Veg Schezwan Rice

No one is very fond of chinese cuisines at home except for my younger sister. But Schezwan fried rice and Veg chinese fried rice is fondly eaten by all at home.

I learnt Schezwan fried rice from one of my cousin and regularly cook it on Sundays. There is not much effort needed for cooking it. Colour and smell just tempts you to grab a spoonful of rice as soon as it is cooked.

Preparation time: 15 minutes

Cooking time: 15 minutes

Serves: 4 people

What goes in for rice:

Rice- 3 cups

Carrots, boiled and chopped- ½ carrot

French beans, boiled and chopped- 8-10 nos

Peas, boiled- ½ cup

What goes in for schezwan sauce:

Kashmiri chillies, soaked and grinded- 6-8 nos

Green garlic pods, finely chopped- ¾ cup

Ginger, grinded- 1 ½ tbl spn

Spring onions, chopped- 1 cup

Capsicum, chopped- ½ of medium sized

Cabbage, chopped- ¼ of medium sized

Tomato ketchup- 3-4 tbl spn

Soya Sauce- 1 tbl spn

Cornflour- 1 tbl spn

Water- 1 cup (for every 1 tbl spn of cornflour use 1 cup of water)

Pepper- ½ tbl spn

Salt- as per your taste

Oil- 4-5 tbl spn

How did I make it:

I started with soaking of kashmiri chillies in water. Remove the seeds from the chillies as it is not good for health to swallow those spicy seeds. This might burn your hand a little but be careful not to touch inside of chilli and then it will be easily done.

Soak kashmiri chilli in water 1 hour before making the schezwan sauce.

Cut carrots and french beans into an inch long piece. Peel off peas. Wash them all properly.

Wash and boil rice in water adding salt and little oil/ghee to add nice shine to you rice. Also put carrot, french beans and peas along with rice. Boiling will take about 10 minutes. 

Drain off the water and let it cool.

Slice off capsicum and cabbage into thin horizontal slices. Cut the green of spring onions into rounds trimming off the rugged ends at the top.  Also finely chop green garlic.

Almost after an hour or so drain off the water from soaked kashmiri chillies and grind them in a mixture grinder. Also grind ginger if not available.

Next was making of schezwan sauce. Take a big kadai. Put oil in it and heat it. Put more amount of oil than your regular tempering.  As it heats up, put generous amount of finely chopped garlic. I used green garlic pods or lilu lasan. It will give a nice fresh taste to your schezwan sauce. Put ginger paste and sauté till garlic turns golden brown. This will take about a minute.

Now add spring onions, capsicum, cabbage and grinded kashmiri chilli. Mix them all well. Cook the covered for about 5 minutes.

Next put tomato ketchup, salt, pepper, soya sauce and corn flour water. For corn flour, in a cup put 1 tablespoon of corn flour and 1 cup of water. Stir it well so as to avoid lumps.

Mix them all well and cook for about 5 minutes till you get spicy peppery smell. Adjust salt and spice as per your taste.

Finally add bold rice and vegetables to it. Season generously so that rice gets coated with sauce properly.

Take it off the stove and serve it.

Cheesy Corn Stuffed Jacket Potatoes

My sister and I were browsing internet for some yummy to try something new. There we came across this stuffed potato recipe. As I went through the ingredient list, I was sure this is going to be a delicious recipe as I had already tried stuffed potato- Mexican style which was delicious.

This is a very good appetizer and when served hot this cheesy corn potato will leave a yummy tempting taste to your family members/ guests.

Preparation time: 10 minutes

Cooking time: 30 minutes

Serves: 12 potatoes

What goes in it:

Potato, boiled- 6 medium sized

Capsicum, finely chopped- 1 small sized

Sweet corn, boiled- 1 nos

Garlic, finely chopped- 1 tbl spn

Celery (Ajwain)- ½ tbl spn

Pepper- ½ tbl spn

Salt- to taste

Oil- 1 tbl spn

Butter- 2 tbl spn

Cheese, grated- ½ cup

Coriander, chopped- ½ cup

How did I make it:

Wash and peel the skin of potatoes. Cut them into halves lengthwise so that you can make proper scooped potatoes.

[Foodies Note:  Take medium sized round potatoes so that it can be scooped meticulously. I used small sized potato but medium sized potatoes will be more comfortable to stuff with.]

Pressure cook potato and sweet corn for 4-5 whistles.  After it is boiled drain off the water and keep them aside.

While potatoes and corn in being boiled, chop coriander leaves, capsicum (into tiny squares) and shred cheese.

In a small kadai take little oil and sauté garlic till it turns brown. Put in ajwain and sauté for about 1 minute.  Add chopped capsicum to it and cook for 3-5 minutes. Add boiled corn to it and mix them all well. 

