Recipe - Banana Muffins

Delicious banana muffins - a recipe so simple that even your child can whip it up.

 Ingredients:

1.5 cups all purpose flour

1 tsp baking soda

1 tsp baking powder

1/2 tsp salt

3 large mashed bananas

3/4 cup sugar

1 egg

1/3 cup melted butter

• Preheat the over to 350 degrees. Line the muffin pans with butter paper or paper liner. Sift together flour, baking powder, baking soda & salt. Set aside.
• Combine bananas, sugar, egg and melted butter in a large bowl. Fold in flour mixture & mix until smooth. Scoop into muffin pans.
• Bake in preheated oven. mini muffins are usually done in 10-15 minutes while large ones may take about 25 minutes to be completely done.

Recipe - Chicken Cacciatore Pasta

Easy to make, this simple pasta is delicious to eat.

Ingredients:

Boneless chicken - 200 gms

Pasta - 2 cups

Finely chopped garlic - 2tsp

Finely chopped onions - 1 cup

Tomato puree - 1/2 cup

Strained pasta water - 1/4 cup

Vinegar - 1 tsp

Bay leaf/ Tej patta - 1

Dried oregano - 2 tsp
Dried thyme - 1 tsp

Sugar - 1 tsp
Oil (preferably olive oil) - 4 tbsp

Salt to taste

Chopped parsley or coriander -1 tbsp

• Boil 8-10 cups of water in a large pan. Add some salt and 1 tbsp of oil. Drop pasta in boiling water. Boil till pasta turns soft but is still firm. Remove from flame. Strain, reserving the water. Refresh pasta in cold water and strain again. Sprinkle 1-2 tbsp olive oil in the pasta and toss well. Keep it aside.
• Heat some oil. Add the chicken pieces and cook on moderate heat till about 3-4 minutes. Remove the chicken and keep it aside.
• To the same oil, add chopped garlic and fry till it starts to change color. Add chopped onions and cook till translucent.
• Add fresh tomato puree, strained pasta water, vinegar, bay leaf, oregano, thyme, sugar, pepper & salt. Boil. Lower heat and simmer for 10 mins till sauce becomes thick. Keep it aside.
• While serving, heat the sauce, add chicken, boiled pasta and chopped parsley. Mix well. Sprinkle some crushed peppercorns and serve hot with bread.

Recipe - Soya Nuggets in Hot Garlic Sauce

A quick fix recipes those surprise guest visits!

Ingredients

150 gms soya nuggets soaked in hot salted water

1 large capsicum chunks

1 onion cut into squares

1tbsp soya sauce

1tsp vinegar

2 tbsp Maggi hot and sweet tomato ketchup

1 tsp crushed garlic

1/2 tsp grated ginger

1/4 cup finely chopped spring onions

1/4 tsp black pepper powder

1/4 tsp cornflour
1 tbsp oil

Salt to taste

                                                                                    

• Soak the soya nuggets in hot salted water for 10-15 minutes. Squeeze the water out, wash them in cold water and marinate in salt, soya sauce & vinegar for 20-25 minutes.
• Heat some oil in a pan. Add crushed garlic and fry till golden brown. Add grated ginger and finely chopped spring onions. Saute for 2-3 minutes.
• Add the marinated soya chunks and save the marination paste. Saute on a low flame for 3-4 minutes.
• Add capsicum, onion, salt and crushed pepper. Cook on a low flame for sometime.
• Add 1/4 tsp of cornflour to the marination paste and stir in such that lumps are not formed. Add this to the soya nuggets along with some soya sauce. Cook till the gravy thickens and serve hot.

