Potato Egg Curry

Do you know that for healthy hair and nails, eggs are one of the best choices because of their high sulphur content and wide array of vitamins and minerals? Many people find their hair growing healthily after adding eggs to their diet.They contain the right amount of fat. One egg contains only 5 grams of fat and only 1.5 grams of that is saturated fat.

Potatoes & eggs surely do serve as a balanced meal when combined. So here is a dish that can be cooked in a jiffy. It is effortless & is uncomplicated. We often include this dish for our dinners or breakfasts.

INGREDIENTS:

2-3 Potatoes peeled & cubed
1 onion  chopped or sliced
1-2 eggs
2 tsp ginger-garlic paste
1 tsp red chilli powder
1 tsp turmeric powder
1 tsp coriander powder
1 small tomato finely chopped
Salt to taste
Handful coriander leaves finely chopped
2 tsp Oil

HOW TO MAKE:

1)   Heat Oil in a pan, add the onions & fry till soft. Add the ginger-garlic paste and the spice powders. Saute for a minute.

2)  Add the tomatoes and fry for a minute. Add Potatoes & salt. Cook them till they are almost done.

3)   Break eggs and add them to the potato curry. Do not stir till you find the eggs solidifying. At this stage, you can break the formed egg into small pieces (as per your choice).

4)  Check salt, sprinkle some corainder leaves & serve hot.

RATING NOTES:

              DIFFICULTY LEVEL    :   EASY
              RATING  POINTS         :    9/10**

**   You can use a pressure cooker to speed up cooking for this dish.

Chicken Salad

I am back to my workplace after a quiet & refreshing weekend. Reading, Browsing, some light cooking & a quick round of grocery shopping were the highlights of this week. Added to this we enjoyed some incredible weather. Thanks to a dull sky. We were treated for some lovely crisp breeze in the evenings.

Saturday morning blues have become a common trend for me every weekend. I feel very quirky when I find my online buddies all set for the weekend in other parts of the world and here I am starting a fresh week with a hectic schedule lined for me.

While I was browsing around in the market a couple of days back, I saw piles and piles of all kinds of fresh greens neatly stacked on the aisle. From Asparagus to leeks, from lemon grass to fresh romaine lettuce, there was so much. I was struck by a nostalgia. So I ended up buying some fresh lettuce & olives. As you can tell, I still do not know how and where I can use asparagus/lemon grass/leeks etc. Anyone out there with recipes for how to use these veggies? I'd love to learn their flavours and their usage.

Since the weather is gradually turning balmy,with a limp appetite, I am in the mood for food that can exhilarate my system & keep me rejuvinated all day. I am determined to hang on to various salads, smoothies, fruits & veggies. This week I opted to try the chicken salad. With the fresh lettuce & the colourful olives, the resulting produce was a vibrant bizarre of colors.

INGREDIENTS:

8 pieces boneless chicken

A small bunch lettuce

1 medium sized tomato

1 green bell pepper

3/4 cup shredded cabbage

2 tbsp Mayonnaise (Optional)

8-10 olives (you can also use pickled olives)

1 tbsp olive oil

Salt to taste

1 Carrot grated

2 tbsp fresh/frozen corn

1 small Cucumber/Zucchini

1/2 cup finely chopped spring onions greens only.

Some parseley/coriander leaves

Fresh black Pepper powdered

Salad seasoning & some vinegar

HOW TO MAKE:

1)  Chop all the veggies finely or in any shapes you desire. Keep aside.

2)  Boil the chicken in some water till soft. Shred the chicken once cooled. Shred them big or small. The choice is yours.

3)  Mix all the ingredients in a bowl. Toss well. If you have any salad dressing , you can add that and balance the seasoning well. Check taste. Serve.

RATING NOTES:

              DIFFICULTY LEVEL    :   EASY

              RATING  POINTS         :    10/10**


**  The ingredients used can be varied accorsing to ones choice. You can add or subtract some of the ingredients if you like.

**  Chicken can be shredded or cubed or grilled also before tossing into the salad.

** Raddish/beetroot lovers can add some rounds to this salad to enhance the taste. If you dont have lettuce, add lots of green cabbage.

