Kenya: The strawberry bowl of Africa; simply splendid;



A typical strawberry farm land in Naivasha, Kenya

Kenya is the core place of hi quality agricultural products. Due to the fertile soil and advanced research in agri soil science , Kenya is one of the leading producers of Strawberry and other agricultural products. My recent visit to a strawberry growing farm gave me a lease of fresh concepts about this agricultural crop which really earns in millions to the country.




Strawberry ready to be harvested

Strawberry or Fragaria sp. is a very high value crop with a great scope to generate income and employment. Recently , the Govt. has taken some effective steps to promote value added facilities and conduct conferences. Global organisation came forward to help the farmers  with effective knowledge on strawberry farming and the procurement of seedlings.




Freshly harvested varieties

Anyways a recently published journal on Agri science development of Kenya says that there are certain challenges faced as per the procurement of strawberries are concerned. Farmers has to buy seedlingd from the roadside vendors who sell at .45- .65 $ per plant. Anyways there is an agro enterprise in Limuru which sells seedlings at .3 $ per seedling , a much lower price . The challenge is that the seedlings are sold in unrooted condition proving to be difficult for the farmers to grow effectively without prior experience.




Strawberry saplings

We saw a farm land with strawberry plants sprouting, rooting and even ready ones. The plantation was a very systematic one with equal distances between each sapling and proper quarantine arrangements. It was really mind boggling to see the fresh , colorful strawberries and tasting them was even exciting. We as a visitor were offered fresh hand picked strawberries to get the real taste of it. It was truely awesome.  More exciting was to see the harvesting process and the way they are packed and sent to the market for sale. Kenya has a natural market as well as a huge prospective market in the European Union dominated countries.




Excellent watering technique used in  farms.

We were amazed to see the watering technique as several feet long pipes with equidistant outlets are used to to spray water as well as insecticides. The approximate measurement of the farm lands are almost 21 hectares on average.

I was undoubtedly a nice day amid the nature!!

Chicken n mushroom sauté- A must for try

Chicken forms a delicious affair with any combination of vegetarian or non vegetarian partners. A wonderful creative cult came to my brains when I was on a dinner with my family at a Chinese restaurant. The former was done with the same combination of pork and mushroom. I thought why not with chicken? And I rushed back at home and created my signature dish with mushroom and chicken , and added an 'out of the box' terminology 'Chicken n mushroom saute'. Words can’t express what a creation and what a taste that proved to be. Let me share the secret of my signature dish with all my readers.

Ingredients: (for preparation of 4-6 people)

Chicken (400 Gms.),
Mushroom (250 Gms.),
Tomato (6 medium pieces cut into pieces),
Red Onions (4 pieces cut into pieces),
Spring onions (cut into elongated pieces),
Jalapeño (4-6 pieces),
Capsicum (2 big pieces chopped into smaller chunks),
Dark soya sauce (4 tablespoons) ,
Vinegar (2-3 teaspoons),
Tomato sauce (3 tablespoons),
Chili sauce (2 tablespoons),
Garlic paste (3 teaspoons),
Ginger paste (1 teaspoon)

Procedure: Marinate the chicken with soya sauce, vinegar, soya sauce, garlic paste, ginger paste. Keep for about 20 minutes. Boil button mushrooms in a container till it becomes soft and drain the water. Oil should be heated in a container. Fry onions, tomatoes, garlic cloves, capsicum in it. Cook till the vegetable becomes soft. Add the already marinated chick in it. Cook till the chicken releases water and becomes soft. Add aji no motto in it. The color of the chicken will turn slight brownish. Add the par boiled mushrooms in it and mix well. Add Jalapeño, tomato sauce, soya sauce and chili sauce to it. Cook till the entire mixture takes a typical reddish brown color and sprinkle spring onion pieces on top. In case you like the hot taste you may sprinkle powdered black pepper on it.

You are ready to serve a dish that is exceptional and innovative. I believe those friend who love Chinese cuisine will surely appreciate the effort and remember the dish forever.

Crunchy, buttery ‘Oats n coconut’ cookies- Try the exciting taste this Christmas!!



