Quick and easy Flat Noodle stirfry

I visit some blogs for the recipes and some blogs just to read the stories that accompany the recipes.  I don't know how people write so beautifully...they capture your interest in what they are saying in just the first sentence.  I can talk to people, but, cannot come up with stories to tell.  Well...I have to go ahead with the assumption that I am not a good story teller.  Hopefully, people do visit my blog for my recipes :)

Looks like off lately I am making a lot of one pot meals.  Noodles never get boring!!  This takes less than 30 minutes to make and tastes delicious!!

 

Ingredients:

• Flat Rice noodles cooked and drained in cold water - about 3 cups.
• Mixed vegetables - 2 cups - I used the frozen mixed vegetables (it had beans, carrots and peas)
• Eggs (optional) - 2 medium sized
• Olive Oil - 2 table spoons
• Vinegar - 2 table spoons
• Soy sauce - 2 table spoons
• Salt - 1 tea spoon (add per taste). Do remember that Soy sauce has salt in it.
• Ginger Paste - 1 table spoon
• Garlic Paste - 1 table spoon
• Hot sauce - 1 table spoon (I used Siracha)

Method:

To a pan on medium heat, add 1/2 table spoon Olive oil.  Break the eggs and scramble until almost done (Skip this step if you are not adding eggs). Add the remaining oil.   Add the mixed vegetables, Ginger paste, Garlic Paste and Salt.  Saute for 2 minutes.  Now add the cooked noodles, Soy sauce, amd Vinegar.  Mix it well.  Now, turn the heat to high and stir fry it until all the ingredients are well mixed and dry.  Take some aside for the non-spicy version.  Now, add the hot sauce and mix well.  Serve it hot with a couple of egg/spring rolls or potstickers.

Super quick Lemony Vermicelli

I love making one pot meals and also love to have breakfast for dinner!!  This is one such simple recipes which takes less than 20 minutes to make.

Ingredients:

• Vermicelli - 4 cups (dry roasted)
• Peas - 1 cup
• Mustard seeds - 1 tea spoon
• Curry leaves - 10-12
• Olive Oil - 2 table spoons
• Red chili flakes - 1 tea spoon
• Lemon juice - 2 table spoons
• Cilantro - 2 table spoons chopped fine
• Water - 1 1/2 cups

Method:

To a pan on medium heat, add the Olive oil.  Let it heat.  Now, add the Mustard seeds and let them splutter.  Add the Curry leaves and the Peas.  Saute for 2-3 minutes.  Add the Vermicelli and Saute for 3 more minutes.  Now, add the water to the Vermicelli and close mix it well but, gently.  turn the heat to low and close the lid of the pan for about 4-5 minutes till the Vermicelli is translucent.  Now, add the Lemon and Cilantro.  Mix gently well (I think I just made up a new phrase) and take some aside for the non-spicy version.  Now add the Red Chili flakes and mix gently well.  Delicious Lemony Vermicelli is ready to be served!!

Chili Chicken Wings - Quick and Easy

Since my childhood, I look forward to Friday evenings, not only because it is the beginning of the weekend but, also because we make something nice to eat in the evening to start the weekend off.  I have carried this tradition on and hopefully, my daughter will look forward to Friday evenings too!  Spicy, Yummy, Chili Chicken Wings was our Friday evening indulgence past week...It is very simple to make and does not require any oil as the wings are fatty by themselves.

