Indo-Chinese Vegetable Noodles

I wanted to try something new dish as I'm bored with all south indian varieties for dinner. Indo-Chinese food varieties are very popular in India especially among kids and youth. A good reason to try :)

No of servings - 3

Ingredients 

1. Linguine or any noodles 
2. Sesame Oil - 2 tbsp 
3. Onion(chopped) - 1 
4. Carrot - 2 
5. Green/Red/Orange pepper(any) - 2 
6. Baby corn - 7-8 
7. Ginger garlic paste - 1 tbsp  
8. Pepper powder - 1/2 tsp 
9. Egg - 1 
10. Soy sauce - 2 tbsp 
11. Teriyaki sauce - 2 tbsp 
12. Maggi hot and sweet ketch up - 3 tbsp 
13. Bamboo shoots - 7-8 
14. Tomatoes - 1 
15. Salt - to taste 
16. Oil - 2 tbsp

Method

1.  Cook noodles in water according to package instructions(approx 6-7 minutes)
2. Add salt to the boiling noodles(preferred) 
3. When its thoroughly cooked, drain and run on cold water, add sesame oil to the  noodles and keep aside 
4. Heat oil in a vok and add onions 
5. Add the ginger garlic paste to onions and fry till the onions get shiny(onions with ginger garlic paste also gives you a nice aroma) 
6. Add the carrots, pepper, babycorn, bamboo shoots one by one and allow it to cook 
7. Push veggies to one side of vok and break an egg.  
8. Scramble the egg till its cooked and mix with veggies 
9. Add the soy sauce, teriyaki sauce and maggie ketch up and mix well 
10. Toss the noddles and let the noodles coat well with the saucey mixture
11. Garnish with green onions and fresh tomatoes. If you think that you have added more sauce than to your taste buds, minimize the saucey flavor with raw tomatoes.
     

Good for parties and gatherings

Mushroom Peas Masala

Are you looking for a spicy but yet delicious curry for your chappathi/roti, you have landed on your destination. Mushroom peas masala is a popular punjabi dish loaded with flavor and aroma

No of Servings - 5

Ingredients

1. Onion(small) - 2
2. Tomatoes - 2
3. Green chillies(small) - 2
4. Ginger - 1/2 tsp
5. Garlic - 5 pieces
6. Mushroom(chopped) - 2 cups
7. Turmeric powder - 1/2 tsp
8. Chilli powder - 1/2  tsp
9. Garam masala - 1/2 tsp
10. Cashews - 10
11. Salt - to taste
12. Kastoori methi leaves - 1/2 tsp

Method

1. Heat oil in a wok and fry ginger and garlic
2. Add onions and saute with salt to avoid drying up
3. Get your tomatoes ready and add it to the mixture
4. Add turmeric, chilli, garam masala powder and wait for the tomatoes to smash and for the oil to seperate out
5. Add cashewnuts and leave it on flame for few mts(main ingredient to give you the sweet flavor)
6. Remove the mixture from the flame and let it cool down
7. Grind the mixture into a coarse paste on mixer
8. Heat oil in the same wok and add the grinded paste.  
9. Bring the mixture to boil and add the chopped mushrooms and peas 
10. Add water to get the mixture to your consistency
11. Rub the dry methi leaves on your hand and sprinkle on the mixture.(yes, thats right, its the secret ingredient to produce the aroma)

Spinach kuzhambu

Though the title says kuzhambu, its not of the regular kuzhambu style. This dish is one of the popular dish among sourashtra families. My mom makes this all the time as it is very healthy, easy to prepare and cools down your body.

No of servings - 4

Ingredients

1. Spinach(chopped) - 1 cup
2. Onion(Small) -1 
3. Rice cleaned water - 2 cups
4. Pepper powder - 1/2 tsp
5. Cumin powder - 1/2 tsp
6. Asafoetida - a pinch
7. Milk - 1/2 cup
8. Salt - as needed
9. Seasoning items
1. Oil - 3 tsp
2. Kadugu - 1/4 tsp
3. Cumin seeds - 1/4 tsp
4. Red chilli - 2

Method 

1. Clean rice with water and save the water 
2. Boil the rice cleaned water in a pan and add chopped spinach and onion
3. let it boil in a open pan for 10 mts (or till the spinach is well cooked)
4. Add the pepper powder, cumin powder and salt to the boiling spinach mixture.
5. Remove the boiling mixture from flame when the spinach is thoroughly cooked 
6. Heat oil in a pan and add seasoning items and wait till it splutters
7. Add the seasoning to the spinach mixture and set aside the mixture for cooling
8. When its cooled down, add milk to the spinach mixture

Easy and health recipe and kids would love it. 

Okra Dosa

This is one of the best recipe I have ever tried and it tastes as great as okra. I believe no one can say "no" to okra and dosa. And both mixed together in a recipe is simply great. Adding green to food gives satisfaction for parents having picky eaters at home.  I should thank my friend "Latha Kalyan" for introducing this recipe to me. Since I got to know the recipe, it has been lingering in my mind and looking for a perfect time to try it out. This is my first trial too but we all loved its flavor. And I know it would be one of the most demanding recipe ever.

