Vegetable Cheese Sandwich

Ingredients

Potato – 1 big size

Capsicum – 2

Carrot – 2

Paneer or cottage cheese – 100 gms

Garam masala – ½ tsp

Mayonnaise – 3 tsp

White pepper powder – 1 tsp

Salt as per taste

Bread – 12 slices

Ghee or butter – 2 tsp

Method

Wash all the vegetables given and make thin long sticks like French fries. In a pan, heat ghee or butter and add to it sliced potato. Cook for five minutes without adding water on a slow flame till potato is cooked, then add sliced carrot and capsicum, stir for 2 minutes and then add garam masala powder and white pepper powder and salt.

Remove from fire and set aside to cool. When cooled, add mayonnaise and grated cheese and mix well.

Take a bread slice; toast it on a pan till it turns light golden brown.  Place this masala on it and cover with another bread slice, decorate with tomato ketchup and serve.

This is a very tasty snack and kids will love it.

Kolhapuri Chicken

Ingredients:

 Boneless skinless chicken pieces – ½ kg
Onion – 1 large chopped into small dice
Garlic – 3 flakes peeled and finely minced
Ginger – 1 inch piece finely minced
 Tomato – 1 large, finely chopped
Turmeric – 1 tsp
Cumin powder – 1 tsp
 Coriander powder – 1 tsp

Whole cloves - 3
 Black peppercorns - 5
 Cardamom pods – 3 gently crushed
 Cinnamon -   2” in length
 Red chili powder as per taste

Grated coconut – 3 tbl.sp

Yogurt – 1 cup
 Goda masala – ½ tsp( you can substitute with garam masala)
Bay leaves - 2
 Salt to taste
Juice of ½ lemon
2-3 tbsp oil,
Freshly chopped  coriander leaves for garnish

METHOD:
Wash chicken and cut into small pieces, in a bowl add yoghurt, salt, turmeric powder, coriander powder, cumin powder and chicken pieces and mix well and keep in the refrigerator for at least 5 to 6 hours.

In a deep frying pan, heat 1 tbl.sp of oil and whole spices like bay leaves, cloves, cardamom, pepper corns and cinnamon stick, fry for two minutes and then add onions. Fry till slightly brown and then add grated coconut and ginger and garlic, fry for 2 to 3 minutes and then add chopped tomatoes and cook till masala separates from oil. Remove from fire and set aside to cool. When the mixture has cooled, grind it to a smooth thick paste.

In the same pan, add the remaining oil and when hot, add chicken along with the marinating masala, add to this grounded paste, goda or garam masala and chilli powder. Mix well and cook on a low flame till the chicken is thoroughly cooked. Remove from fire, add lime juice and garnish with freshly chopped coriander leaves and serve with rice or chapatti.

Corn And Cashew Pulao

Ingredients

Basmati rice – 2 cups

Corn kernels – 1 ½

Finely minced shallots – 3

Roasted and chopped cashews – ½ cup

Minced ginger – 1 inch

Whole red chillies – 4

Cumin seeds – 1 tsp

Cardamom – 4

Kasoori methi (dried fenugreek leaves)- 1 tsp

Bay leaf – 1

Cinnamon – 2 inch stick

Toasted cashew nut pieces for garnishing – ¼ cup

Ghee or butter – 2 tbl.sp

Coriander leaves – ½ cup

Method

Wash and soak rice for half an hour. In a pan, heat ghee or butter and then add cumin seeds, cardamom pod, cinnamon stick, bayleaf, kasoori methii and stir for a minute. Then add shallot, corn kernels, ginger, cashew pieces and whole red chillies. Fry and let cook for few minutes. Add rice and mix well and cook for 3 to 4 minutes stirring in between. Add salt and pepper to it and then add water. Water should be double the quantity of rice. Reduce the heat and cook for 15 to 20 minutes, keep a flat pan under the vessel to avoid direct heat. When cooked, garnish with chopped cashew pieces and coriander leaves.

Gobi Keema Recipe (Mutton minced with cauliflower)

Ingredients

Mince Mutton - 250 gm

Cauliflower – 250 gm

Green peas – 1 cup

Onion – 2 big

Garlic flakes -4

Ginger – 1 ½ inch

Tomatoes – 2

Tomato puree – 2 tbl.sp

Garam masala – 1 tsp

Cumin powder – 2 tsp

Coriander powder – 1 tsp

Turmeric – 1 tsp

Red chilli powder – 1 tsp

Pepper – ½  tsp

Salt to taste

Corriander leaves – ½ cup

oil

Method

Chop onions, tomatoes. Mince ginger and garlic finely. Wash mutton mince and drain the water. Chop cauliflower into very small pieces and keep aside.

