Spinach Jawar roti

Ingredients:
Spinach  chopped packed 3 cups
wheat flour 3 cups
Jowar/Sorghum flour  2 cups
Green Chillies 4-5
Olive/Canola Oil 1 TBsp
Turmeric 1/2 Tsp
Ginger Garlic paste(Optional) 1tsp
Salt to taste
Hot water to blanch Spinach.

Kitchen Equipment/utensils:

Food processor  (or)

Mixer/Blender

Mixing bowl

Cooking Method:

1. Blanch spinach in enough hot water for 5-8 mins and put in a strainer. Reserve remaining hot water atleast a Cup for mixing dough.
2. This can be mixed easily in one step using a food processor or in 2 steps using a blender/mixer/grinder.
3. Step1 : For Food processor, with the dough mode on and chopping blade not the dough blade  and add spinach, chillies, salt, tumeric, ginger garlic and half of oil. Put it on for 2 mins and then add wheat and jowar flour. Once crumbles are formed then start adding hot water once the dough comes together add oil and check for softness you can always add a couple spoons wheat flour if its too soft.

Simple Fish Fry

Ingredients:

Marination:
Fish steaks:2 lbs
Turmeric-1 tsp
Fenugreek powder/methi podi:1/4 tsp
salt:1 tsp or to taste
Chilli powder:1 1/2 tsp
Ginger Garlic Paste: 1tsp
Oil: 1 tsp
Corainder Powder:1 tsp
lime/lemon juice : 1tsp
Coriander leaves Chopped: 1/4 cup.

Kitchen Equipment/utensils:

Large skillet (wide pan). 

Blender or Mixer.

Cooking Method:

1. Clean, wash  and pat dry fish steaks with paper towel then marinate the fish with all the marination ingredients.
2. Let is rest in refrigerator for 30 min- 1 hr.
3. Heat the skillet on medium flame,  place the fish and let then sear for couple minutes until the crust forms, then they can be easily flipped. 
4. let them sear on both sides and then cook for 20 minutes on low flame by flipping couple times and no more.
5. Garnish with Coriander leaves.

Tips:

1. Use, Tilapia, Black seabass or any fresh water fish. Salmon steaks also work best.
2. Steak are fish cut in indian style with skin on as seen in pic.
3. For friends in US, check in chinese stores, they have aquarium with live fish and they cut as we want and give head and tail too
4. Safety Tip: DO NOT EAT CATFISH IN US they are called maardulu in telugu and not good for health.
5. Goes well with Sambhar or Dal or any pasta Side Dish.

Nellore Chepala Pulusu

Ingredients:

Marination:
Fish steaks:2 lbs
Turmeric-1 tsp
Fenugreek powder/methi podi:1/4 tsp
salt:1 tsp or to taste
Chilli powder:1 1/2 tsp
Ginger Garlic Paste: 1tsp
Oil: 1 tsp
Corainder Powder:1 tsp
lime/lemon juice : 1tsp

Pulusu:

1 lemon/ tennis ball size tamarind soaked in 1 cup warm water
1 tomato
1/2 raw green mango diced with Skin on.
3-4 Green Chillies Slit length wise
1 Onion Cut length wise
1/4 cup Fresh Coriander Leaves
1 Tbsp Oil
1/2 tsp salt

Kitchen Equipment/utensils:

Large skillet (wide pan) with lid. 

Blender or Mixer.

Cooking Method:

1. Clean and wash fish steaks and marinate the fish with all the marination ingredients.
2. Let is rest while prepping for pulusu
3. In a wide skillet, heat oil and saute chillies, onions, while onions are sauteing.
4. Squeeze out the tamarind pulp and blend with tomato using hand blender or Grinder set aside.
5. After onion turn are translucent, add the tamarind tomato puree and check for sourness. Add enough water to adjust sourness.
6. Bring it boil , add salt and mix well, reduce flame to low-medium on gas or 3-4 on induction or electric stove
7. Now safely place the fish into pulusu using a spatula and see that all layer in one later. 
8. See that all fish pieces should be immersed in pulusu. 
9. Scrap out the remaining marinate into pulusu.
10. Add mango Pieces on top and DO NOT MIX.
11. Set timer to 20  minutes and cover with lid in low - medium flame.
12. Check back after 20 minutes,  see the mango pieces area cooked no need testing fish.
13. Switch off  add coriander leaves and let it rest with covered lid for another 20-30 minutes.

Tips:

1. Use, Tilapia, Black seabass or any fresh water fish. Salmon steaks also work best.
2. Steak are fish cut in indian style with skin on
3. For friends in US, check in chinese stores, they have aquarium with live fish and they cut as we want and give head and tail too
4. Safety Tip: DO NOT EAT CATFISH IN US they are called maardulu in telugu and not good for health.
5. Do not get tempted, to mix after adding fish.
6. Tastes better after couple hours when pulusu thickens.

Vermicelli Pulao.

Vermicelli Pulao

 

Ingredients:

2 Cups Vermicelli
1 Table carrot chopped julienne style
1/4 cup Green beans chopped diagonally
1/4 cups Fresh green peas(Frozen)
1/4 cups Mixed peppers(Green, red, yellow) chopped julienne
1 medium tomato sliced length wise.
1/2 cup Potatos diced.
5-6 Thai Chillies sliced length wise
1 medium onion julienne
1Tbsp Oil
3 Cups Water
Salt to taste.
Fresh Coriander and lime for garnish.

Kitchen Equipment/utensils:

Large skillet (wide pan) with lid. 

