Category: Appetizer

Baingan Barta – Eggplant Recipe

 

Baigan (eggplant/aubergine/brinjal) Barta is named in Hindi language is Punjabi origin. In this recipe I have baked the aubergines to get a soft, tender pulp. They are peeled and mashed which is then mixed with onions and very few basic Indian spices. Traditionaly served with Indian Roti (bread).

Another fantastic way to use roasted Aubergines is preparing a Mediterranean dip called Baba Ganoush served with Middle Eastern flatbread. I have put up this recipe on my Facebook page if it interests you.

Preparation time: 5 minutes

Cooking time: 25 minutes + grilling

Serves: 4

Ingredients

Egg plant or Aubergine – 500 g, usually 2 (*see notes)

Olive oil – 1 tbsp

Garlic cloves – 5, finely chopped

Cumin seeds – 1 tsp

Onions – 1 large, chopped

Tomato – 1 large, chopped

Red chilli powder – 1 tsp

Coriander powder – 2 tbsp

Cumin powder – 1 tsp

Garam masala powder – 1/2 tbsp

Coriander leaves for garnish, small bunch

Salt as required

Directions

1. Preheat the oven at 200 degrees Celsius. Poke the aubergines (it wouldn’t make much of a difference without poking) with a fork all over and place them driectly on a low oven rack.

Egg plant

Roast it in convection mode for 35 to 50 minutes turning them frequently until they turn wrinkled and soft.

2. Use tongs to remove them from the oven. If you have the time let them cool completely. Peel, discard the skin and mash the flesh with a large spoon or you can cut them in half to scoop out the flesh.

How to use Aubergine/Baigan/Brinjal Flesh | Smoked or Grilled Eggplant

Set aside.

3. Meantime, prepare the rest of the ingredients.

4. Heat a deep-bottomed medium container with olive oil or ghee. Add cumin seeds, fry them for a minute. Then add onions and garlic. Fry until the onions turn translucent.

Cumin onion garlic

5. Add chopped tomatoes along with the rest of the spice powders such as red chili, cumin and garam masala powders. Mix and cook with some salt until soft.

Basic ingredients for Brinjal Recipe | Baingan Barta

6. Add Aubergine mash and cook for 7 -10 minutes on medium-low heat. Add more salt if needed. Garnish with coriander leaves.

Mashed Eggplant | Eggplant Recipe | Baingan Barta

Serve them with french loaf, chapathi, roti of your liking. It is quiet filling as I had mine with Indian chapathis and Beef Cutlet. See notes on how you can make use of roasted aubergines other ways.

Eggplant or Aubergine Recipe | Vegetarian | Delicious Baingan Barta

 

Baingan Barta Recipe| How to make Easy Vegetarian Recipes

 

Notes:

* Baking time for aubergines sometimes depends on the size of the eggplant.

*Peeled and roasted eggplant can be stored in airtight container in the fridge for 3-4 days. They also taste great for dips by drizzling some olive oil, salt, pepper and some coriander powder.

*One could also grill the eggplant on fire directly until the skin blackens or chars and the flesh softens which is also another best way to roast it.

 

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Crispy Pork Wonton – Chinese

I have been wanting to try out the crispy version of Chinese deep-fried wontons ever since the time I have eaten these at a local food court in Singapore. They are crispy and delicious which makes it a perfect homemade appetizer for potluck parties.

One can just buy these store bought wonton wrappers or wonton pastries and store them in the freezer for long, remove when you want to use them as many as you need leaving the rest back in the freezer. The filling can be prawns, spinach, pork, chicken, tofu, cheese etc of your choice. Sometimes chopped fresh water chestnut is also used to mix with the fillings. For greens make sure to squeeze out any extra amount of water before using it for filling.