In a pan, heat oil, add onion and sauté for a few minutes until slightly brown. Then add ginger, garlic and chilli and fry for two minute. Then add the spices (garam masala, ground cumin, pepper, ground coriander, turmeric, red chilli powder and salt) now add tomatoes along with tomato paste and stir well. When the masala separates from oil, add minced mutton or keema and mix well. Add little water to it.Cover and  Cook till meat is tender. Then add cauliflower pieces and green peas, cover and cook for 15 to 20 minutes. Remove from fire and garnish with freshly chopped coriander leaves. Serve with Naan or paratha.

Kerala Chicken Curry

Ingredients

Chicken – ½ kg

Chopped onion – 2

Ginger garlic paste – 2 tsp

Green chillies – 6

Chilli powder -  1 tsp

Coriander powder – 2 tsp

Turmeric powder – ½ tsp

Garam masala powder – 1 tsp

Curry leaves – 7 to 8

Tomato - 1

Salt as per taste

Oil

Method

Clean and wash chicken and cut into small pieces, chop onions and slice tomatoes.

Heat oil in a pan, add onions and sauté till they are light golden color, then add ginger garlic paste, green chili, curry leaves and salt. Then add all the powder ingredients given and fry for a minute. Then add tomato slices and continue sauteing til oil separates from masala. Then add chicken pieces and stir for a few minute and then add water and cover and cook till chicken becomes tender. Remove from fire and serve with rice or paratha.

Kanda Poha (Maharashtrian Recipe)

Ingredients

Rice flakes/Poha – 1 cup

Onions – 2

Potato – 1

Crushed peanuts – ¼ cup

Green chillies – 3 chopped

Curry leaves – 6

Chopped coriander leaves – ¼ cup

Mustard seed – ½ tsp

Lime juice – 3 tsp

Oil

Salt to taste

Method

Wash poha or rice flakes and drain the water and keep aside. After ten to fifteen minutes, loosen the poha gently.

Chop onions and potatoes and keep aside.

In a pan, heat oil and add mustard seeds, when it splutter, add potatoes and crushed peanuts and stir for 2-3 minutes. Then add onion, chillies and curry leaves and stir till onion turns tender. Add poha, salt and lime juice and mix well. Reduce the flame and stir gently. Remove in a serving dish and garnish with coriander leaves.

Nihari

Ingredients

Lamb – ½ kg

Ginger paste – 1 ts[

Coriander powder – 1 tsp

Pepper powder – 1 tsp

chili powder – 1 tsp

Flour – 3 tbl.sp

Turmeric powder – ½ tsp

Oil – 4 tbl.sp

Salt to taste

Spice

Nutmeg – ¼ tsp

Bay leaf – 1

Cinnamon – 1

Cloves – 11

Black cardamom – 2

Small cardamom - 2

Cumin seed – 1 tsp

Whole black pepper -1/2 tsp

Coriander seeds – 2 tsp

Fennel seeds – 2 tsp

To Garnish

Onion stick, ginger stick, chopped coriander and long slit green chilies

Method

Take a vessel, heat oil. Fry meat a little and then add to it ginger paste, chilli powder, coriander powder, salt, pepper and turmeric powder. Fry till masala separates from oil.

In a separate bowl, mix  flour with water to make a thin consistency.  Add this to the masala and boil it.

Make a fine powder of all the spice given and add this  to the meat along with some water,  cover and leave it to cook on a low flame till the meat tenderize.

In another pan, fry onion sticks till transparent.

Garnish nihari with fried onion sticks, ginger and green chillies and chopped coriander leaves.

Upma

Ingredients

Rawa/sooji – 1 cup

Onion – 1

Chopped ginger – ¼ tsp

Cumin seed – ¼ tsp

Mustard seed – ¼ tsp

Urad dal/black gram dal – 1 tsp

Ghee or butter – 2 tbl.sp

Curry leaves – 8 to 12

Chopped green chilli - 2

Water – 2 cup

Coriander leaves – ¼ cup

Salt as per

taste

Method

Roast rawa on low flame till it starts giving off aroma, remove andkeep aside.

In the same pan, add ghee and add green chilli, cumin seeds, curry leaves, mustardseeds, urad dal. Then add chopped ginger, chopped onions and again cook for two to three minutes. Now add salt and water. When the water starts boiling, add roasted rawa, stir well and cover it. Upma is ready. Garnish with coriander leaves.

