Humble Potato soup & Guacamole

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Potatoes are so versatile that you can make anything out of it and it will taste good. One of our favorite ingredient. When you add Parmesan (Parmigiano-Reggiano) cheese to this hot and creamy soup result will be always delicious :). To make it a complete meal we made guacamole with toasted baguette bread.

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Prep time: 15 mins

Cook time: 30 mins

Total time: 45 mins

Recipe type: Soup/Appetizer/Main Course

Ingredients

For Soup:

  • 2 Large potatoes diced into 1cm cubes
  • 1 Zucchini
  • 1 to 2 carrots
  • 1 celery stick
  • 1 small onion
  • 2 to 3 garlic cloves
  • 8 to 10 Basil leaves(or pbasil pesto)
  • 1 table spoon cream cheese
  • Crushed Black pepper for seasoning
  • Salt as per taste
  • 1 to 2 tea spoon oil
  • Water for boiling
  • Parmesan cheese for garnishing(optional)

For Guacamole:

  • 1 avocado
  • 1 small tomato
  • 1 small onion
  • 2 to 3 garlic cloves
  • Coriander leaves
  • Salt as per taste
  • Crushed black pepper for seasoning
  • Pinch of cumin powder(optional)
  • 1 lemon

Soup:

  1. Chop potato and zucchini in 1 cm cubes. Then finely chop carrot, onion, celery and garlic.
  2. Heat the oil in non-stick pot, add all vegetables and sauté for a minute and add salt and water and boil for 10-15 min on medium heat till all veggies get cooked.

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  1. Add milk and cream cheese and dry egg noodles. Boil for another 10 minutes. When soup starts add basil pesto or chopped fresh basil leaves. If you don’t have both use dry basil leaves.

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  1. Season with black pepper as per taste, turn off the heat.
  2. Garnish with Parmesan cheese and serve hot.

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Guacamole:

  1. Take Ripe Avocados and cut in half. Remove seed using knife and scoop out flesh with the spoon. Now mash it nicely with the help of fork.
  2. Then finely chop onion, tomato, garlic and coriander leaves.
  3. Mix well mashed avocados and chopped ingredients.
  4. Then add salt, crushed black pepper and add pinch of cumin powder.
  5. At last squeeze lemon juice and mix well. Serve guacamole with nachos or toasted baguette bread.

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Note: you can use any vegetables of your choice in soup.

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Green pigeon pea kachori (toori chya kachorya)

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On a last day of long weekend we had nothing planned and when we woke up saw that it was raining outside. While enjoying cup of tea we thought that lets eat something hot and special in the breakfast. We had some green pigeon peas in the fridge, so we decided to make Kachoris.

Generally we shallow fry Kachori but as it was raining outside we had decided to fry them up :).

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Prep time: 15 mins

Cook time: 30 mins

Total time: 45 mins

Recipe type: appetizer

Makes: 7 to 8 Kachoris

Ingredients

For stuffing:

  • 1 cup green pigeon peas
  • 4 to 5 Garlic cloves
  • Small piece of Ginger
  • 1 to 2 Green chilies(as per taste)
  • Coriander leaves
  • 1 tablespoon Coriander seeds
  • 1 teaspoon Cumin seeds
  • 1 tablespoon Fennel seeds
  • 2  tablespoon Oil
  • ½ teaspoon Mustard seeds
  • ½ teaspoon Asofoetida(hing)
  • Pinch of Turmeric powder
  • Pinch of Red chili powder
  • ½ teaspoon Garam masala
  • 1 teaspoon Coriander powder
  • 1 teaspoon Tamarind pulp
  • Salt (as per taste)
  • Oil for frying

For dough:

  • 1cup wheat flour
  • 2 table spoon oil
  • Salt
  • Water for mixing

Dough:

  1. In a mixing bowl take wheat flour, salt and oil, mix together and make dough. Knead the dough for 4-5 minutes and set aside.

Stuffing:

  1. In a mixer/grinder pot add garlic, green chili, ginger, coriander seeds, cumin seeds, fennel seeds and coriander leaves grind coarsely.
  2. Similarly make a pigeon peas paste. (make sure it is not too fine)
  3. Then heat oil in a pan, add mustard seeds when you hear mustard seeds crackling add asafoetida and spice paste. Keep frying till you see oil coming out from the mixture.(this might take upto 2 to 3 minutes)
  4. Now its time to add all dry ingredients, turmeric powder, chili powder, coriander powder, garam masala stir it for a min.
  5. Finally add pigeon peas paste, salt and tamarind paste. Mix it well and cook it for 4 to 5 minutes stirring ocassionaly.

