POPCORN! CURRY POPCORN AND CHOCOLATE POPCORN

CHOCOLATE POPCORN

I cant think of anyone who doesn´t like popcorn! The first cooking video i ever recorded was on how to make curry flavoured popcorn ! Now i feel i have come a long way from that first clumsy video. Today lets make some popcorn! Curry or Chocolate? Which do you prefer? Let me show you how to make both so that you are spoilt for choice!
CHOCOLATE POP CORN INGREDIENTS:
25 grams of popcorn kernels, i used a local brand
2-3 tablespoons of cooking oil
200 grams of melted milk chocolate or any chocolate of your choice, i ate one square 😛
METHOD:
Melt the chocolate in the microwave and let it thicken a bit while you make the popcorn.
Heat the oil in a big casserole dish (popcorn expands when popped!) and when it is hot add a few kernels to it. When they start popping add the rest of the kernels and cover. Shake the pan from time to time till the popping stops or becomes less. Take off the heat and let it rest for 15 seconds. Mix it well. If making curried popcorn you can add salt and curry powder now while hot. If making chocolate popcorn please spread the popcorn in a tray and then drizzle the melted chocolate on the top. Mix it well and let it cool if you have the patience! Be prepared to make this often as its going to be eaten it up soon!
NITU DIDI TIP:
Why use popcorn kernels instead of readyto pop microwave popcorn?
The popcorn available in my city is full of fat, it is very unhealthy and so that is why i have used this option.
For more information click here

VIDEO

CURRY POPCORN

CURRY POPCORN

To buy an excellent curry powder to flavour your popcorn please visit my online store!

Posted in Eggless Sweet Temptations, Everything Vegetarian, Fusion, Gluten Free, Jain recipes, Low Cost, Quick Recipes, Tupperware Food | Tagged , , , , , , | Leave a comment

HOME MADE ROOMALI ROTI

ROOMALI ROTIS

Roomali  literally translated means “handkerchief like” and that is how these rotis are texture wise. These rotis are very popular in desi restaurants They need a special tawa and a skill to be made. Its too complicated so lets try to make a simpler version. After a lot of online research and a few  errors i have finally mastered the art of making a home made version of roomali roti. These rotis are made out of white flour (maida) tho i did try them with whole wheat flour but was not happy with the result. I will try my best to explain them simply how to make them with a step by step written recipe and maybe in the future make a video… so shall we try this out together?
INGREDIENTS FOR ABOUT 6 :
2 cups of all purpose white flour (maida)
3/4 teaspoon salt to taste
warm water as needed to make a dough
a little oil or melted butter
a little extra white flour
METHOD:
First please have a positive attitude that this recipe will turn out ! Now take a big bowl and add the white flour, salt and mix it. Add the warm water a bit by bit and make a dough. If you have a gadget that makes dough you can use that too. Knead the dough well for about five mintues till it is very smooth. Cover it with cling wrap and keep it aside for 30 minutes. Heat a non stick pan ( i used my ceramic pan) on medium heat. Now take a deep breath and lets start!
1. Make round smooth even sized balls out of the dough about the size of golf balls.
2. Keep them covered with a cloth.
3. Take one ball and flatten it and roll it out into a thin round taking care that it does not tear or have any folds while rolling.
4. Make one more round the same way,
5. Now on one roti smear some oil or melted butter and sprinkle with a little flour ( i use my fingers just to sprinkle the flour as you would sprinkle salt)
6. Cover that oiled roti with the other rolled out roti and lightly roll it together so that it sort of sticks together taking care not to roll a lot in case it tears .
7. Carefully place on the heated pan and cook on one side till slightly done (do not overcook or else roomali rotis will not be soft) . Flip and cook on the other side. Now carefully peel off one roti and place it in a napkin, and do the same with the other. Make all the rotis this way and serve them immediately.
NITU DIDI TIP:
These rotis will harden if not eaten immediately as they are made of white flour and are also too thin.
Roomali rotis are served folded in triangles and are light as they are so thin.

