Corn Mirchi Vada

INGREDIENTS

Chilli pepper : 5 nos

For stuffing :

Boiled Potato : 2 nos

Corn kernals : 150 gms

Lemon juice : 1.5tsp

Ginger : 1/2 tsp

Mint leaves : 8 nos

Cumin seeds : 1/4 tsp

Sugar : 1/2 tsp

Salt : 1tsp

Batter :

Corn flour : 2tbsp

Gram flour : 1.5 cup

Salt : 1/2 tsp

Chilli powder : 1tsp

Asafoetida : 1/4 tsp

Soda bi carb : a Pinch

Refined oil : 2tsp

Oil : 1tsp

METHOD

Boil Corn kernals and crush it coarsely in the mixer . Wash and slit big Chilli pepper and remove the seeds. If its very hot then blanch in hot water for approx. 2-3 minutes, then drain and keep it aside. Heat oil in a pan and add cumin seeds ,when it start crackling add ginger and turmeric. Now add crushed corn and saute it  for 1 minute. Add mashed potato, Salt, Sugar and chopped mint leaves. Saute for a minute and add lemon juice and take out in a bowl then let it cool down completely. Stuff these mixture in the chillies and press tightly with your thumb and slice to make it small pieces. To make a medium thick batter, Mix gram flour and corn flour in a big bowl add salt , Chilli powder and asafoetida and water then mix it well. Add soda bi carb on top of the batter and pour 1 tsp hot oil over it and mix again. Heat oil in a pan then dip chilli pieces in the batter and deep fry on medium heat till it turns golden colour. Serve hot, Better to serve it with Chutney or pickle.

EASY CHICKEN CHEESE BALLS

Chicken Cheese Balls are a great twist in traditional chicken balls recipes. This is a great addition to an appetizer and can be served with any favorite dip.

Ingredients

• Chicken mince ½ kg
• Egg 1
• Mozzarella cheese 1 cup
• Spring onions 250 gm (chopped)
• Ginger paste 1 tsp
• Red chili powder 1 tsp
• Soya sauce 1 tbsp
• Corn flour 1 tbsp
• Garlic 2 tsp (minced)
• Salt ½ tsp
• Parsley 2 tbsp (chopped)
• Oil 4 tbsp
• Oil for frying

Cooking Directions

1. Mix mozzarella cheese in chicken mince along with ginger paste, soya sauce, corn flour, salt, chopped parsley, chopped spring onions, red chili powder, minced garlic and oil.
2. Shape the mixture into medium sized balls and dip in a beaten egg.
3. Heat oil in a wok and deep fry until golden brown.

pizza paratha

PIZZA PARATHA







INGREDIENTS:


·         1 tsp oil
·         1 tsp finely chopped onion
·         1 tsp finely chopped garlic
·         2 tbsp finely chopped capsicum
·         2 tsp finely chopped tomato
·         2 tsp corn kernels
·         2 tsp chopped mushrooms
·         ½ tsp finely chopped green chillies
·         salt to taste
·         ½ tsp black pepper
·         2 - 3 tbsp tomato puree
·         1-2 parantha, pre cooked
·         grated cheese


METHOD:


1.   Heat oil in a pan.
2.  Put chopped onion, garlic, capsicum, tomato, corn kernels, mushrooms and finely chopped green chillies in it.
3.  Sauté the ingredients well.
4.  After a few minutes, add salt, black pepper and tomato puree. Mix well.
5.  Add oil in another pan and heat a pre cooked parantha on both sides.
6.  Put the vegetable mixture and grated cheese on it.
7.  Let it cook on a slow flame for 3 – 4 mins till it turns crispy and the grated cheese melts.






NOTE- The topping in the picture is different from the recipe. Topping can be chosen according to choice and taste.

10 homemade drinks to KILL THE HEAT this summer!

The mercury has been setting new records in summers every year in India. Scorching heat, sweat and dehydration are some of the common woes every season. Counter this summer with these refreshing non-alcoholic drinks that can be easily prepared within minutes. These summer specialities of India may have been laid on the table for you at home by your mother or grandmother, and here are 10 quick recipes to prepare your favourite drinks yourself this season.

