Spaghetti with prawns in tangy fiery sauce

 Spaghetti with prawns in a tangy fiery sauce.....doesn’t the name make a statement of its own. I mean look at the name of the recipe again ” spaghetti with prawns in tangy fiery sauce”.

     Firstly we have spaghetti , the humble noble pasta which is delicious even if you just toss it with olive oil and herbs , but now we have a “Tangy and fiery “ sauce with prawns to go with it. Wow what a treat and trust me ….just follow the simple steps and you can make it too even if you have never tried it before. 

   I love the sight of the curled up prawns sitting snugly  in a flaming red ( depending on how red the tomatoes are ) sauce with a strong flavor of garlic and thyme to go along and the crispy fried garlic and bell pepper as a simple and delicious garnish.So  , here goes the recipe of "Spaghetti with prawns in tangy fiery sauce".

   Its not a glossy and heavy sauce , on the contrary its light and silky and the stir fried garlic and green bell pepper sprinkled on top make the dish just irresistible. The quantity is sufficient for four adults.

   Ingredients:

1.   500 grams spaghetti

2.   About 4 litres of water

3.   400 grams tomatoes

4.   300 grams or about one cup heaped of shelled and deveined prawns

5.   Two tablespoons crushed garlic

6.   A few flakes of sliced garlic for garnishing

7.   One large bell pepper diced

8.   One small onion chopped fine

9.   Salt and black pepper to taste

10.       Half a teaspoon of kashmiri red chilli powder for the spice and to enhance the red colour of the sauce

11.      One fourth cup of water

12.      Half a teaspoon of dried thyme

13.      5- 7 tablespoons of olive oil
14.  2-3 tablespoons of canned tomato puree

Method:

1.  Boil the water in a large pan and when it comes to a boil add about a teaspoon of salt followed by the spaghetti.

2.   Let cook on high flame for about 7-8 minutes and then drain in a colander and run cold water to stop the cooking process.

3.   Add a tablespoon of olive oil and toss the spaghetti gently with the hands and leave aside.

4.  Slit the skin of the tomatoes just at the tip and immerse in a pan of boiling water for five to ten minutes and then peel of the skin. Blend the tomatoes coarsely in a blender.

5.   Lets get along with the sauce. Take about two tablespoons of olive oil in a pan and stir fry the sliced garlic for a few seconds , but do not let them turn golden, just a hint of the golden colour is just fine.

6.   Remove with a slotted spoon and add the diced bell pepper and stir fry for about a minute , so that they are cooked but still crunchy. Remove the bell pepper and keep aside. They will be used for garnishing.

7.   In the same pan , add about 3- 5 tablespoons of olive oil and add the crushed garlic and stir fry for a few seconds and follow by the chopped onions.

8.  As soon as the onions turn translucent add the tomatoes and stir fry on medium flame till the sauce begins to thicken and leaves oil on the sides of the pan. Add the red chilli powder and two – three tablespoons of the canned tomato puree.

9.   Add a quarter cup of water and as soon as the sauce begins to boil tumble in the prawns and let them cook on medium flame for five to seven minutes.

10.      Season with salt  and pepper to taste and sprinkle half a teaspoon of thyme and turn the gas off.

11.      Take a generous helping of spaghetti , pour  the sauce and garnish with the flakes of garlic and green bell pepper. Enjoy the fruits / dish of your labour.

bell pepper· international· pasta· Seafood· tangy sauce

Spaghetti with prawns in tangy fiery sauce

 Spaghetti with prawns in a tangy fiery sauce.....doesn’t the name make a statement of its own. I mean look at the name of the recipe again ” spaghetti with prawns in tangy fiery sauce”.

     Firstly we have spaghetti , the humble noble pasta which is delicious even if you just toss it with olive oil and herbs , but now we have a “Tangy and fiery “ sauce with prawns to go with it. Wow what a treat and trust me ….just follow the simple steps and you can make it too even if you have never tried it before. 

   I love the sight of the curled up prawns sitting snugly  in a flaming red ( depending on how red the tomatoes are ) sauce with a strong flavor of garlic and thyme to go along and the crispy fried garlic and bell pepper as a simple and delicious garnish.So  , here goes the recipe of "Spaghetti with prawns in tangy fiery sauce".

   Its not a glossy and heavy sauce , on the contrary its light and silky and the stir fried garlic and green bell pepper sprinkled on top make the dish just irresistible. The quantity is sufficient for four adults.

