Showing posts with label Cooking. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Cooking. Show all posts

Zesty Italian Dressing recipe!

Dear Bloggies, as promised yesterday, I'm sharing the recipe of Italian Dressing that I had used in Texas Caviar recipe. This dressing is really easy to make, and the ingredients it requires are easily available in the super-markets.

Italian dressing basically is made by combining the dry mix of pungent spices with olive oil and vinegar.

The benefit of using the home-made dressing is that, it would be free of additional preservatives and artificial flavors, that a ready-made dressing would have contained. You may also add or subtract the ingredients as per your choice. Scope for innovation is always there...Also, home-made dressings are cheaper.

So lets start with the Italian Dressing recipe!

Preparation time: 10 minutes.
Ready in: 1 hour

Ingredients.

For dry mix:





Onion powder- 1/2 tbsp.
Garlic powder- 1/2 tbsp.
Dried oregano- 1 tbsp.
Dried basil- 1/2 tbsp.
Dried thyme- 1/2 tsp..
Dried parsley- 1/2 tbsp.
Sugar- 1/2 tbsp.
Black pepper- Freshly ground, 1/2 tsp.
Celery salt- 1/4 tsp.
Salt- 1 tsp or as per taste.


For dressing:





Extra-virgin olive oil- 6 tbsp.
Water- 1 tbsp.
White wine vinegar, or white vinegar- 5 to 6 tbsp.

Method.

1. In a small bowl, combine all the dry ingredients and mix well. Store this dry mix in an air-tight container. So this way yo have the dry mix ready for future use and have to follow step 2 for instant dressing.

2. To prepare the dressing, take 2 tbsp of the dry mix powder, and add in the olive oil, water, and vinegar, and whisk well. Let it stand for an hour in the fridge, so that all the flavors combine well.

3. Use it for making Texas Caviar recipe!


Tips:

1. You can also use fresh minced garlic instead of garlic powder. But it would give out a really pungent and raw smell. So I used dried garlic powder available in the market.

2. You can use fresh parsley, oregano, and thyme if you do not wish to store the dry mix for future use.

Prabhodini Ekadashi Special- Potato and lotus stem sabzi in samo rice stew and Samo rice koki!

Hello my dear Bloggies!!! Yesterday it was Prabhodini Ekadashi and it was a festive atmosphere at home again! Prabhodini Ekadashi is linked with Lord Vithoba- a form of Lord Vishnu. A fast is observed on this day and the ritual marriage of Tulsi plant is performed with Lord Vishnu, on the next day of the Prabhodini Ekadashi.
Like every year my Mom, Aunts, Cousins fasted on this auspicious day. I couldn't observe fast as I come home for weekends to eat, eat and only eat! I would have observed the fast. But, yesterday morning I didn't know about ekadashi and ended up eating Diwali snacks with my morning tea! :D

But I was totally a part of the prayers and enjoyed all the food that everyone was enjoying. Fruits, milk, and foodstuff without cereals to be specific.
Dinner was a special treat. Every Sindhi household has this special dish cooked for this day! Its the sabzi of Potatoes and lotus stem in samo rice stew and Samo seed koki!

I relished it a lot. It was so yummy even if it didn't contain any garlic or onions or spices. So I'm sharing the recipe so that all of our Bloggy friends enjoy this special dish!!!


1. Potato and lotus stem in samo rice stew.

Preparation time: 10 minutes.
Cooking time: 20 minutes.
Serves: 4

Ingredients:

Potatoes- 2 large, diced
Lotus stem- 250 grams
Green chilies- 2 nos., finely chopped
Red chili powder- 3 tsp
Salt- To taste
Oil- 5 tbsp
Ghee- 1 tsp
Water- 700 ml
Samo rice(Bhagar) flour- 3 tbsp mixed with sufficient water to make paste.

Method:

1. Clean lotus stem, cut diagonal slices of it, boil it for 4 whistles in a pressure cooker with a little salt and 1 tsp of ghee. keep aside when done.




2. Heat oil in a cooker, add green chilies and red chili powder and stirring, ensuring it doesn't burn.
3. Add potatoes and lotus stem, salt and mix well so that the spices coat it. Fry it like this for a couple of minutes.



4. Add water and let it come to boil. Now put on the lid and let it cook for 2 whistles.
5. When the pressure is released stir in samo rice flour paste, and boil it for 5-7 minutes till the stew thickens a little.
Samo rice flour mixed in some water.

6. Serve hot with Samo rice kokis!







Samo rice flour koki


Preparation time: 15 minutes
Cooking time: 10 minutes
Serves: 4
Ingredients:


Samo rice(Bhagar) flour- 400 grams
Boiled potatoes- 2 large
Salt- To taste
Green chilies- 4 nos., finely chopped
Water- To kneed the dough
Ghee- 1 tbsp + some more to fry


Method:


1. Mash the boiled potatoes properly, add samo rice flour, salt, green chilies, 1 tbsp ghee and mix it with hands.
2. Now add water little by little to make a soft dough. You may need around 1 cup of water, but you may adjust it as per the consistency of the dough.





