Roasted Vegetable Salad with Quinoa

For over 2 weeks now I am doing this Project #saladeveryday on my Fb page. I feel salads are a way of life and the easiest and fun way to include fresh veggies and fruits in your diet. With a fussy 7 yr old and an equally fussy husband when it comes to eating greens, I have been pretty much successful in this effort of mine.

This week its the the Salad Week at KFB and I made an easy  - Roasted Vegetable Salad with Quinoa. Now I am very new to quinoa, this is probably the first time I am using this grain as I have heard such nice things about it, it being sort of a wonder grain - gluten free and all that. My friend Sarani of Cocoawind uses it in many innovative ways! I found the texture nice and it went well with the vegetables alomost making it a complete meal.

 

Ingredients:


Carrots - 1 medium - cubed

Cucumber - 1 medium - cubed with skin on

Mushroom - a cup - halved

Tomato - 1 large - cubed

Beans - a few - stringed and cut

Onion - 1 large - cubed

Oilve oil - 2 tbsp.

Honey - 1 tbsp.

Salt - to taste

Pepper - to taste

Balsamic vinegar - 1 tsp

Quinoa - cooked  - 1 cup - Follow instruction on packet. The quinoa to water ratio is 1:2.

Method :


In a baking tray toss together the cut vegetables with olive oil , honey, salt pepper and balsamic.

Heat oven to 180 degree C and grill the vegetables for 15 to 20 mins.

Serve warm along with the cooked quinoa.

                                          I am sending this recipe to the ongoing KFB event

 

Keema Aloo - Minced mutton with potatoes in a rich gravy

 

All the meat lovers are going to gorge on this recipe. The versatility of this recipe is that it pairs up beautifully with rice as well as breads. Again the use of everyday spices and a winner of a dish.Growing up in a Bengali household it is natural to add some potatoes to our meat dishes. The Sunday Mutton curry is incomplete with the soft potatoes to be mashed along with the rice and balanced with a squirt of lime. But when I posted this dish on a popular foodie group  I found a lot of people were not used to the idea of potatoes in a meat dish. I am glad to be sharing this recipe with my readers.

 

Ingredients:

Mutton mince/keema - 500 gms

Potatoes - 2 medium - cut into small cubes

Onion paste - 5 tbsp.

Garlic- ginger paste - 2 tbsp.

Tomato puree - 3 tbsp.

Kashmiri red chilii powder - 2 tsp

Salt - to taste

sugar - a pinch

Mustard oil - 2 tbsp.

Garam masala - 1 tbsp.

To be dry roasted and grounded to a coarse powder  :                             

Coriander seeds/dhania - 1 tbsp.

Cumin/jeera seeds - 1 tbsp.

Dried red chillies - 2-3

Method:

In a pressure cooker, add the mustard oil. Once it reaches smoking point reduce the flame and add the onion , ginger garlic paste. Fry on low flame till browned. This will take a while but make sure this paste is very well cooked and there is no pungent smell.

Tip in the mutton mince. Increase the heat and cook the mince till it turns lightly brown in color. Now add the tomato puree, red chilli powder, the coriander-cumin dry roasted powder, salt and sugar. Mix everything well.Add a little warm water and let it cook.

Roast the masala well along with the mince. Add some more warm water and let the masalas cook well. At this point add the cubed potatoes.

Add a cup of warm water, put in the garam masala powder and pressure cook for 1 whistle.

Remove from heat and serve hot topped with some onion rings and a squirt of lime.

Tandoori Chicken - The super easy version

 

There will be days inyour life when no matter how much you enjoy cooking and say its a therapy for you..the very thought of cooking will give you the jitters. Happens to me many times too often. Nevertheless you still want something yummy, something comforting and take aways are not an option either. What does one do?! Make this super easy version of Oven Grilled Tandoori Chicken. Ever since I have been on the  healthy eating path, tandoori chicken has been my faithful companion. Everytime in doubt, a piece of well grilled succulent juicy chicken makes me happy. And the bong in me just needs a bit of rice and daal along and I am good to go. The only effort in this dish is the marination that can be done even a day ahead. The marinated chicken can be frozen too for upto a week.

