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Palak Paneer Bhurjee

Lots of Flavours. A different Palak Paneer. Has a rich and chatpata (tangy) taste. I love the flavours of fresh spices, Kasuri Methi and Garlic in my food. Ingredients: 500 gm paneer 250 gms Spinach 1 kg tomatoes 2 tbsp desi ghee 2 bay leaves 3 whole red chillies 1 piece mace 5 green cardamoms 4-5 cloves 2 black pepper corns 3 tsp garlic paste 1/2 tsp ginger paste 2 tsp cumin seeds Chopped green chillies 2 tsp chopped garlic & ginger 1 chopped onion Kasuri methi leaves 1 cup cashew nut paste 1/2 cup cream 1 tsp red chilli powder 1 tsp cumin seed powder 2 tbs chopped coriander leaves Salt to taste A squeeze of lemon juice For the marinade: 2 tsp ginger paste 2 tsp garlic paste 1 tsp red chilli powder Method: Cut half the paneer into cubes and crumble the other half. Marinate cubes with ginger and garlic paste, salt and red chilli powder for half an hour. Heat oil in a pan. Add half the chopped garlic. After a minute, add chopped spinach. Add a teaspoon of salt and coriander powder w...

Papad Curry

The Name has got me quite a few 'Umms' and 'Ayes' from people when I offered to make it for them. But, the unique taste and flavour is quite tasty and is enjoyed by many. A welcome break from usual vegetable curries. The recipe was given to me by an aunty and is quite a combination of strong flavours like onion-garlic in the paste and calming flavours like curd. It is different from the typical Rajasthani Kadhi. INGREDIENTS Masala Papad – 4 Masala papad here means Urad dal ki papad commonly ingrained with peppercorns or green chillies. Can use Punjabi masala papad or similarly flavoured papad Onion (large) -1 Garlic- 6 Turmeric powder- 1 tsp Red chilli powder- 2 tsp Coriander powder- 1 ½ tsp Asafoetida (Hing)- A pinch (Optional) Curd (Not sour)- 1 ½ cup Cumin seeds- 1 tsp Water- 1 cup (Depending on consistency of curd) Salt- to taste Oil- to shallow fry and for preparation Fresh coriander leaves- to garnish Break the masala papad into 4 pieces and shallow fry or deep f...

Sweet Dal(Flavoured)

The taste is distict and gets a unique taste from its coconut and spices' content. Quite similar to the Bengali Dal and the "Abhara" (Mahaprasad) Dal served at the Puri Jagannath Temple and other temples in Orissa, my first attempt was a superhit and surprised me. INGREDIENTS for the DAL Channa Dal- 1 cup *Coriander powder- 2 tsp *Garam masala- 1 ½ tsp *Turmeris powder- 1 tsp Sugar- 3 tsp Salt to taste (Add lesser than for normal dal) Water- 2 cups Wash and soak chana dal for atleast half an hour prior to steaming. Drain and pressure cook with 2 cups of water and salt till done. it takes 4 whistles in the cooker. This takes about half an hour or more. Alternately, cook with 2 cups of water in a covered pan till done. You may need to add more water. When the dal is done,open the pan, add powders and sugar, stir and boil for 5 minutes. Masala and tempering for dal Ghee Mustard seeds – 1 tsp Cumin seeds- 1 tsp Cardamom (whole)- 5 Cloves – 5 Cinnamon – 2 inch stick ( break...

