nitu didi

UPMA WITH VEGGIES KUMAR STYLE :)

Posted on January 24, 2013 by nituchugani

Today the men rule on cooking with nitu 🙂 Another lovely recipe sent to me by Kumar Sadhwani from Pune. Upma is a popular breakfast or quick snack in many homes. I personally dont make it as in my house no one eats it so i am so grateful for this recipe.

INGREDIENTS:

250 grams semolina, a carrot diced finely, a large onion diced fine, two green chillies finely chopped, two tbsp of mustard seeds, curry leaves few, 2 tsp. garlic crushed and chopped fine. Turmeric pinch and raisins (optional for both)

METHOD:

Splutter the mustard seeds in hot oil then add the garlic until slightly fragrant. Add the onion and curry leaves along with the green chillies followed by the carrot. Sauté for a while then add the semolina and cook for a while to remove the rawness of the semolina. Add the peas, salt and a touch of turmeric (optional) and some raisins (again optional but ma loves raisins in upma.) add three cups of water and bring to boil while stirring. Cook on a lower heat covered until the liquid is absorbed. Garnish w roasted cashews and coriander.

Thank you so much Kumar 🙂

Posted in Breakfast, Everything Vegetarian, Healthy Options, Ideas for meals, Low Cost, Veg Starters, Vegan | Tagged breakfast, eggless, healthy, semolina, vegetables, vegetarian | Leave a comment

VEGETABLE CURRY STEVIE N ADAM STYLE

Posted on January 24, 2013 by nituchugani

With great pleasure and pride i am posting a recipe sent to me by my followers and students Adam Simmons and Stevie Mitchell. They have been very active on my facebook page, encouraging me with their comments and lavish with their praise. Today they sent me this pic and recipe of a lovely curry which they made and have termed “Indo-Thai”. I am copying the recipe they have written to me which so much of love and style! Big hug to you both 🙂

About 2 tbsps sunflower oil in the wok, added a coarsely chopped white onion with a little salt followed by a tbsp of Nigella seeds.

I sweated the onions & nigella seeds until the onion was translucent and added about an inch of grated ginger.

I let the ginger cook in, then added a heaped tsp of pimienta cayena (guindilla molida, or red chilli powder) the same of curry powder and turmeric and let this combine in the wok until it became an aromatic paste.

We had chopped and part-cooked the vegetables, I first added the green beans and mixed in, followed by the carrots, sweet potatoes, red cabbage and potatoes until all were covered with the paste.

After this I added one tin of coconut milk, allowed to come to the boil and then turned down the heat and let it simmer for about 20 minutes.

It was yummy and had quite a kick! Obviously one would use less of the cayenne if less spice wanted

FOR JAIN RECIPE: Please omit the onion and ginger and proceed.

Enjoy xx

Posted in Everything Vegetarian, Fusion, Gluten Free, Healthy Options, Ideas for meals, Indochinese, Jain recipes, Low Cost, Quick Recipes, Spices, Vegan | 2 Comments

SPICED CHICKPEAS (CHOLA MASALA)

