Sneha Food Recipes

Rava ka seera(Kerasi)

2007-08-19T23:16:00.000+10:00

This is simple and easy to make at home sweet.

Ingredients:

1 1/2 cup semolina rava
1 cup milk
100 grams ghee
3/4 cup sugar
1/4 tsp. cardomon powder
raisins
cashews
pinch of food colour(yellow or orange)

Method:

Heat 2 tbsp. of ghee and fry semolina rava till it turns brown and gets good smell of ghee in low flame. Keep aside to cool down.

Heat a pan and add milk and bring to a boil and add sugar, boil for 5 minutes in medium flame, Add fried semolina rava and keep stirring till it becomes thick. Add cardomon powder, remaining ghee and food colour and mix well.

Heat a pan with 2 tbsp of ghee and add raisins and cashews(broken into small pieces) and fry for 2 minutes and add to the above mixture and serve hot.

Gobi Machurian (Cauliflower in a Spicy Sauce)

2007-08-19T21:54:00.000+10:00

This is one of the most popular recipe and one of the tastiest dish in the Indo-Chinese menu. you get this dish in almost all the restaurants and street sides in Bangalore. when i use to go to Chinese restaurant with my friends in Bangalore, we use to order this Gobi Manchurian with Fried rice, one of the great combination.

Prep time:15 min
Cooking time: 40 min
Serves: 4 as a side
Cuisine:Indo-Chinese

Ingredients:

1 medium. cauliflower clean and broken into big florettes.
1 small bunch spring onion finely chopped
2 tsp. ginger finely chopped
1 tsp. garlic finely chopped
1 medium onion finely chopped
1/4 cup plain flour
3 tbsp. cornflour
1/4tsp. red chilli powder
2 red chillies, dry
3 tbsp. oil
1 1/2 cups water
1 tbsp. milk
oil for frying the cauliflower florettes
2 tbsp. soya sauce

METHOD:

BOIL the florettes for 3-4 minutes in plenty of water, to which a tbsp. of milk has been added. Drain and pat dry on a paper towel.

MAKE thin batter out of flour and 2 tbsp. cornflour, adding 1/4 tsp. each of ginger and garlic and red chilli powder and salt to taste.

DIP the florettes in the batter one by one and deep fry in hot oil and pat dry on a paper towel. Keep aside.

HEAT 2 tbsp oil in a pan, add onion and fry till it is render, add remaining ginger, garlic and crushed red chilli and fry for a minute. Add the salt and spring onion, stir fry for a minute.

ADD 11/2 cups water and bring to a boil. Add 1 tbsp. cornflour to 1/4 cup water and dissolve well. Gradually add to the gravy and stir continuously till it resumes boiling.

BOIL till the gravy becomes transparent. Add florettes and soy souce. Boil for two more minutes and remove.

Garnish with chopped coriander leaves and spring onions and serve with noodles or fried rice, this is the one in the photo.

Variations: Dry manchurian can be made by omitting the gravy.

MAKE florettes as above and instead of adding water as above, add fried florettes, spring onion and soya sauce at this stage.

SPRINKLE 1 tsp. cornflour on the florettes and stirfry for 2 minutes. Serve piping hot with toothpicks or miniforks and chilligarlic sauce or tomato sauce.

Eggs in Potato Gravy

2007-07-31T16:45:00.000+10:00

Eggs are rich in proteins, eat atleast 3 eggs a week. Give one egg for growing children everyday, as it is very good for the childrens weight(yellow part of the egg). Eggs are easy to cook, This is very simple recipe and easy to make at home.

Prep time:15 min
Cooking time:20 min
Serves: 4 as a main, 6 as a side
Cuisine:Indian

Ingredients:

4 boiled eggs(cut into half)
4 medium sized potatoes(peal the skin and cut into medium pieces)
2 big onions(cut into small pieces)
2 big tomatoes(cut into small pieces)
3 green chillies(cut into length wise)
1 tsp red chilli powder
1/4 tsp turmeric powder
1 tsp coriander powder
1 tsp cumin/jeera powder
2 tsp Eastern Egg masala powder(optional)
salt as per the taste
oil for cooking

Method:

Heat oil and add onion, fry till it turns pink and tender.
Add green chillies and fry for a minute
Add potato pieces and fry for another 2 minutes in medium heat.
Add tomato pieces and fry for a minute.
Add red chilli powder, turmeric powder, salt, Eastern egg masala powder, cumin powder, coriander powder, mix well and fry for 2 minutes.
Add 1 cup of water, and cook for some time till gravy becomes thick.
Add eggs on the top.