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Kachori:

  1. Divide the dough into 8-10 equal portions. Roll it into smooth balls.
  2. Take one ball and roll it into 2-3 inch diameter circle. Place 11/2 table spoon mixture in the center.gather the edges and pinch it. Now press it with  your hands gently so that it is sealed properly.
  3. Again with your hands gently flatten it to make 3 inch diameter kachori.

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  1. Heat the oil on medium to low heat for frying. Once hot slide the kachori into oil.
  2. Fry till bottom is golden brown. If you do it right it will puff up. Then flip it and fry till it is golden brown.

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Serve Hot Kachoris with yogurt and tamarind chutney.

Note: always fry on medium to low heat to make it crispy.

We always try to use whole wheat flour you can use all purpose flour instead.

Alternatively you can shallow fry kachori instead of deep frying.

 

 

Chocolate Cupcakes

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Hello everyone after a long time I am back with a new recipe. This time me and my wife would like to share our favorite chocolate cupcakes recipe.

Its Christmas time and there are holiday festivities around here. This time we decided that we will treat our little angel with yummy cupcakes.

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Prep time 30 mins

Cook time 15 mins

Total time 45 mins

Recipe type: dessert

Serves: 6 large

9 small

Ingredients

  • ¾ th cup(100gm) All purpose flour
  • ¾ th Cup (100gm) sugar
  • ½ tea spoon baking soda
  • 3 table spoon coco powder
  • ½ cup(120ml) milk
  • ¼ cup(60ml) vegetable oil
  • ½ tea spoon apple cider vinegar
  • ¼ cup Chocolate chips

For icing

  • 160 gm unsalted butter
  • 260 gm icing sugar
  • 60 gm coco powder
  1. In a bowl sift together all-purpose flour, coco powder and baking soda .Mix all ingredients and set aside.
  2. In another mixing bowl add all wet ingredients milk, vegetable oil, apple cider vinegar and mix it well.
  3. Then add sugar, all-purpose flour mixture, mix it well with no lumps. Then add our favorite Choco chips as much you want and mix properly.
  4. Pour the mixture in cupcakes mould and bake it for 350 F for 15 mins.img_20161224_183324
  5. After 15 mins our yummy cupcakes will be ready.img_20161224_185919
  6. Then take a bowl for icing mixture add butter, icing sugar, and coco powder whisk it for 5 minutes.img_20161224_192102
  7. Pour the mixture in piping bag .use the nosel of your choice.
  8. Decorate your yummy and delicious cupcakes.

Vegetable Risotto

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I tasted Risotto first time in India in a restaurant named Spaghetti Kitchen and it blew me away with its depth of flavors. Risotto is a Italian rice dish cooked in a broth to a creamy consistency. It is one of the most common ways of cooking rice in Italy, But believe me it is not as easy as cooking any other rice. It requires a lot of patience and time to make a perfect Risotto. I am sharing recipe for Risotto with white sauce and vegetables grilled with fresh herbs.

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Prep time 15 mins
Cook time 30-40 mins
Total time 45-55 mins
Recipe type: Main course
Serves: 2
  Ingredients
  • 1 cup Arborio Risotto Rice
  • 6-7 Cups Vegetable stock
  • 1 tablespoon Butter
  • Chili flakes

For Grilled Vegetables

  • 2-3 bunches fresh Rosemary
  • 2-3 bunches thyme
  • 1/2 Yellow Bell Paper Chopped
  • 1/2 Red Bell Paper Chopped
  • 5-6 Cherry Tomatoes cut in half
  • 1 small Zucchini diced
  • Crushed Black Paper
  • 1-2 tablespoon Olive oil
  • 2 Large garlic cloves finely chopped

For White sauce:

  • 1 1/2 tablespoon wheat floor
  • 1 tablespoon butter
  • 1/4 teaspoon Salt
  • 100ml Milk
  • 2 Tablespoon Shredded Cheddar Cheese
  • Crushed Black Paper
  • Salt
  1. For Grilled vegetables put a pan on high heat, add olive oil. Add Rosemary, thyme, Zucchini, Papers. Grill for few minutes and keep tossing. Add garlic, cherry tomatoes, crushed black paper. Keep tossing for few more minutes. Transfer into a plate and set aside.                                                                                                                                    DSC_0103
  2. Take wheat floor in small non stick pan and roast it at medium heat for 2-3 min. Do not overheat because we don’t want the color to change. Add butter and mix well and add salt. Add milk and keep mixing with whisk, add shredded cheese and keep mixing with whisk and turn off the heat. Mixture will thicken slowly. Add crushed black paper. Transfer into a a bowl and set aside.                                                                                                                                  DSC_0104
  3. For Risotto put a pan on medium heat. Add Butter and Risotto Rice roast for couple of minutes. Add Salt.
  4. Add 1/2 cup vegetable stock at a time and keep stirring in once in a while till mixture dries. Repeat this procedure till rice cooks al dente (cooked to be firm to bite).                                                                                                                                                                                                                                        DSC_0106                                                                                                DSC_0107
  5. Add White sauce and half of grilled vegetables, mix well. Season with some crushed black paper, salt and Chili flakes.
  6. Serve hot and top it with remaining grilled vegetables.                                                                                                        risotto2

