Cold Pasta Salad ... An Yummy n Healthy Diet

Ingredients :-

Boiled Fusilli Pasta - 1 cup

Boiled Chickpea 

Sprouts 

Sweet Corn

Chopped Carrot

Chopped Yellow-Green Bell Pepper

Chopped Cabbage

You can add more fresh veggies (Onion, Cucumber, Olives, Cheery Tomato, Broccoli, Mushrooms etc) as your choice.

1/4 cup grated Mozzarella/any type of Cheese

1/2 tsp Crushed pepper

1/2 tsp Red Chilly flakes

For Dressing :

2 tsp Mayonnaise

1 tsp Mustard Powder

2 tsp Olive Oil

1/2 tsp Lemon Juice 

Dried herbs

Salt to taste

A pinch of Sugar

Mix well all these ingredients with a spoon and keep aside.

Process:-

• Fill a large pot with enough water, add salt and bring to boil in a high heat.
• Add the Pasta to it and cook uncovered about 8-10 minutes Or follow the instructions given on the packet. Stirring continuously. When Pasta cooked, switch off the flame. Drain and cool under the running cold water.
• Next mix all the chopped veggies and grated cheese to pasta, Pour the dressing over the salad, Seasoning with fresh crushed pepper and Red chilly flakes, stir to combine. Toss well. Cover and refrigerate about 30 minutes and Serve Cold Pasta Salad.

Enjoy Pasta Salad with your family, friends, relatives at home, party everywhere... :)

Happy Cooking...Happy Blogging

Bread Dahi Vada Recipe

Ingredients :-

For Bread Vada:                              
8 slices of Bread 
1 chopped Onion
2 chopped Green chilly
Few chopped Curry leaves
Curd - 3-4 tsp
1/2 Cumin seeds
Salt to taste

Process :-
Cut the bread into small pieces, Add curd, chopped onion, green chilly, curry leaves, cumin seeds, salt to taste and mix them properly. Make a soft dough (like  atta dough). Divide the dough into equal portion and give a shape like bara and shallow fry it with little oil. Flip it and fry it until light golden brown in colour. Switch off the flame and keep aside.

For Aloo dum:
8-10 nos. small size boiled Baby potatoes (You can take medium size potato also)
1 no. medium size grated Onion / Onion paste
Haldi powder
Salt to taste
Pinch of Sugar 
Pinch of Garam masala powder
1 tsp Cooking Oil

For masala paste:
6 garlic cloves, 1' inch of Ginger, 4-6 nos whole Peppercorns, 1 Cardamom, 2 Cloves, 1 Cinnamon, 1 tsp Poppy seeds, 1 Tomato - Grind together to make a very fine paste

Process:-
Heat oil in a kadhai/pan. Add the sugar, when it start to caramelize, add the grated onion and saute a while. Then add the blended masala paste and stir continuously, add the haldi powder. Cook about 5 minutes in a low-medium flame. Once the masala starts leaving oil on the sides, add the boiled potatoes and cook for another 2 minutes. Add water as you required to get desired thickness of gravy and let it boil about 3-5 minutes. Sprinkle little garam masala powder and Switch off the flame.
                       

Tamarind (Imli) Saunth chutney 
Curd - 1/2 cup (add little salt, sugar, chilly powder to it and mix well)
Black salt
Roasted Cumin-Coriander-Chilly powder
Fried Sev
For Garnishing: Coriander leaves,chopped onion, chopped green chilly, grated carrot, grated beetroot, pomegranate seeds etc etc... 

Arrange the plate:
When ready to serve, soak the vadas in salt water for a minute and then squeeze them. Now, arrange the bread vadas in a serving plate, spread some curd, drizzle the tamarind chutney, aloo dum, sev, roasted cumin-coriander powder, green chilly etc etc etc...n Serve it. Enjoy it as breakfast, lunch, starter at anytime !!! 