Sprinkle salt, pepper and coriander leaves to it. Cook for about 2 minutes by stirring continuously. Remove from fire.

[Foodies Note: Add little salt as you are going to use cheese and butter which have salty taste.]

With the help of spoon scoop the boiled potato at the center meticulously.

Keep it aside and start preparing for roasting potatoes. Take a pan and switch on the stove. Apply butter to halved potatoes. And roast both the sides of potato on it on low flame till they become golden brown.

Roasting botton side of potato

Roasting top side of potato

This is how top side will look after you roast it and take off the stove

Stuff the scooped potatoes with the prepared filling. Top is off with the grated cheese.

Bake the stuffed potatoes in the pan on low flame. Close the lid. Bake till you can see tempting melted cheese. This will take about 5 minutes.

Serve hot this corn stuffed potatoes.

Sabudana Khichdi with Farari Chiwda

Farari Sabudana Khichdi is very famous near Ambe Mata Mandir here in Vapi.  The street vendor specifically sells farari snacks there. What a great idea to start ferari snack lari near a temple.

Last time when I tried Sabudana Khichdi, one of my frined Abhay told me about this khichdi however I did not try it soon. Mom happened to bring parcel of this khichdi  from that vendor and she became fan of it. She was very excited to try it herself at home.

It’s a splendid combination on sweet (pomegranate seeds), sour (put ample of lemon juice) and chatpatta chiwda. You are left with delicious taste on your taste buds.

Preparation time: 10 minutes

Making time: 15 minutes

Serves: 4

What goes in it:

Sabudana (Sago) - 1 cup

Water- 1 cup

Potato, boiled and diced- 1 cup

Peanuts, grinded- ½ cup

Cumin seeds (Jeera) - ½ tbl spn

Asafoetida (Hing)- ¼ tbl spn

Curry leaves- 1 sprig or 5-6 leaves

Oil- 2 tbl spn

Green Chilli, finely chopped- 1 tbl spn

Lemon juice- 6-7 tbl spn (adjust as per you taste)

Sugar- 1 ½ tbl spn

Aamchur powder- 1 tbl spn

Garam Masala- 1 tbl spn

Salt- as per your taste

Coriander leaves, finely chopped- ½ cup

Pomegranate seeds- 2 cup

Ferari Chiwda- 3 cup (Mom bought this chiwda from that street vendor but it can be easily available from any grocery store)

How did I make it:

Soak sabudana in water for about 4-5 hours in a flat bottomed vessel. Soak in water just enough to soak cover top of sabudana.

[Foodies’ Note: Be careful while soaking sabudana in water. If you use more water then sabudana will become sticky.]

Once they turn soft and fine round shaped, they are ready to be cooked.

Meanwhile, wash and peel off potato. Boil them. Drain off the water and cut it into small cubes. Keep it aside.

Grind peanuts in a grinder.

Mix the coarse peanut powder with sabudana properly.

Take a kadai and prepare for tempering. Pour oil in it and heat it. As it heats up, put jeera and hing. As jeera crackles, put curry leaves and chopped green chillies to it. Sauté for about 1-2 minutes.

Next put boiled potato, sugar, ample of lemon juice and salt. Mix them all and let it cook for 1-2 minutes.  

Finally add sabudana to it. And season generously till all the ingredients are properly mixed.

Take it off the stove.

Now transfer it to wide plate where you can easily mix the ingredients. Add pomegranate seed, chiwda and a pinch of aamchur and garam masala.

 Mix them all well.

Garnish with coriander leaves and pomegranate seed.

Serve it before the chiwda gets soft.

Black Currant Milkshake

I never try any other flavour in milk except Bournvita. Since it wasn’t available at home, I was wondering what I drink now??? In refrigerator had 2 option- Mapro’s Strawberry crush and Black Currant crush syrup. Strawberry is my least favourite syrup so tried on Back Currant milkshake...

Making time: 5 minutes

Serves: 2 glasses

What goes in it:

Milk- 2 glass

Black Currant syrup- 3 tbl spoon (I used Mapro’s Black Currant crush)

Vanilla ice cream- 3 scoop

To make it look yummy:

Chocolate sprinklers- ¼ cup

How did I make it:

Pour a glass of milk in a deep cooking pot.

You may add sugar if you want to but I did not put sugar as the syrup and ice cream is already sweet.

Then add ample of vanilla ice cream to it.

Pour down about 3 tbl spn of black currant syrup.

Churn the milk using a blender.  Pour it in a glass.

Garnish it by adding little ice cream and top it off with chocolate sprinklers. Ready to drink this yummy cold black currant milkshake especially in summers.

