Broccoli Cheddar twice baked potatoes

Sorry for being MIA the past week. It wasn't because I was busy, it was because I was lazy or to put it out decently I could say that I was hit by the writer's block. Well I can even say that I am blocked. I have not been cooking properly, I still have to do the laundry and then there are all the other household chores. Sometime you need a break, a break from daily routine and thats what I took. I am slowly coming out of my slumber. There's not much cooking up in the kitchen and that's why I am sharing a super simple recipe here which you can put together in a matter of mins and is delicious with all that ooey gooey cheese on top.

Prep time: 15 mins; Cook time: 1 hrs; Serves - 1 ~*What U Need*~ Russet potatoes - 1, washed & scrubbed Broccoli florets - 1/2 cup Italian seasoning - 1 tsp Granulated garlic - 1/4 tsp Sour cream - 2 tbsp Unsalted butter - 1 tbsp Whole milk - 2-3 tbsp Salt and pepper Shredded Sharp Cheddar - 1/2 cup How I Made it: Cut the potato in half. Pressure cook for 2 whistles or till cooked throught. A knife should pass through easily. Allow the potatoes to cool slightly, and scoop out most of the flesh and place in a bowl. In a small pot, warm together the milk and butter until the butter is melted and the mixture is hot but not boiling. Pour mixture over the scooped potatoes along with the sour cream, salt and pepper. Mash the potatoes until smooth and creamy, add the broccoli, granulated garlic, half of the grated cheese and give everything a good stir. Scoop the potato mixture inside each half of potatoes, top with the remaining cheese and bake them for about 15 minutes or until the cheese is fully melted.

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Cauliflower Malligai | Cauliflower maligai

I watch TV cookery shows(lets make that watched, shall we..), the favorite being Donna Hay's fast, fresh and simple, Nigella Kitchen and ofcourse our Tamil cookery shows. Back when I was in India, amma and me used to never miss a show of the Kitchen Superstars that got telecasted in Vijay TV, not because we loved the show but to compare it with Masterchef Australia. But then again I liked the show because amma and me used to spend some quality time together.

This recipe, we saw it in the "Masterclass" that the judges held for the contestants. It sounded simple and different from the regular manchurians or pakodas or fritters that we make with cauliflower and so amma decided to give it a go. Moreover we had a whole bunch of fresh coriander leaves which had to be used up and so the recipe sounded just right.

~*What U Need*~ To grind: Coriander leaves - 1/2 cup Mint leaves - 1/4 cup Green chilli - 1 Ginger - 1" piece Garlic cloves - 2 Curry leaves - 2 sprigs Salt Cornflour - 1/4 cup Gram flour - 2 tbsp Rice flour - 2 tbsp Cauliflower florets - 1 cup Oil Green chilli - 1 Curry leaves - 1 sprig Thick curd - 1 tbsp Water, salt, turmeric powder How I Made it: Grind all the ingredients under 'to grind' to a paste. Soak cauliflower florets in water with salt and turmeric powder for 15 mins. After 15 mins, drain water and pat dry with a kitchen towel. Add the paste to the cauliflower along with the cornflour, gram flour and rice flour. Mix well, season with salt and allow to marinate for 15 mins. Heat oil and fry the florets till golden brown. In a kadai, add 1 tsp oil, add the slit green chillies and then the yogurt. After 2 mins, add the fried cauliflower florets and toss well.

Serve warm as starter!!!

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Spicy,Battered Prawn Fry ~ a perfect party pleaser

Imagine soft juicy prawns, enclosed in a spicy~crisp Indian styled batter. How good is that.. Yeah it was too good. The huss is a big fan of prawns and usually asks me to replicate the prawn thokku that MIL makes. Try how much, I never get that right. Mainly because I never add so much oil as she does, secondly there is this thing that they call kai pakkuvam which will take quite some time in the kitchen for me. After many failed attempts, I have started looking for new recipes with prawn and this is the first of the lot. Simple and finger-licking-ly spicy.

They make great party starters and you need just 15 mins to prepare them. Marinate the prawns and let them sit while you go about with the other preparations. When serving, dip in batter, deep fry and serve hot with your favorite dip. Yogurt-mint-coriander chutney serves best. To make them more appealing, serve them over a bed of julienne-d and assorted vegetables.