 

Ingredients:

Chicken drumsticks - 8-10 pieces

Hung curd - 2 tbsp.

Lime juice - 1 tbsp.

Salt - to taste

Ginger - garlic paste - 1 tbsp

Kashmiri red chilli powder  - 1 tbsp.

Garam masala powder - 1 tbsp.

Gram flour/Besan  - 1 tsp

Mustard oil - 1 tbsp.

Butter/oil - for basting

Method:
 Wash and dry the chicken drumsticks. Make small gashes all over. Marinate with salt and lime juice and keep aside for 15 mins.

In a bowl, mix together the curd, ginger-garlic paste,kashmiri red chili powder,garam masala powder, gram flour and mustard oil.

Add the chicken pieces and coat each of the piece well with the marinade. Cover the bowl with a cling film and keep in the refrigerator for atleast 2 hours or more.

Line a baking tray with foil paper. Place the chicken pieces and grill in a preheated oven at 250 degree centigrade.

Serve on a bed of fresh lettuce and a side of mint chutney and onion rings.

 

Sausage Rolls - Perfect for winter evenings

I love winter afternoons. They are perfect to do some baking..perfect to dole out some goodies from my kitchen...perfect to show my loved ones that I love them! The aroma of baking fresh bread at home just adds to the pleasure. So today I made this very easy Sausage Rolls just perfect to go with your evening cuppa.

Ingredients:

Flour / Maida - 1 1/2 cup + a little more to adjust the dough

Instant yeast - 1 pack - approx. 7 gms

Salt - 1 tsp

Sugar - 1 tsp

Milk - half cup

Olive oil - 2 tsp

For the filling:

Chicken sausages - 12 nos

Readymade pasta sauce - few tbsps.

Grated parmesan cheese - approx. 2 tbsp.

Method:

Making the dough.

In a bowl add the flour ,instant yeast , salt and sugar. Add the milk gently and bind into a dough. Add the olive oil and knead the dough on a floured surface for atleast 10-12 mins till its soft, smooth and springy.

Place the dough in an oiled bowl, cover with cling film and keep in a warm place. I usually place it inside the microwave.

Let the dough rise for an hour. It will become double the size. take it out on a floured surface and knock down the dough gently.

Now make 12 small sized balls from the dough. Roll out each into small rounds - like puris but not very thin.

Apply some pasta sauce, place a cocktail sausage and sprinkle some grated parmesan cheese. Fold the two sides into the centre in the shape of a roll.
Follow the same process to make all the rolls.

Place each of the rolls in an oiled baking tray. You could also line the tray with some foil paper. Cover with a cling and let them rise again for 20 mins. Brush the rolls with some lightly beaten eggs.

Bake in a preheated oven for 20 mins at 180 degree centigrade.

Serve hot staright out of the oven . It even stores well for upto 2 days.

I had made a few dozens of these sausage rolls for KFB's maiden Bake sale and they were my bestsellers! Extremely easy to make and lovely to eat..what more does one want from life.

 

 

 

 

Mushroom Tomato Quiche - Rustic and Hearty

Having lived in Delhi for many years I miss a proper winter in Kolkata. The cold mornings making it impossible to get out of bed..still dragging oneself out to attend a class while in college or reporting at work later..those are my fondest memories of Delhi winters. Ofcourse there was the food...tucking into creamy sarson saag with crispy makki roti at a neighbourhood dhaba, those were the days. Endless cups of coffee and a hot water bag to keep me warm was what winter was all about.
Here in Kolkata I miss all that. The weather has just got a bit nippy here and everyday I pray that let it get a little more colder here. Winter also means whipping up hearty rustic dishes in my kitchen using freshest of winter produce. Been wanting to make a quiche for sometime and today seemed the perfect opportunity. Kept it simple and baked a delicious Mushroom Tomato Quiche and indulgently topped it up with some grated parmesan.

