Neetu's Cooking Blog: quick recipes

Showing posts with label quick recipes. Show all posts

SPINACH CORN RICE

Spinach corn rice is a healthy variation of rice. This is a quick recipe with few ingredients. This dish is mildly flavoured and one can enjoy the taste of spinach and corn without any overpowering flavours.

Regular cooking rice like sona masuri, surti kolam or any other variety can be used. I have used basmati rice in this recipe. Pre-boiled or steamed corn kernels are used in this recipe. I prefer steaming the corn than boiling them.

It is very essential for this dish to look good and be attractive enough to convince the hesitant eaters who may resist from the spinach and rice combination. Be very gentle while mixing the rice with the veggies. In short, the sight of this dish should be welcoming! Once you taste this rice dish you will surely get hooked on to it.

Recipe for Spinach corn rice

Ingredients for Spinach corn rice

2 cups cooked rice
2 cups spinach (finely chopped)
3/4^th to 1 cup corn kernels (steamed or boiled)
1 big onion (finely chopped)
4 cloves of garlic (finely chopped)
1 tbsp butter
1 tbsp olive oil
Salt and pepper to taste

How to make

Heat the oil and butter in a nonstick pan. Add the garlic and onion. Saute for one minute or until onions become translucent.

Add corn and spinach together. Saute for one minute.

Once the spinach wilts, add rice and mix well with a light hand such that the rice grains do not break.

Add salt and pepper to taste and mix again.

Serve hot with your favourite raita or salad. I have teamed it up with carrot and pomegranate raita.

SESAME POTATOES

Sesame potatoes my way! Such dishes add variety and flavour to parties. This is a popular snack at my parties. During one of the dinner party preparations, I wanted to make something tongue tingling with baby potatoes. I wanted to take advantage of the fact that baby potatoes are bite-sized and round in shape which can serve as a good starter. A little experimentation… and that is how this dish has never gone out of my favourite party snacks list. One more reason for Sesame potatoes being my favourite is it doesn’t require any elaborate preparation and a very simple procedure.

All the baby potatoes should be more or less of the same size. Do not take too small or too big ones. Sweet dark soya sauce can be substituted with dark soya sauce and sugar. Remove the potatoes that are over boiled as they may get squashed and spoil the dish.

Recipe for Sesame Potatoes

Ingredients for Sesame Potatoes

500 gms baby potatoes
6 green chillies (finely chopped)
10 cloves of garlic (finely chopped)
2 tbsp sweet dark soya sauce
2 tbsp roasted sesame
3 tbsp oil
Salt and pepper to taste

How to Make

Boil the baby potatoes till half done. Peel and keep aside.

Heat oil in a kadhai (skillet). Add finely chopped garlic and green chillies. Saute for a minute.

Add the baby potatoes and saute on medium heat till it turns golden and crisp from outside.

Reduce the heat to low and now add soya sauce, salt and pepper. Saute for 3 to 4 minutes on low heat.

Sprinkle the sesame on the potatoes and remove from heat.

Pierce with toothpicks before serving.

BUTTER GARLIC PRAWNS

Prawns in garlic flavoured butter sauce can make anyone drool. The silky sauce with well-balanced flavours compliments the perfectly cooked prawns.

Butter garlic prawns is a quick and easy to make dish. It can be made just before serving. Only a few ingredients required to make a finger licking dish.

Remember not to brown the garlic or butter. Also overcooking the prawns may make them chewy. It is advisable to cook on medium to low heat. Butter garlic prawns is a wonderful side dish which will surely win hearts for you.

Recipe for Butter garlic prawns

Ingredients for Butter garlic prawns

250gms medium sized prawns (deshelled and deveined)
2 tbsp finely chopped garlic
50gms butter
Salt and pepper to taste

How to make

Melt butter in a pan.

Add garlic to the hot butter. Cook till fragrant on medium heat. Prevent browning of garlic.

Tip in the prawns. Cook for two minutes on each side.

Keep moving the prawns to prevent them from browning.

Serve it as an appetizer or a side dish.

MOONG METHI PAKODA

Moong pakoda have consistently held their position in my list of appetizers for a number of parties that we have hosted. It is light on stomach unlike other pakodas as it doesn't absorb oil.

Though my mother was a good cook herself, once in a while she would treat me and my brothers with these moong ke pakode with imli ki chatni from a popular pakodewala, who would make only moong or split green gram pakodas. The pakodas used to be spongy and soft with a crispy outer layer.

Moong methi pakodas recipe is inspired from my childhood memories of moong pakodas. This is a easy to make recipe with few ingredients. To make them more appetizing deep fry them only after the guests arrive and serve them piping hot with your favourite chutney or sauce.

Recipe for Moong methi pakoda

Ingredients for Moong methi pakoda

1 cup dhuli moong dal or split greengram dal
1 cup fenugreek leaves (roughly chopped)
1 tsp green chilli paste
¼ tsp turmeric powder
½ tbsp coriander powder or crushed coriander seeds
Salt to taste
Oil for frying

How to make

Soak moong dal for an hour.

Drain the water and grind it to get a smooth paste. Add little water if required.

