TIFFIN READY :)

Well, we have something tasty and easy-to-make recipe in today's menu :

CORN PAKODAS

Corn Pakodas are the great appetizers that can have at tea time. Its easy, crispy and delicious to have. With very simple flavours, they are great and can be also have along with ketchup or salsa. Do try this snack delight and enjoy ur evening.

INGREDIENTS:

• 1 cup sweet corn
• 2 chopped onions
• 1 egg
• Salt to taste
• 1 tbsp ginger finely chopped
• 1 tsp chopped green chilli
• ½ tsp pepper
• ½ cup flour
• 1 tsp baking powder
• Oil to fry
• 1 tsp red chilli powder
• 1 cup makai ka atta
• Chopped dhania patta

METHOD:

To sweet corn, add onions, ginger, green chilli, red chilli powder, salt & pepper.

Mix these ingredients along with baking powder & egg. Add the flour & makai ka atta to the mixture.

Mix well & add dhania patta for taste. Wet your palms & shape the dough into balls.

Fry pakodas in hot oil on low flame till red. Serve hot with sauce or chutney.

SPICY CORN FOR AN EVENING SNACKS

It is delicious! I used just one chilli pepper, and found it gently spicy. I also added some lime juice for a little extra flavor. This is a 5-minute recipe, especially if you use frozen corn.

Slicing the kernels off the cob can get a little messy, though. I managed to do it!

Spicy Corn with Mustard Seeds makes 4 servings

INGREDIENTS:

• 6 to 8 ears corn (or use 4 cups thawed frozen corn)
• 3 tablespoons vegetable oil
• 1/2 teaspoon brown mustard seeds
• 1 or 2 serrano chiles, thinly sliced
• 1/4 teaspoon turmeric
• Salt
• 1 tablespoon minced cilantro
• 1 -2 teaspoons fresh lime juice, to taste

METHOD:

1. Slice kernels off corn, if using fresh.

2. Heat vegetable oil in a wok or sauté pan over medium-high heat, add mustard seeds, and cover. When seeds stop popping, lower heat to medium and add chiles; stir 30 seconds.

3. Stir in turmeric. Add corn and salt to taste. Toss, turn heat to low, cover, and cook until corn is tender, about 5 minutes (cook frozen corn about 1 minute). Stir in cilantro and lime juice. Serve warm.

NOODLE MANIA :)

NOODLES IN TOMATO SAUCE

I prepared a simple lunch of noodle with korean mushroom and beancurd drumstick in tomato sauce. The style is like spaghetti bolognese where you serve by mixing the prepared gravy with the cooked noodle. As this was a vegetarian version, I replaced meat with buna shimeiji mushroom and deep fried beancurd drumstick. But I did not use spaghetti noodle since I just done it with quinoa noodle. To balance the meal, I just simply added green salad.

Serving for 2 persons:

• 3-4 pieces dry quinoa noodle
• 3 deep fried beancurd drumstick
• 1 pkt Korean buna shimeij mushroom
• 3 tbsp tomato puree
• 3 tsp sugar
• 1 tsp vinegar
• 2 tsp G-seasoning powder
• lemon juice (optional)
• 2 tsp oil
• Water or vegetable broth for gravy
• 1 tsp cut shallots
• cornstarch for thickening gravy

In a pot of boiling water, cook the dry noodle until soft and drain. Set aside.

In a pan, heat oil and fry shallots. Add in mushroom and season with G-seasoning powder. Add in tomato puree, water and season with sugar, vinegar and lemon juice. Stir fry till mushroom soften and add in deep fried beancurd drumstick. Stir for 1 min and lastly thicken gravy with cornstarch. Pour over noodle and serve with your choice of green salad.

YOGHURT SOUP WITH TOASTED BARLEY

Like all whole grains, whole wheat is a very good source of fibre as well as manganese and the amino acids. If you have a wheat allergy, substitute barley, which provides celenium, copper and phosphorous. And the below mentioned recipe serves six!

INGREDIENTS:

• Barley : 1/3 cup
• water : 2 cups
• salt : to tase
• finely diced cucumber : 1 cup
• plain low fat yogurt or butter milk : 5 cups
• ripe but firm tomatoes : 2
• celery stalk (small) : 1
• garlic pod finely minced or pureed with a little salt in a mortar : 1
• lemon juice : 2 tbsp
• cumin seeds toasted and ground : 2 tsp
• ground pepper : to taste
• fresh mint leaves : 2 tbsp

METHOD:

Heat a heavy medium sized saucepan over medium-high heat, and add the barley. Stir or shake in the pan unitil it smells toasty, about five minutes. Add the water and salt (to taste) and bring to a boil.

Reduce the heat and simmer until tender, about 45 mins. Remove from the heat, drain and set aside.

While the barley is cooking, place the cucumber in a bowl and sprinkle with salt. Toss and place in a strainer set over the bowl. Allow to drain for 30 mins. Rinse well and drain on paper towels.

Combine all the ingredients except the mint. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Chill for an hour or longer. Serve, garnishing each bowl with the mint leaves.

VEGETABLE CHILLI

RECIPE : VEGETABLE CHILLI

From “The New Basics Cookbook” by Julee Rosso and Sheila LukinsHave a pot of chili ready when everyone comes over to watch the Super Bowl. This vegetable chili is just as gutsy as any made with meat. Everyone will love it!

