Spicy Buttermilk

Home made yogurt is blended with water to make buttermilk. A tempering is prepared with cumin, mustard seeds along with green chiles, curry leaves and cilantro. Then buttermilk is churned along with tempering. This spicy buttermilk is often served chilled during summer months.

Makes: 2 Servings of Spicy Buttermilk.

Ingredients:

Plain Yogurt 1 Cup
Water 1 Cup
Green Chiles 1
Cumin Seeds 1/4 tsp
Mustard Seeds 1/4 tsp
Curry Leaves 2
Cilantro few Sprigs
Lemon Juice 1 tsp
Salt to taste
Oil 1/2 tsp

Method of preparation:

Remove stem, wash and finely chop green chile.
Remove the seeds inside the green chile to reduce the heat.
Wash and finely chop cilantro.
Wash and tear the curry leaves.

Heat oil in a small pan, add cumin seeds and mustard seeds.
When mustard seeds start to splutter, add green chiles, curry leaves and cilantro.
Remove from heat and let it cool to room temperature.

In a deep vessel, pour yogurt, water, lemon juice, above tempering and salt.
Churn all the contents thoroughly with a whisk.
Pour onto serving glasses and serve spiced buttermilk chilled.
Notes: Make sure to adjust the water consistency according to the preference.

Suggestions: Adjust the spice with green chiles. Use a blender to thoroughly blend yogurt and water. Then stir in the tempering for a quicker process.
Variations: You can also avoid tempering if you wish. A small piece of ginger can also be added for extra heat.
Other Names: Spicy Buttermilk, Talimpu Majjiga

Home Made Paneer

Paneer is tasteless and saltless unaged Indian cheese. Paneer is made by heating milk to boiling point and curdling it with acid (lemon juice, vinegar, sour yogurt, etc…). The curdled milk is then strained into cheese cloth and pressed hard to remove excess water. Paneer can be pressed into a block by putting a heavy weight on the curds that are wrapped in a cloth. The squeezed curds are quite soft and can be used as a spread. The paneer that is pressed for short while called chenna is little soft and crumbling and can be used to make various sweets.
Makes: 1 1/2 cups of cubed paneer

Ingredients:

Full Fat Milk 1 gallon (app. 3.8 Litres)
Freshly Squeezed Lemon Juice 2 – 3 tbsps

Method of preparation:

Bring milk to boil in a heavy bottomed vessel on medium flame.
Stir the milk frequently to avoid scorching.
When milk starts bubbling, switch off heat and stir in lemon juice into hot milk.

Stir once or twice around the sides with a spatula and let the milk coagulate.
After a minute or two, all the milk breaks down into white mass and floats on top of yellowish / greenish liquid called whey.

Place a cheese cloth or muslin cloth on a sieve and pour the milk into lined sieve.
Whey is drained out while white curds are left behind in the cheese cloth.
Wash the collected curd under cold running water for few seconds.
Squeeze off the excess water by twisting the cheese cloth.
At this stage, the collected cheese is soft and spreadable.

Twist and tie the cheese cloth tight and hang it for around 2 hours to drip off the excess water.
When most of the water is dripped off, cheese is chunky and breakable with little moisture. This can called chenna which is used for making various Indian sweets.

Loosen the knot, place the cheese still wrapped in a cloth on a perforated plate.
Put a heavy weight on top and leave it for 3 – 4 more hours to set the cheese in to a block.
Chop the paneer into small chunks and freeze it in a zipper freezer bag. Don’t freeze it again once taken out.
Use the paneer within in 3 – 4 days of preparation.

Notes: After adding the lemon juice, if you don’t see the milk coagulating, add more lemon juice.

Suggestions: Use milk having more than 5% fat (buffalo’s milk) to get best paneer. Use either vinegar or sour yogurt to break the milk instead of lemon juice. Use of yogurt doesn’t change the taste of paneer while use of vinegar gives it a light acrid taste.
Variations: Skimmed milk can also be used to make paneer especially chenna but full fat milk is best suited for paneer. Paneer can be flavored during the process of preparation. When the milk is boiling, crushed spices like cumin, black peppercorns, fennel etc… are added.
Other Names: Cottage Cheese, Indian Cheese, Paala Virugudu, Sanna, Chhana, Chenna, Chhena.

