Rice and Oats Cutlets

Surprise your guests by turning these left overs into tasty tea-time bites. Left over rice can be used to prepare cutlets. Combined with roasted oats it's a healthy combination. One can have it for evening snack or kids can take this in the tiffin. Let's see how it's made.

INGREDIENTS-

Left over boiled rice - 1 cup.

Dry roasted rolled oats - 1/2 cup

Roasted crushed peanuts - 1 tblspn

Chopped onion - 1 medium

Chopped coriander leaves - 1/2 cup

Roasted coriander cumin powder - 1 tspn

Red Chilly powder - 1 tspn

Carom Seeds (Ajwain) - 1/2 tspn

Finely chopped ginger - 1/2 inch piece

Green chillies chopped - 2 (or as your choice)

Dry roasted til - 1/2 tspn

Oil - to deep fry

Salt - to taste

Onion Rings - for garnish

Tomato ketchup - to serve

METHOD -

1. In a bowl put the boiled rice.
2. Add to it the oats.
3. Add peanuts.
4. Add chopped onions and coriander leaves.
5. Add carom seeds and sesame seeds.
6. Add all the dry powders.
7. Add ginger and green chillies.
8. Add salt.
9. Mix well.
10. Heat oil.
11. Prepare oblong shaped cutlets.
12. Deep fry the cutlets, drain.
13. Garnish with tomato ketchup and onion rings. Serve hot.

Independence Day Special - Part II (The recipes)

So starting with my first recipe, ready in ten minutes time and absolutely easy, healthy, Zero Oil, Zero Cholestrol recipe. Here it is -


"The Tri-Coloured Healthy Salad"

Servings – 2
Preparation Time – 10 minutes

INGREDIENTS-

Carrots Grated Lengthwise - 2 Large
Bean Sprouts - Steamed - 100 gms.

Dressing -

Lime Juice - 1 tblspn
Black Pepper - 1/2 tspn
Salt - a pinch
Lettuce - 2 nos.

METHOD -

1. Prepare the dressing by mixing all ingredients under "Dressing" and shake vigorously.
2. Combine grated carrots and steamed bean sprouts.
3. Mix in the dressing.
4. Mix with a very light hand.
5. Transfer in to a serving bowl.
6. Keep in the fridge till serving time.
7. Garnish with two lettuce leaves.

The Second recipe is very simple and super fast recipe. Try it out.

"The Tiranga Finger Salad with Cheesy dip"

Serves – 2
Preparation Time – 10 mins.

INGREDIENTS-

Cucumber – 2 Large
Carrots – 2 Large
Radish – 2 Medium
Cheese Spread – 2/3 tblspns.
Mixed herbs – ½ tspns
Cold Water – 2 cups

Garnish –

Raspberry – 1
Mint Leaf – 1

METHOD

1. Wash and peel all the vegetables.
2. Cut all veggies lengthwise.
3. Immerse them in cold water and keep it aside.
4. Mix mixed herbs in ready made cheese dip.
5. Drain the veggies well.
6. Arrange in the serving plate with the cheesy dip.
7. Garnish cheesy dip with a mint leaf and raspberry.
8. Serve.

Also Try healthy-orange-cups from my previous posts.

Tori ke Bachke (Ridge gourd Fritters)

Monsoon reminds me of Garma Garam Pakode पकोड़े (Hot Fritters) . It had been raining continuously and I thought the best thing to serve the family is hot fritters made up of तोरी Tori (Ridge Gourd). My children who feel "yuck" just by the sight of Ridge gourd had these bites without fuss, lovingly demanding for more and deep in my heart I was pretty happy to see my kids having a green veggie with no fuss. I made the Bihari version of the Pakode (Fritter) which is known as बचका "Bachka" . Favourite Vegetable is coated in gramflour batter and deep fried. My mother-in-law's advise is - बचका can be made कुरकुरा (Crispy) by adding चावल का आठा (Rice Flour).Kids would love to carry it in their tiffins.  Here is the recipe.

Serves - 2
Preparation Time - 7 mins
Cooking Time - 10 mins

INGREDIENT

Tori (Ridge Gourd) - 4
Besan (Gram Flour) - 2 cups
Chopped Ginger - 1/4th cup
Carrom Seeds - 2 tsp
Roasted (Sesame Seeds) Til - 1 tsp
Flaxseeds - 1 tsp
Coriander Chopped - 1/2 cup
Rice Flour - 1/4th cup
Salt - to taste
Chopped Green Chillies - 4-5
Chilly powder - 1 1/2 tsp
Water - as required (a little less than 1 cup)
Chat Masala - to taste
Oil - to deep fry

