Macaroni With Vegetables

My next recipe for vegetarian dinner recipes is a pasta which is well known as Macaroni. Macaroni and cheese is a very popular dish with this Macaroni, but my recipe is a bit different then macaroni and cheese. 
                                                                    

Let's check the recipe...
INGREDIENTS:----
Macaroni  ----- 1 cup
Onion --- 1 medium cut in to cubes
Carrot  -- 1 small cut in to 1/2 inch pieces
Broccoli  --- 1/2 cup small flowers
Capsicum  ---  1/4 cup 1/2 in cubes
Baby corn --- 1 cut in ti 1/2 inch pieces
Tomato  --- 1 big finely chopped
Hot and sweet tomato sauce  ---  2 tab sp
Garlic   ----  5 cloves crushed
Cheese  ---  1 cube grated
Oil    ---  1 tab sp
Red chilli flakes ---  1/2 tea sp
Italian mixed herbs --- 1/2 tea sp
Salt to taste.
METHOD:----
1. Boil 4 cups water with a few drops of oil in a pan, bring to full boil and add macaroni to the boiling water and cook till done.
2. drain the hot water and pour cold water over macaroni immediately to prevent sticking together.
Spread macaroni in a plate and set a side.
3. Now heat oil in a pan add crushed garlic fry for a while then add onion give a good stir.
4. After a few seconds add tomato, carrot, baby corn and a pinch of salt sprinkle with a tab sp water cover and cook in a low heat for two minutes.
5. After two minutes remove the lid and add broccoli, capsicum mix well and cook in a medium heat for 5 more minutes in a low flame.
6. Now add red chilli flakes, tomato sauce, Italian herbs miix well and add cooked macaroni, now mix well to combine every thing.
7. sprinkle with grated cheese cover and cook in a low heat for five more minutes and switch off the heat.
Serve hot.....  
Check out the Blogging Marathon page for the other Blogging Marathoners doing BM#72 

Basil Pesto

After finishing recipes from Indian States we entered in to the third week with the theme of condiments. For this theme we are going to explore the condiments across the countries. Since we are exploring this recipes across the countries my first choice is one of my favorite cuisine Italian. there are many options for condiments in Italian cuisine. Like pesto's, dressings, preserved fruits and pickled vegetables. My today choice is a Pesto, In Italian cuisine they have a large verity of pesto's with fresh herbs and vegetables. This one with Basil is a classic recipe from Italian cuisine. This recipe I have adopted from Jamie Oliver site, I just adjusted the ingredients according to my need...
So lets check the classic pesto recipe
Recipe adopted from Jamie Oliver
INGREDIENTS:----
Basil leaves   ---  1 cup
Garlic clove  ---  1 clove
Pine nuts ---  25 gms
Extra virgin olive oil  ---  1 and half tab sp
Parmesan cheese  ---  20 g grated
Salt   to taste
Freshly ground black pepper -- about  1/4 tea sp
METHOD:---
1. Lightly dry roast pine nuts in a pan and add garlic clove and basil leaves and grind in to a coarse paste.
2. Now add all other ingredients and ground till smooth.
Stir in some cooked pasta and serve or stir in some cooked baby potatoes and enjoy or you can just serve with a slice of bread as a spread.

Check out the Blogging Marathon page for the other Blogging Marathoners doing BM# 56

An InLinkz Link-up

Spinach And Mushroom Risotto

My final recipe for this week under vegetarian Italian dinner is a very popular Risotto. Risotto is a rice dish which is normally made for dinner. Rice is cooked in a stock on a low heat by stirring continuously. Adding little by little stock and keep on stirring the rice to cook, it releases the starch in the rice and makes the risotto distinctive creamy. You can add vegetables like broccoli, dried mushrooms, fresh mushrooms, pumpkin, green peas, spinach corn and many more like this. Today I used a combination of spinach and fresh mushrooms..
So let's check the recipe... 
INGREDIENTS:---
Mushrooms  ---- 200 grams
Spinach  ---   1 bundle
Olive oil --- 1 tab sp

Butter  ----  30 grams

Arborio rice --- 1 cup
Onion --- 1 medium finely chopped
Garlic -- 1 clove minced

 Vegetable stock ---2 and 1/2 cup s
Cream ---- 4 tsp
Parmesan cheese --- 50 gms finely grated

Lemon juice   ---  from one lemon
                                                                      

METHOD:---

1. Clean and wash spinach for two to three times, chop and set a side.

2. Wash mushrooms well and cut in to bite size slices and set a side.

3. Heat butter in a pan add finely chopped onions and minced garlic and fry till soft take care that onions should not change the color.
4. Now add the rice and stir for a few minutes or till rice coated with fat.
5. Add 1/4 cup stock and start cooking in a very low heat, let the rice absorb the stock  then start adding the stock little by little.

6. Let the rice absorb the stock before you pour the next, keep stirring every time you add the stock. Continue till rice is cooked, this process will take 20 minutes.

7. Heat olive oil in a other pan add mushrooms and stir for 2 minutes then add chopped spinach and cook till mushrooms are tender cook in a low heat.

8. Now add mushroom and spinach mixture to risotto mix well. 

9.Finally add grated parmesan cheese, cream and lemon juice mix well switch off the heat and serve with any salad and juice.

