Roasted Vegetable Soup

I generally cook on Sundays as thats when am free and up in the morning last Sunday I had made Soup. All those who know me will tell you Sunday and no chicken...SURPRISE...!!! Well thats a funny little story.

Fudgy Chocolate Brownie

I decided to make something sweet, a sweet way to say sorry to my blog - BUON APPETITO.

Bruleed Lauki Halwa

Cooking can be great fun when we get to enhance our knowledge. Last few weeks thats what I did, I experimented with a lot of ingredients and cusines. I even recreated a few famous dishes from all around the world.Surprisingly the experiments were no failure and I had loads of fun creating all those new dishes.

Black Chicken

Today, I am not sharing anything I tried in Shillong but its a dish I saw in a cookery show called Poh's Kitchen. Well in the show they used some ingredients that I didn't get here and they used beef which I don't eat....so why did I still try out the dish. The answer is in what attracted me....well I was attracted with the name Nasi Kandar aka Black Beef, I mean a black looking dish and appealing...hmmmm.... didn't seem to be very possible at the first shot and I just had to give it a try.

Creamy Egg and Potato Curry

As it has been planned for me, again I am alone with the same routine life and the only real fun time is when I am blogging. As I was alone and not in a very good mood, so I didn't feel like shopping or cooking anything special. So last Sunday was perfect for a easy , simple curry and the Creamy Egg and Potato Curry was part of the menu.

Celebration with Fish in Spinach and Mustard Gravy

The news of my leave being approved is something worth celebrating and today I partied with Fish in Spinach and Mustard Gravy. I consider it to be a very festive dish as its part of my families party food and is created during very special occasions. The last time I had it was when I went to my ancestral home for my aunt's wedding and that was some 10 years back approximately.

Paneer and Pepper Quiche

We all read about food and try to learn new dish for any place avaliable, some recipes sound so interesting that it just gets us thinking....the same happened with me when I read about quiche some years back. My love for eggs is no secret and this dish has eggs as the main ingredient so exciting right . But I didn't know of any place in Bangalore where I could get them and I didn't have oven at that time so I didn't try making it.

Murgh Musallam with Padina Pulav

Since the last 2 weeks the feeling is so intense that I just wanna eat only dishes that remind me of home.. :) . Last weekend I made Bhapa Dim again and this weekend Murgh Musallam. I know that's not a typical Bengali dish but as I have told my mom is a great cook and she makes several types of dishes and this dish is also from her list of creations.

Creamy Broccoli Soup

My liking for broccoli is very recent, in most of the movies they show that no one likes them ; this had an affect on me, I never bought them fearing that I wont like it and it would be a waste.

Florentine Mac and Cheese

My love for pasta is no secret but off late I have been trying out the lighter versions without cheese so today I was up for some indulgence. I baked the dish as I love those crunchy bites of cheese, then it looked very pale and I wanted some color in my plate thats when Cherry Tomatoes and Spinach came into picture.

Orange Cake with Orange Icing

Mangoes mark the start of Summer and Oranges mark the onset of Winter. Shillong has abandace of Oranges, every house has at least 2 orange trees. And in the chill weather, having oranges after lunch is a different feeling all together.

1st BIRTHDAY CELEBRATION WITH 'SALAD RICE WITH SWEET AND SPICY CHICKEN'

It’s been more than a month that I wrote anything. Did I lose the excitement......No way; rather I was caught in the hands of faith. I met with an accident and was in bed-rest all this time. Sadly I missed a lot of important and fun occasions in the process --- I missed to celebrate my blog's birthday, SORRY BUON APPETITO :( , I missed the new year celebration and I even spent my birthday lying in bed. Well no use crying over spilt milk, today I started cooking and I decided to making something that celebrates my cooking experiments and it’s my way of saying sorry to my blog for missing out on her birthday :)

DHANIA CHICKEN / CHICKEN IN CILANTRO SAUCE

Every dish that we make always have a story associated. Some kindles those childhood memories that gets hidden over years and others are those we picked up over the life from some books or resturants or even television... :) . Restaurants and television are the major places from where I collect my inspirations. The recipe I am sharing today has several stories to it as well.

GAJAR HALWA KA PATISHAPTA / SWEET EGGLESS CREPES STUFFED WITH CARROT PUDDING

Diwali is very special for me - I get to be a kid for a day . It’s been 7-8 years that I celebrate Diwali away from my family and with my friends. Although I miss my family but I always enjoy this festival. I start planning from morning, there is shopping for lights to be done and the last minute cracker to purchase. I love decorating my house with diyas and lighting and this is something I do every year, these small diyas always bring a lot of smile.

