Indian Style Pasta Recipe | Masala Pasta Recipe

When it comes to pasta I usually do not prefer ordering pasta if we go to any Italian restaurant, the reasons simply are that I find the pasta is too bland for y taste buds and also it is loaded with lots of cheese.Instead I would happily go for paper thin Pizzas though they are loaded with cheese. 

Pastas are perfect for weekend lunch or dinner and I usually make it for dinner as I find it easy to cook.As TH prefers mostly Pesto sauces with pasta or a simple one rather than the tomato or the white sauce, I usually end up preparing either Basil Pesto Pasta or Spinach Pesto Pasta or simple Aglio Olio or Sundried Tomato Pesto Pasta or  Red Bell Pepper Sauce Pasta.But when parents or in-laws come to visit us and if we plan for pasta for dinner, I usually end up preparing this Indian style pasta for them to suit their taste buds as I am sure that they would not prefer other kind of pastas which I usually prepare.I must say that this is a fusion recipe and definitely would suit any Indian taste buds.

Check out other Pasta Recipes in my blog:

• Basil Pesto with Spiral Pasta
• Creamy Avocado Pasta
• Eggplant Pasta
• Macaroni with Roasted Vegetables and Herbs in White Sauce
• Pasta Salad
• Roasted Bell Pepper Pasta
• Spinach Pesto Penne Pasta
• Sundried Tomato Pesto Pasta 

Indian style Pasta Recipe | Masala Pasta Recipe:

Serves 2

Prep time:25 mins | Cooking time:20 mins | Total time:45 mins

Cuisine:Indo-Italian | Category: Pasta - Main Course

Ingredients:

2 cups Penne Pasta(or any other shape like fusili,sphagetti)

1 Onion,finely chopped
1 large Tomato,blanched and pureed
1 Carrot,finely chopped
1 Capsicum,finely chopped
3-4 Babycorns,finely chopped(optional)

3-4 Garlic pods,finely chopped
2 tsp Tomato Sauce
1/4 tsp Garam masala
1 tsp Red chili powder
1/4 tsp Black Pepper powder

1 tsp Mixed Herbs or Oregano

2 tbsp chopped Coriander

2-3 tbsp Olive Oil

Salt to taste

Method:

to cook pasta:

Cook according to the instruction of your package or follow this procedure:

• Bring water to boil in a big pot (filled to its half) and add salt,1 tsp olive oil and pasta and cook over medium flame for 10-12 mins until al dente(cooked and tender to teeth).You can cook it further for 2-3 mins more to get soft pasta,but definitely do not make it soggy.

• Drain and reserve 1/2 cup of water for later usage.you can even give a cold bath to the pasta by running it under fresh tap water which helps in keeping the pasta separate.

to prepare Masala Pasta:

• Heat olive oil in a wide bottomed pan and fry sliced garlic until slight brown and then add chopped onions and fry until they are pink and soft.

• Add finely chopped carrots and baby corns and fry well for 5-6 mins and then add finely chopped capsicum and fry for a minute.

• Now add pureed tomato,tomato sauce,garam masala powder,red chili powder and mix well and fry until the oil separates.I have not added tomato puree as I was not having tomatoes at home at that moment.

• Add 4-5 tbsp of reserved pasta liquid if required add more to get a medium sauce consistency.
• Add cooked pasta and mix well until all the pasta is covered with the sauce and is warm.Now add black pepper powder,Italian herbs,chopped coriander,salt(remember we added salt while making pasta as well,so add accordingly)and mix well.
• Dish it out to the serving platter and garnish with coriander.

Serve it hot or warm with Tomato sauce and Lime Soda or drink of your choice.

Notes:

1. You can replace penne pasta with any of the pasta like spiral, fusili, spaghetti, macaroni , farfelle or any other pasta of your choice.
2. If you want it more spicy add chopped green chilli while adding onions.
3. If you are preparing it for kids adjust the spicyness accordingly.
4. If you want to skip tomato sauce ,add 1/2 tsp of sugar to the tomato puree to balance the flavors in pasta.
5. You can add colored bell peppers, blanched broccoli, thinly sliced mushrooms to the pasta.
6. You can make it a bit more Desi version by adding cumin seeds and curry leaves in the tempering and also turmeric powder along with the other masala but somehow I don't like the idea of making the pasta very south Indian way.

