After Ramadan its back to normal life. We all miss the fasting, waking up for sehri, the iftaari… Eid was on Sunday in Singapore ans the next 2 days we had lot of gettogethers and lots of friends visiting us..  So only today everything turned to normal. Another thing is we started with Extra Virgin Olive oil for cooking. Im still looking out for whether its compatible with Indian cooking.. so far no taste difference and i’m loving it!

i wanted to cook something very simple today so this came up in my mind..  a very simple recipe which will go well with roti and rice.

3-4 large potatoes peeled and cut and boiled. But should not be soft and mushy.

1 tsp jeera / cmin seeds

1 medium size onion chopped finely

1/2 tsp ginger garlic paste

1 tsp red chili pwder

1/2 tsp turmeric pwdr

1/2 coriander pwdr

1/2 tsp roasted cumin pwdr

salt to taste

olive oil fr frying

Heat oil in a heavy bottom vessel. Add jeera and onions together. When the onions are brown add the ginger garlic paste. Keep on stirring and add red chilli pwdr and turmeric pwdr and mix well. After this add potatoes, coriander, cumin pwders and salt and mix well.

Close and cook for another few mts.

Ramadan Day 5

I’m smiling as i type this because i was nicked as ‘Bonda’ during my childhood days! I used to be angry when my cousins call me that but now when i think back i cant help laughing because i really was fat and round! the gol gol type LOL! and i loved potatoes and i still do.

Potato is the Raja (king)of all veggies. I havent come across someone who doesn’t like potatoes. Fry ir or bake it or steam it of add to your stew it tastes so good.

Here is my simple recipe for bonda:

For the potato mixture–

1/2 tsp mustard and cumin seeds

3-4 tbsps of oil

4 large potatoes boiled and mashed

1 tsp ginger garlic paste

3 green chillies finely chopped

salt to taste

a handful of corriander leaves chopped finely.

Heat oil in a kadai and add the mustard and cumin seeds and let it splutter. Add onions and fry till onions are light brown. Add ginger-garlic paste to it and fry for 2-3 mts. Add green chillies and salt and  mix well. Add the mashed potatoes mix well and then chopped corriander leaves at the end and set aside till it cools. Make lemon size balls after cooling.

For the batter–

1 cup plain flour

1 tsp ajwain

salt to taste

water to mix the batter

Mix everything to form a thick batter.

**The batter should not be watery otherwise i wont stick to the bondas. In my picture my batter was a bit of watery so it did not stick to the batter.

*** Variations of the batter

> 1/2 cup plain flour and rice flour (According to me this one is the best)

> 1 cup rice flour

> 1 cup besan flour

Dip the potato balls in the batter and deep fry.

My bondas go for the Ramadan Event hosted by Lubna

“Soup is a food that is made by combining ingredients such as meat and vegetables in stock or hot/boiling water, until the flavor is extracted, forming a broth”.  source Wikipedia

When im lazy to cook or eat something solid food soups come to the rescue! One of the soups which i make during dinner time is this one.

It is easy to prepare and and very healthy as it as chicken breast, carrots, celery, potatoes, spinach and a lot of spices to spice it up!

So for this soup you will need

200-300 grams of chicken breast

1 medium size potato

1/2 of a spinach bunch

1 small carrot

1 celery stalk

Cut everything in to small pieces and boil together for 2 hours. Blend it with a hand blender into a fine paste or as per you like. Garnish with black pepper, marjoram,basil,oregano,crushed red pepper and salt!

This soup is really filling and you can also change the choice of veggies, u can add corn, green peas, tomatoes, or any other veggie.

Sandwiches is my all time favorite food! I usually turn all left overs into sandwiches!!! some turn out food some flop!! LOL!!

i had some left over aloo subzi yersterday and i thought that would make an interesting lunch for my hubby!!! is a big fan of leftover sandwiches but i made the green chutney more spicy this time and he liked it!

what you’ll need is

6 slices of bread
pototo subzi
green chutney
butter for applying on bread (optional)

I love methi.. be it the seeds or leaves or the dried ones (kasuri methi).. i love the flavour though no one else at home is a big fan of it!! In between when i got preggo with my #2 i couldnt even stand it!!!! And for some reason i didnt event buy them for the last 2 yrs!!!

