Desi Fiesta

Recipes

Recipes Tested and Tried from my Kitchen.The recipes will include appetizers, sweets, main dish, side dish,vegan recipes all around the world.

Just Eat India – Order Food for Home Delivery in India

By

Times have changed… and definitely, for the better! In today’s day and age where working long hours from morning to night is the norm, people hardly get any time for themselves. Weekends are looked forward to very fervently but then, all the housework needs to be done on the same day as well, cooking included. And hence, more often than not, what should actually be a holiday  ends up being akin to a long and vigorous working day, albeit from home.

‘Hard work has a future payoff – but laziness pays off now!’

 And how! I guess that’s how what we now know as ‘Home Delivery’ came into being. And it garnered for itself a huge fan following probably due to the following two factors:

• The increasingly busy and competitive life of today’s young working generation.

• The possibility of putting in the least amount of effort on one’s part – no travelling, no hassles of public transportation, no spending on fuel in one’s own private vehicle, no frequent trips to the grocery market almost every single day – and yet, getting the products of your choice delivered right at your doorstep! 

… which all boils down to the simple fact: Who has the time to shop?

And where food is concerned, home delivery becomes more convenient than ever once you have the option of ordering food online as well as paying online (no cash involved) from within the 
comfortable confines of your home.

That’s where JUST EAT India comes in. This is India’s largest online food ordering portal and table reservation website, which aims to simplify the process of food ordering to the maximum possible extent. View entire menus of all the restaurants in your area online, add items to the cart and that’s about it. In fact, when it says ‘one-click ordering’, it means it. Plus, you get an instant confirmation message on your phone as well as an e-mail confirming the same.

Wish to plan your weekend in advance? Place an advance order with JustEat, specifying the time and date when you want your food home delivered. And forget about it; rest assured, you’ll get your food right at the stipulated time. 

There can be two scenarios when buying something. One, you’re just window shopping and pick up anything that catches your eye. And two, you know exactly what you want to buy and don’t spend your time browsing around. JustEat.in caters to both these types of audiences. Don’t know what to order and just looking around? Just enter your area name and you’ll be engulfed with scores of restaurants from which you can take your pick. For instance, when it comes to the Restaurants in Bangalore, there is literally an endless choice; located in every nook and cranny of the city right to all possible cuisines you can think up of. And if you know exactly what you wish to order, simply select the area plus the cuisine of your choice and you’re done.

Eateries located in the national capital region fare the same way – the Restaurants in Delhi have an unending variety, right from the usually ubiquitous North Indian and Chinese cuisines to the more exotic Japanese and Mexican restaurants.And last but not the least, you definitely get to spend more ‘me-time’ with your family, not having to spend hours in the kitchen altogether. Bonding with your loved ones over a delicious meal makes ordering food online and getting home delivery more than worth it!

Carrot Paneer Kheer

By


Today am sharing a very delicious and a healthy kheer which will made you family amaze ,as it contains a veggie in it . This our very old kheer with a twist by adding carrot and paneer to it  makes it more interesting and they tastes delightful that your kiddo will definitely  taste and enjoy . I found this yet another way to sneak veggies in kids diet who love to have sweets . Addition of carrot puree gives a nice color and at the same time makes it very healthy for kids mainly. To add more taste and make it more delicious paneer does the rest of the work . 

This kheer is rich and healthy with all interesting elements mixed up in the same dish. This serves as a very innovative and interesting for your party and your guest will sure be amazed . The natural color of carrot gives this kheer a very very attractive look . The only thing is this kheer taste yummy only when it is nicely chilled 🙂 . Lets move to this interesting kheer . For this week BM theme ” Desserts with veggies ” I made this yummy carrot and paneer kheer .Click here for Blogging Marathon page for the other Blogging Marathoners doing BM#34.

