Semi Home Made Cooking

Everyone loves a home-cooked meal, but who has the time? Now everyone does with Semi-Homemade cooking! Using Ekta's shortcuts and savory secrets, even the busiest person can deliver marvelous meals, scrumptious snacks and decadent desserts in minutes. Simply doctor each dish to transform it from merely good to gourmet… you'll find fast family meals, speedy single servings, even delicious date plates, all perfect for easing your cooking load any and every day of the week!

Lets start with Paneer Makhani, followed by Chole Bature and Dahi Vada.

1. Paneer Makhani

Ingredients:
250 gms Paneer (Easily available at Indian Store)
200 gms Tomato Puree
1 Tsp Jeera
1/2 tsp Red chilli powder
1 Pk Paramparas Paneer Makhani Masala ( Available at all Indian Store)
Salt as per taste

Method:
Cut Paneer in an 1/2 inch cubes and fry it (Option) and keep aside. Heat oil in a pan, add tomato puree, Parampara's Paneer Makhani Masala, salt, red chilli powder and simmer for 4-5 minutes. Add little water to adjust the consistency and then add the paneer cubes and cook further for 5-10 minutes or till the paneer is nice and soft. Serve hot garnished with cilantro.

Ekta's Tip: It taste great if eaten with Swad's Tandoori Roti or Nan.


2. Punjabi Chole
Chole or Kabuli chana is the signature Punjabi dish. But everyone has a different way of cooking it. It is full of protein and packed with flavors. Great for parties and potlucks. This is my chole recipe, which is easy to make and comes out perfect every single time.

Ingredients:
4 Cans Kabuli Chana or Chole [Garbanzo beans]
1 tbsp Red chili powder
1/2 Tsp Coriander powder
1/2 Tsp Cumin Powder
1 Packet Parampara Chole Masala
3 Onion (pureed or finely chopped)
1 Cup Tomato puree
1 Tbsp Ginger paste
1 Tbsp Garlic paste
1 Tsp Green chili (finely chopped)
2 Tbsp Oil
Salt as per taste

Method:
Heat oil in a pan add pureed onions and sauté it, till turns red. Add ginger, garlic paste and chopped green chilies (optional). Cook for 2 minutes. Then add tomato puree, red chili powder, coriander & cumin powder along with the Parampara's Chole masala in the gravy and let it simmer for 5-6 minutes on medium-low heat. Add the canned chole and saute for few mins later add water and adjust the consistency as needed and simmer it on low heat for 20-25 minutes or till the chole is will cooked. Garnish with freshly chopped cilantro and serve with halved lemons and Sliced Onions.

Ekta's Tips: We really enjoy Chole with fresh made Bature and Dahi wade, receipes of both are given below.


3. Bature
I think this is one of the easiest recipes one can have for Batures, so relax and enjoy each moment of making Bature because folks you are not going to be tired any more.

Ingredients:
1 Pk of Rhodes white dinner rolls comes in a packet of 30 pc or 70 pcs

Method:
These dinner rolls are found in the freezer section of the grocery store and is very easily available. Defrost the rolls, put it on a baking tray or a plate and keep it in a room tempreture couple hours before making bature out of it, do cover it with wet paper towel or silver foil.
Heat oil and roll this dough just like roti or Chappati depending upon the size you want and deep fry it. The results are amazing and exactly like the picture shown above.

Ekta's Tips: The same dough can be used in making Nan, Kulche or even home made bread.


4. Dahi Vada
Dahi Vada, is a popular North Indian street food fare. Basically, dahi vadas are lentil (Mung /urad dal) based savory balls which are smothered with frothy fresh curds and sprinkled with spices like chilli pwd, cumin pwd, chaat masala or black salt and liberally doused with a tangy-sweet tamarind chutney.

Ingredients:
1 Pk Gits Dahi Vada Mix
2 Tbsp- Sliced Almonds

Method:
Mix the packet with water as directed on the box add almonds to it and let it ferment for 5 -10 mins. Heat oil and take 1 tablespn of the mixture and gently place in the medium hot oil. Flip the vada over so both sides are golden brown. Remove and place in cold water, let them soak for 2-3 minutes, remove, squeeze excess water out and place in a bowl.
Whisk the yogurt, add the chat masala and salt, pour over the vada. Let the vada soak for a couple of hours, serve with tamarind chutney. Garnish with red chillie power, roasted cumin powder and Cilantro. Always serve Chilled.

Ekta's Tips: Normally vada soak the water in the dahi making it very thick, it is always a good idea to keep extra dahi aside to pour it on top before serving.


So folks no more thinking twice before making Chole Bature and dahi vada because this is what Semi Home made cooking is all about.

