Pasta Primavera

An incredibly easy and tasty pasta dish with lots of veggies. My twist is to make it with fresh spring onions which give this classic dish a unique flavor.


Ingredients:
1 cup pasta ( fusili preferred )
1 bunch of spring onions, chopped finely
1/4 cup fresh corn kernels
1/2 cup capsicum, chopped finely
1/2 cup other chopped vegetables ( carrot, brocolli etc. )
1/2 cup cream
1 tbsp ginger garlic paste
1 tsp chilli flakes
shredded cheese ( parmesan preferred, but any other cheese will do )
seasoning ( basil, oregano etc. )
2 tbsp olive oil
salt to taste

Method:

• Take enough water in a large vessel. Add a little salt and olive oil. Bring the water to a boil and add the pasta.
• Cook till the pasta is tender. Keep 1 cup of remaining water aside. Drain the pasta and keep it aside.
• In a pan, add olive oil and heat it. Add ginger-garlic paste and cook for a minute. Add the spring onions and saute for 2-3 minutes.
  
• Add all the vegetables along with salt and chilli flakes. Cover the pan and cook on low heat till all vegetables are done.
• Add the pasta water you had set aside along with the cream. Mix well.
  
• Add the seasoning of your choice and mix well.
• Turn off the heat and add the cheese.
• Ready to serve
  

Serving Suggestions:

• Serve as a snack, starter or even a meal.
  

Instant Ragi Dosa

Ragi is very good for health, especially for children. Because it is high in fibre, it's good for stomach disorders as well. This preparation is very simple and can be prepared quickly for an evening snack.


Ingredients:
2 cup ragi flour
1/2 cup curd
1 tsp ginger-garlic paste
2 green chilli - chopped finely
1/2 tsp cumin seeds
salt according to taste
water as needed
oil as needed


Method:

• Mix all the ingredients. Add water slowly while mixing it. Make sure no lumps are formed in the batter.
• Add water till the batter reaches a thick consistency.
  
• Take a non-stick pan and put a few drops of oil.
• Pour the batter on the pan to form a round thick dosa.
• Cover it with a lid and let it cook for 1-2 minutes on a low flame.
• Take the lid off and turn it over. Cook on the other side for 30 seconds.
• Serve hot.
  

Serving Suggestions:
Serve with raw mango salad or coconut chutney.

Tip:
Ragi flour tends to stick to the pan. So make sure you use a non-stick pan and cook it thoroughly.

Stir-Fried Mushroom

Ingredients:
2 tsp olive oil 

1 tsp pepper powder

salt 

1 cup Button mushrooms

Method:

• Heat oil in a pan and add cut mushrooms 
• Add salt and pepper powder and stir it till it leaves water 
• Ready to serve

Serving Suggestions:
Good accompaniment with any meal or good evening snack. It can be taken as a starter , salad or dry vegetable .

Tip:

Don't add any water to mushroom and cook it on low flame. 

Rajasthani Baby Potato Curry

Simply irresistible blend of baby potatoes in a dry spice mixture.

Ingredients:
10-12 baby potatoes, peeled
5 cloves garlic, ground to a paste
1/2 inch ginger piece
1-2 green chillies
1/2 cup curd
1 tbsp shredded coconut
1/2 tsp cumin powder
1/2 tsp coriander powder
1/2 tsp cumin seeds
pinch of hing (asafoetida)
salt to taste

for the spice mixture
2 bay leaf
1/2 tsp cumin seeds
5 cloves
4 dry red chillies
2 cinnamon sticks
2 tbsp oil

Method:

• Soak the dry spices in water for 10 minutes. Drain the water and grind them finely. Keep aside.
• Grind the ginger and green chillies to a fine paste. Keep aside.
• Pressure cook the baby potatoes and keep aside.
  
• Heat the oil in a pan. Add cumin seeds and asafoetida. Once the cumin seeds starts to crackle add the garlic paste.
• Cook till the raw garlic smell goes away and add the ginger-chili paste. Cook for a minute.
• Turn the heat to low and add the dry spice mixture. Cook for a minute and add about 1 cup of water to prevent the spices from getting burnt.
• Add the curd, coconut powder, cumin powder, coriander powder and salt.
• Add the cooked baby potatoes.
  
