HUMMUS AND HOME MADE TAHINI

Posted on June 25, 2012 by nituchugani

Hummus is the ultimate vegetarian dip in all senses of the word. Right from being nutritious and low calorie its a dieters delight! The chickpeans contain protein and then theres garlic, lemon juice and the tahini which is a great source of calcium and unsaturated fat. I add yogurt into mine to make it lighter in texture but that can be avoided.
I know of many who tell me they cannot buy tahini sauce where they live…or its expensive and difficult to find. Well not a problem…my tahini video tutorial will teach you that also. Tahini can be stored for months and can be made in tiny batches. I soon want to upload another middle eastern dip called baba ganoosh which also uses tahini..that way you dont have to restrict yourself to just one dish using tahini.
Frankly i eat the hummus plain or with home made pita bread or on toast. It all depends on you. This also makes the ultimate party starter for vegetarians.
So with my recipe and video tutorials you cant go wrong!!
INGREDIENTS FOR TAHINI:
200 grams toasted sesame seeds (if they are white just spread them on a tray and pop them in the oven!!!)
1/4 cup cooking oil
Put the toasted sesame seeds into a blender and pulse till its powdered. Add the cooking oil a bit by bit till its a thick paste. I used a just about a quarter of a cup.
Store in an air tight container in the fridge till needed.
HUMMUS:
500 grams of boiled and drained chickpeas (garbanzos, chole) i used a ready boiled supermarket one
3 cloves (less if you dont like it too strong) of garlic
juice of one juicy lime
100 grams of plain natural yogurt….vegans can omit this please or even the lactose intolerant
1/2 teaspoon of salt or to taste
2 tablespoons of tahini sauce
paprika or cumin powder to sprinkle on the top
extra virgin pure spanish olive oil to splash on top
In a blender add the garbanzo beans, the garlic, and lime juice… pulse and then add the yogurt and salt. Blend once more.
Remove into a bowl and add the tahini sauce.
your yummy hummus is ready to be served
Serve with a sprinkle of paprika and  a splash of pure spanish olive oil

To buy Bravo Magic Bullet please contact me 🙂
Happy cooking!!

Posted in Everything Vegetarian, Gluten Free, Healthy Options, Low Cost, Recipes with videos, Sauces and Chutneys, Veg Starters, Vegan | Tagged , , , , | 1 Comment

FROZEN JELLY SLUSH

Posted on June 20, 2012 by nituchugani

Its soo hot in some parts of the world and a time for icecreams and frozen treats!!!
I used to always love to freeze my jelly when i was a kid i dont know why… it seemed to taste soo much better!!!
This is a very simple recipe… so please dont make fun of me 🙂 Its just an idea and a different way to serve up jelly on a hot day!!!
Please choose the jelly flavor of your choice…i have used strawberry jelly here
The freezing process takes away some of the sugar from the jelly so you can add some more extra sugar if you wish…i did not 🙂
INGREDIENTS:
1 pack of jelly of your choice
water
2 tablespoons of sugar (optional)
METHOD:
make up the jelly acording to the instructions on the packet.
Cool and when cool put into the freezer and freeze till frozen,
TO SERVE:
Keep the jelly out of the freezer for about 5 minutes. With a fork start scraping and fill into a ice cream cup or a glass.
Serve with a spoon!!
Here you have your delicious slushy jelly frozen treat!!

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GRAM FLOUR BALLS IN DESI SAUCE (BESAN BAAJI)

Posted on June 19, 2012 by nituchugani

 

