HEALTHY SHELL PASTA IN CREAMY NUTTY AND VEGGIE SAUCE

Hello everyone 

Pasta... I think most of us including kids and elders, love to have pasta ,But at the same time try to avoid it some time due to sauce and creams used to make it delicious. My kids love to have these in their tiffin too,So I thought why not to give it a healthy twist that make people comfortable to have it without any guilt. I just added puréed veggies and nuts to the regular pasta and it turned out super delicious, guilt free healthy breakfast for us. This is best for kids who don't like chunks of veggies and keep removing from their plate and also don't like to munch on healthy nuts. Now they can have it without knowing that they are gobbling all those veggies and nuts , they used to hate😉.

Recipe of the same is given below, just give it a try.

HEALTHY SHELL PASTA IN CREAMY NUTTY AND VEGGIE SAUCE

Ingredients 

2 cup pasta , boiled and drained

8-10 almonds

4-5 walnuts

1 carrot, grated

1 spring onion, finely chopped 

1 big onion, finely chopped 

2 green chillies,finely chopped

2 medium tomatoes,finely chopped 

1/4 tsp turmeric powder 

1/4 tsp Kashmiri red chili powder ( optional)

1/4 tsp black pepper powder 

1/4 cup green coriander leaves,finely chopped ( optional)

1/2 cup milk

Water drained from pasta(as required)

Salt to taste

Method:

Take a wok, add chopped onions,chilies ,grated carrots and spring onions, nuts ,tomatoes , turmeric , Kashmiri red chili powder, black pepper powder and little water .Boil till tomatoes become mushy and nuts are nicely cooked. 

Now let it cool a little and make its smooth paste. 

Now transfer paste to the same wok , add milk let it boil  Then add boiled pasta and salt. let it cook till every thing get nicely coated with saucy consistency. If needed add some water drained from pasta to make sauce of right consistency. Finally add chopped coriander leaves and mix well. 

You can also add some butter for taste while adding sauce to wok. And your guilt free yummy pasta is ready to be served.

You can use any pasta of your choice, I added shell pasta.

You can also add any veggies or nuts of your choice.

This pasta can be served as breakfast or can be a good option for lunch box too. You can have it any time without guilt. Hope you all will like this simple healthy touch to regular pasta. Please pour your valuable comments and suggestions here, they meant a lot to me.

Happy cooking....

MUHALLABIA ( A MIDDLE EASTERN DESSERT)

Hello everyone

On the occasion of sharad purnima generally we used to prepare kheer but this time I thought to give it a new twist and made muhallabia, which is much similar to kheer and taste is really amazing. This can be prepared on any occasion like Diwali, holi, Eid or even during Ramadan fasting too. You can prepare it very easily and please your guests in a different way. It's perfect for those kids who don't likes bits of dry fruits or rice in their kheer, like my younger one. And luckily he loved it too much and finished in no time. So you can also serve this yummy cum healthy dessert to your fussy eaters.

Recipe is given below, hope you all will definitely give it a try.

MUHALLABIA 

Serves: 7-8

Time: 45 mins 

Ingredients 

4 cup milk

1/3 cup rice powder

2 leveled tsp corn flour

1/3 cup sugar

1 cup almond powder

Few drops Rose or kewda essence 

Pista and rose petals to garnish

Method:

First of all Boil 3 cup milk in a pan. 

Now dilute rice powder and corn flour in 1 cup milk.

 Add slowly in boiling milk stirring constantly to avoid lump. 

Let it get thick then add almond powder in batches and mix well to avoid lumps. 

Then add sugar. Cook for 4-5 mins. 

Now off the flame , let it cool for 5 mins then add essence. 

Now pour in serving bowls and garnish. Chill before serving.

Your yummy dessert is ready to serve.

You can use any dry fruit or cherry to garnish the dish.

You can also make it with different flavours by adding strawberry syrup and crush,rose syrup , dates, cocoa powder etc. 

Add sugar as per your taste.

If you don't get almond powder then soak nearly 3/4 +cup of whole almonds in hot water for 2-3 mins then peel it and let it dry and grind to fine powder. 

 Use your creativity and give this dish the flavour of your choice.

Enjoy this middle eastern dessert in your way and please pour your valuable comments and suggestions here ,they meant a lot.

Happy cooking....

CHANA AALOO SABJI ( CHICKPEA POTATO CURRY)

Hello everyone 

Now a days I am sharing some simple day to day recipes but tempting too. We used to cook chhole occasionally but today I am sharing its sabji (curry) recipe. It can be prepared in minimum time and with less spices than used in chhole, yet you will love to relish on this finger licking dish. For Kanya Pujan during Navratri , we used to offer halwa, poori and chane ki sabji to kanyas. You can use this recipe to make chane , just skip onion and garlic. Step wise recipe of the same is given below , hope you all will like it.