Recipe - Bharwa Tamatar Bonde



www.banaraskakhana.com



Puneites would know how we were cought unaware by sudden thunder and showers this Tuesday evening. Rains always call for chai and pakodas - but this time I wanted to make something different. That's when I remembered this recipe that I had read on www.banaraskakhana.com. Thankyou Sangeeta for making our Tuesday evening so special :). Please read the complete recipe by clicking on the link below :

Bharwa Tamatar Bonde



Food News - Chef Vikas Khanna's new book - Young Chefs

After Masterchef India - I am dead sure that there is not a single girl/woman in this country who hasn't fallen for Chef Vikas Khanna. God damn he is soooo cute - and that dimpled smile, that soft voice - how can any woman resist him. Imagine a guy who looks cute, has a dimpled smile, is soft spoken and to top it all, he is a world renowned chef - girls what more do we need??? And to all you guys out there - we find it really sweet when you try your hand at the kitchen to impress us. So no matter how kali your chai turns out, or how uncooked your eggs are - we still LOVE IT!.

Ok, so coming back to the topic, Chef Vikas Khanna has written a new book titled 'Young Chefs' which has simple recipes that any child (and by that I mean 12+ years olds) can whip up. He has dedicated this book to all the contestants of Master Chef Junior. To read his complete interview, click on the link below.

Chef Vikas Khanna reveals recipes that are a child's play 

Paneer stuffed Moong Dal Chilla with Amla Chutney

This dish makes for a spicy tangy protein rich breakfast.

Ingredients

For the stuffing:
Paneer - 100 gms
Finely chopped onion - 1
Finely chopped capsicum - 1
Finely chopped green chillis - 2
Coriander powder - 1/2 tsp
Chilli powder - 1/4 tsp
Salt to taste
 Oil


For the chillas:
 Moong dal soaked in water for 3-4 hrs - 1 cup
Besan - 2tbsp
Red chilli powder - 1/4 tsp
Cumin powder - 1/4 tsp
Finely chopped green chillis - 2
Finely chopped  fresh coriander leaves
Salt to taste

Amla Chutney:

For ingredients and recipe, please click HERE


Paneer Stuffing:

• Fry the onions in a pan until translucent. Add the chopped capsicum and green chillis and fry for another 3-4 mins till the capsicum is cooked.
• Crumble the paneer and add it to the onions & capsicum. Add the salt and rest of the dry spices. Saute for another 5 mins and keep it aside.

Chillas:

• Drain the dal and grind it to a fine paste. To this paste, add 2 tbsp of besan and mix thoroughly so that no lumps are formed.
• To this paste, add the salt, dry spices, green chillis and fresh coriander leaves. Adjust the batter consistency so that it is similar to that of a dosa batter.
• Heat a little bit of oil in a non stick tawa and spread a ladle of the batter. Cook on a low flame until both sides are brown and crispy.
• Stuff the chilla with paneer and serve hot with amla chutney.

Shepherd Pie (includes spinach)

This dish is a favorite among my kids - especially during winters. To make it more healthy and interesting, I include spinach and sweet corn as a part of the recipe. The dish is a complete meal in itself and can be had alone or with toasted garlic bread.

Ingredients:

Boiled potatoes - 4
Blanched spinach leaves - 12-15
Boiled sweet corn - 3/4 cups
Macaroni or any other pasta of your choice - 300 gms
Minced chicken - 400 gms
Finely chopped onions - 2
Finely chopped green chillis - 2-3
Coriander powder - 1 tsp
Red chilli powder - 1/2 tsp
Garam masala - 1/2 tsp
Milk - 1/4 cup
Cheese or cottage cheese - 1/2 cup (grated)
Sliced tomatoes - 1
Black pepper powder
Salt to taste
Cooking oil