Baingan Bharta

Smoked and mashed brinjal cooked with punjabi masala An interesting twist to be tried!I was surprised at the version when we ate it at an aunt's. Was an instant success. Became a creamy,luscious Bhartha! Aubergines/brinjals (large purple ones)- 3 Garlic cloves - 6 to insert and 4 to fry Onion-2 Tomato-1 Green Chillies-2 Coriander (Dhania) powder- 1 ½ tbsp Chilli powder- ½ tsp Black pepper powder-1 tsp Chaat masala-1 tbsp Black salt (kala namak) – 1 tsp Cumin seeds (optional)- 1 tsp Salt to taste Oil as required For garnishing-Fresh coriander leaves chopped 1. Chop onion, tomato, green chillies and 4 cloves of garlic. 2. Wash the brinjal well and wipe. Make little slits and insert 2 in each brinjal. 3. Roast over flame till the skin gets totally charred or alternately roast in preheated oven at 300 degrees for 5 minutes or till done. 4. When cool, remove skin and mash the brinjal well along with inserted garlic. 5. Heat oil in a pan. Add cumin seeds, when slightly brown, fry garlic...

Cajun Spicy Potatoes

Potatoes- 250 grams Red chilli powder-1 tsp Red chilli flakes- 1 tbsp Salt-1 tsp Rock Salt-1 tsp Pepper-1 tsp Dried Herbs (Thyme,Oregano)-2 tsp Fresh mint leaves- 2 sprigs (roughly 12 leaves) Olive Oil(can be susbtituted by refined oil)- 2 tbsp Preheat oven to 180 degrees. Wash Potatoes well. Slice into wedges with skin on. Chop mint leaves into small pieces. Put into bowl,add rest of dry seasonings,mint leaves and toss well. Place in oven-proof bowl and pour oil to coat all wedges. Grill in preheated oven for 18-20 minutes till done. Turn over once in between Serve with sauce or cheese dip. Sumi says:I use Red chilli flakes and the herb pouches left over from Pizza orders!They work great. The seasoning pouches work good for these kind of dishes

Low Calorie Three Layer Salad [Sprouts,Greens and Croutons] with mint-yogurt dressing

This is an exciting and fresh salad.It contains ingredients easily available in your kitchen. Serves 2 Layer 1 Sprouts – 1 cup http://food.sify.com/fullstory.php?id=14678073 Soak Chickpeas ( Channa) , kidney beans (Rajma) and Green gram (Sabut moong) overnight. Drain the water and leave moist till it sprouts. it takes about 4 to 6 hours The healthiest option is to eat them as they are with the dressing. Alternatively, steam in salted water for 20 minutes or till done. Dressing Curd- 1 cup beaten Mint leaves – 20 grams Coriander leaves – 20 grams Green chilly- 1 Salt Wash the leaves well. Chop the green chilly well. Grind them together and beat together with the curd. Toss the sprouts in half of the dressing and keep aside. Layer 2 Bread croutons Croutons is normally deep fried cubes of bread. Try this low cal version Low Cal Croutons -Preheat the oven to 200 degrees Centigrade. Cut the Bread into small cubes and place on a baking tray. Brush with Oil, then bake...

Black Forest Cake

This is a superhit family favourite and relished by all the people i know! Not bragging- is vegetarian too! and quite tasty, not very difficult. can be served without the frills and fancies of the icing too! INGREDIENTS Refined/ All purpose flour – 250 gms Cocoa powder – 3 to 4 heaped tbsp Condensed milk- 400 gms (1 tin) Aerated cola drink( E.g. Pepsi) – 200 ml Vanilla Essence – 1 tsp Butter (preferably white) – 125 gms Baking powder -1 ½ tsp Centre filling :Grated dark chocolate Chocolate icing 1/2 cup butter, softened 2 - 2/3 cups confectioner's sugar or icing sugar 1/3 cup unwhipped whipping cream or milk 1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla essence 1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder, sifted (for medium) Cream the butter in a small bowl. Blend in the cocoa powder (the amount desired for a light, medium or dark flavor), vanilla, confectioners sugar, alternately with the cream. Beat with an electric mixer or whip well, until the desired texture is achieved. More cream may have to be added in or...