Technorati Tags: indian style pasta recipe ,how to make pasta at home, pasta recipes, desi style pasta,masala pasta recipe, fusion recipes, indo italian recipes, kids lunch box recipes, pasta for kids

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Spring Dosa Recipe | Vegetable Spring Roll Dosa

As mentioned in my earlier Schezwan Dosa post I am here posting another famous Dosa variant - Spring Roll Dosa from the streets of Mumbai. Spring Roll Dosa got its name as Dosa is filled with the same filling which we use for Chinese Spring rolls and is cut in a similar way as the Spring rolls are cut and served. I am though not a big fan of this Spring roll dosa and prefer the Schezwan dosa over this. 

As this is one of the more popular Fusion Dosa varieties, I wanted to document it in my blog so that it would be useful for those who love this Spring Dosa. I usually do not prefer to add noodles to the filling and hence I avoided it but if you like you can go ahead and add them - it is known as Chinese Chopsuey Dosa. If you love Indo-Chinese you would definitely love this Spring roll dosa, give this a try for your guests and I am sure they would be impressed with this.

Check out other Dosa fusion recipes in my blog.

• Chettinadu Cauliflower Masala Dosa
• Mysore Masala Dosa
• Erra Kaaram Dosa...from Rayalaseema
• Masala Uthappam | Uthappam topped with spicy alu masala
• Pav Bhaji Dosa
• Kharada Eerulli Dosa/Spicy Onion Dosa 
• Schezwan Dosa
• Spring Dosa
• Mumbai style Mysore Masala

If you are interested in other dosa recipes,check out more varieties here.

Spring Dosa | Spring Roll Dosa Recipe:

Yields 6 dosas

Prep time:10 mins | Cooking time:20 mins | Total time:30 mins

Cuisine: South Indian + Chinese Fusion | Category: Breakfast/Snacks

Ingredients:

2-3 cups Dosa batter

Butter and Oil, to roast

for Vegetable filling:

1.5 cups of mixed julienned vegetables(carrot,capsicum,cabbage,french beans,spring onions)

1 small Onion,thinly sliced

4-5 Garlic pods, finely sliced

1" Ginger, thinly sliced
1 tsp Tomato sauce

3/4 tsp Soya sauce
3/4 tsp Red chili sauce or Green chili sauce
1 tsp Vinegar
1/4 tsp Black Pepper powder

Salt to taste

2 tsp Oil

Method:

to prepare Veg filling:

• Heat oil in a kadai/pan and add thinly sliced garlic,ginger and fry until they turn light golden brown in color.Add sliced onions(or spring onion whites) and fry until they turn translucent.
  

  
• Add julienned carrots, french beans and capsicum and fry on high heat for 1-2 mins.
• Now add julienned cabbage and spring onion greens and quickly fry for another minute.The crunchiness of vegetables is to be maintained and hence do not over cook the vegetables.
  

  
• Add tomato sauce, chili sauce, soya sauce, vinegar, pepper powder and salt and mix well and switch it off.
  

  

to make Dosa:

• Make the tawa ready for preparing dosa,keep the stove on medium flame and pour a ladle full of batter in the middle of the pan and spread in a circular motion to form a 9 " THIN dosa and pour some oil (1 tbsp roughly) all over the edges and in the center cover it with a lid.
  

  
• Add 1 tsp butter and spread and keep the flame on HIGH and let it roast for another minute until it turns golden brown and crispy. Do not over roast it as it will be difficult to fold it as shown.
• Place the prepared vegetable mixture in one corner as shown in the picture and roll it to the end.
  

   
• Remove it from the tawa and cut it diagonally using a pizza cutter or sharp edge of spatula or knife.