NUTTY MUTTON AND CRISPY FRIED GREEN TOMATOES WITH RICE

Anyways let get back to the dish , for my final course I decided to make a lamb dish. Every family has some tradition going on for ever and so do we. Since my childhood I have heard that on the Dashmi day , we should not have chicken and we have to make meat(lamb/mutton) only. Although my dad cannot eat meat(lamb/mutton) due to his health condition this tradition is still followed , and so I thought of sticking to it.

CILANTRO RICE WITH TANGY GRAVY AND SPICY FRIED FISH

People say Bengali cuisine is generally related to fish and sweet---actually they are not wrong :D . Being from a Bengali Family, we ate fish everyday. Infact my Baba(daddy) cannot enjoy his food without it even if there are 5-6 courses still he would need a fish dish :) .

MULLIGATAWNY SOUP WITH TOASTED BREAD AND PEA PESTO

OCTOBER.....this is the most festive month of the year. There are endless number for festival from all around the world and I have decided to celebrate them all-----HOW??? With food for sure. :) .

VANILLA SOAKED FRENCH TOAST WITH POACHED PLUMS

All my life the one meal I have skipped is Breakfast....I know it the most important meal of the day and all, but somehow I rarely feel like eating in the morning. One glass of milk is more than enough for me. I have been advised against this by so many people but somehow I just could not .

SPAGHETTI IN SOYABALL SAUCE

Pasta is an ingredient which is always available in my kitchen. Although I have quite recently (4 years now) started making pasta , I immensely enjoy it. A little effort that can bring total satisfaction :) .

CHEESY CAKE

Has it ever happened to you that even after a good dinner your sleep is disturbed late night due to the huge craving for something sweet.....hehehe.....this happened to me last Sunday..... :D

Monday, November 28, 2011

DHANIA CHICKEN / CHICKEN IN CILANTRO SAUCE


Every dish that we make always have a story associated. Some kindles those childhood memories that gets hidden over years and others are those we picked up over the life from some books or resturants or even television... :) . Restaurants and television are the major places from where I collect my inspirations.

The recipe I am sharing today has several stories to it as well. When I was in school, not sure which class, I had gone to visit my maternal uncle and his neighbour had treated us with this dish...although I dont remember how it looked or tasted, I just remember Mom saying..."Need to Try it" :) . My mom is very good in guessing the ingredients just by tasting a dish, so that's how she picked up this recipe. On my 18th birthday , I was having a small party at home and mom made this dish for my friends and everyone loved it....and thats the flavor I remember. :)


I moved to Bangalore in the year 2003---I was sent here by my family only cause my cousin sister was here. For the first year I used to stay in a hostel for the name sake at least , most of the time I would be at her place.... :) .

A very innovative and creative person thats what describes her. She is a very loveable person and honestly till date I have not met anyone that knows her and dislikes her, thats just impossible. She would help anyone and everyone all you have to do is ask even if that ended in choas for her. She always gave her 100% or even more to whatever she did, when she was working she was great and achieved a lot for her age. Now that she is a homemaker, she has a wonderful blog with breath-taking photos---you all know her as Kankana and to me she is my Didibhai.... :) .


She is always more then just a sister, she is my friend--- my comfort pillow :) . We all need someone with whom we can share our secrets and she is that person in my life. There is nothing in my life that she doesn't know and its same with her too.  I have cried and laughed with her several times. My cooking experiments also started while I was with her :) . And one day I decided to treat her and so I made her this dish. She loved it and would often keep taking about the dish :)


Times changed and now she got settled in USA . A few weeks back when she told me that she would be coming to India I was so excited and I had thought to make the same dish for her just to remind her of those days. Sadly she told me she wont be coming to Bangalore :( however I thought to make the dish for her ---- its the thought that counts right.  

This dish is called ------ Dhania Chicken or Chicken in Cilantro Sauce

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FOR DHANIA CHICKEN 
Boneless Chicken  500 gms
Cilantro 500 gms
Onion paste 2-3 tablespoons
Ginger-garlic paste2 teaspoons
Yogurt4-5 tablespoons
Tomato puree4 tablespoons
Paprika2 teaspoons
SaltAs per taste
Ground-Nut Oil2 tablespoons


    DHANIA CHICKEN / CHICKEN IN CILANTRO SAUCE:-
  1. Cut the chicken into small pieces. I used boneless chicken thigh however chicken breast can be used too.
  2. In a bowl marinate the chicken pieces with ginger-garlic paste and yogurt. Let it stand for 30 min.
  3. Blend the cilantro with slight water till it forms a smooth-green puree.
  4. Heat oil in a large pan and add the onion paste. Fry till the water is absorbed and till it gets a slight brown color.
  5. Add the marinated chicken pieces to the fried onion. 
  6. Add salt to the pan, cover and cook the chicken over low flame till all the water is evaporated and the chicken is soft.
  7. Mix tomato puree and paprika with little water and pour it on the cooking chicken.
  8. Cook the chicken over medium flame till all the water is soaked.
  9. Pour the green puree to the chicken and let it cook. The color changes from green to greenish brown when the dish is cooked.
  10. Garnish it with butter poached cherry tomatoes.
             