Microwave Paneer Kebab

(Does not require Tandoor Masala) Cottage Cheese- 200 grams Ginger garlic chilli paste- 2 tbsp Salt- to taste Gramflour. (Besan) -1 to 1 ½ tbsp Thick Curd (preferably hung curd)- 100 ml Chaat Masala- 2 tsp Kasuri Methi- 1tsp Pepper – 1 tsp Onion ( optional) - 1 large Capsicum (Optional) – 1 Ensure the paneer is firm and does not have too much water content. Cut the paneer into inch sized cubes. Give them a small prick with a tooth prick. Be careful not to pierce lest they break while cooking. Cut the onion into quarters and separate the layers to make pieces. Cut capsicum into large pieces. Beat the curd well. Skip if using hung curd. Mix in the paste, chaat masala, salt, pepper and kasuri methi. Add the gramflour and mix. Put the paneer pieces in and toss lightly to ensure each piece is coated well. Repeat for onion and capsicum. Refrigerate for 45 minutes. Microwave on high for 7 to 10 minutes. Turn over after 5 minutes to ensure both sides get done well. It may need more time depend...

Paneer Chaman

A mildly spiced fresh flavoured curry.The taste of freshly ground spices,tomatoes and honey make a great combination. An unusual kind of curry. Serves 2 Cottage Cheese (Paneer)- 200 gms Tomato Puree – 200 ml Whole Spices Cinnamon – 1 to 2 inch stick broken into 4 Cardamom – 5 Cloves- 4 Bay Leaves- 2 Coriander (Dhania) powder – 1 tsp Cumin (Jeera ) powder – 1 tsp Garam masala- 1 tsp (Alternatively,you can powder 2 cardamom,2 cloves,2 pepper corn and an 1/2 inch long stick of cinnamon and use as Garam Masala ) Turmeric (Haldi) powder- 1 tsp Chilli powder – 1 tsp Honey – 1 tsp Salt – to taste Oil Coriander Leaves to garnish Cut paneer into inch sized cubes. Heat Oil. Fry paneer till they start turning brown. They should be slightly soft. Remove paneer cubes. Add whole spices and fry slightly. Pour in tomato puree. Fry till puree thickens slightly,then add garam masala. Cook till puree changes colour to a deep red. Add honey and some water. Stir. Add salt, coriander, cumin, turmeric and ch...

Alu Chakkata- Indian style mashed and spiced potato

Mashed and spiced potato Ingredients Boiled potato- 4 large Onions- 2 Green chillies-2 Garlic- 4 Oil- Refined or Mustard Coriander leaves – chopped (optional) Method 1 Mash the boiled potato. Chop the green chillies, garlic and onions into small bits. Add the raw onions, garlic and onions to the potato. Add salt as per taste. Add a few drops of mustard oil. This is an excellent accompaniment to Dahi Pakhala and can be tried with various other dishes. Those who like strong tastes will like the flavour in this. Method 2 Mash the potato. Chop the green chillies, garlic and onions into small bits Heat some oil in a pan. Add the chopped garlic and fry till raw taste goes. Add onion and chillies and fry till onions turn pink. Add the mashed potatoes and mix to form a whole. Fry for sometime till potato changes colour slightly. Add coriander leaves. This can also be served with Dahi Pakhala. Parathas and sandwiches also enjoy its company.

Dahi Pakhala (Orissa)

Cooked rice soaked in water and seasoned. This is a rice preparation native to Orissa. It is excellent for summers as it cools the body and relieves dehydration. Typically, it is made by fermenting the rice overnight in the water and had in the morning or in the evening there fore called “Basi Pakhala” literally meaning “Stale Pakhala”, but it is named so as it is made from the previous day’s rice. I give my father’s recipe and as we enjoy it at home, well seasoned. To serve two Ingredients Cooked Rice- as required Water- twice the amount of rice Salt Lemon leaves- 5 to 6 Mango-Ginger (Manga-injee/Amba-ada) or ginger- 1 inch http://herbpathy.com/Uses-and-Benefits-of-Mango-Ginger-Cid1077 Green Chilli -2 to 3 Curry leaves- 7 to 8 Curd- 1 medium sized bowl (The amount of curd can be incresed to suit your taste) The rice should be cooked soft and cooled. Left over rice can also be used. Chop the ginger and green chilli. In a large vessel, put the ginger, chilli, salt....

