Pad Thai Noodles

These quick and easy Pad Thai noodles are a spicy mix of prawns / shrimps, peanuts and garlic. Ready in just 25 minutes, you can whip this simple Thai recipe up and look like a pro!

Ingredients

1. 175g or 8oz. cooked flat rice noodles in water

2. 31/2 tbsp of any kind of oil

3. 12 large raw prawns/shrimp, peeled and deveined, with tail shells left on

4. 2 sliced garlic cloves

5. ½ tsp. of dry red chili or 1 tsp of green chili paste

6. 2 medium beaten eggs without yolk

7. 3 tbsp Thai fish sauce

8. Juice of 1 lime and zest of same lemon

9. 1 tbsp Tamarind / Imli paste mixed with 3 tbsp water Optional: 2 Tbsp tomato ketchup

10. 1 tbsp light sugar or brown sugar

11. 4 tbsp roasted peanuts

12. 1 cup snow peas

13. 1 cup fresh coriander, roughly chopped

14. 6 spring onions, sliced diagonally

15. 50g beansprouts

Directions

1. Cook the noodles according to the pack instructions. Drain and toss with 1/2 tablespoon oil with ½ teaspoon of white vinegar so that noodles do not stick.

2. Make the sauce to add into noodles afterwards. Mix Fish sauce, lime juice, sugar, tamarind paste without water.

3. Now take a large deep frying pan or wok / kadiye with the rest of the oil.

4. Add the prawns and stir-fry for one to two minutes or until they turn pink brown but do not overcook them. Add the garlic and chili paste or dried chili and cook for a further 30 seconds.

5. Pour in the beaten white of eggs and stir-fry until they look scrambled.

6. Now add Spring onions and snow peas.

7. Turn the heat to low and add the noodles and stir them with tongs now till they turn little brown fry color on them now.

8. Add the sauce and toss together for 1-2 minutes until the noodles are cooked and coated with sauce color

9. Now serve them in individual bowls or plates with roasted peanuts, spring onions and bean sprouts.

10. Enjoy the authentic pad Thai and get your children in kitchen by helping you cutting spring onions and garnishing them on top after the noodles have been cooked.

Happy New Year enjoy :)

-Chitra

Walnut Coffee Biscotti with Orange Chocolate drizzled

Ingredients

1. 1 cup of chopped walnuts

2. 1 ½ cup of All purpose flour/Maida

3. 1 tbsp. of coffee

4. ¼ cup of melted Unsalted Butter

5. 1 cup of Sugar

6. 1 tsp. of Vanilla essence

7. ½ tsp of Baking Soda

8. 2 Eggs without yolk beaten

9. 2 tsp of flour

10. 2 cups of Chocolate melted

11. 2 cups of orange juice

12. 2 tbsp of orange zest

13. 2 tsp. of orange essence

Directions

1. Mix Flour, Baking Soda and Sugar in one bowl with fork.

2. Add 1 tsp of Vanilla in melted butter. Mix Vanilla essence in Butter slowly and keep stirring until whole mixture is smooth.

3. Beat the Egg white and slowly add sugar, 1 tsp. of orange essence and 1 tbsp of orange zest till it turns little foamy.

4. Preheat the Oven at 300 degrees for 10 minutes.

5. Mix all wet ingredients in dry ingredients slowly one by one and stir it continuously.

6. Now add walnuts.

7. After they are mixed the ingredients will be turn it dough, if it is sticky add little dry flour.

8. Now form the dough into two vertical loaves and place on Cookie sheet or parchment paper or greased foil paper.

9. Bake it until it is golden brown for 20 - 30 minutes.

10. After it is baked take out and let it cool down for 5 minutes.

11. Now cut the loaves into diagonal pieces and bake for another 5 minutes.

12. Melt Chocolate in microwave or melt it on stove top. For Stove melting:-Boil 3 cup of water and keep another bowl on top of it with chocolate cubes to melt.

13. When Chocolate is melted add 2 cups of orange juice and 1 tbsp of orange zest and 1 tsp of orange essence.

14. Take out the biscotti’s and drizzle the chocolate with spoon.

15. Cool down and serve with Milk, Coffee or Chocolate milk.

You will forget the store bought Biscotti and it will be everyone’s favorite.

