Fried Cauliflower with Italian touch

I have tried cauliflower fry before. This one is my new recipe with cauliflower. I bought fresh cauliflowers from the market on Saturday. Its been a while since I made cauliflower fry. So thought why not make it this time but in a different way. It tasted very good. I made cilantro mint rice the other day and this worked out as a great side dish to our lunch. Its very simple and dint require any major preparation. With ready made ingredients a nice snack/ appetizer/ side dish is ready . 

Ingredients:

Cauliflower - 1 small broken into florets

Bread crumbs (Italian Style - it includes necessary spices) - 1/2 cup 

Oil for deep frying

All purpose flour - 2 tbsp

Preparation: 

Mix all purpose flour in about 6 tbsp water and make it into thin paste. 

Take the florets, dip it in the flour paste and then dip it in bread crumbs. 

Deep fry them until they turn brown. 

Serve it with hot sauce.

Reposting Eggplant Curry - Baingan Bartha

Eggplant is not my kinda veggie. Somehow from my childhood I have an avertion to eggplants. But one day when we went on a vacation to Jaipur, I had a chance to relish yummy makkan rotis and delicious baingan bhartha in the roadside dhaba. This was my first eggplant attack and it has remained my favorite dish ever. I just found out from my cousin that this is my aunt U's favorite too!! So i want to dedicate this to her. Wish I could cook it for her in person. She lives in India and I hope one day i can make this super duper dish for her.

Ingredients:

Eggplant - 1

Onions - 1 finely chopped

Tomato - 2 ( 1 chopped and 1 for grinding)

Ginger garlic paste - 1 tsp

Turmeric - a pinch

Garam masala / baingan bartha masala - 3 tbsp

Green chilli - 1 ( if need be)

Salt - to taste

For seasoning:

Oil - 2 tbsp

Cumin seeds - 1 tsp

To Garnish:

Corriander leaves

Earlier i used to cook the eggplant by tossing it on top of the stove untill it gets cooked well and you get smoky smell. But this time i tried keeping the eggplant in the oven for 30 -45 mins preheated to 380 degrees. It came out so well. I could peel the skin so easliy and the best part is no mess and no struggle to clean. 

Procedure:

First cook the eggplant in oven pre heated to 380 degrees for about 30 -45 mins. Keeping looking in between to avoid burning. Keep aside when cooked.

Grind tomato, ginger  garlic paste, chilli, garam masala powder, turmeric powder into a nice puree. This will give the gravy a thick and a nice flavor. 

Now in a pan heat oil and add cumin seeds. First add onions and fry till it becomes transparent. Then add chopped tomato and keep frying for 3 mins untill tomato is almost cooked. Now add the tomato puree, salt and let it boil for some time till the oil sperates from mixture and the raw smell fades.

Add water if necessary. Thats it! Its amost over. Now mash the eggplant and add it to the gravy and let it cook for about 5 mins till everything blends well.

Garnish with corriander. Add extra butter on top for more taste. Now this has become my husband's favorite too!!! You can eat this with roti or bread or even have it with rice. 

Sending this to Charitha's C for Colorful curries event 

Cilantro Mint Pilaf

I was talking to my mom last night about cooking tips. My mom writes small tips for the South Indian Magazines. So I give her some useful tips and she tells me about what she reads from the magazines. My paternal grandmom told my mom about this rice and my mom wrote about this write for her magazine. She told me about this rice and it sounded really flavorful and delicious. I do not like mint so much. But after tasting this rice, I really started to develop a taste for mint. My grandmom doesn't eat garlic or onion. So my mom excluded those but I included them. :-) Colorful and flavorful meal in just no time. 

Ingredients: 

Cilantro - 1 bunch

Mint - 1 bunch

Basmati Rice - 1 cup

Cinammon stick - 1/4 inch

Cloves - 3

Garlic pods - 2

Ginger - 1/4 inch 

White onion - 1 small

Oil - 3 tbsp

Salt - to taste

Preparation:

First grind cilantro, mint, ginger, garlic, cinnamon, cloves, onion to a fine paste. Add very little water just enough for easy grinding. 

Heat oil in a pan. Add ground paste, salt and keep frying till flavorful aroma comes up. When the oil separates from the mixture and the color turns dark green, remove from heat.

Meanwhile cook basmati rice in 2 cups water so that rice is cooked and is separate. Now when the rice is cooked, add this paste and mix well. 

Cilantro mint rice is ready!! Serve with raitha or curry. I served it with fried cauliflower. 

Sending this to Kiran's Herbs and Flowers in my Platter started by PJ and to Priya's Bookmarked recipes started by US Masala

Have a great day!