Recipes From My Kitchen

" True friendship doesn't mean being inseparable; it means being separated and nothing changes" . Today as our friends leave back to their home, I wanted to make something very special for them for lunch. I made this exotic biryani as a send off meal. As we sat down to have our last meal together, we talked, laughed, giggled, chuckled, screamed, yelled, at each other, we were one family. Until we meet again.... Serves 4 For the Chicken Marination: Ingredients: 4 medium sized onions, cut into thin slices, 1 kg  chicken , biryani cut, washed, cleaned and drained, 1 cup thick  yougurt , 1 tsp  turmeric powder , 2 tsp  ginger garlic paste , 1/2 cup  browned onions , 1-1/2 tsp   garam masala powder , 2 tsp  red chilli powder , 1/4 cup  oil , Salt  as required for the chicken Method: Deep fry the onions in hot oil. Drain on kitchen paper. Store the unused onions in an air tight container. Mix all the...

With friends over, I am cooking up dishes for everybody to relish. I made this delicious liver fry for my friends as a dry side. Serves: 4 Ingredients: 500 gms mutton liver , cut into pieces, 1 large onion , finely chopped, 1 medium tomato , finely chopped, 2 tbsp tomato puree , (I have used readymade) 1 tsp ginger-garlic paste , 2 green chillies slit lengthwise, 8-10 curry leaves , 2-3 tsp red chilli powder , 1 tsp turmeric powder , 2 tsp cumin powder , 1 tsp coriander powder , 1 tsp garam masala powder , 2-3 tbsp oil , Salt as per taste Method: Wash and clean the liver pieces under running water and drain the excess water. Rub some turmeric powder on them and set it aside. In a heavy bottom pan, heat oil. Add the chopped onions, curry leaves and ginger garlic paste and fry until golden brown. Add chopped tomato and fry until the oil separates.  Add the cumin powder, turmeric powder, coriander powder, red chilli powder and mix well. Add the li...

I read this recipe a few weeks back in Lubna's blog . I thought it was a fantastic idea and I decided to make it as well. Such a simple dish and highly innovative. It was really quick and very delicious. I followed Lubna's instructions. Serves 4 Ingredients: 1 can of Haldiram rasgulla (8 pieces) 1/2 liter milk , 2 tbsp condensed milk (Milkmaid) 6 tbsp Badam Mix powder (I have used MTR) Chopped pistachios for garnish Method: In a medium sized vessel, bring the milk to a boil and allow it to simmer for 10 mins. Keep stirring in between. Empty the can of rasgullas into another bowl. Press out the excess liquid from the rasgullas and discard the sugar syrup. Add the condensed milk to the boiling milk. Mix well. Stir in the badam mix powder one tablespoon at a time. Allow this to simmer for another 6-7 mins. Slowly tip in the dry rasgullas and mix well. Allow this to simmer for another 10 mins. You will see that the rasgullas puff up. Remove and allow...

Papri Chaat, Paapri Chaat or Papdi Chaat , is a street food and a popular snack.  Papdi refers to crisp fried dough wafers made from refined white flour and oil. In Papri Chaat, the papris are served with boiled potatoes, boiled chick peas, chilli, yogurt and tamarind chutney and topped with chaat masala and 'sev'. Papdi is the key ingredient of Papdi Chaat.  The popular dish is often eaten from travelling food vendor stalls. With a growing kid at home, I have to come up with different variations to the same food. My son is not very fond of eggs. But we know that its very important for the children. Egg is a great source of protein and its important to consume it atleast twice or thrice a week. So I try to come out with something different everytime. I had read this dish on the menu card of a restaurant a few months back. I had this at the back of my mind. Today I decided to try it out for evening snacks. Serves 4 Ingredients: 20 pieces papdi's , (I picked ...

Hellllooooo.... I am proud to say I completed Week 3 of my blogging marathon. I am happy :-) I have also organized my blog a little and created a recipe index . It looks cool, isnt it? Sharing with you today a simple yet authentic Maharashtrian snack called Kothimbir Vadi. The use of Goda masala in this recipe gives it the distinct taste. Goda Masala is a very unique masala prepared in Maharashtrian households. Its blackish brown in colour and every house has a unique way of preparing this. You can read more about Goda Masala here . Serves 4 Ingredients: 2 cups gram flour (besan) , 1 cup chopped coriander , 2-3 green chillies , (more if you like spicy) 5-6 garlic pods , 1/2 tsp  turmeric powder , 1 tsp  goda masala  or  shahi garam masala , 1/4 tsp  asafoetida , 1 tsp white   sesame seeds , Salt as per taste, For tempering: 2 tsp oil , 1 tsp mustard seeds , 8-10 curry leaves , 1 tbsp grated coconut, 1 tbsp chopped coriander, ...

