Cumin Bread (Jeera bread)

This was my first attempt to make bread at home and believe me it came out so well and tasty, that i myself could not believe it .......Before attempting bread making at home ,I Googled so many recipes and finally found this one in one of the blog which was looking perfect in terms of measurement and Ingredients and most of all its cumin bread a perfect Indian taste......so here comes the recipe

Ingredients: 

1cups all purpose flour
1/2 cup wheat flour
1/2 cup water
1 tea spn cumin seeds (roasted)
 1and 1/4 tea spn active dry yeast
1/2 tbl spn unsalted butter
1/2 tea spn sugar
1 tea spn salt
Olive oil

Method-

1-Roast cumin seeds till a nice aroma comes out of them. Crush them slightly(do not make a powder).

2-Heat the water till it is lukewarm, Add sugar, butter and little olive oil. Then add yeast to it. Leave it at a warm place for 10mins till yeast becomes active (the mixture becomes frothy)


3-Add salt, cumin and flours. If necessary add a little more water. Make a dough.(Knead it well for about 10mins.)

4-Transfer the dough to a well oiled big vessel. Cover with a plastic wrap.

5-Leave it for about 1 and 1/2 hrs – 2hrs till the dough doubles in size.

6-Take out the dough on a flat surface. Press down the dough. Knead for a minute and give desired shape.

7-Apply some olive oil on top and leave it covered for another 45mins. The dough should double in size again.


8-Preheat the oven at 500F for about 10mins. Bake the bread for about 10- 15mins. Take it out and brush some butter on top. Then keep it back in oven and bake till you get a nice brown color(about 10- 15mins).


I served it with a simple olive oil-dried basil-salt mixture (like they serve in some of the Italian restaurants here). It was a very crusty from outside, soft from inside.

I sprinkled some of the grated cheese on top and served with hot tomato soup.


I am sending it to Aathidhyam's BREAD MANIA EVENT.

Mango Lassi

Lassis are  traditional Punjabi beverage which blend yogurt with water, salt, and spices into a cooling summer drink. Wikipedia says the idea of making sweet lassis with fruit is a relatively recent variation, but the mango flavor is  so delightful in this that I truly can't imagine the drink without it. Mangoes are native to India, and more than 50% of the world's mangoes are grown in India.

Summer is no fun without mangoes and here is one sweet lassi recipe which so refreshing and perfect for hot summer days.

Ingredients:

Mango -1 or mango pulp -1/2 cup

 Yogurt(fresh) 1 cup

Sugar 1 tbsp or as needed

Green cardamon powder a pinch

Saffron  2-3 strands

1/2 cup crushed ice cubes

Method-

1-Peel the mango skin and separate the pulp from the seed. Discard seed.(omit this step if using mango pulp.)

2-Combine all the ingredients in a mixer/blender and blend till smooth and serve chilled.

 Note- Do not add sugar if using sweetened mango pulp.


I am sending it to Srivalli,s Thanda Mela. 


I am sending it to Divya's 'Show Me Your Smoothie Event' too.

Cucumber Chutney

Cucumber Chutney and my 50th Post.Mostly people celebrate with something sweet but here i come with something spicy to celebrate my 50th post.

 This chutney can be serve as a side with any kind of meal ,it is very tasty and some nice change from the regular chutneys.


Ingredients:

Cucumber - 1/2 (medium size)
 
Coriander leaves- 1 bunch

Raw Mango -1/2 (medium size)

Green chilly-1 (medium) 


peppercorns- 2-3

cloves     - 1-2

Cumin seeds- 1 tbsp

Black salt-1 tsp

A pinch of Asafetida


salt to taste


Method-


1-Cut cucumber in cubes (with skin),peel and cut raw mango and pick  coriander leaves with little stems on and wash it thoroughly by draining excess water.


2- Combine all the Ingredients for chutney and blend it in blender ,add little water if needed,serve with any kind of bhajia or sandwich.


I am sending it to Preeti's Green Gourmet Event-1.

Quick snack rolls

Hmmm So today I am going to share a recipe which was totally a surprise for me too.How ?Because Hubby in kitchen is always a surprise........This is my hubby;s recipe ,He made it this weekend and it was yummy......well anything cooked by hubby (without my help) is always yummy.so here comes the quick ,easy and delicious recipe of snack rolls........................................

U NEED...

(for 2 snack rolls)

1 Egg

2 tortillas(any kind white or corn)

1 small onion (chopped)

some grated mozzarella Cheese

salt to taste

1/2 tsp Black pepper powder 

little oil

Method -

1-Beat egg in a bowl .add chopped onion, salt and pepper and keep it aside

.

2-Heat a griddle/tawa and place one tortilla ,heat it on one side and flip it over.

3-Now pour beaten egg(half) over it ,and let it cook covered for near about 2-3 minute on medium -low heat

.