Ingredients 

Carrot – 2 No long
Milk – 2 cups
Condensed Milk – 1/2 tin
Paneer ( Grated) – 1/2 cup
Nuts ( alomond and pistachios) – few for garnish

Method

  • Boil the carrots with ample amount water then strain and  blend them into smooth puree with 1/4 cup milk or as needed.
  • In a sauce pan boil the remaining milk then simmer the flame add the  grated paneer, carrot puree and cook them for while in low flame .
  • Add  condensed milk and boil them till the milk become a bit thick.
  • Stir constantly else the milk can burn in the bottom .
  • After the paneer is nice a soft and the milk is a bit thick switch off the flame.
  • Let the kheer cool completely before serving. This kheer tastes gud only when it is had chilled.  
  •  Garnish with chopped nuts and serve chilled 
Tips 
  • Adjust the condensed milk quantity as sweet or not so sweet you need .
  • This kheer tastes yummy only when served chilled.

Linking it To Virunthu unna vaanga

Paan Panna Cotta

By


Paan is an essential part of the meal in southern parts of Asia which includes India, Thailand , Philippines, Vietnam where betel leaves / paan is served in every meal with various different filling in them . Paan is most popular India and it has so many health benefits another than serving as a mouth fresher. When preeti revealed this months international dessert challenge for sweet fantasy club I was so sure am going to include the paan flavor to this dish .

As you all know I have joined this new  group “Sweet fantasy club” whose brain child is Preeti Garg  ,a wonderful blogger author of “ Simply tadka” . This is our second challenge under international  Dessert was an italian panna cotta . This month preeti has chosen two wonderful indian and international  sweet and dessert , thanks preeti for this wonderful challenge again.  So I was so sure to infuse the paan flavor to panna cotta and when I finally did the experiment I was so happy with the out come . Each scoop of panna cotta was like having a paan and was so refreshing .  My H said  like each spoon tastes like am having a  meetha paan 🙂 So this was an hit at my home and I really enjoyed the compliments given by my H ;). Lets move on to the desi pannacotta infused with paan flavor.

Ingredients 

1 1/4 cup heavy cream
2 tbsp agar agar pd/ 4 tbsp flaked agar agar + 4 tbsp water to soak
5-6 Medium sized beetle leaves or paan
1 tsp fennel pd
1 tbsp gulkand ( Rose preserves)
a pinch green color (optional)
1/2 cup sugar ( adjust to your taste)
Meethi supari  ( mixture of sweet fennel, areca nuts ) – For garnish

Method 

  • Soak agar agar pd  in 4 tbsp water for 10 mins and after which microwave it for 2 mins till all they dissolve, You can dissolve the on stove top too.
  • In a blender add chopped beetle leaves , fennel pd  and gulkand with little water to a fine paste ( add water only few drop to grind )  .
  • Heat cream and sugar in a sauce pan .
  • After it boils add the agar agar mixture and mix well boil them till the agar – agar combines well 
  • Switch of the flame and cool them 
  • After it cools down add the ground paan puree to it with a pinch of green color and mix well.
  • Transfer this to a glass or molds to set.
  • Leave it undisturbed  for 1 -2 hours either at room temperature or in fridge .
  • After they are set serve them garnish with some meethi supari.

Tips

  • As we use agar agar it sets very well at room temperature too you can chilli them too if you want. Compared to gelatin it sets quicker so don’t allow it to cool very long before adding paan puree to it .
  • You can set this panna cotta in a bowl or a glass . When you set in a bowl  you will get a layer like this in the below pic . Mine got disturbed and i couldn’t take the click with the whole bowl upside down .

Peperonata – Italian Stew

By


For my 3 day of BM theme ” Cooking with capsicum” I chose this delicious and yummy Italian Stew which served a great accompaniment for any bread .  It will serve as an delicious stew to top on Bruschetta.  I found about this recipe while was randomly searching in internet . The original recipe uses red wine  instead of vinegar but this tasted very very delicious .  This stew is made mostly in summer when we can find enormous amount of colored capsicum in the market. But peperonata tastes yummy in any season of the year. You can even sandwich this stew in between bread and enjoy them . How so ever you like to have them but this is a must try stew . The flavor’s of fresh rosemary , basil brings out an delicious taste and aromatic stew. We enjoyed this delicious stew on top of toasted white bread they tasted yummm..Lets move to this yummy and easy to make recipe of this flavorful  Italian Stew . Click here for Blogging Marathon page for the other Blogging Marathoners doing BM#34.

