FineTastes

Yellow Dosa

2011-12-17T17:01:00.003+05:30

Ingredients :
1 cup chana dal
1 cup udad dal
Asafoetida
Green chillies
Ginger

What next ? Wash well and soak for a minimum of 4 hrs. Grind to fine paste with very little water. Salt to taste. Add 1 inch grated ginger, 2 finely chopped green chillies, pinch of asafoetida. Grease pan, pour dosa batter (about 4 tbsp full), cover and cook. Toss it, do the same for the other side.

Valval

2011-12-17T16:47:00.005+05:30

Ingredients :
Set A
100g cashewnuts (peeled, soaked overnite)
50g string beans (1/2 inch pcs)
50g french beans (1/2 inch pcs)
50g gherkins (cut long)
50 g peas (shelled)

Set B
250 g sweet potato (peeled and diced)
100g Ridge gourd (peeled and diced)
100g pumpkin (pref green raw variety, peeled and diced)

Half coconut grated, milk extracted (set aside concentrated milk), add warm water and extract another round of coconut milk ( diluted one to be kept separate)

Method : Cook Set A in little water (do not pressure cook). When almost done add Set B. Add diluted coconut milk. Add 2 split green chillies and cook until done. Then add concentrated coconut milk, salt to taste and bring to a boil. Add jeera (cumin) seasoning. Yogiratna/ Valval is ready to be relished with a freshly made bowl of rice.

Moong sprout kurma

2010-02-04T16:56:00.003+05:30

Ingredients :

Set 1

2 cups moong sprout
2 med size tom
3/4 grated onion
1 tsp dhania-jeera powd
1 tsp chilli pow
1/2 tsp sugar
1 cup milk
2 tbsp fresh cream
3 tbsps oil
Salt to taste

Set 2 - paste

3 cloves garlic
1/2 inch piece ginger
2 elaichi
1 tbsp broken cashew
1 tbsp khus khus

Method of preparation :
Blanch tom, remove skin, chop. Heat oil in pan, fry onions till light pink, add paste, dhania jeera, chilli powd. Fry for 1 min. Add chopped tom and fry for 2-3 tom. Add moong sprout, 1/4 cup wter, sugar and salt and cook. Add milk, cream and cook.

Sabz makhani :

2010-02-04T16:54:00.002+05:30

Ingredients -

Set 1.

2 cups of chopped mixed boiled veg (cauli, beans, carrots, mutter)
1/2 cup paneer chopped
1 tsp chilli powd
2 cups tomato puree (6 tom)
1 tsp jeera powd
1/2 tsp garam masala
1 tsp kasuri methi
1 tbsp honey
1/4 cup milks
1/4 cup cream
1 tbsp oil
2 tbsp butter
1.5 onion chopped

Set 2 : Paste

1 cup chopped onion
1 inch ginger piece
4 cloves garlic
2 tbsp cashew

Method of preparation :
Heat oil in pan. Add paste. Cook till light brown. Add chilli powder, tom purree and cook until done. Add jeera pow, garama msala, 1/2 cup wter and cook for some time till oil sep from masala. Keep aside. In another pan melt butter, add kasuri methi, onion, cook till lightly brown. Add to tomato gravy. Add boiled veg, honey, milk, cream, paneer, salt boil together.

Griddle cakes/ Pancakes

2008-03-30T13:29:00.004+05:30

Simple and tasty Griddle cakes/ Pancakes

Ingredients
1 cup milk
1 egg
1 cup flour (alternately reduce the flour and add some boiled grated potato)
half teaspoon baking soda (optional)

What next ? Beat egg in a bowl, add the milk. Mix well. Add flour + grated potato. For added flavour - salt, pepper, some herbs - oregano, basil. Mix well
Heat a spoonful of oil on a tawa, add 2 tbsp of batter spread it a little. Allow to cook.
Delicious pancake is ready to be devoured. Makes a great breakfast or evening snack.
It can be eaten with green mint / coriander chutney for accompaniment.

If one does not want to use potato, one can make simple griddle cakes which can then be eaten with honey or chocolate syrup.

Radish Roti with Jhunka

2007-09-21T09:18:00.000+05:30

Radish Roti

Ingredients
2 medium sized radish
2 green chillies finely chopped
1/2 tsp turmeric powder
1 tsp freshly roasted jeera powder
1/4 tsp freshly roasted ajwain powder
Salt to taste
Wheat flour ~400 gms

What next ? Clean the radish. Peel skin. Grate. Take 2 tbsp oil in pan, add the jeera and ajwain powders, turmeric, green chillies and then the radish. Simmer until cooked partly (for 5-10 mins).Take off flame. Add wheat flour to it and knead into smooth dough. Make them into equal sized balls and then roll them into rotis. Roast on tawa.