4-Now flip it again(egg side down) and let it cook for one more minute from other side too (egg will cook faster this side)  

5-Remove from heat and add some cheese as  stuffing ,roll it tightly. (the cheese will melt inside as it will be hot and rolled tightly)

6-Cut from middle and serve with some tomato ketchup and some chips on side.

Note-1-you can  add any other veggies too in egg mixture as per your likings.

2-For stuffing also use any leafy veggie along with cheese.

3-It can be ideal choice for any picnic outing also just wrap these roll in aluminum foil and carry.

As this is my Hubby's recipe or can say his experiment ,I am sending it to Priti,s Indian Khana His Cooking Event .   

                                                                                                                                      

                                                                                                        

Mango pie

Its Summer.......and along with all fun ,Mango season is also around the corner.The king of fruit,juicy and tasty Mango......we love it....in all forms either mango milk shake,mango burfi or mango ice cream or anything else.


Here I am going to give you the recipe of Mango Pie which is very quick and tasty.

Ingredients

Mango pulp 2 cups (sweetened) 


Unflavored Gelatin 1 envelope

Cream Cheese 2 tbsp


Pie crust (store brought,desired size)


water  1/2 cup

Method

1-Dissolve unflavored gelatin in water and whisk it vigorously ,until foamy .

2-Then add cream cheese and whisk till dissolve.

3-Add Mango pulp to it and mix it well and pour it into pie crust evenly.(pour some more mango pulp over if needed)

4-Keep it in the refrigerator to set for at least 3 hours.

5- Cut it and drizzle some mango pulp over it and serve  .


NOTE- 1-Unflavored Gelatin is available in almost all grocery stores.

            2-You can also serve it with vanilla ice cream or whipped cream.  

I am sending it to Torview's Cold Desserts Event.

Rajma Masala (Kidney Beans Curry)

I enjoy cooking lentils and beans  and there is always a myriad of dried and canned beans in my pantry.What makes them even better is that they come in a wonderful variety. Black beans, pinto beans, white kidney beans, brown lentils, chickpeas, black-eyed peas, soybeans. Each has a distinct flavor and texture that lends itself to different dishes and uses. Beans plays an very important role in Indian as well as other cuisine also in different forms.

Red kidney beans are very nutritious. They are, however, harder to digest than other beans, which is why they're traditionally cooked with seasonings that help break them down, such as ginger in Indian cooking.Here I am giving you the recipe of red kidney beans curry which combines well with Jeera rice and phulkas.

Ingredients

1  cup red kidney beans or use canned one
4  cups water
2  medium onions finely chopped or pureed
2  bay leaves
2  tbsp ginger - garlic paste
½  tsp  asafoetida and turmeric powder (optional)
1  tsp cumin seed
2  tsp red chili powder
2  big tomatoes pureed
1  tsp garam Masala
2  tbsp coriander powder
3  tbsp oil
salt to taste 

     coriander leaves for garnishing    

Method -

1- Soak kidney beans in water for overnite,if not using canned one. 

   

  2-Drain  red kidney beans and wash them well. Place them in a pressure cooker (for speedy cooking). Add  water and some salt. Close the cooker and cook on high heat. After one whistle, cook on low heat for about 10  minutes or till the beans are soft. 

3-Heat oil in a heavy-bottomed pan on medium heat and crackle the cumin seeds. Add  bay leaves , asafoetida and  ginger-garlic paste. Fry briefly. Add onions and salt  saute till they  golden brown. Add all the spice powders except garam masala .

4-Add  tomato puree, Fry till the oil separates. Add the cooked red kidney beans , mix well,cover and cook on medium heat for about 15  minutes.

5-Finally add garam masala and garish it with cilantro,serve hot.

Note--While cooking dry beans can be all day affair, canned beans are a quick substitute. Just be sure to drain and rinse them, which helps lower the sodium content.

                                                                                                                                                 

Vada Pav

Vada pav – Indian version of burger, must be one of the most loved street foods.It is one of the tastiest fast food of Maharastra and also a famous "Chaat" in Mumbai city .In fact in the city the day starts with a couple of Vada Pavs and a cutting Chai or tea. Vada is a spicy potato mixture with a coating of gram flour, deep fried in oil. Pav is a special kind of soft bread, almost square in shape. We are great fans of this absolutely yummy dish .

The chutneys for this are very easy to make. I made all the three chutneys even though the green chutney and the red garlic chutney are the most frequently used ones. Sweet chutney is not always a part of it. But I like to have mine with it in place of tomato ketchup.

Method-

1-I make Vada for "vada pav" just as aloo bonda .so just follow the recipe of aloo bonda to make vada .(smaller size)

2-Slit the pav in the middle and heat it on tawa with a little bit of oil.(just warm it little bit) and put a spoonful of each chutney on it.Place a Vada on bun (pav) and fold over,pressing down gently,serve while the vada is hot ...............yummy....