~*What U Need*~ Prawns - 1/2 kg, shelled & de-veined For batter All purpose flour - 1/2 cup Corn flour - 2 tbsp Soya sauce - 1 tbsp Chilli powder - 1/2 tsp Coriander powder - 1/2 tsp Garam masala powder - 1/4 tsp Salt - to taste Water - as reqd For marination Chilli powder - 1/2 tsp Salt - a pinch Pepper powder - 1/4 tsp Turmeric powder - 1/4 tsp Oil to deep fry Toothpicks - as needed

How I Made it:
Marinate the prawns with the ingredients listed under to marinate for 30mins to 1 hr. At the time of frying, mix all the ingredients mentioned under "for batter" and bring it to dosa batter consistency (if you dip the prawns in it, it should form a coating). Heat oil till hot, dip the prawns in the batter and deep fry till done. Drain on to paper towels. Insert toothpicks and serve in platter.

Serve with dip of choice.

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Tandoori Gobi ~ Baked Version

Tandoored items have always been my favorite, the all-time being twice basted Tandoori chicken. The juicy and spicy chicken along with the crispy skin is a perfect accompaniment for naans or kulchas.
Its not only tandoored varieties but anything with a smoked flavor falls under the favie category. So when I had some cauliflower florets and the tummy was craving for some healthy evening snack I decided to try the veggie version. I served it with sauce but the mint-coriander-yogurt dip would have been the best.

This makes a great topping for pizzas or as a great filling for frankies or wraps.

~*What U Need*~ Cauliflower florets - 1/2 cup Hung curd / Greek Yogurt - 1/4 cup Red Chilli powder - 1/4 tsp Ginger garlic paste - 1/2 tsp Lemon juice - 1/2 tsp Olive oil - 1 tsp Salt - to taste Cumin powder - a big pinch Chicken Kebab / Tandoori masala - 1/2 tbsp

How I made it:
Soak the cauliflower florets in salted hot water for 5-10 mins. Drain water completely and set aside. In a large mixing bowl, mix all the other ingredients together, add the cauliflower florets and coat evenly. Refrigerate this for 2-3 hours.
Preheat oven to 220 C. Line a aluminum foil over a baking tray, arrange the marinated cauliflower florets and bake for 20-25 minutes. Turn the florets on both sides twice while baking.

Serve hot with sauce!!!

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Deep fried Baby Corn Kababs & a Special Award

Have you ever come across a recipe and instantly hooked by it? I hear many yeses... I have come across many such recipes and my bookmarked folder is in the verge of bursting and yelling at me!!! I took a pledge long time back that I will stop bookmarking recipes until I try all the previously bookmarked ones. Thanks to my laziness, the pledge was broken the same day.

When Ria posted her empire style chicken kababs, the way she described it coupled with her inviting pics, I wanted to try it instantly. I didn't have chicken at hand but that didn't stop me and I went ahead substituting chicken with baby corns. We had it with vegetable pulao and the combo was spot on. Will try her original recipe soon...

Adapted from Ria's
~*What U Need*~
For batter
APF / Maida - 2 tbsps
Cornflour - 1 tbsp
Red chilli powder - 1/2 tsp
Ginger garlic paste - 1/2 tbsp
Egg - 1
Cumin Powder - 1 tsp
Garam masala - 1 tsp
Coriander powder - 1/2 tsp
Lime juice - 1 tbsp
Green chilli - 1(finely chopped)
Red food color - a pinch
Salt - to taste

Baby Corns - 15
Oil for deep frying

How I Made it:
Slice and cut the baby corn into 1/2 inch pieces. In a mixing bowl, whisk all the ingredients under batter section into a smooth mixture. Add the baby corn pieces and mix to coat well. Marinate it in the fridge for 3-4 hours. Heat oil and when hot enough, drop in the marinated pieces and fry for 3-4 mins turning the pieces occasionally. Drain excess oil on paper towel.

Serve hot with ketchup.

Moving on to the special award, a few days back I got an e-mail from Michael Nelsen, Editor of Be@Home blog, part of Become.com. This is what it read:

Hello,
I just found your blog, My Culinary Trial Room, and you have a really great food site! I like that you showcase so many different dishes. You have great photography and your recipes are easy to follow.
I’m an editor for the Be @ Home blog at Pocket Change, part of Become.com’s blogging network, and thought your site was particularly exceptional. I wanted to give you a button for your site for being an “Editor’s Choice.”
If you’re interested in receiving this e-award, please let me know and I’ll create a custom button for your site and send you over the HTML code.
Thank you for your time and keep up the great work!

I was so excited to read the e-mail and was surprised to know that my blog has been read and recognized by such a reputed network. I am so happy to accept this award. Thanks Michael.

