All new Cooking Recipes: October 2013

Spinach Stuffed Mushrooms

Boooo...Its Halloween! The beauty of Orange and other colours all around, Kids dressing up in a parade for "Trick or Treat", Candies everywhere, crumpled leaves and pumpkins - This season is always special. Fall Fest is also celebrating the same with Halloween Themed dishes.

I planned to prepare a super easy side that any one would love in a family dinner. Kids will never know the main ingredients at all as they are hid inside as stuffing. So lets start some healthy side/starter that no one can stop by just having one :).

Ingredients:
Button Mushrooms - 10 oz / 20 no's
Spinach - 1 heaped cup (Roughly chopped)
Onion / Shallots - 1/2 cup (Finely Chopped)
Garlic - 3 pods(finely chopped)
Olive oil - 1 tablespoon
Italian Bread Crumbs - 1 tablespoon
Mozzarella cheese - 2 tablespoon (I used Low Moisture partly skimmed, Use more if you like cheesy)
Dry Oregano - 1/2 teaspoon
Crushed Red Pepper - 1/2 teaspoon
Grated Parmesan cheese - 1 tablespoon
Salt - to taste

Method:

Wash and remove the stem of mushrooms. Finely chop the removed stems. Foil baking tray and keep it ready.

Heat Oil, Add Chopped Onion, Garlic, Salt and saute until they are fried to slight brown colour. Throw in chopped mushroom stems and saute until soft, like for a minute. Put in chopped spinach and saute for 30 seconds. Switch off the flame.

To the cooked mixture, add in Grated Parmesan, Crushed Red pepper, Dry Oregano, Italian Bread Crumbs and stir well to combine everything together (Remember the stove should be turned off in this process).

Arrange Mushrooms in your foiled tray. Fill in the prepared filling. Top with some Mozzarella cheese. Bake at 350'F for about 20 to 25 minutes(It took me 20 minutes). Serve them as sides for Pasta or Fried Rice/Chicken.

My Notes:

After removing the stem of Mushroom just scratch the inner part to create space for filling.
Type of cheese and the amount is depending on your taste. Add cream cheese along with the filling to make it more creamy and soft.
Italian Bread Crumbs are with Herbs, so it adds a great taste but using plain bread crumbs will not reduce the taste - so go for your choice or pantry availability.
Adding in other veggies like Carrots, Squash, Beetroots, Potato or also Grated Indian Cottage cheese are also a variation.
Brush some olive oil or egg wash for final crisp and shine.
The filling been prepared is also incredible on Egg Omlete. Beat 4 eggs with salt and pepper. Pour that on hot skillet, once half cooked top this filling on one side and close the other side and cook until done. so you have another choice for breakfast if the filling is pending.

Its not just me who is celebrating Halloween but below are my other Fall Fest Event Friends with their incredibly delicious recipes specially dedicated for "Fall Fest Halloween party by Food Network" - Click on recipes to find more :)

"HAPPY HALLOWEEN"

Feed Me Phoebe:Leftover Jack-o-Lantern Salad i.e. Pumpkin & Arugula Salad with Miso-Lemon Dressing
The Heritage Cook: Jack-o'-Lantern Black & Orange Soups
The Lemon Bowl:Roasted Butternut Squash and Apple Soup
Virtually Homemade:Apple Caramel Cake Pops
Weelicious:Roasted Pumpkin and Toasted Pumpkin Seeds
Jeanette's Healthy Living:Ghoulish "Bloody Brains" Roasted Cauliflower and Beet Hummus
Devour: Caramel Apples for Halloween
Taste With The Eyes:Braised Oxtail for Halloween?
Made By Michelle:Clementine Pumpkins
Napa Farmhouse 1885:Silky Pumpkin Hummus
Red or Green:Spooky Black Bean Dip & Chile Roasted Sweet Potato Appetizers
Dishing:Spinach Stuffed Mushrooms
Domesticate Me:Spiced Pumpkin Punch
Cooking With Elise:Wicked Good Halloween Recipes
The Sensitive Epicure:Trick or Treat, Spaghetti or Squash? Both
FN Dish:Have a Homemade Halloween

Also happy to link this to Cooking with Green event by Savorindian
http://savorindian.blogspot.com/2013/12/event-announcement-cooking-with-green.html

7 EASY DIWALI SWEETS | EASY DIWALI SWEETS RECIPES

Easy Diwali sweets- Click on the below pictures for the recipes

Gulab jamum

No cook double layer burfi

EASY VEGETABLE PULAV

Vegetable Pulav

Quick and easy vegetable pulav recipe.
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook time: 10 to 15 minutes
Yield: 2 to 3 people