CERAMIC PANSBuy my excellent ceramic pans online NOW!!

Nitu Chugani

Posted in Everything Vegetarian, Floury Matter, Indian Restaurant Dishes, Jain recipes, Low Cost, Step by Step, Veg Starters, Vegan | Tagged , , , , , , | Leave a comment

MUSHROOMS ITALIANA

MUSHROOMS ITALIANA

For all you mushroom lovers i bring you a recipe which is easy and healthy. Have it  your favourite pasta or use as a topping on toast, this mushroom italiana will be loved by all at home! This recipe is vegetarian, vegan and gluten free. It even can be used as pizza topping, tupperware food and stuffed into a wrap! Talk about versatlilty!
INGREDIENTS:
500 grams of fresh white mushrooms, sliced
1 large spanish onion, sliced lengthwise
1 cup of sliced red capscium/bell pepper
4 cloves of garlic, minced ( i used my GARLIC PRO peeler and mincer)
1 cup of tomato paste
4 tablespoons of balsamic ketchup
1 tablespoon of dried oregano
salt and black pepper to taste
red chilli flakes to taste
2 tablespoons of a good spanish extra virgen olive oil
METHOD:
Heat a good nonstick fryingpan ( i used my cook n serve ceramic frying pan) with the olive oil. Add the mushrooms and the salt and let them sweat on high heat, Once they have released all their water add the onions and sautee till the onions soften. Add the pepper, oregano, tomato paste (in spain it is tomate frito) and the ketchup. Mix well on high heat. Add the chilli flakes. Taste and correct seasoning and serve.
HEALTH BENEFITS OF MUSHROOMS:
Mushrooms contain 80 to 90% water and are very low in calorie. They are a good source of potassium which helps control your blood pressure. Please clean them well. Chop off their stalks and wash them under running water, Sometimes i even peel my mushrooms.
Which ketchup did i use?
To buy Nitu Didi ceramic cook and serve ceramic pans do go to my online store

Nitu Chugani

 

Posted in Everything Vegetarian, Gluten Free, Healthy Options, Quick Recipes, Veg Starters, Vegan | Tagged , , , , , , , | 4 Comments

TOFU PARATHAS WITH OR WITHOUT EGG

TOFU AND EGG PARATHAS

Tofu and Egg parathas make an excellent breakfast or light lunch or dinner dish. They are packed with protein and are yummy and filling. These parathas can be made eggless or tofuless also.. I will give you both the options. We all know how good tofu is for us and i am always looking for different ways to use tofu in my diet.
INGREDIENTS:
For the dough for parathas:
2 cups of whole wheat flour (it is better to use the wheat flour available in the desi supermarkets)
1/2 teaspoon each of salt and black pepper
Warm water as needed to make the dough
For the filling:
1 cup of firm tofu grated, as i always say remove the tofu from the wrapper and keep it wrapped overnight in a kitchen towel so that all the moisture is removed
1 egg, beaten
1/2 teaspoon of salt or to taste
1 small onion, chopped fine
1/4 cup of finely chopped coriander leaves (to chop them fine you can use my magic scissors)
a few green chillies, finely chopped if you want it spicy
1 tablespoon of grated red capsicum/bell pepper
Oil or butter as needed, i used a good spanish olive oil
METHOD:
Make the dough by mixing wheat flour, salt , pepper and make into a dough using warm water bit by bit. Knead well till the dough is well kneaded, at least five minutes and then keep aside covered.
Mix the mashed tofu will all the ingredients for the filling except the oil. It should be thick and pasty. Now lets make these parathas! Heat a tawa or iron gridle till hot and then lower the heat to medium. Make even sized smooth balls out of the dough. Roll one ball into a thin round .  Put it into the tawa and let it cook slightly on one side. Turn and add a tablespoon of the filling and spread it a bit taking care not to spread it out to the sides. Fold the paratha carefully from all sides to make a square. Flip carefully and cook on both sides on medium heat brushing with oil till the paratha is done and the filling is cooked. A little of the filling might leak out from the sides , but that is ok.
Serve hot with pickle of your choice.
FOR THE EGGLESS VERISON:
Just mash the tofu and add all the other ingredients. You can also add some spices such as roasted cumin powder, fennel seed powder, red chilli flakes, fenugreek leaves (kasuri methi) and also tandoori spice powder.
Mix it and make the parathas the same way .
FOR JAIN RECIPE:
Make with tofu and omit the onions.
To buy my magic scissors and my color free tandoori spice mix do check my online store
Nitu Chugani

