Samosa

Alright people,


Time for another favorite snack...check out the recipe!!


Ingredients:


For the dough:

• 1 cup all purpose flour
• 1 tsp carom seeds(ajwain)
• 1/2 tsp baking powder
• salt to taste
• 2 tbsp oil
• water

For the filling:

• 4 medium sized potatoes(boiled,peeled & mashed)
• 1/2 medium sized onion - finely chopped
• 1 cup green peas
• 1 tsp red chilli powder
• 1 tsp garlic powder
• 1 tbsp coriander+cumin powder
• 1/2 tsp garam masala
• 1/2 wedge lemon/lime
• 1-2 chopped green chilli
• 1/2 tsp cumin seeds
• 1/2 cup chopped coriander leaves/cilantro
• salt to taste
• oil for deep frying

Directions:

• In a bowl,add the flour,ajwain,baking powder,salt,oil and mix well to form a crumbly mixture.To this,add water & knead into a soft dough. Once done,coat the dough with oil,cover it with a bowl & let it rest for 15-20 minutes.
• Add garlic powder,coriander+cumin powder,red chilli powder,garam masala & salt to the mashed potatoes & keep aside.
• In a pan,heat 1 tbsp of oil & add the cumin seeds.Once they start spluttering,add the chopped onions & fry them till they turn translucent. To this,add the chopped green chilli & saute for 1-2 minutes.
• Once done,add the green peas to this mixture along with some salt & fry them till the peas are soft.
• To this,add the potato mixture & fry till the mixture is cooked thoroughly & gets a nice golden color. Top it off with a garnish of lemon juice & chopped cilantro.
• Cool down this mixture before you start filling the samosas.
• Divide the dough into lemon sized balls & roll them into thin chapatis.
• Cut the chapati in the center,so that you get 2 halves(semi circles). Now,take one end of the half & fold it in the center.Overlap the other edge too on top of it& seal the edges with a little water. You should now have a cone,in which you can stuff the filling.
• Take about 1 tbsp of filling & put it in the cone ( don't over stuff the cone,because you will not be able to seal the samosas properly..) Once you have filled in the samosas,seal the edges with a little water & keep aside.
• Repeat the process. Once you are done filling all the samosas,put them in a plate & cover them with a damp paper towel,so that they don't dry out.
• Heat oil in a vessel (make sure that it is on medium heat) & fry the samosas till they turn golden brown.
• Drain excess oil(if any) on a paper towel & serve hot with green chutney/cranberry chutney.

Methi Muthiya

Hello everyone...


 I've come across this Gujarati recipe that looked delicious...so I've tried it out & realized that it not only looks delicious but it tastes amazing too!! Check out the recipe:


Ingredients:

• 1 cup bengal gram/besan (chickpea flour)
• 1 cup fenugreek leaves chopped finely (methi) ( frozen works too, make sure you thaw it well before adding it and you need not add water additionally this way).
• 1 tsp grated ginger
• 1/2 tsp chilli powder (or as per taste)
• 1 tsp coriander-cumin powder (Jeera-dhaniya powder)
• 1/4 tsp turmeric
• 1 tbsp curd (optional) or 1 tbsp aam choor powder
• 1 tsp sugar
• 1 tbsp vegetable oil ( to add in the dough)
• Salt to taste
• oil for frying

Directions:

• Mix all the ingredients together to form a stiff dough(just make sure that the dough is not too stiff either,the consistency should be the same as chapathi dough). If the dough becomes too thin,add some besan to it & if the dough becomes too stiff,add some water accordingly.
• Roll the dough into dumplings (any shape that you desire).
• Deep fry them in oil until they turn golden brown.
• Drain the excess oil on a paper towel & serve hot with coriander chutney/ketchup.

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.. 

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 ...... 

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.

Sweet potato pie

Hello people,


This time,I've tried baking my first pie(sweet potato) & it turned out pretty well...so here goes the recipe :)


Ingredients :

• 2 large sweet potatoes
• 1 cup sugar
• 1/4 cup butter
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 2 eggs
• 1/2 cup all purpose flour (maida)
• 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
• 1 cup milk
• 1 store bought pie sheet (9")

Directions:

• Boil the potatoes till they become very soft. Drain the water,peel & keep aside.
• Preheat the oven to 350 F.
• Take a bowl & mash the potatoes along with the butter till it becomes a fine paste.
• To this mixture,add sugar,vanilla extract,cinnamon,flour & eggs. Mix well till there are no lumps in the batter. To this,add milk & mix well.
• If the pie sheet is frozen,thaw it at least 30 mins in advance. Place the pie sheet in a 9 inch glass pie plate(grease it with butter/cooking oil before placing the pie sheet) & pour the batter in it.
• Bake the pie in the preheated oven for 1  hour or until done.(check the pie with a toothpick,if the toothpick comes out clean,the pie is done.)
• Remove the pie from the oven & let it cool for 30 minutes. Refrigerate for 1 hour & serve. (You can serve the pie with whipped cream,if you are not concerned about calories :D )