Garlic Bread

Ingredients:

Salted butter;

Crushed Garlic ;

Brown Bread Slices;

Dried Oregano

Method:

Warm the butter and crushed Garlic together for 30 seconds in microwave. Mix well, keep aside to let it cool for sometime to come back in applicable form.

Take Brown Bread slices, apply the garlic butter, sprinkle oregano.

Keep in oven/ electric tandoor or even simple toasters and toast until crispy brown.

It doesn't look that nice, but taste very yummy, very much close to Domino's Garlic Bread. :)

Hariyali Aur Pasta

Yea, I am cooking too much Pasta these days. Reason: because I am almost on the verge of getting bored of it and finding a new handy recipe I can master and cook very often :D

So this time, it was Spinach Pesto. I have made the real Pesto many times, and watched it being cooked by Nigella Lawson, Vicky Ratnani and even David Rocco in their own manners with their own twists. So, the experimental me, decided to do it with my own twist. And nonetheless, the result was great. Or so I liked, or so everyone who tasted, said :D

And, Like every time, I cooked it like every other Indian woman. No Measurements, just the guts. :D

Pasta in Spinach Pesto:

Ingredients:

250 gm Pasta Boiled (any shape)

1 nos Onion- Chopped;

1 tsp Ginger Garlic Paste;

2 handfuls of Spinach Leaves- Blanched;

Few leaves of Basil;

1 tsp Green Coriander Chutney

1/2 Cup Cheddar Cheese -Grated;

Olive Oil;

Method:

• Heat Some oilve oil in a pan. Add the chopped onion and ginger garlic paste and saute.
• Add the blanched Spinach leaves and saute for 2-3 minutes. Do not over cook.
• Take out the onion- spinach in a jar, add the cheese, basil leaves, salt, pepper, coriander chutney, few drops of lemon juice and blend into fine paste. Add a little olive oil  and blend again, so that the texture of the paste becomes smooth.
• Now, pour the paste into the same pan we used to saute onion- spinach, stir for around a minute on sim flame and add the boiled pasta.
• Mix well, coat the pesto on pasta nicely and let it stay on the flame for 3-4 minutes, occasionally stirring. 
• Take out on a serving dish, garnish with Basil leaves and serve hot with garlic bread.

The Outcome:

The Fiasco:
Zero :D

Dil Cheese Cheese kare!

I bought this oven some 4 years ago, but started using it properly, recently. I have doing Baking a lot these days, for a change and I am getting better at it :D Pasta, as the blog knows it, I love it. But I am kindda getting bored of the same Arrabiatta sauce pasta I cook very often. So, the brother wanted cheese pasta and the oven was crying for attention. :D I used Mozzarella cheese in this dish.

 Cheese Pasta:

Ingredients:

White sauce:

1 tsp Flour;

1 tsp butter;

1 cup milk;

1/3rd cup cheese

Pasta:

200 gms Penne Pasta boiled (or any shape pasta);

1/2 cup Chopped Onions;

1/2 cup Chopped Capsicum;

1/3 cup Chopped Carrots;

1/3 cup Chopped Mushrooms;
2-3 Garlic cloves crushed;

Olive oil; 

Salt and pepper- to taste; 

Cheese to garnish; 

Oregano

Method:

• Preheat the oven for 10 minutes.
• Grease a baking dish and keep aside.

For white sauce:

• In a pan, melt butter and roast the flour until light brown. 
• Start adding milk, little at a time. Keep stirring. 
• Add cheese, salt, pepper. Stir till you get the desired consistency. 
• Remove from the fire, keep aside.

For Pasta:

• In a separate pan, heat olive oil, add garlic and stir. 
• Add the veggies and stir fry. Add salt, pepper. 
• Add the boiled pasta. Put off the fire and mix nicely. 
• Pour the pasta and veggies into the white sauce and mix well so that pasta is coated properly. 
• Pour the mixture into the baking dish. Sprinkle oregano and cheese. 
• Bake at 180 degrees for 20 minutes  or until cheese turns reddish brown.
• Serve hot with garlic bread.

