Indo Chinese Mushroom Babycorn Capsicum Fry

When we went to the local super market this weekend, bought mushrooms. Mushrooms are a rich source of calcium and an all time favorite in my house. I cook lots of dishes with mushrooms. Today I thought I should try something different. With whatever thought came to my mind I innovated this new dish. I mixed different sauces.

The best thing that I used is the maggi cube. I normally use this in my Indo Chinese dishes. This gives a good flavour to the dish being cooked. This time I used only 1/2 the cube because my hubby does not like the artificial flavour. One thing to remember when using maggi cubes is to add less salt as the cubes already have salt.

Another thing that I found was Suhana Garam Masala. I seriously never thought that this masala would be so good. I really liked the masala and it has become my all time favorite garam masala. But the problem is, I don't know where it is found. I got it as a gift for Haldi-Kumkum. Maybe somewhere in Goa I should be able to find this masala.

In Goa and Maharashtra, married ladies perform Haldi-Kumkum. Known married ladies are invited and they are given haldi and kumkum along with a small gift known as "vayn". This happens in almost every house hold.

Ingredients:
5-6 button mushrooms
1 capsicum
1 onion
3-4 baby corns
4-5 garlic cloves
1/2 inch ginger
1 tablespoon chilly sauce
1 tablespoon soya sauce
1/2 veg-maggi cube
1 tsp Suhana garam masala
Salt to taste

Procedure:
Cut the onion straight
Chop the mushrooms as you wish
Cut capsicums into 1/2 squares
Cut the baby corns into round slices
Make paste out of ginger and garlic

On a medium flame do the following:
In a wok, fry onions. When they turn pinkish add the ginger garlic paste.
Now add the 1/2 Maggi cube.
Add the sauces and mix.
Add the baby corn and mix. Keep the wok covered for 2-3 Min's.
Add mushrooms and mix well. Add 1/2 cup water and keep it covered for 10 Min's.
Add capsicum and mix. If needed add more water.
Keep the wok covered for another 5 Min's.
Now add the garam masala.
Add salt and mix.
Keep it covered on low flame till the water gets absorbed.

Serve with rice or chapati :)

Goan Fish Curry with Dry Mackerel / Sukya Bangdyache Hooman

Every time I visit Goa, I get dry fish from the local market. This comes handy when we feel like eating "hooman" i.e. Goan Fish Curry. At least if dry fish is there, this hooman can be cooked easily. In Goa hardly anyone prepares this as they get fresh fish all the time. Only in monsoon when fish is scarcely available, people start preparing dishes out of dry fish. It can be stored for months and can be used anytime.

Also if you go through the ingredients, you will notice I have used "TEFFAL". Teffal is a type of berry which is available only in Goa. It has a unique strong smell and taste. The curries seasoned with it have a heavenly taste.
Below is a type of fish curry which I made out of dry fish.

Ingredients:
4-5 dry mackerel
10-12 teffla
1/4 inch ginger
1/2 cup grated coconut(coconut of small size)
1 marble sized ball of tamarind
1 tsp turmeric powder
4-5 dry red chillies / shepda
5 peppercorns
1 green chilly - cut into 2 parts
1 tsp oil

Procedure:

Cleaning the dry mackerel.
Soak the dry mackerel for 2 hrs.
After 2 hrs, cut off the tails and the head part.
Scrap the skin of the mackerel by using a knife.
After scrapping dip it in water.
Now peel of the dry flesh carefully. Remove all the thorns.

For the gravy:
Grind, grated coconut, turmeric powder,tamarind,peppercorns and red chillies.

Slightly press the teffla.

In an aluminium bowl, put oil. Put ginger and green chilly.
Now put the fish and fry in medium flame for 2 Min's.

Now put in the gravy and stir. Add water 1/2 cup.
While boiling put in teffla and salt and stir.
Boil for 10 Min's by keeping the utensil covered.

Note: The gravy should neither be too thick nor too thin.

King Fish Fry

King Fish the king among fish. I love this fish since the time I ate it. Don't remember since when :)
I remember my mom once made me eat this fish by carefully taking the rings out of it which comes after frying. Since I was not eating fish, she used to tell me to eat the rings and I was so excited, that I named it "Fish with rings". Since that day I used to eat this Fish with rings :) That was the 1st time I ate King Fish.

