Chinese Samosa

Ingredients

• 2 cups Cabbage(finely chopped)
• 2tbsp Capsicum( finely chopped)
• 2tbsp Carrots(shredded)
• 1 small onion (finely chopped)
• 1tsp Light soy sauce
• 1/2tsp red chilly sauce
• 1tsp Garlic ( chopped)
• 1 Green chilly (finely chopped)
• 1tsp white pepper powder
• 1/2 cup Fine semolina/Chiroti rava
• 1cup Maida
• 3tbsp hot oil

Cooking Directions

1. Sift flour and semolina into a mixing bowl, add vegetable oil and mix with your hands until a crumbly mixture is achieved.
2. Add the water and salt mix until you have a soft dough. Now knead the dough for 10 minutes.
3. Form the dough into a ball and coat the outside with vegetable oil. Put the dough into a plastic bag and set it aside for about 30 minutes.
4. For samosa filling:-
5. Heat 1tbsp of oil in a wok or pan,add chopped garlic,giner and sauté for a couple of seconds,add all the chopped vegetable and stir fry on high heat till the mixture is dry.
6. Add soy sauce,chilly sauce and stir it again for a couple of seconds and switch off the flame.
7. Now add the salt and white pepper powder mix it well.let it cool a bit before making samosas.
8. Method of making samosas:
9. Knead the dough again and divide it into 12 equal portions.
10. Form each portion into a ball. Roll the ball out on a floured surface to make a circle approximately 8 inches in diameter.
11. Now cut the circle into 4 triangle pieces.
12. Now fill each triangle with the stuffing and close it and Seal the edge with a little water on your fingers. Press the edges to make the seal tight.
13. Now heat oil in a pan and deep fry 2-3 samosas at a time ,till crisp and golden brown colour.
14. Serve hot with  garlic sauce.

Green peas-chow chow Kurma

12-12-12 Its the centurys last sequential date. For some, it represents luck. For others, its a day of romance. For most of us, its just another Wednesday. Regardless of your beliefs, 12/12/12 comes along with some rather amusing facts and superstitions.On this special day thought of cooking something special for my family.                      

 Today I've prepared 2 dishes using Chow chow(kannada -seemay badane) which grew in my kitchen garden.This vegetable i a delectable pleasantly coloured and easy to cook vegetable.It can be easily grown by planting a mature sprout got from the market ( which can not be used for cooking) and trailed over a pandal or in your balcony or compound wall.to enjoy a basketful of harvest. You can make so many yummy dishes from this humble vegetable. I've exactly used 12 ingredients in this dish just to make the day more memorable 

Cook time: 55-60 mins
Ingredients

• 3 cups Green peas
• 1 cup Chow chow ( diced)
• 1/2 Copra/dry coconut,grated
• 1tbsp Kashmiri chilly powder
• 3 Tomatoes
• 3 Onion
• 8-10 Garlic cloves
• 1/4 cup Coriander leaves
• 5 Cardamom pods
• 2tsp Garam masala powder
• 1tbsp Ghee/oil
• salt to taste

Cooking Directions

1. Pressure cook both peas and chow chow with little salt till 20-25 Mins or take 2 whistle.
2. Grind grated copra/dry coconut,cardamom,tomatoes,garlic and 1/2 of the coriander leaves to smooth paste
3. Fry onion till golden brown in ghee or oil ,drain and ground to paste.
4. In the same pan add onion paste, chilly powder and salt to taste ( do not add too much as we have already added while cooking the vegetable)stir for a minute on low flame.
5. Now add ground masla paste and stir till oil comes on top.
6. Add cooked peas and chow chow and boil again for 15-20 mins until the gravy becomes thick.
7. Garnish with remaining coriander leaves and serve hot with Jeera rice or roti

Chicken and corn Fajita pizza

 This Home made pizza is really easier than you think,if you get some readily available pizza base then it is really quick and gets ready within 10-15 mins with different topping of your choice.In this pizza  i have used  fajita as a topping and believe me its awesome and really very tasty .