Quick Chinese Style Potatoes

INGREDIENTS Potatoes- 3 large Tomato sauce- 3 tbsp Chilli sauce – 2 tbsp Soya sauce – 1 tbsp Ginger- 1 inch Garlic- 6 to 7 Green chilli -2 Oil Salt Spring onions –to garnish Method 1 Chilli Potato Cornflour- 1tbsp Water- to make a paste with cornflour Boil Potatoes till 80 percent done i.e. not totally soft. You should be able to cut them into fingers. Reduce boiling time by 20 %. Peel and cut into Fingers Cut ginger, garlic and chilies into small pieces. Heat the oil and fry ginger, garlic and chilli for half a minute. Add potato fingers and fry till slightly crisp. Mix the 3 sauces in a bowl and pour in. Fry the potatoes with the sauces. Sprinkle salt as required and mix. Make a paste of cornflour and water. Pour in and coat the potatoes with it. Add more oil if required. Fry for a minute or two. Garnish with chopped spring onions. Method 2 Mashed Potaoes Chinese style My sister liked this adaptation of the recipe. She used to wake me up at 7 when she was in school (and me in colleg...

Tamatar (Tomato) Khatta

This is my adaptation of a traditional Oriya Chutney. It is served with Rice, Dal and Curry. This is my simple and tasty recipe. Ingredients 3-4 tomatoes 2 Onions 2 green chillies 1 tsp Chilli Powder (optional) 1 tsp Cumin Powder ½ tsp Turmeric powder Mustard seeds Cumin Seeds Salt Sugar- a pinch Mustard oil (You can use refined oil instead) Water- 1 to 2 cups Chop Onions, Tomatoes and Green chillies. Heat the oil. Add the green chillies and onions. Fry till onions turn pink. Add tomatoes. Fry a little till turns slightly soft but not like a paste Add salt, cumin powder, tumeric powder and a little chilli powder (optional) and a pinch of sugar. Add water and cook. Cook till it is cooked and reduces to a soft chutney consistency. Serve with Pulao, rice-dal and goes well even with dosa or paratha.

Paneer Malai Kofta

Cottage Cheese Dumplings in Creamy Gravy (Serves 4) This is a favourite among adults and children alike. The flavours are fresh and give a nice succulent flavour. I serve with Jeera Rice, Pulaos and other flavoured rice. INGREDIENTS: For Kofta: 500 gms Paneer (Cottage Cheese) 1tsp Amchur (Dry mango powder) 2 tsp red chilli powder (can reduce it to reduce spice) 2 tsp Coriander Powder 2 tsp Chaat Masala Kala Namak (Black Salt) powder- to taste Refined Flour- 2-3 tbsp and to roll kofta in Oil to deep fry For Gravy To be ground to a paste ½ inch ginger 8 cloves of garlic 2 green chillies Fresh Garam Masala: Powder together 6 cloves, 1 inch Cinnamon, 6 Cardamom or 1 Large Cardamom (Badi Elaichi) Cashewnut (Kaju) Paste: Soak 30 gms of Cashewnut in just enough water to cover it for 15 minutes. Grind to a smooth paste. The paste should be of sauce consistency. 3 large tomatoes pureed 2 Large Onions chopped 2 tsp Kasuri Methi (soak in water for 30 minutes) 1 tsp coriander powder Fresh coriande...

