Microwave Potato Roast | Urulai Kizhangu Varuval | Step by Step Recipe

During school days deciding to send dishes like Sambar Rice or Rasam Rice, is not only filling, also convenient for your own cooking menu. I try to send Sambar or Rasam Rice for the kids. For Konda, it's always a side dish of potato roast. As such making a roast with just one big potato for her is easy enough. I simply microwave the washed and slit potatoes for 6 mins, immerse in water and peel to roast it. 

But the other day I was even more hard pressed for time, I thought a simpler way of roasting it in microwave will be handy. So this simple method proved very helpful. You simply don't have to worry about the potatoes getting burnt. 

It's been a long weekend for the boys as they had a cultural program. I didn't think I was up to getting them practice or dress up with a different costume. So for the non participants they had the day off. Just imagine 4 long days of holidays. They couldn't find enough games to keep them occupied. 

Another week will start and I got to plan well for the rush days to come. Do try this when you are hard pressed for time or simply to make other things.

Wash and make slits on the potatoes. Microwave for 6 mins. Immerse in water and peel the skin off.

In a microwave safe bowl, add red chili powder, turmeric powder and salt, 1 tsp of oil. Mix well.

Cube the potatoes into smaller ones, mix with the masala. Microwave for 1 min, if you want it more crispy, micro for another 30 secs.

Makes a great combo with Sambar/ Rasam Rice.

Sending this to Monika who is guest hosting the MEC themed on Potatoes this month.

Microwave Khoya Aloo Matar Recipe | Potato Peas curry with Khova | Step by Step Recipe

When Monika decided to showcase Potatoes for this month's Microwave Easy Cooking Event, I planned that I should make atleast couple of them for the event. Though I made a very quick Potato Roast, which I had sent for Konda's lunch, I couldn't make anything. When I suddenly realized that it was almost the end of the event deadline, I quickly wanted to make something.

I took out the cookbook that came along with the microwave and flipped through it. I saw that there weren't that many Potato recipes that I could make. Then I saw this Khova Peas Curry. I had the left over Khova that I used to make the Kesar Kulfi, so it was good that I get to use it in another new dish. Since the recipe ought to be more of a potato, I thought I should make a kofta and use the base. But seeing that I didn't have that many fresh peas, this dish can be called Potato as it had more Potato in it.

Step by Step Recipe with pictures to make Khoya Aloo Matar at home:

Ingredients Needed:

Potatoes - 2 large
Peas - Handful
Tomatoes - 2 medium
Salt to taste
Khoya - 100 gms
Cashew nuts - 10

For the paste
Onions - 2 medium
Red chilis - 2
Ginger - 2"

Spice powders

Red Chili powder -1  tsp
Garam Masala - 1/2 tsp
Cumin powder - 1/2 tsp
Turmeric powder a pinch

How to make Khoya Aloo Matar:

Before starting with the paste, make sharp marks with knife on the potatoes and microwave the Potatoes for 6 mins. Once done, soak in water, peel the outer skin.

Meanwhile, make a paste of onions, Red chilies and ginger. Keep it aside.

Microwave cashews, cubed potatoes, peas for 2 mins.

Then in a microwave safe bowl, add 2 tsp oil and the onion paste. Microwave for 6 mins.

Next add the tomato puree, spice powders, micro for 2 mins. Once done, add 1 cup water and microwave for 6 mins.

Then add the khova, mix well. Micro for 2 mins. Finally Add the cashew, potatoes and peas. Micro for 3 mins.

Serve hot with rotis.

Sending this to Monika who is guest hosting the MEC themed on Potatoes this month.

Will be back tomorrow with a quick Roast.

Paneer Frankie Recipe for Kids | Paneer Wraps with Step by Step Recipe

When I announced Sandwich Mela, I had tall plans of making many of my to do items. As much clichéd I sound to myself, time did fly away and I find myself not having blogged even one for the event myself. This Paneer Wraps was something I should have posted many weeks ago. It is making it's presence only now.

