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Thứ Hai, 28 tháng 2, 2011

Methi Thepla/Fenugreek Flatbread


ubby has officially declared me the "Methi crazy gal". I secretly do a happy dance when I see fresh methi ( fenugreek) bunch in the Indian grocery store, grow them in my backyard when they stop selling them in the stores and with all this always make sure I have the biggest stock of kasoori methi in case I run out of both options... lol :)) Lately I have been getitng lucky with the fresh methi. My local Indian grocery seems to carry it everytime I visit, and everytime I get two big bunches. As you can imagine, I've been cooking and eating a lot of methi based dishes lately.
Last sunday for dinner I was not in the mood to cook something elaborate and thought of making some methi thepla. It is a well known Gujarati bread which is thankfully a full meal in itself :) and of course my family favorite.
Fenugreek/Methi is very common in Indian cooking. The leaves are used as herbs, the fresh leaves are cooked like methi dal and aloo methi curry, parathas are made of these and even ladoos of methi seeds. The dried leaves which are popularly known as Kasoori methi are often used to flavor a lot of dishes, mainly creamy paneer and non-vegetarian gravies. The seeds are used as a spice.
The popularity of the fenugreek is not just for the numerous medicinal properties it has to offer. The seeds and the leaves are subtly bitter but offers a very strong unique and distinctive flavor to any recipe they are added to
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Corn Flakes Chicken

Ingredients:
500 Grams Chicken Breast (Cut into medium pieces)  
2 Cups Corn Flakes
1 Egg
1/2 Cup Yogurt
1 Tbsp Chilly Powder
1/2 Tsp Black Pepper Crushed
1/4 Tsp Chat Masala
1/2 Tsp Turmeric Powder
1 Tbsp Tandoori Chicken Masala
1 1/2 Tbsp Ginger Garlic Paste
2 Tbsp Corn Flour/Starch
Oil for frying
Salt as per taste.

Lets Prepare:
  •  To the chicken add the yogurt, turmeric powder, chilly powder, ginger garlic paste, tandoori masala and salt as per taste mix well cover and marinate.We need to marinate the chicken for 4 hours in the refrigerator.
  • After 4 hours remove the chicken from fridge and get it to room temperature.
  • Add the cornflakes to a plastic bag and crush it using a rolling pin. add the crushed corn flakes to a plate and set aside.
  • Beat the egg with a pinch of salt and set aside.
  • Now add the cornstarch to the chicken and mix well.
  • Dip the chicken in egg and roll it out in the corn flakes.
  • Heat oil in a wok and start frying the chicken till all sides turn golden brown serve  hot...Enjoy...:)

















I made this recipe when my cousin visited me they enjoyed and had planned to prepare for world cup dad mom and friends enjoyed this yummy crunchy snack its super just as it is you can serve with any dip you want it will taste yummy with hot and spicy sauce I liked it just like that...Enjoy Maadi...:)

I've done detail recipe video demo in english do watch ...:)

Thứ Sáu, 25 tháng 2, 2011

Nutri Roti (My Way)

Ingredients:
1/2 Cup Aashirvaad Multigrain Atta or Regular Wheat Flour.
1/2 All Purpose Flour/Maida.
2 Medium Carrots (Grated) 
1/2 Bunch Spinach Finely Chopped
1 Tbsp Jeera/Cumin seeds
1 Tbsp Ginger (Grated)
4 - 5 Chillies Finely Chopped
1 Medium Onion Finely Chopped
1  Pinch Asafoetida
Oil 
Salt to taste.


Lets Prepare:
  • In a hot wok add 2 tbsp oil add jeera allow to splutter well tip in the ginger fry a bit add the onion and chillies add the asafoetida fry till the onions turn transparent.
  • Tip In the grated carrots add salt as per taste fry for a minute tip in the spinach fry all the ingredients till well done.
  • Remove the mixture from flame and allow to cool before kneading the dough.

  • Combine both the flour add to the carrot masala mixture check for salt sprinkle very little water and knead the dough. please note the masala already has moisture make sure you just sprinkle little water as you knead the dough.

  • Allow the dough  to rest for 15 minutes.

  • Make roundels out of the dough dip in flour and roll out.

  • Heat a skillet/tava and start frying out the roti's add very little oil while frying out the roti serve hot with butter, ketchup or pickle...Enjoy...:)

We have never used multigrain atta before this is the first time i prepared multigrain atta roti the texture was a bit rough and dry not soft as expected and the taste is different compare to regular whole wheat roti. i prefer not to use multigrain atta for roti anymore i tried out couple of other recipes with the same flour it was a hit i will feature in my future episodes. you can try the same recipe using whole wheat flour its sure to be a hit normally i prepare the masala ahead of time and store it in the fridge and knead the dough just before preparing roti's.

