tomato puree. Cover it and allow it to cook till it reduces half of its size and becomes deep red in color. Now add salt and all the powdered spices one by one. Stir it well, cover the pan and cook it on medium flame till the oil starts separating from the pure. Now add the cashew-poppy seed paste/ mixer. Stir it well. If it’s too thick use some more milk. Allow it to simmer on low flame for almost 2 min. Now add the paneer cubes and cook it on medium-low flame for another 5 min. Keep it stirring from time to time to avoid it burning. Garnish it with either cream/coriander leaves and serve with rice, paratha or nan.

Onion-Cheese Paratha

Ingredients-
4-5 Parathas

Wheat flour- 3 cups
Mashed Boiled potato- 1 cup
Grated Cheese – 1cup
Chopped onion(optional)- ½ cup
Grated Ginger – 1tbsp
Chopped chili – 1tbsp
Black pepper powder- 1/2 tsp
Green Coriander chopped – 2tbsp
Oil for roasting
Salt to taste

Note- For parathas the dough should be soft and potato for stuffing should be boiled one night/4-5 hours before preparation (preferably kept in refrigerator) which makes it hard and it doesn’t spill out while rolling the parathas.

Method-
For Dough-
Mix the flour, salt and water. Make the dough and keep it covered for 15-20 min (It will make the dough soft). Now knead the dough well (approx 5 min).And it’s ready for stuffing.

Stuffing-
Mix all the ingredients except wheat flour and oil.

Take stuffing and make small balls (size of golf ball). Take a small portion of dough. Roll it in small disk (puri). Take it in the Middle of your palm. Keep the stuffing ball at the center of the in the disk/ puri. Cover it from all the side with disk/puri and roll it smoothly. Roast it well on both the sides by applying oil. Before serving apply a teaspoon of butter and serve it with chilled curd, salad and pickle. Yum yum :)

Gobhi Paratha

Ahhh another paratha which I just love!!! Me being a north Indian want some or the other form of roti/paratha in my luch and dinner everyday. Since my husband also loves Parathas I try to make them atleast twice a week.
As everyone knows Cauliflower is a very versatile vegetable (atleast for me..I cook them with almost everything..hehehe). Like potato you can use it in mix veg, aloo gobhi, gobhi matar, pulav, gobhi manchurian and of course gobhi paratha. I love gobhi so I will be posting loads of recipes of gobhi in the blog. All the gobhi lovers can check this blog from time to time for other gobhi recipes :) Lets make yummy gobhi parathas..

Ingredients-
4-5 Parathas

Wheat Flour – 3cups
Finely chopped (approx ½ inch pieces) cauliflower – 2cups
Finally chopped Green chili – 1tbsp
Grated Ginger – 1tbsp
lemon juice(optional)- 1 tsp
Garam Masala powder – 1tsp
Turmeric powder – ½ tsp
Red chili powder – 1tsp
Chopped green coriander – 2tbsp
Oil/butter/ghee for roasting
Salt to taste

Note- One can add 1/2 cup of boiled and grated potatoes in the filling to avoid the filling to spill out while rolling the parathas. Vegans avoid ghee/butter as it is made of milk.

Method-
For Dough-
Mix the flour, salt and water. Make the dough and keep it covered for 15-20 min (It will make the dough soft). Now knead the dough well (approx 5 min).And it’s ready for stuffing. This makes 4-5 parathas.

Stuffing-
In a pan take 2 tbsp of oil. Add green chilies, cumin seeds, grated ginger, and cauliflower pieces. Mix it well, cover it and cook for 1 min. Now add turmeric and salt in that and cover it and cook till it becomes tender. Now put garam masala and chili powder and cook it without covering it for few min so that it becomes dry. Ones its done add green coriander and lemon juice and mix it well. Allow it to cool naturally. Ones it cools down mash it well. It’s ready for stuffing.

Take a small portion of dough. Roll it in small disk (puri). Take it in the Middle of your palm. Put approx 2tbsp filling at the center of the in the disk/ puri, cover the stuffing from all the side with disk/puri and roll it smoothly. Roast it well on both the sides by applying oil. Before serving apply a teaspoon of butter(optional) and serve it with chilled curd, salad and pickle.