Food Blog Award

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Oven Baked Sweet Potato Fries

When I was a kid, amma used to make us french fries for our after-school snack. Those were days when we indulged in all kind of oily and fatty foods without a second thought. But these days whenever I think of frying something, my first concern would be the family's health. Can I afford frying something for the in-laws without any concern of their age and so, I just try to restrain me from deep frying anything whenever I can.

An occasional fry tempts me and the huss but when I find an alternate option to that and suggest it, he usually opts for the healthier version. So when I made these baked sweet potato fries for our weekend tea-time, I was glad to see him happily munching on these.

~*What U Need*~
Sweet potatoes - 2(medium)
Olive Oil - 1 tsp
Salt - to taste
Pepper powder - 1/4 tsp
Chilli Powder - 1/2 tsp
Italian seasoning - 1/2 tsp

How I Made it:
Peel and cut the sweet potatoes as desired. The thinner, the crunchier. Preheat oven to 220 C. Line a baking sheet with aluminum foil, keep aside. Mix all ingredients till the potatoes are evenly coated. Arrange the fries in a single layer on the baking pan.
Bake for about 10 minutes. Remove, turn the pieces over and bake for another 10 mins.

Serve with ur favorite dip!!!

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Tandoori Chicken

Tandoori chicken has always been my favorite and having this with the mint-coriander-yoghurt dip is a family favorite. Though we don't make this often at home, whenever done it is had with simple chapathi or toasted bread to relish the taste of the chicken. I still remember the days when dad used to make this and mom doesn't enter the kitchen. That was her hassle-free sundays. Dad usually marinates the chicken for 3 hours and starts cooking at 12.30 AM sharp so that we can have our lunch ready by 1.30 and this one hour is one tedious hour for me... I just breathe in the yummy aroma and keep checking on the chicken every 15 mins with my dad scolding his lungs away. Once done, it would be the whole family sitting in a circle, chomping on hot tandoori legs with chapathis. Happy ol' days they were...

Recipe Courtesy: Ma dad
*~What U Need*~
Chicken - 1 kg cut into legs and breasts

Marination:
Greek / Thick yoghurt - 3 tbsps
Ginger-garlic paste - 1 tsp
Chilli powder - 1 tsp
Turmeric powder - a pinch
Garam masala - 1/2 tsp
Coriander powder - 1/2 tsp
Chicken kebab masala - 1 1/2 tsp
Lime juice - from 1/2 lemon
Salt - as needed

How I made it:
Mix all the ingredients under marination well. Give deep cuts to the chicken skin on both sides. Now apply the rub all over the chicken evenly. Marinate for 3 hours.

After 3 hours, place the chicken on the grill stand as shown below. Preheat oven and grill the chicken at 180 C for 20 mins. Turn the chicken over and grill for another 15 mins, Check on the chicken @ intervals of 15 minutes to see if done.

Enjoy with chapathis / toasted bread / biryani / as such. This goes really well with mint-coriander yogurt dip/chutney.

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Golden Baby Corn Manchurian

Baby corn is one veggie which I have been detesting right from the start. But then after a few experimenting and getting the veggie cooked right to suit my palate, I am in total love for this veggie and its crunchiness. So whenever I see fresh baby corns, I grab a packet to make baby corn masala for chapathis. The huss got bored as usual and asked for variety. So tried making baby corn manchurian and it was an instant hit.

~*What U Need*~
For Frying:
Baby corns - 1 packet
All purpose flour/Maida - 2 tbsp
Cornflour - 1 tbsp
Ginger Garlic paste - 1/2 tsp
Chilli powder - 1/4 tsp
Salt - to taste
Oil - for frying

For Manchurian sauce:
Oil - 2 tsp
Onion - 1(Medium)
Capsicum - 1(Medium)
Green chilli sauce - 1 tbsp
Ginger Garlic paste - 1 tsp
Soy sauce - 1 tsp
Tomato sauce - 1 tbsp
Salt - to taste
Spring onion - 1 sprig
Chopped Coriander leaves - 2 tbsp

How I Made:
Golden Baby Corns:
In a large bowl, mix maida, cornflour, ginger garlic paste, red chilli powder and salt. Add little water and bring to semi liquid consistency without any lumps. Slit the baby corns and then cut into finger size pieces. Now add the sliced baby corns and combine well so that the mixture is evenly coated
Heat oil in kadai, fry the baby corns till they are evenly golden brown. Transfer to a paper towel to absorb the excess oil

The Manchurian sauce:
Chop the onions finely. Cut the capsicum into cubes. Chop the spring onions finely.
Heat 2 tbsp oil in a kadai. Add ginger garlic paste and saute for a minute. Add onions and saute till they turn golden brown. Add salt and mix well.
Add cubed capsicum and fry again till the capsicum becomes crispy and cooked.
Add soy-, tomato- and chilli sauce and toss well for a minute. Now add the fried baby corns and toss until the sauce coats the baby corns evenly. Add the spring onions and toss them once or twice. Remove from flame. Garnish with coriander leaves

Serve hot as a starter for parties / evening-snack / side-dish for chapathis.