Related Wonton recipe:

Pork wonton soup recipe

Preparation time: 20 -25 minutes

Cooking time: 10 minutes

Serves: 2

Ingredients

Pork mince – 250 g

Wonton pastry or wrapper – 35 to 40

Oil for deep-frying

Soya sauce – 3 tbsp

Sesame sauce – 1 tbsp

Spring onions – 15 g, finely chopped

Water for sealing

Directions

1. Prepare the wonton filling.

Take a bowl, add soya sauce, sesame oil and spring onions. Mix together beef mince and toss to coat well.

beef mince with sauce

2. Place a teaspoon of the mince mixture in the centre of each wonton pastry. Keep a small bowl of water and apply water to seal them as shown below.

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3. Heat a deep-bottomed container with 2-inch oil. Once heated, drop each wonton in hot oil and fry till light brown turning sides.

IMG_0524

4. Serve them with thai chili dip.

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Silken Tofu with Garlic and Crispy Onion

This Jiggly soyabean product of Silken tofu is one of the vast array of tofus that are commonly used in the Asian cuisine. Silken tofu is soft, delicate and just require a little bit of skill for careful handling before they fall apart. These cakes of soft silken tofu can be eaten raw pretty straightforward right out from the package, drain excess water or steamed for a couple of minutes and topped up with ingredients of choice.

One of the reasons I do not eat tofu so often is because its bland and so boring. However, a quick sauce with fried onions, garlic and green onions gave the tofu a very good flavor and the discovery of this quick go-to recipe in no time.

Preparation time: 5

Cooking time: 12 minutes

Serves – 2

 

Ingredients

Silken tofu – 1 pack

UNICURD Silken Tofu | Vegetarian recipe | Delicious Sweet Aroma

Sunflower / Vegetable oil for deep-fry

Onion – 1 small, thinly  sliced

Soya sauce – 3 tbsp

Sesame oil – 1 tbsp

Oyster sauce – 1/2 tbsp

Garlic cloves – 1 large, finely chopped

Spring onions for garnish

 

Directions

Steaming the tofu:

1. Prepare a steamer or broad container with 1 cup water and bring to a boil. Place a steamer stand.

2. Since the tofu is very delicate, place a flat plate over the opening and carefully invert or flip it over, tap gently until the tofu comes out.

Place the tofu plate on the steamer stand making sure it doesn’t slide. Cover and cook for 10 minutes on medium heat.

Steaming Tofu | Easy Vegan Recipe

 

Preparing the topping and sauce:

3. Meanwhile, heat a container with 1/2 cup oil. When it’s hot add the sliced onions and fry tossing frequently until they have all turn golden brown. This might take at least 5 minutes.

Strain on kitchen paper towels. Set aside.

4. Heat a small pan with the sauces such as soya, sesame and oyster. Add chopped garlic and fry for a minute or 2. Turn off heat and set aside.

Preparing the sauces for tofu

5. Remove the tofu plate carefully with a pair of tongs having a good grip. Drain any liquid that has accumulated as much as possible.

Slide it on a shallow bowl. Spoon the sauce mixture over the top, then sprinkle crispy fried onions and spring onions.

Topping for Silken Tofu | Easy Recipe

Silken Tofu with Garlic & Crispy Onion | Vegan 15-Minute Recipe | Delicious Sweet Aroma

Smooth Silken Tofu | Chinese Vegan Recipe | Delicious Sweet Aroma

 

 

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Fish Fillet Recipe

No-bake recipe of dory fish fillet seasoned and coated with egg, flour and breadcrumbs. One can serve these as party snacks with tartar, mayonnaise or mustard dips. For accompaniment as mains serve them with some greens. An even easier and quick way is making a fish fillet sandwich or serving them on a slice of baguette topped with sauce during a weekend get-together party.

Preparation time: 25 minutes

Cooking time: 5 minutes

Serves: 2

Ingredients

Vegetable oil for deep frying

Dory Fillet – 1 large, salted and sliced as shown below

Eggs – 2, lightly whipped and salted

All-purpose flour – 1/2 cup or more as required to coat

Breadcrumbs – 1 cup

 

Directions

1. Sprinkle some salt over the fillets and cut the fish fillet into long diagonal strips of 2 cm / 1.5-inch wide using a long sharp knife.

IMG_9111

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

2. In one shallow bowl whisk 2 eggs with a fork, add 1/4 tsp salt. In a zip-lock bag with flour, season lightly with salt. Place breadcrumbs in another bowl.

