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December 21, 2010

HOMESTYLE CHICKEN CURRY

Once in a while I love to make something totally unpretentious, simple and earthy, in other words "homestyle", easy and full of wonderful flavours this delicious curry had every one asking for seconds, serve piping hot...it will definitely be more than welcome in this biting cold.
Ingredients- 
  • Chicken- 1 (cut into 12 pcs)cleaned and washed
  • Ground onions- 3 medium sized
  • Tomatoes pureed-3 medium sized
  • Bay leaves-2
  • Cloves-4
  • Cinnamon- 1 pc
  • Cardamom-2 crushed
  • Clarified butter(desi ghee)-2-3 tbsp
  • Whipped thick curd-1/2 cup
  • Ginger garlic paste-1 tbsp
  • Cumin seeds-1/2 tsp
  • Salt and pepper to taste
  • Coriander and green chillies to garnish
Method-
  1. Heat ghee, add all the whole spices and fry till fragrant.
  2. Add the ground onions and fry till brown stirring all the time
  3. Now add the tomatoes and ginger garlic till masala leaves side of the pan.
  4. Lastly add yogurt and the chicken, cover and cook till chicken is done, no need to add more water as chicken will leave water.
  5. Check if Chicken is done then season with salt and pepper , garnish with slit green chillies and coriander.Enjoy with hot paranthas, butter naans or rice!

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December 2, 2010

CREAMY TOMATO PANEER laced with fenugreek and mint...

A classic Paneer dish one which is nowadays found on every restaurant menu..the tanginess of the tomatoes enfolds the soft creamy paneer in a warm embrace, here I have added just a touch of methi and mint which elevates this dish a notch up.Serve hot with naan's, paranthas or fresh bread.
Ingredients-
  • Fresh cottage cheese(paneer)- 200 gms
  • Ginger paste (fresh ground)- 1 heaped teaspoon
  • Garlic paste (fresh ground)- 1 heaped teaspoon
  • Onions- 2 medium sized skinned and pureed in blender
  • Tomatoes- 3 large sized (blanched and pureed)
  • MDH Kasoori methi- 1/2 tsp crushed and stems removed OR fresh fenugreek- 1 tsp chopped
  • Fresh mint- 1/2 tsp finely chopped
  • Garam masala- 1 tsp
  • Cumin seeds-1/2 tsp
  • Orange food colour (optional)- a pinch or few drops
  • Heavy cream- 2 large tbsp.
  • Green chilli- 1 finely chopped
  • Oil- 2 tbsp
  • Salt and black pepper to taste
Method-
  1. Heat oil in a heavy bottom pan, add cumin seeds and let sputter, add the ginger and garlic paste and fry for a minute 
  2. Add the onion paste and fry till very light brown, take care not to over brown.
  3. Now add the tomato puree and cook till oil separates from the masala.
  4. Cube the paneer into bite sized pieces.
  5. Add the cream, garam masala, green chilli, kasoori methi, mint, food colour to the masala and give it a good stir, add 1/2 cup hot water and cover.
  6. After 2-3 minutes tip in the paneer, season with salt and pepper, don not cook the paneer for too long as it becomes tough, just a minute should suffice.Let the paneer soak in the flavours for 5-10 minutes.
  7. Serve piping hot garnished with more mint/coriander.

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November 30, 2010

WORLD'S HEALTHIEST FOODS...add them to your daily diet!

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November 10, 2010

BEST DIET TIP #8

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November 7, 2010

DIWALI NOSTALGIA...Rangoli at work!

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October 30, 2010

HOW TO KEEP FIT DURING DIWALI!

