Punjabi Samosa

One of the most popular snack is Punjabi samosa. Easy to prepare at home. As the samosas are huge is size compared to the bhajis, it requires more oil to fry the samosas. So, it is worth to prepare more at a time and freeze the left over samosas and re-heat them in oven as and when required. This samosas have an unique taste because of the mild spices like carom seeds, coriander seeds, fennel seeds and dry pomegranate seeds. Each flavour will compete with the other.

For the wrap:
Plain flour – 500 gms
Carom seeds / Vaamu – 1 tsp
Clarified butter or vegetable fat – 100gms
Salt

Method:

Mix the flour with carom seeds, salt and ghee to form crumbs. Now add water little by little, knead thoroughly and make stiff dough. Cover the dough and leave it for 10 minutes.

For the filling:
Onion – 1 medium chopped into small pieces
Potatoes – 3 large (About 500gms), Boiled and mashed
Boiled green Pea – 3/4th cup
Garam masala – 1 tsp
Cumin seeds – 2 tsp
Coriander seeds – 1 tbsp
Dried pomegranate seeds – 1 tsp
Fennel seeds – 1 tsp
Chili powder – 1 tsp (adjust as per your taste)
Grated ginger – 1 tsp
Oil – 3 tbsp

Method:

Dry roast cumin, coriander, pomegranate and fennel seeds for a minute until they leave a nice aroma.

In a mortar, roughly ground the spices and keep it aside.

Fennel seeds, dry pomegranate seeds and coriander seeds

Heat a large deep pan with oil. When it is hot enough add grated ginger and onion. Fry them until the onion become translucent.

Add mashed potato and boiled peas and stir every thing. Sprinkle salt, chili powder, garam masala and roughly ground spices.

Toss / stir every thing and allow the spices to get infused well into the vegetables. Reduce the flame, close the lid and cook the curry for about 5 minutes. Remove from the flame and allow it to cool down.

Method to make the samosas:
Divide the dough into 12 parts. Smear each ball with oil and roll it into thin disc (like a 2p coin in UK / 1 Rupee coin in India) in to oblong shape.

Cut the disc into 2 pieces, so that they resemble triangles with rounded edges.

Smear the straight edge of the disc with water, hold both the edges and fold them two together so that it forms a cone.

Fill the cone with potato curry tightly.

Seal the edges firmly and slightly bend the sealed edge to one side, so that the samosa can stand.

Prepare 5 – 6 or more samosas at a time

Fry them under low heat. This will allow the samosas to get cooked well inside.

Turn the samosas in between to get fried all around equally.

Remove them and drain them. Keep them separately to avoid sweating. Serve them warm.

December Decoration

I can't believe the temperatures in this December. It is 11 Degrees C in London. I found some lovely flowers on the road side..... thought to change their location (my home)

Chapathi / Roti in milk

During the christmas holidays, I was feeling very lazy to prepare the meal in the morning. I was pondering about the ideas to escape from cooking. It just clicked me that I had some chapathis left over from last night meal.

Simplly tear 1 or 2 chapathi / roti into bite size pieces and soak them in warm milk for about 5 to 10 minutes. Just before eating, add some honey and nuts of your choice. Adding honey, dry grapes and nuts will enhance the nutrients. Not only that, they will draw the attention of those fussy eaters as well.

This is a nice substitute for cereals. A healthy breakfast too. Though the ready made cereals are branded as healthy, there are loads of hidden sugars and enormous calories which we ignore them unknowingly.

vankaaya Pachipulusu / Roasted Egg plant stew

This is a special variety of rasam / stew prepared especially in Andhra pradesh. Roasted and mashed brinjals are combined with raw tamarind, jaggery, chopped onions, green chillis and seasoned with aromatic spices which intensifies the flavor. This is best served with rice.

Ingredients:

Tender eggplants - 4

Oil – 2 tbsp

Onion - 1 chopped

Green chili - 2

Tamarind - 2 lemon sizes (soak it in hot water and remove the pulp)

Jagerry / sugar - 1 tsp

Salt

For seasoning -

Curry leaves - 2 strings

Mustard + Cumin - 1 tsp

Red chili - 1 or 2

Hing / Asafoetida - 1 pinch

Turmeric - 1 pinch

Method:

Smear the eggplants with oil, then place them on the fire and roast them till they are charred. If you don't have gas stove then you can roast them in a preheated oven.

