Recession Recipe For Vegan Stew - Eat Healthy While Spending Less

With the US-led global economic meltdown causing more stress and anxiety each day, almost every household is striving hard to save every dollar possible. As the food prices are soaring high, a few changes in food habits are also essential to keep the expenditure within the budget. But, the main question that arises here is, "Is it possible to eat good and healthy while spending less?" The answer is a definite "yes".

Well, many websites and magazines that deal with cooking and food are offering several money-saving ideas to people now-a-days. We are often persuaded to stop buying ready-made foods, eat legumes, give up meat, use our food coupons wisely, or even pack our lunches to office. All these are no doubt very good ideas. But, what should one eat when he/she is really broke? Can't something simple, tasty, healthy, and cheap be prepared at home? Yes, it is possible to do so. All you need to do is use a little creativity in kitchen. Here is an interesting budget recipe that you can try at home:

Preparation of Vegan Stew: An Amazing Recession Food Recipe

The principle behind preparing this stew is extremely simple. Just follow a few steps as follows:

1) Put whatever is left in your kitchen, for instance canned vegetables, into a pot. Canned vegetables are not only healthy, but are also cheap. You can try canned corn as well, if you have some.

2) Use the liquid the veggies are packed in as the broth in the stew. Canned tomatoes and beans are particularly good for this.

3) In case you do not have any broth, just use some hot water instead.

4) Next, add potato, garlic, spices, or the left over bacon - just whatever you can get your hand on in your kitchen. Do you have a cup of rice or some left over chicken? If yes, do not mind adding that too!

5) Then, cook everything you have put in the pot till all gets tender enough to eat. Thus, with the required broth, vegetables, starch (rice), protein, and an amazing aroma, your Vegan Stew is ready to serve. If you are a non-vegetarian, you can add some leftover chicken to your stew, if you wish.

A medley of vegetables in the Vegan Stew gives this wholesome day-before-payday meal loads of nutrients and a hearty broth. Did this recipe sound gross? Well, may be, but try it once, it is really tasty, and above all, it is healthy and cheap.

If you would like to learn more Healthy Budget Recipes, visit the online recipe guide at abcdrecipes.com - The Flavor of Indian Cooking.

Easy To Cook Delicious Indian Food Recipes - Cauliflower Curry Recipe

Indian food recipes are occupying a special place in the lives of Indians. Even though, the Indian culture is highly influenced by the British and American cultures, Indian foods still occupy the primary place in Indian society particularly in all occasions and festivals.

Indian food recipes are the by product of rich Indian heritage may be 5000 years old. Indian food recipes may be broadly classified into Indian vegetarian recipes, Indian chicken recipes, Indian curry recipes, Indian fish recipes, Indian briyani recipes and Indian mutton recipes.

Here we are giving an example Indian vegetarian recipe - Cauliflower curry recipe.

Ingredients:

Cauliflower - 1 small size

Fennel seeds - 1 tsp

Curry leaves - 1 tbsp

Dry Red Chilli - 3

Big Onion - 1 medium size finely chopped

Tomato - 1 medium size finely chopped

Turmeric Powder - 2 pinches

Red Chilli Powder - 2 tsp

Coriander Powder - 2 tbsp

Water

Oil

Salt to taste

tsp - teaspoonful

tbsp - tablespoonful

Method:

1. Heat oil in a saute pan.

2. Add fennel seeds and allow it to turn light brown.

3. Add Dry Red Chilli and fry for few seconds.

4. Add big onion, curry leaves and fry till onion turns golden brown.

5. Add Tomato and fry till it gets cooked.

6. Add all the powders and fry till its raw smell goes.

7. Add cauliflower florets, water (enough to cook the vegetables - and salt.

8. Allow it to boil for few minutes.

9. Lower the flame, close the sauce pan and let the cauliflower get cooked.

10. After it gets cooked fry till the gravy thickens.

Delicious Indian vegetarian recipe is ready to serve. Enjoy the tasty cauliflower curry with white rice.

If you are an Indian or an Indian descendent, try to consume Indian foods at least one time a day. Indian foods will rejuvenate and revitalize your body and soul.