To serve ? Serve with Jhunka

Jhunka (popularly called pitla)

Ingredients
1/4 cup besan
2-3 cups water
1 large onion finely chopped
2 small tomatoes finely chopped
2 green chillies finely chopped
2-3 tbsp oil
1/2 tsp garam masala powder
Salt to taste

What next ? Take oil in pan, add onion. Fry till pink, add tomatoes, green chillies and once tomato is cooked, add the paste. Add garam masala powder, salt to taste and cook on sim until the paste thickens. Coriander leaves to be added for garnishing.

To serve ? Serve with Radish roti

Mushroom- Broccoli Stir Fry

2007-09-05T11:23:00.000+05:30

Ingredients
2 pack weikfield button mushrooms
7-8 cloves garlic, slit and crushed
2 green chillies slit
2-3 small onions chopped into strings
2-3 tbsps oil
Salt to taste
Oregano and Basille for garnish

What next ? Clean the mushrooms and broccoli well. Chop mushrooms into 4 quarters and broccoli into tiny florets. Take oil in a wok, add the garlic and stir till pink, add onions and fry till lightly brown, add mushrooms and broccoli florets, slit green chillies and salt to taste. Cover wok and cook for 20 mins (or until done). Water is not usually required for cooking, since mushrooms give out water while cooking with salt. However you could add 3 tbsps water if you need a little bit of broth.

To serve ? Garnish with oregano and basille

Most suitable with rice. It's a quickie :)

Daal Makhani

2007-07-20T12:19:00.000+05:30

Ingredients
250 gms black urad daal (better referred in the north as Maa ki daal)
125 gms rajma
1/2 tea cup fresh cream
3 tbsps butter
Puree made from ~6 medium sized tomatoes
2 tsps ginger-garlic paste
Red chilli powder and Jeera for seasoning

What next ? Soak the black urad dal and rajma overnight. Pressure cook for 20-30 mins (until well cooked). Smash the boiled mixture, until a little pasty. Then add tomato puree, ginger garlic paste, cream, butter, salt to taste. Simmer (low flame) for 15 mins.
Take a tablespoon of oil/ butter, add jeera and red chilli powder. Stir till jeera darkens slightly, then add the seasoning to the daal concoction and continue simmering on slow flame for another 30 mins.

To serve ? Garnish with coriander and cream/ butter before serving

Can be had with rotis/ chapatis (bread) or rice. It's a popular North Indian (read - Punjabi) dish. Well loved and relished.

Courtesy - Meena Ramachandran

Kadi pakora

2007-07-20T12:00:00.000+05:30

Ingredients
300 gms curd, blended well
2-3 tbsps gram flour (besan)
Turmeric
Salt and a pinch of sugar to taste
For seasoning : curry leaves, dried red chillies, jeera

For pakoras :
Gram flour (besan) to make 12 pakoras
Bottle gourd half
Jeera
Salt
Green chillies 2-3 chopped finely

What next ?
To make pakoras - skin the Bottle gourd, grate it, remove excess water by squeezing, add gram flour, green chillies, jeera, salt to taste. Make smooth paste which can then be rolled into balls (pakoras) and deep fry in oil till golden brown

For kadi - take 2-3 tbsps of oil, add jeera, curry leaves, red chillies and stir until done. Shut the flame, add curd blended with 2-3 tbsps besan, salt and sugar to taste, pinch of turmeric an be added for colour. If curd added when flame is on, then the curd is likely to curdle. Then once blended finely, turn on flame, add pakoras to the kadi, simmer till the pakoras have absorbed the curd well.

To serve ? Garnish with coriander and serve. Can be eaten with chapatis (bread), or with rice. Kadi chawal is a popular and well relished dish in Uttranchal. Can be had as a meal by itself when served with rice.

Great for a rainy day or a chilly winter day.

Cottage cheese Pakodas

2007-06-25T11:37:00.001+05:30

Ingredients
250 gm cottage cheese (paneer) grated
2 green chillies
Coriander leaves 3 tbsp
Cornflour/ Maida 3 tbsp
1/4 tbsp baking soda
2 slices of bread(make into crumbs)
3 tbsp curd
Salt to taste

What next ? Blend/ mix (no blender required) all ingredients into a smooth blend. Set aside for a couple of hours. Roll into tiny marble sized balls, deep fry on medium flame till golden brown.

To serve ?
Serve this with the mint chutney or ketchup.
Alternately this could be rolled into the form of cutlets (oblong shaped) and then deep fried.

Burger patty

2007-01-21T17:36:00.000+05:30

Ingredients
4 medium sized boiled potatoes
1.5 tsp red chilli powder
Salt to taste
Bread crumbs
1 beaten egg

What next ? Skin the boiled potatoes, mash them. Add salt and chilli powder. Take little of the mixture and pat it on the palm of the hand to make a round cutlet (say 2" in diameter). Roll it is the egg and then dust with bread crumbs. Deep fry till golden.

