Corn Capsicum Masala with Gulab Jamuns for ICC

Dear All,

Hows everyone doing? I hope the sun is shining bright in your side of the world :-)  This post is little late but better late than never right? For this months Indian Cooking Challenge Srivalli chose Gulab Jamuns, one of the most favorite indian sweet of all time. This was also the first time I prepared gulab jamuns using khoya and they turned out to be simply melt in mouth type! Making khoya at home is little time consuming but if you use ready made khoya than making gulab jamuns at home is so very easy and quite simple too.

Recipe for Gulab Jamuns:
1 cup khoya (250 gms)
1/2 cup maida (all purpose flour)
1 pinch of baking soda
Oil/Ghee for frying

Recipe for Sugar Syrup:
1 cup of sugar
1 1/2 cups of water
few saffron strands
4 Cardamon pods
2 tsp of rose water

Procedure for Gulab Jaums:

• For jamuns, mix khoya, maida and baking soda together. Knead together and make small balls.
• For sugar syrup, heat together all the ingredients and let is simmer for 10 mins until one thread consistency is reached.
• Deep fry the jamuns on low heat so that they are cooked evenly.
• Remove and drain excess oil on paper towels.
• Add the jamuns in sugar syrup and let them soak in syrup for 3 to 4 hours. You can also keep them over night.
• Serve warm and to top it up add a dollop of vanilla ice cream :-)

Winter has already started here, its the time of the year for shawls and pullovers, good old morning walks have returned. Its the time of the year when you feel lazy and getting up early in the morning sounds like climbing a mountain. Its also the time when we crave for something warm and welcoming especially during the nights. On one such chilly evening I prepared Corn Capsicum Masala a perfect combo with rotis and pickle.

Ingredients for Corn Capsicum Masala:
1 cup sweet corn (200 gms)
2 medium green capsicum, chopped
2 medium tomatoes, quatered
2 medium onions, quatered
2 green chillies
1 tsp ginger paste
1 - 2 tsp fresh cream (malai can also be used)
1 - 2 tsp oil
2 bay leaf
1 cinnamon stick
1/2 tsp turmeric powder
1 - 2 tsp sugar
1 tsp coriander powder
1 tsp cumin powder
1 tsp garam masala powder
Salt to taste


Procedure:

• Grind together tomatoes, onions, green chillies and ginger paste with very little water into a smooth paste.
• Heat oil in a pan, add in bay leaves, cinnamon stick and tomato-onion paste. Fry for 3 to 4 mins until raw smell of onion disappears.
• Now add in the masalas, capsicum and sweet corn. Add little water if required.
• Cover and cook for 10 to 15 mins until well cooked. Make sure you have enough water so that the curry doesnt get burnt.
• Just before serving add in fresh cream and give a quick turn.
• Serve warm with hot rotis or phulkas.

Maggi Or Pasta?.....its a Fusion

Dear All,

As you all know by now, how much I love to experiment, this bug of experimenting with different cuisines  didnt suddenly bite me, it all started right from my school days when i used to actively help my mom in the kitchen. Many a times my mom would ask me to make simple dal or dry vegetable curry for my dad's tiffin and what a surprise my dad would get when he took his first bite as the taste would be completely different than what my mom prepares... thanks to my little experiments :)

My todays recipe is one of our family favorites, the result of another experiment which started in school days and continues till date. Maggi is probably one of the most loved dish across all age groups. I havent come across anyone who isnt fond of Maggi noodles and i know lots of people who donot like chocolates..duh..can you believe it? It is the dish with which many of us have started our journey in the kitchen, am i wrong?

Back in my good old school days, I used to often visit my aunts place (my mom's elder sis) during summer vacations. They has this tradition where every sunday morning the whole family sits together and enjoys the breakfast, and yes you guessed it right, the breakfast would be Maggi noodles! During those days there was only one kind of flavor available, the masala one and we kids would generously sprinkle tomato ketchup on top and devour these until we licked up the entire bowl...yes we were that crazy!

