Aloo Aur Pyaaz Ki Bhujia | Potato & Onion Stir Fry

I know I post lot of stir fry recipe but then these are very handy recipe when you don't feel like cooking or in a rush it can be a saver, specially after coming home from office I break my head what to cook easy & quick and those days these kind of simple recipe really save my time and energy.  This is one of my favorite stir fry, during our school days a regular lunch box along with roti or paratha and a pity that I never really did this combination.  So one of these days I was thinking what to make and suddenly I thought of this aloo pyaaz ki bhujia, it's so simple and yet to tasty.  Though let me warn you its highly additive oh ya you can get addicted to a simple stir fry too...don’t always have to be a fancy dish ;) 

Serves ~ 2-3

Ingredients:

Potato - 2 Large

Onion - 1 Large

Cumin Seeds - 1 tsp

Dry Red Chilli - 2 broken

Turmeric Powder - 1/2 tsp

Oil - 1 tbsp

Salt - to taste

Method:

1. Peel, wash and cut the potato lengthwise and slice the onion.

2. Heat oil n a pan/wok, add cumin seeds and allow spluttering, add broken red chilli and sauté until brown.

3. Now add potato mix well and cook in medium to slow flame until potato is half cooked takes around 5-7 minutes in slow flame, stir in intervals.

 4. Add onion and sauté until it becomes transparent.  Add salt and turmeric powder, mix well.

5. Cook until potato gets fully cooked.  Off the flame and cover the pan let it sit for 5 minutes before you dig in.

Goes well with roti or any type of paratha, variety rice or rasam/sambar/dal rice.

Enjoy your day ~~

Paruppu Podi

I like any type of podi and mostly I use my idly podi along with rice too, I made this paruppu podi for my nephew whom is one picky eater and after this podi he ate this every day until it was finished and asked me to make some more.  I searched a few recipes for paruppu podi but nothing interested me and came up with my own.  It's quite simple with few ingredients and taste delicious.

Ingredients

Urad Dal - 2 tbsp

Daliya/Roasted Gram Dal/Pottukadalai - 1 Cup

Desiccate Coconut - 3 tbsp

Dry Red Chilies -6

Peppercorn - 5-6

Garlic - 2 pods large 4 pods if using small ones

Hing/Asafoetida - 1/4 tsp

Cumin Seeds - 1/2 tsp

Oil - 1/2 tsp 

Salt - to taste

Method:

1. Dry roast urad dal, daliya/roasted gram dal, red chilies separately until golden brown, keep aside to cool.

2. In a same pan add oil and saute garlic, off the flame and saute coconut for a minutes, transfer to a plate and let it cool too.

3. Grind all the ingredients except coconut to powder in a mixer.  Now add coconut and grind again to fine powder, adjust salt if required.  

Cool the powder and store in airtight container.

 

Have it with warm steamed rice and ghee.

Enjoy your day ~~

Gatte Ki Sabji | Chickpeas Flour Dumplings In Yogurt Sauce

Gatte ki sabji is one of my favorite if made properly and so far I only like the way my sister does.  I tried few methods but nothing like what she does so this time I asked her to show me and wrote down the recipe and hurray I tried it got it just like her.  If you face problems like me of not having vegetables at home some day (okie for me it's most of the days !!) then this curry comes very handy.  

And like most of the recipes gatte ki sabji also has many version, some people make with onion and tomato some don't.  This  is one of simple recipe and taste very good you have to try to know exactly how good it is if followed the recipe properly.  I have mention about gatte ki sabji here in the platter I made and this platter & this curry goes to Sonu's Flavours of Rajasthan a event started by Nayna.

Ingredients:

For Gatta

Besan/Chickpeas Flour - 3/4 cup

Red Chili Powder - 1 tsp

Turmeric Powder   - 1/4 tsp

Jeera/Cumin Seeds - 1/4 tsp

Oil -2 tsp

Salt - to taste

Water

For Gravy

Oil - 1 tbsp

Cumin Seeds - 1/2 tsp

Mustard Seeds - 1/2 tsp

Curry leaves - 1 sprig

Red Chili Powder - 1 1/2 tsp

Curd - 3 tbsp

Water - if required

Salt - to taste

Cilantro - For garnishing

Method:

1. In a bowl or plate add all the ingredients 'for gatta' except water.

2.Mix everything together to make crumbs add little water in very small quantity and make thick dough.  If you add more water the dough will be sticky so add water only in tbsp each time. 

2. Divide the dough in equal portion and roll into thin long pieces like in log/cylinder shape and boil in water until cooked or for 8-10mintues.

