Seaweed Soup

          This is a real healthy, light and a simple vegetarian version of seaweed soup, a popular cuisine among the Koreans, Chinese and Japanese. Seaweeds contain a lot of nutrients, minerals, iodine, calcium, is low in calories and helps in purifying the blood. So it is highly recommended in your diet. 

          Traditionally, seaweed soup, apart from the basic seaweeds, is made using small bite size pieces of stir fried beef, chicken, shrimps or pork. For a veg. version, you may try with tofu, paneer, mushrooms, noodles or any veggie. Made with very few ingredients, it can be dished out in a jiffy for a great comfort meal. So check the step by step pictorial recipe to prepare this nutritious one-pot delicacy. 

          My son was able to get these seaweed sheets from South Korea on his recent visit. So I decided to give it a try. 

          At first I was quite skeptical as to how it would taste as this was my first try. But surprisingly it turned out quite yum and I loved it. 

          You may enjoy it for breakfast or for a light dinner. It can be had as it is, with steamed rice, noodles or any grilled stuff as a side dish. Choice is yours. 

          Traditionally a thicker and unprocessed variety of dried seaweeds are used for this kind of a soup. But as I just had these finely pressed nori sheets, I decided to try with them. The only difference was that there was no need to soak it for a longer time. I just soaked for 5-10 minutes and it turned soft. 

          The Koreans call this soup as Miyeok Guk or a Birthday soup and is given to new mothers for a couple of weeks for her recovery from childbirth. On the other hand, the Japanese love to relish Seaweed Soup with Tofu, noodles and Dashi-Miso broth.

• 30 small seaweed sheets
• 1/2 cup small paneer cubes 
• 2 tbsp. oil
• 1 tbsp. chopped garlic
• 1 sliced onion
• 3 cups stock
• 1 tbsp. soya sauce
• 1 tbsp. sesame oil
• 1/2 tsp. red chili flakes (opt)

          Soak the seaweed in lukewarm water for 5-10 minutes. Wash well and drain. Keep aside. 

          Heat oil in a pan and sauté the paneer cubes till light brown. Drain and keep aside. 

          In the same oil sauté the garlic till golden brown. Add the sliced onion and continue to fry till it turns translucent. 

          Add the stock and bring it to a boil. Now add the drained seaweed and soya sauce. Simmer for 2 minutes.

          Add the sesame oil and the fried paneer cubes. Simmer further for 2 more minutes and switch off the flame. Serve in individual bowls, garnished with red chili flakes. 

          

                        I used 30 of these small seaweed sheets.

                        Soak seaweed in lukewarm water for 5-10 minutes & drain.

                        Heat oil & sauté paneer cubes till light brown. Drain & keep aside. 

                        Sauté garlic too, till golden brown. Add onion & sauté till it turns                                                        translucent. 

                        Add the stock & bring it to a boil. 

                        Now add the drained seaweed 

                        & soya sauce. Simmer for 2 minutes.

                         Add the sesame oil and 

                        fried paneer cubes. Simmer further for 2 more minutes.

                                  Serve in individual bowls, garnished with red chili flakes. 

Bruschetta - Italian Appetizer

          This is a very easy, quick and a yummy Italian appetizer that can be dished out in a jiffy. It is completely a hassle free and a great comfort snack. You can mix and match with the ingredients easily available in your kitchen and present a fusion version for your loved ones. 

           In fact I gave a slight twist to this classic Italian recipe, by adding few chopped strawberries, some fried and crumbled paneer, chopped pistachios and peri peri sauce. It turned out real yum. This is a great party recipe where you can prepare the mix earlier and then do the assembling while serving. It will be a super hit. So Happy Cooking !!!

• 7-8 thick slices of baguette
• 1 small onion, chopped
• 1 small tomato, chopped
• 1 medium size cucumber, chopped
• 3-4 strawberries, chopped
• 2 garlic cloves, grated 
• pinch of salt
• pinch of pepper powder
• 1/4 tsp. red chili flakes 
• 1/4 tsp. oregano
• 1 tbsp. olive oil 
• 1 tbsp. peri peri sauce
• 1 tbsp. pistachios, chopped
• 1-2 tbsp. coriander leaves, chopped 
• 2 tbsp. butter
• extra olive oil and peri peri sauce to drizzle 
• hung yoghurt, sliced strawberry & coriander leaves to garnish (opt)

          In a bowl, mix together all the above mentioned ingredients (except butter, bread and the garnishing) and keep aside. 

