May 18

Spicy Garlic Prawn Spaghetti

I love easy peasy recipes. Who doesn’t? I had prawns in the freezer and I wanted a quick one that would be good enough for the blog.

Being a MasterChef Australia fan, I remembered one of the contestants Marion Grasby and how she loves to make quick fusion food. Chanced upon this recipe and Voila here it is Spicy Garlic Prawn Spaghetti.

My daughter must have told me a few times to add this to her list of favourites.

SAUCE

3 stalks of spring onions chopped fine (bulb & green)
1″ grated ginger
1 tsp sea salt
1/4 cup of vegetable oil plus 2 tbsp sesame oil

OTHER INGREDIENTS

20 big sized prawns
2 tbsp oil
5-6 chopped garlic
1 tbsp chilli flakes
3 tbsp soya sauce
2 tbsp oyster sauce
250gms Spaghetti
Chopped spring onion greens for garnish

  1. Use a mortar pestle and pound the ginger sping onion and salt to a coarse paste.
  2. Heat both the oils mentioned in sauce and as it turns hot, pour it over the spring onion paste and mix well.
  3. Boil the spaghetti with some salt to al dente.
  4. Reserve some of the water and drain the rest.
  5. In a pan, add oil and saute the garlic, chilli flakes and prawns till the prawsn turn pink.
  6. Add the soya sauce and oyster sauce and mix well. Check if prawns are done. Add some of the reserved pasta liquid, about 1/4 cup.
  7. Add the spring onion sauce and mix well. If dry u can add little more pasta water. Check seasoning.
  8. Top with spring onion greens ans chilli flakes. Serve hot.

Recipe courtesy – Marion’s Kitchen

May 12

Kung Pao Prawns with Hakka Noodles

When u lay hands on such massive prawns, u have to attempt something new. I still struggle with Chinese cuisine, but am getting the hang of gravies. Quite happy with the outcome.

The Hakka noodles are made using Aziz’s recipe which he showcased in the Foodies Central live.

18-20 big sized prawns
Oil
12 minced garlic
1″ ginger grated
1 small onion quartered
2 tbsp chopped spring onion whites
4-5 dried Kashmiri chillies broken in 2
1.5 tbsp Kashmiri chilli paste
10-12 slit roasted cashews
1/4 cup cut spring onion greens
Little salt

KUNG PAO SAUCE
2 tbsp soya sauce
1/4 cup sweet chilli sauce
1 tbsp cornflour
1/2 cup water (appx)
1 tsp sesame oil
1/4 tsp white pepper powder
1/2 tsp sugar
1/2 tsp apple cider vinegar


  1. Mix all the ingredients mentioned under Kung pao sauce in a bowl.
  2. Heat a wok add 2 tbsp cooking oil, let it become very hot.
  3. Lower the flame add the garlic and grated ginger.
  4. Mix well add the onion and spring onion whites along with dried chillies(broken in to 2).
  5. When the onions turn translucent and the chillies give out an aroma add the red chilli paste, prawns and cashews and mix well. Add little salt to the prawns. Don’t add too much as the sauces constain salt.
  6. When the prawns are nearly cooked add the sauce and mix well.
  7. Raise flame to medium and let the sauce thicken and coat the prawns. By now the prawns should be cooked. Check and adjust seasoning
  8. Add the spring onion greens and mix well. Serve hot.

HAKKA NOODLES by Aziz

1 pkt noodles 120 gms
2tbsp oil
4-5 flakes finely chopped garlic
1/4 tsp finely chopped ginger
Finely sliced Capsicum,Carrot,Cabbage and Onions(1/2 cup in total)
1tbsp chopped spring onion greens
1tsp Soya sauce 1/2 tsp Green chilli sauce
1/2 tsp or more red chilli sauce to make it spicy
1/8 tsp Vinegar
Salt
1/8 tsp black pepper
1/8 tsp White pepper

  1. In a vessel add 500 ml water salt and a little oil. Let the water come to a boil. Now add noodles and cook until done. Strain and keep aside
  2. In a hot wok add oil, then add garlic and ginger and sauté for a while
  3. Add veggies one by one according to their cooking time. Add salt
  4. Sauté until done and then add all the sauces and mix well
  5. Add spring onion greens
  6. Add the boiled noodles (Incase your noodles get sticky, just run it under cold water and voila they are good to go)
  7. Mix well. Garnish with spring onion greens



May 08

Bhindi Do Pyaaza

It’s been too long since something went up on the blog. Last minute decided to try something with Bhindi and glad I did.

