Tomato Soup

INGREDIENTS:

Ripe Red Tomatoes - 3 or 4
Garlic - 3 cloves
Onion - 1/2 chopped
Pepper powder  - 1 teaspoon
Red chilli flakes - 1 teaspoon
Corn Flour - 1 tablespoon
Water - 1 cup
1/2 teaspoon sugar
Butter - 100 gms
Salt to taste

HOW TO MAKE:

1) Boil some water in a pan and switch off the stove. Place the whole tomatoes in this boiling water for 10 minutes covering the lid of the pan.

2)  Cool the tomatoes and peel off the skins of the tomato. Chop them and grind them coarsely.

3)  In another pan, heat the butter, add the onions and the garlic and fry over medium-high heat until shimmering. Cook, stirring frequently, until onion is translucent, 3 to 5 minutes. Cool this and grind to a paste.

4)Stir in tomatoes and their juice. Stir in sugar and chilli flakes; bring soup to boil. Reduce heat to medium and cook, stirring occasionally for 5-10 minutes.

5) Add cornflour mixed with cold water and season to taste with salt and pepper. Cook till desired consistency . Remove from the stove.

6) Garnish with grated cheese/cream / toasted bread sticks, more pepper & serve soup in individual bowls.

RATING NOTES:

              DIFFICULTY LEVEL    :   EASY

              RATING  POINTS         :    8/10**

**  For an even smoother soup, pass the pureed tomatoes through a fine-mesh strainer before stirring in the chicken broth in step.

** You can also add a small piece(1 inch) of beetroot to the boiling tomatoes and puree it along with them so that you can get a more prominent color to the soup if the tomatoes are not ripe red.

Methi Mutton Gravy

 

INGREDIENTS:

500 gm Mutton boneless or boned
A Small bunch of Fenugreek/Methi leaves (250 gm)
1 Big tomato diced
2 Onions chopped
1/2 tsp turmeric powder
1/2 tsp garam masala powder
1 tsp red chilly powder
1 tsp coriander powder
3 tsp ginger-garlic paste
1 heaped teaspoon Mutton Masala (available in the markets)
1/2 cup chopped coriander leaves
1/2 tsp lemon juice
2 tbsp oil
Salt to taste

HOW TO MAKE:

1)    Heat the oil in a cooker, add the chopped onion and the fenugreek leaves and fry till onions are slightly golden.


2)   Add the  ginger-garlic paste, then add the mutton and fry till mutton changes its color slightly.

3)   Add all the spice powders to this and then add tomatoes. Add some water and allow it to simmer for 5-7 minutes.


4)   Close the Cooker and pressure cook this for 10 minutes or till the mutton is tender.


5)   Once the cooker is opened, transfer the contents of the cooker into a shallow pan or a wok(kadai) and on high flame cook the mutton along with its gravy till all the water evaporates. In this process, you can notice that the mutton will change its color and this results in a more tasty dish. You can eliminate this step if you would like to have more gravy in your dish.


6)   Garnish with onion rounds,lemon juice and coriander leaves and serve as a side dish with rice or Roti/Naan.

 RATING NOTES:

              DIFFICULTY LEVEL    :   EASY

              RATING  POINTS         :    8/10**

**  For more gravy, you can also grind another onion and add in step 2.

Green Gram & Vegetable Salad

INGREDIENTS:

½ cup Split Green Gram
1 tea spoon grated coconut(optional)
½ cup grated carrot
1 Chopped cucumber
1/2 Cup Corn
1/2 Onion Chopped
1/2 Tomato Chopped
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1 green chilli (optional)
1 tablespoon coriander leaves
4-5 curry leaves chopped finely
Salt to taste

HOW TO MAKE:

1)   Soak the split green gram in water for 20-25 minutes.

2)  Discard the water and add all the vegetables to it.

3)  Add salt, lemon juice, chopped coriander leaves.

