Shrimp Okra Fry

 Okra fry and shrimp fry are super delicious dishes. This dish combines both of those and creates one yummy dry fry dish, to be served with white rice and dal.

Shrimp Okra Fry( Okra and shrimp fried with Indian spices)

Shrimp Okra Fry

Ingredients:

1. 1 lb medium or large shrimp peeled and deveined
2. 12 oz frozen okra thawed or fresh okra, ends discarded and cut into 1/2 inch rounds.
3. 1/2 cup red onion sliced
4. 1 teaspoon ginger garlic paste
5. 1/2 teaspoon turmeric
6. 3/4 teaspoon salt
7. 1 teaspoon each of cumin powder, coriander powder, chilli powder
8. 1 tablespoon oil

In a pan heat the oil and fry the onions till they start turning dark brown. Add okra cover and cook for 10 minutes on medium heat. Add all the spices and ginger garlic paste and stir well and fry for 2 minutes. Move the okra to the edges of the pan and add the shrimp. Let them cook for a minute. Flip and cook for 1 more minutes. Stir to combine. Fry for 5 more minutes or until you are sure the shrimp are cooked through. Garnish with cilantro and enjoy with steamed rice and dal or any of your favorite rice recipes

Alphabet Stew

 I used to get the "Alphabet Pasta" when the kids were little. It was fun asking them to find a specific alphabet in their food when they used to eat it. Then they became older and I stopped brining this pasta. The other day I found it in the super market and I got nostalgic and some a pack. :)

Alphabet Stew

Alphabet Stew with vegetables

Alphabet stew and chops

Ingredients:

1. 1 packet alphabet pasta or about 1.5 cups
2. 3.5 cups of chicken broth
3. salt and pepper to taste
4. 1 teaspoon finely chopped garlic
5. 1/2 cup each of chopped onions, frozen spinach thawed, small cubed carrots, frozen green peas thawed, chopped bell pepper of your fav color
6. 1/2 tablespoon each of butter, olive oil (or use 1 tablespoon of either butter or olive oil and skip the other)

In a pan heat the oil and butter and seat the onions for 3 minutes. Add the garlic and stir well. Add the pasta and stir for 2 minutes. Add hot broth cover and cook on medium high for 6 minutes (My pasta had a cook time of 11 minutes). Add all the vegetables and stir and cover and simmer for 5 more minutes. Taste test for salt and adjust it and add pepper and serve with your favorite meat . I served it when beef chops. Enjoy on a cold evening.

Good for you Chicken Rice

 This rice dish has good for you ingredients in it. It is like an Indian Pulao or Pilaf. You can want you can use regular white rice but since it is "Good for you" Chicken Rice, I made this with Brown rice.

Good for you Chicken Rice (Brown rice and Cauliflower with Chicken)

Cauliflower brown rice with Chicken

Ingredients:

1. 1.5 cups cooked chicken
2. 2 cups cauliflower rice
3. 1 cup brown rice soaked in water for 30 minutes.
4. 1 medium small onion sliced
5. 1 teaspoon ginger garlic paste
6. 1 teaspoon each of coriander powder, cumin powder, chilli powder garam masala, salt, chopped mint
7. 1-2 tablespoons oil

After the brown rice has been soaked for 30 minutes, discard the water. Cook it in a rice cooker with 2.5 cups of water.

In a pan heat the oil and fry the onions till they start turning dark brown. Add cauliflower and all the spices and mix well and cook covered for 10 minutes. Add the cooked rice and mint and mix well. Taste test for salt and add more if needed. Serve with boiled eggs if desired. Enjoy!!!

Click here for nutritional information

Qawami Seviyah

 Seviyah are the thin wheat noodles that are used in India and Pakistan predominantly during the month of Ramadan for sweets and breakfasts in general.

