Mushroom and paneer masala

So that day when I had gone for grocery shopping had picked a packet of fresh mushrooms and fresh paneer ( cottage cheese) from the nearby store. Whenever these  two ingredients are at home I try to cook it the same day. So was thinking of coming up with a side dish for rotis for that evening. Since I was craving for something with spicy flavours yet tangy and sweet , started thinking of a curry base with onion tomato and coconuts.

Hence the recipe

Ingredients

Mushrooms – 200 gms

Paneer – 100 gms

Onion – one large

Tomato – 2 large

Ginger  - an inch

Garlic – 3- 4 cloves

Green chilli – 1 or 2

Grated coconut – ¼ cup

Oil

salt

Spices

Coriander powder  - 2 tspn

Chilli powder  - ½ tspn

Turmeric powder – ¼ tspn

Whole pepper corns – ½ tspn

Fennel seeds – ½ tspn

Method

• Keep a kadai on the stove, once its heated add a spoon or two of oil and add the grated coconut to it. Add the chopped onion, tomatoes, ginger, garlic, green chillies, saute well until the coconut turns brown and the onions and tomatoes turns its colour. 
• Switch off the flame and add the rest of the spices and mix well and let the whole mixture cool.
• Once cooled grind it well using little water to a fine paste.
• Now keep the kadai on the stove, add a little oil and add the chopped mushrooms, stir well until its cooked.
• Add the ground masala paste and add sufficient water and salt to the curry.
• Add the paneer cubes and bring it to boil.
• Mean while add some curry leaves and let it get cooked in the curry.

Serve hot with some warm phulkas/rotis.

Note: Change the spice level to you preferences.

Thanks and regards

Chaithanya

Horse gram tadka recipe

The main ingredient of this recipe is horse gram, which we like to  consume during the cold seasons as it gives warmth to the body and as a bonus helps in weight reduction and is an excellent source of iron too!

The whole seeds of horse gram are generally utilized as cattle feed. However, it is consumed as a whole seed, as sprouts, or as whole meal in India, popular especially in southern Indian states. 

I learnt this recipe from my mother in law and it’s a quick dinner for us on some days and we can avoid carbs during this meal as this is quite filling and healthy too!

The recipe is as follows

Ingredients

Horse gram – 1 cup

Water – 2 cups

Chilli powder, turmeric powder – as required

Salt – as required

For seasoning

Shallots – finely chopped

Garlic – finely chopped

Chopped coconut pieces

Curry leaves

Red chillies

Method

• Dry roast the horse gram in a thick bottom kadai/wok for about 10 mins in med flame until you get a nice aroma and the shape and colour of the horse gram changes slightly. Soak this roasted horse gram in sufficient water for about 3- 4 hrs.
• Wash it well until the water is clear, that’s for about 3-4 times and put it in a pressure cooker.
• Add 2 cups of water, salt and spices and tsp. of oil in the pressure cooker.
• Pressure cook for one whistle at high flame and reduce the flame to min and leave for about half an hour before switching the flame off, as it takes time to cook well.
• Once the pressure releases on its own, get ready for the tadka/seasoning.
• Keep a small pan on the stove, add oil, add the finely chopped shallots, garlic, coconut pieces, curry leaves and dried red chillies, saute well until the shallots and garlic turns golden brown in colour.
• Add the tadka to the cooked horsegram.
• Serve hot with rice, philkas or just as it is!

Thank you!

Chaithanya

Spaghetti with cherry tomatoes and spring onions

A pack of spaghetti has been lying in my pantry for few weeks and just yesterday I harvested some fresh and aromatic spring onions. 
Thought of pairing it with the spaghetti and yea also had some ripe cherry tomatoes to be plucked from the pots.
So thought of bringing all this ingredients together to prepare spaghetti with cherry tomatoes and spring onions and the verdict was super yum!

I am bad with stories and hence jumping to the recipe: P

Ingredients

Olive oil – 2 -3 tbsp.

Finely chopped garlic – 1-2 tsp. 

Finely chopped spring onion heads - 1/4 cup

Spaghetti – 250 gms

Water in which spaghetti was cooked - 1 cup

Salt, pepper, chilli flakes, Italian seasoning – as per your wish

Method

• Cook the spaghetti and keep aside.
• Take a deep wok or a skillet and add the olive oil, throw in the chopped garlic and spring onion heads, sauté well.
• Add about a cup of water in which spaghetti was cooked and simmer a while 
• Now add the cooked spaghetti and add salt, pepper and stir well.
• Add the chopped cherry tomatoes and spring onion and stir again. 
• Add the Italian seasoning and chilli flakes and grated cheese at this stage.
• Stir well again and serve hot!!

Note:

Spaghetti can be cooked in a huge pot of boiling water in which a little olive oil and salt is added.

Alternatively you can pressure cook the spaghetti by adding 6 cups of water to 250 gms of spaghetti, salt and cooking for one whistle. Retain one cup of water in which spaghetti is cooked for the recipe. 

Cook, serve and enjoy :)
Thank you 

Chaithanya

Homemade badam (mamra) milk drink

This is one of the drinks I make for kids for breakfast especially during winters… Their breakfast includes an Indian breakfast and cup of badam milk to go with it.

I believe almonds provides heat to the body and also develop immunity, now that is what I have read and heard.

And yea I never believed in the store bought ‘health drinks’

Badam milk is something made at home using soaked almonds blended with sweetened milk. Earlier I use to use the american almonds but few years back I met a mom who mentioned about mamra variety of almonds , did a bit of research on it and since then been using  mamra variety for making badam milk, it’s a bit costlier compared to the American variety but is very nutritious.

We soak mamra variety of almonds overnight and grind the almonds with milk, raw sugar and a pinch of home made turmeric powder.  I feel so happy and satisfied when I make this and kids drink this in the morning.. :)

Coming to the recipe

Ingredients

Mamra almonds - 10-1 2 no.s

Milk - 2 cups 

Sugar - 2 tsp.

Turmeric powder – a pinch 

Cardamom power – a pinch

Method

• Soak the almonds overnight and wash thoroughly the next day( I don’t peel the soaked almonds).
• Grind the almonds with little milk, sugar, turmeric powder and cardamom powder well and then later add the rest of the milk.
• Once ground strain thru a juicer sieve.
• Pour out in cups and serve! 

Note : 

• I use 'Braun' chopper to grind this quantity of almonds, have tried most of the other appliances but it never gets ground well.
• We use organic milk, raw sugar, a home made turmeric powder to make the drink healthier. 

Thank you 

Chaithanya.