Christmas is nearing your doorsteps, jingle bells ringing, Santa Claus planning to visit your kids and spread the message of love and peace . So, what special are you planning to give the’ ultimate of surprising treat’ to your dear kids and family? May be I can impart an idea that will make your kids jump with joy and you will feel at the top of the world with this innovative treat. This week, I created a special recipe ‘Oats n coconut cookies’ with one of my friends who is a baking expert in the town. Let’s see the secret of this special recipe.


Ingredients: (for the preparation of 30 cookies)

White flour (350 gms.),
Sugar ( 200gms.),
Unsalted butter/margarine (250 gms.),
Dessicated coconut ( 100gms.),
Oats ( 125 gms.),
Warm milk ( 100cc.),
Sodium bi- carbonate [baking soda] 1 ½ teaspoons,
2 teaspoons of Oats, 2 teaspoons of desiccated coconut for toppings.



Procedure: The procedure is shown in a step wise process schematically with the help of photographs. Hope fully this will give the readers a very clear idea of the process.

Step 1: Batter margarine/unsalted butter with sugar and make sure that it makes an even mixture with no remains of crystalline sugar. Add white flour, baking soda, coconut, Oats to the mixture and mix evenly. Keep it for 30 minutes minimum.

Mixture of oats n coconut as toppings.

                    

Step 2: Prepare evenly shaped flattened dough. Press then with your palms to make a flattened structure. Keep little oats, desiccated coconut separately and use for toppings on the flattened structure. You may use minute amount of cold milk so that the toppings may stick to the flattened dough.

Step 3: Arrange them in a baking tray and place the rounded dough at equal distances of 1 cm from each other. The tray should be greased with little oil before placing the flattened dough. Pre-heat the oven 200 degree Celsius. While you bake the cookies, the temperature must be maintained at 180 degree Celsius for 20 minutes. While the baking procedure continues, you should keep a watch on the color of the cookies. When it turns light brown it indicates that they are ready.

Step 4: Remove from the oven and keep them in open air for the cookies to cool down and get a crunchy texture. It’s advisable to store the cookies in an air tight container to avoid sobbing.

Crunchy , tasty cookies at last.

The cookies are ready to be served. You may use these with coffee, or as a confectionery item. I guarantee that your children will enjoy to a great extent. In fact, Christmas will never be so exciting without home baked crunchy cookies. What a treat for the family!!



Chanar jilipi- the fun filled sweet treat again, from Bengal!

As I have already mentioned that Bengal is the right place for all sweet lovers, sweets made from fresh milk as well as dessicated milk, coconut and other varieties there is another dish which will not only make my readers spellbound but also create the sense of tantalizing effect with the digestive enzymes spilling out of the oral cavity.....quite tough to resist. The wonderful dish is 'chanar jilipi' or it's a twisted structure made from milk solids. Let's see the way to prepare the wonderful, mouthwatering dish and initiate the sense of 'get ,set, go' for tasting at very first glimpse.

Ingredients: ( for the preparation of 20 pieces)

Solidified condensed milk or Mawa (250 gms.),

Semolina or suji ( 100 gms.),

Ghee ( 3 teaspoons),

Water ( 100 cc.),

Sugar 150 gms. (for the preparation of syrup)

Cardamom or elaichi (2-3 pieces)

Procedure: The procedure is really not a very complicated one, but it's represented schematically in the figure below in step wise methodology. Hopefully it will give my readers a crystal clear idea about the way of preparation. Anyways, it's the easiest method of preparing sweets.

Step 1: Mix all the ingredients together ( semolina, solidied milk solids, ghee and water) in a container. Use your hand to mix well in order to make a homogeneous mixture. The mixture should be such that it should not be very tight neither too much on the liquid side.

Step 2: Make equal doughs and make an elongated structure, the way shown in the figure above. 

Step 3: Twist the either side of the elongated structure and make a round network as shown in the figure above. This twisted structure is the real shape of a jilipi.

Step 4: Fry the twisted structures in a pan filled oil. Fry them until they take a golden brownish structure. This is the real color of chanar jilipi.

Step 4: Boil water with sugar in a container to make a sugar syrup. Release cardamom pieces in the sugar syrup so as to obtain a nice, mind boggling essence.

