Roasted Babycorns

I am always seeking ways of cooking up snacks without too much oil /fat
The idea for this recipe is from the food street in VV Puram. If you haven’t been there, being in Bangalore, you are definitely missing something. Well to brief , this street has the most innovative and traditional snacks available on cart wheels. Chats, Dosas, sweets, Pakodas…
One eatable that I am never tired of, is Baby Corn & sweet corn. There are usually carts with a variety of snacks related to babycorn. The babycorn as a whole, is roasted over hot charcoal. The covering is then peeled, the babycorn cut into pieces, and given with your choice of seasoning. Hot and spicy!

Now how do you make this at home? When you have an urge to eat this and there is no hot charcoal / grill microwave?
Simple, I used a normal Tawa 

Here is the recipe : And some photos

Babycorn : 4-5 ( or as much as you want )
For seasoning : Salt and pepper.

Steps :
1.Heat the tawa, and put the whole babycorns.
2.Roast the babycorns evenly.
3. This is how it should be looking.

4. Remove the outer layers, cut the babycorns into small pieces.
5. Season with your choice, Salt & pepper or Green chilli paste.
6. Enjoy!

Hosa Tarah

Literally meaning - New Type
This word is inspired by one of my aunt, who always used to say this - Typically when i would frown upon eating something!
As a kid ( even now! ) i am a very picky eater. It was the toughest time for my mom, when she had to make me eat anything.

During vacations, when i used to visit this aunt of mine, she also had a tough time making me eat anything.So , she always used to tell " Hosa Tarah maadidini , tindu nodu " - ( I have made it in a new way, eat it)
the cuisine used to be the normal stuff only, possibly with one ingredient more / less. But yeah, i used to eat.
Over time, when i started taking interest in cooking, i realised cooking is one big experiment..you can do in as many ways or few ways..
So when i thought of sharing my recipes, i thought this would be a nice name to christen my blog with. :)

Fusilli Pasta in White Sauce with Capsicum and Corn

Fusilli Pasta in White Sauce with Capsicum and Corn

How many times do we go to buy grocery , and unknowingly pick up something that you don’t really know how to make? It happens with me all the time. Though this time it was not me, but what my mom picked up. The one thing she knows is that I like pasta….but not which one :) If I am buying, its usually Penne. But this time it was Fusilli…sadly I saw this packet only after I came home. And fortunately or unfortunately, there are totally 2 packets, as it was buy one get one free. So I had t use them at any cost. Unluckily for me, I couldn’t find much of pasta recipes for Fusilli. Surprised ! So I came up with my own.
Unlike penne, fusilli is very decorative to look at, and absorbs sauces very quickly. This recipe serves 2.


Ingredients:
For the pasta:
Fusilli Pasta : 300 gms
White Onion : 1 large, cut into slices
Green Capsicum : 1, cut into cubes
Sweet Corn : 3/4 th cup
Garlic : 6 cloves, chopped finely
Olive oil : 5 tbsp
Oregano : 1/4th tsp
Cheese : 3 tbsp, Grated ( I used a pizza cheese left over)
Cheese spread : 2 tbsp ( used in Mexican chilli flavor)
Salt : to taste
Green Chilli Paste: 1tsp
White sauce : 2 1/2 cups

For White sauce :
Salted Butter : 2tbsp
Maida : 1 ½ tbsp
Milk : 2 cups
Salt, Pepper, Oregano & Nutmeg for flavor

Method :

White sauce:
1. Heat a saucepan, and put the butter. Melt it , till it starts bubbling
2. Add the maida, and stir continuously for approx 2-3 mins, till the raw smell disappears.
3. Start adding the milk and keep stirring, so that the sauce doesn’t have any lumps.
4. Add salt to taste. Grated nutmeg & crushed Oregano ( a pinch) and powdered black pepper to taste.
5. Bring to a boil.
6. White Sauce is ready.
PS: Ensure the milk you add is at room temperature, else the sauce will be very lumpy.

Pasta:
1. Cook the fusilli pasta as per the instructions on the packet. Mine said to cook in 3 litres of boiling salted water for 9-11 mins. Drain and keep it aside.
2. Heat a wok, and add olive oil. Once the oil is hot add the chopped garlic, sauté for a minute. Take care not to brown the garlic.
3. Add the onion , sauté for 3-5 mins, till it becomes translucent.
4. Next put in the capsicum and corn, add a pinch of salt and fry till all the veggies are done.
5. Fry in the green chilli paste, once the oil starts to separate, add the cooked paste and mix well.
6. Now here is the interesting part, add cheese and the cheese spread to the prepared white sauce. The remaining heat in the sauce will melt the cheese.
7. Pour in the prepared white sauce, add salt and mix well into the pasta.
8. Just before serving, sprinkle some crushed oregano on top, garnish with chopped Coriander and serve hot.

Now, don’t we Indians try to indianise everything? And since this pasta happens to be a little bland, you can spice it up with Kitchen King Masala. Tastes awesome.

Crispy Fried Potatoes:

Time for one more Experiment…
Presently there are two things with which I am experimenting.
1. Cooking
2. Photography
Need to still learn how to blog posting pictures.
This is a cooking experiment though. Sadly since I dunno how to put pics, the dish is without any picture.

Since I am a working professional, I need recipes that can be made as quickly as possible with least effort. :) Don’t we all wish so….

This would be a nice starter / accompaniment with the main dish ( read rice and rasam / sambar)

Crispy Fried Potatoes:

Ingredients:
1. Parboiled Potatoes – 4, large – Cut the same way as for Finger Chips
2. Ginger Garlic paste – 1 tbsp
3. Amchoor Powder – ½ tsp
4. Black Pepper Powder – ½ tsp
5. Red Chilli powder – ½ tsp
6. Turmeric Powder – ¼ tsp
7. Oregano – ¼ tsp
8. Juice of ½ lemon
9. Paste of 1 green chilly
10. Salt to taste
11. Corn flour : as required
12. Oil for Frying

Method :
1. Mix all the ingredients, 2 to 10 into a thick paste.
2. In a large plate, spread the parboiled potatoes, put this paste and marinate the potatoes.
3. Let this rest for atleast 1 hr ( if you need it quick , put it in the freezer for 30 mins)
4. Heat oil in a frying pan.
5. Spread corn flour in a plate, dip each potato finger in this and then fry as a batch.
6. Fry the potatoes till golden brown.
7. Drain excess oil on a kitchen towel.
8. Serve.
Serves : 4 people.
Enjoy and let me know the result!