Grilled Aubergine & Cheese Sandwich

I know aubergine or eggplant or brinjal  or baingan is not everyone’s favorite… even I hated it in my childhood but now-a-dayss I really like it specially the grilled one.. It tastes so very good in pizzas, pastas… and sandwiches… if you have any more ideas to use grilled eggplant then plzzzz lemme know…. I would just love to try that…..but as of now plzz try this s/w its really gud…

INGREDIENTS:-

Aubergine (Brinjal): 2 nos. Long ones Tomato: 1/2 Big Chesse Slices: 2 Nos. Bread : 2 Slices

Mixed Herbs: 1 Tbsp Salt & Pepper: to taste Butter/oil: 2-3 Tbsp Tomato Ketchup: to serve

METHOD:-

• Slice the aubergine thinly, apply salt and keep side for 10 mins.

• Wash it nicely after that…
• Apply butter/oil, salt, pepper, herbs and rub nicely all over.

• Keep aside for 5 mins…
• Heat a pan and grill the slices nicely till done.. ( one can do it in oven also)

• Meanwhile cut the corners of the bread and toast it till crisp.

 

• Also deseed & slice the tomatoes as shown in pic.

• Take toasted bread and place grilled aubergine over it.

• Then place the cheese slice, tomato strips and sprinkle seasoning & herbs over it.

• Grill it in preheated oven at 180 degree Celsius for 10 mins or till the cheese melts..

 

• Serve hot with tomato ketchup…

Fried Egg in Bread

What to do when you are hungry n have just one egg & a slice of bread left in your fridge… this is what happened with me today… so I made this easy fried egg in bread… its as simple and easy  as a fried egg but just a li’l different in appearance that doesn't make it boring…

INGREDIENTS:-

Egg: 1 No. Bread: 1 Slice Oil: 1/2 Tsp

Salt: to taste Pepper: to taste Tomato Ketchup for garnish

METHOD:-

• Cut circle from bread with the help of a cookie cutter or lid of a round box.

• Heat oil in a pan.

• Put bread slice in the pan and crack an egg in the center.

• Cover with lid and cook till its set.

• If you like can serve it at this stage also but I like to cook a little from the other side as well… so I flipped it very carefully…

• Take out carefully from the pan, sprinkle salt an pepper over it and eat… if you like, add ketchup also… .. I don’t …did just for the pic.

Vegetarian Pasta Bolognese

This was my first attempt to cook Pasta Bolognese and the result was quite descent… except for the colour mine had a reddish colour where as I have seen brown coloured Pasta Bolognese in pics… may be I had added more tomatoes but still it tasted gud to me.. If you want you can reduce the quantity of tomatoes in yours..

Also I substituted minced meat with soya granules to make it vegetarian….

This quantity will serve 1-2 ppl…

INGREDIENTS:-

Penne Pasta: 1 Cup (uncooked) Soya Granules: 3/4 Cup Olive Oil: 1-2 Tbsp Garlic: 2 Cloves Chopped Onion: 1 Small Chopped *Capsicum: 1 Small Chopped

Tomatoes: 2 Small pureed Mixed Herbs: 2 Tbsp Salt: to taste Pepper: 1/4 tsp Red Chilly Powder: to taste Water: 1/4 Cup8

*I was running short of capsicum so didn’t add but one should add it to enhance the taste.

METHOD:-

• Soak soya granules in water till soft.

• Boil pasta in salted water till Al-Dante, apply some oil and keep aside .

• Heat oil in a pan add garlic & onion fry for 2 mins.
• Drain soya granules squeeze out the water nicely add to the onions, add chopped capsicum & fry till they turn brown.

 

• Add mixed herbs, spices, tomato puree & 1/4 cup water.

• Cook on moderate heat till oil separates.

• Add boiled pasta, mix well with the sauce and cook in slow flame for 1 min.