Serve it with Coconut chutney and Sambar. Check out other side dishes for Idli/dosa here.

Notes:

• You can basically use any dosa batter recipe to prepare this dosa but make sure you spread the dosa very thin.
• You can add boiled noodles at the end to the filling if you like.
• I did not have Spring onions at that moment so I avoided it. But add it for extra taste.

Technorati Tags: spring roll dosa recipe, how to make spring roll dosa, chinese chopsuey dosa, mumbai dosa varieties, dosa recipes, street style dosa recipe, spring dosa, dosa with spring vegetables, fusion dosa recipes, indo chinese recipes 

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Mumbai Mysore Masala Dosa Recipe

Mysore Masala Dosa comes in my top 5 breakfast varieties on any given day. It is a must for me to have Masala Dosa for breakfast in my favorite joints during my trips to Bangalore. The crisp crust with a soft interior is the key for a good Masala dosa and it is served in that way in Bangalore and if you have ever tasted Masala dosa in Bangalore it is not easy for you to like the masala dosa in any other place and it's the same case with me.I do not like thin masala dosa unless it is a paper masala dosa. Even in Mumbai most of the udupi joints prepare the masala dosa very thin which I am not really fond of,I give them a miss and prepare Masala Dosa at home. But Mumbai street food takes the humble South Indian Masala Dosa to a different level with the addition of various masalas and vegetables and the way they play with the ingredients by mashing them on the dosa and the way it is served really impressed me - it is really fun to watch the way they use the masher to mix the ingredients.

Now let me explain what the key difference between a regular Mysore Masala Dosa and the Mumbai style Masala Dosa. In Mysore Masala Dosa, a spicy garlic chutney is smeared on dosa and is stuffed with potato curry where as in Mumbai style Mysore Masala Dosa - an extra component of additional vegetables with spices like Pav bhaji masala or garam masala gives a new dimension to it. Also the dosa is prepared thin compared to the regular masala dosa.

I thoroughly enjoy this Mumbai style Mysore Masala Dosa and I recommend you all to try this at least once and I am sure you would thank me for introducing you to this delicious Mumbai street style dosa.

Check out other Dosa varieties from the streets of Mumbai:

• Chettinadu Cauliflower Masala Dosa
• Mysore Masala Dosa
• Erra Kaaram Dosa...from Rayalaseema
• Masala Uthappam | Uthappam topped with spicy alu masala
• Pav Bhaji Dosa
• Kharada Eerulli Dosa/Spicy Onion Dosa 
• Schezwan Dosa
• Spring Dosa
• Mumbai style Mysore Masala

If you are interested in other dosa recipes,check out more varieties here.

Mumbai Mysore Masala Dosa Recipe:

Yields 6-8 dosas

Prep time:10 mins | Cooking time:20 mins | Total time:30 mins

Cuisine: South Indian Fusion | Category: Breakfast/Snacks

Ingredients:

2-3 cups Dosa batter
1/4 cup chopped Coriander leaves

Butter and Oil, to roast

for Potato Stuffing:
2 medium Potatoes,boiled and mashed
1 small Onion,finely chopped
2 Green chillies, chopped
1/4 tsp Turmeric powder
a sprig of Curry leaves,chopped
1/2 tsp Cumin seeds
1/2 tsp Mustard seeds
a pinch of Asafoetida(Hing)
Salt to taste
2 tsp Oil

for Vegetable filling:

3/4 cup of mixed finely chopped vegetables(tomato,onion,capsicum,cabbage)

1/4 cup of grated vegetables(carrot and beetroot)

1/4 tsp Garam masala
1 tsp Pav Bhaji masala
1/4 tsp Red chili powder

Salt to taste

2 tsp Oil

for Red Garlic Chutney:
3-4 Byadige Red chillies
7-8 Garlic Pods
Salt to taste

Method:

to prepare Potato filling:

• Heat oil in a kadai/pan and crackle mustard seeds and cumin seeds and then add asafoetida.