Few years ago, during one of our air travel, I got to eat something called Malabar Paneer Roll. It was a Kati roll, stuffed with paneer masala. It was delicious to say the least. Back home I tried to recreate the same but with Aloo, though the entire thing came out well, the outer layer was little uncooked at the ends. I had packed the Kati roll with Aloo subzi for Hubby dear for his travel. He said it was delicious but I could try cooking it little more at the places where I folded.

Later I wanted to know more about Kati Roll and Frankie, so a little study on this, I came to know there is still so much one has to learn! The delicious Kati Roll, a famous Calcutta street food, are layered parathas, stuffed with different stuffing. Traditionally these were stuffed with Kebabs. Now even if they have deferred from using Kebabs in between, these still go by the name as Kati Roll.

While Frankie is famous in Bombay and is talked much about by CurryFusion in this interesting article. Frankie is supposed to be a staple fast food in Mumbai. The Frankie is an Indian version of a wrap or Burrito. Reading on Kati Roll and Frankie, I can find lot of similarities between Kati Roll and Frankie, as even a Frankie is a roti dredged in beaten egg, and griddled, then piled with variety of filling options.

So going by the assumption of fast food, there really may not be an authentic recipe for the stuffing. you can just do it on the go. Recently we had a Food bloggers meet, where Priya made some Frankie for us. It was a wonderful meet, where we could all taste the fellow blogger's food. As I was busy grilling the pav for the bhaji I took for the meet, I didn't pay attention to the recipe she was sharing with the rest. But it surely reminded me that I ought to post my version of Frankie / Warps / Kati Roll as you might want to call it.

When I had a huge portion of paneer that needed to be used up, this is what I ended up doing.

Step by Step Recipe with pictures for making Paneer Wraps

For the Filling

 For making the outer layer

 To assemble the Frankie

Paneer Frankie | Paneer Wraps
Makes : 10 - 11 wraps

Ingredients Needed to prepare Frankie

For the outer layer:

Whole Wheat flour - 1 cup
All purpose flour - 1 cup
Cold butter - 2 tbsp (appx, can be less if you want)
Salt to taste
Flour to dust

For the paneer stuffing:

Paneer - made from 1 & 1/2 liter milk.
Onions - 2 medium
Ginger Garlic paste - 1/2 tsp
Tomatoes - 2 medium
Cumin Seeds - 1/4 tsp

Spice powders to be added:

Red chili powder - 1 tsp
Coriander powder - 1 tsp
Turmeric powder a pinch
Roasted Cumin powder - 1/4 tsp
Garam Masala - 1/4 tsp
Chat Masala - 1/4 tsp
Amchur / Dry Mango Powder - 1 /4 tsp
Kala Namak - a pinch (opt)
Salt to taste

To assemble the frankie
Table butter
Rotis/ Outer layer
Stuffing

How to make Paneer Frankie

For the outer layer:

In a wide bowl, take equal portion of wheat flour and all purpose flour, add salt and cut cold butter. Crumble the butter into the flour and continue doing it till it turns crumbly. Then slowly add water and knead to a soft dough. Cover and leave it aside for 10 - 30 mins.

Pinch out small lemon size balls and roll out as you would regular do rotis, dusting with maida.

Heat a tawa, cook on both sides without adding oil.

Continue doing till you are done with all the rotis.

For the Paneer stuffing

Make paneer at home.

In a non stick pan, add oil and onion juliennes. Saute well till they turn brown. Then add ginger garlic pate. Saute well. 

then add tomatoes and continue cooking till the tomatoes done. Add all the spice powders, mix well. Simmer and cook for few minutes.

Add the cubes paneer pieces and combine everything well. The stuffing needs to be almost dry.

To assemble the Frankie

Take one roti, spread butter over it, spoon out the stuffing in the center. Then from one side, fold it over the stuffing and from the other side bring it forward. Close it tightly and cut in center for easy serving.

Cut and serve!

You can even wrap a tissue paper or aluminum foil to hold this in place.

Makes a great dish for carrying for light lunches or picnics. I sent this for Konda's lunch and she loved it so much.

