Chicken Curry (Gavthi chicken)

This is all time favourite chicken curry , maharashtrian style. I had read this recipe in a book..tried it...it tastes awsommmmmmmmmme..it is also known as gavti chicken or Tambda Rassa

Ingredients: (serves 2)
1/2 kg chicken
1/2 cup yogurt
1 tbsp ginger garlic paste
2 medium size onions finely chopped
2 medium size onions finely sliced
1/4 cup grated coconut
2 tbsp of red chilli powder
1/2 cup of corriander leaves
1tsp turmeric powder
2 medium size tomotoes
2 bayleaves
2 star anise (dagad phool)
salt
oil

Procedure:

Clean chicken and cut into small pieces, marinate it with yogurt, ginger garlic paste and bayleaf and star anise for 15 mins.
boil this marinated chicken by adding very little water.
dry roast sliced onions and coconut one by one
blend this roasted onions, coconut and corriander leaves into fine paste by adding little water. keep it aside
heat oil and add finely chopped onions tillit turns slightly brown, add finely chopped tomotoes, add blended paste, stir it for 5 mins.
add boiled marinated chicken, remove bayleaves and star anise from this.
now add salt and red chilli powder,
add water to make thin curry if you want.
close the lid and let it cook for 15 mins on low flame.
serve hot with steamed rice.

Kushari

Kushari is an egyptian rice, pasta and lentil with tomoto sauce.

Ingredients: ( Serves 2)
1 cup of rice
1 cup of macroni
1 cup of lentil ( whole masoor dal)
1 medium size onion finely chopped
1 big onion finely sliced
2 garlic cloves
1 big tomoto puree
salt and pepper
2 tbsp of red chilli flakes
2 tbsp of olive oil

Procedure:
Cook rice, pasta and lentils all seperately with salt
Heat olive oil on medium flame and saute chopped onions and garlic till it becomes pink, add tomato puree . stir for 5-6 mins.
add salt, black pepper and red chilli flakes.
reduce the heat and let it simmer for 10- 15 mins.
fry sliced onions till it becomes crispy golden colour.
place rice and lentil in equal quantity in a bowl and gently mix it well with a fork.spoon some tomoto sauce and top it with crispy fried onions and serve it hot.

AAMTI

Aamti is a typical maharashtrian dal which can be eaten as a soup, or with rice and chapati.

Ingredients( Serves 2 )
1 cup of masoor dal( without chilka) or chanadal and masoor dal mix
1 tbsp ginger garlic paste
1 tpsp of green chilli paste
1/2 cup of grated coconut
1 medium sized onion finely sliced
1 tsp garam masala
1 tsp of rai
1 tsp of zeera
pinch of hing
salt
corriander leaves

Procedure:
Boil the dal with ginger garlic and green chilli paste, do not pressure cook it.
Dry roast grated coconut and onions one by one.
Grind it into fine paste by adding little water.
add it to cooked dal.
add garam masala and salt.
cook for 5-8 mins.
give a tadka of rai, zeera, and hing.
garnish with corriander leaves.

Potato and Cheese Rostetti

One more recipe Potato and Cheese Rostetti which is instant hit with kids, try it with their tiffin box or snack time.

Potato and Cheese Rostetti (serves 2)

Ingredients:
6 medium size potatoes semi boiled
salt
pepper
1/2 tbsp olive oil
1/2 tbsp butter /ghee
1/2 tsp ajwain seeds
1/2 tbsp parsley
grated chesse
Procedure:

coarsely grate the potatoes,
mix salt, pepper, ajwain, cheese and parsley,
give a biscuit like shape about 1 cn thick and shallow fry on medium heat in mixture of olive oil and butter.
cook it till it turns brown.

Rice Cutlets

Tired feeding Celmira...she had practically given up food. I did not want her to get her tiffin halfeaten back from school..so finally...I have tried these simple recipes which do not take take my much time in kitchen especially in busy mornings...ofcourse Celmira is happy to see new new yummy nammi things in her tiffin box.

