Wednesday 3 April 2013

Microwave Eggs in Cup




What better way to start a day with a filling breakfast of eggs and toast. Egg is a major source of protein and a quick and easy choice for those who have a busy and hectic lifestyle.

Eggs can be consumed in multiple ways boiled, half cooked, scrambled, microwaved etc.





Ingredients:

1. Eggs - 4
2. Small size Onion - 1
3. Medium size tomato - 1
4. 1 small capsicum
5. Button mushrooms - 4-5
6. Coriander leaves
7. Salt - 1/4  tbl spoon or to taste
8. Black pepper - 1/4 tbl spoon
9. Oregano - 1/4 tbl spoon
10. Grated processed cheese - 2 spoons
11. 1 spoon oil to cook

Serves: 4 people


Method:


1. Chop all the vegetables onions, tomatoes, capsicum and mushrooms finely.
2. Take a pan and heat some oil in it.
3. Once oil is hot add chopped onions and saute for 1 min on low flame.
4. Once onions have turned translucent add half of the capsicum and all mushrooms to it and cook for another 2 mins.
5. Add chopped tomatoes, salt and pepper and cook for 2 mins while stirring.
6. Switch off the flame and add oregano and fresh chopped coriander to the pan. Mix well.
7. Take 4 small bowls and add 1-2 spoons of this mixture to each.
8. Break one egg each on every bowl.
9. Add the remaining capsicum and some chopped tomatoes on top of eggs in each bowl..
10. Sprinkle some cheese in every bowl.
11. Microwave each for 1 min 30 seconds. (More if you like your egg completely cooked)
12. Take out and serve hot with Garlic bread.

Shahi Paneer



Cottage cheese is the most favorite option for vegetarians in India as it is rich in protein and serves as a substitute for chicken or fish. A good Indian meal is never complete without a preparation of paneer.

Paneer is cooked in various forms as starter, main course or dessert, with gravy or as a dry dish. It is also used to garnish Indian biryanis and as a stuffing in famous Indian breads.

Shahi paneer can be cooked in various different ways. The method described below is the simplest of them all and can be used by any amateur to cook a great dish. The cooking time of paneer is negligible which also makes it a popular choice among most people.



Ingredients:

1. Paneer/Cottage Cheese - 1/2 KG
2. Medium size onions - 3
3. Medium size tomatoes - 4
4. Ginger - 1/2 inch piece
5. Garlic - 5-6 cloves
6. Green chilly - 1-2 depending on the amount of spice you want
7. Cream/Full cream milk - 1 cup
8. Salt - to taste
9. Red chilly powder - 1/2 spoon
10. Indian garam masala - 1/2 spoon
11. Kasoori Methi/dry fenugreek leaves - 1 spoon
12. salt - 1 tbl spoon or to taste
13. Oil - 2 spoon to cook.

Serves: 4-5 people

Method:

1. Peel the onions and roughly slice them.
2. Take a deep pan and heat some oil in it.
3. When oil is hot add onions to it.
4. Add whole garlic cloves, green chillies and roughly chopped ginger to the pan and let this cook on slow flame, while stirring in between.
5. Once onions have turned golden brown add red chilly powder and stir for 1-2 mins.
6. Roughly chop tomatoes in large pieces and add to the pan.
7. Add salt to this, cover and let it cook for 8-10 mins or till the time tomatoes are done.
8. Switch off the flame and let this mixture cool down for 5 mins.
9. Put the above mixture in a blender and blend to a smooth paste. Add 1/2 cup cream or full cream milk (whichever is available) and blend again.
10. Switch on the flame again and add the paste to it.
11. Add the remaining milk in the pan while stirring it continuously on high flame.
12. Switch the flame to low after first boil and add garam masala to it.
13. Dry roast the kasoori methi in a pan and crush it to powder. Add this powder to the paneer gravy.
14. Cut the paneer pieces in square and add to the gravy.
15. Adjust the consistency of gravy as per your taste by adding either some milk or water.
16. Take out the paneer in a bowl and garnish it with fresh cream before serving.
17. This can be enjoyed with any Indian bread or rice.

