Cabbage - Stir fry.

Hello friends,

According to dietary guidelines, we all should  consume between 5 and 13 servings of fruits and vegetables every day. But do we actually achieve this? 

Cooking vegetables in the same way can be very unappetizing to the palate. I try a different approach while cooking Vegetables with  combinations of spices to enhance the taste.

So today I tried a stir fry cabbage with chinese style sauces using bell peppers too. And the end result was good. You can add carrots, spring onions or zucchini if you wish or even add ground chicken or shrimp to make it non vegetarian...... Okay, Now I am getting hungry once again. 😋

Ingredients

2 small size cabbage ( approx 250 gms)
2 -3 bell peppers
1 small onion
4-5 cloves garlic 
2 slit green chillies
1 tbsp soya sauce
1 tbsp sweet/sour sauce (optional)
2 tsp oil 
1/2 tsp pepper powder
A pinch of sugar

Method

1. Finely slice the cabbage, bell peppers, onion and garlic too. 

2. Heat 2 tsp oil in a wok over medium heat. Add the chopped garlic and onion. Stir frequently.

3. Once the onions are translucent, add the cabbage and bell peppers and slit green chillies. Q

4. Add the soya sauce, chilli sauce, pepper powder, cover and cook for 8-10 minutes stirring occasionally. 

5. It is optional to add some sugar to enhance the taste. 

6. Have it piping hot with roti or soup style noodles. 

PANEER TAWA FRY

Another very simple stir fry  paneer recipe is what I tried the other day. For a vegetarian a good source of protien is Paneer. In north India if a vegetarian person comes for dinner then paneer dish is a must in the menu. I like in many dishes like paneer-matar, Palak-panner but this Paneer tava is so quick to prepare, very healthy and yummy.

Check out the ingredients and recipe below.

Delicious Meal time 

 

Ingredients

•  500 gms cubed paneer/cottage cheese  pieces
• 2 onions
• 2 green bell peppers
• 1 tbsp ginger 
• 1 tbsp  garlic
• 1 tsp garam masala
• 1tsp turmeric powder
• 2 tomatoes ( chopped)
• 1 tbsp ketchup
• salt (taste)
• 2 tbsp curd
• 1 tbsp cream or fresh malai
• 2 tbsp Oil

Method

 

1. Cut the paneer in 1 inch cubes.

2. Chop the onions, bell peppers, tomatoes in rough pieces.
3. Now in a large bowl combine the curd, cream, masalas, salt, ginger garlic, ketchup and give it a good whisk.
4. Add the chopped vegetables and mix. Now add paneer to the mixture.

5. Keep the marinate for at least half an hour in fridge.
 
6 Heat oil in a large skillet over medium heat.  Add the paneer batter and cook. You will notice that it gets watery.
 
7. It is fine, constantly stir and let the water evaporate.

8. Now add this to a tandoor or grill and further grill for 3-5 minutes for the smokey effect.

9. Enjoy it plain or with salad and roti.

Variation 

 

You can also make a good Paneer  frankie with this mixture adding chat masala and raw onions.

Veggie Hakka Noodles

Recently I was present at the launch of  #WaiwaiCity outlets in Mumbai city. These noodle bars will create a lively and inviting environment, with some really interesting items on menu.  It sure will transform the food scenario with its delicious flavours and pocket friendly prices. 

Even their packeted products have yummy flavours and can be stirred up instantly. I had a few veggies and along with the  @Waiwai  hakka flavoured instant noodle my dish was ready in no time. 

Wai Wai Noodles

Other ingredients 

Ingredients.

1 packet of Hakka noodles
1 tsp pepper powder
2 slit green chillies
2 tbsp Olive oil
4-5 Garlic pods
1 small piece of ginger
2 cups mixed vegetables
1 tsp green chilli sauce ( optional )
1 tsp soy sauce
1 tsp vinegar

Method

1. First take the noodles, crumble them into a pot of water and cook  as per the package instruction. Boil the noodles with a pinch of salt and 1 tsp Olive oil. Cook till 3-4 minutes. 