Check out the Blogging Marathon page for the other Blogging Marathoners doing BM#54

Arancini - Italian Deep Fried Risotto Balls

For the the second day of vegetarian Italian dinner my choice is a side dish for a pasta or a salad. Arancini aka deep fried risotto balls, usually this balls are made with leftover risotto. Actually leftover rissoto helps to make perfect shape balls, you can make this balls with fresh rissoto I feel that troubles you in making balls. Because leftover rissoto will become lumpy and by the time rice will absorb all the moisture and that don't stick much to your hands while making the balls. 
                                                    This cheese deep fried rice balls are served for dinner along with bread or pasta or with salad, which makes alight and delicious dinner. Think this is a traditional Italian dish which also served for New year and wedding dinners.  
                                                 In original recipe Jamie Oliver used wine for cooking the rice I didn't use wine and he added few variety cheese. But in India we get only parmesan and mozzarella with only these two cheese's the balls turned out cheese. I replaced fresh basil with dried basil. so if you can get all the fresh ingredients better use to get original taste.
So let's check the recipe..... 
Recipe adopted from : Jamie Oliver
FOR RISOTTO 
Olive oil --- 1 tab sp

Butter  ----  30 grams

Arborio rice --- 1 cup
Onion --- 1 medium finely chopped
Garlic -- 1 clove minced

 Vegetable stock ---2 and 1/2 cup s
Cream ---- 4 tsp
Parmesan cheese --- 50 gms finely grated

Lemon juice   ---  from one lemonHOW TO MAKE RISOTTO :
1. Heat butter oil in a pan add finely chopped onions and minced garlic and fry till soft take care that onions should not change the color.
2. Now add the rice and stir for a few minutes or till rice coated with fat.
3. Now add 1/4 cup stock and start cooking in a very low heat, let the rice absorb the stock  then start adding the stock little by little. 

4.  Let the rice absorb the stock before you pour the next, keep stirring every time you add the stock. Continue till rice is cooked this process will take 20 minutes.

5. Finally add grated parmesan cheese, cream and lemon juice mix well switch off the heat and set a side to cool.

By the time risotto it getting cool prepare filling for rice balls

                                                                   

FOR FILLING:----

Pistachios  ----   50 grams

Mozzarella  ----   100 grams finely chopped

Tomatoes   ----  100 grams finely chopped

Italian seasoning ----  1 tab sp

Lemon zest of one lemon

Soak pistachios in warm water for few minutes drain the water and chop then finely.

Mix all other ingredients with pistachios and set a side.

FOR COATING THE BALLS:

Plain flour   ----  100 grams

Extra flour   -----   2 tab sp

Water   ----   1/2 cup

Bread crumbs  ---  1 cup

FOR THE ARRABIATA SAUCE TO SERVE

Tomatoes   -----  200 grams

Garlic  --- 2 cloves chopped

Red chilli  ----  one sliced

Dry basil   --- 1/2 tea sp

Olive oil   -----  1 tab sp

MAKING OF ARRABIATA SAUCE:

1. Heat oil in a pan add chopped garlic, sliced red chilli, basil fry for two minutes in a medium heat.

2. In the same time finely chop tomatoes and add this chopped tomatoes to the pan, cook in a medium heat till tomatoes become soft.

3. Remove from the heat and let it cool then blend it in a blender till smooth.

Take this smooth arrabiata sauce in to a serving bowl and set a side.

                                                                    

NOW START MAKING THE RICE BALLS:

1. Take a scoop of cooled risotto in to your hand, place a spoon full of filling in the center close it from all sides and make a ball

Repeat the remaining risotto and filling.

FOR COATING:

 Mix 2tab sp of flour with 1/2 cup water mix well and make paste with out any lumps ans keep it ready.

Keep the 100 grams flour in a plate to dust the balls.

In one more plate keep the bread crumbs ready.

Now carefully dip each arancini ball in flour first  shake the ball welll to remove the extra flour.

Then dip in the flour paste and finally in bread crumbs, make sure that rice ball is completely coated and set a side.

Now heat  oil in a deep frying pan on a high heat then keep the heat in to low flame. 

Carefully drop the arancini balls  and deep fry till golden and crispy,remove from oil and transfer to a kitchen paper to drain extra oil.

Serve hot with arrabiata sauce.

Check out the Blogging Marathon page for the other Blogging Marathoners doing BM#54

Creamy Pasta And Vegetable Salad

We are starting second wee of Blogging Marathon. This week I am going to cook three Italian vegetarian dinner recipes. I usually make pasta with lots of vegetables and arrabiata  or white sauce. Apart from that this creamy salad is my all time favorite. This salad is a perfect meal when you want to take a light meal with a slice of bread. I keep on changing the vegetables for this recipe today I used broccoli, tomato and carrot. But you can add any other vegetables like capsicum green, red and yellow to make this salad more colorful. And also can add roasted mushrooms and olives.  I used vinegar and olive oil but you have balsamic vinaigrette dressing in hand can use that so let's check my version of pasta salad.... 
INGREDIENTS:---
Farfalle (bow tie past) ----  400 gms 
Olive oil   ----   3 tea sp and two tea sp olive oil for cooking the pasta
vinegar   ----   1 tea sp
Mayonnaise ---  1/4 cup
Sugar   ----   1 tab sp
Freshly ground black pepper  ---  1/2 tea sp
Salt    ----   1/2 tea sp
Italian seasoning  ----   1 tea sp
Tomato   ----  2 bid cut in to cubes
Broccoli   ---  one medium size flower cut in to small flowers
Carrots  ---  2 medium cut in to bite size rounds
Salt to taste
Grated parmesan cheese
METHOD:----
1. Boil water in a large pot with salt and a tea sp of olive oil in a medium heat, bring to a full boil then add pasta.
2. Cook pasta  for 12 minutes or according to package instructions.
3. Switch off the heat and drain all the water and sprinkle a tea sp of olive and pour cold water on top of the pasta and leave it a side. 
4. While the pasta is cooking in a big mixing bowl whisk vinegar, 3 tea sp of olive oil, sugar, ground black pepper, mayonnaise, and Italian seasoning and whisk well to combine well.
5. Now take pasta and all the vegetables in a big mixing bowl, pour the dressing over the salad add salt to taste toss well to combine every thing well.
6. Sprinkle with Parmesan cheese again toss lightly and serve.