Sausage, Vegetables and Sweet Rice Recipe

Sausage, Vegetables and Sweet Rice Recipe (+)
Ingredients:

- 3 cups raw jasmine rice - 4 1/2 cups water - 3 teaspoons salt - 2 ounces dried shiitake mushrooms - 3 tablespoons oyster sauce, divided - 2 tablespoons soy sauce - 2 tablespoons corn starch - 1 teaspoon salt - 1 tablespoon honey - 2 tablespoons red wine - 3 to 4 links Chinese style sausage, diced - 4 to 6 links turkey sausage, chopped - 1 bunch green onions, sliced - 1 pound shrimp (frozen, remove tails and cut into thirds) - 2 tablespoons sesame oil - 1 cup water chestnuts, coarsely chopped - 1 cup frozen baby green peas Servings: 8 Container: large heavy sauce pan, large skillet, large serving container Prep Time: 30 minutes Cook Time: 1.5 hoursMethod of preparation: Rinse rice in cold water using a colander. In a large sauce pan, bring 4½ cups of water to a boil. Add salt as the water begins to boil, then add rice, and turn heat to simmer. Cook, in a covered sauce pan, for 20 to 25 minutes, or until water is absorbed. Remove rice from heat, allow rice to rest (covered) for 10 minutes. While rice is cooking, chop dried mushrooms, and rehydrate according to package directions. Drain water from mushrooms (reserving mushroom water for later use). In a bowl, combine 1 tablespoon oyster sauce, the soy sauce, red wine, salt, honey, and corn starch and marinate mushrooms in this mixture for 15 to 20 minutes. In a heavy skillet sauté turkey sausage, Chinese sausage, and green onions over medium heat for approximately 10 minutes or until sausage appears thoroughly cooked. Add marinated mushrooms to skillet and continue sautéeing for 10 minutes, stirring frequently. Add reserved water from mushrooms as needed to prevent ingredients from sticking to the bottom of the skillet. Transfer ingredients to a large serving bowl. Add sesame oil to skillet and sauté shrimp for 2 minutes. Stir in meat and mushroom mixture and add water chestnuts and 2 tablespoons of oyster sauce. Continue cooking for 2 minutes, stirring to combine. Turn off heat and stir in peas. Serve over rice or mix all together, if desired.

Lemony Green Tea

Ingredients:

Green Tea Powder 1 tbsp
Lemon 1
Sugar to taste

Method of preparation:

Heat 6 – 8 cups of water and bring to boil.
Add green tea powder and sugar. 
Cover and remove from heat.
Once cooled to room temperature, strain into serving glass.
Squeeze a lemon, stir and serve.
Alternatively, serve chilled with lots of ice cubes.

Notes: Use green tea bags if you have.

Cashew Chicken

Cashew Chicken Recipe (+)
It is a chines dish.Featuring snow peas and carrots, as well as generous portions of chicken and cashews, this popular Chinese chicken recipe offers a variety of delicious flavors and textures in one easy-to-make dish.
Ingredients:

- 4 teaspoons cornstarch (1 tablespoon plus one teaspoon) - 1/2 cup chicken broth - 1 tablespoon soy sauce - 1 pound boneless, skinless, chicken breasts - cut into bite sized pieces - 4 tablespoons peanut oil - 2 stalks celery - thinly sliced - 8 ounces package snow peas - 1 carrot - shredded or thinly sliced - 1 onion - cut in half, then sliced thin - 2 cloves garlic - minced - 2 tablespoons water - 1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes - 1/2 cup cashews Serving Size: 1 cup Servings: 6 Container: large wok or skillet Prep Time: 20 minutes Cook Time: 10 minutes Method of preparation: Mix 1 teaspoon of the cornstarch with broth; set aside. Place chicken pieces in medium bowl. Add the remaining 3 teaspoons (1 tablespoon) cornstarch, 1 tablespoon soy sauce, and mix to combine; set aside. Heat wok or skillet with 2 tablespoons oil. Add chicken mixture and stir until opaque (about 3 minutes). Remove to plate. Add remaining 2 tablespoons oil to wok or skillet. Stir fry celery, carrots, onion, and garlic for 2 minutes. Add water; cover and cook 2-3 more minutes, just until vegetables are crisp tender. Return chicken to wok. Stir broth mixture and add it to wok. Stir until thickened, about 1 minute. Add red pepper flakes, snow peas, and most of the cashews. Heat through. Serve over hot rice. Use the remaining cashews for garnish.

Mixed Vegetable Cutlet

Mixed Vegetable Cutlet.

Choice of mixed vegetables (cauliflower, carrot, potato, green beans, peas etc) are cooked and mashed along with boiled vermicelli. The mixture is made into patties and rolled in bread crumbs and deep fried till golden brown. Serve mixed vegetable cutlet with ketchup or with any chutney of your choice.
Makes: around 2 Mixed Vegetable Cutlet.

