Pumpkin Soup..

Pumpkin soup is satisfying and warming and it is a wonderfully comforting soup to enjoy in the winter. There are lots of different recipes for creamy pumpkin soups, depending on what type of soup you want. There are recipes for healthy pumpkin soup, mixed vegetable and pumpkin soup. The list goes on and on. But i liked simple pumpkin soup, with a little touch of Indian taste. Which is healthy and tasty too. Here in india i never find that dark color pumpkin. Most of the time you get to see the lite green color pumpkin, because of that i don't get that beautiful color of pumpkin soup. Anyways that pumpkin also taste the same. Here goes the recipe enjoy :)

Ingredient's

6cups Vegetable stock

4 cups pumpkin puree

1 cup chopped onion 

1tsp chopped coriander leafs

1 clove garlic, minced

1tsp dried oregano 

5 whole black peppercorns 

1/2 cup heavy whipping cream

1tbsp butter, Salt to taste.

Cooking Method

In a deep pan, heat stock, salt, pumpkin, onion, garlic, coriander leafs and peppercorns. Bring to a boil, reduce heat to low, and simmer for 30 minutes uncovered. Then puree the soup in small batches (1 cup at a time) using a food processor or blender. In a same pan add butter and dried oregano. When the butter in melted. Then add puree and bring to a boil again. Reduce heat to low, and simmer for another 30 minutes uncovered. Stir in heavy cream. Serve Hot.

Iam sending this recipe to Sayantani Mahapatra of A Homemaker's Dairy giveaway sponsored by cuponation.in.

Paneer Bhurji (Paneer Stirfry)

Paneer bhurji is a punjabi vegetable recipe with paneer or cottage cheese crumbled and then cooked with a choice of onions, tomatoes and select masalas. Serve hot with rotis, naans or parathas.  Paneer Bhurjee also makes a great topping for fresh, hot toast!!!

Ingredients:

300 gms fresh paneer (mashed into a crumbly texture)
1 medium onion chopped fine
1 small tomato chopped fine
1 green chilli chopped fine
1/4 tsp turmeric
1/4 tsp coriander powder
1/4 tsp cumin seeds
2 tbsps oil,  Salt to taste
Chopped fresh coriander to garnish

Cooking Method
Heat the oil in a pan on a medium flame, till hot. Add the cumin seeds and fry till spluttering stops. Add the onions and fry till soft. Now add the green chillies and tomatoes and fry till the tomatoes are pulpy. Add all the powdered spices and mix well. Fry for 2 minutes. Add the paneer. Mix well and cook for 2 more minutes. or till the water get observed. Season with salt. Garnish with the chopped fresh coriander and serve hot with Chapatis or Parathas. 

Egg Biryani.... (Pressure Cooker Version)

Ingredients

4 hard boiled egg, and 1/2 carrot chopped
2 cup Basmati Rice, pinch of food color
2 Onions,3 Tomatoes, 4 Green chillies, Mint leaves finely chopped
2 tsp Ginger garlic paste
3 Cardamoms
1-1/2 tsp Chilly Powder, 1 tsp turmeric, 1 tsp garam masala,3 tsp Coriander Powder
3 bay leaves and 4 dry red chillies
1 Lemon, 1/2cup curd
3/4 cups Oil/ghee
Salt to taste

Cooking Method

Clean and soak the rice for 1 hour in enough water taken in a pot and add the pinch of food color. Heat oil in a pressure cooker and add bay leaves and red chillie, when they turn into brown, add onion and green chillies sautee to golden brown, Than add all the masala powder and fry till oil seprates, now add chopped tomato, lemon and curd fry till tomatos are soft, then add the eggs, carrot and little salt fry for 2 to 3 minutes. Then add the rich and mix it gentely and close the lid, and cook for 3 whistle (1 in high flame, 2 in low flame)
Serve hot with rita..

Mushroom Pulao.. (Pressure cooker version)

Pulao usually comes to my rescue when I am not in the mood of cooking and hence prefer to cook 1 pot meal. Yesterday I cooked mushroom pulao which is not just easy to make but also very tasty. Mushroom pulao is a nice variation from the usual matar pulao or vegetable pulao.
Some of my favorite Rice Items Recipe's are: Mutton Briyani, Mushroom Briyani, Soya Chunk Briyani. 