Check out the Blogging Marathon page for the other Blogging Marathoners doing BM#54

Spaghetti With Vegetarian Meat Balls From Italy for I

I am a big fan of David Rocco s cooking shows, may be because of  I like Italian cuisine. When I started cooking for this BM this is the recipe I made first. I wanted to make this meat ball in tomato sauce in Italian style from long time. Since I am a vegetarian I couldn't use meat. Then one fine day I saw this recipe in David Rocco's show. He made the same vegetarian meat ball with zucchini, I liked it very much even this eggplant meat balls taste too good.  
INGREDIENTS:---
FOR MEAT BALLS:-
Eggplant  ---  1 big ( the big one what we use for bharta)
Bread  ---  2 slices (2 to 3 days old bread)
Milk  --- 1 cup
Eggs  --  2
Parmesan cheese --- 1 cup grated (Here I want to tell about cheese David Rocco used 2 types of cheese in his recipe one is Pecorino and parmigiano. I didn't get those both cheeses in the place of those cheeses I used Parmesan cheese.
Salt to taste
Bread crumbs ---  1/2 cup
Flour  ---  3/4 cup
Olive oil for frying the balls
FOR TOMATO SAUCE:---
Olive oil  ---- 2 tab sp
Onion --- 1 big finely chopped
Tomato puree  --- 700 g
Parmesan cheese for sprinkling
METHOD:--
For meat balls:--
1. Chop the eggplant and boil in salted water for 4 minutes. Drain and cool then squeeze the extra water from the eggplant.
2. In a bowl take mils and dip the bread slices for a while then squeeze the milk from the bread.
3. Now take eggplant, bread, eggs, cheese and salt to taste, now add bread crumbs and flour (save a little flour to roll the balls). Mix well to combine every thing (if you mixture is too moisture then you can add some more flour and bread crumbs). 
4. Now make golf ball size balls and roll them in the flour.
5. Heat oil in a frying pan and fry the eggplant meet balls till golden.
For tomato sauce:--
1. In a pan heat olive oil and saute onion then add tomato puree, salt to taste and bring the mixture to full boil, reduce the heat to medium add the meat balls and cook for 10 to 15 minutes.
Sprinkle some cheese and set a side.
For spaghetti :--
Spaghetti  -- 1 pack.
salt a pinch
Olive oil --  1 tab sp
Water for boiling
1. Bring water to a full boil in big pan.
2. Once water is boiling add salt and oil, pasta and cook for 10 minutes.
best to check if the pasta is cooked or not eat a piece if it is soft enough to eat then your pasta is ready to serve.
Now pour the pasta in to a strainer, shake well and bring back the paste to the same pan in which you cook the pasta.
Add  3 tab sp of tomato sauce and mix well so that tomato sauce will coat on the pasta very well.
Now add the meat balls with tomato sauce mix gently.
Serve sprinkle with cheese.

Check out the Blogging Marathon page for the other Blogging Marathoners doing BM# 44

An InLinkz Link-up

Onion and Tomato Frittata with Garlic Bread

Another Week of BM 30 th edition, this week my theme is Combo Recipes. Valli has given some popular combo recipes list to us, we have to choose three recipes from that list. All the recipes from that list are very popular combo dishes. Apart from this recipe most of the recipes in the list are Indian recipes. When I first check this list I thought of making some poori and aloo ki sabji combo. Then I realise that I have posted  a few recipes of poori and sabji.
                                                 
                                                                     There is one wonder full combo dish in this list and that is a dessert Rasagulla with rabadi. But I don't want to choose sweet dish so dropped that plan. Then this one caught my attention. Since long time I didn't make any Italian dish at home. I didn't bake bread after I came to India that means I didn't bake any bread from 2 years. ofcouse I am baking cakes and cookies but not bread. So I wanted to try my hand in bread baking with Indian flour.
                                                                

I wanted to bake pav buns but I couldn't,t find a right pan for that so I baked it in a round cake pan. I didn't satisfy with the shape, but the texture of the bread was pretty good will post the recipe for sure. That was a garlic flavored bread.
                                                                   

 Now Then next part in this combination dish is Frittata. Frittata is a egg based dish originated fro Italy. This recipe sounds like and looks like omelet, with little changes. This dish is made with beaten eggs mixed with chopped vegetables or with meat cubes and flavored with herbs. Some time can add  grated cheese also to this egg mixture. You can use any chopped vegetables like onion, tomato, potato, brocoli, spinach, mushrooms. This can be served with bread, salads, beans and olives.
                                                                

                                                             I made onion and tomato frittata with Garlic bread. Normally frittata will be cook in a skillet on a low flame the shift it in to hot oven to cook the top till light golden. There are many variations for this frittata recipe but the basic Italian frittata recipe is made with beaten eggs and vegetables or meat and cheese. Today I baked the frittata in  muffin tins to make individual portions and you can call them mini frittata. so lets check the recipe for Frittata..
INGREDIENTS:---
Eggs  --- 3
Onion  ---  1 big cut in to slices
Tomato  --- 1 big cut in to cubes
 Garlic  --- 2 cloves crushed
Parmesan cheese  ---- 1 tab sp grated
Milk  ---- 2 tab sp
Salt to ttaste
Olive oil  ---   1 tab sp
Pepper powder  --- 1/2 tea sp
METHOD:--
1. Beat eggs in a bowl then add onion slices, crushed garlic, salt, pepper powder, milk and mix well then add tomato cubes mix well.
2. Add cheese mix well.
3. Now hear olive oil in a skillet and pour the egg mixture and keep the flame in low cook till the edges leaveing the pan, cover with a lid and cook for few minutes.
4. When the edges are leaving from the sides of the pan switch off the heat.
By that time pre heat the oven.
5.  Now place the egg mixture skillet in the pre heated oven and cook till the top turns in to golden.
Remove from oven and serve hot with bread and salad.
This is my first post for Blogging Marathon 30th edition under combo Dishes theme let's check other BM members recipes here



 