I think before you all fall asleep I'll get to the recipe, I have always been a very big fan of italian cuisine, especially pastas with fresh herbs..basil being my favorite and recently i have discovered my new love for parsley. During school days and even now at home we have tulsi  (basil) plants, i usually grab some handful of leaves from my plant and use them....love the aroma of some freshly plucked basil, its unbeatable! I have used lots of fresh herbs here mainly basil and parsley with a tinge of paprika and dry oregano. The dish is extremely easy to prepare and tastes fabulous, i would say a perfect meal for a weeknight..did i mention its healthy and fulfilling too?

This is off to "Family Recipes"  an monthly event hosted by HoneyB and Laura

(Meal for 2 people)
Ingredients:
3 packets of Maggi noodles, broken into half (I used the Masala flavored)
1 big onion, sliced thinly
1 red bell pepper, chopped
1/3 cup of frozen green peas
1 small red jalapeno, chopped finely
1/2 tsp turmeric powder
1 tsp paprika powder
1 tsp dry oregano
2-3 tbsp of freshly chopped basil
2-3 tbsp of freshly chopped parsley
Salt to taste
1 olive tbsp oil
4 cups of water

Procedure:

• Heat olive oil in a big deep vessel or a pan, add in sliced onions and chopped jalapenos. Saute onions for 2-3 mins until soft.
• Add in the bell peppers and green peas, with turmeric powder, paprika, oregano and salt. Cook the bell peppers and green peas for 3 to 4 mins.
  
• Now add in the maggi noodles, along with 4 cups of water.
• Cook the noodles with the vegetables for 7 to 8 mins until cooked.
• Finally add freshly chopped basil and parsley and give a quick stir.
• Serve hot!
  

Creamy Eggplant and Bell Pepper Stew with few rants

Dear Foodies,

I cant tell you how much i have missed blogging in last two weeks. I felt as if an important part of me was missing. I thought all my blogger friends will forget me :((( thats seriously a scary thought and gave me nightmares! Blogging started with a hobby and now has become a passion for me. This blog gave me lots of new things, a new identity, people from all over the world visit my blog and appreciate my efforts, its such a great feeling and thats what every blogger is craving for, right? I got so many new and extremely talented friends, whom i respect and love for their talent of creating marvellous dishes, this blog is also a place where i can share my views and of course my recipes and experiments!

Shifting to a new place has some serious disadvantages. I have misplaced so many things which i am not able to find, either they are taken away by JADOO (remember KMG?) or i have a ghost in my house! Every morning there is a treasure hunt going on, the only difference being there is no actual treasure to be won but only to find my misplaced things back. Boxes and bags are lying around and with working 12 to 16 hours a day I hardly find time to sleep forget cooking and unpacking. Seriously gals if you are living alone dont ever shift apartments, its bad idea. My new kitchen is quite smaller as compared to the older one, it finishes the moment i step in :( At first i thought its ok as this is only a temporary place and as i will be moving back to india in another 2 months but now it has actually started to bother me, which in turn is worrying me .....ah ....sigh....

Now in such a scenario i require something comforting to my taste buds. No traditional khichdis or rasams and rice but today i present you extremely delicious and easy "Stew". Stewing is a method of cooking meat or vegetables using small quantity of liquid at a moderate heat for a long time. This way of cooking helps in enhancing the flavors in the dish and also helps in absorbing the spices in the meats and veggies. More information on Stews here. Do read it, quite interesting! I have adapted the below recipe from Pooja's traditional Ishtu. Thanks Pooja for this wonderful recipe, its one of my favorites now :)

EC, Rekha, Sanghi Indrani and Muneeba all have passed the below wards to me, once again thank you gals, this drives me to deliver more....oooohh talking like an IT professional now, arnt i? Thank you for having faith in me. The tag i have answered in my previous post here.