Posted on January 23, 2013 by nituchugani

Chola Masala or Spiced chick peas (garbanzos) is a very popular dish in many desi households and on many restaurant menucards. This is usually served with pooris (deep fried flatbread) or bathura ( another type of deep fried bread made with a fermented dough) or even naans. Actually you can eat these tasty cholas with anything! If you choose to use preboiled canned or bottled cholas this dish can be cooked in no time. If using dried garbanzo beans (cholas) you just need to soak them over night and then boil them in plenty of water till soft.
INGREDIENTS:
1 cup of cooked cholas/chickpeas/garbanzos
1 onion chopped fine
1 tablespoon of grated ginger
1 tomato chopped
Salt to taste
1 tablespoon of chana masla mix (see HERE )
1/2 teaspoon of red chilli powder if you want it spicy
a pinch of garam masala (to be added at the end)
2 tablespoons of cooking oil or olive oil
2 tablespoons of chopped coriander leaves plus more for garnish
1/4 cup of water
METHOD:
Heat the oil in a pan and then add the chopped onions and cook till the onions start to change color. Add the ginger and cook for a further 15 seconds. Add the chana masala mix and cook for a few seconds and then add the chopped tomato and salt. Cook till the tomatoes are mashed well. Add the cooked/boiled cholas (garbanzos/chickpeas) and cook with the water till it all comes to a boil and starts to thicken. What i do is i smash some of the chickpeas with the spoon so that the gravy gets flavoured with it. Add the chopped coriander leaves and some red chilli powder if you like it extra spicy. Once your cholas are nice and thick take it off the heat and sprinkle with garam masala. Serve garnished with coriander leaves and chopped onions.
NITU DIDI TIP:
I always make this dish a day before because i feel it always tastes better the next day. The cholas seem to absorb all the flavours of the spices if kept for at least a day.

WHAT IF YOU CANT GET CHANNA MASALA?

If you cant get channa masala i suggest you combine the following in small quantities : coriander seeds, bay leaf, black pepper, fenugreek leaves, mint. dry ginger, cumin, mace and black salt.,..roast and grind all the whole spices and then add the dry ginger powder and black salt and some dry mango powder
HEALTH BENEFITS OF CHICKPEAS/GARBANZOS/CHOLAS
It is high in fibre and this helps keep you satisfied ! chickpeas in your diet each day can help lower LDL (bad) cholesterol levels, which reduces the risk of heart disease. Its also a good source of protein.

Nitu Chugani

Posted in Everything Vegetarian, Gluten Free, Healthy Options, Indian Restaurant Dishes, Nitu´s Spicy Delights, Quick Recipes, Spices, Tupperware Food, Veg Starters, Vegan | Tagged chickpeas, chola. garbanzos, eggless, gluten free, masala, spicy, Vegan, vegetarian | Leave a comment

SPANISH SANTIAGO CAKE (GLUTEN FREE ALMOND CAKE)

Posted on January 22, 2013 by nituchugani

This cake has its origins from the Middle Ages and originates from Galicia in Spain. It is called “tarta de santiago” in spanish and in english St. James cake because of its design of the Saint James Cross. Its a simple no fuss gluten free cake which is easy to make. It is usually flavoured with lemon, orange rinds and cinnamon…but it can be also flavoured with a tinge of spanish saffron as a twist. If in Spain you will see this cake available in so many supermarkets and if you have eaten this cake in spain and want to know how to make it once back home , look no further! Its very easy to make and has no fancy frosting , so if you find baking and decorating cakes daunting maybe you should try to make this one? If you are entertaining this makes a lovely dessert served with some icecream or a simple custard. A cross is cut out of paper and placed on the cake after is has been baked. The cake is then sprinkled with icing or powdered sugar. The cross is then removed and that is the way the original santiago cake is.
INGREDIENTS:
250 grams of finely ground almonds, its important you use finely ground almonds
250 grams of sugar
5 large farm fresh eggs
1 tablespoon of orange or lemon rind or half half
1/2 teaspoon of ground cinnamon
1 tablespoon of powdered sugar to sprinkle ontop (you can grind the sugar in the blender…i used my magic bullet)
1 tiny knob of butter to grease the baking pan
a few strands of Nitu Didi Spanish saffron (if making the saffron flavoured one)
METHOD:
Heat the oven to 175 degrees. Greast a 22 cm cake tin with the knob of butter. Beat the eggs with the flavouring of your choice (if choosing the original flavours : orange and lemon rind with the ground cinnamon) or the saffron. Mix the sugar with the ground almonds and then add it to the beaten eggs and give it a good stir. Put it into the oven and bake for about 45-50 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean. Cool and remove from the pan. Place the paper cut cross on the cake and then sprinkle with powdered sugar or icing sugar. Remove the cross carefully. Below i shall show the image of the cake how its sold in Spain.
NITU DIDI TIP:
This cake does not have any rising agent and so is quite dense in texture. It is also quite sweet so be sure to serve small portions!
HEALTH BENEFITS OF SAFFRON
Saffron is taken in small amounts daily for overall wellness. It helps counter depression and insomia. Saffron is considered as a blood purifier. It also lowers cholesterol. To buy a good quality spanish saffron at a reasonable price do message me 🙂
THIS IS THE ORIGINAL SANTIAGO CAKE AVAILABLE IN SHOPS

