Ladyfinger as a starter

Ladyfinger (also known as bhindi or plant okra ) as a starter sounds interesting, but it tastes amazingly delicious goes very well as a starter or as a side dish. Me and my friends just can't stop munching it.

The simplest recipe ever, cut the lady finger in to a fine diamond shape slices. Deep fry them in an oil. Put the fried bhindi into the kitchen paper to remove the extra oil. Sprinkle salt, chat masala and enjoy the crispy bhindi.....mouth watering....

Flammed Dessert

Sounds different, but was very tasty

Tried at the Japanese restaurant

reminds me of Alaska .. but nevermind overall was pretty good...

so i must say worth trying....



Garlic Bread

very easy and quick.. goes very well with soup, pasta or even just like that...

I usually bring a fresh baked long bread from the bakery shop, sliced in to pieces. On each piece after speading some garlic butter, put some colorful bell peppers and then some shredded cheese, black pepper and oregano on top... grill it for 30-40 sec and thats it .. fresh garlic bread is ready in few mins at home...

Cooksister

Recently i have been to capetown, and a dessert served with evening coffee was cook sister or 'koek sisters'. In my terms its the south African syrup-coated doughnut in a shape of braided hair.. in taste it was..... sweet... very very sweet...

Chicken Drumsticks

Before the recipe, just have a look on the pics... now this is what i called as a food photography.... done by one of a well known photographer friend free of charge for me and for me only.... I cooked these chicken lollipops after more than 5 years ... it went out well..rather very well as per my non veggie friends..

 

Recipe:
Wash the chicken drumsticks and remove the fat if there is any.
And the trick to enjoy this chicken tandoori pieces more juicy and tender is to marinate it twice.
Pre-marination steps are:
Make the cuts wherever there is a flesh...a big cut of around 1 to 1.5 inch. On each drumstick i usually make 3 to 4 times these cuts. After the cuts, in a bowl take red chili powder, salt and lemon. mix it well and marinate this mixture into the cuts been made.
Marination Steps
For proper marination, take a bowl of thick curd, add grated ginger, lots of grated garlic, coriander powder, red chili powder, black pepper powder, red color (its optional) and in the end a spoon of oil. A spoon of oil helps this mixture to stick nicely on the leg pieces we have. Marinate the leg pieces very nicely into this mixture. And keep it aside for around minimum 2 hours.
Grill these chicken drumsticks or barbecue them in a nice summer day.

Once done, i actually sizzle them again with some onions, chat masala and with few drops of lemon...

Everyone enjoyed eating the drumsticks and  i literally enjoyed my cooking and especially these pics which i just keep on looking again and again... ...

Dal Makhani

Dal Makhani, i still call it as kali dal and my bhaiya say 'Maa ki Dal'. Well thats how this dal is been addressed in north india and mostly ordered in the restaurants. All time hit for the cuisine for any celebrations. Can be very high caloric though with lots of butter and cream.

Ingredients

For one small cup black whole urad add quarter cup of red kidney beans (rajma)
2 finely chopped big red onions
4-5 finely chopped tomatoes or make a puree
2 tbsp of finely chopped Garlic
1 tbsp of finely chopped ginger
1-2 bay leaves
3-4 spoons of fresh cooking cream
2 big spoons of butter or ghee or add as per your taste
1-2 tbsp of oil
chopped green chillies
Indian spices (coriander powder, garam masala, red chili powder, Please note NO turmeric powder)

Extra boil the black urad dal and rajma in the pressure cooker. Once done, take few spoons of dal and mash it well with the masher as a smooth paste it will give a creamy touch to dal makhani.
In parallel, in a pan add oil to saute the bay leaves, ginger, garlic, green chili, onion, tomatoes. Once done add coriander powder, garam masala, red chili powder and salt to taste. mix it well with the boiled dal and add the creamy paste of the dal prepared above. Add butter on top. Enjoy it with lacha parantha or naan.

While serving, i usually sizzle it with red chillies saute in butter and decorate it with cream on top. It really looks amazing.

Dum Aloo

A delicious one, I started liking it because one of my friend used to prepare this recipe
so patiently with all her efforts to have it perfect.
I modified a bit in this recipe as per my own taste and experiments....tried few times for my different guests ... Every one appreciates every time ...so it seems its really coming out well... So here you go for the recipe...