Rice Cutlet ( serves 2)
Ingredients:
1 cup boiled rice
2 slices of bread
grated cheese
1 small onion minced
1/4 tsp red chilli powder
1 tsp ginger paste
1 egg beaten
1 tbsp maida
salt
pepper
butter or ghee

Procedure:
Dip the bread in water and squeeze out excess water
Mix it well with rice an other ingredients
shape into small cutlets of any shape
shallow fry
serve it with mayonise, chutney or ketchup

Hari mirchi ka Techa ( Chutney)

Thecha is a chutney from rural maharashtra..it is very spicy so has to be eaten with care...

Ingredients:
6 big green chillies
8-9 cloves of Garlic
1 big tomoto
oil
salt

Procedue:
Put 2 tbsp of oil in pan, fry chillies and garlic cloves till it leaves a flavour in oil
grind this chillies and garlic with tomoto in grinder or in kutni
fry this mixture on high flame for about 5 minutes
add salt.
this can be eaten with bhakris or chapatis.

Khatti daal

This is an orignal recipe of my family generations passed on...my sis, my bro and all we just love this one..

Ingredients: ( Serves 2 )

2 cups of Tur Dal
2 medium tomotoes
Big ball of Imli
1 tsp of Haldi
4 tbsp of red chilli powder
1/2 tsp of garam masala
kadipatta
1 tsp of rai
1 tsp of zeera
6-7 cloves of garlic
salt

Procedure:

Cook the dal in cooker with finely chopped tomotoes, red chilli powder, haldi
mash the dal well, add salt and imli pani.
Now make a tadka of rai zeera , kadi patta and finely chopped garlic.
Put the tadka in dal and do not cook the dal after you put tadka.
serve it with soft cooked rice, pour the dal generously and enjoy!

Stuffed Buns

I was very scared of baking buns until I tried this recipe. I have made some changes with this one to suit my taste...it was a real challenge!.. but it came out really well.

Ingredients:
1 medium potato
1 cup water
1/2 tsp dry yeast
3 cups Maida
1/4 tbsp unsalted butter
1/4 cup wheat flour
2 tbsp seaseme seeds ( til)
salt

Procedure:
Boil the chopped potatoes with salt till it becomes tender.
Mash the potatoes. use the salty drained water. If it is less than 3/4 cup, add extra water to get a total of 3/4 cup.
Take the mashed potatoes and water in a big bowl. When the mixture is cooled to about room temp, add the yeast, maida and mix and leave for 5mins Add remaining salt, softened butter and wheat flour and mix well.
Knead the dough well till it is soft, Leave the dough in a warm place for about 2hrs.
Preheat the oven at 400F for 10mins.
Divide the dough in 8 equal parts. make big balls.
Take one ball of dough and keep one part of stuffing on it. now here the stuffing can be anything like mixed vegetables, chicken kheema, anda bhurji, cheese,wutever u want.
Cover with second half of dough and Cover properly from all sides. Make sure all the edges are sealed properly, otherwise the buns open up while baking. Slightly flatten with hand.
Drizzle some olive oil or butter on top of the bun. Spread some seasame seeds (optional) on top . Repeat same for remaining dough and stuffing to get 4 buns.
Bake in the oven for about 10-12 mins (or the top becomes brown).
Serve it hot.

Bell Pepper Rottini

Ingredients:
4 big capsicums
1 cup sundried tomotoes
1/4 cup peanuts
1/2 cup Parsley
5 cloves garlic
1 cup Mozrella cheese
olive oil
salt
2 cup cooked rice ( Rissoto rice preferred)

Procedure:
Roast capsicums on high flame till the outer layer turns black.
Let it cool, remove the black layer with wet hands.
cut the stems and clean the capsicum from inside to make space.
Blend sundried tomotoes, olive oil, garlic, parsley and peanuts into coarse paste.
stufff this mixture in the capsicum , top it with some mozrella cheese.
Bake this for 15 mins.
Serve it with rice

Chatpata kurmure upma ( spicy puffed rice)

One more simple and tasty recipe,can be eaten in breakfast or evening snacks or even as light lunch when you dont have much time in hand.