CHANE AALOO KI SABJI ( CHICKPEA POTATO CURRY)

Serves: 4-5

Time: 30 mins

Ingredients 

1 1/2 cup boiled chickpeas 

4-5 medium potatoes, boiled

2 medium size onions, sliced

2-3 green chilies 

1 1/2 tsp ginger garlic paste

1 medium onion, finely chopped

1 big tomato, finely chopped or puréed 

2 tsp coriander powder 

1 1/2 Chana or chhole masala

1/2 tsp Garam masala

1/2 tsp turmeric powder 

1/2 tsp chaat masala ( optional)

1/2 tsp cumin seeds

1/4 tsp asafetida ( heeng)

1 bay leaf 

1/4 cup green coriander leaves, finely chopped 

Salt to taste

Method:

First of all grind sliced onions, green chilies and ginger garlic paste together to form paste. 

Peel and break potatoes in small pieces.

Heat oil in a wok, add asafetida, cumin seeds and bay leaf. Let cumin seeds crackle then add chopped onions. 

Fry till golden then add coriander powder, Garam masala, turmeric powder and chhole or Chana masala, saute for a minute. Then add prepared onion paste. Fry till aromatic and it starts leaving oil. 

Now add chopped or puréed tomatoes and salt . Cook till tomatoes become mushy then add broken potatoes. 

Fry for 2-3 mins then add boiled chickpeas along with water. Add water as per your preference of curry consistency.

 Adjust salt and let it boil. Now cover and simmer for 5-6 mins. Now add chopped coriander leaves and chaat masala. Mix well and done. 

Your simple yet yummy curry is ready to serve with poori or rice.

http://sonicuisine.blogspot.ae/2015/10/how-to-make-soft-yet-crispy-pooris.html

If preparing this for Navratri Kanya bhoj then skip onions and garlic.

You can also skip potatoes if not like. You can use any chickpea, black or white. I used white one.

This is very simple preparation with great taste, anyone can try easily. Hope you all will like this recipe and definitely try it once. Please pour your valuable comments and suggestions here,they meant a lot.

Happy cooking....

HOW TO MAKE SOFT YET CRISPY POORIS

Hello everyone 

Today I have a very simple recipe of plain poori. But generally we fail to give that crispness and softness at the same time and also it gets flat sometimes. We all love to have our pooris perfectly puffed . So I have some simple yet important thumb rules for perfect whole wheat flour pooris every time. Recipe is given below, hope it will be helpful to you.

HOW TO MAKE CRISPY YET SOFT POORIS

Serves: 3-4

Time: 30 mins

Ingredients 

2 cup whole wheat flour

1/3 cup warm milk

2 tbsp oil

Warm water to knead dough

Method:

Mix oil in flour, then add milk and using sufficient water make dough. After mixing everything knead the dough atleast for 4-5 mins to get nice dough. Dough should be little harder than chapatti dough but smooth .Let it rest covered for 10-15 mins. 

Now take small balls of dough using some dry flour roll desired size pooris. It should be little thicker than chapatti. Also take care while rolling, always roll with light hand. 

Heat sufficient oil in a wok at medium to high flame, to check whether it's done or not, put small ball of dough in hot oil if it comes immediately on the surface of oil then it's ready to fry pooris.

Put one poori at a time and press it lightly with ladle to puff it perfectly, let it get crisp from one side the flip it to other side and let it cook . Now drain it on a kitchen towel . Similarly fry all the pooris and your crispy puffed pooris are ready to serve with your choice of curry or fries.

Keep an eye on hotness of oil, if you find your pooris are getting darker fast then decrease the flame to maintain temperature of oil.

If you like more crispy pooris then can add 2tbsp of semolina (sooji or rava ) while kneading dough.

This is the simplest poori recipe you can make any time and serve it on any special occasion or for kids tiffin. Kids always love to relish on poori halwa or poori bhaji, so give this special treat to them any time.

http://sonicuisine.blogspot.ae/2015/10/atte-ka-halwa-whole-wheat-flour-halwa.html

Hope this recipe is helpful to those who fail to get perfect pooris, so please try it and pour your valuable comments and suggestions here they meant a lot.

Happy cooking....

ATTE KA HALWA ( WHOLE WHEAT FLOUR HALWA)

Hello everyone 

Sometimes we suddenly start craving for something sweet but it's not possible to have sweets all the time in your fridge . But today I have a very easy and irresistibly delicious whole wheat flour halwa recipe, which can be prepared in minimum time and with easily available ingredients at your home. You don't need any pre preparation or fancy utensils to cook it. So just be prepare to dive in the yumminess and sweetness of this tempting delight. Recipe is given below, hope you all will love it.