   Ingredients:

1.   500 grams spaghetti

2.   About 4 litres of water

3.   400 grams tomatoes

4.   300 grams or about one cup heaped of shelled and deveined prawns

5.   Two tablespoons crushed garlic

6.   A few flakes of sliced garlic for garnishing

7.   One large bell pepper diced

8.   One small onion chopped fine

9.   Salt and black pepper to taste

10.       Half a teaspoon of kashmiri red chilli powder for the spice and to enhance the red colour of the sauce

11.      One fourth cup of water

12.      Half a teaspoon of dried thyme

13.      5- 7 tablespoons of olive oil
14.  2-3 tablespoons of canned tomato puree

Method:

1.  Boil the water in a large pan and when it comes to a boil add about a teaspoon of salt followed by the spaghetti.

2.   Let cook on high flame for about 7-8 minutes and then drain in a colander and run cold water to stop the cooking process.

3.   Add a tablespoon of olive oil and toss the spaghetti gently with the hands and leave aside.

4.  Slit the skin of the tomatoes just at the tip and immerse in a pan of boiling water for five to ten minutes and then peel of the skin. Blend the tomatoes coarsely in a blender.

5.   Lets get along with the sauce. Take about two tablespoons of olive oil in a pan and stir fry the sliced garlic for a few seconds , but do not let them turn golden, just a hint of the golden colour is just fine.

6.   Remove with a slotted spoon and add the diced bell pepper and stir fry for about a minute , so that they are cooked but still crunchy. Remove the bell pepper and keep aside. They will be used for garnishing.

7.   In the same pan , add about 3- 5 tablespoons of olive oil and add the crushed garlic and stir fry for a few seconds and follow by the chopped onions.

8.  As soon as the onions turn translucent add the tomatoes and stir fry on medium flame till the sauce begins to thicken and leaves oil on the sides of the pan. Add the red chilli powder and two – three tablespoons of the canned tomato puree.

9.   Add a quarter cup of water and as soon as the sauce begins to boil tumble in the prawns and let them cook on medium flame for five to seven minutes.

10.      Season with salt  and pepper to taste and sprinkle half a teaspoon of thyme and turn the gas off.

11.      Take a generous helping of spaghetti , pour  the sauce and garnish with the flakes of garlic and green bell pepper. Enjoy the fruits / dish of your labour.

Cashew nut loaf

Delicious slices to go with roast chicken and some leafy salad, this loaf is a perfect choice for festive meals. Easy to prepare and a perfect blend of seasonings this loaf is my all time favourite accompaniment to Mediterranean meals.

Ingredients:

1.   225 grams ground cashew nut / cashew powder

2.   120 grams fresh whole meal bread crumbs ( you could use white bread too)

3.   2 generous tablespoons of spicy tomato ketchup ( I used maggi hot and sweet)

4.   Half a teaspoon each of dried oregano , rosemary and thyme

5.   Two three tablespoons of ground nut oil

6.   One egg

7.   Two teaspoons black pepper

8.   One level teaspoon of sea salt

9.   One medium onion chopped fine

10.  One tablespoon of crushed garlic

11. 100 ml  warm water with a Maggi vegetarian stock cube dissolved in it

 Method:

1.    Take oil in a large pan and add the onions and garlic , stir on medium flame till soft or the onions just about turn pink.

2.    Assemble the rest of the ingredients in the mean time so that the onions come to room temperature.

3.   Tumble in the rest on the ingredients one by one. You will get a sticky mixture.

4.  Pat the mixture into a 7 inch loaf tin and gently press it and level it out.

5.   Cover with an aluminuim foil and place in a preheated oven at 180° for fifty minutes and another ten more minutes after removing the foil.

6.   Cool and slice and serve with the main course as a delicious accompaniment.

cashew nut· international· maggi stock cubes and sauces· savoury loaves

Cashew nut loaf

Delicious slices to go with roast chicken and some leafy salad, this loaf is a perfect choice for festive meals. Easy to prepare and a perfect blend of seasonings this loaf is my all time favourite accompaniment to Mediterranean meals.

Ingredients:

1.   225 grams ground cashew nut / cashew powder

2.   120 grams fresh whole meal bread crumbs ( you could use white bread too)

3.   2 generous tablespoons of spicy tomato ketchup ( I used maggi hot and sweet)

4.   Half a teaspoon each of dried oregano , rosemary and thyme

5.   Two three tablespoons of ground nut oil

6.   One egg

7.   Two teaspoons black pepper

8.   One level teaspoon of sea salt

9.   One medium onion chopped fine

10.  One tablespoon of crushed garlic

11. 100 ml  warm water with a Maggi vegetarian stock cube dissolved in it

 Method:

1.    Take oil in a large pan and add the onions and garlic , stir on medium flame till soft or the onions just about turn pink.

