Chocolate Milkshake

               Chocolate Milkshake is a simple and easy to make drink, that is one of my - and my husband's - favorites. Here is how we love to have our milkshake.

Ingredients:

• 2 cups Milk
• 1.5 tbsp Vanilla Syrup
• 2 spoons Chocolate Powder
• 3 tbsp Hershey's Chocolate Syrup
• Sugar as needed

Instructions:

• Add all the ingredients in the blender, and blend it until it is smooth
• Add some chocolate syrup in a glass.
• Pour the milkshake in the glass and serve cold.

Spinach And Corn Sandwich

      Today I felt like having something new for dinner. As usual, my husband did not give me a definite answer on what he wanted to eat, but today he provided me a black list. He did not want to have rice, potatoes, pulses etc. He wanted something light yet fancy. 

      So, I thought of making a sandwich, but a different type which is healthier and quick to make. And instantly I thought of Spinach. So here is the recipe for a Spinach and Corn Sandwich.

Ingredients:

• 3 cups of Spinach
• 1.5 cups of boiled sweet corn
• 1 Tbsp green chili paste
• 0.5 cup of finely chopped cilantro
• Salt as per taste
• 0.5 tsp Black pepper
• 4 Cheese Slices (Can also use grated mozzarella cheese)
• 8 Bread Slices
• Butter 

Instructions:

• Chop the spinach finely.
• Warm a little butter, about 1 tbsp, in a frying pan. And add some chili paste to it.
• Now add the chopped spinach, corn and cilantro to it.
• Saute it on high flame until all the water evaporates.
• Once done, add black pepper and salt as per your taste and mix it well.
• Take it off the heat. The stuffing will look something like this.

• Now, take a sliced bread, apply butter on it and spread 1 portion of the mixture evenly on it
• Keep 1 slice of cheese and cover it with another bread slice

• Apply some butter on the surface of the grill and grill the sandwich (We can use sandwich toaster or the toasting can be done on the Tawa too)
• Serve it hot with Green Chutney and/or Tomato Ketchup

             Isn't it really tempting? I know you all want to try it too. So, do try it at home and let me know how was it.

Sabudana Vada

           Sabudana Vada are fried dumplings made with Tapioca Pearls and Potatoes. They are a delicious snack, crunchy from outside and soft from inside. 

Here is a quick and simple recipe for it:

Ingredients:

• 1 cup Sabudana (Tapioca Pearls)
• 2 medium Potatoes (Boiled and Mashed)
• 1/4 cup Crushed Peanuts
• 2 tbsp Chili-Ginger Paste
• Chopped Cilantro
• 2 tbsp Lemon Juice
• Salt to taste
• Oil for frying

Instructions:

• Soak the Sabudana in enough water to cover it for about two hours.
• Then, drain off the excess water.
• Mix Sabudana, potatoes, peanuts, chili-ginger paste, cilantro, lemon juice and salt. Mix well.
• You may adjust the chili paste according to the desired spiciness.
• Make lemon sized balls and flatten them between palms of your hands.
• Heat sufficient oil in a kadai and deep fry vadas in hot oil until golden brown.
• Drain on absorbent paper. Serve hot with chutney and sauces of your choice.

Frankie

        Frankie, a very popular roadside snack in India, is one of my favorites. It is also known as Kathi Roll in other parts of India. We can also call it Indian version of Burrito, as the concept is similar, put the filing in the roti/tortilla and roll it.

Here is a quick and easy recipe:

Ingredients:

For the Roti Dough:

• 2 cups maida
• 1 tbsp Cumin seeds
• Salt to taste
• Oil for kneading
• Water

For the filing:

• Bowl of mashed Potatoes
• Chopped Onions
• Chopped Cilantro
• Green Chili Paste
• Salt to taste
• 1 tsp lemon juice
• Garam Masala (optional)

Other Ingredients:

• Chaat Masala
• Amchur Powder (Dried Mango powder)
• Shredded Cabbage
• Chopped Onions
• Butter to cook

Method:

For the dough:

• Sieve the flour
• Add the salt and cumin seeds
• Start kneading the flour, add water as required
• Make sure the dough is not too hard or too soft. It should be of medium consistency.
• Take the oil and knead the dough so that it is smooth.
• Cover with a wet cloth and keep it aside for at least 25-30 mins.
• Knead the dough and divide into smaller portions about 4-5 dough balls.
• Roll out each portion of the dough into a small round into approx 8" diameter thin circle
• Heat a tava/griddle and cook each roti lightly(half cooked) on both sides on a medium flame and keep aside.

