Spanish Omelette with Indian Spices & Flavor

I heard a lot about Spanish omelettes from friends, and wanted to give a try. I tweaked the recipe with Indian spices to bring the aroma and flavors of Indian cooking. Its fairly simple but heavy. Need to be prepared with at-least 4 eggs, would do for 2 servings. This can be consumed any time during the day and served hot or cold. If you have left over just cover and refrigerate, to eat later. Remember we need to prepare in a pan medium sized or large. If you are making it for 3 people, simply break 6 eggs.

Ingredients: (For 2 servings)

Frying Potatoes & Onions

1. Eggs - 4
2. Medium size potato (sliced)- 1
3. Large Onion (sliced)- 1
4. Tomato (chopped)- 1
5. Olive Oil - 2 Tbl Spn
6. Green Chili (finely chopped) - 1 or 2
7. Capsicum (chopped few)(optional)
8. Crushed pepper corn (1/4 tbl.spn)
9. Crushed Fennel seeds (1/4 tbl spn) (optional)
10. Curry leaves 10 - 15 (finely chopped)
11. Coriander leaves few (finely chopped)
12. Salt to taste

Preparation Step by Step:

1. Slice onions and potatoes (refer to the picture) and fry them in oil.
2. Heat the fry pan and pour oil enough to cover the onions & potatoes approx 2 tbl spn.
3. Once the oil is hot add the sliced onion and potato, reduce the heat to the lowest immediately and cook it. Turn over as needed, cook until they turn slightly brown and potatoes are fully cooked. Use a fork to poke the potatoes to check if they are completely cooked.
4. Remove from pan, and switch off the flame.
5. In a large bowl break the eggs and beat them well.
6. Add the fried vegetables, tomato, salt, capsicum mix lightly, do not beat fast again as it tend to break the potato slices
7. Heat the pan again, add the rest of the oil. once the oil is hot enough pour the egg mixture and reduce the heat to lowest.
8. Sprinkle pepper, fennel, chopped green leaves and cover the pan.
9. Let it cook in low flame for 15 - 20 minutes. When you notice absolutely no liquid on top, we need to flip it over.
10. To do this, cover the pan with a steel/ceramic/good melamine plate - place one hand over the plate and other on the handle turn the pan over so that the egg can fall on the plate.
11. Put the pan back and wipe if you notice lot of brown oil with a tissue, and slide the plate slightly and put the egg back in. 
12. Cook for another 5 minutes in low flame, and transfer to serving plate.

You can use tomato ketchup if you like.

Long yard Bean (Payaru) in Garlic Red Chili Sauce

Long yard bean called as payaru in Southern part of India, and quiet popular down south, where people do not miss including it in regular meals as side dish. This long green vegetable is nutritious and cooked in a variety of methods. I tried to do this Chinese way, like they do the regular french bean. It came out very well.

We do not need many ingredients, and its simple and easy to cook. People who like spicy food would definitely love this. 

We are making it with Garlic & Red Chili sauce. Let's see what we need.

Ingredients:

1. Long yard bean (payaru) - 250 Gm
2. Garlic 10 - 15 pods (finely chopped)
3. Chili Flakes or Dried Red chilies (5 - 10) [As Needed]
4. Crushed fennel seed (perum jeeragam) - 1 tbl spn
5. Salt as per taste
6. Oil for frying (Olive/Sesame/Vegetable oil) - 2 tbl spn
7. A large bowl of Ice water

Preparation in steps:

Use olive or sesame oil to get the authentic flavor, cut the bean to the size of the point finger (2 - 3 inch long). Prepare and keep the ice water ready when your beans is been put in boiling water.

1. Cut the beans in approx 3 inch long
2. Boil water in a vessel, and add the cut beans to it, let it cook for approx - 5 -6 min, till its 3/4 th done. give a stir occasionally. Do not over cook the bean, else it will get soggy.
3. Remove from hot water with the help of strainer, and transfer to the prepared ice water immediately. This helps the cooking process, and keeps the beans crunchy yet soft.
4. Remove from cold water in 30 secs, and keep aside.
5. Prepare the sauce. Heat a large pan or wok, add oil.
6. Once the oil is hot, add the garlic, red chili and fennel, let the flame be in medium low else the spices will burn
7. Give a nice toss, increase the flame and add the beans. sprinkle salt and keep tossing & saute as needed.
8. Sprinkle little water if you feel its getting burnt, but if you are an expert you know how to get this cooked without burning.
9. Taste the seasoning, adjust if needed. Need to stir fry for about 5 minutes, till the bean is fully cooked yet crunchy.
10. Serve hot with steamed rice.

