Mushroom Masala

Ingredients:
1 lb mushrooms (cleaned and chopped/sliced)
1 small can (12oz) sweet green pea
1 medium size boiled potato (optional)
2 medium chopped onion (about 1/2 cup)
2 medium chopped tomato (about 1/2 cup)
1 tsp curry powder
1 tsp ginger garlic paste
1/2 tbs red chilli powder
1/2 tbs turmeric
4-5 curry leaves
1-2 green chilli chopped
A pinch of Hing

1/2 tsp cumin
2 clove garlic
1 inch ginger piece (shredded)
1 tsp garam masala powder

4-5 tbsp oil
Salt as per taste

Method:
1. You can use chilli as per your taste, I prefer spicy so use more chillies.
2. Crush the garlic and cumin seeds if you can else just crush the garlic cloves and keep it aside.
3. Heat 3 tbs oil in a pan , add hing, add chopped onions ,little salt and fry it for a minute and when the onion is little soft add turmeric, ginger garlic paste, curry leaves, chopped green chillies, curry powder
and chopped tomatoes and cook for few min.
4. Add a glass of water and let it boil, add more salt and mushrooms and let it cook (about 5-7 minute) till mushrooms are soft and the water reduces, now add the green pea and sliced boiled potatoes and let it cook for 1-2 minutes and keep it aside.
5. Take another pan to do tadka on the Masala Mushroom. Add 1-2 tbs oil and let it heat, add crushed garlic/cumin, shredded ginger and stir for a minute add the cooked mushroom mixture and cook till the moisture evaporates and add the garam masala and it's ready to serve hot with rice or Roti of your choice.

Indo Thai Shrimp Curry

Ingredient:
2 lb small size clean shrimp (shells removed)
12 oz frozen/fresh mix veg (carrot, green pean, corn, lima beans etc)
1 tbs garlic paste
1/2 tbs ginger paste
1/2 tbs turmeric powder
1/2 tbs corn starch powder
2 tbs hot garlic tomato sauce or
(1 tbs hot chilli sauce + 2 tbs tomato sauce1/2 tbs soy sauce)
1 tbs curry powder
1 tbs red chilli powder
2 tbs cooking oil
2-3 tbs chopped coriander leaves (optional)

Method:
1.Mix the corn starch powder in 2 tbs of water in a small bowl and keep it aside.
2.Take a frying pan with 1 tbs oil and when it's hot fry te shrimps for 1 or 2 minutes till the color changes (I used a flat frying pan to fry and it gets fryed quickly).
3.Take a wok or frying pan and 1 ts oil over medium heat. Stir-fry the cut vegs, garlic paste, ginger paste, turmeric and red chilli powder for 1-2 minutes.
4.Then add 1 glass of hot water to the pan and let it boil, when it start boiling add the curry powder, all sauce and salt and shrimp and let it boil for about 1-2 minutes.
5.Add the cornstarch and stir well, simmer for a minute and it's ready to serve with rice.
6.Optionally you can add chopped coriander leaves.

Nutrela Curry with Aloo Matar

Ingredient:
Nutrela/ Soya Nuggets- 1 cup
Boiled Potato- 2 medium sized (Peeled and Cut into 2 inch pieces)
1 small can sweet green pea
Cooking Oil- 2-3 tbsp
Cumin seeds-1/2tsp
Onion- 1 medium
Ginger- 1 inch piece
Garlic-2 cloves
Tomato- 2 medium chopped
Salt as per taste
Turmeric- 1/2 tsp
Red chilli 2
Green chilli 1
Garam masala:- 1/2 tsp
Coriander/Cumin powder or curry powder 1 tbs
Water as per requirement

Method:
1) Take a frying pan with 1 tbs oil and fry the Nutrela and it’s hot for about 1-2 minutes and then add 1 glass hot water and let it boil for about 2 minutes and keep it aside.
2) Grind the chillis, ginger, garlic and half of the onion into a smooth paste, take remaining half onion and slice it thinly.
3) Heat oil in a frying pan and put the cumin seeds and sliced onion and fry it in low heat till the color of onion changes
4)Add the grind paste and fry it for 1 minute and add the curry powder, chopped tomatoes, turmeric and fry it for 1 minute or until tomato pieces are tender.
5) Add chopped potatoes into this and fry for some more time.
6) Add a glass of hot water and when boils add the nutrella and green peas, salt and mix well, cover the lid and let it cook in medium heat for 2-3 minutes.7)Now add the garam masala and it’s ready to serve hot with Rice.