Cuisine Of Goa

Fish and rice are the staple Goan food and the main occupation is tourism – over a million people visit the beaches of Goa each year. Goa combines old Portuguese architecture, and a distinct Portuguese flavour to the lifestyle, with a history that abounds with Indian mythology. Christmas, New Year, the Mardi Gras-like carnival, the Holi (Shimgo) parades, all add to the year round festivities. Thousands of people gather to view the body of St. Francis Xavier once every five years at the Basilica of Bom Jesus. Portuguese, Gomantak and other cuisines have all blended into the local cuisine and sorpotals, bebincas washed down with cashew fenis are a must with every visitor. The Goan cuisine is an interesting mix of varied influences and is undoubtedly one of the most evolved cuisines of India.. There are two separate traditions in cuisine influenced by the respective religions of Hinduism and Christianity. Though the recipes and techniques are different, there are some points where they come together to produce culinary wonders.

I love to serve Fish curry with some fried fish on the side and Nariyal Kadi (Coconut Kadi). Recipes ae given below.

1. Goan Style Fish Curry

Ingredients:
Pomfret- 2 medium size cleaned and cut into 1/2 inch thick pieces Catfish or Talapia is ok too.
2-3 Green chillies

1/2 Coconut

1 Tsp Coriander seeds

11/2 Cups Water

1 Tsp Cooking oil

1 large Onion finely chopped

1 Tsp Tamarind pulp

Salt to taste

Method
Grind together green chillies, coconut, and coriander seeds into a fine paste, adding a little water ( ¼ cup ) from time to time. Heat oil in a flat kadai / frying pan for about 2 minutes. Add onion and fry till light golden brown. Add coconut milk and turmeric powdern and red chillie powder if needed. Fry till oilshows separately ( approximately 5 minutes ) , stirring constantly. Add tamarind pulp and salt. Bring to boil. Arrange fish pieces and stir carefully. Cover with a lid. Cook on a medium flame for 10 - 15 minutes or till done. Serve hot with rice.

2. Fried Fish

Ingredients:

Fish (Promfret, Talapia or Catfish0 around 1/2 inch slice each

Salt

Red Chille Powder

Turmeric Powder

Corriender Powder

Cumin Powder

Ginger Garlic Paste

Red Color

Method:

Marinate the fish with all the above given spices for 2 hours. Coat the fish with wheat flour and then fry it. Wheat flour helps in making the fish very crispy. Fry till the fish is done and it turns golden brown. Best when served with fish curry rice or green Chutney.

3. Solachi Kadi

Solachi Kadhi is one of the popular recipes of Mumbai. This dish is very easy to cook and it will take roughly about 15 to 20minutes to prepare it. The dish requires ingredients that are easily available at the market or at any Indian store.

Ingredients:

Grated coconut 1
Green chillies 2
Garlic cloves 4 to 5

Black Pepper Seeds 6-8
Coriander leaves or Kothambir

Black mustard Seeds

Oil for Vagar
Salt

Pinch of sugar
Amsol or Kokam 4 to 5

Method:

To prepare Solachi Kadhi, first of all one need to soak the Kokam in 4 to 5 tablespoons of water. But it has to be kept in mind that adding too much water will dilute the preparation. The Kokam are to be soaked in water in a container for near about 30 minutes and the water will take pink color. Then coconut along with chili, garlic and black pepper seeds have to be grinded into a smooth paste. If the paste becomes too thick, then little water may be added to the paste. From this paste, coconut milk has to be taken. Grinding has to be continued further till no more coconut milk can be extracted from it. After coconut milk has been extracted, it has to be mixed with the water in which Kokam has been soaked. Then this mixture has to be put through a sieve and mixed well. In this liquid, a chopped green chili can be added for taste. According to taste, salt & pinch of sugar is to be added to the preparation.

For Garnishing:

Coriander leaves are to be spread on top and in a small pan heat some oil add black mustard seeds and give a vagar or tadka Solachi Kadhi is best enjoyed when it is served cold. This Maharashtrian dish can be served with rice and fish.

Spicy Tandoori Chicken - Ekta's Style

Tandoori chicken is a chicken dish that originated in India. The chicken is marinated in a yogurt seasoned with either prepared tandoori masala. It is traditionally moderately hot, but the heat is toned down to a "mild" taste level in most Western nations. Cayenne, red chili powder, or other spices give it its red colour. Turmeric produces a yellow-orange colour. In some modern versions red and orange food colouring is used instead. It is traditionally cooked at high temperatures in an earthen oven (i.e. tandoor), but can also be prepared on a traditional grill or Oven.


Ingredients:
chicken Drumsticks
1 tspn of red chilli powder
1 tblspn of lemon juice
Salt to taste
Orange Food Color

For Marination:
200 gms of yogurt
1 tspn of red chilli powder
Salt to taste
2 tblspns of ginger paste
2 tblspns of garlic paste
2 tblspns of lemon juice
½ tspn of garam masala powder
2 tblspns of Butter

For garnishing
Onion rings and lemon wedges

Recipe
Remove the Skin, wash and clean the chicken. Make incisions with a sharp knife on leg pieces. Mix red chilli powder, salt, ginger-garlic paste, lemon juice, garam masala powder, butter and salt to the yogurt. Apply this marinade onto the chicken pieces and refrigerate for three to four hours. Put the chicken leg pieces on to a baking tray and bake it in the oven for twenty to twenty five minutes or until almost done. Paste it with some butter or spray pam oil and cook for another four minutes. Serve with raw onion rings and lemon wedges.