Ingredients: 1 big eggplant chopped 1 bell pepper chopped (i used an orange one) 1 spring onion chopped 1 medium onion thinly sliced 1 can coconut milk (400 ml) 2 green chillies slit 1 tsp black pepper 1 tbsp olive oil 3 elaichi (cardamon seeds) 1 cinnamon stick 3 cloves 1 bay leaf 1 tsp ginger paste Salt to taste 1/2 cup of water Procedure:

• Heat olive oil in a pan, add cinnamon, bay leaf, cardamon seeds , cloves, ginger paste and green chillies.
• Temper for a min, now add in sliced onions and spring onion, keep some greens aside for garnishing.
• Cook them until soft, now add in eggplant and bell peppers chopped.
• Saute for another 2 mins and then add the coconut milk, water, salt and pepper.
• Cover and cook on slow to medium heat for 15 to 20 mins, until eggplants have absorbed the flavors and are cooked.
• Garnish with some srping onion greens.
• Serve the stew warm accompanied with a bread or enjoy it with steaming rice.

Cheesy Bell Pepper Swirls..little drops from heaven

I was planning to make these from a very long time but never got around to it. Finally I made them yesterday night and they came out like small drops from heaven, the crust was flaky and crunchy with cheesy bell peppers spiced with jalepenos,basil and chilli sauce....oh my just writing the post made me hungry. I had first seen these here, but the filling used was spinach and cheese, though the reviews were great, i was skeptical of the combination, me not a big fan of spinach or cheese, plus i dont like using frozen spinach, and i didnt have any fresh ones in hand. On the other hand i had lots of bell peppers, i always have them, thats the only veggie which is always available in my fridge. I created my own stuffing and it turned out to be perfect.

For the crust i had bought these small pastry puff sheets thought it would be easier with them, no kneading, rolling or cutting required but fate had something else planned for me!!!!! After coming back from office, i removed the pastry puffs from freezer to get them to room temperature and i started working on my stuffing. Stuffing really didnt take much time, was ready in 10 mins. It was written on the pastry puff packed to keep them at room temperature for about 40 mins so still 30 mins to go. Oh well i felt like taking a short nap but again fate ditched and sent some visitors uffff... These days i get lots of visitors coming in to view my apartment as i will be vacating the same in few months. A couple came yesterday from france and the worst part both didnt know english, only the wife could speak tits and bits of english words, I myself being expert in french with knowing only words like Merci, Bonjour didnt make the task easier :( The only words common between us was "OK", it was so tedious to try to make them understand using sign language, in normal circumstances it wouldnt take not more than 15 mins but with them it took me almost an hour to show around the house and explain the details. Between completely forgot about the pastry puff sheets!!!! i thought the sheets would probably be seperated with a parchment paper but to my horror they all were stick together so much for the easier way!!!! Ah but do i look like i'll give up on some stupid pastry puff sheets? nah...so here's what i did, i rolled the entire thing into one big dough, divided into 4 equal balls , rolled and cut them into rectangles and this way made my own pastry puff sheets!!! of course not entirely from scratch but did save a disaster from happening :) If you are a cheese and bell pepper fan..you ve got to try this even if you are not may be you'll become one after trying this :) its so simple and easy to make and yet tastes heavenly..i can go on and on for these :) I liked them so much that i'll probably keep them as one of the starter items in my wedding/engagement party.....ah naaa dont get any signals here...m still single and not ready to mingle, but doesnt hurt to plan right? Ah i think i have bored you guys a lot today, oh before i forget sending these to AFAM-Bell Peppers guest hosted by my dear friend Priya, mastermind of Maheshwari. Also sending these to BSI:Bell Peppers hosted this week by Jenn of Bread + Butter

Ingredients: 4 pastry puff sheets thawed* 1 big red bell pepper chopped finely 1 big yellow bell pepper chopped finely 2 spring onions with their greens chopped finely 2 medium jalepenos chopped (I like spicy) 1/2 cup grated cheese 1 tsp olive oil 1 tsp red chillie paste 1/2 tsp black pepper powder (optional) 1/2 tsp dry basil powder 1/2 tsp sugar (optional) Salt to taste Procedure:

