Spinach casserole

My first casserole luckily turned out to be delicious..So before I forget , I registered here immediately...My new new-year recipe..Happy New year 2012..

(For 2 persons)

Ingredients:

• creamed spinach - 450 gms( 1 packet Rahmspinat)
• Noodles/ Macaroni -100 gms
• onions - 2
• Oil -4 teaspoon
• Egg-2
• chopped garlic -5 ( or garlic powder -1 1/2 teaspoon )
• Ghee/ Butter for greasing
• crated cheese
• Salt

Method:

• Cook the noodles( I used rice noodles)/ macaroni in salted water for 7-8 mins.
• Beat the eggs in a seperate bowl.
  
• Heat 2 teaspoon oil in a pan.
  
• Drain the excess water and add the cooked noodles and beated eggs to the pan.
• Mix it evenly and cook it for 2 mins. Add salt if needed and keep it aside.
• Cook the spinach with a tablespoon of cream (or rahmspinat without cream) and salt and keep it aside.
• Heat the remaining oil in pan and fry the onions and chopped garlic. Add salt and pepper.
• Grease the casserole pan with butter /oil / ghee
  
• Spread the cooked onion garlic mixture first and then layer it with noodle egg mixture.
• Finally add the cooked spinach layer and spread the crated cheese on the top of it.
• Cook the casserole in oven under 180-200 °C for about 20 -22 mins.
• Cut into pieces and serve it hot.. hmmhmm.. yummy yummy...
  

Egg - Paprika noodles

Ingredients:

• Whole Grain Noodles (Dont use maggi Noodles)
• Butter - 1 Tablespoon
• Oil 2 teaspoon
• Egg-3Paprika - 1/2
• Dried Basil - 1 teaspoon
• Black Pepper - 1 Teaspoon
• Cumin Seed - 1 TeaspoonSalt
• Salt
  

Method:

• Cook the noodles in salted water for 8-10 mins depending upon the type used.
  
• Drain the noodles and add it to slightly heated butter. Keep it aside.
  
• Heat oil in a seperate pan and add egg to it.
  
• Stir the egg so that it becomes small clumps.
  
• Once the egg is cooked add salt , dried basil leaf coarse powder, semi-crushed pepper and cumin powder .
  
• Add finally sliced paprika pieces and cook it for few seconds(Dont overcook).
• Stir the mixture with the noodles and serve it hot with some kind of ready made or home made pasta side dish.

Chettinadu Prawn Pulav

Here is another tasty recipe for prawn lovers :)

Ingredients:

• Prawns- 250 gms
• Basmathi Rice - 200 gms (approximately)
• /Normal rice
• Big Onion-1
• Tomato- 2
• Garlic -5
• Ginger -1 inch
• (Ginger garlic paste/
• Ginger + Garlic powder - 1 and 1/2 teaspoons)
• Cinnamon - 1 inch piece
• Cloves- 2-3 pieces
• Fennel- 1 teaspoon
• Poppy seeds-1 /2 teaspoon
• Turmeric powder- pinch
• Chilli powder- 1/2 teaspoon
• Coriander powder - 1/2 teaspoon
• Garam masala powder - 1/2 teaspoon
• Food colour powder- pinch(optional)
• Curry leaves, coriander leaves, fried cashews for garnishing
• Butter/Ghee
• lemon juice- 1 teaspoon(optional)
• Oil-1 table spoon
• Salt

Method:

• Cook the rice seperately. Tip: Don't ever over cook the rice for pulav, variety rice and Biriyani.
• Allow the rice to cool down slightly.
• Chop the onions, tomatoes, ginger, garlic into fine pieces and keep it aside.
• Heat oil in a large pan and add cinnamon, cloves, fennel, poppy seeds.
• When the fennel and poppy seeds turn slightly brown,
• Add the butter and then ginger garlic powder / paste / pieces.
• Add the onions and fry it till it turns glassy brown.
• Add the tomatoes and cook it under closed lid for few minutes.
• Once the onions and tomatoes are cooked well, add turmeric powder, chilli powder, coriander powder and (half the amount ) salt.
• After 2 minutes add the prawns and allow it cook under closed lid.
• Sprinkle water only if needed. Otherwise do not add water.
• Finally when the prawns are cooked, add garam masala powder and cook it for another 2-3 minutes. Add salt if needed and the food colour (optional)
• Now add the plain cooked rice to the masala and slowly stir until the rice turns evenly colored.
• Finally garnish the tasty prawn pulav with chopped curry leaves, coriander leaves and fried cashews. Add more butter and salt if needed.
• Sprinkle few drops of lemon juice if needed.
• Serve it hot with potato chips and onion raita..Hmmm..Yummy yummy:-b

Onion vadai

Ingredients:

• Onion -2
  
• Gram flour(kadalai maavu)-1/2 -3/4 cup(approximately)
• Rava- 1 tablespoon (optional)
  
• rice flour-2 tablespoon
  
• red chilli powder-1/2 teaspoon
• Baking soda -1/4 teaspoon
• Salt
• kesari colour powder- a pinch
• Oil- for deep frying

A quick recipe :-D

Method:

• Chop the onions.
• Mix gram flour, rice flour, red chilli powder, kesari powder, baking soda and salt with the chopped onions.
• Sprinkle some water. Do not add too much of water like bajji.
• Take care that the onion pieces are coated with the mixture.
• Keep it aside for 10- 15 mins.
• Heat the oil.
• Add the onion - flour mixture into small irregular shaped pieces.
• Fry it till golden brown.

