My Easy-Breezy Sausage Fried Rice

Ingredients
Sausage - 1 pkt, lightly fried
Rice - 2 cups, cooked
Red onions - 2, sliced finely
green chili - 2, sliced lengthwise
salt as required
oil - 2 tbsp
 Any store bought oriental fried rice pwd - 2 tbsp

Method
1. In a pan, add oil. Once the oil is hot enough, add onions and green chili.
2. Sauté onions until it turns translucent and add the sausages.
3. Now add the oriental fried rice pwd and stir for 3 - 4 minutes.
4. Finally add the rice and stir well until it is mixed well.

Indo-Chinese Chicken Roast

Ingredients
1/2 lb chicken
3 red onions, chopped
3 green chilies, finely chopped
1 tbsp soy sauce
1 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
1 tsp pepper pwd
1 tsp chili pwd
1/2 tsp turmeric pwd
juice of 1 lemon
salt as required
curry leaves as required
1 tbsp oil for marinade
oil for frying

Method
1. Marinate the chicken with chili pwd, turmeric pwd, salt, oil and lemon juice. Refrigerate for at least 6-8 hrs
2. Add oil in a pan and shallow fry the chicken. Set aside the chicken
3. Sauté onion, curry leaves and chilies in the oil used to fry chicken
4. Once the onion turns dark brown, add chicken and the sauces
5. Cover the pan with a lid and cook for another 15 minutes. Make sure you stir occasionally
6. Serve over hot basmati rice

Spicy stir fried tofu

Ingredients
2 red onions, chopped
1 tsp ginger-garlic paste

For the marinade:
1 pkt tofu
2 tsp cornflour
pepper pwd as required
salt as required
oil to fry

For the sauce:
1 tbsp soy sauce
1 tbsp tomato ketchup
1 tbsp chili-garlic sauce
1/2 tsp vinegar
1 tsp sugar

Method:
1. Combine all the ingredients for the marinade and shallow fry in oil
2. Fry them until it turns light brown and set aside
3. Combine all ingredients for the sauce and stir well
4. Add oil to a pan and sauté the onions until it turns translucent
5. Add ginger-garlic paste and stir for 5 mins
6. Fold tofu into the onion-ginger garlic mixture and stir for couple of minutes
7. Now add sauce to the above mixture

Dum Biriyani

Ingredients


For the marinade:
3lb goat meat / mutton
handful of chopped coriander
handful of chopped mint
2 cups curd
4 - 5 cloves
4 - 5 cardamon
4 mace
1 tsp black cumin (shahjeera)
1 tsp cumin seeds
2 tsp chili powder
5 - 6 chopped green chilies
3 tsp crushed pepper
4 - 5 bay leaves
juice of 1 lemon
4 tbsp oil / ghee
1 tsp meat tenderizer


Biriyani Ingredients:
3 cups basmati rice
chopped coriander
chopped mint
3 tsp garam masala
3 onions chopped


Method

1. Add meat tenderizer to mutton and keep aside for 1 hour
2. Marinate meat with the above ingredients and keep aside for 2 hours
3. Fry the onions in oil until it turns brown
4. Wash and soak rice for 1/2 hour
5. Add rice and cumin seeds to 4 1/2 cups of boiled water
6. Remove 1 cup of rice from pan after it is 40% done
7. Cook the rest of rice for 1 more minute and remove from heat
8. In a heavy bottomed pan, add meat
9. Layer the 40% cooked rice, coriander and mint over the meat
10. Layer the 60% cooked rice coriander and mint over the above mixture
11. Sprinkle garam masala over the rice
12. Cover the pan with a cloth and slow cook it over medium heat for 50 minutes
13. Serve with mirchi ka salan and raitha

Yummy Doughnuts

Ingredients


Doughnut:
1/4 cup warm water
1/4 oz. yeast - 1 pkt
3/4 cup warm milk
1/4 stick butter
2 tbsp sugar
1 egg
2 cups flour

Glaze:
1 cup powdered sugar
3 tbsp water
¼ stick butter
¼ tsp vanilla essence

Method

1. In a bowl, mix yeast in water and to this add milk.
2. Stir in butter, egg and sugar
3. Fold in flour and whisk well
4. Cover the bowl with cling wrap or cloth
5. Keep it aside for 1 hour
6. Now we can see that the dough has risen
7. Roll out dough into doughnut shapes
8. You can use jar lids to get the round shape :-)
9. Now heat oil in a pan and when it's hot enough, fry the doughnuts
10. Dip the doughnuts in glaze (recipe listed above)

Besan Ladoo

Ingredients
2 cups besan flour(gram flour)
2 1/2 cups sooji
1 cup butter 
1 cup granulated sugar
cashew nuts
5 - 6 cardamom pods


Method

1. Melt butter in a pan.
2. Add besan and sooji to it and keep stirring until it's color changes to light brown.
3. Remove the mixture from pan & immediately add sugar and cardamom.
4. Stir well and make small round balls using your palm
5. Now place cashew nuts on top of these ladoos.