Bread Uttapam ... an instant n easy bread uttapam / pancake

Ingredients :-

Bread - 6 slices

Semolina - 4 tsp

Curd - 1/2 cup

Water

Salt to taste
Mango ginger - 1/2 tsp (grated)
Chopped Green chilly - 1 tsp (as per your taste)

Cooking oil 

For Topping:

Onions - 2 medium size ( cut into thinly slices)

Tomato - 1 medium size

Capsicum - 1 medium size

Sweet corn - 1/2 cup

You can add any veggies as your choice.

Method :-

Take a bowl, break the bread into small pieces. Add semolina, curd, water, salt to taste and mix them properly or you can blend it. Add grated mango ginger, chopped green chilly to the batter. Make a very smooth and thick batter and keep aside about 10 minutes. 

Heat a non stick pan at medium heat and spread little oil. Pour 1 ladle full batter and spread evenly to make a thick uttapam. Put the sliced vegetables on it, add some oil drops and cook till it become crispy n golden brown from both the sides. Serve hot Bread Uttapam with any kind of chutney .... Enjoy it !!! 

Sweet Boondi recipe

Ingredients :-

Besan (Gram flour) - 1 cup

Turmeric powder - a pinch (for colour) (its optional)

Oil/Ghee for deep frying

Water - as required

For Sugar syrup:-

Sugar - 1 cup

Water - 1 cup

Cardamom powder - 1/2 tsp

Dry fruits (almond, raisins, cashew nuts)  

Clove - 2/3 nos.
Cardamom - 2/3 nos.

Method:-

Take a big wide bowl, sieve the gram flour properly. Add water slowly and make a lumps free smooth batter. The consistency of batter should neither thick nor watery. You can check by pouring little batter in strainer and if it falling easily then its ok, if not then add little water. Keep aside the batter.

For Sugar syrup, in a pan or kadai add sugar and water and let it boil. Make one string consistency of syrup, add cardamom powder. When its done, switch off the flame.

For colourful boondi, I've divided the batter in two bowls. In first bowl, added little pinch of turmeric powder and in 2nd bowl, added raspberry colour for red boondi. Mix it properly and keep aside. You can use any food colour as your choice.  

Now, heat oil in a pan. Take one laddle full of batter and pour over the strainer and spread slowly. So that the boondi drops in to the oil. Deep fry in a medium flame, remove the boondi by using another strainer. Repeat the steps to make more boondi, before starting the process wash and clean dry the strainer, then continue.

Put the boondi in the warm sugar syrup and mix it. 

For garnishing, heat little ghee in a pan and fry the dry fruits, clove, cardamom and then mix it with the boondi. 

Now your Sweet boondi is ready. You can keep it for a week in an air tight container and enjoy !!!  

Phulkobi Patra Bhaja (Cauliflower leaves stir fry with pink lentil)

Ingredients :-

Phula Kobi Patra (Cauliflower leaves) - 1 bunch (wash and clean it properly and then finely chop)

Baingan (Brinjal) - 1 medium size (finely chopped)

Masoor Dal (Pink lentil) - 1/4 cup (soaked in water about 20 mins)

Onion - 1 no. (thinly sliced)

Garlic cloves - 6-8 pods (Crushed)

Green chilly - 2 nos.

Dry Red chilly -1 nos.

Tomato - 2 nos. (I've used here 4 nos. of baby tomatoes)

Cumin seeds - 1/2 tsp

Mustard seeds - 1/2 tsp

Salt to taste

Method :-

• Heat oil in a kadai/pan. Add the cumin-mustard seeds and red chilly. When it start to splutter, add the onion slices, crushed garlic, chopped green chilly, soaked masoor dal and saute for a few minutes. 
• Now add the chopped brinjal and mix well. Add the chopped Kobi patra, sprinkle salt to taste and cook in medium flame about 5-8 minutes. 
• When the leaves get cooked, add the chopped tomatoes and cook more 2-3 minutes in high-medium flame.  
• Any one can also add fried crushed badi (Urad dal Wadi) and then switch off the flame.
• Serve hot with steamed rice, Pakhal bhat etc.   