Fajita is a Mexican dish ,easy and quick to make.Just seer the meat on a griddle along with onion and bell peppers and served with Tortillas.What i do is i prepare this topping and sauce and  refrigerate for a week, so whenever my kids feel like having some fresh pizza just open the fridge and take out some fajita ,add some fresh stir fried veggies and its ready in no time and its a delicious way to welcome your guest too.

Ingredients

• 4 medium sized pizza base
• 300 grams chicken breast ,boneless (cut into 1 inch strips)
• 2 Onions (chopped)
• 1 cup Sweet corn
• 2 Red and green capsicum
• 2tsp chilly powder
• 1/2tsp Pepper powder
• 2tsp Giger -garlic paste
• 2tsp Olive oil
• 1 cup Pizza sauce(spicy sauce refer this link for pizza sauce)
• 1 cup Mozzarella cheese,grated
• 10-12 Tinned black olives,(pitted and diced)

Cooking Directions

1. Heat oil in pan,add onions,stir on high heat till it changes to light pink colour.
2. Add chicken breast pieces and cook, stirring frequently until lightly browned.
3. Now add ginger garlic paste,chilly powder,pepper and salt and stir again for couple of minutes.
4. add sweet corn and bell peppers, cook an additional minute or so until vegetables are crisp-tender.
5. Now arrange pizza base on a flat board and spoon Pizza sauce/ spicy sauce and spread some chicken - corn mixture over that, and finally, top with olives and cheese.
6. Microwave,high for 2 minutes or until cheese melts.
7. Serve hot with oregano and chilly flakes

Chicken corn fajita pizza

Variation: Vegetarians can replace chicken with paneer /Cottage cheese strips

American sweet corn parata and chutney

Ingredients for Parata

• 3 cups Whole wheat flour
• 3 cups American sweet corn kernels
• 10 Garlic cloves
• 1 inch Ginger
• 4-5 Green chillies
• 1 tsp Cumin
• 1tsp Garam masala powder
• 1/4 cup Coriander leaves
• Salt to taste

Ingredients for Corn chutney

• 1 cup American sweet corn kernels
• 4-5 pepper corns
• 1 heaped tbsp Grated coconut
• 1 inch Ginger
• 5-6 Garlic cloves
• 1 big Tomato ( not too ripe)
• 2tbsp Coriander leaves chopped
• 4 Green chillies
• 1 Lemon

Cooking Directions
Sweet corn parata

1. Grind all the ingredients except whole wheat flour to fine paste without adding much water.
2. Now add ground paste to wheat flour Mix in half a cup of water into this ,by using your fingers, loosely mix the flour & the water changing it into a crumbly mixture. You can add in the oil or ghee at this point .Keep adding splashes of water if needed. Press the heels of your hands firmly into the dough, pushing forward slightly, using the fingers to mix the dry Atta well into the wet bits.
3. Making use of your palms, fist & fingers keep on kneading the Atta with pushes punching & rolling it into a soft dough.
4. NOW, Dampen the top of the dough & cover it either with a clean damp cloth or with cling film and let it rest for 30 minutes.
5. After 30 minutes make big lemon sized balls and roll into thick paratas .
6. Heat griddle and fry paratas on both the sides using ghee or oil

Sweet corn chutney:

1. Heat 2tsp oil in a pan add pepper corns,ginger,garlic, green chillies,sweet corn and tomato and 1/2 tsp of salt,saute until tomatoes are mushy.Switch off the gas and ,Let the mixture cool down completely.
2. Now grind coconut and cooked corn-mixture to smooth paste with 1/2 cup of water and check for seasoning.
3. Mix in lemon juice and serve with rotis and paratas.

Rogan josh..A rich Kashmiri lamb Curry with Nuts

 

For years I have cooked this Kashmiri Rogan josh from my recipe book which i got from my aunty long back. Though it took a good hour and a half to make, it was worth it, because every bit was polished off with relish by whomever it was served to, family or friends. If there ever were leftovers, they did not lasted beyond the next meal. 

