These beans stir fry is not only nutritious, but at the same time it is healthy and packed with full of proteins and fiber. Quite wholesome, they can be had on its own as a light dinner, as a side dish or with chapattis.
It is cooked dry but they can also be had as a salad with a sprinkle of salt, pepper powder and curry leaves powder. The addition of dill leaves gives a completely new flavor and a dash of lime towards the end gives a zing to this dish.
- 1/2 cup Rajma (Kidney Beans), boiled
- 1/2 cup kabuli chana (Garbanzo Beans). boiled
- 1 tbsp. oil
- 1/2 tsp. mustard seeds
- pinch of asafoetida
- 1 onion, chopped
- 2-3 garlic cloves, chopped
- 2 green chilies, chopped
- 1 tbsp. curry leaves powder
- salt to taste
- 1/2 tsp. turmeric powder
- 1/4 cup dill leaves, chopped
- 1 tsp. of lime juice
- lemon wedges & a sprig of dill leaves to garnish
Heat oil in a pan and temper with mustard seeds. After it stops spluttering, add the asafoetida. onions. green chilies and garlic. Sauté till light brown.
Now add the boiled Rajma, Kabuli Chana, salt and turmeric powder. Sauté for a minute or two on medium flame.
Add the curry leaves powder, lime juice and the chopped dill leaves. Sauté for a few seconds till well combined. Serve, garnished with a sprig of dill leaves and lemon wedges.
Egg Sausage Roll is a very popular and a favorite one with the kids. They can be made in various combinations. In this recipe, I used a stuffing of sliced onion & bell peppers, tomato sauce, mayonnaise and a sprinkle of some pepper powder. They can be served as a perfect evening snack or can be included in any in house party menu.
- 3/4 cup atta (wheat flour)
- salt to taste
- 2 eggs, beaten
- pepper to taste
- 3 sausages
- 3 tbsp. mayonnaise
- 3-4 tbsp. tomato sauce
- 1 onion, sliced
- 1/4 cup bell peppers, sliced
- oil to shallow fry
Knead a dough with the atta, salt to taste and required quantity of water. Keep aside for 15 minutes.
Heat 1 tbsp. oil and shallow fry the sausages till light brown on all sides. Drain and keep aside.
Divide the dough into equal portions and roll out each portion into a chapatti. Heat a tawa / griddle and shallow fry the chapattis with a tsp. of oil for each chapatti, on both the sides.
Pour 1/3 of the beaten egg over one side of the chapatti and move in a circular motion so that it spreads all over.
Flip it over and cook for a minute till done. Keep aside. Fry remaining of the chapattis in the same manner.
To assemble, spread a tbsp. of the mayonnaise on each of the chapattis. Place a sausage, followed by some chopped onion, bell peppers, a sprinkle of pepper powder and tomato sauce. Roll it over around a piece of foil and serve.
These are delicious Dosa snack filled with cheese. A hot favorite with the kids, they are also relished equally by all. You can let your imagination run wild with the filling. Here I have sprinkled some idli podi and chopped coriander leaves over the cheese.
Grated paneer, crushed kasuri methi, grated carrot, chopped spring onion, etc. too can be added for the filling. They are best served, cut into small bite size pieces along with some tomato sauce rather than with the usual chutneys. They can also be had as appetizers, evening snack or any light meal. So check out the step by step pictorial recipe to prepare it.
- Dosa batter as required
- grated cheese as required
- idli podi / curry leaves podi as required
- handful of coriander leaves, chopped
- oil to shallow fry
Heat 1/2 tsp. oil in a tawa and sprinkle some water over it. After it sizzles off, pour a ladle of the dosa batter. Spread it into a round circle with the back of the ladle.
Spread some cheese over it followed by some idli podi and chopped coriander leaves. Cook on a low flame till one side is lightly browned. Roll it over and serve with some chutney or sauce.
Pour a ladle of the dosa batter. Spread it into a round circle with the back of
the ladle. Spread some cheese over it followed by some idli podi and chopped coriander leaves.
Cook on a low flame till one side is lightly browned.
Roll it over and cut into small pieces if desired.
Serve with some chutney or sauce.
These quick and easy Turkey Ham Sandwiches are a great snack time treat, for breakfast or as a quick meal on the go. Mustard sauce or tomato sauce can be replaced instead of mayo. Few slices of cucumber and bell peppers can also be added for the filling. These also serves as a light lunch or dinner. Great for outdoors for any picnic or lunch box meals too. Turkey Ham can also be replaced by Chicken Salami.