I've done detail recipe video demo in English...Enjoy...:)

Watermelon Cooler

y hubby is not the biggest fruit lover. He likes (read: can eat) banana, guava and ripe mangoes. I on the other hand love all kinds of fruit (except banana and mangoes, go figure) and can live on the fresh fruit juice and salads for a few days. Also, because of all the goodness of fruit, I try to incorporate them in our meals at-least once a day. Hubby always takes one or two bites and I am the one left to finish his and my plate. Same with my little one. She is even stranger with her fruit habits. She only likes fresh pineapple and orange juice. Her reasoning why she doesn't like a particular fruit is because of the color, watermelon is too red, papaya is too yellow, guava is too green. But then who's to argue with her that my dear pineapple is yellow too, lol!
Anyway, thats a little 'fruity' detail about my family, back to the post. Days are getting hotter by the day in this part of the world. I had this big seedless sweet watermelon sitting in the refrigerator that I recently got from Costco. It was not possible for me alone to finish (although I did finish half of it all by myself). I thought why not make a drink out of it. The thought of adding a little sparkling water came to me, which in my opinion does wonders to any cool drink. Mixed in a few mint leaves and a little lemon juice and served it over some ice. To my surprise both hubby and kiddo loved it. It was refreshing, gorgeous and a great alternative to soft drinks and helps with your daily intake of fruit too.
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Thứ Tư, 23 tháng 2, 2011

Whole Wheat Tomato, Olive and Feta Cheese Focaccia


am a total bread lover. Love all kinds. Love eating them as well as making 'em. Guess our bodies are programmed to like carbs. However, I always make it a point to use whole wheat flour in my bread to make them a little healthier.
Focaccia bread is a thick, very rustic, homely bread which may be topped with herbs and other ingredients such as onion, cheese, meat, veggies etc. It is very versatile as well. Use it for dipping or as a side to a pasta dish and salads or make sandwich, they are always great.
This one is the the easiest breads I have baked so far. The recipe is simple and if you have a food processor or electric mixer making Focaccia will be effortless. If you are new at bread baking, focaccia is great way to start because it's pretty forgiving too. As for the topping you can go as simple as brushing with a bit of olive oil, salt, and pepper or you can experiment with lots of toppings. I top it with whatever I have lying around. This time it happened to be feta cheese, cherry tomatoes and olives, but you could do caramelized onions, mozzarella, vegetables… really the possibilities are endless!
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Thứ Ba, 22 tháng 2, 2011

Chocolate Rum Balls

I  gave this recipe a new name Pure Indulgence...
Ingredients:
1 Heaping Cup Cubed Cooking Chocolate (I used 60% sweet chocolate for this recipe)
1/4 Cup Heavy Cream
3 Tsp Powdered Sugar
1 Tbsp Coco Powder
2 1/2 Tsp Butter
3 Tbsp Rum
1/4 Tsp Vanilla & Chocolate Flavor (optional)
Chocolate rice or sprinkles to roll the rum balls.
Lets Prepare: 
  • Add all the ingredients in a bowl mix well.
  • Heat  2 cups of water in a pot and allow the water to boil on low flame.
  • Place the bowl on top of the boiling water make sure the steam from the boiling water is melting the chocolate and other ingredients together keep on stirring well till the ingredients combine this process will take 10 minutes.
  • By placing the chocolate on double boiler your chocolate wont burn.
  • Once the ingredients melt remove from flame and allow the mixture to set in room temperature cover and place the chocolate in fridge to set over night.
  • Remove the chocolate from fridge try to use a mini scoop to form even size rum ball if not the scoop the chocolate with a regular spoon and roll out into bite size balls using your palm as shown in the video.
  • Roll out with chocolate balls in chocolate rice or sprinkles serve chill...your special one will love it..Enjoy...:) 




This recipe was sent to me by a you tuber and good friend Malinda who stays in Vegas i tried the recipe out it was too good rum flavor was intense and nice my friend and dad enjoyed the chocolate thanks for the recipe Malinda. how ever i did my own chances to the recipe Malinda asked me to form the chocolate balls and dip in melted chocolate i tried out one it was too sweet you can do it that way if you want i rolled out the chocolate in chocolate rice it was so nice and decorative this recipe is a good birthday gift option for some one special who loves rum. I've planned to prepare  these again and gift to a friend....:)

