Creamy Cauliflower Soup!

Ingredients:

1 kg Cauliflower separated into florets

200 gm Potatoes

4 cups Water

3/4 cup Milk

1/4 cup Cream

Salt to taste

Pepper to taste

1/4 cup Parsley

Method:

• Heat a deep pan and add the potatoes and cauliflower along with the milk and water and bring to a boil. Simmer and cook covered for another 20 minutes or until the veggies are soft.
• When cooked, let it cool and then churn it in a mixer or with a hand blender to a soup's consistency.
• Bring it back to the heat and add all the remaining ingredients and cook for a few minutes. If you feel that the soup is too thick, add a little bit of water but do remember to check the seasoning again!

Bon Appetit! 

European Mushrooms

Ingredients:

2 tbsp Olive oil

1 1/2 large Onion Chopped (300 gm)

400 gm Button Mushrooms

2 tbsp Lemon Juice

1/4 cup Fresh Parsley finely chopped

Salt to Taste

Pepper to Taste

Method:

• Heat the frying pan and saute the mushrooms until golden.
• Add the mushrooms and a sprinkle of water and cook until the mushrooms turn soft over a medium flame. This should take about 10-12 minutes.
• Now add the rest of the ingredients, stir well and remove from the flame.
• Add this mixture to a food processor and chop it to the consistency of a caviar but do not puree it.
• Now add some more olive oil, mix well and store it in an air tight container.

Serves as an excellent spread over breads, toasts n biscuits!

Tip:

It stays for about 15-20 days in the fridge and about a month and half in the freezer. But if you want to preserve it even longer, just add a tbsp of vinegar while you churn it in the food processor. That should do the trick.

Stir fried veggies...

Although you might have to stand in the kitchen for some time to chop the veggies but you know what... do that in the morning and keep it in your fridge and the 5 minute magic will unveil itself in the night!

Ingredients:

Bell peppers of all 3 colors (300 gm)

1 Zucchini (200 gm)

3 Celery sticks

1/2 cup chopped Green Onions

250 gm Mushrooms 

5 tbsp Oil

Salt a pinch

For the sauce:

2 cloves of Garlic chopped

1/4 cup Soy Sauce

1 tbsp Green Chilies chopped

2 inch Ginger grated

1 1/2 tbsp Sugar

1 tbsp Vinegar

Salt a pinch

 

Method:

• Chop all the bell peppers and green onions and mushrooms in 2-3 inch long and thin slices and keep them aside.
• Mix all the ingredients of the sauce in a container and keep that aside too.
• Now heat a wok and add the oil and let it smoke. Then add all the vegetables and stir fry them over high heat for about 2-3 minutes while continuously stirring them.
• Now add the sauce and cook over high heat until it completely evaporates.
• Voila! Its ready to be served smokin' hot!

Tip:

The first two steps are simply preparation which can be done and kept aside even a day ahead!

Some people in China add soaked and peeled almonds to this... Well you can always try it!

Serves around 4-5 people.

Potato in Yogurt!

Served usually as an accompaniment but i will tell you a secret... Kids love it as it is!

Ingredients:

3 Potatoes (700 gm)

1 tsp Cumin seeds

1 tsp Mustard seeds

3 tbsp Oil

2 tbsp Onions finely chopped

1 tsp Green Chilies finely chopped

Salt to taste

1/2 cup chopped Coriander

2 cups Yogurt

Method:

• Boil the potatoes with skin and once they are done remove from water and peel them and dice them into 1/2 inch pieces.
• Now take a frying pan and crackle the mustard and cumin seeds in the oil and then add the onions and green chilies and saute for a minute.
• Add the potatoes and lower the heat and stir them once in a so as they don't break. Keep them until they form a light golden layer.
• Whisk the yogurt and add the salt and coriander to it. Then add the potatoes and mix well.
• Refrigerate it for an hour or two and serve chilled!

Serves 2-3 people. 

Chinese Corn Soup!

Made out of fresh corn kernels, this soup is an ultimate Chinese delight but again if you are in a hurry...! You can always use some canned corn! cooking should be more about comfort rather than skills for us who cook at home for our families... Isn't it?

Ingredients:

4 Corns (900 gm) or 1 Can of cream styled corn (500 gm)

4 cups Water (1 liter)

2 tbsp Cornflour (16 gm) dissolved in 1/2 cup water

1 tbsp Soy Sauce

Salt to taste

1 Jalapeno pickled in vinegar (finely chopped)

Chili Sauce to taste

Method:

• If you are using fresh corn kernels then boil them in slightly salted water and keep the water aside for using it as stock in our soup.
• Now add the kernels from the can (or previously boiled kernels) into the stock and cook them over medium heat for 10 minutes.
• Remove from the heat and then blend it in a mixer for about 15 seconds. Do not puree it completely, if you like a few tit-bits in your soup, then leave a few crushed kernels in there otherwise, puree it to your desire.
• Add all the remaining ingredients except the jalapeno and stir continuously until the cornflour thickens your soup. this should hardly take 7 minutes.
• Then add the jalapeno, stir for a minute and then serve hot!

Serves about 4 people.

Please Guys!!!