Now lets make the filing:

• Take a medium sized bowl, add the mashed potatoes
• Add the onion, cilantro, chili paste, salt, lemon juice and garam masala
• Mix them very well.

Then:

• Heat 1/2 tsp butter on a tava/griddle. 
• Take 1/4th of the stuffing and make a ball of it, press it gently and place it on the tava.
• Cook on a medium flame, until it turns light brown in color
• Now, place one pre-made roti on the tava, using little butter till both sides are fully cooked. 
• Then, place the roti in a plate. Sprinkle chaat masala and amchur powder evenly on it
• Place the stuffing in the center of the roti  
• Top it with cabbage and chopped onions
• Roll it up tightly.
• Serve it hot with tomato ketchup

Hope you enjoy the Frankie/Kathi Roll, the famous roadside food of Mumbai. You can also be adventurous and make a different variety of filling. Frankie, in Mumbai, is available in a number of variations like Cheese Frankie, Schezwan Frankie, Manchurian Frankie etc

American Chopsuey

        
        American Chopsuey is a delightful preparation of crispy noodles served with vegetables and a sweet and tangy sauce. I have had this dish only in India and have loved it over the years, never in America actually. It is served as a Chinese dish in India, with the name America, but the recipe is entirely Indian, except maybe for the noodles. I wonder where did it get this funky name from.

Anyways, here is a quick recipe for the same:

Ingredients:

• 1 packet Hakka Noodles
• 1 Onion Sliced
• 1 bunch of Green Onions Chopped
• 1 Bell Pepper Sliced (Can use colored bell peppers as well)
• 1 small bowl of Cabbage Chopped
• 2 Tomatoes Sliced
• Tomato Ketchup
• Hot Sauce
• Salt
• Black Pepper
• 1 tbsp corn flour
• 2 tbsp lemon juice
• 1/2 tbsp vinegar
• Oil

Recipe:

• Boil the noodles.
• Take some noodles, say 15%, and deep fry them making some crispy noodles on the side.
• Heat some oil in a pan and fry the cumin seeds until they begin to crackle.
• Add onions to it. Saute them till the onions turn pink. Add little salt. 
• Now add bell peppers. Continue to saute until the peppers are soft.
• Now add the cabbage and green onions to it.
• Once the cabbage is cooked, add the tomatoes.
• Add about 2-3 glasses of water and mix it well and continue cooking it for 5-10 mins
• Now add the ketchup, black pepper and salt
• Add hot sauce according to the desired spiciness 
• Now mix the corn flour in cold water and add it to the pan
• Mix it well and let it simmer for 5 mins on slow-medium heat
• Once the sauce thickens, add the lemon juice and vinegar
• Take it off the heat.
• Garnish it with spring onions and fried noodles and serve hot.

Hope you enjoy this my version of the American Chopsuey.

Vegetable Stuffed Paratha

          Whole wheat bread stuffed with variety of vegetables, spiced up with green chillies, cilantro, makes this Paratha healthy and delicious. This is a full meal in itself. 

The best part is it makes a great lunch box as well. It remains soft even when you reheat in microwave.

So here's its quick recipe:

Ingredients:
For the Dough:
    Wheat Flour
    Water
    Salt
    2 tbsp Oil

For the Stuffing:
    Boiled Mashed Potatoes
    Finely chopped Onions
    Finely chopped Garlic
    Chopped Bell Peppers (Can use colored bell peppers as well)
    Finely chopped Cilantro
    Chopped Carrots
    Blanched Green Peas
    Blanched and Chopped Spinach
    Salt
    Ginger Chilli Paste
    Garam Masala
    2 tbsp Oil
    Cumin Seeds

Recipe:
For the Dough:

• Sieve the wheat flour.
• Add salt and oil and mix well. Add enough water and make a semi-soft dough.