Note:

• If the fry pan or wok is small, you can fry the beans in small batches, else you might not be able to cook.
• Prefer to use wok or pan, than kadai as tossing will be easier.

Do share your experience in preparing this dish, happy cooking!

Mint flavored Fried Rice from leftover

Left over is common and a well known phenomenon in most of the families. Needless to explain left over rice serves plenty of purpose not only for making fried rice. Will post separate recipes for each and helpful tips on usage of left over rice.

In this post I have prepared a dish with Rice, and some vegetables to go along (excluding tomato, onion, lime), egg and some fresh mint leaves to give that extra flavor. Absolutely no spices in this recipe.

Ingredients:

1. Rice as needed based on serving
2. Vegetables Chopped (Bean/Carrot/Cabbage/Capsicum)
3. Eggs 1, for 1 - 2 serving, else add as needed (Optional)
4. Green Chili as needed (finally chopped)
5. Salt as per taste
6. Little oil for frying (any oil) do not use too much.
7. Bunch of fresh Mint leaves chopped roughly

Preparation:

1. Heat oil in a non-stick pan or kadai
2. Stir fry all the vegetables & chili until soft, sprinkle very little water if needed to prevent from burning.
3. Add Salt, at this point if you are pan is large enough scramble the beaten eggs on a side and mix with vegetables once done. Else scramble the eggs, just eggs separately and add to the vegetables.
4. Once Vegetables are soft and cooked, add in the rice and mix well.
5. If the rice is taken from refrigerator cook in low flame until the rice gets heated and mixed with vegetables.
6. Check for seasoning, salt or spice and add if needed
7. Garnish with chopped mint leaves and serve hot.

This dish will be dry, you can use sauce or curd or raita if needed.

Note:

• Use Vegetables that cooks fast yet not mushy, unlike tomato, cucumber or any other underground stem.
• If you prefer to steam your rice out of refrigerator, before frying that's completely alright. Instead you can directly fry it will become soft too.
• If you like you can add Jeera and whole spices and fry before adding vegetables.
• Flavor varies based on vegetables and the extra spices used.

Try out and do post your comments. Happy Cooking.

Potato Threads with greens - Chinese Cuisine

This is an easy and quick recipe, with the ingredients from our kitchen. No need to buy and stock stuff to do this. Just need some patience as the beauty lies in slicing potatoes into thin strips. The large the potatoes are the threads would be nice. 1 Large potato serves 2.  Use a large kitchen knife as shown in the picture below which makes your task easier. Also refer to the picture how potato is been sliced. Remember to use a non-stick pan to fry these potatoes.

You can use any combination of greens with this to add colour, and it’s healthy too. Do not mix a lot of vegetables it spoils the taste. Remember we need to retain the color of potatoes as well as the other vegetable which do not lose its own colour and cooks faster. You can try the combination of potatoes with any of the following vegetables:

Capsicum, Yellow or Red Bell Pepper, Carrot julienne, Spinach, Mung bean sprout (popular in china and other south East Asian countries) etc.

Ingredients:
1. Medium sized potatoes - 2 (Serves 3-4 person)
2. Boiled peas - 1 handful
3. Green Chile - as needed (chop finely)
4. Garlic 4 - 5 pods, Finely Sliced not chopped.
5. Salt as per taste
6. Vinegar 1/2 tbl spoon (optional)
7. Olive / Sesame Oil for frying - 2 Tbl Spoon  OR  Regular cooking  oil if you do not prefer other oil


Steps to Cook:

Slice the potatoes as shown in the above picture, soak in water for about 20 - 30 minutes. After that wash twice in fresh water and take potatoes off of water and keep aside

Heat oil in a large non stick pan (pan or wok suits well to fry). [Whole recipe is done in medium flame]

Add the garlic and chili saute for few seconds immediately add in the potato threads, peas and salt. Give quick toss.

Add little vinegar if you like, to add up the taste and retain the color.

Toss and fry for 5 - 6 minutes. You can notice the potatoes loose it hardness and becomes soft, at this point taste for seasoning and add if extra salt is needed.

Serve hot, it can be eaten as salad or starter before meal, or with plain rice or just that. It can be eaten for breakfast or lunch or dinner.

