2 - way masaledaar paneer/cottage cheese mixture!

I do believe in simple yet tasty food. This is one sandwich which would be different from the usual cheese and veggies sandwich which we often prepare. It has a lot of veggies so it is best for kids, if your kid is a fussy eater. I can gobble down these just roaming around in the house. This mixture could be eaten in sandwiches, with a roti making a kaathi roll and you'd be amazed at how well it goes with bitter gourd (karela in hindi) too. I peel some bitter gourd, shallow fry them and fill them with this masala and keep them on a medium flame, some oil, lid covered, to brown them slightly. Do give it a try.

What you need : 

(To make sandwich from 6 bread pieces)

Paneer/ cottage cheese, 150 gm, mashed with hands

Oil, 2-3 tbsp

1 carrot, chopped in small pieces NOT finely chopped

1 capsicum, chopped in small pieces

1 onion, chopped 

Peas, a big handful, boiled separately with some salt

1 big red tomato

1 inch ginger, pounded

Cumin/ jeera seeds, 1 tsp

1 tsp coriander powder

1 tsp garam masala 

salt to taste

1 tsp jeera powder

coriander leaves, chopped

1 tsp turmeric/haldi powder

1 tsp, kashmiri masala (optional)

1/2 tsp red chilli powder, according to your chilly preference

First boil some peas (i boil in the microwave with some water and salt in a microwave safe dish). While they are boiling start making your paneer spread. Heat some oil on a pan and add cumin seeds to it. Let them crackle. 

Add the ginger paste and onions, carrots and salt to the oil now. Saute till you feel the carrot is soft and onions slightly golden. Now add the turmeric powder. Saute for a while. Now add the tomatoes, and the coriander powder, kashmiri masala (optional) and chilli powder.

Once the masala starts leaving oil, add the boiled peas. It is now that you put Garam masala and jeera powder. If you add garam masala in the beginning the masala would lose its color and become a little dark. You don't want that, trust me. Always add garam masala in the end. 

Now add the crushed paneer to the masala and let the it coat the paneer nicely. At this point paneer might lose some water. Let the water evaporate a little. This hardly takes 2 minutes. Garnish with chopped coriander leaves. And we are done! 

To assemble the sandwich:

Some mayonnaise, ready made or home made, any would do

Some green chutney

Spread some mayo on one side of the bread and green chutney on another. Spread the paneer mixture in between and toast the SW on a hot pan with some oil until golden brown.  

You can even add some cheese if you wish. 

I have spilled some boiled american corn to make it look fancy since i am not so big on plating and "Beautifying food". You could do the same and if you wish add some to the Paneer mixture too. 

Bharwaan karele with the some achaari mixture (in the left one, the recipe not given here) and some paneer mixture (in the right one) with roti and raita (not in the picture).

Scrambled eggs with mushrooms and cold coffee!

We all usually wonder what to cook different for breakfast. So this is slightly different and yum. Do try it!

What you need :

Scrambled eggs-
2 eggs
1/4 cup milk
Freshly ground pepper, 1 tsp
Chilli flakes, 1 tsp
Olive oil or normal refined oil, 2 tbsp
1 onion, chopped
6-7 button mushrooms, cut into 4
salt to taste
Butter to spread on the toasted bread
2 slices of bread, toasted

Take a whisking bowl and crack your eggs, milk, salt, pepper and chilli flakes in it. Whisk the same nicely till it is nice and fluffy. Keep aside.

Heat some oil in a pan and put your chopped onions and mushrooms into it. Make them sweat (saute them) with some salt, remember you have put some in the whisked eggs too, so be careful. Add the whisked eggs once the onions are translucent and mushrooms have shrunk. Now add the eggs and start scrambling them very slowly. This will help maintain the fluffiness. Make sure you don't overcook. The eggs should still be moist and fluffy.

Serve with hot toasted bread and butter and cold coffee!

Cold coffee-
Milk, 300 ml
Sugar to taste (you can put powdered too)
Your preferred powdered coffee, 2 tsp or more if you like it stronger
Ice cubes and a mixer grinder
Some chocolate sauce

Pour some chocolate sauce into your empty coffee glass and spread it randomly around the exteriors of the glass. Yes it is that simple to give that fancy effect!

Put everything in a mixer-grinder and blitz to make a nice creamy cold coffee!

And we are done~

Jugaadu brownie a.k.a Sizzling brownie with vanilla ice cream, chocolate sauce and toasted cashew nuts !

This is an extended version of my chocolate brownie in one of the previous posts. Here is the link to the same-
 http://ginas-messy-kitchen.blogspot.in/2013/11/just-chocolate-brownies.html

So here is the thing i don't have a sizzling tray at home but i wanted to try out sizzling brownie. Now i do not have a sizzling tray but i sure do have my mother's iron tawa. So here is my version of sizzling brownie with an Indian jugaad (makeshift).