Today as a proud mother I prepared this fish and fed my little one in the same way - Fish with rings. I had decorated it with a tomato rose which I carefully carved. My little one came running after she saw the tomato rose. I told her that I will give it to her after the clicks :)

My hubby always says to me that no one else can fry fish better then me. OK, I am not praising myself, but am just writing out my feelings. Fish should always be fried on low flame and if it's King fish, then fry at least for 30 Min's. Also, salt is the main ingredient. Fish has it's own salt, so one should be careful while adding salt. Too much or too little will spoil the taste. One can even use tamarind paste for marination.

Whenever I go to buy King fish, I always tell them to cut it thin. The thinner it is cut, the better the taste.
The King fish should be cooked with love. Anything that's cooked with love turns great.
Below is the recipe that I am sharing with all of you with love. Cook it over this long weekend and enjoy the royal taste ;)

Ingredients:

1 kg King Fish
1 tablespoon turmeric powder
2 tablespoon's chilly powder
1 tablespoon salt
1 cup rawa / semolina
1 cup rice flour
1 tablespoon tamarind paste (optional)
1 tablespoon oil

Procedure:

Wash the king fish till its clean.

In a small plate, mix salt, chilly and turmeric powder.
Put in this 2 tablespoon water and make a thick paste.
Apply this to the fish and let it marinate for 30 Min's to 1 hour.

For frying:
     Mix the rice flour, rawa, pinch of salt, 1/4 tsp each of turmeric powder and chilly powder. Put this on a big plate.

Dip the King fish in this rawa. Ensure that it is covered with rawa on both sides and the edges too.

Heat the frying pan and spread 1 tablespoon oil. Add more if required.
Place the fish on the pan and fry on low flame.
After 10 minutes turn them to the other side.
Fry them for 20 minutes.
You know they are done when they turn brown.

Note: Always fry fish on low flame and do not cover it while frying. Marinated fish will stay fresh in deep freezer for upto 2 weeks. Just thaw and fry.

This blog post got featured on BlogJunta for Editor's Choice.
Thanks BlogJunta :)

This recipe goes to What's On Your Kebab Platter?, an event organised by Khushi of A Girl's Diary.

Awards Time Again

My blogger friend of Eat Hearty - Stay Healthy passed on to me the following 7 beautiful awards.
 I am very happy to receive these awards. Thanks a lot for the appreciation and motivation.

7 facts about me:

1. I am a multi-talented person.
2. I love my daughter the most in the world.
3. I miss Goa, my parents and my brother.
4. I don't like Bangalore because of the pollution and traffic jams.
5. I blog very late at nights.
6. I am sensitive and honest by nature.
7. I don't like politics and corruption.

I am passing these to 15 blogger friends:

1. Priyas Now Serving
2. Ruchik Randap
3. Savitha Kitchen
4. Valar's Kitchen
5. Tickling Palates
6. The Veggie Hut
7. Spice your senses
8. Seduce your taste buds
9. The Saji
10. Rasoi The Kitchen
11. My Kitchen Treats
12. Love of cooking
13. Desi Soccer Mom
14. Art of cooking
15. Devi's Blog

Please collect these awards and pass on the love....

Rules to claim and share these awards:

• Thank and Link the blogger who has given you the award.
• Copy and paste the Logos in your blog.
• Pass these on to 15 other Great Blogger friends
• Comment on the most recent post and let the nominated blogger know of the award.

Pav / Bread

Every time we went to Goa, the 1st thing my hubby would get is "Podeirale Oonde" - meaning Baker's Bread. He would get the hot freshly baked Pav. When we used to return back to Bangalore, he would get a dozen back home and store in the fridge. He would heat and eat. He just loves those Oonde /Pav. A perfect fan of Oonde. We searched the entire Bangalore for these Pav, but could not find them anywhere around.

One fine day I came across Pav recipe at Sandhya's Kitchen. I chatted with her that I want to bake these desperately. She convinced me that it's very very simple then I ever imagined.
I tried the same in my kitchen. The 1st experiment was not so successful. The 2nd one made my day.

I got loads and loads of appreciation from my Hubby Dear. My little one came running when she saw pav. She just climbed on top of the table and took one. My day got filled with a little bit of more happiness.

