Corn Malai Palak / Creamy Corn Spinach

Corn kernels topped over creamy spinach puree and blended with aromatic flavors, to add spice to the dish!!!

I always have palak in my refrigerator and I make sure to include it in several dishes like for dals, curries and yes...in Palak paneer ofcourse..how can I miss this main dish :).
As paneer adds lot of fat, I thought of using peas or corn.

So, finally ended up with corn malai palak menu.

A very simple and delicious dish, similar to palak paneer.

Colorful combination - yellow and green :)

Ingredients:

Palak / BabySpinach - 1 packet (2 bunches) 

Green chillies   - 4 to 5 (can add more)

Garlic pods - 4 to 5

Ginger 1" piece -3

Onion - 1 

Fresh cream - 3 - 4 Tbsp (I used Lite cream)

Boiled Corn - 1 cup

Cumin and coriander powder - 1 Tbsp each

cumin seeds - 1 tbsp 

Turmeric - a pinch

Oil - 2 Tbsp

Salt - as per taste

Method:

1. Blanching : Wash palak/spinach and put them in boiling water for 5 minutes / till it becomes dark color. Drain water and pour cold water on to it and keep aside. This is called blanching.

2. Make a puree of it without adding water. 

3. Coarsely make a paste of green chillies, garlic and ginger.

4. In a pan , add oil, cumin seeds. When they crackle , add onions, turmeric and saute till the onions become transparent and then add the above paste, cumin - coriander powder. Mix well.

5. Add the palak/ spinach puree. Cook for about 10 minutes.  add corn to the curry and mix it gently. cook for another 5 minutes.

6. Turn of the gas and add the cream.

7. Garnish with a few corns and cream on top and serve hot with rotis. naans, kulchas ..:)

Thai Pineapple Fried Rice

Rice fried with pineapple chunks,Cashews, flavored with soy and curry powder and finally garnished with spring onions n Coriander..!!! Truly veggie

Hmm sounds different for the first time listeners :). Even I had the same feeling but trust me when I had this at a Thai restaurant...I was pleasantly surprised by its taste and flavor.

We had pineapple at home and my husband generally includes pineapple in the salads and while baking. This time he thought of  using it in a different way and so I suggested him to make my favourite thai fried rice.
He researched online...got some idea...mix and matched a few recipes and created his own :).
Believe me it was pretty decent and delicious for the first try itself.

The sweet and sour taste of pineapple makes this dish yummm..
Here is the recipe :-

Ingredients :
Pineapple chunks - 2 cups (3/4 th of whole pineapple) / 1 can of pineapple ready made
Cashews  - 1/2 cup (broken cashew)
Precooked rice - 3 cups ( if freshly cooked rice, keep aside for an hour)
onion - 1
green chillies - 2
Spring onions - 4
Soy sauce - 2 Tbsp
Curry powder - 1 Tbsp
garlic - 3 cloves
Coriander leaves - Garnishing
Salt - for taste
Olive oil


Method:

1) Add some olive oil in the precooked rice and mix it well, so that the grains are separated and keep it aside.
2) In a pan put some oil, saute onions till transparent, add chopped garlic, green chillies minced, mix it well and then add cashew nuts and fry it for a minute or two.
3) Now add the above rice and pineapple chunks together. Mix it gently and add soy sauce, curry powder and salt. Cook for about 3-5 minutes.
4) Finally add finely chopped spring onions and coriander leaves. Garnish and serve hot :)

Options : 1) One can add 1 egg after the step2 and continue the process.
               2) Add peas and grated carrot for the extra flavor

Quick Fixes - Pasta !!!

    Pasta combined with carrots and greens and seasoned with italian herbs

A healthy dish that can be combined with lot many veggies and herbs.

Ideal for lunch boxes. One can serve it hot or cold, however the taste does not change at all.

Now a days, I have started making cold pasta for my husband's lunch box.

I cook the pasta at night and pour some olive oil on it, so that it doesn't get sticky . Finally keep it in the fridge.

All set for the next day. Just combine with  some fresh veggies, herbs and spice it up according to your taste.

