Author Archives: Dilip Shah

Maggi Noodles in Italian White Sauce

November 24, 2020 – 8:05 pm

Ingredients:

  • 2 packets of Maggi noodles with their spice packets
  • 1 1/2 tbsp butter
  • 2 tsp grated garlic
  • 2 cups chopped mixed vegetables such as Julian cut baby corn, sweet corn, bell peppers, carrot, broccoli and some edamame
  • 1 1/2 tbsp white flour
  • 1 1/2 cup milk
  • 1 tsp salt or to taste
  • 1/4 tsp black pepper powder
  • 1/4 tsp chili flakes
  • 1/4 tsp oregano
  • 1/4 cup grated cheddar cheese (such as Amul cheese)

Method:

  1. Cook Maggi noodles in just the right amount of water with the spices they come with and then put them aside
  2. Put a pan on medium heat and melt the butter in it
  3. Add garlic and sauté for 10 seconds
  4. Add the vegetables, mix in salt and sauté for 6-8 minutes till the desired level of softness
  5. Add the flour and mix well
  6. Add the milk, mix well and cook till the white sauce thickens
  7. Add black pepper powder, chili flakes, oregano and cheese and gently mix well and serve immediately

Serves: 4

 

Inspiration source:

The following video starting at 6 minutes:

Posted in Noodles, Side dish | Comments (0)

Dudhi Chanadaal Shaak

November 24, 2020 – 7:40 pm

(Bottle gourd and Split Bengal gram lentil curry)

Ingredients:

  • 1 cup Split Bengal gram dal (lentil)
  • 1 medium size bottle gourd
  • 1 tsp salt or to taste
  • 1 tsp turmeric powder
  • 4-5 cloves garlic
  • 1/2 inch ginger
  • 1-2 green chilies
  • 1 medium onion, chopped
  • 8-10 curry leaves
  • 1 medium tomato, chopped
  • 2 tbsp peanut oil (or any other vegetable oil)
  • 1 tsp mustard seeds
  • 1 tsp cumin seeds
  • 1/2 tsp asafetida
  • 1-2 dry red chilies broken in large pieces
  • 1 tbsp coriander-cumin powder
  • 1/2 tsp red chili powder
  • 1 tbsp lime / lemon juice
  • 1 tbsp jaggery powder
  • 2 tbsp chopper cilantro

Method:

Preparation

  1. Properly wash split Bengal gram dal and soak it for a couple of hours
  2. Taste bottle gourd at both the ends to ensure that it’s not bitter… must not use bitter bottle gourd in your cooking!
  3. Chop bottle gourd into small / medium pieces
  4. Make ginger, chili, garlic paste

Cooking

  1. Cook the dal in pressure cooker (2-3 whistles) or in instant pot (15 minutes under pressure)
  2. Once you are able to open the cooker without forcing it, add chopped bottle gourd, 1/2 tsp salt, 1/2 tsp turmeric powder, mix well and cook for another 3 whistle (if in Instant Pot, for 10 minutes under pressure)
  3. Heat the oil in a pan on medium / high heat
  4. To hot oil, add mustard seeds. When the seeds start crackling, add cumin seeds. When cumin seeds start crackling, add asafetida and red dry chili pieces
  5. Add curry leaves, onions and sauté till the onions are translucent
  6. Add the ginger, chili, garlic paste and sauté for a minute
  7. Add the chopped tomato and sauté for a couple of minutes
  8. Add the remaining 1/2 tsp salt, 1/2 tsp turmeric powder, coriander-cumin powder, red chili powder and sauté for a minute
  9. To the pan, add the cooked bottle gourd and split Bengal gram dal and mix well and cook on low to medium heat for 5 minutes
  10. Add lime / lemon juice, jaggery powder, mix well, garnish with chopped cilantro and serve hot with any Indian bread like chapati or paratha

Serves: 4

 

Inspiration source:

Posted in Curry | Comments (0)

Methi Garlic Jowar Dhebra (Spicy flat bread)

November 15, 2020 – 9:13 pm

 

Ingredients:

