its raining again: time for hot samosas !!!

This is what I read in the morning newspaper today

Get ready for a month’s worth of rain overnight and 70mph winds

Yes its raining again !!!

So that's an excuse for savouring this fried and tempting delight called samosa !!!!

There is something so magical about the combination of rain chai and samosa..!!

Samosas are the most popular appetizer not only in India but all over the world.Its surprising to see the craze for samosas here in London ...even the English people love it !!!

...But I don't like the samosas we get here  which are wrapped in filo pastry...they just don't taste like our authentic samosas.So I tried making  this homemade mini samosa which was worth the effort !!!

Ingredients

All purpose flour/Maida – 2 1/2 cups
Rice flour – 1/4 cup
Ajwain (carom seeds) – 1 tsp
Ghee – 4 tbsp
Salt – 1/2 tsp
Water – about 3/4 cup(lesser the better)
Oil – for deep frying


For the stuffing

5 Medium Potatoes(boiled)
1/4 cup peas
 1 tbsp Coriander seeds 
1 inch ginger chopped
1 tsp cumin seeds
1 1/2 tsp amchur powder
1 tsp coriander powder
1 tsp garam masala
1 tsp anardana powder
1 tsp red chilli powder
Salt to taste


Method 

• Mix the flour, salt, carom seeds, ghee until the dough resembles coarse sands.
• Now sprinkle the water slowly and form a soft but really stiff dough. Lesser the water better it is.
• Knead the dough well for about 5 mins.Keep the dough covered with plastic wrap or a moist towel and let it rest for an hour.
•  For the stuffing heat oil in a pan and add cumin seeds and then ginger.Add boiled and crushed potatoes and peas.
• Add amchur,coriander powder,garam masala,red chilli powder ,anardana powder and salt.
• Roast coriander seeds and grind using a rolling pin.Add this crushed coriander to the potato mixture.
• Cook till thee mixture turns light brown and let it cool.
• Make large lemon sized balls of the dough.
• Dust the dough with flour and roll it out thin, about 1/8 inch in thickness, into an oval shape.
• Using a knife cut the rolled dough to make two equal portions.
• Wet the edges and make a cone  and fill it with the stuffing. Seal it using a flour and water paste.
• Deep fry the samosa till they turn golden all over. Please note that the oil should not be too hot and fry them on medium low heat.
• Enjoy with tea !!!

refreshing lemon polenta cake to welcome summers !!!

Finally summer's here!!!After a long wait we are finally enjoying sunshine and it feels great !!!

So its time for juices and refreshing drinks... its time for salads and sushis...its time for everything light and refreshing so here comes my lemon polenta cake !! I have been thinking of trying polenta for a while...so when I came across this amazing gluten free cake I gave it a shot !!!

Ingredients

150 gm ground almonds
65 gm polenta
150 gm sugar
130 gm butter
2 Eggs
3/4 tsp baking powder
Lemon zest from 1 Lemon
1tsp Lemon juice


Lemon syrup/glaze

Icing  sugar- 1/2 cup

Lemon juice- 1 tbsp of lemon juice

Method 

Cream together  butter and  sugar till light and fluffy.Add the eggs and beat well.

Fold in the almond flour followed by polenta and baking powder. Add the lemon zest and juice and mix well to combine.

Transfer the batter into a greased pan and bake in a preheated  oven  at 180C for 40 minutes or till a skewer comes out clean.
Place the sugar into a mixing bowl and gradually add the lemon juice, whisking continuously till you have a pourable consistency. It shouldn't be too thick.

Place the cake  on a cooling rack and once a little cooled prick it using a toothpick and pour the lemon sugar glaze.Let it sit for five minutes and then wait no further..just slice and eat !!!!
Its so moist,soft and refreshing ...simply delicious !!!

crispy baked onion rings

 Looks like I am on some kind of a baking spree ....Back to back baking recipes  from mains to starter ...and the next up is a dessert :)

To tell you the truth it is not a planned theme or something which I am following its just that I love baking and so that's what I am doing thesedays !!!

And here is something which is not actually a baked dish but a fried one ...but why not try the baked version when it tastes as good as the fried one with little effort and lesser fat content.

Onion rings are a great snack with tea or as a side dish with burgers or other meals !!!

Ingredients 

1 Medium White Onion
1 Egg white
1 tbsp Cornflour
1/2 tbsp All purpose flour
Salt to taste
1/4 tsp Black pepper
1/2 tsp Red Chilli
1/2 tsp Garlic powder
1 tbsp Milk 
1 cup Breadcrumbs
Oil Spray 

Method 

In a bowl whisk egg white ,salt,pepper and red chilli .Add milk. Dip the onion rings and rest it for 15 minutes so the batter gets coated to the rings.Now add flour,cornflour and garlic and coat the onion rings and then finally coat them with breadcrumbs.Arrange it on  a lined baking tray and spray some oil .