Mirchi Ka Saalan

The ultimate combination for Biryanis and many other Hyderabadi dishes. Is a must try whenever I am in Hyderabad and i eat a lot of it. The chillies used are the slightly stouter, long green chillies normally used for snacks and 'Pakodas' or 'Bajjis" Ingredients: 8 or 10 medium sized green chillies or 4 big green chillies 1 medium sized onion 1 tsp sesame seeds (white thil) 1/4 cup coconut flakes/desiccated coconut/copra 2 tsps coriander seeds (dhania) 1 tsp cumin seeds (jeera) 1/4 cup peanuts (groundnuts) 1 tsp ginger garlic paste 1/2 cup fresh yogurt 1 tsp sour cream 1 tsp tamarind paste/pulp Salt to taste Fresh coriander for garnish Oil as required to cook Method 1. Dry roast the sesame seeds, peanuts, coriander seeds and cumin seeds - one at a time in a pan. 2. Sauté the onion in 1 tsp of oil until transparent. 3. Make a paste of the sesame seeds, peanuts, coriander and cumin seeds along with the sautéed onions and coconut. 4. Slit the green chillies and sauté them...

Hyderabadi Egg Biryani Dum Style

Ingredients: Basmathi Rice 4 cups Hard boiled Eggs 6 nos Yogurt 1/2 cup Onions 2 medium sized Green Chillies 6 nos Mint leaves 20-30 Coriander leaves 1/2 bunch Red Chilli powder 1 tea spoon Turmeric 1/2 tea spoon Salt according to taste Oil for frying Ghee 1 table spoon Whole Garam Masala 1/2 table spoon Garam Masala powder 1/2 tea spoon Lemon Juice 1 table spoon Method:1.Wash the basmathi rice and half boil with a large amount of water with whole garam masala and 4 to 5 green chillies (slit vertically) and little salt. 2.Make vertical slits on the eggs and marinate with yogurt, red chilli powder, turmeric powder, powered garam masala, little salt. After it is done drain the water and keep it aside. 3.Make thin round slices of onions and deep fry them in the oil until golden brown and strain it on a paper towel, to this add rest of the green chillies (slited vertically), mint leaves and coriander leaves and keep it aside. 4.In a thick bottomed vessel put some oil (about 1 tea spoon) an...

Mushroom Dum Biryani

Ingredients: Fresh button mushrooms, quartered 15-20 MediumBasmati rice, soaked - 3 cups Bay leaf - 1 Cloves - 4 Green cardamoms - 2 Black cardamoms - 2 Cinnamon - 1 inch piece Mace - 1 blade Salt to taste Oil - 5 tbps Onions, finely sliced - 2 medium Ginger paste - 2 tsp Garlic paste - 2 tsp Red chilli powder - 1 tsp Coriander powder - 1 tbsp Peppercorns, crushed - ½ tsp Cumin powder - ½ tsp Turmeric powder - ½ tsp Tomatoes - 2 medium Skimmed milk yogurt, whisked - ½ cup Garam masala powder -1 tsp Fresh coriander leaves, finely chopped - ¼ cup Fresh mint leaves, torn - ¼ cup Saffron a pinch Skimmed milk - ¼ cup Method:1. Disslove saffron in the milk and keep it aside. This enhance aroma and taste and makes it comsumable.Bring four cups of water to a boil in a thick-bottomed vessel. Add bay leaf, cloves, green cardamoms, black cardamoms, cinnamon, mace and one teaspoon salt. When the water starts boiling, drain the soaked basmati rice and add. 2. Cook for eight to ten minutes, stirring...

Cakes- Baker's Den

Cakes! The most delicious thing on Earth- when made of chocolate!I personally love the Black Forest Cake I make- is vegetarian!I welcome recipes of cakes- veg and non- vegetarian to kick off my site!

Me and food

HI! I'm Sumitra. Am from India. Was born in a South Indian family, my parents are settled in Orissa in East India,studied in Pune in the West,worked in Delhi in the North and married into an Oriya family and my husband and me are in Bangalore now. Whew! my life has me travelling the country! I love cooking and experimenting with all types of recipes and ingredients.I am welcome to and love all types of cuisines.Sharing recipes and tasting new things makes me try them out on my own at home. Looking forward to sharing and adding a lot of recipes and lots more..