Fried Ravioli With Carrot Halwa

Ohh already one week finished with this fusion cooking. I am very exited with this recipes, I just love to take like this challenges in cooking. When I saw this theme in BM themes for this month just jumped to take this theme for my first week. the only thing I think about is the Italian Ingredients like polenta and some pastas like Ravioli sheets. Polenta I got it very easily But I did not find ravioli sheets. Then I took a day time from Valli to decide this theme whether I can make this sheets at home or not. Finely I decided to take this challenge and made this pasta sheets at home. They came out ok but not perfect.
                 I thought making pizza for this theme but making this traditional bread in to Indian style is very popular in every pizza corner now a days in India. So I want to do my experiments with other ingredients in Italian Cuisine. Here are my 6 recipes what I made for this BM first week hope you all like them.Thank you So much Valli for this wonder full theme, I enjoyed making them and hubby enjoyed eating them.
Spaghetti With Kerala Stew
Bruschetta With Chenna Masala
Polenta Upma
Risotto with Palak and moong dal
Ravioli with Shahi Paneer
Pasta Butter Masala
Now here is the final recipe for this week  is Fried Ravioli With Carrot Halwa....
INGREDIENTS:---
Flour ----- 1 cup
Egg ----- 1 no
Salt --- a pinch
Water -- few drops if require

METHOD:----

1. Take flour on a work top and make a well in the center sprinkle salt, break the egg in the well.
2. Use a fork to scramble the egg, incorporating the flour.
3. Once they mixed with the flour then use your hands to make a dough.
4. If you feel that the dough is stiff can sprinkle a few drops of water and or the dough is sticky then add a little flour and knead the dough for one minute.
5. Now make the dough in to two portions and press them in to thin sheets with a rolling pin. If you have a pasta maker then your work will be very easy.
6. Trim the edges to make the pasta sheets a rectangle.
Now Let's check for this filling Carrot Halwa
INGREDIENTS:---
Carrot --- 1/2 kg (about5-6 carrots)
Khoya --- 50 gms
Full cream milk --- 1/2 cup
Sugar --- 3/4 cup
Ghee --- 1/4 cup
Cashew nuts --- 20-25
Raisins --- 20
Almonds --- 15 (soaked in water for over night and chopped)
Cardamom powder --- 1/2 tea sp
METHOD:----
Scrub and wash the carrots and grate .
Heat ghee in a heavy bottomed pan and fry cashew nuts till gold and keep a side, then fry raisins and leave a side, then fry almonds(badam) and keep a side.
Now fry grated carrot in the same ghee till raw smell of the carrot disappears.
Now add 1/2 cup full cream milk and stir till milk gets dried.
Then add sugar and stir for some time first sugar leaves water and then it become dry cook in a medium heat .
Now add 3/4 cashews, raisins, almonds,cardamom powder mix well then add 3/4 khoya mix well and stir for 2 sec. and remove from the fire.
Dish out in to a serving bowl and top with remaining dry fruits and khoya
Now lets start making the fried Ravioli
METHOD:---
1. Brush the pasta sheets with water.
2. Place a tea sp full Carrot halwa on the pasta sheet.
3. Leave about half inch in between each tea sp of Carrot halwa.
4. Take a second sheet of pasta and lay it over the ravioli.
5. Now cut out ravioli in to individual squares and press the edges to secure the filling in side the pasta.
6 Now leave this carrot halwa filled Ravioli a side for few minute.
7. By the time heat oil in a deep frying pan to deep fry sweet ravioli.
To check if the oil is hot enough to fry ravioli drop a small piece of bread if the bread turn brown in two minutes then your oil is ready for deep frying the ravioli.
8. Now drop slowly 2 ravioli s at a time, turning occasionally fry till golden this will take 60 seconds
9. Remove from oil drain well and let them cool for two minutes and serve.
Serve this Carrot halwa filled ravioli with a scope of ice cream or just sprinkle some honey on top and enjoy.
This is my seventh recipe for Blogging Marathon 15 th edition in the theme of Cook Italian in Indian style and lets check the Marathon page.

Pasta Butter Masala

When ever we talk about Italian food first comes Pasta to our mind.Pasta in it's many forms is a staple food of Italian cuisine. There are two types of pastas which they use in Italian cuisine they are dried pasta and wet pasta. Dried pastas are very popular now in all over world but now a days wet pasta s also getting popular. In this dried pasta Macaroni is one which is very popular. Macaroni is most popular baked with cheese.
            There are many verities of pasta in India also getting popular  with this short dried pasta, Today's my fusion recipe is Pasta Butter Masala. In this BM theme I used long pasta as spaghetti and egg pasta sheets for Ravioli and now I like to use this cute Short pasat Macaroni with typical Indian butter masala which normally we make with paneer as paneer butter masala. Hope you all like my creation, let's check the recipe.
INGREDIENTS:---
Cooked Pasta  ---- 2 cups
For cooked pasta boil 1 lit water in a pan with little salt and 1/2 tea sp oil  bring to a full boil.
Add 1 and 1/2 cup pasta to the boiling water cook till pasta become soft now pasta is ready for pasta butter masala.
Tomato puree ---- 2 cups

Thick cream --- 1/2 cup
Onion --- 1 cup cut in to cubes
Ginger garlic paste --- 1tea sp
Coriander and cumin powder (dhaniya, geera powder) --- 1 tea sp
Turmeric powder ---- 1/2 tea sp
Garam masala powder --- 1/2 tea sp
Red chili powder – 1 tea sp (especially Kashmiri chili powder that gives a nice color to the gravy)
Kasuri methi --- 1 tab sp
Cashew nut paste --- 1 tab sp
Butter 2 tab sp
Salt to taste
METHOD:--
1. Peel, wash and cut onion in to cubes, and cook till soft in little water (cook in 1 cup water, and strain the water and leave a side. This water you can use in the gravy). Cool and grind in to a smooth paste.

2. Dry roast Kasuri Methi and crush with your hand and leave a side
3. Now heat butter in a pan and add onion paste and fry till light brown color. Then add ginger garlic paste and stir for a min.