3. Now let the dough stand for 5 minutes. Divide it into 8 equal portions.








4. Apply some ghee on your palms, and take a portion of dough and flatten it by tapping it between both hands to make it like a roti.








5. Now heat a tawa, and roast the koki on it till it turns golden and crip on both the sides applying a little ghee.








6. Remove it in a plate and serve hot with the Potato and lotus stem sabzi.






Enjoy!!!

Chocolate cake with Hot chocolate syrup!

Its a weekend I'm back home having loads of fun. November has just set in and its freezing over here. 
I was craving to eat something hot....and sweet...and yummy...So decided to make some really delicious chocolate cake.
But that's just sweet, where is the hot????
So we, that is me, my sisi and my cousin just invented a new recipe of chocolate cake dipped in hot chocolate syrup!!! Sounds yummy!!! Isn't it?
That's why I decided to share the recipe with you. So here it goes!!!




Chocolate cake with Hot chocolate syrup!!!

Preparation time: 20 minutes
Cooking time: 10 minutes


Ingredients:

For Cake

Maida (Refined flour)- 100 grams
Caster sugar- 100 grams
Cocoa powder- 2 tbsp
Baking powder- 1 tsp
Baking soda- ½ tsp
Milk- 150 ml
Oil- 75 ml
Vanilla essence- 5 ml
Hershey’s chocolate syrup- 50 ml
Sugar syrup- 50 ml
Cherries- For decoration


For hot chocolate syrup

Dark compound- 70 grams
Milk compound- 70 grams
Milk- 50 ml


For greasing

Butter
Maida

Method:

  1. Grease the baking dish with butter and sprinkle some maida. Keep it aside. (I used a bowl since I didn't have a baking tray. You can use a round tray)
  2. Sieve the maida, baking powder, caster sugar and cocoa powder one by one in a bowl and mix well.





3. Now add oil little by little and mix constantly in one direction.




4. Pour in milk little by little and mix well to avoid lumps.




5. Add vanilla essence.



6. In the end, add baking soda and mix vigorously and pour in the greased baking tray immediately.



7. Now place the bowl in microwave oven and bake it for 5 minutes on High. And let it stand for another 5 minutes.

8. Till the time start preparing hot chocolate syrup. Take the dark compound and milk compound in a vessel and add milk to it.



9. Boil sufficient water in another vessel. Place the compound and milk mixture over it stirring constantly till the chocolate melts. We need to keep the syrup hot till the cake is done.

10. Now remove the cake from the oven and let it cool down.




11. Invert it on a plate, cut it into two pieces, slicing it horizontally from the middle.



12. Now spread some Hershey’s chocolate syrup and sugar syrup on one layer.



13. Place another layer over it and pour hot chocolate syrup on the cake till it gets completely covered in it.


14. Decorate with cherries and serve with your favorite drink!!! Tastes best with Tang!!! Enjoy!!!

Dummy's guide to making Poha.


Lousy Sunday...Happening Breakfast!
Ask me what I want to have for breakfast and I'll say Poha!
I love having poha a lot. Its healthy, filling, delicious and easy to make!
So I decided to post a simple recipe of Poha for those who wish to relish it but aren't much into cooking.
Hope you try it out and would like it....
So without much ado, lets start making it... J

Poha.

Serves: 2
Preparation time: 10 minutes.
Cooking time: 15 mins.

Ingedients:

Poha (Rice Flakes)- 150 grams/ 2 cups.
Onion- 1 large, finely chopped.
Potato- 1 medium sized, diced into small cubes.
Tomato- 1 medium sized, finely chopped.
Green chilies- 5 nos., slit.
Curry leaves- 8-10 leaves.
Cilantro- For garnish, finely chopped.
Turmeric- 1/3 tsp.
Red chili powder- 1/3 tsp
Salt- To taste
Lemon juice- 2 tsp
Sugar- 1/3 tsp
Mustard seeds- 1/3 tsp
Cumin seeds (Jeera)- 1/3 tsp
Oil- 4 tbsp

Method:

  1. Take poha in a colander and wash it well a couple of time. Let the water drain.


2. Heat oil in a skillet. Add mustard seeds and cumin and let it splutter.

3. Now add potatoes and fry it till they start turning golden.



4. Add curry leaves and green chilies, fry it well so that it releases its strong flavor.

5. Then add onions and fry it till they turn golden.




6. Now add turmeric, red chili powder, stir till the raw smell disappears, taking care not to burn the spices.




7. Add tomatoes and salt, and cook till tomatoes are done.




8. Now add poha and mix well so that the spices cover it evenly.




9. Add lemon juice and sugar and mix well.
Put a lid and let it cook on a low flame for 5 minutes.

10. Then add cilantro and mix again.


11. Serve hot. You can enjoy it with Sindhi Papad too! TADAAAA!


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