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Monthly Archives: December 2015

Cookies and cream Cookies

31 Thursday Dec 2015

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Baked Foods

We were at a grocery store and my daughter saw this cookies and cream cookie dough in the cooler. Her immediate reaction was, OMG!!! They must taste so good, can you make them for me… 

So, I used the regular cookie recipe and added the oreo cookies to make it. She loved it. My son ate a half a dozen saying he was just tasting them…
So, here is the recipe…
Preparation Time: 15 minutes 
Bake Time: 18 minutes 
Makes : 18 cookies 
Ingredients:
All purpose flour: 1 cup 
Brown sugar: 1/2 cup 
White sugar : 1/4 cup 
Unsalted butter: 8 tbsp or 1 stick (Room temperature)
Baking soda: 1/2 tsp 
Egg : 1
Oreos : 8
Vanilla extract: 1/2 tsp 
Salt : 1/2 tsp 
Method:
Take the butter in a bowl and beat it well. Add both sugars and beat it till it’s light and fluffy.
Add egg and mix well. Add vanilla extract, salt, baking soda and flour and mix well.
Open the Oreos, take the cream out and crush the cookies in a mortal and pestal. With hands, press and break the cream into pieces and fold everything into the dough.
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
Place a parachment paper in a baking sheet and spoon cookie dough onto to the sheet.
Bake for 18 minutes, take it off and cool for 10 minutes.

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Hash Brown Bake

30 Wednesday Dec 2015

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Baked Foods

I always ate the deep fried hash browns and even though they taste yummy, the amount of oil they absorb is alarming. So, I tried to use the same ingredients and bake it like a casserole and family loved the cheesy, crispy hash browns that are more healthy. So, we have an option now.

Preparation Time: 15 minutes 
Bake Time: 30 minutes 
Serves : 3-4
Ingredients:
Potatoes: 3 large 
Shallot : 1 chopped finely 
Cilantro: 1/4 cup chopped finely 
Egg : 1
Shredded Cheddar cheese: 1/4 cup
Black pepper: 2 tbsp 
Salt to taste 
Method:
Wash, peel and grate the potatoes. Add some salt and mix well for 1 minute. Let it rest for 10 minutes. 
Pre heat the oven to 450 degrees F.
Drain all the water from that came from the potatoes.
Add all the ingredients and mix well.
Spoon the mixture into a baking pan, 9×9 and press it down tight. 
Bake for 30 minutes.
Take it out, cut into desired pieces and serve with ketchup.

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Mixed Dal Muruku

29 Tuesday Dec 2015

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My Peddamma makes these delicious Muruku using mixed dals/pulses. It’s both healthy and delicious.

When I first taste these, I fell in love with them and probably ate way more than what I should eat.
Since we cook the dals prior, it doesn’t absorb oil while frying the Muruku.
Preparation Time: 20 minutes 
Cook Time: 3-4 minutes per batch 
Makes : 60 Murukus approximately 
Ingredients:
Dals to be cooked:
Urad dal /Minappappu: 1/4 cup 
Bengal gram/ Senaga pappu: 1/4 cup
Moong dal / Pesarapappu: 1/4 cup 
Green chilies: 5
Other :
Rice flour : 4 cups
Ajwain/ Vaamu : 1 tbsp 
Butter : 1/4 cup 
Water : 3/4 cup 
Baking soda: a pinch
Salt to taste 
Method:
Take the dals and green chilies, add 1 1/4 cup of water and cook in the pressure cooker for 3 whistles. Simmer and cook for 3-4 minutes and turn off the stove.
Take the butter, put it into the rice flour and work it into the flour till its smooth.
Take the ajwain and grind them in a mortar pestal and add them to the rice flour. 
Take the cooked dals into a blender, add 1/4 cup of water and make into a paste.
Add the paste, salt, baking soda to the flour. By adding water slowly, make into a firm dough.
Take the Muruku press, oil it and while wetting the dough, put inside the press.
Heat oil for deep frying, press the Muruku into the oil or back of the spatula as shown in the picture and reverse the spatula into the oil and it will easily drop off.
Cook until the Muruku is golden brown.
Store in a air tigh container for upto 3 weeks.

