Cabbage Halwa

Cabbage Halwa is not a regular dish. Long time back in East Bengal there used to be  a tradition of cooking cabbage halwa during the harvest festivals.Cabbage being a good source of protein , this dish can be a very food for the toddlers .  This is a good opportunity for the mothers to feed nutritious food item  to their kids.

Ingredients: Cabbage (1 small size),condensed milk (50gms ),cashew nut & raisins (20 gms), sugar , ghee, elaichi.

Procedure: Grate the cabbage into small pieces and put it to boil till it becomes soft.Remove the water and keep the softened cabbage aside.Straining the water with cabbage extracts will neutralise the bitter taste of it.Next take 2 teaspoons of ghee in a frying pan and add the softened cabbage . cook for 2- 3 min. Care should be taken that the cabbage should not change it's color while cooking in ghee. 2-3 pcs. of elaichi should be added to it for a mind boggling flavour.Add the condensed mik to it and keep adding sugar. The amount of sugar depends on individual but then also halwa is an item which needs to be a bit on the sweeter side.Add raisins and grated cashew nut for a rich look and taste.Remove the entire content in a classy bowl for serving.Refrigerate it for some time. Serve it after meals as  a dessert.

Rich in protein value , this dish is ideal for fussy toddlers and I am sure they will never say no. Gone are the days mummies used to run after kids for feeding . Prepare smart dishes and your kid will eat them smartly in no time.

Tilapia fish fry

Tilapia Fish fry is a typical cuisine from Eastern India. But then I 've tried is quite different but the theme remains the same.I stay in Kenya , so impossible for me to get traditional indian spices in all forms, but just to try with available spices , friends it just turned out to be excellent.

Ingredients: Tilapia fillet(300 gms) , Vinegar(3 teaspoons), egg ( 4pcs.) , biscuit dust(20 gms), Soya sauce (1/2 teaspoon ) , garlic paste(1/2 teaspoon), Mustard sauce(1/2 teaspoon), Red chilli paste(1/2 teaspoon).


Procedure: Marinate the tilapia fish fillet with vinegar, soya sauce, garlic paste , red chilli paste, mustard sauce for about 30-45 minutes. Make a separate egg batter. Add salt for taste.Heat oil in a frying pan.Dip the marinated fish pieces in egg batter for 1/2 min., then cover it with biscuit dust . Release it in the frying pan when the oil is ready . Cook it till one side turns golden brown. With the help of a spatula turn it slowly, cautiously and put the other side facing the oil.Cook this side also nicely.When both sides are cooked well and has taken an attractive golden brown color put it on a serving plate. I would advice to use a tissue paper to soak the excess oil. Decorate with cut capsicum, onion, tomatoes or vegetables of your choice. Lime is a must . A drop of lime adds extra taste and leaves the taste buds tantalizing forever.

For everyone of us , fish is something easily available.Now the similar dish can be tried with rohu fillets, catla fillets, pompret fillets.

Pasta with Sausage saute'

Pasta with sausage Saute' is a preparation which is a blend of indian and chinese methodology. I don't call it as 'cooking' , but it's 'kitchen chemistry.Friends, cooking has also got it's own R&D in definite direction.One has to passionate enough to discover what she/he wants to achieve in life.

Ingredients:Pasta (200gms.) , Capsicum ( 1 big grated), Onion ( 1 big grated) , Tomatoes(2 big grated), Sausage (20 gms , cut in between ), tomato sauce( 2 teaspoons), soya sauce( 2 teaspoons) , Chilli sauce( 2 teaspoons) ,garlic paste(1 teaspoon) ,eggs (2),  vinegar( 1/2 teaspoon), celeri (small amt. for garnishing)[one can add carrot /cauliflower in minute amt. to make it attractive and a healthy food for the children]

Procedure:Boil pasta for 5 mins, add 1 teaspoon salt for taste.Strain the water with the help of a strainer and keep aside for the excess water to be evaporated.Pasta should not contain any signs of water.Take oil in a frying pan and heat it for 2-3 mins.Add the chopped vegetables and cook until it becomes soft.Add garlic for a nice smell.Add salt for taste.Take the sausage in another frying pan and cook it for 1- 2mins till it changes color to golden brown.Add a little black pepper for taste.Add the sausage content into the main mixture.Add the boiled pasta to the entire sauted mixture and stir until the entire content gets mixed.Add vinegar in minute amount for the taste.Add tomato sauce, chilli sauce, soya sauce  to give a final shape to the content.Next , take 2 eggs , batter it well and put it in a frying pan so as to make scrambed egg.This should be done separately as scrambled eggs are for garnishing and presentation purpose.Remove the entire content in a classy serving bowl . Garnish with chopped celeri at last.