Merry XMAS and Happy Holidays

-Chitra

Bhandarewale Aloo ki Sabzi

Ingredients

1. 4 boiled potatoes / aloo

2. 1 cup of well beaten curd / dahi

3. ½ tbsp of ajwain /caraway, carom seeds

4. ½ tbsp of zeera / cumin

5. Salt to taste

6. ½ tbsp of turmeric powder

7. ½ tbsp of red chili powder

8. 2 green chilies

9. ½ tbsp of turmeric powder

10. ½ tbsp of ginger minced

11. 3 diced tomatoes

Directions

1. Boil 4 Aloo / Potatoes and keep it aside.

2. In a non stick pan add ajwain, zeera seeds and let them splutter and little dark not burnt.

3. Add Ginger and green chilies minced finely.

4. Now add turmeric powder, amchoor powder, salt, red chili powder.

5. When they are mixed together add 3 diced in cubes tomatoes.

6. Cover the pan for 3-5 minutes till the tomatoes are really soft and the mixture turns to red color and oil leaves at end of pan.

7. Add aloo in it and 3 cups of water and let it cook for 5-10 minutes.

8. Mash aloo little bit and add curd let it cook for 2-5 minutes.

9. Serve hot with puri's

-Chitra

Bharwa Karele / Bitter Melon or Bitter Gourd

Ingredients

1. 5 Karele / Bitter melons peeled and rubbed with salt

2. 2 medium onions thinly sliced

3. 2 small onions grinded with 2 green chilies

4. 1 tbsp. of sauf powder

5. Salt to taste

6. 1 tsp. of turmeric powder

7. Red chili powder to taste

8. 1tsp of amchoor powder

9. 1 tsp of anar dana powder

Directions

1. Sauté grinded onions in 2 tbsp. of oil in non stick pan

2. When onions turn to golden brown color add salt and all dry spices.

3. Cook for 5-6 minutes and keep aside to cool down.

4. Cut the karele in middle and take out the seeds.

5. Now fill them with the onions masala which is cool down now.

6. After filling them tie those with kitchen thread so that masala does not fall apart from them while frying.s

7. Take a flat non stick pan and add 4 tbsp of oil.

8. Put them one by one and turn them until they turn golden brown from all sides.

9. Now take out the karele and keep them aside and fry thinly sliced onions in the same pan.

10. Fry them with litte salt and amchoor powder and turmeric powder.

11. Now add the karele back in the pan and cook with the onions for five minutes.

12. Serve hot with paranthas.

-Chitra

Chane ki Daal ki Kichdi

Ingredients

1. Two cups of Rice soaked for 15 minutes

2. 1 cup of chana daal soaked in water for 20 minutes at least

3. 2 Long / Cloves

4. 2 Tej Patta

5. 1 Big Cardamom/ Badi Elaichi

6. 1 tbsp of thinly sliced ginger

7. 3 thinly sliced green chilies

8. Salt and red chili powder to taste

9. Oil

Directions

1. In a non stick deep dish pan or kadhai add 3 tbsp of oil.

2. Add tej pata, ginger, cardamom, cloves and green chilies

3. Now add rice and daal together without water.

4. Add Salt and red chili powder and stir for 3 minutes.

5. Now add 2 glass of water.

6. Let the kichdi cook for 15 minutes or until kichdi is left without water.

7. Serve hot with cool dahi ka raita.

-Chitra

Chicken Noodle Soup

Ingredients

1. 2 chicken breasts chopped into cubes without fat skin

2. Two chicken legs with bone without fat skin

3. 3 celery chopped in bite size

4. 2-3 garlic cloves

5. 2 small whole white/yellow onion

6. 3 cups of carrots chopped

7. Salt to taste

8. Oil

9. 3 cups of egg noodles cooked in 3 cups of salted water

10. 2 packs of low sodium Chicken Stock and 2 cups of water

11. 1 tsp of basil powder and white and black pepper for garnishing

Directions

1. Heat 2 tbsp of deep dish non stick pan or Dutch oven pan

2. Now add Celery and Carrots

3. When they turn golden brown add chicken breasts and chicken legs

4. Allow to cook for few minutes and now add chicken stock and water.

