JEEREWALA ALOO

It is a quick and easy recipe which is cooked in my home quite frequently. It is also a very apt recipe for serving when your refrigerator is empty and no other veggies available at your home. Its name itself makes juices flowing in mouth and makes one feel hungry. Simple yet delicious Jeerewala Aloo fry is one of the best quick Indian recipe that can be made in minutes and paired up well with almost all Indian breads. This easy vegan recipe of Jeerewala Aloo uses very routine Indian spices which are easily available in our pantry. As this dish name says, there are two main ingredients- potato and cumin seeds [jeera]. I made it little spicy because I love extra spicy food but you can totally reduce the spiciness according to your taste. And do remember that we are also adding green chillies too….I hope you will definitely give a try and please let me know your experiences and suggestions if any.  

INGREDIENTS:

1 Cup boiled and cubed Potato [you can use small baby potatoes]

2 tablespoon Ghee

2 teaspoon Cumin Seeds

¼ teaspoon Asafoetida

2 teaspoon Ginger, chopped

2 teaspoon Green Chilli, chopped

½ Cup Onion, chopped

½ teaspoon Turmeric Powder

1 teaspoon Red Chilli Powder

1 teaspoon Aamchur Powder

Salt as needed

Coriander, chopped

METHOD:

STEP 1 – Heat ghee in a heavy bottomed pan. Add cumin seeds in it and let them crackle.

STEP 2 – Add chopped ginger, chopped green chilly and onion in it and cook on high heat for 1-2 minute till raw smell vanish.

STEP 3 –  Then add cubed potatoes in it and season with salt. Toss it very well so that everything get mixed properly.

STEP 4 – Add turmeric powder, chilli powder and mix it well.

STEP 5 – Add aamchur powder, some chopped coriander and give a nice mix, cover it and cook for next 2-3 minutes.

STEP 6 – Remove from heat and garnish with some more coriander and ready to serve.

Serve it with dal-rice or chapatti, paratha as a side dish.

                                

SABUDANA KHEER / SAGO PUDDING

Kheer is an Indian favourite and I am yet to come across anyone who doesn’t like it in some form or the other. Sabudana kheer or Sago pudding recipe is one popular, easy and most loved kheer recipe across India.  Kheer or Payasam is very simple to make and doesn’t involve any special techniques. You just need a bit of patience to thicken the milk to a rich, creamy consistency. You can prepare this tasty kheer as dessert for Diwali, hotli festivals. Simple but heart-warming, this creamy kheer made with sabudana [sago pearls] is easy to make and absolutely delicious. Kheer can be made with rice, lentils, fruits and nuts, but today’s recipe uses another popular ingredient and that is sabudana. Since, the kheer itself is so simple, I have decorated it richly with nuts and saffron strands. You can leave it plain also.

INGREDIENTS:

1 litre Milk

½ Cup Soaked Sabudana [100 gm] [soak it for at least 5-6 hours or overnight]

½ Cup Sugar [adjust according to your taste]

2 tablespoon Chopped Nuts [almonds, cashews, pistachios]

10-15 Raisins

Few Saffron strands, soaked in 1 tablespoon milk

½ teaspoon Cardamom Powder

METHOD:

STEP 1 – In a heavy bottomed pan, add milk and bring it to boil.

STEP 2 – When it started boiling, add pre-soaked sabudana and mix well.

 Cook it for 10-15 minutes stirring occasionally.

STEP 3 – Add chopped nuts, saffron and sugar and mix very well. Keep some nuts for garnishing.

STEP 4 – Cook for some more time till sugar get dissolved completely and it get thickened.

STEP 5 – Turn off the flame and garish with nuts and serve hot.

Serve it immediately or cool it slightly before serving. Garnish with chopped nuts if desired.

NOTES: *You can store leftover kheer in refrigerator. If it thickened too much, warm it with a few spoons of milk before serving.

