Mango Salsa

June 21, 2014

The crunchiness of the bell peppers,onions, the mild heat of the chilly and the sweet blend of the Alphonso mangoes, mixed so well, the freshness of the Salsa was awesome. We enjoyed this very much. This is a prefect accompaniment to any dish. . Its so simple to put together and is prepared in a jiffy.

Ingredients
1 Ripe Mango ( I used Alphonso Mango) - cut into cubes
1 Bell pepper - diced into small pieces
1 Green Chilly - seeded and diced into small pieces
1 Onion - diced finely
1 Tablespoon Lemon juice
Salt to taste
Little sugar to sprinkle if your mangoes are not sweet enough
1 Tablespoon Coriander - chopped
Few mint leaves (optional)

Method

Add all the ingredients to the bowl. Cover it with a cling film and toss it well. Keep it in the fridge to cool for at least 30 minutes. This helps the flavor to blend well.

Serve with any main course meal. It looked so awesome that the 30 minutes wait was a long time for me.

Labels: Salads, Continental Cuisine, Vegan, Mango

Eggless Chocolate Mousse

June 17, 2014

Making a egg mousse is so tricky and time consuming.  So here is a quick version of a chocolate mousse.  This mousse is a favorite of all my daughter's friends. Whenever they are invited for a meal, she will ask me prepare this dessert for them.

Ingredients
400 + 100 ml Milk
2.1/2 Tablespoon Custard powder
4 Tablespoons Sugar
1 Tablespoon Agar agar powder + 1/4 cup water
200 ml Whipping cream
150 ml Chocolate ice cream
100 Grams Dark chocolate - chopped

Method
Mix the custard powder in 100 ml of cold milk well, taking care that there are no lumps and its a smooth paste.  Bring the 400 ml milk to a boil, Add sugar, when sugar melts add the custard mix and stir well till it is thick and coats back of the spoon.  Remove from heat, add the chocolate and stir till melted, keep aside.

In a another pan mix the agar agar powder and water. Place it on medium flame and bring it to a boil. when the mixture turns slightly thick remove from flame.  Add this immediately with the custard mix and mix well till incorporated.  Keep it aside to cool.  

When cooled add the whipping cream, ice cream and whip well till light and fluffy.  Fill it in individual serving bowls or glasses.  Decorate chocolate sticks.

This is an awesome dessert and easy to prepare. 

Labels: Sweets & Desserts, Continental Cuisine, Eggless

Hatch Mexico Green Chile Peppers - Stuffed in Ricotta Cheese

June 10, 2014

This is a post after a long period of time.  Sorry folks, went on long holiday to Europe.  Had a restful and enjoyable holiday. Just that I am back from the cold to the heat.

These Green chilies are distinguished by the richness and depth of flavor they achieve when they are fire roasted/ fried. They are elongated, curvaceous and come to a blunt point. Their skin is semi thick, smooth, glossy and deep lime green in color. Inside the pod is a thin white membrane with trace amount of seeds. These chilies are not pungent, but are bright, succulent, sweet, tangy and rich with flavors and aromas of pepper, smoke and are mild.

I purchased these chilies from the market when I was in Brussels. They were looking so tempting because of the color and size could not resist buying them. These were stuffed with Ricotta cheese and they tasted so..so go..o..d . My daughter's friends and roommates, when, seen these, were very apprehensive to taste. I had to assure them that they are not pungent, as they do not have spicy food and that too green chilies ! ... just out of question.

When they tasted these they just could not resist having another. They tasted so succulent, tasty. The Ricotta cheese gives an awesome taste.

In India we get some what similar green chilies, which are slightly pungent.

I think enough of description about chilies, let's go to the recipe.

Ingredients
16 Hatch Mexico Green Chile Peppers
200 Grams Ricotta Cheese
2 Tablespoon Chick Pea Flour / Besan
1/2 Teaspoon Pepper Powder
Salt to taste
Oil for frying.

Method
Wash and dry the chilies. Slit them in the center and remove the thread and seeds. Apply a pinch a salt in each one of them, keep aside.

Mix the ricotta cheese, chick pea flour, pepper powder and salt together well.  Stuff each chilli with this mixture and keep aside.  

Heat Oil in pan and fry them on medium flame till slightly brown.   Serve with rice, dal  or rotis. 

They taste so yummy do give this a try.

Lables : Starters, Vegetables, Continental Cuisine 

Vegetable Lasagna with Arrabiata Sauce

June 15, 2014

A Lasagna is instantaneous salivating, yum and mouth-watering. I have made Lasagana many times and it is always a most loved dish with all my friends.

Preparing all the layers for lasagna can be time-consuming, but if you love lasagna, it’s worth it! This lasagna dish and Chocolate Mousse was specially prepared for our Trek group get-to-gather. This dish is meatless but is full of flavor with a punch from the Arrabiata sauce and loads of cheesiness.  When you preparing this dish please do not think of calories or else you will not enjoy it.  If you are lover of cheese, please add more to enhance the taste.
Sorry friends for the delayed post.  Here is  the recipe.

