THE KITCHEN AFFAIRE

Gosh.. I would have told this like 100s of times - "I love paneer" :D  So as always I am on the look out for new varieties of paneer recipes. Lucky me. Aipi of USMasala also loves paneer. And she has a bunch of paneer varieties. :D This one had caught my eye some time back but I got a chance to try it out just today. Well, better late than never. Right? :D While cooking, I made a few minor changes (according to our taste) from the original recipe. For instance, I did not add "bell pepper", which is one main ingredient in jalfrezi, as "A" does not like em. :) Still, it tasted just awesome. "Mere haathon ka jade" ;) Just kidding!!  Ingredients Paneer - 2 C Cumin seeds - 1/2 t Carom seeds - 1/2 t Whole red chilli - 1 Onion, chopped - 2 Tomato, chopped - 1 Ginger - garlic paste - 1 1/2 T Tomato ketchup - 2 T Bell pepper, sliced - 1  Whole coriander seeds, roasted and ground - 1 T Garam masala - 1/2 t Red chilli powder - 1...

I love gobi/cauliflower a lot. The food court at my office (@ India) served yummy  gobi manchurian. I used to order that most of the time. My friends made fun of me for this. hehe :D I love my friends. And I miss em all! All of us are spread around the world now. :( But we are in touch. That is the best part. :) Friends are huge assets. Na? Yaa.. This is one very simple gobi masala. Simple because you can make this with the ingredients that you will easily find on your kitchen counter :D Easy and quick! A huge love hug to my Mum for this recipe. This is one of her best quick and easy dry subzi recipes. :D Ingredients Cauliflower florets - 2 C Mustard seeds - 1/2 t Cumin seeds - 1/2 t Fennel seeds - 1/2 t Kalonji seeds - 1/2 t Fenugreek seeds - 1/2 t Asafoetida (hing) - a pinch Ginger - 1 t Garlic - 1 t Turmeric powder - 1/2 t Chilli powder - 1/2 t Lemon juice - 1 T Water - 3 T Salt - 1 t Oil - 1 T ...

Now that I have my home made pav bhaji masala ( Ain't I cheeky about my home made things! :D ), I thought it was time to try out Tawa Pulao (Rice dish). Thanks to the huge blogosphere, I got to see a lot of our blogger friends put up posts on Tawa Pulao. And last day, as I was blog hopping I came across Aipi's USMasala , undoubtedly a beautiful one, where I saw the recipe for Tawa Paneer.  So I thought I'll try my hands on her yummy Tawa Paneer recipe and not Pulao. :D And oh my gosh! Guys, it came out just fantabulous. Mr.A loved it too :) Then what more do I need to know, right? Aipi  --> Thanks a ton. :)  I followed your exact recipe. Only difference should be the pav bhaji masala. Ingredients Cumin seeds - 1 t Asafoetida - a pinch Paneer - 2 C Tomato, crushed - 3/4 C Onion, chopped - 1 1/2 Turmeric powder - 1/2 t Pav bhaji masala - 2 t Red chilli powder - 1 t Ginger garlic paste - 1 t Garam masala - 1/4 t Amchur powder or lime juice - ...

This is a typical Kerala dish generally served for the Kerala "Sadya" or feast. It is a yogurt based side dish. Today is one of those days when I dont feel like yapping a lot! So here is the recipe folks :) Ingredients Mustard seeds - 1/4 t Okra, thinly chopped - 1 C Green chillies, slit - 2 Curry leaves - a few Turmeric powder - 1/2 t Oil - 1 T Yoghurt - 1 C Salt - to taste Method Heat oil in a pan.Splutter mustard seeds. Add curry leaves, green chillies and okra. Fry for a few minutes, until the okra turn crispy and light brown. Add turmeric and salt. Turn off the heat after 2 minutes. Add the fried lady`s finger into the yoghurt and mix well.

Punjab Cuisine reminds me of two main dishes - Sarson Da Saag aur Makki Di Roti & Chole. Both are my favorites!! :) Healthy too. There was a time when I hated greens or leaves. Lately, I am in love with them. And "Sarson Da Saag" tops my chart of favorite greens! "Sarson" means Mustard Greens and "Saag" means curry or gravy.  "Sarson Da Saag" is a very popular curry in Punjab (India) and is traditionally served with "Makki Di Roti", which is Indian bread made of corn flour. I found Mustard Greens @ a Vietnamese place here. It was named "Gai Choy" there. Nevertheless, it was the same. Do try this healthy and yummy curry friends. :) Ingredients Mustard Leaves – 2 bunches Spinach – 1 bunch Water – 2 C Oil – 1 T Onions, chopped – 1 1/2 Tomatoe, chopped – 2 Ginger, minced – 1 T Garlic, minced– 1 T Salt – to taste Red Chili Powder – to taste Garam Masala – 1 tsp Seasoning or "Tadka" O...

