Mirch Pakora

Mirch Pakora

With the onset of the monsoon season, what comes to mind is nice hot pakoras and hot chai. I tried the mirch pakora this weekend and enjoyed every bite of it. :)

Prep Time - 20 mins
Cooking Time - 20 mins

Ingredients
For the stuffing:
4 boiled and mashed potatoes
1 finely chopped onion
1tbsp fennel seeds powder
1tbsp roasted cumin powder
1/2 tsp amchur powder
1/2 tsp turmeric powder
1tsp red chilli powder
salt to taste
2tbsp oil

For the batter:
1 cup gram flour
salt to taste
1/2tsp turmeric powder
1/2 tsp red chili powder
1 cup water

For the pakora
4 green chilies
oil for frying

Method
1. We will first make the stuffing - heat oil in a pan and add the onions.
2. Once the onions are translucent add cumin powder, fennel seeds powder,turmeric powder , red chili powder.
3. Mix all the powders together and add the mashed potatoes. Now add salt as per your taste and mix well. Allow the stuffing to cool.

Pakora stuffing

4. Wash the green chilies and chop the top end of the green chili. Slit through the green chili and remove the seeds.

Green Chili - hero of our recipe :)

5. Now stuff the green chilies with the already prepared stuffing.

Stuffed green chilies

6. Now in a wok add oil for frying. Till the time oil heats up for frying the pakora prepare the batter.

7. Mix gram flour and all the dry ingredients together in a bowl. Make a well in the center of the bowl and gradually add water to make the batter. The batter consistency should be such that it is able to coat the green chili well.

8. Dip the green chili in the batter and coat well. Fry the green chili pakora.

9. Serve the pakora with chutney and some chaat masala

Tip - Lumps in the pakora batter can be avoided by adding water gradually to the dry ingredients and mixing it well.

Chips and cheese sandwich

Chips and cheese sanwich

A real quick fix sandwich

Prep Time - 0 min
Cooking Time - 2 mins


Ingredients
2 brown bread slices
1cheese slice
Soft salted butter
Chips ( I am using Lay's - French Salt and Cracked Pepper flavour)


Method
1. Trim the edges of the brown bread slices and butter them generously.
2. On one bread slice place the cheese slice over the buttered layer.
3. Now place the chips over the cheese slice and cover with the second bread slice ( buttered side of the bread facing the chips).

Chips and cheese on bread slice

4. Dig into your chips and cheese sandwich.


Tip - you can use grated cheese also .The cracked pepper flavor goes well with the cheese.

Shahi Tukda

With the start of the summer's the only desire is to eat nice cool stuff. Starting of my journey of summer special food with Shahi Tukda - kuch meetha ho jayee :)

Shahi Tukda

Prep time - 5 mins
Cooking time - 30 mins

Ingredients
1ltr full cream milk (full cream is must have)
4 tbsp sugar
3 tsp milk masala ( i use Everest milk masala)
3 bread slices
Ghee for frying


Method
1. In a non stick pan boil the milk. Keep the milk at low flame and keep stirring in between.
2. Reduce the milk to at least to half the quantity now add sugar and the milk masala powder.
3. Allow it to cool and then in the refrigerator for at least 1 hr ( shortcut - keep in the ice section for 30 minutes)
4. In a wok add ghee.Cut the bread slices into small triangles and fry in the ghee until golden brown.

Fried Bread Triangles

5. Add the bread triangles in the milk 10 minutes .

Tip - If milk masala is not available add chopped almonds,elaichi powder and kesar.

Fruit n Cream Dessert

Fruit n Cream Dessert

I had friends coming over for dinner on a weekend. The laziness prevailed and thought lets cook only dessert at home and order the main course from the restaurant. So tried this quick and healthy dessert at home

Prep time - 5 mins
Cooking Time - 0 mins  :)

Ingredients
Fruits whatever available i used bananas and oranges
Kellogs Cornflakes for crunch
Cream
Honey

Method
1. Cut the bananas into round slices and also de-seed the oranges.
2. Mix in bananas,oranges,cream and honey. Use cream and honey in liberal quantity.Refrigerate for a little while so that its nice and cool (approx 10 mins)
3. At the time of serving  just sprinkle a bit of crushed kellogs corn flakes and your desert is ready to serve.

Tip - use a combination of sweet and citrus fruit to add balance tot he dessert

Eggs on bed of tomatoes

Food that will help you overcome the hangover after last nights new year revelry  Try this recipe if you have a hangover or otherwise also :) .

Eggs on bed of tomatoes

Prep time - 5 mins
Cooking time - 10 mins

Ingredients
6 tomatoes
2 eggs
8 garlic cloves
1 cheese slice
1 tbsp olive oil
2 tsp oregano
2 tsp red chilli flakes
Salt to taste
Crushed black pepper

Method
1. Chop the garlic cloves and the tomatoes.
2. In a pan add olive oil and then add the garlic. Once the garlic is little brown add in the chopped tomatoes.
3. Cover the pan and allow it to cook.
4. Once the tomatoes are soft add salt, oregano , red chilli flakes and mix well.

Cooked Tomatoes

5. Now put the cheese slice over the cooked tomatoes and allow it to melt.
6. Break the 2 eggs over the tomato bed and sprinkle little salt ,crushed black pepper .Now cover and cook until the eggs are done.