• Transfer this to serving plate, top it with grated cheese & serve hot…

Coconut Chutney

When I visited Chennai for the first time I found it so very surprising that ppl ate coconut chutney with almost everything , even with samosas, pakorars and stuff like that but later on even I developed a taste for that… yeah I don’t eat it with samosas but I do with paranthas.. :) n yes it tastes really gud… Its very simple and easy to make and there are so many versions of this as well…. so lets have a look at mine…

INGREDIENTS:-

Freshly Grated Coconut: 1 Cup (Remove brown skin) Roasted Peanuts: 2 Tbsp Curd: 1 Tbsp Curry Leaves: 8-10 Green Chillies: 1-2 Ginger: 1/2’’ Salt: to taste

For Tempering (Tadka) Oil: 2 Tbsp Mustard Seeds: 1/2 Tsp Red Chilli: 1 Piece Curry Leaves: few

METHOD:-

• Grind all the ingredients (except mentioned under tempering) to a paste adding water as required.

• Transfer the paste to a bowl.

• In a tempering pan heat oil then add mustard seeds when it crackles add curry leaves and red chilly, stir for 30 sec.
• Pour the tempering over chutney and serve with anything that you like.. :)

Sambar/ Tangy Lentil Preparation

by Neetu

Its thin, tangy lentil preparation without which no meal it complete in south India.. The tang in the dish is bought by adding tamarind and the awesome flavor is bought adding a time tested blend of spices… It tastes best when its served steaming hot… I made idly and sambar for the dinner but was so excited to eat that I forgot to take pics of sambar alone. : )

This quantity will serve 3-4 ppl..

INGREDIENTS:-

Red Gram (arhar dal): 1 Cup Onions: 2 Chopped Roughly (Ghiya): 1/2 Small Chopped Roughly Tamarind pulp: 4-5 Tbsp Sambhar Powder: 2 tbsp Water: as required Salt: to taste

For Tempring (Tadka) Oil/Ghee(Clarified butter): 3-4 Tbsp Asafetida (hing): a pinch Dry Red Chilly: 2 pieces Mustard Seeds: 1/2 tsp Curry Leaves: Few Red Chilly Pwder: to taste

METHOD:-

• Wash and soak lentil for 1/2 to 1 hr. after that drain the water and pressure cook with 4 cups water and salt, give 1 whistle then reduce the flame and cook for 5 mins.
• Mash the dal when pressure comes down and keep aside, meanwhile prepare the tempering.
• Heat oil in a pan add mustard seeds, when it crackles add curry leaves & red chilly stir for 30 sec.
• Add onions and cook till it turns brown.

• Add vegetables, little salt ( take care while adding salt as we have already added salt in the dal) ,tamarind pulp, sambar powder, & water if required.

• Mix properly and cook till veggies are tender then add red chilly powder.

• Add boiled dal, 1 cup water, mix properly and simmer on slow flame for 5 mins.

 

• Serve super hot with idly, dosa, vada…. etc etc….

Rava Idly/ Steamed Semolina Cake

Rava Idly is not just  light & healthy but very yummy as well… normally its served for breakfast but I can have it at any time of the day…. therefore its always made in huge quantity at my home and even the leftover ones are used in many ways…  can make Idly upma, temper it in north Indian Style with onion, tomatoes and Punjabi spices, can be deep fried and served with ketchup as a snack… etc etc… the list ends only where the creativity ends… but the credit for the creativity of pic below goes to my hubby dear….  

INGREDIENTS:-

Rava/Suji/Semolina: 1 + 1/2 Cup Curd: 1 Cup Salt: to taste Ghee (Clarified butter): 2 Tbsp	Mustard Seeds: 1/2 tsp Curry Leaves: few (optional) Water: as required Fruit Salt (Eno) 2-3 pouch

METHOD:-

• Heat ghee in a pan add mustard seeds, when it crackles add curry leaves & stir for few sec.
• Add suji to the pan and roast till its nicely brown and fragrant, keep stirring so that it doesn’t burn.

• Transfer this to a bowl and let it cool down.

• Add curd & water to make smooth paste, keep aside for 1/2 hr.

• Transfer some quantity of mixture which is enough to fill your mould once, in another bowl and if the mixture is too thick than add little water but don’t make it runny it has to be a little thick only.
• Add 1/2 – 3/4 tsp fruit salt and mix it should form nice bubbles in the batter.