Doodh Peda / Malai Peda / Milk Peda

Valentine Day is near to door.....So what you are planning friends !!! Here is presenting easy n quick delicious MALAI PEDA from my kitchen...... :) :) :) My hubby loves peda in any form.....so thought to make this n wish a Happy Valentine day to my darling hubby.... <3 <3 

                     

Ingredients :-

Nestle Milk maid - 1 tin (400 gms) (sweetened condensed milk)

Milk powder - 5-6 tsp

Milk - 1 cup 

Corn flour - 1 tsp

Lime juice / Citric acid - 1 tsp

Ghee - 2 tsp

Cardamom powder - 1 tsp

Saffron - a few strands (dissolve in warm milk)

Few drops of Rose essence 

Beetroot juice - 2-3 tsp (or you can use any food colour)

Few slices of Pistachio or Almonds for garnishing 

Method :-

• Mix all the ingredients (Nestle milkmaid, milk powder, milk, corn flour, saffron) together in a wide bowl. 
• Heat a kadhai/wide pan. Pour the mixture into it and let it boil in high-medium flame. Continuously stir it without any break. 
• When it becomes slightly thicker add lime juice, which curdled the milk very little and will help it to make thick faster. 
• You can make peda any colour of your choice. Here I've not used any food colour, added beetroot juice for pink peda. 
• When the mixture starts leaving the sides of the pan, add ghee, cardamom powder to it and give a quick mix. Consistency should be thick enough, so the dough can be prepared. Ensure that no water content in the mixture. 
• Then remove the mixture from heat. Let it cool at room temperature about 15 minutes.
• Mixture is little sticky, so apply few drops of ghee when shaping into Peda. 
• Then give shape as your choice, garnish with some almonds, pistachio or silver vark. You can keep it in refrigerator to set for an hours. 
• And Now your yummy Malai Peda is ready.....Celebrate it with your Family, Friends, Colleagues in any occasion.

NOTE : I've made this peda from Nestle Milkmaid. Any one can make it without milkmaid also and use 1 ltr of milk, sugar with above remain ingredients.

   

Soya chunks / Meal maker Curry (Mustard paste flavour)

Ingredients :-

Soya chunks / Meal maker - 1 cup 

( Boil in water about 5 mins, drain the water and wash with normal water. Squeeze the excess water from the chunks and keep aside. ) 

Potato - 1 medium size (cut into cubes)

Onion - 1 no.

Tomato - 1-2 no.

Mustad and Cumin seeds - 1/2 tsp

Turmeric powder - 1/2 tsp

Salt to taste

Mustard oil Or cooking oil - 1 tsp

For paste: Mustard seeds-1 tsp, Cumin seeds-1/4 tsp, Garlic - 6-8 pods, Green chilies- 2 nos. Make a very fine smooth paste from this.

Method :-

Heat few drops of oil in a pan/work and stir fry the soya chunks till light brown in colour and the raw smell goes out. Sprinkle little salt and fry. Remove from pan and set aside.

Now, add 1 tsp oil to the pan. Add mustard and cumin seeds, when it start to splutter add chopped onion and saute a while. Add the chopped tomato, salt to taste, turmeric powder and mix. When oil leaves from sides of the pan, add the mustard paste and cook for a minutes. Don't over cook it otherwise it will taste bitter. Add the chopped  potato, soya chunks to the masala and mix well.  Pour water as your requirement and make a lightly thick gravy. Cook about 5-8 minutes in a high-medium flame. Switch off the flame and Serve hot with Khichdi or steamed rice.. Enjoy it with your family !!!   

Ganth Gobi / Kohlrabi / Olloo Kobi Chutney

Ingredients :-

Ganth Gobi / Oollo kobi / Kohlrabi / White Vienna - 1 medium size

Peanuts - 1 tsp

Dates - 2-3 pieces (seedless)

Tamarind pulp - 1 tsp 

Garlic - 5-6 pods

Ginger - '1/2 inch

Green Chilly - 2-3 nos. (as your choice)

Cumin seeds

Oil - 1/2 tsp

For Tempering :-

Oil - 1/2 tsp

Mustard seeds - 1/2 tsp

Dry Red Chilly - 1 no.

