Hi all, I had some leftover Asparagus, hence decided to make something crispy on a rainy day. I usually don't cook with Asparagus as I am not familiar with it much. This recipe was simple and easy to make. The end result was crispy, crunchy, and light. It was a big hit with the family. Here it goes
CRISPY ASPARAGUS BITES
INGREDIENTS
CHOPPED ASPARAGUS: 1 cup ( 1 Asparagus cut into 3 pieces of the same length)
All-Purpose Flour: 1/4th Cup
Corn Starch: 2 Tbsp
Rice Flour: 2 Tbsp
Turmeric Powder: 1/4 Tsp
Red Chilli Powder: 1/2 Tsp
Jeera-Dhania Powder: 1/2 Tsp
Garam Masala: 1/4th Tsp
Ajwain seeds: 1/2 Tsp
Salt as required
Oil for frying and Sauteing
Water for batter
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| CRISPY ASPARAGUS BITES |
MAKING
Cut the Asparagus into equal length. For example, One stick of Asparagus cut into 3 pieces of equal length. In a pan, pour a tsp of oil and saute the chopped Asparagus with a little sprinkle of salt until it turns a little brown or for about 3-4 minutes. Set aside.
Now to make the batter, take a bowl, add in the flour, Corn starch, Rice Flour, Turmeric, Red Chilli powder, Jeera-Dhania powder, Garam Masala, salt, Ajwain seeds. Mix it with a little bit of water until you get a batter-like consistency.
Heat oil in a pan for frying. Once the oil is hot, dip the sauteed Asparagus into the batter and fry until golden brown and crispy. Garnish it with chopped coriander leaves and serve it hot with Chilli-Garlic Tomato sauce.
Delicious crispy Asparagus Bites are ready to eat. Crunchy, Crispy and simply delicious.
TIPS/VARIATION
The Ajwain seeds gave a distinctive aroma and flavour to the batter.
Sauteing the Asparagus made it a little soft which otherwise would have had a hard texture.
it did not drink a lot of oil and most of all it was very light and crunchy.
Hi All, it has been a time of learning, exploring my creative side. This recipe was mentioned to me by my Mumbai based Sis-in-law, I decided to make my own version of it using the ingredients I had. Usal is traditionally a Maharashtrian dish made with lentils, sprouted beans, Matki dal ( Moth beans), etc. It came out very well and was a hit with my family.
GREEN MOONG USAL
GREEN MOONG DAL: 2 cups boiled
ONION: 1 big chopped (3/4th for gravy and 1/4th for the rest)
TOMATO: 1 medium-sized, chopped
SPICES FOR GRAVY
Desiccated Coconut: 1/2 Cup
Ginger- Garlic: 1 TBSP chopped
Fennel seeds: 1 Tsp
Coriander Seeds: 1 Tsp
OTHER
Coriander leaves ( Dhania): 1/2 cup chopped
Turmeric Powder: 1/8th Tsp
Red Chilli Powder: 1/2 Tsp
Dhania-Jeera Powder: 1 Tsp
Garam Masala: 1 Tsp
Green Chilli: 1 slit
Salt as required
Oil
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| Green Moong Usal |
MAKING
Soak the Moong dal for 3-4 hours. Green Moong cooks fast hence it's not needed to soak it as long as some of the other lentils/beans. Next, pressure cook the moong with 1/2 Tsp of salt for about 2-3 whistles until the moong is well cooked ( soft when pressed). Preserve some of the Moong water to be added to the gravy when needed. Keep the Moong aside.
Now, take a pan, pour a 1-2 Tsp of oil, add in the chopped onions ( 3/4th cup), Ginger-garlic, fennel seeds, coriander seeds, saute it for a minute or two until the onions turn translucent. Add in the desiccated coconut and fry until it turns light brown. Make sure the gas is in low flame. Keep sauteing until the coconut is brown and the raw smell of the coconut is gone.
Grind this into a nice paste and set it aside.
Now take the same pan, pour a tsp of oil, add in the chopped Onions ( 1/4th cup), the slit green chilli, saute it for a minute or two before adding in the chopped tomato. Saute it again until it's well blended and cooked. Add in the gravy and saute it for a few minutes.
Next, its time for the spices. Add the Turmeric powder, Red chilli powder, Dhania-jeera powder to the above-sauteed mixture and cook for an additional 2-3 minutes. You could add the preserved Green moong water if the mixture is dried up. Finally, add in the boiled green moong to the gravy, put the required salt and Garam Masala ( 1 Tsp). Mix it all up, close the lid of the pan and allow the Usal to cook for about 3-4 minutes in low flame until all this comes together.