Cooking Method:

1. In a large skillet, dry roast vermicelli until light brown or skip this if bought roasted vermicelli.
2. Remove into  bowl, then heat oil saute chillies, onions, potatoes, beans, peas, carrots , peppers and tomatoes more or less in same order as they per there cooking time. peppers, carrots and  need very less time.
3. Add 3 cups of water and salt. Taste the water it should be slightly salty close the lid.
4. Bring it to boil and add roasted vermicelli decrease the flame to low and let it cook until soft. 
5. Remove the lid if excess moisture is present. using a wide skillet helps evaporate the moisture faster and have nice texture to the vermicelli.
6. Garnish with coriander and squeeze lime juice for extra tang Serve with chutney or with any fritter  raw plantain

Tips:

1. Mix and match as per availability and taste.

2. Consistency is key to this recipe, tends to get mushy easily. ratio is 1(vermicelli):11/2(water).

3. Use less water if the recipe gets mushy as it depends on vermicelli texture and brand.

Pakki Egg Biryani

Egg Biryani

A pakki biryani, is when rice /meat/eggs/vegis all cooked individually and then assembled.

 Ingredients:

2 Cups Basmati Rice (Soak for 30mins, while you are prepping)

4 Eggs 

3 Cups Water

4 Bay leaves

2 cloves

1/2 inch cinamon

2 peper corns

2 cardamom whole

1 tsp Shahi jeera

2/3 cups Yogurt/Curd Strained(remove whey by hanging for few minutes).

1 Tbsp Biryani masala

1 Tsp dry coriander powder

1 Tsp Chilli powder

1/2 tsp Turmeric powder

1 large Onion sliced 

5 Thai chillies(Adjust as per taste)

1 Tbsp or 10 mint leaves.

2 Tbsps Fresh coriander leaves chopped.

2 Tbsps Light Olive oil or any cooking oil

Salt to taste.

Half Lime 

Kitchen Equipment/Utensils:

Rice cooker, Saute pan, Mixing bowl.

Cooking Method:

1. Cook rice with just 3 cups water by adding half of whole spices, 2 bay leaves, 1/2 tsp salt, 2 slit thai chillies and 1 tsp oil.
2. While rice is cooking, boil eggs until done and shell .
3. In a bowl whisk yogurt, chilli powder, biryani masala, corainder powder, 1 tsp oil and set aside.
4. Take a pan wide and enough to hold the cooked rice.
5. Heat 2 tsps of oil, saute remaining chillies, onion until brown and crisp.
6. make few slits to the eggs with a knife so that they do not burst in oil,add boiled eggs to the pan and roast for few minutes, add turmeric and saute for 2 mins.
7. Pour the yogurt mixture and cook for 10-15 minutes on low-medium flame just to incorporate the masala and coat the eggs.
8. loosen rice in the cooker and layer in the pan top of with remaining mint/pudina and corainder.
9. Cook on very low flame for 8-10 minutes.
10. Take it off the flame, mix well and garnish before serving.

Tips:

1. Best served with Raita of any kind carrot, cucumber or onion/tomato.
2. By adding just 3 cups we are cooking 80 percent and then finishing on stove.

Oatmeal Naivedyam....Healthy option for Festive Season

Oatmeal Naivedyam

Had this at a temple, some devotee cooked. Felt awesome alternative specially during festive season,

Ingredients:

1 cup Instant oats (See pic)

2 Cups Low fat milk

1/2 Cup Grated jagery

1 Tbps  Cashews

1 Tbsp Blanched slivered almonds

1 Tbsp Golden Raisins

1/2 Tsp Cardamom powder

1  Tsp Ghee/Clarified butter

Kitchen Equipment/Utensils:

1-2 quart Sauce pan, Grater for jagery

Cooking Method:

1. Heat glee in a saucepan, roast cashews, raisins just golden color.
2. Remove the nuts from pan using a slotted spoon and remove any remaining ghee from sauce pan.
3. Bring milk to boil and stir in instant oats until cooked.
4. Add in jagery, almonds and mix well.
5. Switch off and fold in nuts, cardamom powder and raisins.

Tips:

1. Use instant oats, the quick cooking are very fine and may not hold.
2. Add in warm milk if the oatmeal solidifies.
3. Best served hot. Adjust sweetness as per taste.

Stuffed mini peppers.......Spicy twist

Stuffed peppers with Pesto

Had similar appetizer in Santori, Greece. They were mild, i made it bit spicy for my family pallete

Ingredients:

Oven:

10 Sweet mini peppers halved lengthwise with stem intact

4 oz Goat cheese plain

1 oz  Cream Cheese plain

2 Tsps Crushed red pepper flakes

1 Tbsps Lime juice

1/2 tsp pepper powder

Olive oil for drizzling 

Pesto:

1/2 Walnuts toasted

1/2 Cup Coriander chopped tight packed

1/4 Cup Mint(Pudina) chopped tight packed

1/4 Cup Lime juice 

2 Garlic Cloves

6 Thai Chillies

1/2 Tsp Salt

1/4 Extra Virgin Olive Oil

Kitchen Utensils/Equipment:

Blender, Oven, Baking Sheet, Knife.

Arranged on a baking sheet.

Cooking Method:

1. Preheat Oven to 350C/180C.
2. Spoon the seeds out of Peppers, add the seeds to all the ingredients of pesto and blend to paste.
3. In a bowl take all the ingredients for oven and mix until incorporated. Do a taste check.
4. Scoop spoonful of cheese mixture into each pepper halves and bake for 20 mins.
5. Serve hot with pesto.

Tips:

1. Use all cheeses at room temperatures.
2. Pesto can be store in refrigerator and used for dips or sandwich spreads.
3. Roast some peppers for layering a sandwich...recipe coming soon.