Chicken Roast

Ingredients Chicken – 800 gms Potato – 1 Tomato puree – ½ cucp Onion paste –  2 tbl.sp Garlic paste – 1 tps Wheat flour – 1 tbl.sp Soya sauce – 2 tbl.sp Oil – 1 tbl.sp Salt as per taste Method

Clean and wash chicken and cut into 4 pieces, heat oil and fry chopped potato and chicken pieces and keep aside. In the same oil, add onions and garlic paste and fry for two minutes and then add to it tomato puree and soya sauce. Cook till oil gets seprated from the masala and then pour a cup  of water. Make a paste of whaeat flour and water and add it to the gravy and bring it to boil. When the gravy thickens, coat the chicken with gravy and bake in the oven at 180 degree celcuis.

Chic Peas Masala or Ghugni Bengali Recipe

This is a Bengali recipe, very simple to make and taste delicious.

Ingredients

Chic peas or kabuli chana – 2 cups

Chopped onion – ½ cup

Chopped potato – 100 gm

Ginger – cut into long thin stick 1 inch

Cumin seed powder – ½ tsp

Coriander powder – 1 tsp

Aniseed powder – ¼ tsp

Garam masala – 1 tsp

Bay leaf – 2

Oil – ½ cup

Salt as per taste

Method

 Soak chic peas overnight and pressure cook them for 20 to 25 minutes. Heat oil in a pan and add bay leaf, diced potato and diced coconut and fry until brown. Then add chic peas. Keep on stirring and cook for five minutes, then add cumin powder, coriander powder, black pepper powder, garam masala, and turmeric powder and fry for more five minutes. Add water and salt to taste and continue cooking till all the water is absorbed. In another pan, heat oil or ghee, add broken red chillies and aniseed and fry till they splutter. Pour this on the chic peas masala and mix well. Add ginger sticks and stir. Remove from fire, garnish with chopped onions, and coriander leaves and serve with paratha.

Raan Musallam Recipe (Leg lamb recipe)

Ingredients

Leg of lamb – 1 kg

Onion – 1 medium sized

Garlic – 4 flakes

Ginger – 3 tbl.sp

Chilli powder – ½ tsp

Yoghurt – 50 gm

Bay leaves – 2

Mace leaves – 2

Small cardamom – 4

Black cardamom – 2

Cinnamon – 2 stick

Nutmeg – ½ tsp

Poppy seed soaked in water – ½  tbl.sp

Aniseed – ½ tbl.sp

Blanched almonds – 10

Oil – 2 to 3 tbl.sp

Hing or  asafetida – 1 pinch

Grated coconut – 1 ½ tsp

Salt to taste

Method

Clean and wash the meat and prick repeatedly with a strong fork until the meat is well loosened. Make a paste of nutmeg, mace, green and black cardamom, cinnamon, ginger, onion, poppy seed, chilli powder, coconut and salt. Apply it evenly all over the leg pieces and prick once again to properly marinate all the spices with the meat. Tie the leg pieces with a string so that the meat doesn’t get separated from the bone while cooking. Cook the raan or leg piece in an open pan with oil, yoghurt, bay leaves, cinnamon and aniseed.  Cook on a low flame.mix asafetida with 3 tbl.sp of water. When all the water has evaporated, add one tablespoon of hing or asafetida water and turn the leg  piece and continue till it is rich brown in color, add hing water often. Remove from fire and cook for 20 minutes in a microwave oven and let it stand for more five minutes. Serve hot with lemon, sliced cumber and mint leaves.

Dhokla

Ingredients

Gram flour or besan – 350 gms

Yoghurt – 1 cup

Ginger paste – 1 tsp

Green chilli paste – 1

Turmeric powder – ½  tsp

Soda bi carb – 1 tsp

Lemon juice – 1

Oil – 1 tbl.sp

Salt as per taste

For tampering

Mustard seeds – 1 tsp

Curry leaves – 8 to 10

Chopped Coriander leaves – ¼ cup

Vertically slit chilli - 3

Oil – 2 tsp

Method

In a bowl mix gram flour or besan witth yoghurt and water.  Mix well and make a smooth batter of thick consistency. Add salt, cover and keep aside for 4 to 5 hours. Before steaming, add ginger green chilli paste and turmeric powder and mix well.  In another bowl add 1 tsp of soda bi carb or eno salt, 1 tsp oil and lemon juice and mix well.  Put this in the batter and mix well. Take a pan

 And grease it with oil or ghee and pour this batter. Steam this for ten to twelve minutes or till done. Remove from fire and let it cool.

Cut into big cubes.

Heat oil in another pan, add mustard seeds and curry leaves. When it splutter, remove and pour it over dhokla. Garnish with coriander and silted green chilies.  Serve with chutney.