When the sweet is ready then use a spoon to see that if it's soft or not. If yes, then it's time to take it from the heat and serve on a plate. To be very true, making sweet is not a very expertised job, with a little methodical steps you too can make world class sweet dishes at home. So, in your next family dinner be ready with this exclusive dish to treat your friends and relatives.

'Chum chum'- the delicious wonder of Bengal

                     

Bengal is well known for it's tradition of sweets. Well every Bengali friend of mine must be mouth watering after having a look at the picture. Bengal masters the art of making sweet. 'Chum chum' is a desired variety of sweet among all the crafted pleasures by expert halwai in the very land of Goddess Durga. Well, there are many festivals througout the year where sweet will be served to the guest, relatives in order to make the relation sweet through out one's lifetime. Chum chum is a wonder treat , extremely delicious, 'melt in mouth' item which is remembered forever for it's awesome taste. Let's see the method of preparation of this sweet item.

Ingredients: (for preparation of 12 pcs.)

Full creme milk (4 lts.)
Vinegar/ lime juice to extract the creme of milk
Suji ( semolina) 30 gms.,
Sugar (200gms. to prepare the sugar syrup)
Food color (1/2 teaspoon ) to enhance the color of the home made cottage cheese.

Procedure: The procedure is quite simple if it can be observed in a step wise method as represented schematically in the figure down.

Step 1: Boil the full creme milk and add vinegar ( about 50ml.) to extract the creme. Separate the creme and drain the excess water. You may add food color ( marron/deep red ) or any other colors of your choice as shown in the picture. Use your hands to make a dough and leave it for about half an hour.

Step 2: Prepare smaller rounded doughs from the structures and make it a little elongated to get a shape as shown in the figure above.

Step 3: Boil sugar in water to prepare a sugar syrup.

Step 4: Release the prepared elongatd doughs in the sugar syrup. Allow it to simmer for 20 minutes. Check with the help of a spoon if they are soft enough to pierce. Then switch off the burner and allow it to cool down.

You may serve the prepared chum chums in a serving plate and it's ready to romance with your tongue. So, really if you have a little conception and apply little effort making sweets at home is really  your cup of tea. Perhaps this will be a perfect sweet dish for your family members in a get together/family reunion.



Deliciously sesamed naan; Any need to go to a restaurant?

Naan is a special item available in all good restaurants in India. The so called Indian dhabas near the highway sides are very specialized in making naans in big country ovens/tandoors. It's very delicate, soft and tastes good with spicy vegtables. Good naan is the greatest attraction of dining out in an expensive hotel. But if you are calculative and methodical , you may get yummy naans at home and your kitchen may be your success route to a wonderful, soft , delicious and an  'ever to be remembered' item. Let's see the method of making this wonder filled, delicious, mouth watering item.

Ingredients: (for making 6-8 naans)

White flour ( 350 gms.),

Dry yeast ( 1 1/2 teaspoons),

Salt,

Oil for making the dough,

Sesame seeds ( amount in a teaspoon)

Water ( 1 cup)

Equipments required:

Rolling pin

Microwave/oven.

Procedure: Heat 100cc. of water in a container and put yeast in it. Wait till the bubbles come up. Add the white flour, salt and oil (2 teaspoons) in it and start kneading a dough. Dry heat the sesame seeds and add to the dough and keep it for about 30 minutes. The steps required in preparing the naan is represented in a schematic pictorical diagram for the convenience of the readers.

Step 1: Knead the dough and keep for 30 minutes.

Step 2: Dry heat sesame seeds for about 1 minute in a container.

Step 3: Make a rounded dough with the help of a rolling pin placed on a wooden board.

Step 4: Place the rolled doughs in a tray and place it in te oven.

Step 5: Bake it in the oven for 7-8 minutes on both sides.  You need to turn sides with the help of  tongs. They should be fluffy and you can see them raise from the oven glass.

Step 6: Apply butter on both sides of the naan. Transffer ot to a plate and it's ready to be served.