Ingredients( Serves 1)
2 cups of kurmure ( puffed rice)
1 small onions chopped finely
1/2 small tomoto chopped finely
2 green chillies
1 tsp mustard seeds
1/2 tsp hing
5-6 curry leaves
1/2 tsp corriander powder
1 tsp jeera powder
lemon juice
corriander leaves
salt
oil

Procedure:
soak kurmure in water for 5 minutes. drain and squeeze out the water.
heat 1 tsp of oil in kadai, add mustard seeeds. once it crackles add hing and curry leaves, now add chopped green chillies.
add onions, stir for 5 mins till the colour turns pink, add tomotoes, stir for 2 mins.
add puffed rice, corriander powder, jeera powder, salt and lemon juice.
close the lid and let it cook for 5 mins.
serve hot with corriander leaves

Curd Rice

Curd rice is an easiest and filling tiffin recipes.Assad likes it most.

Ingredients: ( serves 1)
1 cup cooked rice
curd(yogurt)
4-5 green chilies
5-6 curry leaves
1/2 tsp mustard seeds
2 tbsp urad dal
2 tbl spns oil or ghee
A pinch asafoetida
coriander leaves
Salt

Method:

Pressure cook rice till it is soft and mushy.
Heat oil in a pan and add mustard and urad dal, add curry leaves, asafoetida and chilies.
Put this mixture in curd, add salt.
Mix this curd nicely in rice.
Garnish with corriander leaves.

Moong dal Dahi wada

This recipe is another tiffin recipe which i have tried.
Everyone in Assad's office simply loved it.

Ingredients: (Serves 4)

1 cup urad dal
1/4 cup yellow moong dal
Oil
1 and 1/2 cup yogurt(curd)
3-4 green chilies chopped finelly
1/4 tea spn cumin seeds
coriander leaves
Salt

Method:
Soak dals in water for around 2-3 hrs.
Grind them to a very smooth paste by adding very little water, add salt
Mix yogurt with around 1/2 cup water to make it watery.Heat a tea spn of oil and add cumin seeds. When they start popping, add this to the yogurt and mix well. Add green chilies and chopped coriander to this and mix well.
Heat oil to deep fry.Deep fry these vadas in hot oil.I also use the appe pan instead of deep frying. I add about a drop of oil in each depression on medium-low flame and once the batter is filled, cover with a lid and allow to cook till light brown. Flip over and cook the other side as well.
Drain oil and when they are stilll hot, put them in water mixed with 2 tbsp of yogurt and salt.
Take out the vada on left palm and press right palm on it to squeeze off all water from the vada.
Put these vadas into the yogurt mixture.
Leave it for atleast 4-5hrs so that the vadas soak yogurt very well.
Enjoy.

Sweet Potato Roti

Since Assad is travelling everyday to Abudhabi these days, I am trying different tiffin recipes which he can eat easily. Here's my first attempt with sweetpotato. sweet potato is low in calories and a good source of complex carbohydrates and fiber. Rich in vitamin A and C, a good source of calcium, iron, and thiamine, the sweet potato is health food. Sweet potatoes are also a source of beta-carotene, which may reduce the risk of some cancers.

Sweet Potato Roti

Ingredients (Serves 2)

2 medium sized sweet potato
2 cups Wheat Flour
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 tea spn baking powder
1/4 tea spn salt
Ghee or oil

Procedure:
Cook and mash sweet potatoes.
Mix all other ingredients to make a dough.
Take a ball of the dough and roll into a thin Chapatis.
Apply ghee or oil on both sides and fry till you get crispy bown layer.
Serve hot or at room temperature

Palak Kheema

Ingredients: ( serves 2)