 

Ingredients:

For the pastry dough:

Flour - 1 cup

Butter - 50 gms - chilled

Egg - 1 lightly beaten

Salt - 1 tsp

For the filling:

Mushroom - 1 cup - thinly sliced

Onion  - 1 medium - finely chopped

Garlic - 2-3 pods - crushed

Cherry tomatoes - a few - halved

Egg - 2 -lightly beaten

Cream - 1 cup - I used Amul

Salt - to taste

Pepper - to taste

Olive oil - 1 tsp

Oregano - 1 tbsp.

Chilli flakes - half a tsp

Grated Parmesan cheese - a handful

Method:

The pastry dough:

Mix the flour, salt and the chilled cubes of butter with a fork or using your fingers until mixed well and resembles breadcrumbs. Now put in the beaten egg and make into a soft dough.

Wrap the dough with a cling wrap and refrigerate for 20 mins.

Making the pie crust:

Roll the dough on a well floured board into a circle,rolling from the centre to the edge,turning and flouring the dough to make sure it doesn't stick to the board. Fold the dough in half,place in a pie pan and unfold to fit the pan.
Pierce the covered pie pan with a fork to avoid the pie crust from flaking up while blind baking.

Bake the crust in a preheated oven at 180 degree centigrade for 10 to 15 mins till lightly golden in colour.

Making the filling:

In a pan heat the olive oil. Add the crushed garlic and sautee till light brown. Add the onion and let it sweat for 5 mins. Add the chopped mushrooms and cook till  done. It will realease a lot of water...cook till that evaporates. Season with salt, pepper, oregano and chilli flakes.

Remove from heat and let this mixture cool down.
In a bowl add together the eggs and the cream. Season with salt and pepper and mix together with the mushroom mixture.

Pour this mixture into the half- baked pie crust. Top with cherry tomatoes and a generous sprinkling of grated parmesan.

Bake in a preheated oven at 180 degree centigrade for 20- 25 mins.

Serve hot.

 

Oats and Sunflower Seeds Cookies

I am not much of a baker as I lack patience. But once in a while I do like to whip up some goodies for my little boy. This easy oats cookies recipe caught my fancy and I perked up the health quotient by adding some sunflower seeds to it. The original recipe also called for dried cranberries but I substituted that with some raisins. It can be a good option for kiddie tiffin box too. Trust me your kid will not be able to resist the aroma of this freshly baked cookies!

Ingredients:

Sunflower seeds - 4 tbsp.

Olive oil - 2 tbsp.

Butter - 50 gms - I used Amul butter

Castor sugar - 1 cup

Egg - 1

Wholewheat flour - half a cup

Oats - 1 cup - I used the regular rolled oats that we use for breakfast

Raisins - a handful

Vanilla essence - 1 tsp

Method:

Preheat the oven to 180 deg C. Grease and line a baking tray.

Dry roast the sunflower seeds and grind into a fine paste adding 2 tbsp olive oil.

Mix together the butter and sugar until pale and creamy. Gradually beat in the egg, the mix in the wheat flour and the oats. Mix in the sunflower seeds paste, then stir in the vanilla essence and the raisins.

Place heaped tbsp full of the mixture on the baking tray, spacing them well apart.

Bake in the oven for 10 mins until golden. Leave on baking tray for a few minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool.

Serve warm or store for later use.

Notes:

• You could substitute raisins with any nut of your choice.
• Keep an eye while baking the cooking as they take very little time.
• Sunflower seeds could be substituted with flax seeds too.

 

Ragi Blinis - A healthier twist to pancakes

Blinis have a Russian origin. They are thin pancakes prepared from batter and cooked on hot frying pan topped with dollops of butter. It has an ancient history of being made for hungry travellers made from oats jelly. But with time blinis have undergone changes and are now also being made with wheat,rye,buckwheat or even barley. In my quest for healthy nutritious recipes for kids and grown ups alike I stumbled upon this dish. I was very happy to see such a great alternative to traditional pancakes that kids across the globe love. So I made some Ragi Blinis - thin pancakes made of finger millet flour. Now Ragi is being considered as a wonder grain. It is rich in calcium and protein and is low on unsaturated fats. It is now easily available across stores in the city and can be used to make varieties of crepes, dosas, adai and similar things.
Now coming back to my blinis. I loaded it up with some grated cheddar cheese to make it kid friendly and it tasted very good. You could also add finely chopped veggies to the batter if your child likes it that way. Serve it up with a side of simple sprouts salad .