Ingredients:

Cooked basmati rice- 4 cups
Cumin seeds-1/4 tsp
Cardamom-3 nos
Cloves-5 nos
Cinnamon-2" piece
Bay leaf-1 no
Ginger garlic paste-1.5 tsp
Green chilies,finely chopped- 1 no
Onion ,finely chopped- 1 small
Vegetables,finely chopped-1 to 1.5 cups(i used carrot and green beans)
Coriander leaves,chopped-2 to 3 tbsp
Ghee/butter/oil-as required
Salt-to taste

Instructions:

Heat oil in a pan,add cumin seeds,let it splutter.Add cardamom,cloves,cinnamon and bay leaf.Saute for few seconds.

Add ginger,garlic,green chilies and onion,Saute until it turns translucent.

Add chopped vegetables.Saute until it is done.Add salt to taste and mix well.

Add cooked rice and mix gently until combined.Cover and cook over low flame for a minute.

Switch off the stove.Add chopped coriander leaves.Keep covered for 10 minutes.

Brinjal Bhindi Tomato Curry

Brinjal and bhindi, both are healthy vegetable. When you make tomato based gravy with brinjal and bhindi it is easy to make and you will feel more taste. It is goes well as a side dish of chapathi or rice.

Ingredients :

Brinjal - 1, big, chopped lengthwise
Bhindi - 250 gms, chopped lengthwise
Potato - 2, large, chopped lengthwise
Tomato - 2 pcs
Onion - 1, large
Ginger paste - 1 tbsp
Garlic paste - 2 tbsp
Green chilli - 2, slit length wise
Turmeric powder - 1 tsp
Red chilli powder - 1 tsp
Cumin powder - 1 tsp
Coriander powder - 1 tsp
Cumin seeds - 1 tsp
Sugar - 1 tsp
Salt to taste
Chopped coriander leaves for garnishing

Method :

Chop the onion, green chillies, tomato and keep aside.

Heat oil in a thick bottom kadai, add cumin seeds and let them splutter. Add chopped potato and bhindi, fry with covered, stirring between in low heat.

Add chopped onion, fry till transparent. Add chopped tomato and salt, cook for more 5 minutes. Add ginger-garlic paste, mix well.

Now add chopped brinjal and all spice powder, sugar mix well. Add 1/4th cup water, cover and cook till vegetables tender well. Switch off the flame.

Sprinkle the finely chopped coriander leaves.

Serve with Chapathi...........

Sending thsi to Viji's "SYS-W October series"

Saffron Rice Pudding (Kesar Rice Kheer)

Diwali is just few days away and I am sure most of you would be busy preparing various sweets to distribute among family and friends. Today I am posting the recipe of Kesar Rice Kheer is an traditional, rich, creamy dessert. Made with milk, rice and sugar, it is a complete meal in itself. And when add cardamom powder, Saffron and nuts to it just amazing...

.
Ingredients :

Milk - 1 liter
Gobindo bhog Rice (Short grain basmati rice) - 200 gms (washed and soaked for 1 hour)
Sugar - 1 and 1/2 cup more if needed
Cardamom powder - 1/4th tsp
Saffron - 2 tbsp
Cashew nuts and raisin - a handful

Method :

Take a thick bottom pan, add milk to it. After it comes to boil then add rice. Short grain rice are better for use in kheer as they get mixed uniformly resulting in a thick kheer.

Soak saffron strands in a quarter up of warm milk. Heat ghee in a pan, roast the nuts remove and keep aside.

After giving rice and milk mixture a boil reduce the flames to low. It taste much better in this way and there is less chance of it sticking to the bottom of the pan, keep on stirring in between.

After half an hour the kheer will be thick and rie would be very soft then add sugar, mix well. Taste the kheer and adjust the sweetness according to your taste. After 5 minutes switch off the flame. Finally add ardamom powder, saffron milk and roasted nuts, stir well. Let the kheer cool.

You an serve it both ways- Hot & Cold. If you want to serve it cold keep it in fridge for 2 to 3 hours. I personally like cold kheer.

Sending this to Recipe Junction's "Spotlight - Festive Treats" hosted by me, Gayathri's "Diwali Special", Vardhini's "Diwali Bash" event

GUR PAPDI | EASY WHOLE WHEAT FLOUR AND JAGGERY FUDGE

Gur papdi

Recipe source: Sanjeevkapoorkhazana, you can find the original recipe here.