Ingredients:
4 cups All Purpose Flour / Maida
3.5 gm Active dry yeast
4 tablespoon ghee / butter
3/4 tsp salt
2 cups water

Procedure:
In a bowl, add yeast and put in 1/2 cup warm water. The water should neither be hot nor cold. It should be warm.
Now add the remaining water to this mix.
In another bowl, add flour,salt and the yeast water and knead slowly and gently. The dough will be sticky.
Add ghee and still knead.
Knead it with lots of patience and love.
You can apply some oil to your fingers while kneading the dough.

Now keep the dough aside for 1 - 2 hrs.
The dough will rise.

Again knead the dough for 5 Min's.

On the baking tray sprinkle some flour.
Make balls out of the dough and place on that tray. Keep enough space in between each of the balls.
Again leave it for 30 min.

Make balls out of the dough

At the end of 30 Min's, pre-heat the microwave in convection mode @ 190 C for 6 Min's.
Now place the tray with the flour balls and bake for 25-30 Min's @ 190 C in convection mode.

Garam Garam Pav is ready :)

Serve it either with pav-bhaji, or with chicken masala or just have it with tea - that's how I love it.

Carrot - Onion Paratha

In my previous post I mentioned about carrot cake. The cake turned out yummy no doubt. But I had lots of grated carrot left. I was wondering what I can do with it. I did not have the mood to prepare soup or salad. So I thought I should prepare parathas. Parathas are something which we love a lot.

There is one good hotel named Sethji's in Indiranagar, Bangalore. That was the place we would often visit for fresh home-made parathas. One Punjabi aunt from my apartment told me one fine day not to go to Sethji's. She told me how to prepare the parathas. But she did not teach me stuffed paratha. I always wanted to learn how to make them (surprisingly she too never knew).

One fine day while I was travelling to office, I saw one person preparing stuffed parathas in one open dhaba.
Thanks to the traffic jam. I just observed what he did.
As soon as I reached home, I boiled some potatoes and did Aloo paratha.That was the first time I did stuffed parathas. They had turned out really delicious.

From that day onwards, I started experimenting with parathas. Today I did this carrot onion paratha. The taste and freshness reminds me of those days when I used to eat parathas at Sethji's. Now no more parathas at hotels, but fresh parathas @ home :)

Ingredients:
2 onions
1 cup grated carrot
1 tsp carom / ajwain seeds
1 tsp turmeric powder
1 tsp jeera / cumin seeds
1 green chilly chopped fine
2 cups wheat flour /atta
1 tablespoon chopped coriander leaves
Salt to taste

Procedure:
To the 2 cups of flour add 1 tsp oil, 1 tsp salt and mix.
Add 1/2 cup water and mould. Increase the water as desired to make a mould.
Keep it covered for 30 Min's.

Now in a kadai, put 1 tsp oil and fry cumin and carom seeds for 30 secs.
Mix and add turmeric powder and the finely chopped green chilly.
Add the chopped onions and stir.
Add carrots and stir. Fry it for 5 - 10 Min's.
Add 1/2 tsp salt.
To this add chopped coriander leaves and let it cool for a while.

Make small balls out of atta.
Roll the atta into small round shapes.
Add to this 1 tablespoon of the mixture from kadai.
Close the round shapes from all sides.
Now roll the stuffed atta balls carefully.
If needed add a little bit of flour to avoid stickiness.
Add ghee on the tawa/griddle and fry on one side.
After sometime add ghee on the upper side, turn and fry.

Note: After moulding the atta keep it covered for 30 Min's. The atta becomes very soft.

This goes to "LGSS - Stuffed Paratha" event organised by Vatsala.

Carrot Cake

I thought I should improve my baking skills and thought of doing some serious baking.
I found this interesting cake in one of the blogs which I am following. Thought of trying my hands on it and it turned out perfect. Got some good feedback from my colleagues at office too. I used exactly the same proportion of what is mentioned in the ingredients below and my cake turned out delicious. Thanks to experiments with taste.

Ingredients:


1 Cup All purpose flour
1 Cup grated carrot
1 Cup powdered sugar
3/4 Cup Butter
3 Eggs
1 tsp Baking powder
1 tablespoon powdered spices ( 1 inch Cinnamon, 3 cloves , 2-3 cardamom)

Procedure:

1. Preheat the microwave in convection mode at 180C for 5 Min's.
2. Mix butter and sugar and beat them properly.
3. Add eggs one by one and beat properly.
4. Mix the flour and baking powder.
5. Now add all the spices.
6. Add grated carrot and mix well.
7. Apply butter to the baking pan and dust it with flour all over.
8. Now spread the cake batter all over it.
9. Bake it at 180C for 35 Min's. After 30 Min's, insert a knife and check if it comes out clean. If it comes out clean, the cake is done. Else bake for another 5 Min's.

