STUFFED POTATO TIKKIS

Posted on January 2, 2012 by nituchugani

This is again one of my easy recipes which are delicious. We all know how to make aloo tikki but this one is a bit different , but if you do have your regular way of making it you can do so. You can stuff them with anything right from lentils, to minced meat to fresh cheese(paneer) or even nuts. I wanted to do something really different and did not know if it would turn out or not but it did!! I stuffed these with a green chutney and dessicated coconut mixture. For the green chutney recipe please go here.
INGREDIENTS:
2 cups of boiled and mashed potatoes
a little finely chopped onion
1 teaspoon of Nitu Didi cumin seeds
a pinch of ground black pepper
a little finely chopped fresh coriander
1/4 cup of breadcrumbs or more if needed
salt to taste
oil for deep frying
FOR THE FILLING
a few teaspoons of green chutney
a little dessicated coconut
METHOD:
mix the boiled potatoes with all the ingredients. The secret to a good tikki is in the combination of the potatoes with the breadcrumbs (that depends on the quality of the potatoes used) if your mixture is too soggy just add some more breadcrumbs.
Mix together the dessicated coconut with the green chutney and keep it for a while so that the coconut absorbs the moisture in the chutney. The mixture should be dry and not watery else you can not fill your tikkis with this.
TO ASSEMBLE:
Take a small portion of potato mixture in your hand and flatten it. Add a small teaspoonful of the coconut filling and shape into a ball sealing the filling in. Flatten carefully with your palm and deep fry in hot oil till crispy.
NITU DIDI TIP: i would suggest you first try frying a small ball of potato mixture to see that its perfect and does not break up while frying. If it does break up while frying add some more breadcrumbs.
For those who dont mind egg can also dip this in beaten egg and roll in breadcrumbs and then deep fry it.
Enjoy!!

Posted in Everything Vegetarian, Nitu´s Spicy Delights, Veg Starters, Vegan | Tagged , , , , | 2 Comments

SPICED STEAMED MUSSELS

Posted on January 1, 2012 by nituchugani

Mussels are an excellent source of zinc and vitamin  B12 . They look a little daunting to clean but its really simple though a little time consuming.
In Spain this is a common tapa in the bars and we get them here in a variety of sauces.. The regular way is to steam them with garlic , paprika a bay leaf n olive oil. Here i have created a different flavor which is a fusion between the spanish and an asian style  using curry powder and cumin.
HOW TO CLEAN MUSSELS : the best way to clean them is to soak them in a sinkful of water and then just scrape them with a knife one by one removing the seaweed and the sand that comes with it. I then soak it in fresh water and repeat the process as sometimes there is more seaweed attached to it. Many people just rinse it in water but i feel that doing so does not remove all the sand and seaweed and then while eating they do feel a little sandy. Once this is done they are ready to be steamed which takes no time at all!!!
INGREDIENTS:
2 kilos of mussels cleaned
1 big and juicy lime
2 cloves of garlic, chopped into big pieces
1 dried red birds eye chilli (optional)
2 bay leaves
a pinch of Nitu Didi spanish paprika
1/2 teaspoon each of Nitu Didi cumin powder and curry powder
1 tablespoon of olive oil
METHOD:
Put the cleaned mussels in a saucepan which has a tight fitting lid and add all the other ingredients. Steam it covered for about 5-6 minutes till you see that all the shells have been opened. Stir them and remove one part of the shell and place on a plate. Strain the liquid in the pot and pour over if you like. Please discard all the unopened shells as they are unfit for eating. This is a nice way to eat mussels. They can be also steamed like this and then added to any seafood curry or rice dish.

Posted in Fusion, Gluten Free, Healthy Options, Something's Fishy, Spanish Tapas | Tagged , , , | Leave a comment

ALMOND ROCA

Posted on December 29, 2011 by nituchugani

This is an all time American favourite!! I used to eat this when i was in Hong Kong and never ever imagined one day id be able to make it!! I have a video of this which i shall upload but here i am going to post the recipe step by step with the ingredients.
Its a little tricky to make the caramel but then you do have the video tutorial to follow.

INGREDIENTS:
100 grams of butter
300 grams of white sugar
300 grams of salted pounded almonds
200 grams of milk chocolate

STEP TWO
Line half the almonds in a tray (could be a baking tray or a glass one)

STEP THREE
Melt the butter and sugar in the pan till it caramalises (see pics of step three and four)

STEP FOUR
This is how it should look likeSTEP FIVE
Pour the hot caramel ontop of the crushed almonds and immediately put the chocolate pieces on it…the pieces will melt with the heat

STEP SIX
With a spatula or a butter knife spread the chocolate over the caramel and cover with the remaining almonds and press gently with the palm of your hands taking care not to burn yourself. Leave to set for about 6 hours till the chocolate hardens.