You may have naan with any spicy , gravy vegatables, chicken or mutton dishes. So, get the mind boggling essence of naan from your kitchen. At least bring the taste of Indian dhaba form your kitchen for a day.

Chinese spicy chicken- 'A housewife's innovation'; Simply miracle indeed

Indian housewives prove to be better than any great Indian Chefs in terms of culinary art and skill. Simple reason behind this is that they have a greater understanding of the practicality in taste and the concept of effective permutation-combination of easy ingredients. This simple yet wonderful concept is derived from one of my friend's kitchen wonders while she was aspiring to create someting new and tantalizing for her family. Let me share the process of making Chinese spicy chicken.

Ingredients: ( for 4-6 people)
Boneless chicken ( 700gms.),
Onions ( 2 medium pcs. grated),
Capsicum ( 2 medium pcs grated),
Tomatoes ( 2 medium pcs. grated, maybe red and yellow color),
Garlic paste (2 1/2 teasoons),
Ginger paste (1/2 teaspoon),
Jelapeno ( 5 pcs. sliced)
Spring onions ( 6-7 pcs. with the white part separated from the green one , cut into dice of 1cm in length),
Vinegar ( 2 teaspoons),
Green chilli sauce ( 2 teaspoons),
Tomato sauce ( 4 teaspoons),
Soya sauce ( 2 teaspoons),
Corn flour (1 teaspoon)
Oil for frying,
Salt as per taste.

Procedure: Marinate the boneless chicken in vinegar, soya sauce, garlic paste and salt. Keep it for 30 minutes in marinated condition. Heat oil in a container and dash the vegetables into it. Cook till they become soft. Add the ginger paste to it. Add the marinated chicken to the mixture and cook in low heat for 15 minutes till the chicken becomes soft and mixes with the rest of the vegetables. Sprinkle a pinch of aji no moto ( monosodium glutamate) to it.This will help the dish to get a glossy apearance. Add chilli sauce to the mixture, care should be taken that the amount of chilli sauce depends on how much hot you desire for the dish. Add the jelapeno to it. Make a solution of corn flour in about 100 cc of water and put over the mixture. This will give consistency to the texture of the gravy. Now fry the diced spring onions separately, just make them a little soft and add on top of the prepared dish so that it looks like a good garnishing. In fact this dish is will be a perfect combination of hot, sweet and you will simply love the bite of crunchy vegetables along with the bonelss chicken that enhances the taste of the dish to a large extent.

This dish will be a perfect combination with noodles/thai rice sticks. So enjoy  dinner along with your family and bring the fantasies of your imagination into practicality. Sometimes you realize that creativity can be fun and encouraging. Do not ever give up your creativity in everyday life.

Chinese jelapeno chicken - dare to say 'no'

Chinese jelapeno chicken is a unique creation.  With all available things in your house you can prepare this and enjoy any time. Definitely I can call this as a 'meat lovers delight'. People who like the flavor of  chinese chicken will definitely love this dish, I guarantee. I call this sort of innovations as the heights of kitchen chemistry and not simply a permutation-combination of available ingredients.

Ingredients: ( for 4- 6 people)
Boneless chicken (700 gms.),
Capsicum ( 2 big sized colored yellow and red  grated),
Tomato ( 2 medium sized grated),
Onions ( 2 medium sized grated nicely in the form of a paste),
Jelapeno ( 7-8 pieces, deseeded and slit from the mid ridge),
Corn flour ( 2-3 teaspoons),
Ginger garlic paste ( 2 teaspoons),
Baby corn (4 pieces boiled and diced into equal pieces),
Aji ni moto (monosodium glutamate ) just a pinch.
Vinegar ( 3-4 teaspoons),
Tomato sauce ( 4-5 teaspoons),
Soya sauce ( 3-4 teaspoons),
Green chilli sauce ( 2-3 teaspoons),
Salt as per taste,
Oil for cooking.