Garnish with fresh chopped coriander leaves and serve hot with a side of rotis or rice, and a salad.

Vegetable Biryani

2007-07-31T13:02:00.001+10:00

Vegetable biryani is the one, in which you can add more vegetables, as green vegetables and fruits are very important in the diet. Doctors recommend to eat more green vegetables and 1 cup of fruits(mixed fruits) daily. Actually i use to find difference between palav and biryani in my college days, as i know, when we cook vegetables and rice together, we call it as BIRYANI, when we cook rice and vegetables separately and mix it, then it is called PALAV. Vegetable biryani is quick recipe and easy to prepare at home, It looks very colorful when you add beetroot aspecially. you can make biryani with Basamati or Priya or any normal rice. Lets get into the preparation...

Ingredients:

3 cups Basmati/Priya rice
1/4 cup beans(cut into a small pieces)
1/4 cup potato(pealed and cut into a small pieces)
1/4 cup beetroot(pealed and cut into a very small pieces)
1/2 cup peas
1/4 cup cauliflower(cut into a small pieces)
1/4 cup carrot(cut into a small pieces)
1/4 cup corn(optional)
6 green chillies(cut into length wise)
1-2 cinnamon stick, broken
2 tbsp. cashew nuts, chopped
2 cardamon
4 cloves
2 star anise
4 or 5 bay leaves
1 tsp ginger-garlic paste
1/2 tsp red chilly powder
1/2 tsp jeera powder
1/2 tsp coriander powder
1 tsp garam masala powder
2 tsp cooking oil
2 tsp of coriander leaves
2 boiled eggs(optional)
salt as per the taste

Method:

Wash the rice and drain the water.
Heat a pressure cooker with little oil and add all the spices(cinnamon, cardamon, cloves, cashews, bay leaves, star anise) and fry for 2 minutes in medium flame.
Add ginger-garlic paste and fry for 2 minutes.
Add green chillies and fry for a minute.
Add all the cut vegetables(cauliflower, beans, peas, carrot, beetroot, potato) and fry for 5 minutes in a medium flame.
Add red chilli, jeera, coriander, garam masala powder and salt and fry for 2 minutes.
Now add the rice and fry along with vegetables for 2 minutes, so that each rice grain gets separated after it is cooked.
Add 5 cups of water to the rice and cover the lid of the pressure cooker and turn the flame to high. Water depends on the type of the rice you use. I used Priya rice.
After 2 whistles turn the flame to medium for 2 minutes and turn off.
You can add 2 boiled eggs(cut into half) on the top of the vegetable biryani.

Note: In this recipe, you can add more spices and masala powders, if you want it to be more spicy....

Serve hot garnished wth chopped coriander leaves with butter chicken, yogurt... It goes very well with butter chicken.

Potato Fry

2007-07-24T18:01:00.000+10:00

Potato Fry is one of recipe, which i use to like so much in my childhood, I use to be very happy whenever my mom use to make potato fry. Usually you see this recipe in hotels with pooris and dosas. This is a quick and easy to prepare at home recipe.

Ingredients:

4 boiled potatoes
1/2 cup thinly sliced onions
4 green chillies(cut into lengthwise)
2 tsp oil
10 curry leaves
1/4 tsp jeera seeds
1/4 tsp mustard seeds
2 tsp urad dal
2 tsp bengal gram dal
salt as per the taste
2 red chillies
1/4 tsp turmeric powder

Cut the boiled potatoes into medium size pieces, heat oil in a pan, add jeera and mustard seeds and fry for 2 minutes. Then add urad dal and bengal gram dal ,fry them untill it becomes light brown in colour, add curry leaves, red chillies and fry for a minute. Then add sliced onion and fry till it becomes tender, after that add green chillies and fry for 2 minutes. Then finally add the potatoes, turmeric podwer and salt, fry for 5 minutes in a low flame.

Serve hot garnished wth chopped coriander leaves with dosa, chappati... It goes very well with poori and dosa.