Bake it in a preheated oven for 200C for about 15 minutes checking on both the sides.

Enjoy this quick and crunchy snack without any guilty pangs !!!

Sending this to From Fried to Favourite by Nupur 's UK Rasoi.

baked vegetables with oaty goodness

Baked vegetables has always been our favourite ...but its something which we eat once in a while owing to the amount of fat which goes in the form of white sauce.....the other day  I came across this wonderful  recipe  which has the goodness of oats and tastes great too!!!

Its is also a great way to  finish off leftover veggies..I had some cauliflower lying  but  didn't want to eat gobhi aloo or gobhi paratha... had some broccoli but  didn't want to have stir fry or soup... had some carrots which were off late usually eaten raw as salad... had some corn in the freezer which was untouched for a while ...so just chopped and mixed everything in this oats based white sauce and had a hearty meal.

So here 's how you can try this healthy and delicious dish . !!


Ingredients

1/2 cup oats(powdered)
2 tbsp olive oil
1 cup milk
2 cups mixed vegetables (cauliflower,broccoli,carrots,corn )
1/2 onion chopped
1/2 tsp pepper
1/4 tsp oregano
1/4 tsp dried basil
1/4 tsp chopped garlic
1/4 tsp chilli flakes
Pinch of nutmeg powder
2 tsp grated cheddar cheese
Salt to taste

Method 

Take oil in a pan.Add chopped onions and garlic and cook till they soften.Add chopped veggies.Add salt and pepper and cook till the veggies are tender but firm .
In a pan add olive oil.Add oats and roast till it gives a nutty aroma.Add milk and keep stirring to avoid lumps.Add nutmeg powder,salt ,pepper,oregano and basil.When the sauce thickens add 1 tsp cheese.Add veggies and transfer it to a baking dish .Sprinkle 1 tsp grated cheese and bake it at 180 C for 15-20 minutes.
Serve warm with bread or chapatis .

 The best thing is that you would  not notice any difference in taste due to oats and olive oil...simply yumm!!!

Sending this to
I love baking by Tickling Palates 

momos with hot dipping sauce on a rainy day !!!

London is showing its true colours thesedays...rainy...cloudy...windy!!

The past month has been like that...you just couldn't think of going out without an umbrella ... I 'm waiting for some sunshine now !!!!

This weather makes you crave for something hot and spicy ...one such dish which I love eating in this kind of weather is momos ...though this dish has its origins from Tibet,Nepal and north eastern states its one of the most popular street food in Delhi...You will find it in every corner..be it Lajpat Nagar ,Noida,Connaught Place..!!I have tasted some of the best momos of every market...Depauls in Connaught Place...Road side vendors in Noida,Lajpat Nagar and the famous stall in Dilli Haat.The soft and steaming dumplings with the hot sauce is a treat to your tastebuds !!!

Here's the recipe for you :

Ingredients 

2 cups All purpose flour

A pinch of baking powder

Salt to taste

1 tsp Oil 

For Filling 

1 cup Cabbage 

1 Carrot(grated)

1/2 Onion (chopped)

1tsp Ginger garlic paste

1 Green chilli (chopped)

1/4 tsp Soya sauce

Salt to taste

Method 

Combine maida, salt, baking powder and oil ( around 1 tsp). Knead it into a soft dough.Cover it with a wet cloth and rest it for an hour.

Finely shred patta gobhi. Rub salt and keep it aside. After 15-20 minutes squeeze out all water.

Heat oil in a pan.Add onions and fry till they become pink.

Add  remaining chopped vegetables; green chilies, carrots,cabbage and fry well.Add little salt to fasten the process.

When vegetables are cooked completely, add ginger and garlic paste and fry for 5 minutes on medium flame.

Add soya sauce.Mix all the ingredients thoroughly.Adjust salt’s amount. Keep it aside.

Now take the  dough and make a small and a thin chapati out of it. It should be very thin .Add some vegetable mix in the center of the chapati.Fold the edges making a semi circle and seal and crimp it on the sides.Steam the dumplings for 15 minutes till its cooked.Serve hot with spicy sauce.

 Spicy dipping  sauce 

Ingredients 

1/2  Red Onion( chopped )

2 Tomatoes(chopped)

3-4 dry red chillies (chopped)

1 tsp ginger garlic paste 

1  green chilli chopped

1/4 tsp soya sauce

Salt to taste 

1 tsp Tomato ketchup 

Method

In a saucepan, heat the oil and throw in the onions and red and green chillies. Sauté till they turn light brown.

