sorry guys

Hello guys,

Its been a while that i posted a recipe. Lately, i been very busy n couldnt able to blog.. I am sorry for that. I got a job n busy with that stuff. So please, accept my sorry n wish me goodluck at my job.. I will be back in 10-15days, once i got adjusted to new place..

Well, happy blogging!!!1

Thanks for your support,
Silpa..

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How to: Ginger Garlic Paste

Ginger Garlic Paste: This is the most imp ingredient in Indian cooking. As we all need this ginger garlic paste in our daily cooking. So, instead of making it daily, of-course some people like it to make fresh. But in these busy days, its a nightmare to make it daily. So, instead of making it daily u can make it once n store in fridge.


Remove the skin of ginger if it has any blk spots are dents..Same wth garlic too.This helps paste to retain its original flavor for longer periods.

All you need to make ginger garlic paste:

 Ginger : Garlic in 1 :1 ratio.  

For  1cup ginger take 1cup garlic. Grind it to a smooth paste by adding 1/2 cup water or required but not too much. Take it into a bottle n store it. If u want u can add 1tsp salt to this paste.

Make sure all the utensils u use to make this paste are  clean n dry. otherwise paste may turn to green color. Always use fresh ginger n garlic to make this paste. Always store in refrigerator and can be store upto 1month. 

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Reposted for Events

French cut Beans Fry

This goes directly to my own event Vegetable Marathon-Beans

Lima Beans Curry

Also, goes directly to my own event Vegetable Marathon-Beans

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Beetroot Fry

It is difficult to believe how the hardy, crunchy often rough looking exterior of raw beets can be transformed into something wonderfully soft and buttery once they are cooked. While beets are available throughout the year, their season runs from June through October when the youngest, most tender beets are easiest to find.
Edible green leaves are attached to the tapered round or oblong root portions that we know as beets. While we often think of beets having a reddish-purple hue, some varieties are white, golden-yellow or even rainbow colored. The sweet taste of beets reflects their high sugar content making them an important raw material for the production of refined sugar; they have the highest sugar content of all vegetables, yet are very low in calories  (whfoods)
Beets are my fav, may be bcoz of their  eye catching color n buttery taste. My mom used to make lot of varieties wth beets ranging from sweets n savories to curries. 

Ingredients:
Beets: 1 big, peeled n chopped finely
Onion: 1 medium, chopped finely
Oil: 1tbsp
Red chili: 2-3 flakes
Channa dal: 1 tsp
Cumin n mustard seeds: 1 tsp each
Red chili powder: 1tsp
Coriander powder: 1tsp
Garam masala: 1tsp
Salt: to taste
Garlic: 4-5 cloves, crushed


Preparation:
1) In a pan heat oil. Add red chili n Channa dal. Fry for 1 min.
2) Add cumin n mustard seeds. let them splutter  n add onions. Fry for 5mins or until onions are transparent on medium heat.
3) Stir in chopped beets n fry for 10 mins on medium to low heat covered.
4) By now beets will be soft. Cook for another 2 mins on medium to low heat uncovered.
5) Sprinkle all spices n adjust thm to ur taste. Cook for 1 min
6) Add crushed garlic cloves n cook for 1min n switch off.

Enjoy this delicious n healthy Beets fry with rice or chapathi.

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Beans n Sweet Corn Fritters with some Veggies.

Last week, i posted some similar kind of americanized dish--guess wat?? its Bean Pockets. This time i came up with different kind of filling, i.e, entirely indianized. For this dish, i used 1: 1 ratio of beans n sweetcorn. Last Saturday, we invited Vishnu's frnd Jon to dinner. He like Indian food very much. So, i made this as an appetizer along with main course as lamb curry with a side of pulkas n of-course my fav Rasmalai as desert.They jus loved Rasmalai. He even took some to his home. 
Coming to recipe, to make it indianized, i added onions n spices. Instead of using entirely beans, this time i tried with a combination of beans n sweetcorn. It tasted even better than the beans pockets. Spicy on one side, little bit sweetens on other side, made this fritters fabulous. The main thing i like about this beans n corn fritters is, they wnt absorb oil-which makes a healthy dish n as we all know the imp of beans n corn in our daily life. Kids sure will love this beans n corn fritters as they are served on a bed of colorful veggies.