 

                 Rogan josh is a gravy dish with moist spices and lot of fat floating around the meat ."Rogan" means oil or fat which comes from the meat itself. Josh means intense heat that goes while cooking this dish. Kashmiri dishes are known for having aromatic and sometimes spicy flavors, and some dishes often contain liberal amounts of oil which contributes to a richer, fuller mouth feel and flavour. Brown cardamom, green cardamom, cinnamon, cloves, nutmeg, mace, hing/asafoetida and saffron are the most commonly used spices in the making of a wide variety of dishes throughout Kashmir. Cumin seeds,coriander powder chilli powder, turmeric and bay leaves are also very popular Garam masala (aromatic spices) is a very popular blend of spices used in many kashmiri dishes. 

 

The original recipe demanded fatty lamb meat but here i have used a leg of a lamb approximately 1 kg 100 grams very tender and less fatty meat,which produces the same and often better results with way less oil and much less effort. I have cooked it three times in the last month each time with different garnishing. First time i used almonds only as mentioned in the recipe and second time i have prepared this only with cashew nuts and the thirrd time i used both cashew and almonds for garnishing,but each time the favour and aroma was just the same.

Cook time: Depending on the tenderness of the lamb
Total time: 60 mins
Ingredients

• 2 Onion( peeled and sliced)
• 10 Green cardamoms ( lightly crushed)
• 5-6 Black cardamoms
• 15 Cloves
• 3 Bay leaves 
• 4 1 inch pieces of cinnamon sticks
• 1/4 tsp Hing /asafoetida
• 1/2 tsp Ginger powder or fresh root ginger 2 inch piece( ground to paste)
• 10 Garlic cloves (ground to paste)
• 1 kg lamb,cut into cubes
• 2 tsp Cumin powder
• 2 tbsp Kashmiri chilly powder
• 3 tsp Coriander powder
• 2 tsp saunf /fennel powder
• 10-12 Almonds chopped and blanched
• 3 tsp Poppy seeds ( soak in warm water and make paste)
• 2 cups Thick curd ( not very sour)
• 1/2 cup Ghee or oil

Cooking Directions

1. Fry onion in ghee or oil until lightly browned.
2. Stir fry cardamoms,cloves,bayleaf and cinnamon for a minute.
3. Add in ginger powder or fresh ginger paste,garlic paste stir and add meat.
4. Sprinkle on,one at a time,the dry ginger/saunt ( if you are using ginger paste then omit this powder) cumin,chilli,hing,coriander powder and fennel powder.Fry the mixture for about 2 minutes on high flame
5. Add curd and salt,mix it well ,cover and cook for 5-7 mins until dry and oil separates on low flame.
6. Add blanched almonds and poppy seed paste,stir fry for 2 mins and add about 1/2 litre or 3-4 cups,cover and cook for 30-40 mins gently simmering until meat is tender and the mixture is fairly dry.
7. Sprinkle with saffron.Cover again and cook for 5 more mins taking care not to burn the meat.Stir the mixture a few times to mix saffron.

Capsicum-Paneer Burji

Ingredients

• Capsicum 3 ( cut into small square pieces)
• 1cup Scrambled paneer/Cottage cheese
• 2 Onions (chopped)
• 2 Tomatoes
• 1/2 cup Green Peas(optional)
• 2tsp chilly powder
• 1tsp Garam masala powder
• 1inch Ginger ( finely chopped )
• 6-7 Garlic cloves( finely chopped )
• 2 Green chillies( finely chopped )
• 1/2tsp Cumin powder
• 1/2 tsp Kasoori methi(optional)
• 1/2tsp Turmeric powder/haldi
• 1tbsp Sunflower oil

