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December 29, 2007

BEST OF 2007 AND A HAPPY NEW YEAR!

When Nupur announced this event it made me think really hard as to which one's I would choose, each of the recipes are unique and are like babies, you cannot say you love one sibling more than the other!, all need love and care, in fact this is also what I think of my blog- a baby needing constant nurturing and love and attention, and I just love it, ever since my foray into the blogging world I think it has been a constant source of encouragement and support, BLOGGING SIMPLY ROCKS!!!

Still let me pick some of my absolute favourites to send to lovely Nupur

 

1. Kashmiri Dhaniwal Korma

2. Fresh Orangey Fruit Cake

3. Macaroon eggs in spun caramel nest

4. Instant Donuts

5. Divine banana bread

6. Plump jam filled muffins

7. Lajawab dahi wala meat

I THINK THESE ARE MY MOST LOVABLE BABIES! THANKS NUPUR FOR THE EVENT!!!

                 happy new year

        WISHING YOU ALL A HAPPY AND PROSPEROUS NEW YEAR!!!

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December 27, 2007

MICROWAVE MAGIC ~ MUSHROOM MALAI CURRY

Another delicious dish for those who want to use their microwave for simple, rustic everyday cooking, this dish is for the very talented Srivalli (http://cooking4allseasons.blogspot.com/2007/12/microwave-easy-cooking-with-side-dish.html)who hosts her MEC (Microwave easy cooking event) every month.The theme for this month is gravies.

            mushroom malai curry

                                              Mushroom malai curry

Ingredients-

  • Fresh mushrooms- 1 packet ,washed and sliced
  • Onion- 1 medium, finely chopped
  • Tomato puree- 4-5 tbsp
  • Garam masala- 1 tsp
  • Ginger+garlic paste- 1/2 tsp
  • Fresh coriander for garnish
  • Fresh cream- 1 tbsp
  • Desi ghee- 2 tbsp
  • Cayenne pepper-1/4 tsp
  • Salt and pepper to taste

Method-

Heat ghee in a large microwave proof dish, add onions+ginger and garlic paste and microwave on high for 5 minutes or till onions are slightly golden ,add all the other ingredients except for cream and coriander , alongwith 1/2 cup hot water and microwave again for 10-15 minutes , stir in cream , garnish with coriander and serve with hot chapatis or rice.... SIMPLE, EASY AND DELICIOUS!

Add tender peas too if you like!

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December 25, 2007

A VERY FESTIVE NUTTY "CLICK"

Today I thought what could be better than a picture that epitomizes the spirit of the season, the gaiety and festivity all captured in one shot.

Here is what I came out with, as my entry to adorable Bee and Jai's event(http://jugalbandi.info/2007/11/click-december-2007-the-theme-is/)

festive pistachios

                                                 FESTIVE PISTACHIOS

 

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December 24, 2007

CHRISTMAS CELEBRATIONS AROUND ME!

First of all I would like to thank all of you for your warm wishes on my Wedding Anniversary, the number of mails I got was simply amazing!, It was truly a memorable day!!

Now for spreading some Christmas Cheer!!, just wanted to share with you all the Celebrations going on around me here in Delhi and as far as  Gurgaon, YES!!, I went scouting till there and -here's a look ,ENJOY!!!

                                christmas

santa

                         christmas wreath

christmas

                             wreath 1

wreath2

                                   

                          WISHING YOU ALL A MERRY CHRISTMAS !!!

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December 22, 2007

CHOCOLATE ~ CINNAMON CAKES and a Wedding Anniversary!

It's my Wedding Anniversary tomorrow and so I made these delicious little cakes...

Will be going out to celebrate, I am sooo excited!!!

