Zucchini Fritters

Ingredients:
2 cups zucchini (grated, and squeezed to drain)
1 handful fresh herbs (such as parsley, dill, mint; chopped)
2 green onions (chopped)
1/4 cup feta (crumbled)
1/2 cup flour (I like to use whole wheat)
1 egg
salt and pepper to taste
2 tablespoons oil

Directions:
1. Mix the zucchini, herbs, green onion, feta, flour, egg, salt and pepper in a bowl.
2. Heat the oil in a pan.
3. Spoon the zucchini mixture into the pan and cook until golden brown on both sides, about 4 minutes per side.

Caramel Shrimp....Vietnamese

Ingredients
2 tablespoons sugar
1/4 cup water
1/4 cup water
1 tablespoon oil
1 shallot (chopped)
2 cloves garlic (chopped)
1 teaspoon ginger (grated)
1 small chili (chopped)
1 pound shrimp (peeled and deviened)
2 tablespoons fish sauce
pepper to taste
1 teaspoon sesame oil
1 tablespoon cilantro (chopped)

Directions:
1. Heat the sugar and water in a pan on medium-high heat until it caramelized and turns a dark brown.
2. Add the water and heat until the caramel dissolves.
3. Remove from heat and set aside.
4. Heat the oil in a pan.
5. Add the shallot, garlic, ginger and chili and saute for 3-5 minutes.
6. Add the shrimp, 2 tablespoons of the caramel sauce, fish sauce and pepper and simmer until the shrimp is pink all over, about 2-4 minutes.
8. Remove from heat and stir in the sesame oil and cilantro.

Egg Fritters

Ingredients:
Eggs (boiled) - 4-5
Red Chilli Powder - 1 tsp
Dry Mango Powder - 1 1/4 tsps
Oil to deep fry
For Batter: 
Bengal Gram Flour - 1 cup
Red Chilli Powder - 1 tsp
Black Pepper Powder - 1 pinch
Salt as per taste


1.Peel and cut boiled egg into two halves.
2.Then, sprinkle red chilli powder and mango powder on each piece.
3.Mix the gram flour with red chilli powder, salt, pepper powder and sufficient water to make a slightly thick batter.
4.Dip each of egg pieces into the batter and deep fry in hot oil till it turns golden brown. Serve hot

SWEET AND SOUR EGGS

INGREDIENTS:

4-5 eggs (fried “well done”)
1 onion (cut into rings and then cut into half)
1/2 red chili (sliced thinly)
1/2 stalk scallion (sliced diagonally)
1/8 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon fish sauce (optional; if you don’t use fish sauce, add extra salt)
3 1/2 tablespoons sugar or to taste
3 tablespoons cooking oil
Tamarind pulp (the size of a small ping pong ball)
1 cup water

METHOD:

1. Fry the eggs “well done” and set aside.
2. In a small bowl, add one cup of water to the tamarind pulp and soak for 10 minutes. Squeeze the tamarind pulp to extract the juice. Use only the juice and discard the pulp.
3. Heat up your wok and add in the cooking oil.
4. Sauté the onions for 2-3 minutes until they turn slighly brown or aromatic.
5. Add in the fried eggs and do a quick stir.
6. Lower the heat, add the tamarind juice and bring it to boil.
7. Add in sugar, salt, fish sauce, scallion and chili. Simmer for 1-2 minutes.
8. Serve hot.

It’s not easy to get the perfect sweet and sour flavor so you have to taste the sauce a few times in order to get that perfect balance. This dish is supposed to be both sweet and sour, and a little salty So, please let your taste bud guide you during the cooking process. If it’s not sour enough, extract more juice from the tamarind pulp. If it’s too sour, add more sugar and some water.

GOAN SHRIMP CURRY

serves 4

1 lb 2 oz/1 kg jumbo shrimps

1 cup canned coconut milk

2 tbsp desiccated coconut

2 onions

1 tsp garam masala

2 tsp garlic-ginger paste

1 tsp turmeric

1 tsp cumin powder

1 tsp coriander powder

2 dried red chilies (optional)

½ tsp chili powder

1 cinnamon stick

2 cardamom

2 whole cloves

2 bay leaves

4 tbsp vegetable oil

1 tsp sugar

black pepper, salt,  to taste

fresh cilantro leaves to garnish

• Shell and devein the shrimps, then set aside until required.
• Chop 1 onion and grate the other one.
• Heat the oil in large pan.
• Add garam masala and cook over low heat, stirring constantly for 1 minute or until it gives of its aroma.
• Add the chopped onions and cook, stirring occasionally for 5 minutes or until gold.
• Stir in the grated onion, turmeric, cinnamon, cardamoms, chili powder, cloves, and bay leaves and cook stirring constantly for few minutes.
• Stir in half coconut milk, desiccated coconut and sugar and season with salt to taste.
• Add the shrimps and cook, stirring frequently for 7 minutes or until they change color.
• Stir the remaining coconut milk and bring to a boil.
• Taste and adjust seasoning, if necessary.
• Serve immediately with rice, garnished with cilantro.

