My Culinary Pursuits

Malai Kofta

2007-11-25T13:56:00.000-05:00

I must thank Mrs. Mehta for sharing this recipe with me. Its a great recipe and can be made completely in a microwave :)

Ingredients (Serves 2-3)

1 cup Paneer (cottage cheese)
1 tsp Maida (or multipurpose flour)
a pinch of baking powder
2 tbsp coriander leaves (finely chopped)
3 tbsp tomato paste
2 medium sized red onions (finely chopped)
1 tsp garlic paste
1 tsp each of dhaniya powder, zeera, cloves, dalchini (cinnamon), red chilli powder
1 tbsp vegetable oil
2-1/2 tbsp fresh cream
pinch of kasuri methi (dry fenugreek)
salt to taste

Procedure

Koftas

1. Mix paneer, maida , baking powder , coriander leaves and a pinch of salt in a bowl and make it into a dough.
2. Make small balls (koftas) out of this dough and microwave for 1 minute. Keep aside.

Gravy

1. In a separate bowl, add oil, chopped onions, garlic paste, red chilli powder, dhaniya powder, jeera, dalchini and cloves and mix well. Microwave this mixture for 3 minutes. Stir and microwave again for 5 minutes.
2. Add tomato paste to the above mixture and microwave for 7 minutes.
3. Add cream, kasuri methi and salt to taste and microwave for 5 minutes.

Please note that the above can be done on a stove as well.

Add koftas to the gravy just before serving and microwave for 5-7 minutes. Garnish with coriander leaves and some cream.

Serve with hot rotis or rice.

Enjoy :)

New recipes coming soon!

2007-08-08T09:32:00.000-05:00

I would like to apologize to all those who read my blog. I have been busy at work and then was away on vacation. As a result I did not post any recipes for a while. But now am back in full swing and have a whole new list of recipes that I want to share...... Some new exciting recipes coming soon............

Sukhe Aloo Matar

2007-05-26T20:02:00.000-05:00

Ingredients (Serves 2)

3 medium sized potatoes
1/4 onion - chopped lengthwise
1 cup green peas
1 green chilli - finely chopped
1 tbsp cooking oil
1/2 tbsp zeera
1/2 tsp ginger paste
1/2 tsp garlic paste
1/2 tbsp dhaniya powder
1/2 tsp garam masala
1/2 tsp red chilli powder,
Pinch of haldi, amchur and heeng
Salt to taste

Procedure

1. Cut potatoes into cubes and microwave them for about 2-3 minutes.
2. Boil peas in 2 cups of water with a pinch of salt for about 5-8 minutes (on medium heat).
3. Add oil to a non-stick pan on medium heat.
4. Add zeera and when it starts sputtering, add onions.
5. When onions turn golden brown, add ginger paste, garlic paste and green chillies.
5. After about 2 mins, add the potatoes, dhaniya powder, garam masala. Reduce the heat to low.
6. Add chilli powder, haldi, amchur, heeng and salt to taste.
7. Cover and let it cook on low heat for about 10 min or until potatoes are soft to desired level. Stir occasionally.

Garnish with fresh corriander leaves and serve with hot rotis.

Reshmi Kebabs

2007-03-11T20:58:00.000-05:00

Ingredients (Serves 3-4)

500 gms - lean ground chicken
2 tbsp multi-purpose flour
2 tbsp - ginger garlic paste
1 tbsp - coriander powder
1 tbsp - garam masala
1-1/2 tbsp - red chilli powder
1/2 tsp - turmeric powder
1 - finely chopped green chili
salt to taste
1 tbsp olive oil

Procedure

Mix all of the above ingredients.
Keep the mixture aside for half an hour so that the spices seep in.
Form the mixture into sausage-shaped kebabs.
Smear some butter on a baking tray so that kebabs dont stick.
Lay the sausage-shaped kebabs on the tray and add a drop of oil on top.
Broil them till golden brown.
Garnish with onions, mint chutney,lemon and chaat masala before serving.

They taste yummy with hot rotis.

Chatpate Chole

2007-03-10T21:15:00.000-05:00

Tried this recipe today and it came out really well. I dont remember if I came up with the recipe on my own or if my mom used to make it when I was a kid. Anyways, enjoy....