Procedure: Wash the boneless chicken and keep it marinated with ginger garlic paste, vinegar, soya sauce , and salt. Keep in marinated condition for 30 minutes. Heat 3 tablespoon oil in a container. Dash the vegetables (onion, capsicum, tomatoes, baby corn ) to it. Cook till the vegetables get soft. Add the ginger garlic paste to it. Add the already marinated chicken to it. Add soya sauce , tomato sauce and green chilli sauce to the mixture. Add a pinch of aji-no moto to the chicken dish. Mix well with the help of spatula. Add the deseeded green chillies to the mixture. Make a solution of corn flour in 100cc of water. Apply it over the chicken mixture. Add salt as per taste. Cook for about 10 minutes and then remove it from the flame. Place the contents of the mixture in a serving bowl.

Chinese jelapeno chicken is best  enjoyed with chowmein. Vegetable rice can also be a good option. So, all meat lovers and ardent fans of white meat,  do not miss this oppurtunity of experiencing one of the most delicious , innovative dishes of chicken.

Chevda pulao- simple ingredients, simple way , great taste.

Chevda pulao is a very popular item enjoyed all over in India. Prepared from crispy rice and vegetables this is not only a wholesome food but also consumed as a snack item. Crispy rice is available all over India which is prepared from hand mills. Let's see how to prepare this popular item of India.

Ingredients: ( for 4 people)

Chevda ( 300 gms.)

Potato ( 1 medium sized diced into smaller pieces)

Tomato ( 1 medium sized diced into smaller pieces)

Onions ( 1 medium sized dices into smaller pieces)

Carrot ( 1 medium sized dices into samller pieces)

Green peas ( 20gms.)

Green chillies (3-4 pieces , optional)

Ginger- garlic paste ( 1 teaspoon)

Salt as per taste.

Procedure: Soak chevda in water for 2 minutes and drain the water. Keep it aside. Heat oil in a container. Dash the vegetables (potato, tomato, onion, carrot, green peas ) into it. Cook till the vegetables get soft. Add the ginger garlic paste to it. Add salt to the mixture. Add the soaked chevda to the mixture. Mix well with the help of a spatula . Cook for 2 minutes and your chevda pulao is ready. You may garnish it with fresh coriander leaves to give a mind boggling look. You may cut green chillies and sprinkle over the chevda so as to enjoy it hot.

You can enjoy it with tea. This dish can be enjoyed as a snack or even packed as a lunch item. Easy to prepare and lesser time consuming, chevda pulao is an ideal vegetarian snack.

Chicken bharta- deliberately delicious deal!

Chicken Bharta or mashed chicken curry is a typical non-vegetarian item which is very popular in the Northern part of India. It's a very special item and quite famous in the 'paratha walli galli' in Delhi. Nowadays  it's quite a delicious and popular food in all the metropolitan cities. You may get it in almost all the restaurants. I must say that as far as food is concerend 'India is the paradise'. Nowhere on the earth will you get so many varieties of food, condiments, spices and the combination of all to make wonders in culinary art. Let's see the method of preparation and what makes the dish so special.

Ingredients: ( for 4-6 people)

Chicken ( 500gms.)[ very much preffered is tandoori chicken or chicken boiled and separated from the bones],

Onion ( 2 medium pieces grated),

Tomatoes (2 medium pieces grated),

Ginger- garlic paste (2 teaspoons),

Cumin powder ( 1 teaspoon),

Coriander powder ( 1 teaspoon),

Turmeric powder ( 1/2 teaspoon),

Red chilli powder ( 1 teaspoon),

Garam masala ( 2 teapoons)[ blend of cardamon, cinnamon, cloves and black pepper],

Creme of milk ( 4-5 tablespoons),

Salt as per taste,

Ghee for frying.

Procedure: You need to take chicken grilled in tandoor/ microwave grilled chicken. Even you may boil chicken in a cooker at high temperature so that it separates form the bones. But as per my experience, I will say that a tandoor chicken makes better dish than the ordinary boiled one because the spice is spread evenly inside the chicken pieces also. Heat ghee in a container. Dash the vegetables (tomatoes, onions) to it. Add the ginger-garlic mixture and add the spices (coriander, cumin, chilli, turmeric, salt) to it. Add the preboiled/roasted chicken to it. Add the garam masala to the entire mixture. Mix well with the help of a spatula. Add 1/2 cup water to it. Then add the creme of milk to it. You will admire the color, texture and the yummy taste of the chicken dish so prepared.