To serve ?
Serve this with the mint chutney or ketchup. Alternately this could be served between 2 slices of bread slices spread with chutney, garnished with onion, tomato slices. Sprinkle pepper and some ketchup. This makes for lovely burger patty.

Okra fry in minutes

2007-01-21T17:28:00.000+05:30

Ingredients
1/2 kg bhindi (okra/ ladies finger). Cleaned, cut in half and with a slit inserted so the spices hold on.
2 tbsp besan (gram flour)
1 tsp red chilli powder (or more if you like it spicy)
1/2 tsp amchur powder (raw mango powder)
Salt to taste

What next ? 1-2 tbsps oil in a pan, add okra. Keep at maximum heat in the microwave so it cooks mildly. Add to it the spices (mentioned above), and besan, mix well and then microwave it again at maximum for ~5 mins. Don't cover when cooking as moisture gets trapped and may make the okra soggy.

To serve ?
It can be garnished with a little bit of chopped coriander leaves before serving.

Samble Goranjee

2006-11-06T12:48:00.000+05:30

Ingredients
2 medium sized onions
4 hard boiled eggs
1/2 tsp soya sauce
2 tsp tamarind pulp (extract it after soaking the tamarind in water for awhile)
1 tsp ginger-garlic paste
1 tsp red masala
Salt to taste

What's Red masala ?
2 tsp chilli powder
8-9 cloves garlic
1/2 tsp cumin seeds (jeera)
1-2 tsps vinegar
Blend well in mixer to form a smooth paste.

What next ? 1-2 tbsps oil in a pan, add chopped onions, once golden, add ginger-garlic paste, tamarind pulp, soyasauce, red masala and keep on fire till cooked. Then add to it water, with a little cornflour or maida for thickening. Add sliced boiled eggs, salt to taste. Continue cooking till curry thickens.

To serve ?
Serve hot with fried rice.

Chocolate Mousse

2006-09-29T20:07:00.000+05:30

Ingredients
2 eggs
1 tbsp rum
1 tsp butter
1 bar (100 gm) sweetened dark chocolate bar
100 ml whipped cream (Amul is easily and widely available)

What next ?
Separate the white and the yellow of the eggs. Melt the dark chocolate bar, add butter, rum and yellow of the egg. Blend it well. Then add the white of the egg (stiffened, after beating well), and whipped cream and fold it into the mix. Pour into glazed container. Refrigerate

To serve ?
Serve chilled. Garnish with cream.

Mint and Coriander Dip

2006-09-28T15:03:00.000+05:30

Ingredients : Mint leaves Coriander leaves (twice as much as the mint leaves) Green chillies ~2
Garlic cloves ~3
Lemon juice 1.5 tsp
1/2 onion finely chopped
3 tbsps yoghurt
Salt to taste

What next?
Blend the leaves, green chillies, garlic cloves together to a fine paste. Add the onion and lemon juice and blend further. Add salt to taste. Then blend in the yoghurt to form a smooth dip.

To serve
This goes as an accompaniment (dip) for fried snacks, potato fingers, even potato chips.

Veggie Casserole

2006-09-28T14:46:00.002+05:30

Ingredients :

Carrot 2-3 chopped
French beans 5-6 chopped
Cauliflower florets 7-10
Potatoes 3-4 med sized, boiled, skinned and grated
American corn (optional)
White sauce (optional)
Milk 2-3 tbsp
Cheese cubes 2
Butter 2 tbsp
Salt
Pepper

What next :
To prepare potato base, add 2-3 tbsps milk to the boiled grated potatoes. Add grated cheese and mix + heat in pan till creamy. Add salt and pepper to taste.

For preparation of white sauce : (optional)
Add refined flour to one tbsp of butter, toss it a while. Add milk and grated cheese, salt and pepper. Cook until it thickens.

For the main dish :
Take some butter in the casserole, add the carrots, beans and cauliflower florets, add some salt and pepper and cook in microwave for atleast 5 mins (until cooked). Add the potato base over the veggie mixture (you could add white sauce to it as well, if you wish to). Grill in oven for atleast 15 mins (until the potato base gets browned a little, I use an electrolux microwave, so I use G-1 option for 15 mins)

To serve :
Serve with garlic or herb breads. Can be had as a stand alone dish too.

