Capsicum Masala(ಡೊಣ್ಣ ಮೆಣಸಿನ ಕಾಯಿ ಪಲ್ಯೆ )

Tried and tasted by Nivedita

Hi All,

I have a starting problem!!! I take more than half an hour before I start typing here. Once I start, it goes without break. I know I am not a very good writer and my vocabulary ends only with kitchen or cooking words!! Still I take a lot of time to finish writing one post!! 

Here is one more recipe from North Karnataka. Capsicum or bell peppers or chili pepper call it by any name. It is an universal vegetable and is used in many preparations all over the world. I like the colors of bell peppers, green, yellow, red, purple.. and the shapes : long, short, fat, thin, tiny, big....The big one are not very tasty like the small varieties.

But I like the variety we get in our places. We call these as "Donna Menasinakai" These capsicum are very small in size and have wonderful curved surface. And very very spicy. If you are used to eat spicy food then you will enjoy it. 

The recipe I am giving is an usual way prepared in North Karnataka. It is easy and fast to make. 

Small capsicum - 8 to 10, wash and cut into small or medium cubes.

Oil - 1 tbsp to fry the capsicum 

Onion - 1 big, washed, peeled and cubed

Tamarind paste - 1 tsp

Salt to taste

Jaggery - 2 tsp

Turmeric - pinch

Oil - 1 tsp

Jeera or cumin seeds - 1/2 tsp

Curry leaves - few

Gurellu (Niger seeds) powder - 1 tsp(recipe here), No problem if you do not have. Use dry coconut powder. The taste will definitely differ but that also tastes good.

Fresh Coriander - 1 tbsp, chopped

Water - 1/2 cup

Fry the capsicum cubes in a oil till they change the color. Be careful to keep the kids far as the smell is very strong. It makes you cough.

Add oil in a kadai. When hot, add jeera, curry leaves and onion. Fry till the onion turns brown. Now add salt, jaggery, tamarind paste, gurellu powder and Turmeric powder. Mix well and add the fried capsicum cubes.  Mix well again. Add water. Cover and cook for 3 to 5 minutes. Adjust the seasoning. Garnish with Fresh coriander.

It goes well with Jowar rotti or chapati. 

Again reminding, it is very spicy to eat.

Keep Smiling,

Paneer Nuggets

Tried and tasted by Nivedita

Hi All,

After my both the daughters are feeling better, I am also relaxed. As per doctor's advice, I did not give the milk to them, and all the milk was lying like that only in the fridge. I was thinking what to do with so much milk. Then I remembered the show I watched last week.

I really envy those food show anchors, who get chance to try all the food under the sun!!!! With that jealousy,  I never miss any shows whenever I get time!! NDTV Good Times has lot of good programs on food around the world. And last week I watched the show run by Aditya Bal. In that show his mother made these Paneer nuggets!!!

Thats what came in my mind to make these nuggets with home made Paneer. But I did not take the photos of making Paneer. May be later when I make paneer again, I will take the pics and post the recipe. I took photo only after I prepared it. Here it is :

The chef  in the show, had taken the ready paneer cubes and marinated it with SALT, RED CHILLY POWDER, GARAM MASALA,  and I think he added  LEMON also. And he had kept it in the fridge for an hour or so. BUT,  check my version below.

I put the paneer in a rectangular box and kept in the fridge for an hour. After an hour, I removed it, cut into the pieces. In that one hour, I prepared BREAD CRUMBS at home with fresh bread.

For bread crumbs:

Fresh white bread - 4 to 6 pieces

(white bread or wheat bread or you can mix both)

Cut the bread into pieces. Keep it in microwave for 2 minutes to dry the bread. Keep it to cool. Put in a food processor or grinder to make it into a coarse or fine powder according to the requirement. Some recipes require coarse powder. I made it fine powder.

You can store it in airtight jar and can be stored in the fridge for a week. 