2. Pour cold water on the cooked noodles after draining out the hot water. Then sprinkle some oil and mix it well to avoid sticking.

3. Take a heavy bottom work or pan, heat oil, add chopped ginger and garlic and saute it well till it turns slight brown. Then keep the flame on high and add onion or spring onion white. Add slit green chillies. 


4. Add the other vegetables, ie carrot, broccoli, beans, capsicum, cabbage and stir it well. I added zucchini too to this one. 
Let it cook for 2 minutes constantly stirring. 


5. Now add pepper powder, salt, green chili sauce, soy sauce, and stir it well. Now add vinegar and stir it again.

6. Finally, add the cooled noodles and mix well. See that noodles don't stick or burn at bottom. At the end, add  the spring onion greens. 

Note

1. Everything needs to cook on high flame This is the key to the successful noodle recipe 
2. Do not cover and cook. 
3. Feel free to add mushrooms or any other vegetables. 
4. Variation - Chicken, prawn and egg can be added to make a non veg variety. This has to be added with the vegetables in the fourth stage. 

With Chopsticks fork or hand.... Just enjoy it garma garam 

Baby prawn cutlets

 A visit to the fish market is enlightening every time, learning more about seasonal fish.  This time I discover more about baby prawn (white in color) being sold in Vata at one of the stalls. It looked just like a shrimp but very small in size. It is called Jawla in Maharastra and Galmbo in Goa. It can be cooked on a skillet with dry spices or made into a cutlet. Interesting, I thought while ending up buying it for Rs 50 for 4 vatas.

Baby Prawn Cutlets 

It's not a elaborate procedure at all. So let's start the recipe.

Ingredients

2 cups fresh baby prawns
2 small onion
2 finely chopped green chillies
1 tsp ginger garlic paste
1/4 cup gramflour ( channa atta )
1/2 tsp chilly powder
2 tbsp chopped corriander leaves
1/4 tsp tumeric powder
Juice of one lime
Salt to taste

Method

1. You need to wash the baby prawns thoroughly to remove other fish particles dirt etc in running water.

2. Squeeze out excess water, add this to a mixing bowl. Now add finely chopped onions, green chillies, spices, ginger garlic paste, corriander leaves, gram flour, lime juice, salt and mix well.

3. Form small flat palm size cutlets.

4. Take a non stick pan, add cutlets to hot oil and shallow fry on both sides till golden brown.

5. Serve it piping hot on a plate with some ketchup. They are so yummy, you just can't stop at one.

Important tips.

You can add soaked bread instead of gram flour.

Instead of regular onion you can also use spring onions.

Always fry the cutlets on medium heat so that cutlets cook from inside and do not burn.

Enjoy cooking. 
See soon with another easy recipe.

Cauliflower Masala- Aloo Gobi Recipe

Hello foodie friends,
 Everyday cooking can be boring and monotonous too. Cooking the same vegetable with the same recipe is the reason behind this. Let's cook some deliciousness today with cauliflower.  Aloo gobi (potatoes & cauliflower) is a popular Indian dish in which potatoes and cauliflower is cooked together. Its cooked with  onions, tomatoes and spices. This dish can be cooked in many ways, but the art of this dish is to not get the cauliflower soggy and limp but keep it crisp yet cooked.  
 
But before that some facts and trivia on this vegetable.

1. Cauliflower is not a seasonal vegetable and can be procured all round the year. 
2. Cauliflowers are not flowers or flower buds; they are a group of tiny stems!
3. Cauliflower is a rich source of vitamin C.
4. Cauliflower is proved to aid blood pressure and kidney function.
   
   
   

Cauliflower makes a best combination with potato.

 Hence today we are going to stir up a  easy and tasty cauliflower masala. 

Ingredients

•  1 medium size Cauliflower
• 1 onion 
• 2 tomatoes
• 2 potatoes
• chopped coriander leaver
•  ½ tsp Turmeric Powder
• 1 tsp Cumin Seeds
• 1 tbsp Coriander Powder
• 1 tbsp cumin Powder
• ½ teaspoon garam masala
• 1/2 tsp chilly powder  
• 2 tbsp cooking oil 
• Salt to taste

Method

1. Clean & cut cauliflower into florets, wash it very well, check for worms and tiny insects. Soak in a bowl of salt water. 
 