Nitu Chugani©

Posted in A Piece of Cake???, Crack an egg???, Fusion, Gluten Free, Magic Bullet, Quick Recipes, Spanish Tapas | 4 Comments

SCRAMBLED EGGS DESI STYLE (ANDA BURJI)

Posted on January 21, 2013 by nituchugani

Eggs are so versatile ! Omlette them, poach them, hard boil, soft boil, fritata, scramble, steam…so many ways to serve !
They are a good source of protein , specially the whites. If you have to be careful of your cholesterol count you can just use egg whites instead of the whole egg. The yolks can be used in cakes, crepes etc. I am not a breakfast person so i usually have my eggs for a light dinner or a brunch. This recipe is a popular desi way of scrambling eggs. It is spicy (the heat in this recipe depends on you) and very satisfying keeping hunger pangs away!
When i had posted this pic on facebook a week ago i was flooded with comments asking me for the recipe and even comments from people about how their egg burji never looked so good ! Well… read and follow the recipe and i am sure your burji will turn out as good,if not better 🙂
INGREDIENTS FOR TWO
2 large fresh farm eggs, slightly beaten
1 white onion, chopped fine
1 teaspoon of grated ginger
2 green chillies chopped fine
1 red tomato chopped fine
2 curry leaves
1/4 cup of chopped coriander leaves
1/2 teaspoon each of turmeric powder, coriander powder, cumin powder and garam masala (optional)
4 tablespoons of olive oil, cooking oil or butter (this depends on your taste)
METHOD:
Heat the oil in a good quality frying pan ( i used my ceramic pan) and once heated add the ginger and let it sautee for a few seconds taking care not to burn. As soon as it starts changing color add the chopped onions and some salt (like half a teasoon) and let the onions soften and turn a slight brown. Once slightly browned add the tomatoes, curry leaves and green chillies. Cook till tomatoes are mashed up. Once its all mashed up and you can see the oil separating add the spices and cook for another fifteen seconds. Then add the eggs and cook till the eggs are cooked (now this is where normally one would take off the heat and serve ) . What i do is that i cook it till the whole mixture is dried and the eggs start to stick to the pan. This is my Nitu touch. I then take it off the heat and serve it.
This can be eaten with roti, parathas, naan, sliced bread of your choice, baguette etc. If you do not like to cook your eggs for so long you can also cook them till they are just done.
NITU DIDI TIP:
You can make this even more nourising by adding finely chopped vegetables such as courgette(zuchini/turai), mushrooms, red and green peppers to it. Add these vegetables after the onions have browned slightly and proceed with the recipe. I like my eggs very spicy so thats why you see all the chopped green chillies , thats totally optional. You can also omit the spices if you dont want a desi flavour.
HEALTH BENEFITS OF EATING EGGS?
Eggs are a great source of protein. Numerous vitamins, including vitamin A, potassium and many B vitamins like folic acid, choline and biotin, are also packed into this oval-shaped staple . In fact, very few foods share the same diverse nutrient makeup available in a single egg.