The Outcome:

Cheese Pasta Fresh out of Oven

The Fiasco: Needless to say, None :D

Hit the Lottery with Fries That are Baked!

Yes, I lost the post twice, thanks to the new Blogger interface. And I wasn't alone is a relief to know.

Anyway.

Potatoes, Punjabis and Patels are found in every nook and corner of the world, or so I've been told. Potatoes and Punjabis share a special bond. And I, can eat potatoes in any form, except for a pizza topping. :D

Also, I don't share my fries with anyone. No-no-no-no!

yeah, I know they are not healthy and stuff. So that's why when I came across this healthier option at Purple Foodie's blog, thanks to @pomegrantee , I rushed into the kitchen to make them instantly, only with a little variation to PF's recipe.

What else could have I wished for! Healthy, baked, Potato fries. Thank God for Potatoes and Thank God for Potato Fries. Ultimate comfort food. :D

Here is how I made them.

Ingredients:

4 nos Potatoes- medium size- par boiled;

4-5 tsp Olive Oil;

7-8 garlic Cloves- Minced;

Salt, pepper to taste;

Oregano for seasoning.

Method:

If you're going to use a oven, Preheat it 225 degrees. I own an electric tandoor, which is much quicker and much easier, so I use it more often than an oven. Because it gets preheated quickly. :D

• Cut the potatoes into wedges and keep them aside.
• In a bowl, take olive oil and add the minced garlic. Microwave it for about 1 minute. Use as less olive oil just enough to coat the wedges.
• Now, add the potatoes in the warm oil and garlic mix and the salt pepper and oregano and toss it nicely, so the wedges are coated with the oil and the seasoning.
• Keep aside for a about 10 minutes.
• Now, arrange your wedges on the greased baking tray in a single layer avoiding any overlapping.
• Bake them till crispy Golden brown. In oven, it might take about 40 minutes or more.
• Serve with your choice of dip.

The Outcome:

The Fiasco:

It isn't exactly a fiasco, but I used more oil than needed. It dint make the wedges fried, but were oily-er than I desired.

Bhool na Jaana, Lasagna toh banana.

Too much love with lasagna I have. I cook it too often, too and with variations every time.This time, it was very fusion-ist. Only, waiting for the day when I successfully cook that smooth non-lumpy white sauce. =\ 

Practice, more of it is needed. 

Anyway, Blender  comes to the rescue. :D Shush! never let any secret out. :D

So here is the recipe of my favorite style lasagna. 

Ingredients:

10 Lasagna Sheets- Boiled;

Cheese- whichever you like. 

For Tomato Relish:

4 nos Tomatoes (Big);

2 nos Onions (Medium) Shredded;

1 nos Capsicum (Medium) Shredded;

Small portion of carrot Shredded;

4-5 French Beans- Chopped;

4-5 nos Mushrooms- Shredded (Optional);

2 Tbsp Olive Oil;

1 tsp Ginger garlic paste;

Salt, pepper and Oregano to taste.

For White Sauce:

1 tsp Butter;

1 tsp Flour;

1 cup Milk;

Few baby corns or corn kernels;

Salt and pepper to taste.

Method:

For Tomato Relish:

• Blanch the tomatoes and peel off their skin, puree them with a Hand blender.
• Heat Olive oil in a pan, add ginger garlic paste.
• Now add all the shredded and chopped veggies and saute them.
• Add the tomato puree. Stir nicely to mix all the vegetables. Let it cook while stirring in between. See the oil gets absorbed in the gravy.
• Add the salt, pepper and oregano.
• Get the desired consistency, add a little water if it is getting dry. We'll need nice gravy.

For white Sauce:

• Heat the butter in a separate pan, add and roast the flour. 
• Take the pan off the heat and start adding the milk in smaller quantities while stirring continuously.
• When you are done adding the milk, put the pan back on the flame and keep stirring so that no lumps are formed. (I suck at this)
• When the sauce get enough thick, put the flame off and add the salt and pepper and also the baby corn/ kernels.