Shrimp Jalfarezi

serves 2 - 4

1 lb/450 g shrimps

bunch of cilantro

2 garlic clove, crushed

½ tsp cumin seeds

½ tsp cumin powder

2 green chilies (optional)

1 red bell pepper

1 green bell pepper

1 yellow bell pepper

2 tbsp of vegetable oil

black pepper

cilantro to garnish

• Clean shrimps and place in a large bowl.
• Chop the cilantro and add to the shrimp with garlic and salt.
• Seed and slice the red, green and yellow bell peppers.
• Heat the oil in a large skillet.
• Add the cumin seeds. Fry for 1 minute. Add green chilies.
• Add shrimps and stir-fry, stirring and tossing the shrimp gently for 5 minutes. Season with black pepper.
• Add bell peppers and cook for an additional 10 minutes.
• Transfer the shrimp and bell peppers to a serving dish. Garnish with a fresh cilantro and serve with rice.

Vermicelli pulav/pilaf

Ingredients: 

Vermicelli – 1 ½ cup

Green beans- ½ cup

Med size carrot- 1

Peas and lima beans – ½ cup together

Small potatoe-1

Ginger garlic paste- 1 tsp

Med green chilies- 4 to 5

Large onion-1

Bay leaves -3

Cinnamon sticks-2

Cloves-5

Cardamom-3

Cilantro

Lemon

Few cashews (optional)

Procedure:

In a skillet add half teaspoon of oil and vermicelli and fry them for about 5 minutes. When the vermicelli is changing color remove and keep it on the side. Now grind one cinnamon stick, cloves and cardamom to fine powder.

Now turn the skillet (to med heat) on by putting 4 teaspoons of oil, and then add bay leaves and the other cinnamon stick. After few seconds add the chilies, onion and the ginger garlic paste. Once the onion becomes little soft add the spice powder so that the hot oil brings out the flavor of the spices. Now add all the veggies and ½ teaspoon of salt. Cook the veggies for about 10 minutes.

Pour 2 ½ cups of water and cook the veggies in medium heat for about 10 minutes till they become soft. Now add the vermicelli and ½ teaspoon of salt and stir it cooking in a medium low heat for another 10 minutes. Once all the water is absorbed and the vermicelli is cooked threw add chopped cilantro and freshly squeezed lemon juice. You can also fry some cashews in oil and add to the pulav.

              

Mirchi ka salan

Ingredients:

• 500 g Green Chilies • 1 large Onion • 1 large Tomato • 1/2 tsp Turmeric Powder • 1 tsp ground Coriander • 2 tbsp roasted Cumin Seeds • 2 tbsp roasted Peanut Seeds • 2 tbsp Coconut (grated) • 2 Garlic Flakes • 1 Ginger • 1/2 cup Tamarind Juice • 3 cups Oil • Salt (to taste)

How to make Mirch Ka Salan:

• Grind peanuts, cumin seeds, and coconut into a fine powder. • Chop onions and tomatoes finely. • Grind garlic and ginger to make a paste. • Heat the oil and fry chilies and keep it aside. • Now fry chopped onions for 7-8 minutes and then add tomatoes. Fry for another 4-5 minutes. • Add ginger garlic paste and fried chillies to the above and fry for 10 minutes. • Now add roasted peanut and cumin powder. • Sprinkle tamarind juice and salt. • Serve with hot rotis.

Goan Beef Curry

Goan Beef Curry SERVES 4

A hot and spicy curry from the coast of India. The spices are blended with vinegar to give an authentic flavour. This is a dryish curry with not a lot of gravy, so it will blend well with other gravy rich dishes. Super dish.