Tips:


1. Make sure you stir gravy continually on high flame while adding mil or cream it is being added to tomato gravy which is sour and can react with milk to cause its curdling.
2. Once paneer is added to gravy it should not be cooked for more than 2-3 mins as it will make paneer hard and stretchy.

Tuesday 2 April 2013

Vegetable Suji Pizza


Suji Pizza is a pan cake made of suji (semolina) with various vegetables and is a very healthy breakfast option. It gives you the carbs and vitamins required for head start of a good day.  

It is also a very good option for mothers trying to feed their kids something healthy as it can be presented as PIZZA, which is the most famous food choice for kids. You can ensure to feed some wholesome vegetables to your children using this recipe. 

Ingredients:


1. Suji (Semolina) - 1 cup
2. Curd - 1 Cup
3. 1 Capsicum  - chopped finely

4. 1 Onion - chopped finely
5. 2 Carrots - chopped finely/grated
6. 3-4 button mushrooms - chopped finely
7. Salt - to taste
8. Red chilly powder - 1/4 tbl spoon
9. Mustard seeds - 1 spoon
10. Oil - to cook
11. Baking soda/Eno - 1 large spoon



Serves: 2-3 people


Method:


1. Mix suji and curd together.
2. Add some water to make a thick consistency batter.
3. Add salt, red chilly powder and baking soda/eno to this batter and leave for 15 mins.
4. Add all the vegetables to the batter and mix well.
5. Take a medium size, non stick flat bottom deep pan or a wok and heat 1 spoon oil in it.
6. When oil is medium hot add mustard seeds and let them crackle.
7. Put 2 large spoons of suji mixture in the pan and spread out evenly in the pan. This should be a thick layer.
8. Cover it with a lid and let it cook on slow flame for about 5-7 mins.
9. Check if semolina is cooked and the pan cake is crisp from bottom. If so take it out by keeping a plate on the pan and flipping the pan upside down.
10. This can be cut into slices like a pizza and served with tomato sauce.

Note: Pic to follow.

Monday 1 April 2013

Lemon Rice



Ingredients:


1. Boiled/Precooked plain rice - 2 katoris
2. 2 medium size Onion
3. 2-4 Green chillies
5. Kari patta - 9-10 leaves
6. Lemon juice of 3 medium size lemons
7. Mustard seeds -  1 spoon
8. Bengal gram/Chana daal - 1/2 katori
9. Turmeric powder - 1/4 tbl spoon
10. Sambhar Masala - 2 tbl spoon
11. Red chilly powder - 1/2 tbl spoon
12. Salt to taste
13. Refined oil to cook - 2 spoons
14. Peanuts - 10-15


Serves: 2-3 people



Method:


1. Soak Bengal gram overnight in normal water or for 1/2 hour in hot water.
2. Heat oil in wok and add oil.
3. Once oil is hot add mustard seeds and let them crackle.
4. Add slitted green chilies and let them fry for 30 seconds on slow flame.
5. Add kari patta leaves.
6. Now drain water from chana daal and add it in wok. Let it cook while stirring for 3-4 mins.
7. Thinly slice the onions and add them to wok. Cook for another 3-4 mins or till the time onions turn golden brown.
8. Put turmeric powder, red chilly powder, sambhar masala powder and salt. Mix well.
9. Add pre cooked/boiled rice to the above and 2 spoon water. Mix well and cook for 2-3 mins.
10. Add lemon juice and stir. Turn off the flame.
11. Stir fry peanuts in 1 spoon oil till done and add on top of the rice.
11. Serve hot with curd and chutney.


Tips:

1. Do not cook rice after adding lemon juice as it may turn bitter.
2. This is an authentic lemon rice recipe. You can add vegetables like carrots, capsicum etc for variation and more taste.