Chicken bharta is best enjoyed with naan/tandori roti/chappati / kulcha. Even you may enjoy with jeera rice. So you can prepare mind bloggling dishes at home. enjoy with your family and friends. Enjoy the spice of life.

Upma- the delightful taste of Southern India

Upma is a yummy dish of South Indian origin. Evident in Tamil etymology the word is derived from 'uppu' means salt and 'maavu' means flour. Hence the term upma means salty flour as per the preparation is done. It is even known as 'Uppindi' in Telegu and 'Uppittu' in Kannada. Upma is a very popular food all over the world where South Indians have migrated. In USA, UK this is available in take away counters by the roadside. Once there was a news that an American cook won 1,00,000 Pounds in a Master Chef contest by cooking simple upma with semolina and mushroom toppings. Thereby upma was considered as a tasty, wholesome food by the Western population besides the minority Indians. Let's see the method of preparation of this simple yet wholesome food and how the magic of Semolina keeps everybody spellbound and lip smacking.

Ingredients: (for 4 people)

Semolina/rava/suji (250gms.),

Carrot ( 1 medium sized chopped into smaller pieces),

Green peas ( 30 gms. ),

Onion ( 1 medium size chopped nicely),

Tomato (1 medium sized chopped nicely),

Mustard seeds ( 1 pinch),

Kari patta /Murraya Koeniiji leaf ( 1 stream),

Cashew nuts,

Salt as per taste,

Oil for frying.

Procedure: Take a frying pan and heat it. Put the semolina in it and dry heat( roast) till it takes a slightly brownish color. Keep it aside. Put a little oil and heat it. Dash Kari patta and mustard leaves in it. You will smell the mind boggling flavor of kari patta. Dash the rest of the vegetables( carrot, green peas, onion, tomato) to it. Fry it for 5 minutes till the vegetables get soft. Then add the roasted semolina and 2 cups of water. Keep stirring the mixture till the water  is absorbed by the semolina. Care should be taken that the semolina should not be soggy/sticky but should reman light. Add salt and cashew nuts to upma. Remove it from the frying pan. Put in a serving plate and it's ready to serve.

You may prepare this wholesome dish and enjoy it as an evening snacks. For busy moms it's an ideal item to be prepared for kid's lunch box. This can be enjoyed in breakfast even. May keep in fridge and enjoy the following day just by putting in a microwave. Enjoy food, enjoy cooking and enhance your creative skills.

'Sweet bun'- a creative, home made sweet treat

Buns can be prepared at home with much ease and comfort. With tea/coffee specially you will love to have home made 'Sweet bun's. You can prepare and keep them for 1/2 days and enjoy. You need not be an expert baker to make sweet buns at home. In fact, you can treat guests nicely and cordially with your home made sweet buns and thereby save your pocket by avoiding buying stuffs from outside. Let's share the secret of preparing home made buns.

Ingredients: (for 10 buns)

Flour ( 400 gms.),

Dry yeast ( 2 teaspoons),

Baking powder ( 2 teaspoons),

Milk ( 1/4 ltr.),

Sugar ( 4 tablespoons).

Equipments required:

Baking oven/microwave with convection mode,

Rolling pin,

Brush for putting oil,

Butter paper,

Napkins for holding/gloves.

Procedure: It's a stepwise process which is represented schematically by pictorial support.

Step 1: Heat milk in a container and add white flour to it. Add yeast, baking powder, sugar and oil to the mixture and keep for about 2 hrs. The flour will rise, you have to press it and make an even dough.

Step 2: Cut into even rounded doughs and roll out like an elongated structure as shown in the picture.

Step 3: Make a rounded shape as shown in the picture. Put on a tray with butterpaper in it. Put some oil with the help of a brush. Place it inside the oven at 180 degree celsius and for 50 minutes.

Step 4: Remove the buns from the oven. They are hot, ready. Remove the buns by holding the tray with gloves/napkins.

Start enjoying the hot buns. You may have it with tea/coffee. Even you can use it as a tiffin item and pack for your kids at school. So, be an expert in making hot buns, but not necessary that  you have to be an expert baker.



