Murg Pulao

This is another recipe from Nita mehta Microwave cooking book.I have blogged about chicken biryani before and this one is quite different to what i have blogged and it is quick and easy to make.

Ingredients:-

Basmati Rice 1 cup

Chicken cut into pcs 1 cup

Salt as per taste

Turmeric powder 1/2tsp

Red chillies dried 3

Onions chopped 2

Ginger chopped 2tsp

Garlic 12-14 flakes

Cumin seeds 1tsp

Fennel seeds 2tsp

Cinnamon 1’’stick

Black cardamom 2

Cloves 3

Pepper 8

Method:-

Soak rice in 2 cups of water for 30 minutes.For the paste grind all the ingredients together,using some water.

Mix chicken and the prepared paste in a big micro proof dih.Cover and microwave for 3 minutes.

Add rice along with the water.Add salt and haldi.Cover and microwave for 13 minutes.

Separate the grains with a fork.Serve after 5 minutes.

Veg Pulao --- Microwave

Last month i was very busy with the kids exams and other things,didn't find time to write her.Was writing in my other blog but didn't right here.It is not that i neglected or i lost interest but i felt i should take a break.Now back from my break in this new year.The recipe i am writing today is from Nita Metha's Microwave cooking.I have posted Veg pulao recipe here and here before but this is different compared to both because of the different ingredients i used.As such the previous both are also different.Here goes the recipe of Nita Mehta...

Ingredients:-

Basmati rice 1 cup

Ginger garlic paste 1 1/2 tsp

Cauliflower florets 1/2 cup

Potato 2 cut into 1/2" pieces

Carrots 2 cut into pieces

Green peas 1 cup

Panner cubes 10

Turmeric powder 1/4tsp

Red chilly powder 1/2tsp

Salt to taste

Mint leaves few

Lemon juice 1 tsp

Oil 2tbsp

SPICE BAG (crush the spices lightly)

Pepper 10

Fennel seeds 2 tsp

Green cardamoms 3-4

Black cardamoms 3-4

Cloves 2

Cinnamon 2 sticks

Method:-

Soak rice in 2 cups of water for 30 minutes. Tie the ingredients of the spice bag in a piece of muslin cloth.

In a broad micro proof dish, put oil, ginger and garlic paste, cauliflower, panner, potato, carrots and peas. Microwave for 3 minutes.

Add the soaked rice. Add haldi, red chilly powder and salt. Add the spice bag. Microwave covered for 6 minutes.

Add mint leaves and lemon juice. Stir gently with a fork. Cover and microwave for 7 minutes. Wait for 5 minutes. Fluff with a fork. Remove spice bad. Serve hot.

Sprouty Peanut tomato Rice -- In microwave

Ingredients:-

Rice 1 cup (soaked for 1/2 hr)
Moong sprouts 1/2 cup
Carrot finely chopped 1/2 cup
French beans chopped 1/2 cup
Peanuts 3 tbsp 
Cumin seeds 1/2 tsp
Onion sliced 1
Tomota paste of 1 tomato
A pinch of turmeric
Garam masala 1/2tsp
Garlic paste 1/2 tsp

Method:-

Wash rice and soak it in 2 cups of water for 1/2hr
In a microwave safe dish add oil,peanuts,cumin and chopped onions..Microwave for 5 mintues on high (100% power)
Add haldi,salt and garam masala.Mix well.Add sprouts,carrot,beans and tomato paste.Microwave for 3 minutes.
Add rice alone with the water to the tomato masala.Mix well .Microwave covered for 12 minutes.Allow to stand for 3 minutes.
Fluff with a fork.Serve hot.

Carrot Halwa --- Microwave

Ingredients:-

Carrot 2 cups (grated)

Milk 1 1/2 cup

Sugar 1 cup (can be adjusted according to the taste)

Ghee 3 tbsp

Cardamom 1

Cashew and Raisins few

Almonds (soaked,peeled and shredded)

Method:-

Take ghee and carrot in a microwave safe bowl and microwave high for 2-3 minutes until the carrot is fried.

