Round-ups of Spotlight Events hosted by me

Spotlight : Colourful holi Part I, II, III (Check here 125 fabulous drinks, cakes, snacks, side dishes from different cuisines)

Spotlight : Lunchbox Ideas  (Lovely 69 healthy lunchbox box recipes)

Spotlight : Healthy Breakfast Ideas (72 healthy and tasty breakfast recipes)

Spotlights : Festival Food  (79 Festival food recipes)

Spotlight : Show Your Best Creation (Part - I) & (Part- II)

Spotlight : Festive Treats (Part 1) 

Savory Semolina Cake

A nutritious and healthy Indian style savory snack or breakfast loaded with aroma. This savory semolina cake is simple to put together with lots of vegetable and no butter or egg. The color comes from spices and topping of sesame seeds gives crunchiness. This easy savory cake adapted from Anjum Anand's cookbook. I would recommend  having it in evening with a cup of tea or coffee.

Ingredients :

Semolina - 1 cup
Yogurt - 1 cup
Vegetable - 1 cup (Carrot, beans)
Onion - 1 big
Frozen peas - 1 handful
Ginger - 1 tsp, grated
Green chilli - 1, chopped
Red chilli powder - 1 tsp
Turmeric powder - 1 tsp
Baking soda - 1/2 tsp
Sugar - 1/4 tsp
Curry leaves - a handful
Salt to taste
White sesame seeds - 1 tsp, for sprinkling 

For Seasoning ~

Oil - 1 tbsp
Mustard seeds - 1/2 tsp
Cumin seeds - 1/2 tsp

Method :

Preheat the oven into 200ºC. 

Chop carrot, beans, green chili and onion. 

In a mixing bowl pour in semolina, yogurt and water, mix well.

Heat oil in a pan add cumin seeds and mustard seeds when it start to splutter and cumin is aromatic then add curry leaves, chopped onion, vegetable, frozen peas, spices and cook for 3-5 minutes.

Now add this mixture into batter and add baking soda, stir it well. Immediately transfer this mixture into loaf pan and Sprinkle over sesame seeds. Bake in the preheat oven for 25-30 minutes.

The cake is ready when a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean and the edges are crisp. Leave the cake to cool in the tin.

When cooled take it out of the tin and slice them. Serve hot.........

Sending this to Recipe Junction's "Spotlight: Festive Treats", Nandoo's "Healthy Breakfast", Amrita's "Party" and Pra Manj's "3F's - Food, Friendship Fun Event "

Fresh Apple Salsa Recipe

         Salsa - Spanish term for sauce, well this is known for many. We have varieties of Salsa dips though the Tomato version is the most famous. I love fruit salsas too...and the pineapple variety is my favorite. With a twist to the regular version I tried this Fresh apple salsa - Trust me, with a sweet, sour taste this was incredibly yummy to scoop.

Ingredients : (Servings : 4)
Crispy Green Apples - 1 cup (diced small)
Sweet Corn Kernels - 1/4Steamed)
cup(
Red grapes - 1/4 cup (halved)
Red Onions - 1/4 cup (Finely chopped)
Cilantro - 2 tablespoon (Finely Minced)
Honey - 1 teaspoon
Lemon juice - 1 teaspoon
Salt - a generous pinch
Pepper powder - a generous pinch
Red Chilli Flakes - a generous pinch (totally optional)
Jalapeno pepper - 1 small (Seeded and minced - optional)


Method:

• Toss in all the ingredients in a bowl, Stir well. Serve with any type of Nachos. If preferred cold, do refrigerate for 30 minutes before serving.

My Notes:

• Please use crispy apples, because they taste better and give a great crunch.
• For more juicy texture add in some fine chopped tomatoes too.
• Other fruits and vegetables like Pineapple, Avocado, Shredded Carrots can also be used.
• This combination can also be used as a side spread inside hot dogs instead of cole-slaw.
• You can use this as a side salad too. 