Try this and do surprise your loved ones. Keep cooking and share your reviews.

Vermicelli Easy recipe

This one can be prepared quickly and would serve as light lunch, breakfast or dinner. Can have anytime. Kids would love this. Especially when you add the green vegetables in it, kids would have along with it. Alternatively you can take finely chop all the vegetables if you have time.

You can use vegetables such as Beans, Carrot, Potato, Capsicum, Cauliflower florets etc. Do not use tomato it would add lot of moisture. This is prepared exactly like upma. I have simply used the vegetables I had.

You can use roasted vermicelli or can dry roast the vermicelli with little ghee or oil, in low flame till light golden brown.

I have taken the vegetables and vermicelli for single serving.

Heat oil/ghee in a kadai/pan and add mustard seeds. Once they finish crackling add ginger, onion, green chilli and curry leaves.

Add other vegetables and salt saute for a minute

Add peanuts dry fruits at this stage, and turmeric.

Mix well and add water.

Bring it to a boil, ensure the vegetables are cooked

Simmer the flame and add the vermicelli slowly and stir continuously. 

vermicelli will absorb all the water, sprinkle lime juice if you have.

Mix well, and check the seasoning for salt, add if needed.

Sprinkle chopped coriander leaves, cover and rest it for 5 - 10 minutes.

The vermicelli would be loose enough if stirred like pulao rice.

Pan Fried Chicken

Chicken is been all time favorite for many. Indian fried chicken comes with the flavors of Indian spices. I experimented this with my own ingredients and turned out well. Can just have as started during meals or just that. I used olive oil and crushed masala. You can alter as try as you wish. I wanted a little extra hot and spicy chicken to go with rice, so I added chili powder.

Use thin slices of chicken pieces preferably breast or thigh part and boneless.

1. Rub salt, ginger garlic paste on all chicken pieces. leave aside for 10 minutes.
2. Prepare paste with olive oil and the spice powder, spread it on all sides evenly.
3. Sprinkle red chili powder if needed.
4. Pan fry them after 30 minutes. Change sides to ensure you do not burn them.
5. use a fork to see if the chicken is cooked.

I used ground green chilli with ginger garlic for a different taste.

Sambar made easy

Sambar is a renowned cuisine all over India especially down south. Its a stew made of vegetables and Indian masala, with lentils(pulses).  There are different types of sambar prepared just with Shallots or Lady finger (okra), drum stick or mixed vegetables.

I have posted one with easy steps. You need not have anything specific or mandatory in terms of vegetables. Below are a range of vegetables you can pick what ever you want to add to your sambar. Other than the main ingredient.

Preparation Steps:

1. Wash dal, and the cut vegetables except bhindi transfer to a pressure cooker.
2. Add water to cover the dal and vegetables.
3. Add garlic, salt, asafoetida 
4. Cook in a low flame for 10 minutes - 12 minutes based on the dal. moong dal gets cooked soon.
5. Open the cooker lid after the wait time. ensure the vegetables and dal are cooked well.
6. Now add tamarind juice/water, sambar powder as per taste and lady finger bring to a boil.
7. Check salt and other seasoning. At this point you can adjust it.
8. We dont want the sambar too watery or thick, but at the right consistency.
9. Add coriander leaves, and the tempering. 
10. In a separate small kadai or tadka pan, heat oil, add mustard seed and all other ingredients of tempering.
11. Add this to the boiling sambar. Remove from stove.
12. Cover and serve after some time.

Note:

• Sambar taste varies based on the brand of sambar powder and the dal.
• If Sambar taste is sour, adjust with water
• Sambar taste good the next day
• If the refrigerated sambar is thick, pour some warm water and bring to a boil before serving.
• Coriander leaves add extra flavor to sambar, its optional though. learnt from my mother.

Stuffed Bhindi - Okra with Indian spices

Lady's finger is a popular vegetable in India, and many just love the cuisine. A variety of dishes are been prepared out of it in many forms ranging from dry side dish, semi-gravy to curries. Its cooked with different ingredients in different part of the country.

This is a simple recipe, and easy to cook but take 30 minutes to cook, as the whole cooking is done in slow flame. This goes along with rice or roti or chapati.

