Thursday, May 29, 2008

HEALTHY BREAKFAST IN DIFFERENT STYLE

A dark green leafy vegetable, spinach is packed with nutrition and a distinct flavor.The flavonoids in spinach help protect against age related memory loss. Spinach's secret weapon, lutein, makes it one of the best foods in the world to prevent cataracts, as well as age related macular degeneration, the leading cause of preventable blindness in the elderly. Foods rich in lutein are also thought to help prevent cancer.
Spinach is low in Saturated Fat, and very low in Cholesterol. It is also a good source of Niacin and Zinc, and a very good source of Dietary Fiber, Protein, Vitamin A, Vitamin C, Vitamin K, Thiamin, Riboflavin, Vitamin B6, Folate, Calcium, Iron, Magnesium, Phosphorus, Potassium, Copper and Manganese. But the bad thing is it is high in Sodium.


A distinction can be made between older varieties of spinach and more modern varieties. Older varieties tend to bolt too early in warm conditions. Newer varieties tend to grow more rapidly but have less of an inclination to run up to seed. The older varieties have narrower leaves and tend to have a stronger and more bitter taste. Most newer varieties have broader leaves and round seeds. Spinach loses much of its nutritional value with storage of more than a few days..

1 Sp Custard powder
1 Big Onion
1 Green chilly
1 Bunch Spinach
1 Cup Pasta
1 Tsp pepper powder
1 Tbsp Oil / butter
Salt


Cook pasta in boiling salted water until done. Drain and keep aside.

First clean and wash the spinach and boil it 3 to 5 mints with less than 1 cup water. Separate the water and spinach. Mix this water in custard powder for custard and keep aside.
Make it spinach smooth past in grinder. keep aside.

Now boil the onion in water till onion will turn transparent.
Blend this boiled onion and green chilly in the food processor to get a smoother consistency.

Add butter/oil in a heavy bottomed vessel . Fry the onion past for a 2 mints then add the spinach past and mix it well, add salt and stir fry for 3 to 5 mints. Don’t burn them.

Then mix the cooked pasta to this, mix it everything well and add the custard which you prepared already with leftover spinach boiled water and custard powder. let it cook for 30 seconds and transfer into serving dish.

Wednesday, May 21, 2008

BADHUSHA


I presented two of south Indian Sweets last time. This time I want to introduce Andhra Badhusha which is most famous sweet as Bombay Badhusha. This dessert is fit for all occasion that I thought of presenting here......


Ingredients:


3 cup Maida / Plain flour

1/2 tsp baking powder

3/4 cup ghee

1 to 1.5 cups curd

Oil for deep fry


sugar syrup


5 cups sugar

2.5 cups water

3 cardamoms


Sieve maida in bowl, add soda and ghee and mix it well. Then add yogurt and make it into a spongy dough. (Do not put water, u should make it with curd). Covered it with a wet cloth for half an hour.


Meanwhile prepare sugar syrup. Put the 5 cups Sugar into a vessel, add 2.5cup water, keep stirring till Sugar dissolves, keep the syrup on the fire till it is two string consistency (Adhara style Badhusha need two string consistency) and crushed cardamoms


Make lemon size round balls with the dough and press with your thumb on the ball. do the same till all the dough is over, fry 4 – 5 of the Badhushas at a time on low flame till golden brown( I fried till dark brown, but you do correctly) on both sides.

Remove from the oil when it’s done and drop into warm sugar syrup.let them soak 15 mints.




Monday, May 19, 2008

KADAI CHICKEN

kadai chicken is a restaurant staple. It is great recipe to eat with naan.
Kadai, is an Indian cooking pot that looks like a wok, with 2 handles Used for stir-frying dishes over high heat and also used as a serving dishKadai . Kadai dishes have Afghan and persian origins and are unique due to the cooking process in a heavy cast iron or copper pot.

Ingredients:

Chicken 1/2 Kg
chopped Onions 1 big
Tomatoes 4 numbers( make it past)
Capsicum 1 big (chopped slices)
Chopped Green Chilli 2
Garlic 3 big
Ginger 1/2"
Dry Red Chillies 5
Corriender seeds 1 tsp
Cloves 5
Cinnamon 2
Cardamon 1/2"
Star anise 1
Corriender powder 1 sp
Red Chilly Powder 1 tsp
Masala powder
Oil 2 tbspns
Salt to taste

Ccorriender seeds and red chillies are make it powder roughly.
Make the paste with ginger garlic.(should use more garlic then ginger)
Heat the oil in kadai, fry cloves, cardamon, cinnamon, star anise for a monute, add crushed corriender and red chilly fry for a while, add ginger garlic paste.after that add onions and fry till light brown.
Add red chilli powder, dhania powder stir it.
Then add tomato paste to this. Stir it till the oil separates. Add chicken pieces, capsicum and green chillies, mix it well.
Add salt and masala powder once stir well and cover with lid.cook on low medium heat till the chicken is tender.