Appe (Pan Fried Rice Hoppers)

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This plate of hot delicious Appe makes my evening when served with coconut chutney. This one is from my wife.

These little Appe are primarily made of Rice and urad dal batter,  I have also added  more lentils to add extra nutrition to it.

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Soaking Time:  4-5 hours.
Fermenting Time:  Overnight.
Prep Time: 20 mins
Cook Time: 30 mins
Makes around 45 Appe
Recipe type: Breakfast/Snack
Serves: 4-5
Ingredients
For Batter
  • 2 cups Rice
  • 3/4 cup Urad dal
  • 3/4 cup Moong dal
  • 1/2 cup Chana dal
  • 1 teaspoon Fenugreek seeds
  • 1 teaspoon Salt

For Chutney:

  • 1/2 Cup Fresh coconut Shredded
  • 4-5 stalks of coriander with leaves
  • 1 tablespoon Cumin seeds
  • 1-2 Big Green Chili (As per taste)
  •  2 tablespoon plain Yogurt
  • Salt

For Appe mixture

  • 2 tablespoon finely cut coriander
  • 1 tablespoon crushed garlic
  • 1 teaspoon coriander powder
  • 1 teaspoon cumin powder
  • 1 tablespoon crushed green chili
  1. Soak All ingredients for batter for 4-5 hours, Finely grind to thick paste. Cover and keep aside in a warm place overnight so that it gets fermented.
  2. Grind all ingredients for Chutney in to a fine paste.
  3. Add all ingredients for Appe mixture into fermented batter.                                                                                               DSC_0082
  4. Heat the Appe mold / Appe patra / Paniyaram pan on a medium heat and grease it with a little oil.
  5. Pour spoonful of Appe mixture into each mold, cook until golden brown and turn each Appe upside down using a fork and cook the other side also.                                                                                                                                             DSC_0080 DSC_0084
  6. Serve Hot with coconut chutney.

Creamy Rotini with Fresh Oregano Pesto

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Pasta is one of my favorite food because of its versatility, so it’s easy to find fabulous recipes with very few ingredients. I have tried to make pesto out of super herb “fresh Oregano” and married it with creamy white sauce.
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Creamy Rotini with Oregano Pesto
Prep time 15 mins
Cook time 10 mins
Total time 25 mins
Recipe type: Main course
Serves: 2
 Ingredients
  • 250gm Dry Rotini Pasta
  • 3 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
  • 2 tablespoon Salt

For Pesto

  • Bunch of Fresh Oregano
  • 4-5 Large garlic cloves
  • 5-6 walnuts
  • Crushed black paper

For White sauce:

  • 1 1/2 tablespoon wheat floor
  • 1 tablespoon butter
  • 1/4 teaspoon Salt
  • 100ml Milk

Pasta

  • 1/2 Red Paper chopped
  • 1/ 2 Yellow Paper chopped
  • 1 small Zucchini chopped
  • Sun dried tomatoes chopped finely
  • Chili flakes
  1. Put Oregano leaves, garlic cloves, Walnuts and  salt in mortar. Gradually add olive oil and Pound into fine paste. Add crushed black paper.
  2. Take wheat floor in small non stick pan and roast it at medium heat for 2-3 min. Do not overheat because we don’t want the color to change. Add butter and mix well and add salt. Add milk and keep mixing with whisk, add shredded cheese and keep mixing with whisk and turn off the heat. Mixture will thicken slowly. Add crushed black paper.
  3. Bring a large saucepan of salted water to boil. Add Rotini pasta and cook for 12-15 min. Drain in colander.
  4.  Take olive oil in large pan, add papers and zucchini and grill for about 5 minutes tossing continuously, add chopped sun dries tomatoes. Add Oregano pesto, salt and mix well. Add White Sauce and Cooked pasta. Mix well and sprinkle with chili flakes and serve hot.