Serves - 2 people

All you need is:

Choice of any pasta variety - I used Rotelle 

Broccoli florets - 1 cup

Grated carrot - 1 cup

Chopped capsicum - 1 cup

Spring onions (only greens) - 1 bunch

baby Spinach  -  handful or even more.

Garlic - 3

Extra virgin olive oil 

Method:

1.Boil the pasta in hot water for 15-20 minutes. (As suggested in the instructions)

2. Once cooked, drain the water and keep the Rotelle aside. Put some EVOO (extra virgin olive oil) and gently mix it.

3. In a pan, heat some EVOO. Add  minced garlic and  broccoli and saute till for 2 minutes. Next, add in rest of the veggies. 

let it cook for 2 minutes.

4. Sprinkle some italian seasoning, salt and pepper.

5. Finally add the boiled Rotelle . Mix well and Voilaaa..all done

Optional : finally add 2 tsp of lemon juice /  2 tsp of rice vinegar to add tanginess to the dish.

Gongura pacchadi/ Sorrel leaves chutney

     Gongura leaves finely blended with aromatic spices and tempered to serve with hot rice or dosas

Sorrel leaves are tangy and this makes the dish very relishing. No wonder , it tastes awesome if it's combined with any dish.. say dals, chutneys or pickles, 

Gongura pickle is very famous in Telangana region and it tastes de-li-ci-ous...
When it comes to North karnataka, we enjoy gongura chutney (pundi palya) with jowar roti (jonnarotti).

We love pacchadies and so we just finish it rt away :)

Rice - Gongura pacchadi - dot of ghee - onion ..!!! 

what a great combo..I  sometimes wonder who discovers such combinations...

then I say..anyways  just enjoy and relish the chutney..who cares.:P

Ingredients:
Gongura/Sorrel leaves - 1 big bunch
Onion - Big chuncks - 1 cup
Coriander seeds - 2 Tbsp
Urad dal - 1 Tbsp
Channa dal - 1 Tbsp
Methi seeds/ fenugreek - 1/2 tsp
Garlic cloves - 5-6
Dried Red chillies -  8 (6 for grinding - 2 -3 for tempering)
Green chillies - 3
Tamarind -  1 small piece (3" approx) / 1 tsp
Turmeric - pinch
Salt - as per taste
Oil - 2- 3 tbsp

Method:
1. Dry roast coriander seeds, fenugreek, channa dal and  urad dal till you get a nice aroma.


2. Add dry chillies  and saute for a minute.


3. Powder the above ingredients.


4. In a pan, heat 1 tbsp of oil, add split greenc hillies, washed sorrel leaves/gongura. Saute till the leaves change to dark green color and shrinks. Finally add garlic, big chunks of onion and mix gently for 2-3 minutes.


5. Cool the above mixture and grind it along with the powders, ,adding salt, pinch of turmeric  and tamarind pulp.


6. Grind it to a fine paste and put  in a bowl.


Tempering:


1. Heat 1-2 Tbsp of oil 
( the more oil you add -the more tasty the chutney gets..so just pour a generous amount of olive oil if worried..:)


2. Add 1 tsp each of cumin, mustard seeds, dry red chiillies, handful of curry leaves, 1 or 2 sliced garlic cloves.


3. Gently put this tempering on the chutney/pacchadi

Breakfast Bread Burrito - BBB

Bread stuffed with scrambled eggs,spinach, jalapenos and Italian seasoning.

Many of you must be aware of the famous breakfast Burrito....yummm...mouth watering?
So here is a similar kind of breakfast deal I have today...Breakfast bread burrito...easy and quick snack to go...

                   Healthy breakfast, ready to go - Quick and easy - 


All you need is:
Eggs - 2 (for one bread Burrito)
Pepper - 1 tsp
Spinach  - 1 cup chopped
Salt - to taste
Jalapenos /  Green chillies - 2-3
Italian seasoning - 1 tsp
oil -  2 tsp

Method:


Stuffing:
1. Heat oil in a wide flat pan and add chopped spinach and Jalapenos. Saute for a minute - two.
2.  Now add the egg whites (optional to avoid egg yolk). Add salt, pepper and seasoning.
3. mix well for a minute. Stuffing is ready

Bread:
1. Heat a dot of butter on pan and place the breads. cook them evenly for a minute turning them.