What else you need :

Toasted cashew nuts
Dark cooking chocolate 100 gm, cut into small pieces
Amul cream 150 ml
Brownies mentioned above
Sizzling tray or Iron tawa
Vanilla ice cream
milk, 3 tbsp

Heat the cream and milk on a heavy bottomed pan on less heat. Cream tends to split and chocolate tends to burn so make sure the heat is very less. Turn off the heat once the cream comes to a small boil. Add the chocolate to it and let both of them make a silky smooth mixture. The chocolate should melt with the creams heat in case it does not heat the cream a little bit more.

Toast some cashews in a hot pan and let them cool down.

Put the iron tawa on the gas and let it get hot. Now comes the part when everything should be done in a jiffy. Including taking a picture of the same.

Put the brownie on the tawa, a scoop of vanilla ice cream on top and pour the hot chocolate sauce and finish with some toasted cashew nuts, broken down into small pieces WHILE the tawa/sizzling tray is still hot.

And we are done!

My father enjoying the brownie!

Strawberries and cream a.k.a heaven!

Okay people! Strawberries are here. You can make this fancy, 5-star-restaurant, complicated- tongue- twisting- name -on -the- menu looking dessert. Only it's not even close to complicated.

What you need :
Strawberries, cut into small pieces 250 g
Powdered sugar, 1/2 cup
Strawberry syrup
Strawberry ice cream
Powdered Marie biscuits
Whipping cream/double cream, 250 g
Icing sugar to taste
Vanilla essence , 1/2 tsp
Brandy glasses, optional

To make the strawberry syrup or compote you need to put some chopped strawberries (180 g) in a hot deep-cooking thick bottom pot (deep kadhai). Immediately add powdered sugar to this and let it simmer on slow flame. Switch it off when the mixture looks blood red in color and is reduced. You can store this in the freezer and use it as jam or on a cake as icing or with muffins or eat just like that to satisfy your sugar craving.

Take some whipping cream or double cream and beat it with icing sugar and vanilla essence. You have to keep one thing in mind while making this dessert, it should not be over sweet. So i would suggest to keep the whipped cream medium sweet. Let it chill in the fridge for some time.

Now take your brandy glass and start layering
Layer 1
Chopped strawberries and the home made strawberry syrup and powdered biscuits

Layer 2
Whipped cream

Layer 3
Strawberry ice cream

Layer 4
Chopped strawberries and the home made strawberry syrup and powdered biscuits

Layer 5
whipped cream and ice cream

Garnish with some strawberries and we are done!

Honey Crispy chilli potatoes/chicken/paneer with sesame seeds

What you need :

For the sauce:
12 cloves of garlic
2 tsp soya sauce
1 onion cut into squares
1 capsicum cut into squares
200 gm button mushrooms cut into halves
2 tbsp sesame seeds
2 tbsp oil
2 cups tomato puree
2 tbsp honey
1and a 1/2 tsp black pepper
3-4 tsp chilli flakes
1 tbsp tomato ketchup
2 tsp vinegar
salt to taste

Toast sesame seeds on a hot pan without any oil. Add some oil to the pan, preferably non-stick pan then saute the garlic. Once the garlic browns add tomato puree, ketchup, honey, salt, soya sauce, chilli flakes and black pepper. Let it simmer for a while. Finish it with vinegar. Switch off the gas once the sauce thickens. Saute the veggies on another pan and mix them with the sauce.

For the crispy potatoes:
3-4 potatoes, Cut like finger chips
3 tbsp flour
3 tbsp cornflour
1 tsp fresh black pepper
salt to taste

Mix flour, cornflour, salt and pepper with some water in a bowl and make a spoon coating consistency mixture. Dip the potatoes in this mixture and deep fry them one by one. Take them out on a paper napkin and add them to our tangy sauce mentioned above.

And we are done!

You can use the same with chicken (boneless)/paneer too. I have posted a picture of the chicken version. I haven't mixed chicken and sauce. The sauce could be treated like a dip sauce too. It all depends on you. Enjoy the recipe!

Just chocolate walnut brownies

 What you need : 

4 eggs
⅓ cup (35g) cocoa powder, sifted
1¼ cups (185g) plain (all-purpose) flour, sifted
½ teaspoon baking powder
200g dark chocolate, chopped
250g butter, chopped
1½ cups (265g) brown sugar
100g dark chocolate, chopped, extra
100g white chocolate, chopped
100g unsalted walnuts/pecans, chopped
vanilla ice-cream, to serve
hot chocolate sauce, optional 


Preheat oven to 160°C (320ºF). Place the chocolate and butter in a small saucepan over low heat and stir until melted and smooth. Place the sugar and eggs in a bowl and stir to combine. Add the chocolate mixture and stir to combine. Add the cocoa, flour and baking powder and stir to combine. Fold through the extra dark chocolate, white chocolate and nuts. Pour the mixture into a lightly greased 22cm-square cake tin lined with non-stick baking paper. Bake for 50 minutes or until cooked when tested with a skewer.* Cut into squares and serve with ice-cream. Serves 10.

Buttermilk chicken with sautéed veggies!

