Cooking Dil Se...!!!: 2009

Date Pastries...!!!

Author: Siddhi Shirsat // Category: Cakes N Cookies, Pastries N Pies N Puffs, Sweets

This date pastries are again christmas special...these pastries are very easy to prepare yet very tasty n crispy.I make them often with different stuffings...mostly i use powdered dryfruits as stuffings but this time i used soft dates as stuffing and they tasted very nice.The sugar coating on top of them is like adding a cheery on a cake:-)

WISH U ALL MERRY CHIRSTMAS...NJOY UR CHRISTMAS WEEK...!!!

INGREDIENTS:

For Dough:

2 cups all purpose flour
1/2 cup wheat flour
2 table spoon powdered sugar
1 cup cold butter cubes(or margarina)
cold water
pinch of salt

For Stuffing:

1 cup seedless dates finely chopped
2 table spoon ghee/butter

1/2 cup powdered sugar(For brushing)

METHOD:

Mix all the ingredients of the dough and kned it into a dough using cold water.Kned it till a a soft firm ball is formed.Now wrap it into a plastic wrap and refrigerate it for 2 hours.

Now heat a pan and add butter.Add the chopped dates and saute on low flame for 2 mins.Do not allow them to get overcooked.Let the mixture cool.

Now take the refrigerated pastry dough and roll it into desired shape.It will be very easy to handle it now as it is cold and it has lot of butter.It should be rolled with thickness of 2-3mm. Give it the desired shape, i used biscuit cutter to shape them.

Take one rolled pastry shell and put 1 tea spoon of date stuffing on it.Close it with same size and shaped another rolled pastry shell and seal the edges tightly.Below u can see the pic.Repeat the same with the remaining dough and filling.Brush them on top with butter.

Preheat the oven at 180 deg for 10 mins.Bake this pastries at 180 deg for 25 mins or till they turn light brown.Cool them on wire rack.

Mix 1/4 cup powdered sugar with 1/4 cup water and heat it till it becomes sticky.Now brush it on top of baked pastries.Now spinkle the remaining powdered sugar on it.This step is optional if you want them to be more sweet.

This pastries remain fresh and crisp for upto 15 days.

NOTE: You can even add 1/4 cup powdered cashewnuts and almonds to the date mixture after it gets cooled.

Preparation Time : 40 mins

Comments (18)

Date Walnut Cake...!!!

Author: Siddhi Shirsat // Category: Cakes N Cookies

Its Christmas season and everywhere i can see cakes and sweets so even i felt like baking some simple cake.This Date cake recipe is my grandmothers traditional eggless cake recipe.When i was small she used to make it many times and i used to love it.The best part of it is, its eggless and yet it turns out very soft and tasty.I make it often now and enjoy.My grandmother used to use to bake it in pressure cooker but i bake it using a oven or microwave.I add some walnuts instead of cashewnuts as they go well with dates.This cake is very simple to make yet tasty.But my grandmother used to use oil instead of butter.Once i had used butter, but the cake was not as spongy as with oil, so i make it now using olive oil.

INGREDIENTS:

1 cup all purpose flour

15 dates

3/4-1 cup milk

3/4 cup sugar

1 cup sliced walnuts

1/2 cup oil( i used olive oil)

1 tea spoon baking soda

METHOD:

Seive flour and baking soda 3-4 times together.This is very important to make the cake fluffy.Remove the seeds of the dates and Soak them in enough hot milk for 2 hours.

Now add sugar in soaked date and milk mixture and grind it to form a fine paste.Now add oil and whisk it.Now add half the flour mixture and mix it .Then add the remaining flour and whisk it well.

Batter is ready when it falls like a ribbon from a height.Add more milk to adjust the consistency if required.Finally add the chopped walnuts and mix well.

Preheat the oven and bake at 180 deg for 30-40 mins or till done.I used microwave to bake it.Mostly eggless cake becomes moist and sticky inside when baked in microwave, but i had got a new method so i tried it and it worked well.I preheated the microwave at 180 deg then i baked it at 180 deg for first 10 mins and then lowered the temp to 110 deg and baked for more 30 mins and cake was as fluffy and soft as baked in oven.

I kept it simple and did not add any icing.You can use simple whipped cream icing for it and sprinkle some honey.It tastes best when sprinkled with honey and served.