Ingredients

1 cup Basmathi Rice

1 1/2 cup of sliced mushroom, frozen peas and carrot

1/4 cup thinly sliced onion, 2 Green Chilli 

2 Cloves, 1 Stick cinnamon, 2 Bay leaf, 1 Star Anise, 2 dry red chilly

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

1tsp ginger garlic paste

3tbsp mint leafs

1 tbsp ghee

Salt and Oil as per taste

Cooking Method

Soak the rice in water for few minutes. Heat oil and ghee in pressure cooker. Add cloves, cinnamon, bay leaf, dry chillies and star anise. After a few seconds, add ginger and garlic paste, onion and green chilli. Saute for a couple of minutes. Add mushroom, peas and carrot, stir well. Add salt, all the masala powder and mint leafs. and cook for 2 to 3 minutes. Now add salt, rice and water, mix it well and close the lid and pressure cook for 2-3 whistles. (1 in high flame and 2 in low flame.

Serve with mint raitha or chips.

Spinach Paratha (Indian Flat Bread) Palak Paratha.....

Spinach Paratha is a perfect way to enjoy the goodness of spinach. This Indian recipe for unleavened flat bread is a little different from the traditional stuffed version of paratha. Here is the very simple recipe of spinach paratha. Which taste delicious and no need to put more effort to make parathas, you can cook the same delicious paratha with less time and less effort too..

Ingredient's
3 cups Flour
2 cups finely chopped palak
3 Green chillies
1/2 tsp Salt
Ghee/Oil for frying
Water as required

Cooking Method
Make a dough by adding spinach, green chillies, salt and sufficient water. Knead the dough properly and keep it aside for 10 minutes. Then roll out 10-12 pieces.Take a piece and flatten it on the floured board to give the shape of a roti. Put the paratha on a preheated tava.Turn after cooking for 1-2 minute. After a minute apply ghee/oil around the edges and turn again. Fry till the brownish color appears on both sides.
Serve it with Curd, Pickle or Tamrind chutney.

Plain Khichdi (In North Indian Style)

This is one of the simplest recipes of khichdi you can imagine. Great not just for sick people but also when you want to eat light after a heavy lunch. Adding ghee on top of khichri if you want to eat and it taste just superb. Khichdi is a easy to digest healthy Indian food..

Ingredient's

1cup rice, 25gram toordal

1 onion, 2 green chillies and 1 tomato, chopped finely

1tsp turmeric, 1/2tsp coriander powder

1/2tsp cumin seeds

Salt and Oil to taste

Cooking Method

In a pressure cooker add rice, dal, turmeric, salt and water. Boil for atleast 4 to 5 whistle in a medium flame. In deep frying pan add oil, cumin seeds, when turns brown, add onion and green chillies, fry to golden brown, then add tomato and coriander powder, fry till tomato soften. Now add the boiled rice and salt if needed mix it nicely. cook for 2 to 3 minutes... Serve hot with Ghee...

Mushroom Biryani (Pressure Cooker Version)

I just made few changes in the method of preparation. It came out so yummy that my husband enjoyed and asked me to prepare it again for this weekend. I have never tried biryani in this style. I can bet you this is the best mushroom biryani I ever had,and very easy to cook also. Here you go…

Ingredients
200 gms Mushroom, 1/2cup mutter, and 1/2 carrot chopped
4 cup Basmati Rice, pinch of food color
2 Onions,3 Tomatoes, 4 Green chillies, Mint leaves finely chopped
2 tsp Ginger garlic paste
3 Cardamoms
1-1/2 tsp Chilly Powder, 1 tsp turmeric, 1 tsp garam masala,3 tsp Coriander Powder
3 bay leaves and 4 dry red chillies
1 Lemon, 1/2cup curd
3/4 cups Oil/ghee
Salt to taste 

Cooking Method
Clean, wash and soak the rice for 1 hour in enough water taken in a pot and add the pinch of food color.Trim mushrooms into big pieces and keep it aside.
Heat oil in a pressure cooker and add bay leaves and red chillie, when they turn into brown, add onion and green chillies sautee to golden brown, Than add all the masala powder and fry till oil seprates, now add chopped tomato, lemon and curd fry till tomatos are soft, then add the mushroom, mutter, carrot and little salt fry for 2 to 3 minutes. Then add the rich and mix it gentely and close the lid, and cook for 3 whistle (1 in high flame, 2 in low flame)
Serve hot with rita..

