Onion Pakora

Imagine an evening with crunchy snack and a cup of hot tea or coffee. Won't you love it?
And if the recipe to do is very simple it sounds great and worth trying right? I have an evening snack Onion Pakora recipe for you all. Very simple to do. I have seen many ways in internet and many ways learnt from Mom and MIL. All versions are tasty indeed. Nothing could beat the taste of this recipe I followed, which was from Vah Chef. He tells it the best. With no water in the batter  this pakoras absorb very little oil and hence no matter if you munch on 2 more, right? Let me share with you all the recipe.

Ingredients:
Onion-1 big sliced thin lengthwise
Green chillies-3 cut lengthwise
Ginger cut very thin lengthwise
Curry leaves-2 sprigs finely chopped
Coriander Leaves/Cilantro- 2 sprigs chopped
Cashews-7-8 Soaked in water and drained
Gram flour-1 cup
Rice flour-1/4 cup
Baking powder-pinch
Ajwain/Carrom seeds-1/4 tsp
Oil-2 tbsp+ to deep fry
Salt to taste
Water to sprinkle

Recipe:

1. In a bowl mix onions, green chillies,curry leaves, ginger,coriander leaves and cashews and add salt to taste.The salt will bring out moisture from onions. Let the mixture rest for 20 mins.
2. In another bowl add dry ingredients like gram flour, rice flour, baking powder, ajwain and salt to taste, mix well.
3. Add 2 tbsp oil to the dry ingredients in step 2 and mix well.
4. Add the mixture prepared in step 1 to the mixture in step 3.
5. Mix well and you will see that the water content from onion is just enough to form dumplings of this pakoda.As far as possible try not to use water. If the mixture is very dry and you are not able to form dumplings, then just sprinkle little water and see that it just is able to form dumpling when little portion of it is held together. Do not knead into a dough. Just mixing well is all enough.Fine coating of gramflour and rice flour will be all over the onions and cashews.
6. Now heat oil in a deep bottom pan and when medium hot add the mixture little by little prepared in step 5 in the form of dumpling to the oil.
7. Fry till golden. You will see the onions take dark brown color and pakodas are golden in color.
8. This is a unique pakoda which tastes heavenly as such or with ketchup or mint chutney and with a cup of tea.

Enjoy the dish! n don't forget Eat and Eat little MORE.. :)

Paneer Tikka Masala

Having made paneer cubes today, thought would prepare Paneer tikka masala which will go well with phulkas. Our dinner today was Phulka with Paneer Tikka Masala.
Here I share with you restaurent style gravy dish of Paneer. Basic recipe I followed here is Vah Chef's way of making but with slight changes. His recipes are mind blowing. I brought very minor changes to suit mine and my family's tastebuds. After eating my hubby gave me the thumbs up. I was very happy.

Ingredients:
Home made Paneer cubes-15-20
Frozen cut vegetables(which included bell peppers,green peas,beans,corn,baby corn and red kidney beans)-1 cup (If not available, fresh assorted veggies of your choice could be used but needs to be parboiled before using)
Tomato Puree-1 cup
Cashews and almonds-1/2 cup
Ginger garlic paste-1/2 tsp
Onions-1 big chopped
Shallots-2 chopped(If not available skip shallots)
Green chillies-1 slit lengthwise
Bay Leaves-1
Cinnamon stick-1'' piece
Cloves-2
Green cardamom-1
Cumin seeds-1 tsp
Turmeric powder-1/2 tsp
Red chilly powder-1/2 tsp
Garam masala-1 tsp
Sugar-1/2 tsp
Milk-1 cup
Whipping cream-1 cup
Water-2 cups+ 2 tsp
Salt to taste
Oil-2 tbsp+2 tbsp

Coriander leaves to garnish

For Marination of Paneer Cubes
Thick Yogurt-1/2 cup
Salt to taste
Turmeric powder-1/2 tsp
Red chilly powder-1/2 tsp
Garam masala-1/2 tsp
Coriander powder-1/2 tsp
Lemon-1/2
Ginger Garlic paste-1 tsp

Recipe:
In a bowl add cashews and almonds.to that add hot water and let it get soaked for few minutes.Grind together with 2 tsp water to form a fine paste.

