Veg Fried Rice Recipe (Chinese Restaurant Style) - How to make fried rice

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Veg / Vegetable Fried Rice - After watching a tv show, and after many plus and minus now I can confidently say I have got my kind of chinese veg fried rice apt like in restaurants. You want a indian version then skip the sauces, with just the veggies it is flavourful too.The best combo for fried rice is gobi manchurian, yumm!

Ingredients:

• Basmati rice - 3/4 cup
• Carrot - 2 small finely chopped 
• Beans - 2 finely chopped 
• Cabbage - 1/8 cup
• Onions - 1/8 cup
• Spring onions (white part) - 1 tbsp finely chopped
• Spring onions (green part) - 1 tbsp finely chopped
• Garlic - 1/2 tbsp
• Capsicum - 2 tbsp chopped finely
• Soya sauce - 1/2 tsp
• Green Chilli Sauce - 3/4 tsp
• Ajino motto - 1/4 tsp (optional) - I didnt use
• Pepper powder - 1.5 tsp
• Olive Oil - 1.5 tbsp
• Salt - to taste

Method:

1.Rinse rice and pressure cook it with required water till rice grain is separated...Fluff it off with a fork add some olive oil, keep aside.Chop and keep all the veggies ready.Heat olive oil in a pan, add garlic and spring onions white part,fry till its starts browning.

2.Then add onions and fry till golden brown then add carrots, beans and cabbage and saute till they shrink and raw smell leaves. Add capsicum saute with the veggies for 2mins.

3.Then add soya sauce - and saute in high flame for 2mins stirring continuously. Keep in sim and then add green chilli sauce, pepper powder,ajino motto(if you are using)and required salt.Keep stirring continuously for few mins till the veggies are well blended with the sauces.

4.Then add the cooked rice and mix well.Finally garnish with spring onions, give a quick stir and switch off.

Let the rice fry for another 3-4 mins . Garnish with spring onions(optional) and switch off. 

My Notes:

• Dont skip spring onions as gives a good amount of chinese flavour to the fried rice.

• Chopping the veggies very fine helps in cooking faster. Sauteing the veggies in high flame gives a nice smoky flavour and also retains its crunchiness without the raw smell.

• I soaked the basmati rice for 15 mins then pressure cooked for 1:1.5 ratio(rice:water) for 4 whistles in medium low flame.

• Make sure to fluff the rice and spread it with little olive oil to make the grains separate.Allow it to rest atleast for 30mins.

• Don't add more soya sauce than mentioned amount else your fried rice color will be on the darker side also soya sauce will be over powerful.

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Instant Akki Roti / Masala Rice Roti

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Akki Roti or Masala Rice Roti is a famous karnataka dish which can be served as a snack or for dinner. It is sure a better alternative to the usual dosas and its very quick to make too. Actually, this recipe was vaguely given by hubby which he got from his colleague. He rarely asks for anything specific so wanted to give a try the day he asked for it.As a food blogger and a responsible wife I made few adjustments here and there to come up with these akki rotis recipe :) He liked it so much and the best thing was this time with no complaints :)

Ingredients:

Makes 10 to 12 rotis

• Rice flour - 1.5 cups
• Onions - 1 finely chopped
• Ginger - 1 tbsp finely chopped
• Chilli powder - 1/2 tsp (optional)
• Turmeric powder - a small pinch
• Jeera - 1 tsp
• Carrot - 1 medium sized, grated
• Coconut - 2 to 3 tbsp grated
• Coriander leaves - 1 tbsp finely chopped
• Hing - a pinch
• Green chillies - 1 finely chopped
• Salt - to taste
• Oil - to toast

Method:

1. Take a wide bowl and add the rice flour first. Then crush the jeera with your hands and add to the rice flour.


2. Add all the remaining ingredients one by one together except oil, add required water to form a soft dough. Be careful in adding water, add it little by little.


3. Then take a polythene cover, drizzle a drop of oil and grease well. Pinch a small lemon sized ball and pat it on the polythene cover till very thin like chapathis.