Ingredients:

Roasted Vermicelli 1/4 Cup
Potato 1 Small
Cauliflower few Florets
Carrot 1/2 of Small One
Green Beans 3
Green Peas 1 Tbsp
Green Chiles 1
Ginger 1 inch Piece
Cumin Seeds a Pinch
Garam Masala a Pinch
Cilantro few Sprigs
Curry Leaves 1 – 2
Salt to taste
Bread Crumbs few Tbsps
Oil 1/4 tsp + for Deep Frying or Shallow Frying

Method of preparation:

Wash, remove ends, peel and chop the carrot into small pieces.
Peel and roughly chop the potato.
Wash, remove ends and finely chop the green beans.
Remove stems, wash and finely chop the green chile.
Peel and mince the ginger.
Wash and finely chop the cilantro.
Wash and finely chop the curry leaves.

Bring to boil a cup of water, add vermicelli and cook on low flame for couple of minutes for vermicelli to absorb all the water.
Cook on high flame for couple of seconds if there is any extra moisture.
Remove the vermicelli onto a bowl and make sure its cooked through.

Steam all the vegetables (cauliflower, carrot, green beans, green peas and potato) or boil them in little water till done.

Heat quarter tsp of oil in a pan, add cumin seeds.
When cumin seeds start to sizzle, add green chiles, ginger and curry leaves.
Fry briefly, remove from heat and add the garam masala to the hot oil.

In a mixing bowl, add the above tempering, all the cooked vegetables, cilantro, salt and cooked vermicelli.
Lightly mash everything together and divide the mixture into 2 – 3 portions.
Form each portion into a ball and roll it in bread crumbs.
Lightly flatten the rolled mixture and keep aside.
Repeat the same with remaining portions.

Heat oil for deep frying on medium – low heat.
When oil is hot, slowly drop the mixed vegetable cutlet into the oil and deep fry till golden brown on both sides.
Remove the mixed vegetable cutlet onto a absorbent paper.
Serve mixed vegetable cutlet with ketchup or with any chutney.
Notes: Make sure to cook the vermicelli right.

Suggestions: If vermicelli is not cooked and doesn’t feel little mushy. Pour some more hot water and cook till done.
Variations: Also add your choice of mixed vegetables to the mixture.
Other Names: Mixed Vegetable Cutlet.

Carrot and Bean Pickle

Carrot and Beans Pickle.

Carrots and fresh green beans are chopped into couple of inch long pieces. Mustard seeds and coriander seeds are ground finely and mixed with lemon juice and oil. Chopped vegetables are tossed in the prepared spices and left in sun light for couple of days before the pickle is ready.
Makes: around 1 1/2 Cups of Carrot and Beans Pickle.

Ingredients:

Baby Carrots 7 or 1 Regular Carrot
Fresh Green Beans 5
Mustard Seeds 1 tbsp
Coriander Seeds 1 tsp
Turmeric Powder 1/4 tsp
Lemon Juice 2 tsps
Salt to taste
Peanut Oil 1 tbsp

Method of preparation:

Wash, peel, remove ends and pat dry carrots.
Halve and thickly slice the carrots into 2 inch long pieces.
Clean well, remove ends, halve and chop the beans into 2 inch long pieces.
Heat the oil a bit and cool it completely.

Grind mustard seeds and coriander seeds into coarse powder using a spice blender.
In a mixing bowl, add the ground mustard and coriander seeds along with turmeric powder and salt.
Then add the chopped carrots and beans to the mixture along with lemon juice and oil.
Mix everything well and transfer to a clean dry glass or ceramic or plastic jar.

Let the pickle sit for couple of days in sun light before using.
Serve carrot and bean pickle with yogurt rice etc…
Notes:Make sure to take necessary pickling precautions to lengthen the pickle life.

Suggestions: Make sure to leave the pickle for more time if any of the ingredients seems raw and flavorless.
Variations: You can also add few tsps of red chili powder along with other spices for extra spice. Any other thinly sliced raw vegetables can be added.
Other Names:Carrot and Bean Pickle

Grilled Teriyaki Pork Chops

Grilled Teriyaki Pork Chops Recipe (+)
Ingredients:

- 4 pork chops - thick cut - 1 1/2 teaspoons sesame oil - 1/2 teaspoon ginger - minced, optional - 1/2 teaspoon garlic - minced - 1/2 cup chicken broth - 1 tablespoon soy sauce - 1 tablespoon brown sugar - 1/2 teaspoon salt - 1/4 teaspoon pepper - 3 tablespoons teriyaki sauce Servings: 4 Container: grill, large resealable plastic bag Prep Time: 15 minutes Cook Time: 20 minutes Method of preparation: Place all ingredients in a large resealable plastic bag. Close the bag tightly and swirl the marinade all around the chops to make sure they are completely covered. Place the bag in the refrigerator to allow the chops to marinate for a 1/2 hour. Heat the grill to medium. Remove the chops from the marinade and dispose of the marinade. Grill the chops for 8-10 minutes turning once until reaching the desired doneness.