Ingredients

Ghee- 1 cup
Whole wheat flour- 2 cups
Powdered / grated jaggery- 1 cup
Sliced almonds and pistachios- 1/4 cup( and more for garnishing-optional)
Cardamom powder- 1/4 tsp
Nutmeg powder- 1 pinch

Directions

Heat ghee in a heavy bottomed pan.Add whole wheat flour and fry stirring continuously,until it turns golden.
Allow this to cool slightly.When it is lukewarm,add grated jaggery and mix well until combined.
Add sliced almonds, pistachios( if using) ,cardamom and nutmeg powder and mix well.
Transfer this to a greased tray .Press and level it using the back of a spoon.
Add chopped nuts on top and press it using a spoon.
Cut into squares.Allow it to cool completely before transferring on to a serving tray or an airtight container.

Chole Bhature Recipe

Chole Bhature is a delightful combination of spicy chick pea curry with fried bread. The first time I had this is always in my memory. It was at "Woodlands" Restaurant near "Mylapore". When I was 4, that open restaurant with a play area was like a disney land for me. I used to wait when my dad would take me for the next time to have Chole Bhature and play in the park.

When I had a conversation with my friend Reetu Upadhyay lately about food she had stories to tell about her most fav recipe. She is also a die hard fan for chole and bhature. When I came to know that she stopped making this as her kids or hubby did not show much interest, I felt it was time for me to treat her. When I made this and surprised her, may be she was the happiest person on that day on earth.... it was indeed a great feeling to see some one feeling so happy. So here are the clicks as I cooked this to treat my super good buddy....

Ingredients:(Servings : 4)

For Bhature:
All purpose flour/Maida - 2-1/2 cups
Semolina/Sooji/Rava - 1/4 cups
Sugar - 1 teaspoon
Salt - to taste
Baking powder - 1/4 teaspoon (Totally Optional)
Baking soda - 1/4 teaspoon (Totally Optional)
Plain Curd/Yogurt - 1 cup
Water/Milk - 1/2 cup (Have tried both so Choice is yours)
Oil - 1/2 teaspoon
Oil - as needed for deep frying bhature's

For Chole :

To Temper:
Oil - 5 tablespoons
Cumin seeds - 1-1/2 teaspoons
Bay leaf - 2 no's
Cloves - 2 no's
Cinnamon - 1 inch stick
Green Cardamon - 1 no

For Masala:
White Chickpeas / Channa - 1-1/2 cups(Soaked Overnight)
Ginger Garlic paste - 1-1/2 tablespoon
Green Chilli - 2 no's (Small, slit in middle)
Onion - 1 cup heaped (1 big onion finely chopped)
Tomatoes - 3/4 cup (2 medium tomatoes finely chopped)
Turmeric powder - 1/4 teaspoon
Red chilli powder - 1/2 teaspoon
Coriander powder - 1/2 teaspoon
Channa Masala - 2 tablespoons
Garam masala - 1/4 teaspoon
Coriander leaves - 2 tablespoons(Finely Chopped)
Water - 1-1/2 cup

Method:

For Making Bhature :

Take a bowl, add in APF, Semolina, Baking Powder, Baking soda, Salt, Sugar and stir well. Add Curd and mix well so that the curd coats the flour completely. Keep Kneading adding some water little by little to convert the flour to complete dough(We dont want the dough to be super soft, remember not to add more water than the above measurements).Finally Coat the dough with 1/2 teaspoon of oil all over it. Cover the dough with a damp cloth and place in a warm place for 3 to 4 hours(minimum of 2 hours is needed). The dough will be soft and slightly raised after 4 hours of its resting time.

Take a deep frying pan, Heat oil in a medium flame needed to deep fry the bhature's. Side by side, divide the dough to big lemon sized balls and roll them equally on the rolling board. It should be slightly thicker than roti.

Add the bhature to hot oil and press them slightly on top immediately. This will help them to puff up. Now turn and cook the other side. Drain from the oil and place it on a tissue paper(This removes excess oil).

For Making Chole Masala:

Soak Chickpeas with water above its level Overnight or for a minimum of 10 hours. Heat oil in a pressure cooker, add in all ingredients under "To temper" column and saute for 30 seconds.

Add in Green chillies, Onion with little salt and saute until they are slightly transparent brown. Add in Ginger Garlic paste and saute for 1 minute. Add in Turmeric, Chilli, Coriander, Channa Masala powders, saute for 2 minutes.

