nitu didi

TORTILLAS FROM LEFT OVER ROTIS WITH SALAD

Posted on September 20, 2012 by nituchugani

Left over tortilla wraps or naans /rotis? Dont know what to do with them? Heres an idea …you cut them into triangles and deep fry them and then can serve them with a dip, guacamole or even a simple salsa,
I have the yogurt dip and guacamole recipes already on the blog . I also have a lovely pineapple salsa too.
I made this simple salsa…. on the spur of the moment…
INGREDIENTS FOR THE SALSA:
chopped onions
chopped tomatoes
chopped mint
chopped green chillies
chopped cucumber
chopped green capsicum
chopped coriander leaves
juice of lime
salt to taste
Combine the above ingredients in the ratio as you would like it and add salt and juice of lime and let it rest for a while.
FOR THE TORTILLA CHIPS:
I cut left over rotis and naans into triangles and deep fried them in oil over medium heat till brown and crispy.
Serve them with the salsa.
You can also use tortilla wraps or ready made nachos.
VIDEO ON HOW TO MAKE YOGURT SAUCE

Posted in Everything Vegetarian, Floury Matter, Ideas for meals, Low Cost, Quick Recipes, Salads, Sauces and Chutneys, Veg Starters | Tagged leftovers, naans, rotis, salsa, tortillas | 2 Comments

SINDHI STYLE MUTTON (LAMB) MY WORLD FAMOUS DISH

Posted on September 18, 2012 by nituchugani

This dish of mine has a small history behind it that goes back to when i was a school girl in pigtails! I schooled in Hong Kong and i used to have a friend Jyoti Daryanani who by gods grace is still my friend! Her mom Meena ran a small restaurant from home and boy could she cook. I still remember some of her famous dishes…but the one that took me by storm was her sindhi style mutton, what we call “teevarn dabroti” and she would serve it on a slice of bread. When i got married and moved to Valencia i did everything i could to create the same recipe and taste but alas! Then one day Jyoti decided to visit Spain and came to Valencia…with her mom!!!
They stayed with me for two days and i was taught that mutton i craved for. Over the years i have developed my own taste but the basic steps of the recipe remain the same. I use my own home made garam masala for this because i find no ready made garam masala can do justice to the taste.
So….do you want to learn this from me??? I am writing this recipe for a dear friend of mine who asked me for it.
Its easy and i shall guide you through it step by step.
INGREDIENTS FOR 2 (so you can have some leftovers!!)
500 grams of boneless mutton or lamb or meat of your choice, cubed and washed…i feel the best parts of lamb are the shoulder or the leg..
500 grams of chopped onions
350 grams of chopped red juicy tomatoes
2 inches of chopped ginger
10 cloves of chopped garlic
4-5 green chillies if you want it spicy
1 cup of chopped coriander leaves
FOR THE SPICES:
2 bay leaves
10 cloves
2 inches piece of cinnamon
1 heaped tablespoon of garam masala powder (Please watch my youtube video on how to make it)
2 heaped tablespoons of coriander powder
1 small pinch of Nitu Didi pure turmeric powder
1 teaspoon of ground cardamoms
1.5 teaspoons of salt
1 teaspoon of red chilli powder if you want it spicy
5 tablespoons of cooking oil
2 cups of water
METHOD:
In a pan or pressure cooker ( i used a pressure cooker because when i put the meat to cook in the pressure cooker the gravy becomes nice and smooth).Put the pan on heat and add the oil and then the bay leaves, the cloves and the cinnamon and after a few seconds add half the ginger and garlic. Let the ginger garlic cook a bit (do not burn) and then add the washed mutton and let it cook. First you will see all the juices coming out of the meat…then it will start to brown..this takes time..be patient… have a glass of wine or beer while doing this…or log onto facebook!!! Once the juices evaporate the meat will start to brown. As soon as the juices evaporate and the meat starts browning slightly add the chopped onions and the salt and the rest of the ginger garlic. Let the onions soften and then they will turn mushy and start to brown. You are doing this perfectly. When they are browned add the turmeric powder, the coriander powder , garam masala and red chilli powder if you want it hot. Give it a good stir and then add the tomatoes. Cook till they are mushy and once they are mushy add the green chillies. Once this is all done you will see your lamb getting quite soft. If using any other meat like mutton or beef you may need more cooking time. Add the water and put the cover on the pressure cooker and cook for maximum two whistles. If cooking in a normal pan add the water and cook till the meat is tender. Once the pressure cooker is cooled down open the lid carefully and taste seasoning. Add the cardamom powder and the chopped coriander leaves.
Thats it!!! Not too complicated i hope !!!
NITU DIDI TIP:
This recipe can be also made with chicken… the cooking time will be much less ofcourse
If you want you can add some cubed potatoes to this also…or some lotus root….thats really typical sindhi
My dad would add some black label scotch whisky to it while browning the meat…. you can try that too!!
If you want less gravy add less onions and also less water. This is a recipe that practice makes perfect
To see how to make my home made garam masala CLICK HERE
How to serve this:
You can eat this with rotis, with boiled basmati rice or as Aunty Meena would serve it… on a slice of bread topped with onion salad and sev…
to make onion salad: chop onions, coriander leaves and green chillies…add salt and lime and leave for a while
I hope you all enjoy my world famous sindhi mutton!! OH YES….i forgot to tell you why i gave it this name…coz wherever in the world i travel…i am asked to cook this!!!! And people have heard about my mutton… its a topic of discussion!!! Hope it can be the same with all of you…Thank you soo much Jyoti Daryanani and Aunty Meena……