4. Then add all powder masalas like turmeric powder, red chili powder, coriander and cumin powder, garam masala powder and mix well then add cashew nut paste and tomato puree, salt to taste and cook till butter leaves from the sides of the pan.
5. Now add cooked pasta mix well and add cream and kasuri methi mix well and cook for 2 more min. and remove from the heat.
Serve this with garlic bread.
This is my sixth recipe for Blogging Marathon 15 th edition in the theme of Cook Italian in Indian style and lets check the Marathon page.

Ravioli With Shahi Paneer

Ravioli is a pasta which is a filled egg pasta. Since this one is a filled pasta traditionally they fill this with meat mince and serve with tomato sauce. other then meat filling there many other filling also is there . even you can fill this with a sweet also as it turn in to a dessert.
    Now my twist to this traditional pasta in to Indian flavor I choose a paneer curry with gravy for this so that we can fill the pasta with curried paneer peace and serve with the gravy as a sauce. When I got this idea for this BM I search for ravioli sheets but I did not find them any where. So I tried to make them at home. I did not get a perfect sheet but I think made them ok should have a lot of practice. I am sure keep on trying pasta sheets at home and let's check today's recipe

Flour -----   1 cup
Egg  -----  1 no
Salt  --- a pinch
Water  -- few drops if require
METHOD:----
1. Take flour on a work top and make a well in the center sprinkle salt,  break the egg in the well.
2. Use a fork to scramble the egg, incorporating the flour.
3. Once the mixed with the flour then use your hands to make a dough.
4. If you feel that the dough is stiff can sprinkle a few drops of water and  or the dough is sticky the add a little flour and knead the dough for one minute.
5. Now make the dough in to two portions and press them in to thin sheets with a rolling pin. If you have a pasta maker then your work will be very easy.
6. Trim the edges to make the pasta sheets a rectangle
Before you make the sheets keep ready your filling. Here I am using a Indian curry for the filling  because my today's recipe is a fusion. so let's check the filling.
INGREDIENTS:-----
Paneer  --- 200 gms

Onion --- 2 medium
ginger ---- 1 inch piece
Garlic ----- 4 cloves
Tomato ---- 4 medium
Green chilies ---- 3 no.
Red chilli powder --- 1 tea sp
Turmeric powder ---- 1/2 tea sp
Garam masala powder --- 1 tea sp
Cashew nuts --- 20- 25
Cream --- 3/4 tab sp
Milk ---- 1/2
Oil ---- 3 tab sp
Salt to taste
METHOD:---
1. Peal onions and cut in to cubes heat 1 tea sp oil in a pan and fry onions till soft, peel and chop ginger,peel and remove seeds and chop tomato and add garlic, tomato,ginger, green chilies to onions and make a smooth paste.
2. Soak cashew nuts in milk for 1/2 hour and grind in to smooth paste and keep a side.
3. Now cut the paneer in to 1 inch pieces and fry in hot oil in a medium heat till light brown remove from oil and leave a side(drop paneer in warm water in a bowl and keep a side this keep paneer soft ).
4. Now heat oil (or you can use ghee for this curry) in a pan add onion paste and stir till oil starts separating from the onion paste.
5. And then add red chili powder ,turmeric powder, garam masala powder, saute for 2 min. then add cashew nut paste and stir for 3 more min then add 1/2 cup water and salt to taste mix well and bring to a full boil and let it cook in a very slow flame till gravy becomes thick(here you can add if you like to add any dry fruits like cashew,almonds and risins, fri them in ghee till light brown and add them to gravy.).
Finally add fried paneer pieces and cream mix well and leave in alow flame for 1 minute.

Remove from heat and garnish shahi paneer with chopped coriander leaves and cream.
Now lets start filling this Shahi paneer in Ravioli sheets.
1. Brush the pasta sheets with water.
2. Take paneer piece from the curry and place each paneer piece on to pasta sheet.
3. Leave about half  inch in between each paneer piece.
4. Take a second sheet of pasta and lay it over the ravioli.
5. Now cut out ravioli in to individual squares and press the edges to secure the filling in side the pasta.
6. Now boil water with a little salt and add the stuffed ravioli to boiling water till they float this will take about 5 to 6 minutes
7. Remove ravioli from boiling water and serve with shahi paneer gravy.
This is my fifth recipe for Blogging Marathon 15 th edition in the theme of Cook Italian in Indian style and lets check the Marathon page

Risotto With Palk And Moong Dal

Like Indians in some regions of Italy they like to have rice in the first course of the meal. Riso - rice which they use in their cooking are round short grain rice. Most of this Italian rice is high in starch. They cook rice with broth in to a creamy texture and this broth may be a chicken or meat or vegetable broth. Normally risotto contains Parmesan cheese ,butter and onion this is the common way they cook rice. In some recipes they use some white or red wine  to rice before they add broth. The traditional texture of the Risotto should be creamy and fairly fluid not watery. Risotto can be made using vegetables, meat, fish and a different types of cheese. Here my todays recipe is fusion with Indian ingredients. I  have a small cup of arborio rice in my pantry, I totally for got about this rice and was searching for shell pasta I found this one, got this risotto idea for my theme. Made little changes to my plan and included this risotto, since this is a fusion I didn't use cheese, gave a flavor of Indian spices so let's check the recipe.. INGREDIENTS:---
Arborio rice or any short grain rice --- 1 cup
Palak (spinach) ---  1 cup finely chopped
Moong dal  --- 1/2 cup
Butter ---  1 tab sp
Cumin seeds --- 1 tea sp
Mustard seeds --- 1/2 tea sp
Onion --- 1 small chopped
Green chillies --- 2 chopped (optional)
Garlic --- 3 cloves finely chopped
Stock or water --- 2 cups
Salt to taste
METHOD:----
1. Heat butter in a pan add mustard seeds, cumin seed, chopped garlic, chopped onion, chopped green chilli fry till onion turns in to soft but that should not change the color.
2. Add rice and give good stir to cover the fat on rice to avoid sticking the rice together.
3. Then add chopped palak (spinach) and fry for a while.
4. Now keep the heat in low and add 1/4 cup stock, stir slowly cook till rice absorb the stock.
5. Then add Moong dal to the rice mixture and 1/4 cup more stock stir and cook till the stock absorb
4. Continue to add stock 1/4 cup at a time stirring slowly and letting the rice absorb the stock.
5. By the time you finish the stock you can see the rice and dal in cooked and risotto will turn in to a creamy texture the rice is slightly firm in the center.
6. Season with salt stirr well and serve.
If you feel like your risotto is thick then add some more stock or water till it turns in to a creamy texture but I like my risotto little thick
That's it Risotto in Indian style is ready to serve.
 In India it's difficult to get Arborio rice or any other Italian rice so you can use any short grain rice that is rich in starch. But I am not sure you get a original risotto taste.
If you like to add cheese the add grated cheese on top of the risotto and serve. I don't like chees much so I didn't add that is totally your choice.
This is my fourth recipe for Blogging Marathon 15 th edition in the theme of Cook Italian in Indian style and lets check the Marathon page