To see much more Indian food recipes, please visit http://www.indianfoodrecipes.co.in where you will find this recipe and other Indian vegetarian recipes

Curry Powder Recipes - Indian Curries and Garam Masala - Steps to Making Different Types of Curries

Curry Powder

Description

Widely used in Indian cooking, authentic Indian curry powder is freshly ground each day and can vary dramatically depending on the region and the cook. Curry powder is actually a pulverized blend of up to 20 spices, herbs and seeds. Among those most commonly used are cardamom, chiles, cinnamon, cloves, coriander, cumin, fennel seed, fenugreek, mace, nutmeg, red and black pepper, poppy and sesame seeds, saffron, tamarind and turmeric (the latter is what gives curried dishes their characteristic yellow color). Commercial curry powder--which bears little resemblance to the freshly ground blends of southern India--comes in two basic styles: standard, and the hotter of the two, "Madras" curry powder.

Uses

Curry powder is used to flavor soups and stews, and is great for adding a kick to all kinds of sauces and marinades, as well as meatloaf and burgers, and chicken, tuna, pasta and potato salads. Since curry powder quickly loses its pungency, it should be stored, airtight, no longer than two months.

Origins

"Curry powder" as we know it was a British invention, not an Indian one, intended to capture the flavor of Indian cooking without the painstaking effort of custom-blending, roasting and grinding spices for every dish prepared. And even more strangely, most curry powder doesn't even contain curry leaves! Curry became a great favorite in Britain at the end of the nineteenth century, and its popularity soon spread to Japan.

Flavor Trend

Americans once primarily enjoyed curry in Indian and Thai restaurants. Now, curry blends are being added to familiar foods, from a simple roast chicken breast to sautéed shrimp and vegetables. Curry is a key element of South and Southeast Asian, Caribbean, Japanese, English and Australian cooking. At the heart of most curry blends is a flavor base of black or red pepper, coriander and cumin. A number of spices can be added to this base to create different flavor experiences. Garam masala, for example, is a sweeter curry, featuring cardamom, cinnamon and cloves. Hot Madras curry delivers the heat and intense flavor of the Madras region of India and also includes fenugreek, turmeric and garlic. Red curry blends are a complex mix of select spices, chile peppers and cardamom. As Americans become more familiar with curry, they're discovering a wide range of flavor possibilities.

We like to combine curry with fruits such as apples, bananas and passion fruit, and sweeter flavors like vanilla," says Chef Shawn McClain, of Spring and Green Zebra in Chicago. "For example, we serve a Maine lobster spring roll with passion fruit-curry sauce."

Perfect Flavor Partners Include:

basil, cilantro, citrus, coconut, garlic, ginger, mango, mint, passion fruit, plantains, vanilla and yogurt Color

Bright golden yellow or toasty brown. Flavor & Aroma

Both musky and bright; sometimes sweet, sometimes spicy Sensory Profile

Since up to 20 spices can comprise curry powder, its profile is complex. Turmeric and fenugreek add earthiness; cinnamon and cardamom add sweetness; chiles and pepper add heat.

Spicy Curry Powder Recipe

Ingredients: * Coriander seeds- 1/2 cup * Cumin seeds- 1/4 cup * Black mustard seeds- 1 tablespoon * Black peppers- 1 tsp * Red chilies- 5 * Fenugreek seeds- 3/4 tsp * Turmeric powder- 2 tsps * Dried curry leaves- 20

Method: In a heavy-bottomed pan fry all the ingredients for 5 minutes over medium heat. Remove from heat. Grind all the roasted ingredients together to a powder. Store in an airtight container.

Basic Curry Powder (Indian Curry) Recipe

6 dried red chilies 1 ounce coriander seeds 2 teaspoons cumin seeds 1/2 teaspoon mustard seeds 1 teaspoon black peppercorns 1 teaspoon fenugreek seeds 10 fresh curry leaves 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger 1 tablespoon ground turmeric Turn this recipe into a puzzle!

Directions:

This medium-hot curry blend can be used in any dish that calls for curry powder.

Remove the seeds from the chilies. Dry roast the whole spices over a medium heat until they darken, stirring or shaking the pan frequently to prevent burning. Leave to cool, then grind to a powder. Dry roast the curry leaves in the pan for a few minutes, then grind and add them to the mixture with the ginger and turmeric, blending well.

