Spaghetti with faux meat balls

Ingredients:

Spaghetti - 100 gms

For the sauce

Garlic - 4 pods - dice

Pasta seasoning - 2 tbsps

Olive oil ( seasoned) - 2 tbsp

Onion - 2 medium

Tomato - 1 large ( dice fine)

Green chilies - 2 dice fine

Chillie powder - to taste

Salt to taste

Coriander leaves - for garnish

Cheese - grated for garnishing

For the 'meat' balls

Soya granules - 100 gms

Potato flakes ( optional ) 25 gms

Ginger-garlic paste - 1 tsp

Chillie powder - 1/2 tsp

Salt - to taste

Cornflour - 3 tbsp

Oil for deep frying

Slide spaghetti into boiling water. Add oil and salt and cook till al dente.

Drain the water and immediately immerse in or hold under cold water.

Keep aside

Prepare the soya balls

Soak the soya granules in warm water for 10 mins.

Drain and squeeze the granules well

Mix with the rest of the ingredients and a little water if required to bind

Make into small balls and deep fry till golden brown.

For the sauce

In a wok add olive oil

Add the garlic, onion, green chillies.  sauté .

Add the tomato, fry awhile
Add the tomato Purée
Crush the seasoning and add.
Also the salt, chilie powder, and simmer on slow fire till it thickens.

Slide in the 'meat balls' and allow to simmer and absorb the sauce.

Add a water a little at a time, if it thickens too much.

Remove from fire.

Serve spaghetti on a plate and spoon the sauce over it.

Garnish with coriander leaves and grated cheese and top it with seasoned olive oil if required.

Eat and enjoy.

Chutney with puffed chick pea ( without coconut)

A nice simple chutney to make without coconut. Courtesy Papu akka.

Ingredients:

Puffed chick pea - Puttanalu/daria dal/bhuna dal - 50 gms

Green chillies - 2

Garlic pod - 1

Coriander leaves - 25 gms

Salt to taste

Lime juice or tamarind paste - 1 tsp lime juice ( I used lime) or 1/2 tsp tamarind paste.

Oil for seasoning

Dry red chillies - 2

Black gram dhal ( urad) - 1/4 tsp

Mustard - 1/2 tsp

Curry leaves - few

Soak the dal for about 1/2 hour before use

Grind with green chillie, garlic, salt and coriander leaves

Place in bowl and mix in the lime juice

Season with black gram, mustard and curry leaves.

Serve with dosa/ uthapam ( shown in pic below)

Vegetarian Kheema ( Soya granules curry)

Soya has the texture of meat and therefore a meat substitute.  It is also a good source of protein.

Soya granules – 250 gms
Peas - 100 gms
Onions – 2 medium
Tomatoes – 2 medium ( or tomato puree )
Green chillies – 3 – chopped finely
Red chillie powder – to taste
Ginger –garlic paste – 1 tsp
Garam masala powder – ½ tsp
Dhania powder – 1 tbsp
Oil  – 2 tbsp
Ghee – 2 tbsp


Immerse the soya granules in warm water for about 15 minutes.
Squeeze and drain the granules
Rinse again if required with cold water .
The soya granules are ready for cooking.
Heat oil in wok
Add the onions, ginger garlic paste, green chillies and sauté well.
Add the tomatoes, continue sautéing
Add the peas and
Then the drained soya granules
Add the masala powders and a little water. Cook a while
Add the ghee and cover and simmer for about 10 minutes till the water and masalas are totally absorbed.
Add the garam masala and stir for a few minutes.
Remove from fire and serve hot with rotis.

Pasta with Cheddar Cheese

Once again an easy way out with some readymade sauce.  Thanks to the elder one who got me this Cheddar Cheese sauce mix.

Ingredients -

Pasta - 100 gms ( boiled as per instructions on the pack)

Carrots - 50 gms - peel and cut into cubes

Peas - 50 gms

Corn - 50 gms

Cauliflower - 30 gms

Salt to taste

Pepper powder- as per requirement

Make the sauce with milk and the mix

Parboil the vegetables - make sure the vegetables are not too tender

Place in a greased bowl along with pasta

Pour the sauce over it.

