WELCOME…BIENVENIDO
Welcome to my world… a SPICY world… a colorful world… a world of love and passion..FOR FOOD… be a part of this aromatic world..and let yourself be swept by the aromas and flavours of a culinary experience.. easy and exotic recipes with simple ingredients..WELCOME TO THE WORLD OF “NITU DIDI”…enjoy yourself …after all “cooking is like making love.. or you do it well…or I TEACH YOU!!!”
Todays recipe comes from a dear friend Kavita Durgani from calcutta. “Ghatta” is a dumpling made from gram flour (besan). Gram flour is very popular in many desi dishes. Gram flour also known as chickpea flour is gluten free and is good for diabetics. This is an innovative recipe so do try it out.
INGREDIENTS
200 gms Gram flour (chickpea flour/besan)
1 tsp coriander powder
2 tbsp Ghee or oil
250 gms Yogurt (curds)
1 tsp Salt
2 tsp Oil
METHOD:
Mix besan while adding 1/2 tsp salt, 1/2 tsp red chilly powder, 1/2 tsp. coriander powder and ghee or oil
Make a stiff dough. Make 5-6 thin and long strips of the dough.
Put these strips in boiling water and cook for 5 minutes. Cut these gattas into small pieces.
Strain the yogurt through a strainer. Add 1/2 tsp. salt, 1/2 tsp red chilly powder, 1/2 tsp. dhaniya powder and turmeric powder to the curd. Mix well.
Add the gatta pieces. Heat oil in a pot. Fry some cumin seeds and curry leaves and then add the beaten yogurt with the ghattas in it.
Cook it for 5-7 minutes while stirring continuously till it comes to a boil.
Simmer the flame and cook for another 5-7 minutes.Turn off the gas. Finally heat up a teaspoon of oil and add some chilli powder to it, pour it over the curry. Serve gatta curry with rotis.
Thank you Kavita Durgani!!!!!
NITU DIDI TIP:
For vegans you can make a tomato based curry and put your dumplings in
I must share this little story with you so you can understand the recipe. Arroz meloso means a creamy rice which is a cross between a rice cooked normally and a soupy rice. My daughter just loves the way my dear friend Adela cooks her spanish style rice (be it a paella, a soupy rice or a creamy rice) my daughter just loves it. I kept on wondering what i do wrong that she never seems to appreciate my rice as much as she does Adela´s. Well the other day i went to the market to buy some fresh fish and came across some lovely cubes of swordfish and some calamari rings. I bought them and then thought of making this spanish style rice for my kids. I recall the way Adela makes her rice and decided to do EXACTLY the same! I tell you my kids ate the whole pot which was enough for an army! I now realise what made this recipe so delicious: a good sprinkle of spanish paprika and a few strands of saffron. I did not even use any food coloring for this rice. Now enough of a story and lets get down to basics “the recipe”!!
INGREDIENTS FOR 4 HUNGRY:
500 grams of cubed fish
250 grams of calamari rings, cut up
2 red tomatoes grated
1 whole pod of garlic peeled and chopped ( i used my GARLIC PRO)
3 fish stock cubes (this is what i used)
2 cups of long grain rice (not basmati, or jasmin or any fragrant rice)
salt to taste if needed
1/2 teaspoon of spanish paprika powder
8 strands of Nitu Didi Pure Spanish Saffron
4 tablespoons of a good spanish olive oil
METHOD:
Heat the oil in a pan and then add half the chopped garlic and when it starts changing colour add the fish pieces and cook on high heat till the fish starts getting a bit brown. Then add the calamari and cook for five minutes and then add the rest of the garlic. Add the grated tomato and cook till the tomatoes are done. Then add the paprika and the saffron. Add the rice and give it a stir for a few minutes. Add 3.5 cups of water and the fish stock cubes and when it comes to a boil taste and correct seasoning by adding some salt if necessary. Cook till rice is done (20 minutes approximately) , adding a little more water if necessary. The rice should be a little creamy and that is achieved by adding a little extra water. Serve immediately with lemon wedges.
