Semiya Kesari – Vermicelli Kesari
Kesari also known as Sheera or Sooji Halwa is a delicious Indian dessert made with semolina or vermicelli and sugar. We generally make it is as an offering (prasad) to God or for special occasions. This Kesari is made with vermecelli and it will be a nice variation if you always use sooji. Kids will also love it. Since it takes only a few minutes to make this you don’t have to plan ahead. You can make it for an unexpected guest or surprise your kids when they come back from school. It reminds me of my childhood days when my mom surprises with different kind of sweets and snacks…:) Also check out our recipe for Rava Kesari. Preparation time: 30 minutes No. of servings: 5 to 6 Ingredients: Semiya (vermicelli) – 1.5 cups Water – 2 1/4 cups Sugar – 1.5 cups (adjust to taste) Broken cashew nut – 2 tbsp Raisins – 1 or 2 tbsp Powdered cardamom – 1/4 tsp Ghee or clarified butter – 4 tbsp Orange food color – a pinch Method of Preparation: Add a tablespoon of ghee in a heavy bottom pan and roast the semiya till golden . Do not let it become brown. Boil water and add food color followed by the roasted semiya. Let it cook over medium heat and stir frequently. When semiya becomes soft and water is reduced add sugar and mix well. Sugar melts and starts boiling. When it starts thickening add 2 tbsp of ghee and keep stirring for 2 to 3 minutes. When everything comes together and the kesari is still loose turn off the stove. If you keep cooking for a long time sugar gets sticky and the semiya will become hard. So remove from heat at the right time. Heat a tablespoon of ghee in a small pan and fry cashew nut until golden brown. Add raisins and let it puff up. Add fried cashew nut and raisins to the semiya kesari and mix well. Mix well, transfer it to a serving bowl. Delicious Semiya Kesari is ready. Serve hot....
Spicy Kadai Paneer
It’s my long overdue to post this recipe. I’ve made this curry a few months ago and since then I wanted to post this recipe. Lazy me :-). Paneer is my all time favorite and I love any dish with paneer. My parents were here this summer and I know my mom loves paneer too. so I was wondering one day what to cook using paneer suddenly Kadai paneer came into my thoughts. Tried this recipe and it came out really tasty. Its a very simple and easy recipe. My parents loved it. It’s little bit spicy so if you are a non-spicy person cut down the spice level. Preparation Time: 45 minutes No of servings : 3-4 Spice Level : 3 out of 5 Ingredients: Ingredients Paneer/Cottage Cheese : 250g Tomatoes : 5 (finely chopped) Green Chilies : 2 (chopped) Garlic : 7 (Crushed or finely chopped) Ginger : 1 1/2 ” crushed Green Bell Pepper : 2 (thinly sliced) Whole red chilies : 5-6 Coriander seeds : 11/2 tbsp Dry Fenugrek Leaves : 2 tsp Garam Masala Powder : 1/2 tsp Coriander Leaves : 1/4 cup Salt to taste Method Of Preparation: Heat Oil in a kadai and add crushed ginger and garlic. Saute it until the raw smell disappears. Now add the chopped tomatoes and fry them till it become soft. Roast the coriander seeds and red chilies and grind them into coarse powder. After 10 minutes once the tomatoes become soft add the coarse powder. Cook until the whole mixture becomes thick and starts to leave oil. Now add the sliced capsicum and chopped green chilies. Saute the capsicum for 7-8 minutes. Now add garam masala powder and salt to the above mixture. Now finally add the paneer and cook the paneer for 5 minutes in the masala. Finally add kasuri methi/dry fenugrek leaves, coriander leaves. Mix and saute for 2-3 minutes. Remove from heat and serve it hot with Rotis or...
Paneer Jalebi – Chanar Jalebi
Paneer Jalebi or Chanar Jalebi is a delicious cheese dessert made with fresh cottage cheese or paneer. It will be a nice variation from the regular jalebi. It is airy, soft and juicy. My fried told me about this dish and she asked me give it a try. I am glad I did. It turned out so good and I loved it. Try this dish for any special occasions or festivals and enjoy with your family. Preparation time: 90 minutes Yield: 18 to 20 Ingredients: Fresh Paneer – 1 cup Corn flour – 1 tbsp Maida (all purpose flour) – 1 tbsp Baking powder – 1/2 tsp Milk – 2 to 3 tbsp Cardamom – 4 (powdered) Rose essence – 1 tsp Saffron – a few strands Orange food color – a pinch (dissolved in 1 tbsp of water) Sugar – 1 cup Oil for frying Method of Preparation: Prepare fresh paneer and hang it for sometime. When the paneer is still wet mix it with corn flour, maida, baking powder, half of cardamom powder and 1/2 tsp of rose essence. Add it to a blender or mixer grinder and make a paste by adding milk. Add one tablespoon at a time. Make a loose paste. I used a piping bag for making jalebis. You can also use zip-lock bags or squeeze bottle. Fill the piping bag with paneer mixture. Boil sugar with 1/2 cup of water. Allow sugar to dissolve and the syrup starts boiling. When it is sticky turn off the stove and remove from heat and add remaining cardamom powder, 1/2 tsp of rose essence, saffron and orange food color. Mix well. Heat oil. When oil is hot enough squeeze the paneer mixture in circles or any shape. Turn both the sides and cook until golden. Remove from oil, drain the excess oil and drop it in the syrup. Repeat the procedure and finish the rest the of the paneer. Let the jalebi soak in the syrup for 2 hours. Delicious Paneer Jalebi is...