• Mash the boiled potatoes with some milk to make it moist. Sprinkle black pepper powder and add some salt. Mix well. Take a glass dish which is microwave safe and add a layer of this mixture.
• Mix the blanched spinach and sweet corn. Layer this on top of the mashed potato layer.
• Cook the macaroni/pasta as per the instructions given in the pack. Once cooked, drain the water completely and add a few drops of oil so that the pasta doesn't clump together. Allow it to cool for 10 minutes. Now add a layer of this pasta on top of the spinach & sweetcorn layer.
• Heat some oil in a cooking pan and add the onions and green chillies. Cook the onions till they turn brown. Transfer the onions to a pressure cooker.
• Wash the minced chicken and add it to the onions in a pressure cooker. Add the salt and rest of the dry spices along with 1/4 cup water. Cook it to one whistle. Once cooked, you can transfer the chicken to a cooking pan and continue cooking till the water evaporates.
• Spread this minced chicken on top of the pasta layer and add tomato slices. Garnish with either grated cheese or paneer. In this case, I have garnished it with grated paneer.
• Microwave it for 30-60 seconds till the cheese melts and serve hot.

Dal Wadi Kadhi

Ingredients :

Moong dal - 0.5 cups (soaked for 4-5 hours)
Green chillis - 2
Besan - 1 tbsp
Sour curd - 1 cup
Panch foran - 1 tsp
Turmeric powder - 1/4 tsp
Red chilli powder - 1/2 tsp
Cumin powder - 1/4 tsp
Few sprigs of spinach leaves
Curry leaves
Fenugreek leaves
Ginger - a small piece
Salt to taste
Cooking oil

• Drain the soaked dal and grind it into a paste along with green chillis and ginger paste.
• Add cumin powder, salt, red chilli powder and finely chopped fenugreek leaves.
• This is the wadi batter. Deep fry them in oil and keep it aside.

• In another pan, add 1 tbsp of oil. Add the panch foran and allow it to crackle.
• Mix the besan and sour curd together along with 1 cup of water.
• Pour this mixture in the panch foran along with 2 cups of water. Add finely chopped spinach leaves and dry spices.
• Bring it to boil and then let it simmer on a low flame for 10-15 minutes till the consistency thickens and the oil starts floating on top.
• Serve hot after adding the wadis.

Twisty Paneer Makhni

Soaring prices of onions and tomatoes made me wonder if I will have to give up my favorite dishes for the sake of monthly budget. I am a die hard fan of Paneer Makhni and started thinking if I could try making without using too many onions and tomatoes. And try I did - with all the modifications I could think up on with the end result much better than my expectations. The dish does have onions and tomatoes but instead of finishing your stock, you will use very little of these two vegetables And since I had to twist the recipe to make this dish, I decided to call it Twisty Paneer Makhni.

Ingredients:

Paneer or cottage cheese - 200 gms

One finely chopped onion

Tomatoes - 3

Bottle gourd peeled and cut into small pieces - 100 gms

Yellow pumpkin  peeled and cut into small pieces - 100 gms

Poppy seeds soaked in water - 1 tsp

Ginger garlic paste - 0.5 tsp

Pinch of hing

Turmeric powder - just to impart color

Red chilli powder - 0.5 tsp

Coriander powder - 0.5 tsp

Kasuri methi - 0.5 tsp

Cumin seeds

Oil

• Heat some oil, add the onions and fry till translucent.
• Add the pumkin. Fry for a few seconds and add bottle gourd and tomatoes.
• Fry for another 2 to 3 mins and then add 1/4 cup water and pressure cook it till one whistle.
• Allow the mixture to cool completely and then blend it in a mixer.
• Heat the remaining oil and add cumin seeds. When they start crackling,  add hing and then the ginger garlic paste. 
• Fry them till the raw smell goes. Now add the blended mixture along with the dry spices. Allow it to simmer till oil separates.Grind the poppy seeds and add to the mixture along with the paneer.
• Add ½ cup of water and simmer for 2-3 mins.Garnish with kasuri methi and serve hot.