Ingredients
A packet of  lasagna sheets
Arrabiata Sauce ( Red Sauce)
2 Tablespoons Italian seasoning
Mozarella /Processed Cheese

Vegetables
1 Cup Cauliflower , cut into florets- parboiled
1 Cup French beans, cut -parboiled
1 Cup Carrots, cut into cubes
1 Red Capsicum, cut into cubes
1 Yellow Capsicum,  cut into cubes
1 Green Capsicum, cut into cubes
1 Cup Sweet corn - boiled
1 Small onion, sliced
1 Tablespoon Butter / Olive oil
For the Arrabiata Sauce ( Red Sauce)
2 Tablespoons Oil
3 medium size Onions
8 flakes Garlic
200 gms Tomato puree
4 Large Tomatoes skinned & diced
Chilli powder/ Chilly flakes to taste
Salt to taste
Finely chopped coriander leaves 

Method
For the Arrabiata Sauce ( Red Sauce)

Chop two of the onions finely. Grind the third onion and garlic to a fine paste. Saute the finely chopped onions till light golden brown. Then add the onion-garlic paste and saute for two minutes. Now, add the diced tomatoes & tomato puree, required quantity of salt and chilly powder and mix well. Add some water if required, to get the right consistency. Let it boil for 5 minutes. Garnish with finely chopped coriander leaves. The Arrabita Sauce is ready.

To this sauce add all the vegetables and cook for a minute.  
Add the Italian seasoning.

Add the Sweetcorn

Give it  a quick stir.

Grease a square baking dish with oil/butter.

Pour a 3 Tablespoons of Arrabiata sauce.

Then place a sheet of lasagna on top of the sauce.

Spoon the vegetables on the top of the sheet according to layers that can be arrange in the baking dish.

Grate  cheese on top, sprinkle  Italian seasoning.
  

Then again place another sheet of lasagna and repeat the process of layering till the dish is 3/4th full.

In the last and top layer do cover it with a lasagna sheet.  Grate chesse, sprinkle Italian seasoning, decorate it with colored capsicum.  Dot it with butter.

Cover with a foil and bake at 180 degree for 35 to 40 minutes.

Serve hot.    My friends enjoyed this dish .  You too....... 
Enjoy !!!!!

Look out for the post of Chocolate Mousse.


Note:
Do fill the dish till the brim or else it will spill out will while baking.
Do boil the pasta sheets.  It's not necessary.

Lables:  Main course, Vegetables, Continental Cuisine, Jams & Sauces , Pasta & Noodles

Bhajni Chaklis

April 23, 2014

Ingredients For the Bhajani
4 cups rice
2 cups Chana dal
1 cup Urad dal
1/4 cup moong dal
1/2 cup Poha,
3 tablespoons cumin seeds

For the dough
2 cups bhajani flour
1 cup water
1 teaspoon white sesame seeds
1 teaspoon ajwain
1 teaspoon red chili powder
1/2 tsp asafoetida
2 tablespoons oil
salt to taste

Method for Bhajani flour 

Roast rice, channa dal, urad and moong dal (each item separately) till the grains turn crisp, lightly roast the poha. Do not use oil for roasting.  Also roast cumin seeds.
Grind together all the ingredients into a very fine powder.
This is 'bhajani' flour for chakli. This will last upto a year if stored in an airtight container.

Method to make chaklis

Boil the water add oil, sesame seeds, ajwain, salt, chili powder, and the bhajani flour and mix well.Knead the flour to make a soft pliable dough. Grease the chakli press with little oil and fill it with the dough. Now slowly press it and form chakli into a plate. Heat oil - drop a small pinch of dough to check if the oil temperature is right...when the dough immediately rises to the top with a sizzle then the temperature of oil is right to fry the chaklis. Drop in the chaklis 3 or 4 at a time depending on the size of the kadai slowly on low flame in and fry till golden brown. Drain on a tissue paper. Cool and store in an airtight container. These chaklis turned out crisp and these are packed for my friend who is going on a holiday abroad.


Note 

Do not add more ajwain and sesame seeds or else the chaklis will break while making. Also do not add more oil or else they will melt in oil while frying. Fry chakalis in small batches of 3 to 4 at a time to achieve crispness, else they become soggy. Replace the oil (when you see the oil becoming frothy) or they break at the time of frying. The oil should be sufficiently hot (but not at the smoking point), else chaklis soak up lots of oil and may not become crisp. Also once oil is heated enough, turn the heat to lowest setting. High heat causes them to cook on the outside, while staying uncooked from the inside, or sometimes they even burn and taste bitter.

Labels: Festival Sweets, Healthy snacks, Kids delight


Look here for Butter Chaklis