Monday, October 24, 2011

Guthi Vankaya curry

Heya people...


It is time for me to post another recipe,which is a very popular dish & one of  the favorites in Andhra...almost everyone loves this dish..."Guthi Vankaya"... sure...it takes some time to make it,but it is totally worth the wait!! check out the recipe:


Ingredients :


  • 1 kg baby egg plant (vankaya,brinjal)
  • 1 tbsp channa dal
  • 1 tbsp urad dal
  • 4 dry red chillis
  • 1 tsp coriander seeds (dhaniya)
  • 1 tsp cumin seeds (jeera)
  • 1/4 tsp fenugreek seeds (methi,menthulu)
  • hing - to taste
  • tamarind - a lime sized ball
  • salt - to taste
  • oil
  • turmeric
  • chopped coriander - 1 cup
  • garlic - 2-3 cloves (optional)


Directions:

  • Slit the brinjals into quarters,leaving the stems intact. This makes it easy to stuff the brinjal & it also retains its shape.
  • In a large pan,fry the brinjals till they are half cooked.( You can also sprinkle some salt on them,while they are cooking).
  • Once done,remove the brinjals & in the same pan,add 1 tsp of oil (put it on medium heat). To this,add  the red chillis..once they turn brown,add channa dal,urad dal,coriander seeds,jeera, fenugreek seeds,hing & fry them till they turn golden brown.Once done,add the tamarind,garlic,turmeric and fry till the garlic loses its raw flavor.
  • Cool this mixture down to room temperature & grind it into a coarse powder.To this powder,add salt & some water. Make sure that this mixture is not too runny. Just add a little water to it.
  • Stuff this mixture into each brinjal & fry them till they become tender.
  • Once done,garnish with the chopped coriander & serve hot with either steamed rice or roti.. 




Monday, October 10, 2011

Chilli paneer

Alright people,


Here is another favorite... Chilli paneer!!!! 


Ingredients:



paneer - 1 lb (apprx 500 gms) cubed
ginger garlic paste - 1 tbsp
minced garlic - 1 tsp
green chillies - 2 - chopped
green bell pepper - 1 large ( you can also use yellow,red bell peppers) - cut into cubes
onion - 1/2 large - cut into cubes
corn starch - 1 1/2 tbsp
all purpose flour / maida - 1 tbsp
cumin seeds - 1/2 tsp
coriander powder - 1/2 tsp
chilli garlic sauce - 1/2 tsp
ajinomoto - to taste
lime juice - 1 tsp
soy sauce - 1 tsp / to taste
salt - to taste
water - as needed
egg - 1 (optional)
red food color - optional
chopped coriander/cilantro - 1 cup
oil - for frying


Directions:

  • In a bowl add 1/2 tsp ginger garlic paste,corn starch,salt,all purpose flour/maida & water.To this mixture add the paneer cubes & coat all of them evenly. (you can also add egg to the mixture...personally i like the eggless version) make sure that the batter is not too runny...
  • Fry the paneer cubes till they turn golden brown & drain them on a paper towel.
  • In a pan,heat some oil & add cumin seeds. Once they start spluttering,add the minced garlic,ginger garlic paste,chopped green chillis,onions,coriander powder,chopped bell pepper & add water once you see that the onions are slightly cooked.The bell pepper should still have that crunch,so dont overcook them.
  • To this,add the chilli garlic sauce,ajinomoto,soy sauce,lime juice & salt ( if you need an extra kick of spice,you can also add 1 tsp of red chilli powder to this!!)
  • Bring them to a boil & add the fried paneer cubes.If you like an extra color to your dish,add some red food color now.(optional)
  • Once done,garnish it with the chopped coriander leaves & serve hot!!


Devil's Food cake

Hello all,


Its been a long time since I've posted d recipe for the dishes that I've already made in the past. High time I posted the recipes....One of them is the "Devil's food cake".. as the name suggests,this is truly sinful!!! Check out the recipe:





Ingredients: 


2 cups all-purpose flour
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1 1/2 cups brown sugar/regular sugar
1/2 cup butter,margarine(softened) or vegetable oil(i prefer vegetable oil...its healthier!)
1 teaspoon vanilla
3 eggs
4 oz unsweetened baking chocolate(i used Hershey's unsweetened cocoa powder)
1 1/4 cups water


Directions:


1. Heat the oven to 350°F & grease 2 (8- or 9-inch) round cake pans.( that is,if 1 pan isn't enough...you can also use a cupcake tray)


2. Sift all the dry ingredients(flour,baking soda,salt) together


3. In a bowl,beat eggs until fluffy,add oil,sugar,vanilla,choc powder,water.Mix until there are no lumps in the batter.


4. Pour the batter into the greased pans and bake for 35 mins(for a 9 inch pan) or 35-38 mins (for an 8 inch pan)...or you can check if the cake is done by using a tooth pick....insert the tooth pick at the center of the cake,if it comes out clean,the cake is done..


5. Let the cake cool down for 5-10 mins before removing it from the pan.. let it cool down completely for another 35-40 mins & then it is ready to serve....


P.S: The batter for this cake is a little runny/diluted,it is not as gooey as the normal cake batter...so dont worry...it is supposed to be that way 


If you want cupcakes,just pour the batter into a cupcake tray lined with cupcake liners...fill in the batter to only 2/3rd of each cupcake mold,it'll rise later....& bake it for 30 mins....once again,just check it with a toothpick and remove once the cakes are completely baked ...... 












Monday, October 3, 2011

Vegetable puffs

This time peeps,I've decided to make an easy snack,which was one of everyone's favorite during their school/college days :) (at least for most of us!!) yup....it is our very own "Vegetable puff"!! I still remember our group of friends,who used to hang around this bakery after college & used to gorge upon samosas & veg puffs....sigh....i miss those days :| anyways....getting back to the point....here goes the recipe :


Ingredients:


  • Store bought puff pastry sheets - 1 sheet
  • 2 medium potatoes (boiled) - cubed
  • 1/2 onion finely chopped
  • 1/2 cup frozen green peas
  • 2 sticks of celery - diced
  • 2 carrots - diced
  • 1 tsp ginger garlic paste
  • 1 tsp coriander+cumin powder
  • 1/2 tsp seasoned salt / to taste
  • 1/2 tsp curry powder
  • 1/4 tsp garam masala
  • 1/4 tsp chilli powder/to taste (optional)
  • 1/2 cup coriander leaves - chopped
  • 2 tbsp oil
  • 1/2 tsp cumin seeds


Directions:

  • Thaw one puff pastry sheet for 30 mins. ( you can make 6 medium sized puffs from 1 sheet)
  • Heat oil in a pan & add cumin seeds. Once they start spluttering add onions. Saute them till they turn translucent & add the ginger garlic paste. Fry them till the raw flavor goes away.
  • To this,add the diced carrots,celery,peas & also add in all the spices mentioned above.
  • Once the carrots turn soft,add the potatoes. Let them cook for 3-4 minutes & then add the chopped coriander.
  • Cut the pastry sheets into 3 parts vertically & cut them in half diagonally so that you get 6 pieces.
  • Fill in 1 tsp of the curry in the center of the pastry sheet & wet the edges slightly with water. Now,just fold them over & seal the edges..it should now look like a rectangle. ( of course,the shape of the puff is entirely your choice...you can also make them look like triangles!! :P )
  • Preheat the oven at 400 F. Place the puffs in a baking sheet & coat them with a little oil for that extra color. Place them in the oven for 15-20 minutes or until they turn golden brown.
  • Remove & serve them with hot coriander/mint chutney or with ketchup.