Preparation Time :40 mins

Comments (13)

Eggless Caramel Pudding...!!!

Author: Siddhi Shirsat // Category: Desserts, Ice-Creams N Puddings, Sweets

Caramel pudding is a very famous dessert everywhere.Its mostly made using egg, so vegetarians cannot enjoy it...But this version of caramel pudding which i have made is eggless one and is as tasty as the egg version.Infact i like it more then the egg version as it doesnt have that egg smell and is very tasty too. In this pudding i have used agar-agar to give the consistency of egg.

INGREDIENTS:

450 ml milk
5 gm agar- agar(plain china grass)
3 tea spoon vanilla custard powder
1/2-3/4 cup sugar
1 tea spoon vanilla essence
4 tea spoons brown sugar/ sugar(for caramelising)

METHOD:

Soak agar-agar in 1 cup of water for an hour. Take a metal container and take the caramelising sugar in it.Add one tea spoon of water to it and heat it till it caramelises to brown colour.Now spread it on the container evenly.

Keep the milk for boiling.When milk gets little warm remove 3 table spoons of milk from it and mix custard powder with it and keep.Add sugar in the remaining milk and let it boil.

When the milk boils add the custard mixture and stir it well.Keep the flame low when adding the custard mixture.Continue stirring the milk so that no lumps are formed.

Meanwhile boil the soaked agar-agar till it melts fully in water and forms a transparent gel.When the custard mixture becomes a smooth and slightly thick paste, add the hot agar-agar Solution and boil for more 2-3 mins.

Remove it from flame and strain the hot mixture.Add vanilla essence in it and stir well.Cool it a little and pour into caramelised mould. Refrigerate it for 3-4 hours to set fully.

When serving tilt the mould on a plate and slice the pudding and serve.

Preparation Time : 25 mins

Comments (13)

Spicy Chicken Rice...!!!

Author: Siddhi Shirsat // Category: Chicken Dishes, Pulavs N Biryanis, Rice Dishes

This spicy chicken rice is a very quick and tasty rice item.It is a one pot meal which can be done when there is less time for cooking.I make it in such situations.Its very spicy rice perfect for winter season.

INGREDIENTS:

1 cup chicken pieces(medium size)
1 cup basmati rice
3/4 cup onion finely chopped
3/4 cup sliced onion
2-3 table spoon green paste(ginger-garlic-corainder-green chilli paste)
1/2 tea spoon turmeric powder
1/2 tea spoon chilli powder
3/4 tea spoon garam masala
1 chicken maggi cube
1 table spoon lemon juice
2 table spoon cashewnuts
whole masalas(4 cloves, 5 peppercorns,2 bay leaves,1"cinnamon stick, 1 star anise)
ghee
salt

METHOD:

Marinate the chicken pieces with salt , turmeric and green paste.Keep it aside for some time.Soak the rice in water and drain it and keep aside for 20 mins.

Heat ghee in a vessel and add finely chopped onion.Saute it till it turns light brown.Now add the marinated chicken pieces and saute for 4-5 mins.Add little water and close the lid and let the chicken pieces get cooked.It will take around 10-15 mins.

Meanwhile heat a pan with little ghee.Add all whole masalas and saute for 2 mins.Now add the soaked rice and saute for 3-4 mins.

when the chicken is cooked add the sauted rice in it and mix it well.Now add 2 cups water and stir.Add chilli powder, garam masala, powdered maggi chicken cube, salt and stir it well.

Close the lid and let the rice get cooked.Meanwhile heat 1/2 cup oil in a small kadai and fry the sliced onions till golden brown and crisp.

When the rice is almost cooked add cashewnuts.Add more water if required to cook the rice in middle.When rice is fully cooked spinkle lemon juice and remove from flame.

Sprinkle crisp fried onions and serve hot.

Preparation Time: 25 mins

Comments (11)

Carrot Halwa (Gajar Ka Halwa) - Type 2

Author: Siddhi Shirsat // Category: Desserts, Sweets

I like carrot halwa very much. There are many different versions of it as the way of preparing it differs accros regions and cultures.I had earlier posted one more simple version of this carrot halwa here.This is another version.This recipe i got from my friednd who is from Uttar pradesh.She told me that this the way they prepared it in their ancestral home in UP.I loved the way and decided to give a try.Here more quantity of milk is used and it consumes lot of time to prepare the halwa but the final results are realy good .The halwa had turned out to be very creamy and tasty.I loved this way of preparing and geting the right flavour and taste.This way can be used sometimes for a change.

