Mushroom Nuggets

Mushroom nuggets is an excellent snack for the mushroom lovers. You can serve this as a starter when you are organizing a party. It is delicious and easy to make.

Basic info about the recipe

Cuisine                                                      - North Indian

Serves                                                       - 2 people.

Ingredients:

1.   Button mushrooms                    - 8-10 nos

2.   Maida                                         - 3 tbsp

3.   Garlic                                          - 1 large clove

4.   Salt                                             - to taste

5.   Soya sauce                               - 1 tsp

6.   Pepper powder                         - 1 tsp

7.   Water                                         - as required

8.   Oil                                               - for frying

9.   Corn flakes                                 - ½-1 cup

Method: Wash, clean and half boil the mushrooms.

Crush the corn flakes and keep aside

Make a batter using maida, scrapped garlic, soya sauce, pepper and salt.

Dip the mushrooms in the batter. Coat with cornflakes and deep fry.

Mushroom nuggets are ready to be served.

Kesar Lassi

Lassi is an all- time favourite of North Indians. Lassi can be plain or with some flavor added to it. It can be sweet or salted.

Basic info about the recipe

Cuisine                                             - North Indian

Serves                                             - 2 people.

Ingredients:

1.   Curd                             - 2 cups

2.   Ice Water                     - ½ cup

3.   Sugar                           - 3-4 tsp

4.   Kesar                           - ½ tsp

Method: Dissolve saffron in quarter cup of luke warm water.

Blend curd, ice water and sugar in a mixer. Add the dissolved kesar and blend again.

Garnish with kesar and badam and serve cold.

Garlic Rice

Garlic rice is definitely the choice of all garlic lovers.Garlic has numerous health benefits and is used as a main ingredient in almost all dishes. If you are tired of eating normal plain rice you can very well try this flavourful rice.

Basic info about the recipe

Cusine                                            - North Indian

Serves                                            - 2 people.

Ingredients:

1.   Basmati rice                - 1.5 cups

2.   Garlic (large)               - 3 cloves

3.   Butter                           - 2 tsp

4.   Salt                               - to taste

5.   Red chilli flakes          - 1 tsp

6.   Onion                           - 1 medium

7.   Oil                                 - 2 tsp

Method: Boil basmati rice adding salt and 1 tsp oil. Oil is added to avoid the rice being sticky.

Cook rice upto 80%. Strain and allow to cool.

Heat oil and butter together in a pan and add garlic and onion and fry till golden brown.

Add red chilli flakes and salt and stir well.

Add the boiled rice and mix everything. Serve hot.

Cucumber Corn fruit salad

Cucumber corn fruit salad

Summer is here and there is no other way to cool your body than to eat lots of salads. Salads are something which everyone makes with their own innovation  subject to the availability of fruits and vegetables. Its not only cooling, but also healthy. It is simple and easy to make in the sense that it requires no cooking.

Basic info about the recipe

Cuisine                                                     - Indian

Serves                                                      - 2 people

Ingredients:

1.   Cucumber                             - 2 nos

2.   Sweet corn                           - 1 cup

3.   Apple                                     - 1 no;

4.   Kiwi                                        - 1 no:

5.   Grapes                                  - 15-20

6.   Anaar                                    - half a fruit

7.   Olive oil                                 - 2 tsp

8.   Salt                                        - to taste

9.   Pepper powder                    - ½ tsp

10.                       Chaat masala             - 1 tsp

11.                       Oregano                      - 1 tsp

Method: Make a dressing with olive oil, salt, pepper and oregano. (lime juice can also be added if you so desire)

Cut cucumber and fruits to small dices

Boil the sweet corn and keep aside.

Take a large bowl, mix everything together.

Sprinkle some chaat masala and serve.

Note: pls add the dressing only at the time of serving.

Oats Chiratta Puttu

Oats Chiratta Puttu( steam cake)

Puttu is a very popular breakfast item served in Kerala restaurants and houses. It is always served with black chana(kadala) curry, eventhough some people likes to have it with banana or pappad. Puttu  is prepared in a special vessel (puttu kudam or chiratta) meant for making them. Again just like idlis, preparation of puttu involves no usage of oil. It is normally made with rice flour. But, today I am giving a different version with oats.

Basic info about the recipe

Cuisine                                             - South Indian

Serves                                             - 2 people.

