Easy Cooking for Busy Folks

Cauliflower Fry

Dipti Shah — Mon, 06 Apr 2009 21:33:51 +0000

Thanks to the creepy worms found in cauliflower in India, it was never made nor eaten at my mom’s & MIL’s place. My mom & MIL have taken vows never to eat it again in this lifetime.

So basically I never knew how to cook this veggie UNTIL NOW. So it’s understandble when I say that I avoided cooking cauliflower till now. But when my friend turned up at my door early saturday morning with a bag of cauliflower , I couldn’t think of any excuses to turn down this warm gift. She even showed me how to cook this when I told her my inability to cook this beautiful fresh, big, Lilly white cauliflower.

This is how I made Cauliflower Fry (Gobi Fry)for the first time this Saturday…….

Ingredients

1 medium head cauliflower (approx. ¼ lb)
3 garlic cloves
1-inch ginger
1 tsp oil
½ tsp cumin seed
½ tsp mustard seed
2 thai green chillies, split lengthwise (depends on how hot you want the fry)
5-6 curry leaves
Black pepper freshly-ground
1/2 tsp garam masala
¼ tsp turmeric powder
½ tsp Red chilli powder
1 tblsp coriander powder
Salt as per taste
1 tblsp fine chopped coriander leaves or parsley

Method

Peel and finely chop the garlic and ginger.
Cut the cauliflower into florets.
Heat oil in a pan and season it with cumin and mustard seeds.
As soon as the mustard seeds begin to pop, add hing, garlic, ginger, chillies & curry leaves.
Add all dry masalas & fry well taking care that the masalas don’t burn.
Add cauliflower florets & fry for 5-7 minutes until the cauliflower is lightly browned(add drops of water if it begins to stick).
Then put salt & mix well.
Mix well and cook until cauliflower is cooked as desired.
Once done transfer to serving bowl & garnish with finely chopped fresh coriander leaves or parsley

Tips/Notes

If you want the cauliflower to be crunchy, don’t cover the pan with lid & also don’t add any water.
If you want the cauliflower to be soft, add 3-4 tblsp water after the salt step & cover the pan with lid until done.

Variations
Alu Gobi or Mutter Gobi

Slow Cooker Rice Kheer (Rice Pudding)

Dipti Shah — Wed, 01 Apr 2009 04:56:47 +0000

My daughter loves this & she wanted me to add this to our blog.

The food blog has now become her’s too. She wants to give her inputs & also wants to help cook.

———————-
Rice Kheer (Rice Pudding), a delicious pudding made of only 3 main ingredients. Very simple to make & tastes yummy

Keeping in tune with quick cooking, I tried this in a slow cooker. toss, mix & forget for 2 hours.

Ingredients

7 cups milk
1 cup Uncooked Rice
pinch of salt
1 cup sugar
1/2 stick of unsalted butter
1/4 cup slivered blanched almonds
1/4 cup raisins
1/2 tsp Cardamom powder
1/4 cup heavy whipping cream

Method

Wash and rinse rice.
Put butter, rice & 6 cups of milk in the slow cooker. Cover and set ‘High’. Wait 45 minutes
Stir to make sure that rice are not clumping together. Continue cooking covered for 45 minutes at High. Stir.
Cook at High covered for about one hour.
Add cardomon powder, almonds & raisins. Mix well.
At this point, check for sugar & add more if needed.
Cook at High covered for about 3/4 hour. Add whipping cream & cook for about 1/4 hour.
Longer you wiill cook, thicker will be the pudding.
Turn off. Let it cool and refrigerate. Serve chilled.

Instant Fruit Custard

Dipti Shah — Tue, 24 Mar 2009 01:38:34 +0000

We went to a friends birthday party, where this delicious custard was served as a dessert.

I was so impressed not just by its taste, but also by the “instant” part.

I know this would appeal to lots of busy moms like myself. Thanks Jayashree!! for this instant recipe.

Ingredients

3 cups of vanilla icecream
1 cup of frozen mango pulp
1/2 cup of “Kesari” canned mango pulp
1 tsp of sugar (optional)
1 1/2 cups of cut fruits (grapes, strawberries, apples, banana. kiwis etc)

Method

Defrost vanilla icecream in the microwave for 25 seconds.
whisk with spoon or hand whisk.
Mix in the mango pulps & sugar.
Add the fruits & mix well well together.
Serve chilled.

Tips/Notes

You can try a variation with any fruit flavoured ice creams.

Mango Milk Shake

Dipti Shah — Tue, 24 Mar 2009 00:13:32 +0000

This is a delicious, refreshing, and easy-to-make drink for hot summer days or any day.

We tend to serve this at a party when we have no sweets/dessert planned.

I remember those glorious summer day in India, when I was a child. Come summer & all we ate was mangoes. Alphonso Mango Slices for Breakfast with khakra, Payari for 10:00 snack. Payari juice/raas for lunch & for dinner my mom would make alphonso cubes mixed in payari milk (payari raas mixed with milk) along with theplas. YUMMMMMM……

She’d also make a deadly milkshake.