Sending this to Priya and Aipi's Bookmarked Recipes.

Chana Tondak / Goan Chana Masala

Anything from legume family is nutritious and good for health. The white peas are commonly known as Vatane in Goa. Any types of legumes can be used to prepare tondak or curry with coconut. for most of these procedure is the same.
The recipe mentioned below is something which is very common in the Goan  Hindu homes and is specially cooked for dinner. I had this since my childhood and prepare one type of tondak every week. This is one of those traditional dishes of Goa. Read the recipe below.

Ingredients:
1/2 cup white peas / chana's
5 tablespoon grated coconut
4 red chillies
1/2 tablespoon coriander seeds
4-5 peppercorns
2-3 cloves
2 onions
1 potato
4-5 garlic flakes
1 marble sized ball of tamarind
1 tsp turmeric powder

Procedure:
Soak chana's for 4-6 hours.
Boil them by adding the chopped potatoes and little salt.
Keep aside.

Cut the onions straight.
In a kadai, add 1 tablespoon oil, and fry onions till they turn brown.
Add garlic and fry.
To this add grated coconut and fry till coconut turns brownish. Make sure to fry on low flame.
Add all the masala ( red chillies, coriander seeds, peppercorns and cloves) and fry for some time.
Once it gets fried switch off gas, mix turmeric powder and stir.
Let this cool for a while.
Grind this along with tamarind ball smooth paste adding water as required.
Now in the same kadai, add the boiled chanas and the gravy.
Add salt per taste.

Serve with chapatis/phulkas or bread.

Sending this recipe to MLLA 34 guest hosted by JayaWagle.

and also to 'CWS-CORIANDER SEED'  hosted by Aruna and Priya.

Repost for an event : Cholay Masala

It's been a long tiring day. After coming home from office always thoughts come to mind as to what to cook for dinner. It has to be something easy , something which does not consume much time. Since I had soaked chick-peas the previous night, I thought of preparing Cholay Masala in a very easy way.

Ingredients:
1 cup chick-peas
2 tomatoes
2 small onions
5 pods garlic
1 inch ginger
1 tsp turmeric powder
1 tsp Garam Masala
1 tsp kasuri methi
salt to taste

Procedure:
Soak chick-peas overnight or for 6 hrs.
Boil them and keep aside.
In a frying pan, fry chopped onions.
When onions turn pinkish, add garlic and ginger and fry for 2 Min's.
Then add chopped tomatoes and fry. While frying, always use low flame and cover the lid.
When tomatoes emit little water add turmeric powder and garam masala.
Switch off the gas and let this cool.

After cooling, grind into a paste.
Mix this paste into the boiled chick-peas.
Add water as per your choice.
I suggest not to add too much water, as the gravy will become watery.

Then add kasuri methi and stir.
Add salt as per your taste.
Garnish with chopped coriander leaves.
Serve with bread of your choice.

 I have reposted this as I want to send this recipe to MLLA 34 hosted by JayaWagle.

Also sending this to C for Colourful Currys event at womens era 2008.

My Favorite Idli - Sambar

On the auspicious occasion of Gudi Padva commonly known as Ugadi in South India, I decided to cook Idli - Sambar for breakfast. My hubby was travelling from Goa to Bangalore and I thought of surprising him with this delicious breakfast. When he came home, I knew he was tired travelling the whole night. On asking him, he denied and said that he does not feel tired travelling in AC train. I asked him to freshen up and to come for breakfast.
Yo! He was surprised to see what I had prepared for breakfast. As usual he did appreciate me for what I prepared for him.

Recipe for Idli

Ingredients:

1 cup rice
1/4 cup urad dal / black gram dal
1/4 tsp baking soda
1 tablespoon salt

Procedure:
Soak rice and urad dal for 6-8 hrs.
Mix and grind coarsely.
Add soda and leave it for 4-6 hrs for fermentation.
Add salt and mix properly.
In a Idli cooker, properly grease the idli tray with ghee and put in required quantity of idli batter.
Let it get steamed for 20 Min's. Do not open the cooker immediately.
Open after 10 Min's. Carefully take off the idli's and serve hot with chutney and sambar.