Coating mixture

Whisked Egg, Flour in a zip-lock bag & Breadcrumbs

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

3. Dip fish strips into the egg, coat well turning sides. Place few of them in the bag containing flour and shake to coat.

Dip them again in egg.

IMG_9114

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Lastly, coat them with breadcrumbs. Place them on a plate.

 

 

4. Heat 1-inch oil in a deep-bottomed container on medium (induction #6). When its hot enough a small piece of breadcrumb sizzles. Add the fish strips in batches not to overcrowd.

IMG_9120

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Fry for a minute  and turn side until it turns slightly dark brown. Drain using a slotted spoon on a kitchen paper towel.

 

5. Serve hot with lemon wedges or sauces of choice.

IMG_9131

I made this while I was home alone so I got the idea of quickly making a sandwich from these fish fillets. Since I had wholegrain bread stored in my fridge, I just toasted it in the pan lightly for 2 mins each slice and spread it with mustard sauce topped with cherry tomatoes stuffed with fish fillet. This was filling and was quick and easy. You can also add some pickles and veggies to make it a perfect low-cal meal. If your having a party at home serve it in small portions to make an elegant appetizer.

IMG_9123

 

 

More Seafood recipes hover and click below:

Fish Fillet with Couscous 🐟

Fish Fry Chili Paste (Meet-Mirsang) 🐟

Coconut Shrimp Fry 🦐

Sweet Chili Prawns 🦐

Prawn with Coconut Milk 🦐

 

 

Thank you for visiting Delicious Sweet Aroma! – Sherryl ☺

 

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Celery Soup

This simple creamy celery soup is a healthy recipe. I usually use just one or two heads of celery for my mutton soup and wasn’t sure of what to make with the rest. I think that celery is an underrated ingredient which I realized over time and has known to be a very healthy supplement to use on a daily basis. I’m not sure if everyone would love this soup but you must try it. I loved this soup and would think more than twice before tossing left-over celery in the bin.

If you would like to know more about Celery check here.

 

Preparation time: 20 minutes

Cooking time: 15 minutes

Serves – 4

Ingredients

Celery – whole bunch (for thicker soup)

Onions – 1 medium, chopped

Potatoes – 1 small

Salt for taste

Water for thickness consistency

 

Directions

1. Heat oil in a deep bottomed container on high. Add onions and fry till translucent.

Frying onions_IMG_8836

2. Add potatoes with a pinch of salt and fry for 3 minutes on medium. Then, add the chopped celery with 1/4 cup water. Cook for 7-10 minutes.

Transfer to a flat plate and let cool before tossing in the blender. It’s not a good idea to add hot ingredients into a blender.

Resting to cool_IMG_8839

3. Once cooled, blend it into a smooth paste.

Celery paste_IMG_8841

4. Transfer to the same container used before and set it on medium-high heat. Add 1 cup of water, season with salt and pepper. Stir to check for thickness required. You can add even more water for a less thicker soup.

Celery soup_IMG_8847

Enjoy!🙂🙂

Celery Soup_IMG_8845

 

More soups please click below and do not forget to follow me on FB: Delicious Sweet Aroma 🙂

Pumpkin Soup

Mushroom Soup

Carrot Soup

Pork Wonton Soup Recipe

Soup of Mutton Bone-Marrow

 

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Spicy Clam Recipe – Mangalorean Style

Every time I see Clams, it reminds me of one my childhood memories of Mangalore visiting the beach during summer foraging for clams. When the tide rises the live clams that burrow in the sand come out and we dig in to catch them before they rebury themselves as they follow the waves. That day we caught large ones so pretty with beautiful designs on them I wished I could return them back to the sea. Those days are truly treasured!

Mangalore, famous for its seafood, is known for variety of local seafood delicacies. This recipe of spicy clams is also known as Kube Sukkhe (Clam dry) in konkani prepared with a common spice mix powder bafat which I always use in other recipes.