ATTE KA HALWA ( WHOLE WHEAT FLOUR HALWA)

Serves: 3-4 

Time: 20 mins

Ingredients:

1 cup whole wheat flour

1/3 cup ghee

1/2 cup sugar, I used less

2 1/2 cup water

Chopped dry fruits ( optional)

1/4 tsp green cardamom powder ( optional)

Method:

Heat half of the ghee in a wok, add whole wheat flour and cook at medium flame , stirring constantly to avoid burning it. When it become nice golden brown and aromatic then lower the flame and add sugar in it . Mix well then add water slowly and keep mixing simultaneously, to avoid lump formation. Now again increase the flame to medium and cook it stirring constantly. Add remaining ghee and cook. When it starts leaving ghee then add chopped dry fruits of your choice and cardamom powder. Mix well and done. You yummilicious sweet treat is ready to serve. Garnish it with chopped dry fruits and serve hot.

Be careful while roasting whole wheat flour so that not to burn otherwise it will ruin whole dish.

You can also use more ghee if like ghee laden halwa.

Sugar can also be increased or decreased as per your taste.

You can also use more or less water to make halwa of your choice of consistency.

This halwa is easiest of all and yummilicious too. You can make it either in breakfast or for sweet treat after lunch or dinner. Can also be prepared for Kanya bhoj during Navratri. It tastes best if served hot.

Hope to hear nice words of appreciation from you after trying it, so please pour your valuable comments and suggestions here they meant a lot.

Happy cooking....

DRY DUM AALOO

Hello everyone 

If you don't want to have regular fries or curry dish to accompany your lunch and also not willing to have too much spices yet wants something delicious which can be prepared in minutes and tempting too. Then this is surely for you. Dum aaloo is a dish which is prepared in different way in different parts of country. I have dry version of dum aaloo today which is equally tempting and extremely easy to prepare with minimum spice . This can be served as morning/evening snacks with tea too. Recipe is given below, hope you will love it.

DRY DUM AALOO

Serves: 3-4

Time: 20 mins

Ingredients 

5-6 medium potatoes, boiled

1 medium onion, finely chopped 

1/2 cup green coriander leaves, chopped 

2-3 green chilies 

1/2 tsp ginger garlic paste

1/4 tsp turmeric powder

1/4 tsp cumin powder

1/4 tsp cumin seeds

1/4 tsp asafetida (heeng)

Oil

Salt to taste

Method:

Peel and cut, boiled potatoes in big cubes. Make paste of coriander leaves and green chilies together. Now heat oil in a wok, add asafetida and cumin seeds. Let it crackle then add chopped onion. Let it fry till golden then add cubed potatoes and fry on high flame for 2-3 mins. Now add cumin powder, turmeric powder, ginger garlic paste,coriander chili paste and salt. Fry it for another 5-6 mins on medium flame or till potatoes are well coated with masala and get nice golden spots on it. 

That's it.... Your yummy dry dum aaloo is ready to serve either with dal rice combo or with tea itself. It also tastes best with piping hot paratha or poori. 

You can increase or decrease quantity of green chilies as per your taste.

This is simplest yet yummiest potato recipe you can try. Hope you all will definitely give it a try. Please pour your valuable comments and suggestions here they meant a lot.

Happy cooking....

EGGLESS RAINBOW MARBLE CAKE

Hello everyone

Cakes are generally loved by all sweet tooth ones but if it comes to colorful soft and moist cake, then who can deny to atleast one bite. Yesterday my daughter, after coming from her school announced that she wants to carry something yummy for her friends to share as they want to celebrate Independence Day ...😳😳.. I started to scratch my head to get any clue of Independence Day on 22nd October, but failed 😐. So to satisfy my curiosity, I asked her about the celebration and what she told was really funny and nostalgic too😊. As their exams were finished yesterday and they got independence from exams so they are celebrating 🎉🎊 😃😃.

But the main problem was, what to make for her and after rejecting nearly a dozen of options she agreed for a rainbow cake. I never made this cake before but what to do, gathered all my courage and jumped in the battle field😁😁. And to my surprise and good luck the cake came out so soft, moist and most importantly eye treat to everyone. 

The step wise recipe of this cake is given below, hope you all will definitely like it.

EGGLESS RAINBOW MARBLE CAKE

Serves: 15-20

Time: 1:20 hrs

Ingredients        * I made big cake for sharing but if you want smaller one then half the quantity used.