Adapted from here

Ingredients 

2 No  Capsicum  ( I used orange and green) – slice it into long strips
1  Onion, sliced into half-moons
1 Tomato ( seeded and cut into strips )
1 garlic cloves, sliced thin
1 tsp dried oregano
1 tsp  fresh rosemary leaves
1/4 cup olive oil
1 tsp Sugar
Salt and pepper to taste
4-5 fresh basil leaves (  roughly chopped)
1 tsp vinegar

Method 

  •  Heat olive oil in a large saute pan ,add the onions.
  • Add little salt and saute  for while till the onion turns pink.
  •  Add the peppers and saute well to combine with the onions. 
  • The peppers must be half done that is it should be cooked but also have a little crunch in it.
  • Add the garlic, and saute for some more time. 
  • Add the tomatoes and saute for few seconds .
  • Add the sugar dried oregano, Rosemary, basil and cook them for a while. 
  • Add some pepper pd to taste and also add vinegar. Mix well and served with toasted bread or enjoy as is .
Tips 
  • You can use any mixed colored capsicum for this dish. 
  • This stew is done in many ways I have done my own way adjust the pepper and salt an per individuals taste. 

Instant Malpua

By


Am so happy to share this wonderful news  – My FB page Desi Fiesta Hits 1000 likes today am so happy and thankful to all my readers and followers for the constant support you have been showering.  So to celebrate this great news I got today a very traditional indian sweet for all the kind hearts who leave lovely comments , support and encourage me a lot 🙂 . Here is the a north indian famous malpua which is prepared for many festive occasion. They are made for Holi is some parts of north india . They can also be made by including fruits like banana, orange to it . I had already made and posted Banana Malpua with rabdi and this time its the Instant malpua which needs no fermentation, you can just mix up the batter and make it right away to enjoy them . These are shaped like a pancake  which bubbles in hot oil while frying and has a crispy edges. 

I have joined this new  group “Sweet fantasy club” whose brain child is +Preeti Garg  ,a wonderful blogger author of “ Simply tadka” . This is our second challenge an indian authentic sweet pancake . This month preeti has chosen two wonderful indian and international  sweet and dessert , thanks preeti for this wonderful challenge . So coming to the challenge the first dish is an authentic North indian sweet dish ”  Malpua ”  which is nothing but a  sweet pancake made with (batter is made with) semolina and  flour, paneer  shallow fired and then dipped in warm sugar syrup . They are generally consumed warm and this is one of my mother’s fav sweet :).

Malpua

Malpua , sweet, dessert

Recipe Source :  Here  

 Ingredients 

For batter

Condensed milk – 1/2 tin
Sooji / Semolina – 1 cup
Maida 1/2 cup
Salt a pinch
Saunf/ Fennel seeds  – 1 tsp ( optional)
Warm water – 1 1/3 cup
Baking pd – 1/4 tsp
Paneer ( grated) – 1/2 cup
Oil for frying ( I used cooking olive oil  )
Nuts ( almonds and pistachios ) – For garnish 

 For sugar syrup


Sugar – 1 1/2 cups
Water – 1 cup
Lemon juice  – 1 tsp
Saffron strands – few

Method 


To make sugar syrup 

  • In a saucepan add sugar and water and boil them till they are sticky and thick ( No need to see for one or two strings )
  • Add saffron strands and lemon juice before turning of the flame.

To make  malpua 

  •  In a bowl add sooji and warm water . Mix them well and keep them aside for 15 – 20 mins
  • Then add condensed milk , maida , salt , saunf ,baking pd .Mix them well .
  • At last add grated paneer and mix well 
  • In a flat pan heat oil to shallow fry .
  • Add a ladle of batter into the hot oil .
  • Fry them on one side and flip the malpua and cook them the other side .
  • After they are golden brown from both sides remove it forms the pan using a ladle and transfer it to warm sugar syrup.
  • Soak the malpua’s in sugar syrup for 1 min and then serve them warm .
  • They taste yummy when dipped in rabdi , but can be had as is too .
  • Garnish them with chopped nuts.
Traditional Indian sweet



Tips 

  • Like you know most of the sweet dishes are served an breakfast in northern parts of India this malpua can also be had as a breakfast .
  • You can serve this with some rabdi topped in it or simply garnish them with some chopped nuts and serve them .