3. Cut the gatta in small pieces. In the boiled water mash 5-6 pieces of gatta, if required add little more water.

4. In a pan heat oil,  add cumin, mustard seeds, curry leaves and allow to splutter.

5. Add together red chili powder and curd and mix well to avoid the curd from curdling.  

~This is the important step, you have to add red chili and curd together and stir well, if not you will not get the perfect gravy.

6. Cook for 2 minutes in medium flame and add gatta pieces.

7. Add the mashed gatta water to the curry, salt and  mix well, cook for 2-3 minutes and off the flame. 

Garnish with cilantro.  It's best to have it hot/warm as the gravy become thick very fast,  if you going to eat later and just add little water and re-heat it.  Goes well roti/paratha.  

See how nice the gravy looks ..simple pleasures of life :)

Enjoy your day ~~

Vanilla Cake with Frosting

Last week was my neighbor cum friend anniversary and like last year I baked a cake this year too.  Last year I did a tutti fruity cake with butter cream frosting and this year I decided to go with vanilla cake as she doesn't like chocolate. I wanted to try cream frosting and this seems to be perfect occasion for it.  I followed the sponge cake recipe from Prema blog and for the design too followed her chocolate cake recipe, her steps are quite detail n helpful and ofcourse she cleared all my doubts generously so thanks to Prema :)  

Ingredients:

For Sponge/Vanilla Cake

Plain Flour - 130 grams/ 1 Cup heaped

Egg Whites - 4

Egg Yolks -7
Granular  Sugar - 200 grams/ 1 Cup

Salt - 3 grams / a pinch

Milk - 30 ml / 2 tbsp

Oil - 30 ml / 2 tbsp

Vanilla Essence - 1 tsp

For Cream Icing

Whipped Cream - 200ml

Icing Sugar - 130 grams / 3/4 Cup

Pink Food Color - 1/2 tsp

Method:

1. In a bowl beat egg whites and sugar until sugar dissolves and egg white form peaks.

2. Add egg yolks and beat until everything blends well.  Double boil for 2 mintues or until it reach 40-42C.

3. Add flour and mix well.  Now add vanilla essence, milk and oil and mix well to blend everything together. 

4. Preheat oven to 180C and grease a 9' pan and pour this cake batter.  Bake for 30-35 minutes or until the top becomes golden brown.  Insert a toothpick or knife in the middle, if it's comes out clean then the cake is cooked if not bake for 5 minutes more. 

5. Let the cake cool completely on a wire rack till we prepare the icing.  

6. Beat the whipped cream and icing sugar until it form peaks.  Divide the cream into 2 parts, in one part add any color of your choice, I used pink and mix well. 

7. Once the cake is cooled cut it into 2 layers.  Do it slowly and this cake is very soft and it tends to break.  

8. Add a good amount of whipped cream on one layer and over the top well.  Remove excess cream.

9.  Now keep the second layer cake on top if it and cover the whole cake with pink color cream.  

 

10. For cake decoration you can do anything that fancy you, I just tried here basket weave  design and used pink and white color cream, so we need 2 piping bags one with pink and other with white whipped cream using wave tip.

11. Draw vertical 2-3 lines with pink color and then on top of if white horizontal lines.  

12. Pipe vertical lines and then horizontal one's that fits the horizontal lines.   Repeat this process to cover rest of the cake.  

13.  On a cake top I did rope design which is done with white cream using star nozzle, arch the pipping bag and draw a curve in 'S' shape; insert tip under the bottom curve of the "S" shape and draw a curve 'S' again.  Repeat this for the whole cake.  

14. In the center written is happy anniversary, just add some brown color with white whipped cream.    You can place some fresh fruits or flowers too. 

And this how the cake looks inside.

Kachhe Kele Ki Sabzi | Plantain Stir Fry Recipe

Raw Plantain is one veggie that makes rare appearance at our place and most of the time I do simple shallow fry.   This recipe is from my sis again and yes it's very simple and quick too.  Over to the recipe now :)

Serves - 4

Ingredients:

Raw Plantain/Kachha Kela - 2

Oil - 2 tsp

Cumin Seeds - 1/2 tsp

Mustard Seeds - 1/2 tsp

Garlic Pods - 2 [crushed]

Red Chili Powder - 1 tsp

Coriander Powder - 1/2 tsp

Curry Leaves - 1 sprig

Salt - to taste

Method:

1. Wash, peel and chop plantain and boil in water in high flame for 5 minutes or until cooked and not overcooked.

2. Use a strainer to drain the water from cooked plantain and let it stand for 2 minutes for all the water to escape.  Add salt, chili and coriander powders to plantain pieces and mix gently.