These little cakes are basically feather light sponge roundels, sandwiched with cream topped with chocolate sauce and milk chocolate flakes ,Yummy! here's how I made these beauties...

                    chocolate cinnamon cakes

                                               Chocolate cinnamon Cakes

For the sponge cake-

  • Eggs-4
  • Sugar- 3/4 cup granulated
  • Flour-3/4 cup
  • Vanilla essence- 1/2 tsp
  • Cocoa powder - 2 tbsp.
  • Cinnamon- 1/4 tsp.ground

Method-

Separate the whites and yolks and whip whites till very stiff peaks form ,alternately add the sugar and yolks, continue beating, lastly fold in the flour lightly, turn out into a swiss roll tray and bake for 10-25 mins.., your basic sponge is ready.Cut into desired shapes.

For cream topping and filling-

  • Fresh cream-2 cups
  • Cocoa powder- 1 tbsp
  • Confectioners sugar- 3 tbsp.

Method-

Whip cream with all the ingredients till stiff, sandwich the cake/roundels  with this and spread on top also.

for chocolate sauce and garnish-

  • Melted chocolate- 3-4 tbsp.
  • Bar of plain chocolate- 1

Method-

Take tablespoons and drop on the cake, take a bar of chocolate and grate on top.Your little cakes are ready!

             chocolate cinnamon cake

These will be my entry for "my favourite things event" (check sidebar) ,JFI- Chocolate( Jihva for Ingredients - Chocolate) and to Sunita too for- Think spice-think cinnamon(http://sunitabhuyan.blogspot.com/2007/08/my-monthly-event-think-spice-think.html)

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December 19, 2007

KASHMIRI "DHANIWAL KORMA" (Lamb in a yogurt gravy garnished with coriander)

I have already acquainted you all with WAZWAN- Traditional Kashmiri Cuisine in this previous post and about basic recipes and ingredients in this one, and for all those who are visiting this blog for the first time ,I would just like to say that this Cuisine is unparalleled and the recipes are closely guarded secrets, here I have coaxed my mother- who learnt from the great Waza's (head chef's) herself during her stay in Kashmir to pass them to me as heirlooms!!!

Yes, that's how precious they are!!!!!

I can only just imagine how my mom , a shy young bride then, who had never set foot in the kitchen earlier would meticulously go about learning the nuances of a totally new culture and cuisine , and serve it up on the dinner table to a huge new family .... all for love!!

Now let's get down to cooking this heavenly mutton curry which is so very welcome in this freezing cold-

                          Dhaniwal Korma

                                             Kashmiri Dhaniwal Korma

Ingredients-

  • Leg of lamb- 1/2 kg (washed and cut into pieces)
  • Pure desi ghee- 1/2 cup
  • Cooked yogurt- 1 cup (find recipe for this here)
  • Turmeric- 1/2 teaspoon
  • Coriander powder-1 tsp.
  • Black pepper powder- 1/2 tsp.
  • Cloves- 3-4
  • Green cardamoms- 3-4
  • Saffron (zafran)- 1/4 tsp.
  • Onion- 1/2 cup (pureed)
  • Garlic- 1 tsp (ground)
  • Salt to taste
  • Cayenne pepper (deggi mirch)-1/2 tsp
  • Fresh coriander leaves- a handful

Method-

Heat ghee in a heavy bottom pan and add the onion and  the garlic and fry till onion turns golden brown , at this stage add the yogurt and all the spices (masalas) and fry very well till ghee separates, now add the lamb pieces and cook on a slow flame stirring frequently.The authentic recipe now calls for the mutton to be cooked, by adding hot water as required till it is tender (will take atleast an hour or more), for all of us hard pressed for time, can make use of the pressure cooker , simply add 3/4 cup HOT water to the cooker ,tip in the lamb which has been previously cooking in the yogurt mixture and give 5-6 whistles ,let pressure drop by itself, garnish with coriander leaves, serve hot with fragrant basmati rice or chapatis.                                       

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December 16, 2007

HEALTHY AND EASY FRIED RICE

If you had a choice between rice and roti -what would you go in for???,I would definitely go for rice!!, here I have made them nutritious and high-fibre simply by using brown rice instead of the polished white one and adding lots of vegetables.