ANDA BIRYANI / EGG BIRYANI

Today I am here with very flavourful egg recipe – Egg Biryani for all egg and biryani lovers. Egg Biryani or Anda Biryani is a popular recipe from North India which is prepared mostly with scented or aromatic or basamati rice, spices and eggs. It is very famous and heathy dish that can be served as a lunch or dinner with any raita of your choice. Egg simply increase up the health quotient of this delicacy. It is a delicious treat for egg lovers. Vegetable and chicken biryani is more common prepared at my place but this time decided why not try something different. With eggs I mostly prefer to make egg bhurji or egg masala curry which is very easy and quick dinner recipe. However, this little more time taking egg biryani recipe is worth the effort invested. If your are trying to keep yourself away from meat and chicken and want to include eggs in your diet, then you will surely like it. This biryani makes a great addition to the menu for any parties or a weekend meal and yes, it’s very easy and you can make it without any difficulty. Egg biryani is easy and quick as compared to other biryani whether it is chicken or mutton because you don’t need to wait for them to get marinated like chicken or mutton biryani. More important is when the rice and eggs cooked, keep the pot sealed on a low flame. The aroma of spices remain intact inside the pot and this makes biryani more aromatic and flavourful.  Once you open the seal, your entire house is filled with the fragrance of aromatic spices. So what are you waiting for just make it and share your experiences with me. If any suggestions, comment in the comment box below.

INGREDIENTS:
1 Cup Basamati Rice

2 Med. Onion

8-10 Cashew Nuts

2 Green Chillies

2 teaspoon Ginger-Garlic Paste

A fistful Coriander Leaves

2 tablespoon Mint Leaves

3 tablespoon Thick Curd / Yogurt

2 tablespoon Fired Onion

Salt as needed

Spice Powder Needed:

½ teaspoon Turmeric Powder

1 teaspoon Red Chilli Powder

1 tablespoon Biryani Masala Powder

1 teaspoon Garam Masala Powder

 For Eggs Masala:

3-4 Eggs

1 teaspoon Butter

½ teaspoon Red Chilli Powder

1 teaspoon Besan Flour / Gram Flour

Salt as needed

Ingredients For Seasoning:

2 tablespoon Oil

2 teaspoon Ghee

1 “Cinnamon Stick

2 Cloves

1 Green Cardamom

1 teaspoon Shahi Jeera

For Garnishing:

1 tablespoon Fried Onion

1  Onion, chopped

1 tablespoon Mint Leaves

1 teaspoon Ghee

Few Saffron Strands soaked in 1 tablespoon Milk

PREPARATION:

STEP 1 – Wash and soak basamati rice in water for 30-40 minutes.

STEP 2 - After 30 minutes, drain excess water completely and sauté rice with 1 teaspoon ghee.

This gives flavour to your biryani.

STEP 3 – Cut onion lengthwise, chop coriander leaves and keep it ready. You can chop mint leaves but I prefer adding it as it is or just tear with hands and add.

STEP 4 – Deep fry onions in hot oil on medium flame till crispy and brown in colour.

STEP 5 – Soak saffron in warm milk and keep it aside.

Preparing Eggs for biryani:

STEP 1 – Hard boil eggs in sufficient water. Cool them and peel them off.

STEP 2 – Now add all ingredients in a small bowl under title “ Egg Masala “ and mix well.

STEP 3 – Give small cuts on eggs with a knife. Don’t cut through and through.

STEP 4 – Coat the eggs with the masala and keep aside.

STEP 5 – Heat 1 teaspoon butter in a small pan. Add marinated eggs in it and roast well for 1-2 minutes.

STEP 6 – Remove and keep them aside.  

 METHOD:

STEP 1 – Heat oil + ghee in a wide pan. Add all ingredients under title “ seasoning” in it.

STEP 2 – When cumin seeds crackle, add chopped onion and saute well until light golden in colour. You can add salt to fasten the process.

STEP 3 – Now add cashews, slit green chillies and roast for 1 minute. Add ginger-garlic paste and sauté well until raw smell vanishes.

STEP 4 – Add mint leaves and chopped coriander leaves in it. Mix well.

STEP 5 – Add turmeric powder, chilli powder, biryani masala powder and garam masala to it with little salt. [keep in mind, you have added salt while roasting onions too]

STEP 6 – Now add curd and mix it well and cook for 1-2 minute.

STEP 7 – Add fried some onion and give a nice stir.

STEP 8 – Now add 1 ½ - 1 ¾ cup water in it. When water comes to  boil,

add rice in it and mix everything very well.

STEP 9 – Cover it with lid and cook till ¾ done.

STEP 10 – Add a tablespoon fired onion, chopped mint leaves, chopped coriander and mix well. 

STEP 11 – Reduce the heat, cover it again and cook on low flame for 5 minutes or until all water is absorbed and rice is cooked properly. Give a nice mix.    