Chickpeas Guggullu

2007-07-23T21:00:00.000+10:00

Chickpeas fry/guggullu is a temple prasadam in india, this is a quick snack and easy to prepare at home.

Ingredients:

1 cup chickpeas(soaked overnight)
1 small onion(chopped finely)
3 green chillies(cut into a small pieces)
4 tsp fresh coconut(grated)
2 tsp oil
10 curry leaves
1/4 tsp jeera/cumin seeds
1/4 tsp mustard seeds
2 red chillies
salt as per the taste

soak the chickpeas overnight in water, pressure cook the chickpeas till it is tender, heat oil in a pan and add jeera, mustard seeds, fry for 2 minutes, then add curry leaves and red chillies fry for a minute and then add onion, fry till it becomes tender, add green chillies fry for 2 minutes, at last add pressure cooked chickpeas, salt, coconut and mix well, allow to fry for 5 minutes in small frame. Enjoy this wonderful snack.

Vegetable Cutlet

2007-07-23T18:02:00.000+10:00

Ingredients:

250 grams boiled and mashed potatoes
1 cup of finely cut carrots, beans, cauliflower, peas and capsicum
1/2 tsp ginger amd garlic paste.
1/2 tsp chilli powder or you can even substitue with green chillies
bread crumbs(you can get in the food markets or you can substitue with bread, remove the egdes, and make it as a powder with wet hands)
1/2 garam masala powder(optional)
1 egg or white flour(maida) mix with water(100ml)
50ml oil
1 onion (chopped finely)
salt as per the taste
2 tsp coriander leaves

Method:

Heat a pan with little oil and add chopped onion and fry till it become transparent.
Add cut vegetables and fry for 5 minutes in sim
Add mashed potatoes, salt, chilly powder, garam masala powder & coriander leaves, garlic &ginger paste and make it like a dough.
Make the dough into small balls and press at the top to form a shape of cookies.
Put one egg in a cup and mix well.
Dip each ball in Maida-Water mix or egg and then roll all balls in bread crumbs.
Put all balls in roasting sheet and put in the oven in 400F,for 45minutes or until golden brown.
It can also be made by deep fry in oil,if you like.

Serve with Tomato sauce or Puthina cutney.

Mushroom-Cauliflower Fry

2007-07-23T12:18:00.000+10:00

Here in sydney I get mushrooms throughout the year, looks very clean and attractive in colour, whenever i see in the food markets, i feel so happy and feel trying different types of recipes with mushrooms. This is the recipe which is my innovation, which came out very well, so i though of sharing in my blog.

Ingredients:

1 cup cauliflower(cut into a small pieces)
1 cup potato(peal and cut into a small pieces)
1 cup mushrooms(cut into a medium pieces)
1 onion(cut into medium pieces)
3 green chillies(cut into length wise)
1 large tomato
1 tsp red chilly powder
1/4 tsp turmeric powder
1/2 tsp jeera powder
1/2 tsp coriander powder
1/2 tsp garam masala powder
2 tsp cooking oil
2 tsp of coriander leaves.
salt as per the taste

Method:

Heat 2 tsp of cooking oil, add onion and fry till transparent.
add green chillies and fry for 2 minutes, then add mushroom, potato and cauliflower and fry for 5 minutes.
add tomatoes and fry for 2 minutes and then add red chilly, tumeric, jerra, coriander, garam masala podwer, salt and mix well.
Allow to cook for 15minutes in low flame, so that the vegetables are cooked well.

Serve hot garnished with chopped coriander leaves with rice,roti,naan...

Butter Chicken

2007-07-03T17:38:00.001+10:00

Butter chicken most treasured recipe of mine, very delicious, very very creamy and very very rich... I love to eat this recipe..