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Vegetable Fried Rice-Indo Chinese Style

29 Tuesday Dec 2015

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Fried Rice

Indo-Chinese style foods are my favorite because of the spices used in them. Family loves them too. So, I make a lot of  foods mixing these spices and it never fails.

Vegetable fried rice is a very simple dish yet filled with nutrients for the kids. So, I make it a lot. 
Preparation Time: 10 minutes 
Cook Time: 10 minutes 
Serves : 3-4
Ingredients:
Rice : 1.5 cups
Beans : 1/4 cup cut into 1″ pieces 
Carrot: 1 cut into small pieces 
Capsicum/ green pepper: 1 chopped into small pieces 
Peas : 1/2 cup 
Garlic: 2 cloves minced
Scallions/ green onions: 2 chopped 
Soy sauce: 2 tsp 
Rice vinegar or white vinegar:1 tsp 
Chili garlic sauce: 2 tsp (optional)
Green chili: 1 slit
Ground pepper: 2 tsp 
Salt to taste 
Method:
Cook rice and let it cool off a little bit.
Heat 2 tbsp of oil in a wok and add garlic and green chili and sauté for 1 minute. Add veggies and sauté on high heat for 5 minutes.
Add salt and sauces, mix well and add rice. Add pepper and toss well to coat. Cook for 2 minutes. Turn off the heat and garnish with scallions.
Serve hot with gravy or curry.
I normally serve with Chicken 65 or Manchurian dishes.

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Mumbai Vegetable Biryani

28 Monday Dec 2015

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Biryani

The way the veggies are cooked for the Mumbai Style Vegetable Biryani brings a different flavor to the dish.

Of course cashews, fried onions and the masalas add more flavors.
Cauliflower is normally used in the dish but I didn’t use it as hubby is not a big fan of Gobi in biryani or Pulav.
I added Bajji Mirchi as it brings a spicy kick to the biryani.
Preparation Time: 10 minutes 
Cook Time: 30 minutes 
Serves : 4-5
Ingredients:
Rice:
Basmati rice: 2 cups 
Cloves : 5
Elachi: 2
Cinnamon: 1″ stick 
Bay leaf: 1
Vegetables:
Carrot: 1 large cut into 1″ pieces 
Peas : 1 cup
Potato: 1 large peeled and chopped 
Bajji Mirchi : 1 deseeded and cut in circles
Capsicum/green pepper: 1 sliced
Dry masalas:
Garam masala: 1 tsp 
Cumin coriander powder: 1 tsp 
Red chili powder: 1 tsp 
Turmeric: 1/2 tsp 
Hing : 1/2 tsp 
Salt to taste 
To make a corse paste:
Ginger : 2″ piece 
Garlic : 8 cloves
Green chilies: 4
Salt : 1/4 tsp 
Others:
Onion : 2 sliced ( 1 for fried onions )
Tomato: 1 puréed 
Cashews : 1 tbsp (make a paste)
Curd/ Yogurt: 2 tbsp 
Method:
Cook rice separately add all the ingredients listed with a lot of water and drain it off.
Heat 2 tbsp of ghee and fry all the veggies until they are completely cooked. It should take 5-7 minutes. Take them into a bowl.
Add 1 tbsp of ghee to the same pan and sauté onion till translucent. Add the green chili paste and fry for one minute. Add the dry masala powders, salt and mix well. Add the tomato purée and cook for 2 minutes. Add curd, cashews paste and mix well. Cook for 1 minute. Add 1/2 cup water and cook until the gravy is thick.
Take a heavy bottomed vessel pan and layer with rice first, masala, coriander leaves, mint leaves and fried onions. Do the same layering one more time, add food coloring if using, close lid and keep it on the stove on simmer for  10 minutes.
Turn off the stove, let it rest for 5 minutes before opening the lid.
Garnish with more fried onions before serving.

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Chettinad Pepper Chicken Curry

27 Sunday Dec 2015

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Chicken Recipes

Chettinad Pepper Chicken Curry has a nice kick from the fresh ground spices. The flavor of pepper stands out of the other spices. 