Palak Methi Na Muthia Recipe | Gujrati Special Steamed Dumplings | Step by Step Recipe

Muthia has been one of those dishes that I have long been having in my list to do. Every time I plan, it never materializes for the simple fact that I didn't really make an effort to get it done. I have many recipes that I have bookmarked. But finally the craving to do this happened, when an online friend said she had this recently and wanted a recipe. That got my interest rekindled and when I saw some delicious recipes coming my way, I decided I ought to make this.

Muthia is a gujarati specialty and gets it's name from the way it is made, more like what results when you grip a dough. It's cylindrical in shape, most often cut into smaller pieces and eaten steamed or fried after steaming. As always there are many variations to this and you can add different vegetables, greens to the dish. Main focus being the atta and besan is added to the vegetables / greens, made into a dough and steamed.

When I saw a bunch of fresh palak at home, I immediately told Athamma that I was going to make something with it. Patiently she was waiting for me to make it, almost 3 days passed, there was a fear that the leaves will spoil soon. Very late in the day I realized that the recipe I was referring to, called for methi too. So I had to wait for the methi to make it's presence. Finally I set out to make this.

 

It was one of those days when you won't find anything that you want in your fridge! Yep our regular stock of green chilies got over, imagine I buy about 1/4 kg of chilis in a week. And there is nothing left. I decided to go ahead with the single chili I could find and added red chili powder. After all spice is essential.

This is also one of those recipes where you really can't recite a specific measurement. It depends on the vegetables you use and the water content that's present. The recipe very distinctly asks us to squeeze out the water from the greens after washing them. But as you might expect, I simply overlooked that fact and proceeded to make. Of course, I did keep both the washed, cleaned leaves on the colander. Still after adding salt there will be lot of water coming out. Result was, I had to add more atta, besan than what was specified.

Anyway my camera on one hand, kneading the dough with the other, I managed to click through the process. Athamma joined me in making those rolls. We greased the steamer and set it out to steam for about 20 mins. Once it was done, I proceeded to the next best step, tempering with Rai and Til (mustard and sesame seeds). I love the taste that fried till gives to a dish. When you drop in those cute little seeds in hot sizzling oil, they burst out happily and flavour whatever follows. I gently dropped these steamed dumplings and tossed about the pan, for the sesame seeds to coat the Muthia on all sides.

Imagine munching in those crunchy, crispy muthias, with the sesame coated all over, it's out of the world taste. I was already running late, so had to pack in a hurry. Hubby dear dropped in to check what I was doing and made it a point to ask what it was. I clicked couple of pictures in haste. Sun at that point of time, is always very sharp and is not particularly helpful. But I really didn't have time to stop for a leisure shoot session.

Muthias were made and vanished all in the time span of an hour! This was supposed to be served with coriander chutney, but I decided I love ketchup better.

Ingredients Needed:

Palak Leaves / Spinach, finely chopped - 1 & 1/2 cup
Methi Leaves / Fenugreek leaves, chopped - 1 cup
Wheat flour / Atta - 4 tbsp (more depending on the texture)
Besan - 2 tbsp
Semolina 1 tbsp
Ginger - Chili paste - 1 tsp (I grated ginger and finely chopped chilies)
Red chili powder - 1 tsp
Cumin Seeds - 1/2 tsp
Baking powder - 1/2 tsp
Salt to taste
Lemon juice - 1/2 of a medium
Oil - 1 tsp
Sugar - 1/2 tsp
Oil for greasing your palm to make the rolls.

For tempering

Mustard - 1/2 tsp
Sesame Seeds - 1 tsp
Asafetida / Hing a pinch (forgot to add)

How to make Muthias:

Wash and rinse the leaves. Leave it on a colander for it to be completely drained. It is also suggested that you add salt and keep it aside for 10 mins, then squeeze the life out of it.

Take the leaves in a bowl, add all the flours, salt, cumin seeds, oil. Knead to a dough. This recipe may actually require more flour then we start with. It depends on the moisture of the leaves. So start from 2 tbsp, depending on how sticky the dough is, keep adding. The consistency should be of soft chapati dough, it should not be very stiff as you are going to stream it.

