BREAD SAMOSAS

Posted on November 21, 2011 by nituchugani

Sometimes we have the craving for a lovely hot crispy samosa but we dont want to go through all the effort making it!! Well bread samosas are the perfect solution for one of those kind of days. You can use any vegetable, meat or the typical potato and pea filling. I am dedicating this recipe to the bread company “BIMBO” in Spain because they sent me a lovely hamper of their products to try out and i made these bread samosas out of their lovely sliced bread and dedicated it to them. Thank you soo much BIMBO SPAIN…your products are a class apart.
Ok now some people bake their bread samosas but i deep fried mine so they were crispy tho i did find them oily…if you have an electric sandwich maker you can pop yours in those too.
POTATO AND PEAS FILLING
1 cup boiled, peeled potatoes cut into cubes
1/2 cup of boiled shelled green peas
1/4 cup of finely chopped onion
juice of lime to taste
roast and grind together 1/2 t4easpoon each of Nitu Didi cumin seeds and fennel seeds
1 teaspoon of  Nitu Didi coriander powder
green chillies and chopped coriander leaves to taste
a pinch of turmeric powder
salt to taste
bread slices
oil to deep fry
METHOD:
Mix the potatoes with the peas and all the spices , green chillies , coriander leaves, lemon juice and keep aside. Take a slice of bread and wet your palms. Put a bit of the potatopeas mixture on one corner of the bread and fold it to shape into a triangle. Press the edges together with your palms. Since they are wet they will help you to bind the triangle together. Press well so that when you deep fry it the edges wont open out.  Use up all the filling in the same way and then heat the oil and deep fry the triangles till golden brown. Drain on absorbent paper and then serve with sauce of your choice
NITU DIDI TIP: You can also toast these in the oven… brush them with a bit of butter and put them into a baking tray and bake them till nice and toasted

 

Posted in Everything Vegetarian, Veg Starters, Vegan | Tagged , , , | 4 Comments

EGGLESS CHOCOLATE PUDDING

Posted on November 20, 2011 by nituchugani

This chocolate pudding is verry popular in spain (known as tarta de galletas) but i have given this recipe my very own twist. My chocolate cream is soo good you can freeze it and it will taste like ice cream! You can also use it for pie fillings and cheese cake. I made it “eggless” for all my vegetarian followers. Its easy to make and delicious tho its a bit heavy on the calories. You can also flavor it with rum or baileys….
INGREDIENTS:
1 packet of marie (or similar) biscuits… say 200 grams or more
300 grams of cream cheese, at room temperature
250 ml of whipping cream, chilled
350 grams of condensed milk (or more if you like it sweeter)
200 grams of bitter chocolate
a dash of milk
and liquer of your choice
a few drops of vanilla esence
a small sprinkle of cinnamon powder
METHOD:
mix the cream cheese with the vanilla essence, cinnamon and the condensed milk. Taste it..it should be verry sweet. Beat the chilled cream till its nice and frothy and then add it to the cream cheese mixture CAREFULLY. Melt the chocolate in a double boiler with a dash of milk and when its a little cooled at it to the cream mixture. Add the liquer of your choice if you want. Line a dish with a layer of biscuits and then spread this chocolate cream over it and go on layering till  you finish up both the biscuits and the cream ending with a layer of cream. Cover and refrigerate for a few hours. Cut it up and eat it…its just too delicious!!
NITU DIDI VARIATIONS: you can add some powdered nuts to the mixture. You can avoid the liquer and flavor it with some coffee for a mocha pudding. For those who dont like chocolate you can omit it totally and flavour it the way you like it

 

Posted in Eggless Sweet Temptations, Everything Vegetarian | Tagged , , | 2 Comments