My friend made it with lamb and sent me the pic !!! Thank you soo much Mr. Chadha 🙂

Posted in Gluten Free, Ideas for meals, Indian Restaurant Dishes, Lets eat Meat!!, Nitu´s Spicy Delights, Recipes with videos, Typical Sindhi Dishes | Tagged meat curry, mutton, sindhi, spicy | 20 Comments

TUNA TOASTIES

Posted on September 18, 2012 by nituchugani

Something quick and healthy to make for a change! I tend to experiment a lot in my kitchen and come up with these ideas which i love to share with all of you. I love tuna… its so versatile and easy and just out of a can! I do so many things with it…one of my favorite ways of eating tuna is making a sandwich filling or a topping for canapes.
Its easy to make, healthy and nutritious and as always you can play around with the ingredients
INGREDIENTS:
bread slices or baguette slices toasted
2 cans of tuna packed in oil drained, i say packed in oil because the tuna is moist..but you can use natural tuna also
a little chopped lettuce
a little chopped onion
1 chopped green chilli, or a little green bell pepper
a little chopped fresh coriander leaves
a little mayonnaise
black pepper to taste
a few drops of chilli sauce
METHOD:
Combine all the above ingredients and mix well . Apply it on the bread and serve immediately before it gets soggy!

NITU DIDI TIP: You can use cooked chicken instead of tuna,or just plain vegetables. You can eat this as a salad too!!

I dotted them with barbecue sauce…you can use the sauce you like 🙂
HEALTH BENEFITS OF TUNA

Research suggests that consuming canned tuna may provide a wide range of health benefits, from improving blood vessel function to boosting weight loss. Besides containing high-quality protein, selenium and potassium, canned tuna also possesses omega-3 fatty acids and B vitamins.

Posted in Healthy Options, Low Cost, Quick Recipes, Salads, Something's Fishy | 4 Comments

PANCAKES WITH BANANAS AND NUTELLA

Posted on September 17, 2012 by nituchugani

Another delicious mouth watering recipe by dear Ree Khan from Pakistan. She was not happy with the result but i think her pancakes look absolutely awesome and they are eggless!!! I feel soo happy when i create something without egg 🙂 I also try to bake and make cakes/cookies/bread dough eggless for all of you.
Thank you soo much Ree 🙂 You are an absolute sweetheart.
These pancakes can be made thicker or thinner.. Usually when they are thinner they are called crepes. Basically its how much liquid you add to the batter. If you have a lactose allergy you can always use soya milk to make the batter. If you are celiac i think you can use rice flour . Its all about trying and testing.
INGREDIENTS:
1 cup of whole wheat flour
2 tablespoons of sugar
a pinch of salt
1 tablespoon of melted butter, plus extra to grease your pan
4-5 tablespoons of milk or as needed
a pinch of baking powder
1 banana cut into round slices
nutella
METHOD:
In your blender add the whole wheat flour, salt. melted butter , baking powder and add the milk slowly and blend. The batter should be of pouring consistency…not too thin. Let the batter rest for about an hour.
Heat a non stick pan and smear it a bit with melted butter. Take a bit spoonful of the batter and put it in the pan and spread it to a round. Cook for half a minute on each side or a little more if you like it browner. Spread each pancake with nutella and then add the chopped bananas and roll. Drizzle with more nutella.
HEALTH BENEFITS OF BANANAS

Bananas are one of our best sources of potassium, an essential mineral for maintaining normal blood pressure and heart function. Since the average banana contains a whopping 467 mg of potassium and only 1 mg of sodium, a banana a day may help to prevent high blood pressure and protect against atherosclerosis.