Ingredients (Serves 2-3 people)

1 can of chick peas (~540 ml) - boiled in 2 cups of water with 1 tsp ginger garlic paste - canned peas are usually already boiled but i prefer to boil them a little more to make sure they are tender enough
2 medium sized onions - chopped (not too finely)
2 green chillies - finely chopped
4 tbsp - chunky tomatoes (i used the caned ones, garlic and olive oil flavor)
2-1/2 tbsp olive oil
1 tsp garam masala
pinch of turmeric powder
1 tsp chilli powder
1 tsp amchur
1/2 tsp dhaniya powder
salt to taste
1 tbsp lemon juice
1 tsp chole masala - easily available in any Indian grocery shop
Handful of crushed peanuts

Procedure

Add 1 tbsp olive oil in a non-stick pan . Keep the pan on medium heat throughout the recipe.
Add half of the chopped onions when the oil is hot enough.
Once the onions are golden brown, add green chillies.
After 1-2 minutes add another 1/2 tbsp oil.
Add chick peas (strain the water out).
Add garam masala, turmeric powder, chilli powder, amchur, dhaniya powder, salt and remaining onions. Add tomatoes and lemon juice .
Top it up with chole masala for added flavor.
Sprinkle peanuts for more taste.

Your chatpate chole are ready... This recipe doesnt take too long, and tastes yummy with hot chapatis!

Spanish Omelette

2007-03-04T23:02:00.000-05:00

I got this recipe from a friend of mine and is excellent when you dont have much time but still wanna have a hearty meal.

Ingredients (Serves 2)

1/2 small onion - finely chopped
1 clove garlic - finely chopped
1/4 green pepper - chopped
3 egss - add more eggs if you want a fluffier and thicker omellette
1/8 cup (30 ml) milk
Salt and red chilli powder to taste
1 tbsp olive oil
1 small potato- boiled and cut into long thin wedges (like in french fries, I use frozen fries as they save a lot of time and serve the same purpose)
Whole italian seasoning for garnishing
Cilantro for garnishing

Procedure

Beat eggs and milk together.
Add salt and red chilli powder to taste.
Heat oil in a non-stick pan on medium heat.
Add onions, garlic, green pepper and potato wedges.
Fry till onions are golden brown and wedges are soft
Add beaten eggs. Dont stir or flip.
Garnish with whole italian seasoning and cilantro.
Cover with a lid and let the omellette set. (Usually takes about 5-6 mins)
Transfer (without flipping) into a baking tray and let it broil in the oven till the top starts turing brown (about 6-8 mins)
Serve hot with toasts, top it with hot sauce.

This omellete tastes great with sausages and bacon on the side :)

Matar Paneer

2007-03-02T18:41:00.000-05:00

This is my mom's recipe. I simply love it. For all those paneer lovers out there....

Ingredients (Serves 4)

Refer Dictionary of Spices

300 gms boiled green peas
500 gms paneer - cut in cubes and fried to golden brown
1/2 large onion - finely chopped
2 tbsp cooking oil
1 tsp zeera
1-1/2 tsp ginger garlic paste
1 tsp garam masala
1 tsp dhaniya powder
1 tsp red chilli powder
1/4 tsp amchur powder
pinch of heeng
156 ml tomato paste(1 small can, can use fresh tomatoes too, am just too lazy)
3 cups of water
salt to taste
2 tsp lemon juice
Cilantro for garnishing

Procedure

Heat oil in a pan. Keep the pan on medium heat throughout.
Add zeera and when it starts sputtering, add ginger- garlic paste and chopped onion.
When onions are golden brown, add all the masalas except salt. Keep stirring.
After 5 mins, add tomato paste. Mix well and after 2 mins, add boiled peas and water. Add salt.
Let it simmer till the gravy starts bubbling . Add lemon juice.
Add paneer when the gravy starts bubbling and let it simmer in the gravy for about 5 mins so that the flavor seeps in.
Garnish with cilantro.

Serve hot with rice/chappatis.