Ekta's Tip : To make Chicken tikka, use boneless chicken pieces cut into 1 ½” cubes and proceed same as Tandoori chicken and use skewers to bake it or BBQ it.

Ganesh Chaturthi - Aug 22nd 2009

Ganesha Chaturthi, the great Ganesha festival, also known as 'Vinayak Chaturthi' or 'Vinayaka Chavithi' is celebrated by Hindus around the world as the birthday of Lord Ganesha. It is observed during the Hindu month of Bhadra (mid-August to mid-September) and the grandest and most elaborate of them, especially in the western India state of Maharashtra, lasts for 10 days, ending on the day of 'Ananta Chaturdashi'

Here are few receipes that most of the Indian houses will be cooking for that special occasion.

1. Modak (Stuffed Fried Donut)
Modak is a famous Indian sweet, prepared especially on the occasion of Ganesh Chaturthi. It is known as Lord Ganesha's favorite sweet. Thus, majority of the people consider it a must to make Modak on the very first day of Ganesh Chaturthi. The celebrations are regarded incomplete without Modak, a sweet that is greatly associated to Ganesh Chaturthi. It is a special dish that is offered to the Lord, on his birthday. So, enjoy the festive season by preparing the delicacy. Given below is the recipe of Modak, detailing the required ingredients as well as the method of preparation


Ingredients:
For the filling:
2 cups freshly grated coconut
2cups grated jaggery
1 cup chopped dry fruits (cashewnuts, raisins, pistachio, almonds)
1 tsp cardamom powder
1 cup ghee or butter

For the cover:
2 cups plain flour (maida)
Water Oil Salt

Method:
For the filling:
Heat ghee and add the dry fruits.
Add coconut and jaggery.
Cook over medium flame, stirring occasionally.
When the jaggery has melted and mixed with the coconut, add cardamom powder and mix well.

For the cover:
Add salt and water to the flour and knead.
The dough should be stretchy and smooth. Putting it together:
Take a small ball of dough and roll it into a circle of about 3" diameter.
Place a spoon of the jaggery mixture in the center, bring the edges together and seal.
Repeat with the remaining dough.
Deep fry on medium heat until crisp and brown, and serve.
The modaks should be fried immediately. Cover them with a damp cloth in case of delay, to prevent cracking while frying.

Note: For crispier modaks, add a few tablespoons of fine rava to the flour, before kneading. The more the rava, the crispier the modak.


2. Varan Bhaat (Traditional Maharastrian Style Dal & Rice)
Varan is a the simplest form of dal. In my mom's version, toor dal (split yellow peas) are cooked with turmeric to mushy goodness, then mashed up and a sprinkling of salt. This dal is served with some fresh steamed rice ("bhaat"). The duo of the dal and rice is eaten with the mandatory dollop of ghee, a wedge of lemon and some salt on the side. Thus we have the glorious platter of Varan-Bhaat-with ghee, lemon & salt, the magic words that transport the Marathi soul to simpler times. Varan-bhaat is also the first course in the traditional meal served at Marathi weddings. You eat a small amount of Varan-bhaat before moving to to the rich festive dishes. Maybe it is a symbolic recapitulation of our taste in food, or just a tribute to this simple and delicious food.


Ingredients:
1 cup toor dal (split yellow peas)
4 tsp turmeric
1tsp Sugar
salt to taste

To serve:
Wedges of fresh lemon
Kosher salt (or any coarse salt)
Ghee (clarified butter)
Fresh steamed rice

Method:
Soak the dal for 20-30 minutes. Rinse several times, then cook (on stove-top or microwave or pressure cooked) with turmeric till the dal is completely cooked. Use the back of a ladle to mash the dal into a coarse pulp. Add salt, little sugar and enough water to get the dal to the desired consistency. Bring to a boil and then turn the heat off. Meanwhile, cook the rice till tender. Ladle the dal onto a mound of rice, with a dollop of ghee on the dal. Serve lemon and salt on the side, to be mixed in as desired.

Notes: The important thing is to eat this meal right after it is cooked, while it is steaming hot. In Marathi, the term for freshly steamed rice is "pahilya vafecha" which means "of the first steam" and this kind of rice is considered nothing short of a delicacy!

3. Batata Bhaji ( Dry Potatoes Vegetable or Sabzi)

Ingredients:
5 Potatoes. (Peeled)
7 Curry leaves.
3 Green chillies.
1/2 cup Coriander.
1 tsp Ginger garlic paste.
1 pinch Asafoetida.
1/2 tsp Turmeric powder.
1/2 tsp Mustard Seeds.
Oil. (As required)
Salt. (As per taste)

Procedure:
Boil the potatoes properly and then cut them into big pieces. Chop the green chili and corriander in small pieces. Add ginger garlic paste to the chopped chili and corriander, mix it well. Heat Oil. (on a medium flame) add mustard seeds, curry leaves and turmeric powder, fry the mixture for a min. (on a medium flame) add potatoes. mix it well with the mixture. (on a medium flame) Add the paste. Stir well and cook till the potatoes are heated through. Garnished with coriander and serve hot.