1 bunch of fresh palak
3 cups of kheema ( chicken/ mutton), or soyabean kheema for vegetarians
1 big Onion finely chopped
2 big tomotoes finely chopped
2 tbsp Ginger Garlic paste
1/2 cup of Pudina leaves chopped
1/2 cup of corriander leaves chopped
2 green chillies
4 tsp red chilli powder
4 tsp corriander powder
1/2 tsp haldi
2 tsp fennel powder
1 tsp zeera powder
2 tsp garam masala
1/2 tsp aamchoor powder
lemon juice
salt

Procedure:
Blanch palak and make puree. keep it aside
put oil in nonstick kadai, add onions, fry till it turns golden brown
add tomotoes, fry till it turns mushy
add ginger garlic,green chillies,chilli powder, haldi corriander powder, fennel powder, zeera powder, aamchoor powder. fry on medium heat till it leaves oil.
Add corriander and pudina leaves, fry for 5 minutes.
Add palak puree and garam masal.
Let it simmer with lid closed for 10 mins.
Add kheema without adding warer, add salt, mix it well.
Let it cook on low heat with lids closed for 15 minutes.
If some water is remaining, dry it on high heat.
Add lemom juice and serve it with parathas, roti or rice.

Luqaimat

We had this in Dubai Heritage Village...awsome tasting...so finally I got this recipe and tried it...

Ingredients:
1 1/2 cups Wheat flour
1 tsp yeast
1 tsp sugar
salt
1/3 cup yogurt
3/4 cup warm water
oil

Procedure:
In ¾ cup of lukewarm water, add sugar and yeast and stir well. Keep aside for around half an hour until a thick layer of froth forms over the yeast mixture.
Take a large bowl, Add flour, salt and mix well. Then add yogurt and yeast mixture and stir well until you get a sticky batter. You can mix the batter in the food processor if difficult to mix them by hand. I usually use hand for mixing the batter, but it takes quite longer time. Keep it in a warm area for about 4-6 hours.
At this stage you can see bubbles formed in the batter. Knock down the bubbles and stir well again
Heat oil in a kadai until it really gets hot.
Dip the fingers in water and take a good size pinch of batter(a teaspoon size) and drop in oil slowly. Since the batter is sticky and has dropping consistency, it will be difficult to handle the batter without dabbing the fingers with water. Add few more pinches of batter in oil by dabbing finger in water every time you take the batter.
Once they fall in oil they will puff up and take round shapes or almost round shapes. DOesnt matter if it doesnt come into exact round shapes. Deep fry them until they turn golden on all sides. It is very important not to make it golden brown cause it will be hard rather than crispy. Strain them using slotted spoon and place them on kitchen towel to drain out excess oil.

Transfer into serving dish and pour datesyrup or honey or sugar syrup all over.

Wattalapam

Ingredients( Serves 4 )
3 Egg
500 ml coconut milk
250 g jaggery
1/4 tsp cinnamon powder

Procedure:

Beat the eggs into fluffy texture and mix into coconut milk, jaggery and cinnamon powder.
Pour it into small bowls , steam it in steamer.
steam for 25 mins on low heat till the mixture is done.
Allow it to cool and refrigerate.
Serve cold.

Andhra Egg Masala

Ingredients:
4 hard boiled eggs
1 medium size onion
4 garlic cloves
1/2 inch ginger piece
2 small green chillies
1 1/2 tsp red chilli powder
1/2 tsp turmeric
1/2 tsp coriander powder
3/4 tsp garam masala
1/2 tomoto pureed
oil
1 cup green peas boiled
2 tbsp coriander leaves chopped
salt

Procedure:
blend onion, garlic and green chillies to fine paste.
Heat oil in Kadai , add paste and fry till golden brown.
Add all the spices and fry.
Now add the pureed tomoto and fry till oil leaves the sides of pan.
Add cup of water and cook till dry.
then add green peas and eggs.
again add a cup of water to boil. let it simmer for 10 mins.
remove with heat and garnish with coriander leaves.
Serve it with Dosa.
A

Banana Theeyal

Today I made an authentic Andhra recipes which I had seen in some magazine. Bana Theeyal , Egg Masala, Dosa and Wattalapam ( Desert). Here's the recipe one by one.