5. Add whole onions without skin and garlic cloves.

6. Cook the soup for 30 minutes or more.

7. Take out the onion and garlic cloves and chicken legs.

8. Now separate the chicken from bones and put the chicken back in the soup.

9. Add the cooked noodles into the soup too and let it cook on low heat for 3 minutes.

10. Now garnish with black and white pepper and basil.

11. Serve hot chicken soup with garlic bread and some fresh salad.

Celery : This food is low in Saturated Fat, and very low in Cholesterol. It is also a good source of Riboflavin, Vitamin B6, Pantothenic Acid, Calcium, Magnesium and Phosphorus, and a very good source of Dietary Fiber, Vitamin A, Vitamin C, Vitamin K, Folate, Potassium and Manganese.

Carrots:

It is also a good source of Vitamin C, Vitamin B6, Folate, Pantothenic Acid, Iron, Potassium and Copper, and a very good source of Dietary Fiber, Vitamin A, Vitamin K and Manganese.

-Chitra

Punjabi Tandoori Lobiya

Ingredients

1. 2 cups of lobiya / raungi / black eyed peas boiled

2. 2 medium onions grated

3. 1 tbsp minced ginger

4. 1 tsp of turmeric powder

5. Salt to taste

6. 1 tsp red chili powder

7. 1 tsp of coriander powder

8. 1 ½ cup of tomato puree

9. Small onion cut in rings for garnish

10. 1 cup of water

Directions

1. In a non stick deep pan add 2 tbsp of oil.

2. Keep the heat on medium.

3. Now add onions and ginger.

4. When they turn golden brown add turmeric powder, coriander & red chili powder and salt.

5. When the masala are cooked or after 1 – 2 minutes add tomato puree.

6. Now cook it for 2-3 minutes.

7. Add lobiya and stir so that everything is mixed well.

8. Now add water and let it cook for 10 minutes.

9. Serve in bowl with onion rings garnished on top.

10. Serve hot with paratha’s or roti or rice.

-Chitra

Aloo Chaat

Ingredients

1. 4 Boiled Potatoes

2. 2 diced tomato without seeds

3. 1 small diced onion

4. 1 cucumber without seeds diced

5. 3 tbsp of lemon juice

6. Oil

7. Salt and Red chili powder to taste

Directions

1. In a non stick flat skillet or grill pan add little oil and heat it.

2. Now add diced potatoes in grill pan and let it little brown

3. When all the sides are cooked and turned in golden brown color remove it from pan.

4. Now sprinkle salt and pepper on them and transfer in serving dish.

5. Add diced tomatoes, cucumber and onions on them.

6. Garnish with lemon juice and mix it well with spoons

7. Your aloo chaat is ready; it is very quick snack in rainy season.

-Chitra

Firni

Ingredients

1. Rice 1 liter

2. Milk ½ liter

3. Sugar 1 cup

4. Rose water 3 tbsp.

5. Few nuts

Directions

1. Soak rice in water till fairly soft.

2. Grind it to paste.

3. Boil milk, pour in the rice paste and cook on slow fire till it thickens.

4. Add sugar and cook for a few minutes, cool for some time.

5. Add rose water and garnish with finely shredded nuts.

Served chilled

-Chitra

Punjabi Dahi Vada

Ingredients

1. Urad Dal – 60 g

2. Curd 200 gms

3. Oil to fry

4. 2 small diced Green chilies

5. Onion -1/2 small

6. Chili powder, Salt, pepper powder and garam masala to taste

7. Ginger ½ tsp.

Directions

1. Soak the daal overnight, and grind it fine.

2. Beat it until foamy and light.

3. Add chopped onion, green chilies, garam masal, ginger and salt. Mix well and allow it to stand for ten minutes.

4. Spread a piece of wet muslin over a bowl and make vada over it.

5. Fry them in hot oil till golden brown.

6. Put them in slated hot water. Squeeze out the water and keep them ready.

7. Beat the curd till smooth. Add Salt and pepper to it.

8. Soak vadas in curds and decorate according to taste.

-Chitra