NITU DIDI TIP.
If you cannot get calamari you can also add prawns instead. Add the prawns when the rice is half cooked .
Want to win some saffron??
Do enter my saffron giveaway!!! HERE
Nitu Chugani
5. Contest ends on the 25th of May,2013.
I have time and time again written about the goodness of tofu. It is bean curd and is low on fat and calorie content making it very healthy. You can use paneer (indian fresh home made cheese) as a substitute for most tofu recipes. I literally made this recipe in less than 10 minutes. Its delicious and can be eaten as a main dish with steamed rice or as a side dish.
I also have the recipe on how to make home made tofu with a video tutorial
INGREDIENTS:
250 grams of firm tofu , cubed ( i wrap my tofu in a kitchen towel overnight to remove all its moisture so that it does not break while cooking)
1/2 cup of diced white onion
1/2 cup of diced green or red capsicum or a bit of both
2 tablespoons of cooking oil
2 tablespoons of soya sauce
1/4 cup of tomato paste
1/4 cup of chilli garlic paste ( i used THIS)
a splash of hot sauce (if you like it spicy)
METHOD:
In a good quality non stick pan ( i used my ceramic pan) heat the oil and brown the tofu cubes . While the tofu is browning
mix the sauces together. Once the tofu is browned add the onions and capsicum and toss for a half a minute and then add the sauces and cook till the tofu and veggies are well coated with the sauce. If you like you can add a bit of water and boil it. Taste and adjust seasoning. Serve hot with steamed white rice.
NITU DIDI TIP:
You can also add chopped spring onions and green chillies to this recipe at the end.
To buy my ceramic pan CLICK HERE
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HOW TO MAKE TOFU
My daughter just loves crepes…sweet , salty, with a filling or just plain with some honey, she can eat crepes anytime. I make them with white or whole wheat flour and they are delicious. I have already put up various crepes recipe on the blog but today i am just putting up a simple vegan one with the video tutorial showing you the consistency of the batter and how to cook the crepes.
INGREDIENTS:
2 tablespoons of oats (powdered, i used my bullet)
6 tablespoons of whole wheat flour
pinch of salt
water as needed
METHOD:
Combine the oats with the whole wheat flour and add salt and enough water to make a batter of running consistency.
Heat a non stick frying pan on medium heat and put spoonfulls of batter in it spreading it out. Cook on one side and then flip and cook on the other. Make all the crepes this way.
You can eat them with any topping or fill them with any filling.
To buy my bullet do send me an email at nitudidi@hotmail.com
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NITU DIDI TIP: To make sweet crepes just add some sugar and flavoring of your choice to the batter
HERE IS THE VIDEO TUTORIAL
I wonder why i dont make risotto more often? One can experiment so much with this recipe and one does not have the fear of the rice being overcook :p giggles 
Jokes apart, today my son asked me why a risotto tasted so buttery and creamy and if it was possible to make one without any of that buttery creamy taste. I immediately thought of something and came up with this! I know many of you will say a risotto is not a risotto without the butter, cream and cheese…and yes that is correct in a way…but what if one does not like the taste? There are many risotto recipes online if one wants to follow the normal risottos. I always try to do something different so here you are! The taste was awesome, in fact i myself was surprised by how good and light it was! So…here is my take on a total fat free vegan risotto!
INGREDIENTS:
1 cup of rice, i used ordinary rice (you can use Arborio rice if you have it… or any rice will do except a fragrant rice like basmati or jasmine rice)
1 cup of assorted mushrooms, you can use white mushrooms, portobello, oyster mushrooms etc etc
1 stalk of celery, chopped fine
salt to taste
a good sprinkle of lemon pepper ( this is just adding a bit of spice)
2-3 cups of vegetable stock (or any stock you have handy)
METHOD:
In a non stick pan ( i used my ceramic pan) just put the mushrooms and cook them on medium heat till they release their juices. Add the chopped celery and the rice. Mix well and add a little of the stock and cook till the rice absorbs the stock, then add a little more, and cook again. Keep on adding the stock bit by bit till the rice is done and the texture is creamy. If you add the stock all at once you will not get the desired creamy effect. This is the way risotto is cooked. The normal recipe usually has the vegetables sauteed in butter, and then you add the stock, finishing off with cream and parmesan cheese. This is a lighter version for all of you.
