Masala Bhindi

This is a dish that I learnt from my mom. Plus I have altered it a little.

Ingredients :
Lady's Finger/ Okra : 1/2 kg
Ginger : 1 tsp (Finely Chopped)
Green Chilli : 1 (Finely Chopped)
Tomato : 2 (Finely Chopped)
Cumin Seeds/ Jeera : 1/2 ts
Oil to Temper
Salt according to Taste

Spice Powders:
Turmeric Powder : 1/4 tsp
Coriander Powder : 1 tsp
Chilli Powder : 1 tsp
Amchur Powder : 1/2 tsp


Procedure :
1. Wash, wipe and cut the head and tail of Lady's Finger; and chop it into tiny pieces.
2. Heat oil and add cumin seeds; once the seeds start crackling add green chilli and ginger.
3. Now add the tomatoes and cook till it turns mushy; and add the spice powders.
4. Now add the chopped Okra and close the pan with a lid and cook it in the mushy Tomato.
5. Sprinkle salt. You will know its cooked when the stickiness of lady's finger disappears.

2 min Coffee Microwave Cake

What do you do when you get hungry at 12 at night? The pantry empty. With a few basic baking ingredients here is a Coffee cake. A 2 in 1 delight. It almost takes as much time as it takes to make the cake. I made this cake in my cereal bowl. This is an eggless cake.

Ingredients:
All Purpose Flour : 1/2 cup
Sugar : 1/4 cup
Baking Powder : a pinch (1/8th tsp)
Instant Coffee Powder : 2 tsp

Milk : 5 Tbsp
Vanilla Extract : 1/4 tsp
Oil : 1/4 cup

Procedure:
1. Mix well all the dry ingredients.
2. Finally add the wet ingredients and mix well.
3. Microwave for 2 min.

Your cake is ready. Relish with Ice cream. 

Salmon in Coconut Milk Gravy

I loved the unique taste of this fish curry. The flavor of coconut milk just played with my palates for a long time. 

Ingredients:

Onion : 1/2 (Finely Chopped)

Tomato : 1

Oil : 1 tbsp

Mustard Seeds : 1 tsp

Curry Leaves : 5-6

Green Chilli : 2 -3

Marinate fish with :

Coconut Milk : 1/2 cup

Chilli Powder : 2 tsp

Lemon Juice : 1 tsp

Ginger Garlic Paste : 1 tsp

Salt

1. Marinate the fish with ingredients under marinate.

2. In a pan heat oil and temper with mustard seeds, curry leaves and green chilli.

3. Add chopped onions and fry till they turn brown. Now add chopped tomatoes and cook till mushy.

4. Add the marinated fish and cook till it comes to a boil

P.S : The quantity of all the items can be varied. And each time it would be innovative. 

Bhenda Songa

This is a very spicy Lady's Finger curry with a little amount of gravy. Very simple to make and easier to eat. This is a jhatpat curry when we are in a hurry to eat

Ingredients:

Onion : 1/2 (Cut lengthwise)
Onion :1/2 (cut into tiny pieces for tempering)
Tomato : 1 ( Chopped finely)
Ladies Finger : 15-20 (Cut into 1/2 inch pieces)
Coriander Powder : 1 tsp
Garlic : 5-6 pods (Crushed and Chopped)
Asafoetida : a pinch
Garam Masala : 1 tsp
Chilli Powder : 1.5 tsp
Oil : 2(cookimg)+2 (Tempering) tbsp

Procedure:
1. In a Tawa heat oil, add chopped onions and garlic;fry till they turn slightly brown.
2. Add Chopped tomatoes and cook till they turn mushy.
3. Add the chopped ladies finger and add the spice powders (Chilli Powder, Coriander Powder, Garam Masala along with salt and cook till the stickiness disappears.
4. Add half cup of water and bring it to a boil.
5. In a pan add oil add finely chopped onions and fry till they turn brown and temper it on the boiling curry.

Oats Quinoa and Urad Dosa

Another healthy dosa from my kitchen. I found this on a FB food group and I simply had to try this one and I never thought I would have ever said this. Oats recipes aren't so bad. Usually oats recipes never work for me. But this one did work really well.

Ingredients :
Quinoa : 1 cup
Oats : 1 cup
Urad : 1/2 cup
Fenugreek Seeds : 1/2 tsp
Salt according to Taste

Procedure :
1. Wash the quinoa and urad really well and soak it with Oats ( with water just covering just the top) and fenugreek seeds for 5 to 6 hours.
2. Now grind it into smooth paste (theconsistency being of the usual dosa batter) and then let it ferment for 4 to 5 hours. Add salt to the batter.
3. Spread the batter on the tawa and go around in circles to spread the batter.
4. Add oil if you prefer (I didn't add any). Flip and cook on the other side.

Mawa Pistachio Cake

I prepared this cake for our 4th engagement anniversary. I love experimenting with mawa. I was happy visually about the cake. But when the cake was not warm I could feel the smell of was overpowering. So the next time I make it I would probably add 1 egg.

Ingredients :

All Purpose Flour : 1 and 1/4 cup

Baking Powder : 1/2 tsp

Green Cardamom Powder : 1/4 tsp

Salt : a pinch

Mawa : 1/2 cup (softened)

Butter : 7 tbsp

Sugar : 1 cup

Eggs : 2 ( Or 1 and increase the milk )

Milk : 6 tbsp

Saffron : 1 tsp

Pistachio : 1/2 cup

Almonds/ Pistachio : for garnishing (I used almonds but you can substitute with Pistachio)

Procedure :

1. Bring the eggs, mawa and butter to room temperature.

2. Heat up the milk for 10-20 seconds in microwave add the saffron strands and let them soak. 

3. Mix the flour, baking soda, salt and cardamom powder. 

4. In another bowl mix the butter, sugar and mawa till it turns slightly brown in color. 

5. Once the mawa mixture turns creamy add the eggs and beat for 2 more minutes.

6. Now add the milk saffron mixture and beat it on low speed for 2 minutes. 

7. Add the mixed flour beat on medium speed to make it smooth and creamy batter. Fold in the pistachio with the batter 

8. Pour the batter in a greased cake pan and garnish with pistachio/almonds.

9. Bake them for 22-25 minutes at 350 F. Check once with toothpick if not bake for another 5 minutes until the toothpick comes clean.

Lemon Coriander Quinoa

A new found love of my life. Heard about the health benefits and also found that its very expensive in India. So utilizing the best of quinoa when I am stuck in US. And finally I am also also pronouncing it right. Apparently its pronounced as keen-wah and not qui-noah.

Ingredients :
Quinoa : 1/2 cup
Lemon Juice : 1 tsp
Corinder Leaves : 1 tbsp
Oil : 1 tsp (Can be skipped)
Salt according to Taste

Procedure :
1. Soak quinoa in water to remove the bitterness for 10 to 15 minutes.
2. In a pan add 1 tsp oil and add the drained quinoa.
3. Add 2 and half cups of water and let it cook.
4. Add salt according to taste.
5. Once cooked add lemon juice and garnish with coriander leaves and serve hot.