** If you like some fruits into this salad, just toss in some chopped apples/clementine etc.

Kabouli

The last couple of days have been awful in terms of weather. A hazy dust storm seems to have enveloped Muscat resulting in poor visibility and recurrent dusty winds. Thanks to low humidity,or else moving outdoors would have made anyone sick.

Sadly, the signs of spring seem to be gradually coming to an end. How quickly it passed. Now we are a few weeks into March with the Air Conditoners back to work. The shimmering rays of the early daylight streaming in through my bedroom window to awaken me & the blazing sun dominating the day are the perfect indicators for an unwelcome summer.

So what can you do when you tend to feel gloomy? Simply cook a crackerjack meal, delight yourself in it, enjoy in the flavours and lick your fingers !!! That's exactly what I feel like doing this weekend. No promises ... Just a plan playing in my mind.

Now coming to the subject. This is an awesome cuisine that is sure to add some exquisitiness to a table. This delectable & heavenly dish is sure to entice your guests and is undoubtedly my ultimate choice when it comes to picking a unique menu for parties/occasions.

Kabouli is basically an arabic dish and is a combination of Biryani, Khichdi & Lentils. This dish makes an extensive use of spices such as cloves, cardomoms & cinnamons . Its easy to cook and its aroma is amazing.


INGREDIENTS:

For the Akhni:

1 kg of  small sized pieces of boneless mutton
4 big sliced Onions     
2 big chopped Tomatoes  
6 Green Chillies - cut slanted
200 gms Curd        
4-5 tbsp Ginger garlic paste
1/4 tsp Turmeric powder
3 tbsp Chilli powder     
1/2 tsp Coriander powder
Whole Garam masala items - 2 cloves, 1 bay leaf, 1 cardamom, 2 medium sized cinnamon sticks,
A pinch Garam Masala powder 
Salt to taste
1 cup Oil
1 Kg Basmati rice
1/4 th cup Mint leaves (pudina)
1/4 th cup finely chopped coriander leaves
1 cup rice

For the Khichdi:

2 tbsp oil
1/2 tsp Ginger-Garlic Paste
1 Cardomom
2 Cloves
1 small Cinnamon piece
1/2 Onion Sliced
1 hand Coriander Leaves chopped finely
1/4 tsp Turmeric Powder
6-8 Mint Leaves
2 Green Chillies Slit
Salt to taste

For the Lentils:

1/2 cup Bengal Gram Dal/ Chickpeas soaked in water and boiled in a pressure cooker till soft. (I used Bengal gram Dal)

HOW TO MAKE:

1)  In a Pressure Cooker, heat oil and add the whole garam masala items. Add onions and Saute them for a while. Then, add the ginger garlic paste and saute for a minute.

2)  Add the mutton pieces and saute it and let the water dry up completely till you see the oil  on  the top  so that the meat odour goes. 

3)  Add the red chilli powder, turmeric powder,coriander powder, salt and fry for a minute. Then add the curds, tomatoes and little water and cook till you see oil coming up and the mutton looks soft. Pressure cook the mutton for 5 minutes.

4)  Open the Pressure Cooker & add the coriander leaves, green chillies and the mint leaves and cook for a minute before turning off the stove. This forms the Akhni or the gravy mixture for the Kabouli. Keep it aside.

5) Now for the Khichdi - Heat oil in a big vessel. Add the cinnamon, cardomom, cloves. Add the sliced Onion and fry till onion turns pink/light brown. Next add ginger garlic paste and Turmeric powder and salt. Stir and mix well. every grain of rice needs to be seperate and hence do not stir often and preferebly use a flat spoon to avoid rice to break away. The rice should not be overcooked. 

6)  Add the boiled Lentils (Bengal gram lentil/Chickpeas) and add the Mint leaves, Green Chillies and Coriander leaves & the akhni mixture (Mutoon gravy). Add the required quantiy of water - I added 1 litre of water as the lentils also have some water in them and the akhni also has some water content in it. Bring it to boil.