This is one of the ultimate vegetarian recipes in sindhi and gujarati cuisine! A non gluten dish which is absolutely everyones favorite.
I havent met anyone til today who does not like this…be known as “besan baaji” or “gatte ki sabzi” this is very popular and thought to be complicated.
My step by step video tutorial will teach you how to make it deliciously.
For jains you can omit the onions , ginger and garlic and make a tomato based gravy instead.
Gram flour is excellent for diabetics as it contains no wheat and is also good for those who have an allergy to wheat.
You can also try boiling these balls instead of deep frying them ( i know of some who do that)
I am sure you will enjoy making and eating this.
INGREDIENTS for the balls:
10 tablespoons of gram flour
4 tablespoons of oil
1 tablespoon each of chopped green coriander leaves and dry fenugreek leaves (kasuri methi)
1 teaspoon each of cumin (jeera) and carom (ajwain) and salt
red chilli powder to taste
1/4 teaspoon of turmeric powder
water for the dough
METHOD:
add the oil and spices to the gram flour and make into a nice soft pliable dough. Use a little more oil to get out all the dough sticking to your fingers,
Keep covered for an hour and then make into small balls.
Deep fry them on medium heat till nice and golden brown
Nitu Didi Tip : you can make more of these balls and freeze them
FOR THE GRAVY:
2 onions chopped fine
1 smal piece ginger, chopped fine
3-4 pieces of garlic chopped fine
few green chillies
1 teaspoon of salt
1/2 cup of tomato paste
1 tablespoon of Nitu Didi garam masala
3 tablespoons of oil
chopped coriander leaves
METHOD:
in a pan add the onions, ginger garlic and chillies and cook till browned. Add a cup of water and cook till mushy.
Add salt… add the tomato paste and the garam masala and cook well.
Add the chopped coriander leaves and 2 cups of water and bring to a boil
Add the fried gram flour balls and cook till the balls soften and gravy is thick

Posted in Everything Vegetarian, Gluten Free, Indian Restaurant Dishes, Nitu´s Spicy Delights, Vegan | Tagged , , , , | Leave a comment

MUMBAI PAV BHAAJI BY DIPA

Posted on June 18, 2012 by nituchugani

I want to thank Dipa Motwani from Malaga who is always sending me her tried and tested recipes with the pics.
Pav Bhaaji is a popular street side dish in Mumbai. Its vegetarian and basically consists of veggies stir fried with a spice called “pav bhaaji masala” and serve with loads and loads of butter, onion salad and buttered buns. The whole fun of eating this is all that butter oozing from the vegetables. Dipa has made it with olive oil to be healthy but you can use butter if you want to get the real Mumbai taste !! You can make it with an array of vegetables like potatoes, peas, cauliflower, onions and capsicum…. just follow dipas recipe and blanch the peas, cauliflower and potates.

Very easy dish !!
INGREDIENTES:
1 kilo onions chopped
300 grams of skinned chopped tomatoes
1 kilo boiled patotes
2 tablespoons ginger garlic paste
Pinch of asafoetida(hing)
1 green chillies
1/2 kilo red tomates
Lots of coriander
salt to taste .
Juice of 1 lime
1.5 tablespoons of everest pau bhaaji masala
3 tablespoons of olive oil or butter
half a glass of water ….
bread buns which you heat in a pan with lots and lots of butter
Method :-
Peel the patotes and grate   or mash them .
in a pan heat the oil or butter and add the asafoetida (hing) and then the ginger garlic paste
Sautee till a little browned.Then add the onions and sautee till softened.
Add the skinned tomatoes and cook to a puree. Add salt and add the mashed potatoes/vegetables
Add the spice and half a glass of water and cook till thickned on slow flame.Add the coriander leaves and lime juice t taste.
Serve topped with lots of butter and heated buns with also lots of butter!
The onion salad served with is is bascially chopped onions with salt and lime juice
Enjoy this simple dish….very economical with few ingredients…
Lots of love from Dipa !!

 

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PUFF PASTRY PIE

Posted on June 17, 2012 by nituchugani

My daughter decided to bake something for fathers day. Shes studying for her exams so she wanted something quick and easy and delicious.
I told her  i had a box of puff pastry lying in the freezer and she said perfect!
She just used her imagination and created two lovely pies with the minimum of ingredients.
This is what you will need.
INGREDIENTS:
2 sheets of frozen or refrigerated puff pastry
a few slices of gouda cheese
some slices of ham
salami cut into rounds
tomato paste
tomato ketchup
Nitu Didi oregano leaves
grated cheese of your choice
sliced mushrooms
METHOD:
ok this is what she did…simple…she made 2 different pies…. heated the oven to 180 degrees. Placed a sheet of puff pastry in a baking tray and in one she put a layer of ham and then covered it with a layer of gouda cheese. She baked it for 30-40 minutes till golden brown and crispy. Voila…thats it!!
the second one she placed the puff pastry sheet in a baking tray and spread some tomato paste on it. Then she spread some ketchup, oregano, grated cheese and then added the sliced mushrooms and the salami…baked the same way!!
Verry easy and very delish!! Do try to make it…If you cant get puff pastry where you live then just use any pizza dough…. or my honeycomb dough without the sugar 🙂
Happy baking!!