    The dish goes well with Paratha or Chapati. I had it with sesame coated butter naan.

    Priyanka

    Thursday, November 24, 2011

    QUICK EASY MEALS FOR THE GOURMAND ON THE GO --- Guest Post by Carolyn Knight

    Today is a very special day for BUON APPETITO. I have the very first guest to welcome in my blog. I love to be surprised---in a good way that ends in me being happy and a few days back when I got a mail for Carolyn Knight that filled me with joy and I could not stop smiling :) .

    Prior to today I didnt have any guest post in my blog-----frankly I dont know how it works actually , and then Carolyn introduced me to it.Carolyn is a reader of my blog and is concerned about healthy and nutritious meal. I for one need to learn a lot from her :) . 



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    Quick Easy Meals for the Gourmand on the Go

    So you’ve only got 30 minutes to get dinner on the table, and takeout is seriously not an option … again. Fortunately there are plenty of quick easy meals that can be put together with little fuss. Cut down on prep work, choose a protein with a short cook time, and you’ll discover a lot of delicious meals can be prepared from scratch with these easy options.

    Fish as a main dish is a good way to cut down on prep and cook time. Go directly to the fish person at the market and have the fish cleaned, or buy cuts that you don’t have to do anything to except rinse before cooking. Pan-seared salmon or halibut don’t take any time at all. A pre-made pesto is an acceptable option; however, you can make this simple pumpkin seed chimichurri in just a few minutes!

    Ingredients to serve 4:

    Fresh Salmon – About 1 lb.
    Shelled Pumpkin Seeds – ½ c.
    Cilantro – 1 bundle
    Lemon – 1 small (juiced)
    Garlic – 2 cloves
    Extra Virgin Olive Oil – ¼ c.
    Coriander Seeds – ½ tsp.
    Salt and pepper to taste

    Method:

    In a large skillet, heat a little bit of oil over medium heat, and place the salmon skin side down to sear for about 6 minutes or till opaque, all the way through. Toast the pumpkin seeds in a skillet for about 2 minutes, till they start to smell aromatic. Then, put on a paper towel to cool. In a small food processor, pulse garlic, cilantro, lemon juice, pumpkin seeds, salt, pepper, and olive oil to make a simple chimichurri sauce to top the salmon. Serve with a side of sautéed spinach or asparagus. Try using a little bit of garlic, lemon juice, and olive oil to get the job done with a tad more flavor.

    If red meat is what you crave, but you don’t think you have the time, try pan searing individual rack of lamb segments. Salt and pepper each rack and place in a large skillet over medium heat with garlic, sage leafs, and a touch of olive oil. Chop fresh herbs and mix into butter to dab on top of the lamb as it comes off the stove. 3 minutes on each side should be plenty for a rare center, moist and full of flavor. Let the lamb rest outside of the pan for a couple of minutes before serving.

    It doesn’t have to be time consuming or super complex for it to be a tasty and elegant meal. Try whipping up one of these quick easy meals for your family tonight!

    Priyanka

    Wednesday, November 9, 2011

    GAJAR HALWA KA PATISHAPTA / SWEET EGGLESS CREPES STUFFED WITH CARROT PUDDING


    On the 26 October 2011, Wednesday we celebrated the festival of light - Diwali or Deepavali, it is celebrated on the New Moon Day after Dashera. This festival brings immense happiness and joy to one and all. There are so many wonderful things about Diwali celebration - the puja done at home, the lighting of the diyas - small clay lamps filled with oil, bursting of crackers and the special homemade sweets.


    There are lot of significant mythological events associated with Diwali.
    • It marks the return of Lord Rama with his brother Lakshman and wife Site to Ayodhya after 14 years of Vanvas. The subjects of Ayodhya decorated the entire city with diyas.
    • The day is associated with Pandavas returning from 12years exile as they were defeated by Kauravas. The people of Hastinapur celebrated their Kings' return by lighting diyas.
    • The Goddess Kali is worshiped on this day. It depicts the victory of Good over Evil, so the dark night is illuminated with diyas and crackers.


