Baby Corn Masala

INGREDIENTS:
Baby Corn - 15 Nos.
Onions - 2 and 1 for garnishing, chopped into cubes
Capsicum - 1/2 cup, chopped into cubes 

Tomatoes - 2 big, chopped
Cashew Nuts - 5-7
Red Chili Powder - 1/2 tsp
Coriander Powder - 1/2 tsp
Cumin Seed Powder - 1/4 tsp
Kasoori Methi (dried fenugreek leaves) - 1/4 tsp
Tomato Sauce - 1/4 tsp
Garam Masala Powder - 1/2 tsp
Cumin Seeds - 1/4 tsp
Milk - 1/2 cup
Salt - as per taste
Turmeric Powder - a pinch
Oil - 2 tbspns

METHOD:

Wash the baby corn and cut them into big pieces . Heat a few drops of oil in a kadai and saute the onions till it turns into a nice brown color.

Cook the baby corns in water with a pinch of turmeric and little salt, till it becomes soft (approximately 10 minutes). When it is done, drain the excess water and keep the corns aside. Heat a kadai and saute the onions till golden brown. Now, grind the sauteed onions, tomatoes, red chili powder, coriander powder, cumin seed powder, tomato sauce , kasoori methi, cashew nuts into a smooth paste.

In a kadai heat the oil and saute the capsicum and the remaining onion for a minute. Keep it aside.

In the same oil throw in the cumin seeds and add the ground masala. Saute them in a low flame for 5 mins. Add the cooked baby corns, milk and salt to the gravy. Now add the capsicum and onions to this. Put off the flame.

Serve hot with Roti/ Naan or Pulao

Recipe Courtesy: Jeyashri's Kitchen

Mirch Ka Salan (Hot Chili Peppers in Tangy Peanut Sauce)

Ingredients:

Anaheim Peppers (Bajji Milagai) - 4 

Mustard seeds - 1/2 tsp

Fenugreek seeds - 1/2 tsp

Asafoetida - a pinch

Turmeric powder - 1/2 tsp

Chili powder - 1/2 tsp

Ginger Garlic paste - 1/2 tsp

Tamarind pulp - 1 tbspn disssolved in 1/4 cup water

Oil - 2 tbspns

Salt - to taste

For the masala;

Coconut (grated or chopped) - 1 tbspn

Poppy seeds(kasa kasa) - 1 tbspn

Sesame seeds - 1 tbspn

Peanuts - 1 tbspn

Coriander seeds - 2 tsp

Cumin seeds - 3 tsp

Oil - 1 tsp

Method:

Wash, wipe and slit chilies lengthwise into two or quarters. Heat sufficient oil in a kadai and fry for 5 minutes. Drain and place on absorbent paper and set aside.

To make masala paste, roast the sesame seeds, poppy seeds, coriander seeds, cumin seeds, peanuts and coconut with 1 tsp of oil. Cool and grind them to a paste.

Heat 2 tbspns of oil in a pan, add mustard seeds and let them splutter. Then add fenugreek seeds and asafoetida. Now add turmeric powder, ginger garlic paste and saute for a minute. 

Add the tamarind pulp with the water. Let them cook for a while.

Now add the masala paste, chili powder and cook for three minutes, stirring constantly and add the fried chilies and salt. Reduce the heat and cook for ten minutes.

Serve hot with Basmati Rice.

Tawa Pulao

Ingredients:

Basmati Rice(cooked) - 2 cups

Onion - 1 small, chopped finely

Tomato - 1 small, chopped finely

Green Peas - 1/4 cup

Cauliflower - 1/4 cup, chopped finely (optional)

Bell Peppers - 1 1/2 cup, chopped finely (combination of red, yellow and green peppers)

Ginger Garlic Paste - 1 tsp

Pav Bhaji Masala - 1 tsp

Turmeric Powder - 1 tsp

Red Chili Powder - 1 tsp

Oil - 2 tbspns

Salt - according to taste

Asafoetida - a pinch

Cumin seeds - 1/4 tsp

Lemon Juice - 1 tbspn

Cilantro - 1 tbspn, chopped for garnishing

Method:

In a non stick pan, heat oil in a medium heat. Add cumin seeds and hing. Let them splutter. Add the onions, a pinch of salt and turmeric and cook for 2 - 3 minutes. Now add ginger garlic paste and saute for a minute. Add in the peppers and cook for 4 - 5 minutes and add in the tomatoes and cook for 3 more minutes.