Now add in turmeric powder, coriander powder, green chilli paste and salt. Mix well.

Now add the fenugreek leaves.

Heat oil for frying.

Using a spoon drop small portions of batter in oil. Fry for two minutes or until golden in colour.

Serve with tamarind chutney.

HALDI KA ACHAAR/ FRESH TURMERIC PICKLE (NO OIL)

Who doesn’t like food that is healthy and tasty. This is a no oil pickle recipe full of taste and health benefits. Fresh turmeric (kacchi haldi) is the best way to enjoy the benefits of turmeric.

Fresh turmeric pickle is generally made during winter as it is easily available in markets during that time. This recipe will surely burst the myth saying that oil is a must for pickles or pickles cannot be stored for a longer period without oil. The turmeric pickle I had made in last winters is still in good condition without any loss of flavour.

This recipe requires only few ingredients. The tartness of the lemon juice cuts the bitterness of turmeric. The bird eye chilli adds colour as well as a new dimension to the taste.

Fresh turmeric pickle is the easiest and healthiest of all pickles.

Recipe for Haldi ka achaar

Ingredients for Haldi ka achaar

250gms raw turmeric (kacchi haldi)
15 lemons
5 bird eye chillies (lavangi mirchi)
1 tbsp salt

Wash and pat dry the fresh turmeric, lemons and chillies. Peel turmeric and chop it in small pieces.

Squeeze out lemon juice and set aside.

Finely chop the chillies.

In a mixing bowl combine all the ingredients. Add salt and mix well.

Transfer the pickle mixture to a clean and dry jar. Ensure that the turmeric pieces are well immersed in the lemon juice. Add juice of some more lemons if required.

You can use it after two days. Refrigeration is not required.

CHICKEN SOUVLAKI KEBABS

I can prepare these delicious kebabs over and over again as they hardly require any preparation to be done. It becomes all the more easier when I marinate them a day before and push it into the refrigerator.

Chicken souvlaki kebabs are Greek style kebabs marinated in olive oil, minced garlic, dried oregano and lime juice.

Chicken souvlaki kebabs are generally barbequed. They can be grilled in the oven as well. I have used my cast iron griddle which has worked fine for me.

These kebabs are served over a bed of Greek pita bread with salad and Tzatziki sauce. Check my previous posts for recipe of Greek pita bread and Tzatziki sauce.

Boneless chicken pieces are required for this dish. I prefer chicken breast for this dish. Boneless chicken thighs also work well. Marination is the key step and should not be missed.

Recipe for Chicken Souvlaki Kebabs

Ingredients for Chicken Souvlaki Kebabs

2 chicken breasts
3 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
1 tbsp lemon juice
6 cloves garlic (minced or grated)
2 tsp oregano
Salt and pepper to taste
6 to 8 satay sticks

How to make

Cut boneless chicken into 2 inches cubes.

Add olive oil, minced garlic, oregano, lemon juice, salt and pepper. Rub the marinade over the pieces.

Let it marinate for minimum 2 hours.

Soak satay sticks in water for 20 minutes before threading in the chicken pieces.

For even cooking ensure that the chicken pieces are evenly spaced on the satay stick. Metal skewers can also be used.

Heat up the griddle at medium heat for 6 to eight minutes. Put a table spoon of oil on griddle and spread it evenly with a paper napkin.

Place the satay sticks on the griddle. Cook for 3 minutes. Flip the satay sticks. Drizzle some oil over the kebabs. Cook for another 3 minutes or until done.

If using an oven, bake at 200 deg Celsius for 8 minutes on each side. Baste the kebabs in between.

Serve with pita bread, salad and Tzatziki sauce.

SURMAI MUSTARD FISH FRY

Surmai or King fish goes very well with mustard. Surmai marinated in mustard paste and fried in mustard oil is a mouth watering preparation from the Bengali cuisine.

Surmai mustard fish fry needs only a few ingredients to create this magic. Any other fish of your choice can be used in this recipe.

The mustard flavour in this dish is very dominant. If you wish to mellow down the mustard flavour add a small onion to the mustard paste. Any other cooking oil can be used in place of mustard oil.

Recipe for Surmai mustard fish fry

Ingredients for Surmai mustard fish fry

4 pieces surmai or king fish
1 tbsp mustard seeds
2 green chillies
6 cloves garlic
½ inch ginger
¼ tsp turmeric powder
½ tbsp lemon juice
Salt to taste
Mustard oil for frying

How to make

Make a coarse paste of mustard seeds with green chillies, garlic, ginger, turmeric powder, salt and lemon juice (add very little water if required).

We need a coating consistency as shown in the picture.

Marinate the fish in the mustard paste for 30 minutes to one hour.

Shallow fry in mustard oil or any other cooking oil. Fry for 2 minutes on each side on medium heat.

Serve with steamed rice and yellow dal.

SWEET CHILLI SAUCE

Sweet chilli sauce has a unique combination of flavours. It is served as a dipping sauce with fried snacks like veg and non veg fritters.

This is an easy to make recipe which can be stored for upto a month in refrigerator. After trying this sauce I am sure you will never buy this sauce from market.