    Diwali is very special for me - I get to be a kid for a day :) . It’s been 7-8 years that I celebrate Diwali away from my family and with my friends. Although I miss my family but I always enjoy this festival. I start planning from morning, there is shopping for lights to be done and the last minute cracker to purchase. I love decorating my house with diyas and lighting and this is something I do every year, these small diyas always bring a lot of smile.

    Then the final part - burst crackers as much as I can, I really feel like a kid -- literally jumping with joy as they burst and then laugh out loud :)


    But this year I did one thing different--made some sweets at home :) - one of them was Gajar Halwa ka Patishapta (Sweet Egg-less Crepes stuffed with Carrot Pudding) .

    Patishapta is a very common Bengali sweet, its sweet egg-less crepes stuffed with sweet coconut or sweet khoya filling. This sweet is made is almost all Bengali house to celebrate Makar Sankranti which is mostly in the between (January to February). India being a predominantly agrarian country the harvesting season is joyfully celebrated throughout the country. However I can have Patishapta anytime....it’s mine and Baba's favourite sweet...so Patishapta in Diwali.


    As you know me by now I love to experiment with foods and so I decided to stuff my Patishapta stuffed with Carrot Halwa rather than Coconut or Khoya and called it Gajar Halwa ka Patishapta and served it with Rabdi



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    FOR GAJAR HALWA 
    Carrot 7-8 medium sized
    Ghee 2 tablespoons
    Milk 3 cups
    Condensed Milk1/2 cup
    Cardamom powder1/2 teaspoon
    Sugar2-3 tablespoon


    FOR PATISHAPTA 
    Maida/All Purpose Flour 2cups
    Semolina 1/2 cup
    Sugar 1 & 1/4 cup
    Water 2-3 cups
    Salt As per taste
    Oil2 tablespoon


    FOR RABDI 
    Milk 2 cups
    Condensed Milk 1 cup
    Almond 4 numbers
    Pistachio 7 numbers


        GAJAR HALWA/CARROT PUDDING:-
    1. Grate all the carrots finely.
    2. Heat ghee in a pan, add the carrot and fry till the carrots soften and are properly fried (see that the color is kept intact).
    3. In a separate pan, add milk , condensed milk and sugar. Bring it to boil .
    4. Add cardamom powder to the sweet-boiled milk and simmer it in low flame for 5 min
    5. To the frying carrot add the milk and keep cooking in low heat till the milk is completely absorbed.
    6. Remove it in a bowl and set it aside. Let the pudding cool slightly.

        PATISHAPTA/SWEET EGG-LESS CREPES:-
    1. In a large pan add water and sugar and let them boil till the sugar dissolves completely
    2. In a separate bowl , mix maida/all purpose floor , semolina and salt.
    3. Pour the sugar syrup to the dry mix and whisk well till a batter of crepes consistency is formed. 
    4. Let the batter stand for at least half an hour.
    5. In a flat non-stick pan, brush oil. The oil should be very less, so I used the head of the brinjal to spread the oil .
    6. Using a ladle pour the batter to the pan and evenly distribute the batter in a circular shape.
    7. When it can hold the shape and the bottom is partially done, put a little amount of the carrot halwa lengthwise on one side.
    8. Using a spatula start folding the sides like an omelet. 
    9. Fry for 3-4 min more, see that the color is not changes.

       RABDI:-
    1. Dry roast pistachio and almond. 
    2. Grind the nuts very finely.
    3. In a pan, add the milk and condensed milk. Bring it to boil.
    4. Keep stirring occasionally till the sweeten milk is slightly thicken.
    5. Add the grounded nuts to the milk and stir them well till it gets a smooth consistency.
    6. Let the rabdi cool down
           
    Plate the patishaptas in a flat dish , garnish with toasted pistachios. Serve with the Rabdi.

    Priyanka

    Monday, October 31, 2011

    NUTTY MUTTON & CRISPY FRIED GREEN TOMATOES WITH RICE


    If you have read the last 2 post, you would know that I am sharing the dishes I made to celebrate Dashmi--the last day of Durga Puja. For starter I had MULLIGATAWNY SOUP WITH TOASTED BREAD AND PEA PESTO, the first main course was CILANTRO RICE WITH TANGY GRAVY & SPICY FRIED FISH and now the final course.