Sunday, May 18, 2008

SIMPLE AND HEALTHY AVOCADO SANDWICH




For one sandwich:

Two Bread slices

One Tomato(Slices)

Half Avocado

One Cheese slice

Tomato sauce

In a bowl mash avocado with fork for creamy avocado spread. Place the cheese on bread and put slices of tomato on cheese and evenly spread avocado on tomato slices then top with the other slice of bread with tomato sauce ( avocado goes good taste with tomato sauce in sandwich) . Now keep this in sandwich maker for one minute. Enjoy with healthy sandwich!!!

Wednesday, May 14, 2008

Gobi Kebab


In Australia, kebabs are very popular due to immigration from Greece, Turkey, former Yugoslavia, and Lebanon. Meat and chicken kebabs can be easily found in Sydney. They are commonly served with cheese and a salad consisting of lettuce, tomato, onion etc.
I made this kebab like indain version with chapati and Indian adapted chines dish Gobi Manchurian.
Ingredients:
Wheat flour 1 cup
Cauliflower(cut into florets) - 2 cups
Plain flour/maida -2tbsp
Cornflour - 2tbsp
Thinly Chopped Ginger - 1 Tbsp
Thinly Chopped garlic - 2 Tbsp
Bell pepper(diced) - 1/2cup ( I used yellow and green)
Green chillies - 3 (chopped)
Finely Chopped Coriander Leaves 1/2 cup
Tomato sauce - 4tbsp
Soya sauce - 1tsp
Ajinomoto - 1 Tsp
Cooking soda
Chopped lettuce - 1.5 cups
Oil - to deep fry
  1. Wash the cauliflower florets in water with a little salt.
  2. Make a slightly thick batter with cornflour, plain flour and cooking soda.
  3. Coat the florets with the batter and then deep fry until light brown. Drain and keep aside.
  4. In a separate pan heat 1 tbsp of oil on stove.
  5. Add chopped ginger,garlic, chilly and fry for 2 mints. Now add the chopped bell pepper for for another 5 mints
  6. Mix the ajinomato,tomato sauce and soya sauce with this, add the fried cauliflower florets and mix well and switch of the stove. Garnish it with coriander leaves.


  7. Next we have to prepare chapati with wheat flour.
  8. Mix flour,salt and water, making a dough. Knead for five minutes and keep aside 30 mints.
    Heat a flat pan until smoking hot.
    Roll out 1/2 a handful of dough into a flat round shape and put into pan, cooking for 1 minute either side. chapathi is ready


  9. Mix the cauliflower Manchurian and chopped lettuce f0r filling of chapati.



  10. Now fold the chapati like round packet and fill with gobi manchurian and lettuce.

Tuesday, May 13, 2008

CARROT WAITING FOR YOU ALONG WITH MOGALAI MUTTON

Generally I used to cook mutton with potatoes. But I don't like to eat potatoes because potatoes have high fat content. For a Change I used carrot instead of potato .. surprisinglyyy!!!! carrot comes very... very... tasty., I couldn't believe this. This is quite different then normal one. I feel curry leaves play main role in this recipe.



2 Medium Onions

4 Green Chilies
1 Cup Curd
4 Garlic pods
1" Ginger
15 Curry leaves
250 gms Mutton (goat/ lamb)
1 Carrot
1 Tomato past
6 Cloves1
1 Tsp. Coriander seeds
2 Cardamom
1" dalchin chekka
1/2 Tsp. turmeric
2 Tsp. Poppy seeds
1 Tsp Chilly powder
oil
salt

  1. Grind the Onion, garlic, ginger, curry leaves (curry leaves gives much tast to this curry, so no excuses to curry leaves) into past.
  2. Make into a powder cloves, coriander seeds, cardamom, dalchin chekka and poppy seeds and keep aside.