Rose Petit Fours , Rose cake pops and Indian Doll cake – Guest post for Priya aks

By

Am so happy today to post this guest post in my inspirator’s space who is a famous blogger and a versatile cook who share’s all her innovations to the world . She is so energetic and punctual , her passion for cooking is seen in her blogging.Priya aks has been hosting this event ” Rendez Vous With A Foodie” – where all the budding blogger share recipes on 7 th and 20th of the month, So its my turn today to guest post on her blog .Yeah am sure you all would have found out she is +Priya Suresh  aks of ” Priya’s versatile  recipes ” . I was honoured to do a guest post for the person who inspired me to blog and am happy to let her and the readers know how she inspired me to blog. Just before few months I accidently got attached to these bunch of blogger buddies and am so happy to be around them . Even though I was an not so known blogger they made me think one among them and as time passed our relationship got more stronger . Thanks to all my friends for being with me and supporting me . 

Thanks to +Divya Pramil  and her event SNC which was a medium for me to connect to such kind hearts 🙂  . Priya aks is one among them who never fails to encourage and boost me every time when I feel low :). She is a very jovial person who is like a college mate to me . Thank you so much priya aks for giving me this wonderful opportunity to be a guest in your space . We all love her baking she is so perfect while it comes to baking isn’t it 🙂 So here are some baked goodies I got her today 🙂 

When I was thinking for some baked goodies I wanted to make some flower bakes and so I ended up making these Rose petit fours and using the leftover cake I made some cake pops . I even wanted to include the Indian doll cake which I made for my daughter for her 3rd birthday and also for ” Priya’s versatile recipe” (Her blog) we have achieved so many milestones till now and I wanted to surprise her blog with this cake I made .Do hop on to “Priya’s Versatile Recipes ” for some interesting  chit chats and recipes of the bake’s I made for priya aks and readers 🙂

Rose Petit Fours

Rose Cake Pops 

Indian Doll cake

Doll cake

  Do Visit “Priya’s versatile recipes” for the recipes and  an lovely chit chat  here

sending to cooking 4 all seasons

Eggless Oats Chocolate Biscotti

By

This months challenge for HBC was hosted my +Priya Suresh  aks and she challenged us with an array of delicious biscotti’s . This was my first ever biscotti I made they cam out so yummy . Infact I made them twice, the first time I didn’t get the exact look as priya aks lot . Her biscotti’s were perfectly cut and looked fabulous I didn’t wanted to post those biscotti as I haven’t got the exact shape and cracks were troubling me.  But the second time I made them they turned of to be wonderful . I got addicted to these healthy and yummy biscotti’s it was worth making twice . Thanks for challenging and sharing this delicious recipe aks. 

Biscotti are twice baked cookies which oblong shaped . They  are generally dry and crunchy can be made with lots of variations. These are originated from  Italy  which are traditional served with drinks like coffee . Lets move the this delicious and addictive biscotti recipe.

Recipe Source : Priya’s Versatile Recipes 

Ingredients

1+1/4 cup All purpose flour
1/2 cup Rolled oats
1 tbsp Cocoa powder
1/4 cup Chocolate chips ( Melted)
2 tbsp Chocolate chips
3/4 cup Powdered Sugar
1 tsp Baking powder
1/2 tsp Baking soda
2-3 tbsp – Milk  ( optional)
1/2 cup Butter (room temperature)
1tsp Vanilla extract
A pinch Salt

Method

  •  In a bowl take  flour,rolled oats,cocoa powder,baking soda,baking powder,salt.
  •  In another bowl  whisk together the butter,sugar until they turns smooth. Add in the melted chocolate,vanilla extract and give a quick stir.
  • Now mix the dry ingredients,chocolate chips and knead as a soft dough, if its hard to knead  and the dough is crumbly just sprinkle few drops of milk as needed to make is soft .
  • Preheat the oven to 350F..
  • Roll the dough as a 2 logs as shown in the pic below  and transfer it to a baking sheet lined over a baking tray / a greased cookie tray.
  • Bake the log for 20-25 minutes. Cool it for 10 minutes.
  • With a sharp knife, slice it diagonally as 1 inch pieces or roughly to get around 15-20pieces from the log.
  • Bake it again for 5 minutes.
  • Flip the biscottis and bake again for another 5 minutes.
  • Let them cool completely.
  •  Store it in a air tightened box.