For the Stuffing:

• Heat the oil in a pan and fry the cumin seeds until they begin to crackle.
• Add garlic and onions. Saute them till the onions turn pink.
• Now add bell peppers. Continue to saute until the peppers are soft.
• Now take the mashed potatoes in a mixing bowl.
• Add the sauteed onion and peppers. Add the remaining vegetables.
• Mash the vegetables lightly.
• Add chilli paste, cilantro, garam masala and salt. Mix well.

Directions:

• Knead the dough and divide into smaller portions.
• Roll out each portion of the dough into a small round with the help of flour.
• Put 2 tablespoons of the stuffing in the centre.
• Fold towards the centre from all 4 sides and press to seal
• Gently roll it again in round.
• Put the paratha on hot tava (or skillet), cook for a minute or two and turn once.
• After 1 minute, add a little oil/butter around the edges, turn again and fry the other side. 
• When brown patches appear on both sides, the paratha is ready.
• Serve hot with Cilantro chutney, ketchup and/or yogurt.

Tips: 

• You can make it with all your favorite vegetables as per your choice
• Make sure the stuffing is not too soft. It shouldn't have any water content in it.
• Can be made without oil or butter too

Sukhdi

           Sukhdi, also known as Gol-Papdi is a famous Gujarati sweet dish. It is made on almost all auspicious events in a Gujarati home. I just loved the way my mom used to make it, they were just the best. I still remember coming back from school or tuition and hogging down 2-3 pieces at a time.

Sukhdi is very simple to make, and what makes it more inviting is the fact that it can be stored for a fortnight or so without any problems. It is not too sweet, and combines the goodness of wheat, jaggery and ghee.

So here is the recipe:

Ingredients:

2 cup Wheat flour
1 cup Thinly grated jaggery
2 cup Ghee

Method:

• Heat the ghee in a pan
• Once the ghee is hot enough, reduce the heat to medium
• Now add the wheat flour
• Mix it well and roast the flour until it is slightly brownish. Once you start getting a nice aroma, you can be sure it is done.
• Also, at this point, the ghee will start separating from the mixture slightly.
• Remove the mixture from the flame and then add jaggery to it.
• Now, you will need to mix it quickly before it starts cooling down, and pour the mixture in a plate.
• Spread evenly making a thin layer on the plate with a flat spoon or a flat bowl.
• Once it is cooled, make pieces of any shape, I prefer diamond shape, and store it in a container.

Tip: It tastes the best while it is still hot, try some before it cools down.

Hara Bhara Kebab

              After coming from work today, as usual was thinking what to have for dinner. We had been thinking to use the spinach for couple of days now, and was not too interested in having curry, so finally decided to make Hara Bhara Kebab or in simple words Spinach Peas Kebab.

Hara Bhara Kebab is one of the most popular appetizer/snack in India. It got the name hara bhara from the dark green color of the patty. Whenever we went out for dinner, this appetizer was a must to order.

So here is the simple recipe for this:

Ingredients:

• Blanched Spinach
• Mashed Potatoes
• Crushed Peas
• Chopped Cilantro
• Chili-Ginger Paste
• Salt
• Garam Masala
• Chaat Masala
• Oil

Method:

• Squeeze all the water out of spinach.
• Next, mix all the ingredients, except oil, in a bowl.
• Now, make small size balls and press them in shape of a disc. Make sure they are not too thick or too thin in size.
• We can add some corn flour/cornstarch to the mixture to make it crispier or if the mixture is too soft.
• We can now deep fry the balls, but I personally like them shallow fried with little oil on a pan or a griddle.
• Sprinkle some chaat masala on the kebabs before serving.
• Serve them hot with green chutney or ketchup.

How it all began

                    I have always loved to cook and even more, cooking for a loved one. Even though I do not have any formal training in cooking, I love experimenting with food. Imagine something like a a Mexican entree with a touch of Chinese sauces or something like a Indian Pizza. I grew up watching my mother cook and experimenting with food.

When I moved to US a few years back, first time away from home all by myself, I started cooking. As a student, with limited time and budget, options were very less. That's what really taught me to cook meals with limited options in a short time.