Veg Pizza

Again my first attempt to bake pizza. On sunday i saw pizza base in super market, and i thought it would be safe if i give a try baking pizza using ready made pizza base instead of baking base separately. Now i can say my decision was right, because it came out very well and i was very happy too. From now onwards i think i don't have buy or order pizza from out. When i can make then why to buy from out....

Ingredient's

1 ready made pizza base
1/2 onion, 1/2 tomato, 1/2 capsicum, chopped in to pieces
2tsp pizza sauce
1/2 cup of Grate Mozzarella cheese

Preparation
Pre-heat the oven for 10 minutes in 200 degree Celsius, In the mean time prepare the pizza. On a pizza base apply the pizza sauce and arrange all the vegetable on top, now cover the vegetable with cheese, and bake the pizza in 180 degree Celsius for 8 to 10 minutes.
Serve hot with tomato sauce and other seasoning. 

Brinjal Dal

Hooray!!!! Featured as Top 9 in Foodbuzz

Ingredients
150 gms toor dal
100 gms brinjal/eggplant quartered
1 onion chopped-(reserve 1 tbsp for seasoning)
1 tomato chopped
2 pearls garlic
about 1 tsp tamarind concentrate/pulp mixed in 1 /2 cup water(add more or less according to taste)
1 /4 tsp turmeric powder
1 /2 tsp coriander powder
1 /2 tsp chili powder


Seasoning
oil
1 /4 tsp mustard seeds
1 /4 tsp jeera
1 pinch fenugreek/methi seeds
5 curry leaves
3 tbsps chopped coriander leaves
3 tbsps chopped mint leaves
1 tbsp chopped onion
1 tsp ginger garlic paste

Cooking Method
In a small container mix the chili powder and coriander powder in the tamarind water.Add in the brinjals and tomatoes with a little salt.Mix well and set aside.
Put dal with salt,turmeric,jeera,onion ,garlic and sufficient water in a pressure cooker.
Place a ring/small trivet in the middle of the dal and put the small container with brinjal mixture on it.
Pressure cook for about 4 whistles-enough to cook dal and vegetables.
Once cooked, mash the dal.
Pour the contents of the container with brinjal into the dal.Mix well and adjust salt and turmeric according to taste.
In another vessel heat oil.Add jeera,fenugreek,onion,ginger garlic paste,curry leaves,chopped mint and coriander leaves.Fry till they crackle and turn golden brown.
Pour this seasoning onto the dal with brinjals.Mix well and serve.

Soya Chunks Biryani (Pressure Cooker Version)

Soya biryani is a protein rich biryani recipe with the soya chunks cooked and then added to rice along with whole spices and garam masala powder.. This was my first attempt to cook the soya chunks biryani and it turned out as usual very tasty. I was not even prepared to cook this biryani but just because of my S-I-L i cooked this biryani. Even i was also thinking that our breakfast and lunch is being repeated again and again,so when i opened my draw i saw a pack of Nutarila soya chunks so i thought why not to give a try in soya chunk only. First i thought to prepare paluo and finally finished with biryani... And it was very tasty and very healthy too..

Ingredient's
2 cup of soya chunks
1/2kg basmati rice
2 cup of all veggie's (mutter, gobi, potato, carrot) cut in to small pieces
2 onion, 3 green chillies, 3 tomatos, finely chopped
1/2cup curd, 3tbsp of lemon juice
1tbsp red chillies powder, 1tbsp turmeric, 1tbsp coriander powder
1 cardamom , 3 tej pata, 3 dry red chillies
Oil and Salt as per taste

Cooking Method
Soak the soya chunks in water for 20 minutes, Then in a pressure cooker add oil, red chillies, tej pata and cardamom , after 20 sec, add onion and green chillies fry to golden brown, add all the masala powder, and fry 5 minutes then add tomato, curd and lemon juice and cook for another 5 to 10 minutes, Now add the soya, all the veggies and salt, then allow the veggies to soak the masala and then finally add the rice and water as per required, and cook for 3 whistle, 1 in high flame and 2 in low flame.
Serve hot with Raita.