Cover with shredded cheese.

Bake till the cheese is slightly browned.

Have with garlic bread.

PS: Can you believe I forgot to take a picture of the finished product!!

And a bit about pasta physics that I read and shall reproduce here -

What's the best way to eat spaghetti without splattering the sauce? Physicist Colin Humphreys discovered the risk of sauce splash is greatest as you roll the last 4.33 inches of spaghetti onto a fork. "A final reckless flick of the wrist can accelerate the spaghetti speed to over nine feet per second;" he says.

The turning motion produces centrifugal force, which keeps an object moving in a circle. When the twisting stops, however, the sauce continues in a straight line--until it smacks your shirt! The trick: Use a fork to roll spaghetti onto a spoon held parallel to the plate. Then eat the pasta off the spoon. Bib not required!

Pani Puri ( Indian Fast Food)

Indian street food made under sterile conditions may not taste as good as the original!

Ready pani puris
Jal Jira masala  ( readymade)
Soak chick pea overnight and pressure cook till tender
Boiled potato. - mash
Green chillies ( optional ) finely diced
Onions ( optional) finely diced
Black salt/salt ( to taste)


To the mashed potato add boiled chick pea, salt, chopped coriander, onion(optional) and green chillie/chilie powder,a little lime juice and salt.

Make the jal jira water as per instructions given on pack – normally involves – dissolving the masala in cold water, add salt to taste, and if required a dash of lime.

Make a hole in the puri and fill a little of the potato-chick pea mixture and dunk in the Jal jiar water and pop in your mouth.

Enjoy.

Adrak Gobi ( Cauliflower with Ginger)

Cauliflower – 1 medium ( cut into florets)
Ginger – Large piece of fresh ginger ( 3” piece) – peel and dice
Onions – 3 large - dice
Tomatoes – 2 large – chop fine
Green chillies 2– chop fine

Red chillie powder – to taste ( 1 tbsp approx) – add more if required

Dhania (coriander) powder – 1 ½ tsp

Turmeric powder -1/2 tsp

Jeera (Cumin seeds) – 1 ½ tsp

Oil – 3 tbsp

Salt to taste

Heat oil in a pan

Add cumin seeds, allow to crackle

Add ginger and green chillies sauté – after it is well done add

Add onions and salt , sauté till they brown

Add the masala powders

Add a glass of water – allow to cook for 10 mins

Add the cauliflower florets, cover till almost done

Now the finely diced tomatoes.

Cover the pan and simmer for atleast 15 mins till the cauliflower is cooked.

(Dish made by S-I-L)

Methi Chicken

I do not generally cook non vegetarian food at home, for ours is essentially a vegetarian household. But when the elder one and s-i-l were coming home, I went online to prepare something for them. I came upon this dish on the Vah Re Chef website.

Ingredients:

Chicken - 500 gms

Onions - 3 - chopped

Methi ( fenugreek) leaves - 2 bunches

Ginger garlic paste - 1 tsp

Tomatoes - 2 large ( or substitute with 50 gms tomato puree)

Coriander powder - 1 tbsp

Turmeric powder - 1/2 tsp

Curd ( yogurt) - 1/2 cup beaten

Garam masala powder - 1 tsp

Cumin ( jeera) seeds - 1 tbsp

Green chillies - 2 ( optional)

Coriander leaves - few

Red chillie powder - to taste

Salt - to taste

Oil - 2 tbsp

Heat oil, add cumin and onion. Saute till brown

Add turmeric powder and ginger garlic paste.

Add chopped tomatoes , chillie powder, finely chopped green chillies, coriander powder.

Add beaten curd and and cook till it gets mushy.

Add chopped methi leaves and chicken.

Cook till the chicken is tender and the gravy is thick.

Add finely chopped coriander leaves and garam masala powder.

Simmer for a minute.

Remove from fire and serve with rice or roti.