Kasi Halwa – Poosanikkai Halwa
Kasi Halwa is a traditional South Indian dessert made with ash gourd or poosanikkai. This halwa is served in weddings and special occasions. It is one of the most delicious halwa I have eaten and definitely made it to my favorites list. You need very less ghee to make this dish and the ingredients are pretty simple. Only thing is the yield is less compared to the amount of vegetable you use. Try this delicious Halwa for this Diwali and enjoy with your family and friends. Preparation time: 75 minutes No. of servings: 7 to 8 Ingredients: White pumpkin or ash gourd – 4 lb (around 2 kg) Sugar – 2 1/2 cups (500 grams) Cardamom – 4 Cashew nut – 2 tbsp Ghee or clarified butter – 3 tbsp Orange food color – a big pinch Method of Preparation: Peel the skin of ash gourd and shred it. I used my food processor for shredding which made the job easy and no mess. Tie the shredded vegetable in a clean kitchen cloth or a muslin cloth and squeeze the excess liquid. Steam cook the vegetable. I lined the idli plate with a clean cloth and spread the vegetable, covered it with the cloth and steam cooked it for 20 minutes or until cooked. You can boil the vegetable with some water and cook until tender, but steam cooking is faster. You will be able to mash the vegetable easily once it is cooked. Let it cool and again squeeze the excess liquid and measure. I got about 2 and 1/2 cups of cooked vegetable. Based on this we will add sugar. Grind it to a paste. There can be a few chucks here and there. Heat a pan and add sugar with 1 cup of water. Let sugar dissolve and bring it to a boil. When the syrup starts thickening add ground vegetable and mix well. Mix the food color in a few drops of water and add it to the pan and mix well. Keep stirring over medium heat until it starts sticking to the pan. Add a tablespoon of ghee and keep stirring. When it starts leaving the sides of the pan and becomes thick, remove from heat. Do not keep it for a long time over heat since sugar starts crystallizing later.Fry cashew nut in a tablespoon of ghee until golden brown and add it to the prepared halwa along with cardamom powder. Mix...
Vegetable Bonda
Vegetable Bonda is a popular snack made with mixed vegetables which is then dipped in a gram flour (besan) batter and fried in oil. It is more like Aloo Bonda but with a lot of other vegetables in it. You can serve it as an evening snack with a cup of tea or as an appetizer. Serve it with coconut chutney. Preparation time: 75 minutes Yield: 16 Spice level: 2.5 out of 5 Ingredients: Potatoes – 2 or 3 (big) Mixed vegetables – 2 cups (peas, carrots, beetroot, beans, cauliflower) Medium size onion – 1 Green chilies – 3 Cumin seeds – 1/2 tsp Mustard seeds – 1/2 tsp Finely chopped ginger – 1 tbsp Chili powder – 1/2 tsp Oil – 1 tbsp Chopped coriander leaves (cilantro) – 1/4 cup Salt to taste Oil for frying For Batter: Besan (gram flour) – 1 cup Corn flour or rice flour – 3 tbsp Salt to taste A pinch of asafoetida A pinch of baking soda Method of Preparation: Boil or pressure cook potatoes, peel the skin, mash it and set it aside. While mashing do not mash it too much. Let there be a few lumps here and there. Chop onion and all the vegetables into small pieces. Boil the vegetables (peas, carrots, beetroot, beans, cauliflower) with a cup of water. Cover and cook until they are fully cooked. Drain the excess liquid and set it aside. In the same pan, heat a tbsp of oil and ad mustard seeds. When it splutters add cumin seeds and then onion. Saute onions until translucent. Add finely chopped ginger and green chilies. Cook for a 2 – 3 minutes. Add the cooked vegetables along and mash them. Add chili powder and salt, mix well and cook for 5 minutes or until the raw smell is gone. Add the mashed potatoes and mix everything well. After a couple of minutes turn off the stove and let it cool. Preparation of Batter and Bonda: In a bowl mix all the ingredients required for making batter. Add water and make a thick batter with no lumps. Heat oil for frying. Make small balls from the prepared vegetable mixture. Dip the balls one by one in the batter and drop it in oil. Turn both the sides and fry until golden. Remove from oil and place it on a plate lined with paper towel. Repeat the procedure with the rest of the batter. Serve hot with coconut...