- 4 slices of bread
- 4 slices of Turkey ham
- 2-3 tbsp. mayonnaise
- shredded lettuce leaves
- 2-3 tbsp. cheese, grated
- 1 tomato, sliced
- pepper powder to taste
- 1 tsp. olive oil
- 1 tsp. butter
Heat oil in a pan and saute the Turkey Ham for a few seconds on both the sides till it is lightly browned. Keep aside.
Spread mayonnaise on the bread slices and keep aside. To assemble, take a slice of bread and place lettuce leaves over it followed by 2 slices of the turkey ham.
Then place the tomato slices and sprinkle cheese and pepper. Place another bread slice on top of it. Heat 1 tsp. butter in a pan and heat the sandwich through on both sides. Slice in half and serve.
This is an Italian classic dish of Pasta in Tomato Sauce. I usually prepare the sauce before hand and keep it refrigerated so that I can dish out this yummy breakfast / one-pot meal at a short notice. For a non-veg. version, you can add chicken / mutton mince or some sausages. Spaghetti too can be used in place of pasta or macaroni. Either ways, it tastes simply delicious.
- 1 cup pasta, boiled al dente
- 1/4 cup water in which it was boiled
- 3 tomatoes, pureed
- 2 onions, chopped
- 1 tbsp. garlic, chopped
- salt to taste
- 1/2 tsp. pepper powder
- 2 tbsp. olive oil
- 2-3 tbsp. cheese, grated
- 1 bay leaf
Heat oil in a pan and saute the bay leaf, onion and garlic till translucent. Add the tomato puree, salt and pepper and saute till oil leaves the sides of the pan.
Add the boiled pasta and the water in which it was boiled. Simmer for 2 minutes. Serve, garnished with the grated cheese.
This is a traditional hot and spicy Lamb curry cooked in the Sri Lankan style. It is very delicious and full of flavour. Cooked with coconut milk, this dish can be had either with rice or chapattis. It is a very simple and an easy preparation where the mutton can be marinated with all the required spices the previous night to save time,
- 500 gms. Mutton on bones
- 1 1/2 tbsp. ginger-garlic paste
- salt to taste
- 2 tsp. red chili powder
- 1/2 tsp. turmeric powder
- 1 tsp. pepper powder
- 1 tbsp. roasted coriander powder
- 1 tsp. roasted cumin powder
- 1 tsp. garam masala powder
- 2 tbsp. lime juice
- 1 tsp. lemon zest
- 2 onion, chopped
- 3 tbsp. oil
- 1/2 tsp. fenugreek seeds
- 1-2 green chillies, slit
- 2 sprigs curry leaves
- 1 cup coconut milk
- coriander leaves to garnish
Marinate the mutton with ingredients starting from ginger-garlic paste to lemon zest overnight preferably.
Heat oil in a pan and temper with the fenugreek seeds. Allow it to splutter and then add the onion, green chilies and the curry leaves. Saute till light brown in colour.
Now add the marinated mutton and continue to saute on low flame till dry. Add 1 cup water and pressure cook for 20-25 minutes on low flame after the first whistle.
When cool, open the lid and add the coconut milk. Simmer on med flame for two to three minutes till the gravy thickens a bit. Serve, garnished with coriander leaves.
Macher Chop or Fish Cutlet is a very simple and an easy to prepare recipe, that serves as perfect appetizers in any in-house party. They are usually made with Rohu or Bhetki fillet. They are coated with egg wash and bread crumbs and deep fried.
Potatoes can be used for the binding, but here I have used some brown bread and paneer. A very favourite snack, they are a common sight in almost all street corners in Kolkata. These yummy snacks are relished with ketchup, some onions and green chilies as accompaniment.
- 1 & 1/2 cups fish fillet, boiled & flaked
- 2-3 tbsp. paneer, grated
- 3 brown bread, soaked in water for a few seconds & squeezed
- 1 onion, chopped
- 1 tbsp. ginger-garlic paste
- 2 green chilies, chopped
- handful of coriander leaves, chopped
- salt to taste
- 1/2 tsp. garam masala powder
- 1/2 tsp. roasted cumin powder
- 2 cups bread crumbs
- 1 egg, beaten with a pinch of salt
- oil to deep fry
In a bowl, mix together all the ingredients, except oil, egg and bread crumbs. Divide into equal portions and shape each into small round balls. Refrigerate for an hour.
Dip each of the balls in the egg and coat with the bread crumbs. Heat oil in a deep pan and fry the chops, few at a time till golden brown in colour. Drain on a paper napkin and serve, hot with tomato ketchup.