Masala Poha

I made this poha to get a different taste for my tongue, i was fed up of eating all diet food for the breakfast. On last sunday i told my hubby that i am not going to eat diet food on sundays. He smiled at me and told even i was waiting for this only...... i look at him and replied NO iam not going cook anything, it is you whose going to cook breakfast today. Then we both decided to help each other while cooking............And cooking together it is really a fun if something goes wrong in cooking you can easily blame your husband.. heheheheheh

Ingredient's

1 cup Beaten Rice (Poha)

1 potato, cut finely
3 Onions, chopped, 1 Green Chilli, slit
¼ tsp Cumin Seeds
¼ tsp Mustard Seeds
7-8 Curry Leaves
¼ tsp Turmeric Powder

¼ tsp Red chilly Powder

¼ tsp Coriander  Powder

¼ tsp Garam masala

2tbsp lemon juice

Cooking Method

Wash the beaten rice and drain it. set aside

Heat the oil in a kadhai and add the mustard, and cumin. When the mustard splutters, add the green chilli and onion. Add the curry leaves and fry for a couple of minutes. Add potato, and all the dry masala powder, cover cook for a few minutes. Add the beaten rice and lemon juice mix it gently. Garnish with some coriander leafs . Enjoy this as soon as it is made.

Vegetable Poha(Beaten Rice and Vegetable Mix)

Poha is one of favourite breakfasts. And I make it quite often, not just for breakfast, but for dinner as well. And i add as many vegetables as possibly  while making it. I add whatever i can lay my hands on. I love eating colourful stuff and the addition of a variety of vegetables results in a rainbow like dish and I kind of love it. I made a very heavy breakfast so that I could do with something light for lunch.

Ingredient's
1 cup Beaten Rice (Poha)

1 Carrot, 1 potato, cut finely
3 Spring Onions, chopped
4tbsp Peas and 4 tabp of chopped beans
¼ tsp Cumin Seeds
¼ tsp Mustard Seeds
7-8 Curry Leaves
¼ tsp Turmeric Powder
1 Green Chilli, slit

Cooking Method
Wash the beaten rice and drain it. Add the salt, turmeric powder and keep aside.

Heat the oil in a kadhai and add the mustard, and cumin. When the mustard splutters, add the green chilli and the spring onion whites. Add the curry leaves and fry for a couple of minutes. Add the carrots, peas, beans and potato. Add some salt and then cover and cook for a few minutes. Add the beaten rice and mix it gently. Garnish with with some coriander leafs . Enjoy this as soon as it is made.

Vegetable Dal

 Ingredient's
1cup toor dal
1 eggplant, 1 capsicum, 1cup chopped beans
1 small onion, 2 tomato, 2 green chilly (Chopped)
1tbs turmeric
Salt

For tempering
1/2tbs cinnamon/jeera
1/2tbs mustard seeds
3 dry red chillies
2 garlic cloves

Cooking Method
Take a pressure cooker add dal, chopped onion, tomato, chilly, turmeric, salt and 2cup of water and boil it for 20minutes in a medium flame
In the mean time boil the vegetable separately with salt and cup of water
When the dal is cooked add the boiled vegetable, mix it gentely and set it aside
In a small frying pan add 2tbs oil and add cinnamon and mustard seeds when splutter add garlic and red chillies, saute to gloden brown
Then add the tempering in to dal and cover the lid and cook it for another 5minutes.
Garnish with coriander leafs
Serve hot with Rice

Vegetable Briyani

Ingredient's

2 cup Basmati or Normal Rice
1 medium bowl of fresh vegetable chopped (Bean, Carrot, Potato, Cauliflower, Green Peas)
1 onion, 2 green chillies, 1 tomato (chopped)
3tbsp coriander leafs, 2tbsp Pudina
1tbsp ginger garlic paste, 1tbsp red chilli powder, 1/2tbsp turmeric, 1/2tbsp garam masala, 1/2tbsp coriander powder
Few drops of food color
Oil and Salt as per taste

For Tempering
1/2tbsp mustard seeds
4 dry red chillies
4 bay leafs (tez patta)
2 cardamom (broken in to 2 piecse)

Cooking Method

In a broad pan, add oil, mustard, bay leafs, cardamom, and dry red chillies. When they splutter, add ginger garlic paste, onion and saute to lite brown. When the onion is done add green chillies, fresh vegetable and salt, saute for few seconds, and then add tomato, spices, mix it and cook for 1 minute. After that add the rice, food color, salt and water as per requires. Mix all together gently, cover the lid and bring to boil. Open the lid, after the water is absorbed, mix it one more time very gently, low the flame and cover the lid and cook to complete.
Serve hot with Raita....