Ingredients:

• Chicken Wings - 2-3 pounds cleaned and cut into sections
• Green Chilies - 8-10 slit in the center (add per taste)
• Turmeric - 1 tea spoon
• Coriander Powder - 1 tea spoon
• Ginger Paste - 1 table spoon
• Garlic Paste - 1 table spoon
• Cinnamon Powder - 1/2 tea spoon
• Clove Powder - 1/2 tea spoon
• Onion Powder - 1 tea spoon
• Lemon Juice - 2 table spoons
• Salt - 1 table spoon (add per taste)
• Water - 1 cup

Method:

To a pan on medium heat, add the chicken wings, Salt, Turmeric and water.  Let it cook with closed lid for about 15 minutes (or until the wings are cooked completely).  Now, open the lid and add all the other ingredients.  Saute it until dry and all the ingredients are well mixed with the Chicken.  Now, turn the heat to high and roast the wings until the skin is a little brown and crispy.  Spicy hot chicken wings are ready to be served.  I love to eat it by itself.  It can also be served with white rice, Fragrant Ghee Rice or roti/chapati.

Simple Stuffed Anaheim Chilies

Hope you all had a wonderful long weekend (It was the Independence day weekend here in USA).  We went to San Diego, CA to cool off from Arizona heat.  Had a wonderful time with family and got to meet a sweet little 4 day old angel of a dear friend.  When you can carry that small bundle of joy, you realise how soon your angel grew up!! I miss being able to carry her and walk around...

I need to get back to blogging regularly. Will start with this simple recipe for stuffed Anaheim chilies.

Ingredients:

• Anaheim Chilies - about 8-10 medium sized.  You can substitute this with any other kind of chilies that can be stuffed.
• Besan (Chick pea flour) - 1 cup
• Sambar/Curry Powder - 1 table spoon
• Cumin powder - 1/2 tea spoon
• Coriander powder - 1 tea spoon
• Salt - 1 table spoon
• Turmeric - 1 tea spoon
• Amchur/Raw Mango powder - 1 table spoon
• Olive oil - 2-3 table spoons

Method:

Slit the Chilies and remove seeds using a small spoon.  Mix all the above ingredients (except Chilies) in a small bowl.  Stuff the Chilies with this mixture (it takes about 1 table spoon each).  Now to a pan on medium heat, add Olive oil.  Place these stuffed chilies in the pan.  Now, add about a table spoon of water to each Chilies in the slit.  Cover the pan and let the Chilies cook on low heat for about 15 minutes until they are a little softer but still has a little crunch.  Now, open the pan and turn the heat to medium and let the Chilies brown a little.  Take the pan aside and the stuffed chilies are ready to be served.  This can be served with rice and dal, Chapati, Roti, etc.  My husband loves it with Pav (kind of Indian bread) in Vada pav style.

Khus Khus Puliyogare - Semi home made

This is one of my favorites!! I have still not learnt to make puliyogare mix from scratch. Of lately, you get such good pre-made powders; you actually don’t need to put in that effort J

Ingredients:

• Whole Wheat Khus Khus – 3 cups cooked (follow directions on the package)
• Olive oil – 2 table spoons
• Mustard seeds – 1 table spoon
• Curry leaves – 10-12 leaves
• Peanuts – about a handful
• Puliyogare mix powder – 3 table spoons (I used the Iyengar brand pre-made powder)

Method:

To a pan on medium heat, add the Olive oil.  Let it heat and then add mustard seeds.  Once this starts spluttering, add the curry leaves and Peanuts.  Turn off the heat and add the Puliyogare mix and Khus Khus to this.  Mix well.  Khus Khus Puliyogare is ready to eat!!  It tastes very good with some yogurt or chips.

Fragrant, Quick and Easy Chicken Biryani

A very happy belated father’s day to all!! 

It has been very busy couple of weeks. Learning new things and getting adjusted to my new job, out of town for training, etc.  Right now my life feels so unsettled. My husband is on his sabbatical but, studying for his PhD.  He has been great help with dropping my daughter to her summer camp, taking care of her when I was on a week long training, doing laundry, etc.   My parents-in-law are currently visiting us which has been great help. Specially, my MIL who pretty much cooks every day,  takes care of my daughter when she comes home early, feeds my hubby :) and man….no complaints.  I feel so guilty :(

This is a very simple biryani I make which everyone love.  I start it off in a pan to saute ingredients and finish it off in the rice cooker.

