Vegetarian American Chopsuey

Vegetarian American Chopsuey                                                                                 Serves : 2 to 3                                                                        

Ingredients:

Egg Noodles - 1 packet

Oil for Deep frying

For Vegetable Mixture:

Oil - 1 tblspn

Ginger garlic paste - 1 tblspn

Onion - 1 sliced thinly

Carrot - 1 sliced juliened

Cabbage - 1/2 cup shredded

Bell pepper / Capsicum - 1/2 sliced thinly

Salt to taste

Sugar to taste

Pepper - 1 tsp or to taste

Ajinomoto / MSG - 1 tsp or to taste ( Optional)

For Sauce:

Tomato ketchup - 3 tblspn

Soya Sauce - 1 tsp or to taste

Vinegar - 1 tsp or to taste

Water - 1/2 cup

Salt to taste

Sugar - 1 tsp or to taste

Chilli powder - 1 tsp

Corn Flour / Corn Starch - 2 tsp

Method:

Step 1:

Start by cooking the noodles in water till they are done. Drain it and set aside to get dry.

Now make the vegetable mixture. Heat oil in a pan.

Add in ginger garlic paste and saute for a min.

Add in onions and mix well. Now add in all the vegetables and give a stir. Cook for 10 mins so they are cooked completely.

Season this with salt, sugar and ajinomoto, pepper and mix well. Vegetable mixture done.

Step 2:

Now make the sauce. Take all the ingredients for the sauce in a pan and bring it to a boil.

Simmer that for 5-10 mins till the raw flavour goes out.

Mix cornflour with few tblspn of cold water and mix well..

Now add in cornflour mixture and mix well so that it gets thick. Now the sauce is done.

Step 3:

Now fry the Noodles. Heat oil in a pan. When it gets hot Take noodles and drop it in there.

Fry that till golden and drain them aside.

Step 4:

Now time to assemble. Take noodles in a bowl. Add in vegetable mixture and sauce over it and toss well.

Serve immediately.

Vegetable (Navratan) Korma

     

     Vegetable (Navratan) Korma                                                                                                                      Serves 4                                                                                                                                                      Ingredients

• 2 1/2 cups chopped vegetables (cauliflower, green peas, carrot, green beans, red bell pepper)
• 1/2 cup chopped fried paneer
• 3 tablespoons oil
• Pinch of asafetida (hing)
• 1/2 teaspoon cumin seeds (jeera)
• 1 seeded finely chopped green chili
• 1 tablespoon shredded ginger
• 1 tablespoon coriander powder (dhania)
• 1/4 teaspoon turmeric Haldi)
• 1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
• 2 bay leaves
• 1/2 teaspoon garam masala
• 1/2 teaspoon mango powder (amchoor powder)
• 1 cup milk
• 1/2 tablespoon cornstarch

Garnish:

• 1/2 cup seeded and chopped tomatoes
• 2 tablespoons finely chopped cilantro

Method:

1. Mix the shredded ginger, green chili, coriander powder, turmeric, and cayenne pepper with 2 tablespoons of water and set aside.
2. Mix cornstarch with milk and set aside.
3. Heat the oil in a saucepan. Test the heat by adding one cumin seed to the oil; if it cracks right away oil is ready.
4. Add the asafetida and cumin seeds. After cumin seeds crack, add the bay leaves and the spice mixture. Fry for a few seconds until the spices start separating from the oil.
5. Add the cauliflower, green peas, carrot and green beans. Mix well and cover the pan. Let the vegetables cook on medium heat for about 7 to 8 minutes. The vegetables should be cooked just about half way.
6. Add the bell pepper and paneer. Mix well. Add the milk/cornstarch mixture and cook until the vegetables are tender. Add more milk if needed for more gravy.
7. Turn off the heat. Mix in the garam masala, amchoor powder and cilantro.
8. Place the vegetable korma in a serving dish and garnish with chopped tomatoes. Enjoy!