4. Heat dosa tawa and add the roti, drizzle oil and let it get cooked. Turn over otherside and allow it to cook well. Repeat this for all other rotis too, no need to grease the polythene cover each time, may be you can do it for alternative rotis. Serve hot with any chutney or even tomato ketchup. We had it as such itself :)

After patting it into a thin circle, cut it with a lid if you want your rotis to look pretty and get perfect circles for the pics...yes I did that :)

Isnt that a easy recipe, Dont have dosa batter for making idlis or dosa?! Try this instant akki roti for a change. Its quick, easy and very tasty. It doesnt need any side dish , isnt that great?!

This roti keeps soft for 2-3 hours. So try to consume hot, else it will become a little harder.

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Easy Rasmalai Recipe - How to make rasmalai | Diwali Sweet Recipes

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This is the quick and easy rasmalai recipe when your homemade rasgullas are ready. Rasmalai is a rich indian delicacy, rasgullas in thickened milk with the slight flavour of sugar syrup and saffron topped with nuts...Its yum combo!! You can check the homemade rasgullas recipe , but you can use store bought ones too for making rasmalai. Do check out bread rasmalai recipe too.

Rasmalai Recipe - Ingredients

• Rasgullas - 12 to 15
• Milk - 3 cups
• Condensed milk - 3 tbsp 
• Ghee - 1 tsp
• Sugar - 1/2 cup
• Chopped Nuts(pista,cashews and badam) - 3 tbsp
• Saffron - 3 to 4 strands
• Cardamom powder - 1/2 tsp (optional)

Method:

1.Take a wide heavy bottomed vessel, grease it with little ghee and add condensed milk + milk. Bring to a boil and reduce to medium flame. Keep stirring till the milk starts thickening and reduced to half.Meanwhile take 2 tbsp of warm milk, add saffron strands and crush it well, keep aside. 

2.Now add the saffron milk to the boiling and keep stirring. Then add the sugar  and keep stirring. The mixture is called rabri and it tastes divine by itself :)

4.Keep in sim and stir it till it reduces in volume.Fry the nuts in ghee and add it to the rabri and mix well. Add cardamom powder and give a quick mix.

5.Now finally add the rasgullas and let it cook in low flame for 5mins till the rasgullas absorb the milk.Switch off , cool completely and then chill it. Rasmalai is ready now. Serve chilled!

I've become a great fan of rasmalai since I tasted it from Annapoorna GowriShankar.Guess they use condensed milk so wanted to give a try at home using condensed milk. Homemade ones are best too if prepared in the right consistency.

You can also use store bought rasgullas, tinned ones are easy to reach - Haldirams works best .

My Notes:

• Dont use saffrons more, it will be over powerful and will spoil the taste.
• The addition of condensed milk not only makes the rasmalai rich but extra tasty and gives a unique flavour to it.
• You can also use the sugar syrup that comes with the rasgullas and add it to the rabri instead of sugar.
• Allow atleast 30mins sitting and refrigerating time before serving to taste best.

Technorati Tags: rasmalai, rasmalai recipe, easy rasmali recipe, quick ras malai, how to make rasmalai, easy milk sweets, easy diwali sweets, rasmalai sweet

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Mutter Paneer (Paneer Peas Masala) | Paneer Recipes

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Mutter Paneer is one recipe which I recently tried and have had a great satisfaction with the taste.There is no proper source for this recipe as I saw this in a TV show then from a book, finally I mixed up these 2 and came up with my version of mutter paneer masala which suits our taste. I always wonder how restaurant gravies alone are so creamy and tasty. Later I found that cream does the magic and gives a richness to the gravy, if you dont have fresh cream alternatively you can use milk too.