The effectiveness of potassium-rich foods such as bananas in lowering blood pressure has been demonstrated by a number of studies. For example, researchers tracked over 40,000 American male health professionals over four years to determine the effects of diet on blood pressure. Men who ate diets higher in potassium-rich foods, as well as foods high in magnesium and cereal fiber, had a substantially reduced risk of stroke.

Posted in Crepes, Eggless Sweet Temptations, Everything Vegetarian, Floury Matter, Jain recipes, Quick Recipes | Tagged crepes, eggless, pancakes | 2 Comments

EGGLESS SEMOLINA CAKE

Posted on September 17, 2012 by nituchugani

With the coming ganesh chathurta in a few days i know my followers would like something nice and traditional tasting. I do not know how to make “modak” which is the traditional “prasad” (sweet offering) made to the deity. So i thought of something apt and yet easy for everyone to make. I have an international following and i try to please everyone.
This semolina cake is dense (like a burfee) and tastes awesome.
INGREDIENTS:
1 cup (use the same cup for measurement) of fine semolina (cream of wheat)
1 cup of white flour
1 cup of sugar
1 cup of fresh cream
a pinch of salt
1 cup of milk
1/4 teaspoon each of cinnamon powder and cardamom powder
a few strands of Nitu Didi pure spanish saffron
1 tablespoon of baking powder
1 tablespoon of rose essence
1/4 teaspoon of soda bicarbonate
METHOD:
Preheat the oven to 180 degrees
Mix the semolina with the flour, sugar, cream and milk slowly… ( i had to put in a little less than a cup so mix that in gradually). Add the pinch of salt, the saffron (Nitu Didi saffron does not need to be soaked in milk…but if you want to you can do so) Add the cinnamon and cardamom powder and the rose essence. Lastly add the baking powder and soda bicarb and mix very well till everything is smooth.
Put into a silicon mould which you have pregreased lightly and bake in the oven for about 35-40 minutes. Test it by pricking it with a toothpick, if it comes out clean its done.
This cake is dense, just like a burji….and tastes quite nice.
If you like you can add chopped nuts to the batter,raisins, chopped dates etc. In my house they dont like so i just made it the way they would eat it.
HEALTH BENEFITS OF CINNAMON

Studies have shown that just 1/2 teaspoon of cinnamon per day can lower LDL cholesterol.

Several studies suggest that cinnamon may have a regulatory effect on blood sugar, making it especially beneficial for people with Type 2 diabetes.

In some studies, cinnamon has shown an amazing ability to stop medication-resistant yeast infections.

In a study published by researchers at the U.S. Department of Agriculture in Maryland, cinnamon reduced the proliferation of leukemia and lymphoma cancer cells.

It has an anti-clotting effect on the blood.

In a study at Copenhagen University, patients given half a teaspoon of cinnamon powder combined with one tablespoon of honey every morning before breakfast had significant relief in arthritis pain after one week and could walk without pain within one month.

To buy Nitu Didi pure spanish saffron do contact me

Posted in A Piece of Cake???, Eggless Sweet Temptations, Floury Matter, Jain recipes, Quick Recipes, Saffron | Tagged cake, eggless, saffron, semolina | 6 Comments

MUNG DAL VADA (KACHORIS)

Posted on September 16, 2012 by nituchugani

This is a perfect snack to serve to your guests or just for yourself. I simply love them and they aree soo easy to make.
The tamarind chutney will this is also easy to make and can be refrigerated for months! Mine has been lying in the fridge for about 4 months and tastes as awesome as the first day itself.
INGREDIENTS:
1 cup of skinless mung dal lentils soaked in ample water overnight
a small piece of ginger
1 green chilli
a little coriander leaves
1/2 teaspoon of cumin seeds
salt to taste
oil for deep frying
METHOD:
Put the drained mung dal lentils in the blender with a few tablespoons of water and grind it into a paste with the ginger, green chilli. Make it into a smooth thick paste . Add some salt and leave it to ferment for a few hours at room temperature. Chop some coriander leaves and add to it with the cumin seeds. Heat the oil for deep frying and when hot put teaspoon fulls of the batter into the oil and deep fry till golden brown and crispy.
Drain them well and serve hot with tamarind chutney or chutney of your choice
NITU DIDI TIP:
if the oil is too cold the vadas will sink and rise gradually and then soak in a lot of oil.
A thinner batter together with some rice flour to thicken can make good “chillas” or lentil crepes
Too hot oil will brown the vadas too fast and they will remain soggy from within