Mix together all the ingredients, except oil, egg & bread crumbs. Divide into
equal portions & shape each into small round balls. Refrigerate for an hour.
Dip each of the balls in the egg and coat with the bread crumbs.
Heat oil & fry the chops till golden in colour. Drain on a paper napkin.
Serve, hot with tomato ketchup.
This is a very simple and an easy noodles stir fry with chicken. An universal favourite, there are many versions to preparing noodles. It is adapted according to individual preference and taste. It is a healthy and nutritious dish which has lots of veggies and chicken in it. Best had as a meal in itself any time of the day.
- 1 pack of noodles, boiled al dente
- 1 onion, sliced
- 8-10 french beans, sliced finely
- 1/4 cup carrot, sliced finely
- 1 tbsp. garlic, chopped
- 1/2 cup spring onion, chopped
- 1/2 cup chicken, chopped
- salt to taste
- 1/2 tsp. pepper powder
- 1 dry red chily, broken into half
- 2-3 tbsp. red chili sauce
- 2 tbsp. oil
Heat 1 tbsp. oil in a non-stick pan and sauté the chicken till light brown. Drain and keep aside. Heat the remaining oil and sauté the red chili and garlic till they changes colour.
Add onion, carrot and beans and sauté for a minute. Then add the spring onion (leaving some for garnishing) and sauté further for a minute.
Now add the noodles, salt, pepper, sauce and the fried chicken. Continue to sauté for a minute or two till well combined. Serve, garnished with chopped spring onions.
This is a simple Calamari Stir fry which goes very well as a side dish with either rice or chapati. Green olives are optional but if added, adds a slightly different taste to the dish. Cooked just with garlic, onion, salt and pepper, this dish tastes simply divine. Not to forget a dash of lime as a garnish.
- 250 gms Calamari / squid, cut into roundels
- 1 onion, chopped
- 1 tbsp. garlic, chopped
- 1 tbsp. plain flour (maida)
- salt to taste
- 1/2 tsp. pepper powder
- 1 tbsp. coriander leaves, chopped
- 4-5 green olives, sliced (opt)
- 2 tbsp. oil
- 1 bsp. lime juice
Mix the calamari with the flour, salt, pepper, olives and coriander leaves. Heat oil and saute the garlic till it changes colour.
Then add the onion and fry till light brown. Now add the calamari mix and continue to saute on low flame for 10 minutes. Serve with a dash of lime.
Paella is a signature dish of Spain. It is rice cooked with prawns, sausages and chicken or any sea food. It is gently simmered in low flame in chicken / fish stock and flavored with saffron. It is served, garnished with tomatoes, bell pepper and lime wedges.
It is a very delicious and a healthy one pot meal. There are many versions to this dish and can be cooked in various ways like seafood Paella or mixed paella. A special kind of rice called Arborio rice is used to cook Paella, but in the absence of it I used short grain rice.
- 1 cup Arborio rice / any short grain rice
- 1 cup boneless chicken breast, cut into small cubes
- 1/2 cup medium size prawns
- 1/2 cup sausages, sliced
- 1/2 red bell pepper, sliced
- 1/2 cup frozen green peas
- 2 tbsp. olive oil
- 2 bay leaves
- salt to taste
- 1 onion, chopped
- 1 tbsp. garlic, grated
- 1/4 tsp. saffron
- 1 tsp. red chili flakes
- 2 & 1/2 cups chicken stock / fish stock or as required
- chopped parsley to garnish
- chopped tomatoes to garnish
- lime wedges to garnish
Heat 1 tsp. oil in a non stick pan and sauté the chicken cubes till light brown. Keep aside. Heat 1 tsp. more oil and fry the prawns and sauté till it changes colour. Drain and keep aside.
Heat 1 tsp. oil and sauté the sausages till light brown in colour. keep aside. Heat the remaining oil and sauté the onion and garlic till translucent.
Now add the rice and bay leaves and sauté for 2 minutes till the rice turns translucent. Add the stock, saffron, salt, chili flakes, half of the fried chicken, prawns and sausages. Simmer on low flame till the rice is cooked. Add more stock / water if required.
When done, arrange the prawns, peas, chicken, sausages and the bell peppers over the rice and keep it covered for 15 minutes. Serve, garnished with chopped parsley, tomatoes and lime wedges.
For all the Egg lovers, here is a delicious Egg Curry in the Sri Lankan style. It is more or less like any other egg curry. But the only addition is the coconut milk and the dry fish flakes.
Instead, I added some fresh prawns which I shallow fried and ground to a paste. This curry is simply yummy and spicy too, which can be relished with either steamed rice, appam or idiyappam.