Preparation time: 5 minutes excluding cleaning time

Cooking time: 20 minutes

Serves: 3

Ingredients

Fresh live clams – 1 kg

Olive oil – 2 tbsp

Mustard seeds – 1 tsp

Garlic cloves – 3, finely chopped

Onion (medium) – 1, thinly diced

Bafat powder / Fish powder – 3/4 tbsp

Tamarind – 3 seeds or 1 tsp paste

 pinch of salt

Grated coconut –  1/4 cup 

 

Directions

> How to clean Clams ?

+ If you buy fresh clams, place them in a large pot with cold water (tap water). The water must be a few inches above the top of the clams.

+ In a while you will notice them opening slightly or moving. Dipping them in water allows them to remove any sand or dirt within the shells.

Live clams | Fresh clams

+ Allow to sit for an hour. Then drain and rinse. Fill with a fresh batch of water. Soak for couple of minutes say 15 minutes. This will allow to get rid of any more particles of grit and sand.

+ Drain and rinse of any dirt. Set aside.

+ If you notice any cracked or damaged shells throw them in the garbage.

+ Observe each shell carefully. Any clam with open shells tap them with your fingers gently. If they do not close, they are likely to be dead so throw them out.

Clams that are not suitable to eat | How to


 

1. Heat a large pot with olive oil on medium heat and add mustard seeds. Once they sputter add chopped garlic and onions. Fry them for a couple of seconds.

Ingredients for Clam recipe

2. Add bafat or any seafood powder. Toss in grated coconut and tamarind water or paste with a pinch of salt. Stir-fry for 3-4 minutes. Do not add any water or any more salt.

Clam ingredients | Easy recipe

3. Now, add the clams. Do not mix when the clams are closed. Cover and cook on medium for 5 minutes.

Cooking Shells | How to cook Clams

4. After 5 minutes if you notice they all have opened.

How to cook Clams | Easy cooking | Hungry?! That's what I made!

Mix to combine with the spice mixture. Turn off heat after a minute.

Spicy Clam Recipe | Easy | Mangalorean Style

Clam Recipe | South-Indian | Delicious Sweet Aroma

 

For more recipes on seafood click on the recipe below:

Flower Crab Recipe

Sweet Chilli Prawns

Black Pomfret Curry (Facebook link w/o pics)

Prawns with coconut milk

Coconut Shrimp Fry

If you have subscribed to my posts please follow my Facebook page>> Delicious Sweet Aroma << for any future updates on this site. Thank you for visiting!

 

 

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Pan-Fried Zucchini

I’m trying creative ways to make my vegetarian dishes pleasing and delicious after realizing that meat is what we cannot live without. And, we are missing out couple of servings containing vegetables and greens🌿 in out diet so this recipe was easy to prepare as a substitute of meat.

I always stir-fried zucchini by seasoning it with pepper in a simple way to reduce cooking time for a couple of minutes. Then, I got bored with it, so I found a new way of adding some flour to grated zucchini with spices and shallow frying it. Just a few ingredients in less than 20 minutes. There you go! Probably, next time I’ll try using the oven to test on the texture and crispness👍.

Preparation time: 7 Minutes

Cooking time: 10 – 15 minutes

Makes: 15

Ingredients

Vegetable oil for shallow frying

All-purpose flour – 90 g

Corn flour – 40 g / 1 1/2 cup

Pepper powder – 1 tsp

Chili powder – 1 tsp

Paprika powder – 1 tsp

Ginger-Garlic paste – 1 tbsp

Grated zucchini – 175 g

Salt

 

Directions

1. Mix together all-purpose flour, corn flour, pepper, chili, paprika powder, ginger-garlic paste. Add zucchini and some salt. Mix  well without adding any water.

Zucchini tends to release water as you mix. It will be very sticky so if possible try mixing using your hands.

Ingredients for Zucchini Recipe | Easy Vegetarian side | Delicious Sweet Aroma

2. Heat some oil in a pan on medium-high. Drop some amount of the batter  using a spoon.

3. Flip side after 2 minutes. Shallow fry for couple of minutes until it turns lightly brown or crisp and non-sticky.

Shallow frying Zucchini | Veg recipe | Delicious Sweet Aroma

4. Strain them on kitchen paper towels. Serve hot as sides or snack.

Zucchini | Pan fried Vegan, Vegetarian sides| Hungry?! That's what I made!