STEP SEVEN
This is how it should look. Let it set for about 6 hours and then break into pieces
VOILA!!! You have your yummmy ALMOND ROCA!!

Posted in Everything Vegetarian, Gluten Free, Step by Step | Tagged , , | 2 Comments

SPICY DESI ORIENTAL PASTA

Posted on December 28, 2011 by nituchugani

Would you believe it if i told u i made this pasta in less than 10 minutes? I made it for my husbands packed lunch and wanted to create a fusion of taste- desi and oriental!!
It came out quite well (he did not complain!!) and i decided to share it with all of you who keep on asking me for that recipe with a “difference”!!!!
INGREDIENTS:
1 cup of boiled pasta of your choice
1 cup of mixed vegetables of your choice, i used chopped spring onions, boiled peas and cabbage. you can use what you have in your fridge
1 teaspoon of ginger garlic paste
a little chopped white onion
a little of tomato paste
a little of chilli sauce
and now the secret ingredient: “a little of spicy chinese black bean sauce”!!!!
2 tablespoons of oil
METHOD:
Heat the oil in a pan and add the ginger garlic paste and sautee it for a minute and then add the chopped white onion and sautee it till the onion gets soft (shouldnt be more than another minute). Add the chopped vegetables and sautee them till soft but yet crunchy and then immediately add the pasta and all the sauces. Taste seasoning and serve. If you like you can add a bit of tomato ketchup also….i did not 🙂
NITU DIDI TIP: this can be made with noodles also and made with ingredients such as chicken, seafood or even tofu… just cook them 1st and then add the pasta and then the sauces
ENJOY!!

Posted in Everything Vegetarian, Fusion, Healthy Options, Low Cost, Nitu´s Spicy Delights, Pasta, Vegan | Tagged , , , | 4 Comments

CRISPY CHEESEY BITES (EGGLESS)

Posted on December 26, 2011 by nituchugani

LITE CHEESE PAKORAS
well theres nothing LITE about the coz they r deep fried…but using the rite technique they dont get oily.
i wil teach u how
for this u will need
1 cup grated cheese ( i use a packet blend of 2-3 diff cheeses, like say cheddar, gouda and emmental)
2 tablespoons of corn starch
2-3 tablespoons of white flour
a little onion, green chillies and grated ginger
a pinch of Nitu Didi cumin seeds
a pinch of salt
a bit of red chilli powder
SODA WATER FOR THE BATTER ( carbonated water)
oil for deep frying
mix everything for the pakoras except the soda water. heat oil in a deep fryer and when hot add the soda water to teh cheese n flour mixture and mix briskly. take spoonfuls of this batter and deep fry till golden.
the soda water prevents this dish from becoming too oily and also makes your pakoras crispy.
ENJOY!!!!!!
PLEASE NOTE
this recipe is a bit tricky coz u need to get the rite ratio of cheese to flour, if ur pakoras break when frying means u need more flour ok? and pls adjust the salt accordingly 🙂
PRACTICE MAKES PURRFECT

Posted in Everything Vegetarian, Floury Matter, Veg Starters | Tagged , | Leave a comment

LEMON CHICKEN BY KARISHMA AHUJA

Posted on December 25, 2011 by nituchugani

Once again i take extreme pleasure in sharing a recipe and pic sent to me by one of my followers . They take the trouble to write out the recipe and click and pic and then email it to me so i can put it up on my facebook page and i go a step ahead and put it on the blog so that it can be saved and sent to all my subscribers. Thank you soo much KARISHMA AHUJA from Benidorm. I havent had the time to try out your wonderful recipe yet but i am sure its lovely..If anyone does try it do write a comment about its taste 🙂

This is the shortest recipe of chicken I’ve ever seen. It’s delicious too & easy to prepare for teenagers like me & also our mothers. It takes maximum half an hour.

 

Ingredients

 

5-6 drumsticks of chicken

2 lemons

2-3 big/long green chilies

Garlic

Ginger

Salt & Pepper

1-2 teaspoons cardamom powder

Salad: 1-2 cucumbers, half a lettuce, one tomato, 1-2 green chilies, salt, pepper & vinegar.