Ingredients for Goan Beef Curry:

• 2 lbs beef, in 1-inch cubes
• 1 tablespoon cumin seed
• 4 dried red chilies
• 1 teaspoon black peppercorns
• 5 green cardamoms, seeds only
• 1 teaspoon fenugreek seeds
• 1/2 teaspoon black mustard seeds
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon brown sugar
• 4 tablespoons wine vinegar
• 4 tablespoons oil
• 1 large onion, chopped
• 1 inch piece fresh ginger, grated
• 2 garlic cloves, chopped
• 2 teaspoons ground coriander
• 1 teaspoon turmeric
• 1/2 pint warm water

Preparation of Goan Beef Curry:

1. In a dry blender mix together the cumin seeds, red chillies, pepper corns, cardamom seeds, funugreek seeds and the mustard seeds.
2. Add the vinegar salt and sugar to make a paste.
3. In a large pan heat some of the oil and fry the onion till golden, add the onion to the spice mix and blend again.
4. Heat the remaining oil and fry the meat till brown all over, remove the meat from the pan.
5. In the same pan fry the ginger and garlic for 3 mins over low heat.
6. Add the coriander and turmeric and fry 2 minutes.
7. Now add the spice paste to the pan and cook for 5 mins, stir so that the paste does not stick to the pan.
8. Put the meat back in the pan, stir to cover with the spice mix, and add the water.
9. Cover the pan and simmer till the meat is tender about 1 hour.
10. Serve with boiled rice and a vegetable curry.

10 ways to cut down calories

Use minimum oil for cooking

A small spoonful (5mL) of most cooking oils has more than 40 calories. So, use only a few drops while cooking.

Change the frying pan

Change your nonstick pans once the coating wears off. The expense is worth the calories saved.

Change your cooking style

All the foods that you eat fried can be eaten grilled, roasted, or steamed. This means oil-free cooking and considerable calories saved.

Have fruits instead of juices

Instead of having fruit juice at breakfast, have fruits. While an average orange has about 60 calories, a glass (250mL) of orange juice has more than 100 calories

Avoid colas and sodas

Soft drinks are an easy route through which calories sneak into your body. Avoid these sugary drinks and have more water instead.

Have low-fat desserts

Fruit smoothies, flavored ice candies, flavored yogurt are all relatively low calorie options. An appealing bowl of chilled mixed fruits can also help take your mind off the ice-cream.

Have toned dairy products

Low fat milk and yogurt has about half the calories as its full fat version. Instead of avoiding dairy altogether switch to the low fat variety.

Always eat from a plate

Make it a habit to put your food on a plate or bowl before you eat it. This means not eating handfuls directly from the bag.

Carry home-made snacks with you

Eat at home before stepping out or carry a homemade snack in your bag. Eat out only when you are eating-out.

Go slow and steady

Calorie cutting should be a slow and steady effort rather than the launch of a sudden war against food. Try to reduce and change your eating habits over a couple of weeks and not overnight

Chicken Pops

INGREDIENTS

1 lb ground chicken ( OR) 2 chicken breast grind in a chopper
1 tbs ginger garlic paste
1 tsp chilli powder
1/2 onion (chopped very finely )
1 tsp kasoorimethi
1 tsp garam masala
Cilantro
Salt
Oil for deep fry

METHOD

.

Mix all the above ingredients and marinate for 15 min

.

Heat oil in a pan on a medium flame

.

Add a spoonfull of chicken in to oil and fry on medium flame untill brown

.

Drain on papertowel

.

Done serve hot with chopped onions ,lemon and cilantro

Malabar Chicken

INGREDIENTS 

1 pound chicken ( with bones cut in to pieces)
4 tbs oil 
1 tomato ( chopped)
1 tsp cumin seeds and musturd seeds
1/2 tsp turmuric powder
salt 

INGREDIENTS FOR MASALA 

2 tbs oil
1/2 cup chopped shallots ( u can use red onion )
1/4 cup fresh grated coconut
8 curry leaves
1/4 cup cilantro ( optional)

2 tsp pepper corns 
1 tsp fennal seeds
4 cardamom pods
4 cloves
1 inch cinnamon stick 

1 tsp red chilli powder 
1 tsp coriander powder

METHOD

.

Heat 2 tbs oil in a pan add chopped shallots ( or onions) roast on a low flame until brown

.

Now add cardamom pods , cloves , peppercorns ,fennal seeds, cinnamon ,curry leaves and fresh grated coconut , to the above browned shallots , roast everything on a low flame until coconut is brown ( make sure not to burn), then add chilli powder and coriander powder fry for 1 min

.
Grind all the above browned masala with 1/4 cup water and cilantro ,to a smooth paste and keep aside

.