Once done, grease your palm, pinch out small balls, press them into rolls. Place them on a greased plates and stream as you normally do the idlis. This might take up to 20 mins, depending on the moisture and the flour. Check if it's done by picking with a knife or toothpick.

Once done, allow it to rest for 5 mins, until you can handle the muthias to cut into small pieces.

heat non stick pan with oil. Once it's hot add the mustard and sesame seeds. When the sesame seeds starts popping up, add the steamed muthiasmins. Remove

Serve hot with coriander chutney, ketchup.

Notes

Once you add salt to the leaves, make sure you squeeze them well. Best would be to let it drain for a while, before adding the salt. This way you wont remove lot of water. Chop the palak really fine, this will taste good after steaming.

It will take approx. 20 minutes on a medium flame for the muthias to be cooked till done.

To check if the muthias are done, insert a toothpick in the center. If it come out clean, the muthias are cooked.

Andhra Chicken Roast Recipe 2

This is the chicken roast that I often make at home and it was even featured in The Hindu newspaper. I somehow never came around posting it here. I make a similar roast with different ingredients. When I read through it, I realize how small change to the proportion makes such a big change.

After reading the newspaper article, many who didn't know about my blogging, called up asking me what I do and about the blog. Many of them even tried the recipe and said it was a hit at their home. So finally here the recipe for you to try!

Talking about this chicken, this is one of Konda's favorite dish. She had her School Sports day and has been excited about it since a week. She has been very excited about getting a gold medal in the relay. She was coming first in 200 m, but after a selection of 5 rounds, she was not able to get the first position. Every day she used to come back home fully drained and exhausted. My parents complained that she should not take part as she hardly eats well enough to walk, let alone run. I didn't want to discourage her as she was so interested in it. Finally I am glad she got in the medal in other event, and took the opportunity to give some gyan. Team work works, not that she would have understood, but anyways. Next on my to do list is to make her things that will help her build more stamina.

That reminds me that I should make this chicken roast for her again.

I had previously posted another Andhra Chicken Roast, maybe I should get to be more adventurous in naming the dishes.  Since I mostly experiment with different ingredients and note down when a particular dish gets appreciated, I never think of giving it a different name. If you must know, we have a chicken variety called X Chicken Fry, christened by Daddy because Amma couldn't come up with a suitable name for the dish. If you must know, that's the most favorite chicken fry that Amma makes.

Andhra Chicken Roast

Ingredients Needed:

For the marinade:

Chicken breast – 250 gm
Curds – 1/2 cup
Ginger-garlic paste – 1/2 tsp
Turmeric powder – a pinch

For the roast:

Long green chilli – 1
Big onion – 1
Curry leaves – a few
Chilli powder – 1 and 1/2 tsp
Coriander powder – 1 tsp
Oil – 1-2 tsp
Salt to taste
Clove – 2
Cinnamon – 1 inch

For garnish:

Coriander leaves – a few

Method to prepare:

Wash and cut the chicken into bite-sized pieces. Let it drain for five minutes.

In a bowl, mix the chicken with curds, ginger-garlic paste and turmeric. Marinate for 15 minutes.

Chop onions roughly and make a paste along with green chillies.

Heat a heavy bottomed pan with oil.  Add clove and cinnamon, fry it for a min, then add onion-green chilli paste, fry till the oil comes out. Stir frequently to make the bottom doesn't get burnt.

Add the chicken along with the marinade, cook on a high flame for five minutes.

Then add the chilli powder, coriander powder and salt. Mix well. Simmer and cook with a lid for 10 minutes.

Cook till the chicken is tender and turns brown.

Sprinkle finely chopped coriander and cook till dry.

Other Chicken Recipes

Enjoy your weekend!

Bhindi Masala Recipe | How To Make Bhindi Masala with Step by Step Pictures | Lunch Box Series : LBS#64

If you have been around, reading this blog for a while, then you must know that there are couple of dishes that have eluded me. One is the Bhindi Masala and the other, Moong Dal Halwa. Though I have made and got hubby dear's nod on Bhindi Masala's taste, it still seems isn't the right one. Bhindi Masala, of course got attested as the recipe. But looks like I was mistaken. Though it tasted great and all, it didn't look like how it is served in Delhi.