Spinach-Pesto Pasta

Ingredients-
Serves 2

Almonds – 3/4 cup
Fresh Spinach- 4 oz
Garlic cloves – 3 (big)
Olive oil – ½ cup
Pepper- ½ tsp
Grated Parmesan Cheese – 1/2 cup
Your choice of Pasta – approx 6 oz
Salt and pepper (optional) to taste

Method-
Cook the pasta as per package instruction (I have used whole wheat pasta). Roast the almond and allow them to cool naturally. Now in a food processor combine spinach, garlic, almonds and salt and grind it to a smooth paste. Add the cheese and grid again. Add the oil at regular interval until you get the desired consistency. I like to keep almonds bit coarse rather than a powder which gives it a crunchy taste. Mix pasta in the sauce, sprinkle some freshly ground pepper (optional), garnish it with some cheese and serve it with roasted garlic bread and salad. Note – You can blanch the spinach before using to reduce its bitterness. You can replace the spinach and almonds with fresh basil and Pine nuts, which is used in authentic Pesto sauce.

Bell Pepper-Carrot Fry

This is my entry for "power-less cooking event" !!

Ingredients-
Serves 2

Lengthwise chopped Carrot - 1 cup
Lengthwise chopped Red/yellow bell pepper– 1cup
Lengthwise chopped Onion – 1cup
Chopped Ginger – 1tbsp
Chopped Green chili – 1tbsp (or as per taste)
Turmeric powder – ½ tsp
Red chili powder(optional) – 1/2tsp
Cumin powder – 1 tsp
Coriander powder – 1tbsp
Garam masala powder – 1 tsp
Hing/asafetida powder (optional) – ¼ tsp
Green Coriander – 1tbsp
oil - 2 tbsp

Method-
In a pan take 2tbsp oil. When it’s hot add onions and cook it on medium pan without covering the pan till they become light brown in color. Now add green chili and ginger. Cook it for few seconds and add carrots, salt and all the spices. Stir it, cover the pan and cook it on low flame till the carrots are done but still crispy, for around 3-4 min. Now add the red bell pepper, stir it and cook for another 2 min without covering the pan. Add 1/ tsp garam masala (optional) and green coriander and serve hot.

Besan Chilla/Dosa(Gram Flour Pancake)

Ingredients-
Serves 2

Besan/Gram flour- 1 1/2 cup
Rice flour (optional)- 1/4 cup
Grated zucchini- 1/2 cup
Grated carrot - 1/2 cup
Chopped coriander - 2 tbsp
Chopped Green chillies - as per taste
Grated Ginger- 1 tsp
Garam Masala- 1/2 tsp
Turmeric powder - 1/2 tsp
Red Chilli powder - 1/2 tsp
Salt as per taste.

Note- Rice flour helps in making the chilla/dosas crispy n makes the spreading of batter on pan easy. You can use any veges like finely chopped onions, grated squash or may be chopped spinach. Some people put Tomato too but I think it makes the chilla/dosas bit soft.

Method-
Make thick batter of all the ingredients with water. Add 1 tsp of oil (to make it crispy) in the batter. Put the pan on the flame (i prefer non-stick to avoid sticking and excess oil). grease the pan with 1/4 tsp of oil. Now make small pan cakes with the batter. Cook it both the sides by applying little oil. Serve hot with pickle or chutney or mango/peach salsa :)

Removing Odor From Room

Who doesn't like good smell and when it comes to good smelling house, I thoroughly believe that its well kept and clean:) But after cooking good spicy Indian food the whole house smells like a restaurant. And since in US one tends to use AC , it does wonders in spreading the smell in the entire house. It’s even worse when you have guests for lunch or dinner. Poor guests, sometimes they end up carrying the lovely aroma of spices in their hair and clothes!!!