Polenta Upma

Polenta is a golden yellow cornmeal, It is a staple food of the North Italy. Normally this traditional Italian staple makes a good combination with meat, chicken, fish, vegetables and mushroom is my choice with polenta.Traditionally polenta is cooked with water in to a creamy paste texture. Some times after boiling it may be deep fried or baked usually they make this fried version with leftover polenta. Coming to today's recipe Upma is a favorite South Indian break fast. Since my theme for this BM is cooking Italian in to Indian. Today I am going to mix the South Indian spices with traditional Italian staple food so here is my recipe for the day.. INGREDIENTS:---
Polenta --- 1 cup
Onion --- 1 medium chopped
Green chillies --- 2 chopped
Ginger ---   1 inch piece chopped
Curry leaves --- 1 spring
Oil  ---- 1 tab sp
Mustard seeds --- 1/4 tea sp
Channa dal -- 1 tea sp
Cumin seeds -- 1/2 tea sp
Water   --- 2 1/2 cups
Ghee --- 1 tab sp optional
Salt to taste
METHOD:--
1. Heat oil in a pan add mustard seeds let them popup then add channa dal, cumin seeds, fry for a while.
2. Now add chopped onion, curry leaves, chopped ginger, chopped green chillies and fry till onion turn in to transparent. (here you can add chopped vegetables like carrot, beans, green peas, potato, broccoli if you like.)
3. In the mean while boil 2 &1/2 cups water on the other side.
4. Add polenta to the onion mixture fry for 1 second then add boiling water salt to taste give a good stir cover and cook in a low flame for 5 minutes.
5. Now open and add ghee mix well and again cover and cook till done this will take another 4 minutes.
Now Polenta Upma is ready to serve.
I served this Polenta Upma with garlic stir fried vegetables for this you need..
Broccoli --- 1 small cut in to small flowers
Carrot --  1 big cut in to bite size pieces
Garlic -- 3 cloves crushed
Olive oil --- 1 tea sp
Salt to taste
Pepper powder
Boil water with little salt and broccoli set a side for 5 minutes and Strain water and leave a side.
Heat oil in a pan add crushed garlic, carrot pieces, broccoli, salt and pepper give a good stir and remove from heat and serve.
This is my third recipe for Blogging Marathon 15 th edition in the theme of Cook Italian in Indian style and lets check the Marathon page

Bruschetta With Channa Masala

Bruschetta is an antipasto from Italy means a snack which is served before meal as a starter. It consists of a bread roasted and rubbed with garlic and topped with olive oil and freshly chopped vegetables, meat and cheese. In some regions of Italy bruschetta is served with out topping, only with  the first product of olive oil. So this one is totally a traditional Italian snack. Now I am going to give it an Indian touch, so lets check the traditional Italian snack in to Indian style.
INGREDIENTS:---
channa (chick peas) --- 1 cup
Onion  ---- 1 chopped
Tomato --- 1 chopped
Ginger  --- 1/2 tea sp chopped
Garlic  --- 1/2 tea sp chopped
Red chilli powder -- 1 tea sp
Turmeric powder -- 1/4 tea sp
Garam masala powder --- 1/2 tea sp
Chat masala powder -- 1/4 tea sp
Salt  --- 1 tea sp or according to your taste.
Oil  ---  1 tab sp (you can use olive oil for this)
Coriander leaves ---  1 tab sp chopped
Cumin seeds -- 1teasp
Garlic cloves  --- 3
Olive oil --- 1 tab sp
Onion --- 1 tab sp finely chopped
Baguette or any other Italian bread slices

METHOD:---

1.Soak chick peas in enough water for over night.
2. Heat 1 tab sp oil add cumin seeds fry for a while then add chopped onions fry till onion becomes soft.
3. Now add chopped tomato, chopped ginger, chopped garlic give a good stir.
4. Then add salt to taste, red chilli powder, turmeric powder, give a good stir and cook till tomato turns in to soft.
5. Then add soaked channa, garam masala, chopped coriander leaves, 1/2 cup water mix well cover and cook till chick peas become soft.
If you would like to do this process in a pressure cooker then do the all process in a pressure pan after you add channa cover and cook till two whistles.
6. Check if the chick peas are cooked then switch off the heat and set a side.
Now channa masala is ready for topping
Let's assemble  the bruschetta
7. Brush some olive oil on baguette or bread slices and roast them on a grill or on a pan or you can grill in a oven also but grill the bread slices till they turn in to nice golden color.
8. Remove the bread slices from grill rub garlic on each bread slice and place the bread slice on a serving plate top with channa masala and sprinkle with finely chopped onion. This topping you have to do just before you serve other wise the bread may get soggy or you can serve the topping in bowl separately with a spoon, so that your guests will serve the topping by themselves over the bread. 
You can sprinkle some chopped tomato and coriander leaves with chopped onion.
This is my second recipe for Blogging Marathon 15 th edition in the theme of Cook Italian in Indian style and lets check the Marathon page