Putting the dish together:

• Grease the baking dish and line it with two lasagna sheets.
• Now layer the Tomato relish on the lasagna nicely.
• Cover with another two lasagna sheets.
• Next layer the white sauce over it and cover it with lasagna sheets.
• Make 4-5 layers of lasagna sheets repeating the above mentioned process.
• Grate the cheese and some oregano on the top.
• Bake in the Microwave for 6-7 minutes or till the cheese is brown.
• Serve with Garlic bread.

The Outcome:

I used the heart shaped mold to cut it out and plate it.

The Fiasco:

Like I said, I need to learn to make nice White sauce. =\

Additional Benefits:

Your kitchen will smell awesome with all the oregano also the microwave will smell awesome for days. :D

Cookie Cookie! Healthy Cookie! Tasty Cookie!

I happened to have been looking for an egg less oats cookie recipe for sometime. Because, I simply can't gulp down a single spoon of oats porridge. I can vomit, but not eat it. Happened to buy the 200g rolled oats pack last month, for the healthy way of diet, which did not work out for obvious reasons. Anyway. So, I was looking for this recipe, and dint find any very convincing over the internet. And, Somehow, I was bombarded with a Cakes and Bakes recipe book by Sanjeev Kapoor. Treasure.

There it was.

Also,I am sending this recipe for a cooking event encouraged by wonderful @MonicaManchanda, I happen to know from twitter, whose recipes I keep trying :D 

Here is the link to her wonderful blog Sin-a-Mon and the entry where this event is discussed, and Sanjeeta's Last Bite where she originally announced this Whole Grain Cooking Event.

Egg less Oats Cookie quick recipe.

Ingredients:

150g Rolled Oats;

100g Refined flour;

60g Soft Butter;

1/4 tsp Baking Soda;

1/4 tsp Tartic Acid;

1/4 tsp Salt;

1/2 tsp Cinnamon Powder;

3 tsp Sucralose Powder;

4 tbsp Milk

Method:

• Sift flour, salt, baking soda and tartric acid together.
• Cream the sucralose powder in the softened butter.
• Add oats, cinnamon powder in the flour. Now add the blend of butter and sucralose powder and rub in firmly.
• Add the milk and make the dough.
• Refrigerate the dough for at least an hour wrapped in cling film.
• Preheat the oven at 190 degrees Celcius/ 375 degrees F in the meantime.
• Take the dough out when it is cool. Now divide the dough into small balls and flat them to shape in your palms.
• Grease and flour a baking tray and place the cookies, bake them in the oven for 15 minutes or until light brown.
• Serve warm, or cold. 

The Outcome:

The Fiasco: NONE :D

Crax Crax Chat Chat

Carvings are weird. They do not believe in absoluteness of time or place or even hunger.

So, the craving for Nachos has been knocking in my mind for sometime now and for one reason or other, I wasn't able to get hold of a plate of Nachos at an eating joint nor a pack of nachos from a confectionery store. Somehow, this, Ms Craving visited and refused to go back at a time when I couldn't go out and satisfy her. Therefore, I had to find a way out to kill for the moment and I attacked the confectionery cabinet in the kitchen. A pack of Crax (remember the corn rings?) was spotted. Jaan mei jaan aa gayi bhai sahab! Not that it can replace nachos, but temporary solution mil gaya.

Robbed the condiment section and came up with this Crax Chat :D

Ingredients:

Crax- 1 pack;

Onion- 1 nos (small);

Tomato- 1 nos (small);

Limejuice- 1 teaspoon;

Tomato Chilli Sauce- 1 teaspoon;

Green Chilli- 1 nos (optional);

Salt- a pinch. ( use kala namak if you have it).