HOME MADE PIZZA

Posted on November 18, 2011 by nituchugani

By the amazing request of all of you i am putting up the recipe of my home made pizza from scratch. I make many types of pizza dough… using dry yeast or simply baking powder and kneading it with water or yogurt or milk or a combination of all 3!! I have learnt the secret to a good dough is kneading it and leaving it to rest. Franky all the doughs i make turn out soft, flaky and crispy so i guess the oven temperature has an important part to play too! I also make naan bread out of this recipe
PIZZA DOUGH:
1 envelope of dry yeast OR 1 envelope of baking powder (yeast is 7 grams…baking powder is 15-16 grams)
2 teaspoons of sugar
4 tablespoons of olive oil or melted butter
1 teaspoon of salt
350 gramos of white flour
1/2 cup of warm water
warm milk or yogurt or even water to knead the dough…yogurt should be room temperature
METHOD:
put the yeast (or baking powder) in a bowl with the sugar and the salt and pour the warm water on it and leave it to get active /frothy for a few minutes. Its easier to work with baking powder than yeast because if the water is too warm the yeast wont get frothy and you have to restart.
Add the rest of the ingredients and make a dough. Knead well for a few minutes and then keep it covered in a warm place( i keep it in the sun) for a few hours till it rises… (yeast will cause the dough to double in size… baking powder makes it rise less..but the effect is the same)
FOR THE SAUCE:
I just use tomato paste combined with tomato ketchup and chilli sauce(optional) and to this i add dried oregano, garlic powder.
TO ASSEMBLE:
Roll the risen dough into a round or a square and then smear it with tomato sauce. Add grated cheese of your choice ( i use a mixture of emmental, cheddar, edam and mozarella)
Now i add whichever ingredients i want to add such as: finely sliced onions, capsicums, fresh mushrooms, canned artichoke, ham, black or green olives, etc. In this pic ihave added onions, mushrooms, black olives and ham…. I have also added indian spices to the tomato sauce to create a “masala pizza”…it tastes awesome… Put it in a preheated oven at 200 degrees and bake til its done.
NITU DIDI TIP: you can drizzle some olive oil over it to give it that real italiano look…
you can roll the dough thicker for a deep pan pizza effect or thin …its actually upto choice…Please remember if using baking powder the dough wont be verry pizza like but its quite good in taste. Many a times when using dry yeast it has failed to rise because of the temperature of the water..thats something which one has to work ones way out
I do hope this recipe has been helpful to you :):) Please feel free to ask me questions and ill do my best to answer them.

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EGG BREAD

Posted on November 17, 2011 by nituchugani

Have some sliced bread which has been lying for a few days too many in your pantry??? Or want a quick light dinner or a nice sunday brunch???? This “egg bread” as i call it  (which is like a french toast) is just the perfect dish!! My father used to love it and i have grown up with seeing him eat this for a light sunday dinner. The ingredients can be mixed and matched acording to taste but what i have realised is that soaking the bread in the egg mixture gives better results as in a softer  bread and it also disguises the taste of the bread which suits me fine 🙂
INGREDIENTS:
1 slice of bread, you can either leave the sides on or trim it
1 egg beaten very well
a tablespoon each of  chopped onion, capsicum, tomato, coriander leaves, green chillies
salt to taste
METHOD:
mix the egg with the chopped ingredients and soak the slice of bread in this egg mixture for 5 minutes and then turn around carefully and soak for another 5 minutes. Heat some cooking oil in a frying pan and then when hot put the bread slice carefully in using a slotted spoon (be careful or else it will break) and cook on low flame till one side is cooked and then flip over and cook on the other side.  I press it slightly while i cook it …serve it hot with tomato ketchup or sweet chilli sauce…its yummy!!!!!!!

Posted in Crack an egg??? | Tagged , , | 2 Comments

DAAL VADA (LENTIL CAKES)

Posted on November 16, 2011 by nituchugani

This is a wholesome snack packed with protein for all my vegetarian followers out there. It is egglesss and perfect for vegans too. I have given a different twist to this snack using different kinds of lentils so its perfect for those who have a little of each kind of lentil in their pantry and dont know what to do with it!! You can also omit one of two of the lentils or use the ones you have at hand!!
INGREDIENTS:
1 small measurement each of the following lentils : green soya beans(green mung daal), yellow split pea lentils (channa daal), yellow mung daal beans (mung daal),tuvar daal (yello pigeon peas) and urad daal (white lentils) soaked in water for 6 hours
1 small piece ginger, like say 1 inch
2 cloves of garlic or less
4 green chillies or less
a handful of fresh coriander leaves
1 teaspoon of Nitu Didi cumin seeds
1/4 teaspoon of Nitu Didi turmeric powder
salt to taste
Oil for deep frying
METHOD:
drain all the soaked lentils and grind them in a blender with as little water as possible together with the ginger, garlic, green chillies and coriander leaves.
Add the spices and salt to taste and leave the batter for about  2 hours at room temperature to ferment.
Heat the oil in a deep fryer and now to shape the vadas: wet your palms a bit with water and take a bit of the lentil paste and shape it into a ball and then flatten it carefully. Make a hole with your finger and slide carefully into the oil without burning yourself. If you find this difficult just use the spoon to scoop spoonfuls of the batter and put into the oil and deep fry till golden brown and crispy. Serve with chutney of your choice. I served them with sweet and sour onions. Chop onions and add salt and sweet and sour sauce to them and  let them rest for about 2 hours in the fridge so the flavours blend.