  • 1 cup Jowar (Sorghum) flour
  • 1 cup wheat flour
  • 1/3 cup besan (chickpea flour)
  • 1 1/2 tsp salt (or as per taste)
  • 1 tbsp sugar
  • 1/2 tsp asafetida
  • 1/2 tsp turmeric powder
  • 1 tbsp sesame seeds
  • 1 tbsp ajwain seeds (carom seeds)
  • 1 tbsp dry mint (optional)
  • 1/2 tbsp green chili paste
  • 1/2 tbsp ginger paste
  • 3-4 tbsp fresh chopped green garlic or 1 tbsp garlic paste
  • 3 tbsp chopped coriander leaves
  • 1 1/2 tbsp peanut oil or any other oil
  • 1 cup finely chopped methi (fenugreek) leaves or 2 tbsp dry methi leaves (kasoori methi)
  • 1/2 to 1 cup yogurt for kneading the dough (or as required… dough should be soft)
  • Some wheat flour for rolling
  • 5-6 tsp oil for roasting

Method:

  1. In a mixing bowl, take the flours, salt, sugar, asafetida, turmeric powder, sesame seeds, ajwain seeds, methi leaves, dry mint (optional) and mix well
  2. Add chili paste, ginger paste, fresh chopped garlic / garlic paste, coriander leaves, 1 1/2 tbsp oil and mix well
  3. Knead the dough by gradually adding 1 tbsp yogurt at a time… knead it very well to form medium soft dough
  4. Make medium size balls from the dough (about 6-7)
  5. Take a dough ball on a flat surface, sprinkle some flour on it and roll to around 5-6 inches in diameter. Sprinkle more flour if the dough feels too stick while rolling
  6. Heat a nonstick skillet on medium heat and gently place the rolled dough on it
  7. Flip when one side is partly cooked
  8. Again flip when the second side is partly cooked
  9. Add oil on the skillet as well spread oil on the dhebru
  10. Cook both side till it’s light brown and fully cooked… feel free to press the dhebru with spatula while cooking
  11. Put it aside and make the rest of the dhebra by following the same steps
  12. Serve hot with yogurt or masala chai

Serves: 4

Inspiration source:

Posted in Bread, Side dish, Snacks | Comments (0)

Instant / Ready-to-Cook Upma Mix

November 14, 2020 – 8:32 am

 

Upma mix

Ingredients:

  • 2 tbsp oil
  • 1 tsp mustard seed
  • 2 tbsp split Chana Dal (Bengal gram)
  • 2 tbsp split Urad dal (Black gram)
  • 1/4 cup cashew pieces (optional)
  • 1-2 green chilis, chopped
  • 12-15 curry leaves, chopped
  • 2 tbsp chopped cilantro / coriander leaves
  • 1/2 tsp turmeric powder
  • 1/2 tsp asafetida (hing)
  • 1 1/2 cups semolina / coarse rava / sooji
  • 2 tsp salt (or to taste)
  • 1 tsp sugar
  • 2 tbsp lemon juice

Method:

  1. Heat the oil in a pan on medium to high heat
  2. Add mustard seeds, channa dal and urad dal. Fry them till the dals become light brown
  3. Add green chilies, coriander leaves, curry leaves, cashew nuts and sauté for another 3-4 minutes. Sauté till there is no moisture left in curry leaves and green chilies and become crisp
  4. Add turmeric powder, hing / asafetida and mix well
  5. Add rava / sooji and roast on low to medium heat till it becomes light brown… about 8-10 minutes. Regularly keep stirring making sure rava does not burn or become dark in color (it wont taste good if it gets dark / burns)
  6. Add salt, sugar, lime juice, mix well and roast for 2-3 minutes till lime juice moisture is evaporated and the mix is dry without any lumps
  7. Turn off the heat and let it cool completely then store it airtight container in the refrigerator. You can use this mix to make upma for 4-6 weeks

Mix Vegetable Upma

Ingredients:

  • 1 tsp ghee / peanut oil
  • 1 small onion, chopped
  • 1 cup mix vegetables such as chopped carrots, green peas
  • 1/2 tsp salt
  • 1/2 inch ginger, grated
  • 3 cups water
  • 1 cup instant upma mix
  • 1/2 cup spinach, chopped

Method:

  1. Heat ghee in a pan
  2. Add chopped onion, vegetables, salt and sauté for 2-3 minutes
  3. Add grated ginger and sauté for 2 minutes
  4. Add 3 cups water, bring to boil and then lower the heat. Cover and cook the vegetables for 2 minutes
  5. Slowly add 1 cup upma mix constantly stirring it into the water
  6. Add chopped spinach, mix well and cook on slow heat for a minute
  7. Turn off the heat, cover and let it rest for 4-5 minutes
  8. Enjoy with coconut chutney and sambar!

Serves:

Makes 2 cups of upma mix and 4 -6 servings of upma

Inspiration source:

Instant Upma Mix|How to Make Ready-To-Cook Upma Mix

Posted in Category, Side dish, Snacks | Comments (0)

Corn Capsicum Curry

October 17, 2020 – 10:40 am

 

Ingredients:

  • 1 cup sweet corn kernels
  • 1 large red capsicum, chopped
  • 1 large or 2 medium tomatoes
  • 1 green chili
  • 10 to 12 cashews
  • 2 tbsp ghee
  • 1 tsp cumin seeds
  • 1/2 tsp turmeric powder
  • 1 tsp coriander powder
  • 1/2 tsp ginger paste
  • 1/2 tsp garam masala
  • 1 tsp salt or to taste
  • 2 to 3 tbsp coriander leaves, finely chopped
  • 1 tsp kasuri methi (dried fenugreek leaves)

Method:

Prepare gravy

  1. Make a smooth paste of the tomato, green chili and cashews and put aside
  2. Put a pan on medium heat and add 1 tbsp ghee to it
  3. Add cumin seeds and when they start crackling, add turmeric powder, coriander powder, ginger paste and sauté for 5 seconds
  4. Add the chili-tomato-cashew paste and roast till the ghee separates and floats over it… keep stirring and checking at regular intervals
  5. When the paste is roasted well, add 3/4 cup water and mix well

Prepare vegetables

  1. In a separate pan, heat 1 tbsp ghee on medium heat and sauté the corn and capsicum for 2-3 minutes. Add 1/2 tsp salt and sauté for 2 more minutes and then turn off the heat

Prepare curry

  1. Add cooked vegetables to the gravy
  2. Add salt, garam masala, chopped coriander, kasuri methi and stir well and then cover and cook for 3-4 minutes on low flame
  3. Serve hot with your favorite Indian bread

Serves: 2

 

Inspiration source:

https://nishamadhulika.com/en/1695-corn-capsicum-masala.html

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Baingan Bharta

September 24, 2020 – 7:42 pm

Ingredients:

  • 2 eggplant medium size
  • 3-4 garlic cloves
  • 1 tbsp mustard oil
  • 2 tbsp any vegetable oil, such as peanut oil
  • 1 tsp cumin seeds
  • 1 large onion, finely chopped
  • 1 inch ginger, finely chopped
  • 1 green chili, chopped
  • 1/2 tsp turmeric powder
  • 1 tsp red chili powder
  • 1 tsp salt or to taste
  • 1 large tomato, finely chopped
  • 1 tbsp fresh coriander leaves chopped

Method:

  1. Make vertical slits in eggplants and stuff with peeled garlic cloves
  2. Roast eggplants in an over or on flame until it is cooked
  3. Put the eggplants in some container for 10-15 minutes and then peel them, mash them along with the garlic cloves and keep aside
  4. In a pan, add both the oils and heat on high heat
  5. Add cumin seeds and let them crackle
  6. Add chopped chili and sauté for 5-10 seconds
  7. Add onions and ginger and sauté for 4-5 minutes till the onions become light brown
  8. Add turmeric powder and red chili powder and sauté for 2-3 minutes
  9. Add chopped tomatoes, salt and sauté till the tomatoes are cooked and the oil starts separating from the sides
  10. Add mashed eggplant and mix well and take it off from the flame
  11. Garnish with coriander leaves and serve hot with any Indian bread