Ingredients
1/2 kg Small round potatoes
2 Finely chopped big Red Onions
5-6 Red Tomatoes (puree)
1-2 Bay Leaves
1 tbsp cumin seeds
1 tbsp grated fresh ginger
1 tbsp grated garlic
Oil to fry
salt to taste
green chillies as per your liking
coriander leaves to garnish
Indian spices: Garam masala, haldi, coriander powder, black pepper

First boil the potatoes and peel them off. Now take oil in a pan to shallow fry these boiled potatoes... once done take them out. Use fork to do the holes in the potatoes .. sprinkle salt, little bit of chat masala (if you have) on these potatoes and keep them aside.

For a gravy, add oil in a pan... add bay leaves, cumin seeds, chopped green chillies, ginger, garlic .. and then add chopped onions once turned to little brown add tomato puree made from fresh tomatoes ... let it be cooked for sometime .. then add our Indian spices .. a spoon of garam masala, 1/2 a spoon of haldi, 1 spoon coriander powder, pinch of black pepper and salt to taste... add a very little water and let it be cooked for sometime... finally add the prepared potatoes ... mix them gently and garnish with coriander ...Enjoy it with garma garam roti's .....

Queen's Day

30th April is the Queen's birthday in the kingdom of netherlands or to be more correct Queen Beatrix celebrates her mother's birthday on this orange day. Everyone enjoys alot drinking, singing, dancing quite a fun.
On this queen's birthday i was at my home the whole day. The day before i biked alot in the colorful tulip farms almost no energy was left. So decided to be at home.
From past around 4 years i am been honoured or could say pampered by my friends in US and in India. Every year they send me either the cake or the flowers to address me as Queen on 30th :) honestly speaking i too enjoy alot and wait for the parcels from them...

This year one of my very close friend in NL, visited me too in the evening with the cake can you imagine... it was fun and cakes were delicious and mouth watering. It was from http://www.gulluoglu.nl/ a very famous chain of bakers all across , i strongly recommend you to try this bakery next time.

Socher torte

Well guessed correct, this was our dessert in Austria... delicious dessert invented in austria basically from vienna and salzburg... I must have to admit it was too hard for me to control my temptations .. really hard due to my diet... but my friend really enjoyed alot ... and luckily she found the eggless one

 (which we assume now it was eggless ;))

Saute mushrooms

All my family love mushrom's so do i, any form of mushroom's just goes very well with my food.
There is one very hit receipe not mine but from my loved one's called saute mushroom.
Very simple, wash mushroom's and dry it a bit. In a pan add a little bit of olive oil. Add mushrooms and add spices yess our indian spices bit by bit.

I usually add coriander powder, garam masala, chat masala, salt to taste and even sometimes the MDH kitchen king masala. Add few drops of water and saute it for sometime. In less than 10 mins a very delicious starter or a side dish is ready which goes very well with any salad or pasta.

To pamper myself sometime with my salad i used to put mushrooms in a grill stick and it looks amazing as attached.

Happy Vishu!!!

A south indian festival, i don't know much about this festival but due to my south indian friends i can definitely say this is the festival about mouth watering food. Food served so nicely on the banana leave, i never got a chance to have it but soon will be enjoying it hopefully after my diet at one of my friends place back in india... 

Some south indian sweets/snacks prepared by one of my friends mom to wish you happy vishu ... my apologies in bit late to wish..

Cherry Tomatoes

Red Cherry tomatoes, they look so cute :) that you end up buying them.

I just love them eating, the other day i found this recipe in some magazine so thought will try, it really came out very well.. i suggest you to go for it..

Cut the cherry tomatoes in to two or four pieces or in whatever shape you like. Add one clove of grated garlic, one table spoon olive oil, few drops vinegar, salt and crushed black pepper and finally the most important little bit of fresh or dry basil leaves...

Its really worth trying!!! will definitely be having it in my salad again.

Little Blog Break

Hello Austria :-) Yes, to spend my long easter weekend i am going to austria, so will be having a little blog break... see you next week!

Enjoy, Happy easter!!!!

Dahi Vada/Dahi Bhalla

Dahi vada also called as dahi bhalla another very delicious recipe, sometimes goes as a starter, sometimes with the main course or as an evening snack.