Stuff the above stuffing in the bread . Ready to serve .


More delicious: One can grate cheddar or mozzarella cheese  with  hot n sour sauce on top of the stuffing and dress it with lettuce.

Sopapillas - Simple recipe at its best

     Puffs flavored with cinnamon sugar and glazed with honey on top ...!!!

A very quick and jiffy tea time snack, perfect to munch with coffee or tea.

Had many puff pastry sheets at home and was wondering what I can prepare apart from the puffs.
found this instant recipe and  was ready to go...!!!

All we need is :
Puff pastry sheets - 5
Cinnamon sugar - 3-4 Tbsp
Honey - to garnish (optional)

Tip:  If u dont have cinnamon sugar u can always prepare one by your own. for 3/4 cup of fine sugar , add 2 Tbsp of ready made cinnamon powder...

Method:
1. Cut the puff pastry sheets into half. And just fold the  sheets in whatever desired shapes u need. Envelopes or rectangular...
2. Preheat the oven for 350 F
3. Place the sheets and bake for 15 minutes. Add extra 5 minutes if not done completely.
4. Place it aside until it gets warm. Now in a bowl keep all the puffs and sprinkle cinnamon sugar generously on top or with the help of a tea filter.

Garnish with honey for that extra flavor..yummm

The Vah Chefs Bagara Baingan

Brinjals cooked in the peanut and sesame gravy

Sorry Ladies..was on a long vacation..My DH celebrated my birthday in LA n Sandiego...A very memorable day as it being my first birthday after my marriage....:)

So here comess yet another gr8 dish on ur platter...

Bagara Baingan...A delicious Hyderabadi dish, served mostly in all the occasions...gr8 combination with biriyani or bagara rice...I love the way my aunt cooks this dish...the gravy in this can be used to make capscicum masala , mushroom masala and yes  mixed veg masala...too

I call this as vah chefs Bagara brinjal as i have taken a few tips from the Vah chef show of frying the brinjals...and followed with my own recipe...
The combo with rice goes good when served as bagara baingan or as capsicum masala....

Ingredients:
Baby brinjals/Regular small brinjals - 7-8
Peanuts - 1 cup
Sesame seeds - 4-5 Tbsp
Corriander seeds - 1 Tbsp
Bay leaf - 2-3
Cloves - 4
Cinammon - 1 whole
Cardamom - 3
Ginger Garlic Paste - 1 Tbsp
Dry coconut Powder - 2 tsp / 1" piece of dry coconut piece (optional)
Onions - 2
green chillies - 2
Cumin and Coriander powder - 3 Tsp each
Cumin seeds - 1tsp
Red chilli powder - 1 tbsp ( I love spicy..so i add even more :))
Small Lemon sized tamarind - 1
Oil for frying and for cooking
Salt

Method:

1. Wash the brinjals and clean them with a clean napkin. Set aside a pan for shallow frying the brinjals. Once they are 80 % cooked. take them out from the pan and place it on a paper napkin.

2. Meanwhile in a pan roast the peanuts, sesame seeds, coconut and coriander seeds to a smooth paste. If possible add little oil to get a smoother paste. Soak tamarind in 1 cup of warm water and extract the pulp when it becomes soft.

3. In another pan, take 3 tbsp of oil and add cumin seeds, cloves, bay leaves, cardamom and cinnamon. When they splutter, add finely chopped onions and slit green chillies. Once the onions become transparent, add ginger-garlic paste. fry for a minute.

4. Now add the above peanut paste to the masala. Add a cup of tamarind water and mix gently. Let it cook for about 10 minutes.

5. You will notice that the gravy starts getting thick. Add cumin, coriander and chilli powders. Mix well by adding sufficient salt.
Tip : If the gravy becomes too thick - add water little by little.


6. Now add the cooked brinjals in the gravy...and cook for about 5 minutes. Cook till u get a good consistency ...Garnish with coriander and serve hot with Biriyani or jeera rice.