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Pumpkin sabzi

Style - North Indian
Serves - 6-8
Rating - 4/5
Last prepared - 17 Nov 2024
Last recipe revision - NA

Ingredients

Pumpkin - 2 lbs (diced or julienned / baton)
Mustard oil - 2-3 tbsp
Hing - 1/2 tsp
Bay leaves - 1
Red Chili - 2

Whole Spice mix

Cumin seeds - 1 tsp
Shahi jeera - 1/4 tsp
Fennel seeds - 1/2 tsp
Mustard seeds - 1/2 tsp
Fenugreek seeds - 1/4 tsp
Kalonji seeds - 1/2 tsp

Spice powder paste (Mixed in water to make a slurry)

Turmeric powder - 1/2 tsp
Kashmiri red chili powder - 1 tsp
Coriander powder - 2 tsp
Kitchen king masala - 1 tsp

Ginger - 1 inch (crushed and finely chopped)
Green chili - 2 (slit or whole)
Salt - as needed
Black salt - as needed
Jagger powder - 2-3 tbsp
Kasuri methi - 1 tsp
Chaat masala / amchur powder - 1 tsp
Garam masala - 1/2 tsp

Method

  • Heat mustard oil in a hot vessel.
  • When oil is hot, lower heat and add hing and fry for a few seconds. Do not let it burn
  • Add bay leaves and red chili. Fry for a few mins and do not let it burn
  • Add whole spice mix and fry until toasted.
  • Add spice powder paste and fry until raw smell is gone.
  • Add ginger and green chili and salt. Fry until oil separates.
  • Add jaggery and cook until raw smell is gone.
  • Add pumpkin and kasuri methi. Mix well. 
  • Raise heat to medium and cook covered for 7-8 mins. 
  • Add garam masala and amchur powder. Mix well and cook for until done.

Reference

Blueberry Muffins

Type - Dessert
Makes/Serves - 10-12
Rating - 4/5
Last made - 01 Nov 2024

Notes:

  • Instead of just butter, can mix 1/4 cup oil and 1/4 cup butter.
  • Instead of just milk, can add up to 1/4 cup of lemon juice and removing as much milk. 2 tbsp is a happy  medium.
  • Washblue berries and dry / pat dry so that there is no dripping water. Then can AP flour to the blueberries to coat them.
  • If using Streusel topping, prepare before making batter.

Ingredients for cake 

AP flour - 2 cups (240g)
Salt - 1 tsp
Baking powder - 2 tsp
Sugar - 3/4 cups
Eggs - 2 (room temperature)
Lemon Zest - 1 lemon
Vanilla - 2 tsp
Milk - 3/4 cup 
Butter - 1/2 cup (room temperature)
Blueberries
Reference

Method

Streusel topping

Mix 1/2 cup of sugar, 1/2cup of AP flour, salt 1/4 tsp and sugar 1/4 cup of sugar. Sprinkle on top of cake before baking. Clumpiness add to the texture.

Muffins

  • Set oven to 400F.
  • In a bowl, mix salt, baking powder and AP flour.
  • In a mixing bowl, whip butter/oil in low until smooth. Do not overmix
  • Add sugar and combine. Do not overmix.
  • Add eggs and lemon zest mix combine. Mix in medium until light and fluffy.
  • Add milk/lemon juice and flour in 2-3 batches alternatively. Mix lightly until just combined between batches. Do not overmix. Scrape and mix at the end as necessary.
  • Add blueberries and fold in.
  • Spinkle brown sugar or crumble / struesel
  • Add to cups and bake for 20-25 mins as needed.
  • Allow to cool before serving.