The dish goes great with biryani, pulav or roti.
Preparation Time: 10 minutes 
Cook Time: 25 minutes 
Serves : 3-4
Ingredients:
To Marinate:
Chicken: 500 gms
Red chili powder: 1/2 tsp 
Fresh ground pepper: 1/2 tsp 
Lime or Lemon juice : 1/4 tsp 
Salt : 1/2 tsp 
Turmeric: 1/2 tsp 
Spices to grind:
Coconut powder: 1/4 cup
Fresh ground pepper: 1/2 tsp 
Coriander seeds: 2 tbsp 
Elachi/Green cardamom: 2
Cinnamon: 2″ stick 
Cumin seeds/ jeera: 1 tsp 
Fennel seeds/ Saunf : 1 tsp 
Dry red chili: 1
For the wet masala:
Onion : 1 chopped 
Tomato: 1 chopped 
Ginger garlic paste: 1 tbsp 
Cilantro/coriander leaves: 1/4 cup chopped 
Mint leaves/Pudina: 2 tbsp 
Turmeric: 1/4 tsp 
Fresh ground pepper: 1/2 tsp 
Salt to taste 
Method:
Take all the ingredients listed under to marinate, mix well and marinate for 30-40 minutes.
Take all the ingredients listed under spices to grind except coconut powder and pepper and fry for 3 minutes. Now add both the ingredients mix and fry 1 minute. Turn off the stove and let them cool. Grind into a smooth powder.
Heat 3 tbsp of oil in a pan and fry onions until they turn translucent. Add ginger garlic paste and fry for 30 seconds. Add tomatoes and cook until they turn mushy, add cilantro and mint leaves, cook for 1 minute. 
Add the marinated chicken and fry for 3 minutes, add the grinded masala, salt and mix well. Fry for 2 minutes close lid, open lid and add 1 1/4 cup of water mix well and close lid. Cook for 7-8 minutes. 
Open lid, add 1/2 tsp of pepper mix well and turn off the stove.
Serve hot with biryani, Pulav or roti.

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Stuffed Capsicum/Green pepper- Andhra Style

27 Sunday Dec 2015

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Veg Curries

Capsicum/Green Pepper can be stuffed using several different mixed like potato stuffing, ground meat stuffing, but in Andhra, the stuffing is made with onion and puffed Bengal gram as the base. It tastes yummy with rice, roti or eat them by itself as some of my work friends do.

Preparation Time: 10 minutes 
Cook Time: 20 minutes 
Serves: 2
Ingredients: 
Small capsicum/green bell pepper: 6
Onion : 1 medium chopped 
Putnalu/Puffed Bengal gram: 1 cup
Senaga karam: 4 tsp 
Red chili powder: 1/2 tsp 
Coconut powder: 1/4 cup
Cumin coriander powder: 1 tbsp 
Salt to taste 
Method:
Take the Putnalu into a grinder and make them into a coarse powder.
Mix all dry ingredients together to make your stuffing.
Heat oil in a pan, add onion and sauté for 2 minutes. Add the powder and sauté for 1-2 minutes.
Cut the tops of the capsicum, take all the seeds out, and save the lid.
Spoon the filling into the capsicum and close the lid. 
Heat 3 tbsp of oil in a pan and fry the capsicum making sure all sides are soft and brown in color. This should take about 15 minutes on low flame and keep closing the lid.
Turn off the stove and enjoy the stuffed capsicum with rice or roti.

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Indian Style Egg Fried Rice

27 Sunday Dec 2015

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Fried Rice

My family likes spicy food and when I came across this recipe on Foodvedam, I instantly wanted give it a try and I have to say the taste is just amazing.