Banana Theeyal
Ingredients ( Serves 4)
2 raw green bananas
6 small red chillies
1tsp corriander seeds
1/2 tsp cummin seeds
8 black peppercorns
1 cup grated coconut
8 curry leaves
1/2 tsp mustard seeds
14 shallots( small sambhar onions)
2tbsp tamarind pulp
2tbsp jaggery grated
salt
oil

procedure:
Peel and cut the bananas into 1 inch pieces, boil in water till tender and keep aside
Heat 3 tbsp oil in nonstick kadai, stir fry red chillies, corriander seeds, cummin seeds, peppercorns and coconut. fry till it changes colour and gives out an aroma. make a fine paste of this by adding enough water and keep aside
heat 2 tbsp oil in kadai , add curry leaves and mustard seeds. once they splutter, add shallots and saute till it changes colour
then add bananas and saute for 2 mins. add ground paste, tamarind and jaggger, salt and cup of water.
cook till the water dries and you get thick gravy.
serve hot with appams/ rice or dosa

Dahi Pav

This is my dear friend Rashmi's recipe. Very easy and yummy!

Ingredients: ( serves 1)
4 slices of pav/ bread
1/2 Cup of dahi
1 tsp red chilli powder
1/2 tsp of ammchoor powder
salt
1/2 tsp of Jeera powder
1/2 tsp of hing
1/2 tsp of rai
2/3 curry leaves
oil

Procedure:
In a bowl mix dahi, 1/4 cup of water, salt, jeera powder, ammchoor powder, chilli powder.
Heat 1 tbsp oil in nonstick frying pan, add hing , rai and curry leanes.
Once it crackles dip the bread pieces in dahi mixture and put it in frying pan.
Fry this on medium heat on both sides tillit turns golden brwn and crispy.
Serve it hot.

Spanish Omelette

This is an easy and yummy recipe of Spanish Omelette. I had it first few years back in POPTATES..WE JUST LOVE IT. It can eaten as weekend brunch or quick dinner.

Ingredients: ( Serves 1)
4 eggs
olive oil/ Butter/ Ghee
1 small onion
1/2 cup of milk
3-4 Mushroom Pieces
1 small green pepper
1 small tomoto
1 tbsp of black pepper powder
French rolls/ Onion Bruggets/ Brown bread
salt

Procedure:
Take a nonstick frying pan with deep bottom. Put 1 tbsp of olive oil, donot heat it much, add finely sliced onions, stir for 5 mins till it turns transluscent.
Add chopped mushrooms, they cook fast, remove it from the heat.
Take a Big bowl, beat the eggs with the milk, add salt and pepper powder.mix it propely. Add musrooms, onions, diced green pepper, tomotoes.
Heat the oil in same frying pan, put in the mixture on low heat, keep lifting the egges of omelette to pour the egg mixture down so that it cooks evenly.
Leave the omellete to cook for 10 mins.
When there is almost no liquid on the surface of the omelette turn it by putting a plate on top of the frying pan and turning it upside down. Put the omelette back in the pan.
To round the edges, turn the edges of the omelette inwards with a spatula. Let the omelette cook for another 5 minutes.
Serve it hot or cold with the breads. Enjoy!

Lassuni Chana Daal

This is a pakistani recipe. Few days back we had this Dal in a Pakistani restaurant, we just loved it. So here is the recipe with my version.

Ingredients: ( Serves 2)
1&1/2 cup chana dal
1tsp turmeric
1 inch ginger
5-6 cloves of Garlic
1 tbsp of chilli powder
1tsp Jeera
1/2 tsp of garam masala
oil
salt

Procedure
Boil the chana dal in five cups of water, turmeric and Ginger Piece till the dal is 3/4 soft. Do not Pressure cook otherwise it will become very mushy.
Add salt and remove ginger pieces from dal once boiled.
Add Garam Masala and stir.
heat oil in seperate frying pan. Add Jeera, garlic and chilli powder.Fry it for some time. Remove it from heat and pour the entire content in pot of dal. Imediately close the lid of the pot so that the aroma doesnot go off. Dont cook the dal once you have addded the masala.
While serving spread corriander leaves.
It can be eaten with rotis or parathas since it is not much watery.