Eat only the foods you really enjoy.
Limit yourself to eating only those foods you really enjoy. Do not use the season as an excuse to over-indulge.
Watch out for emotional eating.
Watch out for stuffing your mouth to relieve some of that stress from arranging and attending parties and meeting friends and family.
Get enough sleep.
Believe it or not, some studies have shown that when people are short on sleep, they eat more.
Have realistic expectations.
Diwali is not the time to try and lose weight. Consider yourself successful just to maintain your weight. Don’t feel guilty either if, in spite of your best efforts, you put on a kg or two. A few kgs are easily taken care of when your schedule gets back to normal in December.
Beware the “all-or-nothing” attitude.
This time can be deadly if you have the “all-or-nothing” attitude towards food. This attitude says: “What’s the use? I over ate during the Diwali party. I might as well stop watching what I eat and go all the way”
Create lower calorie versions of high calorie favorites.
If you are talented in the kitchen, consider modifying some of your favorite recipes to make them lower in total calorie content.
Eat low-calorie at home, high-calorie when eating out.
To really enjoy all the rich food that is served at parties without putting on too much weight, eat low calorie meals at home to even out the total damage.
Modify your fitness routine.
You need exercise now more than any other time during the year to manage stress levels and to burn off all those excess calories.
Instead of not exercising at all, try modifying your usual routine by cutting down on either the frequency or the duration of your workouts. If you are used to working out daily, try cutting it down to two to three times a week. If you are used to one-hour workouts, try doing only thirty minutes. The whole point is that you should continue to do some exercise instead of none at all. Not only will this maintain your fitness till the end of year, but it will also help calm you.
                                                          



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October 26, 2010

BEST DIET TIP #7

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October 19, 2010

BEST DIET TIP #6

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October 12, 2010

BEST DIET TIP #5

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October 6, 2010

BEST DIET TIP #4

                                              Click on above image to enlarge

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September 28, 2010

BEST DIET TIP #3

                                                  Double click on above image to enlarge

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September 21, 2010

BEST DIET TIP #2


and here's something -Just for laughs...enjoy!

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September 7, 2010

BEST DIET TIPS FOR YOU!

                           

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August 31, 2010

NUTRITION TIP OF THE WEEK

                   DOUBLE CLICK ON ABOVE IMAGE TO ENLARGE

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August 24, 2010

NUTRITION TIP[ OF THE WEEK

                   DOUBLE CLICK ON ABOVE IMAGE TO ENLARGE

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August 17, 2010

HEALTHY LIFESTYLE TIP OF THE WEEK

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August 10, 2010

NUTRITION TIP OF THE WEEK

DOUBLE CLICK ON ABOVE IMAGE TO ENLARGE

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August 9, 2010

FRESH PLUM TEA LOAF (eggless)

Fresh Plum Tea Loaf
Farewell to the last of Summer stone fruits also...spotted some ripe, deeply rich in colour plums and thought that why not slice up the juicy, bursting with flavour fruit and bake into a loaf?A perfect high in  taste, low calorie accompaniment to the evening cuppa Tea!
To make this divine loaf you need-
  •  Self raising flour-175 gms/1 and 1/2 cups
  • Baking powder-1 tsp
  • Butter-50 gms
  • Skim milk-4 tbsp (60 ml)
  • Plums-4 big, ripe and juicy, sliced
  • Vanilla extract-1 tsp
  • Sugar-50 gms
Method-
  1. Preheat the oven to 180 C/350 F.Grease and line a 450 gm loaf tin.Sift the flour and baking powder into a mixing bowl.
  2. Rub in the butter until the mixture resembles breadcrumbs.
  3. Stir in the sugar, add the milk, vanilla and sliced plums and mix.
  4. Spoon into prepared tin and bake for 40-45 minutes.Run a knife around the edges to loosen, then turn out on a wire rack to cool.

   Slice when cool and serve with Tea/Coffee.

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August 3, 2010

SOME MEAN LEMON RICE (CHITRANNAM)!

Have you noticed the spicy NEW Indian look of "In love with food"??, thought of whipping up something that India holds dear to the heart, and guess came to mind?...yes! some Lemon rice or Chitrannam, sour, hot and real good.Husband takes a bite and fondly says, "Wow! That's some mean lemon rice!".