Ingredients:

Ragi Flour - 1 cup

Wholewheat flour - 2 tbsp.

Egg - 1 no - lightly beaten

Milk - half a cup - approx.

Salt - to taste

Black pepper powder - to taste

Cheddar cheese - half cup - grated

Baking powder - 1 tsp

Butter - for greasing the pan

Method:

In a bowl mix together the ragi flour,wholewheat flour and the baking powder.

Add the egg and milk and mix  well to form a pancake batter. Not to thick or thin just like a dosa batter. Add the grated cheese and mix well. Season with salt and pepper and keep aside for 10 mins.

In the mean time heat a non stick flat pan. Grease with a little butter . Cook the blinis in batches. Drop dessertspoon ful of batter into the frying pan,spacing them well apart.
Cook the blinis for 2 mins until the top is bubbling and the underside is golden. Turn them over and cook until the other side is browned.

Wrap the cooked blinis in a clean napkin to keep warm. Coook the rest of the blinis in the same way, brushing the pan with extra oil as needed.

Serve the blinis warm, topped with a little butter or all time favourite ketchup and accompanied by the salad.

 

 

 

Notes:

• The blinis can be made into a sweet version too. Just add sugar to the batter instead of salt and cheese and drizzle with honey and whipped cream or any sauce of your choice.
• Blinis can also be used as base for appetizers in dinner parties too. Load up the blini base with grated cheese or a piece of salami and serve as starters.
• Addition of oatmeal instead of whole wheat is also an option.

Prawn Curry - Simple Comfort Food

Now with the festive season over for the time being and before we dive into the Christmas - New Year celebration frenzy, how about indulging in some simple comforting everyday dishes. Am sure most of us have indulged majorly during pujas and Diwali and now its time to get back to some easy "ghar ka khana". That ofcourse wouldn't mean that we stop eating tasty food. Sometimes the simplest of meal bring so much respite to our tired souls. I for one is going through a super hectic stressful phase ( would elaborate maybe later sometime ) For now I made this very simple flavourful Prawn Curry with everyday spices and enjoyed it with some boiled rice and a squirt of lime. I made it a little spicy coz I felt like eating a hot curry! You can easily adjust the spice levels according to your taste buds.
Prawn is something immensely enjoyed by us at home and this is a perfect dish which doesn't require much of a preparation.

Ingredients:

Prawns - 500 gms - medium sized - de shelled and deveined

Potato - 1 large or 2 medium sized - cut into cubes

Onion - 1 large - thinly sliced

Ginger - garlic paste - 1 tsp each

Red chilli powder - 1 and half tsp - adjust according to taste

Turmeric powder - 1 tsp + 1 tsp

Cumin powder - 1 heaped tsp

Tomato puree - 2 tbsp.

Bay leaf - 2 nos

Garam masala - 1 tsp

Salt - to taste

Sugar - half tsp

Green chillies - 4-5

Refined oil - 1 tbsp for frying the prawns and 1 tbsp. for the gravy

Method:

Wash and dry the prawns. Marinate with 1 tsp turmeric and salt.
Heat 1 tbsp oil and lightly sauté the prawns till they turn golden.
Drain and keep aside.

In the same pan add another tbsp of refine oil.

Add the bayleaf. Next add the sliced onion and fry till slightly browned.
Add the ginger garlic paste and fry that too.

Next tip in the cubed potatoes and fry for 2-3 mins.
Add all the dry spices  except the garam masala - cumin powder,red chili powder,turmeric , salt and sugar along with the tomato puree.

Roast the spices well, add a little water if the masalas stick to the sides. Roast on low flame so that it doesn't burn.