What you need :

250 gms boneless chicken
Buttermilk 1 large cup (creamy not runny)
Freshly ground pepper 1 tsp
Chilli flakes 1 and 1/2 tsp
Cumin powder 1/2 tsp
Honey 1 tbsp
Crushed garlic 5-6 cloves
Mixed herbs 1 tsp
Lime juice 1/2 a lime 
Some vegetable oil/ olive oil
Salt

Cream 2 tbsp. (to sauté veggies)

Marinade the chicken over night with buttermilk, pepper, chilli flakes, cumin powder, honey, crushed garlic,
mixed herbs, lime juice, some vegetable oil and salt. I would suggest tasting the marinade yourself to get a
good balance of flavors. 

Preheat the oven to 220 deg Celsius. Take the chicken pieces out of the bag shaking off the excess marinade,
and then arrange them in a roasting tin lined with foil.
Drizzle over the 2 remaining tablespoons of oil, and then roast in the oven for about 30 minutes, or until brown,
even scorched in parts, and juicily cooked through.

Sauté the veggies (i used boiled peas and mushrooms) in the left over marinade (reduce it on high flame) and a little cream or you can simply sauté in some Pepper, salt. And we are done : )

Fruits Galore

I love this season. Fruits everywhere. We have oranges, apples, pomegranate, bananas, strawberries, guava, pineapple even watermelons. Rang hi rang  ( colors and more colors). I always say fruits have to be the best creation by god. Do try this recipe.

What you need:
Seasonal fruits
1 lime juice
2-3 tbsp orange juice/ or any other juice of your choice
2 tbsp honey

Cut all the fruits. Mix them with lime juice, orange juice and honey. You can even add some flavored muesli for  texture and crunch. You can have them with pancakes, over a vanilla cake with some ice cream, with some vanilla ice cream or just like that.

Tipsy/trifle Pudding!

Ingredients:

Sponge cake ( you can use Britannia cake from the market) - 1 packet

Milk - 2 cups

Marie biscuits - 1 packet

Toasted cashew nuts cut into small pieces - 1/2 cup

Assorted seasonal fruits cut into small pieces (Mango, banana, apple, tinned pineapple, grapes, peaches, pear, tooty-fruity, cherries) - 2 cups

Custard powder - 4-5 tbsp

Sugar - 1/2 cup (to taste) 

Chilled Amul cream (whipped lightly with icing sugar and vanilla essence) 200 gm

Chocolate sauce (Hersheys/nutella or make some with cream, cooking chocolate and milk) 2 cups

Assembly:

Layer 1

Place the cake pieces in your bowl forming first layer for tipsy pudding. Sprinkle some milk over the cake in order to make it moist. 

Layer 2 

Place the biscuits on top of the cake layer one by one. Sprinkle some milk over them too. 

Layer 3

Make some thick custard with milk sugar and custard powder (make sure you prepare this 2-3 hours before assembling the pudding in order to cool it down).

Layer 4

Place the nuts and assorted fruits over the custard layer.

Layer 5

Cover the fruits and cashew nuts with chocolate sauce.

Layer 6

Top it all with a thin layer of whipped amul cream (make sure you prepare this also beforehand and keep it for chilling in the fridge for sometime). Decorate with some tooty-fruity or cherries or some grated chocolate

Rustic slowly-cooked chicken a.k.a chicken amazing!

What you need : 

Marinade:
600 gm chicken 
1 tsp jeera
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp red chilli powder and chilli flakes
1 tsp dhania powder
1 tsp garam masala 
1 tsp aachi masala (you can use normal chicken masala too)
1 tsp kashmiri masala 
little bit chopped Coriander 
1 small cup curd (whisked, should be creamy)
1 tsp fresh ginger garlic paste
squirt of one lime 

Curry:
3 tbsp refined oil
1 tsp jeera 
1 tbsp fresh ginger garlic paste
2 bay leaves
2 small onions, chopped
2 medium size tomatoes, chopped
1 cup tomato puree
1-2 green chillies, chopped
1/2 cup cream
1 tsp kashmiri masala
1 tbsp haldi
1 tbsp aachi masala/chicken curry masala
1 tbsp garam masala (cumin seeds, black cardamom, clove, peppercorns, bay leaf, mace, kalpasi, cinnamom stick)
1 tbsp dhania powder
salt to taste
1 tsp red chilli powder
chopped dhania leaves for garnishing

Marinade the chicken overnight or for 1 day with all the ingredients mentioned above. It would be easier to first mix
everything in the whisked curd and then apply the same on the chicken. Make sure you make small cuts on the chicken in 
order to marinade it nicely. 

For the curry, heat some oil add jeera to it, let it crackle for 30-secs then add ginger garlic paste, chopped onions and some
salt. Fry onions till they are golden and then add the marinated chicken to it. Add haldi, coriander powder, kashmiri
masala, aachi masala, red chilli powder to it. Once the chicken is semi cooked (golden brown), add the tomatoes and tomato puree with
the chopped green chillies. Put a lid on, chill and let it cook on slow fire for almost an hour. In the end add garam masala, cream
and garnish with chopped dhania.

I use roopaks Kashmiri masala. It is a must in my kitchen. It gives a whole new definition to any dish. If possible you can buy it from delhi, karol bagh. Otherwise you can increase the quantity of other masalas. 

Aachi masala which i got from chennai.