Khajur ki Mittaai

Ingredients

600 gms of de-seeded and coarsely chopped dates

3 tbsp ghee

nuts of your choice

Method

1. Heat ghee in a pan on low heat.
2. Add dates to it and mash them until it turns soft.
3. Now add the nuts and mix well.
4. Remove from heat and then spoon them onto a greased aluminum foil / plastic wrap
5. Use a rolling pin to spread the mixture
6. Roll from the edge and wrap it in foil
7. Allow it to cool for 3 - 4 hrs.
8. Cut into thin slices and enjoy with family :-)

Chicken Nuggets

Ingredients

1 lb chicken breasts

1 egg

1 tsp coriander powder

1 1/2 tsp ginger-garlic paster

1 tsp chili powder

1/2 tsp pepper powder

2 tbsp corn flour

salt as required

bread crumbs as required

oil for frying

Method

1. Wash and cut chicken into desired shapes

2. Marinate chicken with coriander powder, ginger-garlic paste,chili powder,pepper pwd & salt

3. Keep it aside for 1 hour

4. Now beat one egg and mix half of egg mixture to chicken.

5. Mix corn flour + bread crumbs and coat chicken with this mixture. Keep it aside for 10 mins.

6. Now add rest of egg mixture to chicken and coat with bread crumbs.

7. Heat oil in a pan and fry chicken

Baked Chicken

Ingredients

2 lb chicken

1/4 tsp cumin powder

1 tsp coriander powder

1 tsp ginger garlic paste

2 tsp chili powder

1/2 tsp turmeric powder

1 tsp sambal oelek paste

1 small cup of yoghurt

juice of 1 lemon

salt and pepper as required

coriander, onion and tomatoes for garnishing

Method

1. Mix all ingredients except the chicken and stir well.

2. Marinate the chicken with the above paste for 2 hours.

3. On the oven choose option "broil" and bake chicken until it is done.

4. Apply melted butter on the chicken to get the crispiness

5. Chop onions and tomatoes. Add little vinegar to enhance the taste.

6. Serve with mint chutney or raitha.

Kothu Paraatta

Ingredients

4 kerala porotta

1 lb cooked chicken breasts

2 big onions, chopped

4 green chilies, finely chopped

1 tomato, chopped

1 tsp ginger-garlic paste

2 eggs(optional)

1/2 tsp turmeric pwd

1/4 tsp chili powder or paprika

1/2 tsp garam masala

1/4 tsp cumin seeds

salt as required

pepper as required

curry leaves

Method

1. Heat oil in a skillet and add cumin seeds. Once cumin seeds start to splutter, add onion,

chili and curry leaves

2. Once the onion are sauteed, add ginger-garlic paste and let it saute for 2 mins. Add tomato

3. Then add porotta + chicken and fry for 3 mins

4. Now add eggs and mix everything well. Add salt and pepper

5. Finally add powders and roast it well.

6. If you have coriander leaves, can add them as well.

7. Serve with raitha

Aloo Palak

Ingredients
3 cups chopped spinach
2 large onions chopped
2 potatoes boiled and peeled
1 tomato grated
2 green chilies, slit
1" piece ginger
1 tsp lemon juice
1/2 tsp flour
1 tsp red chili powder
1 tsp garam masala powder
1/4 tsp turmeric powder
1/2 tsp cumin seeds
pinch of asafoetida
salt to taste



Method
1. Put the washed spinach in a pan, add very little water and a pinch of salt
2. Cover and boil for 2 minutes over medium flame. Cool quickly by holding under cold water
3. Blend the spinach along with green chili. Ensure the mixture is slightly coarse
4. Cut potatoes and fry in oil till they turn light brown
5. In a skillet, add cumin seeds and asafoetida. Once they splutter add ginger, garlic, onion and saute
6. Add tomato and saute till tomato turn soft
7. Now add spinach and potato. Cook for 5 minutes
8. When it starts boiling add flour, lemon juice and boil for 2-3 minutes

Enchilada Sauce

Ingredients
1 can tomato sauce
2 tbsp chili powder
1 tsp cumin powder
1/4 tsp cinnamon powder
1/4 tsp sugar
2 tsp garlic powder
1 cup water
salt to taste
2 tbsp flour


Method
1. In a pan add tomato sauce, all powders and water. Cook for 3 minutes
2. Now add flour and whisk well to avoid forming lumps. Cook for 10 minutes

Cheera / Spinach thoran

Ingredients
1/2 lb red spinach
2 onions, chopped
4 green chili, slit
4-3 garlic pods, minced
1/4 tsp turmeric powder
1 cup shredded coconut
1 tbsp roasted gram
curry leaves
salt to taste
oil to saute

Method
1. Heat oil in a skillet. Saute garlic, curry leaves and onion until they brown. Add salt to taste
2. Add spinach and turmeric powder. Cook for few minutes
3. Mix coconut to the spinach and cook well enough
4. Finally roast the dal and add to spinach
5. Serve with rice