In order to avoid such miracles I do following tricks (some of which I got from internet) -

• Lit few scented candles (candles absorbs the food odor really well) in the kitchen and living room while cooking along with switching on my exhaust fan. After finishing cooking, I spray an air freshener or sometimes warm scented oil in oil burner. Along with that opening window helps a lot in circulating fresh air in the room. Though it takes around an hour for the smell to completely go but it usually do the trick.
  
  
• keep potpourri in different corners of your house. Good Smell from that will help in reducing the cooking smell.
  
  
• Alternatively Combine 2 cups (16 fl oz/500 ml) water, 1 cup (8 fl oz/250 ml) vinegar and 1 tsp. whole cloves in a shallow, wide pan. Simmer uncovered for 10 to 15 minutes. Repeat later if needed.
  
  
• You can pick up a few favorite essential oils. They can be found in many floral shops or even craft and department stores or use your favorite perfume. Depending upon the scent you want, choose oil and place a few drops of it on a cotton ball then stash the cotton ball somewhere in the room you wish to scent, preferably on a small dish.
  
  
• You can make your own air freshener by taking two tablespoons of cinnamon and some orange/lemon peels or just add drops of spicy oil and boil them in a cup of water. Then allow the fresh scent to permeate throughout your house giving it a pleasant fruity smell. This will also help humidify the house as well as make it seem fresher.
  
  
• For removing cigarette odor, place a bowl of water and vinegar in the room. The vinegar-water will absorb the smoke.
  
  
• In order to remove smell of wood or fresh paint, place a bowl of coffee beans for few days in the room. It will absorb all the smell.
  
  
• Take a fresh orange, and using a toothpick poke holes through the rind. Stuff whole cloves through the holes. This makes a wonderful scent and lasts a while. You can even wrap a 1/4" - 1/2" wide ribbon around the orange so it can hang.
  
  
• To remove pungent cooking odors from cooking things such as cabbage or cauliflower, add a tablespoon of lemon juice to the cooking water. You can also add lemon juice to your dishwasher cup so that it smells lemony clean.
  
  
• Spicy air freshener using apple sauce and cinnamon-
  You need 1 cup of chilled apple sauce, 1/2 cup of ground cloves, 1/2 cup of ground cinnamon, and 1/2 cup of nutmeg. Mix all ingredients together and it will form a dough. Roll the dough out until it is 1/4" thick and cut into any shape you wish, with a cookie cutter or free hand.Using a straw poke a hole in the top of the shapes for hanging. Lay out shapes on wax paper until they are completely dry, which can take 24-48 hours. Insert ribbon or string through hole and hang as desired.
  
  
  
  
  

Banana -Strawberry Milkshake

This is my entry for JFI:Banana event.
In the morning when I want something healthy and quick I like this milkshake along with my cereals. It hardly takes me 5 mins to make it and in summers it's a bless :)

Ingredients-
Serves 1

Ripe Banana – 1
Strawberries – 2-3
Vanilla Ice cream – 1 scoop(optional)
Milk – 1 cup
Sugar to taste

Method-
Blend all the ingredients together along with some crushed ice. Banana Strawberry milkshake is ready to serve. Serve chilledIsn’t it easy and quick?

Spinach Pesto Pasta

Ingredients-
Serves 2-3

Almonds – 3/4 cup
Fresh Spinach- 4 oz
Garlic cloves – 3 (big)
Olive oil – ½ cup
Pepper- ½ tsp
Grated Parmesan Cheese – 1/2 cup
Your choice of Pasta – approx 6 oz
Salt and pepper (optional) to taste

Method-
Cook the pasta as per package instruction (I have used whole wheat pasta). Roast the almond and allow them to cool naturally. Now in a food processor combine spinach, garlic, almonds and salt and grind it to a smooth paste. Add the cheese and grid again. Add the oil at regular interval until you get the desired consistency. I like to keep almonds bit coarse rather than a powder which gives it a crunchy taste. Mix pasta in the sauce, sprinkle some freshly ground pepper (optional), garnish it with some cheese and serve it with roasted garlic bread and salad.

Note – You can blanch the spinach before using to reduce its bitterness. You can replace the spinach and almonds with fresh basil and Pine nuts, which is used in authentic Pesto sauce.