• Preheat the oven at 200 degrees C.
• In a sauce pan, heat olive oil, add in bell peppers, jalepenos, basil, spring onions, salt, pepper, sugar,red chilli paste and saute for 5 mins. You dont want to cook them mushy.
• Take a pastry puff sheet onto lightly floured surface, spread the bell pepper stuffing leaving little space on the sides. Top it with grated cheese and fold the sheet carefully into a tight roll sticking the sides together with little water if required.
• Cut 1/2 inch slices of the roll. Similarly stuff and roll the other 3 pastry sheets as well and cut them into slices.
• I have used my pizza dish to bake the swirls, you can use the normal baking dish.
• Line the baking dish with a parchment paper or foil and bake them for 20 to 30 mins or until light brown.

*Please Note: Number of pastry sheets may vary depending upon the size of the pastry sheets. Baking time may also vary , in the original recipe its mentioned to bake for 15 mins, but mine took more than 30 mins.

Indian Style Spaghetti Pasta with Olive Oil

I had packet of spaghetti pastas in my pantry from a very long time. Usually for my pastas i make the tomato sauce at home but that day i was feeling lazy after long days work to make the sauce as the result i made this spaghetti using Indian spices and veggies. I was extremely happy with the final results, spaghetti was delicious and spicy, totally mouth watering. Olive oil gives a very distinct taste which i love and its healthy too. I have used red bell peppers, onions and green beans for veggies, you can use various different combinations. Next time i'll add in some baby corns and spring onions. The below recipes serves 2 people. This dish is off to AFAM - Olives hosted by Priya started by Maheshwari . This dish also goes to FIC Red & Green hosted by Neha, started by Sunshinemom of TongueTicklers

Ingredients:
1 small packet of spaghetti (Serve for 2 people)
1 cup veggies thinly sliced (green beans, onions and red bell peppers)
1 tsp olive oil
3 green chillies slit
1 tsp cumin seeds
1 tsp red chili powder
1/2 tsp turmeric powder
1 tsp cumin powder
1 tsp coriander powder
Salt to taste

Procedure:

• Boil the spaghetti pasta along with little salt and 1tsp of olive oil till tender and cooked. Drain and keep aside.
• In a sauce pan, heat the olive oil, add in cumin seeds and split green chilies. As the cumin seeds start to splutter add in the veggies, red chili, turmeric, cumin and coriander powders and salt.
• Cover and cook for about 15 to 20 mins on low heat until cooked.
• For serving mix spaghetti and vegetables and serve hot. 
• Garnish with spring onions and coriander.

Bell Pepper and Onions in creamy cashewnut gravy

It was dinner time and there were no veggies in my pantry. I had few potatoes, onions and bell peppers. Oh damn!! i thought, should have done my grocery shopping on the weekend...so i did some random mixing and BAM!!! I got this wonderful rich and creamy dish, which I absolutely loved. I have used bell peppers and onions for this dish, i left out potatoes as i dont prefer potatoes in a curry dish. The gravy i made using cashewnuts , onions along with roasted chana dal. Next time i may add in some baby corns and paneer to give it a more rich taste. The recipe below serves 4 people. This dish is off to Lets Go Nuts Cashewnuts hosted by Poornima of Tasty Treats and to Aquadaze of ServedWithLove

Ingredients:

1 Bell Pepper chopped into cubes

2 medium onions chopped

1 tbsp oil

1 tsp cumin seeds

1 tsp turmeric powder

1 tsp red chilli powder

1 tsp corainder powder

1 tsp garam masala powder

1 tsp sugar

pinch of Asafoetida (Hing)

Salt to taste

Cilantro for garnishing

For Gravy:

2 onions cut into 4 pieces each

50 gms cashewnuts

2 tbsp roasted chana dal

2-3 green chillies chopped

1 tsp ginger paste

Procedure:

• For gravy, grind together all the ingredients with little water into a smooth paste, keep aside.
• In a non stick pan heat oil, add in cumin seeds and asafoetida, when cumin seeds starts to splutter add in the gravy mixture.
• Now add chopped onions, bell peppers, turmeric powder, red chilli powder, corainder powder, garam masala , salt and sugar. Add enough water as chana dal absorbs lot of water and we want to make sure the gravy does not get burnt.
• Cover and cook for 15 to 20 mins on medium heat or until the onions and bell peppers are cooked. Keep stirring in middle just to be sure that the gravy doesnt stick to the bottom of the pan. Add more water if required.
• Garnish with chopped cilantro and serve hot with paratha or rice.