Posted in Everything Vegetarian, Gluten Free, Lentils, Veg Starters, Vegan | Tagged , , , | 7 Comments

EGGLESS SAFFRON BUNDT CAKE

Posted on November 15, 2011 by nituchugani

Today is international bundt cake day and i was told by my dearest Helena to make and publish the recipe of a bundt cake on this very day!!
Bundt cakes have their name because of their shape. You can actually use any cake mix you wish or try and create new flavours like i have done!
so do try out this recipe and let me know….
INGREDIENTS:
2 cups of white yoghurt (250 grams)
1.5 cups of sugar
1 teaspoon of soda bicarbonate
2.5 teaspoons of baking powder
3/4 cup of vegetable oil
a pinch of salt
a good pinch of Nitu Didi pure spanish saffron
a good pinch of Nitu Didi powdered cardamom powder
1/4 teaspoon of rose essence or vanilla
2.5 cups of white flour, sieved twice
3-4 tablespoons of hot boiling milk
METHOD:
heat the oven to 200 degrees while you make the cake batter. Beat the yogurt with the sugar and add the soda bicarb and the baking powder and allow it to rest for about 3 minutes till its nice n frothy. Add in the Nitu Didi pure spanish saffron and the cardamom powder and vanilla and add the oil and mix well. Add the white flour slowly and lastly fold in the boiling milk. Lower the oven to 180 degrees and pour the batter into a pregreased and floured bundt tin or any baking pan of your choice and bake till done.
This is double the recipe to fit a bundt tin but you can also bake half of it.
FROSTING
100 grams of whipped cream
100 grams of cream cheese
50 grams or more of sugar to taste
rose essence
yellow food color or color of your choice
mix the cream cheese with the sugar and the essence of your choice and then add the coloring you desire. Taste for sweetness and then fold in the whipped cream slowly, Using a spatula fold over the cooled cake

To buy Nitu Didi saffron

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

KHEEMA MATTAR (INDIAN STYLE MINCED MEAT WITH PEAS)

Posted on November 14, 2011 by nituchugani

This is a perfect sure shot way to make indian style minced meat. You can use the meat of your choice but always remember it has to be fresh and finely minced to get that typical indian taste and appearance. If using ground turkey or chicken do remember not to use the breast part as that tends to get very dry. Minced chicken leg meat turns out nice and juicy. You can also use this recipe to fill samosas(just dont add any liquid so its nice and dry) or even for pies!!

500 grams minced meat

1 cup of frozen green peas thawed

3 big brown onions chopped fine
1 tablespoon ginger garlic paste
2 bay leaves, Nitu Didi
1 tablespoon Nitu Didi garam masala powder
1 tablespoon Nitu Didi coriander powder
4-5 green chillies chopped fine (optional)
red chilli powder to taste
2 big red tomatoes, chopped fine
a little tomato paste ( optional) i did not put and salt to taste and coriander leaves

 

METHOD:

heat about 6-8 tablespoons of oil in a good pan and when heated put ur bay leaves and the chopped onions. let the onions brown well. when nearly browned add the ginger garlic paste and brown it all. then add ur minced meat and sautee mixing well so no lumps r formed. brown the meat well and then add the chopped tomatoes and the green chillies and all the spices and salt to taste.  Cook till tomatoes r mashed and then add the  green peas and some water to make the gravy.
The amount of water depends on the constitency u want , if u want it more like a curry add more water and if u want it dry add less. can also be used as a samosa filling. or filling for puff pastry.