1. Lassi:

Ingredients:

• 2 cups fresh curds (dahi) chilled
• 1 tbsp sugar
• 1/2 tsp cardamoms
• 8 to 10 ml saffron (kesar) strands
• 2 drops vanilla essence
• 1/2 cup crushed ice
• 1 tsp hot milk

Preparation:

1. Soak saffron in 1 tsp hot milk and rub till dissolved. Combine the sugar and curds and whisk till the sugar is dissolved. Just before serving, combine all ingredients and blend using a hand blender. Serve chilled.

2. Aam panna:

Ingredients:

• 1 large raw mango
• 1 teaspoon cumin powder
• 4-5 crushed black pepper corns
• Black salt (kala namak) as per taste
• Pinch of Asafoetida
• 1/2 cup Sugar

Preparation:

1. Wash and boil mangoes. Let them cool. Peel, mash and strain the pulp.
2. Add cumin powder, crushed peppercorns, black salt, asafeotida and sugar. Mix well till sugar is dissolved. Divide the mixture into four tall glasses, fill it up with chilled water. 
3. Stir well and serve.

3. Jaljeera:

Ingredients:

• 4 cups milk
• 1/4 cup almonds (badam)
• a pinch of cardamom (elaichi) powder
• a pinch of nutmeg (jaiphal) powder
• 3 to 4 tbsp honey
• edible silver leaf (vark) for garnish

Preparation:

1. Blanch almonds in boiling water for two minutes. Peel and chop roughly.
2. Heat milk in a thick-bottomed vessel and bring to a boil. Reduce heat, add chopped almonds and simmer on low heat for fifteen to twenty minutes.
3. Add cardamom powder and nutmeg powder and continue to boil for another two minutes.
4. Remove from heat, add honey and stir.
5. Serve warm in individual earthenware glasses, garnished with silver warq.

4.Masala chaas:

Ingredients:

• 4 glasses of slightly sour buttermilk (subsitute buttermilk with 2 glasses yoghurt and 2 glasses chilled water)
• 1 tbsp vegetable/sunflower/canola oil
• 1 tsp mustard seeds
• 10-15 curry leaves
• 2" piece of ginger grated fine
• 1/2 tsp asafetida
• 2 green chillies chopped fine
• Salt to taste
• A handful of finely chopped corainder leaves

Preparation:

1. Put the buttermilk/yoghurt, ginger, green chillies, 5 curry leaves chopped finely, coriander and salt to taste into a food processor and blend well.
2. In a small pan heat the oil. When it is hot add the mustard seeds. They will splutter. When this happens add the remaining curry leaves and asafetida. Remove from the fire in another 30 seconds.
3. Add this to the buttermilk mixture and mix well.
4. Serve in glasses.

5. Sugarcane juice:

Ingredients:

• 6 cups sugarcane juice
• 6 tbsp sugar
• juice of 1/2 lemon
• 2 to 3 drops of ginger (adrak) juice (optional)

Preparation:

1. Combine all the ingredients in a bowl and mix well till the sugar dissolves.
2. Pour into a shallow container. Cover and freeze till it is set (approximately 4 to 6 hours). Transfer to a mixer and blend till it is slushy.
3. Spoon it into 4 individual serving glasses and serve immediately.

Handy tip:

Ready-made sugarcane juice sometimes already contains ginger juice. Hence add as per the requirement.

6. Khus sherbet:

Ingredients:

• 16 tsp khus syrup
• 4 tbsp soaked falooda seeds (sabja)
• 16 tsp kewra water (optional)
• Few drops lemon juice
• 3 bottles lemon drink (lemonade)
• Crushed ice

Preparation:

1. Mix all the ingredients except the ice. Serve in tall glasses with crushed ice.

7. Watermelon juice:

Ingredients:

• 1 large watermelon (tarbuj)
• 1 small sized honeydew melon
• 1 large can (850 grams) pineapple juice
• 1 large can (850 grams) orange juice
• 3 bottles ginger ale
• 1 bottle lemonade
• 1 1/2 cups watermelon (tarbuj) juice
• crushed ice to serve

Preparation:

1. Cut the watermelon lengthwise, about 1/3 down. Scoop out flesh with a melon baller from both melons. Chill the balls. Put the scooped portion of watermelon into a liquidiser and take out the juice.
2. Chill the fruit juices, 2 teacups of the watermelon juice, ginger-ale and lemonade. Just before serving, mix all the juices and drinks. Fill the melon shell as required. Add chilled Melon balls. Decorate with flowers if desired.