Spaghetti With Kerala Stew (Spaghetti With Coconut Sauce)

This months Blogging Marathon is little more exited for me because Valli included few new themes in this month which are my favorites like Indian thali and Italian in to Indian style.  Italian is one of my favorite cuisine, specialy the ingredients what they use in this cuisine are very less, most of the dishes they finish with in four to five ingredients (this I am talking about the original recipes here my recipe are fusion).Pasta is one of the most popular ingredient, more then 650 types of pastas are there. Pasta is a traditional staple food also. In Italian cuisine normaly pasta is served with a pasta sauce which contains tomato, onion and herbs some times with meat. And some times this pasta is simply served with pesto sauce also. My today recipe is a fusion with Indian and Italian which is a theme for Blogging Marathon. So both the cuisines are my favorite cuisines. When I first saw this theme in Marathon page got  this idea of mixing Italian with totally SouthIndian Kerala flavors and first came to my mind is Vegetable stew we usualy make a side dish for Idiyappam or Aappam this contains coconut milk. In my view coconut milk and pasta will make a good combination and it worked out  very well. The dish came out so delicious and pasta bleanded with coconut milk . For me this dish is just wonderful. So hope you also like my creation... IINGREDIENTS:---

Mixed vegetables -- 1 cup cut in to cubes ( Carrot, beans, green peas, potato I used only this if you have cauliflower can add that also)

Onion --- 1 big sliced
Green chillies --- 2 slit
Curry leaves --- 10
Oil -- 1 tab sp (coconut oil is the best choice can use sunflower oil or olive oil also choise is yours.)
Cinamon --- 1 inch piece broken
Clove s --- 4
Cardamom -- 3
Black pepper corns -- 6
Garlic cloves ---- 4 crushed
Ginger --- 1/2 inch piece crushed
Salt --- 1 tea sp
Turmeric powder --- 1 pinch
Thin coconut milk -- 1 cup
Thick coconut milk --- 1/2 cup
Spaghetti --- 1 pak ( the spaghetti pack which I used is 250 gms that serves for 4 people)
Oil ----- 1 tea sp
Salt --- 2 teasp

Method:--

1. In a wide pan dissolve 1 tea sp salt in 2 ltrs water and start boiling, bring to a full boil add 1 teasp oil mix well.
2.  Gradually immerse spaghetti in to the boiling water and continue cooking for ten minutes. stirring occasionally. Do not over cook, ten minutes is more then enough to cook spaghetti.
3. Drain the hot water from the cooked spaghetti and rinse in fresh cold water.
4. Take few drops of oil and apply on spaghetti so that won't stick together, leave it a side.
5. In a preassur cooker heat 1 tab oil then add clove, cardamom, cinnamon, black pepper corns, curry leaves let them fry for a while and add sliced onion, green chillies, crushed garlic, crushed ginger fry till onion turns in to transparent.
6. Now add mixed vegetables, turmeric powder, Salt to taste give a good stir add 1/4 cup water and thin coconut milk stir well, cover with lid and cook for 2 whistles
If you are using a normal pan (not a preassur cooker) then all the process is same but cook till the vegetable are cooked this will take 10 to 15 minutes time in a low heat.
7. Switch off the heat and let it sit for some time to release the preasure then open the lid.
8.Again bring the pan on to the stove top in a low heat add thick coconut milk stir well and bring to full boil. After you add coconut milk keep on stirring other wise some times coconut milk will be curdle so keep on stirring and keep the heat on low heat
9.Cook till the souse become thick and gravy looks creamy the switch off the heat, let it sit for a while and serve
10.Serving suggestions with spaghetti --- roll cooked spaghetti with a fork and place it in the middle of the plate pour the mixed vegetable stew over the spaghetti roll and serve warm.
Enjoy this Italian in to Indian combination . We really enjoyed this spicy delicious spaghetti in a new flavor with coconut milk and vegetables.
 This is my first recipe for Blogging Marathon 15 th edition in the theme of Cook Italian in Indian style and lets check the Marathon page

SAFFRON RISOTTO

Risotto is one of the traditional rice dish in Italian cuisine and also from the Italian part of Switzerland like Ticino. This creamy rice dish with nice saffron aroma is typically from Ticino. I adopted this recipe from here and the only one thing I change in this recipe is traditionally they use white wine in this recipe I didn't use wine.And here is the recipe.....

INGREDIENTS:---
Oil --- 1 tab sp
Arborio rice --- 1 cup
Onion --- 1 medium finely chopped
Garlic -- 1 clove minced
Saffron --- 1 tea sp or 1 pak(not ground)
Chicken or vegetable stock ---2 and 1/2 cup s
Half- and- half ---- 4 tsp
Cheese --- 100 gms finely grated
METHOD:----
1. Heat oil in a pan add finely chopped onions and minced garlic and fry till soft take care that onions should not change the color.
2. Now add the rice and stir till rice turns in to translucent stir continuously.
3. Now add 2&1/2 cups of stock, saffron stir well cover with a lid and cook in a low flame for 20 min. no need to stir in between because it is cooking in a low flame, let it cook well till rice becomes soft.
4. then add cream and grated cheese mix well, check and adjust the season.
5. Serve immediately with a meat dish or salad.
I served it with some fried chicken.
This Risotto is also goes to A.W.E.D -SWITZERLAND AT CURRY LEAF S Experiments,Emotions,Experiences with food EVENT BY DK OF CHEF IN YOU

CAULIFLOWER AND PASTA BAKE

Small shell pasta ---- 1 cup
Olive oil ---- 1 tab sp + 1 tea sp
Salt to taste
Butter --- 1 tab sp
Wheat flour --- 1 tab sp
Milk ---- 1 cup
Garlic --- 1/2 tea sp finely chopped
Ground nutmeg --- 1/4 tea sp
Dry thyme --- 1/4 tea sp
Here you can use 1/4 cup Sharp cheddar cheese and 1/2 cup grated parmesan cheese, or even swiss cheese also 1/2 cup.
Dry red chilli flakes --- 1/2 tea sp
Cauliflower --- 1 cup cut in to bite size pieces
Red bell pepper --- 1/2 cup chopped
Sweet corn kernels --- 1/4 cup

METHOD:-----

Boil water in a sauce pan and add 1 tea sp olive oil and pasta to boiling water and cook till done and drain water and pour cold water and drain the cold water also and leave a side.