Nitu Chugani

Posted in Breakfast, Crack an egg???, Fusion, Gluten Free, Healthy Options, Ideas for meals, Indian Restaurant Dishes, Low Cost, Nitu´s Spicy Delights, Quick Recipes | Tagged breakfast, breakfast. brunch, burji, eggs, healthy, light, quick | Leave a comment

TAWA PRAWNS (PAN FRIED PRAWNS)

Posted on January 20, 2013 by nituchugani

These prawns are easy, quick, and need not too many ingredients. Its perfect to serve with a daal or a vegetable curry or even as a starter. They are so flavourful that they dont even need any dip or chutney to go with it ! Here is my little secret (shhh…don´t tell anyone please :P) I had some marinated prawns in the fridge and did not know what to do with them as i was too lazy , so this recipe is the outcome!!
Sometimes the most delicious food takes just minutes to make and the minium of ingredients…another example is spanish style garlic prawns (gambas al ajillo)….
So…lets grill some prawns????
INGREDIENTS:
250 grams of shelled prawns, deveined and with the end of the shell on ( that is if you are shelling the prawns, if using already shelled or frozen ones it will not have the end on which is ok
1 tablespoon each of ginger juice and white wine ( for my halaal followers please omit the wine)
a tiny pinch of salt to taste and some red chilli powder if you want it salt
2-3 tablespoons of good spanish olive oil
a good sprinkle of tava masala (what is this?)
METHOD:
Marinate the cleaned prawns in the ginger juice and wine with the salt and red chilli powder for at least an hour. I marinated it overnight. Next day heat the olive oil in a good non stick grill or frying pan ( i used my ceramic pans) till heated and then add the prawns one by one without overlapping them. Grill on high heat for about 30 seconds and then turn and grill on the other side till just about done (overcooking them will just make them dry and tough): Remove onto a plate (or you can even serve them in the frying pan itself) and sprinkle generously with tava fry masala. Serve immediately.
NITU DIDI TIP: If you cannot find the tava masala in your city , please do not panic ! Just mix a small quantity of cumin powder, red chilli powder, mango powder, and some black salt….this is good substitute 🙂
ARE PRAWNS GOOD FOR YOU?
Prawns and shellfish are also worth including in your diet because like fish, they are rich in omega 3 fatty acids, which are thought to promote a healthy heart. So if have cut shellfish out of your diet to reduce your cholesterol intake, you might want to think again.

My follower Kumar Sadhwani made this and sent me the pic…he did not use the ready made tava spice mix….he sprinkled it with the other option

Nitu Chugani

Posted in Gluten Free, Healthy Options, Indian Restaurant Dishes, Nitu´s Spicy Delights, Quick Recipes, Something's Fishy | Tagged grilled, healthy, oliveoil, prawns | 4 Comments

SPINACH BALLS WITH CHEESE FILLING IN GRAVY

Posted on January 20, 2013 by nituchugani

A lovely recipe sent to me by Seema Hussain from Jeddah. Thank you soo much Seema..big hug!!

INGREDIENTS

spinach leaves 1/2 k.g, methi leaves (fenugeek leaves)and soya leaves 100 gms. 3 tbsp besan(gram flour) roasted,1 tbsp corn flour salt and chili powder to taste,1 tsp ginger garlic paste 1 tsp green chilli paste 1/2 tsp garam masala powder, paneer mashed for filling.
FOR GRAVY: 250 gms of tomatoes in paste form, 1 tbsp ginger garlic paste, 2 tbsp onion paste, 1 tsp garam masala powder chili powder and salt to taste, oil for cooking and frying koftas, 1/2 kasoori methi powder, 1/2 tsp haldi(turmeric powder)
METHOD: boil all green leaves in boiling water for 2 minutes. cool, and squeeze out as much water from the leaves as possible and mash. now add garam masala powder ,besan (gram flour),corn flour, ginger garlic paste, green chili paste salt and chili powder.divide mixture into portion. form balls by rolling each portion between the palms (filling mashed paneer into the balls) now deep fry the balls on low heat.keep aside.
GRAVY: heat 2 tbsp oil in wok,add onion paste,ginger garlic paste , brown. now add tomatoes paste, haldi (turmeric powder) ,chili paste salt .fry for another 8-10 minutes. add garam masala powder,kasoori methi powder and cook for a while, add 100 ml of water and simmer. before serving add koftas to the gravy and simmer for a few minutes.kofta curry is ready….serve hot.( you can add 2 tbsp of fresh cream also for rich gravy)