          Smear some butter on the bread slices and toast them on a tawa / grill pan / oven till light brown. 

          While serving, spoon the prepared salad mix on the toasted bread and drizzle some olive oil and peri peri sauce. Garnish with some hung yoghurt, sliced strawberry and coriander leaves. 

Shahi Mutton Kasundi (Mutton in Creamy Mustard Gravy)

          This is a real shahi dish where mutton is cooked in a creamy mustard gravy. It goes well with pulao, jeera rice, plain Biryani, tandoori roti, naan or any Indian bread. 

          In this recipe, I have added kasundi (bottled Bengali mustard sauce), yoghurt and almond paste to make the consistency more rich and creamy. So you have an easy and a yummy mutton curry to relish. 

          In case of non-availability of kasundi, you can use some homemade ground mustard paste. So go ahead and try this delectable dish and relish with any form of rice preparation or Indian bread. So check out the step by step pictorial recipe to prepare it.

           I marinated the mutton with yoghurt, ginger-garlic paste, and other dry spices before continuing with my cooking process. The end result was simply awesome with a hint of mustard flavour and the creaminess coming from the ground paste of almonds. It is a great party recipe for special occasions. 

• 500 gms. mutton with bones, 
• salt to taste
• 1 cup yogurt, beaten
• 1 tsp. turmeric powder
• 1 tbsp. ginger-garlic paste
• 1 tsp. red chili powder
• 1 tbsp. roasted coriander-cumin powder
• 3 tbsp. mustard oil
• 2 dry red chilies, broken
• 2 bay leaves
• 1 tsp. whole garam masala (cardamoms, cinnamon & cloves)
• 3 onions, chopped
• 2-3 green chilies
• 2 tbsp. almond paste 
• 3 tbsp. kasundi paste
• 1 tbsp. coriander leaves, chopped

           Marinate the mutton with ginger-garlic paste, yoghurt and all the dry spices overnight or for a minimum of 3 hours.

          Heat oil in a pan and temper with bay leaves, dry red chilies and whole garam masalas. Add the onion and sauté on a medium flame till light brown.

          Now add the marinated mutton and continue to simmer, covered till almost dry. Add 1 cup water and pressure cook for 15-20 minutes on a low flame after the first whistle. 

          Transfer the contents to the pan. Add the almond paste, kasundi and green chilies. Bring it to a boil and simmer for a minute. Switch off the flame and transfer to a serving dish. 

          Garnish with coriander leaves and serve either with plain steamed rice, jeera rice, plain biryani,  pulao, tandoori roti, naan or any fried Indian bread.           

                       Marinate mutton with ginger-garlic paste, yoghurt & all the dry spices 
                       overnight or for a minimum of 3 hours.

                    Heat oil & temper with bay leaves, dry red chilies & whole garam masalas.

                       Add onion & sauté on a medium flame till light brown.

                       Add marinated mutton & simmer, covered till almost dry. 

                     Add 1 cup water & pressure cook for 15-20 minutes on low flame after the 
                     first whistle. 

                       Transfer the contents to the pan. Add almond paste, kasundi

                       & green chilies. Bring to a boil & simmer for a minute. 

                      Garnish with coriander leaves & serve with steamed rice, jeera rice, 
                      plain biryani,  pulao, tandoori roti, naan or any Indian bread.           

Kurkuri Bhindi (Crispy Okra Fry) in Microwave

          One can't resist the temptation of any deep fried snacks. However, there is always a guilt attached while enjoying them. A healthy alternative is microwaving them (either oil free or with less oil). They come out as crispy as their deep fried counterparts and are equally yummy as well.