Now if you have ever been in a situation fighting memories, get it from me, you will fail miserably. Just as I have. It's like hearing statements like no one can prepare that chutney like my mom or like that kerala curry just like my uncle. Well the list is endless. Even Daddy comes out with such statements and you know Amma cooks like a dream. I just tell them that it must have been the first time they were eating it and the memory just stayed. I know it's easy to defend this way, than trying to get that perfect recipe okay.

Anyway I was happy having found one recipe that was right, until I was shown how Bhendi Masala looks like. We were watching the movie 3 Idiots, guess what happens? I suddenly hear a squall! Startled I turn to look at hubby dear who has that look on his face, I asked him what happened. He says that's how Bhendi Masala looks. I was thankful that it's a DVD that I could play back couple of times to see how the dish looks. Raju Rastogi's mom feeds him Bhindi Masala with rotis when he is in hospital. If you have seen the movie, then you can imagine how funny the situation must have been. We missed watching that movie in the cinema, and we really enjoyed the first time we watched it. Of course this movie joined the exulted line of movies that get run for some 1k times at home. And I didn't actually have to play again for myself as kids were watching it anyways.

Coming back to how Bindi Masala looked, I must say it looked very pretty. The Bhindi were still very green, and pretty with all masala mixed. I was wondering how one can cook something completely without loosing it's colour. Unless it was only half cooked. Well I will only know if I get hold of that cook who made, which again is not a possible thing. 

I am sure by now you are now curious to know how I got this recipe. Well this recipe comes from my colleague's mom. He is from Delhi and you can imagine how much of a foodie he is. So when we are not discussing work, food becomes the main topic. I asked him to get the recipe from his mom. I was surprised to see that just adding one more ingredient, how the dish got changed completely! He says there will not be a dish without amchoor not being added and the store bought ones can't stand a chance with his homemade amchur powder. Well that might be very true, still I got to make do with the store bought amchur powder right!

So armed with the recipe, I planned to make a complete punjabi meal for office lunch. So made Lasoon Masoor ki dal, Jeera Pulao and Bhindi Masala. When I told hubby dear that he can expect Bhindi Masala, pat came the reply if the rotis are made. Well there I was planning a typical dal chawal subzi, and he asks for roti!

Finally whatever it was, it was one delicious meal and it was approved by everybody including my colleague who said it was how they make it at home. So finally here comes the dish..

Step by Step Pictures

 Mix all the spice powders along with oil.

 Wash, wipe and dry the Bhindis

Cut into pieces as shown above!

Slit open through the middle.

Stuff with the spice masala.

 Cook in a non stick pan for best results.

It's ready!

Bhindi Masala | Curried Okra with spices | Lady's Finger sauteed with spices

Ingredients Needed:

Bhindi / Okra / Lady's Finger - 250 gms

For the spice mix

Red Chili powder - 1 tsp
Coriander powder - 1 tsp
Turmeric a pinch
Salt to taste
Amchur / Dry Mango powder - 1/2 tsp
Anardana / Pomegranate seeds powder - 3/4 tsp
Cumin powder / Jeera powder - 1/2 tsp
Oil - 1 tsp

Method to prepare:

Clean and wipe the Bhindi dry. Trim the crown and tips. Chop them into long pieces and make a deep slit in the middle. Keep aside. I was told these are normally tied with threads to have the masala intact.

In bowl, take all the masalas and mix well with oil. Stuff this masala into the Bhendi pieces. After a point I was really tired of stuffing into the small pieces, so if you stuffed most of them, you can sprinkle the rest on the top or roughly mix the bhindi with the masalas.

Heat a non pan or kadai with oil. Add the stuffed Bhindi and add another tsp of oil if required. Cover with lid and simmer for 5 mins or till the bindi is cooked. 

It takes about 10 mins or so to get done.

Serve with rotis or jeera rice and dal.

Notes:

Best to select tender Bhindis as they will get cooked faster.

If you have the Anardana seeds, then slightly dry roast and make a fine powder. Fine powder may not be possible. But not real coarse. Store in air tight container. What I have has been there for a while..:)