NITU DIDI TIP: If you dont get soya leaves you can use fresh coriander leaves instead..this has been gracefully told to me by Seema 🙂 This recipe looks awesome, cant wait to try it out 🙂 Once again thank you so much Seema dearest 🙂 You can also stuff it with grated tofu… for a healtier option

FOR JAIN RECIPE : Omit the ginger and garlic and proceed 🙂

Posted in Everything Vegetarian, Gluten Free, Ideas for meals, Indian Restaurant Dishes, Jain recipes, Paneer, Spices | Tagged balls, cheese, eggless, glutenfree, jain, koftas, paneer, spinach, vegetable | Leave a comment

CAULIFLOWER MASALA

Posted on January 19, 2013 by nituchugani

Cauliflower ? Love it or not? I like it and even have it boiled when i decide to go on a diet which just lasts a day 😛 Cauliflower is low in calories and packed with vitamins..some find that it causes them wind or uneasiness …well that happens but if you like it and want to make it a desi way… please be my guest 🙂 In India some people deep fry the cauliflower and then add it to the prepared masala (gravy), i do not…but i shall give the option to do so 🙂
INGREDIENTS:
2 cups of cauliflower florets, cut and rinsed well
1 cup of onions, chopped fine
1 tablespoon each of chopped ginger and garlic
6 curry leaves, chopped
1/2 cup of chopped fresh tomatoes
green chillies and coriander leaves
1/2 teaspoon each of turmeric, coriander powder, cumin powder, garam masala
3/4 teaspoon salt or to taste
4 tablespoons of olive oil or cooking oil
METHOD:
Heat the oil in a wok or a non stick frying pan ( i use my ceramic pan) and then sautee the chopped garlic till slightly brown and then add the ginger and sautee for a few seconds (please do not burn, else you will need to restart the whole process): Once slightly golden add the chopped onions, curry leaves and sautee with the salt till the onions are transparent. Once that is done, add the chopped tomato and the spices and cook till the tomatoes are mushy. Add the cauliflower florets and the chopped green chillies and cover and cook on low heat till the cauliflower is soft but yet crunchy. There is no need to add any water. Once the florets are cooked just add the chopped coriander leaves and serve.
HEALTH BENEFITS OF CAULIFLOWER:
1 cup of boiled cauliflower can already give you 55 mg of vitamin C. Aside from these antioxidants.

FOR JAIN RECIPE: Omit the ginger , garlic and onions, Heat the oil and add some asafoetida, some cumin seeds and then proceed

For Nitu Didi home made garam masala

Nitu Chugani©

Posted in Gluten Free, Healthy Options, Ideas for meals, Indian Restaurant Dishes, Jain recipes, Low Cost, Quick Recipes, Spices, Veg Starters, Vegan | Tagged cauliflower, eggless, glutenfree, jain, spices, spicy, Vegan, vegetable, vegetarian | 4 Comments

EGGLESS MICROWAVE CHOCOLATE CAKE IN A MUG

Posted on January 18, 2013 by nituchugani

This is a much soughted out recipe and great for a chocolate craving . It has to be eaten immediately as it tends to get a bit hard and dry if kept. I have an eggless and a version with egg and shall give you both the options. Please make sure the mug you use is microwavable and that the batter is just fills one third of the mug (this cake tends to rise and rise!!). Please do not use any plastic mugs . I am not in favor of cooking in the microwave , and keep on getting requests for micro recipes. Frankly I would rather bake my cake in the oven.