Method:

• In a saucer, place the corn rings strategically.
• Chop the onion, tomato and chilli, add the salt and lime juice to it. Mix well to make a nice smelling seasoning.
• Sprinkle the seasoning over the corn rings.
• Pour the tomato ketchup or tomato chilli sauce over it.
• Eat quickly :D

The Outcome:

The Fiasco:

I might very well want to omit this section :D

Back from the Hiatus with Pasta :D

Gone missing from this place has been hard for me, no cooking and still no weight loss. Yes. I guess there is something wrong with my body which is not showing in the diagnose until it gets worse. *phew*

So, that leaves me with very less time to eat, experiment cooking and taste. Also, I was watching 'Zayke ka Safar' with Vinod Dua while he was finding out zaykas in Hongkong. So, he said something what I always say. "Ek zindagi kaafi chhoti hai aap tak duniya bhar ke zayke pahunchane ke liye." (One lifetime is not enough for letting the tastes of world reach you). So true. So bloody true!!

It sort of inspired me and I put on that apron again. Starting with a low calorie my all time favorite food item.  

Pasta cooked the very basic Indian way. :D

Ingredients:

Pasta- any shape, 250 gms (approx.);

Onions- 2 nos (medium size)- chopped;

Tomatoes- 4 nos (medium size)- Pureed- in blender;

Capsicum- 1 nos (medium size);

Ginger garlic paste- 1 tsp;

Salt to taste;

Black Pepper to taste;

Dried Oregano- 1 tsp or to taste;

Olive Oil- 3 tbsp

Method:

• Boil the pasta in a pan with a little olive oil and a pinch of salt. Make sure the pasta isn't overboiled or underboiled. Sieve the boiled pasta under running water. Keep aside.
• In a pan, heat the olive oil and add the ginger garlic paste.
• Add the onions and stir fry until golden brown.
• Add the pureed tomatoes and the capsicum. Add salt, pepper and oregano. Let it simmer for few minutes. Keep stirring in between. Let the puree come in desired consistency. You may want your with gravy, if it gets dry, add some water and simmer.
• When the gravy reaches the desired consistency, add the pasta. Stir and let it mix in the gravy well. 
• Leave it for a 2-3 minutes on the fire while stirring in between before putting the gas off.
• Serve with garnishing of Basil Leaves.

The Outcome:

The Fiasco:

NONE :P

It was Yummeh!! :D

No Cooking Month.

Yes, I am on a strict diet control. That makes me very sad. because I am not even cooking for these days. I have been surfing internet, swapping TV channels and stumbling upon super sexy desert recipes which I am dying to try myself.
But I need to control. Making my mind for it very tough though. I guess I ll post some low calories recipes during this time. Let me do some experimentation and get back here. This space has been calling me. *sigh*
For the timebeing, please to drool over some super sexy looking food.

Check out these websites and keep drooling by the time I am back :D

Feast your eyes: www.foodgawker.com

Inspirations and ideas of desret recipes: http://www.ohdesserts.net

Pizza? Wo bhi Chinese?

Yes. Chinese Pizza. ever thought of it? I am totally into experiments. Plus when you have guests come over, and they know about your food blog, you have somethings to prove to them. *sigh*

Anyway, people tell me that pizza made at home is not as good as they have int he restaurants. My say is, Get and oven or electric tandoor. Microwave is not meant for Pizza.

So here i bring you the Chinese pizza.

Chinese Pizza:

Ingredients:

1 Pizza base;

Schezwan Sauce;

Finely chopped vegetables- Cabbage, Capsicum, Mushrooms.

1 tsp olives;

Pizza/ Mozarella Cheese.

Method:

• Take the pizza base, apply little olive oil.
• While you cook the schezwan sauce, (Click here for the recipe) keep the consistency thick. When you are about to put the flame off, add the chopped vegetables into the sauce.
• Apply the sauce on the base, spread some olives, shred cheese and keep it in the oven/ tandoor.
• Use as less cheese as you can. 
• Wait until the cheese is Golden brown. and serve hot.

The Outcome:

Chinese Pizza fresh out of the oven

The Fiasco:

None. :D

Orange is the color Pancakes are Dipped into

Lets play 'Taste (Word) Association'.