Ingredients:
Chicken = 750g(remove skin,cut into even sized pieces)
Onion = 150g
Butter = 60-65g
Ginger garlic paste = 1tsp
Tomato puree = 1cup
cumin powder = 1tsp
Coriander powder = 1tsp
Red chilli powder = 1tsp
Whole spices = (Cloves-4,Green cardamom-4,Bay leaves-2to3,Cinnamon-3small sticks.Star anise-1petal,Fennel seeds-1/8tsp)
Coriander leaves(finely chopped) = 3tbsp
Oil = 2tsp

For the marination(ingredients):
Ginger-Garlic paste = 2tsp
Turmeric powder = 1/4tsp
Red chilli powder = 2tsp
Garam masala powder = 2tsp
Kasoori methi crushed fine = 1tsp(optional)
Oil = 1/2tbsp
Yogurt = 4tsp
1 lemon

Method:
Marinate the chicken pieces with the marination ingredients, keep refrigerated for 45min or better if kept marinated overnight. Sear the marinated chicken pieces in a pan and then grill it in the oven(200 degree C for 10 mins) or the easier method is to just Heat oil in a pan and shallow fry the chicken pieces till it turns dark brown on all sides(you can use little oil for frying),keep aside

For the gravy/curry:
1. Heat 1tsp oil, in medium heat saute the ginger garlic paste and finely chopped onion till light brown, add red chilli powder, coriander powder, cumin powder, salt and saute(with only a tsp oil it may tend to stick to the pan therefore sprinkle a little warm water in between), you can even add half of the spices to this(optional),Cover and cook,let the onions become tender and then grind it to a smooth paste

2. Roast the remaining spices for a few seconds in the same pan after removing onions.

3. In a saucepan add the ground paste,tomato puree, roasted spices and about a cup of warm water(any remaining marinade can be mixed with water and poured to make the gravy too)cover and cook in medium heat till the gravy reduces & thickens

4. Add warm water(1to 1&1/2cups) again to make up the gravy

5. Add in the fried chicken pieces,add salt,gently stir and allow it to simmer on low heat for 12 to 15mins

6. Remove from heat* add butter and finely chopped fresh coriander leaves,mix,cover and keep aside for about 15min before serving.

Serve hot garnished wth chopped coriander leaves and few drops of fresh cream with rice,roti,naan... It goes very well with Vegetable Biryani.

*Do not add butter and allow the gravy to boil,it results in a layer of oil floating on top of the gravy*

Menthi Dal (Menthi/Fenugreek leaves and Lentil Curry)

2007-07-03T16:40:00.000+10:00

Menthi Dal is a very nutritious lentil and leafy vegetable indian dish today, very nutritious and tasty dal…

Ingredients:

1 cup menthi/fenugreek leaves washed and picked
1 cup tur dal (red gram)
2 whole dry red chillies(tear into pieces)
1/3 tsp turmeric powder
5 garlic flakes(slightly crushed so that it gets cokked well)
1 tsp chopped ginger
4-5 green chillies slit length wise(indian variety)
10 curry leaves
1 tsp cumin seeds(jeera)
1/2 tsp mustard seeds
1 tsp salt
2 tsp oil
2 cups water
chopped coriander leaves for garnish

Preparation:

1. Fenugreek leaves, tur dal(red gram) and green chillies are pressure cooked in this recipe(you can add little ghee(optional), so that dal gets cooked fully).

2.Add salt to this cooked mixture and mash with laddle till well combined.

3.Heat 2 tbsp oil in a pan and add the mustard seeds, let them splutter, then add the cumin seeds, crushed garlic, red chilli pieces and curry leaves and fry for a minute, then add chopped ginger and turmeric powder, fry for minute on medium heat.The tempering needs to be added to the fenugreek and dal mixture.

5.Add 1 cup of water, adjust the salt as required, then allow to cook for 10minutes in a low flame.

6.Garnish with coriander leaves.

Serve hot with rice and ghee….You can even serve with rotis.

Hyderabadi Chicken Biryani

2007-06-12T18:02:00.001+10:00

Hyderabadi Biryani is a popular variety of Biryani.There are 2 styles of preparing this variety. The Katchi Biryani is prepared with the Kacci Akhni method. It is usually accompanied with Dahi ki Chutney Raita or Mirch ka Salan.