• Immediately transfer it to the greased moulds, don’t fill the moulds completely keep some space to rise.

• Steam for 15-20 mins & serve hot with coconut chutney & sambar…

Shahi Paneer/ Cottage Cheese in Creamy Cashewnut Gravy

This dish takes me back to the memories of my school dayzzz… when during summer vacations almost everyday we use order lunch from nearby restaurant and SHAHI PANEER was a must…  yes it can be easily made at home also, every one has a different versions of it but I like this one as it taste exactly like we use get from that restaurant…

This quantity will serve 5-6 ppl….

INGREDIENTS:-

Cottage Cheese: 300 Gms Onions: 2 Medium Tomatoes: 3 Medium Garlic: 3-4 Cloves Ginger: 1/2 Inch Milk: 3/4 Cup Cashewnuts: 15-20 Piece Water: as required

Oil: 2-3 Tbsp Cumin Seeds: 1/2 Tsp Salt: to taste Red Chilly Powder: to taste Turmeric Powder: 1/4 Tsp Coriander Powder: 2 Tbsp Garam Masala: 1/2 Tsp Karoori Methi: 1 Tbsp

METHOD:-

• Soak cashewnuts in warm milk for 15-20 mins then grind it to a fine paste and meanwhile work on other ingredients of  gravy.

 

• Roughly chop onion, tomatoes, ginger & garlic.
• Heat oil in a pan add cumin seeds when it crackles add ginger & garlic fry for few seconds.
• Add onion and cook till it turns brown, add tomatoes and cook for 30 secs.

  

• Add the dry spices and cook till oil separates add little water if required.

• Let it cool down then grind it to a paste.
• Again heat oil in the pan,add the onion tomato paste, 1/2 cup water, sugar & cook covered till oil separates.
• Add the cashewnut paste, simmer on slow flame for 4-5 mins.

• Add diced cottage cheese then check seasoning and adjust if required
• Simmer for 2-3 mins more and serve hot with naan, chapati or parantha…
   
  
   
   
   
   

Sponge Cake with Whipped Cream & Chocolate Vermicelli

Hello friendsss…. I made this cake for my Mother & Father - in- law’s anniversary and it came out really good…. It was very soft n spongy and chocolate vermicelli added a lot to the taste… I bought this vermicelli from b’lore and its available at many departmental stores but if you can’t find it, can substitute with chocolate flakes…

INGREDIENTS:-

For Cake: Eggs: 6 Nos. Flour/Maida: 1 Cup Powdered Sugar: 1 Cup Baking Powder: 1/2 tsp Vanilla Essence: 1 tsp Salt: 1/4 tsp

For Icing: Whipping Cream: 300 Gms Chocolate Vermicelli: 1/4 Cup Water: 1/2 Cup Sugar: 2-3 Tbs

METHOD:-

• Grease the mould from all sides and keep aside.
• Pre heat oven at 250 degree Celsius for 10 mins meanwhile prepare the batter for the cake.
• Separate egg yolk & white of all the eggs.

• Whip egg whites till white & hard peaks.

• In a separate bowl beat egg yolks, sugar & vanilla essence.

• In another bowl swift maida, baking powder, salt & mix properly.
• Mix the yolk & sugar mixture with the egg white with very light hands.

• Now mix the flour with this mixture again very slowly and lightly.

• As soon as it is mixed, immediately  pour the mixture into the baking mould and bake in oven for 25-30 mins at 180 degree Celsius ( make sure that the mould is not completely filled you should leave some same for the batter to rise).

• Insert a knife in the center of the cake and if it comes out clean then the cake is ready. keep it aside for some time to set then demould it.

• For ICING- Chill the cream in freezer then whip it till soft to hard peaks (keep ice cubes under the bowl while whipping the cream so that the cream doesn’t form into butter).

• Dissolve sugar into water.

• Cut cake into two equal halves.

• Take one layer sprinkle sugar syrup over it then spread whipped cream generously and sprinkle chocolate vermicelli.

• Keep the second layer of the over it, sprinkle sugar syrup, spread cream and cover the cake with cream from all sides then garnish with vermicelli.
• Cake is ready to eat…..