fruit salad with cashew cream

Prep Time: 30 minutes                                        Yield: 3-4

Ingredients

fruits required
• 1 cup chopped pineapple (fresh or canned)
• 1 cup peeled, cored and chopped apple
• 1 cup, chopped banana
• 1 cup chopped musk melon
• 1 cup chopped chickoo/sapota
• 1 cup chopped papaya
• 
  
for the cashew cream
• 3/4 cup cashews
• 1/2 tsp vanilla powder or 1 tsp vanilla extract.
• sugar as required
• chilled water
• 
  

method:

preparing the cashew cream:
1. in a bowl take the cashews.
2. rinse them well.
3. now add water to the bowl till it just about covers the cashews.
4. cover with a lid and keep in the fridge for 5-6 hours.
5. drain the water from the cashews.
6. add the soaked cashews in a blender.
7. pour cold water in the blender again just about covering the cashews completely.
8. add some sugar and vanilla.
9. blend till smooth and creamy.
10. remove in a bowl and keep in the fridge.
11. the cashew milk stays good for 3 days in the refrigerator.
12. use when required.
preparing the salad
13. mix all the fruits in a large bowl.
14. now either you can add the whole cashew cream that we made or
15. layer it in individual serving glasses or bowls as i have done.
16. add a layer of fruits.
17. then a layer of cashew cream.
18. add 3-5 layers like this.
19. and then top up with some sliced pistachois or dry fruits of your choice.
20. enjoy a healthy and wholesome fruit dessert.

FRUIT DELIGHT PUDDING RECIPE

            

Fruit Delight Pudding Recipe

                                                                              Ingredients:

1 cup Red Jelly
1 cup Gren Jelly
1 Tin Mix Fruit
1 small Cake
3 cup Fresh Cream
1 cup Milk
1 tsp Custard Powder
4 tsp Sugar
1 Orange
1 Apple
1 cup Grapes
1 slice Pineapple

How to make fruit delight pudding:

• Mix the custard powder in a little milk.
• Boil the rest of the milk.
• When it comes to a boil , while continously stiring add the dissolved custard powder to the milk.
• While stiring add the sugar.
• When the mixture thickens put off the flame.
• Beat the cream till frothy.
• Cut the fruits in small pieces.
• Cut small pieces of the cake.
• Prepare both the jellies as instructed on the packet.
• Now in bowl mix the pieces of the cake, mix fruits, custard, cut tin fruits, half jelly and half cream.
• Let this mixture set in the refrigrator.
• When fully set take it out and decorate with the rest of the jelly and cream.
  
  

Makes 12 bread rolls
Ingredients

• 1/2 cup Roasted Peanuts
• 1/3 cup chopped carrot
• 1/2 cup chopped beetroot
• 1/3 cup chopped french beans
• 1/3 cup peas
• 1 medium sized potato chopped
• 3-4 garlic cloves
• 1/2 inch ginger chopped finely
• 1/2 tsp cumin seeds
• 2-3 green chillis (optional)
• 1 medium size onion finely chopped
• 1 tsp garam masala
• 1 tsp vegetable curry masala
• (instead 1/2 tsp cumin seed powder and 1/2 tsp corriander powder)
• 1/4 tsp mango powder
• salt as per taste
• 12 slices of bread

Procedure

• Boil the carrots, beans, potatoes, peas and beetroot
• Drain the water and coarsely mash them, keep aside
• Coarsely grind the peanuts
• Add 2 tbsp oil to the pan
• Add the cumin seeds to the heated oil
• Add the chopped garlic, ginger, chillies and onion
• Fry till it turns slightly brown
• Add the garam masala, vegetable curry masala and mango powder
• Add the coarsely grinded peanuts
• Mix the spices well
• Finally add the mashed vegetables
• Fry till the vegetables leave water (approx for 10 minutes)