- 3-4 eggs, boiled & shelled
- 2 tbsp. oil
- 2 bay leaves
- 1" cinnamon stick
- 2-3 cloves
- 1/2 tsp. mustard seeds
- 1/2 tsp. cumin seeds
- 1/2 tsp. fennel seeds
- 1/4 tsp. fenugreek seeds
- 2 onions, chopped
- 1 sprig curry leaves
- 2 green chilies, slit
- 1 tbsp. ginger-garlic paste
- 2 tomatoes, chopped
- 1/2 tsp. pepper powder
- 1 tsp. red chili powder
- 1 tbsp. roasted coriander-cumin powder
- 1/2 tsp. turmeric powder
- 1 tsp. garam masala powder
- salt to taste
- 1 tbsp. Maldive fish flakes / dried fish washed well and ground
- 1 cup coconut milk
- coriander leaves to garnish
Prick the boiled eggs all over with a fork. Heat 1 tbsp. oil in a pan and shallow fry them till light brown in colour. Keep aside.
Heat the remaining oil and temper with the bay leaves, mustard seeds, cumin seeds, fennel seeds and fenugreek seeds. Allow it to splutter.
Then add the onion and sauté till brown. Add the ginger-garlic paste, fried fish paste and all the dry masalas mixed with a little water. Sauté well till the oil separates from the sides of the pan.
Add the tomatoes and fry till well mashed up. Add the coconut milk, 1/2 cup water, curry leaves and green chilies and bring it to a boil.
Gently drop the fried eggs and simmer, covered on low flame till the gravy is slightly thick. Serve with plain steamed rice, garnished with coriander leaves.
Shukto is a traditional Bengali cuisine and is considered as a delicacy. This is a mixed vegetable curry which has a fair amount of bitter gourd in it. It is cooked into a mustard and milk based gravy.
It is mildly spiced with the addition of one or two dry red chili and tempered with Panch Phoron, the popular Bengali five spice and bay leaves. It is served with hot steamed rice at the beginning of a full course meal as it is believed that the bitterness helps in purifying the blood. So check the step by step pictorial recipe to prepare it.
- 4 cups mixed veggies (radish, potato, beans, raw banana, pumpkin, eggplants, etc.) diced
- 1/2 cup bitter gourd, sliced
- 2-3 tbsp. mustard oil
- 10-12 bori (lentil dumplings / mangodi / vadi)
- 2 whole dry red chilies
- 2 bay leaves
- 1 tsp. panch phoron (equal quantity of fennel, mustard, cumin, fenugreek & nigella seeds
- 1 tsp. ginger, grated
- salt to taste
- 1/2 tsp. turmeric powder
- 1 tsp. roasted cumin powder
- 2 green chilies
- 2 tbsp. mustard paste / kasundi
- 1/2 cup milk
- 1 tsp. ghee
- 1 tsp. sugar
Heat oil in a pan and fry the vadi till golden in colour. Drain and keep aside. Temper the same oil with bay leaves, dry red chilies and panch phoron.
After it stops spluttering, add the ginger and give it a stir. Now add the bitter gourd and sauté on a high flame for 2 minutes.
Then add chopped veggies (except pumpkin and eggplants), salt, turmeric powder, cumin powder and green chilies.
Mix everything well and continue to fry on high flame for 2-3 minutes. Then add the remaining veggies and stir fry for 2-3 minutes more.
Add 1 & 1/2 cups water and fried vadi. Cover and cook on a low flame till the veggies turns soft and the gravy is slightly reduced.
When done, add the milk, ghee, sugar and mustard paste. Mix well and Simmer for 2-3 minutes and switch off the flame. Serve with hot steamed rice at the beginning of a meal.
Heat oil in a pan & fry the vadi till golden in colour. Drain & keep aside.
Temper the same oil with bay leaves, dry red chilies & panch phoron.
After it stops spluttering, add the ginger and give it a stir.
Now add the better gourd & sauté on a high flame for 2 minutes.
Add chopped veggies (except pumpkin & eggplants), salt, turmeric powder,
cumin powder & green chilies. Mix well & sauté on high flame for 2-3 min.
Then add the remaining veggies & stir fry for 2-3 minutes more.
.
Add 1 & 1/2 cups water & fried vadi. Cover & simmer on a low flame till
the veggies turns soft and the gravy is slightly reduced.
When done, add milk, ghee, sugar & mustard paste. Mix well & Simmer
for 2-3 minutes and switch off the flame.
Serve with hot steamed rice at the beginning of a meal.