The secret of making good fried rice in which each grain is separate is - always boil rice beforehand in plenty of water, drain excess water and spread out on kitchen towels to dry for few hours  or use a day-old leftover rice, this way the grains will be separate and you will get perfect fried rice.

                    heathy and easy fried rice

                                Healthy and easy fried rice with- yogurt

Ingredients-

  • Boiled brown rice- 4 cups, spread out to dry for 2-3 hours
  • Fresh vegetables ,(carrots, beans, peas, cabbage, cauliflower, spring onions and mushrooms) chopped- 2 cups
  • Soy sauce- 1 tbsp.
  • Vinegar -1 tbsp
  • Ginger and garlic paste- 1 tsp
  • Ajinomoto- 1/4 tsp
  • Salt and black pepper to taste
  • 1/4 tsp sugar
  • Onion- 1 large chopped
  • Oil- 1 tbsp

Method-

Heat oil in a wok or kadhai and add the ginger and garlic paste, as well as the onion, saute, add the rest of the veggies and fry till semi cooked but still crunchy, add the rice and rest of the ingredients, toss around to mix well, serve hot.

I had these steaming hot with an unusual palate cooling accompaniment- yogurt.

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December 13, 2007

"MY FAVOURITE THINGS" EVENT-Chocolates are calling!

If there is something that makes me go weak in the knees-its CHOCOLATE!, wouldn't you agree! I am sure it has the same effect on so many of us, here I clicked some pictures of ONE of my all time favorites- it's good ol' Cadburys!, this is their new festive pack but inside the taste is the same- that so many of us have grown up with.

I think as a child ,all that chocolate meant to me was Cadbury's, now after all these years and all the education and brain freeze DO  I get to know that there exists-Diva and Leonidas and Belgian and Lindt and Hersheys and Mars and Ferrero Rocher and so on!!!!

It's not that I don't love these too (greedy person that I am), but there is some sentimental value attatched to a bar of Cadbury's , as a child I remember every Sunday we used to watch a movie on Television (in those days TV was a  rare commodity), since there was no cable or DVD's or anything else and every Sunday all three of us ,that is my elder sister ,myself and my younger brother were treated to a bar of Cadbury's a Coca Cola (Campa) and a packet of Uncle Chips lol :)! that was it a grand Sunday treat, no big deal Shopping malls or Play stations for us and I think we grew up just fine!

How I miss those days ,now all of us are so far apart, shall I say Oceans apart , busy in our own lives- but one thing still remains constant in my life -that is the good ol' bar of CADBURY'S CHOCOLATE.

HMMM.... KUCH MEETHA HO JAYE! THIS GOES TO MY EVENT-"THESE ARE A FEW OF MY FAVORITE THINGS"                        

                            cadburys chocolate

                                   Cadbury's Celebrations Gift Pack      

cadburys chocolatecadburys chocolate

Well my next post will be about Toblerone's hehe! love them all despite the battle of the bulge  (sob!) :)

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December 9, 2007

SIZZLING LEMON CHICKEN

It's so very cold out here, so all I look for these days are quick winter-warming foods much like this Chicken recipe, which is  is a delight in all aspects and both me and my husband enjoy it very much,it has a lovely ginger-garlic infused, yogurt based masala and the fresh tang of lemons, an excellent snack with drinks.
lemon chicken
                             Sizzling Lemon Chicken
The key to really making delicious food is the freshness of ingredients,so make sure that you get the best and freshest possible always.
Ingredients-
  • Fresh chicken- 1 kg (small pieces)
  • Yogurt/fresh thick curd- 2 cups
  • Ginger-garlic paste-1 tsp
  • Cinnamon- few sticks
  • Cloves-2-3
  • Butter- 2 tbsp.
  • Fresh cilantro/coriander- a generous fistful
  • salt and pepper to taste
  • Lemon juice-2 tbsp
Method-
Melt the butter in a heavy skillet till bubbling, add the cinnamon and cloves as well as the ginger-garlic paste, saute for a few minutes ,next  add the chicken pieces and gently fry them till a light golden brown, add curd and transfer to a pressure cooker, put on heat , switch off the heat just before the whistle and immediately put the pressure cooker under running water to release steam.
Transfer again to the skillet and let all the juices dry up ,sprinkle lemon juice, garnish with the cilantro and some fresh lemon slices, serve hot and sizzling.

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December 4, 2007

ANNOUNCING~"These are a few of my favourite things" EVENT

"This event is actually about your favourite things and sharing those favourite's with everyone!"

Looking forward to some fab innovative ideas, which we can all cook up for Christmas and New Year incidentally this is also to celebrate my 50th post today!.

MAY GOD BLESS YOU ALL AND HOPE YOU HAVE A GREAT     CHRISTMAS AND A ROCKIN' NEW YEAR!

                                       image

 

CALLING ALL CHOCOHOLICS OUT THERE!!

THEME FOR THE MONTH OF DEC 07~ CHOCOLATE,

( feel free to use the above logo!)

RULES ARE ~ IT IS PROBABLY THE SIMPLEST EVENT YOU EVER PARTICIPATED IN -JUST POST A PICTURE OF YOUR FAVORITE CHOCOLATE OR CHOCOLATES OR YOUR FAVORITE DESSERT/DISH USING CHOCOLATE/COCOA with the recipe and link it to this post,YOU CAN SEND IN AS MANY ENTRIES AS YOU LIKE , SEND IT TO ME  AT-bindiyasingh7@gmail.com BEFORE 7th January 2008 and we will be celebrating a big CHOCOLATEY NEW YEAR TOGETHER!

SOME DROOL WORTHY OPTIONS-

choc bar          chocolates

good ol' bar of chocolate                    a selection of filled chocolates

choc cake         choc pie

choc cake                                         choc pie

choc chip cookies         choc sauce

choc chip cookies                          hot choc sauce

chocolate fudge       donuts

choc fudge                                     choc donuts    

REMEMBER TO HAVE LOADS OF FUN DOING IT!

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December 3, 2007

STUFFED GREEN CHILLIES

These big, stuffed chillies are a breeze to make and a pleasure to serve.The best part is that they are ready-to-serve in 10 minutes and will keep refrigerated for upto two weeks, so all lovers of spicy (teekha) food ,make these right away,they will perk up any meal!These are stuffed with a mixture of spices ,so serve as a pickle or a side-dish whatever you please!

03112007811

                          Stuffed green chillies

Ingredients-

  • Big green/red chillies-8-10
  • Dry mango powder(amchur)-4 tbsp
  • Refined oil-2 tbsp.
  • Cayenne pepper powder(deggi mirch)-2 tbsp
  • Mustard seeds- 1tbsp.
  • Garam masala- 1 tbsp
  • Salt to taste.

Method-

Slit the green chillies lengthwise, combine all the above masalas and stuff into the chillies carefully,heat oil in a skillet fry the chillies for two minutes ,let cool and bottle,serve.

                           smilies

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November 27, 2007

DELIGHTFUL 4 M's SUBZI

Before you all wonder what is it that I am talking about ,let me explain- 4 M's refers to MUSHROOMS, MUTTAR, METHI, MALAI and this delightful, delicious dish is made up of precisely these four! ,now I am not a great fan of peas (muttar) and used to avoid them like the plague as a child, but now tastebuds have changed and I do like them little more, not totally but little more...

Yesterday on a trip to the subziwala, I bought peas for the first time ever with Peas Pulao in mind, but somehow changed my mind, and Boy! am I glad that I did, this subzi is a feast even for hardcore non-vegetarians like me, I was completely bowled over by the flavors!

Ingredients-

  • Frozen tender peas(muttar)- 1/2 cup
  • Mushrooms- 1/2 cup, sliced
  • Fresh/Dry methi leaves (fenugreek)- 2 cups
  • Onion- 1 medium, grated
  • Readymade Tomato puree/paste- 4 tbsp
  • Readymade Ginger+Garlic paste- 1/2 tsp
  • Fresh malai/cream- 1/2 cup
  • Fresh ginger juliennes- 1 tbsp.
  • MDH Meat Masala- 1 tsp.
  • Green chilli- 1 sliced
  • Cumin- 1/2 tsp
  • Oil-1 tbsp.
  • Salt and black pepper to taste

Method-

Heat oil , add cumin and grated onion, let brown add tomato puree, cook for 2 minutes.Tip in the rest of the ingredients ,except fresh cream, cook for another 5-10 minutes till mushrooms are done , add cream in the end, garnish with fresh coriander.

Another addition that would taste good in this is fresh paneer(cottage cheese) cubes.

27112007898

This delightful gravy is off to

Sra for her event-http://whenmysoupcamealive.blogspot.com/2007/11/announcing-grindless-gravies-event.html

and to Sunita for hers-http://sunitabhuyan.blogspot.com/2007/11/think-saffron-round-up-and-announcing.html

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November 26, 2007

ROSEMATTA RICE WITH LEMON SAMBHAR

I read about this rice a long time back on Mahanandi in which, they have been accorded their rightful place, as have most of the other ingredients that Indira blogs about, I think that's the beauty of this lovely blog!, I am sure all of you agree with me.

Anyways coming back to Rosematta rice, I was quite pleasantly surprised to find it at my neighbourhood South Indian store( named Kannan Store), now this is the store that has always fascinated me with it's wide array of unfamiliar foodstuffs, I always ask the owner so many questions as to what is this?, how does this taste?, how is this cooked? and so on...

Yesterday I came across some more varieties of rice, about which I would be blogging about later, maybe I should post a picture of the store itself , so that you all would join me in the gazing- with- awe state that I find myself in ,when I am there.

When I asked the owner about Rosematta rice after spotting it, about what it is ,he said that this is Red rice (simpler to explain I guess for him!), upon asking that what is it called down South ,he said that they call it "matta"rice, so then  I knew I was on the right track!, my next question was- how is it cooked?, to which he simply replied- cook in lots of water and NEVER in a pressure cooker, so I set about cooking it exactly that way.

26112007879

                Rosematta Rice- raw

I took about 2 cups of Rosematta rice in a big pan with loads of water, and washed it thoroughly and drained the reddish mud coloured water, put it on the stove after refilling with more water and let it come to a boil, lowered the gas knob to sim and let them gently bubble away, now I was prepared that this variety takes longer to cook so after tasting a few grains after every 10 minutes, they were done in under half an hour, I drained out the rest of the water and covered the pan for another 15 minutes.

26112007886

         Rosematta Rice- cooked

I was overjoyed with the results, a thick, plump rice grain very separate from others with a delicious rich, nutty , creamy flavor, had them hot with some lemony sambhar, ghee and tomato chutney, Unforgettable taste, will be making these often now!

FOR THE LEMONY SAMBHAR-

Ingredients-

  • Toor Dal- 1/2 cup
  • Mixed veg.-1 cup
  • Curry leaves-5-6
  • Lemon juice- 2 tbsp.
  • Mustard seeds- 1/2 tsp.
  • Sugar- 1/2 tsp.
  • Turmeric powder- 1/2 tsp
  • MTR Sambhar powder- 1 tbsp.
  • Oil- 1 tsp.

Method-

Heat oil in a pressure cooker, add mustard seeds and curry leaves, tip in all the other ingredients, except lemon juice, fry for a minute, add water and give four whistles,let steam drop by itself.

Open cooker, sprinkle lemon juice , season with salt, add ghee and serve.See this is an extremely quick and easy sambhar, ready in under 20 minutes if you have all the ingredients at hand.

I am sending this off to-

JFI-Toor Dal hosted by Linda

(http://outofthegarden.wordpress.com/2007/11/08/hooray-its-my-turn-jfi-december/

FOR THE CHUTNEY-

In a grinder add 4 plump, ripe tomatoes and 1 small onion as well as 1 large green chilli and grind to a rough paste. Heat 1/2 tsp oil, add mustard seeds and 5 curry leaves add the tomato paste ,season and cook for 5 minutes, serve.

26112007889

Rosematta Rice with lemon sambhar and tomato chutney

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November 25, 2007

WAZWAAN~An Introducion to special Kashmiri Ingredients and basic recipes.

After all this time since my last post about Wazwan, it is NOW that I have finally managed to extract a few "secret recipes" from my mom, considering that she learnt them from a renowned Waza , this was no mean feat, Whew! She just gave in inch by inch and then I made them over and over again till SHE  was fully satisfied with the end result, now over the course of next few weeks I would be posting some VERY authentic recipes, so keep a lookout!

I would like to start with the basics - without which any attempts at authentic Kashmiri Cuisine will be futile, so let's acquaint ourselves with these basic ingredients and recipes-

1. DRY MINT LEAVES(pudina/pudn)- A herb used to lend a distinct aroma to certain dishes.

dry mint leaves

2. CINNAMON(dalchini)- This is actually the bark of the cassia tree which is often substituted for the real cinnamon, this however is more aromatic.

cinnamon

3.CLOVES(laung/roung)- These are  dried flower buds and are used in most Indian Homes.

cloves

4.TURMERIC(haldi,lader)- This gives food that characteristic yellow colour, it is an orange-yellow rhizome.

turmeric bowl

5. CUMIN SEEDS(jeera/zur)-In some dishes the white variety is used and in some the black one, both are an integral part of Indian Cooking

cumin

6.BLACK CARDAMOM(bari elaichi/badaul)-A very different tasting cardamom from the green variety which has a lighter taste.

cardamom seeds

7.DRY FENUGREEK LEAVES(kasoori methi)- A special variety of methi which is very aromatic, hence the name- kasoori.

dry fenugreek leaves

8.SAFFRON(zafran/kong)- The most expensive spice in the world, it is usually used mixed in milk.

saffron

9.DRY COCKSCOMB FLOWER(mawal)-This is specifically used in Kashmiri Cuisine and is indigenous to the region.

cockscomb flower

10. CORIANDER(dhaniya/dhaniwal)-A very important ingredient , the seeds as well as the green leaves are both used a lot.

coriander seeds

11.DRY GINGER POWDER(sonth/shount)- This is obtained by drying fresh ginger and the taste is very different from the fresh one.

ginger powder

12. FENNEL SEEDS(saunf/badayna)

fennel

13. GREEN CARDAMOM(choti elaichi/eaul)- These are very aromatic and have a delicate flavor, most of the flavor is in the seeds.

green cardamom

14.CASHEW NUTS(kaju)

cashew bowl

15.WALNUTS(akhrot/doon)

walnut

16. ALMONDS(badam)

almonds

17.TAMARIND(imli/tamar)-Highly acidic with a bitter-sweet taste.

tamarind

18.SHALLOTS(praan)-These belong to the Onion family,but once they are cooked they are more easy to digest.

shallots

19.DRIED PLUMS(alubukhara/alubukhar)-These are available at any dry fruit shop, and can be used to make alubukhara koftas(mincemeat stuffed dried plums)

dried plums

20.ZIRISH- These are small, dry berries indigenous to Kashmir

zirish

21.PISTACHIOS(pista)

pistachios

22. RED CHILLI PEPPER(lal mirch/marchwagan)

red chilli powder

SOME BASIC KASHMIRI RECIPES-

VER PASTE

Dry roast 1/2  kg dried Kashmiri red chillies, 25 gm black cardamom, 1/2 tbsp. black cumin seeds(shah jeera), 1/2 tbsp. green cardamom seeds, 1/2 tbsp. cinnamon powder, 1/2 tbsp dry ginger powder  , cool and grind to a fine powder.

Take 125 gm shallots and 125 gm garlic and grind to a coarse paste, add to the above powder and shape into patty cakes with a hole in the middle , to pass a thin rope, dry cakes in the sun till no moisture is left

21092007497

GARLIC WATER

Take 2 tbsp. fresh garlic ,add 1/4 cup water ,let stand for 10 minutes ,strain and use as required.

COOKED YOGURT

Take about 1 cup yogurt and whisk, cook on high heat till mixture is thick and approx. half the original quantity and has changed colour, use as required

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