PENNE PASTA IN SCHEZWAN SAUCE

 

Pasta is at the centre-stage of the traditional Italian cuisine. There are a lot of varieties of pastas which are these days available in Indian market. The varieties available are long, short, minute pastas (used for soups), egg pasta and fresh pasta. In India we have a misconception that pastas are made from flour(maida). Pasta is actually  made from Durum wheat flour.The commonly used pasta are the short ones. To name a few, they are penne, fusili, farfalle. I have used here penne pasta in my recipe, but you may use any kind of pasta of your choice.

Schezwan sauce  originated in the Sichuan province in southwestern China. It has a bold flavor, particularly the pungency and spiciness resulting from liberal use of garlic and chilli peppers give it the unique flavour.

My latest recipe is a fusion of Italian cuisine and Chinese cuisine. I have added only vegetables here; but you may also add any non veg item of your choice to this recipe.

Here is the recipe and happy cooking ... :)

Ingredients-

Penne pasta- 1.5 cups

Vegetables - 2 cups(Carrots, beans and capsicum all sliced )

Onion- 1 medium (sliced)

Schezwan sauce- 2 table spoons 

Method-

Boil the pasta as per the instructions in the packet. Keep aside. Heat oil in a wok. Add onion and saute for a minute; when the onion are soft, add the vegetables. Add a pinch of salt and saute the vegetables in high flame(Saute till the vegetables are just done.,ie they are neither half cooked nor overcooked ). Add the boiled pasta. Add the schezwan sauce and mix well. You may taste at this point of time and adjust the seasoning according to your taste. Bon appe'tit !!! 

Lauki ki sabjee ( Bottle gourd curry)

These days people of various age groups are conscious about their diet and prefer low calorie food. This is a good sign in spite of the fact that the "fast food" industry is showing a booming business. You need to be very particular with what you eat. Exercise also plays a vital role in keeping you in shape.The saying holds true here , "you are what you eat".

I should tell you about a low calorie recipe---  a very simple lauki ki sabjee. Lauki, known as  bottle gourd, is extremely low in fat content.

Ingredients-
Bottle gourd or lauki-1 medium (cut into medium size cubes)
Onion -1 medium (sliced)
Tomato-1 small (chopped)
Green chillies-2 (whole)
Turmeric (haladi) powder -1 pinch
Water-1/2cup (You can even adjust the water quantity according to your taste )
Pepper powder-1tea spoon or to taste
Salt - To taste
Cumin powder, coriander powder and red crushed chilli powder -To garnish


Method-

Take bottle gourd, green chillies , onion and tomato in a saucepan. Add water , salt to taste ,pepper powder and a pinch of turmeric powder.Simmer the flame and let the vegetables cook till tender.Remove from the stove and garnish it with cumin, coriander and red crushed chilli powder. Serve hot with roti or rice . Enjoy !!

Thai stir fry vegetables

After relocating to Hyderabad my family has taken a fancy to Thai cuisine. To meet their urge for Thai food ,I have started trying my hand on the same.The favourite is ofcourse Jasmine rice with Thai vegetable green  curry. I shall soon post Thai vegetable green curry but before that, to introduce myself and my viewers  to this cuisine, I tried a simple but tasty dish ,ie Thai stir fry vegetables. It goes well with noodles or our age old  roti .... :D

Ingredients-
Cabbage -1cup ( Chopped length wise)
Brinjal-1 cup (Chopped length wise)
Capsicum-1/2 cup (Chopped length wise)
Basil leaves-1cup ( Only the leaves)
Mushrooms-1/2 cup ( Chopped length wise )
Onion small -1 ( Chopped length wise )
Garlic pods- 4 ( Crushed )
Tobassco sauce-1 table spoon
Pepper powder-1 tablespoon or to taste
Salt -To taste
Vinegar-1tea spoon
Oil- 1 table spoon

In a wok heat oil, add onion and garlic. Stir it for a while till the raw smell of garlic vanishes.Onion shouldn't be brown but just tender. Add cabbage and mushrooms. Fry till tender ( flame should be high and you need to attend to the curry throughout . Otherwise it might get burnt). Add brinjal,  fry till done.Add capsicum and fry till done.Add salt to taste, tobassco sauce, vinegar and pepper powder. Mix well . Add the basil leaves, just give a toss and serve hot. It is different and tasty too !