 To make this you require-(recipe from here)
  • 4 cups of freshly cooked rice.
  • 2 to 3 juicy lemons 
  • 6 to 8 green chillies,deseeded and slit
  • 1/4 cup Chana dal (soak for an hour)
  • 2 tbsp Urad dal
  • 1 teaspoon each salt and turmeric
  • 2 tbsp ghee
  • 12- 15 fresh curry leaves. 
  • Cumin seeds-1/2 tsp
  • Mustard seeds-1/2 tsp
  • 1 medium boiled potato
Method-
  1. Heat ghee in a pan and add the cumin, mustard and curry leaves, fry till sizzling.
  2. Add chana and urad dal as well as the potato and green chillies and cook till crisp and brown.
  3. Now add haldi and salt and cook for a few more minutes.,tip in the rice and give a good stir  lastly squeeze lemon juice on top and serve hot.
TIPS-
  • I prefer Basmati rice and cook it till just done, not mushy.The way to do this is to take rice in a large vessel and add plenty of water to it.Cook on medium flame for 15-20 minutes adding more water to keep rice submerged.Taste a grain or two for doneness.Drain well and leave on slow flame again to dry out any remaining moisture.You will get perfect rice like in a pulao.
  • Be careful while handling chillies.Been there, done that!, wear gloves.I find the amount of chillies little high for my preference so deseed them accordingly.
  • I use boiled/raw potato both depending upon what I have at hand, so can you.
  • Don't skip the curry leaves, they are very important.
  • To get this shape of rice press down hot rice in a bowl or katori with the back of a spoon, put a plate on top on which you would be serving and turn upside down, Voila!, you have the desired shape.Garnish with curry leaves and serve.
  • Cashewnuts and peanuts are also fried till golden and added for extra flavour.
  • The accompaniment of choice for Chitrannam is yogurt since it cools the palate, given that the rice is hot, spicy and tangy.


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    July 31, 2010

    NUTRITION TIP OF THE WEEK

    DOUBLE CLICK ON ABOVE IMAGE TO ENLARGE
    As most of you are aware that I am a Nutritionist/dietitian by profession, I thought that why not post about that on a regular basis to benefit my readers! Have a healthy and happy weekend!!

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    July 21, 2010

    KASHMIRI MUTSCH REVISITED ( Meatballs in a Spicy Gravy)

    I have been eating mutsch since I was a child, breaking up the oblong meatballs with my hands and mashing them into soft, fluffy rice.( my mom makes the best!).
    I have earlier posted the recipe of her mutsch which can be found here, (she makes it the way my father's family have always made it in Kashmir, having learned their ways as a young bride) however I recently came across another recipe of mutsch, probably a purer version at a kashmiri's blog- Anita of A Mad Tea Party, she lists them amongst the 5 things to eat before you die :), and rightly so!
    Both me and mom were eager to give it a go, the results were very good, though I am probably more partial to my mom's recipe since I have grown up with it and the addition of yogurt gives the mutsch a delicious tang!
                                  Mutsch   (recipe from here) 
             
    • For the meatballs
    • 500gms minced mutton
    • 1 heaped T Kashmiri chilli powder
    • 1 ½ heaped T saunf (fennel) powder
    • 1 t sonth (dry ginger powder)
    • 1 clove of garlic, minced
    • 2 cloves
    • 2 black cardamoms
    • 1 t Kashmiri garam masala ( see note below)
    • salt
    • 3-5 T mustard oil
    • For the gravy
    • 2 cloves
    • 2 black cardamoms
    • 1 bayleaf (Indian ones are 3-4” long)
    • 1 T mustard oil
    • 1 T Kashmiri chilli powder
    • 1 heaped T dhaniya(coriander) powder (optional)
    • 1 heaped t sonth
    • 2 heaped T saunf
    To make  the meatballs
    Place the ground mutton in a large mortar. Powder the cloves and the black cardamom (keep the outer husk aside) and add to the mince.


    And the rest of the ingredients and pound well. Pinch off small portions, and shape into oblongs (I give it a gentle roll between the palms).  Let rest for 20-30 min.

                           I added 3 spoons of oil as stated in the original recipe to keep the mutsch soft
    To prepare the gravy:
    In a heavy flat bottomed pan heat some oil (1-2 T), when hot add the cloves and the bayleaf, dhaniya, saunf, and sonth powders, as you add the red chilli powder keep a cup of water at hand. Stir quickly to roast/fry the spices and then add water. Add another cup or cup and a half of water. Bring to a boil.