Garlic chicken fry- yummy, lip smacking starter

Garlic chicken fry is an innovative,delicious and easy item. For meat lovers it's a real paradise. If you are expecting some guests at your home all of a sudden or may be in short time , then this will definitely serve your purpose of treating friends as well as save your unnecessary restaurant bills. With a little innovation , you may bring about a great difference to the very simple everyday item and your guests will simply remain bewildered by your creative skills. Let me share the secret of such a wonderful dish with all my readers.

Ingredients:

Boneless chicken ( 700 gms.),

Corn flour ( 4-5 table spoons),

Gramflour ( 2 teaspoons),

Crushed garlic paste ( teaspoons),

Eggs battered (3 pcs.),

Soya sauce ( 1 teaspoon),

Vinegar (2 teaspoons),

Green chillies( 2 nos. slit into smaller pieces),

Salt as per taste.

Procedure: Cut the boneless chicken into medium longitudinal pieces. Mix all the ingredients (corn flour, gram flour, garlic paste , eggs, soya sauce , vinegar , green chillies) with the chicken and keep in refrigerated condition for minimun 5-6 hours. Slicing and marinating of chicken is a very important criteria for this item. When you would like to fry them just remove from the fridge and allow to stand for 30 minutes minimum in order to bring to normal temperature. Heat oil in a container and release the battered chicken pieces in it. Watch the pieces sizzle and fry till it takes a golden brownish color. When the desired color is obtained then place on a serving dish and garnish with onion rings and chillies.

You and your guests will simply love this item. It tastes best as it smells a tinge of garlic in it. For ultimate taste serve with green chilli sauce. Invent food, cherish food and get the ultimate taste of life.

Home made doughnut- best for tea time

Doughnut has it's origin in England in the 18th century and it was considered a rich man's delight to have it with tea /during breakfast in mornings. Other theory says that it was introduced by the Dutch people in America where doughnut was getting popular as a snack besides apple pies, chocolate rolls. It's  wonderful filling , wholesome food and taste simply delicious with tea/coffee or other beverages. Presently it's a popular item around the world and quite easily available. It's available in any confectionery store/pattissiere. But if you can prepare at home , you will enjoy a lot with your family. Let's see the method of preparation of doughnuts at home.

Ingredients: ( for 12 pieces)

White flour( 500gms.),

Eggs ( 2 pcs.),

Milk ( 1/2 ltr.),

Essence of vanilla( 1 teaspoon),

Sugar ( 2 tablespoons),

Dry yeast ( 2 teaspoons),

Baking soda ( 2 teaspoons),

White flour for sprinkle,

Icing sugar for glazing,

Oil for frying.

Equipments used for this preparation

Small cutter,

Big cutter,

Rolling pin.

Procedure: The procedure is a bit lengthy. It's schematically depicted in a stepwise pictorical representation.

Step 1: Warm the milk in a container for 3-4 minutes and add the dry yeast, baking soda , eggs(battered), sugar , essence of vanilla and the flour to it. Keep mixing either with your hands or an automatic mixer to make an even dough.

Step 2: Cover the dough with a moist cloth and keep it standing for 2 hrs. After two hours you will see the flour to rise. Use your hands to press and make the dough even smoother.

Step 3: Sprinkle a little flour on rolling board. Roll the dough to make a chappati like structure.

Step 4: Use two cutter, big and small to make a hole structre like the above representation.

Step 5: Heat oil in a container and release the doughs in it. Watch it rise, get a fluffy appearance and then remove the same. When it cools down the sprinkle some icing sugar on it to obtain  a glazed appearance.

Place it on a tray to serve your friends, relatives. You may even store it in the fridge for a day or two , then pack  it for your child's tiffin. It's a wonderful snacks item and tastes the best with coffee/tea. Feel proud to prepare such lip smacking dishes at home.

Paneer masala khichdi- simple n delicious meal

Khichdi is a simple meal with all necessary ingredients. It's said that to be the most wholesome Indian food, easiest method of preparation and the least time consuming of all possible dishes. If you want you may bring about a difference to this meal by adding ingredients of your choice. Making it a little spicy and adding tasty ingredients , you will definitely observe a taste which differs from the normal daily meals. Let's see the method of preparing paneer masala khichdi.