Stuffed Mini Peppers
Stuffed Mini Peppers are perfect party appetizers. They are easy to make and you can prepare them ahead and pop them in the oven just before the party. I got the idea of making this dish from Giada’s foodnetwork show. But I made the filling with an Indian touch. These are crunchy and mild, a little sweet when you bite with a savory touch inside. Their lovely colors attract both kids and adults and well garnish your table. Preparation time: 45 minutes Yield: 16 stuffed peppers Spice level: 2 out of 5 Ingredients: Stuffed mini peppers – 16 Paneer – 1 cup Cream cheese – 1/4 cup Onion – 3/4 cup Green chilies – 2 Garlic pods – 4 Fresh mint leaves – 2 tbsp Fresh cilantro – 1 tbsp Turmeric powder – 1/4 tsp Oil – 3 tsp Salt and pepper Method of Preparation: Preheat oven to 350ºF. Heat a tsp of oil in a pan saute onions and add finely chopped garlic and green chilies. Add chopped mint, cilantro, turmeric powder and toss for a minute. Finally add paneer, mix well and transfer it to a bowl. Mix in cream cheese. Chop the top part of chili and place it in a bowl. Add remaining oil, salt and ground pepper and mix it with peppers and coat them well. Stuff each peppers with the prepared stuff. Bake for 15 to 20 minutes or until the peppers soften and cheese...
Vada Pav
Vada Pav is a popular Indian burger and one of the most favorite street foods in Maharashtra, particularly in Mumbai. It is priced fairly cheap which makes it a go to snack for everyone. Spicy potato balls known as “Vada” are deep fried in oil and served with toasted buns also known as “Pav” smeared with red garlic and green chutney. It has a perfect balance of spicy, tangy, crispy flavors which makes you enjoy each and every bite. Though it is a guilty pleasure, it’s okay to indulge in your favorite snack once in a while. I enjoy my Vada Pav with a little bit of garlic chutney and lots of green chutney. This will make a perfect snack for parties, picnics, game night, etc. For parties, you can make the potato vadas ahead and heat it in oven or griddle just before serving. For picnics, you can pack the sandwich individually and serve. Preparation time: 80 minutes No. of servings: 10 Spice level: 3 out of 10 Ingredients: Dinner rolls or buns (pav) – 10 Butter for toasting For making Vadas: Potatoes – 3 (medium size) Chopped onion – 2 tbsp Green chilies – 2 Chopped ginger – 1 tbsp Garlic pods – 3 Mustard seeds – 1/2 tsp Cumin seeds – 1/2 tsp Asafoetida or hing – 1/8 tsp (a big pinch) Turmeric powder – 1/4 tsp Garam masala – 1/2 tsp Oil – 1 tbsp and more for frying Coriander leaves or cilantro – 3 tbsp Salt to taste For Batter: Besan or chickpea flour – 3/4 cup Rice flour – 1 tbsp Salt – 1/2 tsp Red chili powder – 1/2 tsp Turmeric powder – 1/4 tsp Baking soda – a pinch For Red Garlic Chutney: Garlic pods – 8 Chili powder – 3/4 tsp Grated coconut – 2 tbsp Salt to taste Green Chutney: Click here for recipe Method of Preparation: Preparation of Vada: Boil or pressure cook potatoes. Peel the skin and mash them. Heat a tbsp of oil in a pan and add mustard seeds. When it pops add cumin seeds. Then add coarsely ground ginger, garlic and green chilies. Saute for a couple of minutes over low heat and add onions. Saute until it becomes translucent. Turn off the stove and transfer it to a bowl along with mashed potatoes. Add garam masala, salt and finely chopped cilantro. Mix well. Make big balls and keep it aside. Mix all the ingredients...
Vegetable Bread Sandwich – Iyengar Bakery Style
Most of you from Tamilnadu would have heard about Iyengar Bakery and their popular Vegetable Bread Sandwich. It is one of my favorite among the other dishes from the bakery. It is simple and very tasty. My father in law is an expert in making this sandwich and we all love it. He is here with us and now I get to eat it for breakfast on almost everyday. I can’t wait to share this simple sandwich recipe with you. Keep the vegetables chopped the night before and make it for a quick breakfast or even for lunch pack. It tastes great even after so many hours of making. All you need to do is wrap it in an aluminum foil and it will stay fresh until evening. It even tastes better. I am not exaggerating!!! It is healthy, both kids and adults will like it. There may be different versions of this sandwich but this is my favorite because of its simple procedure and the great taste. Preparation time: 15 minutes Cooking time: 15 minutes Spice level: 2 out of 5 Yield: 5 sandwiches Ingredients: Whole wheat bread slices – 10 Finely grated carrots – 1/4 cup Finely chopped green bell pepper – 1/4 cup Finely chopped onion – 1/4 cup Finely chopped tomato – 1/4 cup Green chili – 1 (finely chopped) Finely chopped coriander leaves (cilantro) – 2 tbsp Salt to taste Ketchup – 1/4 cup Butter – 2 tbsp Method of Preparation: Mix all the vegetables in a bowl. Add required amount of salt just before making the sandwich. Preheat the grill or panini maker over medium high setting. Take 5 slices of bread and spread butter on one side of each bread. Similarly spread ketchup on the remaining 5 slices of bread. Take a slice of bread with butter and one with ketchup. Fill it 3 tbsp with vegetables, close it. Spread butter on top of the bread and on the grill. Now grill it for 3 to 4 minutes or until it becomes brown with beautiful grill marks. Remove from heat and serve or wrap it withan aluminum foil for lunch...
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