Cauliflower Fusili Puttanesca

I can have pasta for any meal.This simple pasta dish was made by my DH.It was adapted from the recipe featured in Real Simple Magazine.

Ingredients:

Penne pasta - 3/4 pound We used tricolor fusili pasta

Chili flakes - 2tsp

Pepper powder - 2tsp

Garlic - 2tbsp minced

Capers - 2 tbsp

Kalamata olives(pitted) - 1/4 cup

Cauliflower - 1 medium separate into small florets

Tomato - 2 chopped

Parsley - 2 tbsp

Grated Parmesan - for sprinkling on the top(optional)

Kosher salt - as required

olive oil - 5tbsp

Method:

Boil pasta in sufficient amount of water till Al dente.

Heat oil in a pan.When hot,add the garlic and saute for 2 minutes.

Now add the cauliflower florets and saute till it gets cooked but still crunchy.

Then add the olives,capers and tomato and saute till tomato becomes mushy.

Now add the chili flakes,required amount of salt.

Finally add the pasta and cook for about 2 minutes.

Then add the parsley and grated Parmesan on the top.

Serve hot.

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Pasta Primavera

Primavera means "season of spring" in Italian.This dish usually is packed with vegetables which are available in spring.But any vegetable can be added to the pasta.The vegetables should not become  soggy but should retain the crispy texture while cooking.There are so many versions of this recipe.A common recipe uses heavy cream and butter.Since I wanted it be light and healthy,I skipped adding those.

This is my kid's favorite lunch box dish.

Ingredients:


Rotini Pasta - 1 pound

Tomatoes - 1

Zucchini - 1 sliced

Carrots - 2   cut into 1 inch pieces

Broccoli  florets - 8

Onion - 1 chopped

Garlic - 3 pods minced

Green bell pepper - cut into thin strips

Marinara Sauce - 1 cup

Oil - 4 Tbsp

Pepper powder - 2 tsp

Salt to taste

Grated Parmesan cheese - 2 tbsp optional

Even vegetables like peas,eggplant can be added.

Method:


Bring a large pot of salted water to boil.Add the pasta and and cook for 10 to 12 minutes or until al dente.
Drain them in a colander.

Heat oil in a pan and add the garlic.Then add the onion and saute till translucent.

Then add the green pepper,zucchini,carrot and saute for 5 minutes.

Now add the pepper powder.Add the marinara sauce and 1/2 cup of water and allow it to boil for 2 minutes.

Now add the pasta ,required amount of salt.

Sprinkle  Parmesan cheese if you prefer.

Serve hot .

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Rava/Sooji Khichadi/Semolina Khichadi

Rava/Sooji Kichadi is my favorite for dinner or even breakfast..I remember the first time I tried making this when I was about 14 or 15..It came out as a lumpy mass :) though it tasted good.

I definitely do believe that getting the right texture of Rava Upma/Khichadi is indeed an art!!Perfection comes only out of Practice.

Printable Recipe

Ingredients:

Sooji/Rava - 1 cup

Ghee - 1 Tbsp

Oil - 4tbsp

Mustard seeds - 1 tsp

Split Urad dal  - 1 tsp

Turmeric powder - 1/4 tsp

A cup of mixed vegetables like carrot,beans,peas,potato finely chopped

Onion - 1 big

Tomato - 1

A sprig of curry leaves

Coriander leaves for garnishing

Water - 2  1/2 cups

To be ground into  a paste:

Garlic cloves - 2

Ginger - 1 inch piece

Fennel seeds - 1/2 tsp

Cloves - 2

Cinnamon - 2 inch piece

Green chillies - 3

Method:

Heat the ghee in a kadai.Roast the sooji until it becomes slightly brown in color.Keep aside.

Heat oil in a pan.Add the mustard seeds.When they splutter add the urad dal.when the dal becomes brown add the finely chopped onion and the curry leaves.When they become translucent,add the ground paste and fry till the raw smell goes off.Add all the veggies one by one and then the tomato.When the vegetables are almost cooked,add the roasted sooji,turmeric powder and required amount of salt.

Meanwhile in another pan heat 2 1/2 cups of water and switch it off when it starts boiling.Keep the boiling water ready.

Pour the boiling water into the sooji and vegetable mixture and stir briskly so that no lumps are formed.Simmer and cover with  a lid.Switch off the stove when the sooji is cooked and garnish with coriander leaves.

Drizzle a little bit of ghee on the top.

Serve hot.

This is my entry to shama's FIRST COOKED FOOD EVENT --AUG'09

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Bulghur wheat upma

Bulghur wheat is very nutritious and is an excellent source of vitamins and minerals.

This dish is healthy and wholesome and diabetic-friendly.

Ingredients:

1 cup - bulghur wheat

2 cups - water

1tsp - mustard seeds

1 tsp - split urad dal

1 tsp - channa dal

2 tbsp - oil

2 - green chillies

1 medium sized onion

1/2 cup vegetables - a combination of carrot,beans,peas(I used frozen vegetables)

salt - to taste

Method:

Heat oil in a pan.When the oil is hot,add mustard seeds.When they splutter add urad dal and channa dal.

When they become slightly brown add onions and green chillies.Wait till the onions become translucent.

Then add 2 cups of water and salt according to taste.When the water starts boiling add the bulghur wheat.

Simmer and stir for 2 minutes.Then close the pan with a lid and let it cook on slow fire.

In between keep on stirring once in a while.

When the bulghur wheat is cooked switch off the fire.

Serve with a pickle.

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Puli pongal

This is a traditional Tamilnadu recipe."Puli" means tamarind in Tamil.The main ingredients are broken raw rice and tamarind.Unlike the usual pongal this dish will not be so mushy.

Here is the recipe

Ingredients:

2 cups - broken raw rice

small lemon size - tamarind(soaked in water)

1 tsp - mustard seeds

1 tsp - Channa dal

5 - dry red chillies

You can reduce the number of chillies according to your spice level.

1/4 tsp - asafoetida powder

1/2 tsp - turmeric powder

1/4 cup - gingelly/sesame oil

Don't substitute with any other oil because sesame oil adds a unique flavour to this dish.

a sprig of curry leaves

salt to taste

Method:

Puli pongal can be made either in a kadai or pressure cooker.I prefer to use a pressure cooker /pressure pan because it is a lot more easier.

Before you actually start making the dish,keep the tamarind juice ready measured up.For every cup of broken rice add 2 1/4 cups of tamarind juice.

Heat oil in a pressure pan.Add the mustard seeds.When it splutters add the channa dal.When the channa dal is lightly brown, add turmeric powder,asafoetida,dry red chillies and curry leaves.

Then add the tamarind juice.When it begins to boil,add the broken rice and the required amount of salt.

Close the lid of the pressure pan.Cook for 2 whistles.

After opening the pressure pan just mix everything together.

Serve with cut raw onions.

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