1. In a bowl add the ingredients for marination and mix well.
2. To that add paneer cubes and set aside for 30-40 minutes.
3. In a pan heat 2 tbsp oil and shallow fry the marinated paneer till they are light golden
4. Set the fried paneer aside in a bowl.
5. To the same marination mixture add the frozen thawed vegetables and mix well and then toss them also on the same pan in which you shallow fried the paneer on a high heat.Do not over cook the veggies.
6. Once done in another pan add 2 tbsp oil and when hot add cumin seeds,bay leaves,cloves,cardamom,cinnamon stick and saute.
7. As the cumin seeds splatter add onions,shallots and green chillies
8. Now add ginger garlic paste.
9. Fry till onions turn translucent and the rawness of ginger and garlic paste is gone and then add turmeric powder, red chilly powder and fry again.
10. Now add tomato puree and cook for a while.
11. Now add garam masala,2 cups water and bring it to boil.
12. Now add cashew and almond paste and mix well.
13. Now add milk and simmer.Add sugar and salt to taste.
14. Add the tossed veggies and mix well
15. Add whipping cream finally and simmer.
16. Add fried paneer cubes and simmer for 2-3 minutes
17. Garnish with coriander leaves
18. Serve hot with Phulkas or rotis or any Indian flat bread or even rice.

 

 

 

Enjoy the dish! n don't forget Eat and Eat little MORE.. :)

Sending this to Gayathri's WTML hosted by Sowmya, Virunthu unna vaanga by Vijayalakshmi

Cucumber Rava Rotti

Coastal south karnataka's speciality is rava rotti. It has many variations. A unique cucumber rava rotti which I learnt from MIL I would like to share here.

Ingredients:
Cucumber-1/2 cup grated and squeezed to remove the extra water content
Fine Rava/Fine semolina- 1 cup or just enough to form dough
Pepper powder-1/2 tsp
Curry leaves-1 sprig finely chopped
Cumin seeds-1/2 tsp
Salt to taste
Oil to smear

Recipe:

1. In a bowl take all ingredients except oil.
2. Mix well very nicely and form a dough out of it.Do not add any water. coat the dough with oil to avoid drying of the dough.
3. Now let it rest for 30 minutes. Then make lemon sized balls out of it.
4. Place them on a plastic sheet or aluminium foil or even banana leaf if available
5. Now flatten it using hands to form rotti.
6. Transfer it onto a hot griddle.
7. Cook the rotti on one side.
8. Once done flip to cook other side and smear oil on the top surface.Cook on either sides very well.
9. Serve hot with home made ghee.(How to prepare home made ghee?)

Enjoy the dish! n don't forget Eat and Eat little MORE.. :)

Paneer Cubes

Usually I used to get store brought paneer/Indian cottage cheese for all paneer dishes. But I always wanted to try out making paneer cubes at home for gravies containing paneer. I tried in different ways ample number of times. But this way I got perfect stiff and soft cubes of paneer. Here I share you one simple way to prepare paneer cubes at home.

Ingredients:
Whole Milk-1/2 litre
Lemon juice-1 tbsp
Water-1 tbsp
Corn flour-2 tbsp

Recipe:

In a bowl mix lemon juice and water.

1. In a pan boil milk with continuous stirring.
2. Once boiled turn off the stove and keep on adding lemon juice and water mixture to the boiled milk with continuous stirring.
3. At one point milk curdles and whey is clearly visible.
4. Drain off the whey using a muslin or cheese cloth.
5. Once fully drained paneer gets collected in the muslin cloth.
6. Wash the collected paneer with cold water so that the flavour of lemon is completely gone.
7. Now just hang drained paneer for few minutes say 10-15 mins over a wooden spoon balanced over a bowl or to a water tap.
8. Then squeeze out the moisture if any in the paneer
9. Transfer the paneer into a bowl
10. Now add corn flour to it.
11. Mix well to form a dough
12. Then transfer it to a plate and give slab shape to the paneer and pat it gently so that the shape stays firm.
13. Cut into desired cubes and refrigerate for 3-4 hours.
14. Paneer cubes are ready to use for any gravies or side dishes.

 

Enjoy the dish! n don't forget Eat and Eat little MORE.. :)

Jeera Rice/Cumin Seed Rice

Very simple authentic jeera rice is loved by all. The flavour of cumin is just awesome.
Here I share with you all this simple recipe. I can say the very simple rice dish which can be prepared in a jiffy and even could be an ideal lunch box pack. It can be served as it is or with any raita or plain yogurt.

Ingredients:
Raw rice-1 cup
Water-2 cups
Cumin seeds-1 tbsp
Oil-1 tbsp+1 tsp
Coriander leaves/Cilantro-2 sprigs chopped
Curry leaves-2 sprigs-chopped
Green chillies-2 slit lengthwise
Salt to taste

Recipe:

1. Pressure cook raw rice with 1 tsp oil and salt to taste for 3 whistles.
2. In a pan heat 1 tbsp oil, add cumin seeds,as they splatter add curry leaves,coriander leaves and green chillies.
3. Saute and then add cooked and cooled rice to it and mix well by folding in rice through the mixture in pan.
4. Add salt if required, may not require if enough amount is added while cooking rice.

Simple isn't it? Enjoy with yogurt or raita or as such.

Enjoy the dish! n don't forget Eat and Eat little MORE.. :)

Sending this to Nayna's simplysensationalfood,Made with Love Mondays by Javelin Warrior's Cookin w/ Luv