Pan-fried Zucchini | Vegan | Vegetarian sides

 

Related Vegetarian Recipes:

Raw Jackfruit Dry in Clay Pot

Mushroom Soup 🍄

Curry of Drumsticks

Pan-Fried Breadfruit Recipe

 

Please do not forget to check my FB page >> Delicious Sweet Aroma<< On updates related to this site. Like or comment on the above to make sure you do not miss my posts and recipes.

Hope to see you again! Until then 👋👋👋 lots of love ❤

✍Sherryl

 

 

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Onion Fritters / Onion Bhaji – Vegan

Quick and easy vegan recipe of crispy Onion fritters also known as Onion Bhaji in Indian cuisine, mainly served as a snack or starter before a main course. Its also sometimes named as pakora (fritter) which are deep-fried in a batter of chickpea flour.

I make this quiet often when we want to munch on snacks and this is quick to prepare during weekends. Most of the recipes call for many ingredients for Onion Bhaji and I made it super-quick for minimal prep and time in the kitchen.

Preparation time : 5 minutes

Cooking time: 10 minutes

Serves: 2

Ingredients

Vegetable oil for deep-frying

Onion – 1 medium, thinly sliced

Chickpea flour/ Gram flour / Besan – 1/2 cup / 70 g

Rice flour – 2 tbsp, for crispness

Water – 25 ml if required

Red chili powder – 1 tsp (optional)

Salt – 1/4 tsp

 

Directions

1. Peel and wash onion. Cut into thin slices.

2. Add chickpea flour or besan, rice flour, salt. Mix and coat together using your hands or spoon. It will turn sticky as onions release water while mixing. Do not add water yet until well mixed for half a minute.

Ingredients for Onion Fritter | Vegan Recipe | Delicious Sweet Aroma

Now you can add little water but not too much.

4. Heat oil in a deep-bottomed container of 2-inch. Drop the batter in small amounts as shown.

Frying Onions | Deep-fry | Delicious Sweet Aroma

5. Fry in batches for 2 minutes or until it changes color to light brown. Strain with a slotted spoon and place on kitchen paper towels.

Frying Onions | Vegan | Delicious Sweet Aroma

Onion Fritters or Baji | Vegan | Delicious Sweet Aroma

Serve hot with tea ☕ or any spicy dip. We have this quiet often in the evenings and by the time I’m done frying with my last batch they are almost over ☺. However, this time I managed to get a picture while my hubby patiently waited.

Onion Fritters or Onion Baji | Vegan Recipe | Delicious Sweet Aroma

A quick picture before crunching into them.

Onion Fritter | Vegan/Vegetarian Recipe | Delicious Sweet Aroma

 

You can pin it for later use. If you have tried it please share your views . I would like to hear your thoughts👇 ✍. Thank you for visiting my post.

 

For related recipes of fritters and Ingredients click below:

Goli Baje Recipe

Spicy Banana Pepper Fritters 🌶

Jackfruit Fritters

Banana Fritters 🍌

 

 

 

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Coconut Shrimp Fry

It’s been far too long since I’ve deep-fried food and had a crazy craving for some seafood. Shrimp fry with a lovely twist of coconut and breadcrumb mix was a great treat.

Coconut Shrimp Fry 🍤 has a delicious coating of sweetness and light crunch. Although I had fresh grated coconut I wanted to try out the dry desiccated coconut 🥥. It’s available in most supermarkets especially when fresh coconut is not available locally.

For the two of us it was a good amount of shrimps as a side. I prefer buying fresh shrimps than the pre-packed peeled ones as I am always not too sure how fresh they are.