Once the spices start to leave oil on the sides, add one cup water and let the gravy simmer for 5 mins.

Add the sautéed prawns , green chilli and garam masala powder. Give it a boil and remove from heat.

Serve with hot rice and some lime on the side. Even some roasted papad would go really well with it #afterthought

 
Notes :

• Don't overcook the prawns as they would turn rubbery.
• You could also add some diced tomates for that extra tang.
• Tomato purees are as it is very tangy so cut out on that if using fresh tomatoes.
• You could also garnish with some fresh coriander leaves.
• Medium sized prawns work best with this dish. But you could use big ones too. You could also replace prawns with either rohu or katla.

 

Veggie Dunkers with Nutty Yogurt Dip - For kids and oldies alike!

As my primary role of a being a mom to a growing 7 yr old my biggest challenge lies in feeding my kid healty, nutritious food. And it doesn't help if the child is a bit fussy when it comes to eating veggies and nuts. So I am constantly on the look out for recipes that are innovative and helps me make my child eat without complaining. Ever since I started this blog I realised that I have mostly shared recipes that suit that adult taste apart from the occasional muffins and quiches.Meal times are well handled as my kid likes to eat rice with fish curry or a chicken curry but its the snack time that gives me jitters. I get completely lost as to what to serve to take care of the 4 pm hunger pangs. So I have consciously decided to dig out and share recipes that are kid friendly and doesn't compromise on the health quotient. And why only kids we adults too do not consciously take care of what we eat and end up binging many times.

The very first recipe coming your way is super easy -peasy Veggie Dunkers with a Nutty Yogurt Dip - packed with the goodness of fresh winter veggies and nuts. Serve it on play dates and see them polish of the dip in no time. Apart from the dip this dish only needs some assembling.

Ingredients:

Assorted vegetables  - cucumber ,carrots, beet root and tomatoes - cut length wise

For the dip :

Yogurt - 1 bowl - use the thick ones - I used Amul

Cashewnuts - a handful

Almonds - a handful

Olive oil - 1 tbsp

Salt - to taste

Honey - 1 tbsp

Paprika /Chilli flakes - for garnish - optional

Method:

Cut all the vegetables lengthwise and dip in cold salted water till served.

For the dip:

Dry roast the cashewnuts and almond in a pan.
Ground it into a fine powder and keep aside.

Whisk the yogurt till smooth. Season with salt and honey.
Next add the powdered nuts and mix well. Add a little olive oil too.

Garnish with chilli flakes /few roasted nuts and a drizzle of olive oil.

This dip can even be served as a party starter along with some nachos,tortilla chips, chicken nuggets, just about anything.

Notes :

• Use any fresh veggie that you would want or whatever your child likes. Some sautéed mushrooms would also go well.Or maybe some grilled paneer sticks.
• You could also use hung curd instead of yogurt.

 

Chicken Tikka Jhalfrazie

I love cooking with whatever is available in the pantry. The challenge lies in making something out of nothing..well not really nothing but whatever is handy! I had a packet of ready to fry chicken reshmi tikka and I ended up making a jhalfrazie out of it. As Wiki pedia states - Jhalfrazie is a type of curry that involves frying marinated pieces of meat, fish ,veggies in oil and spices to produce a dry thick sauce. It also essentially includes bell pepper,onion and tomato - seemed perfect for what I had in mind. Can be made in a jiffy, perfect for week night dinners, low fat with goodness of veggies and great on taste.Well what else do you need. Few hot rotis and you are in food heaven!

 

Ingredients:

Ready to eat - Chicken tikka  - 1 packet

Onion - 1 large - diced

Tomato - 1 large - diced

Bell pepper/capsicum - 1 medium - diced

Ginger - garlic paste - 1 tsp

Roasted cumin powder - 1 tbsp.

Roasted coriander powder - 1 tsp

Red chili powder - 1tsp

Tomato puree - 1 tbsp.