My Regular version of carrot halwa you can check here(Gajar ka halwa-Type 1).

INGREDIENTS:

2 cups peeled and grated carrots
6-7 cups milk
3/4 cup sliced dryfuits(cashew nuts, pistachoes, almonds)
2 table spoon ghee
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 tea spoon cardomom powder

METHOD:

Heat a thick bottomed vessel and add ghee in it.When it gets melted add the grated carrots and saute them in ghee for 3-4 mins till soft.

Meanwhile boil milk and keep aside.After the carrots are properly sauted in ghee add the milk and stir well.Lower the flame and let it get cooked.

Take a big thick bottomed big vessel so that milk do not flow out.Close the lid partially and cook it on low flame till the milk gets fully absorbed in carrots.It will take almost 2 hours for it.Stir it in between with a gap of 25 mins.

When the milk is almost reduced to 1/4 add sugar and dryfruits and mix it well.Again cook it on low flame till all the milk gets fully absorbed in carrots and its almost dry.The milk will give a nice creamy coating to the carrots.

Now when its almost dry, add cardomom powder and remove from flame.

Garnish with more dryfruits and serve warm.

NOTE:This method consumes lot of time and needs a little patience, but end results are really good.

Preparation Time :2 hours

Comments (12)

Methi Malai Mutter...!!!

Author: Siddhi Shirsat // Category: Gravy dishes

This dish is one of my favourites, whenever i go to restaurants and if i have to order something veg i prefer this dish.Its a rich creamy dish witch is basically mildly spiced and have a very nice and unique taste.I had tasted this for the first time 2 years back in pune and i had loved it.I always wanted to try this dish at home.I had googled its recipe but did not get what exactly i want, i wanted exactly the same taste,flavour and ingredients as in restaurants.I had got a spice mix of this dish and made it, it was ok not up to the mark what i want.I saw the ingredients on this pack and decided to make my own recipe and try.So i refered to some recipes on net and also ingredients on spice mix pack and choose the ingredients which i felt were present according to the taste and formed my own recipe and tried it.And i am very happy so say that my first try was succesful, i got the exact taste , flavour and colour of restaurant.Now i will make this very often.

INGREDIENTS:

2 cups packed with fresh fenugreek(methi) leaves
1 cup green peas
1 cup fresh cream(i used low fat cream)
2 cups semi skimmed milk
1/2 cup cashewnuts
1 medium onion
2-3 green chillis
2 garlic cloves
1/2" ginger piece
2 tea spoon yogurt
2 tea spoons poppy seeda(khas khus)
3 cloves
2 green cardomoms
1/2 tea spoon fennel seeds(badishep/saunf)
1" cinnamon stick
2-3 table spoon butter
1 tea spoon sugar
1/4 tea spoon cardomom powder
1/4-1/2 tea spoon garam masala
1/8 tea spoon pepper powder
pinch of nutmeg powder
2-3 tea spoons kasoori methi(dry fenugreek leaves)
salt
oil/ghee

METHOD:

Soak poppy seeds,fennel seeds, cardomans, cinnamon stick and cloves in little water for 2 hours.Soak cashewnuts also separately for 2 hours in water.Then grind 1 chopped onion, green chillis,garlic cloves, ginger,yogurt along with soaked whole masalas and cashewnuts.Use water of soaked masalas to grind.Add more water if required and grind to a smooth and fine paste.

Now saute the fenugreek leaves in butter for 2-3 mins.Also saute green peas in butter separately for 3-4 mins till soft.Beat cream in a bowl and keep.

Heat equal amount of oil and ghee in a pan.Add the ground white paste in it and saute on low flame till the raw smell goes and ghee separates out from it.Now add the beaten cream and milk and mix it properly with the paste.

When the mixture starts boiling add the sauted methi leaves and green peas.Cook for a while and add salt, sugar, pepper powder and nutmeg powder.Cook for more 1 min and add garam masala.Add more milk if required to adjust gravy consistency.Finally when it starts boiling, add kasoori methi and remove from flame.Add one tablespoon of butter while its hot and mix it.

Serve hot with naan or parathas.