Tri color Capsicum Thogayal

By

My H is an fan of kothamali thogayal he likes green chutney and thogayal a lot so for a difference I tried the thogayal with colorful capsicum . They tasted extremely delicious and my H just loved  it. Making use of the colorful capsicum in this made the color of the dish more delightful and appealing . Reason why I used colorful peppers is thats they are not too strong to taste as green one. For 2nd day of BM I made this delicious and yummy tri color capsicum  thogayal  which can be served as a side for idli , dosa’s and any tiffin dishes. Lets move to the recipe of  this yummy capsicum  thogayal.Click here for Blogging Marathon page for the other Blogging Marathoners doing BM#34.

thogayal, chutney

tri color

Ingredients 

Capsicum ( red , orange , yellow ) – 3 No ( deseeded  and chopped)
Dry Red chilli   – 2- 3 ( whole)
Tamarind  – a small marble size ball / 1 tsp
Urad dal / black gram dal – 2 tbsp
Channa dal /bengal gram dal – 1 tbsp 
Oil- 1 tbsp  + 1 tsp for tempering
Mustard seeds – 1/2 tsp 
Cumin seeds – 1/4 tsp
Curry leaves – 1 sprig 
Salt to taste 

Method

  • In a pan heat 1 tbsp oil add urad dal , channa dal and saute till they turn light brown .
  • Add red chillies , tamarind,salt, chopped capsicum and saute till the skin shrinks and the capsicum gets cooked .
  •  Turn off the flame and cool the mixture  and blend them with out adding water to a semi coarse paste .
  • For tempering  heat 1 tsp add mustard seeds , cumin seeds and  after they splutter transfer this to the ground paste .
  • Serve this thogayal with idli , dosa or any tiffin varieties .
Tips 
As there is no water added this thogayal is a keeper for 2-3 days in refrigerator. 

Capsicum Puli kuzhambu | Kuzhambu Recipes

By

Capsicum is an delicious veggies which we  can find in many colors . I love capsicum and  potato combo and also paneer tikka with capsicum . Capsicum is one of my fav veggies i love to add capsicum in pav bhaji , and mixed vegetable curry they leave out the a peppery aroma and the helps in spicing up the gravy . When it comes to south indian cuisine my first most loved dish is kara kuzhambu  I love them spicy . So for this weeks BM i had an  option of trying  different  recipes  with capsicum other than the veggie’s I usually try . I chose the theme cooking with capsicum for this week and am glad to try this delicious kuzhambu for a difference with capsicum in it. Click here for Blogging Marathon page for the other Blogging Marathoners doing BM#34.

Capsicum puli kuzhambu is like a normal kara kuzhambu But addition of capsicum bring out a lot of aroma to the kuzhambu and also helps to spice up the gravy well  .  The chunks of capsicum brings an very delightful taste to this kuzhambu. Serve this kuzhambu with steamed rice and applam / papad to accompany.  Lets move to the recipe for this yummy and flavorful kuzhambu .

Ingredients 

Capsicum – 1 No  ( deseeded and chopped)
Mustard seeds – 1/2 tsp 
Oil – 2 tsp
Onion  – 1 No (chopped)
Tomato – 1 small ( chopped)
Turmeric pd – 1/4 tsp
Coriander pd – 1 tsp 
Red chilli pd – 1/2 tsp
Cumin pd – 1/4 tsp
Sambhar pd – 1 tbsp
Curry leaves – 1 sprig
salt to taste 
Tamarind – 1 lemon small size ( soak in water for 15 mins and extract the juice )
Coriander leaves – To garnish 

Method 

  • In a saucepan heat oil , add mustard seeds . Once it splutters add curry leaves .
  • Then add chopped onion and saute till they turn translucent , then add capsicum and saute them well for a while .
  • Now add tomatoes and saute them till they turn mushy .
  • Add Red chilli pd, sambhar pd, turmeric pd , coriander pd , cumin pd and mix well.
  • Now add 2 cups of water and boil it well till the kuzhambu is a bit thick .Add enough water if to adjust the consistency of the kuzhambu .
  • Now add the tamarind juice , salt and mix well simmer and boil the kuzhambu well till the oil gets  separated  and floats on top and the gravy is a bit thick in consistency .
  • Garnish with chopped coriander leaves and serve Hot with rice.