• Add finely chopped green chillies and curry leaves and fry until they wilt.
• Now add chopped onions and fry well until they turn translucent.

• Add turmeric powder to it and mix.Add nicely mashed potatoes and salt to it and mix it properly. Keep it ready.

to prepare Red Garlic chutney:

• Soak red chillies in hot water for 10-15 mins.Drain them and grind with garlic pods and salt to a fine paste.Add water if needed while grinding.

to prepare Veg filling:

• Heat oil in a kadai/pan and add finely chopped onions and fry until they turn translucent.
• Add grated carrots and beetroots and finely chopped capsicum and fry on high heat for 1-2 mins.
  
  

  

  
  
• Now add chopped cabbage and quickly fry for another minute.The crunchiness of vegetables is to be maintained and hence do not over cook the vegetables.
• Add red chili powder, garam masala, pav bhaji masala and salt to it and mix well and switch it off and keep the mixture ready.

to make Dosa:

• Keep the masalas- potato masala and mixed vegetable mixture ready. Make the tawa ready for preparing dosa,keep the stove on medium flame and pour a ladle full of batter in the middle of the pan and spread in a circular motion to form a 7-8 " THIN dosa and pour some oil (1 tbsp roughly) all over the edges and in the center cover it with a lid.
  
  

  

  
  
• Add 1 tsp butter, 1 tsp red garlic chutney, 1 tbsp chopped coriander leaves and 2-3 tbsp prepared potato filling and 2-3 tbsp prepared vegetable stuffing mixture.
  
  

  

  
  
• Mix and spread them using a spoon or spatula or the masher according to your convenience. Level the mixed stuffing using the spatula. Keep the flame on HIGH and let it roast for another minute until it turns golden brown and crispy. Do not over roast it as it will be difficult to fold it as shown.

• Roll the dosa carefully to form a roll.
• Remove it from the tawa and cut it into 3-4 pieces using a pizza cutter or sharp edge of spatula or knife.You can even cut it diagonally.

Serve it with Coconut chutney and Sambar. Check out other side dishes for Idli/dosa here.

Notes:

• You can basically use any dosa batter recipe to prepare this dosa but make sure you spread the dosa very thin.
• Do not miss any component in the recipe to enjoy the taste of this fusion dosa.
• Also do not skip Pav bhaji masala in the recipe which lends a nice taste to the dosa.
• I did not have beetroot on that day and hence I did not add it.
• Usually all the vegetables and spices are added directly on the dosa along with potato mixture,garlic chutney,butter and is mashed directly on the tawa. The tawa and the heat plays a major role when comes to home made dosas and hence we cannot do it easily as the street hawkers do, I suggest you to lightly saute the vegetables ahead which not only makes it cook faster but also makes the job easier. If you want to have fun you can still try that method.

Technorati Tags: mumbai style mysore masala dosa recipe, dosa varieties in mumbai, mumbai street style dosa recipes, dosa recipes, fusion dosa recipes, fusion recipes, breakfast recipes, mysore masala dosa in mumbi style

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Tawa Idli | Spicy Tava Idli Recipe

Mumbai Street food is mostly fusion recipes and I just love to try everything which sounds interesting .Though I am an ardent fan of Bangalore style Idli and Dosa ,I would take a bow for the creativity of Mumbai when comes to street food especially for their innovations in the south Indian food.

Here in Mumbai you can get dosa with literally any flavor - like Pav Bhaji Dosa or Spring roll Dosa or Chinese Chopsuey Dosa or Schezwan Dosa etc to name a few and I am a fan of Schezwan dosa. Even the south Indian Idli has got a make over with few variations like Tawa Idli, Chili Idli, Dahi Idli , Idli Chaat etc.

I usually do not have left over Idlis at my place but in order to prepare these yummy snacks I prepare more Idlis on weekends so that I can turn few of them to a simple and delicious evening snack. Tawa Idli is a closer cousin to Chili Idli but prepared with Indian spices. I prepare Tawa Idli in a way similar to how I prepare Chilli Parotta with just a few modifications and the addition of the special spice- Pav Bhaji Masala, which takes this Tawa Idli to a whole new level.