Ingredients for vada
1 cup udad daal
2 cups of plain curd
Chopped ginger
Cumin seeds
10-15 raisins
Oil to fry

For imli chutney
Tamarind 50grams
Saunf (no flavor)
Coriander seeds (Sukha Dhania)
Sugar or jaggery

For dahi vada, wash and soak the udad daal in water overnight or for min 4 hrs. After that blend the daal in to smooth paste, make sure it’s neither too thick nor too loose. Now mash the batter for sometime till your batter quantity is increased a bit. This will make your vadas bit fluffy and soft. Keep the batter aside for 10-15 mins. Before frying add salt, cumin seeds, raisins, chopped ginger and mix it well. Moist your hands with water (yes with only water not oil) that will make it easy for you to pour batter in the form of small round balls in the oil to deep fry till little brown.

Once your vadas are ready soak them in a Luke warm water for few mins

In a meanwhile beat the curd, add salt, black pepper, little bit of red chili powder.

Now squeeze water from vada gently and dip into curd. Garnish it with coriander leaves, roasted cumin powder and tamarind chutney

For tamarind chutney, soak tamarind in hot water for 15 mins.
Mash it for sometime and then filter the seeds I usually use the seedless tamarind. Add a glass of water in the tamarind paste and put it for boiling add sugar or jaggery, coriander seeds, saunf. Let it be boiled till bit condensed in the form of chutney. Cool it a bit

Enjoy your yummiee vadas or dhai bhallas with chutney.

Mexican Rice

We usually have left over boiled rice at home on which we always want to do an experiment.

Here is a result of one experiment - Mexican Rice!!!!

In the little bit of oil, sauté diced onions, garlic, capsicum, cabbage, reddish. Add crushed black pepper. In sauces add red chili sauce, tomato ketch up, soya sauce, few drops of vinegar or lemon juice. Add salt to taste. Add rice and mix it well.

Bon Appetit!!!!

Navratra special

As navratra is going on, so do the fasting. Although I am not on fasting or let me say fasting ever since :) diet fast. No potatoes No fast.

However would like to share one very hit recipe back at home called 'vrat wali puri'. Mash the boiled potatoes in singhara atta with sendha salt, red chili powder, green chilis, coriander leaves, few drops of oil and water; make nice dough out of it. From this dough make the crispy puri's.
Enjoy these puri's with raita (curd with crushed peanuts) or even the plain curd also goes very well.

Sweets & Nuts

One of my best best best friend's birthday is today. She recently got married and now enjoying a very happy married life with her loving husband. On her wedding we were very happy too, to celebrate we prepared some sweets and nuts decorated in a very royal way. I even got a chance to attend her wedding in India. I am really missing her alot today. Let me share the picture of what I have prepared, its besan ladoo and nuts. Will soon add the recipe of besan ladoo too on the blog; For now cheers to my friend on her birthday!!!

Fruit Cream Fruit Cream!!!!

Was invited at my friends place this weekend for lunch, had lots of fun & masti. Got a chance to play with her very cute little daughter and to prepare fruit cream for everyone, as that's the best i can think of 'A colorful chilled dessert made with fruits and cream' on a very nice sunny day.
Again a very simple recipe. mix cream, sugar and fruits that's it. Believe me that's it. :)
Take the cream, i use the liquid slagroom from albert heijn,

you can use any fresh cream. whipped it with powdered sugar very gently and slowly (don't whipped too much otherwise it will form into a butter). Now fold the fruits (small fine pieces) in the cream i used banana, mango (lot of mango), apple, strawberry and grapes. You can also add your favourite fruits usually pineapple, kiwi, peaches, sapodilla (chikoo) also goes well in fruit cream. In nuts you can add crushed unsalted walnuts, almonds and raisins (if you like). Garnish it with strawberries.

Enjoy fruit cream this spring!!!

My favourite salad# 1

I love salads, this one is what i tried at home which really came out very well i could say.

Again a very easy and quick one!!!

For salad grill some round shaped pieces of zucchini, square shaped pieces of eggplant (if you like), and full, yes full capsicum all colors. Once done remove the skin of the grilled capsicum and cut nicely in whatever share you like :). Mix it with lettuce, cucumber, cherry tomatoes. If you want you can add some fresh goat cheese, or grilled marinated tofu. In fruits add grapes.