STEP 12 – Now add cooked eggs and give it a nice mix, add some more fired onion, chopped coriander and mint leaves and saffron milk on the top.

 Again close and cook for 2-3 minutes. Switch off the flame and biryani is ready to serve.

 STEP 13 – Keep the pan closed for another 5 minutes [see notes] and then serve.

Serve it with any raita of your choice or mirchi ka salan, onion rings, roasted papad and relish.

NOTES:* When we cook it and leave it sealed for 5 minutes, the aroma of spices remain intact inside the pot which make the biryani more flavourful.

SALTED PEANUTS

Salted peanuts are a satisfying snack and when they’re homemade. They taste better than the store –brought version. Peanuts are crunchy, delicious nuts do have high nutritional value to it when consumed in moderation. Peanuts are rich in minerals, antioxidants, vitamins, proteins, etc which are important for healthy living. Peanuts can be consumed in many ways like shelled , unshelled , roasted, salty, sweetened etc. Salted peanuts are my husband’s favourite. So tried to prepare it at home. This is very easy and quick recipe using microwave. I will share the other traditional method of salty peanuts very soon. Hope you all like it and want to try it at home.

INGREDIENTS:

1 Cup Peanuts

2-3 tablespoon Salt

1 Cup Water

METHOD:

STEP 1 – Take a microwave safe bowl, add water in it with salt. Mix it well till salt is completely dissolved.

STEP 2 – Then add peanuts in it and give a nice mix.

STEP 3 – Then put the bowl in microwave for 2 minutes on high power.

STEP 4 – Remove the bowl from micorwave, transfer the peanuts on a sieve to remove excess water from it.

STEP 5 – Then spread all peanuts over a microwave safe plate evenly.

STEP 6 – Keep the plate with peanuts in microwave for 1 minute on high power. If the peanuts not dried and roasted well then keep for another half minute.

STEP 7 – Remove the plate from microwave and cool the peanuts completely.

Now store it in an air tight container and enjoy whenever you want.

LAL TOMATO CHE BHARIT

Tomato che bharit is similar to vangyache bharit recipe. This tastes amazing when served as a side dish with roti or dal-chawal. It is very popular vegetarian side dish in Maharashtra. As easy, quick and healthy recipe and a great pick for the days you feel lazy to cook. This is my aai’s version which she used to make when we are small kids and I just loved it. Tomato bharit is very flavourful and we feel spicy and sour taste at a time. Here I added green chillies but you can substitute it with red chilli powder. You can make it more flavourful by adding chopped spring onion in it. This tastes best when served with jowar bhakri. The people in villages, collect some fresh tomatoes while returning from farm, roast them over coals and add roasted green chillies, salt and mash it roughly and serve it. However, it is not feasible for everyone to have that kind of arrangement. So roasting them over stove top and for green chillies skillet works. Try this in your kitchen and share your feedbacks in comment box below. Happy Cooking…!!!!     

INGREDIENTS:
3-4 Red Tomatoes
3-4 Green Chillies [adjust as per your liking]
5-6 Garlic Cloves
1teaspoon Cumin Seeds
Salt as per required
1 tablespoon Peanuts
1 Big Onion, chopped finely
¼ teaspoon Turmeric Powder
1 tablespoon Coriander, chopped finely
1 tablespoon Oil
METHOD:
STEP 1 – First wash tomatoes and then roast them directly on the flame like brinjals.[for bharit]

STEP 2 – Change the sides using tongs and roast evenly from all sides.
STEP 3 – By that time, roast green chillies on skillet

and then add garlic with it in a mortar-pestle and crush them roughly and make a coarse paste.

STEP 4 - When tomatoes are done, let them cool for some time and then peel off the charred skin from tomatoes.
STEP 5 – Gently mash them and keep aside.

STEP 6 – Heat oil in a pan, add cumin seeds and let them splutter.
STEP 7 – Then add peanuts and fry them well for few seconds.

STEP 8 – Add chopped onion and rough chilli-garlic paste in it and mix well and cook till raw smell disappears.

STEP 9 – Now add turmeric powder and salt and mix well.

STEP 10 – Add mashed tomatoes in it and give a nice stir and cook for 3-4 minutes.

Keep stirring in between.

STEP 11 – Finally add some chopped coriander, mix it and your tomato bharit is ready.

Serve it with chapatti, paratha or with dal-chawal as a side dish to your meal and enjoy your meal.