2.    Assemble the rest of the ingredients in the mean time so that the onions come to room temperature.

3.   Tumble in the rest on the ingredients one by one. You will get a sticky mixture.

4.  Pat the mixture into a 7 inch loaf tin and gently press it and level it out.

5.   Cover with an aluminuim foil and place in a preheated oven at 180° for fifty minutes and another ten more minutes after removing the foil.

6.   Cool and slice and serve with the main course as a delicious accompaniment.

Cauliflower spinach slice

  I have a great liking for baked vegetable slices. I love the whole idea of assembling all the ingredients , transferring them into a loaf tin and then just putting them into the oven to bake and lo- behold we have a healthy all time snack as well as an accompanimet to the main course, which can be refrigerated and  then reheated in the microwave or toasted on a griddle whenever one feels like munching some.

    Here is another vegetable slice which again can be altered to your own personal liking. Here is how I like it best.

Ingredients:

1.   400 grams or four heaped cups of grated cauliflower ( you could use the food processor here)

2.   100 grams of spinach chopped coarsely

3.   5 - 6 tablespoons of  refined oil ( I have liberally used olive oil here)

4.   One teaspoon cumin seeds

5.   50 grams toasted and powdered peanuts

6.   Half a teaspoon each of garam masala and dry ginger powder

7.   2 teaspoons of black pepper powder

8.   Salt to taste or like I put one and a half teaspoonful

9.   Four tablespoons of spicy tomato ketchup

10.        100 grams quick cooking oats ( I have used quaker)

11.        Two eggs

12.        One teaspoon sesame seeds

Method:

1.  Stir fry the minced cauliflower in two tablespoons of oil for about five minutes on medium flame.

2.   Transfer into a mixing bowl and in the same pan put two to four tablespoons of oil and add the cumin seeds.

3.   The moment the cumin seeds change colour add the chopped spinach and stir fry on medium flame for just about five minutes.

4.   Transfer the spinach into the same mixing bowl.

5.   Add the rest of the ingredients except that out of the two eggs , keep aside the egg yolk of one of the eggs to use as an egg wash over the loaf.

6.   Gently mix all the ingredients and pat the mixture into a 8 inch loaf tin.

7.   Brush the egg yolk over the loaf and sprinkle the sesame seeds.

8.  Cover with an aluminium foil and place in a preheated oven at 180° for fifty minutes and another ten minutes without the foil.

9.   Cool and slice.

cauliflower· international· oats· peanuts· savoury loaves· spinach

Cauliflower spinach slice

  I have a great liking for baked vegetable slices. I love the whole idea of assembling all the ingredients , transferring them into a loaf tin and then just putting them into the oven to bake and lo- behold we have a healthy all time snack as well as an accompanimet to the main course, which can be refrigerated and  then reheated in the microwave or toasted on a griddle whenever one feels like munching some.

    Here is another vegetable slice which again can be altered to your own personal liking. Here is how I like it best.

Ingredients:

1.   400 grams or four heaped cups of grated cauliflower ( you could use the food processor here)

2.   100 grams of spinach chopped coarsely

3.   5 - 6 tablespoons of  refined oil ( I have liberally used olive oil here)

4.   One teaspoon cumin seeds

5.   50 grams toasted and powdered peanuts

6.   Half a teaspoon each of garam masala and dry ginger powder

7.   2 teaspoons of black pepper powder

8.   Salt to taste or like I put one and a half teaspoonful

9.   Four tablespoons of spicy tomato ketchup

10.        100 grams quick cooking oats ( I have used quaker)

11.        Two eggs

12.        One teaspoon sesame seeds

Method:

1.  Stir fry the minced cauliflower in two tablespoons of oil for about five minutes on medium flame.

2.   Transfer into a mixing bowl and in the same pan put two to four tablespoons of oil and add the cumin seeds.

3.   The moment the cumin seeds change colour add the chopped spinach and stir fry on medium flame for just about five minutes.

4.   Transfer the spinach into the same mixing bowl.

5.   Add the rest of the ingredients except that out of the two eggs , keep aside the egg yolk of one of the eggs to use as an egg wash over the loaf.

6.   Gently mix all the ingredients and pat the mixture into a 8 inch loaf tin.

7.   Brush the egg yolk over the loaf and sprinkle the sesame seeds.

8.  Cover with an aluminium foil and place in a preheated oven at 180° for fifty minutes and another ten minutes without the foil.