    Grind the black cardamoms and add to the pan with the husk from the two used for the meatballs. Turn the heat to medium and carefully and gently lower the oblongs into the pan. Cover and let simmer for 30-40 minutes. The gravy will have reduced by a third and the meat will be done. Sprinkle a half teaspoon of Kashmiri garam masala and mix.Serve with warm steamed rice or paranthas.

    If you don’t have Kashmiri garam masala: pound together one black cardamom, half inch piece of cinnamon, and 3 cloves, and use.


    OTHER KASHMIRI DELICACIES ON THIS BLOG:



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    July 14, 2010

    TENDER GRILLED CHICKEN PITA POCKETS WITH HUMMUS AND GREEN BEANS

    Lebanese style recipe- Pita bread with tender, juicy chunks of Chicken, makes for a complete meal and it is healthy to boot! Most of the prep work can be done a day ahead, then all it takes is last minute assembling and you have dinner on the table in minutes.
    Ingredients-
    • Pita bread- 4 (sliced in half to make 8 pita ‘pockets’)
    • Boneless chicken- 500 gms (cut up into bite sized pieces)
    • Ginger +garlic paste (fresh)- 1 tbsp
    • Fresh yogurt- 1 cup
    • Fresh French beans- 250 gms ( top and tail)
    • Salt and black pepper to taste
    • Grated cheese, sliced onions, tomatoes and lettuce- acc. to requirement
    • For the Hummus-
    • Boiled chickpeas-1 cup
    • Lemon juice- 2 tbsp
    • Garlic- 2 plump cloves (minced)
    • Tahini- 1 tbsp
    • Olive oil- 2 tbsp
    Method-
    In a large bowl combine the yogurt and ginger-garlic paste, toss in the Chicken pieces, add salt and pepper and mix to coat evenly.Leave for at least 2 hours.
    Pre heat griller and grill the chicken pieces for 20 minutes or till golden, keep warm.
    Boil or steam the green beans, sprinkle salt and pepper and keep warm.
    For the Hummus-
    Combine the Chickpeas, lemon juice, garlic and tahini and blend in a blender, add salt to taste.Dish out in a serving bowl, drizzle olive oil on top.
    To assemble and serve-
    Lightly roast pita and fill pockets with the tender chicken, lettuce and onions, top with grated cheese and grill for a further 10 minutes till cheese is golden and bubbling.
    Serve with the warm beans and Hummus.Enjoy!

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    July 12, 2010

    PHOTOS AND PHOTOGRAPHERS... getting inspired!!



    A friend mailed me these pics (they seem to be just like food bloggers! :)), sharing them with you all...enjoy!

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    July 5, 2010

    NUTTY BANANA MUFFINS

    Today in the morning I got a phone call from some close friends, saying that they were coming to visit, SO... I made these banana muffins, which were gobbled down in no time, one friend even requested that I pack the left over one's so that she can enjoy them with her evening coffee!
    The honeyed flavor of bananas laced with cinnamon and topped with crunchy, toasty almonds is really delicious.
    These little gems are a lazy cook's best friend as only a little dreamy stirring is all that is required!
    To make these you need-
    • Flour-1 1/4 cup
    • Baking powder-1/2 tsp
    • Baking soda-1/2 tsp
    • Bananas- 2, very ripe, mashed
    • Eggs-2
    • Powdered sugar-3/4 cup
    • Vegetable oil/ melted butter-1/2 cup
    • Vanilla extract-1 capful/ tsp
    • Cinnamon- 1/2 tbsp
    • Salt-1/4 tsp
    • Almonds- a handful, pulse lightly in mixer
    Method-
    1. Preheat oven to 180 C.
    2. Line muffin pan with paper cup liners.
    3. Combine all the wet ingredients together- like Bananas, eggs, butter, vanilla and mix well either by electric mixer or by hand.
    4. Combine all the dry ingredients together and gently fold into the wet mixture.
    5. Place generous spoonfuls into the lined pan and sprinkle with almonds, bake for 15 minutes or till golden brown and well risen
    6. Serve with hot/cold coffee.Lovely with a scoop of Caramel crunch/vanilla Ice cream!

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