When we think of Seviyah...the main recipe which comes to mind is kheer or sheer khurma. This sweet I found today is so much better...Kheer being not one of my favorites

Qawami Seviyah (Thin Wheat noodles in milk and sugar syrup)

Qawami Seviyah

Ingredients:

1. 250 grams thin Vermicelli (Seviyan)
2. 1/4 Cup Clarified Butter (Ghee)
3. 1 Cups Milk
4. 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
5.  1 teaspoon rose water
6. 2 tablespoons each of  slivered almonds, slivered pistachios, desiccated coconut and raisins

Sugar Syrup

1. 1  Cup Water
2. 1 Cups Sugar

In a pan add all the ingredients of sugar syrup and cook until the sugar dissolves. Let simmer for 3-4 minutes and turn off the heat.

In an another heavy bottom pan add clarified butter (ghee) and add the dried fruit and toast it. Drain and set aside. In the same pan add vermicelli  and roast it until it turns brown in color. keep stirring so that they don’t burn.
Now add milk to the pan along with lemon juice, turn the flame to high and cook until the milk is absorbed.
Add to it the prepared sugar syrup and rose water. When it starts to bubble, turn the flame to low and cover with a lid. Cook until the milk is absorbed and vermicelli is cooked completely
Take out in the serving dish, sprinkle with nuts, desiccated and decorate with silver leaf
Enjoy

Blondies

 When you are craving something sweet and chewy but are out of chocolate...Blondies...

:)

The recipe originates form here

Blondies (Chocolate less Brownies...Blondies)

Blondies

Ingredients:

1. 6 oz unsalted butter melted 
2. 1 1/2 cup brown sugar
3. 2 large eggs  room temperature 
4. 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
5. 2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour 
6. 2 teaspoons cornstarch
7. 1/2 teaspoon  each of baking powder, salt
8. 2/3 cup chocolate chips white/regular

Preheat oven to 350F and line a 13x9 pan with parchment paper

Combine melted butter and sugar in a large bowl and stir well.

Add eggs and vanilla extract and stir until completely combined. Set aside.

In a separate bowl, whisk together flour, cornstarch, baking powder, and salt.

Gradually stir dry ingredients into wet until completely combined.

Fold in chocolate chips if using.

Spread blondie batter into prepared pan and transfer to oven.

Bake on 350F for 25-30 minutes*** or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean or with a few fudgy crumbs.

Allow to cool before cutting and enjoying

Zucchini corn cakes

This recipe is called a cake for lack of any other proper term. This is not a cake nor does it have sugar as an ingredient. But it turns out a bit sweet because of the natural sugars in corn

This is a great sports night snack

Zucchini corn cake (grilled corn and zucchini patty)

Zucchini Corn Cakes

Ingredients

1. 2 cups frozen corn thawed
2. 1/2 cup each of grated mozzarella cheese, bread crumbs
3. 11/2 cup grated zucchini (Squeeze some water out of it)
4. 1/2 -1 cup all purpose flour (Depending on how watery your zucchini and corn are)
5. 1/2 teaspoon each of salt and pepper or more to taste

Pulse the corn 5-7 times. Mix all the ingredients and divide it into 6-8 parts and make it into 1/2 inch thick patties and let it set in the fridge for 30-60 minutes. Heat a grill and grill on medium heat for 3-4 minutes in each sides

Let it cool a bit and serve 

Sweet Potato-Pecan Waffles

 Sweet Potato-Pecan Waffles

Ingredients

1. 1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
2. 1/2 teaspoon salt
3. 2 teaspoons baking powder
4. 1 medium small sweet potato boiled and mashed 
5. 3/4 cup milk
6. 1/2-3/4 cup chopped pecans
7. 4 tablespoons melted butter
8. 3 eggs, lightly beaten
9. 1/4 cup brown sugar

Toast the pecans in a skillet over medium heat, stirring frequently, until fragrant and lightly toasted, about 5 minutes. In a small bowl, combine the flour, salt and baking powder, and whisk to mix thoroughly. In a larger bowl, combine the sweet potato, milk, butter, eggs and brown sugar, and whisk to mix. Add the flour mixture, and stir to combine. Add the pecans, and mix. Cook on a preheated waffle iron until browned. 

The actual recipe is here