Take milk in another microwave safe bowl and microwave high for 10 minutes,now milk has reduced to half

Add fried carrot,sugar and cardamom to the milk and mix thoroughly and microwave high for 10 minutes but remember to check in between whether milk is sufficient or not.Can add milk if you feel halwa is dry.

Then add fried cashew and raisins and sprinkle almonds on top and serve.

These halwa is going to the pot luck party -- Microwave easy cooking event by srivalli of cooking 4 all seasons. and to the FIL-Milk hosted by Sanghi of Sanghi's food delights

Egg Fried Rice

Ingredients:-

Basmati rice 500gms

Eggs 3

Onions 1

Green chillies 2

Ginger 1"piece

Cinnamon 1

Clove 2

Bay leaf 1

Pepper powder 1 tbsp

Salt as per taste

Oil 4 tbsp

Preparation:-

1. Beat egg and add pepper.Make a big omelet and cut it into small pieces.
2. Heat oil,add all the masala.Saute till they are fried.
3. Add onions,ginger and green chillies.Saute till they are pink in colour.
4. Now add rice to the above mixture and mix thoroughly.
5. Microwave high for 15-17 minutes.The cooking time depends on the microwave watts.

Pesarapappu pappu/Moong dal

Ingredients:-

Yellow moong dal 1 cup

Onions 2

Garlic 4pods

Turmeric powder 1/4 tbsp

Green chillies 2

For seasoning:-

Oil 1tbsp

Rai 1/4 tsp

Udat dal 1/2tsp

Zeera 1/2tsp
Red chillies 3

Curry leaves few

Hing pinch

Preparation:-

1. Soak moong dal for 1-2 hrs.
2. Microwave high for 10-12 min along with chopped onions,green chillies,chopped garlic and turmeric.Cooking time depends upon the microwave.
3. Add salt and mix well.
4. Season the dal with red chillies,curry leaves,rai,udat dal,hing and zeera.

This is my mom's recipe and her fav dal.My mom cooks this dal with 2cups of water on a slow flame,until cooked.This goes well with hot rice and avakaya(mango pickle) and can be eaten with hot rotis.You can replace red chillies with red chilli powder.I want the dal in yellow colour so i didnt use red chilli powder.

Panner Kabab

Ingredients:-

Panner cubes 15-20

Capsicum 3

Tomatoes 3

Onions 4

Curd 1 cup (hung)

Lemon 2 tbsp

Ginger garlic paste 1 tbsp

Tandori masala 2 tbsp

Red chilli powder 1 tsp

Chat Masala 2 tbsp

Salt as per taste

Olive oil 3 tbsp

Few wooden skewer

Orange food colour 3-4 drops

Marinated panner and kabab

Preparation:-

Soak the skewer in water for few minutes until soft.

Cut onions,tomatoes and 2 capsicums into big pieces and keep aside.

Mix all the ingredients and food colour except chat masala powder.

Marinate vegetables and panner in the above mixture.

Skewer the vegetables and paneer pieces and refrigerate for 2-3 hours.

After 2-3 hours grill them for 15minutes in the microwave,turning them around in the middle of the cooking to ensure they dont burn and cook them till they are soft and little golden colour.The grill time depends on the microwave,pls check your microwave instruction booklet before making panner kababs.

Once done sprinkle chat masala and serve it with tomota chilli sauce or pudina chutney.

This is a tested recipe,i have done this many times.It is best done in a barbecue.You can make changes in the masala according to your taste.

This Kabab is going to WYF-side dishes by EC of simple indian food.

Enjoy Panner Kabab with veggies..........

Purnes Almond Cake

This Cake is from 101 cakes & bakes.I got this book few days back,today begin my hubby's bday i thought of baking a cake for him.I took exact measurement mentioned in the book and only thing i altered are the purnes,i replaced fresh cherries with purnes.