Here’s her recipe ( I’ve just added the icecream part)

Ingredients

1 cup mango pulp
1 cup chilled milk
2-3 tblsp powdered sugar
2 scoops of vanilla icecream
1 tblsp Chopped cashew, pistachio & raisins
Few strands of saffron
cool-whip or redi whip for decoration

Method

First blend the mango pulp in a mixer properly.
Then add milk and sugar to it and blend once again.
Pour in tall glasses.
Put a scoop of vanilla icecream in each glass.
Put a dollop of reddi-whip on once side of each glass.
Decorate with chopped nuts & top them with 2-3 strands of saffron.

Tips/Notes:

I prefer frozen mango pulp over the canned pulp.
If you want creamier milkshake substitute 1/2 cup of milk with 1/2 cup of vanilla icecream.
If you’re like me & want liquidie milkshake, add 1/4 cup of milk more. You’ll have the adjust the amount of sugar according to the amount of milk
Don’t use fat-free or 1% milk for milkshake. Go for 2% or Vitamin D milk.

Paneer Pulao

Dipti Shah — Fri, 20 Mar 2009 18:34:52 +0000

I make most of my pulaos/biryani in the Hawkins Futura pressure cooker ( Hey I’m not advertising them. I got this when I came from India & this is all I have)

Paneer Pulao

Ingredients

1 cup Basmati rice
1 onion, sliced
1 -1/2 tblsp ginger-garlic paste
1 tsp green chilli paste
3 tblsp ketchup
1/2 roma tomato chopped
1 cup paneer cubes
3 tblsp yogurt
1/2 tsp garam masala
Palmful of dried parsley
a pinch sugar
1/2 tsp butter , oil each
Salt to taste
2 tblsp whole cashewnuts

Method

Wash the rice, soak and keep aside.
Put 2 cups of water to boil.
Heat the butter and oil in a pressure cooker, add the cashewnuts & fry until golden brown. Remove & keep aside.
In the same oil fry onion, ginger, garlic and green chilli paste and stir for a few seconds.
Then add the tomato, ketchup and paneer cubes and cook for some time.
Then add garam masala & drained rice. Fry for 30 seconds.
Then add whisked yogurt, parsley, sugar, 2 cups of hot water and salt and pressure cook on high until you hear the pressure had built up.
Reduce the stove to med or med -low & cook for 3 mins only.
After 3 mins remove from stove & let cool for 5 mins.
After 5 mins forcefully allow the steam to escape by lifting the whistle.
Fluff the pulao with a fork/spoon gently & transfer to a serving dish.
Garnish with fried cashew & parsley.
Serve hot with chilled raita & papad.

Tip/Notes
If you don’t have the futura, pressure cook in regular cooker only for 1 whistle. Allow the steam to escape before opening.

I serve this pulao with carrot raita.

Substitution
I’ve substituted paneer with slightly pan-fried firm tofu.
Parsley can be substituted with kasoori methi

Corn Raita

Dipti Shah — Fri, 20 Mar 2009 17:47:58 +0000

A raita is a simple preparation made by adding fruits, vegetables or any other thing to beaten yogurt. Most Indian families enjoy curds either plain or in the form of delicious raitas as an accompaniment with lunch or dinner.

Raitas are unique because they are cool and flavourful at the same time. Indians cherish a large variety of raitas.

We at our house always have raita with any Biryani. I personally eat more raita than biryani.

Today I’ll talk of Corn raita. This has been a hit with kids too.

Ingredients

1 can sweet corn
2 cups Dannon yogurt ( I don’t like Pavel’s or home-made for raitas)
1 tblsp sugar
Salt to taste
2 cloves garlic (roughly crushed)
2 green chillies slit lengthwise.
3-4 curry leaves
1½ tsp oil
¼ tsp mustard seeds
Pinch of hing/asafetida
Lots of fresh coriander leaves or a palmful of dried parlsey

Method

Take yogurt in the serving bowl.
Add sugar, salt & black pepper powder & whisk it properly with a spoon.
In a very small kadai or vagharu heat oil.
Add mustard seeds. When the seeds splutter remove from gas & add hing, green chillies, curry leaves & garlic. Put back on stove for few seconds,
Transfer this tempering in the yogurt bowl.
Add drained & washed corn, coriander leaves/parlsey & mix well.
Garnish with freshly ground cumin powder & serve CHILLED.

TIPS/NOTES:

My kids don’t like garlic , so right before serving I hunt & remove the garlic pod. That’s why I don’t finely chop the garlic.