Tawa Idli makes a nice snack for Kids Tiffin box and it is also an ideal recipe to turn those Idli haters to Idli Lovers.

If you are interested check out few interesting recipes with left over Idlis -

• Idli Upma - using left over Idlis
• Masala Idli Fries 
• Masala Cocktail Idlis

For Idli recipe - refer either Idli Recipe using Idli Rawa or Idli recipe using Idli Rice. You can use any of the recipes to prepare Idlis.

Tawa Idli | Spicy Tava Idli Recipe:

Serves 2

Prep time: 5 mins | Cooking time: 10 mins | Total time: 15 mins

Cuisine: Indian | Category: Snacks/Light Meals

Ingredients:

4-5 left over Idlis(Idli recipe- here and here)

1 medium Capsicum,finely chopped

1 medium Onion,finely chopped

1 medium Tomato,finely chopped

1-2 Green chillies,finely chopped

1/2" Ginger,grated

1 tbsp Coriander leaves

juice of 1/2 Lemon

1 1/2 tsp Pav Bhaji masala

1/2 tsp Red chili powder

1/4 tsp Turmeric powder

4-5 Curry leaves(optional)

1/4 tsp Cumin Seeds

2 tbsp Oil

Salt to taste

Method:

• Cut idlis into medium cubes and keep it ready.Use left over idlis which are best for this.If you are using fresh Idlis make sure you cool them before you cut.

• Heat oil in a pan and crackle cumin seeds.Add grated ginger, chopped green chillies and curry leaves and fry for a minute.

• Add finely chopped onions and fry until they turn slight pink in color.Now add chopped capsicum pieces and fry for a  couple of minutes.

• Add chopped tomatoes and fry until the mixture becomes pulpy,it takes 3-4 mins.
• Now add all the masalas - red chili powder, pav bhaji masala, turmeric powder and salt and fry for 1-2 mins.If the mixture turns dry sprinkle a tsp of water and mix nicely.

• Add the chopped idli cubes and mix well until the masalas coats the idli pieces nicely.
• Increase the flame now and fry for 2-3 mins until the idli pieces get roasted slightly.
• Switch off the flame.Add chopped coriander and lemon juice and mix.

Serve it hot just like that or with Coconut Chutney.

Notes:

1. Adjust the spiciness according to your requirements.If you are preparing it for kids avoid green chillies in it.
2. It tastes best when made spicy and served hot.
3. You can follow the same process and use chopped pav buns or parottas instead of idli pieces in the recipe.

Technorati Tags: tawa idli, how to make tawa idli, left over idli recipes, chili idli, idli recipes for kids, make over with idlis,f usion recipes, idli recipes, kids recipes, kids tiffin box recipes

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Schezwan Dosa Recipe | Fusion Recipes

 

Mumbai never disappoints me when it comes to fusion food,I have not tasted better fusion food in any other place. Being a South Indian, I am a big fan of  Dosa and I thoroughly enjoy the variations of Dosa in the streets of Mumbai. I have mentioned in my earlier Pav Bhaji Dosa and Masala Uthappam posts about the various variations of dosa we get in Mumbai, the list of dosas would go to 100+ varieties here. Among all the varieties my favourite picks would always be among these Jini Dosa, Schezwan Dosa, Pav Bhaji Dosa and Mumbai Mysore Masala Dosa varieties.I would try to post few of the other varieties soon on my blog.

Schezwan Noodle Dosa is the most favourite among youngsters but somehow I do not like the addition of noodles as a filling for dosa, hence I always choose plain Schezwan Dosa where a lip smacking schezwan sauce is spread on the dosa and is topped with thinly shredded vegetables and is folded and cut into thin strips. The whole process of dosa making by the street vendors is really fun to watch here in Mumbai. For those who are eating for the first time, this might sound weird the combination of Chinese filling with south Indian chutney and Sambar. But you need to taste it to believe it, it pairs up beautifully.