  

 

Paneer Bhurji with Capsicum

This is a variation to the Paneer Bhurji I had cooked earlier. This suggestion was given to me by my friend- Vinita. Recently had made Russian Salad so there was supply of red and yellow bell pepper at home.  This recipe looks more tempting then the earlier one. Both the paneer bhurji tastes equally good but this one has become my favourite. Bell Pepper gives a nice blended spicy taste to the paneer.

Preparation time: 10 minutes

Cooking time: 7 minutes approx

What goes in it:

Cottage cheese (Paneer), minced: 250 gm

Asafoetida (Hing)- ½ tbl spn

Green Chilli, finely chopped- 4-5 chillies

Ginger, finely chopped- ½ piece

Garlic, finely chopped- 5-6 cloves

Onion, finely chopped- 1

Tomato, finely chopped- 1

Red Bell Pepper (Red Capsicum), finely chopped- ½  

Yellow Bell Pepper (Yellow Capsicum), finely chopped- ½  

Oil- 2 tbl spn

Turmeric powder- ½ tbl spn

Coriander –Cumin powder- 1 tbl spn

Salt to taste

How did I make it:

Cut tomato and onions in a mixture and get partially chopped tomato and onion. Grind green chilli, garlic & ginger to form a paste.  Finely chop red and yellow bell pepper into small squares.

Mince paneer. This can be done very easily with hands.

Take a kadai, pour oil in it. As oil heats up, put hing to it. Saute chilli-garlic-ginger paste for about 1 minute. 

Now add onion, tomato and cook till onion turn light brown. Add both the bell pepper. Add salt, turmeric powder, coriander- cumin powder & red chilli powder. Let it cook for 2 minutes. 

Finally add minced paneer to it. Season generously. Let it cook for 2 minutes.

Add chopped coriander leaves to it and mix it well.

It was served with garma garm Naan. 

Ice Cream Sandwich

Last week Daddy bought sandwich ice cream from the ice cream shop downstairs. It was soft and yummy. I thought to try out this simple recipe at home using Bour Bon biscuit and vanilla ice cream.

It is super quick recipe and you can just grab your mouthful with it. Kids are going to love this ice cream sandwich. Also if you add on your creativity to it, it can turn out to be an unusual dessert for your guests.

You can try it with any of the combinations like your favourite ice cream, chocolate sauce, chocolate sprinklers and biscuits.

Preparation time: 5 minutes

Making time: 10 minutes

Serves- 6 sandwich ice cream

What goes in it:

Vanilla ice cream- 1 cup

Bour Bon biscuit- 1 small packet

How did I make it:

Twist open the biscuit and lay them on the plate such that you can put ice cream on the cream layered biscuit.

Using a small spoon, put ample of vanilla ice cream on the biscuit. Level it properly from the edges.

[Foodies’ Note: Don’t be too slow at this point because you would not want your ice cream to melt.]

Put second layer of the biscuit on the ice cream and press a bit gently.

You can grab it right there and then. Or refrigerate it for few hours and then eat this yummy biscuit sandwich ice cream.

I personally liked after freezing. I refrigerated it for 6 hours. You will feel the delicious cool vanilla-chocolaty taste.

Try and experiment with different biscuits. Oreo biscuits will also be a tempting combination with vanilla ice cream... 

Russian Salad

I was in Mumbai last week and my friend Vinita had invited me for lunch at her home. She made yummy cuisine with south Indian flavour to the food. I simply loved the way she served variety of food to me. I learnt a lot over that lunch like garnishing the plate, using different bell pepper for different food recipes. I also learnt a couple of recipe to cook and try out myself. Welt this Russian Salad in one among them.

It simple, quick and delicious. You can play around with your favourite veggie or fruit and prepare this salad at home to give a different taste to your regular salad. It takes less than 20 minutes to make it.

Making time: 10 minutes

Serves: for 4 people

What goes in it:

Red bell pepper, chopped- ½ medium sized

Onion, chopped- 1 small sized

Carrot, chopped- 1 small sized

Coriander leaves, chopped- ½ cup

Salt- as per your taste

Red chilli powder- ¼ tbl spn

Sugar- ½ tbl spn

Mayonnaise- 1.5 cup (I used Heinz eggless Mayonnaise, I almost used half of it)

How did I make it:

Cut red bell pepper or red capsicum, carrot and onion into small pieces. You can also add peas and pineapple. I did not use peas as my sister is not very fond of peas and pineapple was not available at home. Vinita had also added cottage cheese or paneer to it. You can experiment with different veggie combinations as per your likes or dislikes.

Now take a bowl. Put diced vegetables to it. Add salt, red chilli powder and sugar to it. Pour mayonnaise to it. Mix them all well.

[Foodies’ Note: Put very little salt as mayonnaise has salt in it. So just sprinkle salt for taste.]

Add coriander leaves to it and mix it well.

Refrigerate the salad for about 1 hour. Take it out 10-15 minutes before serving.