Spinach-Cheese Stuffed jalapeños

Ingredients -
Serves 2

Large fresh jalapeño peppers - 4
bread crumbs- 2 cups
Parmesan Cheese – 1 ½ cups
Spinach fresh- 4 cups, frozen- 2 cups
crushed black pepper- 1tsp
grated ginger- 1tsp

Note- Here I have used large jalapeños which are very mild in taste. If these are not available use red/green/yellow bell pepper. Split them in half length wise, remove the seeds and use. Stuffing has to be adjusted according to the size.

Method-
For stuffing-
In a pan take 1 tbsp of olive oil. When it’s hot add the spinach and ginger and stir fry it on medium heat till the water from spinach evaporates. Now add salt. Allow it to cool naturally. When it cools down, mix 1 cup cheese and 1 cup of bread crumb and crushed black pepper in it. Mix it well.

For jalapeños-
Split jalapenos in half length wise and remove the seeds. In a pan take 1tsp of oil and place the Jalapeños in that. Cover and cook them both the sides for 1-2 min till the color of the Jalapeños become pale. Allow them to cool naturally. Now stuff the Jalapeños with one layer of spinach-cheese mixture, one layer of cheese and one layer of breadcrumbs (this is to avoid the cheese from coming out). Secure the Jalapeños with toothpick. Now take 1 tbsp of oil in a pan and place the jalapenos in that. Cover it and cook it on both the sides for almost 3-4 min. Meanwhile add some more oil in order to avoid them for burning/sticking to the pan. Server hot with crisp salad :)

Stir Fried Garlic Noodles-

Ingredients-
Serves 2

Boiled pasta/noodles- 1 ½ cups
garlic finally chopped- 2 tbsp
green chillies chopped - 2 tbsp
Soya sauce - 2 tbsp
Vinegar – 1tsp
Red chili sauce- 2 tbsp
Black pepper powder - 1 tsp
Aji-no-moto (mono sodium glutamate) - ½ tsp (optional)
1 cup of following veges cut in thin strips –
Carrot ,Baby corn, Green/Red/yellow bell pepper, French beans

Note- Some sauces has extra salt in it so should be adjusted according to the taste . If you don like or want to avoid garlic, replace it with ginger. Use high flame for stir fry in order to avoid veges becoming soggy. Veges can be adjusted according the taste/availability.

Method-
Cook noodles/pasta according to the package instruction. In a sauce pan/wok take 4 tbsp oil. When the oil is smoking hot add garlic. Stir fry it till it becomes golden brown in color. Now add chopped green chilies and stir fry it for another ½ min. Now add all the veges and stir fry it on high flame for a min. Now add soya sauce, chilli sauce, vinegar, ajinomoto, salt and stir fry it for another ½ min. Now add the boiled pasta/noodles. Stir fry it on high flame for 2 min without covering it on high flame. Now add freshly ground black pepper, stir it well and Tadaaaaaaaaa!!! It’s ready to serve :)

Masala Baby Corn

Ingredients-
Serves 4

Canned baby corn 7 nos- cut in around 1/4 inches thick rounds
Onion chopped-1 cup
Tomato pure of 2 large tomatoes
gram flour (Besan) - 1 ½ tbsp
Green chillies chopped – ½ tsp
Cumin seeds – 1 tsp
Garam Masala- 1 tsp
Coriander Powder – 1 ½ tbsp
Red chilli powder – 1/2tsp
Grated ginger- 1tbs
Asafetida (Hing)- a pinch
Oil – 4 tbsp
Salt to taste

Note- All the spices can be adjusted according to the taste. If you don get canned baby corn, fresh ones can also be used. Cook them in boiled water till they are tender but still crisp. For people who don't eat onions can skip it. After cooking the gram flour add Tomato pure in it.