Fresh cream - 1 tbsp. - I used low fat  Amul cream

Sugar - a pinch

Salt - to taste

Refined oil - 1 tsp + 1 tsp

Dry red chillies - a few

Fresh Coriander - a handful chopped for garnish.

Method:

In a pan heat 1 tsp oil, tip the ready to fry tikkas and fry till lightly brown in colour. Or follow the instruction on the packet. You could even microwave a few varities. Drain and keep aside.

In the same pan , add another tsp of oil. Tip in the ginger - garlic paste and the dried red chillies. Fry till slightly brown in colour and it doesn't smell raw. Add the diced onions, tomatoes and bell pepper and quickly sauté on high heat.

Next add the red chilli powder , roasted cumin and coriander powder , sugar, salt and the tomato puree. Mix well and fry for 2-5 mins. Add a little warm water to prevent the masalas from burning. Now add the cooked chicken tikkas. Give everything a good mix, turn down the heat and add the fresh cream.  Garnish with fresh coriander.

Remove from heat and serve hot with a bread of your choice.

Notes:

•  The chicken can be prepared at home too. Just take some boneless chicken and marinate with a little yogurt , ginger - garlic paste, salt, white pepper powder and some lime juice. Follow the rest of the process.
• Since Jhalfrazie is essentially a medley of ingredients - you could make a vegetarian version by adding carrots,green beans,baby corn etc.
• This dish also uses a lot of green chillies that I have not used. So feel free to adjust the spice levels according to taste.

Posto Murgi - Chicken with Poppy seeds

While wondering what to make for lunch yet again..I remembered that my dear friend Sarani of Cocoawind had made this beautiful chicken dish with poppy seeds - a Bengali staple. Since chicken is the go to meat for easy weekday meals I decided to go ahead with the recipe. Now which Bengali will not like posto(poppy seeds)- give me simple posto'r bora(fritters) with daal-bhaat..and I am happy. Or don't forget the amazing Jhinge Posto,I can finish a big plate of rice with just this! Coming back to the recipe, again very basic ingredients are used here and you can rustle up this dish anytime in your kitchen.

Ingredients:

Chicken - 500 gms - cut into medium sized pieces

Onion - I medium - finely chopped

Poppy seeds paste - 2 tbsp.

Cashewnut paste - 1 tbsp.

Ginger/garlic paste - 1 tsp

Whole cardamom,cloves and cinnamon-  2 of each - lightly crushed

Bay leaves - 2 nos

Turmeric powder- 1 tsp

Red chilli powder - 1 tsp

salt - to taste

Sugar - a pinch

Green chillies - 3-4 slit

Refined oil - 2 tbsp.

Method:

In a heavy bottomed pan, add the refined oil. Splutter the lightly crushed cardamom,cloves and cinnamon and the beay leaves.

Add the ginger garlic paste and the chopped onion and fry till the onions turn brown.

Now add the chicken pieces - fry till the chicken also changes colour and turn lightly brown.

Next add the turmeric powder,chili powder, salt and sugar and give it all a good mix.

Cover and let cook for 5 mins.

Now add the poppy seeds paste and the cashewnut paste. give it a good mix and then add half a cup of warm water. Cover and cook for another 5-7 mins. Once done , remove cover and check if the chicken has cooked through. If not add some more water , cover and cook for 2 mins more.

The gravy would thicken up by now, adjust gravy consistency by adding a little warm water if reqd. Garnish with green chillies and serve with rice/roti.

 

Fifa Fever with some Mini Lamb Pops

Well..what can I tell you about the FiFa World Cup fever that you don't already know! Probably this, that my husband is a football fanatic..a die hard Argentina fan..and says he will stop watching footie if his favourite team doesn't win! My 6 year old sings  his dads tune..so much so that the father-son duo has bullied the travelling brother/uncle to get them jerseys which they plan to wear on the finals nite and cheer for their team. The energy at home on match nights is unbelievable and me who is a football novice cannot help but cheer alongwith and get tensed and bite my nails and give in to all the drama! When KFB announced their latest event Game Night Bites..it left me wondering what should I make? Then a brilliant idea struck me! Keeping with my philosophy of easy recipes - I decided to give the usual lamb/mutton/keema koftas a make over.These Mini Lamb Pops - turned out to be a perfect party/game night snack with not much of prep required.