Ingredients:

1. Bhindi (Okra) washed and slit length-wise to stuff masala - 200 gms
2. Shallots 10 - 15, diced
3. Masala 1 or 2 tbl spoon each (red chilli, cumin,coriander, fennel (sombu/ saunf/perum jeeragam))
4. Masala - Half tbl spoon (turmeric, garam masala, amchur/dry mango powder)
5. Besan 2 table spoon (optional)
6. Cooking oil as needed
7. Cumin seeds/Jeera for tempering
8. Salt as per taste

Preparation:

1. Wash whole bhindi in water, and wipe with a cloth or paper towel before removing the edges and slit them.
2. Mix the masala (item 3 & 4) in a bowl along with salt. If you do not have dry mango powder, substitute with little tamarind juice, else you can simply omit it.
3. Stuff the masala in the slit bhindi and just sprinkle the left over masala over it.
4. Add oil on top the stuffed bhindi, be generous it consumes lot of oil, and its cooked without water. Mix the bhindi with a spatula so all of them get coated nicely with oil.
5. In a non-stick pan or kadai, heat little oil and add the cumin seeds
6. Add diced shallots, saute for a min
7. Add in the besan and saute for another minute
8. Transfer the oil coated stuffed bhindi to the pan, give a quick toss. cover and let it cook in low flame.
9. Open and toss in between, it would take 15 - 20 minutes to cook well
10. Small onions and besan would turn brown and would be coated on bhindi.
11. Sprinkle water only if needed,
12. Taste for seasoning and salt, add if anything is necessary.
13. Serve hot with rice or roti.

Homemade Ginger Garlic Paste

I use to buy the ready-made pack from shop, but realized it lacks the fresh flavor. My mother use to peel and store garlic separately to be used as on needed basis. You can dice them or crush as required for the dishes. I unlike her lazy so make paste and store.

The first time I prepared the paste, it turned green on the top though it was refrigerated. I read some people still use it as its the chemical reaction and not to worry. Next time I added a little oil and vinegar while grinding the paste. Stored it in air tight container, in refrigerator. It would last for about 60 days i presume. No discoloration, just perfect for everyday use.

You can use the regular peeler to peel ginger skin. Wash before doing it, as it will be easier. If the ginger is covered by plenty of mud, soak in water for a while and then wash it. 

Slice them in small pieces, as it will be easier to blend and less time consuming.

Similarly peel and wash garlic. You can peel them while watching your favorite show, else it would seem like a tedious work. Peel and wash them. It can be refrigerated if you want to make the paste another day. Store in a container/bottle with lid.

You can make separate pastes, or together. Add garlic/ginger in the chutney jar or wet/dry grinding jar if you are using mixer. Blend for 5 - 10 seconds, add a very little, too very little for the contents to mix well while blending. Add few drops of cooking oil, and salt(optional) and blend, until the mixture is smooth. Finally add 1/2 teaspoon of vinegar and mix well, before transferring the paste to the container. Refrigerate immediately.

I haven't tried this though, having the air tight container outside in a dry cool place than refrigerating if vinegar is used. Ensure to close tightly after each use.

Cleaning Ceramic Sink & Bathroom Tiles

We use these sinks many a times, daily. Most of us do not pay much attention to how they are being cleaned if servants does it. You can spend some time on a weekend, the whole process takes 15 - 30 minutes to clean 2 sink and one bath room. You do not need anything special but the readily available stuffs at home to clean.

Here are the tips and procedure.

Brush/Scrubber
Lime juice / Lemon peel
Disinfectant solution such as Lizol
Vinegar (to clean strong stains)
Bleaching powder (If you do not have vinegar)

Cleaning Sink:

1. Dilute Lizol with water in a mug, add little lime juice of you have, pour over the sink, tab and around.
2. Rub the lemon peel on the tap, if there is stain.
3. Use brush to scrub after 10 minutes, and wash it way cold water.
4. If there are still stain marks, dab a cloth with vinegar and rub on the areas where there are stains be it sink or steel tap. (Ensure your hand or finger does not touch Vinegar it would make you feel itchy. Do wear glows)

Cleaning Bathroom Tiles:

Its usually the same process as above.

1. In a bucket take around 2-3 Ltrs of water, mix 2 caps of Lizol and little lemon juice if you have.
2. Just pour this mixture on the walls unto your neck level if possible using a mug, and on the taps
3. Sprinkle bleaching powder on the floor, if its slippery.
4. Rest it for 15 - 20 minutes.
5. Scrub using a brush with long handle.
6. Do the flooring first, then walls and taps. Finally wash with cold water.
7. For thick/strong stains repeat the cleaning method using Vinegar as mentioned in cleaning sink (Step 4)

It would take good 15 minutes to clean a bathroom if its very dirty. I use a small stool to sit while cleaning the lower part, and the floor.