Sending this to Cooking with seeds event - corn held @ SouthIndianHome and Priya's Easy and Tasty Recipes.


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Fried Peanut balls

We have this stall @ office which is exclusively dedicated to recipes made out of peanuts and only peanuts. They have peanut patty burgers, peanut sandwiches, club sandwiches, peanut balls, peanut pav bhaaji and the list goes on. I happened to try their peanut balls for my evening snack once and I was totally disappointed with the flavor. In fact there was no flavor at all. It was just boiled peanuts mashed and fried. So I tried it at home throwing in a few spices to suit our palate and now it has become a favorite side dish for pulaos. Its crunchy with that yummy nutty flavor.

~*What U Need*~
Dried peanuts - 1 cup
Chilli powder - 1/2 tsp
Green chilli - 1
Fennel seeds - 1 tsp
Garam masala powder - 1/4 tsp
Salt - to taste
Corn flour - 1 tbsp

How I Made it:
Soak the peanuts overnight. Pressure cook next day for 3 whistles or till soft and cooked. Drain the water and pat dry.
Chop the green chilli finely. In a mixie, pulse the peanuts, chilli powder, fennel seeds, garam masala powder and salt twice or thrice till well-blended. Tip it into a bowl, add the green chillies and cornflour and mix well till it comes together. Pinch lemon-sized balls out of it. Deep fry till golden brown.

Serve as appetizer / side dish for pulaos.

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Baked Masala Potato Wedges

We had planned to go out for lunch but my sweet huss announced at 12.30 am to be precise "Its scorching out. Do you really want to go out for lunch" GRRRRRRR... But yeah, even I didn't feel like going out in the hot sun. So I had to make a quick lunch. I was already starving and the announcement increased my hunger and tickled my taste buds. I wanted to have something spicy and tasty.
So we made Veg n Egg Mixed fried rice for which you can find the recipe here and these spicy potato wedges. I saw this recipe here who had taken the recipe from here. We don't get rosemary here in Chennai and hence I substituted it with dried Kasurimethi leaves.

~*What U Need*~

Medium Sized Potatoes - 2
Crushed kasurimethi leaves - 1 tsp
Garlic cloves - 3
Homemade Curry Powder - 1 tbsp
Olive Oil - 2 tbsp
Salt as needed

How I Made it:

Cut the potatoes into wedges.
Crush the garlic cloves finely.
Mix oil, spices and salt in a deep bowl.
Dump the potato wedges into the spice-oil mix and turn so that the mix coats the potatoes equally.

Spread in a single layer on a baking pan
Grill for 15 mins or till the potatoes turn soft.

Serve hot with rice / as an evening snack.

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Crispy Fried Cauliflower

Yesterday I had a realization just like everyone here in the blogosphere had. I (or shall I say 'WE') hereby declare myself "addicted to blogging". Aren't we???

Lift up your hands if you had logged in yesterday atleast ten times to check if blogspot was up and running fine. I did it... Each time with a hope that Blogspot would return to normal life. And when it did I was rejoicing.
When I logged in happily, I was surprised and then irritated to see that 2 of my blogs and along with that ur lovely comments had vanished into thin air... But thank god I had read everything but again I miss them...
So this post, u guys would have already read, but re-posting due to the blogspot maintenance.
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Sometimes I hate Cauliflower pakoras or fritters. This happens once in the blue moon. My mouth craves something crispy and hot. That is when I make these crunchy and crispy fried cauliflower. I just love the crunch that this dish gives out when popped into the mouth. Would love it with curd rice. But can be served as a tea-time snack too.

~*What U Need*~

Cauliflower – 1
Gram flour – 2 tbsp
Corn flour – 1 tbsp
Rice flour – 1 tbsp
Baking soda – a pinch
Chilli powder – ½ tsp
Salt – as needed
Lemon juice – few drops
Oil – for frying

How I Made it
Cut the cauliflower into bite sized florets.
Heat water till warm along with some salt.
Immerse the cauliflower florets for 10 mins.
Mix all the above ingredients and let it marinate for 30 mins

Deep fry in oil till crispy.

Serve hot with rice / as a tea-time snack.

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