Tawa Pulao Recipe 

Instant, Maharashtrian, Pulao


If you like schezwan fried rice then you will love this Mumbai style tawa pulao prepared from steamed rice (or left over rice), vegetables and pav bhaji masala. It’s like a fusion of pava bhaji and a fried rice into a single dish. It is very easy to prepare and tastes simply irresistible. Follow our step by step photo recipe and learn how to make this easy vegetarian pulav at home and serve as dinner special dish.


Ingredients:
2 cups cooked Basmati Rice (long grained rice)
1/2  teaspoon Cumin Seeds
1 medium size Onion, finely chopped
1/2 tablespoon Ginger-Garlic paste
1 Green Chilli, finely chopped
1/3 cup Carrot, finely chopped
1 large Tomato, finely chopped
1/3 cup Green Peas (fresh or frozen)
1/2 tablespoons Pav bhaji Masala
1/4 teaspoon  Turmeric Powder
1/2 teaspoon  Red Chilli Powder
2 tablespoons finely chopped Coriander Leaves
Salt
1½ tablespoons Oil
Sliced onion and Lemon Slices (for garnishing)

Directions:

(1)Boil chopped carrot and green peas in salted water until tender, approx. 5-7 minutes. Drain the water and transfer them to a plate.

(2)Heat oil in a non-stick pan or kadai over medium flame. Add cumin seeds and allow them to crackle. Add finely chopped onion and sauté until onion turns light brown.

(3)Add ginger-garlic paste and green chilli; sauté for 25-30 seconds.

(4)Add chopped tomato and cook until it turns soft or until oil starts to separate, approx 2-minutes.

(5)Add boiled green peas and carrot; mix and cook for a minute.

(6)Add pav bhaji masala, turmeric powder, red chilli powder and salt.

(7)Stir and cook for a minute.

(8)Add cooked (steamed) rice.

(9)Mix gently until all ingredients are well mixed and each rice grain is evenly coated with masala.

(10)Turn off flame and transfer tawa pulao to serving dish. Garnish with chopped coriander leaves and serve with curd.

Taste:  Mild spicy taste
Serving Ideas:  Serve it with curd, papad and salad for dinner.

Dahi Puri Recipe 

Chaat and Tikki, Snacks

It’s hard to find anyone who doesn’t like to enjoy chaat! Dahi Puri Chaat is yet another member of popular Indian street chaats that is made by stuffing crispy puffed puris with boiled potatoes and topping it with a combination of sweet, sour and spicy chutneys, onion, sev and beaten curd (dahi) giving it a perfectly balanced tongue tickling taste. It is perfectly suited as a party-snack as it can be easily prepared in large quantities, ingredients can be prepared in advance, just needs assembling at the time of serving and guests can customize it to their taste. This step by step photo recipe of Dahi Puri explains how easy it is to make it at home.


Ingredients:

8 Puri (Golgappa Puri)
1/2 cup boiled and chopped Potato
1/4 cup chopped Onion
2½ tablespoons Sweet Date Tamarind Chutney
1½ tablespoons Green Chutney
1 teaspoon Garlic Chutney, optional
1/2 cup Curd, beaten
1/4 cup Sev
Coriander Leaves, for garnishing


Directions:

(1)Prepare Sweet Chutney, Green Chutney and Garlic Chutney, by following their recipes. Mix 1-teaspoon garlic chutney with 1-teaspoon water to dilute it. Keep all other ingredients ready.

(2)Gently make a hole on the top side of each golgappa puri by cracking it in the center with a spoon or index finger. Take one serving plate and arrange them on it.

(3)Fill each puri with 1-tablespoon potato and 1/2 tablespoon onion.

(4)Drizzle 1-teaspoon date tamarind chutney over potato.

(5)Drizzle 1/2 teaspoon green chutney over it.

(6)Drizzle 1/4 teaspoon garlic chutney over it.

(7)Pour 1-tablespoon curd over each puri.

(8)Sprinkle Sev over it and garnish with coriander leaves. Dahi Puri Chaat is ready for serving. Serve it immediately.


Taste: Crispy puri with tongue tickling sweet, spicy and mild sour taste
Serving Ideas: Serve it as evening snack or as party snack in the kitty party.