Chicken Biryani

Chicken Biryani

Ingredients: ( 1 kg Biryani Serves 2- 3)

500g chicken pieces
500g Basmati Rice
3 Medium size Onions (125g)
3 Medium size Tomotoes (125g)
Yogurt/ Dahi Whipped 100 g/ 1/2 Cup
Oil 1/2 Cup
Ginger Garlic Paste 2 tablespoon/ 30g
3 Medium Size Potatoes ( 125g)
2 tbsp coriander powder
4 tbsp chilli powder
2 tbsp of jeera powder
1/2 tbsp of black pepper powder
5 big elaichies
1 big tez patta
2 sticks of dalchini
1/2 tbsp of jawatri powder
1/2 tbsp of fennel seeds ( saunf)
1/2 tbsp of aamchoor powder
4 laung
Paste of 2 small red plumps ( alu bukhara)
1/2 cup of finely chopped Corriander leaves
Salt

Raita:
1/2 Medium Size Onions
1/2 Medium size Tomotoes
1 Big Green chilly
1 Cup whipped yogurt

Procedure:
Clean and cut Chicken in small pieces
Wash and soak rice in water for 30 mins
Heat oil on medium high flame in nonstick Big Vessel, Add sliced Onions, Fry till it turns golden brown( keep stirring to avoid onions from burning otherwise it will give bitter taste)
Add finely chopped Tomotoes, fry till the mixture of onions and tomotoes becomes mushy.
Addd Chicken Pieces, Ginger Garlic Paste,potatoes and salt( add salt in proportion taste to this mixture only because rice will be cooked seperately with salt)
Fry for 5 Minutes, Reduce the Flame
Add alu bukhara paste, coriander powder, chilli powder, elachies, tez patta, black pepper powder, jeera powder, jawatri, laung, dalchini sticks, saunf and aamchoor powder
mix it well and fry for 20 mins till you see oil floating on top, that shows the masala is cooked properly
simultaneously in 3 cups of water add salt and rice. boil until the rice id 3/4 cooked. drain the water. here make sure that rice doesnot becomes too soft or else biryani will look like a khicdi or pulao.
add 1/2 glass of water to the chicken , let it simmer till the chicken and potatoes are cooked tender.
remove from heat. keep the vessel on the floor, spread layer of cooked rice evenly on masala without pressing much. sprinkle some food colour on top with corriander leaves.
keep the vessel on very low flame with the lid on top. keep something heavy on the lid so that the aroma doesnot go off.
Open the lid only when you wantto serve Biryani. You can mix the Rice and masala before serving or serve it as alayer by putting high serving spoon vertically on the edges and pull out scoops of biryani.
For Raita mix everythng with salt to taste. Also make raita just before serving or else dahi will start leaving water and raita will turn too watery.
Enjoy!

Bread Upma (Bread Crumble)

Hi Everyone this is my first recipe on my blog. Here's the recipe of Bread Upma. I usually make this when i need something to eat and I dont have much time on hand. Simple and tasty Bread Upma..

Bread Upma( Serving 2 )

Ingredients:
10 slices of Brown Bread or White Bread
1 small lemon
1 tsp mustard seeds
6-7 kaddipatta leaves (Curry Leaves)
2 small green chillies
1 tsp black pepper (optional)
1 tsp sugar
1 tsp oil
salt to taste
water

Procedure:
Crumble Bread slices in small pieces,
Heat oil in nonstick kadai
crackle the mustard seeds and kaddipatta
put finely chopped green chillies
fry for 2 mins thn put crumbled breads,
Add salt,sugar and black pepper.
Mix it well and sprinkle some water on it.
Close the lid and let it simmer on very low flame for about 5 mins.
Add grated coconut if you have or else serve it hot with some lemon juice.