Ingredients :

For Paneer Cubes:

Paneer - 200 gm

Salt to taste

Red chilly powder - 1 tsp

Ginger garlic paste - 1 tsp

Garam Masala Powder - 1/2 tsp

Lime Juice - 1 tsp

Here is the twist in my version : Mix all the ingredients nicely. Transfer in to a square box. Keep in the fridge for an hour or two. Remove it and cut into cubes or desired shapes. Here it looks like :

                                           

Now the ingredients used for the coating,

Bread crumbs - 1/2 or 1 cup

Salt a pinch

Red chilly powder - 1 tsp

Coriander powder - 1/4 tsp

Mix  bread crumbs, salt, red chilly powder  and coriander powder. Spread it in a plate.

Maida or All purpose flour - 1/2 cup. Spread it in a separate plate.

Egg - 1, break and beat the egg in a bowl.
If not using egg, 
Maida to coat the cubes

Oil to fry

Here it is :                       

                                             

Here is the clumsy work begins,

TAKE ONE PANEER  CUBE,

FIRST ROLL IT WITH MAIDA. 

WASH IT WITH EGG MIX. (DIP THE PIECE FULLY IN  EGG ) 

OR

Make a thin paste of maida and water. Dip the cubes in it instead of egg. 

(thanks Madhuri for reminding me!!!)

THEN PUT IT IN A BREAD CRUMBS PLATE AND ROLL IT TO COVER THE PIECE PROPERLY.

REPEAT WITH OTHER PANEER CUBES. 

Here it looks like,

                                         

Heat oil in a kadai. Once it is very hot, lower the flame and fry the paneer cubes in batches till golden brown.

PANEER NUGGETS ARE READY TO SERVE WITH HOT TEA OR AS A STARTER.

HEY, DOES IT LOOK LIKE MORE WORK???? NO!!! MY POST IS LONGER. 

IT IS VERY EASY AND FAST TO MAKE. TRY IT!!

Keep Smiling,

Microwave Mango Halwa (Food Remake)

Tried and tasted by Nivedita

Hi All,

All of you know that I have a sweet tooth (sets of sweet teeth!!! ). And Mango is my favorite fruit(who does not like mango??????   ). 
When I was going through Srivalli's   Mango Mela ...   I got this recipe from Priya of Priya's Easy N Tasty Recipes, I could not wait to make it. Immediately I tried it!!! (Thanks Valli for holding such wonderful events that one can access to many blogs with variety of food from one place)

And!!! I got it right!! It tasted divine!! It tasted like Mango flavored  Sohan Halwa (which we get in Market or sweet shops). I finished it within half a day, (gave little to mom, and my kids do not like sweet). 

Click Mango Halwa for the recipe.I am also giving the details.

Mango pulp - 1 cup (Sweet mango is better)

Sugar - 1/2 cup

Ghee - 1 tbsp to 2 tbsp

Cardamom powder - 1/4 tsp 

Finely chopped almonds - 1 tbsp

Transfer the Mango pulp and sugar in a microwave safe bowl. Keep it on HIGH for 10 minutes, keep stirring in between. Add ghee and cook in microwave for another 2 minutes. Now add half of chopped almonds, cardamom powder and cook for one more minute.

Spread remaining chopped almonds in a bowl. Add the halwa in that bowl, press it nicely, and turn upside down on a serving plate.

The Halwa is ready to eat!!
THIS CAN BE PREPARED ON THE GAS STOVE ALSO.COOK IT IN A THICK BOTTOMED PAN. COOKING IT THE SAME WAY WE DID IN MICROWAVE, BUT KEEP ON STIRRING ALL THE TIME AS IT MAY GET BURNT. IT GIVES THE SAME TASTE.

Thanks Priya for so wonderful recipe.

Keep Smiling,

Lemon rice (ಚಿತ್ರಾನ್ನ )

Tried and tasted by Nivedita

Hi All,

I was in tension and worried as my daughter was not well. Still she is on medicine for a week and doctor told to give her only soft food. I am confused about the menu as doctor has advised her only the soft food.