For jain recipe omit the ground ginger
FOR TAMARIND CHUTNEY
soak some tamarind pulp in warm water for a couple of hours. Use a strainer to strain it and squeeze out all the pulp with your hands. Put a little water and resoak the pulp and repeat. Put the pulp to boil with a lot of sugar and salt and some chilli powder if you wish. Boil it for ten minutes. Cool and add chaat masala to it. You can now store this in your fridge for months. It should be fairly sweet and sour so do be generous with the sugar. You can also buy ready made tamarind chutney.
HEALTH BENEFITS OF YELLOW MUNG DAL

Lentils are high in fiber and protein, and low in fat. Eating lentils and other foods that are rich in soluble dietary fiber can help decrease high cholesterol. The Cleveland Clinic advises eating 20 grams to 30 grams of fiber daily and eating lentils and other legumes at least three times a week.
VIDEO ON HOW TO MAKE MUNG DAL VADAS

Posted in Everything Vegetarian, Fusion, Gluten Free, Healthy Options, Indian Restaurant Dishes, Jain recipes, Low Cost, Magic Bullet, Nitu´s Spicy Delights, Recipes with videos, Sauces and Chutneys, Veg Starters, Vegan | Tagged dal, jain, kachoris, lentils, snack, tamarind, vadas, Vegan, vegetarian | 2 Comments

LOW CALORIE CREAM OF CARROT WITH GINGER

Posted on September 14, 2012 by nituchugani

This is not my recipe. I had gone to my spanish friend Victoria Martinez´s home to learn how to decorate cookies and she had made this for lunch. I was fascinated by the simple recipe and the excellent taste. I do not like cold soups but this was something else altogether!! Really refreshing and soo delicious!! I asked her for the recipe and she smiled. It was too simple for words!!
This recipe is 100% fat free and you can have it anytime of the day..as a snack in between meals or as a part of a low calorie meal.
I did not add any oil of any sort but if you like you could serve it with a dash of olive oil, sesame oil.. a bit of soya sauce, crackers, breadsticks, some chopped cucumber or pickled onions etc…. If you are not a vegetarian then theres an option of sprinkling it with chopped ham or bacon. If you want it richer then a splash of sour cream will be lovely 🙂
INGREDIENTS for 2
250 grams of carrots
1 inch piece of ginger, or less, chopped into small pieces
1 cup of water
100 ml of yogurt, fat free ofcourse 🙂
salt to taste
METHOD:
Boil the carrots with the ginger with 1 cup of water in the pressure cooker for about 6 whistles. If boiling in a normal pan increase the amount of water. When cool puree the carrots and ginger in a blender ( i used my amazing magical bullet) with a little of the stock. Do not add too much or else it will get watery. If you want it a thinner consistency add more water. Add the yogurt and blend. Add salt to taste and refrigerate.
This might sound like a simple recipe but the taste is amazing!!
NITU DIDI TIP: If you are having a party you might like to serve this as a starter in small glasses 🙂
HEALTH BENEFITS OF GINGER:

Posted in Everything Vegetarian, Gluten Free, Healthy Options, Magic Bullet, NO OIL RECIPES, Quick Recipes, Soups-hot and cold, Veg Starters | Tagged ginger, healthy, lowcalorie, non fat, oilfree, soup | 4 Comments

CREAMY TOMATO PASTA (PURE VEGETARIAN)

Posted on September 13, 2012 by nituchugani

I know all of us like quick and easy meals sometimes. No matter who or what lifestyle, sometimes we all find ourselves short of time. I personally am always in a rush nowadays….cooking queries to answer, recipes to create and then write and then to try and dedicate time to the sales of my kitchenware…the cleaning, supermarketing.. how do we women manage it all? Sometimes i really feel we have a guardian angel there helping us and we always seem to manage dont we???
Anyways this is about a recipe right??? So here you are…as you all wanted… my creamy tomato pasta… easy… economical and with storecupboard ingredients.
INGREDIENTS:
2 bowls of cooked pasta of your choice, i used macaroni but you can use anything you like
1 tablespoon of ginger garlic paste, click here
2 tablespoons of butter or olive oil
4 tablespoons of cream cheese, i used low calorie
1 cup of tomato paste
4-5 tablepsoons of ketchup
salt to taste
capsium cut into rounds
2 green chillies chopped fine, optional and some chopped fresh coriander
METHOD:
Melt the butter in a non stick pan and take care not to burn, Add the ginger garlic paste and when it starts turning color add the pasta and all the ingredients. If you like your pasta saucy you can add more sauce by adding more cream cheese and tomato paste. If you like it spicy you can add some chilli sauce too. Cook till the pasta is bubbling with the sauce and serve immediately.
NITU DIDI TIP:
For Jain recipes please omit the ginger garlic and proceed
For the lactose intolerant use olive oil and substitute the cream cheese for lactose free cheese or pureed tofu.

