KUNG PAO CHICKEN

Chicken and bell peppers are a fabulous combination and this gravy wonderfully combines the two along with tomatoes, onion, red chilli powder and soya sauce. Hence this dish not only looks good but also tastes fantastic. The gravy can be served with fried rice, plain rice or even chapathi.

BAKED VEGETABLES WITH PASTA

This is a very simple and easy to cook delicacy filled with vegetables, pasta and cheese. White sauce has been added to enhance its flavour and taste. This can be served as a main dish with soup as an accompaniment.

CAPSICUM PANEER GRAVY

Paneer or cottage cheese is rich in proteins and calcium and is widely used in India to prepare curries, sweets, etc. Palak paneer, Kadai Paneer, Capsicum paneer gravy, Paneer butter masala are some of the most popular paneer based gravies served here. Paneer can also be easily prepared at home. We have made this gravy using our homemade paneer. Adding capsicums gave a wonderful taste to the dish.

CARROT BELL PEPPER RICE

 

 

 
 
 
This is a perfect lunch box special recipe which is easy to cook and tastes delicious. Bell peppers and carrots add a nice flavour to the dish. 


Serves: 6
Ingredients

4 to 5 tbsp oil
1 cardamom, 1 cinnamon
2 onions
3 tbsp garlic ginger paste
2 tomatoes
2 carrots
2 bell peppers (1 yellow, 1 green)
2 tsp red chilli powder
1 ½ tsp garam masala powder
2 tsp salt
2 tbsp coconut paste
3 cups rice washed and soaked in water for ½ an hour
6 cups water
3 tbsp coriander leaves

Method

First cut the carrots, bell peppers, tomatoes and onions into thin slices and set aside. Then heat oil in a pressure cooker, add onions, cardamom and cinnamon and sauté till onions turn golden. Then add garlic and ginger paste and sauté for a few minutes. Then add tomatoes, red chilli powder, garam masala and salt. Mix well and cook till oil starts separating. Then add carrots and bell peppers. Cook for a minute. Then add coriander leaves and coconut paste. Mix well and add drained rice and stir for a minute. Finally add water, close the lid and pressure cook for 10 minutes or up to 3 whistles. Serve hot.

CAPSICUM DATES CUSTARD

This is my entry for the Master Chef Contest on IndiBlogger. Since the standard of Master Chef is very high, we wanted to create something which is very unique and innovative. So I and my mom zeroed in on capsicum and tried making a sweet dish out of it. Using capsicums in a sweet dish was a challenge, but it came out well and had a distinct flavour and aroma. Since we used capsicums of different colours along with dates and strawberry flavoured custard powder, our dessert looked vibrant and colourful. Making this dish and eating it was an enjoyable experience as it was the first time we made something which we have never heard or seen before.

Serves: 4
Ingredients

2 capsicums cut into very small strips (different colours)
10 dates deseeded and cut into strips
2 ½ cups milk
1 ½ tbsp custard powder
5 to 6 tbsp sugar
1 tsp honey (optional)

Method

Boil the capsicums in 2 to 3 cups of water till they are cooked. Drain the water and set aside in a bowl. Then heat 2 cups of milk in a pan, when it starts boiling, add sugar and cook till the sugar dissolves. Then add capsicums and dates. Stir for a minute. Dissolve custard powder in ½ cup of milk and add to the pan. Check for sugar. When the custard starts thickening, remove from pan and pour into bowls. Allow it to cool and refrigerate. Add honey on top and serve cold.

MEXICAN VEGETABLE RICE

Ingredients

4 tbsp oil
2 onions chopped
1 ½ tbsp chopped garlic cloves
1 big capsicum deseeded and cut into thin strips
2 tomatoes chopped
½ tsp red chilli powder
1 tsp green chilli sauce
1 ¼ tsp salt
2 cups rice washed and soaked in water for ½ an hour
4 cups water

Method

Heat oil in a pressure cooker; add onions and sauté for some time. Then add chopped garlic cloves and capsicums and cook for a minute. Now add tomatoes, red chilli powder, green chilli sauce and salt. (You can alternatively, omit the green chilli sauce and increase the quantity of red chilli powder).Mix well and cook till the oil starts separating. Add the drained rice and mix well. Finally add water, stir well, close the lid and cook up to 3 whistles or 10 minutes. Serve hot.

BEETROOT CAPSICUM GRAVY

This is a beetroot gravy cooked in Chinese style. It is easy to cook and goes well with chapathi, roti and naan.

Serves: 4
Ingredients

1 beetroot grated and steamed
1 onion finely chopped
½ capsicums chopped
1 tbsp tomato sauce
1 tbsp soya sauce
1 tsp red chilli powder
1 tbsp corn flour dissolved in ¼ cup water
½ tbsp garlic paste
½ tbsp ginger paste
Salt to taste
4 tbsp oil
A pinch of ajinimoto (optional)
Coriander leaves

Method

Heat oil in a pan; add onions and sauté till it turns golden. Then add garlic paste and ginger paste and sauté for a minute. Then add beetroot and capsicum. Sauté for some time till the capsicum is tender. Then add red chilli powder, tomato sauce, soya sauce, salt and ajinimoto. Mix well and cook till the raw smell goes and oil separates. Finally add ½ cup water and bring to a boil. Then add the corn flour dissolved in water, stir and cook for 2 minutes. Reduce heat, close a lid and cook for 3 to 4 minutes. Beetroot capsicum gravy is now ready. Garnish with coriander leaves and serve hot.