Fettuccine Alfredo with Spinach

I had this pasta in Olive Garden and I simply loved it and when I checked, it is a easy recipe and simple ingredients and definitely beat the price, why not make at home? So I tried and it came out beautifully. Now it becomes our routine dish :) I used Dececco brand fettuccine. It does make a lot, take one big hand full of fettuccine is enough for 2 people. Left overs wasn't so great the next day!

Ingredients:

• Fettuccine - 1/2 lb
• Salt - 2 tsp
• Water - 4 cups

>for Seasoning:

• Butter (Unsalted) - 1 Quarter
• Garlic - 2 to 3 flakes
• Spinach  chopped - 1 cup

>for Richness mixture

• Heavy Cream/Whip Whole milk - 1 &  1/2 cup
• Shredded Mozzarella Cheese - 1/4 cup
• Black Pepper Powder - 2 tsp

Time Required : 30 mins.

Method:

Step 01) Take a big pan & boil the water and then add fettuccine cook them until tender. Drain in a colander and preserve the pasta water 1/4 cup

 

Step 02) Heat a butter in a medium flame add chopped garlic, when it is little roast add washed chopped spinach and stir fry for 2 minutes

 

Step 03) Add cooked pasta and preserved pasta water  and mix nicely. Add heavy cream, mozzarella cheese and pepper and cook it all comes out as nice thick sauce format  (be generous to add the cheese to increase the richness)

 

Tips:

1. Use garlic according to pasta else more garlic flavor spoils the dish. 
2. For variation, you can use boiled broccoli instead of spinach
3. Instead of preserved pasta water you can use milk to increase the richness

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Egg less Chocolate Chips Muffins

This recipe has been adopted by TV Show which i recently watched. I enjoyed her presentation very much and it inspired me to try and it is my first baking :). I just omit the egg part and rest followed her recipe. So it is called as egg less chocolate chips muffins.

Ingredients:

All Purpose Flour - 1 cup
Corn Flour - 2 tbsp
Baking Powder - 1 tsp
Vanila Essence - 1 tsp
Chocolate Chips - 1/2 cup
Sugar - 3/4 cup
Curd/ Plain Yoghurt - 1 cup
Oil - 1/2 cup

Time Required: 40 mins

Method:

Step 01) Take a bowl add all purpose flour and corn flour and mix the flour nicely

Step 02) Take another little big bowl add curd, sugar and mix it nicely till the sugar dissolves with curd and then add baking powder and keep aside for 5 minutes. When the mixture becomes little frothy add vanilla essence and oil. These ingredients enhance more taste and gives smoothness texture to the muffins.

Step 03) Add 1 tbsp of the flour (which we mixed in step 01) at a time until you get slightly thick batter

Step 04) Add chocolate chips batch by batch and mix it very gently

Step 05) Spread little oil in to cups, this makes the muffins to comes out easily

Step 06) Fill the batter 3/4 in each muffin cups and add little more chocolate chips on top for extra bonus taste :)

Step 07) Bake the muffins in 250 degree until the tooth pick comes out clean from muffin.

Cool it down and enjoy the muffins.

It tastes even better the next day :) Cherish each bite of your own home made muffins!

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Stuffed Brinjals/ Bharli Vangi

Ingredients:

• 5-6 medium sized Brinjals / Eggplant
• 2 medium sized Onions – finely chopped
• 1 tbsp powdered Jaggery (Indian Sweetener just like sugar - Available in Indian store)
• Fresh Coriander Leaves – finely chopped
• ½ cup Water
• Oil
• Salt to taste

>For Grinding:

• ½ cup dry shredded Coconut 
• ¼ cup roasted Sesame seeds /Til seeds 

>For Masala Powders:

• ½ cup Peanut powder
• 1 tsp Turmeric/Haldi Powder
• 2 tsp Red Chili powder
• 1 tsp Coriander seed powder/Dhania powder
• 1 tsp Cumin powder/Jeera powder
• 2 tbsp Garam Masala powder (many grounded Indian spices- available in Indian Store)

>For Seasoning:

• 1 tsp Mustard seeds

Time Required: 30 mins

Method:

Step01. Wash the eggplant/ brinjals, remove the stem and slit vertically keeping the base intact. Brinjals begin to oxidize just minutes after slicing, so keep them in water.

Step 02. Now prepare the stuffing masala. Grind together shredded coconut and roasted sesame/til seeds. Mix together with finely chopped onions, (coconut + sesame paste) and all powders (peanut, coriander seeds powder, cumin seed powder,  red chili and garam masala powder). Also put finely chopped  fresh coriander leaves. Mix well. Now stuff the brinjals with this masala.

Step 03. Heat oil in a pan (the pan should be large and broad and this recipe requires oil in large quantity. Add mustard seeds, allow to splutter and then add haldi/turmeric. Now place the brinjals carefully in the oil. If any masala is left you can add that as well.

Step04. After some time, when the brinjals are fried add water, powdered jaggery and salt.

Step05. Now cover the pan with a plate with water in it. This makes the brinjals soft and the gravy doesn't stick to the pan. Cook for about 20-25 mins. Keep stirring in between to check if the brainjals are cooked completely.

Serving: Serve hot with Rotis.

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Mor kuzhambu

Feeling lazy to cook for the day? Try this simple kuzhambu recipe then. Kuzhambu is Tamil cuisine. It is a side dish to steam rice and popular in southern part of India. Mostly Kuzhambu is prepared using different type of lentils/dals , selection of vegetables and tamarind juice and spices.  This one done using base ingredient as curd /mor and suitable vegetables for this recipe are white pumpkin, Lady Finger/Bendi, Arbi/Sepankizhangu/ Taro Root, chow chow /chayote or tomato. It is very quick to prepare compromising taste. It could ease your busy morning routine.

If I try to translate the recipe name in English Mor Kuzhambu = Curd Stew

Ingredients:

• Sour Curd - 3 cups
• Besan/ Kadalai Mav / Chickpea Flour- 1 tbsp
• Tomato - 1 no.
• Turmeric Powder - 1 tsp
• Salt to taste

>For Grinding

• Grated Cocounut - 1/4 cup
• Green Chilies - 3 to 4 nos. (as per taste)
• Jeera/Cumin Seeds - 2 tsp
• Ginger - 1" piece

>For Seasoning

• Mustard Seeds - 2 tsp

Time Required: 20 mins.

Method:

Step 01. Whisk the  curd nicely (use sour curd for better taste)

Step 02. Add besan and mix well without lumps

 

Step 03. Blend the green chilies, cumin seeds, grated coconut and ginger piece into fine paste using little water

 

Step 04. Add diced tomato, turmeric powder, salt and grounded paste into curd and mix well

 

Step 05. Heat a pan in a low flame cook them for 3 mins. or like when it starts to raise. Switch off the flame when it is about to boil.

 

Step 06. Temper with mustard seeds and garnish with curry leaves. Simple yet yummy tasty  most satisfying comfort mor kuzhambu  is ready for lunch box.

Serving: Serve with any curry and papad. The perfect combination will be Eggplant/ Brinjal Curry, Beans Usili and Potato curry but this time  I tried with sundal it was nice too :)

Tips:
01. Vegetables other than tomato boil them first and then add it to curd mixture and for  bendi/lady finger fry them nicely then add
02. Always cook in low flame do not boil the curd

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