Sprouted Moong Dal Paratha

Ingredients:

Whole wheat flour - 2 cups

Moong sprouts - 1 cup

Finely chopped onions - 0.5 cup

Finely chopped green chillis

Coriander powder - 1 tsp

Red chilli powder - 0.5 tsp

Dry mango powder - 0.5 tsp

Salt to taste

• To make moong sprouts, wash the moong daal nicely & soak overnight in enough water. Drain out all the water and tie them in a muslin cloth. Sprinkle some water to keep the cloth damp. Leave it in a warm place for 10-12 hours
• Once the sprouts are ready, boil it with very little water in a pressure cooker. Ensure that the moong are not overcooked and retain their shape & color
• Add the chopped onions, green chillis, red chilli powder, dry mango powder, coriander powder and salt. Mix well.
• Knead dough out of the wheat flour. Stuff it with the moong dal mixture and roll it to make parathas. Roast it nicely by applying ghee/oil. Serve hot with dahi/yoghurt, chutney and pickle

Home Style Macaroni & Cheese

The ultimate comfort food !

Ingredients:

400 gm macaroni

50 gm butter

2 tbsp refined floor

2 cups (500 ml) milk

250 gm grated cheese

Chopped parsley

• Cook the macaroni in a large pan of boiling water as per the instructions mentioned in the packet
• Melt the butter in a medium saucepan and add the flour. Cook, stirring, for 1 minute over medium-low heat. 
• Gradually add the milk, stirring until smooth. Stir gently until the mixture comes just to the boil, then reduce heat and simmer for 2 minutes. Remove from the heat, add the grated cheese and stir until melted and smooth.
• Pour cheese sauce over the pasta and stir until well coated. Season with salt and white pepper to taste. Serve immediately sprinkled with chopped parsley.
• Serve it with toasted garlic bread. In the above picture, I have also added a slice of grilled cottage cheese on top

Amla Chutney (Gooseberry Chutney)

"Sniff, sniff", that's what I have been doing all day long. It's strange how I don't get affected by cold when I am in North India - seriously guys I have stayed in UP for 8 years, spent considerable time in Delhi, Gurgaon, visited Amritsar in January where the fog refuses to go before 1:00 PM, and venturing out without a head scarf, socks and gloves is close to suicidal. However Pune winters -  I simply fail to understand. In my 2 years in this city, every time the temperature dips, bang strikes the flu, cold & cough. Each time to combat the cold, my mother has fed me with amla chutney instead of medicines to get me better. So the recipe that I am going to share with you all today is of the same chutney that my mother ensures I take with every meal during winters. Not only is it tangy and tasty - being a rich source of Vit C, it also boosts immunity.

Ingredients :

Amla - 200 gms (cleaned and finely chopped)

Jaggery or Gur - 100 gms

Garlic - 10-12 pods

Finely chopped ginger - 1.5 inch

Red chilli powder - 1/2 tsp

Panch foran - 1/4 tsp

Oil - 1tsp

Salt to taste

Clean and finely chop the amla into small pieces. Add the jaggery, ginger, garlic & pressure cook for 1 whistle. Allow the mixture to cool. Blend it in a mixer or with a hand blender. Not heat the oil in a small non stick kadai and add the panch foran powder. When it begins to crackle, add the blended mixture along with the salt and red chilli powder. Cook it till the oil starts separating. Store it in an air tight jar.

Saw Dust Dessert

I bumped upon this recipe in a very old issue of Good Housekeeping. It is a famous pudding in Macau where it is known as Serradura or 'saw dust'.
The recipe requires very simple ingredients which are readily available and hardly takes 20 minutes to whip up.

Ingredients:

Marie or Digestive Biscuits - 2 packets
Cream - 4 cups
Vanilla essence (you can also use strawberry, butter scotch etc as per your liking)
Condensed milk - 1 tin

Transfer the biscuits to a zip lock bag and crush them finely with a rolling pin. You can also crush them in a mixer if you like.
Spread the crushed biscuits in a glass dish. Whip the cream till it peaks. Add a few drops of the essence and condensed milk.
Suggest you add 1/2 of the condensed milk first, taste, and then add more if needed. Continue whipping the cream to stiff peaks.

Add a layer of this whipped cream on top of the crushed biscuits. Add alternate layers of whipped cream and crushed biscuits, with the top layer being that of biscuits. Refrigerate overnight and serve chilled the next day