Eggs on tomatoes

7. Dig into the eggs and tomatoes along with bread slices and enjoy the breakfast or brunch :)


Tip - do not cook the tomtoes too much before adding the eggs. As tomtoes will cook alonwith eggs as well. Egg

Wish all my friends and followers a prosperous and Happy New Year 2013

Masoor Dal Kebab Recipe

Masoor Dal Kebab

Planning New Year party at home and thinking of some healthy cocktail snack options try these dal kebab :)

Prep Time - 20 min
Cooking Time - 10 min

Ingredients
3/4 cup masoor dal
1/2 onion finely chopped
1 tbsp roasted and crushed peanuts
2 bread slices crumbled
Salt to taste
2 tsp red chilli powder ( substitute with finely chopped green chillies
2 tsp chaat masala
Oil for frying

Method
1. Wash the masoor dal and soak for 5 minutes in water.
2. Add water till the dal is immersed in the pressure cooker. Do not add too much water.
3. The masoor dal cooks fast. It took me 4 whistles of the pressure cooker and the dal was cooked.

Cooked Dal

4. Now in a bowl add the finely chopped onions, crumbled bread, crushed peanuts, cooked dal, salt, red chilli powder and chaat masala and mix well.
5. Add 2 tbsp of hot water to the mixture and mix well. You should have a dough like consistency.

Kebab Mixture Ready 

6. Now make small round shape kebab of the mixture and coat with a bit of wheat flour and dust away the extra wheat flour by patting the kebab between the fingers.
7. Place the kebabs on the hot tawa.

Kebab on tawa

8. Cook from one side and then turn and cook from the other side.
9. Now add oil and cook from both sides to get nice crispness.
10. The kebabs are ready to be enjoyed.

Merry christmas to all friends and followers :)

Pav Bhaji and Pizza @ Supreme's Corner , Pune

The Supreme's Corner on the J M Road is a popular hangout for all age groups from youngsters in groups to families . The menu is very simple pav bhaji, pizza and pulav.


View Larger Map

The place has been part of Pune for the last 30 years but nothing has been changed in the menu or the interiors of the place. The owner believes a lot in the vastu of the place and has continued with the same menu of pav bhaji , pizza and pulav. All the people working in the restaurant live in the owner's house and work as a perfect team.

The restaurant opens at 7:30 in the evening and you can see queue of people especially on weekends.The restaurant has a unique method of reservation and to control the long queue's in a systematic manner. This advancement has been brought in by the new generation of the family members joining in the business. You need to SMS on the number 56070 with the message "Toke number Supreme Corner Name Number of people" .You get a prompt message on your mobile giving you your number in the long queue. We had send our message at prompt 7:30 , still our number in the queue was 14 and got a place to sit after an hour . Take away option is also available- for that you need to go on the backside of the shop to place the orders and here also you will find a big queue of people.

The pav bhaji is served along with nicely buttered pav and finely chopped onion and pieces of lemon. The pav bhaji is served piping hot with dollop of amul butter and is amazing. You get this delicious pav bhaji for INR 90  and you can order extra jodi of pav (pair of pav) for INR 10

Pav Bhaji @ Supreme Corner

Pizza's served are home style pizza with the base being nice crispy, topped with tomato sauce base, chopped onion, chopped capsicum and amul cheese. We ordered a small pizza and it was awesome.The base was crisp and the amul cheese taste was amazing. The small pizza is also for INR 90.

Could not resist taking a bite of the pizza before taking this pic 

Stuffed Eggplant with cheese

you can add a twist to the boring eggplant - try this stuffed eggplant recipe

Stuffed Eggpalnt

Prep Time - 10 min
Cooking Time - 20 min

Ingredients
1 eggplant
2 onions finely chopped
3 tomatoes finely chopped
16 cloves garlic finely chopped
5 tbsp olive oil
2 tsp oregano
2 tsp chili flakes
salt to taste
grated mozzarella cheese

Method
1. In a wok add 2tbsp of olive oil and add chopped onion and garlic.

Chopped Garlic

Chopped Onion

2. When the onion are little translucent add in the chopped tomatoes.

Cooked onion and garlic

Chopped Tomatoes

3. Cover the wok and allow the tomatoes to cook. Once tomatoes are cooked add in the salt, oregano and chilli flakes and mix well.the stuffing to be added to the eggplant is ready
4. To prepare the eggplant, cut the eggplant lengthwise in to two halves. Scoop the eggplant. Now brush the eggplant with olive oil and sprinkle salt.

Scooped Eggplant

5. Now cook the eggplant in the preheat oven at 180 degree Celsius for 10 mins or until tender.

Cooked Eggplant

6. To the cooked eggplant add the stuffing and top it up with grated mozzarella cheese.

Stuffing in the egggplant

Cheese

7. Cooking again in the oven at 180 degree Celsius until cheese melts and enjoy a different take on the eggplant. You can enjoy the eggplant with breads or with just the stuffed eggplant with a glass of wine 

Tip - Keep a thick layer of the eggplant and do not scoop to much otherwise it will not taste good.

Check recipe also on - 

http://www.tasteofhome.com/Recipes/Veggie-Stuffed-Eggplant