As Summer made its move and Fall is Officially declared, Its time for Fall Fest with Food Network too. This time Fall Fest features Apples for the start...For delicious Apple recipes from my other Fall Fest friends do check below:

The Lemon Bowl:Whole Grain Pancakes with Warm Apple Topping
In Jennie's Kitchen:Homemade Apple Breakfast Bars
Jeanette's Healthy Living:Almost Crusted Cinnamon Apple Grilled Cheese
Dishing With Divya:Fresh Apple Salsa
Virtually Homemade:Potato Apple Gratin
Weelicious:Apple Almond Cake
Dishin & Dishes:Kale Waldorf Salad (A Healthy Recipe Redo)
Domesticate Me:Apple Cinnamon Baked Doughnut Holes
Napa Farmhouse 1885:Applesauce with Maple and Cinnamon
Red or Green:Apple and Green Chile Crustless Pie
The Sensitive Epicure:Toaster Oven Cinnamon Apple and Walnut Muffins with Almond Flour and Maple Syrup
And Love It Too:Apple Pie Cookies
Taste With The Eyes:The Culinary Legend of Apple Tarte Tatin
The Heritage Cook:Gluten-Free Apple Crisp
FN Dish:Early Morning Apple Recipes

Honey-Glazed Lemon Grilled Chicken

This honey-glazed grilled chicken is very easy and delicious twist to classic grilled chicken. Honey and soy sauce make such a tasty combination in this recipe. The lemon juice marinade tenderizes the chicken while the honey glaze adds a sweet balance to the lemon. Enjoy this delicious grilled chicken glazed with honey and soy sauce. 

Ingredients :

Chicken drumstick - 2

For marination ~

Onion paste - 2 tbsp
Ginger -garlic paste - 2 tbsp
Chilli paste - 1 tbsp
Lemon juice - 2 tbsp
Black pepper powder -  1/4 tsp
Brown sugar - 1/2 tsp
Salt to taste
Soy sauce - 1 tbsp
Honey - 2 tbsp

Method :

Preheat the oven 180°C. Clean the chicken pieces and pat dry. 

In a bowl mix together onion paste, ginger-garlic paste, chilli paste, pepper powder, brown sugar, half of honey, half of soy sauce and salt. Using your hand, rub the money mixture all over the chicken. Cover and refrigerate atleast 1 hour.

In an another bowl add half of soy sauce and honey, mix it well.

Before grilling the chicken brush this mixture in chicken pieces. Grilled the chicken at 175ºC for 30-40 minutes or until chicken is tender. 

Turning once and brushing with honey mixture last 10 minutes that gave it more testiest and crispiness.

Serve hot with onion slices......

Sending this to Recipe Junction's "Spotlight : Festive Treats", Amrita's "Party" event

Mattar Paneer / Matar Paneer

             Mattar Paneer is a fabulous dish from North India deliciously served with Roti / Naan / Pulao. My good friend Manindhar is from Punjab and she is an amazing cook. I never had a chance to taste her food but heard from many of my other friends about her cooking. I was very keen on getting this recipe from her and when I ringed her up she was so happy to share this recipe. 

             She did tell me two different ways of preparing this. I have shared the simple and easy curry and for the creamier version, we got to add Milk/Malai(will try and post that recipe later). The combination of Paneer and Peas is amazing in this curry. Soft paneer bites play musical chair in our mouth along with peas...yumm.....wondering how to make this ? Recipe is just below:

Ingredients:

Paneer / Cottage Cheese - 150 grams(Cubed)

Green Peas - 1 cup (I used frozen)

Tomato - 3 no's
Oil - 2 tablespoon
Cumin seeds - 1 teaspoon
Chilli powder - 1 teaspoon
Coriander Powder - 1-1/2 teaspoons
Garam masala - 1 teaspoon
Turmeric powder - 1/4 teaspoon
Water - 1/2 cup
Salt - as needed
Sugar - 1/4 teaspoon
Kasoori Methi - 1 generous pinch
Coriander leaves - 2 tablespoons (finely chopped)

To Grind:

Onion - 1 medium sized

Green Chilli - 3 no's (small)

Garlic - 5 pods (Small)
Ginger - 1/2 inch piece

Method:

• Raw grind ingredients above "To grind" section together to fine paste. Raw puree the tomatoes in a blender without adding any water. Soak cubed paneer in warm water for 10 minutes.