Goan Curry Powder

3/4 cup shredded unsweetened dried coconut, 1 tablespoon minced garlic, 4 fresh green chili peppers, such as serrano, thinly sliced, 3 tablespoons coriander powder, 2 tablespoons white poppy seeds, 1 tablespoon black peppercorns, 1 tablespoon fennel seeds, 1 tablespoon ajwain seeds, 10 cardamom pods, 10 cloves, 1 teaspoon ground turmeric

1. In a medium-sized skillet, roast the coconut over medium heat, stirring continuously for about 8 minutes until it is golden and crispy. Transfer to a bowl. 2. In the same skillet, dry roast the garlic and green chili peppers over medium heat, stirring continuously for about 8 minutes until it is dry and golden. 3. Place the remaining spices in the skillet and dry roast over medium heat, stirring and shaking the pan until they are golden and very fragrant. Remove and cool. 4. Mix all the roasted ingredients together, put in a spice grinder in batches, and process at high speed until spices are finely ground like powder. 5. Pour into a non reactive container, cover tightly, and store up to 3 months

Garam Masala

This easy-to-make spice blend is the heart of most Indian dishes. A combination of different spices, it probably has as many recipes as there are families in India! Here is a basic one. Once you get a feel for the taste it gives your cooking, experiment and alter it to suit your needs.

Garam masala is best made fresh just before you begin cooking, but if you haven't got the patience (like me!), make a batch ahead and store for several months in an air-tight container in a cool, dark place. Prep Time: 0 hours, 10 minutes Cook Time: 0 hours, 4 minutes

Ingredients:

* 4 tbsps coriander seeds * 1 tbsp cumin seeds * 1 tbsp black peppercorns * 1 1/2 tsps black cumin seeds (shahjeera) * 1 1/2 tsps dry ginger * 3/4 tsp black cardamom (3-4 large pods approx) * 3/4 tsp cloves * 3/4 tsp cinnamon (2 X 1" pieces) * 3/4 tsp crushed bay leaves

Preparation:

* Heat a heavy skillet on a medium flame and gently roast all ingredients (leave cardamom in its pods till later) except the dry ginger, till they turn a few shades darker. Stir occasionally. Do not be tempted to speed up the process by turning up the heat as the spices will burn on the outside and remain raw on the inside.

* When the spices are roasted turn of the flame and allow them to cool.

* Once cooled, remove the cardamom seeds from their skins and mix them back with all the other roasted spices.

* Grind them all together, to a fine powder in a clean, dry coffee grinder.

* Store in an air-tight container in a cool, dark place.

Indian Recipes For Breakfast

Breakfast is said to be the most important meal of the day. And in countries like India, breakfast is another opportunity to showcase their colorful and flavorful cuisine. In India, there are various breakfast meals that are favored by people and are at the same time healthy and delectable. In some regions of India, these dishes are served in other meals besides breakfast. If you want deviations from your usual morning munchies, try out some of the Indian breakfast foods listed below.

Chapati - It is unleavened flat bread made of durum wheat. The dough is flattened into a large circle, and dry cooked on a tava or hot pan. Chapati is often served with soups, lentils, chutney, and curries.

Idli - This Indian breakfast is prepared from rice and black lentils baked together to form a savory cake. The white puffed cakes are served with chutney and other spices.

Sambhar - As a breakfast dish, sambhar is a soup or stew that is rich in vegetables and spices. The base of the broth is pigeon peas, or toovar dal, and other ingredients added are potatoes, pumpkin, tomatoes, okra, carrots, as well as spices like fenugreek, coriander, turmeric, mustard seeds, and more.

Stuffed Parathas - This Indian breakfast is not only nutritious but delicious, according to many sources. Commonly, the stuffing is made up of potatoes, carrots, moong, paneer and at some times cheese and radish.

Upma - Upma is an Indian breakfast that could be prepared differently depending on the person making it. It could be made from semolina or rava. Peas, onions, cabbage, carrots, eggplant, potatoes, cumin, and other Indian spices are added. The mixture is cooked in a pan and mixed together as a fried batter.

Tosai or Dosa - This is India's version of a breakfast crepe, but it may also be served during other meals of the day. The batter is made of rice and lentils ground together and mixed with water. Once the crepe is cooked over a hot pan, it may be served with pickles, curry, chicken, chutney, and other spices or vegetables.

Puttu - Another staple and popular Indian breakfast delicacy, it is made up of rice paste. The rice is kneaded and moistened with just the right amount of water to achieve the ideal consistency. The dough is molded into rolls and steamed in a special contained known as the Puttu Kutti. Puttu may be served with curry, lentils, chickpeas, and also chutney.