Serves: 4

 

Inspiration source:

Posted in Curry | Comments (0)

Millet khichdi (Curried mix vegetable millet) – Instant Pot recipe

September 23, 2020 – 8:07 pm

 

Ingredients:

  • 2 tbsp oil
  • 1 tbsp ghee
  • 1 tsp cumin seeds
  • 1 tsp grated ginger
  • 1/2 cup raw peanuts (optional)
  • 2 tbsp raisins (optional)
  • 1/2 onion, chopped
  • 2 carrots, chopped
  • 1 potato, peeled and chopped
  • 1 cup chopped French / green beans
  • 1 big or 2 small tomatoes, large chopped
  • 1/2 cup chopped baby spinach leaves
  • 1 cup little millet or any millet mix (we used Ancient Grains by ’24 mantra’ that is a mix of Foxtail millet, Little millet, Barnyard millet and Kodo millet). Note that white sorghum millet (Jowar) and pearl millet (Bajro) grains are harder to cook. If you wish to use them, precook them and then use.
  • 1/2 cup moong dal
  • 1 1/2 tsp salt or to taste
  • 1 tbsp coriander powder
  • 1 tsp red chili powder
  • 1/2 tsp turmeric powder
  • 1 tsp garam masala
  • 1 tbsp kasoori methi (dried fenugreek leaves)
  • 2 tbsp chopped coriander leaves
  • 3.5 cups water

Method:

  1. Wash millets a couple times till the water is no longer very cloudy
  2. Then soak them in 2 cups of water for an hour (and use the same water for cooking)
  3. Similarly, wash moong daal a couple times till the water is no longer very cloudy and keep it aside
  4. Put Instant Pot on sauté mode
  5. Add oil / ghee and when hot, add cumin seeds
  6. When cumin seeds start crackling, add grated ginger and sauté for 5-10 seconds
  7. Add raw peanuts and raisins and sauté for a minute
  8. Add chopped onion, potato, beans, carrots and sauté for a couple of minutes
  9. Add chopped tomatoes, spinach and sauté for a couple of minutes
  10. Add salt, coriander powder, chili powder, turmeric powder, garam masala and kasoori methi and mix well
  11. Add millets along with its water, moong dal, additional 1.2 cups of water and mix well
  12. Put the lid and switch the Instant Pot to a mode that would cook for 15 minutes on high heat under pressure
  13. After the cooking cycle is complete, let it cool till the lid can easily open without any force
  14. Stir in ghee and chopped coriander leaves and serve the khichdi (also known as khichadi) hot with yogurt on the side

Serves: 4

 

Inspiration source:

Posted in Rice | Comments (0)

Cantaloupe curry

August 30, 2020 – 8:49 pm

(ચીભડા નુ શાક)

 

Ingredients:

  • 1 lb cantaloupe, cut into about 3/4 inch pieces
  • 0.5 lb tomatoes, cut into medium size pieces
  • 1 tbsp peanut oil (or any other vegetable oil)
  • 1 tsp mustard seeds
  • 1 tsp cumin seeds
  • 1/2 asafetida powder
  • 1 tsp red chili powder
  • 1/2 tsp turmeric powder
  • 1 tsp salt or to taste
  • 2 tsp cumin coriander powder
  • 1 tbsp jaggery powder / dark brown sugar

Method:

  1. Heat the oil in a pan on medium heat
  2. Add mustard seeds and when they start popping, add cumin seeds and let them splutter for a couple of seconds
  3. Add asafetida powder, chili powder and turmeric powder and fry for a few seconds (make sure they don’t become too dark)
  4. Add cantaloupe pieces and mix well so that the spices coat the cantaloupe
  5. Add tomato pieces, salt, mix well, cover and let it cook for 5-6 minutes till cantaloupe is cooked and becomes soft
  6. Add jaggery / brown sugar, cumin coriander powder, mix well, cover and cook for 2-3 minutes
  7. Serve the curry hot with any Indian bread, preferably with thepla