I adjusted the spices to our taste and changed the recipe a little.
Preparation Time: 10 minutes 
Cook Time: 15 minutes 
Serves : 4
Ingredients:
To cook Rice:
Basmati Rice : 1.5 cups 
Water : 2 1/4 cups
Oil : 2 tsp
Spices to be mixed in Rice:
Turmeric: 1/2 tsp 
Red chili powder: 1 tsp 
Oil : 1 tsp
Garam masala: 1 tbsp 
Others:
Onion: 1 thinly sliced 
Green chilies: 5 slit 
Ginger garlic paste: 1 tsp 
Red chili powder: 1/2 tsp 
Turmeric: 1/2 tsp 
Cumin coriander powder: 1 tbsp 
Garam masala: 1 tsp 
Eggs : 3
Cilantro/ Coriander leaves: 1/2 cup 
Mint leaves: 2 tbsp 
Scallions: To garnish (optional)
Salt to taste 
Method:
Soak the rice for 20 minutes.
Cook rice with oil and take the lid out. Let it cool a little for 5-7 minutes. Add the ingredients listed to be mixed to the rice gently and keep aside with a close lid.
Heat a wok, add 3 tbsp of oil and add onions and green chilies. Sauté them till onions are translucent. 
Add ginger garlic paste and fry for 1 minute. Add all the dry masalas and salt, mix well. 
Beat the eggs in a bowl and add them to wok. Cook for 3-4 minutes turn the other side and cut into pieces. Add cilantro and mint, mix well.
Add rice and toss gently but make sure the masala get coated well.
Cook for 2 minutes and turn off the heat.
Serve hot garnished with scallions.

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Goan Chicken Curry/Chicken Vindaloo

26 Saturday Dec 2015

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Chicken Recipes

This Goan chicken curry has a nice blend of spices and the gravy tastes amazing with Pulav /Biryani or even roti.

As the spices are freshly grounded, the aroma and the color of the curry is simply superb.
Preparation Time: 10 minutes 
Cook Time: 25 minutes 
Serves : 4
Ingredients:
Vindaloo paste:
Dry Red chilies : 4-5
Coriander seeds: 2 tbsp 
Cloves : 5
Cinnamon: 1″stick 
Cardamom/Elachi: 2
Bay leaf : 1
Shahi jeera : 1 tsp 
Ground Black pepper : 1 tsp 
Turmeric: 1 tsp 
Water : 1/4 cup 
For curry:
Chicken: 500 gms 
Onion : 1 sliced thinly
Tomato: 1 chopped 
Tamarind paste : 1/2 tsp
Vinegar: 1/2 tsp 
Sugar : 1 tsp
Ginger garlic paste: 1 tbsp 
Salt to taste 
Method:
Take all ingredients listed under to make the paste except water and dry roast them for 2 minutes. Cook them off and make a paste adding water.
Heat oil in a pan and add onions, sauté till they turn translucent. Add Ginger garlic paste and fry for 30 seconds. Add the paste and fry for 3 minutes. Add tomatoes and cook until they are mushy. Add the chicken, salt and fry for 10 minutes. Add 1 cup water, tamarind paste and sugar, mix well and close lid. Cook for 7 minutes. Open lid, add vinegar mix well and cook for 5 minutes or until curry is done.
Garnish with cilantro.
Serve hot with Pulav, Biryani or Roti.

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Cheese Tartlets

26 Saturday Dec 2015

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Baked Foods

When I came across Tartlets, I looked at several recipes with different combinations. But I always wanted to ricotta cheese as a base and mozzarella cheese.

So, I made them when I had friends visiting as a starter and It became an instant hit.
Preparation Time: 5 minutes 
Bake Time: 12 minutes + 2 minutes 
Ingredients:
White or wheat bread : 6 slices
To make the filling:
Ricotta cheese: 1/4 cup 
Onion powder: 1 tsp 
Ground Black pepper: 1 tsp 
Dry spearmint: 1 tsp 
Others :
Mozzarella cheese: 6 pieces 
Tomato: 1 small diced
Method:
Cut the edges of the bread slices and roll them very thinly.
Put them into the muffin pan gently folding for tartlets as shown in the picture.
Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.
Mix all the ingredients listed for the filling and spoon it into the bread.
Bake for 12 minutes. Turn off the oven.
Take the tartlets out, place the mozzarella cheese and put the tray back in the oven for 2 minutes.
Take it out and garnish with tomato pieces.

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