Ingredients:

Mutton/lamb mince - 500 gms

Onion - 1 medium - roughly chopped

Garlic  - 4-5 large pods - crushed

Black pepper powder - 1 tbsp.

Cheddar cheese - 2 cubes - grated. - parmesan would taste great too.

Salt - to taste

Worcestershire sauce - 2 tbsp.

Parsley - 1 tbsp. - I used the dried ones.

Egg - 1 large - lightly beaten

Refined oil - 2 tbsp. - for frying the pops

Green olives - a hand ful for garnish

Method:

In a blender jar put the lamb mince, onion,garlic,parsley, salt,pepper powder and Worcestershire sauce and pulse the mixture into a smooth paste.

Transfer the mixture into a bowl, add the egg and the grated cheese and give it a good mix. Cover with a cling wrap and refrigerate for 15 mins.

In a non stick pan, heat the oil, shape the lamb mix into small balls and shallow fry till golden brown in colour.

Drain on a tissue and stick them up in toothpick along with some green olives. Serve with coriander-mint chutney.

For the chutney/dipping sauce - blend together a handful of chopped coriander and mint leaves, few green chillies( as per your taste), few pods of garlic, 2 tbsp. yogurt/curd and salt to taste.

Notes:

• Instead of shallow frying you could also bake the pops in the oven. Line a baking tray with foil, arrange the mince balls, brush with a little oil and bake at 180c for 20 mins.
• Black olives or jalapenos can also be used.
• It also tastes good when served with some mayonnaise.

Till then..Happy Cooking and as they say - May the best team win!

Potato Salami Salad - Creamy Deliciousness

I for one don't like spending too much time in the kitchen..as in I like recipes that can be made in a jiffy and people think that you had to slog out to make that. Most of my recipes are hassle free but tasty nonetheless. And I think that is what we all want in todays time- where people hardly have any time to do a lot of things. This Potato Salami Salad is something that I whipped up last weekend when friends came over for drinks and dinner. I served it cold and as a starter and the husband was all praises. So I made it again today to serve with the grilled chicken that I would be making for dinner tonite.  Very few basic ingredients is what you will need. Infact most of it I am sure you have at home. Can be served cold or even warm if you wish to. Just a word of caution here..this is not really a salad salad..if your looking for that healthy quotient but sinful indulgences should be allowed once in a while!

Ingredients:

Potatoes - 2 medium - par boiled and roughly cut into cubes

Chicken Salami - 6-7 slices - roughly chopped - you could even use ham or sausages

Mayonnaise - 4 tbsps. - I used low fat!

Fresh cream - 4 tbsps. - I used Amul low fat cream!

Cheese spread - 2 tbsp.

Mustard sauce - 1 tsp

Chilli flakes - a pinch

Salt - to taste

Pepper powder - to taste

Spring onions - a few sprigs - finely chopped - use only the green part

Method:

In a bowl mix together the mayo, cream, cheese spread and mustard sauce.

Arrange the chopped potatoes and salami in a bowl , pour the cream mayo mixture. Give it a good mix. Add the salt,pepper,chilli flakes - mix well. Garnish with chopped spring onion..serve cold.

Notes:

• Don't over boil the potatoes or else the salad turns mushy.
• Boil the potatoes in salt water - gives a better taste
• Keep a check on the salt added as mayo and cheese spread already has salt added.

Happy Cooking!

 

Maasor Tenga - a light and sour fish curry - Assamese soul food

Another very quick and short post. Sharing this recipe has been long due. Maasor Tenga is a very light, flavourful sour fish curry - an integral dish of Assamese cuisine. In assam they love their fish - all kinds of fresh water fish - big - small all kinds. And they also like to keep the dishes simple - minimal use of spices so that the freshness of the fish shines through. I still have a very limited knowledge of Assamese cuisine but I am well versed with a few dishes - like this one. You will be surprised when you see the list of ingredients used. Again , this dish is made differently in different household but the basic essence of the dish remains the same - its simplicity! You may use any kind of fresh water fish - best would be to use rohu /katla or aar fish. The most popular tenga is made with tomatoes with the addition of lime juice and traditionally thekera (dried mangosteen ) is also used.