Now a days everyone is fed up of being locked in and it continues to get difficult to tempt the kids taste buds and keep them happy alteast through the stomach route.

Inaya my daughter always use to talk about some geela bhindi her friends would get in tiffin and I could never figure out what it was. Today finally she told me Yes Maa this is the bhindi I am talking about.


Ingredients

500 gms Bhindi cut into medium sized roundels
2 onions cubed
10 garlic chopped
1″ pc ginger grated
2-3 dried Kashmiri chillies
2 black cardamom
2 green cardamom
4-5 black pepper
1″ dalchini
2 Laung
1 tbsp jeera
1/4 tsp jaldi
1 TSP red chilli powder
1/2 tsp garam masala
1/4 tsp amchur
Salt
Oil


1. Heat little oil in a pan, add the Bhindi and sautee it on medium heat for 15 minutes. Remove

2. In the same pan, add oil Add the Akka garam masala spices, saute till leaves aroma. U can choose to remove the spices and discard it as the oil is well flavoured.

3. Add jeera and let it sizzle.

4. Break the dried chilli to pieces and add it along with the ginger and garlic. Let it saute till golden brown.

5. Add the cubed onions, little salt and fry till translucent.

6. Add the sauteed Bhindi and all the masalas and little salt. Mix it well.

7. Cook on a slow flame for about 10 minutes or till the Bhindi is cooked.

8. Serve hot with roti.

Recipe adapted from – Cookwithmanali

May 08

Chicken Tikka Masala

When the client orders chicken tikka masala and you have never made it though eaten it a lot, what do u say?

Well I said yes!! I have made the tikkas before for New year’s Eve after Ameya shared the recipe in the live on our Facebook group Foodies Central. The bhuna masala gravy I have made before for other dishes so I knew I could marry the two.

Presenting my version of the Chicken Tikka Masala.


CHICKEN TIKKA

8 boneless thigh pieces
Half cup hung curd
1 tbsp mustard oil
3 tsp tandoori masala
1 tbsp lemon juice
2-3 tsp kashmiri chilli powder
Salt
Butter
1 pc coal and 2 tbsp ghee
1/4 cup mixed – onion petals, cubed capsicum and tomato cubes (without seeds)

1. Mix the curd, masalas, lemon juice, mustard oil and salt properly, marinate the chicken overnight in it.

2. Heat butter on a grill pan, cook the chicken till it’s done.

4. Sautee this in the same pan after removing the chicken.

5. Meanwhile heat a coal on a naked flame for 10-15 mins till red hot.

6. Keep the cooked chicken and veggies in a plate, place a steel bowl in the center. Place the red hot coal in the bowl and pour the ghee on it and quickly cover with a done lid to add smoky flavours to the tikka.
Tikka recipe courtesy Ameya Warty

TIKKA MASALA

2-3 tbsp ghee
1 big onion – grated
2 small tomatoes – pureed
1/2 pkt tomato puree
2 tbsp cashew paste (soak 7-8 cashews in warm water and grind to paste)
2 tbsp paste of ginger garlic and green chilli
2 tsp dhania powder
1 tsp Kashmiri chilli powder
1 tbsp kitchen king masala
1 tbsp crushed kasuri methi
1/2 – 3/4 cup water
Salt
Chopped coriander leaves

1. Head ghee in a pan, add the grated onion and fry till translucent.

3. Leave some of the marinade for the onion, capsicum and tomato. Toss them in it.

2. Add the ginger garlic chilli paste and sautee till the raw smell goes off.

3. Add the fresh and packed tomato puree. Sautee well.

4. Add the cashew paste and the masalas and fry till it leaves oil. Add salt.

5. Add water and let the gravy cook out.

6. Add the kasuri methi and mix well. Adjust seasoning.

7. Now add the chicken and veggies and mix it well till it costs the chicken.

8. Top with chopped coriander leaves and serve hot.

Mar 06

Kerala Mutton Fry

Mutton my true love and my son’s first love. I had a lot of work today and by the time I set out to cook the mutton it was past 12.30. I needed a quick fix recipe plus I wanted to try something new.


So opened Google and my saved recipes, zeroed in on the Kerala Mutton Fry which I have always drooled over and set about making my version of it.