Reference

Butter beans curry

Serves - 4
Rating - 4/5
Style - South Indian
Last made - 01 Oct 2024

Ingredients

Masala paste

Coconut - 1/4 cup
Cumin - 1 tsp
Pearl onions - 1/3 cup whole

Other ingredients

Butter beans - 1/2 cup (soaked overnight in salted water. 
Tamarind paste - small gooseberry size (soaked in water)
Mustard - 1/ tsp
Urad - 1-2 tsp
Curry leaves - 1 sprig
Tomato - 1 or 1.5 (small diced)
Green chili - 1 or 2
Turmeric powder - 1/4 tsp
Salt
Chili powder - 1 tsp

Prepration method

  • Heat oil in the cooker. 
  • When oil is hot, add mustard seeds and allow to splutter.
  • Then add urad daal and cook for a few seconds. Add curry leaves and saute for a few seconds
  • Add tomatoes, green chili, turmeric powder and salt. Cook until mushy
  • Add turmeric powder and cook until raw smell is gone.
  • Add chili powder and cook until raw smell is gone.
  • Add masala paste and cook until raw smell is gone.
  • Add butter beans and cook until butter bean heats up.
  • Add 1 cup of water. Pressure cooked 3 whistles. Allow steam to release.
  • Add tamarind water. Cook again for 10-12 mins in low heat.
  • Add adjust salt and add chopped coriander leaves.

Reference

Ingredients

Dry (3 layer | 2 layer)

AP four - 3 cups | 2 cups
Sugar - 3 cups | 2 cups
Cocao powder - 1.5 cups | 1 cup
Baking soda - 1 tbsp | 2 tsp
Baking Powder - 1.5 tsp | 1 tsp
Salt - 1.5 tsp | 1 ts
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Wet ingredients

Eggs (room temperature) - 4 | 2
Buttermilk - 1.5 cups | 1 cup
Hot Water - 1.5 cups | 1 cup
Vegetable oil - 0.5 cups | 1/3 cup
Frosting / icing - room temperature
Cream cheese - 8oz | 3 oz
Butter - 1.5 | 0.5 cups
Cocoa powder - 1.5 | 0.5 cups
Powdered Sugar - 5 cups | 3 cups
Milk - as needed (or fruit jelly - currant, orange, raspberry, etc.)

Preparation method

Prep

  • Grease three 9-inch pans with butter. Use cocoa poweder to coat the butter. Use parchment paper in the bottom for better and easier cake seperation.
  • Pre-heat oven to 350 F.
  • Heat water, at least 1.5 times the required quantity.

Baking

  • In a large bowl, mix dry ingredients.
  • Add wet ingredients and mix until well incorporated into a mix.
  • Pour into 3 pans and bake for 35 mins. Check after 20 mins to determine baking time. You can cook in a tall enough pan to cut into three layers as well.

Frosting

  • Beat cream cheese, vanilla and butter a nice creamy mix.
  • Add cocoa powder and mix well.
  • Add powdered sugar cup by cup. Mix well.
  • Add milk or fruit jelly in 1 tsp at a time and mixing well. Continue until frosting is prepared.

Reference

Style - Mughalai
Rating - 5/5
Serves - 4-6
Last prepared - 04 Oct 2024

Ingredients

Tikka

Chicken - 1lb (1/2 kg)
Lemon - 1/2 tbsp
Ginger paste - 1 tsp
Garlic paste - 1/2 tsp
Salt - 1 tsp
Turmeric powder - 1/2 tsp
Chili powder - 1 tsp
Cumin powder - 1/2 tsp
Garam masala - 1/2 tsp
Curds - 2 tbsp (hung)
Kasoori methi - 1/4 tsp
Mustard oil - 1 tsp

Masala

Bay leaves - 2
Cinnaon sticks - 1
Cloves - 2-3
Cardamom - 3-4
Big clove - 1
Onion - 1 small / medium (orange size) - cubes or long slices
Tomatoes - 5 (~350-400g) - cubes
Ginger - 1 in (smashed)
Garlic - 7-8 cloves (Smashed)
RC powder - 1 tsp
Green chili - 1-2
Coriander stems - 10-12
Cashews - 1/4 cup (~30g)
Butter

Dish

Oil - 1 tbsp (or use oil used for frying chicken tikka)
Butter - 1 tbsp
Red chili powwder - 1 tsp
Kasoori methi - 1 tsp
Heavy cream - 1/4 cup