4)  Mix well & Serve

 RATING NOTES:

              DIFFICULTY LEVEL    :   EASY

              RATING  POINTS         :    10/10**

**  The vegetables can be chopped in any shape you like for more creative salads.

Ragi (Millet) Roti

INGREDIENTS:

1 cup ragi flour
2 finely chopped green chillies (opional)
1/2 tsp cumin seeds
Pinch of asafoetida or hing (optional)
1 tbsp chopped fresh coriander leaves
1 Cup chopped fresh Dill/Rosemary leaves
2 tbsp grated fresh coconut (optional)
1 onion finely chopped
Salt to taste
2 cups water

HOW TO MAKE:

1)   Put 2 cups water in a vessel and bring the water to boil. Add all the ingredients except the Ragi flour.

2)    Once it boils, add the flour and switch off the stove.

3)    Mix the Flour well in such a way that its evenly mixed with all the ingredients and resembles dough.

4)    Allow to cool for 5 Minutes. Then make small sized balls out of the dough.

5)    Roll out these balls on a roling board spreading it as thin as possible into a circular shape of approx 6" in diameter.

6)   Pre-heat the griddle spreading a tsp of oil and carefully transfer the rolled out ragi roti onto the griddle

7)    Cook for about a minute,flip and cook for another minute.Keep flipping till its well cooked on both sides.

8)   Serve hot with chutney.

 RATING NOTES:

              DIFFICULTY LEVEL    :   EASY

              RATING  POINTS         :    9/10**

**  Be careful when using the water to mix the dough as excess water can spoil the dough by making it watery/sticky. To avoid this, just take out a little of the boiling water in a small bowl before mixing in the vegetables and the dough. You can use this water while mixing the flour if you find the flour looks dry at any point of time.

Cottage Cheese (Paneer) & Cabbage Parathas

INGREDIENTS:


For the Dough:

1/2 cup whole wheat flour
1/2 cup All Purpose Flour
½ teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon oil

For Stuffing:

1/2 cup cabbage
1/2 cup paneer
1 teaspoon cumin seeds
1/2 teaspoon roasted cumin powder
1 teaspoon chopped green chillies (optional )
¼ cup chopped coriander leaves
Salt to taste

HOW TO MAKE:

1)   Add both the flours and salt in a large bowl, adding little water at a time to make soft & smooth dough coating oil till it is non sticky.Set aside covered for 30 minutes.

2)  In a Chopper, add the Paneer cubes and the cabbage along with the other stuffing ingredients except coriander leaves and beat till the mixture resembles crumbles (Approx 5-10 seconds). Add the coriander leaves and beat for 2-3 seconds.

If you do not have a Chopper, you can do this manually by finely chopping the cabbage, coriander leaves and crumbling the Paneer and then mixing the spices to this mixture. Keep this aside.


3)  Make lemon sized balls from the dough and roll them out thin to approximately 3 inches in diameter tossing the dough in dry flour while rolling .


4)  Add 1 tablespoon of the stuffing in the center. Gather the sides and bring them together. Press the stuffed dough down. Toss it in some flour and roll it gently applying just even pressure to roll. Roll it to desired thickness.

5)  Put the stuffed parathas on the hot griddle/skillet. Cook for about ½ a minute, flip over and add 1 teaspoon of oil in and around the paratha. Keep pressing the parathas while on the skillet so the dough gets cooked and the stuffed also gets the heat and gets pressed down into the parathas. Cook until light golden spots appear on the parathas.

6) Serve hot with beaten curds tossed with Black salt or Tomato Pickle.

 RATING NOTES:

              DIFFICULTY LEVEL    :   EASY

              RATING  POINTS         :    9/10**

**  Stuffed Parathas should be cooked on medium heat to get a good texture and the light crispiness and so that the stuffing inside also can cook well if the heat is not very high.

 ** You can also roll out 2 palm sized rotis, spread a little stuffing on one of them, place the other roti on this and roll out thin and round to form the paratha.

** The ratio of Whole wheat Flour and All Purpose Flour can depend on your choice.

Tomato Onion Chutney

INGREDIENTS:

Ripe tomatoes  - 5 (Diced)
Big onions - 2 (sliced)
Garlic - 2 cloves
Red chilly powder- 1 tablespoon
Cumin Powder - 1 teaspoon
Salt- to taste

To Season:

Oil- 1 tablespoon
Mustard Seeds - 1 teaspoon
Hing/Asafoetida - 1/4 teaspoon
Curry leaves - 1 Sprig
Bengal Gram - 1 teaspoon
Dried Red Chilli -2


To Garnish :Coriander Leaves - 1 Tablespoon

HOW TO MAKE:
1)   Heat Oil in a Kadai/Wok, add the seasoning items one by one till the mustard seeds splutter.