Spicy Chicken Curry with Coconut Milk

We are used to having chicken curry usually red in color. I wanted to try something different today yet yummy so went with it. I usually prepare fish curry with coconut milk powder, followed the same here. I rarely use fresh coconut and hence  the quick method :)

Lets see what it took to get the curry prepared.

Tempering:
Cooking Oil, Mustard seeds, Cumin seeds, Fresh curry leaves.

Boneless chicken 500 gm (curry cut). (No need to marinate)
Coconut milk powder ( I used Maggie's small packet) - 3
Empty the content of pack in a large bowl, pour warm water. Make about 400 ml of milk.

Finely chopped large onion -1
Finely chopped small tomato - 1
Paste - Ginger + garlic + Green Chilies (I used 5 long chilies)
Coriander & Cumin Powder - 1 tbl spoon each
Turmeric Powder - 1/4 Tbl spoon
Salt as per taste
Coriander leaves for seasoning
Masala powder (Optional)
[2 elachi, 1 aniseed, 2 cloves, 1 cinnamon stick, fennel seeds, pepper. Crush in blender or powder them. Not fine powder though]

Preparation

Heat oil in a non-stick kadai/pan. Add all tempering ingredients.
Add Onion and saute till brown, then add tomato repeat the same. These veggies would get melted in the gravy

Then add the prepared coconut milk, give a nice stir. Let the flame be medium.
Mix in all the powders (coriander, cumin, turmeric)
Add the paste of ginger, garlic and chili
Add salt, stir again. Check the taste now, add more chilli paste if needed.
Let the sauce cook for about 10 minutes. If its a large pan, cover and cook else leave it open.

Once done, add the chicken and cook for about 20 - 30 minutes in low/medium heat. No need to add water until unless its necessary.
Stir occasionally, and check the seasoning taste again.
You can add salt/chilli if needed again.

Chicken would take approx 30  min to get cooked, and it would be real soft.

Finally add the coriander leaves, and the crushed masala powder. That finishes the gravy.

Note: Whole dish preparation and cooking would take 1 hour :(

Hygienic Kitchen & Tips

Cleaning Kitchen Sink / Remove stains from Kitchen Sink

You can follow the below easy steps to clean your kitchen sink. It not only clear the odor but also removes the hard water stains and gives a fresh & shiny look. I clean them once in a week to keep insects, bad odor aside.

1. A Scrubber/Brush - can be a brush with handle, if you use glows can use a small scrubber 
2. Lemon juice or Lemon Peel (Optional) 
3. Vim Liquid - couple of drops (if you do not have lemon)
4. Disinfectant Agent - Lizol (1 Cap)

Dilute Vim liquid/lemon juice with water and sprinkle all over the sink and the tap followed by Lizol.
After 15 minutes, wet the scrub/brush
Rub the Lemon peel on tap to remove the marks if you have, Lime is a natural bleach and cleans up real nice.
Run cold/normal water all over the sink, do a final wash. 
Leave it to dry before use.

The same can be followed for tiled sink. 

Fish in Oregano & Pepper - Pan Fry

This is a continental cuisine which very well can be served as starter with any meals or as main course. Its healthy and delicious, as it consists of less calories.

Ingredients

1. Fish pieces, preferably sea fish, with or without bone. (I have used seer fish known as Ney Meen)
2. Olive Oil (as needed based on the fish slices)
3. Crushed black pepper - 1 Tbl Spoon (Add more if you prefer more spicy)
4. Oregano - 1 Tble Spoon
5. Salt as per taste

Preparation

1. In a large bowl place the fish pieces, mix in all ingredients and rest it for 15 minutes.
2. Heat a non stick pan or griddle, once its hot place the fish pieces on it and cook in low flame.
3. Turn the fish pieces every minute to prevent burning, as this dish does not require oil on pan.
4. Poke the slice with a fork to check if they are cooked.
5. Remove from pan, and garnish with greens. Serve hot.

Note:

1. Use extra virgin olive oil to bring the flavor, otherwise use refined oil.

2. Prefer thin fish slice, to get cooked evenly and quickly

3. Sprinkle chili flakes while serving if needed.

4. Suitable fishes - Seer (Ney Meen), Tuna (Choora), Barracuda (Seela), Bluefin (Parai)