    When I was in Shillong, the Dashmi day used to be totally busy and fun-filled. We had to get up early and go to the pandals to see 'Shidoor-Khela' -- its the final ritual before the immersion. The married ladies would apply vermilion on the feet , banglesand forhead of the goddess and then give her some sweets, the best part is when the ladies start applying vermilion on each other......in a way they look very beautiful :) . The student would go for 'Boi Chuwano' -- they would take all the books and place it on the goddess feet , to seek her blessing for the upcoming exams... :) . Anyways after that we would come home and all of us would sit down for the heavy lunch of atleast 7-8 items both savory and sweet. And all those dishes would be created by Mamoni(Mom) before she went for the 'Shidoor-Khela'....great right..!!!! . In the evening we would go to visit the relatives and stuff ourselves with more sweets. Finally at night we be enjoying some cultural meet....So much fun..!!! 

                 

    According to me, being away from home during the festivals is very bad idea but at times things dont work in our favor and this year it worked against me. I was stuck here all alone :( however I decided to celebrate it with my best companion - food. 


    Anyways let get back to the dish , for my final course I decided to make a lamb dish. Every family has some tradition going on for ever and so do we. Since my childhood I have heard that on the Dashmi day , we should not have chicken and we have to make meat(lamb/mutton) only. Although my dad cannot eat meat(lamb/mutton) due to his health condition this tradition is still followed , and so I thought of sticking to it. 


    The very next question that came to my head was how do I make it,I mean I have made mutton earlier but as always wanted to try something new. I was tilted toward Mutton Rogan Josh , thats mainly cause I like it and also I have never tried making it at home. So I did some research and found out all the various version of the dish and I decided to try the Kashmiri Version--- I had noted down all the ingredients necessary and I even bought eveything. However when the cooking time came something happened in between and I dropped the plan of making Rogan Josh WHY??? I dont know....this just keeps happening to me, I would plan something and end up making something else.... :) . So I ended up making a new mutton dish. Also made some crispy fried tomatoes, had seen the dish in a cookery show called Chuck's Day Off sometime back and had been planning to try it. So what's the last course, well it is ---- Nutty Mutton & Crispy Fried Green Tomato with Rice...!!!


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    FOR NUTTY MUTTON 
    Mutton (medium sized) 500 gms
    Onion 2 medium sized
    Ginger-Garlic paste 1 tablespoon
    Dried red chilly5-6 number
    Almond5-6 number
    Pistachio 7-8 number
    Cashewnut 5-6 number
    Raisin 9-10 number
    Yogurt 2-3 tablespoon
    Cumin Seed 1 teaspoon
    Salt As per taste
    Oil 4-5 tablespoon


    FOR CRISPY FRIED GREEN TOMATOES 
    Green Tomatoes 2-3 numbers
    Flour 3 tablespoon
    Egg 2 numbers
    Breadcrumb 4 tablespoon
    Red Chilly Flakes 1 teaspoon
    Dried Basil  1 teaspoon
    Salt As per taste
    Oil1 teaspoon


        NUTTY MUTTON:-
    1. Soak the dried red chilly in a bowl of warm water for at least 10 min.
    2. Dry roast the nuts - almond, pistachio and cashewnut over low flame till the are done.
    3. Blend together the roasted nuts, raisins and the soaked dried red chilly with little water  till it forms a smooth paste.
    4. Separately blend the onion and ginger-garlic paste to form a smooth paste.
    5. Heat oil in a pan and add the cumin seed. Then add the onion paste and cook till it done.
    6. Add the mutton pieces to the pan; add salt and cover the pan for 10 min.
    7. Whisk the yogurt to the spicy nut paste till it gets smooth.
    8. Pour the yogurt-nut paste to the cooking mutton and let it cook for 20 min.
    9. Add some water and salt to the cooking mutton, cover the pot and let it simmer in low heat for at least 1 & half hour.
    10. When the mutton is soften, remove the cover and let it cook till the sauce thickens and is no longer running.



       CRISPY FRIED GREEN TOMATOES:-
    1. Cut unpeeled tomatoes in cross-section into 1/2 inch slices. 
    2. Beat the egg in a bowl with a pinch of salt. And spread out the flour in a plate.
    3. Place the breadcrumbs in a different plate. Add salt,chilly flakes and dried parsley to the crumbs and mix them properly.
    4. Coat the tomato pieces with flour. then dip it in the egg and coat it.
    5. Finally coat the egg dipped tomato pieces in the breadcrumb mixture and press slightly so that the crumbs stick to the tomatoes.
    6. Heat oil in a pan, and fry the tomato pieces till the pieces are properly done and crunchy.

    It was a great ending to the festivity.. :) . I didn't make any sweet dish coz that was my Diwali plan.. 