  3. Marinate the mutton along with salt, chilly powder, curd, onion and curry leaves past for 30 mints.

  4. Take this mutton in a dish which is suitable for cooker and keep it in cooker till done.

  5. Now in a wide skillet, heat oil add cooked mutton (at this stage don't add any water). cook 10 mints, then add chillies,spices and pappy seeds powder . Fry a while and then add the Tomato past and chopped carrot again fry for 2 mints then add salt, one cup water and remaining liquid from the cooked mutton.Cover the lid and cook until the curry become thick.

KAJJIKAYALU



For Dough:


Plain flour/ maida - 4 Cups

Suji ravva (optional) - 1/2 Cup

Ghee - 2 Tbsp

Oil for deep frying

Cooking soda



For Filling:



Dry Coconut 2 Tbsp

Sesame seeds 2 Tbsp

Urda daal 2 Tbsp

Groundnut 2 Tbsp

Sugar 5 Tbsp

Cardamom 4 no.

  • Mix all plain flour, suji, salt, ghee and enough water to make smooth and soft dough and keep it aside for 30 mints.

  • Make small lime size balls from the dough. Roll them into thin pooris. Place 1 spoon of the prepared filling on one side of the poori and fold the other side over and press the ends together firmly. Make sure that the edge is closed firmly or the contents may spill off while frying.

  • Heat oil and fry kajjikayalu two or three at a time till golden brown

Filling Preparation :

  • Take a pan and dry roast the dry coconut, sesame, ground nut, Urad daal separately on low flame.

  • Crush the groundnut and dry coconut in grinder . In the same grinder powder the sugar and cardamom, urad daal, sesame separately.

  • Now mix all these powders into crushed groundnut and coconut . Now filling is ready.

Monday, May 12, 2008

MADATA KAJA

India celebrates flurry of sweet sticky treats in its every festive moments.
Indian sweet recipes has many different styles throughout all of India. For that matter, there is really not one accepted style of Indian cuisine but rather many different styles. Of course there will be some similarities but it will also be very different from place to place.

Some of the popular sweet in Andhra (specially in godavari dist.) is also known as Palakova, puta rekulu, kajalu, kajji kaayalu . It is often prepared in every andhra festival be it Deewali or sankranti.
Here are a few recipes for making popular and traditional Andhra Sweets.


Madata kaja Ingredients:

Maida/Plain flour-6 cups
Ghee-2 tbsp
Oil for deep frying

for sugar syrup:
Sugar-5cups
Water-4cup
Cardamoms -4

How to prepare:

1. Sieve the maida/Plain flour then add the baking powder and ghee and mix it with
water like the chapathi dough. Keep aside this dough 30 mints .
2. Prepare sugar syrup medium consistency (more thickness then gulab jamun syrup and less
thickness then thread consistency)
3. Now take a medium sized dough ball and roll it like chapathi then apply little bit oil or ghee on
chapathi.
4. Cut the chapathi 3-4 cm bits with a sharp knife like ribbons then rotate this ribbon like a mat.
5. Now heat oil and deep fry them to golden crispy brown (on medium heat).
6. Dip them into the syrup,and allow them to soak for 20 minutes afterwords remove & let cool.

Monday, May 5, 2008

PIZZA WITH LEFTOVER CHICKEN CURRY

Yes the title is correct! I made this pizza with My leftover chicken curry.., I tried this for spicy. People either seem to love or hate this recipe. I personally, love it! I don't like pizzas anywhere except India, I feel Indian pizza is spicy then here ( Can we get any spicy pizza here...??? ch....:( :(...). Usually I prepare this with more cheese, but this time i don't have low fat cheese.


For Pizza base:

2 Cups Plain Flour
1 Spoon yeast
1 Spoon Salt
Luke warm Water

For Topping:

1/4 Cup Leftover Chicken Curry
1 Small Onion ( finely chopped )
2 Tbs Capsicum pieces
200 gms Cheddar Cheese
Tomato Sauce
pepper powder


  • Mix the yeast in Water and keep aside for 15 mints.
  • Mix the salt, flour, yeast water and kneed it until the flour is well mixed and soft. Form the dough into a ball and cover with a wet towel to prevent a skin forming on the dough. Leave for one hour to let the yeast work and the dough rise.
  • Preheat the oven to 170 degrees Celsius.
  • Roll the dough into a pizza shape. Put the base into the oven for 10 minutes
  • Meanwhile take your chicken curry and make the chicken like small pieces.
  • Apply some tomato sauce on prebaked pizza base and add the chicken curry topping on it. spread the cheese, capsicum, onion and pepper powder on this.
  • And put it back in the oven cooking until the cheese is cooked