Mutter Paneer Masala - Ingredients:

Serves 2

• Paneer - 1 cup cubed
• Peas - 1/2 cup [I used fresh peas]
• Fresh Cream / Milk - 3 tbsp [I used malai, ie top of milk(paal aadai)]
• Onion - 1 small sized finely chopped
• Jeera - 1 tsp
• Ginger garlic paste - 2 tsp
• Red chilli powder - 1 tsp
• Dhaniya powder - 1/2 tsp
• Turmeric powder - a pinch
• Garam masala powder - 1 tsp
• Green chilli - 1 finely chopped
• Coriander leaves - 2 tsp (chopped finely)
• Kasoori Methi - 1 tsp
• Oil - 1 tsp
• Salt - As needed

Saute and grind to a paste:

• Onion - 1 cut lengthwise
• Tomatoes - 3 medium sized(chopped roughly)
• Cinnamon - 1/2 inch piece
• Cloves - 1
• Oil - 2 tsp

Method:

1.Heat a pan with oil, Saute the ingredients under 'to grind' until onions are browned and tomatoes shrink and its mushy. Cool down and grind with little water to a fine paste.

2.Pressure cook peas until soft for 3 whistles and keep aside. Toast paneer cubes in a dosa tawa and drain in a tissue paper. [I didnt transfer to hot water this time still it was soft].

3.Now heat a pan with remaining oil, add jeera let it crackle, then add ginger garlic paste and fry for a minute. Then add onions, green chillies and fry till onions turn light brown.Add the grinded tomato onion paste and mix well. Add chilli, coriander, garam masala, turmeric powder and allow it to boil for 3-5mins.

4.When the mixture gets thickened add 1/2 cup water(adjust according to the thickness of the gravy) and mix well. Add required salt, allow it to boil and simmer for 5 mins.Now the mixture will start leaving out oil.

5.At this stage add cream or milk then toasted paneer, cooked peas and mix well till the gravy is coated with paneer and peas. Simmer for 2mins then garnish with kasoori methi and coriander leaves and switch off.

I am sure you will also be surprised like me with this creamy mutter paneer masala, it is very tasty and sure a better alternative to the usual Paneer Butter Masala.

My Notes:

• For the peas or any green vegetable to stay green, after pressure cook release the pressure manually and open it. This way the veggies will stay green while adding in gravies - Got this tip from my cousin and it worked too.

• I didnt have fresh cream so used malai(paal aadai) which was saved for making butter. If you are taking malai directly from milk then mash it well then add it to the gravy. The cream gives a nice flavour to the gravy giving it a restaurant taste. You can use milk too replacing cream and it gives a nice flavor too.

• This gravy goes well with any dry rice like fried rice/ pulao or even with naan/rotis. After I tried this I prefer this to PB masala. I really regret for not trying this for all these days, and am glad I tried this now atleast :)

Technorati Tags: mutter paneer, mutter paneer masala recipe, mutter paneer recipes, mutter paneer recipe, paneer mutter masala, paneer peas masala, sharmis passions paneer

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Badam Kheer / Almond Kheer

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Any cold beverage with milk as combination, am sold for it....:) I wanted to try badam kheer since long and a days craving for it pushed me to try it. This is a very rich and tasty dessert that can be made with less effort too. I like my kheer to be served cold.

Ingredients:

Makes 2 small cups

• Badam - 20
• Milk - 1.5 cups
• Sugar - 2 to 3 tsp
• Saffron - 2 strands
• Cardamom powder - 1/2 tsp

Method:

1.Soak badam in hot water for 10mins. Now press the badams to peal the skin off.Grind the badams with 1 tsp milk to a fine paste and keep aside.

2.Soak saffron in warm milk, set aside.Boil milk in a wide bottomed pan,add sugar and simmer it for 5mins so till milk becomes slightly thicker. Now add the saffron milk and mix well.

3.Then add the badam paste. Allow it to boil for 3-5 mins.By this time the mixture starts getting thicker. Add cardamom powder, give a quick stir and switch off.

Garnish with chopped almonds and Serve hot or cold.

My Notes:

• Though the traditional badam kheer recipe is peeling the skin and grinding it.Sometimes I take the shortroute of just powdering almonds, sugar and mix it with milk whenever needed.
• Just powder almonds with sugar,then add saffron strands and cardamom powder. Your readymade badam mix is ready!
• It thickens with time, so switch off when its slightly thicker.