INGREDIENTS:

3/4 cup olive oil2 zucchini, cut into 1/2-inch dice2 onions, cut into 1/2-inch dice4 cloves garlic, finely chopped2 large red bell peppers, cored and cut into 1/4-inch dice1 can (35 ounces) Italian plum tomatoes, with their juice1 1/2 pounds ripe plum tomatoes, cut into 1-inch dice2 tablespoons good-quality chili powder1 tablespoon ground cumin1 tablespoon dried basil1 tablespoon dried oregano2 teaspoons freshly ground black pepper1 teaspoon salt1 teaspoon fennel seeds1/2 cup chopped fresh Italian (flat-leaf) parsley1 cup canned dark red kidney beans, drained1 cup canned chick-peas (garbanzos), drained1/2 cup chopped fresh dill2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice1 cup sour cream2 cups grated Monterey Jack cheese4 scallions (green onions), white bulb and 3 inches green, sliced on the diagonal

METHOD:

1.Heat 1/2 cup of the oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the zucchini, and sauté until just tender, 5 to 7 minutes. Transfer the zucchini to a large flameproof casserole or dutch oven.

2.Heat the remaining 1/4 cup oil in the skillet over low heat. Add the onions, garlic, and bell peppers. Sauté until just wilted, about 10 minutes. Transfer the mixture to the casserole, along with the oil remaining in the skillet.

3.Place the casserole over low heat. Add the canned tomatoes and their juice, the fresh tomatoes, chili powder, cumin, basil, oregano, pepper, salt, fennel seeds, and parsley. Cook, uncovered, stirring often, for 30 minutes.

4.Stir in the kidney beans, chick-peas, dill and lemon juice; cook for another 15 minutes. Stir well, and adjust the seasonings to taste. Serve with bowls of sour cream, grated cheese, and sliced scallions alongside

A HAPPY MEAL-IN-ONE

Those of us who like to entertain friends at home rather than in restaurants are always on the look out for dishes that can feed a crowd without too much trouble in the kitchen. Bakes and biriyanis are always a good idea coz the whole meal can revolve around just one dish. And once you hav that assembled you are ready to enjoy the evening without fretting with last minute cooking.

But if you want to stir up something that's slightly unusual, then think of serving "KHAU SWEY" the burmese dish of noodles and curry with an array of zesty toppings. All you need to do just before ur guests sit down to eat is to cook the noodles if the garnishes are prepared already!

Ingredients:

• 1 packet noodles
• 500 gm boneless chicken
• 1 onion grated
• 1 tsp ginger garlic paste
• 1/2 tsp cumin powder
• 1/2 tsp red chilli powder
• 2 cups chicken stock
• 1 cup thick coconut milk
• 2 tbsp oil

Method:

Cut the chicken into neat dices. Heat the oil in a heavy pan, put in the ginger-garlic paste and the grated onion. Saute over a low flame till the raw smell disappears. Now put in the cumin and chilli powder, stir a bit and add the chicken. Saute the chicken for five minuts or so till the dices are coated with the spices. Add the stock, bring to a boil, then lower the heat and allow it to simmer away till the chicken is tender. Finish with the coconut milk and set aside.

To serve, cook the noodles according to the instructions below. Place in bowls , ladle the curry sauce over the noodles and allow guests to garnish with the following:

• finely chopped onions fried to crisp
• fried noodles
• fish sauce
• lemon wedges
• chilli flakes
• chopped hard boiled eggs
• chopped green coriander

Prepare the garnishes ahead and serve in small bowls.

So here's a new recipe for the chicken lovers....how do u like it?

MEALS THAT HEAL.......!

SOUP SO SPECIAL....

Hello people...i am here with another recipe today and i'm sure this is going to be something that you wouldn't hav tried before! It is called the "PEARS AND CELERIAC SOUP"

Read more to know what and how it is made!

INGREDIENTS:

• Celeriac, peeled and chopped - 400 gm
• onion chopped - 50gm
• garlic - 30gm
• olive oil - 15ml
• ripe pears, thinly sliced - 2
• bay leaf - 5gm
• salt and pepper to taste
• cream - 50 gm
• chives - 50gm

METHOD:

Heat the oil in a large saucepan over moderate heat. Fry the onion and garlic until they turn translucent. Add the celeriac to the pan and cook for further five mins stirring occasionally.

Add some vegetable stock, pear slices and bay leaves and bring to a boil. Simmer for 15-20 minutes. Remove the bay leaves and blend the soup in a food processor. Return it to the pan and heat it gently. Season and stir in a little cream to taste. Sprinkle chopped chives and serve!

MORE ON CELERIAC:

Well, most of you would not have heard this veggie called celeriac. Or rather, i actually didn't know that there was something like this until i googled about it. So i though it wud be an informative post along with the recipe :)

Celeriac is a vegetable that is a member of the celery family, however only its root is used for cooking purposes. Also known as celery root, knob celery, and turnip rooted celery, it tastes similar to a blend of celery and parsely.

It has a tough furrowed outer surface, usually sliced off before use as it is too rough to peel. It is often used as a flavouring in soups and stews and can also be used in baked dishes.

Celeriac contains no cholestral or fat and provides an excellent source of dietery fibre. Because of its taste and consistency, it is a flavourful addition to low calorie meals.

So pals, hope this post was really informative and interesting!

CHEERS!