Serves: 4

 

Inspiration source:

Posted in Curry | Comments (0)

Paneer Bhurji

August 24, 2020 – 9:33 pm

 

Ingredients:

  • 1 onion, chopped
  • 3-4 garlic cloves, finely chopped
  • 1 green chili, finely chopped
  • 1/2 inch ginger, finely chopped
  • 1 capsicum, chopped
  • 2 tomatoes, chopped
  • 14 oz (400 gms) paneer, coarsely grated
  • 2 tbsp ghee
  • 1 tsp cumin seeds
  • 1 tsp salt
  • 1 tsp red chili powder
  • 2 tsp freshly ground coriander powder
  • 1/2 tsp turmeric powder
  • 2 tsp pav bhaji masala
  • 1 tsp kasuri methi

Method:

  1. Heat the ghee in a pan on medium heat
  2. Add cumin seeds and saute till they start crackling
  3. Add the onions and saute for 2-3 minutes, till it becomes translucent
  4. Add garlic, ginger and chili and saute for a couple of minutes
  5. Add capsicum and saute for 2-3 minutes, till somewhat soft
  6. Add chili powder, coriander powder, turmeric powder, pav bhaji masala and kasuri methi and saute for a couple of minutes
  7. Add tomatoes, salt and saute for 3-4 minutes till most of the water is evaporated
  8. Add grated paneer, mix well, cover the pan and cook on medium / low heat for 2-3 minutes
  9. Serve this paneer bhurji hot with lightly grilled bread or some nice Indian bread

Serves: 4

Inspiration source:

 

PANEER BHURJI

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Vegetable Roastie (Rice and potato pancakes with vegetables)

August 8, 2020 – 2:51 pm

 

Ingredients:

  • 1 cup rice (any kind, such as Basmati or jasmine rice) soaked for 5-6 hours
  • 1 medium size potato
  • 1 medium size tomato, finely chopped
  • 1/2 cup chopped carrot
  • 1/2 cup chopped capsicum
  • 1 cup chopped onion
  • 1 green chili, finely chopped
  • 2-3 tbsp chopped coriander
  • 1 tbsp ginger paste
  • 1 1/2 tsp salt or to taste
  • 1 tsp cumin seeds (Jeera)
  • 1/4 tsp black pepper powder
  • 1 tbsp chopped curry leaves
  • 1 tsp Eno fruit salt
  • 4-5 tbsp vegetable oil, such as peanut oil

Method:

  1. Steam / boil the potato and once cooled, remove the skin
  2. Drain the rice and grind with minimum water in blender
  3. Add the potato and blend well till somewhat smooth paste / mix
  4. Take out the mix in a large bowl and add all the vegetables, spices, herbs and salt
  5. If necessary, add 1/4 cup water and mix well. The final consistency of the mix should be relatively thick and not too runny
  6. Let the mix ‘rest’ by keeping it aside for 15-20 minutes
  7. When ready to make roasties, add 2 tbsp water to the mix and in that  water add 1 tsp Eno fruit salt and gently stir it in thoroughly
  8. Alternatively, you can add 1/4 cup yogurt and let it rest for 15-20 minutes. When ready, add 1 tsp baking soda + a few drops of lemon / lime juice and stir it in thoroughly
  9. Heat 1 tbsp oil in skillet on medium heat
  10. Once hot, pour 1/2 cup of the mix and spread it evenly in the skillet to get 1/2 cm thick layer
  11. Cover the skillet, turn the heat to low and cook for 6-7 minutes. Periodically check to see that the cooked side is not burning / charring
  12. Add 1/2 tbsp oil on the uncooked side of the roastie and flip over
  13. Cook this side for 6-7 minutes. Periodically check that it is not burning / charring
  14. Once done, keep the roastie aside for 3-4 minutes before eating. This ensures that any moisture inside is absorbed
  15. Serve the roastie with green chutney

Serves: 4

 

Inspiration source:

Posted in Category, Entree, Side dish, Snacks | Comments (1)