• Let the mixture simmer for 15 minutes or till the water evaporates.
• Ready to serve.
  

Serving Suggestions:
Goes well with chapatis, rice and kadhi

Tip:
This dish contains a lot of spices. Adjust the amount of each spice to suit your taste.

Tangy Raw Mango Salad (Kachumber)

Easy yet tasty accompaniment to any meal. Ready in minutes...


Ingredients:
1 raw mango
2 medium sized tomato
2 medium sized onion
salt to taste
pinch of hing (asafoetida)
1/2 tsp grated ginger
1 tsp red chilli powder
1/2 tsp cumin powder
Juice of 1/2 lemon
2 tsp powdered sugar

Method:

• Mix all the ingredients well.
• Keep it aside for 15 mins so that the salad becomes juicy.
• Ready to serve
  

Serving Suggestions:
Serve with any meal as an accompaniment.

Tip:

• If you can get, use totapuri raw mango as it is less sour.
• Adjust the spices according to your taste. If you'd like it more sweet, add more sugar or add less lemon if oyu don't like it very tangy.

Handvo (Indian Lentil Cake)

A delightful and healthy gujrati preparation. Preparation is a little time taking, but believe me - it's worth the effort!



Ingredients:
1 cup rice
1/2 cup each of toor dar, masoor dal, moong dal and chana dal
1 cup curd
1 cup cut spinach
handfull methi (fenugreek) leaves
1 carrot shredded
1/2 cup green peas
1/2 cup bottleguard shredded
2 green chillies
3 tsp lemon juice
1 tsp ginger-garlic paste
1/2 tsp turmeric
2 tsp Eno
3 tbsp oil

For tempering:
few curry leaves
sesame seeds
dry whole red chillies
mustard seeds
shredded coconut


Method:

• Mix the dals and rice and soak them in a covered vessel overnight.
• Drain the water, add curd, lemon and green chillies. Mix well and grind the mixture to a fine paste.
• Set it aside for 3 hours.
• Add all the vegetables, salt, turmeric, ginger garlic paste and mix well.
• Now just before preparation, add Eno and mix it vigorously. Now your Handvo mixture is ready.
  
• Take a flat bottom deep non-stick pan as shown below.
• Grease it on all sides with oil.
  
• Pour the remaining oil and heat it. Add the tempering. When it starts spluttering, pour the handvo mixture in the pan.
• Don't mix it. Just cover it with a lid and cook it on a low flame for 15 mins.
• Keep checking in-between to see it's not getting burnt. You can prick a fork in the mixture and if the mixure doesn't stick, it's cooked.
• Now you have to flip the side. Gently lift the Handvo from both the sides and turn it over. You can use an extra plate or a tawa to help turn it over.
• Cook the other side for another 15 mins. Turn off the heat.
  
• Let it rest for 15 mins in the pan with the lid covered.
  
• Ready to serve.
  

Serving Suggestions:
Serve with pickly or chutney.

Tip:
You can add any vegetable of your choice.
If you don't have some of the dals, substitute it with dal of your choice.

Hot Mango Pickle (quick version)

As summer approaches, we all crave for mangoes. I want to share my most favorite and a mouthwatering andhra style pickle recipe that can be prepared in minutes and can be had within few hours of preparation. 

Ingredients:
2 raw mangoes (preferred rajapuri breed)

To be ground into powder:

1/2 tsp  mustard seeds

1/2 cumin seeds

5-6 dried red chillies

1/2 tsp methi (fenugreek) seeds 

salt to taste

For seasoning:

few curry leaves

3 tbsp oil

pinch of mustard seeds

pinch of cumin seeds

pinch of asafoetida

Method:

• Cut mangoes into small cubes.
• Grind all the spices to make powder.
• Take a pan and dry roast the powder for a moments. Take it off the heat as soon as it turns brown.
• Add the powder to the mangoes. Add salt to taste. Keep it aside for 5 minutes.
• Meanwhile, prepare seasoning by heating oil in a kadai. Add cumin seeds, mustard seeds , asafoetida and curry leaves. Once the seeds crackle, add it to the mango mixture.
• Keep the mixture covered for a few hours to let the flavors of the spices in the mangoes.
• Ready to serve

Serving Suggestions:
Can we served with chapatis, rice, or puris.

