My Cooking Wonders

While I was a child my mom used to make peanut brittle out of peanut and sugar or jaggery. They used to taste out of this world- sweet, crunchy, sticky and yummy at the same time. Today I am looking through my refrigerator and a box of silvered almonds caught my eye. I instantly thought of making brittle and here it is....... Easy recipe for a tasty snack. Enjoy :) Ingredients 2 cups slivered almonds 1 1/2 cup sugar 2 tbsp butter 1/2 tsp baking soda 1/4 cup water Cooking spray Method  Preheat oven to 350F. Spread the almonds on a baking sheet and place it in the oven for 10 to 15 minutes till toasted to light brown in color. Remove from the oven and set aside. Lay parchment paper on a baking sheet or plate and spray with cooking spray and set aside. If you do not have parchment paper butter a plate and set aside.  Now in a pan mix sugar and water and place it on the stove. Turn the heat to medium and let the sugar melt. Use a pastry brush dipped in cold wa...

One quick, easy and yummy rice recipe - Cumin Rice. I was busy and tied up with work and was looking for a quick recipe and Cumin rice crossed my mind. So here it is..Enjoy!! Ingredients 2 cups Basmati Rice 4 cups water 1 medium onion thinly sliced length wise 6 to 10 green chillies slit length wise (as for spice level) 2 tsp cumin seeds 1 tsp ground cumin powder 1/2 tsp garam masala 1 tsp ginger garlic paste 1/2 tsp dired mint 1/2 tsp dried cilantro 2 bay leaves  5 cloves 2 small pieces of cinamonn sticks 1/4 tsp shai jeera/black cumin seeds Salt per taste 2 tbsp butter or ghee 1 tbsp oil Method Heat oil and ghee in a pan. Add the cumin seeds and let them splutter. Add in shai jeera, cinnamon sticks, bay leaves, cloves, dried mint, cilantro and fry for couple of seconds. Add in slit green chillies and fry for a minute. Add in sliced onions and salt. Fry till the onions are caramelized and dark brown in color as shown in the picture. It might take from...

It has been a while since I posted something here as I was way busy with work and other stuff. Today I had little time on hand. I thought of cooking something to reward myself for all the hard work. What else can make me more happy than the food I love made with my own hands in the way I wanted to..... And here I made one dish I love the most - Mutton Biryani. YUM!!! Spicy mutton biryani with a side of cool raitha and sliced raw onions. Alright guys, I got to go enjoy my food..Want some for yourselves too..There is only one way and what are you waiting for..Get into your kitchens :).. Ingredients For Marinade 2lbs Mutton or Lamb 1 cup thick yogurt 1 tbsp Red Chilli powder 1 1/2 tbsp ginger garlic paste 2 tsp coriander powder 1/2 tbsp gram masala 1/2 tbsp mutton biryani masala(I used shan brand) 1 tsp lemon juice 1 tsp cumin seeds 4 or 5 bay leaves Salt per taste For Rice 4 cups rice 6 cups water 1 cup thick coconut milk (Optional) 2 tbsp + 2tbsp butter or g...

Here is dish a which is rich and tasty from Mughlai cuisine. Most of the mughlai dishes are creamy, rich with hint of nuts. The dish I prepared below is on the notes of Korma but little more richer, creamier and of course tastier :). Here is almond chicken chicken cooked in rich almond sauce. Give it a try!! Ingredients 2 lbs Chicken 10 whole Almonds + 2 tbsp Dry coconut powder or freshly grated coconut + 6 green chillies + 1 medium onion -- Grind to a smooth paste adding little water 1 tbsp ground almond powder 1/2 cup thick yogurt 1 tsp red chilli powder 2 tsp ginger garlic paste 1 tbsp lemon juice 1 tsp coriander powder 1 tsp garam masala Salt per taste 1/2 tsp Turmeric 2 tbsp oil For Tempering 1 tsp black cumin seeds (Shahi Jeera) 1 tsp cumin seeds 3 cloves small piece of cinnamon pinch of nutmeg 4 curry leaves Method Grind whole almonds, coconut powder, onion and green chillies to a smooth paste adding little bit of water. Set aside. Heat oil in a t...

A quick and easy pasta recipe yet so tasty and very filling. Not bad for a weekday huh?..Give this a try :) Ingredients 1/2 pound pasta 1 cup tomato sauce or 2 14oz cans of diced tomatoes made to paste 1/4 cup milk 2 cloves garlic minced 1/4 tsp pepper 1/4 tsp nutmeg powder 1/2 tsp dried basil leaves 1/2 tsp red pepper flakes 10 cherry tomatoes halved 1/2 medium onion sliced hand full of spinach teared (or any vegetables of your choice to make up to a cup) 1/4 cup Parmesan cheese Salt to taste 2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil 1 tbsp of pine nuts or silvered almonds Method Cook pasta according to package directions. While cooking the pasta once the water comes to a boil add a tbsp of salt and give a good stir before dropping in the dry pasta. Let it cook and drain the pasta into the colander. Just before draining the pasta into a colander, reserve 1/4 cup of pasta water and set aside. Drain the pasta, put back in the empty pot and keep aside. Heat oil in a p...

Today I prepared another dish that always will make me feel like I am home - my mom version of mutton curry. This dish is really easy and quick to make with very less number of ingredients on hand. Try out this lip smacking, spicy Mutton curry... Enjoy!!! Ingredients 1 1/2 lb Mutton or Lamb(around 75o grams) 2 medium onions chopped real fine 2 green chillies slit length wise 1 1/2 tbsp ginger garlic paste 1/2 to 1 tbsp red chilli powder depending on your spice level 1 tsp coriander powder 1 tsp garam masala 1 tbsp lemon juice 1 tbsp butter Salt per taste 1 tbsp oil For Tempering 1 tsp cumin seeds 1 tsp shai jeera 1 tsp turmeric powder 1 or 2 small pieces of cinnamon 4 or 5 cloves 6 or 7 curry leaves For Garnish Handful of coriander leaves Method Clean the mutton pieces and place them in a bowl. Add ginger garlic paste, salt, chilli powder and lemon juice to the mutton pieces, mix well and keep aside. Heat oil in a pressure cooker pan. Add in the tempe...

Just tried out something with coconut milk and gelatin as I have left over gelatin packets on hand. It turned out pretty good and to my surprise it tasted like coconut halwa.. I could not stop with just one piece as it literally melted in my mouth. If you happen to have gelatin on hand this recipe is worth trying...Give it a try!! Ingredients 1  can (13.5 oz) coconut milk(around 1 3/4 cup) 2 cups milk 1 cup water  1 1/2 cups sugar 1/2 cup dried coconut powder or freshly grated coconut 1/2 cup of coarsely chopped nuts(I used walnuts and almonds) 2 tbsp gelatin Fruits for garnish Method Take water and milk in a bowl. Add the gelatin and let it sit for 10 to 15 minutes. Meanwhile take coconut milk, nuts and sugar in another bowl and mix well. Set aside. Add the milk gelatin mixture to a sauce pan and bring to a boil for about 5 to 7 minutes till the gelatin dissolves into the milk. Stir occasionally. Now add the coconut milk-sugar-nut mixture to the pan. Let...