Ingredients:
1 whole chicken / 2 lbs chicken,
1 kg Basmati rice /Priya rice
1 cup thinly sliced onions,
1 big onion sliced.
2 tsp ginger/garlic paste,
3 tsp chilli powder,
½ tsp turmeric,
100 g cashew nuts,
4 or 5 bay leaves,
4 or 5 cloves,
2 cm long cinnamon sticks,
3 or 4 cardamom pods,
2 star anise
1 or 2 tsp jeera,
1 cups mint leaves,
1 cup coriander leaves (cilantro),
½ tsp garam masala powder(optional),
2 tsp Biryani Powder
1 lemon,
1 ½ tsp salt (according to taste),
1 cup ghee (clarified butter/oil),
½ cup yogurt,
few strands of saffron,

Preparation:
1. Make deep holes on the chicken flesh - deep enough for spices to get absorbed but making them too deep could render the pieces smaller. Mix turmeric, chilli powder, salt, garlic garlic paste, yogurt, half-lemon's juice and you can even add any biryani Masala(i prefer Eastern Biryani powder) Thoroughly apply this paste onto the chicken flesh and let marinate for 2 hours.

2. Heat about 20 ml of oil, add onion, wait couple of minutes for onion to turn slight brown, allow fried onion to cool down, then grind this onions into a fine paste.

3. Heat 50ml of oil, Roast cumin, cloves, cinnamon, cardamom, bay leaves, star anise, 1 spoon coriander powder, coriander leaves and add mint leaves. Then add ginger garlic paste fry for 2 minutes, add onion paste fry for some time, add marinated chicken and cook for about 20-30 min, add salt and red chilly powder as required. It should NOT be fully cooked at this stage, add garam masala and turn off flame when about ¾ cooked. Gravy should not be much, chicken pieces should look roasted(before adding into the roasted spices, you can even roast the marinated chicken with oil in the oven till it looks half cooked and brown in color).

3. Meanwhile, while the chicken is still cooking, prepare the biryani rice. Slightly rinse 3 cups of basmati, and add water little less than the volume of the rice itself so that its only half cooked preferably in an electric cooker. Amount of water actually depends on kind of rice at hand and your experience helps to judge it. Also add 1-2 teaspoons of salt to it. Take a few semi-cooked grains of rice and colour them with diluted saffron for garnishing.

4. You will need a utensil of about 12" (300 mm) base. Place about half of semi-cooked rice in it. Next, layer half of chicken on it again topped by a layer of rice (half of the remaining). One more layer of remaining chicken, finally with layer of rest of the rice on top ends the rice-chicken layering stage.

5. Heat oil and deep fry half the sliced onions to golden brown. Similarly fry cashew. Garnish the top layer with these two along with 10 ml oil, saffron rice grains and coriander. Lid the vessel and try making it airtight (but no pressure should build up). Put on high flame for 5 min before reducing it to low flame. The flame should NOT be at the vessel's centre, but on one side of it. Wait for 2-3 min and turn the vessel to heat other next part on its circumference. This way, keep rotating the vessel every 2-3 min for about 20 min. Every time you turn it, carefully disturb the contents by a shake/jerk so as to avoid settling of oil/ghee at the bottom.

6. Put off the flame and wait for about 10 min before opening. Before serving, mix well from the bottom. Serve with boiled egg halves. Enjoy. Rightly and carefully made, its an epicure's paradise.

Note: This recipes takes more than half an hour to cook, you should have patience to make this and you will really enjoy this..

Yellow Rice/Pulihara

2007-06-12T17:12:00.000+10:00

Pulihara is also known as Puliyodhara(puliyodharai), Puliyogare or Chitrannam, is a very common rice dish in Andhra Pradesh, Tamil Nadu and Karnataka States. This is very tradional recipe in andhrapradesh, this dish is made for festivals and even for functions. This recipes looks very colorfull and easy to make, so lets get to the preparation.

Ingredients:

500 gm rice
1 tbsp roasted peanuts
5-6 roasted cashew nuts
a pinch of asafoetida
a pinch of fenugreek powder

Ingredients for tamarind paste:

500 gm tamarind
2-3 red chillies
1/4 tsp turmeric powder
salt to taste

Ingredients for Tempering:

2 tsp oil
1/4 tsp mustard seeds
1/2 tsp urad dal
1/2 tsp bengal gram
5-6 curry leaves
2-3 curd chillies (optional)
2 green chillies

Method:

Wash and soak rice for 15-20 min and cook the rice(not to cook fully, each grain has to seprate).
Prepare tamarind juice by soaking the tamarind in 2 cups of water.
Boil the tamarind juice along with the turmeric powder, red chillies and salt till the consistency becomes a thick paste.
Heat oil in a pan.
Add mustard seeds, urad dal, bengal gram, curry leaves, curd chillies & 2 green chillies.
Add the above seasoning, roasted cashew nuts, roasted peanuts, asafoetida and fenugreek powder to the cooked rice and mix well.
Server with potato wafers for extra taste.