NOTE: As this dish is originally mildly spiced , i have used spice quantities according to my assumptions.

Different regions has different versions of this dish with slight variations in appearance and ingredients, so i have made it the type which i like.

Preparation Time: 25 mins

Comments (13)

Thai Wok Chicken...!!!

Author: Siddhi Shirsat // Category: Chicken Dishes, Starters, Thai Dishes

This Thai wok chicken recipe was shown by one of the main chefs of Hotel Taj Vivanta of Goa on a television show.I liked the recipe and its ingredients so i tried it at home with some little modifications and it turned out very good.Everyone at my home liked it.Its a very spicy and crispy starter.Now it will become a frequent dish at my home:-)...It is a quick and perfect dish for a small party at home.

INGREDIENTS:

250 gms boneless chicken pieces
3/4 cup thai redchilli sauce(or red chilli sauce + 1/2 tea spoon kashmiri chilli powder)
1 egg yolk
5 spring onions chopped
2 onions sliced
2 table spoon garlic paste
1 table spoon ginger paste
1/2 tea spoon white pepper powder
1/4 tea spoon black pepper powder
2-3 table spoon chopped corainder leaves
1+1/2 tea spoon seasoning powder
2 table spoon cornflour
1 table spoon all purpose flour(maida)
1 cup tomato puree(or ketchup)
1 table spoon finely chopped garlic
1 table spoon lime juice
chilli oil(or normal oil)
salt
oil

METHOD:

Take the chicken pieces in a bowl.Apply ginger and garlic paste to it.Now add white pepper powder,1 tea spoon seasoning powder,salt,egg yolk and mix it well so that it gets mixed well with chicken pieces.Now add 1/2 cup of thai red chilli sauce, chopped corainder leaves and mix again.Now finally add cornflour and maida and mix it well so that it gets coated very finely with chicken pieces.Adjust flour and cornflour quantity according to the binding needs, do not add much.

Heat oil in a wok for deep frying.Deep fry this chicken pieces on high flame till they get cooked and crispy.Remove them and keep on absorbing paper.

Heat a wok and add 2 table spoon chilli oil in it.Saute chopped garlic pieces till light brown.Now add the remaining 1/4 cup thai red chilli sauce and saute for 20 secs.Now add the tomato puree or ketchup and cook for 20 seconds.

Now add the fried chicken pieces and mix them well with the sauces.Add 1/2 tea spoon seasoning powder,black pepper powder and lemon juice.Add the chopped spring onions and stir them for 10 seconds.

Now finally onions have to be added .Normally in any other dishes we add onions before and saute them, but here we add it at last so that they remain crunchy and we get a nice taste.So add the onions and mix them well with the chicken pieces.Cook for 1 min till the onion become little cooked but still crunchy.

Remove from flame and serve hot.

NOTE:Thai red chilli sauce is a main ingredient here to give the colour and spicy taste.If you do not get it use normal red chilli sauce and 1/2 tea spoon kashmiri chilli powder for colour.

Preparation Time: 25 mins

Comments (9)

Apple Cinnamon Delight...!!!

Author: Siddhi Shirsat // Category: Beverages N Drinks(non alcoholic), Summer Drinks.

Apple cinnamon delite is a very tasty apple drink with cinnamon flavour.When cinnamon blends with apple it gives a very nice taste and flavour.I had tasted this drink in a restaurant some days back and had liked it very much.So i tried it at home and it had the same taste so i felt very happy.It had very simple ingredients.I make it often now.

INGREDIENTS:

1 n 1/2 cup peeled and chopped apple
300 ml skimmed milk
1 tea spoon fresh cinnamon powder
2 tea spoons sugar

METHOD:

Blend together apple pieces, milk, sugar and 1/2 tea spoon cinnamon powder.Refrigerate it for 1 hour.

While serving pour chilled drink in glass and sprinkle remaining cinnamon powder and serve.

NOTE: Use cinnamon powder according to your taste.

Use freshly ground cinnamon powder.

If you find difficult to grind cinnamon powder if quantity is very less then grate cinnamom sticks using a fine grater.You get powdered cinnamon.

Preparation Time: 10 mins

Comments (10)

Mushroom Lasagna...!!!