Eggless Chocolate Cake

2006-09-12T11:35:00.000+05:30

Ingredients :
For the cake
2 eggs
1 1/2 cup curds
1 1/2 cup sugar
1/2 cup refined oil
1 2/3 cup maida (refined flour)
2/3 cup cocoa
2-3 drops vanilla essence
1/2 tsp salt
1 1/2 tsp meeta soda ...it is a white coloured powd(NOT baking soda)

For the add ons :
500 ml whisky or rum
1/2 cup raisins
1/2 cup cream
1 slab or rich dark chocolate
Marinate the rasins in whisky/ rum
Whip the cream and dark chocolate together in a pan on the flame to create a gooey chocolate.

What next ?
Blend all ingredients meant "for the cake" (NOT the add ons) together in a blender. Grease a baking dish, and bake in oven at ~180 deg for 45 mins to an hour. Check intermittently to see if baked.

To serve
Cut the cake into two parts horizontally. Soak each part in whisky which contains the raisins marinated overnite. Then add the gooey chocolate on one part. Put the two parts together and then pour the balance gooey chocolate on the top.
Chill in freezer for a while.
Serve cold.

Courtesy Jo

Simple recipes for bachelors

2006-09-05T12:05:00.001+05:30

Two recipes which were taught to me by a bachelor friend. He says they are simple to create and, I know for a fact that they turn out tasty

The first, Chhole Masala

Ingredients
250 gms kabuli channa soaked 12-24 hours
2 med sized onions
2 tomatoes
2 tsps chhole masala (Brand- Everest)
~2-3 tbsps of oil
A pinch of asafoetida
Half tsp turmeric powder
1 tsp red chilli powder
Coriander leaves for garnishing

What next ?
Grind the onions and tomatoes SEPARATELY. Don't make them too fine

Take 2-3 tbsps of oil, add to it pureed onions, sautee them till golden brown. Add to it pureed tomatoes, sautee again, till the tomatoes too are cooked. Then add red chilli powder, turmeric. Add the soaked kabuli chana and then steam the mix together in a pressure cooker. Takes close to 30 mins under pressure (with whistle on). Once cooked, add the chhole masala powder, salt and cook until they blend well.

To serve
Serve hot after garnishing with coriander leaves (onion rings optional). Great to eat with puris, baturas or rotis (any form of bread)

Courtesy Ajit

Egg Fu-yong

2006-09-01T12:37:00.000+05:30

Ingredients :
4 eggs
2 large onions finely chopped
2 large potatoes chopped into cubes
2 large tomatoes finely chopped
Coriander for garnish
Salt, red chilli powder and pepper for flavour

What next :
Take ~3 tbsps of olive oil / any refined oil in a pan. The pan needs to have a flat base. Warm the oil and add to it onions. Saute it till pinkish brown. Then add the potatoes. Saute them and keep the pan covered until the potatoes cook. Then add the tomatoes, salt and red chilli powder. Saute these until the tomatoes cook well. Spread this mix evenly in the pan, and poach 4 eggs over them so that the eggs don't overlap on each other. Add some more salt and pepper and keep the pan covered until the eggs are done.
It is a layered main meal, with sauteed veggies at the base, topped with eggs.

To serve :
Serve hot after garnishing with coriander/ parsley. Can be eaten as a complete meal with bread for accompaniment.

Courtesy Aunty

Spinach-Corn in white sauce

2006-08-24T18:34:00.000+05:30

Ingredients :
Spinach (palak) one bunch
American corn 1
Carrot 1
Tomato 1
Onion 1
Milk 2 cups
Cheese cubes 2
Refined flour (maida) 2 tbsps
Butter 1 tbsp
Salt
Pepper

What next :
Steam Spinach, carrot, tomato, onion together. Once done, cool and blend in the mixer, add salt and pepper to taste. Shred boiled american corn.
For preparation of white sauce :
Add refined flour to one tbsp of butter, toss it a while. Add milk and grated cheese, salt and pepper. Cook until it thickens.

To serve :
Add the shredded boiled american corn to the white sauce and stir for a while. Then add the spinach paste.
Grate cheese and cook in microwave for the cheese to turn brown. (at 170 deg for ~5-10 mins) on convection mode.

Courtesy B'masi

Yummy quick Caramel Pudding

2006-08-22T12:50:00.000+05:30

Ingredients :
1 egg
2 slices of bread
2 and a half glasses of milk
3 tbsps of sugar
Vanilla essence for taste

What next :
Blend them all in a mixer. Caramelise a container, add the blended mixture in and steam it in a pressure cooker for half an hour without a whistle

For "caramelising" - First take a container (steel or aluminium), add sugar (eg : if you use a container which is about 6-7 inches in diameter and about 4 inches high, then use ~3-4 tbsps sugar. Keep the container on the flame and when the sugar starts browning, turn the container around so that the brown liquid sugar spreads and covers the entire inner base of the container.Allow it to dry a little before adding the blend.

To serve :
Chill (NOT IN THE FREEZER) and serve after inverting into plate.

Courtesy : Jo