P.S My timing to prepare this recipe was super it was super...humid and the spot lights used for filming started to melt the chocolate i had to place it back in the fridge for some time till i made a new batch....and best part i forgot to add butter for some reason i had to refer the recipe again and guess what i left out the butter i had to rush asap and add the butter to the melting chocolate if you add cold butter to the meted chocolate your melted chocolate will curdle make sure to add butter to chocolate while melting...

recipe video demo in english done by me watch and enjoy...:)

Thứ Hai, 21 tháng 2, 2011

Papdi Chaat from scratch with Tamarind and Date Chutney

his again is a story related to me coming to the US after getting married.
Ask anyone who has grown up or lived in India for a while (especially the female kind :) and they will swear by the taste of this roadside delicacy and will have a story or two to tell you with a twinkle in their eye (while their taste buds start to tingle). And my dear friends, that is no exaggeration.
During my college days, I got my fix of chaat atleast once every week. I took it for granted as it was available everywhere. When I got married and was preparing to come to the US with hubby, he gave me this shocker (among a few others). Very calmly he announced that I should get my fix of as much chaat as possible as I would not find it in the US. I was taken aback but underestimated the truth in his statement, after all there were Indian restaurants in the US and they sold chaat... I was gonna be okay. Never had I been so wrong. I found the so called chaat here to be not even close to being worthy of being called chaat. It simply was some papdi with boiled potatoes and a chutney that tasted like tomato ketchup :o
Anyway, long-story-short, I decided to make my own. Here goes the recipe. If you really want your chaat to taste awesome, pay special attention to the chutney recipe.
Chaat is a generic name for a plate of savoury, spicy, tangy snack, typically served at road-side stalls or carts in India. Originally a street food, now it can be found in high end restauarants too. There are dozens varieties of chaat like pani puri or phuchkas, dahi bhalla, sev puri etc. All these are made with almost the same ingredients (with a different base), main one being the tamarind dates chutney. It is a thick tangy, spicy, sweet and sour sauce made out of tamarind pulp, dates and jaggery. Papdis are deep-fried pastry roundels that add the crunch to the chaat.
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USMasala for Tried & Tasted!

i Friends,  I'm happy and really excited to announce that my blog has been chosen for this month for Tried & Tasted. I have been blogging only for a little over seven months and never thought USMasala will get featured in this event so soon. Now when I think about it I don't believe that I have already posted over 150 recipes and have made so many friends. 
Everyone in food blogging must be familiar with this event started by Zlamuskha. I was familiar with this event and always thought how cool and different it was. I still consider myself a newbie in blogsphere and consider this a huge responsibility. It is also invaluable motivation to keep on making and posting recipes.
Hope everybody will have fun cooking this month using some of the work I have done. If you have any doubts or questions, please feel free to leave a comment or drop me a note at aaipey@gmail.com
Lastly but by no means the least, I would like to thank Priya and Lakshmi who have chosen my blog for the event for this month. Please visit Priya's blog, Mharo Rajasthan Recipes for the details regarding the event.

Thứ Sáu, 18 tháng 2, 2011

Tropical Iceberg Coffee (cafe coffee day inspired)

Ingredients: 
1/2 Cup Filter Coffee ( Homemade )
1 1/2 Cup Milk
3 Tsp Powdered Sugar
1 Scoop Vanilla Ice cream
1 Tbsp Chocolate Syrup

Lets Prepare:

  • In a bowl add coffee, 1 cup milk, sugar, chocolate syrup, ice cream and mix well. cover the bowl and place it in the freezer for 3 to 4 hours all the ingredients must be frozen.

  • Remove the bowl from fridge and break the ice coffee into chunks using knife.
  • Add the coffee to the blender and blend well.
  • If you find the coffee really thick add 1/2 cup of milk and blend again. serve in tall tumbler...Enjoy...:)

I'm a huge cafe coffee day fan when ever i'm out shopping I'm sure to stop at coffee day to pick my tropical ice berg i know for sure there are many fans out there like me i always add extra chocolate and cream to my order yummmmmmmy...next time your in coffee day try this tropical ice berg or try to prepare at home i bet you'll love it....:)  


My recipe video demo...:)