Pav Bhaji Recipe 

Pav Bhaji – a spicy curry of mixed vegetables (bhaji) cooked in a special blend of spices and served with soft buttered pav (bread bun shallow fried in butter), is any Indian food lover’s dream. The boiled and mashed veggies give it a smooth yet chunky texture while specially blended Pav Bhaji Masala gives it an irresistible, mouthwatering aroma and taste – serve it with a piece of buttery shallow fried bun and voila! – it’s a perfect party food that can be made in advance. It’s also the best way to make your kids eat some veggies as sometimes kids don’t like the taste of a particular veggie, but in pav bhaji they wouldn’t even notice any veggie and eat joyfully. Whether you want to entertain the guests or feed your kid, this recipe’s tips and variations will help you make best pav bhaji at home in just 40 minutes.





Ingredients:

2 medium Potatoes (approx. 1½ cups chopped)
1/2 cup Green Peas (fresh or frozen)
3/4 cup chopped Cauliflower (approx. 1/4 head of cauliflower)
1/2 cup chopped Carrot (approx. 1 medium)
1 large Onion, chopped (approx. 3/4 cup)
1 tablespoon Ginger Garlic Paste
2 medium Tomatoes, chopped (approx. 1¼ cup)
1/2 cup chopped Capsicum (approx. 1 small)
1½ teaspoons Red Chilli Powder (or less)
1/4 teaspoon Turmeric Powder
1 teaspoon Cumin-Coriander Powder, optional
1 teaspoon Readymade Pav Bhaji Masala Powder
1 teaspoon Lemon Juice
Salt to taste
2 tablespoons Oil + 2 tablespoons Butter
Butter for serving
2 tablespoons finely chopped Coriander Leaves
8 Pav Buns, for serving


Directions:

(1)Take all the vegetables listed in the ingredients. Wash them in running water and cut them into small pieces.

(2)Transfer chopped potato, cauliflower, carrot and green peas into a 2-3 liter capacity pressure cooker. Add 1/2 cup water and salt to taste.

(3)Close the pressure cooker with a lid and cook over medium flame for 2-whistles. Turn off the flame. Open the lid after pressure releases naturally; it will take around 5-7 minutes.

(4)Mash the boiled vegetables gently with potato masher or using the backside of a large spoon until little chunky texture. You can mash cooked veggies into a texture you like – with small chunks or smooth with no chunks at all. The texture of your bhaji would depend on how you mashed the veggies.

(5)Heat 2-tablespoons oil and 2-tablespoons butter together in a pan over medium flame. Add chopped onion and ginger-garlic paste. Sauté until onion turns translucent.

(6)Add chopped capsicum, chopped tomato and salt.

(7)Sauté until tomatoes and capsicum turn soft.

(8)Add 1½ teaspoons red chilli powder, 1/4 teaspoon turmeric powder, 1-teaspoon cumin-coriander powder and 1-teaspoon readymade pav bhaji masala powder.

(9)Stir and cook for a minute.

(10)Add 3/4 cup water, mix well and cook for 2-3 minutes.

(11)Add boiled and mashed vegetables and 1-teaspoon lemon juice.

(12)Mix well and cook for 4-5 minutes. Taste for the salt at this stage and add more if required. Turn off the flame. Add chopped coriander leaves and mix well. Bhaji is ready for serving.

(13)Cut the pav buns horizontally into halves. Heat tava over medium flame. Add a tablespoon of butter and place halved pav buns over it. Shallow fry both sides until light brown spots appear, it will take around 30 seconds for each side to turn light brown. Transfer to the plate. Shallow fry remaining pavs.

(14)Transfer prepared bhaji to a serving bowl and garnish with a cube of butter. Serve hot with butter roasted pav, sliced onion and lemon wedges.

Taste:  Mild spicy
Serving Ideas:  Serve bhaji with roasted pav buns, chopped onion and sliced tomato in dinner. It can be also served as a party snack.

Tomato Pasta 

Kids Friendly, Pasta, Snacks


Tomato Pasta in Red Sauce is one of the simplest and easiest pasta to make at home. In this recipe, Tomato Pasta is prepared by first cooking Penne or Fusilli Pasta to Al Dente perfection and then cooking them with homemade red tomato pasta sauce. This recipe also explains how to make Tomato Pasta Sauce from scratch using fresh tomatoes, onion, garlic, black pepper powder, olive oil and other seasonings with step by step photos and instructions.