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Oats,Cornflakes Fruit and Nut Bars | Breakfast Bars

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I tried these oats cornflakes fruit and nut bars long back, And since then its often in my do list atleast once a month. I have modified the recipe after trying with 2-3 variations of measurements and finally sticking to this one. This is ideal for breakfast with a cup of milk which is very filling at the same time you can be happy to have started the day on a healthy note. Isnt that nice?!

Ingredients: [Recipe Source : Sunitas world]
Yields 9 bite sized squares

• Oats - 1 cup (100gms)
• Cornflakes/Wheat flakes - 1/2 cup (50gms) - I used wheat flakes
• Wheat flour - 2 tbsp
• Raisins - 1.5 tsp
• Walnuts - 1.5 tbsp chopped
• Choco Chips - 1/2 tbsp
• Jaggery - 1/2 cup (50gms)
• Yogurt - 1/2 cup (50 gms)
• Cooking oil - 1.5 tbsp
• Coco powder - 1 tsp [optional]

Method:

1. In a wide bowl, mix together oats,wheat flakes, wheat flour, walnuts, raisins and choco chips, coco powder together. Just crush the wheat flakes with your hands if the flakes are very big.


2. Just add water to jaggery till immersing level say 1tbsp and leave it for few mins for it to become a syrupy consistency. Then add it to the flour oats mixture. Now add yogurt and oil to the mixture. Just mix to bring everything together.


3. Preheat oven to 180 deg C for 10mins. Meanwhile grease a baking tray with little oil and spread the mixture on it with 1/2 inch thickness. Use back of a spoon to smoothen the top.


4. Bake it for 35-40 mins till it is nicely browned. Keep an eye after 30mins because mine got baked perfectly in 35mins. Transfer it to the wire rack and cool it for 10mins before marking squares.Store it in airtight container and enjoy.

Nuts and oats combination is not only healthy, they are very tasty and ideal for on the go breakfast.The batter looks a bit sticky...These bars sounds close to granola bars but tastes different with the addition of wheat flour, yogurt and jaggery.

I like to try different types of cereal bars as they are not only healthy and ideal for breakfast, at the same time they fill in our after 3PM tummy cravings too. Only the baking time is a little more, otherwise the preperations are nothing at all.

My Notes

• I wanted to try the chocolate flavour so added coco powder, you can omit that too. I have tried both ways and luved both of them :)


• The nuts and dry fruits that goes in the bars are purely our choice, Some variations can be adding dates, black currant etc. The top is slightly crispy and softer, chewy inside.

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Kadai Mushroom Masala Recipe | Mushroom Recipes

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Mushroom being our family favourite, I pick them from the market whenever I see fresh ones. Mushroom Biryani is my fav anytime! Sorry for the delay in posting this kadai mushroom masala even after putting it up in coming soon section since last week. Just blame it on the priority of the vada recipe for pongal festival. Now am finally here with this recipe.....

Kadai Mushroom Masala - Ingredients

Cooking Time:30 mins  Serves:2

Cleaned Mushroom - 1 cup chopped
Capsicum - 1 chopped
Onion - 1 chopped finely
Tomato puree - from 3 small sized tomatoes
Jeera - 1 tsp
Red chilli powder - 1/2 tsp
Coriander powder - 1/2 tsp
Garam masala powder
Ginger garlic paste - 1 tbsp
Kasuri methi / Dried fenugreek leaves - 1/2 tsp
Red Chillies - 1
Coriander leaves - 2 tsp chopped finelyp
Oil - 3 tsp
Salt- to taste

Method:
1.Clean mushroom as shown in the link, slice it and keep aside.Heat oil, add jeera allow it to crackle then add red chillies and fry for a minute.Add onions, ginger garlic paste and saute till onions turn slightly browned.

2.Next add the capsicum, saute well retaining its crunchiness.Then add the tomato puree and fry for 3-4 mins till raw smell leaves.Then add the chilli, turmeric, red chilli powder, coriander powder ,garam masala powder and required salt - mix well and fry for few mins.

3.Add little water if its very thick.Add the mushroom and mix gently until well combined.