8. Falsa juice:

Ingredients:

• 2 cups of sugar
• 2 cups of water
• Falsas
• crushed ice

Preparation:

1. Make 2 cups of sugar syrup by mixing 2 cups of sugar and 2 cups water till thick. Remove and keep aside. Soak falsas in 4 cups of water for 4 hours, now blend 2 or 3 times, then pass it through a fine sieve. Discard the seeds, mix the juice and sugar syrup well. Serve chilled with ice cubes and black salt. 

9. Badam milk:

Ingredients:

• 1 cup almonds
• 1 cup pistachios
• 3 cups chilled/ warm milk
• Sugar to taste
• 2/3 tsp cardamom powder
• 2 tbsps kewra essence (available at Indian groceries) - optional
• 2 tsps rose water

Preparation:

1. Grind the almonds and pistachios to a smooth paste in your food processor. Add a little milk to do this. A lot of people like to remove the skin from the almonds before grinding them. I don't do this as the skin contains many nutrients. You can do it if you wish, by soaking the almonds in hot water for 5 minutes. When soaked, press the almonds between your thumb and index finger. The skin will slip off quite easily.
2. Add milk, sugar, cardamom powder, kewra essence (if using) and rose water. Blend well. Serve chilled in a tall glass.

10. Rose sherbet:

Ingredients:

• 2 cups rose petals (washed well and patted dry on a paper towel)
• 1 cup sugar
• 1/2 tsp cardamom powder
• Juice of 2 lemons (strained)
• 1 cup pomegranate juice (optional)

Preparation:

1. Coarsely crush the rose petals in a mortar and pestle and then put into a deep glass bowl. Pour 1 cup of boiling water over the paste and add the cardamom powder. Mix well, cover and allow to steep overnight.
2. In the morning, strain through a very fine sieve.
3. Add the sugar and stir till dissolved - do not heat.
4. When the sugar is dissolved, add in the lemon and pomergranate juices and mix well. The syrup is ready now and can be stored in the fridge for 3-4 days.
5. To serve, pour some syrup into a tall glass, mix with chilled water to taste and add crushed ice

SUMMER POPSICLES @HOME!

SUMMER POPSICLES @HOME!

INGREDIENTS

1. 3 cups watermelon puree (seedless if possible) 2. 1.2 cup fresh blueberries 3. 1.2 cup chopped fresh strawberries 4. 1 kiwi, peeled and sliced
5. 1 peach,diced small 6. handful fresh cherries, pitted and chopped

METHOD

1. Cut the watermelon into chunks and then puree it in a blender until smooth. Set aside.
2. Set out about 1 dozen popsicle molds (amount needed will vary depending on size of molds). 
3. Fill each one with the chopped fresh fruit. Then pour in the watermelon puree until each mold is full to the top. 
4. Place a popsicle stick into each one. Place into your freezer and freeze.
5. When ready to serve, run the popsicle molds under warm water for a few seconds and then pull each one out.

NOTE- THE FRUITS OTHER THAN WATERMELON CAN BE REPLACED

SMALLY PANEER WRAP

SMALLY PANEER WRAP

INGREDIENTS

• 1 cup crumbled paneer
• 1 small onion, chopped fine (I should have added this!)
• 1/2 tsp red chilli powder
• 1/4 tsp powdered cumin / jeera
• 1/2 tsp garam masala
• 1/2 tsp ginger garlic paste
• A small bunch of coriander, chopped fine
• 1 tsp or a bit more tomato sauce / ketchup
• 4 slices of bread
• Butter to toast
• Salt to taste

Now roast these on a tawa or a pan and SERVE

5 minute easy cheesy rolls

5 minute easy cheesy rolls

 

TANGY MANGO SALSA

TANGY MANGO SALSA

I made this delicious, herb filled, tangy mango salsa to go with chips. Super easy to make, here's the recipe.

INGREDIENTS

·         1 large ripe mango, chopped. Dushehri mangoes preferred.

·         2 small tomatoes, finely chopped

·         1 small red onion, finely chopped

·         2 lemons/limes juiced

·         Salt to taste

·         Sugar to taste

·         1 small bunch coriander, finely chopped

·         2 green chillies, minced

·         Amchoor optional

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METHOD

1.   Mix all the ingredients and let sit for about 10 minutes to let the flavours mix well. Serve with plain chips! For a nice presentation, I used a plate full of roses and other flowers to serve this salsa on.