Chettinad Thun fish curry

I usually do this recipe with hacked thun fish available in tins. But we can also use normal fresh thun fish. Cook the fish in steam and hack it before use.

Ingredients:

• Thun fish-(boiled and hacked)-150 gm
• Onion(large)- 1
• Garlic powder- 1/2 teaspoon (or add ginger garlic paste -1 tablespoon)
  
• Ginger powder- 1/2 teaspoon (or ginger garlic paste)
  
• turmeric powder-1/4 teaspoon
• chilli powder- 1/2 teaspoon
• coriander powder- 1/2 teaspoon
• Garam masala powder- 1/2 teaspoon
• salt

For seasoning:

• Oil- 1 table spoon
• Mustard -1 teaspoon
• Urad dhal- 1teaspoon
• Curry leaves

Method:

• Cook the thun fish in steam and hack it into very small pieces. Keep it aside.
• Add oil in the tava.
• Once oil is heated add all the seasoning items.
• Add the onions and a pinch of salt. Fry it till golden brown.
  
• Add ginger garlic powder/paste , turmeric powder, chilli powder, coriander powder.
• Once the onions are well cooked, add the cooked hacked fish to the tava and mix it well.
• Finally add garam masala powder and cook it in sim flame under closed lid for 5 mins.(sprinkle some water and salt, if needed)
• The thun fish curry should be dry.
• Serve it hot with any type of main dish like rice, chappathi, dosa, etc.
• Option: Add few drops of lime juice before serving.

Crepes/ Pancake

I didn't know, if I can really name this recipe as Pancake . Although I have adopted the main ingredients of the pancake, I have slightly modified the original recipe. Hope, you like it !!! I have also added the original french recipe below..so you have got 3-in-1 :-D

Ingredients:

• All Purpose flour - 1/2 cup (approx 150 gms)
• Egg- 1
• Sugar- 1/2 teaspoon
• Milk-1/2 glass
• Butter- 50 grams
• Oil
• Salt

Method:

• Beat the egg in a bowl for about 5-7 minutes.
• Add the all purpose flour, salt, sugar and mix it well.
• Add milk little by little and beat it until you get the right consistency without any clumps.
• (Optional: Add a 1/2 teaspoon of baking powder to the mixture and keep it aside for 10 minutes)
  
• The consistency may be like that of a normal dosa or slightly thinner than that. It shouldn't be too thick or too thin.
• Heat a flat tava. Use medium heat.
• Slightly oil the tava and spread the batter as a circle, as you normally do it for dosa.
• When it is slightly brown(don't leave it for much time), turn it over and remove immediately after 3-5 seconds from the tava.
• Dont leave the dosa much time on the hot tava after turning it, as it loses its softness.
• Coat it with little butter and sprinkle some powder sugar or normal sugar and serve it hot.
• Other combinations are jam, vanilla sauce,cream, chocolate, joghurt, kurma, honey and cherry, honey and strawberry, etc.

Original Crepes recipe


Ingredients:

• All purpose flour- 250 gm
• Egg- 2
• Milk- 200 ml
• Water-250 ml
• Butter-50 gm
• Salt

Method:

• Mix the egg, all purpose flour, salt and milk in a bowl.
• Finally add butter and required amount of water.
• Keep it in a cool place for about half an hour or more and allow it to increase in volume.
• Use this batter as crepes batter as described above.

Original Pancake recipe:

Ingredients:

• All Purpose flour- 2 cups
• Baking powder- 2 1/2 teaspoons
• Sugar- 3 teaspoons
• Salt - 1/2 teaspoon
• Eggs- 2
• Milk-1 cup
• Buttermilk- 1/2-3/4 cups
• Melted Butter- 2 tablespoons

Method:

• Add Melted Butter, egg in a bowl.
• Add all purpose flour, baking powder, sugar, salt into the bowl.
• Add milk and required amount of buttermilk and mix it well without any clumps.Cook it in a slightly greased griddle.
• Use 1/4 cup of batter for one pancake and do not spread it like crepes.
• The pancake is turned , once it turns pluffy enough and golden brown at the bottom side.
• Cook it till it is golden brown on the other side.
• Serve it hot.

Egg Noodles / Makkaroni

I modified a german recipe to Indian style. It is perfectly suitable for bachelors :-D

Ingredients:

• Makkaroni/ Noodles- 250 gms
• Tomato - 2 ( or Tomato Puri- 5-6 tablespoon)
• Turmeric Powder- 1/4 teaspoon
• Chilli powder- 1/2 teaspoon( or 1/4)
• Butter- 3 or 4 tablespoon
• Egg-2 or 3
• Oil- 1 or 2 teaspoon
• Salt

Method:

• Cook the makkaroni/Noodles in salted boiling water 8-10 mins according to the instructions given.
• Add 2-3 oil drops to makkaroni while cooking to avoid sticking.
• Drain the water and keep it aside.
• Heat oil in a pan and add the eggs to it.
• Add a pinch of salt and stir the eggs till it is clumped and cooked completely.
• Heat Butter in another pan and add chopped tomatoes or tomato puree.( add more or less tomato puree according to required taste)
  
• Add turmeric powder, chilli powder(slightly less than usual indian recipes), and required salt.
• Cook the tomatoes till they are completely smashed.
• Now add the cooked egg clumps and makkaroni.
• Stir it well till it gets completely mixed up and become warm enough to serve.
  

Cooked vegetables can also be added instead of eggs. Add accordingly more chilli powder.