2)   Add the onions,garlic cloves and tomatoes and fry till soft.

3)   Add the spice powders and fry for a few minutes. You can also add little water to this and cook for a few minutes (say 10 minutes).

4) Remove from fire and Cool it.

5) Blend to a smooth paste.

6) You can garnish with coriander leaves/Mint leaves and serve with Idlis/Dosas(Pancakes)

RATING NOTES:

              DIFFICULTY LEVEL    :   EASY

              RATING  POINTS         :    9/10**

**  For a tasty Chutney, I prefer using red pulpy tomatoes.

** You can also season this Chutney after blending the Cooked tomatoes and onions with the spice powders. This is just a variation in the recipe.

Veg Khurma

INGREDIENTS:

 1 Potato (Big)
1 cup Peas
1 carrot sliced into rounds
1/2 cup beans chopped at 1 inch length
2 big Onions sliced
1 big Tomato (chopped)
3 Green Chillies cut slanted
1 cup Yogurt   
1 tablespoon Ginger garlic paste
A Pinch Turmeric powder
1 tablespoon Red Chilli powder 
1/4 tablespoon Coriander powder
Whole Garam masala items - 1 clove, 1 bay leaf, 1 cardamom, 1 medium sized cinnamon stick
A Pinch Garam Masala powder Salt - to taste
2 Tablespoons Oil
2 Springs Mint Leaves
1/4 th cup finely chopped coriander leaves

HOW TO COOK:

1)   In a large pan, heat oil and add the whole garam masala items.

2)  Add onions and Saute them till light golden

3)     Then, add the ginger garlic paste and saute for a minute. Add the red chilli powder, turmeric powder,coriander powder, salt and garam masala powder and fry for a minute.

4)   Then add the curds and the tomatoes and little water and cook till you see oil coming up and then add the vegetables except the potatoes cook for 5 minutes.

5) Pressure Cook the mixture for 2-3 minutes.

6) In the mean time, Peel the potatoes and cut them into rounds/cubes. Deep fry them in hot oil till light golden and slightly crispy. Keep them aside.

 7) When the Cooker opens, add the coriander leaves, green chillies, mint leaves and the fried potatoes and cook for a minute before turning off the stove.

8) Serve with Ghee Rice/Parathas

RATING NOTES:

              DIFFICULTY LEVEL    :   EASY

              RATING  POINTS         :    9/10**

**  The vegetables should not be overcooked .

** For a more healthier Khurma, you can cook the potatoes along with the other vegetables instead of depp frying them.

Ghee Rice

INGREDIENTS:

1 cup basmati rice 

1/2 onion sliced

2 green cardamoms 

2 Cloves

4 cups water

1/2 teapsoon Ginger-Garlic Paste

1/4 cup Peas

2 Sprigs Mint Leaves

1 Fist Coriander leaves chopped

2 Green Chillies

Salt to Taste

1 Tablespoon Oil

1/2 teaspoon Ghee

For Garnishing:  1 large onion  finely sliced and fried crisp

HOW TO MAKE:

1)   Wash rice, drain and keep aside.

2)   Heat Oil and Ghee in a pan, add the whole spices and the sliced onion along with mint leaves to this. Fry till the onions are light golden.

3) Add the Ginger-Garlic Paste, salt, Green chillies and the peas. Fry for a minute and add the water. Bring it to a boil. Add the coriander leaves & Rice and cook on low flame till the water is absorbed by the rice.

4) When the rice is cooked leave it to stand for about 10 mins and then remove the rice into a large servng dish and fluff with a fork.

5)  Decorate with fried onions.


RATING NOTES:

              DIFFICULTY LEVEL    :   EASY

              RATING  POINTS         :    9/10**

**  The rice should not be overcooked as it takes away the charm of this dish. It should retain its firmness and length. This can be managed by using the right amount of water.

When my Kitchen came alive

Cooking, Touring, Browsing, Reading & Relaxing !!!  What a wonderful way to spend the second session of our November Hols, but hey we also had some rain and lovely weather !