NITU DIDI TIP:
I just used assorted mushrooms and celery but you can use any kind of vegetable you want such as : carrots, asparagus, corn on the cob, brussel sprouts, etc etc. If you like you can add non dairy vegan milk or cream to this to get a more authentic risotto. We loved it just the way it is.
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For my video on how to make seafood risotto see below
This recipe needs no write up! Its not even mine (giggles!!!) My friend Sonia Perez made this and sweetly sent me the recipe because i got soo excited when i asked her if it had “eggs” and she said no!! So for all of you… with love from Sonia Perez!
INGREDIENTS :
200 grams of butter at room temperature
120 grams of white sugar
360 grams of all purpose white flour (maida)
1 tablespoon of vanilla flavoured sugar (or a few drops of vanilla essence)
1 tablespoon of water
a pinch of salt
and ofcoruse NUTELLA to sandwich them with 
METHOD:
Mix the butter, sugar , salt and vanilla flavoured sugar or the essence till well blended. Add the flour and mix it well. You will need to work it with your hands till it forms a dough. Put the dough into plastic wrap and refrigerate for an hour. After that time using some dry flour roll the dough into 1/2 cm. thickness and cut into cookies with a cookie cutter. Heat the oven to 180 degrees. Line a baking tray with butter or wax paper and place the cookies on the tray leaving some space between each cookie. Bake for 10-12 minutes without letting them get browned. These cookies harden when cooled. Once cooled thoroughly spread some nutella on one cookie and sandwich with the other!
Yum yum yum!!!!
This healthy salad originates from my city of Valencia. It is called “escarraget” and is made by roasting red bell peppers, and mixing it with salted cod fish then splashed with olive oil and and lots of garlic. I have made a “vegan” version of this substituting the fish with eggplant. This recipe comes with a video tutorial so you can see exactly how it is done. This salad is best made a day in advance and ofcoruse you need to use a good quality of extra virgen olive oil. It is delicious, healthy, and makes an excellent sandwich filling, or even a topping for canapes. Just sit back with a drink and enjoy this salad.
INGREDIENTS:
Red bell peppers
Eggplant
Garlic
Extra virgen spanish olive oil ( you can see the pretty spanish lady holding her bottle of oil in the video)
and salt to taste
METHOD:
Put the peppers and the eggplant in an oven tray and bake on high heat till they get roasted, I prick the eggplant before i roast them so that they dont burst while baking. Once they are baked thoroughly i leave them in the oven with the heat off to cool so that its easier to peel. Once cooled thoroughly i carefully reserve all the liquid thats come out while roasting. This is very flavourful and can be used in your cooking. Carefully peel the peppers and eggplant and then with your fingers tear them into strips. Place them in a bowl. Add some chopped garlic, salt and a very generous splash of extra virgen olive oil. Mix well and refrigerate. This tastes amazing with time and the spanish actually top it with olive oil so that they can dip their bread in it.