White Urad dal- 1 tsp

Few Curry leaves

Few drops of Lemon juice 

Method :-

Peel the skin of the Ganth gobi and cut into small chunks. Heat oil in a pan. Add cumin seeds, when it start to splutters add the gobi / Kohlrabi pieces, peanuts, chopped dates, chopped ginger n garlic, green chilly. Sprinkle little salt and saute for a while. When gobi becomes soft add the tamarind pulp and mix well. Switch off the flame, keep aside and let it cool at room temperature. Blend it by adding few coriander leaves and salt to taste. Make it a smooth paste.

For tadka, heat oil in a tadka pan. Add mustard seeds, dry red chilly, pinch of hing, urad dal, curry leaves and let it splutter. Pour it to the chutney and mix well. Just add few drops of lemon juice and Now its ready. You can enjoy it with Rice, Roti, Dosa, Idli etc etc.... 

Ragi Kanji (Spicy Version of Ragi/Millet flour)

Ragi is a powerhouse of health benefiting nutrients that help in reducing weight and also acts as a treatment for multiple diseases like Brittle Bones, Osteoporosis, Anemia and Diabetes. It is a natural relaxant that helps in relieving stress and anxiety. It is one such rare cereal that doesn’t need to be polished and, therefore, can be consumed in its purest form with all its goodness intact.                         

                           It helps in weight loss, increase bone strength, controls Diabetes, reduces Cholesterol, good source of protein and amino acids, helps digestion, increase lactation, reverts skin aging. 

                      This is a spicy salted version of Rgi flour. also make sweet dish by adding milk / curd to it. Or you can take Ragi flour in a soup, idli, dosa form. 

Ingredients:-

Ragi (Millet flour) - 1/4 cup

Water - 5-6 cups

Aambula (Dried mangoes) - 2 pcs

Vegetables I've used ; Potato, Radish, Pumpkin, Carrot, Cauliflower n Green peas. Any one can use veggies as your choice.

For Tempering :-

Mustard oil - 1 tsp

Garlic cloves - 8-10 nos.

Green chilly - 2 nos.

Dry red chilly - 2 nos.

Panch phutan - 1 tsp

Pinch of haldi powder

Pinch of hing (Asafoetida)

Salt to taste

Lemon jiuce - 1/2 tsp

Few Curry leaves

Method :-

• Put the dried mangoes in water about 20 mins.
• Take the ragi flour in a wide bowl, add water and let it for 5 minutes. Mix it well without any lumps.
• Heat little drops of oil, saute the vegetables about 2-3 mins and then put the ragi mixture into the kadhai. Let it boil in high flame for 5 minutes and then keep the flame low-medium. Add more water if required. Cook it about more 5-8 minutes. Add pinch of haldi powder and salt as per your taste. When the veggies are semi cooked, add the dried mangoes to it and cook more 2 minutes.
• For tadka/tempering, heat mustard oil in a tadka pan. Add dry red chillies, Panch phutan, crushed garlic, curry leaves, hing and immediately pour it to the cooked vegetables. 
• Sprinkle little drops of lemon juice and Serve hot with hot steamed rice. Or you can take it as hot Soup / Stew.

 

Check here the sweet version of Ragi.... http://recipebysagarika.blogspot.in/2015/01/ragi-kheer-mandia-jau-sweet-version.html

Ragi Kheer / Mandia Jau (Sweet Version)

Ingredients :

Ragi / Millet flour - 1 cup

Jaggery / Sugar - 1/2 cup (as per your taste)

Salt to taste

Milk - 2 cups

Water - as needed

Cardamom powder -  a pinch

Saffron a strand

Roasted Dry fruits 

Method :-

Take ragi flour in a bowl, add water slowly to it. Mix it well without any lumps. then strain it with a strainer, if required. Boil it with water in a low flame. When it start to thicken, add milk and stir it continuously. Cook it in low-medium flame about 10-15 minutes. Add jaggery or sugar as your taste. Add saffron and roasted dry fruits as your choice. Switch off the flame and let it cool at room temperature. Serve chilled with more nuts and raisins and Enjoy your breakfast !!!