Plain Rice

Dipti Shah — Thu, 19 Mar 2009 22:31:44 +0000

Ingredients:

1 cup any rice (basmati, long grained, sona-masoor, jasmine)
Salt to taste
Lots of water for boiling rice.
Juice of ¼ lime (optional) or 1 tsp of lime juice
Few drops of oil/ghee (optional)

Method:

Wash rice at least 3 times & soak in water for minimum ½ hour.
Meanwhile put a huge stockpot filled with water to boil.
Add salt to taste. The gas setting should be high & cover with lid to speed up the boiling process.
When the water comes to a rolling boil. Take the drained soaked rice & dump it into the boiling water.
Switch the gas settings to med.
Add lime juice & mix well.
Keep stirring occasionally.
After 15 minutes check to see if the rice is done. It should not be too mushy , but al dente.
Once rice is done drain in a colander.
Transfer to serving dish/bowl & fluff once with a fork.

Bhinda nu Shaak (Bhindi Fry)

Dipti Shah — Thu, 19 Mar 2009 22:05:00 +0000

Bhinda nu Shaak
Gujrati Okra Stir Fry

Ingredients
• 1/2 lb Okra/ lady’s Finger, cut into 1 inch strips
• Salt to taste
• 1 tblsp coriander-cumin powder
• 1/2 tsp turmeric powder
• 1 tsp red chilli powder
• 1 tbsp oil
• 1/2 tsp mustard seeds
• 1/4 tsp asafetida/hing
• ½ tsp of jeera

Method
• Wash & thoroughly dry the okras.
• Cut okra lengthwise into 4 strips. Further cut each strip into 1 inch length
• Heat oil in a non-stick kadai/wok.
• Once the oil is hot, add jeera & mustard seeds.
• Once the mustard seeds splutter add hing,
• Add turmeric powder, coriander-cumin powder, red chilli powder. & mix well taking care that the masalas don’t burn.
• Add okra Add salt. Give a quick & thorough stir. Make the gas/heat settings to med-low.
• Stir fry from time to time.
• Let it cook on low flame for 15-20 minutes or till okra is cooked.

Tip/Notes:
If you want the okra to be crispy increase the oil by ½ tblsp & keep the kadhai on low – flame until the desired crispness is achieved.

If you want the okra to be tender, cover the kadhai with a thali which hhas 1/2 cup of water. DONOT ADD WATER DIRECTLY TO OKRA.

Gujrati Kadhi

Dipti Shah — Thu, 19 Mar 2009 21:15:43 +0000

Ingredients
* 1 cup Yogurt ( homemade or Pavel’s)
* 2 1/2 cups water
* 1 tbsp besan
* 3 green thai chiilies — slit into halves
* 1 inch ginger grated
* 4/6 curry leaves
* 1/2 tsp jeera
* 1/2 tsp rai
* 2 whole dry red chillies
* sugar to taste
* salt to taste
* 1 tbsp oil

Method

1. In a kadhai mix yogurt & 2 cups of water. Mix well so that the liquid is homogeneous.
2. In a small bowl mix sieved besan & 1/2 cup of water. Make sure that the besan has completely dissolved & no lumps are left. Mix this besan paste/liquid with the yogurt liquid.
3. Put the kadhai to boil on slow/med-low flame or setting.
4. to this add curry leaves, slit green chillies, salt, sugar & grated ginger. Mix well.
5. On the other side, heat oil in a small small kadhai or vagharu.
6. When hot, remove from heat, add rai, jeera, hing, red chiilies & turmeric powder. Mix well put on heat again for 10 secs & pour this vaghar on top of the kadhi which is getting boiled.
7. Serve hot with hot rice, bhinda nu shaakh & fresh raw mango pickle.

Tip:
Heat the kadhai mix on med-Low/ low flame lonely. Stir the mix frequently.

Easy cooking Ingredients…

Dipti Shah — Thu, 19 Mar 2009 05:03:31 +0000

Let’s backtrack…. I posted a recipe & then decided the direction I want to go. So now keeping in tune with my direction we’ll talk of the things you should always have in hand to cook quickly & easily.

Let’s divide this list in different section:

FRIDGE
milk
butter
ketchup
soy sauce
bread crumbs
lemons/limes
carrots
celery
3-4 veggies per week
curry leaves

FREEZER
frozen vegetables(peas & other combinations of your choice)

SPICES
salt
black pepper
Red Chilli powder ( I mix 1 packet of Kashmiri red chilli powder
Jeera/Cumin
rai
Coriander powder
Tumeric powder
garam masala ( home made or store bought)
Hing
Whole red chillies ( I like kashmiri
bay leaves
cinnamon sticks
whole black pepper
big black cardamon
regular green cardamon
star anise
cloves
Almonds
Cashew

PANTRY/STAPLES
garlic
onions
potatoes
extra-virgin olive oil or vegetable oil
dried pasta
rice
pasta sauce
canned beans
flour
cornstarch
confectioners’ sugar
granulated sugar
brown sugar
baking powder
baking soda
unsweetened cocoa powder
pure vanilla extract
honey
jam
pure maple syrup
peanut butter
chocolate chips
nuts
dried fruit
Lentils/dals
Sago/Sabudana/tapioca
Poha/Pressed Rice

This list is a reflection of what I have in my kitchen. You should modify it according to your lifestyle & food habits.

Always check your pantry. Don’t let anything expire on your shelf. Remember the golden rile FIFO: First In First Out.