1kg mutton
1.5 tsp haldi
Salt
7 peppercorns
2 + 3 Kashmiri red chillies
2-3 sliced onions
15 sliced garlic
15 curry leaves.
2-3 slit green chillies
1″ pc grated ginger
2 tbsp coriander powder
1 tbsp red chilli powder
1 tsp garam masala
6-7 fried pieces of coconut

1. Put the mutton, salt, haldi and 2 kashmiri chillies in a cooker with enough water. Give 3 whistles and keep onnslow for 15 minutes. Open the lid and check if meat is tender. If not cook uncovered for some more time. The water does not have to be used but u can leave it to use later for rice.

2. In a pan, heat oil add the peppercorns and then add onions to fry.

3. When browned add the garlic, curry pata, chilli and grated ginger. Let it fry well till golden brown.

4. Add the masalas and little salt. Fry well.

5. Add the mutton pieces (no liquid). Mix it well with the masalas.

6. Let the mutton fry for 5-7 minutes on low flame.

7. Add the coconut pieces and mix once again. Serve hot

Mar 06

Sindhi Baingan Fry

The mother of one of my besties is an amazing cook. I know her since over 20 years and I remember when we used to party all night and land up at her place, aunty would feed us some amazing rajma rice. Once we were so drunk that we thought it was mutton.


Aunty is a skillful cook and she can cook any cuisine brilliantly. Our recent Sunday lunch invite at their house featured some wonderful Sindhi dishes. One of them that made me drool big time was the long baingan slices slathered in masala kept to the side. That was the one thing I pounced on when Aunty asked if we wanted to parcel anything home.
I finally decided to make it recently and got the recipe from Aunty. So damn simple and super delicious, all polished off.

4-5 long brinjals
Oil for frying
Salted water
Mix of 1tsp red chilli powder, 1 tsp coriander powder, 1/2 tsp amchur and salt

1. Slit the baingans in half length wise. Discard the stalks.

2. Run a knife though slant // on the fleshy side one way then \\ the other way to get diamond cuts on the flesh.

3. Put them in salted water for half hr.

4. Heat oil, wipe the brinjals down and deep fry them till cooked.

5. Wipe the excess oil and sprinkle the spice mix ensuring it enters the slits.6. Serve hot

Mar 01

South Style Bhindi Fry

I am constantly looking out for variations in our daily meals. I chanced upon a recipe by the Kitchen Foodie and found it was an interesting twist to our humble bhindi fry.

Yes I did make some changes as per my daughters liking for she loves Bhindi. The original recipe has channa dal, methi seeds, urad dal and peanuts which I skipped though u can give it a try. Made this for the second time and was polished off in one go.



Ingredients

500gms Bhindi (slit lengthwise)

1 tbsp jeera

10-12 karipata

2 sliced onions

10-12 chopped garlic

1 tbsp grated ginger

3-4 dried Kashmiri red chilli

1 tbsp sambhar powder

1/2 tsp hing

1/2 tsp turmeric

1.5 tbsp coriander powder

Salt

Oil



1. Shallow fry the Bhindi and keep aside.

2. Heat oil, add jeera, karipata and red chillies. Add hing and mix.

3. When sizzling add the onion, ginger and garlic and saute till golden brown.

4. Now add your masalas and salt and mix it well to make a dry masala mixture.

5. Add the Bhindi and cook through, adjust seasoning
Recipe courtesy – the kitchen foodie (with few changes)

Jan 16

Homestyle Mutton Curry

Today I decided I want to try something different in Mutton, else my son convinces me to always make his favourite Chilli fry.


I kept getting directives from family members, no white gravy, no coconut, no cashews, nothing heavy, keep it simple homestyle..

Searched for a few recipes but nothing tempted me. Then remembered the masala I make for my biryani and decided to try a variation based on that.

The mutton is cooked for a while in rich onion gravy and it’s flavour comes from the lack of too many masalas and additions, just from the onions and meat roasted gently to extract flavour.

INGREDIENTS

Mutton 1KG

7 sliced onions

300 ml curd

2-3 tbsp Kashmiri Red Chilli powder

3- 4 tsp Kitchen King Masala powder

15 roughly chopped Garlic cloves

4-5 slit Green Chilies

Salt

Oil

1. Deep fry the onions till crisp and brown. When cool make a paste and keep aside.

2. Heat oil in a pan, add garlic and slit chilies and stir for a couple of minutes till garlic is golden brown.

3. Add the fried onion paste and stir.

4. Now add red chili powder, kitchen king masala powder and salt and mix well. Add little water so that spices don’t burn and mix well for a couple of minutes.