Posted in Breakfast, Everything Vegetarian, Floury Matter, Fusion, Healthy Options, Jain recipes, Low Cost, Tupperware Food, Veg Starters, Vegan | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | 2 Comments

CAULIFLOWER, POTATO N CAPSICUM “DESI STYLE”

CAULIFLOWER, POTATO AND CAPSICUM DESI STYLE

This is a very healthy recipe without losing out on taste. A simple “aloo gobi” or desi cauliflower and potato recipe lightly flavoured with spices and made in olive oil. This recipe uses a bit of vegetable broth to cook the vegetables slightly making it extra rich in vitamins. Olive oil is used for this preparation giving it a real different taste. I do not add many spices as it is not the regular run of the mill recipe. You can always add more spices or red chilli flakes for more heat. The vegetables remain crunchy thus retaining all their nutrients. This makes an excellent main or side dish and can be served with roti, naan or even a simple pullao.For Jain recipe please omit the ginger.
INGREDIENTS:
1 cup of diced potatoes, wash, peel and dice the potatoes
2 cups of cauliflower florets
1 cup of cubed red or green capsicum /bell pepper, i used red
1 teaspoon each of nigella seeds and cumin seeds
1 tablespoon of finely chopped ginger
1 chopped green chilli or more
1/4 cup of chopped coriander leaves
4 curry leaves, chopped , you can use fresh or dry (to buy curry leaves check my online store)
1/4 teaspoon turmeric powder
2 tablespoons of a good spanish olive oil
1/2 teaspoon of salt
1/4 cup of warm water in which we add 1/2 vegetable stock cube and mix till dissolved
METHOD:
Heat the olive oil in a good non stick frying pan ( i used my cook and serve ceramic pan) and add the cumin seeds and let them crackle for 15 seconds and then add the nigella seeds and the ginger. Cook till the ginger colours slightly and then add the potates with the turmeric powder. Cook covered till the potates are half done. Add the cauliflower florets , salt, curry leaves, green chillies and coriander leaves. Add the water with the dissolved stock cube and the capsicum and cool till the vegetables are done but crunchy. If you want you can add a little sprinkle of lemon juice or dry mango powder (amchoor)
Serve as a main dish or part of a low calorie diet or even as a spiced warm salad.
This dish is delicious , nutritious and low calorie.
Which stock cube did i use?
If you want to buy good quality ceramic non stick frying pans do visit my online store

Nitu Chugani

Posted in Everything Vegetarian, Fusion, Gluten Free, Healthy Options, Jain recipes, Low Cost, Quick Recipes, Vegan | Tagged , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