Cooking Directions

1. Heat oil in a pan,add some jeera,let it splutter for a second,then add onion ,chopped garlic and ginger and green chilly and stir for a couple of mins or until onion turns to light golden colour.
2. Now its time to add our green peas (if you are using),stir for a while,then add tomatoes and saute for 2 mins.
3. Add in chilly powder,garam masala and turmeric/haldi and stir it well.Add salt to taste and a 1/2 cup of water to de-glaze the pan, cover it with a lid for 2 mins until peas are well cooked and the gravy thickens.
4. Now its time to add in our chopped capsicum, stir it well and again cover it, add little water if needed to help to cook the capsicum ( do not over cook the capsicum or else it will loose its crunchiness)
5. Lastly add in scrambled paneer and if you are using kasoori methi add at this stage and check for seasoning,if needed add more salt and cover it again for 2 mins on low flame,let the paneer soak the flavour of the masala. When the dish is almost dry switch off the flame .
6. Garnish with some scrambled paneer/cottage cheese or grated cheese and serve hot with roti or pulka

Butter milk Pumpkin Pancake/dosa ( eggless)

Pumpkin pancakes

Make the most of winter harvest with this warming, seasonal Pancake.Here i have created this colourful, healthy pancake with pumpkin and buttermilk,which really goes well with my date and raisin chutney .This is what i packed in my kids lunch box and they are really super exited to see some tangy any sweet chutney along with this pancakes,its like double treat for them.

Prep time: 20 mins
Cook time: 10-15 mins
Yield: 10
Ingredients

• 2 cups Maida/all purpose flour
• 1 cup Besan/chickpea flour/gram flour
• 2 cups Sour buttermilk
• 2 cups Pumpkin (grated)
• 1/4 cup Coriander leaves ( chopped)
• 1tsp Sugar
• 2 Green chillies ( chopped)
• 1/2tsp Baking soda
• 1tsp Baking Powder

Cooking Directions

1. Take a bowl,add buttermilk,baking powder and baking soda and blend it well.
2. Now add 11/2 Cup grated pumpkin ( reserve half cup for garnishing) and 1/2 of the coriander,chopped green chillies ,salt and sugar.Mix it well till sugar dissolves.
3. Lastly add in maida and gram flour/besan and make a smooth batter by adding little water to make a smooth ,thick batter for pancake.Keep this batter at least hour or 2 for fermenting.
4. After an hour start making pancakes.
5. Heat griddle or non-stick pan and drizzle some butter or oil and pour 1 ladle full of the batter and lightly spread to make 4 inch round pancakes.
6. Now sprinkle some grated pumpkin and chopped coriander and cover it till its cooks well.
7. Open the lid and turn it to other side,again drizzle some butter or oil and cook till crisp and golden brown.
8. Goes well with any types of chutney or sweet and sour sauce.

PUmpkin dosa/pancakes

Surnu-Ambuli Adgai( yam - raw mango pickle)

yam-raw mango pickle

 This pickle is not very long lasting but can be stored for a week if refrigerated. Adgai is typical konkani pickle with the combination of steamed or boiled mangoes and jackfuits are used.as well,like mango and yam or unripe mangoes.This goes well with our konkani style string hoppers/shevai/idiappam or with any types of dosa.This pickle is quite famous in our GSB wedding receptions with the combination of unripe mango and jackfruit during the summer season.

Prep time: 40 mins
Cook time: 20 mins
Ingredients

• 1 cup Yam ( cut into long 1 inch pieces)
• 1/2 cup Unripe mango ( cut into cubes)
• 15 Dried red chillies
• 1/4 tsp Turmeric powder
• 1tsp Coriander seeds
• 1tsp Mustard
• 10 Pepper corns
• 5-6 Methi/Fenugreek seeds
• 1/2tsp Asafoetida
• 1/2tsp Mustard
• 1spring Curry leaves/kari bevu/kadi patta
• 2tsp coconut oil