Simple potato curry

A simple spicy curry with potato. Potato Curry is called Aloo bhaji or Potato Subji in Hindi languages. . This is a very quick and easy to make potato recipe.  You can add peas, carrots, cauliflower, french beans to this curry for variation.

 You Need---

4  medium potatoes boiled, peeled and cubed
1  tsp cumin seeds
½  tsp of turmeric powder

1/2 tsp asafoetida
1  tsp red chilli powder
1  tsp ginger-green chilly paste
1  tomato finely chopped or pureed
1  cups water
1  tsp coriander powder
2  tsp) oil 

1/2 tsp Garam masala
salt to taste
finely chopped fresh coriander leaves to garnish  

 Method-

1-Heat the oil in a heavy-bottomed pan on medium heat and crackle  cumin seeds.

2-Add  asafoetida, turmeric and red chilli powders, then ginger-green chilly paste and saute for some time, letting it get dry. 

3-Add the chopped tomatoes and fry for about 2  minutes or till they are soft .

4-Mix in the potato cubes along with the coriander powder, water and salt. Cover and cook on low heat  for about 15  minutes or till the potatoes are cooked and the gravy thickens.

5-Add garam masala and keep covered for a while to trap in the aroma.

6-Garnish with finely chopped fresh coriander leaves and serve with parantha ,pooris or roti. 

Note- You can always use onion in the gravy but for simple potato curry i use to avoid onion. 

Restaurant Style Tandoori Aloo

Tandoori Aaloo at home...........isn,t it sounds interesting.yes it is ........ I was also very excited when i read this recipe in one of the blog....yes it was Madhvi's blog ,Vegetarian Medley and decided to give it a try and it came out really very well.....Thanks Madhvi  for sharing this recipe.....I liked it so much that i even don't want to change name ....The only  change which i have done is that i did not use Kasoori Methi and garnish it with chopped spring onion in my recipe...so here comes the recipe....

You Need-

• 5 Medium Red Potatoes
• 1-1/2 cup Yogurt
• 1-1/2 tsp Ginger-Garlic paste
• 1/2 tsp Hot Red Chili powder
• 1/2 tsp Cumin Powder
• 1 tsp Sugar
• 1 tsp All Purpose Flour
• Pinch of Turmeric
• Chat Masala
• Salt to taste
• chopped spring onion to garnish

Method-

1.  Mix yogurt,  chili powder, ginger-garlic paste, cumin powder, turmeric, salt, all purpose flour, sugar in a large bowl.

2. Wash the potato and let them dry.

3. Pierce the potatoes 2-3 times with fork.

4. Place bowl of water in the middle of the microwave.

5. Arrange all the potatoes around the bowl on the microwave plate.

6. Cook the potatoes for 5-6 minutes or more .

7. Cut the potatoes into halves.

8. Put potato in refrigerator for 15-20 minutes.

9. Now mix potatoes with yogurt mixture,  marinade it  and refrigerate it for 3-4 hours.

10. Preheat oven on 400 degrees for 10 minutes.

11. Place parchment paper on cookie sheet and cook potatoes in oven for just 5-6 minutes.

12. Then broil it until it is gets its thin crust.

13. Sprinkle chat Masala and chopped spring onions.

 14. Serve hot with lemon or any chutney.

NOTE- Use Paneer cubes in place of potatoes or both together ,it tastes yummmm....

Vegetable Quesadillas

We love Mexican food but being vegetarian its difficult to get Mexican food which we really want to try outside.so I like to try different Mexican food with little bit of Indian twist in my own kitchen. Here is the recipe of Vegetable quesadillas which is the combination of two different kinds of beans and veggies.


Servings-2

Cooking time-15-20 minutes

You need—

4 tortillas (any size)

½ cup kidney beans (soaked and boiled till tender)

½ cup chickpeas (soaked and boiled till tender)

1 capsicum (cut in lengthwise)

1 small onion (chopped/optional)

1 cup cheese (grated)

1tbsp chili flakes

Salt to taste

1 tbsp. oil

1 tbsp. black pepper powder



Method-

1-Heat oil in a pan, add onion ,capsicum and salt ,saute till tender.

2-Add kidney beans and crushed chickpeas and mix it well.

3-Add chili flakes and black pepper powder, mix and keep it aside to cool down.

4-Spread grated cheese on one of the tortilla, and then spread a layer of veggie-beans paste.

5-Spread one more layer of cheese on it and then cover it with another tortilla.

6-Heat tawa and place it on tawa carefully, cook it from one side till the cheese melts.

7-Flip carefully and cook it from the other side till golden brown or cheese melts.

8- Cut in the wedges and serve hot.



It can be accompanied with any chutney, dip, sauce or salsa……..we had it with below mentioned salsa and it tastes yummy with this.