Author: Siddhi Shirsat // Category: Italian Dishes, Pastas N Pizzas

Lasagna or Lasagne is a form of pasta in sheets made with alternate layers of pasta, cheese and meat or vege sauces.I mostly prefer baked pasta with cheese over simple pasta.I have always made this lasagne with ready made lasagne pasta sheets, but i came across this recipe of making pasta sheets at home so i decided to give a try and they were as tasty as readymade sheets.This lasagna pasta is very easy to prepare along with sheets.

INGREDIENTS:

3/4 cup white sauce(bechamel sauce)
1 cup grated mozzarella cheese
1/4 cup grated ricotta cheese
1 tea spoon chopped parsley

For lasagna Sheets:

1 cup all purpose flour(or wheat flour)
1 table spoon olive oil
milk
salt

For Mushroom Sauce:

2 cups chopped mushrooms
1 cup capsicum sliced
1/2 cup chopped onion
1 table spoon garlic chopped
2 fresh basil leaves
1/2 cup tomato ketchup
1 tea spoon chilli sauce
1 tea spoon butter
1 tea spoon oregeno
1 tea spoon chilli flakes
pepper powder
olive oil
salt

METHOD:

Kned the flour using milk and rest of the ingredients.Do not add water just milk to kned it.Now keep it aside for 30 mins.

Roll out thin sheets from it.Heat 1 litre water in a big vessel.When it starts boiling add little oil and salt.Put one sheet carefully in boling water and let it get cooked for few mins.When its rises on top fully and becomes bit transparent its done.It will take 2-3 mins.

Repeat the same with the remaining sheets.Cook one sheet at a time as they can stick to each other if more then one are put together.When each sheet is cooked remove it and directly put it in cold water.

Now for the mushroom sauce, i had made a very simple one.Heat olive oil in a pan and add butter in it.Saute chopped garlic till it turns light brown.Now add hand torn basil leaves, adding them at this stage give nice aroma to it.

Add the chopped onion and saute till it gets translucent.Add the sliced capsicum and saute it for 2 mins.Now add the mushroom pieces and add salt and let it get cooked.Now add chilli sauce,pepper powder and tomato ketchup.Mix it well and add chilli flakes and oregeno and remove from flame.

Now Heat white sauce for some time and add ricotta cheese in it.Now the lasagna must be arranged.Take a baking pan or bread loaf pan and grease it with butter.Keep one pasta sheet and spread a layer of mushroom sauce on it.Keep the second pasta sheet on it and spread layer of mushroom sauce again.Repeat it till all the sheets and the mushroom sauce gets over.I had just made 5 sheets and little sauce as it was my first attempt to make pasta sheet at home so my lasagna is not as thick as normal one.

The last layer must be a pasta sheet.Now spread the white sauce all over it evenly.On top of it spread grated mozarella cheese.Bake it at 220 degress for 20-25 mins or till the cheese melts and becomes brown.I like more melted and browned cheese so i had baked bit more than normal.

Cut it into pieces and garnish with fresh parsley and serve hot.

NOTE:You can even use egg instead of milk in pasta sheet flour.

You can use wheat flour instead of all purpose flour to make more healthy pasta.

Preparation Time:40 mins

Comments (3)

Spring Rolls With Sweet N Sour Sauce...!!!

Author: Siddhi Shirsat // Category: Evening Snacks, Indo-Chinese/Chinese Dishes, Kebabs N Rolls

Spring roll is a very popular snack and starter in restaurants.In india they are mostly deep fried and served.I like this spring rolls so wanted to try them at home,but since they are deep fried i was not in a hurry to try them.But somedays back i came to know this sping roll wrap recipe which can be shallow fried.I was very excited to try and made them soon.You get ready to use spring roll wraps in stores, but i wanted to make from scratch so i tried it. I made the stuffing using basic indo-chinese ingredients and veges.They were very tasty and with less oil.I also tried this sauce with it using whatever ingredient i felt like adding and sauce was just perfect for them.