You can also use herbs such as oregano, rosemary or italian seasoning..i did not
HEALTH BENEFITS OF BUTTER (YES YOU READ IT…BUTTER!!!)

Butter is rich in the most easily absorbable form of Vitamin A necessary for thyroid and adrenal health.
Contains lauric acid, important in treating fungal infections and candida.
Contains lecithin, essential for cholesterol metabolism.
Contains anti-oxidants that protect against free radical damage.
Has anti-oxidants that protect against weakening arteries.
Is a great source of Vitamins E and K.
Is a very rich source of the vital mineral selenium.
Saturated fats in butter have strong anti-tumor and anti-cancer properties.

Posted in Everything Vegetarian, Jain recipes, Low Cost, Pasta, Quick Recipes, Recipes with videos, Veg Starters | Tagged cheese, pasta, quick recipe | 7 Comments

CHEESY CHICKEN POPCORN

Posted on September 12, 2012 by nituchugani

Crispy tiny pieces of chicken in a light batter-these chicken popcorns are surely a kids delight! Perfect for a birthday party, a starter for your meals or even a snack in front of the tele… i cant think of anyone who wont enjoy these…maybe just those who keep away from deep fried foods?
There IS a way to deep fry without getting your food soaked in oil and the most important factor is the temperature of the oil. I do have a few cooking videos on youtube showing you how to deep fry. Anyways now for the recipe.
INGREDIENTS:
350 grams of cubed chicken breast
2 tablespoons of cream cheese, natural, flavored or low fat…i used natural low fat
1 tablespoon of lemon juice
1 tablespoon of ginger garlic paste
a good pinch of black pepper powder
1/4 teaspoon of salt to taste
2 tablespoons of corn starch (cornflour)
2 tablespoons of white flour
sparkling water as needed
oil for deep frying
METHOD:
Marinate the cubed chicken with the cream cheese, lemon juice, ginger garlic paste, black pepper salt over night or for at least 6-8 hours.
Heat the oil till its hot but not smoking (smoking means when the oil starts to emit a smoke, dont do that as the chicken will brown fast and remain raw from inside). You can watch my sweet n sour or lemon chicken for tips on how to deep fry properly.
Add the flour and cornflour to the chicken and add enough sparkling water little by little so that the flour coats the chicken.
Drop the chicken carefully piece by piece into the hot oil and deep fry till golden brown and crispy.
Serve with sauce of your choice. I served it with a home made mango muraba, please check the sauces and pickles category for this recipe.
This is an excellent snack!!

Posted in Chicken, Floury Matter, Ideas for meals, Low Cost, Quick Recipes | Tagged cheesey chicken, chicken, popcorn, snack | 6 Comments

FRUIT SORBET/GRANITA

Posted on September 11, 2012 by nituchugani

Granitas , sorbets and slushes are basically pureed fruit of your choice which is then frozen and then defrosted a bit and scraped into a bowl with a fork making a granita. Slushes are a bit more liquid and can be sipped. Basically its just making a fruit puree and freezing it. Lemon juice can be added, mint and ginger juice too. Its all about creating different flavors. I have recorded a video tutorial on how to make watermelon slush for you all to get an idea. Always use very ripe fruit so that you dont need to add extra sugar. In the video i have added some sugar (my daughter likes it sweet) for the watermelon slush but for the mango granita i used no sugar at all . You have to keep the granita out of the freezer for at least 20 minutes before serving. Since this contains no milk or cream its good for people who are watching their diet or are on special diets.
INGREDIENTS:
ripe fruit of your choice, examples: melon, watermelon, manoges, lychees, peaches, nectarines, strawberries, berries etc…..
METHOD:
Put the ripe peeled fruit in the blender ( i used my amazing bullet) and puree till smooth. Add sugar to taste if you wish and freeze it.
To serve:
Keep the granita out of the freezer for about 10-20 minutes til it starts to soften. Scrape with a fork for granita or an ice cream scoop and defrost a little more for a slush.
Here is the video tutorial :