This is a teeny tiny request to all those of you who read my blog (and yes i know a lot of u do :) ) and that makes me feel very excited about this food sharing experience of mine but some how i feel its a one way street and would very much appreciate if it became a two way traffic! 

i hope you ll share some more and post comments be it good or bad, never mind, i just want you guys to give me some feedback! PLEASE??

And yes... if u do like it, don't just read and log off... be a member to my blog to unravel a whole new treasure trove of recipes!

Thank you :)

Garbanzos and Potato Curry!

Ingredients:

1 Can of Garbanzos (Chick peas) drained

125 gm Potatoes

1 Onion chopped

4 Tomatoes

1 tsp Lemon juice

1/4 tsp Cinnamon powder

1/2 tsp Cumin powder

1/2 tsp Coriander powder

1/8 tsp Turmeric powder

1/2 tsp Red Chili powder

Salt and Pepper to Taste

20 gm Oil

Method: 

• Cut the potatoes into four and par boil them. Deep fry them until golden and keep them aside.
• Blanch the tomatoes, remove the peel and puree them in a mixer.
• Heat a pan and add the oil and onions to it and cook until well done.
• Add the garbanzos and stir for a minute before adding the tomato puree and all the dry spices. Mix well and then cook for 8-10 minutes over a medium flame.
• When the garbanzos are almost done, add the potatoes and lemon juice and cook covered for further 8 minutes.
• Serve with a garnish of parsley or coriander with plain steamed rice!

Tip:

If you don't want to used canned beans then you can soak the garbanzos over night and then par boil them with some salt and use them instead!

Carrot Crumble!

Ingredients:

1 kg Carrots thickly grated

2 Onions chopped

2 cups Bread Crumbs

1/4 cup Butter

Salt to taste

3/4 cup Fresh Cream

Method:

• Heat a heavy bottomed pan and add the butter to it, then add the bread crumbs to it and fry them until slightly golden and crisp.
• Remove from the heat and add the salt and cream and mix well. Add the onions and carrots to it and mix again.
• Now take a pre-greased baking dish and add the mixture to it and bake it over 200°C for 30 minutes and then serve hot!

Serves 5-6.

Spanish Rice.

Ingredients:

2 cups Rice

2 large Onions chopped

4 Tomatoes chopped

2 Bell Peppers chopped

2 cloves of Garlic

3 Green Chilies

1/2 tsp Turmeric powder

1 tsp Paprika

3 cups Water

Salt to taste

Oil 

Method:

• Boil the rice in salted water.
• Take a frying pan, add some oil and fry the green chilies in it for a minute. 
• Now add the onions and let them turn transparent.
• Then add the garlic and turmeric along with the paprika and stir foe a minute or so.
• Now add the tomatoes and bell peppers and cook for another five minutes.
• Add the previously cooked rice and mix well.
• Check for the seasoning and then serve hot!

Philippine Rice.

This is a recipe for those days when you are utterly tired and had a lot to do at your office or what can i say... U have kids... Well just cook some extra rice in the morning along with your breakfast so that you can have a quick and easy evening!

Ingredients:

5 cups cooked Rice

5 cloves of Garlic mashed

3 tbsp Soy Sauce

2 Stems of Green Onion (Just the green portion)

3 tbsp Oil

Salt to taste

Red Chili powder to taste

Method:

• Take a fry pan and add the oil onion and garlic to it and saute for a few minutes or until the rawness of the garlic is reduced.
• Now add the soy sauce and rice and mix well.
• Add the salt and chili powder and mix well and serve hot with plain yogurt or a gravy of your choice!

Burmese Rice.

Ingredients:

1 kg Rice washed and soaked

1/4 cup Roasted Peanuts

1 cup Grated Coconut

1 cup Coconut Milk

2 tsp Roasted Sesame seeds

1 inch Ginger finely diced

1 cup Water

3 tbsp Corn oil

1/4 cup Fresh Coriander

Salt to taste

Method:

• Drain the rice and again soak them in hot water.
• Now take a heavy bottomed pan and fry the sesame seeds in the oil until they crackle. Then add the ginger and stir for a minute.
• Now add the grated coconut and peanuts and roast it over a low to medium flame until golden.
• Drain the rice and add to the pan and stir until they turn translucent. Then add water, coconut milk and salt and cook until the rice are done.

Green Rice...

Ingredients:

2 cups Rice

2 cups Green Pea Soup

1 cup Water

1/2 cup chopped Celery

1/2 cup chopped Onion

1 cup Broccoli Florets

1/4 cup Cheddar Cheese (Optional)

2 tbsp Oil

Method:

• Wash the rice and soak them for half an hour.
• Wash the broccoli florets and boil them in salted water for about 5-8 minutes.
• The recipe for the green pea soup is in the "Soup" section of this blog. Or you can use the canned soup too, if you like.
• Heat the oil in a heavy bottomed pan and saute the rice for about 5 minutes.
• Add the soup and bring it to a boil.
• Drain the rice and add them to the soup along with all the other ingredients.
• Cook uncovered over a low heat until the rice are done.

Tip:

1. Serve with plain yogurt or any tomato based curry. An absolute Sunday supper recipe!!
2. For non vegetarian people, you can make this a one dish meal by simple adding soft boiled eggs to the serving platter. Serve the rice, place quarters of boiled eggs over the dish, sprinkle some lemon and pepper over the eggs and serve hot! No accompaniments required!