Quiche is a savoury, open-faced pastry crust with a filling of savoury custard with cheese, meat, seafood, or vegetables. Quiche can be served hot or cold. It is part of French cuisine, but is also popular in Britain, particularly as party food. Quiche lorraine is a popular variant that was originally an open pie with a filling of custard with smoked bacon or lardons and cheese. Some recipes of quiche lorraine also include ham. The addition of Gruyère cheese makes a quiche very delicious. Additions like goats cheese or mozzeralla makes the whole quiche very very delicious. Since I didn't have goats cheese or Gruyère cheese I used regular cheddar and cottage cheese. Serves: 6 {12 medium wedges} Ingredients: For the pie:  2 cups flour, 1/2 tsp sugar, 1/2 cup butter, 1/4 cup oil, 1/2 tsp salt, For the filling: 200 ml low fat fresh cream (I have used Amul Fresh Cream), 1/4 cup spinach , finely chopped, 1/4 cup cheese , grated, (I...

Tawa Pulao is an immensely tasty pulao recipe made with the rice, veggies and rich Indian spices. This is one of the most famous street food recipe and known as Mumbai’ s Special Tawa Pulao. This is the best delight or treat for the lovable Mumbaikar’s. This dish is a great party dish. If you want to do something innovative, you could cook this right in front of your guests. The predominant ingredient in this dish is the tawa or the girdle.  If you have an iron girdle, then its great, however even a non stick one would do. If you don't have a girdle at home, then you can cook this dish in a regular kadhai or pan. Serves 4 Ingredients: 4 cups cooked basmati rice , (I have used regular rice) 1/2 cup onion , thinly sliced, 1/2 cup carrot , cut lenght wise, 1/2 cup green beans , cut into inch pieces, 1/2 cup green peas , 1/2 cup capsicum , cut in cubes, 3-4 green chillies, finely chopped, 2-3 tbsp butter , (I have used Amul butter) 1-1/2 tbsp pav bhaji masala , 1...

Korma is a dish originating in South Asia or Central Asia which can be made with yogurt, cream, nut and seed pastes or coconut milk. It is a type of curry. The korma style is similar to all other braising techniques. In that the meat or vegetable is first cooked briskly or seared using a high heat and then subjected to long, slow cooking using moist heat and a minimum of added liquid. The pot may be sealed with dough during the last stages of cooking. This is called cooking in "dum". Ingredients: 1 kg, chicken , curry cut, ½ cup browned deep fried  onion , 1 ½ cup, yogurt , 2 ½ tsp deghi mirch chilii powder, ( I have used MDH), 2 tsp coriander powder, 1 tbsp ginger garlic paste, 1 tsp kewra water, 8 green cardamoms , 8 cloves , 1 inch piece cinnamon , ¼ pieces nutmeg , 4 pieces mace , 3 tbsp oil , Salt as per taste Method: Grind brown onion with cloves, cinnamon, green cardamom and mace and set aside. Heat oil in a heavy bottomed pan. Add chicke...

One of the easiest paneer dishes I have prepared so far. Ready in less than 10 mins, this is tasty and can be served both as a main course and starter. If you want a little more semi-dry gravy, increase the number of chopped tomatoes and chopped onions. Adjust the number of cubed capsicum and cubed onion as per the semi-dry gravy and quantity of paneer. Ingredients: 200 gms cottage cheese/paneer , cubed, 1 capsicum , cubed, 1 small  onion , cubed, 1 medium onion , finely chopped, 1 tomato , finely chopped, 1 tsp turmeric powder , 1 tbsp garlic , finely chopped, 8-10 julienned ginger , 1-2 tbsp oil , Salt to taste, For grinding: 2-3 whole dry red chillies , 1 tbsp coriander seeds , Method:  Dry roast the red chillies and coriander on slow heat. Allow it to cool. Grind it into a fine powder. Set aside. Heat oil in a pan. Add the chopped garlic and all of the ground powder and saute. Add the finely chopped onions and fry until translucent. Add th...

