Neetu's Cooking Blog: easy recipes

Showing posts with label easy 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.

PRAWNS KOLIWADA

Prawns Koliwada, a delicious dry prawn preparation, inspired by the Kolis(fishermen) in Mumbai. Like Vada pav, prawns koliwada is another popular street food found all over Maharashtra, mainly in Mumbai. It is generally a takeaway dish.

Prawns are marinated in ginger garlic paste and spices for a few minutes. Gram flour gives nice body to the coating. I have included rice flour in this recipe which adds to the crunch of the coating on prawns.

Prawns are deep fried in hot oil. It is important to maintain the temperature of the oil to high. Also, it is necessary to fry the prawns in small batches. Overcrowding in oil may drop the temperature of the oil.

Recipe for Prawns Koliwada

Ingredients for Prawns Koliwada

500gms prawns (cleaned and deveined)
¾ cup gram flour
2 tbsp rice flour
1 tbsp ginger garlic paste
1 tbsp red chilli powder
1 tsp coriander powder
½ tsp turmeric powder
1 tbsp lemon juice
Salt to taste
Oil for frying

How to make

Clean and devein the prawns.

Marinate the prawns in ginger garlic paste, turmeric powder, coriander powder, red chilli powder, salt and lemon juice for 10 minutes.

Add gram flour and rice flour to the prawns. Mix well.

Add 2 tbsp of water to get the coating consistency.

Heat the oil. Fry prawns in small batches. The temperature of the oil should not go down or else the prawns will sink to the bottom and become soggy.

Fry the prawns on each side for approximately 1 minute or until crispy from outside. Over frying may result in chewy prawns.

Serve with mint chutney.

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.

PRAWNS PULAO WITH COCONUT MILK

This is a quick, no fuss recipe for Prawns pulao. If you have the deveined prawns ready, and ginger garlic paste in your refrigerator, you are in a good situation. I have used readymade coconut milk in this recipe which adds to the sweetness of the prawns. Just chop an onion and a tomato and you are ready to go.

Prawns pulao is mildly spiced and not very heavy on stomach as other nonveg dishes. Any type of rice can be used such as sona masuri or surti kolam or basmati rice. Avoid using sticky variety of rice.
Ideally shrimps (small prawns) taste the best in this pulao. I have used medium sized prawns, which also works very well.

You just have to try it once to make it again and again.

Recipe for Prawns pulao with coconut milk

Ingredients for Prawns pulao with coconut milk

1 cup prawns (cleaned and deveined)
1 cup basmati rice
1 cup coconut milk
½ cup onion (finely chopped)
½ cup tomatoes (finely chopped)
1 tbsp ginger garlic paste
¼ tsp caraway seeds
2 nos bay leaves
2 green chillies (roughly chopped)
¼ tsp turmeric powder
½ tsp coriander powder
1 tsp red chilli powder
¼ cup fresh mint leaves
1 tbsp ghee or clarified butter
1 tbsp oil
Salt to taste

How to make

Wash and soak rice for 30 minutes.

Heat ghee and oil in a thick bottomed pan.

Add caraway seeds and bay leaves.

As the caraway seeds splutter add onions and green chillies. Sauté till onions become translucent.

Add ginger garlic paste. Sauté for a minute.

Now add the turmeric powder, coriander powder and red chilli powder. Cook for a minute.

Tip in the chopped tomatoes and a handful of mint leaves. Roughly tear the mint leaves before adding it.

Cook till the tomatoes soften, this will take approximately 2 minutes.

Add the cleaned and deveined prawns. Sauté for half a minute.

Add the soaked rice. Mix well.

Add 1 cup of water, 1 cup of coconut milk and salt to taste. Bring it to boil on medium heat stirring continuously. Let it boil for 2 to 3 minutes.

Cover with lid and reduce the heat to low. Cook for 6 to 8 minutes or until done.

Serve with your favourite raita.

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.

KACHRI MIRCH KI SABZI

Kachri is a wild variety of cucumber. It is also called as wild melon. It grows wildly in the deserts. It is mainly consumed in Rajasthan.

Kachri has a sour taste. It acts as a coolant for body in hot climate. At times few kachris are bitter, therefore it is necessary to check them before chopping. Also select the kachris which are not too soft and not too hard.

Kachri with green chillies is a popular preparation in rajasthani kitchens. The hot chillies cut the sharp sourness of kachris. Both red and green chillies are used in this sabzi. I have used only green chillies.