And now comes the tasty Sambar

Recipe for Sambar


Ingredients:
1/2 cup toor dal
1 onion
1/2 tsp mustard seeds
1/2 tsp jeera seeds
1/2 tsp turmeric powder
1/2 tsp asafoetida
2 tomatoes
2 tablespoons tamarind paste
1 inch jaggery cube
10 curry leaves
1 green chilly
1/2 cup chopped carrots
1/2 cup chopped okra
1/2 cup chopped beetroot
1/2 cup beans
2 tablespoon shakti sambar powder
Salt to taste

Procedure:
Pressure cook the dal with 2 cups water.
In a kadai, heat oil and put mustard seeds. When they splutter put in jeera seeds.
Add asafoetida and curry leaves.
Cut onions straight.
Now fry onions.
Once they turn brown add tomatoes and fry.
Add to this all the chopped veges.
Add 1 cup water and let it boil for 10-15 Min's.

Now mix the dal and sambar powder.
Stir properly.
Mix tamarind paste and jaggery and let it boil for 15 more Min's.
Add salt to taste.
Garnish with chopped coriander leaves.

Serve with hot idli's.

Believe me, the idli's turned to be very fluffy and the sambar was just perfect.

Doesn't it make a perfect healthy breakfast?

This recipe goes to  Breakfast Mela.

Sending this recipe to Pari's 'ONLY' event for March i.e. South Indian recipes. This recipe belongs to the South Indian state of Karnataka.

Sending this to Street Food of India event by Rosh.

Methi - Tomato Rice

On this lazy Sunday I was not feeling like cooking anything special. My hubby was not in town and my little one only eats non - spicy stuff. I checked my refrigerator and found methi leaves. Thought of preparing some rice baath. I just mixed whatever I felt like and it turned into a very tasty rice baath. In South India, various types of dishes with rice are prepared. My innovation added one more to the list.

Ingredients:
2 tomatoes

1 cup rice
1 cup chopped methi / fenugreek leaves
1 tsp urad dal /Black gram dal
1 tsp methi / Fenugreek seeds
 4 red chillies
1/2 tsp asafoetida
1 tsp mustard seeds
1 tsp turmeric powder
10 curry leaves
1 tablespoon lemon juice

Procedure:
Cook rice and keep aside.
In a kadai, put 1 tablespoon oil.
Add mustard seeds. After they splutter, add asafoetida, curry leaves and red chillies and fry
for 30 seconds.
Add urad dal and methi seeds one after the other. Fry slightly.
Chop one tomato, add to this and fry.
Now add methi leaves and fry till leaves wilt.
Make a paste out of the other tomato and add to the mixture which is getting fried.
Add turmeric powder.
Now add 1 tsp salt or as needed.
Now add rice and mix properly.

Serve it with dal fry, pickle, papad and your choice of vegetable curry.
If you happen to try this out, please do let me know your reviews. Will be more than happy to read a few.

Strawberry cookies and more awards

I baked these wonderful strawberry cookies after India's wonderful victory in the World Cup 2011. My heart was touched with all the emotional moments.

Very proud of the Indian team. I am dedicating these cookies to my Proud Indian Cricket Team.
Long live Team India. 
Love you guys.

Ingredients:
2 tablespoon All purpose flour/maida
1 tsp corn flour
1 tsp baking powder
2 tsp strawberry crush
1 tablespoon powdered sugar
2 tsp ghee/butter
2 tsp cooking oil
5 - 10 almonds

Procedure:
Mix the all purpose flour, corn flour,baking powder and strawberry crush.
Mix in sugar.
Mix ghee and oil and make a soft smooth mould.
Grease the microwave tray by applying ghee.
Make heart shaped cookies and place them on the plate.
Microwave for 90 seconds.
Take then out of microwave and cool them on a wired rack.
After cooling, the crispy strawberry cookies are ready.
Cut the almonds straight and decorate the cookies.
Serve them with love .


My blogger friend's Valar and Shobha has passed me the below 2 awards.
So it calls for double celebrations. Thanks a lot Valar and Shobha.

I would love to pass these awards to the following friends. Please friends collect these awards and post on your beautiful blog.
Reshmi
Priya
Ila
Jay
Archana
Pushpa
Kalpana
Swathi
Harika
Simply Food
Only Fish Recipes
Preety
Deeksha
Pratima Rao
Trick and treat

Sending this recipe to food palette series is pink.

Linking this to Pari's Only - Cookies and Cakes event.