Preparation time: 15 minutes(excluding marination & peeling)

Cooking time: 20 minutes

 

Ingredients

Shrimps medium large – 500 g (with shell), peeled with tail intact

Vegetable oil for deep-frying

Marinade

Coconut milk – 250 ml

Red chili powder – 1 tbsp

Coriander leaves – 3 stems, finely chopped

Oregano – 1 tsp

Salt – 1/2 tsp

 

Coating

All-purpose flour – 1 cup or as needed

Egg whites – 4 small, lightly whisked

Desiccated coconut (dry) – 3/4 cup

Breadcrumbs – 3/4 cup

 

Directions

1. In a medium bowl, mix the coconut milk, chili powder, oregano, salt, coriander leaves. Add the shrimps soaked in the mixture. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for 1 hour.

After an hour, discard the marinade.

marination for shrimp fry with coconut milk and spices

2. Place flour in one plate, egg-whites in another with a pinch of salt and in the third place the coconut and breadcrumb mixture (equal portions of both).

Coat the shrimps first in flour, remove excess flour. Dip it in egg white and then coat it with coconut-breadcrumb mixture.

Shrimp coating for deep-frying

3. In a large deep-frying pot, pour enough oil at a depth of 2 inches. Heat at a temperature by testing the oil.

Fry in batches, add coated prawns to hot oil turn side in 2 mins and fry until it changes color or cooked through. Do not overload the pot while frying.

Deep-Fried coconut shrimp recipe | Hungry?! That's what I made!

Serve with any sauce of your choice. We had it with a quick dip of yellow mustard sauce.

Coconut Shrimp Fry Recipe | Delicious Sweet Aroma

Coconut Shrimp Fry

 

 

More recipes on Seafood hover on the recipe and click below:

Garlic Shrimp Fry

Prawn Fried Rice Recipe

Squid with Coconut Milk

 

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If you like my page I am looking forward to hear your views on my recipes ✍ 😇. Wishing you a lovely weekend🌞. Stay Healthy!

 

 

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Mushroom Soup

Even in this sweltering heat, one weekend evening, we went to a small local restaurant to have something very light and ordered steaming hot mushroom soup served in a paper cup. It was thick, delicious and satisfying. Since then, I wanted to try it and I finally made it.

Mushrooms | Soups | Delicious Sweet Aroma

I bought these fresh huge mushrooms and I believe they are called as Shiitake Mushrooms which were so pretty and beautiful that couldn’t help taking pictures of it.

Mushrooms | Recipes | Delicious Sweet Aroma

Brown Mushrooms | Shiitake | Delicious Sweet Aroma

Mushroom soup is easy to make and is warm, creamy, and comforting. This soup can be incredibly filling and can be easily eaten as a stand-alone meal or with a piece of crusty bread. It is also a healthy replacement of meat.

 

Preparation time: 10 minutes

Cooking time: 25 minutes

Appliance Required: Blender/food processor

 

 

Ingredients

Butter – 2 tbsp

Mushrooms – 12, thinly sliced

Onions – 1 medium, thinly diced

Salt as required

Cream  – 3 tbsp , or veg stock 

Water for consistency or veg stock

 

Directions

1. Melt butter in a medium pot on medium-low heat. Add onions, fry for 2 – 3 minutes till translucent.

Onions for flavor, Mushroom soup

2. Add the mushrooms and mix. Cover and cook on medium for at least 7- 10 minutes.

Mushroom ready for cooking | How to cook by Delicious Sweet Aroma

It must be soft. Turn off heat and let it cool for a while.

Cooking Mushrooms for Soup | by Delicious Sweet Aroma

3. Put the contents in a food processor or blender with 1/2 cup of water. Process on medium speed until smooth.

Mushroom puree | Soup | by Delicious Sweet Aroma

4. Add the pureed mushroom into the same pot with cream or  1 1/2 cup vegetable stock along with some salt. It will have a slight change in color from dark to light color.

Cream for mushroom soup | Delicious

Bring to a boil by reducing heat and simmering uncovered for 3-4 minutes. Serve hot

Mushroom Soup | Easy creamy soup | Delicious Sweet Aroma

 

Note:

*I haven’t added any veg stock as I ran out of it. Hence I replaced it with water and a bit of cream for creamy flavor.

 

Do share your views on my posts or similar recipes you have tried. Love to hear from you. Have a relaxing weekend!

 

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