The Tamarind paste in the above procedure can be stored for days together and used as a ready-mix later. So, don’t mind if you think you have more paste than you actually need. If you can, add curd chillies (marked as optional in the ingredients) for extra taste.

Gobi Parata

2007-05-22T17:47:00.000+10:00

Gobi Parata is a cauliflower stuffed indian bread, it is a punjabi recipe, I had this recipe first time in bangalore in punjabi restaurant, from then i love this dish. I prepare this recipe whenever iam very hungry and want to make some thing fast and eat. This is very healthy and easy to prepare, I love trying different stuffed paratas, you can even make this recipe with very less oil.Here is the recipe now.

For the Parata dough:

2 cups Wheat Flour
1 tbsp. fat (oil or ghee)
salt to taste
water to knead

Mix all ingredients except water. Add a little water at a time and form a soft dough. Keep for 30 minutes before using. Always keep covered with a moist cloth, and see that the cloth is kept moist. One parata requires a pingpong ball sized lump of dough. For rolling, use dry flour as in chapathi., to roll easier. Dust the parata with dry flour now and then.

Main Ingedients

1/2 Cauliflower grated
4-5 green chillies finely chopped
1 big onion finely chopped
1/2 tsp. ginger and garlic paste
1 tbsp. coriander leaves chopped fine
1/2 tsp. turmeric powder
1/2 tsp. garam masala powder(optional)
salt to taste
oil for shallow fry
2tsp oil

Heat 2tsp oil in a pan, add onions fry it till it becomes transparent, add ginger garlic paste, green chillies and fry for 2 mns, Mix well, then add grated cauliflower to this, keep frying for 5mns or till it changes it color to light white and mix well, then add turmeric powder, cumin powder, garam masala powder(optional), salt and mix well, keep it on low flame for 5mns. If you had more salt and more tumeric powder, the mixtures becomes very soft and it is difficult to make paratas, so please remember this:-)

Roll a thick chapathi about 4" diameter. Place a small ball of filling at centre. Cover with the sides or brings the ends to the centre from 4 or 5 points. Overlap ends so they do not leave an opening. Press gently and make it round.

Dust with dry flour, proceed to roll to 6" diameter. Heat a heavy tava, place parata on it. Allow one side to cook have brown golden patches. Turn repeat for other side. Drizzle some oil and flip. Drizzle oil on other side. Sizzle till done. Serve hot with chutney or pickle and plain fresh curds.

Aloo Paratha(Potato-Stuffed Flatbread)

2007-05-19T23:49:00.000+10:00

Aloo Parata is a Potato stuffed indian bread, everyone likes eating potato recipes, this is the one of the popular recipe in Paratas, I have learnt this recipe from one of my north indian friend called Ekta, Potatoes contains low calorie, fat and cholesterol free vegetable high in vitamin C, potassium and good source of vitamin B6 and fiber, It is very easy and simple to prepare. Here is the recipe.

For the Parata dough:

Main Ingedients

3 large potatoes boiled and peeled
4-5 green chillies finely chopped
1 big onion finely chopped(cut into very small pieces)
1/2 tsp. ginger and garlic paste
1 tbsp. coriander leaves chopped fine(optional)
1/2 tsp. turmeric powder
1/2 tsp. garam masala powder(optional)
1/2 tsp jeera/cumin powder
1/2 tsp coriander powder
salt to taste
oil for shallow fry

Mash the potatoes, to that add ginger garlic paste, green chillies,coriander,onions,turmeric powder, garam masala powder, cumin powder, salt and mix well. Roll a thick chapathi about 4" diameter. Place a small ball of filling at centre. Cover with the sides or brings the ends to the centre from 4 or 5 points. Overlap ends so they do not leave an opening. Press gently and make it round.

Dust with dry flour, proceed to roll to 6" diameter. Heat a heavy tava, place parata on it. Allow one side to cook have brown golden patches. cook on medium flame so that onions gets well cooked inside. Turn repeat for other side. Drizzle some oil and flip. Drizzle oil on other side. Sizzle till done. Serve hot with chutney or pickle and plain fresh curds.