Tip:

• You can add a little jaggery to balance the taste.
• Store the pickle in an airtight container and refrigerate. This should stay edible for about a week.
• You can add red chilli powder instead of dry red chillies.
• Do not add too much methi seeds otherwise it will make the pickle bitter

Pizza! ( without oven, on stovetop )

Yummy homemade Pizza cooked on stovetop and ready in minutes. No need for an oven or a grill


Ingredients: For 2 pizzas
pizza base 2 ( i used ready made ones)
2 cheese cubes
2 medium size tomatoes
1 medium size onion
1 small capsicum
1/2 tsp ginger garlic paste
pinch of cumin seeds
1 tsp chili powder
4 tsp tomato sauce
salt to taste
oil to cook
butter as required
coriander leaves (optional)

Method:

• Cut tomatoes , onion and capsicum into very small pieces
• Heat oil in a kadai , Add cumin seeds and onion.
• When onion is little pink , add ginger garlic paste
• cook it onion is little brown
  
• Now add cut tomatoes and capsicum , chili powder and cook it till they are really soft.
• Add tomato sauce. cook this masala for 10 to 15 mins on a low flame , (make sure its dry and no tomato water is there.) when it starts leaving oil , its ready
• You can add little butter to this masala if you feel like
  
• Add few coriander leaves (optional)
• Now apply little butter on the pizza base , it should be on the bottom side which will be placed on tawa, so that it does not stick.
• Now spread the masala on the on the pizza , sprinkle cheese and as shown in the below image cover it with the lid. cook it for 4 to 5 mins.
  
• Keep checking the pizza bottom to make sure its not burning or sticking.
• Ready to serve
  

Tip:

• You can add many other vegetables to it.
  
• You can add green chili sauce instead of red chili powder
  

Korma With Vegetables

Ingredients:
2 carrots diced
1 medium sized tomato cut
1 big potato cut into small pieces
cauliflower cut into small pieces
1/2 cup green beans cut into small pieces
1 large onion cut into small pieces
1/2 cut green peas ( frozen also can be used)
Few curry leaves
small piece of ginger grated
1 tsp ginger garlic paste
1tsp garam masala powder
2 tsp oil to cook

Masala's to be ground :

1 bay leaf
4 dried red chilies
3 cloves
3 or 4 pepper corns
1 cinnamon stick
fresh coconut cut into pieces
salt to taste

Method:

• Mix bay leaf, dried red chilies , pepper corns, cloves , cinnamon stick , coconut pieces , grated ginger , salt and little water in a blender and blend it like a paste .
• Now cook all the cut vegetables except onion till they are soft.
• Heat oil in a kadai , Add small cut onions and when they are little pink add ginger garlic paste and curry leaves .wait till onion leaves oil and brown .
  
• Now Add the ground thick paste and one cup of water
  
• Add all the cooked vegetables , add garam masala powder , cut tomato and cook with the lid covered for 15 mins on a low flame. (You can check salt here and add more if required)
  
• Garnish with coriander leaves.

Serving Suggestions:
Serve hot with rotis, puri or rice.

Tip:

• When you are cooking vegetables in a gravy add more water if required.
• You can also use Desiccated coconut powder instead of fresh coconut. i like using fresh coconut as it gives very nice flavor.
  

Jeera Rice ( Zeera Pulao )

An irresistible blend of cumin and basmati rice.


Ingredients:
1 cup rice
2 chillies finely cut
few coriander leaves
1 tsp cumin seeds
1 onion finely chopped
1/2 onion cut and fried - for garnishing (optional)
salt to taste
1 tsp oil
Approx 2 cups water

Method:

• Heat oil in a pan. Add cumin seeds, green chillies and coriander leaves.
  
• Add cut onions. Add salt to taste. Cook till its golden brown.
  
• Add water. When water starts boiling, add the rice.
  
• Cook it with the lid covered for 20 minutes.
• Garnish with fried onions ( optional )
• Ready to serve.
  

Serving Suggestions:
Serve with curries or dal

Tip:
Make sure each grain of the rice is separated. Basmati rice is preferred for this dish.
Do not add too much water or else the rice will become sticky.