    Priyanka







    Tuesday, October 18, 2011

    CILANTRO RICE WITH TANGY GRAVY & SPICY FRIED FISH


    The Mulligatawny soup with Toasted Bread and Pea Pesto was totally refreshing.....the sweet and tangy taste of the soup with the garlicy pesto was mmmm :) . Now lets move to the main courses and we will start with a FISH dish.

    People say Bengali cuisine is generally related to fish and sweet---actually they are not wrong :D . Being from a Bengali Family, we ate fish everyday. Infact my Baba(daddy) cannot enjoy his food without it even if there are 5-6 courses still he would need a fish dish :) . Me and my sister are not inclined towards fish (not real Bengalies may be... :D ), when we go out to any party as a family and if we (me and my sister) didn't eat the fish dish....then coming back home Baba would actually take our case---Why did you eat the fish dish? ... his most common question. Although I don't like seafood so much but ones a month I get the craving for fish , we bengalies eat every part of the fish--head to tail. As I have noticed most part of the world people discard the head but we have a lot of awesome dishes with that too -- I know it may sound very unappetizing but for me its UUU LA LA LA...!! :) .


    Well lets get to the story behind the dish. Recently I have developed a crazy of using fruits in savory dishes and you would be finding me doing that very often...honestly it does enhances the taste of the dishes. This dish is inspired by a cookery show in the TV called 'Twist of Taste with Vineet Bhatia' I like this series coz the chef Vinnet Bhatia uses the local dishes and re-creates a high class dish with the local produce.

    As I have shared when I decided to make a dish I just have to make it , but unfortunately I could not find all the ingredients he had used and I had not even noted down the process he followed so I added my twist to the already twisted dish :D .  I wanted to use fish fillets for the dish so I tried cooking with Tilapia for the first time.....and I just loved the fish and will be using it in future too. For the gravy the chef used raw mangoes, but where do I get raw mangoes now...so I used star fruit. Well the star fruit we got in my hometown - Shillong would be so tangy that using one would be just enough and we mostly used it for pickle but the ones I got here was not so sour so I used almost 3 of them for the right sourness. 

    I call my dish Cilantro Rice with Tangy Gravy and Spicy Fried Fish.


    Star Fruit also known as Carambola is a type of tropical fruit. The fruit has ridges on its sides (mainly 5), in cross-section it resembles a star and that's how it got the name.The star fruit has waxy, green to golden yellow skin with a citricy flavor that resembles the lemon or pineapple.
    The fruit is rich in Vitamin C and antioxidant. It has some amount of Vitamin B which helps to reduce the risk of stroke and heart attacks.The fruit is beneficial for blood and bones as it contains potassium , iron , calcium and magnesium.The star fruit is rich in soluble fiber, which can be useful to reduce cholesterol levels.

    Tilapia is a fresh water fish.Its a mild flavored fish that holds the seasoning very well. The best methods to cook the tilapia -- grilling and baking but not that we cannot try out the other options.
    Tilapia is rich in protein and low in calorie count. Its a great source of omega-3 fatty acid which helps to prevent blood pressure and heart disease.

    Shared the dish with - Foodie Wednesday @ Frugal Wannabe Cooks ; Real Food Wednesday ; WFMW: An Awesome Tradition ; Welcome Wednesday ; Homestead Barn Hop #32 ; Domestically Divine Tuesday & These Chicks Cooked Link Party - Featuring Your Recipes from All Around Blogland #22

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    FOR TANGY GRAVY 
    Star fruit 3 numbers
    Ginger(finely chopped) 1/2 tablespoon
    Yogurt 2 tablespoon
    Mustard seed1 teaspoon
    Jaggery1 small cube
    Salt As per taste
    Oil 1 teaspoon


    FOR SPICY FRIED FISH 
    Tilapia fillets Fillet from 1 fish
    Onion 1 small sized
    Garlic cloves 2 numbers
    Tomato puree 1 tablespoon
    Turmeric powder 1/2 teaspoon
    Cumin powder  1 teaspoon
    Paprika 1 teaspoon
    Salt As per taste
    Oil1 teaspoon


    FOR CILANTRO RICE 
    Basmati Rice 1 cup
    Onion 1 medium sized
    Garlic 2 cloves
    Cilantro 2 medium sized bunches
    Milk 1 cup
    Salt As per taste
    Oil1 teaspoon



