Hot & Sour Soup.

                                                                   Hot & Sour Soup.

                                                          

Ingredients

• 1 ounce dried wood ear mushrooms
• 4 dried shiitake mushrooms
• 12 dried tiger lily buds
• 2 cups hot water
• 3 tablespoons soy sauce
• 5 tablespoons rice vinegar
• 1/4 cup cornstarch
• 1 (8 ounce) container firm tofu, cut into 1/4 inch strips or cubes
• 1 quart vegetable broth
• 1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
• 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
• 3/4 teaspoon ground white pepper
• 1/2 tablespoon chili oil
• 1/2 tablespoon sesame oil
• 1 green onion, sliced

Directions

1.     In a small bowl, place wood mushrooms, shiitake mushrooms, and lily buds in 1 1/2 cups hot water. Soak 20 minutes, until re hydrated. Drain, reserving liquid. Trim stems from the mushrooms, and cut into thin strips. Cut the lily buds in half.

2    In a third small bowl, blend soy sauce, rice vinegar, and 1 tablespoon cornstarch. Place 1/2 the tofu strips into the mixture.

3.     In a medium saucepan, mix the reserved mushroom and lily bud liquid with the vegetable broth. Bring to a boil, and stir in the wood mushrooms, shiitake mushrooms, and lily buds. Reduce heat, and simmer 3 to 5 minutes. Season with red pepper, black pepper, and white pepper.

4.     In a small bowl, mix remaining cornstarch and remaining water. Stir into the broth mixture until thickened.

5.     Mix soy sauce mixture and remaining tofu strips into the saucepan. Return to boil, put chili oil, and sesame oil. Garnish with green onion to serve.

Palak Paneer Recipe

Palak Paneer

Palak means Spinach & Paneer means Indian Cheese

Palak Paneer is a traditional North Indian delicacy and is an integral part of the Punjabi cuisine

Ingredients:

• 3 bunches of spinach (fresh and cleaned) or 2 packets of 10 oz frozen spinach
• ½ lb paneer
• 1 onion
• 3 tablespoons of oil -for frying panner
• 3 to 4 bay leaves
• 1 teaspoon cumin seeds
• Salt to taste
• 2-3 long or cloves
• ¾ teaspoon ginger-garlic paste
• ½ teaspoon green chili paste
• 1 teaspoon garam masala powder
• 2 tablespoons of vegetable oil  

Preparation of palak paneer:

• In a pan, put 2 teaspoon of oil
• Put spinach in it and little salt. Cover the pan and let it cook for 15 minutes on medium heat
• Add ginger-garlic paste, green chili paste and some water with spinach
• Blend the mixture in a blender to make an even thick spinach paste
• Cut the paneer into small cubes
• Heat oil in a pan and then deep fry the paneer cubes till they are light brown. (you can cook paneer without frying also.
• In a cooking pan heat the oil and fry the bay leaves and cumin seeds. Add the chopped onion
• Add salt, cloves powder & garam masala
• Add fried paneer cubes in cooked spinach
• Serve hot with rice or Roti

Kashmiri Dum-Aloo

                                

Kashmiri Dum-Aloo

Ingredients:

• 8 to 10 medium size Red Potatoes
• ¼  cup  Yogurt (Dahi)
• 4 Green cardamom (Choti Elaichi)
• ½ tsp  Dry ginger powder (Soonth)
• 1 tsp Fennel  powder (Saunf)
• 4 Cloves (Laung)
• 2 Cinnamon sticks  (Daalchini)
• 3 badi elaichi
• Tej-Patta
• Cumin Powder
• 1 ½ tsp : Chilli Powder
• 1 tsp Paprika
• Oil for frying

Method

1.       Boil potatoes until half cooked. Peel while still warm. Pierce each potato 2-3 time

2.       Or Put Potatoes in a plastic bag, make a knott, put in microwave for  15 minutes (1 ½  minute for each potato)

3.       Prick boiled Potatoes with thin wooden toothpick or make 3 small cuts in the middle with knife.

4.       Heat oil in a kadhai, fry potatoes on medium heat until floating on top and golden brown in color. Drain excess oil and keep aside.

5.       Grind together - badi elaichi, choti elaichi, laung and daalchini. Put aside until further use.

6.       Heat 4tbsp of the  oil in a pan.

7.       Put little cumin seeds , Tej Patta ,heeng & Grinded Elichi masala in a pan

8.       Add red chillies and Paprika  and fry for a minute. Remove from flame, allow to cool slightly and put Yogurt, stirred continuously.

9.       Put 2 cups of water. Return to flame and bring to a boil stirring continuously. Add soonth, saunf and Peprika. Put potatoes in it. Cover the lid. Cook over medium heat for 20 to 25  minutes or until the curry thickens.

10.   Put cumin powder and green Elichi Powder.

11.     Serve hot with rice.

Double Tomato Bruschetta

                                                           Double Tomato Bruschetta

                                                            


Ingredients
* 6 Roma tomatoes, chopped
* 1/2 cup sun-dried tomatoes, packed in oil
* 3 cloves minced garlic
* 1/4 cup olive oil
* 2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
* 1/4 cup fresh basil, stems removed
* 1/4 teaspoon salt
* 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
* 1 French baguette bread
* 2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese
Directions
1. Preheat the oven on broiler setting.
2. In a large bowl, combine the Roma tomatoes, sun-dried tomatoes, garlic, olive oil, vinegar, basil, salt,    and pepper. Allow the mixture to sit for 10 minutes.
3. Cut the baguette Bread into 3/4-inch slices. On a baking sheet, arrange the baguette slices in a single layer. Broil for 1 to 2 minutes, until slightly brown.
4. Divide the tomato mixture evenly over the baguette slices. Top the slices with mozzarella cheese.
5. Broil for 5 minutes, or until the cheese is melted.

Tamatar Vangun (Tomato-eggplant)

                                                              Tamatar Vangun (Tomato-eggplant)
                                                                             Kashmiri Dish

                                              

Ingredients:


1-2 lb tomatoes (Fresh & Diced)
2 medium sized eggplant (Chinese Thin & long ones)
1/2 teaspoon ginger powder,
1/4 teaspoon asafoetida (hing)
1 teaspoons fennel (saunf) powder
1 teaspoon red chilli powder or Peprica
2-3 green chilli to garnish
2 tablespoons oil
Salt to taste
Oil for frying

Cooking Method:

Cut eggplant into length wise and make 2 inch thick pieces and shallow fry till golden brown.
To avoid frying you can put all the cut pieces of eggplant in a tray, spray with Pam oil and broil them.
Heat the 2 tablespoons oil in a thick bottomed pan.
Put diced tomatoes in to the pan with pinch of salt & Heeng
Cover the pan till tomatoes become soft.
Add all the above ingrdient.
Add 1/2 cup water, let it boil and tomatoes become puree.
Add fried eggplants and let it boil 4 to 5 minutes. Add Green chilis as per your taste.
Serve with Rice.