Beef Enchilada

Ingredients
2 lb ground beef
4 tbsp flour
2 tbsp chili powder
3 tsp chili seasoning
1 tsp garlic powder
1 large onion chopped
1 can tomato sauce
1 tsp lemon-salt powder
10 corn tortillas
1 pkt mozarella cheese
oil as required


Method
1. Heat oil in a skillet. Add ground beef, onion and brown.
2. Add tomato sauce and a cup of water
3. Add all powders and mix well. Cook over medium heat. Add more water if gravy becomes too thick
4. Dip tortillas one at a time in the gravy. Ensure you don't soak too long else it will make tortilla too soft
5. Place cheese and beef in tortilla and roll them around the filling
6. Place in a baking dish in a row
7. Pour the remaining hot chili gravy over the tortilla and sprinke cheese
8. Bake at 350 F until cheese melts

Banana Cake

Ingredients

4 ripe plantain

2 cup all purpose flour / maida

4 tbsp butter

3/4 cup sugar

2 eggs, beaten

1 tsp vanilla

1 tsp baking powder

pinch of cardamom

nuts & raisins as required

Method

1. Mix all ingredients to make the cake batter.

2. Grease the baking dish with butter and pour the batter.

3. Add nuts & raisins last

4. Preheat the oven to 375 F and bake for 30 mins

Kaaju Burfi

Ingredients
2 cups cashew nuts
1 1/2 cup sugar
1 cup milk
1 tsp cardamom powder
2 tbsp ghee

Method
1. Soak cashew nuts overnight
2. Blend cashew nuts, sugar and milk until the mixture has a medium consistency
3. Melt ghee in a pan and add the mixture to it
4. Stir until the mixture leaves the sides of the pan
5. Transfer the mixture to a tray and spread it using a spatula
6. Once it cools, refrigerate the burfi

Paal payasam

Ingredients

1 cup rice( usually white rice )
1 litre whole milk
1 tsp cardamom powder
sugar as required
cashews & raisins as required


Method
1. Wash & rinse rice until the water runs clear 2. In a large saucepan, boil milk and add rice to it
3. Lower the heat and keep stirring continuously else the mixture can get scorched
4. Now stir in sugar and cardamom powder
5. Once the rice is cooked, transfer the payasam to a bowl and add cashews + raisins

Banana Halwa

It was one of those days when the smell of over-ripe bananas drove me nuts. That's when i came across the halwa recipe. It reminded me of the halwas my grandma used to prepare during summer hols. So here is the recipe for all those halwa-lovers out there

Ingredients

2 ripe bananas
1 cup whole milk
1 cup jaggery or powdered sugar
5 cardamom crushed
1/2 cup ghee or butter
Raisins & nuts as required

Method

1. Peel and mash bananas into small pieces. Remember if you are using plantain, make sure you steam them in a pressure cooker until they are well cooked
2. In a heavy bottom pan, boil milk with sugar until sugar melts completely. Then add bananas and keep stirring. Cook until the milk has been used up.
3. Stir cardamom powder into the above mixture. Add ghee so that the halwa leaves the sides of the pan
4. Keep stirring until the mixture turns little brown
5. Grease a glass plate or bowl with ghee and spread the mixture evenly
6. Decorate the halwa with raisins and cashews

Tuna Casserole

Ingredients
2 cups of macaroni
1 can of vegetable soup ( substitute with mushroom soup )
2 cans of tuna
1 cup of mozzarella cheese
1/2 tsp ginger - garlic paste
1/4 cup milk
1 onion chopped
1/4 cup bread crumbs
butter as required

Method
1. Pan fry tuna with little oil
2. Cook macaroni as per the directions on the pack.
3. In a baking dish, mix, soup, tuna, macaroni, cheese, milk, ginger - garlic paste and onion
4. Add butter and bread crumbs over the mixture
5. Bake the dish for 45 minutes (375 F)

Kheema Korma

Ingredient
1 pound ground beef
8 - 10 garlic pods
2 - 3 tsp ginger
2 onions chopped
4 shallots
1 tomato
4 - 5 dried red chili
1 cup shelled peas
1 cinnamon stick
cloves & cardamom as required
1/2 tsp of cumin seeds
1 tsp turmeric powder
3 tbsp coriander powder
1/2 tsp red chili powder
1 tsp garam masala powder or any meat seasoning
1 tsp sour cream
salt to taste
curry leaves chopped
coriander leaves
1 tsp mustard seeds
oil as required


Method
1. In a large skillet, heat oil and add mustard seeds
2. Once the mustard seeds start to splutter, add dried chili,spices, garlic and ginger. Stir and when you can smell a nice aroma of ginger - garlic, add onions + shallots.
3. Add tomato when the onion turns translucent. Saute for couple of minutes
4. Add the powders and stir til it is roasted
5. Now add the ground beef and add water. Heat til the water has evaporated
6. Add peas and cook covered
7. Stir in cream and cook on low heat for 2 -3 mins
8. Garnish with coriander leaves
9. Serve with rotis