Ingredients:
1½ cups Raw Penne Pasta or Fusilli Pasta
1 teaspoon Oil, optional
Salt to taste
Tomato Pasta Sauce (made with approx. 6 large tomatoes)
Parmesan Cheese or Feta Cheese or Mozzarella Cheese, for garnishing (optional)


Directions:

(1)Boil raw pasta according to the direction given on the package or follow the directions given below.

(2)Boil approx. 6 cups water in a large pot/pan over medium flame. Add raw pasta, 1 teaspoon oil and salt (approx. 1 teaspoon).

(3)Stir well and let them boil until pastas are al dente (cooked but not very soft). It will take around 10-12 minutes. Stir in between occasionally to prevent sticking.

(4)To check whether pasta are cooked or not, bite one pasta. If it is too hard to bite or is white in the center, it is raw and requires cooking little longer. If it is slightly firm to bite, then it means it is cooked to al dente. If you want your pasta to be very soft, cook them for 2-3 minutes more once they are al dente.

(4)Drain the water by carefully transferring the cooked pasta to large strainer (or a colander).

(5)While pasta is cooking, you can make the red pasta sauce by following this red tomato pasta sauce recipe. Add sauce in a pan and heat it over medium flame.

(6)Add cooked pasta and mix well. Cook for 2-3 minutes. Turn off the flame. Tomato Pasta is now ready. Garnish with grated Parmesan cheese or feta cheese or grated mozzarella cheese.

Taste: Mild tangy with soft texture
Serving Ideas: Serve tomato pasta for dinner. It is a perfect recipe to entertain guests during kid’s birthday parties. Pack it in the lunchbox and delight your kids.

Palak Pulao (Spinach Rice) 

Dinner, Pulao, Rice, Spinach

Palak Pulao (spinach rice) is not only an easy to prepare vegetarian rice dish but also a healthy way to get all goodness of spinach. This step by step photo recipe of palak pulao uses both spinach puree and chopped spinach for nice color, flavor and texture; The sweet corns gives it tempting look while carefully chosen cooking spices gave it an irresistible aromatic flavor and taste. With this recipe’s tips, variations and serving ideas, making palak rice pulav at home and enjoying a healthier meal is super easy.



Ingredients:
1/2 cup Long Grained rice (basmati rice)
1½ cups chopped Palak (spinach)
1/4 cup Sweet Corn Kernels (fresh or frozen)
1 small piece of Bay Leaf, optional
2-inch piece of Cinnamon
1 large Onion, thinly sliced
1½ teaspoons Ginger-Garlic Paste( or crushed)
1 Green Chili, finely chopped
Salt to taste
1/2 tablespoons Ghee
1 tablespoon Oil

Directions:

(1)Rinse rice in water for 4-5 times and then soak it in water for 15 minutes.

(2)Boil 1-cup spinach in hot water for 2 minutes. Drain the spinach using slotted spoon and transfer into the cold water. Drain again and crush with 2 tablespoons water using mixer-grinder into spinach puree.

(3)Heat ghee and oil together in a non-stick pan or heavy based pan. Add cinnamon and bay leaf in same pan and sauté for 30 seconds. Add sliced onion and sauté until onion turns light brown. Add crushed ginger-garlic and green chilli and sauté for 30-40 seconds.

(4)Add spinach puree, 1/2 cup chopped spinach and sweet corn kernels.

(5)Stir and cook it for 2-3 minutes over medium flame.

(6)Drain excess water from soaked rice and add into the cooked mixture.

(7)Mix well. Stir continuously and cook for a minute.

(8)Add 1¼ cups water and salt. Mix and bring it to boil over medium flame.

(9)When it comes to boil, reduce flame to low and cook covered over low flame for 10 minutes. Do not open the lid in between otherwise rice grain may not cook properly. Turn off flame and let it settle (keep covered) for 7-8 minutes. Now, open the lid and fluff the rice gently with fork to separate each rice grain.

(10)Transfer prepared Palak Pulao into the serving bowl, garnish with fried cashew nuts and serve.


Taste:  Mild spicy with nice spinach flavor
Serving Ideas:  Serve it hot with plain curd, yellow daal tadka or punjabi pakora kadhi. This healthy rice dish is ideal for your kid’s lunch box.