2. Cut and potatoes into cubes.

3. Finely chop the onions. Heat oil in a pan and add the onions and cumin seeds to it. Cook till soft and pinkish in colour. 

4. Next add the chopped tomatoes and cook till the oil leaves the sides. 

5. Add all the dry spices.

 
6. Now add the cauliflower florets and chopped potatoes. Cover the pan with lid and cook. Open and stir occasionally till cooked. 

7. Garnish with chopped coriander leaver and eat with hot rotis.

Note-
Do not add any water to the dish while cooking.

Prawns Tawa fry

Hello friends,

 I had promised you a prawn recipe some time back, and I am here to keep my word. There is so much you can do with prawns but today let's stick to a very easy recipe.

 

Firstly you have to ensure the prawns are fresh and deviened or else you can end up with severe tummy upset. I am blessed  to have CambayTiger in my vicinity,  Bandra. Serving up fresh seafood which is packaged well. They even cut, clean, marinate the fish you want, delivering all over Mumbai and now Navi Mumbai too. U can order online too. I picked up 250 gms of Cambay prawns for this recipe.

Ingredients

250 Cambay prawns

For marinade

2 tsp ginger garlic paste
1 tsp red chilli powder
1 tsp dhaniya powder
1 tsp jeera powder

1 tbsp vinegar or nimbu juice
1 tsp oil

Salt to taste
1 tsp corn flour, optional
Oil for shallow frying

Method 

1. Make sure that the prawns you use are fresh, shelled, deviened and washed properly. I wash them in a handful of rock salt and gram flour for the fishy smell to go away. I have seen my grandmother do this. 

2. Now in a mixing bowl combine all the masalas to make the marinade. 

3. Add the prawns and coat them well. 

4. Leave this covered for half an hour.

5. Heat oil in a frying pan, add the prawns to it. Don't be afraid as the prawns will emit water. But eventually will dry up. 

6.  Shallow fry on both sides till cooked and crispy. 

7.Serve hot with kachumber.

Variation

Now here goes an easy variation. You can make a Prawn Frankie with the prawns taw Fry. Add an omelette, to a roti, cook on both sides. Fill it with prawns, salad  and sauces, roll it and you are ready to go.

Delicious Stuffed chicken

Hello friends,
I am indeed so honored by the response to my new blog, glad to see you are enjoying my easy recipes. Do click the subscribe button on top of page and add your email address. It totally free.

Now today I am going to do something very different, not using any gas or kadai. The outcome was so good, had to share with all of you.
My husband relished these stuffed chicken fillets, a recipe given to me by my sister Farzeen. So here goes this recipe. It has good protiens and fat, when combined with veggies it can serve up as a delicious KETO meal.

Ingredients

2 boneless chicken breast
1 cup grated cottage cheese ( paneer)
1 cube grated cheese.
1/2 tsp oregano
Some chopped coriander leaves.
Pinch of thyme ( if you don't have, use any herb powder. If you don't have that too, add pepper powder)
Salt and pepper

Method

1. Wash and clean the chicken, slit it 3/4 way down, making it a pocket. One side closed and an opening to stuff.

2. Then apply olive oil and salt n pepper on chicken breast.

3. Next make a mixture of grated cheese, paneer, corriander, salt, herbs. Kneed well with hands.

4. Stuff boneless chicken breast with this filling, seal the ends by pressing the flesh together.

5. In a pan add little oil and cook for 4 to 5  mins on each side to seal the juices.

6. Cover it foil,  pop this in a pre heated oven to bake for 10 minutes. ( Boneless fillets cook fast if kept longer it will get chewy and rubbery)

7. Allow it to rest until room temperature.

8.Poke with a knife to check if cooked.

9. Now cut the fillets in half before serving.

Serving Suggestion

Serve with boiled vegetables or mayo salad. Keep it light.

If yoi want to indulge or serve for a party, you can do a mash potato and some garlic bread.