9.   Cool and slice.

Baked spinach delight

I am delighted to know that even pure vegetarians found my “Baked egg delight” really delightful to look at and have asked me to come up with something for them sans eggs.

      So  here I am with another “delight” that I have named as “Baked spinach delight “.

Ingredients:

1.   10 to 12 slices of stale/ slightly dry bread.

Now you don’t have to be very particular about the exact number of slices here. As you read  on you will see that just with a little bit of tact we can do with less or if you feel the need then more slices of bread.

    We are going to crumble the slices of bread in the processor , so that explains the need to have a little dry bread .

2.   One cup of steamed and drained thick spinach puree or you could even keep it a little coarsely chopped like I did.

3.   Half a cup of grated or crumbled cottage cheese , if you get ricotta cheese then that can be used in the place of cottage cheese.

4.     A few cubes of cheddar

5.   Seven level tablespoons of butter

6.   Two tablespoons of crushed garlic

7.   Two level tablspoons of any spicy tomato sauce or ketchup

8.   Salt and pepper to taste

9.   Two tablespoons of grated cheddar

10.        A 350- 500 ml baking dish

Method:

1.   Remove the sides of the bread slices and process it to get fresh bread crumbs.

2.   Add around 4-5 tablespoons of softened butter to the fresh bread crumbs and knead it into a firm ball. The amount of butter can be altered to get a soft dough.

3.   Press the dough into a greased baking dish making the base and pressing it to the sides, I just liked the idea of bringing the sides a little highter than the dish, just my fancy. Place the dish in the fridge so that the dough becomes a little firm.

4.  Melt the  two tablespoons of butter on medium flame and add the crushed garlic, stir fry till the garlic turns golden.

5.   Add the spinach and stir fry for  three to five minutes . Turn the gas off.

6.   Tumble in the grated cottage / ricotta cheese , stir till well mixed and season with salt ,pepper and the tomato ketchup. Let the mixture come to room temperature.

7.  Put half the mixture into the dish and place a few cubes of cheese in the center.

8.   Add the rest of the mixture and top with the grated cheddar.

9.   Bake at 180° for 20 minutes .

10.        Best served hot , incase you prepare it in advance then a few minutes in the microwave should be fine.

baked dishes· cheddar cheese· cottage cheese· international· spinach

Baked spinach delight

I am delighted to know that even pure vegetarians found my “Baked egg delight” really delightful to look at and have asked me to come up with something for them sans eggs.

      So  here I am with another “delight” that I have named as “Baked spinach delight “.

Ingredients:

1.   10 to 12 slices of stale/ slightly dry bread.

Now you don’t have to be very particular about the exact number of slices here. As you read  on you will see that just with a little bit of tact we can do with less or if you feel the need then more slices of bread.

    We are going to crumble the slices of bread in the processor , so that explains the need to have a little dry bread .

2.   One cup of steamed and drained thick spinach puree or you could even keep it a little coarsely chopped like I did.

3.   Half a cup of grated or crumbled cottage cheese , if you get ricotta cheese then that can be used in the place of cottage cheese.

4.     A few cubes of cheddar

5.   Seven level tablespoons of butter

6.   Two tablespoons of crushed garlic

7.   Two level tablspoons of any spicy tomato sauce or ketchup

8.   Salt and pepper to taste

9.   Two tablespoons of grated cheddar

10.        A 350- 500 ml baking dish

Method:

1.   Remove the sides of the bread slices and process it to get fresh bread crumbs.

2.   Add around 4-5 tablespoons of softened butter to the fresh bread crumbs and knead it into a firm ball. The amount of butter can be altered to get a soft dough.

3.   Press the dough into a greased baking dish making the base and pressing it to the sides, I just liked the idea of bringing the sides a little highter than the dish, just my fancy. Place the dish in the fridge so that the dough becomes a little firm.

4.  Melt the  two tablespoons of butter on medium flame and add the crushed garlic, stir fry till the garlic turns golden.

5.   Add the spinach and stir fry for  three to five minutes . Turn the gas off.

6.   Tumble in the grated cottage / ricotta cheese , stir till well mixed and season with salt ,pepper and the tomato ketchup. Let the mixture come to room temperature.

7.  Put half the mixture into the dish and place a few cubes of cheese in the center.

8.   Add the rest of the mixture and top with the grated cheddar.

9.   Bake at 180° for 20 minutes .

10.        Best served hot , incase you prepare it in advance then a few minutes in the microwave should be fine.