METHOD

1. Cut Tori into Roundels.
2. Take a bowl and place the tori in it.
3. Add gram flour and rice flour.
4. Throw in the carom seeds and flax seeds.
5. Add to it chopped ginger and coriander.
6. Mix in chopped chillies.
7. Add red chilly powder and salt.
8. Add water and mix well.
9. Prepare a batter as to well coat the vegetables (Tori).
10. Heat oil in a deep pan (kadhai)
11. Drop in pieces of tori and deep fry till reddish in colour.
12. Place on a kitchen napkin for excess oil to evaporate.
13. Sprinkle Chat Masala.
14. Serve hot with ketchup and garnished with green chillies (see pic)

Tips - People staying in States or Canada and other countries where Tori is not found can replace Tori with Zucchini.
Tori is known as Turai तुरई in many states of India.
The Green chillies can be increased/decreased as per liking or totally omitted if so desired.

Mutton Kababs. (Lamb Kebabs)

Non-Veg lover's heres a dish for you to enjoy this monsoon. When it's raining outside one can enjoy the hot mutton kebabs. A boneless mutton/lamb dish which would melt in your mouth. The secret touch to this recipe is that it's marination process which allows the salt and other spices to penetrate into the lamb pieces giving it a soft delectable flavour.

INGREDIENTS-

Boneless Lamb - 500 gm

Ginger Garlic paste - 6 1/2 tspns

Curd/Dahi - 1/2 cup

Chilly powder - 3 tspns

Salt - to taste

Refined Oil - about 5  tbspns

Sliced Onions - 1 cup

Roasted Gram Flour (Besan) - 2 tbspns

Juice of a lemon

Dry -spices -


Cinnamon (Dalchini) powder - 1/2 tspn

Cardamom (Choti Illaichi) powder - 1 tspn

Roasted Cumin (Jeera) Powder - 1 tspn

Jaiphal (Nutmeg) powder - a pinch

Roasted black pepper (Kali mirch powder) - 1/2 tspn

METHOD-

First Stage -

Combine Lamb meat, curd, salt, ginger-garlic paste and chilly powder.

Mix well. Keep it well covered in fridge for 3-4 hours to marinate.

Second Stage -

Transfer the marinated lamb with the entire marination in a pressure cooker.

Cook till it gives 7-8 whistles on low flame.

Third Stage -

Heat oil in a pan (Kadhai).

Put in the sliced onion and let it cook till reddish brown.

Add to it the cooked lamb from the pressure cooker along with the residue.

Cook on high flame. Keep on stirring.

The onion should be well incorporated into the lamb.

Sprinkle roasted gram flour and keep on roasting till mixed well.

Add all the dry spices one by one to the roasted lamb.

Squeeze in lemon juice.

Mix well.

Serve hot with Mango Tango.

Yummy Baked Potatoes

Potatoes are good for health especially for kids. Combined with baked beans, Protein requirements are also fulfilled.  For fussy kids this is a finger licking dish. I've experimented this recipe with my children and they wait for me to prepare this dish for them. Apart from kids, this dish can be made as a starter for a party. It would be relished by everyone. Quick and easy to prepare. So here comes the recipe. While selecting the potatoes make sure they are larger in size and oval shaped.

INGREDIENTS -

Potatoes - 6

Baked beans - 1 tin

Onion - 1 medium - chopped

Tomato - 1 medium - chopped

Tomato ketchup - 4 tblspn

Processed Cheese - 12 tblspns - grated

Butter - 50 gms

Oregano - 1 1/2 tspn

Mixed dry herbs - 1 tspn

Chilly flakes - 1 tspn (optional)

Pepper - to taste

Salt - to taste

METHOD -

• 
  
  Wash and clean the potatoes.
• 
  
  Boil the potatoes with the skin. Do not over boil.
• 
  
  Cut lengthwise into two pieces. - see picture
• 
  
  Scoop out the centre portion and make a cavity.

• 
  
  Heat a flat non-stick pan.
• 
  
  Put butter and place the potatoes upside down.
• 
  
  Let them turn brown. - see picture below.
• 
  
  Turn sides.
• 
  
  Let it turn slightly brown on the side with the peel.
• 
  
  Remove with a slotted spoon.
• 
  
  Place all the potatoes on a flat plate,
• 
  
  Sprinkle salt and pepper on the inner side.

For the Filling

• 
  
  Heat a non stick pan.
• 
  
  Add little butter and immediately put the onions.
• 
  
  Saute till pink.
• 
  
  Add chopped tomatoes.
• 
  
  Saute till glossy.
• 
  
  To this add baked beans from the tin.
• 
  
  Mix well.
• 
  
  Add tomato ketchup. Mix well.
• 
  
  Sprinkle salt to taste and all the herbs.
• 
  
  Add chilly flakes if required.
• 
  
  Keep it aside to cool.
• 
  
  Place 2 tblspns of the filling in each cavity.
• 
  
  Top  it with grated cheese. - See picture below.
• 
  
  Microwave high for 1 minute or till cheese melts.
• 
  
  Serve hot on a bed of lettuce and chopped red cabbage.