• In a pressure cooker heat oil, add cumin seeds(smell comes out). Add Onion paste(ground) with salt, saute until raw smell goes off. Add Tomato puree with Turmeric, Chilli, Coriander powders, saute until oil oozes out. 

• Add green peas along with water, check for salt and pressure cook for 1 whistle. 

• Add cubed paneer, Garam masala, Kasoori methi(crush them in your palm and add), Coriander leaves, stir well and cover cook for 10 minutes on medium flame. Serve hot with Roti/Rice.

Chicken Rezala

Rezala is extremely fragrant chicken in yogurt based little bit thick consistency gravy. This dish is magical with texture and creamy white gravy with an incredible aroma, truly reflecting the Mughlai legacy. Chicken rezala is that uses few chosen spices, slow cooking with blending of onion-ginger-garlic and curd used for marination as well as for cooking.  It goes well with Parathas/ Rotis/ Pulao !!!!!!!!

Ingredients :

Chicken - 500 gm, cut into big pieces
Yogurt - 1 cup, whisk
Onion paste - 1 cup
Ginger-garlic paste - 1 tbsp
Cashew nuts - 1 tbsp, make a paste
Poppy seeds - 1 tbsp, make a paste
Bay leaves - 2
Few cloves, cardamom, cinnamon, mace and a pinch of grated nutmeg
Dry red chilli - 1
White pepper powder - 1 tsp
Sugar - 1 tsp
Salt to taste
Ghee - 2 tbsp
Water - 2 cup, hot
Kewra water - few drops
Garnising with red chilli

Method :

Wash and clean the chicken pieces, pat them dry and place in a large mixing bowl.

Prepare a marinade by mixing yogurt, cashew paste, poppy seeds paste, onion paste, ginger-garlic paste, salt, sugar and half of kawra water in it. Now deep in chicken pieces  to the marinade mixture and rub well. Keep it aside for at least 1 hour in room temperature.

Now heat ghee in heavy bottom pan add dry red chilli, cloves, cardamom, cinnamon, mace and greated nutmeg, fry for few second till it leaves its aroma. 

Add marinated chicken pieces and fry for 2-3 minutes on medium flame.

Mix hot water into the marinade mixture and mix well. Cover and simmer on low heat till done. Check for seasoning and adjust the salt, sugar and pepper. 

Finally add remaining kewra water to the chicken.

Transfer to serving bowl immediately and garnishing with chopped red chilli.

 Serve hot with Jeera Rice ......

Sending this to Recipe Junction's "Spotlight : Festive Treats" hosted by me, Cooking 4 all season's "Side Dish Mela", Motion's and Emotion's "Party"

Minty Methi Aloo / Potato

Today recipe is rich and creamy made with potato, dry fenugreek leaves, fresh mint and combination with Indian spices. Mint is a easily available herb which gives fresh flavors and fenugreek leaves are quite bitter in taste. It has unique flavor and fragrant  This is one of my experiment which turned out super hit with my family. This curry is a great combo with naan, roti or pulao also. Delicious dinner is ready.......Njoy!!

Ingredients :

Potato - 10 pieces
Onion - 2, medium, chopped
Toamto - 1, big, chopped
Peas - 1/2 cup (I used frozen)
Ginger-garlic paste -  1 tbsp
Garlic - 3-4 cloves, chopped
Mint - 2 tbsp, chopped
Kasoori Methi (Dry fenugreek leaves) - 1 tbsp  
Turmeric powder -  1 tsp
Red chilli powder - 1 tsp
Roasted cumin -coriander powder - 1 tsp
Cumin seeds - 1/2 tsp
Salt to tatse
Oil -  1 tbsp

Method :

Peel the potato,  wash them then pressure cook the potato. When they are little big in size then you can cut them into half, keep aside.