Add cauliflower and peas and cook till cauliflower is tender, about 4 minutes. Add the red chili powder, pav bhaji masala, salt and mix. Cook for 2 minutes. Now add the cooked rice and stir to combine. Mix gently and let cook on low heat for 7 - 10 minutes stirring in between.

Add the lemon juice and cilantro. Mix and serve with raita.

Recipe Courtesy: USMasala

Red Velvet Cake

Chitra's Cuisine 1st Anniversary!!

Hello Everybody!

It is my pleasure to celebrate the First Anniversary of Chitra's Cuisine with all of you. It has been a fascinating journey so far. All through this year, I've been crazy collecting recipes, reading fellow bloggers, talking to  friends on cooking, buying cutlery, reading magazines for creative photography, learning the art of photography itself, watching lot of food channels, discovering useful tips, eventually translating the efforts into interesting receipes!! I hope you liked them. With your support, I wish to pursue my passion for cooking and present some exciting receipes in the forthcoming years.

At this moment, i would like to thank my relatives, friends, my viewers and my blogger mates for the encouragement and constructive feedback towards the betterment of Chitras Cuisine everyday. A very special thanks to my HUBBY who inspires me to come up with better photographs every day.  Finally, Super Thanks to my sweet kiddo for allowing me to spend long hours in Kitchen.

Celebrating Chitra's Cuisine 1st Anniversary with Red Velvet Cake

Red Velvet Cake

Ingredients:

2 1/2 cups sifted cake flour*

1/2 tsp salt

2 tbspns regular cocoa powder

1/2 cup unsalted butter, at room temperature

1 1/2 cups granulated white sugar

2 large eggs

1 tsp vanilla extract

1 cup buttermilk

2 tbspns liquid red food coloring

1 tsp white distilled vinegar

1 tsp baking soda

Cream Cheese Frosting - 3 boxes(Approximately)

*To substitute cake flour for all purpose flour, use 3/4 cup all purpose flour(bleached) plus 2 tablepspoons corn starch(both sifted) for every cup of cake flour.

Method:

Preheat the oven to 350F  and place rack in center of oven. Butter two 9 inch(23 cm) round cake pans and line the bottoms of the pans with parchment paper. Set aside.

In a mixing bowl sift together the flour, salt and cocoa powder. Set aside.

In a bowl of your electric mixer, or with a hand mixer, beat the butter until soft (about 1-2 minutes). Add the sugar and beat until light and fluffy (about 2-3 minutes). Add the eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Scrape down the sides of the bowl. Add the vanilla extract and beat until combined.

In a measuring cup whisk the buttermilk with the red food coloring. With the mixer on low speed, alternately add the flour mixture and buttermilk to the butter mixture, in three additions, beginning and ending with the flour. 

In a small cup combine the vinegar and baking soda. Allow the mixture to fizz and then quickly fold into the cake batter. Working quickly, divide the batter evenly between the two prepared pans and smooth the tops with an offset spatula or the back of a spoon. 

Bake in the preheated oven for approximately 25-30 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center of the cakes comes out clean.

Cool the cakes in their pans on a wire rack for 10 minutes. Place a wire rack on top of the cake pan and invert, lifting off the pan. Once the cakes have completely cooled, wrap them in plastic and place the cake layers in the refrigerator at least for an hour (or overnight).

Assemble: With a serrated knife, cut each layer in half, horizontally. You will now have four cake layers. Place one of the cake layers, top of the cake facing down, onto your serving platter. Spread the cake layer with a layer of frosting. Place another layer of cake on top of the frosting and continue to frost and stack the cake layers. Frost the top and sides of the cake.

Serves 10 - 12

Recipe Courtesy: Joy of Baking