Monday, February 25, 2013

Welcome Uthra - my new partner in crime :)

Hi guys,
I am so happy that uthra decided to come on board as my co-blogger for this site. I have known her for let's seeee :) wayyyy too many years and I'm excited about her deciding to blog here.
-Kanch

Tawa Pulao


This recipe was taken from a blog called Chef In You.(http://chefinyou.com/)

Ingredients:
1. Onions - 1, cut into small pieces.
2. Tomatoes -  4, cut into small pieces.
3. Peas - 1 cup (I used the frozen one)
4. Red and green bell pepper - 1/2 each. (if you do not have red you can just use 1 green bell pepper), cut   into small pieces.
5. Ginger - grated
6. Garlic - 2 cloves (chopped fine)
7. Green chilies - 2 (chopped fine)
7. Cumin seeds, Fennel seeds
8. Turmeric powder - 1 tsp, Red chili powder - 1 tsp (for some extra spice; optional); Paav bhaji masala (I used the sanjeev kapoor's masala) - 1 spoon
7. Butter and oil
8. Salt to taste
9. Cilantro for garnishing.
10. Cooked rice - 2 cups.

Method:
1. In a pan heat some butter and oil.
2. Add the fennel and cumin seeds.
3. When it starts to sizzle, saute the green chilies, garlic and ginger for 2 mins.
4. Add the onions and saute till they become transparent.
5. Add the tomatoes and saute till they become a little mushy.
6. Add bell peppers and saute for 2 mins. Add a little water and cook till the raw smell for the mixture disappears.
7. Add turmeric and paav bhaji masala powder and salt.
8. When all this comes together , add the rice and peas.
9. Mix well and garnish with cilantro and serve hot.

I think this goes well with onion raita and potato chips. I sauteed the onions in oil before adding the yogurt since I don't like the taste of raw onions.




Trail-mix oat bars

Hi all,
Yesterday I baked the walnut-dates cake (again!!!!) but this time from a different recipe.
While I was baking that it stuck me that I could something else with the "dates paste." Something marginally healthier than the cake and this bar was born.

Ingredients
Oats (Quaker Quick) - 4 cups
Dates - 20
Raisins - 1/2 cup
Cranberries - 1/4 cup
Walnuts -  chopped 1/4 cup
Almonds - chopped 1/4 cup
Dark chocolate chips + Butter scotch chips - 2/3rds cup
Water - 3/4 cup
Method
1) Cook the water, dates, raisins  in the microwave for 2 min and then let it sit for about 3-4 minutes and grind to a fine paste
2) Toast the chopped walnuts and almonds in a 400 degree oven until golden brown
3) Toast the oats in a 400 degree oven for about 5 minutes
4) Mix all the ingredients in a bowl.
5) Pat it down into a 9 inch square pan. Make sure that it is tightly packed.
6) Bake in a 350 degree oven for about 10 minutes (or until the top looks golden brown)

PS: The key is to make sure that the pan is tightly packed and so modify the measurements depending on the pan size.

Pictures...Sorry, I forgot to take pictures when it was in the pan