INGREDIENTS:

For Outer Wrap:

1 egg(or milk)
3/4 cup all purpose flour(maida)
salt
oil
butter

For Filling:

2 cups cabbage thinly shredded
1 cup carrot very finely sliced(like matchsticks)
3/4 cup capsicum thinly sliced
4 spring onions chopped(whites and greens seperated)
1 tea spoon finely chopped garlic
1 tea spoon finely chopped ginger
1 tea spoon chilli sauce
2 tea spoons soya sauce
1/4 tea spoon pepper powder
salt
oil

For Sweet N Sour Sauce:

3/4 cup tomato ketchup(or puree)
1 tea spoon minced garlic
1 tea spoon minced ginger
1/2 tea spoon thinly sliced green chillis
1 tea spoon soya sauce
1 tea spoon chilli sauce
1 tea spoon white vinegar
1/4 cup spring onions chopped
salt
pinch of sugar
oil

METHOD:

To make the batter for the wrap, Beat egg in a bowl.Add maida to it and whisk it well , add water little by little to get a smooth batter with dosa batter consistency.Add salt and mix.

Heat a nonstick pan and add little oil.Pour a cup full of batter to form a big thin pancake.When its done on one side flip it and cook the other side.You will get a light yellow colour bit chewy pancake.Repeat the same with the remaining batter.

Now to make the stuffing heat oil in a pan.Add chopped ginger garlic.Saute for 20 secs.Now add the spring onion whites and again saute for more 30 seconds.Now add chopped carrots and capsicum and saute them for few seconds.

Add the shredded cabbage and salt.Saute for few more seconds.Veges should remain crispy, do not cook them much.Now add soya sauce and chilli sauce, cook for few more secs.Now finally spinkle pepper powder and add spring onion whites and toss.Remove from flame.Let it cool.

Make a paste using little flour and water to seal the roll.Take a cooked pancake and spread the filling in the center and tightly roll it into a roll.Seal the edge with the flour paste so that it does not open up.

Heat a tawa and add little oil.Carefully put the sealed roll on it with sealed side down and shallow fry it.When one side done, turn and let the other side get browned.Now add little butter and let the roll get brown and crispy.Cut the rolls.

For the sauce, heat a small kadai and add little oil.Saute ginger and garlic in it for 1 min.Now add green chillis and saute more.Now add chilli sauce and soya sauce and cook for 10 seconds.Add in tomato ketchup and cook on low flame for 30 seconds.Add water to adjust its consistency.Add vinegar, little salt and pinch of sugar.Remove from flame and add chopped spring onion.

Serve the hot spring rolls with sweet N sour sauce.

NOTE: Vegetarians can use little milk in the batter instead of eggs,but taste will change a bit.

You can even deep fry this rolls instead of shallow fry.

Preparation Time: 35 mins

Comments (10)

Kolambi Bhaat -Type 2(Prawns Rice)...!!!

Author: Siddhi Shirsat // Category: Prawns Dishes, Pulavs N Biryanis, Rice Dishes, Seafood Recipes

Kolambi(Prawns) bhaat or rice is very popular in konkan area.Its mainly rice cooked in prawns and coconut milk.Same dish can have few different ingredients and bit different taste when it varies across area and people.I had earlier posted one more version of this rice which you can find here.This recipe had a green coconut paste which was used to add taste in it and was mildly spiced.Wherelse this version includes more spices and also green peas.I like both the methods, both are tasty in their own way.

INGREDIENTS:

2 cups basmati rice
1 cup shelled and cleaned prawns(small or medium size preferred)
2 cups fresh coconut milk
2 big onions sliced
3/4 cup green peas
1 table spoon ginger-garlic paste
2 tea spoon chilli powder
2 tea spoon garam masala
1/2 tea spoon cumin powder
1 tea spoon corainder powder
2-3 table spoon lemon juice
1 tea spoon turmeric powder
5-6 fresh curry leaves
2 table spoon corainder leaves chopped
oil
salt

Whole Masalas:

4-5 cloves
6-7 peppercorns
2" cinnamon stick
2 bay leaves
1 star anise

METHOD:

Apply turmeric, salt and 1 table spoon lemon juice to prawns and keep aside for 15 mins.Soak rice in water and drain and keep aside for 20 mins.Heat oil in a vessel and add all the whole masalas and saute for 2 mins.Add curry leaves and saute for 30 seconds.

Now add the sliced onions and saute till light brown.Add the marinated prawns and saute for 3-4 mins and add green peas.Stir and add ginger-garlic paste and mix well.Cover and cook for 3-4 mins on low flame.

Now prawns and peas will be cooked.Now switch off the gas and add coconut milk and mix it well with the prawns mixture.Put on the gas and add chilli powder,cumin powder,coriander powder,garam masala, salt and remaining lemon juice.