For dressing: in a two table spoon of olive oil, add 1/2 a spoon of sunflower oil. Squeeze one full lemon. Add salt, pepper, basil or oregano. Stir it well and mix it with your salad.

I am pretty sure you will like it... Happy Weekend!!!!

Turkish Delight

Recently one of my very good friend bought baklava for us from Istanbul. Baklava is a very famous Turkish desert, sweet pastry filled with nuts dipped in honey or sugar.

It reminds me of my days in Middle East when i used to enjoy baklava in a shop called 'Gulf Pastry' and also the one made by my friend's mother at home, that one is just simply mouth watering. Well this time i have to resist as i am on diet and had to control my temptations once again. However rest everyone else really enjoyed the baklava that too with pistachio nuts.

Rajma Chawal

Again a very famous north indian cuisine: 'Rajma Chawal' requested by one of my friend in states to post this recipe tonight itself. Rajma Chawal is in her menu tomorrow :-) I had a picture too as coincidentally last night i also cooked rajma only.

Rajma (Red Kidney beans), boil them nicely in a pressure cooker, or buy a can of boiled red kidney beans from super market. In a pan, add oil to saute green chili, finely chopped onions, home made fresh ginger garlic paste, tomato puree. In spices you can add cumin powder, garam masala, coriander powder, i usually won't add turmeric powder as i want my rajma to be pure red in color. Once its done mix it well with boiled rajma and let it be boiled once again for few mins. Garnish it with coriander leaves.

Enjoy your Rajma with chawal(rice) or even with garma garm parantha.

Quickest snack - Haldiram Bhelpuri

Whenever we have party at home, this is the most famous, demanding starter and the quickest one for us. Thanks to Haldiram, I still miss sometime the one in chandni chowk, if u ever get a chance I recommend you to go there once, its really crowded but worth the effort for a good indian snack and sweet corner.

So here we go!
Open the packet and follow the instructions :) that's it and you are done. Basically mix the ingrediants from the packet with finely chopped onions, tomatoes, cucumber, boiled potatoes and its just ready.
I usually decorate the serving dish with grapes, it will just add a bit of juicy taste to your bhelpuri.

Try it out hopefully you or your guests will enjoy this too.

Tofu for dinner

Lazy Sunday evening me and my friends had only one question what to eat for dinner?

Want to eat something different, quick and spicy. The only thing I found in my fridge was tofu. So here we go. Tofu in chili sauce.
In a wok pan with a 2-3 spoon of olive oil, sauté the diced square size onions, capsicum (green/red/yellow), garlic cloves, green chili and red chili flakes once kind of done within 2-3 mins add salt, black pepper, red chili sauce to be bit more spicy, ketchup, dark soya sauce, a drop of vinegar or lemon. Finally add tofu. Then add a glass of water and let it be boiled nicely for few mins.
Lastly add an all purpose flour paste (2 spoons of flour or cornstarch mixed well with water to a smooth white paste) to make it bit condense.

Let it boil and then serve hot with boiled/steamed rice... Everyone enjoyed it.. So it was nice Sunday special dinner for us.

Suji Halwa

Suji Halwa
(Sweet Semolina Pudding)

Very famous Indian Punjabi tradition, bride has to cook the first thing in the kitchen after wedding is suji halwa :). And often used in pooja’s as well for bhog to Prabhu.

This is my famous, very easy recipe ever, inspired by my mom. So in short i am quite set for my first meal to cook after wedding ;)

Suji (semoline, not that fine one), Tip: with one cup of suji, i usually take, 1 cup of sugar, half a cup of ghee, little more than 2.5 cups of water, cardamom and nuts (unsalted cashew, almonds, rasins or whatever you like).

so now roast suji in the ghee on medium flame and in parallel boil water with sugar & cardamom. Once the suji is roasted well with little brownish in color add very slowly the boiled water prepared. Keep stirring, once done add nuts of your own choice..

Enjoy its really yummy when serve hot!!!

My first blog on food

I love Food :-) although in parallel trying to reduce weight!!! Its really tough.
Tough Tough Tough!!!!

I love cooking and keep on experimenting different things. Just trying to be creative sometimes!!!

Many of my friends are married or getting married so to please their better halves they usually call and ask for the recipes so this blog is dedicated to all my friends who keep me wondering "I really cook well it seems" :-)