Ghee Arbi (Colocasia) Roast

          These are some yummy small bites of arbi (colocasia) mixed with some spices and shallow fried in ghee. It is spicy, tangy and full of flavour coming from the use of ghee. It is a great winter special as ghee tends to keep us warm from within. Enjoy as a snack, appetizer or as a side dish with curd rice, sambar rice, dal-chawal or chapati. So do give it a try and it will be a sure hit for all vegetarians and picky eaters. 

• 500 gms. arbi (Colocassia) boiled & sliced
• salt to taste
• pinch of turmeric powder
• 1 tsp. red chili powder
• 1 tsp. sambar powder
• 1/2 tsp. coriander powder
• 1-2 sprig curry leaves
• 2 green chilies, slit
• 1 tsp. lime juice
• 3-4 tbsp. ghee

          In a bowl, combine all the ingredients (except curry leaves, green chilies, lime juice and ghee) and leave aside to marinate for 30 minutes.

          Heat ghee in a pan and stir fry the marinated arbi on both sides till done. Add the curry leaves and green chilies. 

          Sauté for a few seconds and switch off the flame. Sprinkle lime juice and serve as an appetizer or as a side dish with rice or chapatti. 

Gulkand Flavoured Cake

          This is just a simple basic eggless cake for you to try. I flavoured it with some gulkand and rose water for some lingering aroma. Adding frosting is purely optional. Relish this yummy cake just as it is, as a dessert or as a tea time snack. 

• 1 cup plain flour 
• 3 tbsp. gulkand
• 1 tsp. rose water
• 1/2 cup milk
• 1/4 cup oil
• 1/2 cup powdered sugar
• pinch of salt
• 1 tsp. baking powder
• 1 tsp. chopped pistachios 
• few cherries & rose petals to garnish

Frosting -

• 100 gms. butter at room temperature
• few drops of red food coloring 
• 1 cup powdered sugar

          Sieve the flour, baking powder and salt 2-3 times. Keep aside. Whisk the butter, oil, sugar and gulkand well it everything is well incorporated.

          Add all the dry ingredients and mix well in a cut and fold method. Pour into a greased cake tin and bake at 190 degrees C. for 40-45 minutes.

          For the frosting - Beat the butter and food colour till light and fluffy. Fold in the sugar, little at a time, till everything is well incorporated. 

          Transfer to a piping bag and pipe in over the cake as desired. Garnish with cherries, pistachios and rose petals. Cut into desired shape and enjoy.

Pasta Pakora / Fritters

          Looking for something unique, something that you have not tried earlier as appetizers / tea time snack? Then get hold of some pasta (I used Bow tie pasta) and dish out these yummy and crispy pakoras. It takes very less time and can be dished out in a jiffy. So treat your loved ones to these amazing batter fried small bites with some tomato sauce or green chutney. 

• 1 cup pasta
• 2 green cardamoms
• 4 cloves
• 1" cinnamon stick
• 2 bay leaves
• 1 star anise
• 1/2 cup besan (gram flour)
• 2 tbsp. rice flour
• pinch of baking soda
• salt to taste
• 1/4 tsp. turmeric powder
• 1/2 tsp. red chili flakes 
• 1/2 tsp. garam masala powder
• 1 tsp. kasuri methi, crushed 
• oil to deep fry

          Boil the pasta in sufficient water along with cardamoms, cloves, cinnamon, bay leaves and star anise. Drain and keep aside. 

          Make a batter with besan, rice flour, all the dry spices and required quantity of water. The consistency should be neither too runny or thick.

          Heat oil in a pan. Dip the boiled pasta in the batter and drop them gently in the hot oil in batches. 

          Fry on a medium flame till golden in colour. Drain on a tissue paper and serve as an appetizer with tomato sauce or green chutney. They can also be relished as a tea time snack. 

Idiyappam Urad Dal Pakora

           This can be a perfect party appetizer. Made from some leftover Idiyappam (string hoppers) and ground urad dal. My first try and they came out absolutely yummy. So go ahead and give it a try and surprise your loved ones. Serve along with tomato sauce, green chutney, mayo or hummus. They can also be relished as a tea time snack or as a side dish with dal chawal, curd rice or sambar rice. 