NITU DIDI COOKING TIP:
If you want to make it the valenciana way, just soak some dried cod for 24 hours changing the water every 6-8 hours. Rinse it, and then just shred it and add it to the salad and omit the salt. Like my recipes??? Do DONATE
HERE IS THE VIDEO:
This chicken recipe is good not just in taste but for our body too! So often i come across nursing mothers who ask what to eat while breast feeding their little ones… A staple diet and way of cooking chicken tends to get boring, and not all “spices” are heaty for our little ones.. There are some spices which can actually aid digestion. This is an easy to make chicken dish which can be had with rice , rotis or naans. The amount of the gravy depends on if you want it to be thick or thin. Its also good for cold days (yes!! i do think of all of you!!!) as its nice and soupy! There are quite a lot of ingredients but i will try to simplify this for all of you
INGREDIENTS TO SERVE 6
1 whole chicken , about 1.5 kilos in weight, cut into pieces skin off
1 large brown onion, cut into quarters
3″ piece ginger, washed
1 whole pod of garlic, peeled
6 red tomatoes, quartered
2 bay leaves, 10 curry leaves
2 tablespoons of coriander seeds
2 tablespoons of cumin seeds
1 tablespoon of fennel seeds
6 green cardamoms
1/2 teaspoon each of turmeric powder and red chilli powder (nursing mothers please omit the chilli powder)
1/2 cup of chopped fresh coriander leaves
2-3 green chillies chopped
4 tablespoons of ghee(specially for nursing mothers) or butter, or cooking oil or olive oil
salt to taste
METHOD:
Step 1. In a blender add the onion, half the ginger and the garlic and make it into a paste without any water. ( i used my bullet)
Step 2. Melt or heat the ghee/oil in a big pan and add the ground paste and cook it till the raw smell has disappeared. This will take you time, have patience and do not burn the onion paste. If it sticks to the bottom just add a bit of water and continue to cook it till you see it has changed color and does not smell raw.
Step 3: Once the onion paste is cooked, add your chicken with the bay and curry leaves and cook till the chicken is slightly browned.
Step 4:Put the spices into the blender and powder them in fine ( i used my magic bullet) and add it to the chicken and cook for a few minutes.
Step 5: Put the tomatoes into the blender with the ginger and blend. Add it to the chicken.
Step 6: Add the turmeric powder, red chilli powder, green chillies and cook till the tomato paste is thick and you can see the oil/ghee separating at the edges. That means the tomatoes are cook thoroughly.
Step 7: Add as much water as you want and bring it to a boil and continue to cook till the chicken is done. Add the coriander leaves, check and correct seasoning.
Step 8: Serve it with love, eat it with patience and imagine the good it will be doing for your body and your baby
HEALTH BENEFITS OF FENNEL SEEDS:
Fennel symbolizes longevity, courage, and strength. In addition to its use as medicinal values, fennel has much health benefiting nutrients, essential compounds, anti-oxidants, dietary fiber, minerals, and vitamins.The active principles in the fennel are known to have antioxidant, digestive, carminative, and anti-flatulent properties. Many times our babies suffer from colic and it could be a result of what we eat, if we are breastfeeding them, so care has to be taken of our diet so our babies dont cry in pain.
HEALTH BENEFITS OF CARDAMOM:
Cardamoms are rich in many vital vitamins, including riboflavin, niacin, vitamin-C that is essential for optimum health.
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I am always been asked for innovative and healthy breakfast ideas. Oats are consumed daily in my home. They are full of fibre, iron and fill you up so you can last a few hours without hunger pangs. There are many ways to cook oats and this is just one of them. If you like eastern flavours such as cardamom and saffron then this should be an option for you. Cardamoms and saffron also have a lot of benefits which i shall add at the end of the recipe.
This recipe serves 1
INGREDIENTS:
1 cup of milk of your choice, can be normal, skimmed, semi, lactose free, dairy free or soya/almond/rice milk
1 teaspoon sugar or to taste
4 strands of Nitu Didi Saffron
1 green cardamom, pounded or a pinch of ground cardamom powder
nuts of your choice
1-2 tablespoons of oats
METHOD:
Heat the milk with the saffron and the cardamom on medium heat and when it starts to get little bubbles on the side , just add the oats. Cook the oats with the milk for about five minutes (this also depends on the quality of the oats, some oats take more time) and when they are nice and soft you can add sugar, honey, sweetener to taste. Remove onto a bowl, garnish with nuts and get a healthy start to your mornings with this easy to make breakfast!
NITU DIDI TIP: This gets thicker as it keeps,so do bear this in mind. It can be made with water instead of milk too!
To read about the goodness of saffron click here
To buy my saffron do visit my online store