Any one can add fresh curd or milk while serving, which enhance the taste more...

It's a healthy and very nutritious dish, specially very useful for ladies and baby. It helps in weight loss, increase bone strength, controls diabetes, reduces cholesterol, good source of amino acids, helps digestion, increase lactation, revert skin aging...etc...etc...  

Kadai Pitha (Sweet Version) (Odiya Delicacy)

Ingredients :-
Idli batter (Or Rice-2 cup, Urad dal-1 cup. Soak 6-7 hours n grind into a smooth batter. Keep it more 4-5 hours or overnight for better fomentation.)

Sugar - 1/2 cup
Dry fruits n Tutti frutti - as your choice
Chopped Coconut slices
Cumin seeds - 1 tsp
Salt to taste
Oil / Ghee - 2-3 tsp

Method :-
Heat 2 tsp ghee in a kadhai. Add cumin seeds, when it start to splutter, Put the batter and spread it evenly. Sprinkle dry fruits n tutti frutti to make it more colourful. First 5 minutes keep the flame in high-medium then rest 10 minutes in low flame till it comes out light reddish brown in colour. Check it by piercing a knife or spoon. Switch off the flame and Serve with any Dalma / Curry / Chutney..

NOTE :- Its a sweet version. Any one can make it salty n spicy by adding onion, green chilly, vegetables etc. 

Crispy n Crunchy Ragi ke Pakoda (Finger millet Fritters)

Ingredients :-
Raagi (finger millet) flour - 1 cup
Besan (Gram flour) - 2 tsp
Onion (finely chopped) - 1 no.
Grated Ginger-garlic - 1 tsp
Green chilly chopped - 2-3 nos.
Ajwain - 1/2 tsp
Curd - 1-2 tsp
Cabbage (shredded) - 1/2 cup (or you can add any veggies as your choice)
Chaat masala - 1 tsp
Few Coriander leaves chopped 
Few Curry leaves chopped
Salt to taste
Water as required
Oil for frying

Method :-
Mix all the ingredients together in a bowl by adding water to make a thick batter. Heat sufficient oil in a kadhai / pan. Make bite size pakode and fry it in medium flame. Don't over fry it. Sprinkle little Chaat masala on it and Serve with hot tea....green chutney....ketch-up. Enjoy it !!! 

Paani Kakharu Khatta

This is a traditional authentic Odiya delicacy...which specially cook in the holy auspicious month of "Kartik"in my state ODISHA.... During this month all the pious Hindus refrain themselves from eating egg, fish, meat. The last five days of the month considered as "Panchuka". The ladies made rangoli in front of Tulsi and celebrate by cooking satwik food (without onion garlic)..On these days specific dish made i.e, Arua anna, Habisha Dalma, Saga bhaja, Pani kakharu khata, baigan bhaja etc etc etc...
        Let's start with the recipe of Paani kakharu khatta....

Ingredients :-
Pani kakharu (Ash gourd) - 1 cup (peel and cut into thin-small pieces)
Kandamula (Sweet Poatao) - 1 /2 cup
Kala chana (Dry black chickpea) - 1/2 cup (boiled)

For Tempering :-
Oil / Ghee - 1 tsp
Panch phutan - 1 tsp
Red Chilly - 1-2
Curry leaves few
Crushed ginger - 1/2 tsp
A pinch of hing (asafoetida)
Salt to taste
Red Chilly powder - 1/2 tsp
Tentuli (tamarind pulp) - 2 tsp (or as your choice)
Guda (Jaggery) - 3-4 tsp (or as your choice)
Roasted Cumin-Fennel-Red chilly powder - 2 tsp (Jeera,methi,lanka gunda) 

Method :-
Boil pani kakharu n kandamula with little salt and haldi. When it cooked, remove it from flame and keep aside.