Making Bread Rolls

• Cut out the brown edges of the bread
• Soak the bread slighly in water and squeeze properly
• Flatten the bread and stuff with the filling
• Roll the bread chop on the semolina flour(suji)
• Deep fry in the oil                                                                                                                         The bread rolls are ready to be served with tomato sauce and green chutney

Mughlai Vegetable Biryani Recipe

Ingredients

Uncooked Basmati rice – 1 ½ cups
Carrots – 3 nos.
Beans – 100 g
Potato – 1 medium sized
Tomato – 3 nos.
Onions – 4 nos. (medium sized)
Ginger – a quarter-inch piece

Method

1. Chop the carrots, beans and potatoes into fairly large bits. Wash and keep aside.
2. Finely slice two onions and keep aside.
3. Add the saffron to the milk in a small cup and rub until the saffron dissolves.
4. In a mixer, grind the cloves, cinnamon, poppy seeds, cardamom, green chillies, turmeric powder and chilli powder with the other two onions to a fine paste.
5. In a large pan, add 2 tbsps of ghee and heat well. Once the ghee is heated, add the finely sliced onions and fry until they become crisp and caramelized. Remove into a separate dish.
6. Add some more ghee and heat well. Add the paste and fry until the oil starts coming out.
7. Now, add the tomatoes and fry until the tomatoes are well cooked.
8. Once done, add the yoghurt and simmer for 5 mins.
9. Add salt to taste and the rest of the cut vegetables and stir for a minute.
10. Layer a thick bottomed pan (I used a rice cooker) with washed Basmati and add a layer of the prepared gravy. On the gravy, sprinkle half the saffron milk and layer with onions.
11. Now, add the second layer of rice and repeat.
12. Once you have added all the ingredients, add 2 cups of water, shut it with a tight lid and cook on a low flame. This should take approximately 10 minutes. I used a rice cooker and this saved me the worry of burning. Once done, stir well so the rice is well coated with the gravy.
13. Serve hot with onion raitha.

This turned out surprisingly well. I am quite prone to messing up on complicated rice recipes due to pure, unadulterated laziness! This time around, I was quite determined to get it right. And trust me! This dish is well worth the effort!

Frozen Fruit Salad

This is an old-fashioned frozen fruit salad

Ingredients:

• 2 small packages (3 ounces each) cream cheese
• 1 cup mayonnaise
• 1 cup heavy cream, whipped
• 1/2 cup maraschino red cherries, quartered
• 1/2 cup green maraschino cherries, quartered (or use all red)
• 1 can fruit cocktail (16 or 20 ounce size), drained
• 2 1/2 cups diced marshmallows, about 24 marshmallows

Preparation:

Beat together the cream cheese and mayonnaise. Fold in whipped cream, cherries, drained fruit cocktail, and marshmallows. Pour into a 1-quart freezer container. Garnish with additional maraschino cherries.
Freeze fruit salad until firm.
Frozen fruit salad serves 8.

achari paneer

Ingredients:

400 gm paneer ( cut into 2/2 squares) How to make paneer
1/2 green capsicum(diced)
1/2 yellow capsicum ( diced)
1/2 yellow capsicum( diced)
2 cherry tomatoes




For The Gravy

2 tbsp oil
1 tsp garlic paste
1 tsp ginger paste
2 tbsp red chilli paste2 cups tomato puree
1/4 tsp kastoori methi
2 tsp mango pickle( chopped)
1/2 tsp red chilli powder
1 tsp garam masala powder
salt to taste
1 tsp coriander leaves chopped 

How to make achari paneer:

• Cut the paneer and capsicum and keep aside.
• For the gravy- heat oil, add ginger , garlic and red chilli paste, tomato puree.
• All powered spices, salt to taste, kasoori methi and simmer for 8-10 minutes.
• Add in the paneer and peppers and mix well.
• Add in chopped pickle and masala.
• In a serving plate serve the jeera rice with the masala paneer and peppers. Jeera rice( to serve with)