Diet Chicken Soup

Diet Chicken Soup is very good when you are planning to loose weight. Have this soup 2 to 3 times a day, you can also have in the dinner. As every body knows that chicken is a good source of Protein, it helps to loose weight fast.

Ingredient's

1 medium bowl of chicken (finely chopped) 

1 onion, 2 green chillies, 1/2 tomato, 2 garlic cloves (finely chopped) 

1 carrot (cut in to strips) 

3 tbsp coriander leafs 

1tbsp turmeric, 1tbsp oil 

A binch of pepper 

3 cup of water 

Salt to taste 

Cooking Method

Heat a deep frying pan, add oil, onion and green chillies, saute for 2 to 3 minutes. Then add chicken, turmeric and salt, mix it and fry till the chicken starts leaving oil. After that add garlic, tomato and carrot, fry for 1minutes. Now add water and coriander leafs, add salt if requirs, cover the lid and allow it boil for another 4 to 5minutes. Sprinkle pepper on it and Serve hot hot. 

Diet chicken soup is ready to serve. 

Vangi Bhath (Brinjal Rice)

Vangi Bhat is a delicious one pot meal. It is a wonderful combination of eggplant and rice combined with lovely aromatic spices. This is a typical Maharashtrian specialty but enjoyed throughout Southern India as well. Usually Vangi bhath is cooked with Eggplant but i like to add some other vegetables also like capsicum, potato, green peas. One of colleague use to bring vangi bhath for me in lunch, when she cooks vangi bhath she use to call me and say dont bring lunch today, because i have prepared VB. She was an expert when it came to cooking this dish. Whenever i would visit to her place, this dish was made. And she use to serve me with home made papads (crispy then lentil wafers), it was a wonderful and delicious combination. When i was cooking this dish i was really missing her alot. Iam waiting when i'll go back to india so that even i can cook VB and serve her in the same way, which she use to do it for me.

Ingredient's

1 Long brinjal, 1 red or green capsicum, 1 medium size potato, cut into large pieces 

1-1/2 cup Basmati rice 

4 tbsp Ghee 

4 Cloves (finely chopped) 

1 tsp Urad dal 

1/2tbsp cinammon, 1-1/2 tbsp Coriander seeds, 1/2tbsp musturd seeds 

5 dry red chillies 

2 Green chillies, 1 onion, and 1 tomato (chopped) 

6 Peppercorns 

1/2 tsp Turmeric 

1 tsp Oil for frying the masala 

1/2 Cup sour buttermilk or 2 tsp lemon juice 

Salt to taste

Cooking Method

Take a broad pan and heat oil. Fry 3 dry red chillies, gearlic cloves, cinammon, coriander and peppercorns, for 5 minutes. Grind them to form a fine powder. Heat ghee in a pan and add mustard seeds, urad dal, 2 dry red chillies, green chillies, onion and turmeric, stir it till the seasoning is done. Add the brinjal, capcisum, potato pieces and little bit of salt fry for 20sec. Add tomato, lemon juice, powdered masala, and mix them together properly. After that add water and check for salt, add salt if req. Then add rice and mix together gentely, cover the lid and cook till the rice is completely cooked in a medium flame.

Delicious Vangi Baath is ready to serve.

Mushroom Pepper Fry

Mushrooms earthy flavor and meaty texture, adds substance to many vegetarian dishes. I used the button mushrooms for this dish. They are mild in taste, have white caps and short stems. the combination of mushroom and pepper is delicious.. before i use to never eat mushroom, one day i tried mushroom in restaurant and it was very tasty from that day i started eating and cooking mushroom...

Ingredient's
1 bowl button mushroom
1 onion, 2 chilly (Chopped)
2tbs pepper powder
1tbs red pepper powder
1/2tbs turmeic , 1/2tbs coriander powder

For tempering
1/2tbs mustard seeds
Curry leafs (optional)
Garnish with red and green chilly

Cooking Method
Cut the mushroom in to 2picese
In a bowl add cut mushroom, pepper, red pepper, turmeric, coriander powder and salt, mix it up and keep it aside
In a deep frying pan add oil, mustard and curry leafs when they splutter, add onion and green chilly fry it to litte brown
Add mushroom and fry it to golden brown
Serve as a Side Dish or with Drinks