Indian breakfasts are not hard to make. They are simple, yet healthy and delicious. Indian breakfasts are considered specialties in most parts of the world, particularly because of their versatility. So don't skip on your breakfasts, and try something new for a change. Not only will you be getting the needed energy to sustain your day, but you will also enjoy savory meals that are distinctly Indian.

Indian Food Recipes is an online Indian cooking website offering a collection of free Indian recipes and cooking tips.

Experience the Flavor of Indian Cuisine - Recipe For Murgh Makhani (Butter Chicken)

Indian cuisine is best known world wide for its use of spices. Its non-vegetarian side features a large variety of juicy, tender delicacies made with eggs, mutton, chicken, fish etc. Here, I have discussed an amazing recipe for one of the most popular Indian dishes, the 'Murgh Makhani', the delicious Indian version of Butter Chicken.

'Murgh Makhani' is an authentic Indian dish, which is now popular as 'Butter Chicken' in several countries all around the globe. The origin of this dish can be traced back to the times when the Mughal Empire ruled India. The dish was first invented in Delhi, the capital city if India, by a person working in the kitchen staff of a famous restaurant named 'Moti Mahal', located in a small place called 'Daryaganj' in the heart of Delhi. Although the basic recipe of 'Murgh Makhani' remains same, the actual flavor differs from restaurant to restaurant in India and abroad.

Served with steamed rice, 'naan', 'roti', or 'parathas' (forms of Indian breads), Murgh Makhani is prepared by marinating a chicken overnight in a mixture of yoghurt and various spices. The chicken is then grilled and roasted, and finally added to the Makhani sauce, which is made using butter, cream, tomatoes, almonds, and a mixture of various Indian spices.

Here is a detailed recipe for this popular Indian dish:

Ingredients:

For Chicken Marinating:

- Chicken Pieces (boneless): 800 g

- Coriander Powder: 1 teaspoon

- Sour Curd: 1 tablespoon

- Ginger Paste: 2 teaspoons

- Garlic Paste: 1teaspoon

- lemon juice: 1 tablespoon

- Cumin Powder: 1 teaspoon

- Onion paste: 1 tablespoon

- Red Chili Powder: 1 teaspoon

- Salt to taste

- Few drops of orange color

For Chicken Gravy:

- 4 large tomatoes chopped

- 4 tablespoon Butter

- 1 tablespoon Fresh Cream

- 1 teaspoon Coriander Powder

- 1 teaspoon Cumin Powder

- 1 teaspoon Red Chilli Powder

- 1 teaspoon Black Pepper Powder

- 2 teaspoon Ginger finely chopped

- 2 teaspoon Green Chilly finely chopped

- salt to taste

- sugar to taste

For Garnishing:

- Melted Butter

- Fresh Cream

- Coriander Leaves finely chopped

Recipe:

1) Make small cuts in the chicken pieces.

2) Mix all the chicken marinating ingredients as listed above. Add the mixture to the chicken pieces and mix well.

3) Allow the chicken to marinate for a few hours (minimum of 2-3 hours).

4) Put the marinated chicken in a heavy bottom wok containing half the butter. Cover it well and cook until the chicken is properly cooked. Next, stir fry the chicken for a few minutes and keep it aside.

5) Heat the remaining butter in a saucepan and add the red chili, coriander, cumin and black pepper powders in quantities listed above.

6) Fry for a few minutes and then add the chopped tomatoes, sugar, and salt. Cook on medium flame till the tomato-butter puree thickens and the fat separates out.

7) Add the whipped cream and cook on low flame for 5-7 minutes.

8) Next, add the chicken pieces along with chopped ginger and green chilies to the gravy. Cover and simmer on low heat.

9) While serving, pour the melted butter on the chicken and garnish the dish with fresh cream and finely chopped coriander leaves.

10) The traditional Indian Murgh Makhani is ready. Serve it hot with Indian breads, such as a 'tandoori roti' or a 'naan'. You can also serve it with rice.

If you would like to learn more interesting Chicken Recipes, visit the online Indian Recipe Guide at abcdrecipes.com - Explore The Flavor of Indian Cooking with over 700 Indian recipes.