Chicken Pakora by Ashok

Ingredients:
2 lb boneless/skinless chicken (cut into about 1-2 inch square cubes)
1 tbs ginger & garlic paste
2 tbs yogurt
1 tbs chilli powder
1 tbs cumin powder
1 tbs coriander powder
1 egg
1 tbs turmeric powder
1/2 tbs black pepper
1/2 cup besan flour
2 tbs corn flour (optional)
1 tbs chicken curry powder
Cooking oil to deep fry
Salt as per taste

Method:
1.Mix chicken, yogurt, ginger/garlic paste, chilli powder, egg, black pepper, corn flour and chicken curry powder and marinate for 20-30 minutes.
2.Make a smooth better of besan with water, salt, cumin powder, coriander powder and turmeric.
3.Heat oil in a frying pan and deep the marinated chicken pieces with this better and deep fry till golden color.
4.It's ready to serve with tomato sauce or ketch-up.

Spicy Pineapple chutney

Ingredient:
1 can crushed pinapple
1 tbs red chilli powder
1/2 tbs turmeric
1 tbs curry powder
2 Green chilli chopped
1 medium onion sliced
2 clove garlic chopped
3-4 curry leaves
1 tbs oilsalt as per taste

Method:
1.Take the crushed pinapple and drain the water and take it in a bowl.
2.Mix red chilli powder, chopped green chilli, salt, turmeric powder, curry powder and mix it properly and let it stay for 15 to 30 minutes.
3.Take a frying pan and heat the oil, fry the garlic chopped, sliced onion and curry leaves till it gets translucent.
4.Then add the pinapple and fry it properly for about 5 minutes.
5.Now remove it from the stove and it's ready to serve with rice.

Reeya Fruit Cake

This is nt my recipe, it's my friend Reeya's recipe. She got the cake during Christmas and it so yummy that I just had to ask for the recipe. First time I made it and it came out very nice. Don't go by the picture quality, just try it yourself...

Ingredients :
Brown Sugar 1 cup (if you are adding caramel syrup, Take ¾ cup )
Butter 1 stick
All purpose flour 1 cup
Eggs 2
Baking powder ½ tbs
Powdered spice ½ tbs cinnamon powder
Vanilla essence 1 teaspoon
Caramel syrup or Molasses 1/4 cup
Dry Fruits / nuts 1 cup (soaked in hot water for a day)
Take each of equal amount from Raisins, Cranberry, Dates chopped into small pieces
Nuts: cashew nuts, Hazelnut, walnuts chopped into small pieces
Milk 1/4 cup (optional)

Method:
Sift flour, baking powder and the mixed spices 3 times.
Mix the dry fruits and nuts in the flour.
Cream sugar and butter till fluffy with a hand mixer.
Separate egg white and yolk
Beat the egg yolk with the sugar and butter mix and add the milk.
While you do this beat the egg white with a teaspoon of sugar until stiff peaks are formed.
Now add vanilla, flour, caramel syrup and gently fold in the mixture.
Finally add egg white and gently fold in the mixture.
Bake the cake in 350 degree oven for about 35 minutes.

** Insert a skewer in the middle of the cake, if it comes out clean your cake is done. Pour the mixer only up to ¾ of the container. Baking time can vary according to your oven and the type of pan used.

Caramel syrup :
Caution !!! Be very careful while making caramel syrup use a tall heavy bottom pan. Careful while adding hot water. It will sputter all over. Cover the pan with a lid closer to your side. Add water away from you.
Melt 1/2 cup sugar in a heavy bottom pan until dark brown. Remove from heat and add 1/4 cup hot water to the syrup. You can add a little butter or lime juice while melting sugar to avoid caramelizing of the sugar. Cool the syrup.

**Note: This is my friend Reeya's recipe, I liked it so much that I asked her te recipe and I have modified little bit. I hope you will also like it.

Masala Zucchini Green Pea

Ingredient:
2 Zucchini (Medium)
1 can 15 oz canned green pea
1 large Onion.
3 green chilli chopped
A pinch of hing
1 tbs ginger/garlic paste
1/2 spoon Turmeric
1 tbs curry powder
3-4 tbs Oil.Salt to taste.

Method:
1.Cut the onions (long thin slice).
2.Cut the Zucchini into 1 inch pieces.
3.Heat 1 tablespoons of oil in a pan.
4.Fry the Zucchini till half cooked and removed from the pan keep it aside.
5.Take remaining oil in a pan and when it’s hot put the hing and then sliced onion and chopped green chilies and fry and add the ginger/garlic paste into it and fry till the onion color changes to brown.
6.Now add the canned green pea into the pan after draining the excess water from it. And fry it for atleast 3-4 minutes.
7.Now add the fried zucchini into the fried green pea and add the curry powder , salt, turmeric and fry in medium heat for about 5 minutes. Keep stirring so that it will not stick to the bottom of the pan.
Remove the Masala Zucchini Chole and it’s ready to serve with Puri, Roti or Rice.