November had been more like a fun month for me. Thanks to the numerous hols that came my way. We had hols for almost a fortnight on the whole. That gave me enough time to convert my busy life into a breathe easy life for a while. Initially I had hardly planned for my second hol session that came in the month end for the Islamic New year. Later I realised that we had another 5 full days of hols. It was a lovely feeling.

Food , obviously was going to have to factor in somehow. I decided that I could utilise these awaited days to refine my cooking skills and I browsed randomly and started gathering recipes to practice.  

My mind switched to strategising -"Idealistic Strategising" a plan on how to work but still enjoy it when you have no pressure/need to do so and to steal the moments of joy from what you do.

In reality the moments are really quite simple, the thought of getting through the small task of flipping pages of your recipe archive or watching your favourite televison show or reading a book or may be shopping also. These are those small little moments that most people don't even think twice about or the moments that most of us do not sit and soak in, the simple moments of family joy. I wish every day brings us something joyous to remember always and we just dont run around trying to cater to the demands of this busy life. It's these small little things that could be as huge as a volcano erupting! Take joy out of those small victories and embrace the positives no matter how insignificant....life is now about searching through your day for a sign of hope and holding on through this crazy journey!

And I had been feeling unusually creative so I figured out what "new" to cook each day. By "new" I also meant something simple and easy. Having relaxed a little you’ll now find many useful but oh-so-worth-it dishes sneaking into these pages. Partly due to the shelves sagging beneath the weight of almost 6 cookbooks, and mostly because of the endless delights a wide diet offers, some things that were off ‘the list’ have found their way back on.

After my recent Cupcake disaster, I pondered over the shortcomings extensively. I realise that I did learn something the day I messed my work. This made me look for more cake recipes. I gained some confidence again. But I thought of giving baking a small break and enhance my spirits through other ways.

Here is a list of the various stuff I worked on in the last few days :

1)  Chicken & Veg wraps
2)  Assorted Sandwiches
3)  Yellow Pigeon peas curry with rice
4)  Mutton & Vegetable Khurma
5)  Ghee Rice
6)  Chicken Balls
7)  Baked Biryani
8)  Mutton Phaal
9)  Masala Puri
10) Black Gram Patties
11) Chole Bhathura
12) Ragi Roti
13) Tomato onion Chutney
14) Cottage Cheese & Cabbage Parathas/Paneer -cabbage Parathas
15) Rava Idlis
16) Green Gram and Vegetable salad
17) Tomato Soup
18) Spring Rolls

The list looks long, but these dishes are very simple to cook. Their recipes will be shared in my coming posts.

The Pictures posted are of a place called Nakhal I visited during the hols. It has a lovely fort that dates back to the 15th century and a beautiful water spring which offers you tons of fun.

Chicken Balls

INGREDIENTS:

1/4  boneless chicken pieces
1 Big onion finely sliced
5 fresh green chillis
3 dry red chillis
6 garlic flakes
2″ piece ginger chopped
Handful coriander leaves, chopped
2 tablespoons coriander seeds
1/2 tablespoons cumin seeds
1″ cinnamon stick
1 green cardamom
5-6 cloves
10 cashewnuts
Salt to taste
Oil for deep frying

HOW TO MAKE:

1.    Heat a teaspoon of oil in cooking vessel. Add the cumin seeds, coriander seeds, cardamom, cloves, cinnamom, red chillis and cashewnuts and stir for a minute till light golden.

2.    Grind the roasted ingredients along with ginger, garlic and green chillis to a coarse paste. Add the chopped onions, coriander leaves, chicken and salt and grind further to form a smooth paste.

3.   Add a tablespoon of oil to the ground mixture and mix thoroughly before shaping into small lemon sized balls.

4.    Heat oil for deep frying. fry these balls in the oil and fry them to a crisp, golden brown color.

5.   Serve hot with tomato sauce or green chutney



RATING NOTES:

              DIFFICULTY LEVEL    :   EASY

              RATING  POINTS         :    8/10**

**  The spices should not be fried till dark as it changes the taste of the chicken balls.

**  I ground the mixture in a chopper - that saved me from adding any water and the balls are formed very easily.

** To get crispiness, you can roll the balls on a bed of cornflour/gram flour or dip them in beaten raw egg before frying