Okra Dosa

Ingredients

Flat Big Spoon

1. Idli Rice - 2 cups
2. Raw Rice - 1 cup
3. Okra - 18-20
4. Green Chilli - 1
5. Salt - To taste

Method 

Okra Dosa Flour

1. Soak Idli rice and Raw rice in water for 4 hrs as you prepare the regular idly/dosa flour
2. Cut Okra into small pieces and set aside (Exposing the cut okra to air would lessen the moisture and sticky nature)
3. When the rice is ready to grind, grind first the okra in mixer
4. Grind the rice in the grinder. On half way, add the grinded okra and green chilli
5. When the flour is smooth enough to make dosa, remove it from grinder
6. Add salt to taste and mix the flour well

Okra Dosa

1. Heat the dosa tawa and spray oil if required
2. Dilute the okra flour to reduce the viscous nature. Make sure to check the consistency before applying on the tawa
3. Spread the flour with flat spoon and wait for few seconds. Turn on the other side and remove it from flame when ready. 
4. Okra dosa magic is with the flat spoon

Goes well with all chutney and sambar

Veggie Pasta - Angel Hair

This recipe is derived from Adharsh school lunch recipe which I was not expecting much out of it...but turned out good...One another recipe with all the healthy nutrients and better deal for dinner....Kids would love it especially the cheese and angel hair ..

Ingredients

1. Angel hair whole grain pasta- 8 oz(1/2 pack)


2. Garlic - 4 cloves


3. Onion - 1


4. Green pepper - 1/2


5. Mixed veggies(beans, carrots, cors, peas, mushrooms, avacados, zucchini etc) - 1 cup


6. Pepper powder - 1/2 tsp


7. Pasta sauce(any variety) - 4 tbsp


8. Cheese - 1 slice/2 tbsp grated cheese


9. Salt - to taste


10. Seasoning items
    Olive oil - 2 tsp, Cumin seeds - 1/2 tsp

Method

1. Boil Pasta with water for 10-15 mts(or according to the cooking instructions)


2. Add salt to taste(1 tsp) while cooking paste


3. Drain the excess water from pasta and mix it with some olive oil to avoid becoming sticky


4. Heat oil in a wok and add the seasoning items


5. Add garlic and green pepper and wait till it smells good


6. Add onions and fry for few mts.


7. Now its the best time to add salt to the mixture


8. Add the mixed veggies(frozen veggies are your better bet, microwave before for 5 mts) and fry for 5 mts


9. Mix it with pasta sauce and cheese and let it boil for 5 mts. Its good to add a little bit of cheese to this recipe. Just the pasta sauce tastes raw and you will never turn back to this recipe once forever.


10. Add the mixture to the pasta and mix it thoroughly
    
    
    Let it cool for sometime...It also helps blending of pasta with the sauce. ..wait and add up the flavor :)
    
    

Mattar Paneer

This is the FIRST ever paneer recipe that we have prepared at home...Paneer was not even in our minds these many years...But the time has come now..As everyone knows, paneer is a very good source of calcium and protein but it is loaded with lots and lots of fat. So its very good for growing people and pregnant, lactating mothers. You can increase the nutritional value of paneer by preparing the same at home using non fat milk...Turn to this recipe if you want to increase your kids calcium intake especially when milk is not their favorite.

No of servings : 6-7

Ingredients

1. Paneer - 1 cup
2. Peas - 1 cup
3. Green chillies - 2
4. Cashew nuts - 10
5. Onion - 1(small)
6. Tomatoes - 2 - 2 1/2
7. Ginger garlic paste - 1 tbsp
8. Coriander powder - 1 tsp
9. Cumin powder - 1 tsp
10. Turmeric powder - 1/4 tsp
11. Red chilli powder - 1/4 tsp
12. Methi powder - 1 tsp
13. Masala ingredients - bay leaf, clove, cardamom, cinnamon
14. Seasoning items - Cumin seeds
15. Salt - as needed

Method

1. Heat oil in a pan and fry cashew nuts
2. Add ginger garlic paste and green chillies. 
3. Add onions, salt and turmeric powder and fry for just a few mts and add tomatoes. You dont have to wait till the onions gives you a shine. but adding the salt at this point is good
4. Wait for the tomatoes to smash and grind the mixture in blender
5. Heat oil in a pan and add seasoning items and masala ingredients
6. Add the grinded mixture and add cumin powder, coriander powder
7. Add methi leaves, peas and paneer. You can smell the flavor of methi instantly...Yes its the methi leaves that gives you the flavor of paneer recipes at restaurants
8. Heat for 15-20 mts in the simmer
9. Garnish with coriander leaves

Taste this delicious paneer with chappathi/roti...

Idiyappam

Can you think of any noodles that can be made in 2-4 mts...All our minds will start think about Maggie/Top Ramen noodles on hearing 2 mts...But in reality, everyone knows that maggie also takes more than 2 mts...But idiyappam, the simple south indian food can be made in exactly2-3 mts..and with simple ingredients..But it comes only at the cost of having the maker..very surprised to see a wiki info for this tasty food(http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Idiyappam)

No of people/serving - 3

Ingredients

1. Rice flour - 2 cups
2. Water
3. Oil
4. Salt

And that is it...lets go to method

Method

1. Boil water in a pan and add 1/2-1 tsp of salt according to your taste..(little salt is sufficient enough)
2. Add 1 tbsp of olive oil to the boiling water
3. When the water gets to boil., pour it to the rice flour slowly
4. Knead the flour and make it to a soft dough like we make of chappathi
5. Put it in idiyappam maker and spread it on idli plate.
6. Boil it in cooker for 4-5 mts..let it cool
7. Sprinkle coconut flakes to add flavor

This is one dish which you can make it to yummy/salty according to your taste buds...It goes very well with sugar/vegetable kuruma...