Coriander Rolls

Monsoon showers have already abated the blistering heat of the North. People in other parts of the country are also enjoying the rain showers. When it's raining outside one feels like having some snacks along with tea. I remember my mom used to prepare these Dhaniya rolls when I was small and I used to relish. So today this recipe comes from my mom's kitchen, she's also a very good cook and I guess I've the same abilities. When I made this even my children loved this dish very much. The main ingredient is of course the fresh coriander. The outer cover is made of chick-pea flour or besan. A very simple to make dish ready in minutes.Let's see how it is made.

Ingredients -

(Outer Covering)

Chickpea Flour (Besan) -  200 gms

Turmeric powder            - a pinch

Salt  --                              to taste

Water -                      for kneading - as required

(Filling)

Fresh Coriander leaves -  1.5 cup

Dessicated coconut -        1.5 cup

Charoli, Chiranji, -           2.5 tblspn

(Buchanania lanzan)

khus khus dry roasted -     1 tblspn

onion                         -    1 small

Chopped green chillies -   3-4

Salt -                            to taste

 

(Curd - Mixture - Masala for sticking)

Fresh Curd                   -     1/3 rd cup

Garam Masala Powder -       1 tspn

Salt - a pinch

Oil for deep frying - as required

Method -

STEP -I

For the filling -

1. Clean, wash and finely chop fresh coriander and put it in a bowl.

2. To this add dessicated coconut.

3. Add to it chironji, chopped chillies, khuskhus - (poppy seeds)

4. Add salt to taste and mix well.

STEP - II

Mix all the ingredients under the curd mixture and keep it aside.

STEP - III

Knead a soft dough using all ingredients under Outer covering.

STEP - IV

1) Take a small ball of the dough and roll it like the picture given below.

2)Smear 1 tspn of the curd mixture on the chapati.

3) Put about 2 tblspn of the filling on the chapati.

4) Fold from below. like this picture

5) Turn from the other side - like the picture below:

6) Close the ends - see below picture

7) Boil water in a steamer.

8) Keep a perforated dish 1 inch above water level.

9) Steam the rolls for about 10 minutes.

(Note - I used idli pot)

10) Deep fry the rolls in hot oil till golden brown.

11) Serve hot with chutney/relish of your choice.

Note- Rolls can be served without frying.

Chicken bites in barbeque sauce

Really there is so much you can do with the lovely chicken. Serve in the main course, breakfast, dinner or even as a starter. Loved by all its a healthy dish as one gets the proteins from it. Having the same routine recipes kind of starts getting boring so here is a quick and easy starter with a twist as it's really very easy but very tasty and a lip smacking dish. Select a good variety of boneless chicken which has a pinkish colour as the pink colour indicates that the chicken is fresh and lovely to taste.

Here we need to marinate the chicken for 3-4 hours which allows the flavours to be penetrated into the awesome chicken . Now coming to the recipe:

Ingredients -

Boneless Chicken - 350 gms cut into squares
Garlic - 1 1/2 tblspn chopped
Barbeque Sauce - 5-6 tblspn
Olive oil - 2 tblspn (for marination)+ 2 tblspn(for the sauce)
Hot Chilly Sauce - 3 tblspn
honey - 1 tspn
Salt - to taste
Pepper - to taste

Garnish-
Shredded lettuce and tomato skin rose flower.

Method -
(Step -I)

1. Wash chicken pieces and pat them dry.
2. In a deep bowl put the entire barbeque sauce.
3. In goes half the olive oil.
4. Add the entire hot chilly sauce.
5. Add to it the honey.
6. Put half the garlic finely chopped.
7. Add salt and pepper to taste.
8. Mix well.
9. Place the chicken pieces in the bowl.
10. Mix well so that the marinade covers the entire chicken.
11. Cover the bowl with a silver foil and refrigerate it for 3-4 hrs.

(Step - II)

1. Heat the remaining olive oil in a flat pan.
2. Place the marinated chicken pieces in to the olive oil without the marinade.
3. Cover and allow them to light brown.
4. Turn side and cover and cook till it turns light brown on the other side too.
5. Insert a knife in the chicken breast to see it's cooked properly.
6. Remove the chicken pieces aside leaving the entire cooked oil.
7. In the same pan add chopped garlic. Cook till dark brown.
8. Place the left over marinade in the pan and let the sauce cook for 2 minutes.
9. Place the chicken pieces and saute in a way that the sauce coats the chicken.
10. Serve immediately garnished with shredded lettuce and rose flower.

Tip - To make the tomato rose, lengthwise peel the skin of a tight tomato without letting it break. Roll the skin firmly to get the shape of the rose.