Spaghetti With Pesto.

Spaghetti With Pesto. This is such a easy recipe which can be cooked in 10minutes, if you have a pesto ready, all you have to do is just boil the spaghetti and add pesto with some Parmesan and your lunch or dinner is ready with some fresh salad. I have used store bought pesto. But pesto can be made easily at home and store for couple of weeks and will surely post a recipe for pesto also shortly.

Ingredient's.

500g pack spaghetti

3 tbsp pesto (home made or store bought)

50g Parmesan grated or other cheese.

Cooking Method.

Boil spaghetti in a large pan according to pack instructions. Drain well, then return to the pan with the pesto and half the Parmesan. Toss well, then add it to the serving bowl and sprinkle with the remaining Parmesan.

Chicken Dum Pulao/ Chicken Pulao.

Chicken Dum Pulao. I cook chicken dum briyani very often and everybody loves it and this time for a change I cooked this pulao with very less ingredients and it tasted awesome like briyani only. This is very easy to cook dish and can be cooked as dum or even in pressure cooker too. Actually this pulao tastes better when it cooked 5 to 6 hours before and served with chilled onion raita..

Ingredients.

1/2 kg rice or Basmati rice 

Chicken 1/2 kg

1/2cup green peas

2 big size onion

3 green chilly (chopped) 

4 to 5tbsp of chopped coriander and mint leafs

2tbsp Ginger, garlic paste

1/2tsp turmeric, 1tbsp coriander powder, 1tbsp garam masala 

1/2cup curd, 2tbsp lemon juice

2 bay leafs, 1 cinnamon stick, 2 green cardamom

2 cloves, 1 big black cardamom, 2 star anise

1tbsp shah jeera

Salt as per taste

Oil as per your requirment.

Cooking method.

Wash and soak the rice in enough water for 20 to 30 minutes.

Heat the deep frying pan add oil, when oil is hot, add shah jeera, bay leaves, cinnamon, green cardamom, cloves, star anise and leave till it become's brown. 

Then add onion, ginger garlic paste fry for till the onion becomes lite golden brown, then add chicken, turmeric, and salt, fry it till the chicken starts leaving oil. 

After that add coriander powder and garam masala, give a quick stir, then add curd, lemon, green chilly, green peas and mix well, then add 2tbsp of mint and coriander leafs and mix it well.

Half boil the rice in a seprate pan. add water in to rice as per it required's. drain the water from rice and then add the half boiled rice into the chicken pan and give gentle stir. Then sprinkle from top left over mint and coriander leafs. (you can make as layers also like dum briyani , but I have made it together like pulao). Cover the lid and cook till the rice is completely cooked in a medium flame.

Serve hot hot with Raita.

Grilled Veggie Panini/ Grilled Vegetable Sandwich.

Grilled Veggie Panini is a grilled sandwich made from bread other than sliced bread. You can add any vegetables and salami of your choice or sausage also can be used. This will make a ideal breakfast or dinner sandwich along with some chips, as this has all the goodness of veggies, cheese and meat which will make a complete meal by itself and it is very easy to make and delicious to eat. I don't have grilled pan so I used tava and the sandwich came out well. Do try and enjoy this yummy sandwich.

Ingredient's.

4 Thick Slices of Sourdough Bread

4 slices of chicken salami

4 thinly sliced Zucchini

2 Portobello Mushrooms, cleaned and sliced on a diagonal 

1/2cup shredded cheese

Extra Virgin Olive Oil

1 Tbsp of Balsamic Vinegar

2tbsp of Pesto or garlic mayo

Salt and Pepper, to taste.

Cooking Process.

Preheat a grill pan or Tava over medium-high heat.

Drizzle the mushrooms and zucchini with some olive oil and season with salt and pepper. 

Grill the veggies for a few minutes on each side on the hot grill pan or until they develop some grill marks and have softened. Remove to a plate and drizzle some balsamic vinegar on top, set aside. 

Spread 1tbsp of pesto or garlic mayo on one piece of the bread (the bottom piece) and place some shredded cheese on top. Start layering veggies and salami on top of the cheese, and top the veggies with one more of cheese, put the top bun on.

Brush both sides of the outside of the bread with a little oil and grill them either on the grill pan or in a panini press until the cheese is fully melted and the outside is nice and crunchy.