Pancakes- Yummy

Orange- *does the chattt*

Glaze- *thinks of the thickness*

Pancakes are loved by everyone.And I make them without egg. Yes, you read it right. the same fluff, the same softness, without egg.

And since this is the season when I finally gave into the wondrousness of Orange,  I've taken it to the kitchen :D

This time, It is Orange Pancakes with orange glaze.

Orange Pancakes and Glaze

Ingrdients:

For pancakes:

1 Cup Flour,

2 Cups Milk;

2 tsp Butter;

1 tsp Orange Rind (the skin of orange, peeled and finely grated);

1/3rd tsp Soda Bicarbonate

For Orange Glaze:

1 Cup Fresh Orange juice;

1 tsp Cornflour;

1 tsp Orange Rind;

1 tsp Honey;

1 tsp Sugar;

Few slices of Orange Fruit

Method:

• Foremost, Make the glaze. Add all the ingredients into a thick pan and boil. Keep stirring until you get a thick desired consistency. Let is cool and take out in a bowl.
• Add the ingredients of the pancakes, make a smooth batter. Keep the batter thin- pour-able.
• On the non stick pan, pour the batter and make nice pan cakes. 
• Take the Pancakes, spread the glaze and serve.

The Outcome:

Orange Pancakes with glaze

The Fiasco:

NONE! :D

Restaurant jaisa Chinese Ghar Pe ;)

I can place bets on the Chinese food cooked the Punjabi way. If a Chinese man came over to Punjab and ate what we call Chinese, he would die! or might lose his mind or might fall in love like every other person. :)

There is a new restaurant in the town. Its called Shankh and they serve all kind of yummy food. Indian, Punjabi, Thai, Chinese, Mexican Italian et al cuisine. Only speciality is that the food is all vegetarian and they dont use Onion and Garlic. Yes. You read it right. And yes. The restaurant is the concern of ISKCON. You must have heard that ISKCON temples distribute all kind of fast food and continental food as prasad. They offer the God all yummy food. Isn't it awesome?

Anyhow. We visited the restaurant to check it out and the garlic onion flavor was missing. Which brings me to key down this post. Yes, I decided to cook Chinese at home. :D

The menu I decided was Hakka Noodles, Crispy Veg, Chili Cheese.

For now, I am here with my Crispy Veg recipe.

Crispy Veg

Ingredients:

For The Batter

5 tbsp cornflour;

5 tbsp flour (maida);

1/2 tsp ginger-garlic paste;

1/2 tsp freshly ground black pepper powder;

1 tsp lemon juice;

salt to taste;

1 tbsp oil

Other Ingredients:

2 cups mixed vegetables (baby corn , capsicum and cauliflower) , cut into long strips;

oil for deep-frying;

For Schezwan Sauce:

Ingredients: 

1/4 cup sesame oil;

3-4 whole red peppers;

3/4 onions-chopped fine;

1 tbsp garlic;

1 tbsp ginger;

1/2 tsp chilli powder;

1 tsp sesame seeds;

2 tbsp corn flour mixed in a cup of water;

1 tbsp vinegar;

1 tsp soya sauce;

1 tsp chilli sauce;

1 tsp salt

Method:

• Combine Cornflour, Flour, Ginger garlic paste, black pepper, salt, lemon juice, oil and water and make a smooth batter. 
• Dip the vegetables in the batter and deep fry once, keeping scope for frying them again. Keep aside.

Now, make the Schezwan sauce.

• Grind together the onions, garlic and ginger.
• Heat the oil in a wok add the whole red peppers and saute over high heat till they darken a bit. Add the onions, garlic and ginger and stir-fry over high heat till glossy.
• Add the corn flour mixture and bring to a boil.
• Lower the heat and add the chilli powder, vinegar, soya sauce, chilli sauce and salt and mix well
• Cook till well blended (1/2 minute) and use.

Now, Deep fry the vegetables once again, and add them to the sauce directly. Toss lightly.