The key factor to the taste of this dosa is the Schezwan sauce ,I just love it and somehow the word Schezwan makes me feel Deja Vu and I order anything with the tag Schezwan before it. This Schezwan dosa is a mix of sweet,spicy and tangy tastes with crisp vegetables and it would definitely a favourite for your kids.If you are a dosa lover I would vouch for this Schezwan Dosa recipe and I beg you to try it once. I am sure you would drop by again to say thanks to me, such is the magic of this Schezwan Dosa. Now with out much delay let's get into the details of the recipe.

Dosa lovers,check out various Dosa variations in my blog here -

• Chettinadu Cauliflower Masala Dosa
• Erra Kaaram Dosa...from Rayalaseema
• Masala Uthappam | Uthappam topped with spicy alu masala
• Pav Bhaji Dosa
• Kharada Eerulli Dosa/Spicy Onion Dosa 

If you are interested in other dosa recipes,check out more varieties here.

Schezwan Dosa Recipe:

Yields 6-7 dosas

Prep time:10 mins | Cooking time:20 mins | Total time:30 mins

Cuisine: South Indian + Chinese Fusion | Category: Breakfast/Snacks

Ingredients:

2-3 cups Dosa batter

1/3 cup Schezwan sauce

Butter and Oil, to roast

for Schezwan Vegetable filling:

1.5 cups of mixed julienned vegetables(carrot,capsicum,cabbage,french beans)

1 small Onion,thinly sliced

2-3 Garlic pods, finely sliced

1/2" Ginger, thinly sliced

2-3 tbsp. Schezwan sauce

1/2 tsp Soya sauce(optional)

Salt to taste

2 tsp Oil

Method:

Veg Schezwan filling:

• Heat oil in a kadai/pan and add thinly sliced garlic,ginger and fry until they turn light golden brown in color.Add sliced onions and fry until they turn translucent.

• Add julienned carrots, french beans and capsicum and fry on high heat for 1-2 mins.
• Now add julienned cabbage and quickly fry for another minute. The crunchiness of vegetables is to be maintained and hence do not over cook the vegetables.

• Add schezwan sauce, soya sauce and salt and mix well and switch it off.

 to make Dosa:

• Make the tawa ready for preparing dosa,keep the stove on medium flame and pour a ladle full of batter in the middle of the pan and spread in a circular motion to form a 9 " THIN dosa and pour some oil (1 tbsp roughly) all over the edges and in the center cover it with a lid.

• After it is roasted for a minute remove the lid and add 1 tsp butter and 2 tbsp. schezwan sauce and spread schezwan sauce over it evenly.
• Keep the flame on HIGH and let it roast for another minute until it turns golden brown and crispy. Do not over roast it as it will be difficult to fold it as shown.

• Place the prepared veg schezwan mixture in one corner as shown in the picture and roll it to the end.

• Remove it from the tawa and cut it diagonally using a pizza cutter or sharp ladle or knife.

Serve it with Coconut chutney and Sambar. Check out other side dishes for Idli/dosa here.

Notes:

1. You can basically use any dosa batter recipe to prepare this dosa but make sure you spread the dosa very thin.
2. In the Veg schezwan stuffing you can add boiled noodles at the end and use the veg schezwan noodle stuffing in the dosa. I am not a fan of noodle stuffing and hence I avoid it but you can prepare that way for kids, they will love it.
3. Spring onion greens can be added in the stuffing. I did not have them at that moment so I avoided it.
4. If you want the dosa to be super spicy, you can add a tsp of red chili sauce while making the veg schezwan filling.
5. I used my non stick pan to prepare this dosa otherwise my usual Indalium dosa pan would make it very crispy which makes it difficult for me to fold it or cut it.

Technorati Tags: schezwan dosa recipe, schezwan chopsuey dosa recipe, mumbai street style dosa recipes, dosa varieties in mumbai, 100 dosa varieties in mumbai, chinese fusion recipes, breakfast recipes, variety dosa recipes, chinese dosa recipe, dosa recipes

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