orema

Paneer (Indian cottage Cheese) is a very popular item and most of us love recipes using Paneer. I have compiled the Paneer recipes from my space Jeyashris Kitchen . Click on the image to view the recipe.

Semiya Kesari i have tasted for the first time in my friend’s place when her mom made it for us. This was 2 years back. Though i noted down the recipe but somehow forgot to attempt it at home. Few days back when a reader asked me the recipe of semiya kesari i remembered of the recipe given by friend’s mom, and made it on the next day. Unlike Rava kesari, this semiya kesari needs less sugar only. Let me share the recipe of semiya kesari | vermicelli kesari. Check out my Rava kesari too.

INGREDIENTS: SERVES: 2-3

SEMIYA| VERMICELLI ROASTED	1/2 CUP
WATER	1 CUP
SUGAR	1/2 CUP
CARDAMOM POWDER	A PINCH
GHEE	4-5 TBLSP
CASHEW NUTS	6-7
ORANGE FOOD COLOUR	A PINCH

I used the roasted vermicelli, if you have unroasted just heat a pan and add a tsp of ghee and roast this into golden brown keeping the flame low. Vermicelli tends to burn fast so be careful.
METHOD:

• In a pan add 2 tsp of ghee and fry the cashew nuts into golden brown.
• Bring the water to boil in a saucepan.
• Keep it aside and add the vermicelli | semiya to this. Slowly add the boiled hot water to this and cook the semiya in low flame.
• Let the semiya gets cooked completely and let all the water gets absorbed.

• Ensure that it is cooked completely and add the sugar. If you add sugar before the semiya is cooked then it will give a rubbery texture.
• After adding sugar, the mixture will be bit watery. This will come to normal texture when you stir for sometime.
• Mix the food colour in a tsp of water and add it to the kesari.

• Add in the fried cashews, ghee and cardamom powder. Let the ghee starts oozing out and switch off the flame.
• Semiya kesari is ready to serve now.

• You can add fried raisins too.

        NOTE:

1. Always ensure that the semiya will get cooked properly.
2. Ensure that the semiya is nicely roasted. else it will be sticky.

  Gobi manchurian dry is a easy vegetarian starter recipe, which we generally order in restaurants but due to laziness never tried at home. My daughter Varsha loves Gobi manchurian  and one day i wanted to surprise her so made this gobi manchurian, and she enjoyed a lot and asked me to make this for her lunch box one day along with vegetable fried rice. I promised her that i will do this one day for her. So let me share the recipe of this easy ,crispy vegetarian starter Gobi manchurian.

INGREDIENTS: SERVES 3

CAULIFLOWER	2 CUPS
CAPSICUM	1
ONION	2
GARLIC	5 CLOVES
GINGER	A SMALL PIECE
SOY SAUCE	1 TSP
TOMATO SAUCE	1 TSP
GREEN CHILLI	1-2
MAIDA | ALL PURPOSE FLOUR	3 TBLSP
CORN FLOUR	2 TBLSP
RICE FLOUR	1 TBLSP
OIL	FOR DEEP FRYING
SPRING ONION	FEW SPRIGS
SALT	AS NEEDED
RED CHILLI POWDER	1/2 TSP
GINGER GARLIC PASTE	1/4 TSP
SUGAR	1/2 TSP

METHOD:

• Dip the cauliflower in hot water and pat dry it. Make them into medium sized florets.
• In a wide bowl, add maida, corn flour , rice flour, red chilli powder, salt, ginger garlic paste and salt.
• Add little water to this and make it into a batter(dosa batter consistency)

• Mix the cauliflower florets to this batter and ensure that it is evenly coated.
• Heat the oil and when it is hot place the cauliflower florets dipped in batter and fry them into golden brown . Fry them in batches. Do not over load the oil pan else it will become soggy.

• Finely chop the onions, garlic, ginger and chilli.
• In a pan add 1 tblsp of oil and throw in the sugar and add the onions, garlic, ginger and green chilli.

• Cube the capsicums , i used tri colour capsicums.
• Saute them for few minutes, let it be crunchy. Add in the soya sauce, tomato sauce and salt to taste. Soy sauce contains salt.
• Add in the fried cauliflower florets. Mix well and garnish with finely chopped spring onions.

• Always serve hot.

NOTE:

1. Instead of red chilli in the batter you can add black pepper powder
2. Rice flour adds crispiness to the manchurian, so do not skip.

Mushroom pulao ,i tried last week following the recipe which i learnt from my relative who made a vegetable pulao on my request. After our marriage we went to her house in Chennai for lunch and she made a delicious food and vegetable pulao with Chole was the main highlight. So when she came here last month, i remembered about that vegetable pulao and asked her to make that  for me. Later , i tried the same recipe using mushrooms.

INGREDIENTS: SERVES 3

MUSHROOM	10-12
BASMATHI RICE	1 CUP
CARDAMOM	2
ONION	1-2
MINT LEAVES	10
CORIANDER LEAVES	FEW
GREEN CHILLI	2
SUGAR	A PINCH
BUTTER	1-2 TBLSP
SALT	TO TASTE
LEMON JUICE	FEW DROPS

METHOD:

• Soak the basmathi rice in 1 and 1/2 cups of water for 5 minutes.
• After 5 minutes drain the water (keep the water aside) and in a pressure cooker add butter and add the cardamom and add in the drained rice. Saute for few minutes till all the moisture in the rice leaves out. Add the water.

• Add salt and few drops of lemon juice ( lemon juice is added to retain the white color of the rice and it wont give any sour taste to the rice) .Cook the rice till 2 –3 whistles.
• Thinly slice the mushrooms and onions after washing it nicely.

• In a pan add little butter and add in the onions. Add little salt and saute them till they turn pink. Add the thinly sliced mushrooms. Mushrooms tend to cook fast and so saute for a while and mushroom oozes out water too.

• When done add this to the rice.
• Finley make a paste of coriander leaves , mint leaves and green chilli.
• In the pan add little butter and add this paste and add a pinch of sugar. Sugar is added to retain the green colour.
• Add this to the rice.

• Mix this gently and evenly.

• Mushroom pulao is ready to serve. We had with BABY CORN MASALA.
• This is a perfect recipe for kids lunch box.

Note:

• You can make the same with vegetables.
• Always ensure that the veggies should be crunchy. Do not over cook.