Method-
Take 3 tbsp oil in a pan, add asafetida and cumin seeds. When they start cracking add gram flour, stir it continuously and cook till it becomes light brown in color and a nice aroma starts coming out of it, say for almost a min. now add onions and add the remaining 1tbsp oil. Cook till they become golden brown in color (You may not be able to see the color of the onions may be because of the gram flour so cook it uncovered for almost 3-4 min. stir t in between in order to avoid them from burning). Now add the tomato puree and all the spices except salt. Cover it and cook it for almost 3 min on medium flame (the gravy will become red in color and oil will be visible on the surface). Now add the baby corns and salt. Stir it well and cook for 1 min without covering the pan. Now add 1 ½ cup of water (water can be adjusted according to the consistency of the gravy one wants). Now cover it and cook for almost 10 min on low flame. Garnish with coriander and serve with roti, naan or rice :)

Namkeen

This is again a very simple dish to cook and people from different region cook it in different way. If I am not wrong its called 'Vagharlela bhaat' in marathi and in my house it's called as 'Namkeen'. This is one of the dishes which I can eat almost every day. In my school days I have taken this daily in my lunch box for almost 2 years:) It was a major hit amongst my friends. So here is the recipe...

Ingredients-
Serves 2

Cooked Rice - 3 cups
Peanuts - 1/4 cup
Green peas - 1/4 cups
Mustard seeds - 1 tsp
Cumin seeds - 1tbsp
sliced Onions- 1 cup
Turmeric- 1/2 tsp
oil- 3tbsp
Kadi patta-3-4
Green chillies (as per taste)
Salt (as per taste)
For Garnishing-
Tomatoes(optional) - 1/2 cup
Grapes(optional)-1/2cup
Cucumber(optional)-1/4cup

Note- Rice should be preferably left over from the previous night or cooked 1-2 hrs in advance. This will prevent it sticking to the pan else it will become too soggy. I have used Basmati Rice but it tastes equally yummy with other rices too.

Method-
In a pan take oil. When its hot add peanuts. Roast it on medium heat for few minutes. When it will become slight brown in color add cumin and mustard seeds. when seeds will start spluttering add kadi patta and chopped green chillies. After 10-15 seconds add onions. Cook it for around 2 min till it becomes golden brown. Now add green peas. Cook it for 2 min. Add salt and termeric powder. stir it well and add cooked rice. Reduce the heat to low and mix it well. cover it and cook it for 2-3 min.if you want to add tomatoes this is the time to add chopped tomatoes. Add and cover the pan. The steam from the rice will cook the tomatoes. They will not become soggy but cooked and crunchy. Sprinkle some green coriander. Sever it hot. I garnish it with chopped cucumber and grapes. And if you don't have cucumber or grapes, squeeze some fresh lemon juice and it will increase the taste. Enjoy!!!

Crispy Salad

Though there is no rocket science in making salad but I am still writing the recipe. The blow Ingredients are the one which I like. You can substitute them or add some other veges also in the salad(what a tip ;))

Ingredients-
Serves 3-4

Zucchini
Squash
Carrots
Tomato
Cucumber
Romain/Iceberg Lettuce Leaves
Green and black olives
Corn
Red/Yellow/green Bell Pepper
Ready made Salad Dressing
Dry druits (almonds or sunflower seeds)
Cheese for garnishing

Method-
Though you can mix all the ingredients given above just like that but i prefer roasting my zucchini, bell peppers, squash and corn. You can roast them in oven but for me the easiest way is roasting them in a pan on high flame with less or no oil (preferably olive oil). I do one vege at a time. while they are roasting i put some salt and dried oregano (or any herbs you like) which gives it good taste and aroma. Allow to cool the veges naturally before using them. Now toss all the veges together. Add the dressing which are easily available in the market with good number of selection. Another thing which I do is I keep my veges after mixing (before mixing the dressing) in the fridge and whenever its time to serve mix the dressing, dry nuts and sprinkle some Feta/Parmesan cheese. Yummy salad is ready to attack!!!

Idli, Dosa & Uttapam

I think this is the simplest way of making Idli, dosa and uttapam. These are one of my favourite dishes. I want them at least once a week. But I hate all the work which is needed for making them. So here is something which my husband's taught me. It super quick idea of making fluffy Idlies,crispy Dosas and Uttapam.