3. In a pan heat oil add cumin, mustard seeds and allow them to crack.  Add curry leaves, crushed garlic and saute until golden brown.

4. Add spice mixed plantain pieces, stir gently and cook for 3-4 minutes in open fire on medium flame, stir in intervals.

Serve with roti/paratha or dal/sambar rice.

And it goes to Krithi's Healing Food: Banana, a event by Siri of Cooking with Siri

Enjoy your weekend ~~

Eggless Wheat Almond Cookies

Remember the sweet punch gals made eggless almond cookie few months back?  Well the cookie was so tempting that I made it the same day as the recipe is very simple, any one can just try that and ya you have guessed it right, this post is liked waited for a very long to be published ;)

I followed from Manjulaskitchen, she also have youtube video which makes these cookie more easy to make.  The outcome was as expected, DH loved the cookies and no time everything was finished, I literally had to hide the cookies to take pictures !! I have made these few times for friends and all of them loved it too, the freshly crushed cardamom flavor is just amazing and adds a extra zing to the cookies so do not miss that.   

Makes 22-24 medium size cookies

Ingredients:

Whole Wheat Flour - 1 Cup

Sugar - 1/2 Cup

Almonds Flakes/ Sliced Almonds - 1/4 Cup

Green Cardamom - 1/2 tsp [coarsely powdered]

Salt - 1/4 tsp  [skip salt if using salted butter]

Unsalted Butter - 1/2 Cup [at room temperature]

Milk - 2-3 tbsp if needed

 

Method:

1. Pre-heat the oven to 360F or 180C.

2. In a bowl or plate add flour, sugar, salt, cardamom powder, almond flakes and mix well.

~ I powdered the sugar and also sieve flour n sugar.

3. Add butter with flour mixture and make soft dough.  Add milk only if required, and each time add 1tbsp of milk.  I used 2 tbsp milk.  The dough will be very soft.

3. Divide the dough into equal 22-24 pieces and make them into balls, press lightly between palms each ball and keep thickness of about 1/2".

4. Place the dough balls on an ungreased cookie sheet about a inch apart from each other.  Use a fork to make a impression or just leave it as it is.

5. Bake the cookies for 18 minutes or until cookies are lightly brown.  Let the cookies cool on a wire rack for 2-3 minutes and then remove them from the cookie sheets.  Once completely cooled to room temperature store in a air light box if anything left to store ;)

Enjoy these cookies as it or over a cup of tea/coffee ....

Note:

• We find the cookies to be extra sweet so reduce the sugar little if you prefer.  
• Do not miss the cardamom.  Freshly crushed/powder is better.
• Replace almonds with any other nuts of your choice.
• Remember to have the butter in room temperature if not you will use more milk.

Have a nice day ~~

Kakdi/Kheera Ki Sabji | Cucumber Curry

If you wonder what to do with cucumber other than making salads, to use in sandwich then here is the answer for you.  Kheera Sabji or Cucumber Curry is one of easy and quick dish to make as it's hardly 10 minutes and minimal ingredients ...now what more you can ask for?  This is again a Rajasthani dish, a recipe from my sister, here cucumber is not fully cooked but kept till crunchy so if you don't like little rawness then you may not like this dish.  I made this couple of weeks back when the weather was so hot and I had no mood to cook, for those days it's a wonderful recipe to be prepared quickly.  You can also use 'kakdi' the thinner variety of cucumber available in India, if you want to try a new recipe then it's for you :D

Ingredients:

Cucumber - 1 Cup chopped [ I used 3 baby cucumber]

Red Chili Powder - 1 tsp

Turmeric - 1/4 tsp

Coriander Powder - 1/2 tsp

Cumin Seeds - 1/2 tsp

Mustard Seeds - 1/2 tsp

Garlic Pods - 2 chopped or crushed

Oil - 1 tbsp

Salt - to taste

Water - 1/4 Cup

Method:

1.Wash and chop cucumber, keep aside. [you don't have to peel the skin, unless the skin is very thick]

2. In a pan heat oil, add mustard, cumin seeds and allow to splutter.  Add garlic once it's golden brown add chopped cucumber and cook for 2 minutes.

3. Now add all powder masalas, salt and  mix well, cook for 2 minutes. Add 1/4 cup water and cook for 3-5 minutes or until oil separates in low flame.

And our sabji is ready how simple n quick is that?  Enjoy these with roti/paratha or any variety rice.

And sending this to Sonu's Flavours of Rajasthan a event started by Nayna.

Have a nice weekend ~~