      TANGY GRAVY:-
    1. Blanch the star fruits. Remove from the boiling water within 2-3 min.
    2. Blend the star fruit without any extra water as it would give out a good amount of water.
    3. Heat a pan and add the star fruit puree to the pan and let it cook over low heat.
    4. Remove the pan from heat after 5 min, whisk the yogurt and pour it to the pan.
    5. Stir the star fruit puree, yogurt and salt till it is properly incorporated. 
    6. Place the mixture back on a very low heat and let it cook for not more then 5-6 mins.
    7. Strain the liquid sauce using a muslin cloth. 
    8. Heat a clean pan, add oil and mustard seed. After the spattering has stopped add the chopped ginger. 
    9. Add the fresh strained liquid in the pan and cook for 2 min. Then add the jaggery and stir till the jaggery is mixed thoroughly.
      SPICY FRIED FISH:-
    1. Blend together onion and garlic.
    2. In a small bowl, mix the onion-garlic paste with tomato puree , turmeric powder , cumin powder , paprika and salt.
    3. Clean the fish fillets and place it in a zip pouch bag. Pour the marinate on top of the fish fillets and mix it up. Let this stand for 1/2 hour.
    4. Heat oil in a pan and fry the fish over medium heat just 5 min on each side or till the either sides get caramelized.
      CILANTRO RICE:-
    1. Pressure cook the rice till it is parboiled. Finely chop the onion and the cilantro.
    2. In a large pan, heat oil and add the chopped onion. 
    3. Fry the onion till it turns translucent, then add the chopper cilantro and salt and cook f0r 3-4 min.
    4. Add the parboiled rice to the pan add cook it for another 5 min.
    5. Pour in the milk and cook again for 5 more min or till the milk is totally soaked in.
    6. The dish is ready to be served. 
                           
        A wonderful dish that was ready in a few minutes . Totally enjoyed it .. :)       

        Priyanka







        Tuesday, October 11, 2011

        MULLIGATAWNY SOUP WITH TOASTED BREAD AND PEA PESTO



        OCTOBER.....this is the most festive month of the year. There are endless number for festival from all around the world and I have decided to celebrate them all-----HOW??? With food for sure. :) . 

        My month long festivity started with Durga Puja----a festival most awaited by bengalis. We actually wait for 361 days to celebrate the 4 days of Puja. The beautiful statues of the goddess in the midst of light shows , dak(drums) and aromatic foods is breath-taking.


        This is the first time in years that I have been away from my family and I was sad, but that didnt stop me from Pandal-hopping. It was a refreshing feeling and the sound of dhak(drums) just suppressed all sorrows :). I tried out a lots of lovely food but the one street food without which Durga Puja seems incomplete for me is Egg Roll. Since my childhood during all the days of Durga Puja we would litterally bug my father till he bought us the super delicious Egg Rolls :) and I still have the same craving.


        The last day of Durga Puja is called Dashami, when the statues are paraded around the city before being submerged in the lakes or rivers. With all the missed feeling in heart, we spend the rest of the day feasting with all the wonderful dishes --- both savory and sweet. This year, although away from home, I had a feast in my house here ... not on the Dashami day but on the following Sunday :) . Ya I was alone but food kept me accompanied and at the end of the week I was feeling better :D .

        I will be sharing all the recipes with you all.Lets start with the starter -- Mulligatawny soup with Toasted Bread and Pea Pesto


         Mulligatawny means "pepper water" or "pepper broth" in Tamil. The became popular with the British stationed in India during colonial times, during the late 18th century and later.  They took the recipe back to England and made variations to suit their tastes and it became a well-loved classic. There are many versions to the original recipe and I tried my own twig to the classic.


        Pesto originated in Genoa, North Italy. Its a sauce traditionally made with garlic,basil and pine nuts grounded along with olive oil and cheese. Currently there are many different types of pesto sauces made all around the world. My pesto had Pea as the main ingredient another small change to classic.


        Mulligatwany SoupShared my recipe with My City Cuisine



        Print Page
        FOR MULLIGATAWNY SOUP 
        Apple 2 numbers
        Pineapple 1/2 of a medium sized
        Carrot 2 number
        Potato2 number
        Baby onion1 cup
        Red Bell Pepper 1 medium sized
        Peas 1 cup
        Corns 1 cup
        Ginger grated 1 teaspoon
        All purpose Floor 1/3 cup
        Curry Powder 1 teaspoon
        Milk 1 cup
        Salt As per taste
        Pepper 1/3 teaspoon
        Oil 1/2 tablespoon


        FOR TOASTED BREAD AND PEA PESTO 
        Peas 2 cups
        Cilantro 1 bunch
        Pine Nuts 1/2 cup
        Garlic cloves 2 numbers
        Salt As per taste
        Oil1 teaspoon