However, this recipe is not connected with her illness and diet food. But last week, it is prepared for her lunch box.

                                  

Here is the recipe,

Cooked rice - 200 gm, Prepare the rice at least half an hour before and let it be cold before adding to the masala.

(Left over rice also tastes good, but I  make fresh rice as it has to be packed for lunch)

Oil - 1 tbsp

Mustard seeds - 1 tsp

Curry leaves - few

Urad dal - 1 tbsp

Peanut - 1 tbsp(Optional, tastes good), I did not add it as my daughter does not like peanuts

Red dry chilly - 2, break into pieces

Lime juice - 2 tbsp or more depends on the lime

Salt to taste

Turmeric powder - a pinch

Sugar - 2 tsp

Fresh Coconut grated - 1 tbsp(optional)

(I did not use it as I was short of time)

Fresh coriander - 1 tbsp

Heat oil in a kadai. Put mustard seeds and let the seeds splutter. Add Urad dal and fry for 10 seconds or till they change the color to light brown. Do not delay to add curry leaves otherwise dal will get burnt. Be quick to add Coconut(if adding) with Red dry chilly. Fry for half a minute and off the heat. Now add Salt, Turmeric powder and lime juice. Mix it and add cooked rice. Add sugar and fresh coriander. Mix well. Keep it on heat again and cook for a minute on low flame. 

Lemon rice is ready to eat with pickle and papad. 

It is very good to pack and take while travelling but to be consumed before 4 to 6 hours of preparation as it will get spoiled soon.

Keep Smiling,

Tawa Pulao (Food Remake)

Tried and tasted by Nivedita

Hi All,

Last week was tried and tasted recipes by others! I tried few dishes from other blogs. All came out good!! no! delicious! Me and my daughter enjoyed the feast very much.

As the schools are open, I need to pack the lunch box for my elder one, and she prefers rice as it is easy to finish fast. Thats why I am again in search of different ways of rice preparations.

This time, I tried this Tawa Pulao(Tawa Pulao) from Chef In You.

It came out very tasty. I almost finished the rice before it went into my daughter's lunch box!!! I could not resist eating it!  And as I have commented in her blog :

"Hi,It is just awesome!! it is the best instant spicy tasty rice!!!!! 

I omitted peas and added carrot instead. Skipped capsicum as I was  preparing it for my daughter. But the taste was very very good. My daughter took it for lunch to the school and came back crying!! WHY??? Her friends took her lunch box and finished everything, but she was happy too as they told her that her mother is the best cook!!!!  Thanks for the recipe."

Just giving the details about how I made this one, as I omitted few veggies from her list and added other.

So here goes my ingredients:

Rice - 2 cups

butter - 1 tbsp

Oil - 1 tbsp

Cumin seeds - 1 tsp

fennel seeds - 1/2 tsp

Garlic and ginger crushed - 1 tbsp

Turmeric powder - 1/4 tsp

Pav bhaji masala -1 tbsp (I used MTR Pav bhaji masala)

Carrot - 1 medium, washed and diced

Onion - 1 small, sliced

Tomato - 1 big, diced

Green chilly - 1 slit

Salt to taste (very little as I felt there is less salt in ready masala)

Fresh coriander to garnish

I omitted capsicum, as I thought it will be spicy for my daughter. And I did not had peas at home, so used carrot.

I cooked fresh rice, as it was to be packed for lunch box. But keep the rice to cool in a big plate at least 15 to 20 minutes before you make pulao.

Keep the kadai on heat. Put butter when it melts add oil. Add the seeds, onion, chilly and carrot. Fry it for few minutes. Add tomato, fry till it is soft. Now add salt  and pav bhaji masala and little water. Let it cook for some time. Now is the time for the rice to go in. Mix it properly. Garnish with fresh coriander and serve it hot. We had it just like that without any side dish!!

Keep Smiling,