Remove the eggplants from the fire and allow them to cool a little bit.

Take the pulp into a bowl and mash thoroughly.

Roasted and mashed eggplant

Now to the mashed egg plant add chopped onion, chopped green chili, jaggery / sugar and the tamarind pulp. Add salt and 2 cups of water to this and stir every thing.

For the seasoning, heat a small pan with 1 tbsp of oil. When the oil is hot enough add mustard , cumin and stir for a second. Add curry leaves and the red chili along with hing / asafoetida and turmeric which gives the nice aroma to the stew. Turn off the heat and quickly add the seasoning to the rasam / stew.

Note: Those who can't eat the raw onion, can stirr the chopped onion along with the seasoning, which will reduce the rawness.

Boondhi curry

I have learned this from one of my friend's mom. Boondhi curry is a sort of chewy side dish and acts as a best companion for rice. Nothing is quicker than this curry. I have added a bit of Ginger Garlic paste to give the curry flavour to the recipe.

Boondhi curry

Boondhi – 1 cup
1 large Onion – Chopped
2-3 Green chilli – Chopped
Ginger garlic paste – ½ tsp
Cashew nuts – 10 to 15
Oil
Coriander chopped – 1 tbsp

Plain boondhi, chopped onion, chopped green chili and cashews

Method:
Heat a pan with 2 spoons of oil. When it is hot enough, add the cashew nuts. Roast them slightly and add chopped onion, green chilli and ginger garlic paste.

Fry every thing until the onion turns colour. Add the boondhi , stir every thing and cover it with lid.

Allow the boondhi to absorb all the flavours and get semi soft.

Daal with Drumstick leaves / Munagaaku pappu

No greens area exceptional to prepare daal. Drumstick leaves is one among them which has got lots of nutritional values. Also mentioned by the Scientists as potential life saver. The leaves are high in protein and contain essential amino acids and also Vitamin A and C. So why not add these nutrients to our meal.

Ingredients:
Toor Daal – 1 cup
Drumstick leaves – 1 cup
Tomato – 2 large
Green chili – 6-8 (break them into small pieces)
Onion – 1 chopped
Turmeric
Salt
Tamarind – ½ lemon size. Soak in hot water.

For Seasoning
Oil – 1 tbsp
Garlic pods – 2 to 3
Mustard + Cumin – 1 tsp
Coriander seeds roughly ground– 2 tsp
Curry leaves
Coriander
Red Chili – 1 or 2

Drumstick leaves and Toor daal

Method:

Wash and pressure cook / boil toor daal, drumstick leaves, green chili and tomatoes by adding pinch of turmeric.

When the daal is cooked thoroughly and is soft, add tamarind puree and salt and mash the daal mixture.

Heat a sauce pan with oil and do the seasonings by adding red chili, pounded garlic pods, curry leaves, mustard + cumin and ground coriander seeds.

When the mustard starts spattering, add chopped onions and fry them until they become transparent.

Add the daal mixture to the seasoning and add chopped coriander, close the lid and cook the daal for another 5 minutes on low flame and turn of the heat.

Daal is served with warm rice.

Cheese Biscuits

I had some left over soft cheese with herbs which no one wants to have it. Quickly thought of making the cheese biscuits. So simple to make and it takes just few minutes .

Cheese biscuits in duckling and butterfly shapes for the little ones

Ingredients:

Plain flour – 1 cup 

Soft cheese – 3 tbsp 

Salt ( Make sure to add very little as cheese might contain traces of salt ) 

Baking soda – 1 large pinch

Method: 

Add salt and baking soda to the flour and mix thoroughly. Now fold the soft cheese into the flour and mix it well. Add 1 or 2 tbsp of water if required and make a soft dough. Cover the dough and keep it aside for 10 minutes . 

Pre-heat the oven Gas mark – 4 

Roll the dough into thin disc, poke it with fork and make desired shapes or simply cut into diamonds or squares. 

The rolled dough has been cut into diamonds

Spread them on a baking tray and bake for 7 to 10 minutes or till they change the colour and gets crispy. Turn them once in between.