• 1 cup leftover Idiyappam
• 1/4 cup split urad dal (black gram) soaked for 3-4 hours
• salt to taste
• 1/4 tsp. turmeric powder
• 1/2 tsp. red chili flakes
• 1 tsp. ginger, grated
• 1 small onion, finely chopped
• 2-3 tbsp. coriander roots, chopped
• 1 tsp. kasuri methi, crushed
• 1/2 tsp. garam masala powder
• 1/4 tsp. asafoetida
• pinch of baking soda
• oil to deep fry

          Grind the soaked dal with very little water into a paste. Mix together all the ingredients (except oil) and keep aside for 5-10 minutes.

          Heat oil in a pan and drop spoonfuls of the batter. Fry on a medium flame till golden in colour. Drain on a kitchen towel and serve with tomato sauce, chutney, mayo or hummus.

Fish Head Pulao (Muri Ghonto - Bengali Style)

          If you are a fish head lover and a bit of an adventurous type, then go ahead and try this fish head pulao. It is a one pot meal that can be relished just as it is, with some sliced onion (opt) and lemon wedges. You need nothing else. I have used Hilsa (Ilish Maach) fish head but you can try with any other fish head too. 

           This recipe is almost similar to the traditional Bengali homemade delicacy called Muri Ghonto, where fish head is cooked with rice. But there is a slight twist here. I increased the quantity of rice and pressure cooked it to make a pulao. I also kept the fish head whole and did not break it. It turned out real yum. The addition of ghee to the end product enhances the flavour and aroma of the dish, which is simply divine. So check out the step by step pictorial recipe to prepare it.


         

• 1 fish head, cut into half
• 1 cup Basmati rice, soaked for 30 minutes
• 1 medium potato, cubed
• 1 onion, chopped
• 1 tsp. ginger-garlic paste
• 1 tsp. cumin powder
• 1 tsp. coriander powder
• 1 tbsp. red chili powder 
• salt to taste
• 1/2 tsp. turmeric powder
• 1/2 tsp. garam masala powder
• 1" cinnamon stick
• 2-3 green cardamoms
• 5-6 cloves
• 1/2 tsp. cumin seeds
• 2 bay leaves
• 1-2 dry red chilies
• 4 tbsp. mustard oil
• 1 tsp. ghee 
• 1 tsp. coriander leaves, chopped

          Marinate the fish head with a pinch of salt and turmeric powder for 5-10 minutes. In a small bowl, mix together ginger-garlic paste and all the dry spices with some water. keep aside. 

          Heat oil in a pan and fry the potatoes till light brown. Drain and keep aside. Then fry the fish head till golden in colour. Drain and keep aside. 

          Temper the same oil with bay leaves, red chilies, cumin seeds, cinnamon, cardamoms and cloves.

          Add the onion and fry till golden brown. Add the spice paste and sauté till the oil separates.

          Add the drained rice and fry for 2 minutes. Arrange the fried potatoes and the fish head. Pour 1 & 3/4 cups water and ghee. Pressure cook for 2 whistles.

          When done, fluff it up with a fork and serve, garnished with coriander leaves. 






Note - You may crush the fish head as you cook, but I preferred to keep it whole. 

                       Heat oil & fry potatoes & fish head separately till golden. Drain &
                       keep aside. 

                      Temper same oil with bay leaves, red chilies, cumin seeds, cinnamon, 
                      cardamoms & cloves. Add onion & fry till golden brown.

                       Add the spice paste and sauté till the oil separates.

                       Add the drained rice and fry for 2 minutes. 

                     Arrange fried potatoes & fish head. Pour 1 & 3/4 cups water & ghee. 
                     Pressure cook for 2 whistles.

                                Fluff with a fork & serve, garnished with coriander leaves. 