Dictionary of Spices

2007-03-02T15:31:00.000-05:00

I realized that I have been posting recipes with number of ingredients which non-Indians might not recognize. So decided to add this post . All the following spices are easily available in any India Grocery Shop:

Zeera: Cumin
Garam Masala: A mixture of spices, such as coriander, cumin, cloves, cinnamon, nutmeg, star anise, chillis
Dhaniya Powder: Corriander Powder
Haldi Powder: Turmeric Powder
Heeng: Asafoetida
Amchur:Dried Unripe Mango Powder
Red Chilli Powder: Ground Chilli Peppers

I will keep adding ingredients to this as and when I introduce a new ones. I have added a link to this post on the right to make it convenient to search.

Have fun!

Peanut Egg Curry

2007-02-28T21:44:00.000-05:00

This is my own recipe and is a slight variant of traditional egg curry which is tomato based, I like to make mine with peanuts ;-)

Ingredients (serves 2)

Refer Dictionary of Spices

2-1/2 tbsp oil
1/2 tsp zeera
1/2 cups peanuts (crushed, i used the dry roasted peanuts and crushed them into a chunky powder)
1 big onion (finely chopped)
1 clove of garlic (finely chopped)
1/2 tsp garam masala
3/4 tsp dhaniya powder
1/4 tsp haldi powder
1 tsp red chilli powder
pinch of heeng
1/2 tsp amchur powder
3 tbsp yogurt
1-1/2 cup water
1 tbsp tomato sauce - I used ketchup, it adds slight sweet taste.
2-3 drops of lemon juice
3 Boiled eggs- cut in halves
Cilantro for garnishing

Procedure

Heat oil in a pan. Keep the pan on medium heat throughout.
Add zeera and when it starts sputtering, add crushed peanuts, garlic and onion.
When onions are golden brown and peanuts are slightly roasted, add all the masalas except salt. Keep stirring.
After 5 mins, add yogurt, water and tomato sauce (tomato sauce is just for a slight tomato flavor)
Let it simmer for about 10-15 minutes to desired consistency. Add lemon juice. Add salt.
Add eggs to the curry and let them simmer in the gravy for about 2 mins so that the flavor seeps in.
Garnish with cilantro.

Spicy peanut egg curry is ready. Serve hot with chapatis/rice

Garlic Shrimp Curry

2007-02-25T14:57:00.000-05:00

I love shrimps, so decided to start my blog with this recipe. It has a nice tangy flavor and is perfect for those who love lots of spices and garlic in their food. I got the original recipe from a website but added my own twists to make it tangier.

Ingredients (serves 2)

Refer Dictionary of Spices

200 gms shrimps (peeled and deviened) - Its always better to use fresh shrimps but I used frozen ones (reduces time and effort, yeah thats lazy me!!!)
2 tbsp ginger garlic paste
3 tbsp mango-chutney (i got this from a local grocery store, under the indian foods section; tamarind paste with jaggery can be used as a substitute)
1/2 tbsp lemon juice
1/4 tsp turmeric powder
1/2 tsp red chilli powder
2 tbsp olive oil
2 cloves of garlic (chopped into halves)
3/4 cups coconut milk
1 finely chopped green chilli
1/2 tbsp yogurt
salt to taste
corriander leaves for garnishing

Procedure

Marinate shrimps with ginger-garlic paste, turmeric powder, red chilli powder, mango-date chutney, lemon juice and salt for about 15 minutes.
Heat oil in a pan. (Remember to keep the stove on medium heat throughout the recipe, shrimps get cooked very easily). Add garlic cloves to the oil and stir till golden brown.
Add marinated shrimps and cook for about 2 minutes (or till shrimps are tender).
Add coconut milk, green chillies and yogurt and let it simmer for about 10 minutes to desired consistency.
Your tasty tangy garlic shrimp curry is ready. Oh yeah, its a good idea to fish out garlic cloves and remove them before serving :)
Garnish with lotsa corriander, crushed roasted cashewnuts and grated coconut.
Serve piping hot with basmati rice.

Welcome!

2007-02-25T13:03:00.000-05:00

Hi all

I have decided to stop writing about my life and concentrate on something I have been pursuing passionately for a while now. COOKING!!!!

Yes, this blog is solely dedicated to my experiments with cooking. I intend to post all those recipes which I try out along with pics and detailed directions. Some of these recipes are my own creations and others are either from my mom or from friends and family.

I hope all you guys will have as much time trying these recipes out as I do making and posting them....

Have fun and do leave comments behind about how you found the recipes....