Now heat 4 tbs oil in a preassure cooker , add cumin seeds and musturd seeds,

then add chicken pieces , salt and turmuric ,mix everything and cook for 2min

.

Then add ground masala paste and chopped tomatoes to the chicken , mix and cook on low flame for 5 min

.

Now add 1-1/2 cup of water to the chicken mixture , cover and cook for 2 wistles

(until chicken is cooked completely ) and gravy is thick

Mini Spinach Pizzas

Ingredients for dough

1/2 cup warm water
1-1/2 cup all purpose flouse
1 tsp active dry yeast 
1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp sugar
2 tbs olive oil

2 tbs corn meal for dusting pan 

Ingredients for toppings

1/2 cup marinara sauce ( I used store bought)
1 cup mozzarella cheese (grated)
1/2 cup frozen spinach (sqeeze out water completely)
1 onion (chopped)
1/2 tsp red chilli flakes
3 garlic cloves ( chopped)
2 tbs oil
salt

Method

Take warm water in a glass bowl add yeast ,sugar,salt keep aside for 10 min

Now add oil and flour ,mix everything to a soft dough

Apply oil and over with wet towel and keep in a warm place for 1 hour

In a pan heat oil and add garlic and red chilli flakes fry for a min then add onions and salt sautee untill onions are soft then add spinach (sqeeze out water completely) fry for 3 min and keep aside

Now take baking pan sprinkle with corn meal and spread dough ( what ever shape and size u want )

Now spread marinara sauce and add a layer of cheese and spinach mixture

Preheata oven to 450 c

Bake for 10 to 12 min until u get golden color

Cheesy Garlic Bites

INGREDIENTS

1 cup allpurpose flour
1/4 tsp salt
2 tsp baking powder
1/4 cup margarine cubed
1/2 cup milk
1/2 cup chaddar cheese
egg white ( or) cream for applying on top

For topping

2 tbs soft butter
1 tsp garlic powder
salt

Mix soft butter and garlic powder with a pinch of salt and keep aside

METHOD

.

Take food processer add all purpose flour, salt , baking powder and margarine cubes

.
Pulse 3 to 4 times then add milk and pulse 2 more times

.

Take out in to bowl ,add chaddar cheese and mix well

.

Preheat oven to 425

.

Grease cookie sheet , drop a spoonfull

of battar on baking stay

.

Apply egg white ( or) cream with

pastry brush

Bake for 10 to 12 min until golden on top

.

Remove from oven apply garlic butter on each of them

.

serve warm

Chopped Mirch/Pepper Fritters

INGREDIENTS

10 mirchi bajjis ( chopped in to bite size pieces)

1 cup chopped onions 
juice of 1 lemon
cilantro 
oil for deep fry 

To make masala powder ( pappula podi)

1/2 cup roasted chana dal ( pappulu)
1tsp red chilli powder

1 tsp cumin seeds
1 garlic cloves
salt

Grind all the masala ingredients in to a fine powder and keep aside

METHOD
.
Heat oil in a wide pan for deep frying , fry chopped mirchi bajjis on medium flame until golden and crisp , drain on paper towel 
.
Add chopped onions , masala powder ( pappula podi) , lemon juice and cilantro 
.
Mix well and serve hot

Eggplant fritters

INGREDIENTS : 8 to 10 small indian eggplants , oil for deep fry

FOR MASALA :  1 onions , 1 tsp chilli powder, salt , 1 inch tamarind piece , 1 tsp cumin seeds

FOR BATTER : 11/2 cup besan , 1/2 cup rice flour , salt , 1/2 tsp baking soda

METHOD

.Slit eggplants in the middle 

.Heat 1 tbs oil  in a wide pan , add eggplants , sprinkle salt , cover and cook on low flame for 5 min , then sprinkle 2 tbs of water , again cover and cook for another 5 min

( IT IS VERY IMPORTANT TO SPRIKLE SALT WHILE EGGPLANTS ARE COOKING )

.Let the eggplants cool

.Now for  stuffing , grind together 1 onion chopped , salt , chillipowder , tamarind and cumin seeds , grind to a paste

.Stuff the cooled eggplants with 1 tsp onion masala , and keep aside

.Now make a thick batter combining  , besan ,rice flour , salt and baking soda and  water ( like bajji batter)

.Heat oil for deep frying in a wide pan , dip stuffed eggplant in to batter twice and drop in to hot oil (fry 3 to 4  at a time )

. Fry them on medium low flame until golden

. Sprinkle with chat masala ( optional)

. Let them cool for 5 min before serving