So here is the recipe for hearty healthy beans n corn fritters:
Ingredients:
Canned Pinto Beans: 1 
Canned Corn: 1(U can use fresh corn too, jus to make it simpler i used canned beans n corn)Tortilla's: 10(1 packet)
Onions: 1, small chopped finely
Green chili: 2-3, finely chopped
Cumin seeds: 2 tsp
Fennel seeds: 1 tsp
Chili powder: 1 tsp
Coriander powder: 1tsp
Garam masala: 1/2 tsp
salt: to taste
Oil: 1 tsp
Oil: To deep fry
Corn Flour/Maida: 1tbsp
Water: As needed


For topping: 
Cheddar cheese
Sour Cream
Lettuce: chopped 
Carrot: sliced
Cucumber: sliced


Preparation:
1) Strain the water from canned beans. Now grind the beans into a coarse paste without adding any water. Don't grind them into a paste. If you can mash them with hand, go ahead n do that. Mashing or grinding beans helps you to make pockets out of tortilla's n also easy to  eat.
2) Now heat oil in a pan. add cumin seeds n fro for 30 secs. Now add onions n green chili. cook for 3-4 mins or until onions are transparent. Stir in fennel seeds, n spices. Fry for 1min. Now add pureed beans n corn to make our filling for pockets. Cook for 10 mins or until water evaporates. The filling has to be dry, otherwise u cannot make pockets n while frying  filling will get double in size. So filling will come out of the pockets.
Making beans paste dry is very important.

3) Now warm tortilla's. This is important because, tortilla' s from packet are dry n you can't make pockets out of dry tortilla's. so jus warm them as per package instructions or jus heat them as you do for chapathi. Don't brown them. Jus heat for 1min or until they are soft enough to make pockets.
4) Make a paste out of Corn flour/ maida by adding little water n keep aside.
5) Now take a scoop of beans n corn paste n put in center of tortilla. 
6) Fold one end of tortilla to the center. Now apply Flour paste all around the edges of tortilla. 
7) Now fold the sharp edges of tortilla towards center. Apply paste as needed.
8) Now cover the center with the other end of tortilla.
All i am trying to say is, jus fold the tortilla in envelope style.
9) Repeat the same process for remaining
10) Now heat oil for deep frying at medium heat.
11) Fry one at a time for 2 mins on each side or until golden color.Repeat the process for remaining.

Serve this delicious n healthy Beans n sweet corn Fritters on the bed of lettuce served along with carrots n cucumbers topped with cheese n sour cream. If u wish u can top them with jalapeños too. 


Here you can check for another kind of filling for beans pockets

This is going to be a part of My legume love affair guest hosted by Ruchikaooks started by Susan and also to my own event Vegetable marathon-Beans

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RasMalai ~100th post

Hello Guys,
This is my 100th post n i am so happy to share this with you.. Thank you so much guys for encouraging me with your kind words. I made Rasmalai for my 100th post for two reasons. Firstly, Rasmalai is my mom's favorite desert and of course mine too.The reason, i am here  is my mom. Without her guidance n support, this couldn't be possible for me. Even though, she is 1000's of miles away from me, i always have had her blessings. Love you Mom..
Before marriage, i never entered kitchen for cooking purposes(Of course, many of us are raised like tht only). She never let me to touch anything, as she fears tht i might burn my hands. I came to states  in Oct 2007 r8 after getting married. On that day, Vishnu cooked shrimp for dinner(As, i stepped into states at 7'0 clock). As we are ready to eat, i jus noticed that the curry for dinner is shrimp( at that time Vishnu is expert in NV). Believe me, i never ate shrimp in India, even though my mom is famous for her shrimp fry..When i was a kid, we used to live in Visakhapatnam n Kaikaluru cities that are famous for fish n shrimp. When ever my mom cooks NV except chicken, simply, i jus  ran away from home n eat at my frds palce. I was that allergic to shrimp n fish. Anyways, coming to states, being newly married n being  basically shy person, i couldn't tell Vishnu that i wont eat shrimp. i am jus looking at dinner plate n Vishnu's face. But, he is busy enjoying his curry.  He looked at me, n told" why u r not eating?/ Curry is very gud. finish it.." that' s it. Rats running in my stomach(as i dint eat anything on plane) n being tired n shy, i was unable to tell Vishnu that i wont eat shrimp. So finally, i ate shrimp.I jus ate 2 spoons n feel like vomiting sensation. To my luck, there is no yogurt too in home, as vishnu wnt eat .. I jus told Vishnu tht i am nt hungry n slept with empty stomach. Next day morning  my mom called n i was like crying. I told to her about last night n she was like laughing. So i was mad at her but anyhow she cooled me n guided me  on how to make pulao(As its my turn to cook for lunch). Since then, i call her daily at time of cooking n she guides me. that' show i learnt cooking n never looked back again. This inspired me a lot to blog, so here i am.


Second reason, I made Rasmalai for my 100th post is this Indian desert is fav for most of the people(I think so). As, i told earlier- while my mom explains me how to cook on the other side  i used to keep a laptop on my kitchen counter n watch videos or posts from bloggers. So by combining my moms demonstration  n bloggers videos, i learned how to cook.


Anyways, now i am a good cook(at-least in my terms).  So to celebrated my 100th post wth you guys, i made this fabulous Rasmalai for you..