Cook cauliflower in salted water till it become tender drain water and keep a side.

Now heat 1 tab sp butter and 1 tab sp olive oil in a sause pan add chopped garlic and chopped red bell pepper and fry for few min.

Then add wheat flour mix well and add milk very slowely and whisk till mixture boils and thickens(now you can add cheese s if you are useing) and add salt to taste, nutmeg, thyme and stir till blended.

Now add cooked cauliflower, corn kernels, and cooked pasta check salt and add Dry red chili falkes mix well check the taste .

Now pour in to a baking dish,If you like sprinkle some grated cheese on top and bake uncoverd at 350 degrees c for 20 min. remove from the oven and leave for 10 min. and serve.

enjoy your meal.

Since I don't like cheese very much so I don't add cheese if you like cheese you can add.

In this recipe I used small shell pasta but you can use any small shape pasta.
This is my another entry for JFI- CAULIFLOWER at Paajaka event started by Indira of Mahanandi

ORZO PASTA SOUP WITH MUSHROOMS

Orzo pasta some times called as Italian rice but not made out of rice made with hard wheat semolina.It is also known as Risoni.They looks like rice, slightly smaller then pinenut, it is frequentlly used in soups.Orzo, which means barley in Italian,for a surprising twist, substitute orzo for Arborio rice in your next risotto because it has a texture of traditional Arborio rice.and here i am with my recipe for ORZO SOUP WITH MUSHROOMS................... INGRIDENTS:-----
Orzo pasta ---- 1/2 cup
Mushrooms --- 1/2 cup chopped
Capsicum --- 1/2 cup thinly sliced
Onion --- 1/4 cup thinly sliced
Extra virgin olive oil ----- 1 tab sp
Garlic --- 1 clove finely chopped
Parsley or coriander leaves --- 1 tab sp finely chopped
Tomato --- 1 tab sp finely chopped
Fresh ly ground black pepper to taste
Salt totaste

METHOD:---

Boil water in a sauce pan with little salt and 1/2 tea sp oil and add risoni to the boiling water and cook for 8-9 min, mix in between after 8 min. check if it is cooked they looks shiney and soft then remove from heat and drine the hot water and pour cold water over it and remove cold water also and keep a side.

Now heat oil in a pan add chopped garlic and sliced onion and stir for few min. then add sliced capsicum,and mushroom fry till vegetable s are tender then add chopped tomato, chopped parsley or coriander stir once and add salt and pepper and add 1 cup of water mix well and bring to a full boil and cook for 2 min, then add cooked orzo pasta mix well and bring one more boil and remove from the heat

Serve hot garnish with leek rings and shaved parmigiano cheese if you like

I didn't add any cheese because i don't like cheese much and it is a full meal itself and i had this for my lunch today.

I like clear soups so i made it as a clear soup if you want it as a thick soup then grind half mushroom mixture before you add the pasta and bring to a full boil then add pasta to the soup and again bring to a full boil then serve and i used olive oil if you want can add butter that is your choice.

hope you all like my recipe

Thank you so much sweatha and priya for reminding me Vaishalis It'sveganworld -- Italian event iam sending this soup to the event at Holy cow since i didn't add butter or any cheese in this.

VEGETABLE--- CHEESE STRATA

Stratas are made the night before and cooked for break fast.you can alter this vegetable strata with any vegetable you like and i use broccoli and mushroom and you can substitute them with bell peppers and zucchini and coliflower and i use sharp- cheddar and jack and you can substitute any other cheese you like.This will be a great weekend brunch i feel hope you all like this.

Broccoli ----- 1 small flower

Mushrooms ---- 100 gms

Carrot --- 1 medium size

Sweet corn kernels --- 1 cup

Red chili flakes --- 1 tab sp

Oregano --- 1 tea sp

Grated extra -sharp cheddar cheese --- 1 cup

Grated jack cheese --- 1 cup

Large eggs --- 4(or you can use 1 cup egg substituteor you can just remove the eggs)

Milk --- 2 cups (i use skim milk you can use full cream or soya milk also)

Dijon mustard -- 2 tab sp

Wheat bread --- 8 slices(i use my home made wheat bread slices you can use any bread slices)

Onion --- 1 medium sliced

Olive oil -- 1 tab sp

Salt to taste

Butter for greasing the bakind dish

METHOD:---

Cut broccoli in to small flowerets and soak in salted warm water for 5 min remove and wash in cold water and leave a side

Slice onion and chop mushroom s in to small pieces and carrot in to thin slices

Heat olive oil in apan and add sliced onion and fry for a second then add carrot slicesfry for some more time then add chopped mushroom,corn kernel s, and broccoli ans stir fry for few seconds and add half red chiliflakes and oregano mix well and remove from fire and leave a side

Now beat eggs in a bowl add milk and mustard to egg s and beat well add salt and remaining red chili flakes and oregano mix well

Now arrange bread slices in agreased baking dish,distribute vegetable mixture on bread slices now pour the egg mixture over the vegetable mixture.

Mix both cheeses in abowl and sprinkle cheese evenly on egg mixture and cover the dish and refrigerate at least 4 hours or preferably overnight.

Preheat the oven and bake the strata at 375 degree till slightly browned and puffed it will take almost 30 - 40 min.

Remove and stand for 10 min. then serve

Serves 4

Enjoy your break fast