Cooking Directions

1. Apply salt to yam pieces and keep aside for 30 mins.
2. After 30 mins squeeze the water from the yam and deep fry till golden brown.
3. Dry roast red chilles,coriander seeds,pepper,mustard,methi,asafoetida and turmeric on low flame and powder together .
4. Dissolve the 3-4tsp of salt into 1/2 cup of water and bring to boil.Let it cool completely before using.
5. Now grind the powdered ingredients with a portion of the salt water to a smooth paste.Recover adhering paste with the remaining salt water from the mixer jar and mix it with original paste.
6. Now add mango pieces to this paste and mix it well.
7. Lastly add the fried yam pieces and mix it again
8. Now prepare tempering.Heat oil in a pan,add mustard and curry leaveas and pour this over the hot pickle and it is ready .
9. Do not keep this for more than couple of days unless refrigerated.

Shevai/string hoppers and Adgai pickle

Pumpkin leaf vadi/duddi panna podi

Duddi/dudde panna podi is a  typical konkani style  fritter prepared with pumpkin leaves,which is served during lunch or dinner.But this makes a awesome appetizer or evening snack especially for vegetarians.You hardly get this  leaves in stores so better grow this in your kitchen garden as it takes very little attention.I have got plenty of these leaves in my backyard so i can relish it whenever i feel like.Other than vadi we can prepare so many dishes from this leaves,flowers and pumpkin itself  as it is very healthy and seasonal vegetable

Prep time: 30 mins
Cook time: 10-15 mins
Yield: 20-25
Ingredients

• 15 Pumpkin leaves
• 2 cups Dosa rice
• 1/2 cup Urad dal
• 10 Whole dried red chillies
• 1tsp Asafoetida /Hing powder
• 2tbsp Rava/semolina (optional)

Cooking Directions

1. Wash and clean the pumpkin leaves and let it dry completely.
2. Soak rice for about 1 hour and grind to smooth paste
3. Dry roast urad dal and red chillies till dal turns to brown colour
4. Mix urad dal powder to the rice batter and make a thick batter.
5. Add salt and asafoetida and mix it well.
6. Now spread one leaf and apply this batter evenly on that pumpkin leaf and then place one more leaf over that and repeat the process Stack 7-8 leaves at a time and gently fold it to make round rolls.
7. The same way make one more roll and refrigerate for 30 mins .
8. Now take the rolls out of the fridge and cut into 1 cm round disc as shown in the picture.
9. Heat oil in the pan and deep fry all the pieces till crisp and golden brown.

variation: Roll all the pieces in rava and fry till golden brown.

Palak-kabuli/ chick peas in spinach gravy

Ingredients

• 1 cup White chickpeas/kabuli chana
• 3 bunches Spinach
• 3 Onions
• 3 Tomatoes
• 10 Garlic cloves
• 2 Ginger (1 inch) pieces
• 3 Cardamom
• 6-7 Cloves
• 2 Cinnamon (1 inch) pieces
• 1tsp Cummin/jeera
• 2tsp Red chilly powder
• 2tbsp Oil
• 2tsp Kasoori methi

ONion paste

Boil spinach in water for 2-3 mins

Blanched and drain spinach

Spinach puree

Boiled chickpeas 

 Cooking Directions

1. Wash and clean spinach and blanch them for a 2-3 mins and puree.
2. Soak kabuli chana overnight and next day morning pressure cook with a tsp of salt for 30 mins or take 3-4 whistle.

For onion paste:

• Heat 1tbsp of oil in a pan,add cloves,cinnamon,cardamom,onion,garlic and ginger.fry it well until onion changes to golden brown.let it cool before making smooth paste.

Method for the gravy:

1. Now in the same pan add remaining oil put some jeera,let it crackle, then add Finely chopped tomatoes,red chilly powder and salt to taste,stir till oil comes on top.
2. Add in palak puree,boiled chickpeas and cook till the gravy becomes thick,at this stage check for seasoning and add kasoori methi lightly crushed with your hands.
3. Boil for a minute and switch off the gas.
4. Garnish with onion rings and fresh red or green chillies
5. Serve hot with chapati or rice.