 

Procedure

 

First we grind the green chilies, the ginger & the garlic separately & place them in 3 different bowls. Then, in a pan, we put oil (not much) & put our drumsticks in them. We add the green chillies, ginger, cardamom powder & garlic & cover the pan for 15-20 mins, depending on the temperature & also the amount of drumsticks. Meanwhile, in a glass, we squeeze 1 & a half lemon. Once we see that the chicken has got a golden, shining aspect, we add salt & pepper & later, the lemon juice; switch off the gas and let stay for 5 minutes. Then in a dish, we first pour the gravy (oil + lemon juice) & then place the drumsticks. For garnishing, we can squeeze a bit of lemon over the drumsticks & then add some parsley. The gravy has the lemon flavor so while

For the salad we cut a cucumber in dices & we do the same with the lettuce. We mix them separately in the necessary amounts of salt & pepper & add vinegar. Later we take a plate, in the centre Hill be our tomato cut in a flower shape & then we spread the lettuce & above that our layer of diced cucumbers. If we wish to, at the edges of the plate we can cut the long chillies as 2 sticks & place them.

 

The chicken & salad can be served with pan (bread) which can be dipped in the gravy.

Posted in Chicken, Gluten Free | Tagged , , | Leave a comment

STUFFED BRINJAL (AUBERGINE) VEGETARIAN VERSION

Posted on December 23, 2011 by nituchugani

This is a popular dish in Spain and very commonly made. My daughter made this on her very own !! She made 2 versions of this a vegetarian one and one with chicken. Actually you can stuff these aubergines with anything…even left overs!!! I will just guide you to the basics of making this.
INGREDIENTS:
2 plump aubergines, halved, make a few cuts on them and put them to bake in the oven till soft.
SAUCE:
1 large onion chopped fine
3 red tomatoes, skinned and chopped fine
vegetables of your choice such as capsicum (bell pepper) , mushrooms, cabbage, carrots..all finely chopped
green chillies chopped if you want it spicy
a few garlic pods
salt to taste
1 teaspoon Nitu Didi excellent oregano
4 tablespoons of olive oil
grated cheese for the topping
METHOD:
heat a pan with the olive oil and add the onions, tomatoes, chopped vegetables and seasoning and cook this till its dry and pulpy. Cool. Scoop out the flesh from the aubergines and mix with the sauce. Pack this whole mixture back into the empty aubergines and sprinkle with grated cheese. Put into a preheated oven at 200 till the cheese melts.-
NITU DIDI TIP: the sauce can be made a day ahead to save time
FOR THE CHICKEN VERSION: brown minced or small boneless chicken pieces in onion and then add the tomatoes and proceed
FOR A FISH VERSION: boil and flake fish or prawns and add to the sauce
FOR A VEGAN VERSION: omit the cheese or use vegan cheese
FOR AN INDIAN VERSION: you can use spices such as coriander and cumin powder and garam masala
FOR A CURRY VERSION: add some curry powder
FOR A CHINESE VERSION: omit the tomatoes and use soya sauce and sweet n sour sauce instead!!
I think i have run out of versions…do you have anymore??????? 🙂

Posted in Everything Vegetarian, Fusion, Gluten Free, Healthy Options, Veg Starters | Tagged , | 6 Comments

SEAFOOD PAELLA

Posted on December 22, 2011 by nituchugani

SEA FOOD PAELLA
A SPANISH DELICACY A LIL COMPLICATED TO MAKE BUT ILL TRY N SIMPLIFY IT FOR U
THIS IS NOT MY PIC…its a pic taken from a spanish restaurant by one of my followers
100 grams firm white fish ( by firm i mean a fish like monk fish..in hindi its rawas) fillets
100 grams squid, cleaned n cut
100 grams cuttle fish cleaned n cut
100 grams mussles
100 grams shells ( any kind of shells will do)
10-10 big prawns with the shell on

salt to taste, paprika and a big pinch of Nitu Didi pure spanish saffron

green peas, a handful and a bit of chopped capsicum
METHOD

in a paellla pan or similar pan ( see pic)
put abt 8-10 tablespoons of oilive oil, the oil shd spread throught the whole pan..and make half cm layer. in this u add 1 chopped onion and 5-6 flakes of garlic and sautee it, do not let the onion change color. add 2 grated tomatoes, and stir this all well.  Then you add the capsicum and the green peas and some salt  ( do not add too much as the sea food is salty) and add paprika powder ( half teaspoon) and about quarter gram of  Nitu Didi pure spanish saffron. add ur firm fish fillet and the squid and cuttle fish. fry till fish is done. add 3 cups of fish stock ( fish stalk is made by boiling prawn shells and fish heads and tails in water with a bay leaf some white wine ( 2 tablespoons) and some pepper corns. boil it for abt half hour and strain, the liquid is fish stock).
bring the fish stock to boil, check seasoning.. u mite need to add more salt and maybe some more saffron. then u add 1 cup of rice ( this is simple fat grain rice) on top of this u place ur shells and mussles ( see pic) and arrange the prawns to make a design.
let it cook without covering till rice is done and liquid has been evaporated.
PLS DISCARD ANY SHELLS THAT HAVENT OPENED UP.
PLS NOTE
if u dont get either squid or cuttle fish it doesnt matter, u can omit it n add more fish fillet.
if u dotn want shells its ok 🙂
u can peel the prawns if u dotn want it with the shell…just add them 5 minutes b4 the rice is cooked or else they will be verry hard
I HOPE I HAVE EXPLAINED THIS WELL
serve with lemon wedges ( see pic)
serve with a good white wine :P:P
OLE !!!!!!!!!