Paneer Mattar Kadai

Ingredients:
200 Grams Packet Paneer/ Cottage Cheese ( cut into small cubes)
1 Cup Peas (precooked in salt)
1/2 Cup Tomato Puree 
1 Tbsp Chilly Powder
1 Tbsp Coriander Powder
1/2 Tsp Turmeric Powder
1 Tbsp Ginger&Garlic Paste
1/2 Tsp Garam Masala
1 Pinch Asafoetida
10 Cashew nuts (soaked in warm water ground to paste) 
1/4 Cup Fresh Cream
1 Tsp Kasuri Methi 
2 Tbsp Butter
1 Tbsp Oil
Lime few drops
Salt to taste.
First Step:
  • Soak the cashew nuts in warm water for 1/2 hour and grind to a smooth paste with out adding water i however added cream while grinding. set aside.
Second Step:

  • Heat a wok / kadai add butter start frying the paneer cubes in the butter till the cubes turn a bit golden brown all sides drain and reserve in a plate.
Third step:
  • In the same kadai add the oil to the reserved butter tip in the ginger and garlic paste and fry a bit tip in the tomato puree and fry tip in the masala chilly powder, turmeric powder, coriander powder and the garam masala and fry a bit till the oil separates to the sides add the dry kasurimethi and fry tip in the peas add water and salt stir cover and bring to a boil tip in the fried paneer and stir add the cashew paste bring to a boil add few drops of lime juice and garnish with fresh coriander leafs...serve hot with roti...Enjoy...:)

I  saw the recipe printed on frozen peas packet (safal) and tried it was too good i prepared this recipe last year was not sure weather to post the recipe on blog  since everyone would have seen the recipe and tried the recipe we liked it and I would try this recipe again probably for my dads birthday...it was rich and tasty..:)



I've done detail video demo for this recipe in English do watch and Enjoy...:)


Curried Chickpea Pita Sandwich


reek cuisine caught my attention only recently, about a little over a year ago. Growing up Greek and Mediterranean cuisines we mostly alien to us but coming to the US I started hearing a lot about it. When hubby and I tried it at one of our local restaurants, I was blown over. What really got my attention was the fabulous use of spices that made me feel right at home.
Since then I have tried a few variations of Greek food especially by way of fusion with Indian cooking. This dish is in the same genre. It is so well liked by hubby and I alike, that I mostly keep pita pockets handy so I can quickly put together a quick fix lunch or dinner especially at those times when you are craving spicy Indian flavors but you would rather not go through making an elaborate meal.
When you take a bite into it, you get the fresh taste of the tangy yogurt mint chutney combined with the fresh lettuce and the veggies. As you chew on that, the spicy chickpea taste takes over like an explosion of flavors in your mouth. The bread helps bind it all together into a cohesive meal. The spiciness of the curried chickpeas combined with the clean fresh flavors of the yogurt and veggies gives this sandwich a very unique and fabulous flavor profile that you would want to go back to again and again... like we do.
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Thứ Tư, 16 tháng 2, 2011

Minty Cantaloupe Salad with Caramelized Walnuts


t was the day after Valentine's Day and the taste of the chocolate cake still lingered. Along with that thought there was obviously this feeling that I probably should've eased up a little on my sugar intake... lol... anyway so the following morning was the perfect occasion to start the day with a light yet absolutely flavorful fruit based breakfast. Hence the idea to make this cantaloupe salad. This salad not only looks pretty, the taste does its looks justice too. It obviously has the refreshing taste of fresh cantaloupe and watermelon and it becomes a complete meal with the added flavor of mint and the crunchiness of lightly candied walnuts. If anything, hubby and I are not big cantaloupe and melon fans and we absolutely loved it.
Here's how you make it.
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Thứ Hai, 14 tháng 2, 2011

The best chocolate cake ever!


The celebration of Love is the most special kind of celebration. Love is eternal and omnipresent. It needs no special day or moment to be enjoyed but still having a day a year in our lives when we take time out to sit back and marvel at its wonders, express it in our own unique ways to show our loved ones that they are special is very welcome.
You might think I made my favorite chocolate cake this year; well you are right, this is my favorite chocolate cake but the reason for me making it this year is actually hubby. Believe it or not, he is not much of a chocolate lover (the one thing I don't understand!) but this chocolate cake he totally loves. At a good time, he can eat a couple of whole big slices. This cake was in fact the one that actually get him a little interested in chocolate since when I first made it (I owe you Ina for this one big time). The coffee and chocolate with the yummy butter-cream frosting is actually enough to create magic but throw in a couple of pink and red hearts and sit down with a slice each with your beloved and then tell me if you don't experience magic!

