iCookiPost

Pakoda or Pakora is a common starter snack in most Indian party menu. It is nice to have a crispy pakoda with hot tea when it rains outside.:) You can make pakoda with variety of ingredients such as Potato,Spinach, Cauliflower or may be using non-veg either Chicken or prawn..I am sure you will really enjoy this crunchy crispy pakoda.

Ingredients

1. Onion – 3
2. Besan(gram flour)- 1 cup
3. Ginger- garlic paste – 1/2 tsp
4. Green Chilly – 3
5. Red Chilly Powder – 1tsp
6. Coriander powder – 1 tsp
7. Curry Leaves(chopped) – 1tsp
8. Lime juice – 1 1/2 tsp
9. Baking Powder –1/4 tsp
10. Ghee – 2 tsp
11. Oil

Preparation

1. In a bowl, Mix besan with baking powder,red chilly powder,coriander powder,salt and ghee(just warm ghee before adding to the flour mix).
2. Then Add lime juice,ginger-garlic paste,green chilly(chopped),curry leaves and finally add chopped onions. Mix well using hand.
3. Heat Oil in a frying pan. Once oil is piping hot,take small amount of mix and drop it into oil.
4. Fry pakodas till golden in color and crispy.
5. Serve with ketchup or chutney

This is my own style of making vegetable biriyani. This  is a 100%  healthy food  for the fussy eaters.it is   easy to make if you are running out of time. you can add any type of veggies while making biriyani.it tastes great with green chutney and raita.

Ingredients

1. Basmati rice – 1  cup
2. Onion(chopped) -3
3. Ginger-garlic paste – 2 tsp
4. Green peas(boiled) – 1/4 cup
5. Carrots (chopped) –2
6. French beans – 1/4 cup
7. soy chunks(boiled) – 1/4 cup
8. Potato(chopped) – 1
9. Cinnamon – 2
10. Cloves – 2
11. Bay leaves –2
12. Cumin seeds – 1/2 tsp
13. Turmeric powder – 1 pinch
14. Salt
15. Ghee
16. water – 2 cups
17. Coriander leaves

Preparation

1. wash and soak rice for 15 minutes.
2. Heat ghee in a pan. Add rice and fry for 10 minutes till crispy.
3. Boil 2 cups of water and keep aside.
4. Heat ghee  in a pressure cooker.Fry cumin seeds, cinnamom,cloves, bay leaves.
5. Add chopped onions, ginger-garlic paste and saute well.
6. Add chopped vegetables and fry for 2 minutes.Add rice and salt.
7. Finally add previously boiled water (add water double the quantity of rice) to it and mix well.sprinkle a pinch of turmeric powder to it to get a yellow color.
8. close lid and bring to full cooking pressure on maximum heat. then reduce to low flame and cook for another 3 minutes.
9. Allow cooker to cool gradually.
10. Garnish with coriander leaves.
11. Serve with coriander chutney,papad and raitha.

Recipe of Coriander chutney

Ingredients

1. Coriander leaves – 1 bunch
2. Green chilly –2
3. Grated coconut –1/4 cup
4. Tamarind – 1 tbsp
5. Garlic pods – 3
6. Salt

Grind all the above ingredients into a paste.

Recipe of Onion raita

Ingredients

1. Onion(chopped) –2
2. Tomato(chopped) –2
3. Green Chilly(chopped) –2
4. Curd – 1/2 cup
5. Salt

Mix all the above  ingredients well to make  yummy raitha.

Wish you all a happy and prosperous new year. I wish all your resolutions and dreams come true in this Chinese year of the tiger. So, I’m going to start off my first post of the year with a Chinese touch with some yummy spice

We usually make Sāmbhar using okra, but I’m going to share a unique recipe using okra in a Chinese style.

Ingredients

1. Okra (Lady’s Finger) – 6
2. Onion – 1
3. Green Chilly – 1
4. Garlic(Chopped) – 4
5. Pepper Powder – 1 1/2 tsp
6. Corn Flour – 2 tsp
7. Maida (All purpose flour) – 1 tsp
8. Egg – 1
9. Oil
10. Curry leaves

Preparation

1. Wash okra and pat dry with a tissue paper to remove stickiness
2. Cut it into long pieces
3. Mix 1 1/2 tsp of corn flour, Maida, egg, salt and 1 tsp of pepper powder
4. Marinate okra pieces with the mix and keep aside for 30 minutes
5. Dust marinated okra pieces with the remaining corn flour and fry till both sides are light brown
6. Heat oil in a frying pan again and sauté chopped onion, garlic and green chilly.
7. Add fried okra, 1/2 tsp pepper powder and stir well.
8. Serve hot