Indian Recipe Secret Number 1 - How to Start a Meal With a Delicious Treat? The Poppadom

Ingredients: 2 cups garbanzo bean (chick-pea), flour, 1 tsp. cracked or coarsely ground black pepper, 1 tsp. ground cumin seed, salt to taste, 1 clove garlic pressed, 1/4 cup & 1 tbsp. water, cayenne for dusting tops, oil for frying (optional)

Method:

1. Stir together the flour, pepper, ground cumin seed, and salt in a large bowl or in the food processor.

2. Mix thoroughly until the spices are evenly distributed.

3. Add the garlic and mix well.

4. Add enough of the water to form a dough that will hold together in a cohesive ball. If necessary, add up to 1 additional tbsp. water. (The dough should be fairly stiff and dry. If it is too wet, it will not roll well)

5. Knead the dough for about 5 minutes by hand or pulse for about 15 seconds in the food processor. The dough should be smooth.

6. With your hands, shape the dough into a cylinder or log about 2 inches thick and 6 inches long.

7. With a sharp knife, cut the cylinder into 1/2-inch thick slices.

8. Place each slice on a lightly oiled surface.

9. Lightly oil the top of the slice and then roll out into a very thin circle about 6-7" in diameter. Papadams must be rolled extremely thin, maximum 1/16".

10. Dust the tops of each papadam with cayenne pepper.

11. Using a metal spatula to loosen the edges of the papadams from the rolling surface, carefully place them on large baking sheets.

TO BAKE: To bake them in a 300 F. oven for about 15 to 25 minutes, or until crisp and dry. The cooking time may vary beyond this range depending upon the thickness and moisture in the rolled dough. Cool them on a rack.

OR TO FRY (More Authentic): First allow them to dry by leaving them in the sun for a few hours or by placing them in a very low oven (less than 200 F.) for 1 to 2 hours, turning occasionally. Dry the papadams until they are just slightly flexible and show no moisture. They should not brown or bake, however.

When ready to serve, heat about 1/8 inch of oil in a large skillet. The oil should be hot, but not smoking. One at a time, drop the papadams into the hot oil. Turn the papadam when it begins to curl at the edges. It will quickly fry and become crisp. Remove it before it turns brown.

Cool and drain the papadams on paper towels. Eat them immediately.

BON APÉTIT.....

Chef CJ introduces many indian recipes that can save you time but always make your dinner guests happy

About Indian Spices and Herbs

Spices are one of the most remarkable ingredients of Indian cuisine. Without them, Indian food would be as ordinary as the others. Spices and herbs are also one of the reasons why Indian food is becoming popular to people across the globe.

One of the most popular Indian food, the curry, is one example of spices and herbs in India. Curry which came from kari literally means vegetables drenched in spices. Curry became so attached with the Indian cuisine that in fact, made it a symbolism of Indian food in all parts of the world.

There are a lot of herbs and spices that could be found in India, however, you need not know all of them. There are just some spices that you'll need more often than others in cooking Indian recipes. And these spices and herbs, as well as other things related with Indian spices would be enumerated below for further details.

Bhuna - Bhuna is a method of cooking Indian spices, particularly cooking in hot oil. This process is used to release and preserve the flavors of the spices while removing the raw feel of them. Its name literally means cooking in oil and used for cooking Indian food, especially curry.

Curry - This is an Indian food that is made of various spices mixed and cooked together. Curry, which came from the Indian work kari, means vegetables soaked in spices and is therefore a good recipe to resemble the Indian spices. The traditional Indian curry is made up of fenugreek, turmeric, red pepper, black pepper, as well as cloves, coriander and other spices.

Tadka - This is also a process of cooking spices which is similar to Bhuna. However, the difference is that Tadka is used for whole spices only.

Masala - Masala is a term in India which means mixture of spices cooked in oil. Its most popular version is the Garam Masala which is used in preparing many Indian food recipes like curry. This mixture of spices is usually used as garnish for food.

Haldi - Haldi is also known as Turmeric. Its yellowish powder is derived from dried roots. This particular spice is known not only in India, but also in other Asian countries because of its aroma and color. It is also known to have anti oxidants and aids in treating leukemia.

Jeera - This spice is famous and important in many Ayurvedic cooking. It is found to have digestive attributes and is used to flavor food such as curry and vegetables.

Tandoori - Tandoori is like a large oven made up of clay and heated with charcoal. It is used to cook various foods in spices including meat and chicken.

These are some of the things you need to know about Indian herbs and spices. Indian spices are not really hard to deal with and some are similar to what we use in our everyday life. It is just a matter of mixing and cooking them in a right way.

Munus Shankar is a chef and the author of Indian Food Recipes, an online Indian Recipes Website offering plenty of free Indian recipes and cooking tips.