When i went to Mustafa Centre last week i saw the fresh leaves and i thought itz high time i need to have them now! I forgot all the recipes i used to make with the methi leaves i tried to google but didnt get the ones i used to make. Then i stumbled upon this wonderful recipe of Aloo Methi from Chayya’s blog.

i made it exactly like that and it came out very good.. its easy to make and will go with rotis and rice as well. Thank god dry subzis are loved by all at our home!

Now a days im just in a mood to make different types of pulavs because my devar is here and he loves pulavs.. any type!!

So this saturday i was in a loss what ti make.. so i just put the veggies my son loves and made a twist in the normal pulav and then came out the 3 ‘p’ pulav! LOL!!!

here goes the recipe..

2 cups basmati rice washed and socked for 20 mts
11/2 tbsp ghee
1 heaped tsp ginger garlic paste
5 cardomons
5 cloves
1/2 inch cinammon stick
1 bay leaf
1/2 tsp jeera
1 medium onion
1 medium potato sliced
3/4th cup paneer cut into small pieces
1/2 cup frozen peas
1 handful of corriander and mint leaves
1 green chilli

Heat the ghee in a non-stick kadai and add the ginger garlic paste till its brown. then add the spices and onions.

When the onions are tranculent add the potatos and the paneer till slightly brown.

make a paste of the corriander and mint leaves and green chillli. DO add more green chillis if u want it spicy.

add the paste to the potatos and fry for 2 mts.

Add water and salt to it. When the water boils add basmati rice to it.

Close and le tit cook in low fire for 15 mts.

mix well before serving!

this entry goes for the Rice Mela hosted by Srivalli.

I love cutlets.. veg or non veg this is my all time fav snack. My daughter also started liking it now so thats another reason why i should make this often!

As i said in my earlier post the masalas in the recipe are not the exact as my son was sick i couldnt make out how much i added. But in the end it turned out to be yummmy and crispy!

200 grms chicken cooked and shredded
2 large potatoes boiled and mashed.
1 large onion finely chopped
1 tbsp ginger garlic paste
2 green chills chopped finely
1 tbsp coriander pwdr
1/2 tbsp garam masala
lots of coriander leaves chopped finely
3 white bread (1 day old) or 1 cup bread crumbs
1 egg beaten
oil for shallow frying

Heat some in a kadai and add the onions. When they are brown add the ginger garlic paste and fry for another few mts. When both are mixed well add the shredded chicken and mashed potatoes to it and mix well. fry again for 2-3 mts and add the coriander pwdr and garam masala to it. Mix well and add the fresh coriander leaves to it. Let the mixture cool.

Cut small pieces of the bread and run through the mixer (the small jar) and it will turn to bread crumbs. You can also use the ready made bread crumbs.

When the mixture is cooled make small tikkis of it. Dip the tikkis in the egg and then dip in the bread crunbs. Make sure that it is well covered with the crunbs. And shallow fry.

This is one of my all time favorite dishes coz i need to make only one thing!! LOL!!! i wish i knew some more one pot dishes!

INGREDIENTS

Potatoes – 2 medium sized
Red Tomatoes – 2 medium sized
Onions – 1 medium sized
Green peas – 1/4 cup
Cauliflower – 1/4 small sized
Fresh coriander leaves – 1/4 medium bunch
Ginger,garlic paste – 1 tsp
Capsicum – 1/2 medium sized
Lemons – 2
Salt – to taste
Pav Bhaji masala – 1 and half tbsps
Oil – 3 tbsps
Butter – 3tbsps
Pav or burger bread – 8

METHOD

1. Cook potatoes,capsicum cauliflower and green peas in a pressure cooker.

2. Wash and finely chop tomatoes,onions, coriander leaves.

3.Wash and cut lemon into wedges.

4. Heat butter in a pan and add the onions. Sauté till light brown. and ginger- garlic paste. Stir-fry for half a minute.

5. Add tomatoes and cook on medium heat for three to four minutes, stirring continuously or till oil separates from the masala.

6. Add the boiled veggies. Bring to a boil and simmer for ten minutes, pressing with back of the spoon a few times, till all the vegetable are completely mashed.

7. Add pav bhaji masala, salt . Cook on medium heat for two minutes, stirring continuously.

8. cut the burger bread into half and place it on a hot tawa.. when its slightly brown apply butter on it.

9. Garnish the bhaji with chopped coriander leaves, remaining butter and serve hot with pav accompanied with remaining lemon wedges.

You can also add the lime juice to the bhaji!

enjoy!