Tofu Masala

Protein Rich Recipe

Tofu is made from soy milk. It is rich in proteins. I used extra firm tofu. Soft/firm tofu can also be used. Instead of tofu, paneer or soya chunks can be used to the same recipe.

 

Preparation time - 10 min
Cooking time - 20 min
Serves - 4

Ingredients:

To marinate:

·          

      Tofu - 350 gm

·         Tomato - 2 medium sized - cut into small cubes

·         Onion - 2 medium sized - cut lengthwise

·         Capsicum - ½ - cut into small cubes

·         Turmeric powder - 1 pinch

·         Chili powder - 1 tsp

·         Coriander powder - 1 tbsp

·         Cumin powder - ½ tbsp

·         Pepper powder - 1 tsp

·         Salt to taste

For gravy: 

Tomato - 1 - grind into paste  (or) tomato puree can be used

·         Heavy cream - 3 tbsp

·         Oil - 2 tbsp

Preparation:

 

Wrap tofu in a kitchen towel or tissue and keep it aside for 30 min. Water in the tofu must be completely removed before cooking.

Procedure:

 

1.   After removing water from the tofu, cut it into small cubes. Mix all the ingredients given in “to marinate” section. Mix them well and keep it aside for 20 min.

2.   Heat a medium sized kadai in the stove and when it is hot add oil. Now add the marinated tofu and allow it to cook for 12-15 min stirring occasionally. Do not stir often.

3.   When it is cooked, add tomato puree or tomato paste and salt. Allow it to cook until the raw smell leaves. Finally add heavy cream, mix well and garnish with cilantro.

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Uppu Seedai

Preparation time: 20 min

Cooking time: 30 min 

Serves: 50 balls

Ingredients:

• Rice flour - 8 tbsp
• Urad dhal flour - 1 tbsp
• Salt -  to taste
• Ajwin (ஓமம்) - 1 tsp
• Sesame seeds (எள் விதைகள்) - 1 tsp
• Cumin seeds (சீரகம்) - 1 tsp
• Butter - ½ tbsp

To fry:

• Oil - as required

Procedure:

1.   Dry roast urad dhal in a pan until it starts turning golden brown and allow it to cool. Grind them into fine powder and sift through the sieve. Take 1 tbsp of this urad dhal powder.

2.   In a large mixing bowl all the ingredients, add water and make it into chappathi like dough. Make it into small balls.

3.   Heat oil in a kadai and fry them until it is cooked well.

Note: Seedai may burst while frying because of the air trapped inside. To avoid this, use a toothpick to make small holes in it and then fry them.

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Masala Pasta

Easy and spicy pasta recipe

 

 Ingredients:

• Pasta - 2 cup 
• Onion - 2 medium sized - finely chopped
• Tomato - 2 medium sized - finely chopped
• Ginger garlic paste - ½ tbsp
• Turmeric powder - 1 pinch
• Green chili sauce - ½ tbsp 
• Chili powder - 1 tsp
• Pepper powder - ½ tsp (optional)
• Coriander powder - 2 tsp
• Cumin powder - 1 tsp
• Salt to taste

Procedure:

1. Place a vessel with water in the stove and bring it to boil. Add pasta to the boiling water and keep in low flame for 10 min or until pasta gets cooked well. Usually it becomes doubled in size. Once its cooked, drain out the excess water, rinse with cold water and set aside.

2.  Heat a large pan in the stove and pour oil. When oil is hot, add cinnamon, cloves, cardamom powder.

3.  As nice aroma comes out, add onion and sauté them for 2 min until they start turning golden brown. To this add ginger garlic paste and sauté till the raw smell leaves. Then add turmeric powder, chili powder and chili sauce. Adjust the quantity according to the spicy level desired. 

4. Now add tomatoes and sauté them for 2 min until becomes soft and mushy. Add coriander and cumin powder. Add pepper powder if desired. 

5. Finally add the cooked pasta and mix until it gets coated uniformly. Garnish with cilantros and serve hot.

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Mutton Chukka

Ingredients:

• Mutton - 500 g - Cleaned and cut into pieces
• Onion - 2 medium sized - Finely chopped
• Ginger garlic paste - 1 tbsp
• Turmeric powder - 1 pinch
• Chili powder - 1 tbsp
• Cumin powder - ½ tsp
• Salt to taste
• Oil - 2 tbsp

 Procedure:

1.   Heat oil in a heavy bottomed pressure pan, add onion and saute until it starts turning golden brown.

2.   Add ginger garlic paste and mutton pieces and stir well. The mutton pieces will start turning pale. At this time, add turmeric powder, chili powder, salt and mix well.

3.   Mutton pieces will itself leave some water, so add ½ cup of water if needed. Pressure cook for one whistle. Then reduce the flame and keep it for 10 min. Switch off the stove and wait until the steam is released completely.

4.   Open the lid and check if the mutton pieces are cooked well. Use a knife or fork to cut the mutton pieces. It should be soft. Then again switch on the stove and keep in medium flame until the gravy gets thickened to desired consistency.