 Tips 


I haven’t added fenugreek seeds if you want you can add it while tempering.

Chatti Pathiri ( Kerala sweet lasagna )

By


This  Post is for Indian cooking challenge which I have joined recently. I was so eager to join the group and this will be my first challenge am glad that i have tried this  delicious sweet from kerala this month . Chatti pathiri is a malabar / North kerala speciality sweet which is layered pancakes with nut stuffing in it. Chatti pathiri  is also made with non veg filling but here is the veg recipe for this traditional kerala fav . This was so heavenly to taste , My H and I  loved the taste and the filling part was so yummy :). Thanks to ICC group for suggesting this delicious malabar spl sweet.

This layered pastry made in Malabar region of Kerala and are enjoyed by muslim and christian community a lot . The filling includes poppy seeds , nuts , black sesame and  coconut . This authentic sweet is prepared for any festive occasion and they are simply yummy if you are craving for some sweet badly . Lets move the recipe of this traditional and delectable sweet. 



Recipe source: Slice of my life 


Ingredients

For Pathiri’s

1 Cup Flour/ Maida
Pinch of Salt
1 Tbsp. Oil
1/3 Cup Warm Water

For Filling


1/2 tin Condensed Milk
3 Tbsp. Cashew Nuts, chopped
3 Tbsp. Raisins
3 Tbsp. Almonds, chopped
4 Tbsp. Black Sesame Seeds
6 Tbsp. Coconut Powder
1 1/2 Tbsp. Cardamom Powder

For Coating


1 Cup Coconut Milk  ( I used the store bought one and diluted it with water)
2 Tsp Cardamom Powder
3 Tbsp Sugar (as per taste)
2 Tsp Ghee

Method


For Pathiris

  • In a bowl mix in the flour, salt and oil together and gently mix with fingertips till it forms a crumbly texture.
  • Add warm water slowly to knead smooth dough as chapatti. Cover and keep aside for 30 minutes. 
  • Divide the dough into 6 -8 equal portions and roll it out into thin chapatti. ( I got 6 pathiris from the dough)
  • Heat the griddle or tawa and cook like a tortilla not fully done. Keep this pathiris aside.

For Filling

  • In pan roast the sesame seeds, cashews, almonds and raisins together with 2 tsp. of ghee until to golden brown. 
  • Now add coconut powder and sauté until to slightly color change.
  • Combine roasted nuts, cardamom powder and condense milk together in separate bowl and filling is ready to further use.

For Coating

Combine Coconut milk, cardamom powder and powdered sugar together in bowl and keep aside.

How to Assemble

  • Take a  baking/ cake pan (round) or a deep skillet and spread couple of tsp.  ghee / clarified butter all around. Keep one pathiri as the first layer.
  • Spread the nut  and condense milk filling on the top of pathiri. Dip the second pathiri or flat bread in the coconut milk mixture, coat well and place it on top of the filling.
  • Spread the nut mixture again and repeat this until all the pathiris, the coconut milk mix and the nut mixture is used up and pathiri being the top layer.
  • Pour the remaining coconut milk mixture on top of pathiri (a generous amount) so that it drains on all the gaps on sides and form a thin layer on top.
  • This is important to keep the Chatti Pathiri moist. If you run out of the coconut milk mixture after coating, make more and mix with sufficient sugar and cardamom and pour on top.
  • Bake in oven for about 15 minutes or until the top of pathiri turns golden. Alternately you can do what I did, which is to cook it on a stove top in a non-stick deep skillet or deep pan or even a tawa . I turned the cake pan on the tawa and cooked it on one side for  few minutes in low flame and using two ladle on top and another on the bottom flipped it .Be careful while flipping them and cook it both sides.
  • Flipping of such a heavy set block of flat breads with filling is a mean feat.  The flipping becomes a bit easy when the lowest layer of flat bread/pathiri is a little hard.
  • When both the sides have cooked well, it is easy to slide it out of the pan into the serving plate.
  • After it is cooled down a little,  drizzle some condensed milk and decorate it with glazed cherries.
Linking it to Indian cooking challenge