How to make a bread dough …for this in case you dont have puff pastry…. please omit the sugar…jsut put in a pinch for the yeast to rise….

Posted in Everything Vegetarian, Floury Matter, Fusion, Low Cost, Recipes with videos | Tagged , , , | Leave a comment

CUCMBER PINEAPPLE RAITA

Posted on June 16, 2012 by nituchugani

Summertime is here !!! The best way to cool off is to have light and nourishing dishes. This raita is satisfying because of its tangy sweetish taste.
Lucious ripe pineapple gives it the needed sweetness and cucumbers the excellent crunch and subtle flavor.
I simply love raitas…and each time look for different vegetables to put into them.
The mint in this is soo refreshing too. One buys mint and wonders what to do with it…well one can make the mint and coriander chutney and then also use some in this raita.
This raita is also excellent as a dip with crackers…soo many ideas for just one dish..thats being versatile
I did not add any chaat masala but you can 🙂
INGREDIENTS:
2 cups of white natural yogurt…you can use low fat
1 cup of diced cucumbers
1 cup of diced pineapple
salt to taste
METHOD:
Mix the yogurt with all the ingredients except the mint leaves. If you want you can also add chaat masala and chilli powder to taste.
Garnish with the mint leaves and refrigerate till you eat it.
Delicious and cooling !!!!!

Posted in Everything Vegetarian, Gluten Free, Healthy Options, NO OIL RECIPES, Sauces and Chutneys | Tagged , , | Leave a comment

SWEET N CHILLI EGGPLANT

Posted on June 15, 2012 by nituchugani

This recipe has been inspired by a recipe i came across on the internet and it triggered a lot of memories of my days in Hong Kong.
Many who are vegetarians simply love this eggplant recipe. The restaurant version is oily and floating in sauce…Mine turned out quite nice and non oily,
If you like more sauce all you need to do is add some more sauce…
INGREDIENTS:
500 grams of eggplant (aubergine/brinjals)
cut into nice thick cubes or you can use the baby ones and cut into rounds
2 tablespoons of oil
3 cloves of minced garlic or more if you like more
1 inch piece ginger , minced
1/4 cup of tomato paste
2 tablespoons of chilli sauce or more or less (please use a nice chinese chilli sauce)
2 tablespoons of lemon juice
2 tablespoons of sugar
a dash of light soya sauce
1/4 cup of water
salt if necessary, i did not add
METHOD:
In a frying pan heat the oil well. Add the eggplant and stir fry on a high fire till browned. Add the ginger garlic and cook further. Add all the sauces and mix well. Add the water and cook till the water has dried up and the eggplant is cooked through. If its still hard add more water. If you need more sauce and more of the sauces . Taste and correct seasoning and serve hot with white rice

Posted in Everything Vegetarian, Gluten Free, Healthy Options, Low Cost, Made in China, Nitu´s Spicy Delights, Vegan | Tagged , , , | 2 Comments

SESAME CHICKEN

Posted on June 15, 2012 by nituchugani

I was given a bottle of strong spanish cooking sherry by my dear friend Paco Herrero to try and to create a recipe.
I thought and thought and thought and then finally came up with this easy recipe.
For all my dear halaal followers sherry can be substituted with a white grape juice ok??? and dont add any sugar 🙂
If you have sweet sherry then you might need to lessen the amount of sugar….Most recipes are always changed to suit ones palate..dont you feel?
So…. do try this…And Paco…this is for you… te hago mucho caso !! (translated….see i do listen to you!!!)
And for all of you who have waited for this on facebook…thank you for your patience 🙂
INGREDIENTS:
350 grams of chicken breast cubed
Marinade:
1 tablespoon of sherry..OR white grape juice
1 tablespoon of grated ginger
1 teaspoon each of light soya sauce , dark soya sauce and sugar
1 teaspoon of sesame oil
a pinch of white pepper
1 teaspoon of cornstarch
Marinate the chicken in the above for a few hours.
1 tablespoon of toasted sesame seeds
2 tablespoons of cooking oil
1 teaspoon of sesame oil
green chillies chopped to garnish
1/4 cup of water for the sauce
METHOD:
Heat a wok with the cooking oil till very hot and then add the chicken pieces and sautee on very high fire till well seared. Add the water and let it thicken to a lovely sauce. By now your chicken must be cooked. Check it by testing a piece..it should be white in color and very tender. Check seasoning and correct . If you like it sweeter you can add more sugar. Remove from the fire. Sprinkle sesame oil and stir. Serve with sprinkled sesame seeds and garnish with chopped green chillies

