Oriyarasoi is on twitter !

Showing posts with label indian pasta recipe. Show all posts
Showing posts with label indian pasta recipe. Show all posts

Friday, March 25, 2016

Citrusy Coconut Pasta ( Vegan Pasta Recipe )

IMP - This is an original recipe created by the blogger and has been published for the first time on oriyarasoi.com. 

The twain shall meet ! And how !!

Well, my latest experiment of fusing South Indian flavors with the Italian staple aka pasta only reinforces my faith that cross-cultural marriages are not just stimulating but fraught with numerous possibilities. For example, I have always been a big fan of light summery pasta sauces that just about tickle the taste buds without ever dominating the natural taste of the pasta. And the citrus coconut combination is just that.

Keeping it vegan, I omitted the cream and instead opted for freshly squeezed coconut milk. The slight notes of garlic and curry leaf add subtle character to this sauce while the coconut milk infuses it with sweet overtones. But the best part is the uplifting citrus notes that make it the perfect pasta dish for the oppressive Indian summers.

But given that some people are not too fond of coconut, I have tested this recipe by substituting a spot of cream instead of the fresh coconut milk. And it works just as fine. Just remember to go easy on the cream as we do not want to add up on the calories.

Read on for the recipe -

















Preparation Time - 15 mins

Ingredients -


  • 1 cup chifferi rigate / penne
  • 1/2 cup orange juice
  • 2 tsp lemon juice
  • 1/2 tsp honey
  • 2 garlic flakes (minced)
  • 1/4 cup coconut milk
  • 1/2 tsp chili flakes
  • 1 sprig curry leaves
  • 2 tsp canola oil
  • salt to taste


Preparation - Bring 5 cups water to boil in a large saucepan. Once it gets to bubbling, add salt and then when it gets to a rolling boil, throw in the pasta. It will take about 15 mins to cook to an al-dente stage.

Once the paste is done, save a cup of the pasta water and drain the rest using a colander. Give a good shake to the colander to prevent the pasta from sticking to each other.

Cooking - Heat the oil in a wok. Add the minced garlic and fry till golden. Add the orange juice and lemon juice along with the honey. Cook on low flame till it thickens.

Remove from the flame. Add the coconut milk and stir it in for 1-2 mins.

Throw in the cooked pasta along with the curry leaves and chili flakes. Add about 2-3 tsp of the pasta water as it helps the sauce to stick to the pasta. Put it back on the burner and cook for 1 minute.

Remove and allow to cool down.

















Serve at room temperature.




Friday, June 5, 2015

Pasta Al Pesto ( Vegan version with Curry leaves )

Pasta laden with humongous amount of cheese may not be the right fit for the sweltering hot Indian summers. Hence I had to come up with a relatively easy cheese free pasta recipe that did not require working in front of the stove for long duration.

I picked up the regular pesto recipe, gave it a very indian twist with curry leaves, roasted red chilis , urad dal, asafoetida and canola oil and ended up with this winner. Yeah, this is a taste recipe with a very tangible South Indian flavour.

Read on for the recipe -


















Preparation Time - 15 mins

Ingredients -

  • 1 cup pasta ( I used a mix of different shapes )
  • handful of curry leaves
  • 2 dry red chili ( I used Byadgi variety that has mild heat)
  • 3 garlic cloves
  • 1 tsp urad dal
  • 1 tbsp charoli seeds
  • salt to taste
  • 1 tsp oil
  • 1 tsp lime juice
  • pinch of asfoetida

Preparation - Boil water in a large saucepan. Once the bubbles start coming, salt it.

Wait for water to come to a rolling boil before you add the paste. This way they wont stick to each other.

While the paste is cooking, heat the oil in a small skillet. Add the red chili, asafoetida and urad dal. Once the dal turns brown, add the charoli nuts and roast for 30 seconds.

Transfer the contents of the skillet into a grinder jar. Add the washed curry leaves, garlic cloves and salt. Buzz into a coarse meal.

Keep checking on your pasta . Once it gets to the al-dente stage, remove from flame and drain off the pasta water while saving about 1/2 cup of it for thinning the sauce.

Take the pasta in a pasta bowl or wide dish, add the pesto, 2-3 tsp of the past water and the lime juice.
































Toss everything together.

Serve immediately.

For more such vegan pasta recipes click here, here, here,, here and here

Friday, January 16, 2015

Pasta with Kasundi Sauce (Low-calorie snacking !!)

Pasta and Kasundi ?? Whoever would have thought of such an unlikely pairing !! But let me tell you that it works incredibly well on my Indian taste buds. And even before you ask me why I thought of the combination, let me remind you that I have been looking forward to maintaining a healthier lifestyle from this year. That translates into cutting down of fattening food like cheese. Moreover, it being so cold these days, I wanted something hot and spicy to warm me up.

While I could have gone with a regular Marinara sauce, It felt like too much effort. Moreover, the flavors are heavier as compared to this recipe. Since I already had a bottle of tomato Kasundi (recipe at the bottom of this post) sitting in my fridge, it hardly took any time. The trick is to balance the flavors of the fresh tomatoes and the kasundi so that neither one dominates. And yeah, do not forget the peppers. I used the spicy Guntur variety which I personally prefer as compared to the Jalapenos and Habaneros. We do have a lot of good native varieties of peppers/chillis in India which are just waiting to be discovered. And they turn out to be quite economical as compared to the imported varieties.

Read on for the lip-smacking recipe -







Preparation Time - 15-18 mins

Ingredients -


  • 1 1/2 cup pasta (chifferi rigata)
  • 1 large fresh tomato ( chopped into small pieces )
  • 2 garlic cloves
  • 1 red chili pepper (Guntur variety)
  • 1 tbsp coriander roots (finely chopped)
  • 1 tsp coriander leaves (finely chopped)
  • 1 tsp tomato kasundi (adjust as per preference)
  • 1 tsp vegetable oil
  • salt


Cooking - Heat water in a large saucepan. Once it gets to a boil, add enough salt so that it tastes quite salty (almost like sea water). Throw in the pasta and cook on medium to high flame till al-dente (cooked yet firm). Retain 1 cup of the pasta water and drain the rest.

Dissolve the kasundi in 2 to3 tbsp of pasta water.

Heat the oil in a wok. Add the chopped garlic, red chili and coriander roots. Fry till the garlic turns golden. