Mughlai Dum Aloo

Ingredients:
Potatoes 10-12 nos. small size
Cloves 4 nos.
Green cardamoms 2 nos.
Green chilies 2 nos.
Fresh root ginger grated 50 gms
Garlic 3 small cloves
Natural yogurt 150 ml.
Tomato 3 nos. medium size
Ghee 50 gms.
Grated onions 2 nos.
Ground coriander powder 1 tsp.
Ground cumin powder 1 tsp.
Chili powder 1 tsp.
Turmeric 1/2 tsp.
Salt As per taste
Kasuri Methi crushed 1/4 tsp

Method
1. Scrub, scrape or peel the potatoes, then prick them thoroughly using a cocktail stick. Deep fry until it turns out golden brown.
2. Grind the cloves, cardamoms, chilies, ginger and garlic and onion to a paste.
3. Melt the Ghee in a heavy-based saucepan and fry the grated paste in it for a few minutes. Add the coriander, cumin, chili power and turmeric,kasuri methi powder. Continue to fry for 2-3 minutes.
4. Add tomatos and stir for another 10-15 minutes or till this masala leaves oil then add curd and stir.This should take about 15-20 minutes.
5. Add the potatos and water, stir well and cook for a few minutes until the potatos are tender, then serve hot.

Here is the link to my friend Manjula's blog from where I got this lip smacking recipe.
http://rasoiguru.blogspot.com/2010/05/mughlai-dum-aloo.html

Palak Paneer

Palak Paneer

Ingredients-
chopped onion 1
chilly power 1/2 tsp
ginger garlic paste 1 tsp
salt
chopped green chilly 2
chopped tomato 1
coriander powder 1 tsp
cumin pwdr 1 tsp
turmeric pinch
whipping cream optional
paneer
whole garam masala - cloves cardamom cinnamom
fenugreek leaves 1 tsp
spinach and oil
chopped garlic
nutneg powder

Process :
add spinach to boiling water.Dont cover it.It is done in 2 mins.
blend spinach
put oil in a wok.Then add whole garam masala
add cumin,chopped garlic,onions + lil salt
cook little more..
then add ginger garlic paste,turmeric,tomatoes and fully cook them on medium flame
then add cumin pwdr, corinder pwdr
thn add chilly pwdr.
Rub fenugreek leaves and add
add green chilly
To this add the spinach .when it starts cooking it oozes out oil.
Cook it til it has small oil droplets on top
Then add small cubes of paneer
Let it simmer for few min and then add little cream(optional)

Fish Fry

Fish  fry ( King Fish / Surmai Or Pomfret can be used )
This is my mom in laws super delicious and easy recipe

Ingredients :

King fish fillets cut to 1 inch in thickness ( Whole pomfret can also be used)
Marination : vinegar,salt,turmeric and chilly powder
Shallow fry : Rawa (sooji) and rice flour

Process:  Clean fish fillets and marinate it with 4-5 drops of vinegar,turmeric powder, salt and chilly powder to taste.You can also add little lemn juice.Salt should be more than usual.

Refrigerate it for 8 hours.Then take rawa and rice flour in a dish and mix it together.rice flour should be used in a very less quantity.Roll the fish fillets in this mixture so that it is coated properly on all sides with Flour.
Heat the pan and shallow fry fish till crisp brown.Vegetable oil or Parachute coconut oil can be used for frying fish.I use both oils mixed in equal quantities.It tastes good.

It takes 15 - 20 mins for king fish to cook thoroughly on low flame.
Note : If you use pomfret then clean it properly and apply the marination to the inside of the fish properly.It will taste bland if marination is not done properly on the inside.Also it takes more time to cook properlt than king fish.

Nan Katai ( Biscuits)

Nan Katai

Ingredients : 

1/3 cup of Rawa 

1/3 cup of all purpose flour( maida )

1/2 cup of Besan(gram flour)

1/4 tspn baking powder

1/4 tspn cardamom powder

2/3 cup of powdered sugar

1 stick (1/4 lb) butter

Cashewnuts / pistachio / almonds for garnishing

Mix all flours, baking powder,cardamom powder together.

In a separate pan mix butter(room temperature) and sugar.n mix it thoroughly untill soft and fluffy.It takes 5 mins to get this consistency.Then add above mix flour and knead a soft dough.Make 15 equal parts and roll it and press with palm lightly.garnish with nuts and place them on greased cookie sheet.

Preheat oven to 375 degree and bake the nankatai for 13 mins.

Remove from oven and allow to cool for 10 min before removing them from sheet.

Store in airtight container.

IMP : Nankatai should not be disturbed when it is just done else it will fall apart .It should be allowed to cool down and become stiff.Also check in between when its baking.Just when it gets golden color, it is done.Believe me.I did it the first time and overbaked it.It will become good after it cools down.

Oh my God....believe me..its melting in my mouth .....yummy, easy and fast !! Njoy...

Ragda Pattis

Its one of my favourites.

For Pattis :
4 medium potato
half the amount of bread( the crushed quantities of potato and bread should be in 2:1 ratio)
Salt
turmeric powder
chilly powder

Mix the above together and mash it properly.It will be like dough.Make a ball in hand and press it gently to give the pattis shape.Shallow fry on low flame in less oil till brown and crispy.


For Ragda
White watana (Yellow peas) Soaked overnight and pressure cooked.
Oil
1 small Onion
ginger garlic paste 1/2 tspn
1 tomato
1/2 tspn red chilly powder
turmeric powder
Salt
 1/2 tspn Garam masala powder
1/2 tspn Cumin powder
1/2 tspn coriander powder

Heat oil in a pan and saute onion in it till fully cooked.Add Ginger garlic paste n mix.Add tomatoes and salt.Cover it and let it cook for 5 min.
Then add masala, cumin powder, coriander powder and Salt.
Mix well and add pressure cooked watana(peas) along with the water.Adjust the gravy according to your choice.I like a little more gravy so that its juicy to eat.

To serve : take pattis and add ragda on it.Garnish with tamarind - date chutney, chopped onion , coriander, thin shev.

Note : Tamarind - Date chutney is available in Indian store and also can be made as follows :

Soak Tamarind and dates( seedless) in water for about and hour.
Remove water from it and add 1 green chilly, jaggery to taste and salt .If you like mint then add few mint leaves.Also add lil ginger and crush it thoroughly in a mixie/blender.
Adjust water for its thickness.Use less tamarind and more dates.It tastes good.

Yummy....Isnt it?

Kothimbir(Coriander) Wadi

This is my mother in law's super fast and yummy recipe.

Ingredients :

Chick Pea flour (Besan)

Onion

Coriander

Cumin powder 

green chilly

salt 

turmeric powder

Wheat Flour 

Process : 

Mix besan onion and more kothimbir(coriander - cleaned , washed and chopped finely)

Add cumin powder and crushed green chilly according to taste.

Add salt and turmeric powder

Add wheat flour

The consistency of the batter should be not so thick and not very thin.Grease pot and pour this batter in it.Steam in pressure cooker for 10 mins.

Kothimbir wadi is ready.Now at the time of serving you can either deep fry it or shallow fry on griddle / Tawa with less oil.
For shallow fry, use low flame so that wadi gets cooked well and gets a nice brown color.

Khare Shankarpale (Baked)

Tea time Snack

Ingredients :

wheat flour (aata) - 1/2 cup

All purpose flour (maida) - 1/2 cup

Ghee - 1/4 cup

Ajwain - 1/2 teaspoon

Baking powder - 1 teaspoon

Salt as per taste( Beware : a lil more salt can make it salty so add salt sparingly)

Process : 

Sift the flours and baking powder together.Add ajwain and salt.Mix ghee and rub it so that it forms crumbs.Add cold water to make stiff dough.Let it rest for around half an hour.

Preheat the oven to 355 degree and roll the dough like roti and cut into diamond shape.

Grease the pan and put shankarpale on it.Bake for 15 min.Healthy and yummy snack is ready.

Chole Bhature

Chole Bhature

Chole Bhatura

Bhatura :

2 cup maida
baking powder less than half spoon
salt to taste
sugar 1 tspn
1/4 cup sooji
3/4 cup of buttermilk
2 tbspn hot oil
mix with water or milk...make it tight.
Rest for 2 hour covered

roll it even on all sides...
after you put bhatura in hot oil...press it with spoon so that it puffs up.Oil should be really hot else your bhatura wont puff up like a balloon.
Due to small size of kadai (Wok) I was able to make small bhaturas.If you have a big wok then use it with 3/4   filled oil.

Chole :
1/2 cup Chick peas soaked in water over night
1 medium onion
1 tomato
1 tspn ginger garlic paste
salt to taste
4 green chilly
coriander
cummin seeds
whole gram masala cardamom cinamom bayleaf clove mace
chana masala powder(see the tip below)
oil
lime

Boil Chana with moderate quantity of water and little pepper powder and crushed garlic.keep it aside.

In hot oil add whole masala then cumin seeds..then onion
add salt to onion
make it brown
add turmeric n gingergarlic paste
then add chopped tomatoes
then chillies
after its cooked add chana masala
use slow flame to cook it nicely
add water from chick peas.Mix well.Then add the chick peas.
lil lemon juice
garnish with coriander



Tip :Chana masala can be made at home like -
cardamom cinamom n cloves chilly powder jeera coriander powder turmeric
amchur powder n pomogranate powder
Mix all the above in same quantity.

Tomato Basil Pasta

Pasta

Ingredients
Quarter pound Penne Pasta
Garlic
Basil
Tomato -4
Olive Oil
Chilly flakes
Pepper
Oregano / Italian garnishing mix

Procedure :
Bring Water to rolling boil in a big deep pan.Add salt to it so that it becomes salty.Also add 1 spoon of oilve oil to it so that pasta remains intact.Add pasta and bring it to boil again.It takes 19 minutes for wheat pasta and 15 minutes for regular pasta.

In a Skillet add little oilve oil,add crushed garlic , basil, red chilly flakes and fry for a while.Then add 3 cut tomotoes and fry for 2 mins.Add 1 Tomoto puree to it.Stir for a minute.
Remove the sauce from the pan.
Take some oil in a pan and Stir in some garlic and chilly flakes and drained pasta.Give it a toss for couple of times.
While serving add the pasta to the sauce made above.
Serve it hot with Parmesan Cheese and Garlic bread.

Egg Biryani

Egg Biryani

Wash Basmati Rice and keep it aside for 45 min.

4 boiled egg
Heat oil
Add whole garam masala - bay leaf , 1 cinnamom , 2 cardamom ,4 cloves.
Add jeera,onion and salt.
Add cashew nuts,finely chopped chily,coriander leaves,mint leaves,ginger garlic paste n mix well
Add 3 tbspn yogurt(stir it constantly else it will curdle)
Add biryani masala.(see the tip below)

We need 3 portions of water to 2 portions of rice....Generally we add double the amount of water but here for the rice to

become perfect take it in 2:3 proportion.
Add the water to the above mix and bring it to boil.To boiling water add rice.Add salt accordingly
cover wid lid
Bring mixture to boil , and reduce the flame to medium.


once rice is ready add butter on top...add boiled egg on top...
Remove some rice n put it on top
add saffron color(opitional)

Tip : If you dont have biryani masala or you dont like readymade masala, prepare it as follows -
Equal quantities of cinnamom powder,cardamom powder, clove powder,jeera(cumin) powder
Double the amount of coriander powder.
1 spoon of kasuri methi crushed.
Few pinches of dry ginger powder.
1 Tspn Amchur powder.
Little Turmeric powder
1 Tspn Chilly powder.

Your biryani masala is ready :)

Chicken Tikka

Tikka :

Clean the chicken and Cut it in small 1 inch cubes.Marinate it with Salt ,chilly powder, turmeric and lime juice or vinegar.

Take bamboo skewers and place this chicken cubes on it alternate with onions ,small tomatoes ,capsicum( red /yellow/green) as shown in the picture.
Let it rest for around 5 hours.

Preheat the oven at 360 degree and bake this for 40 minutes depending on the oven.
Just before placing this in the oven, spray it with oil thoroughly and spinkle with chat masala.

Serve hot with onion slices and lemon.

Masala Dosa With Sambar and Chutney

Dosa -

Mix 3 cups of rice and 1 cup os white urad dal.Wash it thoroughly and add 1 spoon of methi seeds.
Let the mixture soak in water for 1 night.Grind the mixture next day with lil water.
Rest it for 8 hours so that it ferments and gives a nice sour flavour .Whenever you want to make dosas,take some mixture in a separate bowl and add salt to it.Now spread 1 cup of this mixture on a nonstick pan and spray lil oil.and let it cook till it is crispy brown in color.


Sambar

use deep pan
pour oil ..
Make tadka - mustard seeds, jeera and methi seeds
add hing, turmeric, oinons
To this add the following -
green chilly
curry leaves
mix vegs like - drumstick bean carrots
saute them then add tomatoes and tamarind juice..
add water
lil salt..
let it boil and then add sambar masala and add lil coconut milk
add sugar/jagary 1 tbsppon
Let the vegs cook 3/4 and then add cooked daal.



Coconut chutney

1 cup fresh grated coconut ( Or take half cup fresh and half cup dessicated coconut )
1/2 cup dalia
3-4 cahewnuts
jeera
1 inch chopped ginger
1 cup coriander
8 - 9  curry leaves
5 -6 small chopped green chilly
Salt
Tamarind 1cm piece
Grind all the above with very little water.

Tadka -
lil urad dal
mustard seeds
red chilly whole
hing powder

Give tadka to the chutney.


Potato masala

2 small potatoes boiled and peeled.
2 sliced onions
4-5 cashewnuts cut into halves
chopped ginger
coriander
salt
turmeric
chana dal and urad dal for tadka
red chilly
mustard seeds,jeera
hing
green chilly chopped
curry leaves
green peas optionals

MAke tadka with mustard seeds, jeera,hing,urad daal and chana daal.Add red whole chilly and cashewnuts.Add onions and saute

them.Add ginger,curry leaves and green chillies.Add turmeric and saute them.To this add chopped potatos ( boiled and peeled)
Add green peas if you like and cook it for 5 mins.Add salt.Add lil water if its dry.

Banana Walnut Bread

Banana Walnut Bread 

Ingredients : 

1 cup all purpose flour

1 cup sugar 

3/4 cup canola oil / ghee

2 medium size eggs

1 n 1/4 tsp baking powder

1 tsp vanilla extract

1/4 tsp cinnamon powder

1/4 tsp salt

2 over ripe banana

walnuts

Procedure : 

Sift Flour and baking powder,salt n cinnamon powder together for 2 times.

Mix sugar and oil/ghee in a mixing bowl till it becomes homogenuous.Add vanilla extract to it.

In a separate bowl,beat eggs for around 15 mins.

Add this mixture to sugar and oil/ghee n mix lightly.

Divide all purpose flour in 3 parts and mix them one by one.

Mix it well.Add walnuts and mix well.Keep aside few walnuts for decoration.

Pour this mixture in a greased  bread / cake pan.Decorate it with the remaining walnuts.

Preheat oven at 375 degrees for 15 mins.

Bake the cake for 45 min depending on your oven.

Cake is ready when toothpick inserted in it comes out clean.

Remove the pan from oven and keep it for 10 mins.Then remove the cake from pan on a grill.Cut the cake after 5 mins.

Spaghetti Sauce

Spaghetti Sauce  : Ultimate fast recipe

Ingredients
Half pound Spaghetti
Garlic
Basil
Tomato -3
Olive Oil

Procedure :
Bring Water to rolling boil in a big deep pan.Add salt to it so that it becomes salty.Add spaghetti and bring it to boil again.It takes 12 minutes.

In a Skillet add little oilve oil,add crushed garlic , basil, red chilly flakes and fry for a while.Then add 2 cut tomotoes and fry for 2 mins.Add 1 Tomoto puree to it.Sitr for a minute.
Drain the spaghetti and add it to the sauce made above.
Serve it hot with Parmesan Cheese and Garlic bread.

Sponge Cake

This is my moms recipe.Simple and Easy to make.

Ingredients :

1 cup all purpose flour
1 cup sugar
3/4 cup canola oil
3 medium size eggs
1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp vanilla extract

Sift Flour and baking powder together for 2 times.
Mix sugar and oil in a mixing bowl till it becomes homogenuous.Add vanilla extract to it.
In a separate bowl,beat eggs for around 15 mins.
Add this mixture to sugar and oil n mix lightly.
Divide all purpose flour in 3 parts and mix them one by one.
Mix it well.

Pour this mixture in a greased cake pan.
Preheat oven at 375 degrees for 15 mins.
Bake the cake for 20 - 25 min depending on your oven.
Cake is ready when toothpick inserted in it comes out clean.
Remove the pan from oven and keep it for 5 mins.Then remove the cake from pan on a grill.Cut the cake after 10 mins.

Coriander Chicken

Coriander Chicken

Marinate chicken with 2 tspn Dahi(yogurt), chily powder, turmeric n salt.Add little Lemon juice / vinegar- few drops.

Dry masala -
dry ginger powder
kasuri methi
little clove powder
little pepper powder
little cinnamom powder
2 tbspn dhana jeera powder
little tandori masala (optional)
suntha powder(dry ginger powder)


Wet Green Masala

1 small onion
half tomato
fresh ground coconut( half in quantity as of onion)
little garlic
1 inch ginger
bay leaf
lot of cilanthro(coriander leaves)
5-6 cashewnuts soaked in water
salt and chiliy powder


Put oil in pan.Add bayleaf .
fry little cut onion n tomato
put turmeric n chilly powder accordingly
then put dahi (yogurt) 5 - 6 tbspn
when it becomes liquid put chicken in it and fry it nicely.
after 10 mins put green wet masala n let it cook for 10 mins.Then add dry masala.Stir it and mix well.
Then put water for cookin chicken properly.put lid and let the chicken cook.Takes around 30 minutes on medium flame in a pan with lid.

Garnish it with cilanthro n onions.Serve hot with Roti , phulka , naan or hot basmati rice.

Bharli Vangi (Masala Baingan)

Bharli Wangi ( Masala Baingan)

Use very small brinjals for this recipe.
Cut brinals(eggplant) in half by giving a slit to it in the

centre.Boil water and put salt to it for taste.When water comes to

boil, put brinjals in it and cover it and cook for around 5 - 10 mins.

depending on the brinjals.

Prepare the masala of the following in a separate bowl -
Groundunut powder , dessicated coconut (roasted in a pan till brown)

,sesame seeds(ground),chilly powder,little turmeric powder,garam

masala and salt.

Heat the wok and pour oil.Add finely cut onions and stir them for 5

mins. add cut tomotoes,stir for few mins and then add brinjal(not the

water).Dont Stir it frequently after you add the brinjals.Then add

masala mixture and stir very gently for a min. till everything gets

mixed well.Add little quantity of water and let it boil for 1

min.Garnish with coriander leaves.

Modak

Ganapati's Favourite Modak.This is used in pooja for Ganesh Chaturthi.

Ingredients:
Filling -
3/4 cup shredded fresh coconut
1/2 cup Jaggery(Brown sugar)
1 teaspoon roasted poppy seeds
1 tsp rice flour
3-4 cardamoms (powdered)
Covering -
1 cup fine rawa
2 tbs hot oil
pinch of salt
2 tbs milk
water as needed
Oil for frying


1) For the filling, mix and cook coconut & Jaggery together on a medium
flame. Stir continuously until they are mixed properly.
2) Add cardamom powder, roasted poppy seeds & 1 teaspoon rice flour to it. &
cook for some more time. Keep aside and allow it to cool.

For cover add hot oil to rawa add a pinch of salt.Mix well then add milk and knead well .
If needed add water and again knead well.Keep it covered for at least 1 hr.
After 1 hr.knead the dough well again.if you have food processor then process the dough in it for 5 min.
Make small balls out of this dough and roll them in small poori's the poori should not be very thin nor very thick.
Take a spoonfull of filling and add to modak and the pinch this poori from all sides.Make all the modak's like this.
While frying keep the flame on low- mid and fry them till golden color.

Caprese Flat Bread

This recipe is from Olive garden Chef.
Caprese Mixture -

Dice 8 tomotoes,add chopped garlic,salt n pepper , fresh chopped basil.n etxtra oilive oil.Mix it together and let it marinate.
Dough -
I usually use Pillsbury thin crust for Pizza.So if you have any thin crust left over in little quantity you can use it for this bread.Spread the dough on the greased foil in a tray .Use oilve oil to grease it.
Put 2 TBSpon oilve oil on surface n brush it.
Bake it on 350 for 10 min
Remove from oven and let it cool for  2-3 min
Rub the cut garlic clove on it while it is still warm...
Cool it for another 10 mins.

Mix mayoneese n garlic powder in a bowl .Drain caprese mixture...
Once the bread is cool - spread caprese mix. on the dough then mozerilla cheese and then caprese mixture
On top of it, sprinkle paremesan cheese n extra olive oil.

Bake this at 450 degree for 5 to 7 mins.
Garnish with reamining basil .Serve it with your favourite white Wine
Tip : if you dont like the smell of basil,wash it and soak it in water for 20 min.The basil is good for use.

You can find the video of Olive garden Chef here - http://bit.ly/9n5pqf

Chocolate Cake

Recipe for Cake is as follows  -
Ingredients -

• 2 cups sugar
• 1-3/4 cups all-purpose flour
• 3/4 cup Cocoa unsweetened
• 1-1/2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1-1/2 teaspoons baking soda
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 2 eggs
• 1 cup milk
• 1/2 cup vegetable oil
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 1 cup boiling water

Process - 

1.Mix sugar, flour, cocoa, baking powder, baking soda and salt.

2.Add eggs, milk, oil and vanilla

3.Beat for 2 min in mixer on low settings

4.Mix boiling water 

5.Put mixture in pan which is greased with oil / butter and then sifted with little flour.

6.Bake for 30 min on 350 F preheated oven.

Test  -  wooden pick inserted in center should comes out clean.then the cake is done.Cool for 10 mins.Remove the cake from pan and cool it on wire rack.

Frosting - 

1 stick butter or margarine
2/3 cup Cocoa unsweetened
3 cups powdered sugar
1/3 cup milk
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Melt the butter.Mix Cocoa.Add sugar , milk , vanilla essence one by one and mix till the frosting consistency.

Caution : After it cools down,it becomes hard.

When the cake is cool enough , spread the frosting on it with the flat spatula.

For Decortions use Strawberries.

Tandoori Chicken

Take 6 Chicken Leg pieces .Clean them.Make gashes in them so that the marination reaches inside.

Process of marination
Ingredients -
First rub chilly powder ,salt & lemon juice in the gashes.

Prepare the mixture of following for coating the pieces of chicken -
6 tbsspn yogurt - 1 tbspn for 1 leg
ginger garlic paste 2 tbspn
chilly powder to taste
salt - 1/2 tbl or to taste
pepper powder - 1/2 tsp
turmeric -  little
garam masala - 1/2 tsp
cumin powder- 1 tbsp
corinder powder- 1 tsp
lime juice little
fenugreek powder (Kasuri methi)  - 1/2 tsp
red color optional
Mix the above ingredients and apply it to all the chicken legs.
After marination add oil on top of the legs.

Preheat the oven at 425 degrees and then bake for 35 - 45 mins. depending upon your oven.You can make this in advance and serve it hot by heating it on the skillet.
Serve with onion and lemon slices....Yummy...

Introduction

I am Neha Dharwadkar.Born and brought up in Jalgaon Maharastra.Studied in Pune.Worked in Pune , Bangalore , Mumbai ,Hyderabad as IT engineer.Came here in US along with my husband.

I like to roam around,explore things,watch cartoons(tom n jerry is my fav) and eat yummy foods :)

Now I am at home as I am a dependent here.Thats the reason I tried different recipes and passed my time.....And my hubby inspired me a lot to do so...he is a foodie....cooks new dishes whenever he feels....So that way I got a guinea pig who can test and taste my recipes ;)

Ok enough of my story .....now lets begin..

Shrimp Biryani

Shrimp Biryani

Marinate shrimp with chilly powder ,salt, ginger garlic paste and coriander pwder

Cook rice like - Soak rice for 30 mins and then in boiling water add oil , salt, Whole masala - clove

bayleaf, jeera, cardamom, cinnamom stick,maze(jaipatri) n rice n cook it till 80% done

Drain the water .

In separate pan add oil,whole garam masala ,jeera & Shrimp.Fry them for 3 mins.Remove them from oil.In that oil put yogurt,green chilly ,corainder leaves, biryani masala, kasuri methi and stir.Now put shrimps.Mix 1 time.Put hot rice,add saffron color(optional), coriander leaves, fried onion, garam masala powder n cover with airtight lid for 5 mins.