Preparation Method

  • Tikka Marinate chicken in ginger paste, garlic paste, salt, lemon juice for about 2 hours. Add remaining tikka marinade ingredients. Mix well and marinate for 8 hours / overnight. Fry with little oil until done.
  • Masala - Add all ongredients to a pan. Cook unti tomato is mushy and raw smells are done. Allow to cool completely. Grind to paste. Strain the masala through a seive. Grind the remaining ingredients and run through sieve (optional). Throw the remaining gritty masala.
  • Dish
    • Heat oil in vessel in low heat. Add butter and as soon it melts add red chili powder. Mix well and cook for 10-30 seconds. Do not allow to burn (if burnt, the masala will become bitter).
    • Add masala. Cook until oil seperates and masala thickens.
    • Add tikka and cook for 7-8 mins until the flavors are well incorporated.
    • Add kasoori methi and cook for 2-3 mins.
    • Turn off heat and add heavy cream.

Reference

Style - North India (Amritsari)
Rating - 4/5
Serves - 6-8
Last made - 13 Jul 2024

Ingredients

Marinade

Chicken - 2 lbs (medium size)
Ginger paste - 2 tsp
Garlic paste - 2 tsp
Kasuri methi leaves - 1 tsp
Ghee - 2 tsp
Oil - 2 tsp
Salt - 1 tsp
Red chili powder - 1 tsp
Coriander powder - 2 tsp
Turmeric powder - 1/2 tsp
Curds - 2 tbsp

Raw masala powder (grind to fine powder) - use 2 tsp only

Pepper corns - 1 tbsp
Cumin seeds - 1/2 tsp
Coriander seeds - 1 tbsp
Fenugreek seeds - 1/4 tsp
Mustard seeds - 1/4 tsp
Green cardamom - 1
Black cardamom - 1
Cloves - 2

Cooking

Bay leaves - 2
Green chili - 2
Onion - 2 cups finely chopped (~3 med onions)
Tomatoes - 1 cup finely chopped  (~2 small tomatoes)
Curds - 1-2 tbsp
Salt
Oil
Coriander leaves

Notes

  • As the marinade has oil & ghee, marination in the fridge will freeze. If you are doing overnight, add oil and ghee after taking out of fridge or allow to marinate for 2-4 hours outside before refrigeration.
  • All of the raw masala powder will not be used for the recipe.
  • Don't overcook the tomatoes.

Method

  • Marinate the chicken for 4+ hours with ingredients under marinade.
  • Heat oil in a pan. Fry chick in the oil in medium-high heat until a crust is formed. Turn to create crust as much as possible.
  • In a large vessel, add oil and heat. Add oil from fried chicken as well. Add green chili and bay leaves. Fry for a min.
  • Add onion and saute until light brown.
  • Add butter and lower heat. 
  • When butter is melted, add 2 tsp of raw masala powder. Fry until raw smell is done.
  • Add tomatoes & cook without making it mushy. Do not squash tomatoes. (4-5 mins)
  • Add curds and cook until raw smell is gone (3-5 mins).
  • Add chicken and cook in medium heat for 12-15 mins.
  • Add warm/hit water to submerge chicken. Cook until gravy is semi gravy.
  • Remove from heat. Add coriander leaves for garnish.

Barbacoa

Style - Mexican
Feeds - 4-6 (12-16 tacos)
Rating - 5/5
Last made - 04 Jul 2024

Ingredients

Beef - 2 lbs (Cut beef into big chunks. Clean and pat dry)
Chipotle in adobo sauce - 2 tbsp (make paste)
Cumin powder - 2 tsp
Chili powder - 1 tsp
Chicken or beef broth - 2-3 cups 
Bay leaf - 2
Pepper - 1/2 tsp
Salt - as needed

Notes:  Traditionally made with beef cheeks. Can use chuck roast. Best with loin as loin cuts make soft barbacoa.

Method

  • Heat oil in a pan on high heat. Do not let oil smoke too much. Fry sides of beef chunks to form crusts for 1-2 mins as necessary
  • In a pot (Dutch oven or stew pot), place the chunks. Add all the ingredients and mix well.
  • Cook-covered in low heat for 30 mins.
  • Change to lowest heat and cook-covered for 3-4 hours.

Variations

  • Can add onions (1 cup) made as paste or as julienne.
  • Can cook in oven in a Dutch oven.

Reference

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LMmFzvcwwM0