7)  Add the rice and stir well so that it gets mixed with all the gravy. Toss in  a handful of mint leaves, cover lid and  keep on low flame for about 10 mins for the flavours to blend . I usually keep the vessel on a griddle for the Dum.

8)  Serve hot with onion raita or cucumber raita.

RATING NOTES:

              DIFFICULTY LEVEL    :   MEDIUM
              RATING  POINTS         :    8/10**

**   Care should be taken when adding water in step 6. Excess water can make the rice grains soft and the dish may lose its charm.

**  Kabouli is best when the gravy gives the rice only a light shade. That is the reason we make less gravy and mix with more rice.

Apple smoothie

So here I have a lovely but simple smoothie to sip, sip, sip ....  & pep up your mood to get back into the swing of things. Its super duper easy to prepare this smoothie and imagine how healthy it can be !!!!

Smoothies can be very filling and they are the best way to cool your system. They are a treat to health conscious people and they appeal to all age groups mainly because of their fresh fruit flavour & nutritional value. They taste fabulous and are enjoyed best when chilled.

So why I chose to prepare the apple smoothie is because whenever my stomach churns due to any gastric issues, apples make me feel best once I consume them. Apples mixed with yogurt/milk will keep your stomach issues at bay and give you a refreshing feeling. This vitamin & mineral packed smoothie will surely tantalise your taste buds with its soothing flavour. So what are you waiting for? Just rush to your kitchen, grab your blender, dump the apples and beat away to glory.

So here is the recipe for a glass of fruity goodness- The apple smoothie:

INGREDIENTS:

2 Apples
1 Cup yogurt
1 tsp Lime Juice

HOW TO MAKE:

1)   Peel and core the apple. Then, cut the rest of the apple into pieces.

2)   Put the apple, yogurt & the lime juice into the blender. Blend till smooth.

3)  Pour into glasses & Chill. Serve Chilled.

RATING NOTES:

              DIFFICULTY LEVEL    :   EASY
              RATING  POINTS         :    8/10**

**   Adding ice will dilute the drink, instead use chilled glasses and refrigerate fruits and yogurt until ready for use.
**  Lime will stop the apple juice from browning quickly. drink the juice immediately to avoid loss of nutrients

Revitalising Resolutions

Its been a bright & a lovely March morning here with the soothing weather gradually getting inclined towards more muggy days. The glass patio near my desk depicts a gorgeous scene outdoors - Sun-drenched gardens lined with tall palm tress & blooming bushes with the balmy breeze attempting to play with the fresh green leaves. Not to forget the chiming tweets of the sparrows & the tinkling chirps of the mynas adding to the blissful morning. But with the mercury levels rising with each passing day and the beautiful spring kissing its goodbye to us, it seems that the summer here has begun to envelope us steadily.

I had quite an enlightening and inspirational week. I spent most of my time idly surfing the web, stopping by some wonderful blogs, dragging them on my radar and idolising the amazing skills of the people working on them. I am in awe of such versatile curators and realise that they are blessed with multi-talents who can cook fabulously,write passionately & click pictures marvellously. With some pretty awesome stuff waiting in line for this blog, this exercise has been worth it.

After learning a lot of new stuff, I thought to start implementing them soon. Now it's a time to reflect on the changes I always wanted to make and resolve to follow through on those changes. Yes, the focus is now on Resolutions.

So while we are on the subject of Resolutions to strengthen my blog vision, this is how I put forth them.

Resolution # 1:

TO BLOG BETTER

When I started out on this blog blast year, I aimed to leave no stone unturned. I wanted the blog to look perfect in everything. But gradually I realised I wrote less even though I posted regularly.
I was so set on this plan, that I have let the important things get a little dusty. I was afraid that I may allow my blog to go astray & tread funk waters if I do not post regularly.

My reason for doing this blog is mostly for me, to make it like a journal and share. My hope is that someone will read something that may help them with something or the other.I am trying to come up with more writing content for most of my posts. Time is the only hurdle. Hopefully, I plan to concentrate on making this blog better.