Ingredients:-

Almonds 1/2 cup (whole blanched)

All Purpose Flour 1 cup

Canola oil 1/2 cup

Castor sugar 3/4 cup

Baking powder 1 tbsp

Egg 1

Milk 1/2 cup

Almond essence 2-3 drops

Purnes few

Preparations:-

1. Preheat oven 230degrees for 10minutes.
2. Grease the cake tin and keep aside.
3. Put the blanched almonds in a pan and heat gently ,turning occasionally,until golden brown.Cool and grounded it finely.
4. Mix flour with baking powder,grounded almonds and purnes.
5. Mix oil,sugar,egg,milk and almond essence.Mix thoroughly.
6. Pour the egg mixture into the flour.Mix until combined,but don't over mix.
7. Bake it for 40minutes or until done.

Baking time depends on the oved used.I used microwave oven and my cake was ready by 40 mins.Let it cool in the cake tin for 5 minutes and loosen the sides and take it on a wire rack.Cool it and cut into desired shapes.

Enjoy purnes and almonds cake...........

Carrot Coconut Pulao

Ingredients:-

Basmati rice 1 cup
Grated carrots 1/2 cup
Cloves 2
Cinnamon 1
Coconut fresh (grated) 5tbsp
Mustard seeds few

Onion 1
Green chillies 2

Bay leaves few
Canola oil 3 tbsp

Preparation:-

1. Heat oil,add rai,clove,cinnamon and bay leaf, saute for few mins.
2. Add onions and green chillies saute till onions are brown in colour.
3. Then added grated coconut and fry till the coconut is brown in colour.
4. Add grated carrot and mix throughly.

5. Take rice in a bowl add the above mixure and salt.Mix well and add water.For 1 cup rice add 1 1/2 cup water.(amount of water depends on the rice variety.Microwave high for 15mins or until done.

My kid1 likes carrot a lot.She is very fussy eater so i always try to include carrot in her diet.I made carrot rice before but the addition of coconut is new.Coconut gave the rice the nutty flavour.It is a instant hit,both my kids loved it.They both don't like the routine rice and dal,they prefer something like this.I served carrot coconut rice with carrot raita.Carrot rice is very simple to make.Just mix gratted carrot,curd,salt and chat masala.

Enjoy lunch with us.........................

Zebra Cake

Few days back i saw this cake in farida's blog,from that day i wanted to try the cake.But was not sure how it will come.Some how today i gave it a try and lol it came out very well.First when i saw this cake i thought it is very difficult to make but farida has explained it so well that i didnt commit any mistake.She has given very good photo tutorial and her explanation is very simple to understand.Thanks farida for the lovely cake.I took the same ingredients mentioned by her but i have reduced the egg to two.

Ingredients:-

All Purpose flour 2 cups

Eggs 2

Sugar 1 cup

Canola oil 1 cup

Milk 1 cup

Baking powder 1tsp

Vanilla essence 1/2 tsp

Dark Cocoa powder 2 tbsp ( Cadbury's Cocoa powder)

Method:-

1. Mix flour, baking powder and sugar.


2. Beat egg with a beater until fluffy. Add vanilla essence. Beat for 2 min.


3. Add milk, oil and beat for another 1 min.


4. Now add the batter to the flour and mix thoroughly with a wooden spatula.


5. The batter should be of dropping consistency.



6. Divide the dough into two equal parts.Mix cocoa powder in one part thoroughly.


7. Grease the tin with oil and dust it with flour.


8. Take a ladle full of plain dough and pour it in the center and then pour ladle full cocoa batter on top of the plain flour.Don't wait till the batter spreads,keep on pouring the batter alternatively.


9. Bake at 220 degree for 70 minutes.Check with a toothpick when inserted comes out clean then the cake is done.


10. Cool it on a rack.

Please check farida's blog for this cake she has explained it very well.My daughters loved it so much.My younger child who is 22months old says ze ze cake for zebra cake.

Chepa Vepudu (Fish Fry)

I love to make fish fry in microwave grill,but hubby dear likes only pan fried with lots of oil.Since long i have been trying to convert him to grill atlast i succeeded in doing that yesterday.I made both pan fry and grill.Pan fry kids ate and we both had grilled.