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Chủ Nhật, 13 tháng 2, 2011

Chocolate Mousse

Ingredients:
3 Eggs
2 Cups Heavy Whipping Cream (Chilled)
150 Grams Milk Chocolate 
3 Tbsp Butter
3 Tsp Powdered Sugar
1/4 Tsp Vanilla essence
1/4 Tsp Chocolate milk flavor
1 Step:
  • Separate the egg yolks and white in different bowls.
  • Using a electric beater whip the egg yolks first add vanilla essence, chocolate essence and sugar beat well and set aside.
  • Whip the egg white till stiff peaks and set aside.
  • Whip the heavy cream till soft peaks are formed set aside.
2 Step:
  • On a double boiler add the chocolate and allow to melt in 10 minutes chocolate will melt add the butter mix well allow the butter to melt mix well.
  • Remove the chocolate from flame and allow to cool for few minutes.
3 Step:
  •  Add the egg yolks mixture to the chocolate mix and combine with gentle hands.
  • Add half the chocolate mixture to the whipped cream and fold the chocolate in the cream add the rest of the chocolate and fold well in the cream.
  • Add one part of the whipped egg white to the chocolate cream mixture and gently fold the mixture add all the whipped egg white and very gently fold all the ingredients till well combined.
  • Transfer the mixture into serving bowl top with chocolate sprinkles and chocolate sauce chill for 4 to 5 hours before serving...serve chilled and impress your loved ones...Enjoy...:)
You can use dark chocolate for the recipe. today i was totally not in mood did not want to go out just to buy dark chocolate for the recipe i had milk chocolate which was just chilling in my fridge for days had to use it up other than me mom and dad nobody visited us today we had to enjoy the mousse all by ourself. i was really picky about things today not to sure why but after all the work and chatting with friends i just relaxed with my parents and enjoyed the mousse watching HBO all things special come in small packages very true...:)



















I've done detail recipe demo video in english do watch enjoy...:)

Thứ Sáu, 11 tháng 2, 2011

Baked Bell Pepper Cheese Pulao/Rice


ot much of a story this time to relate about this dish except the fact that I love one pot meals. They are easy, convenient, nutritious and well liked, what else could you ask for. One fine evening when thinking about dinner I really wanted to make a one pot meal but with a twist. So I figured how about rice with cheese. And it turned out to be great. So if you love your rice and your cheese, here is a simple yet extremely flavorful one pot meal for you.
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Thứ Tư, 9 tháng 2, 2011

Paneer Manchurian



love Chinese food but when it comes to Chinese-fusion food, I have a certain bias towards Indian-Chinese (indo-chinese) cuisine. We Indians have had a long-lived love affair with Chinese food. Long before the pizzas and burgers and junk food became popular, it was Chinese food that most of us wanted when we craved something exotic and different. Indo-chinese is not very close to authentic chinese food. It has been totally adapted and  flavored to suit an Indian palette. Who knew the marriage of a little soy sauce with Indian spices could be so delicious! A big bright star of the Indian Chinese cuisine and it has always been one of my favorites are the chilli and manchurian varieties. “Manchurian” dishes may be made with cauliflower, paneer or chicken and are extremely popular in India. The sauce has no basis in the historical Chinese region. In India this ever popular dish is served at glamorous restaurants as well as by the street side vendors and is consumed with vigor and excitement among all class of people.
The paneer has a crispy coating and is tossed with a mouth-watering spicy sauce. These are perfect for appetizers or may even be served as a side dish.
Use a toothpick or a fork as you please and enjoy with cocktails during or before a meal.
These are really easy to make at home, taste awesome and are always a big hit with guests. They are often paired with Chinese style fried rice. These are great for potluck parties and will be gone in seconds! It can be made dry or with gravy, the recipe below talks about both versions. Food coloring is normally used to give this dish a brighter appearance, I have used a little beet juice instead. I was pleased with the color but it is obviously optional.
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The best food I have blogged about in 2010!

When my dear blogger friend Smitha announced her event, I was totally excited to participate and set upon the difficult task to pick a couple of dishes from well over a hundred that I published in the past year. It took  a little while and some going back and forth but here are the two of my most personally we liked dishes from the year 2010 that you saw on USMasala.



Yes, the humble naan ended up being one of my most favorite creations of the year that was. Why, you ask? If you have ever attempted making one yourself, you would know it is no mean feat to make a perfect one. And perfect it was, just look at it. Moreover, all the love it generated by way of the positive feedback and being attempted successfully by fellow bloggers and foodies over the globe was just added proof.




Does the sound of a warm cheezy Pizza interest you? How about Paneer Tikka as a snack. Now combine the two into one mind boggling dish. Do you get the picture? The only thing better than the picture now in your head is when you bite into this warm cheesy goodness and the desi taste of paneer tikka hits you over the head followed by the soft yet crispy whole wheat crust.