Heat 1 tsp oil in a non-stick pan, add chopped onion and garlic, once onion become soft then add chopped tomato, saute for 2 mins, Switch off the flame and let it cool. Grind this into smooth paste with little water and keep it aside.

Now add remaining oil in non-stick pan. Once the oil is hot then add cumin seeds, when the seeds are spluttering add ginger-garlic paste, saute for 1 min. Add chopped mint and mix it well. Add onion and tomato paste to the pan and stir well.

Now add turmeric powder, red chilli powder, roasted cumin and coriander powder, salt, mix it well and close the lid.

Now add boiled potato and peas to the gravy and let them well coated with gravy. Add little water on the consistency of the gravy.

At last add crushed kasoori methi to the pan and mix well. Cook for another 2 to 3 minutes. Switch off the stove.

Serve hot with chapathis........

Sending this to Recipe Junction's "Spotlight : Festive Treats", Cooking 4 all season's "Side Dish Mela", Motion and Emotion's "Party" and Guru's Cooking's "Vegan Special'13" event

Announcement of Spotlight : Festive Treats for the month of Sep-Oct

Festive season is around the corner in our country. Not around the corner, it is actually started with the Ganesh Chaturthi, celebrated few days back. Even though the festive season is never finished in India, but it is said that, Festival season starts with Ganesh Chaturthi and goes on round the year. After this, comes Durga Puja/Navratri(which is about 25 days away), then Deepavali/ Diwali and it continues.
In these festive days, we Indians get busy in the kitchen preparing traditional festive dishes to rekindle our old memories and we find joys in them. So this month, Spotlight will not miss to announce their new theme "Festive Treats" for this month. Friends share your traditional and/or family favorites with us this festive season.

The theme for this month, "Festive Treats".

Rules for the event : 

1. Prepare any festive dish from your region or your family loves to eat during festive season. Veg and Non-veg, both are allowed. 

2. Post it in your blog between 17th Sep. to 15th Oct. 2013. Archived posts are allowed if that fits the theme, but re-post with this announcement link and logo. 
 
3. All posts should include this announcement link, the logo and a link to the original Spotlight event page. The use of logo is mandatory as it helps to spread the word. 

4. Non-bloggers can also send their recipes. Send your recipes to below mentioned email address with a pic.

5. Use the linky tools below to link your entries...if you are having any problem linking your entries, send them to my email address, chandranibanerjee10 (at) gmail (com) with subject line "Festive Treats" in below format

Name :

Blog name :

Recipe Name :

Recipe URL :

Image

         So friends, warm yourself up and share your family favorites on festive occassions or traditional festive dishes with us. We sincerely thank every one who participated on previous edition of "Spotlight : Raksha Bandhan" and made that event super successful again like every time. Weexpect also the very same support from you all, blogger buddies, this time too. Link your entries in the below linky tools.

Kanda Poha (Flattened Rice With Onions)

Kanda poha or Onion poha is a very popular Maharashtrian breakfast or teatime snacks. This is a light breakfast which is easy and quick to prepare. This dish made from flattened rice toss with lots of onion and indian spices. 

Ingredients :

Poha/ flattened rice - 2 cup
Onion - 1 large, chopped
Red/green chilli  - 1, chopped
Peanuts - 1/4 cup
Turmeric powder - 1/2 tsp
Mustard seeds - 1 tsp
Curry leaves - few spring
Salt to taste
Lemon juice - 1 tsp
Oil - 1-2 tsp
Coriander leaves for garnishing

Method :

Wash the rice flakes in a colander. Poha should loose their crunchiness but not mashed.

Dry roast the peanuts in a pan till they become crunchy.

Heat oil in a pan. Add mustard seeds when they splutter add curry leaves, onion, turmeric powder, chopped red chilli, saute till they become translucent. Add roasted peanuts and stir well.