Cheese biscuits

khadi Pakode

Khadis are smooth, yoghurt based dishes served with rice. Either yogurt or buttermilk is whisked with gram flour / basin and then simmered into a creamy sauce with the combination of fritters. I have prepared this with moong daal fritters Khadis are delicious and can be served warm or chilled. 

Fritters in creamy yoghurt sauce

Ingredients:

Yoghurt - 1 cup

Gram flour/Basin - 2 tbsp

Asafoetida / Hing - 1 pinch

Cumin, Mustard, Fenugreek seeds - 1/2 tsp each

Dry chili - 1 or 2

Curry leaves - 1 string

Green chili paste - 1 tsp

Salt

Pakode / Fritters of any variety

Method:

Take a deep pan and pour yoghurt. Add gram flour and mix well with a whisk. Add salt and green chilli paste. Whisk well adding 2 cups of water. Cook on low heat,  stirring continuously for five minutes. Continue to boil for another five to eight minutes.

Heat oil in a small pan for seasoning. Add asafoetida, cumin seeds, red chilli, mustard, fenugreek seeds and curry leaves. Sauté till cumin seeds start changing colour. Add the seasoning to the yoghurt mixture.

Add the pakodas just before serving, in order to retain the crispiness. Serve this warm rice.

Chicken Sheek Kebab

Relish the lip smacking Chicken seekh kebab prepared at home with this simple and quick kebab recipe. The chicken keema or minced chicken is blended with onion, ginger garlic paste, egg and few spice powders and then rolled on a seekh or skewer. Grill the chicken seekh kebabs and enjoy hot as starter or as a side dish.

Ingredients: 

·      Chicken, minced 1 kg 

        Egg 1

        Shah Jeera (Black cumin) 1 tsp 

        Pepper powder 1 tsp

        Garam Maasala  1/4 tsp

        Green chili chopped - 1 tbsp

        Salt to taste

        Vegetable oil 2 tsp 

        Cashew nuts (pounded) 4 tbsp 

        Ginger garlic  paste 2 tsp 

        Onions (chopped) 4 tsp 

        Green coriander (chopped)2 tbsp

  Oil for basting

 Method:

 Just to get rid of the raw smell, I have fried the ginger garlic paste,onion and chili, jeera in 1 tbsp of  hot oil for less than a minute. 

1. 

      Whisk the egg, add to the mince, fried ginger garlic, onion mixture, cashew nuts, coriander. Add  pepper powder, garam masala,salt, and oil. and mix well. Freeze it for 2 hours.

Minced chicken with the spices and the onion mixture

Mix well. Divide into 10 equal portions.

With wet hands, wrap the mixture along each skewer. Prepare the skewers like this.

 I have placed the skewers on a baking sheet as it is easy to clean the tray. I know many people will  use the alliminium foil. I don't want to use it as the kebabs will stick to it.

s    Roast in a preheated oven at 150°C (300°F) for 30-40 minutes until golden brown in colour by basting it just once.

1     Remove from the skewers, sprinkle some lemon juice and chat masala and serve hot by garnishing  with onion rings, Cucumber and carrot.

  

My son had this as main meal itself instead of having it as side dish......

 

Amaranth leaves curry (Thotakoora pullakura )

This is another variation of cooking greens. Instead of doing stir fry, we do cook the leaves along with tomato, onion, chili and tamarind. It will be tangy in taste and stays in between a curry and a side dish, means you can serve this either as the main dish or as a side dish along with any daal variety dishes. Adding peanuts will give you the crunchiness.

Ingredients:

Amaranthus leaves – 4 cups  or 2 small bunches
Tomato – 1 chopped into big chunks
Onion – 1 chopped into big chunks
Tamarind – ½ of the lemon size
Rock Salt
Soaked Ground nuts or fresh ground nuts – 2 tbsp
Oil

For thadka (Tampering):
Mustard seeds, Garlic flakes, curry leaves and Red chilli

Method:

 Boil the ground nuts with little water until they are semi soft (half boiled) using a pinch of salt. Drain and keep aside. Do not discard the water as we are going to use this to boil amaranthus leaves.

 Add 1 spoon oil to hot pan and fry onion and tomato together with a pinch of salt for a minute.