 

Ingredients:

• Bay leaves – 4-5 leaves
• Saunph  /Fennel seeds – 1 table spoon
• Cardamon powder - 1/2 tea spoon
• Mint leaves – about ¼ cup - chopped coarsely
• Green chilies – 5-6 (add per taste)- slit into half
• Black pepper- 1 table spoon -  crushed
• Onion – 1 medium sized – chopped long and thin
• Tomatoes – 2 medium sized - chopped fine
• Yogurt – 1/4^th cup
• Coriander powder – 1 table spoon
• Cumin powder – 1 tea spoon
• Ginger paste – 1 table spoon
• Garlic paste – 1 table spoon
• Cinnamon powder – 1 tea spoon
• Clove powder – 1 tea spoon
• Olive oil – ¼ cup
• Butter – 1 table spoon – unsalted
• Salt – 2 table spoons (add per taste)
• Chicken – 1 pound (I used boneless skinless chicken thighs)
• Basmati rice – 2 cups
• Eggs – 2 (optional)
• Water – 3.5 cups

Method:

To a pan on medium heat, add Olive oil.  Let it heat and then add the Saunph, Bay leaves, Ginger paste, Garlic paste, Cinnamon powder and Clove powder.  Add the Onions and saute until translucent.  Add Tomatoes and saute until they get soft.  Add all other ingredients except Butter, Chicken, Rice, Water and mix well.  Now, add the Chicken and Rice and saute it for about 5 minutes till you can see a little oil separating from the pan.  Now, pour the water and mix well.  Put this mixture in the rice cooker and cook until ready.  Finish it off with the Butter.  I put a few eggs with the biryani while it is cooking.  Fragrant chicken biryani is ready to be served.  It can be served by itself or with some salad or raita.

 

Crockpot - Dalia Bisibele bhath

Hi All,  I’m back  from my vacation to reality L Started my new job this week and loving it so far.

Loved the two weeks I spent in Bangalore with my mom and my daughter…weather was perfect!!  I ate like I have never seen food before and Mangoes.. :)  Can’t believe how good they taste!!   My daughter loved the Mangoes and Jackfruit but Jamoon…not so much..my husband was disappointed :(

Bangalore is like a food Mecca..truly a melting pot…the variety, the cuisine, it’s just amazing!!

Here is a simple recipe for Dalia Bisibele bhath in a crock pot.  You can dump all the ingredients in the crock pot before you leave to work and when you return, home smells like heaven!!

Ingredients:

·         Dalia / Broken or Cracked whole wheat – 1 cups

·         Toor dal / Split yellow gram – 2 cups

·         Frozen mixed vegetables – 2 cups

·         Salt – 1 ½ table spoons (add per taste)

·         Tamarind Paste – 1 ½ table spoons (add per taste)

·         Turmeric – 1 tea spoon

·         Cumin powder – 1 tea spoon

·         Coriander powder – 2 table spoons

·         Garam masala powder – 1 table spoon

·         Chili powder – 1 tea spoon (add per taste)

·         Olive oil – 1 table spoon

·         Mustard seeds – 1 tea spoon

·         Curry leaves – 5-8 number

·         Whole red chilies (optional) – 4-5 number

·         Water – 8 cups

Method:

In a crock pot, mix all the above ingredients except Mustard seeds, Curry leaves, Olive oil and Whole red chilies.  Turn the crock pot to low heat and cover it.  Once you get home in about 8-10 hours, season the bisibele bhath.  To a small sauce pan on medium heat,  add the Olive oil.  Let it heat.  Add the mustard seeds and let them splutter.  Add the Curry leaves and Whole green chilies.  Turn off the heat and add this to the bisibele bhath!!  Mix it well and turn off the crock pot.  It tastes great with some Boondi or Chivda.

Note:  If you need a non-spicy version, add the red chili powder at the end instead of at the beginning.