NITU DIDI TIP: to brown onions faster do not add any salt to the onions untill they are browned, this hastens up the browning and cuts time. For a lovely different flavor you can add some of Nitu Didis cardamom powder and also a few chopped mint leaves

 

 

 

 

Posted in Indian Restaurant Dishes, Lets eat Meat!! | Tagged , , , , | Leave a comment

STIR FRIED UDON NOODLES WITH YAKISOBA SAUCE

Posted on November 13, 2011 by nituchugani

This picture and recipe was sent to me by my dear Paco Herrero who is an avid follower of my cooking. He took the trouble to write out the recipe in spanish for me and also send me a pic. He uses japanese yakisoba sauce for this dish…If you cant get yakisoba sauce i shall tell you how to make it (ive just researched it on the internet….so it might not be that authentic.
INGREDIENTS:
200 grams udon noodles (if you dont get you can use rameen noodles)
chicken strips marinated in ginger garlic and a bit of soya sauce (optional)
vegetables of you choice like shredded cabbage, chopped asparagus, carrots , bell peppers (capsicum) etc
a few shitake mushrooms soaked in hot water for 30 minutes or till soft
a pinch of salt and white pepper and a pinch of sesame seeds
cooking oil to stir fry
yakisoba sauce
METHOD:
heat the oil in a wok and stir fry the marinated chicken strips and keep aside when done (do not over cook ) then in the same wok add the vegetables acording to cooking time and stir fry till just about done. Add the sesame seeds and the seasoning and  add the udon noodles (soften them in hot water to loosen them) . Add the shitake mushrooms and also a bit of the water they were soaked in. Lastly add in the yakisoba sauce and serve hot!
YAKISOBA SAUCE. it is a japanese stir fry sauce available in most asian supermarkets. If you cant get it just combine some light soya sauce, some rice wine, some rice vinegar and sugar…mix till well dissolved.
Thank you soo much Paco !!!

NITU DIDI TIP: this recipe can be made pure vegetarian also

Posted in Floury Matter, Fusion, Made in China, Pasta | Tagged , , | 4 Comments

CHINESE STYLE ONION CAKES

Posted on November 12, 2011 by nituchugani

Chinese onion cakes
These delicious pure vegetarian cakes are a delight in most chinese restaurants in Hongkong and China. I dont think there are many restaurants in Spain that serve them …if anyone does know of any do let me know… They are excellent to serve in a party as a starter or even in your main meal instead of rice or noodles…
I am writing down the ingredients you need but since they need a bit of art to make i will give you the link of the video on youtube so you can watch it and then get the knack of making them!!
Do enjoy and as i say kneading a dough is soo anti stressful!!
INGREDIENTS:
white flour, washed towed dried and finely chopped spring onions, salt, cooking oil, a splash of sesame oil (mix both the oils together)

knead a dough out of the white flour and the water with a nice big pinch of salt and  knead it for at least 5-6 minutes so you get a nice elastic smooth dough. Make the dough into small balls and roll into a thin round. Spread a bit of the mixed oils on the round and then sprinkle with finely chopped spring onions. Roll it into a roll and seal the edges. Then fold it into a spiral and flatten it and roll it out again. Deep fry it on medium heat till golden brown and please watch the video to understand it better.

METHOD ON VIDEO:

can be also made in this shape

SPRING ONION CAKES

To make it this shape just roll the dough into a round, spread the spring onions over it and then roll it up , press slightly and bring the edges together and seal…It will resemble a round ring..Deep fry them and then cut into half…

Nitu Chugani©

Posted in A Piece of Cake???, Everything Vegetarian, Floury Matter, Fusion, Low Cost, Made in China, Recipes with videos, Tupperware Food, Veg Starters, Vegan | Tagged , , | 2 Comments

LYCHEE AND CORN SALAD

Posted on November 11, 2011 by nituchugani

A lovely sweet and sour salad to please the whole family. I have tried to make it as complete as in my choice of ingredients except for nuts and cheese. I wanted to keep this salad light and falvorful with a very different kind of sweet n sour dressing .
INGREDIENTS:
1 can of lychees, drained and reserve 4 tablepoons of the syrup
1/2 cup of corn kernels
a fewcherry tomatoes
1 avocado
1 cucumber
Olives of your choice
Coriander leaves
DRESSING:
4 tablespoons of lychee syrup
3 tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil
salt to taste
1 tablespoon of lemon juice
METHOD:
Stuff the cornkernels into the cavity of the lychees carefully. Cut all the other vegetables and arrange them on a platter . To prevent the avocado from discolouring sprinkle some salt and lemon juice on it. Mix the ingredients for the dressing and pour it on top of the salad!!
Here you have the most amazing salad!!
Healthy and nutritious!!!

Posted in Everything Vegetarian, Gluten Free, Healthy Options, Salads, Veg Starters, Vegan | Tagged , , , | 1 Comment