5. Add the mutton pieces and bhunno on high heat for 7-8 minutes.

6. Add curd and mix well. Add half a cup of water, bring to boil, simmer on low heat, cover and cook for half hr.

7. If the mutton is still underdone then add half cup water and pressure cook – 3 whistles and slow on 5 mins.

8. Adjust the seasoning and serve hot. Garnish as desired.

Recipe adapted from Jaspreet Nirula.

Dec 05

Meat & Mushroom Lasagna

When u want to keep trying something new but due to all the experimenting, many favourite dishes don’t make a comeback for a long time.

I think it could be over 4 years since I made a lasagna. It makes such an impressive meal with a balance of sauces with the pasta sheets not overpowering the meat here. The cheese hitting just the right spot.


This big dish was finished in 15 mins by our family of 4, it was that yum


Ingredients

BOLOGNESE SAUCE

500 gms mutton mince

2 big onions

5 skinless tomatoes puréed or chopped

1/2 pkt tomato purée

1 tsp Worcestershire sauce

10 minced garlic

Salt

1 tsp Chilli flakes

1 tbsp maida

Mixed Italian herbs – fresh or dried

1/2 packet of mushrooms – sliced

1/2 cup chopped basil

1. Blanch or roast the tomatoes or remove skin and chop or purée as per preference.2. In a pan, heat olive oil and add the onions and garlic. Sautée to pink3. Add the mince and brown it well4. At intervals add the tomato puree, pkt purée, Worcestershire sauce, chilli flakes and dried herbs . 5. Let this cook out for about an hr adding little water as it becomes dry 6. When the mince is 90% done add the mushrooms and let it cook.7. Add the maida and let it thicken up.8. Add the fresh basil. Adjust seasons and switch off gas



CHEESE SAUCE

2 tbsp butter

4 tbsp all purpose flour

3/4 cup milk

Salt

2 cubes grated processed cheese

Pinch of Nutmeg (optional)

Water as per requirement

1. Heat butter in a pan, add the APF and sautee it.2. Lower flame and add milk, mix well to make a thick roux.3. Add the salt, cheese and nutmeg and mix well4. Add water as per consistency required (like a thick batter)



ASSEMBLY

6-8 pasta sheets (no cook variety) 2 cubes grated processed cheese

100 gms grated mozarella cheese

1. PreHeat oven to 180 degree2. Spread a thin layer of the bolognese sauce.3. Add the pasta sheet to cover the sauce4. Then add a thin layer of the cheese sauce.5. Add the pasta sheet over it. Repeat with red sauce and so on6. On the top layer, end with the cheese sauce and sprinkle the grated processed and mozarella cheese.7. Bake for 20-25 mins or until the top is golden brown and the skewer comes out clean

Nov 20

Chicken & Cheese Tacos

My son recently started loving Tacos and I don’t think I have made them at home for over 4 years. 


The other day I found these boxes of crispy taco shells, so I immediately grabbed them with a plan to surprise him. It took me 3 weeks to finally make it as muhurat hi Nahi Bana.


With my versatile trusted charred Bell pepper sauce in hand I made these super yummy and simple Chicken tacos loaded with cheese. Also made sour cream and salsa from scratch to pair with it. Happy happy.

INGREDIENTS

1 box of readymade crispy taco shells

750 GM’s boneless chicken

1 cup of Charred Bell pepper sauce/Mexican sauce

Lime

Salt

1/2 lime juice

Chopped coriander

Finely sliced cabbage

Grated pizza cheese

Oil

  1. Marinate the chicken in the Mexican sauce. Check seasoning before marinating. Leave overnight or minimum 2 hrs.
  2. Heat oil in a pan, add the marinated chicken and cover cook until done.
  3. Mix line juice and coriander and adjust seasoning. Shut gas and let it cool.
  4. Microwave the ready taco shells for 90 seconds following packet instructions
  5. Preheat the oven to 180 degrees Celsius.
  6. Place a layer of sliced cabbage then top with chicken and add some of the gravy too.
  7. Top with grated cheese and line the tacos in a tray.
  8. Put it in the oven for 10 minutes or until the cheese is melted.
  9. Served hot with chilled Salsa and Sour cream.