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Rava Paniyaram

Ingredients:

• Rava or sooji - 1 cup
• Maida - 1/2 cup
• Coconut milk - 1 cup
• Sugar - 3 tablespoon
• Oil

Procedure:

1. Mix rava in coconut milk and allow it to soak for 45 min
2. Then add maida, sugar to get a thick paste
3. Sugar can be adjusted to your taste
4. Heat oil in a kadai to fry
5. Take one scoop of maavu and pour into the oil
6. Fry them well

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Soya Pepper Curry

Preparation Time: 10 min

Cooking Time: 30 min

Serves: 2

Ingredients:

•  Soya chunks - 1 cup
•  Onion - 1 medium sized - finely chopped
•  Tomato - ½ medium sized - finely chopped

To grind:

•   Cumin seeds - 2 tsp
•   Red chili - 6 (reduce the count to have less spicy curry)
•   Garlic - 3 pieces
•   Black pepper - 2 tsp
•   Tomato - ½ medium sized

Procedure:

1. In a vessel or pan, heat water and add the dry soya chunks. Allow it to boil in low flame for 15 min or until the soya gets doubled in size. Filter the soya water and wash with cold water. Squeeze the soya to remove the excess water and set aside.

2. Put all the ingredients in “to grind” in a mixie and grind it into a paste. No need to add water as the tomato itself will give the paste consistency. 

3. Heat a medium sized pan, add oil. Then saute onion until it starts turning golden brown. 5.   To this add chopped tomato, mixie paste, salt and one cup of water.

4. Finally add soya chunks and keep in low flame for 5 min or gravy gets thickened to desired consistency.

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Semiya / Vermicelli Pulav

Preparation time: 10 min
Cooking time: 30 min
Serves: 2
  

Ingredients:

• Semiya / Vermicelli - 2 cup
• Water - 5 cup
• Onion - 1 medium sized - cut lengthwise
• Carrot - ¼ cup - cut lengthwise
• Capsicum - ¼ cup - cut into pieces
  (Vegetables of your choice - beans, green peas, cabbage)
• Ginger garlic paste - 1 tbsp
• Soya sauce - 2-3 drops
• Chili powder - 1 tsp
• Vinegar - 1 tsp
• Oil - 2 tbsp
• Cilantro - ¼ cup
• Salt to taste

Procedure:

1.   Roast the vermicelli until it becomes golden brown or roasted vermicelli that is available in store can be used. I used roasted vermicelli. 

2.   In a pan, pour water and bring it to boil. Add the roasted vermicelli and allow it to cook in medium flame. It takes around 3 min.
3.   Filter the excess water when vermicelli is cooked well. Pour oil over the filtered vermicelli. Stir it well and set aside

4.   Heat a large pan and add oil. When its heat, add onion and sauté till it becomes soft.
5.   Add ginger garlic paste and sauté till its raw smell leaves. Then add all the vegetables with little salt.
6.   Sauté until all the vegetables are cooked. Then add chili powder, vinegar and stir well.

7.   Now add the cooked vermicelli and mix well.
8.   Add salt and few drops of soya sauce. Stir well.
9.   Garnish with cilantro leaves and serve hot

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Vanilla Roll Cake (Eggless)

Preparation time : 5 min

Cooking time : 45 min

Serves : 4

Ingredients:

1. Curd - 1 cup
2. Sugar - ¾ cup
3. Baking soda - ½ tsp
4. Baking powder - 1¼ tsp
5. Maida / All-purpose flour - 1½ cup
6. Oil - 1 cup
7. Vanilla essence - 1 tsp

For cream:

1. Heavy cream - 20 oz / 600ml
2. Sugar - 6 tbsp
3. Vanilla essence - ¼ tsp

Procedure:

1. Take a large mixing bowl, add curd and mix well until its soft
2. Add sugar to the beaten curd and beat it with a whisk. The sugar gets completely dissolved in the curd
3. Now add baking soda and baking powder. Stir slowly and leave it for 2-3 min. It will become a frothy 
4. Add vanilla essence and oil. Stir it slowly so that the froth remains.
5. Sieve maida separately to avoid lumps. Now add maida little by little into the mixture stirring very slowly. 
6. When all the maida is mixed well, it comes to a batter consistency
7. Grease the baking tray with oil and sprinkle maida. Pour the batter into a thin sheet in the tray.
8. Preheat the oven for 10 min to 400 deg F / 200 deg C and then place the baking tray in it and bake it at 350 deg F / 175 deg C for 5 min. Once it is baked, take out the tray and allow it to cool for 20-30 min.
9. In a large bowl, mix heavy cream, sugar and vanilla essence. Beat them with the whisk until it form peaks.
10. Now spread the cream over the cake and roll it using a foil. Keep it refrigerated for 5-6 hrs. 
11. Take out the cake and cut it into slices and serve

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