CHICKEN JALFREZI

CHICKEN JALFREZI

Chicken Jalfrezi is another very popular “desi” restaurant dish. I like it because its nice and spicy and tend to order it quite often. Finding the perfect recipe for this dish for me has been very time consuming and confusing. I was asked to teach this in one of my cooking workshops. Searching for a perfect recipe and a bit of information on this dish i came across different versions.. Some say its origins are from pakistan, some say its a cross between chinese and bengal…But whatever is true, i just say its delicious! Each recipe was different, each one stating something different , and confusing me a lot!
I have to be honest enough to say i dont know if this recipe is “genuine” or not..I wonder if anyone will be able to tell me, but this is what i made and it turned out delicious. I tried to combine a few recipes which i got off the internet, so basically i complied all the necessary steps in each recipe and put them all together and this is the result 🙂
INGREDIENTS FOR 4:
500 grams of boneless chicken, cubed
Marinade: 1 teaspoon each ginger garlic paste, cumin powder, turmeric powder and salt to taste and red chilli powder to taste
FOR THE SAUCE:
1 large spanish onion
500 grams of chopped red tomatoes
2 teaspoons  ginger garlic paste
salt to taste
1 teaspoon Nitu Didi home made garam masala powder (please see the youtube tutorial)
1 cup of cubed green bell peppers (capsicum)
red chilli powder to taste
chopped green chillies and coriander leaves
6 tablespoons of cooking oil, ghee or butter or even olive oil(cooking medium is your choice on how you want the dish to taste)
METHOD:
Marinate the cubed chicken breast in the spices and salt and keep aside while you prepare the sauce.
Heat 2 spoons of butter/oil in a pan and fry the chopped tomatoes with 1 teaspoon of ginger garlic paste. Sautee till the tomatoes are cooked and mushy. Cook til they are completely dry and then set aside to cool. When cooled totally put them in the blender and blend it well. DO NOT PUT IT INTO THE BLENDER WHILE ITS HOT….
Heat another 2 spoons of butter /oil and sautee the chopped onions with 1 teaspoon ginger garlic paste till soft and transparent. Add the garam masala and cook for a few seconds more. Take off the heat and set aside to cool. When cooled totally put into  blender and blend into a paste ( i used my amazing bullet)
TO COOK THE FINAL DISH:
Heat the remaining 2 tablespoons of butter/oil in a good non stick pan ( i used my ceramic pan) and then sautee the chicken on very high heat till the chicken turns white and just cooks. Do not over cook the chicken. Add the cubed green peppers, green chillies and coriander leaves. Add the onion and tomato paste and bring the whole mixture to a boil. If you want you can add a tablespoon or two of honey. Bring to a boil, check and correct seasoning and serve. Add red chilli powder if you want it extra spicy
This dish is best eaten with naan. To make naan do click here

NITU DIDI TIP: The onion and tomato sauce can be made in advance and kept in the fridge or even frozen. If you want to make this dish for a party then making the sauce in advance is a good idea. If you want to make this with paneer, mixed vegetables, fish or meat you can just substitute the chicken.
To buy good quality ceramic pans do visit my online store

Posted in Chicken, Ideas for meals, Indian Restaurant Dishes, Magic Bullet | Tagged , , , | Leave a comment

ZAFRANI CHICKEN PULLAO/SAFFRON CHICKEN PILLAF

ZAFRANI CHICKEN PULLAO

We all need to add a little “saffron” in our diets for all the good that it does for us healthwise. Many of us probably have some saffron lying at home in some corner and don´t know what to do with it. Well… if you are looking for recipes using saffron apart from the regular desi sweets, cakes, paella etc, i do have some very different recipes using this “golden spice” on the blog. There are a lot of myths about saffron the spice: that it costs the earth…well it does not and a box of 1 gram can last you over a month! Yes there are qualities of saffron and if the one you are using is not pure then you might have to keep on adding more and more! Todays recipe does not have an overbearing or overpowering saffron flavour…it is just a touch …for a different flavour and also for the health factor 🙂
INGREDIENTS FOR 2:
4 chicken legs and thighs, skin removed and cut into 2
1 large onion, chopped
1 tablespoon of ginger garlic paste
1 ripe red tomato , grated
1 bay leaf
1 tablespoon of a good home made garam masala (to see my recipe click here)