Stir it well and add 2 cups of hot water. Close it and cook till the rice is cooked well and water is fully absorbed.Check in middle and add little more water if water is dried up and rice is still not cooked.This dish will have bit sticky rice grains and not seperated grains as in our biryanis.

Garnish with corainder leaves and freshly grated coconut and serve hot.

NOTE:If you do not find small or medium size prawns and want to try with big ones,cut them in small pieces and use.

Preparation Time: 30 mins

Comments (6)

Egg Chops...!!!

Author: Siddhi Shirsat // Category: Egg Dishes, Evening Snacks, Goan Dishes

This Egg chops is a very popular snack in Goa.Almost in every snack center which sells non-veg snacks you will find it.Is boiled egg coated in spicy potato mixture and fried.I like this snack from my childhood.Its a very simple and tasty snack.Give it a try and i am sure you will like it.

INGREDIENTS:

2 boiled eggs
2 boiled potatoes
1 tea spoon chilli powder
1/2 tea spoon turmeric powder
2 table spoon sooji(rawa)
salt
oil

METHOD:

Mash the potatoes well.Best option is grate them in a fine grater, cause of this potatoes will be mashed well with no chunks remaining.

Add chilli powder, turmeric powder and salt in it and mix it well to form a mixture.Now cut each peeled egg in two halves vertically in the center.

Take one forth portion of the mashed potato in your hand and put the egg inside it and cover the egg fully with the potato to form a eliptical ball. Do the same for the rest of the egg halves.

Now roll it in rawa so that it coats it evenly.Heat a pan and add little oil and shallow fry this chops evenly on all sides.Originally they are deep fried which you can try, but i prefer shallow fry as less oil is used.Both the ways its tasty.

Serve them plain or with ketchup.They taste good even when served plain.

Preparation Time : 20 mins

Comments (3)

Vermicelli Kheer(Sheer Kurma)...!!!

Author: Siddhi Shirsat // Category: Desserts, Festival Dishes, Sweets

This is a very popular sweet dish prepared for festive occasions.It is a most common sweet dish here for our festivals like ganesh chaturthi, dashera etc and we call it "shevyanchi Kheer".Even it is prepared for E-id and is called "sheer kurma".It has very simple way of preparation and is very tasty.For it you get special vermicellis which are already roasted, very fine then usual vermicelli used for upma and are brown in colour.If you do not find them you can use the normal vermicelli.

INGREDIENTS:

1 cup roasted brown vermicelli
1 litre milk
1 cup sugar
3/4 cup dryfruits( almonds, cashews, pistas and chirongi nut/charoli)
1/2 tea spoon cardomom powder
few saffron strands mixed in 2 table spoon milk
ghee

METHOD:

Blanch dryfruits except chirongi nuts in hot water and slice them.In a vessel boil milk and then simmer it on low flame till it gets reduced to almost 60%.

Meanwhile heat a kadai and add 2 table spoon ghee.Saute the vermicelli in it for 32-3 mins till crisp.Add the sliced dryfruits and saute more 2 mins till a nice aroma comes from the vermicelli.

By now the milk must have got reduced to 60%, so add that hot milk to this mixture and cook on low flame.Now add sugar according to your taste and saffron milk.Add chirongi nuts.Stir it well and cook for 2-3 mins.Now add cardomom powder and remove from heat.

Serve warm.

NOTE:If you are using normal vermicellis instead of brown roasted one, you need to saute them longer in ghee campared to brown roasted ones.

Preparation Time: 35 mins

Comments (3)

Repost for RCI-Mumbai Event...!!!

Author: Siddhi Shirsat // Category: Events

Hi, i am reposting some of my previous posts as entries to the event RCI-Mumbaihosted by Laxmi of Kitchen chronicles and started by Laxmi Krishanan of Veggie Cuisine.I am participating for the first time in any blogger event so pardon me if i do any mistake.I have done my best to follow all the rules of the event.I had a few recipes posted earlier in my blog based on this theme of mumbai food,so some of those entries i am reposting for the event.Below are my entries to it, below each pic is the link to its recipe post.I have included dishes from main course, snacks, sweets and beverages.I know they are too many entries ,but as there is no limit for no of entries i am sending them:-))