Moong dal chilla with twist of bell peppers

I was waiting to prepare this dish from a very long time. Ealier too i had tried to prepare but unfortunately my mixie broke that day and i had to wait until i got a new one. So finally i made them today for lunch, while making them i suddenly i saw one red bell pepper on my fridge shelf an i realized that this combination would would be perfect for the FIL-Red and Green. This recipe is off to Neha who is hosting FIL- Red and Green event and to Sunshinemom of Tongue Ticklers. The recipe below will make around 4 to 6 chillas.

Ingredients:

1 cup split green gram

2 tsp urad dal

1 medium onion finely chopped

1 red bell pepper finely chopped

3 green chillies

1 tsp ginger paste

Salt to taste

oil to cook

Procedure:

• Soak split green gram and urad al seperately in water over night or for 4-5 hours.
• Grind together green gram, urad dal, green chillies, ginger paste and salt along with little water into smooth paste.
• Add in chopped onions and bell peppers, mix well.
• Heat a non stick pan, drizzle little oil and spread the batter and event out using a spoon.
• Drizzle little oil on the sides of the chilla, cover and cook on both the sides for about 5-7 mins or until light brown in color.
• Serve hot with corainder chutney or tomato ketchup.

Bell Pepper and Spring Onion Parathas

Saturday is our official day for grocery shopping as on weekdays we dont get much time after office. Every week we make sure we get a big bunch of Bell peppers. Right from my childhood days I am very fascinated by bell peppers, back then red and yellow bell peppers were not that easily available in the market and hence were not very common at home. As I am very fond of Bell Peppers, i try to do lot of experiments with them, right from pastas to parathas, thats right parathas and what else would go with them other than lovely green spring onions. So here's my recipe for Bell Pepper and Spring Onions parathas. The below recipe will make around 4 -5 medium sized parathas. You can either have them with plain yogurt or with pickle, they are ideal for tiffin lunch..:) I am sending this recipe to Single Serving Recipe event hosted by Sahaja of SpicyRasam and also to Monthly Mingle - Kids Lunches hosted by Srivalli of Cooking4AllSeasons, originally started by Meeta of WhatsForLunchHoney

Ingredients:

For dough

2 cup wheat flour or chapatti flour

1 pinch salt

1 tbsp oil

warm water to knead

For Filling

1 big Red Bell Pepper cut into small pieces

1 big Yellow Bell Pepper cut into small pieces

1 bunch of spring onions finely cut

2 green chillies finely cut

1 tsp salt

1/2 tsp turmeric powder

1/2 tsp black pepper powder(optional)

1/2 tsp sugar

1/2 tsp garam masala powder

1/2 tsp chaat masala

1 tbsp oil

Procedure:

• Mix together wheat flour, salt and oil. Slowly add in warm water and knead into a soft dough. Cover and keep is aside for atleast half an hour.
• For the filling, heat oil in a non stick pan, add all the ingredients except spring onions.
• Cover the mixture and let it cook for around 5 to 7 mins, until bell pepers are partly cooked. Now add in the spring onions.

• Cover and cook again for another 5 mins. Remove from heat and cool it completely.
• For making parathas, make lemon sized ball, roll this dough using a rolling pin on floured surface to make a small circle of about 4 inch diameter.
• Place a spoonful of filling mixture in middle of the dough, fold in the sides and seal them together.
• Roll this dough again using flour into 1/2 cm thick rotis taking care that filling doesnt come out while rolling them.
• Cook the paratha on medium heat either using oil or ghee.
• Serve hot parathas with curd, pickle or raita.