Ingredients: (for 4-6 people):

Pishari Basmati rice ( 200 gms.)
Mung dal ( 50 gms.) [ a typical type of Indian lentil ]
Chana dal ( 50 gms.) [ a typical type of Indian lentil ]
Carrot ( 2 medium sized grated into smaller pieces)
Green peas ( 30 gms.)
Cauliflower ( half portion of a medium sized one cut into medium pieces)
Paneer chunks ( 100 gms. cut into medium pieces)
Ginger paste ( 1 teaspoon)
Jeera powder ( 1 teaspoon)
Bay leaf ( 2 nos.)
Cinnamom ( 2-3 pcs.)
Cardamom ( 2-3 sticks)
Coriander powder ( 1 teaspoon)
Black pepper ( 10 gms.)
Turmeric powder ( 1/2 teaspoon)
Ghee ( 7-8 tablespoons)
Salt as per taste.

Procedure: Take the rice and 2 types of dal in a conatiner and wash it, then keep it to dry. Heat ghee in a container and dash all the vegetables( carrot, green peas, cauliflower) into it. Add all the spices( jeera, coriander, turmeric powder,black pepper) to it. Add the ginger paste to it. Cook for 5 minutes till the spice emits a typical smell of the bay leaf. Add the cinnamom and cardamom to the mixture. Add the already washed dal and rice to the fried masala. Add the paneer chunks to it. Add 2 cups of water and allow it to simmer. Keep adding water as required by the mixture, but you must see that it does not get any burns. Slowly you will observe that all the vegetables, lentils take an even shape and it turns a nice color. Just use a spoon to test the softness of the rice and lentil. When you feel that the grains are soft and ready to eat then sprinkle some salt according to your choice. You may switch off the fire. For an ultimate taste you may add one dollop of butter on the top of the prepared khichdi.

You may serve it with fried brinjals ( egg plants), potatoes or bhindi's ( lady's finger). It's a wholesome meal and you are sure to give your family the right nutrition in the minimum time involved.

Paneer Mawa barfi- some more dhamaka for diwali

Diwali is a time when you consume loads of sweets. Various types of sweet, various colors, self prepared or bought from the market but sweet is a must. When it comes a question of mawa with paneer it's really sounds awesome. Let me share my recent experience of preparing this delicious sweet dish  at home.

Ingredients: ( for preparation of 30 pcs.)

Milk ( 4 lts.).

Sugar ( 1 and 1/4 th cup).

Food color ( yellow/orangish yellow).

Grated solidifies condensed milk(mawa)

Grated cashew nuts for garnishing.

Procedure: The procedure is depicted in a stepwise schematic fashion with the help of pictures. It has to be followed meticulously.

Step 1: Boil 4 lts. of milk in a container. When the milk is about to split in the high temperature then apply 2 tablespoons of vinegar/lime juice. The creme will be separated. You may take away the creme with a filter to separate from the water.

Step2: Prepare a sugar syrup in a container by mixing 1 and 1/4 th cup of sugar in half cup of water. Then heat on an oven till it becomes a thick syrup.

Step 3:  Mix the grated solidifies condensed milk or mawa with freshly prepared cottage cheese(shown in step 1) with the sugar syrup. Heat the entire mixture till it becomes a thick solidified substance.

Step 4: Spread the solidified substance on a tray coated with oil and butter paper. Spread it evenly till it takes a nice flattened surface. Allow it to solidify for 5mintes.

Step 5: Remove about 1/8th part of the mixture in a bowl. Mix well with 2 teaspoons food color ( ornage/orange yellowish ) and leave.

Step 6: Spread the colored part of the mixture on the already spread portion. See that they solidify in two layers. Try to spread the colored portion evenly on the white part.

Step 8: Sprinkle grated cashew nuts on the evenly spread dough. Keep it in refrigerated condition for 4 hours. Remove it and cut into pieces.

After cutting it into pieces you may serve it in a beautiful well decorated tray. Your visitors will be spell bound. So, this diwali enhance your savings by preparing home made sweets.