Posted in Gluten Free, Rice is Nice, Saffron, Something's Fishy, Spanish Tapas | Tagged , , , , , | Leave a comment

FATOOSH (LEBANESE SALAD WITH CROUTONS)

Posted on December 21, 2011 by nituchugani

This is a famous salad in the middle east and soo easy to make. Its pure vegetarian and vegan also. The dressing is soo simple and to save time the vegetables can be chopped in advance or even bought already chopped up. In Spain we get many types of lettuce chopped and prepacked and i have used one of these. If you dont like any of the ingredients they can be omitted but the lovely sharp tangy flavour of this salad comes from the onions and radish. The croutons can be home made and i shall give you easy options in case you are short for time!
INGREDIENTS:
2 cups of chopped iceberg lettuce or different kinds of lettuce
1/4 cup each of chopped cucumbers, bell peppers (capsicums..color of your choice), radish, red onions, cabbage
2 tablespoons of chopped parsley
1 cup of croutons, or small salted biscuits or deep fried small pieces of pita bread or cornflakes!!!
DRESSING:
juice of 1 juicy lime
1/4 cup of extra virgin pure spanish olive oil
1/2 teaspoon of sumak (lebanese spice.. TOTALLY OPTIONAL)
salt to taste
METHOD:
mix the chopped vegetables in a bowl . Mix the ingredients for the dressing and let it stand for 15 minutes. Toss the dressing into the salad and mix very well. Just before serving add the croutons /biscuits/fried pieces of pita bread and mix and serve.
NITU DIDI TIP: for best results the option to use is the fried pita bread. You just halve a pita bread and cut it into cubes and deep fry it in oil.You can also use cut up naan, roti etc. I usually make extra samosa dough and then roll it out , cut it into small pieces and fry for this salad. In the pic i have used salted bread sticks as when i made this salad i did not have anything else on hand. It turned out just as well. The original recipe calls for SUMAC…a mixed middle eastern spice but i do not use it if i dont have it.

Posted in Everything Vegetarian, Healthy Options, Low Cost, Salads, Veg Starters, Vegan | Tagged , , , | Leave a comment

GOLDEN HEARTS (VEGETARIAN) BY FAREEHA FURHAN

Posted on December 20, 2011 by nituchugani

It is my pleasure to share the recipes and pics you all send me. I feel soo happy with the input you all send me and today i am sharing a lovely vegetarian starter sent to me by FAREEHA FURHAN…its simple to make and delicious . I have edited the recipe a bit so that everyone can understand. 3 cheers to all of you who share your love , your input for me and all my followers
FOR THE FILLING:
cottage cheese/paneer(home made) 1kg
u can use ready_made,its easily available in the market
ginger garlic paste 1tsp
green onions 3-4 sliced green+white part(can use more if u like)
green chilli 2-3 finely choped
salt to taste
red chilli powder 1tsp
2 lemon juice
cumin seeds 1tbsp(i personaly love cumin so always add extra,u can use less)
coriander powder 1/2tsp
garam masala 1/2 tsp
kalonji (onion seeds also known as nigella seeds) a pinch

method:

take a mixing bowl & mix everthing together.

boiled potatoes 5 medium
salt less than u normal taste
black pepper 1/4 tsp

mash everthing together & put aside.
For coating:
egg 2 whisked
bread crumbs

first of all take small portion of mash potatoes & lay it flat on ur palm, fill in 1tsp paneer filling,carefully wrap it over into small balls.repeat the same procedure with the rest.
now dip this balls into egg wash 1st then breadcrumbs.repeat again.now shape it into hearts by pressing the ball between ur index finger & thumb ,to give it the V shape + pressing it further from the top to give it the curve on the top,making it a beautiful heart.done
Enjoy!!!
NITU DIDI TIP: to make this eggless just omit the eggs and dip the hearts in beaten milk and then roll in breadcrumbs!!
To make home made cottage cheese(paneer)

 

Posted in Everything Vegetarian, Paneer, Veg Starters | Tagged , , , | 9 Comments