Heat ghee in a kadhai. Add panch phutan, red chilly, crushed ginger, a pinch of hing, curry leaves, red chilly powder and fry for few minutes. Then add the boiled chickpeas, Paani kakharu and little water if you want it to little watery. Now add tamarind pulp and gud/sugar. Let it cook for 5-8 minutes. Then switch off the flame. You can add grated coconut also. Finally add roasted cumin-fennel-red chilly powder and mix it. Now its ready..You can enjoy it with Habisha Dalma, Arua rice or any rice..

Crunchy Litti with Spicy Chokha

Ingredients :-

Wheat flour (Atta) - 1 cup

Carom seeds (Ajwain) - 1/2 tsp

Red Chilly powder - 1/2 tsp

Oil - 2 tsp

Salt to taste

For Stuffing :-

Roasted Bengal gram flour (Sattu) - 1/2 cup

Green chilly chopped - 1 tsp

Garlic chopped/paste - 1 tsp

Onion finely chopped  - 1 no. (Optional)

Coriander leaves chopped - 1 tsp

Amchur powder (Dry mango powder) - 1/2 tsp

Lemon juice - 1/2 tsp

Mustard oil - 2 tsp

Salt to taste

Method :-

For Dough :- Mix carom seeds, salt, red chilly  powder, oil with atta and prepare a stiff dough by adding little water. Divide the dough into equal parts. Cover it and keep aside.

For Stuffing :- Take all the above mentioned ingredients in a bowl and mix it well. Make a dry mixture.

Now take one portion of atta and roll it with your palm, press with your fingers and expand it like a katori. Put little stuff in middle and tightly cover from all the sides. Press it as shown in the picture.

Put it on a toaster and roast it till the outer layer turns little golden/brown in colour. Grease little ghee/oil to the litti. When both the sides turns golden brown, remove it from toaster. You can dipped it in more ghee or serve as it is.

Basically litti is cooked in traditionally charcoal fire or chullah. You can also deep fry it in oil/ghee Or grill it in microwave.

Chokha Recipe :-

Roast 1-2 brinjals and tomato on gas chullah, let it cool and clean it. Add chopped onion, green chilly, chopped garlic, mustard oil, coriander leaves and salt to taste. Mix it properly. You can also add roatsed potato and mix. Break the litti and put 1 tsp ghee in middle and serve with chockha or green mint chutney. Enjoy it !!! 

Almond Burfi Recipe

Ingredients :-

Almond - 1 cup (Soaked in water for 1 hrs and blanched it about 10 mins.)

Sugar - 1/2 cup (or as your taste)

Ghee - 2 tsp

Raw Mango syrup - 2-3 tsp (I used Guruji green mango syrup)

Cardamom powder - a pinch

Few crushed almonds for garnishing

Method :-

• Soak the almond and blanched about 10 mins. Peel off the skin of almond and blend to make a smooth paste by using little water.
• Heat a pan/ kadhai. Make sugar syrup, when sugar start to melt stir it continuously and make a thick syrup. Now add the almond paste and continuously stir it in a low-medium flame avoiding lumps. Add little ghee in a regular interval which prevent to sticking to the bottom of the pan and it gives a glaze look to the burfi. Add the mango syrup to the mixture and mix it well. Cook for more 3-5 minutes.
• The consistency should be little thick like halwa consistency. So, now switch off the flame. At the mean time grease a plate with butter/ghee. Transfer the mixture into the plate and spread it with a light hand and tap it on the floor. Keep it cool for 10 minutes and cut into your desired shape. You can also keep it in refrigerator and Serve as chilled. Garnish with few crushed almonds. Enjoy your Burfi with your family, friends n relatives in party, fasting...