1 tablespoon each of ground coriander and cumin powder
1 pinch of Nitu Didi pure spanish saffron
1 pinch of Nitu Didi turmeric powder
1/2 cup of coriander leaves chopped
green chillies chopped to taste
4 tablespoons of cooking oil
1 teaspoon salt.
1 cup of a good quality basmati rice, washed and soaked
METHOD:
1. Wash and soak the basmati rice in plenty of water
2. Heat the oil in a good quality frying pan and add the onions, bay leaf and ginger garlic paste with 1 teaspoon salt.
3. Cook till soft.
4. Add the chicken and cook covered till the chicken releases all its juices and starts to brown a bit.
5. Add all the spices and cook.
6. Add the chopped tomato and cook till tomatoes soften.
7. Add the saffron , green chillies and coriander leaves.
8. Now the chicken should be cooked, please check with the fork, the flesh should be white from inside, if not add some water and cook till the chicken is cooked.
9. Add the drained basmati rice and 1.5 cups of water. Let it come to a boil and taste and correct the seasoning.
10. Let the rice cook in this stock till done and dry.
11. Serve hot with a few saffron strands as garnish if you like….
NITU DIDI TIP.
This recipe can be also made with mixed vegetables and meat. Meat might need a longer cooking time.
HEALTH BENEFITS OF A GOOD QUALITY PURE SAFFRON:
Saffron contains many plants derived chemical compounds that are known to have been anti-oxidant, disease preventing and health promoting properties. it is also rich in many vital vitamins, including vitamin A, folic acid, riboflavin, niacin, vitamin-C that is essential for optimum health.
HOW TO STORE SAFFRON:
Everyone will have something to say about how they store their saffron. I just store mine in the plastic box which it comes in , in the fridge. I do not soak it in hot water before using it. I just crush it slightly between my fingers or in the palm of my hand and add it to my food.

To buy Nitu Didi pure spanish saffron please go to my online store

Nitu Chugani

Posted in Chicken, Gluten Free, Ideas for meals, Indian Restaurant Dishes, Magic Bullet, Recipes with videos, Rice is Nice, Saffron | Tagged , , , , | Leave a comment

MOLTEN LAVA WHITE CHOCOLATE CAKE

WHITE CHOCOLATE MOLTEN LAVA CAKE

Finally a white chocolate molten lava cake that does turn out! Thank you so much Nestle Postres Spain for this recipe. Sometimes we  try out recipes and they do not turn out right. Well..this one did turn out right and how…imagine the white chocolate melting ..its really orgasmic…if you like white chocolate…i love it 🙂
Soo…let me explain to about the recipe… The trick is to cook the mixture so that the cake just cooks on the outside and the white chocolate inside just melts… One has to be careful about the time in the oven and also the oven temperature…the official recipe says to bake it at 240 degrees but i think i would have rather baked it at 220 degrees because it browned too sonn! I have quite a powerful oven… i guess getting the colour to be a pale golden means actually playing around with the oven temperature (each one has a different oven)
Here is the recipe:
FOR 4 SMALL CAKES
INGREDIENTS:
200 grams of white chocolate,
2 fresh farm eggs
50 grams of butter
1 heaped tablespoon of flour
30 grams of sugar
a pinch of salt
METHOD:
Heat the oven to 200 degrees.
Heat 100 grams of chopped white chocolate in the microwave  with the water and the butter till melted.
Mix the eggs with the sugar and the flour.
Add the slightly cooled melted chocolate mixture to the egg mixture and mix well.
Fill silicon cupcake mould or ramekin moulds with half the batter. Add 2 sqares of white chocolate and fill with some more batter.
Lower the oven to 220 degrees and bake for about 7 minutes. Flip over and serve.
NITU DIDI TIP:
The original recipe says to bake it at 260 degrees. My oven does not have that temperature and i did the error of baking it at 240 degrees (the maximum) and i felt they were over baked. I would suggest a slightly lower temperature. As i said before not all the recipes you read online turn out as they show… each ones experience is their own. You can also flavour these cakes with saffron and cardamom

Nitu Didi pure spanish saffron available in my online store
FOR THE VIDEO TUTORIAL:

WHICH WHITE CHOCOLATE DID I USE?