Now add poha, stir to combine. Close the lid and reduce the flame to low. Keep this for 2 minutes.

Sprinkle lemon juice and coriander leaves, mix lightly.

Kanda poha is ready to serve with lemon wedge.....

Sending this to Nandoo's Kitchen's "Healthy Breakfast", Guru's "Vegan Special'13", Cutchi Kitchen's "100th post giveaway"event

Green Moong Tomato Curry

Green moong tomato curry is very simple, tasty and healthy curry that's goes well with paratha/roti/rice. This recipe is from my sweet mom who makes this curry in our dinner. It is rich in lots of Protein, Mineral and appreciable amount of Vitamin. Thanks mom for this quick version of dal we enjoyed a lot. 

Ingredients :

Green gram / Moong - 1 cup
Onion - 1
Tomato - 2, medium
Green chilli - 1
Ginger-garlic paste - 1 tsp
Turmeric powder - 1/4 tsp
Red chilli powder - 1/2 tsp
Roasted cumin-coriander powder - 1 tsp
Garam masala - 1/2 tsp
Dry fenugreek leaves / Kasuri methi - 1 tsp
Cumin seeds
Oil - 1 tbsp
Salt to taste

Method :

Chop onion and tomato, set aside.

In a pressure cooker add greem gram dal and 4 cups of water, salt and pressure cook for 15 mins or until it gets cooked well.

Heat oil in a pan, add cumin seeds and let it splutter. Add chopped onion, saute for a minute. 

Add ginger-garlic paste and green chilli, saute till the raw smell goes off.

Then add chopped tomato and salt, saute till it turns mashy/pulpy. Now add turmeric powder, red chilli powder, roasted cumin-coriander powder, garam masala powder and stir till the raw smell leaves and oil comes out.

Finally add cooked green moong along with water and mix well with masala. If necessary then pour water and adjust the consistency according to your need. 

Sprinkle dry fenugreek leaves on it and cooked for another 2 minutes on low flame. Remove from flame.

Tangy and yummy Green Moong Tomato Curry is ready to serve with Paratha and salad ..........

Some more recipes sending Guru's "Vegan Special'13" event

Vegetable Dalia

Onion Uttapam 

Alu Kabli (Spicy Aloo Chaat)

Sending this to Cooking 4 all season's "Side Dish Mela", Gayatri's "Mom's Special"

KANAVA THORAN ( KOONTHAL / SQUID / CALAMARI STIR FRY)

Kanava Thoran

Serves:3 to 4
Recipe adapted from : Manorama
Ingredients

1. Kanava /Squid-(cut into small pieces)- 250 gms
2. Turmeric powder- 3/4 tsp
3. Kudampuli /Fish tamarind- 2 small pieces
4. Mustard seeds- 1/2 tsp
5. Fenugreek seeds- 1/4 tsp
6. Curry leaves- 2 sprigs
7. Shallots-sliced- 3/4 cup
8. Green chilies-(cut vertically)- 2 to 3 nos( or to taste)
9. Ginger-chopped- 1 tsp
10. Garlic-chopped- 1 tsp
11. Coriander powder- 1/2 tsp
12. Kashmiri chili powder- 1/2 tsp( or to taste)
13. Fennel powder- 3/4 tsp
14. Grated coconut- 3/4 to 1 cup
15. Salt- To taste
16. Oil- as required

Directions

• In a pan combine together kanava/squid,1/4 tsp turmeric powder ,kudampuli and salt.Cover and cook until done.Keep aside.
• Heat oil in a pan ( or a manchatti ),add mustard seeds and let it splutter.Add fenugreek seeds and saute for few seconds.
• Add curry leaves,shallots,green chilies,ginger and garlic.Saute until it turns golden brown.

• Now add 1/2 tsp turmeric powder,coriander powder ,kashmiri chili powder and fennel powder.Saute for few seconds.

• Now add grated coconut and salt to taste.Mix well until combined.

• Add cooked kanava/squid and mix well.cook for few more minutes. Add more curry leaves ,if required.