Serve hot with some potato chips.

Spicy Madras Egg Curry.(Pressure Cooker Version)

Spicy Madras Egg Curry. Here in Britain, Madras curries are so common that you'll find in each and every Indian restaurant. According to the local people it is very hot and spicy, but for me it was very bland and after trying in few restaurant I was so much in mood to cook my own version of spicy madras curries. I have tried in chicken, mutton and egg too, but this is the curry most loved by my husband. I have tried making the madras curry masala at home and it taste better then the store bought one and will be posting the recipe for masala also in next post. This gravy taste better if it is little thin but you can make gravy according to your choice thin or thick. Do try this spicy curry at home and enjoy with your family.

Ingredient's.

4 hard boiled eggs

2 medium size onion, 2 green chilly, 2 medium size tomato (finely chopped)

1tsp madras curry masala

1/2tsp turmeric, 1tsp coriander powder

1tsp red chilly powder, 1tsp garam masala

1tbsp ginger garlic paste

1/2tsp cumin seeds

2 bay leaves

2 dry red chillies

1tsp kasoori meethi

3tbsp oil + 1tbsp for frying eggs

Salt as per taste.

Cooking Method.

In a non-stick pan, add 1tbsp oil and fry the eggs to golden brown and keep it aside.

In a pressure cooker add oil, cumin, bay leaves, dry red chillies, when they splutter, add onion and chilly fry till it become’s golden brown, add all the masala powder and ½ cup water, fry till it starts leaving oil, add tomato and cook till all the masala has come together, that will take about 5 to 6 minutes.

Then add fried eggs, kasoori meethi, salt and mix. Add another 2cups of water, cover the lid and cook for 2 whistle (1 in high flame and 2 in low flame). Allow the pressure to go completely before you open the cooker.

Garnish with coriander leafs

Serve with Ghee Rice, Plain Rice or Jeera Rice and Roti.

Adai/Lentil Dosa

Adai is a very famous South Indian dish which is made out of mix lentils and rice. You can add your choice of green leaves or veggies to make it more healthier and It is usually prepared for breakfast, but I even prefer to eat any time of the day. It is very simple to prepare and does not need much planning as for dosa and the good thing about this adai is, it does not need fermentation and you can prepare in no time. All you have to do just soak the rice and mix lentils for about 2 to 3hours. Then grind it to paste and make adai. Adai is usually little thicker then the dosa. It goes well with avial, coconut chutney or as it is.

Ingredient's.

1cup rice

1/2cup mix lentils(toor dal, urad dal, channa dal)

5 to 6 dry red chillis

10 curry leaves

1/2tsp finely chopped ginger

1/4tsp asafoetida/hing

Salt to taste

Oil for making adai.

Cooking Method.

Soak rice and dal together for 2- 3 hours.

Grind it to smooth paste along with red chilli, curry leaves, ginger, hing and salt. The batter should not be thick nor watery.

Heat a griddle or a non stick tawa and pour a ladle full of batter and spread it in circular motion. Drizzle a tsp of oil around the adai. Let it get cooked. Once cooked remove from tawa.

Serve it hot with coconut chutney, avial or as it is.

Mutton Kofta And Potato Curry.

Mutton Kofta And Potato Curry. Making kofta use to be always a big task for me in the beginning but now it is one hand game and I try making more and more kofta's using many kinds of meat and even vegetables. Though this recipe takes a bit more time compare to the other recipe but trust me it is worth trying and this yummy curry can making a nice combination with rice or roti.

Ingredient's for kofta.

100 gram mutton kheema

2tsp coconut paste, 2 green chillies

2tbsp chopped coriander leaves

6 curry leaves

1tsp ginger garlic paste

2tbsp besan (chickpeas flour)

1/2tsp red chilly powder, 1/2tbsp coriander powder, 1/4tsp turmeric

1/2tsp black pepper

Salt to taste.

Ingredient's for curry.

2 medium potato (cut into small pieces)

1 small onion, 2 small tomatos, 3 green chillis

Handful of chopped coriander leaves, 8 curry leaves

1tsp ginger garlic paste

1/2 tsp black pepper

1/2tsp red chilli powder, 1/4tsp turmeric, 1/2 garam masala

Salt and Oil to taste.

Cooking Method

Step-1. Mix all the kofta ingredients in blender and blend it together. (Dont add water while mixing)

Remove in a plate and make small balls and set a side. 