The look will be quite attractive, classy , rich and your guests simply won't stop praising you.The entire process won't take more than 30 mins , even when your guests have come 'uninformed', you can give them a buzz by making this preparation and they will enjoy a 'heavenly dinner'.You can claim yourself to be a 'kitchen queen'.

Chicken with Sausage schezwan

Chicken with sausage Schezwan is a dish with chinese tinge in it.This can be prepared easily , effectively and the tantalizing taste will tinger your taste buds forever.

Ingredients: Chicken 1 kg(selected parts like breast, leg piece), soya sauce (4-5 teaspoons), chinese cooking wine(4 teaspoons) , Tomato sauce (2-4 teaspoons) , chilli sauce(2-4 teaspoons), Aji ni motto salt (1 pich ), Vinegar(2-4 teaspoons) , Capsicum (1 grated) , Chicken sausage (20 gms. approx.)Tomato ( 1 grated) , Onions( 2 grated), garic paste( 2 teaspoons),schezwan sauce ,Black pepper 1/2 spoon , Celeri for garnishing.

Procedure:  Clean and cut the chicken into medium pieces. Marinate it with vinegar, garlic, aji no motto, soya sauce , tomato sauce , chilli sauce and keep it for 30 mins. approximately.Take chicken sausage (cut from between ) and fry in a frying pan slightly for about 1-2 mins.Sprinkle some black pepper on it.Take oil in a frying pan and heat oil for some time .Saute it with one clove of garlic, this will give a very nice smell.Add the marinated chicken into it and cook it for some time.See that the chicken should turn a little brownish red.Make sure that you add chinese cooking wine and vinegar so that as to prevent dehydration of the chicken and burning of it.Remove the cooked chicken from the pan.Cook the vegetables- capsicum, tomato onions fro some time till it becomes soft.Add the already cooked chicken to it.add the schezwan sauce to it.Lastly add the sausage which was already cooked .cook the entire content for 1-2 mins /put the entire content in the microwave for 2 mins.Remove the entire content in a serving bowl and garnish with finely chopped celeri leaves.This entire process will take no less than 1 hour starting from marinating the chicken.This has to be served with chowmin .The taste will be simply 'yummy'!!!

Mashed cottage cheese

Mashed Cottage Cheese is prepared by quick frying cheese from fresh milk with vegetables.For today 's busy women who has to manage the 360 degrees of life this sort of recipe is a bless.Rich in protein value this can be a very good food for the toddlers.You can keep your guests spellbound by it's awesome taste and richness.

Ingredients: 2 lts. of fresh creme milk, 3 teaspoons of citric acid/1 lime, grated capsicum, 1 grated tomatoes,1 sliced onion (small size), 1/2 teaspoon ginger n garlic paste,green peas(20gms.) ,  1/2 teaspoon turmeric, chillis(2-3 pcs.) , salt acc. to taste.

Procedure: Heat the milk in a container till it is on the verge to spill out.Reduce the flame and squeeze a lime or 3 teaspoon of citric acid.The creme separates from the liquid.Filter it with a strainer.Approximately 2 lts. of milk can give 50 - 75 gms of cheese.separate the cheese and keep it aside.Heat some oil in a frying pan and saute some onions, tomatoes, ginger- garlic paste, capsicum , green peas . Add the separated cheese with the entire content and add turmeric powder and salt acc. to taste.Add chillis at last .Remove in a classy bowl and serve it on the table.This should be enjoyed with steaming rice.

Kacha Kolar Kopta(delicacy of Eastern India)

Kacha Kolar Kopta is a typical dish from Eastern India preapred from unripe bananas. The blend of unripe bananas with traditional indian spices gives the dish an awesome taste , unforgettable to people of any tradition and culture.I am sharing my secret recipe with all my freinds, hope they will try at their respective homes and post comments.

Ingredients:  Unripe bananas(4-6 depending upon size), cumin powder( 4 teaspoons) , coriander powder( 4 teaspoons) , turmeric powder ( 2 teaaspoons, grated chillis(2- 4 pieces) ,ginger (grated abt. 1 teaspoon), salt (acc. to taste), mustard oil.

Procedure: Take unripe bananas and boil till they get soft.Mash it with the help of a spoon or spatula and keep aside.Take a frying pan and heat mustard oil( abt. 2-3 teaspoon) . Saute coriander powder, ginger, cumin powder, turmeric powder, chillis (grated) till it takes a golden color.Add the mashed bananas along with the paste and keep stirring till it makes an even paste.Add salt acc. to your taste. Remove the entire content to a plate and keep aside, allow it to cool down.Make flat round balls by pressing against your palms, and make even balls.This amount may give upto 12 balls.Deep fry them in mustard oil. Take care while frying, keeping in mind that the balls should not break from between. Remove the content on a serving plate. Garnish with cut tomaotes, onions , lime for a mind boggling look.Serve the dish with steamed rice.