Masala Papad Recipe 

Snacks, Starters


A crispy and amazingly low calorie roasted papad topped with chopped tomato, onion, coriander and with a touch of tongue tickling hot and spicy mix of chaat masala, dry mango powder and chilli powder.
Masala Papad is an instant and easy to prepare appetizer that can also be enjoyed as an evening munch or side for drinks. This masala papad recipe uses roasted papad to keep calorie counts low but you can also use deep fried papadum to get Punjabi restaurant like taste. We bet you will need more of them because of its taste so make them in quantity.


Ingredients:
2 Raw Urad Papad (like Lijjat Papad)
1 medium Tomato
1 small Onion (or 1/4 cup finely chopped)
1 tablespoon finely chopped Coriander Leaves
1/4 teaspoon Red Chilli Powder
1/4 teaspoon Chaat Masala Powder
1/4 teaspoon Dry Mango Powder (aamchur) or 1/4 Lemon
Salt to taste


Directions:
(1)Roast papad by holding and flipping it over direct gas flame using a tong. Keep gas flame to medium to prevent it from burning. To roast it on electric stovetop, see instructions given below. To roast it in microwave oven; place it in oven, run it for 30 seconds, flip it and again roast for 30 seconds. You can also use deep fried or shallow fried papad.

(2)Cut tomato into half and remove seeds. (Tip: store those seeds in refrigerator and use them to make curry.) Finely chop the tomato and onion.
Take both papads in individual plates and sprinkle chopped tomato, chopped onion and coriander leaves over it. (See tips given below to make your own variation.)

(3)Sprinkle a pinch of each red chilli powder, chaat masala powder, dry mango powder and salt over it.

(4)Masala Papad is ready for serving. Serve it immediately for crispy and crunchy taste. It will turn soggy within few minutes because of moisture of tomato and onion, so sprinkle all the ingredients only at the time of serving.

How to Roast Papad on Electric Stove Top (without oil)

(1)Place wire mesh over stovetop and put it on medium heat. In about a minute it will become hot enough to roast the papad. Place raw papad over it.

(2)After few seconds, flip it with a tong.

(3)Flip and cook it until both sides are roasted properly.

Taste: Crispy and mild spicy
Serving Ideas: Serve it as an appetizer before meal. It can also be enjoyed as standalone snack.

Corn Tikki Recipe 

Make a delicious change to your spicy aloo tikki preparation by adding sweet corn to its preparation. This easy corn tikki recipe uses a spicy paste of sweet corn, garlic, ginger and chillies, which gives a new dimension to this famous Indian street food’s taste and texture.


Ingredients:
3/4 cup + 1/4 cup Sweet Corn Kernels, boiled
2 medium Potato, boiled, peeled and mashed
1/2 cup Dry Breadcrumbs
2 Green Chillies, deseeded and finely chopped
1/4 teaspoon grated Ginger
4-5 Garlic cloves, minced
4 tablespoons Coriander Leaves, finely chopped
1/4 teaspoon Garam Masala Powder
2 teaspoons Lemon Juice
Salt
Oil

Directions:

(1)Coarsely grind 3/4 cup boiled corn kernels, ginger, garlic and green chillies and make a corn paste.

(2)Take mashed potatoes to a large bowl. Add breadcrumbs, corn paste, 1/4 cup whole corn kernels, coriander leaves, garam masala, lemon juice and salt. Mix well.

(3)Grease palms with oil and divide mashed potato-corn mixture into 12 equal portions. Roll each portion into ball and flatten it to make round shaped 1/3 inch thick pattie.

(4)Heat non-stick frying pan (tawa) or griddle over medium flame for shallow frying. Add 2 tablespoons oil and spread it. Place 6-7 patties over it and cook over medium-low flame until bottom surface turns golden brown or for approx. 2-3 minutes.

(5)Flip them and cook another side until golden brown.

(6)Transfer prepared tikkis to a plate and shallow fry remaining patties. Corn tikkis are ready for serving. Serve them hot with tomato ketchup and assortment of chutneys.



Taste: Soft and mild spicy.
Serving Ideas: Serve shallow fried sweet corn tikki with green coriander chutney or tomato ketchup as afternoon snack. Pack them in lunch box for kids.