Step-2. In a different blender add, coriander leaves, green chillies, curry leaves, ginger garlic paste, black pepper, tomato, onion and blend it to a coarse paste.

In a deep frying pan, add oil, when oil is hot, add the Ground masala, red chilli powder, turmeric and garam masala and fry till oil starts separating from the sides. that will take about 10 to 15 minutes.

Then add the potato and fry for a minute or 2. Now add 1 cup of water and cover the lid and allow the potato to cook for another 2 to 3 minutes. Then add another 1cup of water and give a good mix. then add the kofta's and close the lid and cook for 5 to 6 minutes on a low flame or till gravy becomes thick.

Mutton kofta and potato curry is ready to serve with Roti or Rice.

Vegetable Fried Rice/Indo Chinese Style.

Vegetable Fried Rice. This is one of simple recipe to make and this can be made with left over rice and all you have do is just put everything together and stir fry and your fired rice will be ready in no time and it makes a very good combination with dry or gravy Manchurian. Anything Chinese food is my weakness and if it comes to my mind that I have to eat Chinese then nothing can stop me. It will be so difficult for me to stop thinking about the Chinese food and If I can't cook at home then I don't know how but my H has to get it or take me to the good Chinese restaurant. Getting it from out it is bit difficult here, because of that only I keep trying new dishes at home only. Try this simple and time saving recipe and enjoy.

Ingredient's.

2 cup boiled rice (you can use leftover rice to)

1cup vegetables finely chopped (cabbage, carrot, beans, capsicum, mushroom)

2 strand of spring onion, finely chopped

1 green chilli, finely chopped

1tsp grated ginger garlic

1tbsp soya sauce, 1tsp white vinegar

1/4tsp ground black pepper

Oil and Salt to taste.

Cooking Method

In a wok, add oil, when it is hot, add ginger garlic, spring onion white and green chilli. sauté for a minutes.

Then add all the vegetables and stir fry for a minute or 2 on a high flame. Then add the soya sauce, white vinegar and salt mix it well. Now add the boiled rice and spring onion green, mix it gently and sprinkle black pepper from top and stir fry the rice for another minute.

Serve hot with Dry or Gravy Manchurian.

Tilapia Fish Curry/Kerala Style.

Tilapia Fish Curry. Fish is an integral part of Kerala Cuisine. There are hundreds of variations for Kerala Fish curry. The main part of this curry is coconut and tamarind sauce this curry can be cooked with any fish and it will taste great. To cook this curry the main reason was I got the Indian tilapia fish, there is a new shop has opened near my house who sells even all the Indian fishes, like rohu, mackerel, tilapia etc. and I'm so so happy now I even get to taste Indian fish without even being in India.. This spicy and tangy curry goes so well with plain rice and this was our last Saturday's lunch and we enjoyed it thoroughly. Do cook this curry and make your family happy..

Ingredient's.

2 tilapia fish (cut into 2 pieces)

8 to 10 curry leaves

2 green chilli

4 garlic garlic cloves

1/4tsp mustard seeds

1/2 cup coconut milk

2 tbsp tamarind paste

1tsp red chilli powder, 1/2tsp turmeric, 1tsp coriander powder

3tbsp oil

Salt to taste.

Ingredient's to make a paste.

2 medium tomato

1 medium onion

2tbsp chopped coriander leaves

1tbsp ginger garlic paste

1/4tsp cumin seeds.

Cooking Method.

Wash the fish thoroughly and set it aside.

Grind the onion, tomato, coriander leaves, ginger garlic and cumin to a smooth paste.

In a deep frying pan/kadai, add oil, when oil is hot, add curry leaves, mustard, green chilli and garlic cloves. when they start turning brown. Add the ground paste, red chilli powder, turmeric and coriander powder, fry till the oil starts separating.

Then add coconut milk, tamarind paste, salt and 2cups of water and allow it boil for a minute or 2. Then add the fish and simmer the curry for 5 to 6 minutes.

Serve hot with Plain Rice.

Namak paare/Dimond Cut. Happy Diwali.