Pasta Kadhi

           Kadhi (spiced yogurt) is very popular in most North Indian homes. They differ from one region to the other in regard to the usage of ingredients. It is made with or without some pakoras dipped in it. Kadhi being my personal favourite, I keep experimenting. 

          I wanted to do something new and interesting. So made the usual kadhi with some boiled pasta thrown in. It turned out very yummy. Relish as it is like a soup or with jeera rice, plain biryani, pulao, plain steamed rice or chapati. 

• 1/2 cup yoghurt
• 1/2 cup pasta, boiled al dente
• 3 cups water
• 2 tbsp. besan (chickpea flour)
• 1 tsp. ginger-green chili paste
• 1/4 tsp. turmeric powder
• 1 tsp. kasuri methi, crushed
• 1/2 tsp. roasted cumin powder
• salt to taste
• 1-2 tbsp. ghee
• 1/2 tsp. cumin seeds
• pinch of asafoetida
• pinch of red chili flakes
• 1 tsp. coriander leaves, chopped

           Whisk together yoghurt, water, besan, ginger-green chili paste and all the dry spices till smooth. 

           Heat ghee and temper with cumin seeds and asafoetida. Add the yoghurt mix and bring it to a boil. 

          Simmer on low flame, by stirring at intervals till it turns slightly thick in texture. Add the pasta and simmer for a minute more. 

          Switch off the flame and transfer to a serving dish. Garnish with coriander leaves and chili flakes. 

           Relish as it is like a soup or with jeera rice, plain biryani, pulao, plain steamed rice or chapati. 

Pasta Frittata - Indo Italian Style

          Frittata is basically an Italian omelette with eggs, veggies, meat, herbs and other seasonings in it. So here is my version of an Indo-Italian style Frittata with eggs, Pasta, Indian spices and few mixed veggies thrown in. 

          This is a super quick dish when you are running out of time. It can be enjoyed for breakfast, as a snack or for lunch / dinner. You can also pack for a lunch box meal too. So check the step by step pictorial recipe to prepare it.

• 4 eggs
• 2 tbsp. cheese, grated
• 1/2 cup pasta, boiled al dente
• 1/2 cup chopped mixed veggies (carrot, peas, beans, red cabbage, etc.)
• 2 tbsp. oil
• 1/2 tsp. cumin seeds
• pinch of asafoetida
• 1 onion, chopped
• 1 tsp. ginger, grated
• 1-2 green chilies, chopped
• 1 tsp. sesame seeds
• salt to taste
• 1/4 tsp. turmeric powder
• 1/2 tsp. coriander powder
• 1/2 tsp. cumin powder
• 1/2 tsp. garam masala powder
• 1 tsp. kasuri methi, crushed
• 1/2 tsp. red chili flakes
• 1 tsp. flaxseed
• 1 tbsp. fresh grated coconut
• 1 tsp. coriander leaves, chopped

          In a bowl, whisk together eggs, cheese, red chili flakes, kasuri methi and flaxseed. Keep aside. 

          Heat oil in a pan and temper with cumin seeds and asafoetida. Then add the onion, ginger and green chilies. Saute till light brown.

          Now add the chopped veggies, sesame seed and all the dry spices. Mix well and add some water. Cover and cook till the veggies turns soft.

          Spread the boiled pasta and then pour the egg mix over it. Cover and cook on a low flame till one side is done. 

          Carefully flip it over and cook the other side too. Transfer to a serving plate and cut as desired. Serve, garnished with fresh grated coconut and coriander leaves. 

                       Whisk eggs, cheese, red chili flakes, kasuri methi & flaxseed. 

                       Heat oil & temper with cumin seeds and asafoetida. 

                       Add onion, ginger & green chilies. Sauté till light brown.

                      Add chopped veggies, sesame seed & all dry spices. Mix well & add some
                      water. Cover & cook till the veggies turns soft.

                       Spread the boiled pasta.

                      Then pour the egg mix over it.

                      Cover & cook on low flame till one side is done. Flip & cook other side. 

                     Transfer to a serving plate and cut as desired. 

                            Serve, garnished with fresh grated coconut and coriander leaves.