Ingredients:

1.   Oats                                   - 2 cups

2.   Luke warm water              - to sprinkle

3.   Salt                                     - to taste

4.   Coconut (grated)                - half a coconut

Method:  Stir fry the oats in a pan for 2 mts.

Let it cool. Add salt and ¾ th  coconut  to the oats and mix well.

Sprinkle little water just to make the oats wet.

Heat the cooker  adding water inside. Close the lid. In a chiratta kutti, put a spoon of coconut, then the oats mixture and again on top a spoon of coconut. Close the chiratta kutti and place it on the top of the cooker.

Steam for 2-3 mts. Delicious oats puttu is ready. Oats puttu can be had as such or with sugar.

Pudina Rice

Pudina Rice      

Mint is a very popular herb with lots of curative properties. Anything made with pudina is refreshing and healthy. Pudina rice is simple and                            easy to make.

Basic info about the recipe

Cuisine                                                      - North Indian

Serves                                                       - 2 people.

Ingredients:              

1.   Basmati Rice                        - 1.5 cups

2.   Pudina                                   - 1 cup

3.   Green chillies                       - 2 nos

4.   Salt                                        - to taste

5.   Ginger-garlic paste              - ½ tsp

6.   Onion                                    - 1 medium

7.   Oil                                          - 2 tsp

8.   Butter                                     - 1 tsp

9.   Tomato                                  - 1 medium

Method:  Boil basmati rice adding salt and 1 tsp oil. Oil is added to avoid the rice being sticky.

Cook rice upto 80%. Strain and allow to cool.

Grind pudina and green chillies and keep aside.

Heat oil and butter together in a pan and add ginger-garlic paste. Saute.

Add onion and tomato and fry till golden brown.

Add the pudina- chilli paste and sauté again.

Add rice and salt and mix everything together.  Serve hot.

Note: Instead of tomato, lemon juice can be drizzled after the gas is switched off.

Tawa fried bread pakoda

Tawa Fried bread pakoda

Bread pakoda is a very popular North Indian street food. It is amazing to have this with tea during rainy season. Bread pakodas can be of 2 types- those with aloo or paneer stuffed into it or the simple ones without any stuffing. Pakodas are deep fried in oil or ghee and served with green chutney or tomato sauce. In today’s health conscious world, I am giving you the recipe of bread pakodas shallow fried in a tablespoon of oil.

Basic info about the recipe

Cuisine                                                               - North Indian

Serves                                                               - 2 people.

Ingredients:

1.   Bread slices                                   - 3 nos

2.   Besan                                             - 1 cup

3.   Turmeric powder                           - ½ tsp

4.   Red chilli powder                           - 1 tsp

5.   Ginger-garlic paste                        - 1 tsp

6.   Hing                                                - a pinch

7.   Coriander leaves                           - 3-4 sprigs

8.   Salt                                                  - to taste

9.   Oil                                                    - 1 tbsp

10.                       Chaat masala                       - to sprinkle

11.                       Rice flour                              - 2 tsp

Method: In a bowl, add all the ingredients except bread, chaat masala and oil and make a smooth batter of medium consistency adding required water.

Heat oil in a tawa.

Dip the bread slices in the batter and place it on the tawa.

Fry till golden brown. Flip to the other side and fry .

Cut into equal halves and sprinkle some chaat masala and serve hot.

Note:  I have used brown bread here. You can use white bread also.

Rice flour has been added to make the pakodas crispier.

Chammanthi Podi

Chammanthi podi

Chammanthi podi is a spicy dry powder made of roasted coconut. It is an all time favourite of all Keralites. It is not the one which is had with idli or dosa, but had with rice. Almost in all kerala homes, this is preserved in air-tight containers.

Basic info about the recipe

Cuisine                                                      - south Indian

Serves                                                       - many.

Ingredients:

1.   Grated coconut                    - 2 cups

2.   Shallots                                 - 5 nos

3.   Dry red chilli                          - 3 nos

4.   Urad dal                                 - ½ tsp

5.   Salt                                        - to taste

6.   Tamarind                              - 1 tsp

7.   Curry leaves                         - 15-20 nos

8.   Kashmiri red chilli pwdr       - ½ tsp

9.   Coriander seeds                  - ½ tsp

Method: Dry roast all the ingredients except tamarind and salt till golden brown.

Allow it to cool. Grind them adding salt and tamarind. Serve.

Note: I have used dessicated coconut for my podi.

My dry red chillies are very spicy. So, I have reduced its number and added red chilli powder alongwith it.