Add the tomatoes, ginger garlic, soy sauce and salt to this and on medium heat cook till the tomatoes are cooked..

Add  tomato ketchup and mix well for about a minute or so.

Take it off the fire and leave aside to cool a bit.

Enjoy rain with  MOMOS and HOT DIPPING SAUCE !!!!

orange and chocolate chip muffins

Well you know about my love for muffins.. See here !!!

The best thing about baking muffins is that it requires minimal time and efforts.....seriously these muffins were ready to eat in 30 minutes!!!This refreshing orange muffin was on my to-do-list for quite sometime but my love for oranges could hardly spare one or two  for this recipe :P :P....so this time I managed to save a few for these muffins ... added a  few chocolate chips too...which complimented really well!!!

 Talking about oranges here are some interesting facts :

• After chocolate and vanilla, orange is the world's favorite flavor.
• You will have to eat 7 cups of cornflakes to get the same amount to fiber you would get from one medium orange!
• If you plant a single seed from an orange you will probably get more than one plant growing from it.

So why not include oranges in our daily diet....here's one way to enjoy it !!!

Ingredients

1 3/4 cups  All purpose Flour
1 Orange (quartered and seeds removed)
1/2 cup Orange juice
1tsp Baking soda
1 tsp Baking powder
1/2 cup Butter
1 Egg
3/4 cup Sugar
2 tbsp chocolate chips

Picture taken at Barcelona in 2011

Method

• Preheat oven to 200C.
• Put orange quarters in food processor (or blender) along with orange juice and process or blend until pureed.
• Add egg and butter to food processor and combine,pour into large bowl.
• Combine dry ingredients together in a separate bowl, then add all at once to orange mixture.
• Fill muffin cups and Bake in preheated oven for 20 minutes; remove from oven and let stand in tin for 5 minutes before removing muffins.
  
  So go ahead and try these  refreshing,delicate,soft and moist muffins !!!

Sending it to Kid 's Delight -Fruits by Srivalli hosted by Nupur 

I love Baking by Tickling Palates 

Bake Fest by Zesty Palate hosted by Sumee's Culinary Bites

chicken with roast potatoes and asparagus !!

There s a famous saying which goes "You eat with your eyes"

Plating and food presentation play a huge role in how we experience food. The presentation of your dish  takes it to a new level...So this Easter I tried to incorporate my learnings from the episode series of MasterChef Australia to our meal ... and cooked up this  traditional dinner of Roast,Potatoes and Veggies!!!

So here's how you can make this simple yet exquisite dinner for your loved ones !!!

 

Chicken Roast 

Ingredients
2 Chicken Breast Fillets

1/4 cup Yoghurt
1 Spring onion chopped
1/2 tsp ginger garlic paste
1/4 tsp cumin pwd
1/4 tsp paprika
1/2 tsp tandoori masala
1/4 tsp coriander pwd
Salt to taste

 Method
For the marinade blend all the above ingredients in a blender.Marinate the fillets for about 2 hours . Take out the fillets from the marinade and brush with oil .Now roast in the oven for about 40 minutes at 180C.



Roast Potatoes

Ingredients

2 Large potatoes
2 tbsp oil
Salt,pepper  and chilli flakes

Method
Place the potatoes in a large saucepan and just cover with cold water. Bring to the boil then boil, uncovered, for 7-8 minutes.Meanwhile, switch the oven to 220C and place the oil  in a large roasting tin towards the top of the oven to heat thoroughly.Drain the potatoes thoroughly . Return them to the pan in batches and shake vigorously to soften the edges, or you can scratch them with a fork.Take the tin from the oven and add the potatoes. Turn them quickly in the oil then cook at the top of the oven for 50-60 minutes, turning once halfway through cooking until crisp and golden on the outside and soft in the centre. Drain and sprinkle with salt,pepper and chilli flakes. Serve immediately.

Asparagus 
Ingredients

 4 Asparagus
 1/2 tsp Olive oil
Salt to taste
1/2 tsp Lemon juice

Method
Trim the edges of asparagus and brush it with oil .Bake it in the oven for 15 minutes at 180C.Take it out and season it with salt and a drizzle of lemon juice.

For rice go to my previous post (The only change is turmeric instead of soya sauce ).

Plate up rice on the plate.Place the chicken fillet on top.Place roast potatoes and asparagus as sides.
Enjoy the pleasure of fine dining at your own home ...:)  :)