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MATAR METHI PANEER(HOME MADE CHEESE WITH PEAS)

Posted on June 14, 2012 by nituchugani

A promise is a promise and i promised you all this recipe a few days ago! I know all you vegetarians always look for new dishes and appreciate my recipes.
This can be also made with tofu if you are vegan or if you are lactose allergic. The paneer(cottage cheese) can also be replaced with potatoes. The main thing is to learn how this is made.
Its an easy recipe and doesnt take time and needs very few ingredients.
INGREDIENTS:
paneer made out of 1 litre milk, cubed
1 cup of frozen peas or fresh…but not canned
1 tablespoon of ginger garlic paste
1 large red tomato, chopped
2 tablespoons of kasuri methi OR 1 cup of fresh methi chopped (methi is fenugreek leaves)
2 green chillies chopped
1 cup of chopped fresh coriander leaves
1/2 teaspoon of Nitu Didi turmeric powder
1 cup of water
4 tablespoons of oil
1 teaspoon of salt
Optional ingredient which i did not add….1/4 cup of fresh cream
METHOD:
Heat the oil in a pan and add the ginger garlic paste and sautee til slightly browned. Add the chopped tomato and let it cook till the tomato is mushy. Add the dried or fresh methi and stir well. Add the turmeric powder and the green chillies and salt. Cook till you see the oil separating taking care not to burn. Add the peas and the coriander leaves and the paneer pieces. Toss gently. Add the water and boil till the peas are soft. Add some cream before serving if you like.
Serve with rotis or naan
Delicious!!

How to make paneer

Posted in Everything Vegetarian, Indian Restaurant Dishes, Low Cost, Paneer, Recipes with videos | Tagged , , , | Leave a comment

SPECIAL MINT CHUTNEY

Posted on June 14, 2012 by nituchugani

My dads secret recipe is now all yours! My father could not eat a meal without chutney. I remember when he came to visit me i asked him to teach me how to make it and i did not even have a proper blender! He took me to buy one! Osterizer…. and it lasted me for over 15 years!!! Now i swear by my Magic Bullet…. i have said goodbye to moulinex and the likes… my Magic Bullet has been with me for over a year and i use it almost daily!! I dry grind, make my cake batter, make dosa batter, dahi vadas….. chop nuts, crush cookies…gosh i could go on and on………..
Today i made some lovely mint chutney and have been remembering my dad a lot…Papa wherever you are…i love you 🙂
Now back to the recipe! This keeps for a fortnight in the fridge.. I do not add ANY water while blending it…thats very important 🙂 So…now you can make my Papa´s lovely chutney and now realise why he was soo popular for what he used to make 🙂
INGREDIENTS:
1 cup of fresh coriander leaves, i use both leaves and stem ( waste not!!!) chopped
1/2 cup of mint leaves (for the mint , use just the leaves please)
4-5 green chillies (or to taste) chopped
3 flakes of garlic
1 tablespoon of chopped ginger
juice of 1 juicy lime
1 teaspoon of salt or to taste
2 teaspoons of sugar or to taste
1/4 teaspoon of citric acid crystals OR white vinegar (THIS IS MY SECRET INGREDIENT)
METHOD:
In your blender put the following ingredients in this order…this way you dont have to use any water to blend your chutney. Adding water makes the chutney watery, and it spoils very quickly.
Lemon juice…garlic…pulse….. ginger…pulse…. green chillies…pulse…. coriander and mint leaves bit by bit…pulsing as you add it… . By now you should have a smooth puree. Add salt and sugar. Pour into a container and add the citric acid crystals and mix well. Check and correct seasoning. Refrigerate.
The perfect chutney for your sandwiches, snacks…samosas pakoras and almost everything!!

Posted in Everything Vegetarian, Healthy Options, Indian Restaurant Dishes, Nitu´s Spicy Delights, NO OIL RECIPES, Sauces and Chutneys, Vegan | Tagged , | 5 Comments