          MULLIGATAWNY SOUP:-
        1. Boil corn till its a little soft but still having a slight crunch.
        2. Cut the carrot , potato and red bell pepper into cubes.The fruits are also cut into cubes.
        3. The baby onions are only peeled and the shape is kept intact.
        4. Heat oil in a large pan, add the ginger and saute till the oil get a gingery smell.
        5. Add the  potatoes , carrot , red bell pepper and baby onion to the pan. Saute for 5 -6 min.Then add the peas , corns , apples and pineapple and saute for 5-6 min again.
        6. Add curry powder, black pepper and salt to the pan and cook for 2-3 min.
        7. Finally stir in the flour and gradually add milk to the pan, keep stiring so that no lump is created.
        8. If needed add hot water(I needed it :) ) and let it boil. Reduce heat; cover and simmer for 20-30 minutes.


          TOASTED BREAD AND PEA PESTO:-
        1. To toast the bread, grill the bread slices in a sandwich maker.
        2. For the pea pesto : boil the peas till it slightly soft and remove it instantly and cool under running water
        3. In the food processor pulse together the soften peas , cilantro , pine nuts and garlic cloves. When done add salt and pulse for a few seconds only.
        4. In a pan, add oil and add the pea-cilantro mash. Stir for 3 min max.
                               
            A hot toast with a dab of pesto along with the warm,sweet and sour soup.. :)       

            Priyanka







            Saturday, September 17, 2011

            VANILLA SOAKED FRENCH TOAST WITH POACHED PLUMS


            All my life the one meal I have skipped is Breakfast....I know it the most important meal of the day and all, but somehow I rarely feel like eating in the morning. One glass of milk is more than enough for me. I have been advised against this by so many people but somehow I just could not  However things do change at times, and I woke up hungry today..!!! I think its due to the Masterchef Australia....just before sleeping off thats what I watched and was tempted with all the wonderful creations and may be thats what made me hungry.. :) 

            Whenever I make breakfast it would be either of those -- french toast or pancake. So following the same habit I decided to make some type of French Toast, that when I remember a French Toast idea by one of my fav. cook Nigella Lawson. A new series of her cooking - Nigella Kitchen had started in TLC some time back and they would have a repeat telecast at 3:00am.....during those days I would actually make it a point to leave office by 2:30am so that I am in time for the show.... :) . Honestly, its not only her recipes that captivates me but also they way she presents it.....in my opinion, she encourages everyone to cook. 


            Lets get back to the dish....I had twigged her recipe a little to suit my taste buds and definately to fit in the ingredients that were available... :) Hence my version of Vanilla soaked French Toast with Poached Plums was created... This is the first time I tried a sweet French Toast and totally loved it. As I was totally packed for the last few weeks with new releases in office and final exams and final project submission.....this was a great way to relax myself... :)


            Print Page
            FOR FRENCH TOAST 
            White Bread Slice 4 numbers
            Egg 1 number
            Caster Sugar 1 tablespoon
            Vanilla Essence1 teaspoon
            Milk1 cup
            Salt Only a pinch
            Oil Enough to coat the base of pan


            FOR POACHED PLUMS 
            Large Plums 8 numbers
            Black grape juice 1 cup
            Caster Sugar Half cup
            Water Half cup
            Cinnamon Stick1 stick
            NutmegA small quantity grated
            SaltOnly a pinch



              FRENCH TOAST:-
            1. In a large plate; mix milk , egg , vanilla essence , caster suger  and salt thoroughly.
            2. Place the bread on the plate let it soak for 5 min.
            3. Turn the bread pieces over and soak the other side for 5 min more.
            4. Heat oil in a frying pan, and place the soaked-up bread pieces and it fry over medium heat.
            5. Fry the bread pieces from side-to side till it looks crunchy on top and soft(not soggy) in the center.
              POACHED PLUMS:-
            1. Cut the plums into halves.
            2. In a wide saucepan, add half cup water and caster suger and let it cook in medium flames till the suger dissolves.
            3. Add the black grape juice to the saucepan and let it cook for 2 min.
            4. Then add cinnamon stick ,nutmeg and salt to the saucepan and let it boil till the mixture becomes syrupy.
            5. Bring the saucepan out of flames, and arrange the plums in it. 
            6. Poach the plums in low heat for 10 min or till the plums are tender.
                 ASSEMBLING:-
              1. In a plate, arrange the French Toast. Place the Poached Plums on the toast.
              2. Add the sweet-sour sauce on and around the toast.
                                   
                A hot cup of  Masala tea with the sweet and sour French Toast was a great start for the weekend. :)       

                Priyanka






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