 Add washed amaranth leaves, tamarind, half boiled pea nuts, the left over water from boiling pea nuts (about 100 ml) and salt. Stir and close the lid for about 4 -5 minutes.

Stir occsionally and cook the contents until the amaranth leaves are soft. Do not over cook.

Remove from the fire and while it is still hot add rock salt and mash every thing using wooden pastel and keep it aside.

 For tampering, heat oil in a pan and add Mustard seeds, garlic cloves fry for a minute and then add curry leaves.

 Finally add the tampering to the curry / pullakoora

Children's day 2011

"Children Day" a sweet memory of every Indian's childhood. Children's day in India is celebrated on Pandit Nehru's birthday as a day of fun and frolic, a celebration of childhood.

These are the pictures taken at Nehru's centre in London on the occasion of children's day.

Bhaarat matha

Chaacha Nehru

A little Indira Gandhi 

Sardhar Vallabhai Patel

 Little Rama, Sita and hanuma

Anaarkali

Raani Rudrama devi 

 The great dancers

 I am so impressed to see India in UK

Pappulu allam chutney (Roasted chickpea with ginger)

This is an instant chutney with fewer ingredients. Roasted chikpea combined with ginger and green chili is a tasty combination that can be served with any Indian tiffins. Adding ginger will give the extra punch.

Ingredients:

Pappulu / putnalu (Roasted chick pea) – ½ cup

Green chilli – 4
Ginger – ½ inch
Salt

For Tampering:

Oil, Mustard, Cumin seeds, Urad dal, Curry leaves, Dry chilli

 Roasted chickpea, ginger and green chili

Method:

Grind roasted chickpea, green chillies, ginger and salt by adding water into paste like chutney consistency.

Heat a small pan with oil. When it is hot enough add Red chilli then urad dal, when they change colour, add mustard, cumin and curry leaves. Saute for less than a minute and pour on to the top of chutney.

Served with dosa

Pesara Idly / Moong Daal Idly

This is another variety of idly with green gram. As we are using the whole grains, this will be rich in B Vitamin. All my efforts are just not to prepare new recipes, but also do healthy meals for my family.

Pesara idly / Moongdaal idly with Sambar

Ingredients:
Whole Urad daal / Black gram – 1 cup

Rice Rava - 1 cup

Whole Green gram - 1 cup

Method:

Soak urad daal and green gram together for atleast 6 hours and grind them into into fine paste.

Add Rava and combine every thing without any lumps and allow to ferment for at least 8 hours.

When it is fully fermented , scoop the batter into idli moulds and steam for 15 – 20 minutes.

Serve them warm with your favourite chutney or sambar

Broccoli and Cauliflower Stir fry

A simple side dish for rotis. Can also be served as a snack for kids. Nice combination of two great vegetables, rich in nutrients.

A true visual feast for the vegetarians

 Ingredients:

1 cup – Cauliflower florets
1 tsp – lemon juice
½ tsp – crushed pepper
Salt
Butter – 1 tsp

Method:

Melt the butter in a pan and slip the florets into it. Stir them for a minute, sprinkle some salt and cover with lid. Allow them to cook by themselves with the steam. Still in between and cook them just until they become tender and yet retain the crunchiness.

Sprinkle the lemon juice and the pepper powder and remove from the fire.

Serve immediately.

Roasted Potato with herbs

Tried this combination during last week end and it was a good effort. Instead of using more oil, I have steamed the potato chunks in the microwave for about 2 minutes and then combined them with herbs grown at home and spices along with oil and roasted them.

 Roasted Potato with herbs

Ingredients:

Potatoes – 4 large chopped into big chunks

Mint leaves – hand full
Green chilli – 3
Parsley – hand full
Cumin – 1 tsp
Salt
Oil – 1 tsp

Home grown herbs, Mint and Parsely

Method:

Grind mint, parsley, green chilli along with salt and cumin.

Steam the potatoes either in microwave or in a pan. Take them into a wide container, add oil and the ground herb mixture and mix every thing thoroughly.

Line a baking tray and place the potato chunks and bake them, by turning in between until they become crispy out side.

Potato wedges mixed with herbs and ready to bake

A nice snack for the whole family

And ready to eat...