Happy Diwali to all my blog readers and my friends. This year I would not be celebrating diwali and that is the main reason I have not prepared anything much. Actually I had no plan to cook anything at all, But the moment I open my FB page I see lots of different types of sweets and savoury dishes pictures and that tempted me to at least cook something savoury items and store them for later.. I know this will be very much in use once the cold weather starts and the good thing with this snacks is you can store them for more then 2 to 3 months. This namak paare goes very well with ginger tea. Have a great fun friends and enjoy your Diwali with your family and friends.

Ingredient's.

1/2kg maida ( all purpose flour)

1/2tsp ajwain (Caron seeds)

1/4tsp kalonji (samal fennel)

Salt to taste

Oil for deep frying.

Cooking Method.

Make a firm dough with the maida, salt, ajwain and kalonji, by adding water and set it aside for atleast 30 minutes.

In mean time keep oil for heating in a deep frying pan on a medium flame.

Take a lemon size ball from a dough and roll into a disc neither to thick nor to thin.

With a sharp knife make a criss cross cuts on disc.

Fry them to golden brown and take out the namak paare onto a papper towel to remove the excess oil.

Once they are cool completely. Store them in a airtight container.

Serve with Tea.

Baby Prawn And Vegetable Masala Khichdi.. Pressure Cooker Version.

Baby Prawn And Vegetable Masala Khichdi.. I cook this masala khichdi when ever I feel low and to enlighten my mood this is food I would prefer. This particular dish has no recipe from any where, actually one day I wanted to make pulao but I end up adding all the ingredients what ever I got into my hands and that's how I innovated this masala khichdi and this is a dish which you put everything together in a pressure cooker and give 2 whistle and you have a delicious masala khichdi ready to eat... I have also tried many other ingredients but I always thought the first recipe was the best, so since then I'm stick to this recipe only and believe me it taste real good.

Ingredients.

1/4 cup of baby prawn (pre cooked)

1/2 cup mix vegetables

1/2 cup of rice

3 tbsp toor dal

1 small onion, 2 green chilli, 1 small tomato ( finely chopped)

1/2 tsp red chilli powder, 1/4 tsp turmeric

1/4 tsp coriander powder, 1/4 tsp garam masala

1 bay leave, 1 black cardamom, 2 cloves

1 cinnamon stick, 1 green cardamom, 1 star anise

1/4 tsp cumin seeds

Salt and Oil to taste

3 cups of water.

Cooking Method.

In a large mixing bowl add rice, prawns, dal and vegetables, wash them nicely and set aside.

In a pressure cooker, add oil, when oil is hot, add cumin seeds, bay leave, cinnamon, cardamom, star anise and cloves, when they splutter, add chopped onion and green chilli, fry to light brown,

Then add tomato, red chilli powder, turmeric, coriander powder and garam masala, fry for 1 minute, Add prawn, vegetables, dal, rice and salt. Give a good mix and add water, close the lid and cook for 2 whistle (1 in high flame and 1 in low flame) allow the pressure to go before opening the lid.

Serve hot with little ghee on top.

Egg and Cheese Sandwich.

Egg and Cheese Sandwich. Here comes the quick and easy recipe of sandwich. If you are bored of eating everyday same bread and omelette like me! Then this is the best way of making something new with same egg and bread. Just by adding cheese, iceberg lettuce and tomato sauce it will give you a whole new and lip smacking delicious sandwich. Sandwich is my regular breakfast but I try different ingredients everyday, sometime I take pictures but sometime after seeing the sandwich I just can't wait to eat.. This is one of the all time favourite sandwich in my family.

Ingredient's.

2 slices of brown bread

2 large leaves of iceberg lettuce

4 thin slices of cucumber

1/4tsp tomato sauce

1/4tsp mustard sauce

1/4tsp mayonnaise.

Ingredients To Fry The Egg.

1 egg

1 slice cheese

Pinch of black pepper powder

1/2tsp oil

Salt to taste.

Cooking Method.

In a frying pan add oil, when oil is hot break the egg into pan, sprinkle salt and black pepper, and fry the egg. 

In a mean time just toast the bread to light brown in a bread toaster.

Once the egg is cooked, Place the cheese slice onto the egg, once the cheese starts to melt, take out on to a plate. 

Take one slice of bread and place lettuce leave and apply tomato sauce, mustard sauce and mayonnaise, then place the cucumber slices, fried egg and cheese, and cover it with another bread, cut into 2 pieces

Serve hot with Juice or Tea.