4.Simmer for 3 mins and keep closed so that the mushroom gets cooked, becomes soft and nicely blended with the gravy. Once the mushroom gets soft,Simmer for 2 mins then add kasoori methi, coriander leaves and switch it off.

This gravy is close to the kadai paneer recipe and goes well with chapathis or even plain rice and dhal.I confidently wanted to try after trying out kadai paneer and it didnt disappoint us.This is the first time I am trying kadai mushroom masala, I didnt refer to any specific recipe but googled here and there and made up my mind to go with a recipe which is close to the kadai paneer recipe I posted earlier :)

My Notes:

• You can even grind redchillies with tomato and coriander seeds and then add as I did for kadai paneer, gives a fresh flavour.
• This is medium spicy with the measurement I have given. You can adjust according to your taste buds.

Tags: kadai mushroom, kadai mushroom recipe, kadai mushroom gravy, kadai mushroom, kadai mushroom masala, kadai mushroom recipe, how to make kadai mushroom, mushroom recipes, restaurant style kadai mushroom recipe, step by step kadai mushroom recipe, kadai mushroom gravy, mushroom recipes

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Pongal Wishes!!

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Wishing all my readers and fellow bloggers a very happy pongal!

May every drop of pongal add sweetness to your life and bring happiness, prosperity and goodwill!

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Ulundu Vadai / Medhu Vadai Recipe

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Hubby's favorite is this ulunthu vadai but I like paruppu vadai than this one. I wanted to try this since long seeing amma making it for years for any festive ocassions. The only problem I faced was the perfect round shaped vadas......I wanted to do justice to this post here, so the ones posted here are the ones made by amma. Mine looked more like bonda shaped, you can see the ones at the back hiding ;) he he but sure am trying hard to get it perfect.

Ingredients:

• Urad dal / Ulutham paruppu (no skin variety) - 1 cup
• Green chillies - 1 finely chopped
• Small onion - 15 finely chopped
• Curry leaves - 2 tsp finely chopped (optional)
• Jeera - 1.5 tsp crushed (optional)
• Pepper - 1 tsp crushed (optional)
• Salt - to taste
• Water - as required

Method:

1.Soak urad dal for 1 hour at least. Drain water and keep aside (I usually drain the water completely and then sprinkle little by little while grinding , doing so you can be sure of the quantity of water).Now grind it to a fluffy texture sprinkling water now and then. Dont add much water as the batter will become runny. Once the batter is ready, add chopped onions, jeera, pepper, coriander, curry leaves, chillies and required salt to the batter, mix well and keep aside.

2.The batter should be thick.Heat oil in a kadai. Take a polythene sheet or milk cover slightly greased with a drop of oil. Wet ur right hand, then make a small ball out of the batter and pat it on the milk cover. Now make a hole in the middle and carefully transfer it to the kadai( It only comes by practise,I havent mastered it too so keep it trying :))

3.Fry the vadai in medium flame, turn over to other side once it becomes firm. Take out and drain it in a tissue once it becomes golden brown on both sides.

You can have it as such or with coconut chutney. My option is to dunk it in sambar and then have it....Yummy combination!! Other than sambar vadai I luv it dunked in payasam, it is another yum combo. I used to reserve vadais at the last for this reason :)

Thats amma making the medu vada :)

You can make chat style thayir vada too using the bread dahi vada recipe that I posted few weeks back.

My Notes :

• Wet ur hands now and then before making balls to avoid stickiness. Once you master this, you can try with simply making vadas with your hands without polythene cover which is messfree too.
• While grinding, add water little by little, If the batter becomes runny the vadas will drink more oil. For perfect crispy and soft vadas the batter should in correct consistency.
• Incase your batter becomes runny add little rice flour say 1 -2 tsp not more than that.

We always make this vadai when there is any padayal at home. Other than that, a perfect guest traditional meal is incomplete without this vadai. 

Technorati Tags: medu vada, medhu vadai recipe, ulundu vadai tips, ulundu vadai recipe with cideo, how to make medu vada step by step, how to make ulundu vada video, medu vada recipe

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