          So let me share these kurkuri bhindi (crispy Okra Fry) that are very easy to prepare and are completely hassle free. They go absolutely well with  homemade chutney, sauce, hummus or any kind of dip of your preference. You can also relish them as a side dish with either rice or Paratha. So check out the step by step pictorial recipe to prepare it

• 300 gms. bhindi / okra
• 2 tbsp. roasted chickpea flour 
• 2 tbsp. whole wheat flour 
• salt to taste 
• 1/2 tsp. turmeric powder
• 1 tsp. red chili powder 
• 1 tsp. garam masala powder
• 1 tsp. kasuri methi, crushed 
• 1 tbsp. oil 
• 1 tsp. lime juice 
• 1 tsp. oil to grease

          Wash the okra and pat dry with a kitchen towel. Trim both the ends and slice them lengthwise. Combine all the above mentioned ingredients (except oil to grease).

          Arrange the okra on a greased baking tray / microwave safe plate. Microwave for 8-10 minutes on high power, by stirring them with a spatula halfway through.

          Serve these yummy and healthy kurkuri bhindi as an appetizer with sauce / chutney or as a side dish with rice / parathas.

                        Combine all mentioned ingredients (except oil to grease).

                        Arrange okra on a greased baking tray / microwave safe plate. 

                        Microwave for 8-10 minutes on high power, by stirring with a spatula 
                        halfway through.

                        Your kurkuri bhindi is ready to be relished.

                   Serve them as an appetizer with sauce / chutney or as a side dish with rice /                                       parathas.

Baingan Raita (Eggplant in Yoghurt Sauce)

         Let me share an innovative raita that I prepared with fried eggplants. It has minimal of spices and I added a simple tempering of mustard seeds, dry red chilies, asafoetida and curry leaves. It turned out very yummy and something new, apart from the usual raita that is usually prepared. So do give it a try and enjoy with your favourite meal. 

          Raita is an essential accompaniment to biryani, pulao, khichdi, jeera rice or any type of Indian bread. They compliment each other well and is an integral part of an Indian menu. It is generally yoghurt based to which veggies, fruits, spices or herbs are added. There are various types of raita that one can dish out, depending on individual preference and availability of ingredients. 

• 2-3 long eggplants, cut into roundels
• 1 cup yoghurt, whisked with salt to taste
• 3 tbsp. oil
• 1/2 tsp. mustard seeds
• pinch of asafoetida
• 1 dry red chili, broken
• 1 sprig curry leaves
• 1 tsp. coriander leaves, chopped

         Heat 2 tbsp. oil in a pan and fry the eggplant roundels on both sides till golden in colour. Drain and keep aside to cool. 

          Mix the fried eggplants in the yoghurt and set aside. Heat remaining oil and temper with mustard seeds and dry red chilies.

          After it stops spluttering, add the asafoetida and curry leaves. Sauté for a few seconds and then pour this tempering over the prepared raita. 

          Garnish with coriander leaves and serve with biryani, pulao or any Indian bread.

Banana Stem & Rice Tikki

          Came up with this rather unusual and healthy appetizer where I used some strained residue of some blended banana stem (which was leftover after making rasam with it), some mashed cooked rice, roasted chickpea flour, few basic ingredients and seasonings to make this yummy snack. It went well with my favorite peri peri sauce as an appetizer. You can also enjoy as an evening tea time snack. So do give it a try by checking out the step by step pictorial recipe to prepare it.

• 1 cup Banana stem residue
• 1 cup cooked rice, coarsely mashed
• 2 tbsp. roasted chickpea flour
• 2 tbsp. coriander leaves, chopped
• 1 tsp. garlic, grated
• 1 tsp. ginger, grated
• 1 small onion, chopped finely
• 2 green chilies, chopped finely
• 1/4 tsp. turmeric powder
• 1/2 tsp. garam masala powder
• 1/2 tsp. roasted cumin powder
• 1 tsp. lime juice
• oil to shallow fry

          In a bowl, combine all the above mentioned ingredients (except oil) and keep aside for 10 minutes.

          Take little portion and form into any desired shape. Heat oil in a tawa / pan and shallow fry the tikkis, few at a time till golden on both sides.

          Drain on a kitchen towel and serve as an appetizer with sauce / chutney or as a tea time snack. 

                   Mix all the ingredients (except oil) & keep aside for 10 minutes.

                  Take little portion and form into any desired shape. 

                    Heat oil & shallow fry them, few at a time, till golden on both sides.

                    Drain on a kitchen towel.

                           Serve as an appetizer with sauce / chutney or as a tea time snack.