Add in Tomatoes and saute until it merges well with onion and oil oozes out. Add in chole(Soaked Overnight) garam masala, Water(Add according to the thickness of your need) stir well and check for salt. Pressure cook for 8 to 9 whistles.

Once pressure is down open and add some chopped coriander. Serve hot with Bhature.

My Notes:

Baking Powder and Baking Soda are optional ingredients. It is added to make the dough soft and fluffy. We can also add boiled grated potatoes too to make the dough soft and fluffy.
Milk or Water can be added while kneading. Milk helps bhatura's to look more white when used. Have tried both and they do not differ in taste.
Semolina is added to retain the fluffiness and gain the crispiness for bhaturas, so I request you not to avoid this. Sugar is also added to get that golden crispy texture.
Coating the dough with oil will help the dough retain moisture inside than getting dry from outside. this can also be followed while making chappathi dough too.
The temperature of oil while frying Bhaturas is very important. Try to keep it in Medium flame only so that they get cooked and puffs without getting dark brown on top.
Always soak chickpeas over night or around 10 to 12 hours to get them perfectly cooked in pressure cooker. Fresh chickpeas can also be used for this recipe.
I love to cook Chickpeas with all masalas but we can also cook them seperately in pressure cooker and add that to the curry in the end.
If you plan to add boiled chickpeas to curry, then add a teabag while boiling the chickpeas. this gives a great brown colour for the curry and chickpeas.
The ratio of Onion and Tomato used is very important in this curry. It tastes better if we use 1:3/4 raio for Onion:Tomato. This will help you to decide if you plan to cook lesser or higher in quantity.
If channa masala is not available then adding Chilli, Coriander powders with Garam masala will do too. 1:2:1 will be the ratio.
This is a bit of a spicy version so add only the channa masala while preparing this curry if you want to tone down the spiciness.

JOWAR BURFI | JOWAR FLOUR FUDGE

Jowar Burfi

Recipe source: Indian cuisine, you can find the original recipe here.

Ingredients

Jowar flour/Sorghum flour- 1 cup
Water- 1/4 cup(or more)
Powdered jaggery- 3/4 cup(loosely packed)
Ghee- 1/4 cup
Cardamom powder- 1/4 tsp

Directions

In a heavy bottomed pan,dry roast jowar flour until it turns golden.Allow it to cool slightly.
In a pan,combine together water and powdered jaggery, cook until it turns slightly thick and sticky.
Add roasted jowar flour,ghee and cardamom powder,stir continuously for 2 to 3 minutes.
Transfer this onto a greased tray,level the surface using a spatula.Garnish with grated cashew nuts or almonds,if desired.Cut this into squares,allow it to cool completely before serving.

Notes

Do not cook the jagerry for too long ,if you do so the burfi will turn very hard as it cools.

PEPPER CHICKEN MASALA

Pepper chicken Masala

Recipe source: Magic Oven ,Lakshmi Nair

Ingredients

Chicken- 1 small( cut into small pieces)
Cinnamon- 2 " piece
Cloves- 5 nos
Curry leaves- 3 sprigs
Black peppercorns- 1 tbsp( crushed)
Tomato- 2 small( pureed)
Ghee/Oil- as required
Hot water- if required
Coriander leaves- 2 to 3 tbsp
Salt- to taste

For Masala

Onion-(diced) 1 cup
Ginger- 2" piece
Garlic- 5 to 6 cloves
Kashmiri chili powder- 2 tsp( or according to taste)
Coriander powder- 2 tsp
Turmeric powder- 1/2 tsp
Black peppercorns- 1 tbsp(or according to taste)
Salt- to taste

Directions

Combine all the ingredients listed under 'For masala' in a blender.Grind to form a smooth paste.
Rub this masala onto the chicken pieces and refrigerate for about 1 hour.
In a heavy bottomed pan,cook the marinated chicken until 3/4 th done.
Heat ghee/oil in a pan,add cinnamon,cloves and curry leaves.Saute for few seconds.
Add crushed black pepper and saute for few seconds.
Add tomato puree and saute until oil separates.
Add cooked chicken and mix well.Add more salt if required.(Add hot water if you require more gravy)
Cook until gravy is thick and it coats the chicken pieces.
Add chopped coriander and serve with rice or roti.

Notes

This is a spicy chicken recipe, adjust the quantity of black pepper according to your spice level.