Not many know that I belong to a hotelier family. My maternal grandfather owned a South Indian hotel in Nagpur. It was called "Shanti Bhavan". Placed right on a popular square in a prime location, Shanti Bhavan was a pure veg restaurant. Known for the delicious South Indian delicacies, Shanti Bhavan was famous for its hot steaming idlis, dosas, samosas and dahi vada's. My grandfather was a great businessman and had a knack of managing business. Over the years the business saw a downhill as he started growing older and finally sold off the business. The new owner did not change the name, interiors, or the essence of the dishes as the heart of the restaurant was the cuisine and unique taste. He just added Shree in front of Shanti Bhavan :-) I have beautiful childhood memories of this place. Every year when we would visit our maternal grandparents, my uncle would take me and my cousin to the restaurant in the mornings. There was a secret staircase and a small room wher...

What do you do when you are so caught up at work and other things that you forget to do your vegetable shopping? Run to your favorite vegetable, potato, and make something out of it. Simple :-) So if you have just potato, onion and tomato, the basic vegetables, you can churn out an awesome dish. To give a basic simple potato curry a twist and make everyone on the dinner table feel "wow", give it a twist. Serve it with puri rather than your regular roti or paratha. Everybody thinks its an elaborate and filling meal and will thank you for so much of effort :-) Ingredients: 5 medium sized  potatoes , boiled, peeled, cubed, 2 medium sized  onions , grated, 2 medium sized  tomatoes , grated, 1 tsp  cumin seeds , 1 tsp  onion seeds , 2 tbsp  thick curd , 1-2 tsp  red chilli powder , 1 tsp  turmeric powder , 1 tsp  cumin powder , 1 tsp   garam masala powder , 2 tbsp oil , Salt  to taste, Method: Heat oil in ...

These Cheese Balls are very versatile and come handy in crisis situations. Its a great party snack and goes very well with drinks. Kids love it too. So when you intend to make this, make it in a large quantity, say double or triple the quantity mentioned in the recipe. You can use whatever you like and the rest just arrange it in a plate and put it in the freezer for about an hour. Once the balls freeze, put them in a ziplock bag for later use. When ever you need to use them, just thaw it in room temperature and roll it in bread crumbs and deep fry. Ingredients: 2 potatoes , boiled and mashed, 1/2 carrot , grated, 2 tbsp, fresh  green peas , par boiled, 1-2 green chillies , finely chopped, 1 tbsps coriander leaves , finely chopped, 3 tbsps grated cheese (I used Amul cheese), Salt to taste Oil for deep frying For coating: 1 cup bread crumbs Method: Combine mashed potatoes, green peas, grated carrot, grated cheese, green chillies, salt and coriander leav...

I know many people are wary of making Biryani. Just the thought of it makes them very jittery. I somehow feel Biryani is the easiest to make. Just put all ingredients together, leave it on the stove and go do your work. Come back and its done. My original recipe for Biryani which I ususally make at home, is very differnt than this recipe I am sharing. I use the layering technique. I am making this recipe for the first time, and as the name suggests, you cook the chicken along with the rice. If you do a couple of things ahead of time, trust me you can dish out this biryani in less than an hour. I will share this recipe in a step by step format, so that you could do it in a way that will save a lot of your time. For the Chicken Marination: Ingredients: 4 medium sized onions, cut into thin slices, 1 kg chicken , biryani cut, washed, cleaned and drained, 1 cup thick yougurt , 1 tsp turmeric powder , 2 tsp ginger garlic paste , 1/2 cup browned onions , 1-1/2 tsp garam...

I am a seafood lover. I love fishes of all varieties, with bones or without bones, doesn't matter. I have the enormous patience to remove each bone from the fish and relish it to the core. Prawns and crabs are my all time favorites. I have never cooked prawns or crabs so far, but I thoroughly love eating them. On my recent trip to Goa, I had a great time digging into some awesome Goan Prawn Curry, crab masala, squids. Heavenly! My exposure to eating fish dates back to my childhood days in Asansol where our neighbors would make fish everyday for their meal. Hop into to anyone's house, and you will find fish being fried in mustard oil. Its nostalgic! I acquired my fish eating skills from then. At home, everybody prefers the non bones variety of fishes as its the easiest to eat. Cooking any type of seafood is the easiest. It takes less than 10-15 mins to cook unlike meat. This recipe is very easy and tastes fantastic. Ingredients: 1/2 kg fish , cut, cleaned and drain...