Resolution # 2:

TO SEIZE THE BAKING BUG

Baking has somehow taken a setback in my kitchen, thanks to my baking disasters. I never attempted to bake anything once I encountered disasters. A couple of weeks ago while searching the internet for something completely different, I found several intriguing blogs with amazing baked stuff. I have been in awe of such people and I dream of baking confidently some day. To realise my dream, my efforts need to start soon.

Resolution # 3:

PERK UP THE PICTURE ART

Photography hasn't been breathtaking in my blog. I admit that I am still a learner and I somehow lack creativity in this art. I always miss the joy radiated in my pictures and  I envisage to strengthen this art very soon.

These are a few resolutions that I make as I chose the path of reinforcing this blog. So in this spirit of spring cleaning I am dusting off my other priorities, taking all other things with margin, and praying that I will achieve my goals towards betterment. Sure there are things that don't fit in my little dream life box - but I'm not sure that life is ever exactly what we want.

So, this is my re-commitment to my top three resolutions. Everything else can take a number - I'll get to them when I can.

The pictures posted are of a recent visit of mine to a mall here in Muscat.

Butterscotch Pudding

INGREDIENTS:

3 cups milk (preferebly full fat)
3/4 cup sugar
1/4 cup (corn flour)
A pinch of salt
4 egg yolks
2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
2 tablespoon unsalted butter, cut into small pieces
Garnish: Lightly sweetened whipped cream

HOW TO MAKE:

1)  In a bowl whisk together the sugar, cornflour, salt, and egg yolks.

2)  Whisk in 1/2 cup of the milk until you have a thick paste. Set aside while you heat the milk. Have ready a fine medium-sized strainer and bowl as you will need to strain the pudding after it is cooked.

3)  First, rinse a medium-sized heavy saucepan with cold water and then shake out the excess water. Doing this step prevents the milk from scorching.

4)  Then pour the remaining 2 1/2 cups of milk into the saucepan and bring just to a boil. Gradually pour the hot milk into the egg mixture, whisking constantly, until the mixture is smooth.

5)  Transfer the pudding mixture to a clean large, heavy bottomed saucepan and place over medium-low heat. Cook, stirring constantly, until the mixture thickens to the consistency of mayonnaise (about 2 minutes).

6)  Remove from heat and whisk in the butter and vanilla extract. Pour through the strainer to remove any lumps that may have formed during cooking.

7) Pour into 4 bowls or glasses. The pudding can be served warm or if chilling, press plastic wrap onto the surface of the warm puddings to prevent a skin from forming.

8)  If you like the skin, simply leave the pudding uncovered until cooled, then cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate. The puddings can be made a day or two ahead of serving.

9)  Garnish each pudding with a large dollop of softly whipped cream.

RATING NOTES:

              DIFFICULTY LEVEL    :   EASY
              RATING  POINTS         :    8/10**

**  Use cornflour of exact measurement or else the pudding will become very thick.
** I found this recipe on Joyofbaking.com. I have used the same with very little alterations.

Chocolate Trifle

INGREDIENTS:

3 Cups Cold Milk
2 Packages Chocolate instant Pudding Mix
2 cups Whipped cream
6 Chocolate brownies
1 cup of strawberries/raspberries/cherries

HOW TO MAKE:

1)  Pour 3 cups of cold milk in a large bowl. Add in two packages of chocolate instant pudding mix, and whisk this together for about two minutes.

2)  Blend in one cup of thawed whipped cream. Keep aside.

3) Take 5-6 chocolate brownies that are cut into one-inch squares,and place half of these into the bottom of a clean transparent bowl.

4)  Top with half of the chocolate pudding mixture, a cup of the raspberries, and a half a cup of whipped cream.

5)  Repeat the layers.So on go the brownies.This is really quick to assemble.And then the pudding mixture. Pour that right on top.The last of the raspberries. And then the remainder of the whipped topping.

6)  Refrigerate this for an hour. Serve chilled.

RATING NOTES:

              DIFFICULTY LEVEL    :   EASY
              RATING  POINTS         :    8/10**

**  You can also add some grated chocolate, other fruits, chocolate chips, crushed biscuits, etc for more assorted & creative trifles of your choice.