                                                           This is 4 U MOM
Ingredients:
For Paneer:
Milk: 1/2 gallon( i used 2% reduced)
Lemon juice/Vinegar : 1-2 tbsp


For Sugar Syrup:
Water: 4 cups
Sugar: 1 cup( or to taste)
Cardamom Powder: 1 tsp


For Malai:
Milk: 1cup
Evaporated Milk: 2 12 f oz cans
Condensed milk: 1 14 oz can
Sugar: 1/ 2cup(optional, adjust to your taste)
Almonds/Pistachio's: 3 tbsp( chopped or sliced)
Cardamom powder: 1 tsp


Preparation:
For Paneer:
1) In a deep vessel, bring milk to a boil on medium heat by stirring constantly, about 15 mins. 2)  Now add lemon juice to boiling milk. This helps milk to break into cheese n whey. When milk starts breaking down switch of the stove n stir constantly until all the cheese n whey separates. 
3) Now strain the cheese from whey water using muslin cloth.  Run thru cold water. This helps cheese to loose any lemon flavor.
4) Hang it or keep flat strainer on a vessel n place this paneer with muslin cloth. Now put weight on paneer. Keep it aside for 11/2 hr to 2hrs.
5) By now, water will be strained from paneer. Dnt make it too dry. Little bit moisture in paneer helps you to make balls. To check, take small portion n try making a ball.
6) Now make paneer into soft dough by kneading it. Keep it aside for 5 mins.
7) Now make small rounds of it n slightly press them in between your hands to make discs n keep them aside.


For Syrup:
1) In a deep vessel, mix water n sugar. Bring to a boil.Now add paneer discs one by one carefully. Adding little by little helps discs to expand easily. Adjust sugar to your aste
2) Cover n boil for 6-7 mins on medium heat. By now disc should be double in size or else boil for couple more mins.
3) Strain n place them in a dish, you want to store Rasmalai. Spoon some syrup on to this discs. Repeat the same procedure for remaining in discs by using same sugar syrup.

For Malai:
1) While making syrup, in a nonstick deep vessel, add evaporated, condensed milk n milk. add sugar of necessary.
2) Bring to a boil on low heat. stir occasionally. 
3) By the time you finished boiling discs in sugar syrup, our Malai will be ready.
4) Now add nuts n cardamom powder.
5) Gently press discs that are soaked in sugar syrup in between your hands. Drop in Malai.
6) Let them sit for 10mins n switch off.
7) Pour this gently into the dish you want to store Rasmalai.

Refrigerate for 3-4 hrs  serve chilled.


This is going to be a part of  Priya's Cooking with seeds-Cardamom seeds and 
Sri Lekha's SWEETS AND SAVORIES FOR DIWALI and also to Jyothi's Mothers Day Event

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Carrot Halwa with Milk Powder n Evaporated Milk

Hello Guys,

I am back after a long break. Been very busy these days. But my passion for blogging is pushing hard to post my recipes. Today, i am back with a sweet to please you guys.. Carrot Halwa is one of my favorites. Rich in color n taste, carrot halwa is an eye catching desert that pleases taste buds.

Traditional carrot halwa recipe calls for koha/mawa(condensed milk solids) n vigorous boiling of milk to reduce it to half. But there are so many  variations in making this halwa. In these busy days making koha n boiling milk is a tedious process n we dnt have time to do all this. One can make this carrot halwa in mins without satisfying the taste by using milk powder n evaporated milk.  Here, i used fat free ingredients to make it light on body n rich on taste buds.So here is the recipe for all time favorite for many...

Ingredients:

Carrot: 3, large grated(makes about 2cups)

Dry non-fat milk powder: 1/2 cup

Evaporated milk: 1 12 Fl oz can( I used GV fat free evaporated milk)

Sugar: 1/4 cup or to taste

Nuts: 2 tbsp ( I used almonds) 

Butter: 3 tbsp, unsalted( I used Smart Balance butter)

Cardamom Powder: 1/2 tsp or to taste

Preparation:

1) Melt butter in a pan. Roast nuts for 1min n set aside.

2) In the same pan, stir in grated carrots n cook for 6-7 mins on medium heat, uncovered. Carrot must be soft by now, if not cook for another couple mins.

3) Add evaporated milk n cook for 10 mins or until halwa thickens. 

4) Now add dry milk powder n sugar. Cook for 3-4 mins or until halwa oozes oil from sides. Adjust sugar to your taste.If you want that grainy taste of milk powder little bit more, than try adding little milk powder.

5) Garnish with almonds n switch off.

Serve hot with puri or eat as it is..

Tip: Add sugar, once carrots are cooked. Adding sugar, makes carrot to cook for longer time.

Instead of sugar n evaporated milk, you can use fat free sweetened condense milk

This is going to be a part of  Priya's Cooking with seeds-Cardamom seeds and 
Sri Lekha's SWEETS AND SAVORIES FOR DIWALI

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