4 cups all purpose flour ( maida)

2 cups powder sugar

1 cup oil ( any without flavour)

2 cup yogurt (curd)

1 cup warm milk

1 tsp baking soda

2 tsp baking powder 

2 tsp vanilla essence

Food colors 

Method:

First of all grease a big baking tray and dust some flour on it evenly. Remove extra flour by tapping and keep it aside .

Seive flour, baking powder and baking soda together so that they will get mixed uniformly. Then add powdered sugar to flour and again mix well. 

Now in another bowl mix yogurt, oil and vanilla essence together well. 

Add flour mix in yogurt mix in batches and keep folding. Now add milk and make a smooth batter neither too thick nor runny. If needed add more milk to get idli batter like consistency.

 Now divide batter in equal quantity , desired number of colors i.e. 6-7 equal parts of batter. Now add color to each batter and mix well. Don't over mix otherwise you will end up with dense cake.

 Now place a butter paper in the baking tray and pour one batter . Tap the tray to spread one batter then pour other, similarly pour all batters one by one followed by tapping every time. 

Now take a skewer and make lines on cake (optional) . 

Now bake it in a preheated oven at 180 degree C for 50 -55 mins. Keep an eye on it after 40 mins as different oven takes different time to bake. Mine took exactly 50 mins. For doneness checking, insert a tooth pick or skewer in middle of cake , if it comes out clean with some crumbles on it then it's ready otherwise bake for some more time.

After done let the cake rest in baking tray for 8-10 mins then invert on a wire rack and let it cool completely before slicing to get clean slices.

Your colorful, soft and moist cake is ready to serve on any occasion as kids will always be ready to gobble it up. Even there is no need of any frosting or icing on it as its so beautiful that you don't want to hide.

You can also make it in microwave at high for 10-12 mins. But keep checking after 10 mins as over microwaved cakes become chewy and hard.

If you want to bake a small cake then can easily half all the ingredients and don't forget to half the baking time too and keep checking for doneness 😊.

This is so simple yet delicious cake with easily available and only few ingredients. Hope you all will definitely going to give it a try and please give your suggestions and comments here so that I can improve my way of sharing recipes with you all.

Happy cooking....

RESTAURANT STYLE RAJMA CURRY

Hello everyone

I am a big fan of Punjabi flavours too, like chhole bhature, sarso da saag and make di roti , rajma Chaawal etc. Among these tempting dishes today I choose to try rajma and believe me it turned out much more delicious than expected. So thought why not share this simple yet flavourful recipe with you all. Stepwise recipe is given below and hope you all will definitely enjoy relishing on it.

RESTAURANT STYLE RAJMA CURRY

Serves: 4-5

Time : 45mins ( leaving soaking time)

Ingredients 

250 gms or 1 1/4 cups  rajma ( red kidney beans), soaked over night

2 medium onions, finely chopped 

3-4 green chilies, finely chopped 

3-4 medium size ripe tomatoes, chopped 

1/2 medium size capsicum, chopped 

1 1/2 tsp ginger garlic paste

1 tbsp tomato paste ( optional)

1/2 tsp cumin seeds

1/2 tsp turmeric powder

1 tsp Kashmiri red chili powder 

1 1/2 tsp pav bhaji masala

2 tsp rajma or chhole masala

1/2 tsp Garam masala or chicken masala

2 tsp coriander powder 

1/4 tsp asafetida ( heeng)

2 bay leaves

1/4 cup green coriander leaves, finely chopped 

Salt to taste

Method:

First of all boil rajma in pressure cooker with some salt till nice tender and done. Keep it aside for later use.

Now make puree of chopped tomatoes and capsicum.

Heat oil in a wok, add cumin seeds, asafetida and bay leaves. Let cumin seeds crackle then add chopped onion and green chilies.

 Saute till nice golden, add ginger garlic paste and saute for a minute. Then add all dry spice powders and saute for a minute , take care of not to burn the spices.

 Now add tomato capsicum puree ,salt and tomato puree,cook till it start leaving edges of the wok. 

Now add boiled rajma along with its water.

 Add more water if needed, according to your consistency preference.Cover it and let it simmer for 8-10 mins. 

Then add chopped green coriander leaves, mix well .

Your delicious finger licking rajma curry is ready to serve.

This is so simple yet tempting side dish can be served with roti, rice, naan or pulao.

Be careful while adding salt as you already added some while boiling rajma.

Never overcook or under cook the rajma as it will spoil the whole dish, so make sure to cook till nice tender.

Adding capsicum adds nice rustic flavour to rajma, if you don't like then can skip it. But I will suggest at least try once, you will never regret.

 So try this and become the star cook . Hope you all will like this delectable recipe and please pour your valuable comments and suggestions here, they meant a lot.

Happy cooking....