Nitu Chugani

Posted in A Piece of Cake???, Crack an egg???, Floury Matter, Recipes with videos | Tagged , , | 2 Comments

EGGLESS WHITE CHOCOLATE CUPCAKES

VALENTINE EGGLESS WHITE CHOCOLATE CAKE

This valentine why not try making some cute heart shaped cupcakes for your loved ones? In my home we love white chocolate. There  is something so lush, dreamy, creamy and smooth about white chocolate. Its pearly white appearance just seems to seduce and then the flavour of cream in white chocolate is fantabulous. I have tried making white chocolate cakes for sometime now and have failed many a time. This time also i decided to try out an experiment. I must tell you all this recipe of mine happened by chance and is not taken off any site on the internet. I actually did not expect it to turn out but what pleasantly surprised! I try to make as many “eggless” cakes and desserts possible to please my vegetarian followers. So for all of you who want to bake something nice for Valentine´s day… maybe you should try this?
INGREDIENTS FOR 6 CUPCAKES
5 heaped tablespoons of self raising flour or cake flour
1 tablespoon of sugar
100 ml of whipping cream
1 tablespoon of hot  milk
120 grams of white chocolate
3/4 teaspoon on baking powder
a pinch of salt
METHOD:
Heat the oven to 180 degrees.
Chop 20 grams of the white chocolate into small bits. Melt the remaining 100 grams of white chocolate over a double boiler with the cream till well melted. Remove off the heat and let it cool a bit. Add the salt,sugar  and the flour and mix well. Add the hot milk. Lastly add the baking powder. Mix till all is well mixed. The batter will be slightly thick. Put 1-2 tablespoons of batter in a silicon cupcake mould. Add a little bit of the chopped white chocolate and top with some more batter. Fill all the cupcake moulds this way. Put in the oven to bake for about 10-15  minutes or till done. Cool and unmould.
Which white chocolate did i use?
NITU DIDI TIP:
I did not use any flavouring for these cupcakes but you can put a few drops of essence of your choice such as : vanilla, butterscotch, orange, lemon, almond, etc etc. You can also add some ground cinnamon or cardamom to give it a different taste. You can also add some pure spanish saffron strands and rose essence to create a desi flavour!

To buy an excellent quality spanish saffron do visit my ONLINE STORE

Nitu Chugani

Posted in A Piece of Cake???, Eggless Sweet Temptations, Everything Vegetarian, Floury Matter, Jain recipes, Quick Recipes, Saffron | Tagged , , , , , , , , | 4 Comments

CHIVE CRACKERS

CHIVE CRACKERS

These salted crackers are delicious and worth the time spent making them. I usually make them in batches so i dont get tired but if you are upto it , you can make a big batch and store them in an airtight container . The chives in this gives it a unique flavour which will remind you of chinese onion cakes 🙂
INGREDIENTS:
5 heaped tablespoons of all purpose white flour (maida)
2 tablespoons of cooking oil plus more for deep frying
1 tablespoon of finely chopped chives
3/4 teaspoon of salt
1/2 teaspoon of black pepper (optional)
METHOD:
Mix the white flour with the salt , pepper and the chives then add the  oil and rub it till it resembles a breadcrumb like mixture. Add warm water little by little to make a dough. Be careful not to add too much water or else you will have a sticky dough. Knead the dough well for five minutes. Keep aside for half an hour. After that knead a bit more till the dough is really smooth. Heat the oil for deep frying. Make small balls out of the dough. Roll each ball into a really thin round. Prick it all over with a fork. Deep fry it till golden and crispy. You can also cut these crackers into shapes of your choice and then deep fry. Once cooled store into an airtight container. Serve with a cuppa masala chai, or with a spicy sauce or dip as a snack.

NITU DIDI TIP: Please fry on low medium heat so they get nice and crispy. Frying on high heat browns them quickly and then they get soft…
You can serve this with guacamole, a spicy ketchup mixed with onions or…. a yogurt dip .. here is the video for the yogurt dip 🙂

Posted in Everything Vegetarian, Floury Matter, Fusion, Low Cost, Made in China, Sauces and Chutneys, Snacks, Veg Starters, Vegan | Tagged , , , , , , | 10 Comments