Aloo Paneer Sandwich (Potato Cheese Sandwich)

Ingredients

Bread slice – 6

Potato – 2

Cottage cheese or paneer pieces – 8

Chopped onions – 1

Red chilli powder – ½ tsp

Green chillies – 2

Chat masala -1/2  tsp

Salt as per taste

Method

Boil and peel the potatoes. Mash it well. Cut paneer in small pieces and mix with all the above ingredients given except bread.

Place this mixture between two bread slice and add some butter if needed and toast it in sandwich toaster. Serve hot.

Mutton Chops

Ingredients

Lamb chops – 10 pieces

Ginger garlic paste – 1 tbl.sp

Gram flour or besan – 2 tsp

Yoghurt – 200 ml

Red chilli powder – 1 tsp

Aniseed – 1 tsp

Lemon juice – 1 tbl.sp

Garam  masala powder – 1 tsp

Raw papaya – 1 small piece

Oil

Salt as per taste

Method

Wash and flatten the chops with chopper. Apply ginger garlic paste to it and keep aside. Roast gram flour or besan in a pan till it turns brown. Sprinkle it on the chops. Make a paste of raw papaya and rub well on the meat. Add yoghurt and remaining ingredients to it with little oil. Mix well. Leave it for marinating in the refrigerator for at least one hour.

In a pan, heat oil and fry this chops for about five minutes and then remove it. Place this in a baking oven and sprinkle little water to it and place it in a microwave oven. Cook for 6 to 7 minutes and let it stand for another 3 to 4 minutes. Sprinkle lemon juice and serve with onions.

Chettinad Chicken

Ingredients

Chicken – 1 kg

Onion – 3

Tomato puree – 1 cup

Ginger garlic paste – 1 tbl.sp

Coriander powder – ¼ cup

Chilli powder – 1 tbl.sp or as per taste

Cumin seed – 2 tsp

Pepper – 2 tsp

Fennel seed or saunf – 2 tsp

Cloves and tamarind as required

Turmeric powder – ½ tsp

Salt to taste

Oil – 5 tsp

Method

Clean and Wash the chicken and cut to pieces. Make a powder of pepper, cumin seeds and fennel and fry it lightly and keep aside. Heat oil in a pan and add cloves to it, then add onion and tomato and fry till light golden brown. Add ginger garlic paste and after one minute, add chicken pieces, turmeric, chilli and coriander powder, tamarind pulp and salt. Mix all these together and cook for ten minutes. Then add 4 cups of water and boil. When chicken is half boiled, add powder of pepper, cumin and fennel and mix well. Cook till gravy thickens and serve hot.

Dal Curry With Puri ( dal with dumpling)

Ingredients

Whole black gram – 200 gm

Kidney beans or rajma beans – 2 cups

Onions – 1 cup

Tomatoes – 2 big

Ginger garlic paste – 1 tbl.sp

Chilli powder – 2 tsp or as per taste

Garam masala powder – 2 tsp

Turmeric powder – 1 tsp

Green chilli – 3

Coriander leaves – 1 cup

Cream – 2 tbl.sp

Ghee or butter – 4 tbl.sp

Oil

 Salt as per taste

For dumpling

Wheat flour – 5 cups

Ghee or butter – ½ cup

Yoghurt – 2 tbl.sp

Salt as per taste

Method

Soak black gram and rajma separately in water for seven to eight hours and then pressure cook it till it becomes soft. Chop tomatoes and onions.

Heat oil and add onions and fry till light golden brown. Add ginger garlic paste and chopped tomatoes. Then add all the masalas, beans and black gram dal and salt. Mix well and cook till the gravy becomes thick. In the end add cream and ghee and cook on a low flame. Garnish with coriander leaves and slit green chilllies.

Make a dough of the given ingredients given and leave it aside for half an hour.

Make small puris from the dough prepared and then roast on hot coals till puffed and golden outside. Dip hot dumpling in the dal while eating.

zafrani pulao

Ingredients

Long grained rice – 2 cups

Sugar – ½ cup

Ghee – 4 tsp

Nutmeg powder – ¼ tsp

Small cardamom powder – ½ tsp

Almonds – 22

Raisins - 15

Cashew nuts – 18

Saffron – a pinch

Method

Wash rice and soak it in water and leave it for half an hour.  Chop almonds cashew nuts. In a pan, add ghee or butter, and stir fry almonds and cashew nuts and raisins.. When it is light golden brown, remove and keep aside. In the same oil, add rice, nutmeg powder, cardamom powder, saffron, raisins and sugar. Add three and half cup water and milk and mix well. Cover and cook for few minutes till the whole water evaporates. Simmer for five minutes and then garnish with almonds and cashew nuts and serve hot.