The first time I tried Palak Paneer was right after marriage. It wanted to try my hands on a lot of dishes, this being one among them. :) Spinach, like any other leaf, is very good for health. It is best when had without frying. And this is one "subzi" (curry) which can be cooked without frying spinach. Of course, there are others too. :) Paneer adds to the flavor. Friends, try this out. You may not love it like others but you cant hate it. And hey, its healthy!!! :D Ingredients Spinach - a bunch Paneer - 1 C Tomato - 1 Green chilli - 4 Onion - 1/2 Ginger-garlic paste - 1/2 t Cilantro - 1/2 t Coriander powder - 1/2 t Cumin powder - 1/2 t Cashews - 1/2 C Salt to taste Method Wash spinach and cut them into several pieces. Boil a pan of water. As the water starts boiling, add the cut spinach and green chilies into it. Mix until the leaves are wilted and turn off heat. Allow the leaves to cool for a few mins. Add the leaves and salt to t...

"Gobi" is one word (among a hundred others) my friends use to make fun of me as it is similar to my first name "Gopika"! :D Well, I loveeee Gobi. The best among it being Gobi Manchurian. This is a Punjabi style Gobi with a little gravy. Tastes awesome with all Indian breads. Cauliflower is a very nutritious vegetable which contains Vitamin C and folate. Here is an easy way to eat healthy and tasty.  :) Ingredients Cauliflower florets - 2 C Oil - 2 T Kasoori Methi - 1 T Poppy seeds, grind with 1 T  water - 1 T Green chilies - 1-2 Turmeric powder- 1/2 t Chilli powder - 1 t Coriander powder - 1 t Cumin powder - 1/2 t Ginger garlic paste - 3 T Onion, finely chopped - 1 Tomato, finely chopped - 1 Yogurt - 3/4 C Milk/Cream - 1/2 C Salt - to taste Cilantro for Garnishing Method Wash Cauliflower florets with water. Boil water (enough to soak the florets) and soak the cauliflower in it till they cook 3/4. Heat oil in a non-...

Mutta roast... This is one of mummys signature dishes. Every time she made that, i bet i would have had n number of chappathis or appam along with it.. :D Ingredients Eggs : 3 Chilli powder : 1 1/2 t Coriander powder : 1 1/2 t Pepper powder : 1 t Aniseed : 1/2 t Cardamom : 1 pod Cloves : 2 Cinnamon : 1" Refined vegetable oil : 3 T Onion : 1 1/2 Cups, sliced Tomato : 1/4 cup, chopped Salt to taste Water : 1/4 cup Method Hard boil and shell the eggs. Keep aside. Grind to a paste chilli powder, coriander powder, pepper powder, aniseed and all the spices. Heat the oil and fry onion till transparent. Add the ground paste and on low heat fry until oil oozes out. Stir in the tomatoes and continue frying on low heat. After the tomatoes are blended well, add salt and water. Put gashes on the eggs and cover the pan. Simmer till the gravy is thick. Our curry is ready! Now serve hot!

When indian cuisine mixes with Chinese you get a few indian styled Chinese cuisines. One of them being the Gobi Manchurian! Restaurants always serve this mouth watering dish with so much aroma that you wont think twice about finishing it.  :D  Guess what! I tried my hands on this superb dish and i can say that it tasted good. Let me pen down, how. Ingredients For the batter All purpose flour/Maida : 1/2 cup Corn flour : 6 t Finely chopped garlic : 1/2 t Finely chopped ginger : 1/2 t Red chilly powder : 3/4 t Salt to taste Oil to fry For the curry Cauliflower florets : 4 cups Chopped onion : 1 cup Green chilly : 2 Green onions : 1/4 cup Capsicum : 1/2 t Finely chopped garlic : 2 t Finely chopped ginger : 1 t Coriander leaves : a few Red chilly powder : 1 t Soy sauce : 2 T Green chilly sauce : 2 T Tomato sauce : 3 T Oil : 2 T Salt to taste Method To begin with, cut the cauliflower into medium size florets and add ...