INGREDIENTS:

4 tablespoons of all purpose white flour (maida)

3 tablespoons of sugar

1 tablespoon of cocoa powder

A pinch of salt and a dash of lemon juice

¼ teaspoon of baking powder OR 1 egg

3-5 tablespoons of milk (or 1 tablespoon if using egg), or lactose free milk, soya milk, etc

METHOD:

I used my amazing bullet to make the batter. I put all the ingredients into the blender and pulsed it till all blended together.

I put the mixture into a mug and microwaved it for 2 minuts on full power. It cooked in those 2 minutes. If yours remains uncooked after 2 minutes (that varies from microwave to microwave), cook it for about 15-20 seconds more or till cooked. This should be eaten as soon as its cooled or else it gets hard. If it gets hard, don’t panic or throw it away, make cake pops out of it or put it into custard!

HEALTH BENEFITS OF CHOCOLATE?

Posted in A Piece of Cake???, Eggless Sweet Temptations, Everything Vegetarian, Floury Matter, Low Cost, Magic Bullet, Quick Recipes | Tagged Microwave recipes | 4 Comments

SPAGHETTI CARBONARA TIKKA

Posted on January 17, 2013 by nituchugani

This recipe is a must for all spaghetti and tandoori lovers! Now you can have a fusion of your favorite spaghetti recipe with chicken tikka! This recipe can be made with left over chicken tikka if you have any. I made it from scratch and it hardly took me anytime. The spaghetti can be replaced with the pasta of your choice . For a vegetarian version of this recipe : replace the chicken tikka with tofu , paneer or mushroom tikka . This dish can be frozen, or made and kept for a few days in the fridge. It can then be topped with grated cheese of your choice and popped into the oven!
I will write this recipe step by step so you can make it quickly!
INGREDIENTS:
150 grams of spaghetti
1 tablespoon of spanish olive oil + 1 tablespoon to saute the chicken
150 grams of chicken breast, cubed
3 cups of white sauce (bechamel)
1 teaspoon of Nitu Didi tandoori mix powder OR any tandoori spice powder
salt to taste
1 cup of grated emmental cheese or cheese of your choice
FOR THE WHITE SAUCE:
3 tablespoons of butter
2 tablespoons of white flour
500 ml of whole milk
salt and pepper to taste
a pinch of nutmeg
grated cheese (optional ) for a cheesy white sauce
METHOD:
Step 1: Put 4 cups of water to boil. Add a teaspoon of salt.
Step 2. While the water is boiling season the chicken breast witht he tandoori spice powder and mix well.
Step 3. Once water is boiled add the spaghetti and the spanish olive oil and let the spaghetti cook till al dente .Once cooked drain
Step 4. As the spaghetti is cooking make the white sauce by melting the butter in a pan, then add the flour and cook for half a minute on low heat so that the flour loses its raw taste and then add remove from the heat and quickly mix in the milk whisking so that no lumps are formed. Put back on heat and stir continuously till thick. Add salt, black pepper powder and a pinch of nutmeg. If you want you can also flavour it with herbs such as oregano and a bit of garlic powder. Add the grated cheese and mix well. This is your white sauce (bechamel).
Step 4: Heat some olive oil in a pan and add the chicken and sautee on high heat till just about done, taking care not to overcook
Step 5: Preheat the oven to 200.
Step 6. Mix the spaghetti with the white sauce, adding some grated cheese if you like into it. Add the chicken with the chicken drippings and mix well. Pour into the baking dish and top with grated cheese and put into the oven till bubbling and cheese is melted and golden brown.
NITU DIDI TIP:
To make this gluten free you can use gluten free pasta or rice noodles. You can also use skimmed milk and low fat cheese if you are counting calories.
To make this vegetarian just substitute the chicken for tofu, paneer, mushrooms, seitan etc,
To freeze this dish just put the dish into an aluminium foil tray, cover and freeze. To cook just remove from the freezer, defrost for a couple of hours and put into a preheated oven.
WHICH SPAGHETTI DID I USE?