Now coming to the pan fry following are the ingredients:-

Fish 3pcs

Red chilly powder 1 tbsp

Ginger garlic paste 1 tbsp

Vinegar 1 tbsp

Turmeric powder 1/4 tbsp

Salt

Oil 5-6 tbsp

Method:-

1. Marinate fish with ginger and garlic paste,vinegar,turmeric,red chilly powder and salt for 1-2 hours


2. Heat oil in a kadai and add fish


3. Fry until golden brown and take it on a tissue to absorbs the oil.

And the second one is the grilled fish

Ingredients:-

Pompret 1
Ginger garlic paste 1 1/2tbsp
Turmeric powder 1/4 tbsp
Red chilly powder 1 tbsp
Fish masala (priya) 1 tbsp
Vinegar 1 tbsp
Salt as per taste
Oil 1 tbsp

Method:-

1. Make slits on the fish.
2. Make a paste of ginger garlic paste,red chilly powder,fish masala powder,vinegar,salt and oil.
3. Marinate it for 2 hours
4. Grill on microwave for 10 minutes and turn it and again grill for another 10minutes.

We just love this fish as it doesn't have much thorns and the flesh is very soft and cooks very fast.Grill time depends on the microwave and keep checking so that fish doesn't get over grilled.

Eggless Date cake with wheat flour

I got inspiration to make this cake from the post of eggless walnut cake of rekha's kitchen.I took the original recipe from aayi's kitchen eggless cake.I twisted the recipe and used wheat flour.

Ingredients:-

Wheat Flour 1 cup

Dates(khajoor) 18 dates

Milk 3/4 cup

Sugar 3/4 cup

Oil 1/2 cup

Baking soda 1/4tsp

Method:-

1. Soak dates in warm milk for 2-3hours ( i used fresh dates)


2. Grind it to fine paste with sugar.Add oil and milk,mix thoroughly.


3. Mix all the dry ingredients and slowly add the above mixture and mix thoroughly.


4. Sprinkle walnuts on the top.


5. Preheat oven to 230 c and bake for 45 minutes and check with a tooth pick and if it comes out clean then the cake is done.


6. Cool it on a wire rack.

Hyderabadi Bagara Rice

Ingredients:-

Basmati rice 250gms
Cinnamon 2 small
Cloves 3
Bay leaves 2
Shahi jeera 1 tbsp
Onion 1 big
Green chillies 2Curry leaves few
Pudina leaves few
Oil 3 tbsp
Salt as per taste

Method:-

1. Soak rice for 30 min.


2. Heat oil,add all the whole masala and curry leaves.
3. Saute for a minute and add onions and green chillies
4. Add mint and ginger garlic paste and saute till the ginger garlic leaves its raw smell.
5. Take rice in a bowl add the above mixure and salt.Mix well and add water.For 1 cup rice add 1 1/2 cup water
   
6. Microwave high for 15mins.

It is mild flavoured rice and goes with any curry.This is my mom's recipe and i twisted it and did it in the microwave.Add served it with chicken curry.

Egg Biryani

Ingredients:-

Basmati rice 2 cups

Water 3 1/2 cups

Eggs (boiled) 4

Onion 1

Green chillies 5

Cinnamon (small) 2

Cloves 3

Ginger garlic paste 2 tsp

Turmeric 1/4 tsp

Pudina few

Coriander leaves few

Oil 6-8 tsp

Salt as per the taste

Method:-
1.Heat oil in a pan add cloves,cinnamon,ginger garlic paste.Saute for 2sec.

2.Add onions,green chillies and salt.Saute for 2 mins, then add pudina leaves and cook for 1 min.

3.Cut boiled eggs into half (8 pieces).Add eggs and carefully saute so that eggs doesn't break.

4.Add the above mixture to the rice and add water.

5.Microwave high for 10-12 minutes.Serve hot.

This Biryani goes to the Egg event hosted at Here I cook