Garnish with fried noodles, and serve.

The Outcome:

Crispy veg

The Fiasco:

None :D

Idli-Doodlie Dooo

In North India, our staple food is wheat. Also rice. but more of wheat. And rice, we more or less enjoy with raajmah or kadhi or daal or chane and also stand alone Pulaavs. Idlies, dosa are still delicacies for us. 

Idli making involves a lot of patience and the soaking thing is kind of a mess. So, we have mastered the art of making instant idlies. Of course not from the instant idli mixies available in the market, but at home. Just bringing you a quick recipe of instant idlies my style. Since, this is absolutely my recipe, I do not know how to quantify the ingredients. Please make use of your gut feelings :D

Instant Idlies

Ingredients: 

1 cup Rava/ sooji;

1/2 cup Curd;

Salt to taste;

1-2 tsp Refined oil;

1 tsp Eno

Method:

1. Sieve the rava/sooji in a bowl.
2. Add salt to taste, a pinch of turmeric powder (optional), oil.
3. Add curd. Make a paste, keep it a little thicker than smooth.
4. Beat fro 4-5 minutes.
5. Add Eno. beat for less than 2 minutes.
6. Pour the paste into greased idli maker, and steam or Microwave for about 5 minutes.
7. Serve with sambhar.
8. You can also garnish the idlies with a Punjabi tadka.
9. For tadka, Heat oil in a pan, add mustard seeds, finely chopped onion, curry leaves. Stir until onion is golden brown and add roll the idlies in the tadka. Serve with green chutney.

The Outcome: 

The Fiasco:

NONE :D

Corn Momos Door ke, Ghar Pe Pakayein, Zaroor Se.

Momos/ Dumplings. Who doesn't like. I love them very much. yes. Not that it is hard to find them where I live, just I wanted to cook them at home.

Internet was surfed. recipe was found. Kitchen was approached and everything was messed up in there. A little 'my-tpuch' was added to the recipe, and Corn Momos were cooked. How they turned out, scroll down to find. :D

Corn Momos:

Ingredients:

1 cup White Flour (maida);

1/2 cup Boiled Corn (I used frozen corn);

1 tsp Ginger Garlic paste;

1 nos Finely chopped Onion;

2 nos Finely chopped Green Chillies;

Some Finely chopped Green coriander;

Salt to taste;

Black Pepper to taste;

2 tsp oil;

Method:

1. Knead smooth and soft dough with flour adding a little salt and some oil. Keep aside for 25-30 mins, Make sure, the dough is little gooey.
2. In a pan, heat oil, add ginger garlic paste, chopped onion, chillies, coriander and stir fry. add corns, salt and pepper. Stir fry.
3. Take the dough, make small balls and roll out very thinly.
4. Now, add the filling and close the dumpling giving them as fine shape as you can. (It is going to need a LOT of practice.)
5. Steam the momos. I used the idli stand and microwaved for about 6-7 minutes.
6. Serve with Schezwan sauce. You can cook it by stir frying tomoato ketchup in a little oil and ginger- garlic, a little salt and chilli flakes.

The Outcome:

The Fiasco:

The cover of my momos was thicker than it should have been and therefore they turned out a little hard. Somehow, tolerable.

A bite of Bombay imitated in Punjab

I have never been to Bombay. Yes. Kill me for that. But, it is on my #2doBeforeIdie list. And hence, never had an original Vada Pao. With a lot of people from Bombay I interact with on Twitter are from Bombay, I have been hearing about this great roadside delicacy (of course delicacy I treated it as because it was out of my reach :D). Because, I have no plans as such to visit Bombay in near future, I thought to imitate it at home. Therefore, Tarla Dalal website was surfed and recipe was taken. :) Since I don't know the original flavor, The outcome was treated as recipe successful.

Since this recipe has been picked from a website, I decided to not copy-paste it here on the blog. the recipe can be found here.

The Outcome: 

Vada pao

The Fiasco: I burnt the Dry Garlic Chutney =\ and had to make it all over again.