Switch off the gas, garnish it with freshly chopped coriander leaves ( Kothamalli/Dhania). That's it, delicious Usal is ready. Serve it hot with Roti's or Pav.
TIPS
You can make it with other beans or lentils, most use Matki ( the tan colored beans) or any other sprouted lentils/beans.
You could use some of the drained Moong water as and when needed, esp to cook the spices, and if the mixture becomes dry and starts sticking to the pan.
You could squeeze in some lemon on top before serving.
You could use ghee instead of oil for cooking
You could add in other spices like Amchur powder or any other Maharashtrian based spices to the dish.
Hi all, nothing works better than a dessert when you are down with the weather not helping. This recipe came out well. I saw it in a book but added my own twist to it with the limited ingredients I had. So here it goes
BREAD PUDDING
INGREDIENTS
Bread: about 6-8 slices white or brown cut into triangles
Ghee/ Clarified butter: 1-2 Tbsp
SUGAR SYRUP
Sugar: 3/4 cup or 1 cup if you want more sweetness
Water: 1 and 1/4th cup
Cardamom: 1/2 Tsp crushed
MILK COVERING
Milk: Evaporated or full fat: 1 cup
Mawa ( Milk powder): 1/2 cup
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| Bread Pudding |
MAKING
The whole process is divided into 3 parts. First, cut the bread slices into triangles and shallow fry them with enough ghee that layers the whole pan and the bread turns light golden brown
Next, bring sugar and water to a boil until the sugar syrup reduces to a sticky consistency, add crushed cardamom to it towards the end.
The final part requires you to boil milk and Mawa(milk powder) until it reduces and thickens(not too liquid)
Now place the fried bread slices into a shallow deep pan, pour the sugar syrup over it. Finally, pour in the milk mixture. The bread will absorb the syrup and milk mixture.
Garnish it with chopped nuts or serve it as it chilled or at room temperature. It was delicious and simple to make.
Hi all, this recipe was an instant hit with my family. I was inspired by all my sister-in-law's flurry of mouth-watering dishes that prompted me to try one as well. I made it with the limited ingredients I had. This one has more prep work but worth it.
VEGGIE MOMOS
INGREDIENTS
All-purpose flour: 1 cup
Salt: 1/8th Tsp
Baking Soda: 1/8th Tsp
Oil: 1 Tbsp
Water as required to play a dough
FILLING
Cabbage: 1/4th cup shredded
Carrot: 1/4th Cup shredded
Onion: finely chopped: 1/4th cup
Ginger: 1 Tbsp thinly sliced
Chilli-Garlic sauce: 1 Tbsp
Green Chilies: 2-3 finely chopped
Maggi masala packet: 1
Salt as required
sugar: 1/2 Tsp
Oil for sauteing
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| Veggie Momos |
MAKING
In a large bowl, place the flour, add the salt, baking soda. Mix them thoroughly without lumps. Add-in oil, mix it well. Finally, add in water little by little so as to make a dough. Make sure you keep mixing the dough, adding oil and water as required. once the dough is ready, cover it up with a moist cloth or paper towel. This enables the dough to be moist.
In a pan, add oil, add in the ginger, green chillies, onion. Saute it for a minute before adding in the Chilli-garlic sauce, saute it for a minute or two. Add in the shredded cabbage, shredded carrots. Now add the required salt, sugar, Maggi Masala packet and mix it all up and cook for an additional 2-3 minutes in low flame until everything is well mixed. Set aside to cool.
Now take the dough, beat it a bit for 5 minutes, then make medium-sized balls. Take a rolling pin and flatten the ball to make a medium circle, place the cooled off filling into the center and close the flattened dough circle using fold it back to back technique ( flower petal style). This is just like how you would fold a paratha before flattening it with a pin.
Place the momos in greased idli plates or steamer plates and place it inside a pressure cooker and allow it to steam cook for about 10 minutes after the steaming process starts.
Delicious momos are ready to eat. Serve it with Siracha sauce or chili-garlic sauce or a sweet sauce.
TIPS/VARIATIONS
Now instead of Chilli-garlic, you could add soya sauce when you are sauteing for the filling.
You could add thinly sliced green peppers and other veggies as per their availability
Make sure the dough remains moist. I covered the dough with a moist paper towel for the most part.
you could grease your hand with oil and dip your hand in the water when closing the momos, that helps.