I have used aar maach ( sperata aor ) here but rohu or katla can be used easily. I also added some potatoes coz I love my potatoes in the fish curry.Infact I would not eat the fish at times but would devour the potato and the broth with rice.

Ingredients:

Aar/Rohu/Katla fish - 6 big pieces - lightly marinated with turmeric and salt and shallowed fried in mustard oil.

Tomatoes - 3 large - cut into thin long slices

Ginger - 1 tsp - grated

Potato - 1 large - cut into long slices(optional)

Fenugreek/methi seeds - 1 tsp

Turmeric/haldi powder - 1 heaped tsp

Red chilli powder - 1tsp (Optional)- I used it as I like the curry to a but hot

Fresh coriander leaves - a handful - finely chopped

Lime juice - 2 tbsp. - can be adjusted accordingly

Green chillies - 5-6 according to taste

Warm water - 2 big cups

Mustard oil - 1 tsp

Salt - to taste

Method:

In a deep bottomed pan/kadhai  heat the mustard oil. Splutter the fenugreek/methi seeds.

Next add the sliced tomatoes and the potatoes( if using). Fry till they turn light brown and the tomoatoes turn mushy.

Add the grated ginger,turmeri/haldi,red chilli powder(if using)  and mix everything well.

Add the two cups of water ( a little more if you want more broth) cover and let it cook till the potatoes are cooked.

Lastly add the pieces of the shallow fried fish , chopped coriander leaves,green chillies and the lime juice.

Let it simmer for 2-3 mins.Remove from heat and serve hot with plain rice.

You are going to love this. This is perfect for the summers!











 

Lau Bori (Bottle Gourd with Lentil Dumplings) - A Bengali staple

I am going to keep this post short and sweet because I just want to share this easy beautiful recipe with all my readers. Now Lau or Lauki or Bottle gourd whatever you call it is a very simple vegetable with not much complications in its texture or taste so it adapts very well when added to another ingredients - be it moong dal ( Lau moong) , shrimps (Lau Chingri) or in this case lentil dumplings - bori as we Bengalis call it. In Assamese cuisine we would even put it in our simple sour fish curry - Masor Tenga. I love this vegetable in all its forms and try out different dishes in my kitchen every now and then. It hardly needs too many spices,just a few basic ones and your are good to go..err eat I mean.Its a perfect summer vegetable because of its high water content and cooks in its own juices. Find the Lau Bori recipe below.

Ingredients:

Lau /Lauki /Bottle gourd - 1 medium sized - finely chopped

Lentil dumplings/Bori - a handful - I used the mini masoor dal ones but any variety can be used.

Paanchphoron - 1 tsp

Ginger - 1 tsp - grated

Turmeric powder - 1 tsp

Salt - to taste

Sugar - 1 tsp

Oil - 1 tsp + ! tbsp. for frying the dumplings/bori

Green chillies - a few

Ghee - 1 tsp

Method:

In a pan add the 1 tbsp oil, once the oil heats up, add the bori and fry on medium flame till they turn golden brown in colour. Remove from pan and reserve for later use.

In tha same pan add 1 tsp oil , splutter the paanchphoron till it releases a mild aroma.

Add the finely chopped gourd/lau and the ginger. Give it a mix, cook for 2 mins.

Add the turmeric powder. Cover and let it cook on low flame for 10 mins till all the water is released and the gourd is cooked in its own juices.

Once all the water dries up , add the salt,sugar,green chillies and the dumplings/bori. Cover and let it cook for another 5 mins.

* One tip I learnt from my Maa is that..always add the salt and sugar at the end or else the gourd would take a longer time to cook and get a bland taste.

Remove from heat , pour the ghee on top and serve hot with rice. Goes well with rotis too.