Ingredients-
Rice Flour- 2 1/4 cup
Udar Flor- 1 cup
Dry Yeast - 1 tsp (I use Star Active dry yeast)
Salt to taste

Method-

Idli-

Mix Rice and Udad flour (which you will easily get in any Indian store),
add water as per the requirement(add little water at a time). Beat it till it forms a good paste. It requires loads of hardwork to mix the flour so I will recommend a hand blender for beating. The flour should be thick enough (thicker than the pouring consistancy). After that sprinkle the dry yeast
and keep it covered overnight (around 8-10 hrs). In the morning its size
will become almost double. so remember to take a big vessel. Before making Idlies or dosa add salt according to your taste. Mix it well. Grease the idli mould, add 1tbsp batter in each mould (it will become double the size) and steam the idlies for almost 6-7 mins. I use cooker without the whistle (My mother-in-law's trick). I use almost a cup and half of water (the lowest level of the idli stand should be above the water so you should adjust accordingly) Keep it on high flame for initial 2 min then on low flame for almost 3-4 min. You can open the cover of the cooker and see whether idlies are done or not (for that I poke a knife in the idli and if it's coming out easily and clean, its done). Allow the cooker to cool naturally and tadaaaa.... your idlies are ready to server. yummmmy!!! Serve it with hot sambhar and chutney.

Dosa-

I prefer the batter to be bit thinner as compared to idli batter. The trick is you should be able to make dosas smoothly. So adjust the water accordingly.

Uttapam-

I use the same consistenncy batter which I use for the Dosa.
Add onion, tomato, coriander and green chillies in that and server it hot

Note- After using the batter, keep it in the fridge as Yeast keeps on fermenting in a high speed and this way it will ferment very slowly and batter will last for a longer time. If possible don't keep the batter for more than a day as it will start smelling coz of over fermentation.

Mooli Paratha

Like any other North Indian, I also love parathas. Every paratha has its own distinct taste and one of them which is my favourite is Mooli Paratha. Though bit time consuming but tastes amazing. That day after seeing an oversized mooli(radish) in the groccery store, I couldn't resist myself from buying it. I made 2 things with that giant radish one is instant mooli pickle and another is Mooli paratha. For the pickle I will post the recipe later but here it goes the recipe for Mooli Paratha.

Ingredients-
6-7 parathas

Mooli (Radish)- 1 Medium
Wheat Flour for dough - 3 cups
Jeera powder - 1tsp
Saunf powder - 1tsp
Garam masala - 1tbsp
Chat masala- 1/2 tsp
Red chili powder 1tsp
Turmeric powder ½ tsp
ginger (finely chopped)- 1tsp
Green coriander (finely chopped) - 2tbsp
Green chilies (finely chopped)- 1 tbsp
Lemon juice
Salt to taste
Note- All the spices can be adjusted according to the taste

Method-
For Filling-
Grated mooli (approx 3 cups). Add salt and keep it covered for 15-30 min. After 15-30 min squeeze the water from the grated mooli. Please note, there should not be any water left else it will be difficult to roll the parathas. Don’t throw the water (It can be used in making dough). After squeezing water it will become half of its quantity (one and a half cups). In a pan take 1 ½ tbsp oil. Add chopped ginger, green chilies. Roast them well. After 1 min Add grated mooli. Roast it for 1 min without covering the pan. Now add all the spices one by one and roast it well for around 2-3 min. Add the lemon juice and green coriander in the end. Allow it to cool naturally. The mixture should be dry else it will be tough to make parathas.

For Dough-
Mix the Wheat Flour, salt and the squeezed juice from grated mooli (it will increase the taste). Please remember that the squeezed juice already has salt so adjust the salt accordingly. If required add more water. Bind all the flour together. Keep the dough covered for 15-20 min (It will make the dough soft). Now knead the dough well (approx 5 min) and it’s ready for stuffing.

For Paratha –
Take a small portion of dough. Roll it in small disk (puri). Take it in the Middle of your palm. Keep 1-2tbsp of filling in the puri. Cover it from all the side and roll it smoothly. Roast it well on both the sides by applying oil. Before serving put a teaspoon of butter and serve it with cool curd, salad and green chili pickle. Yummy!!!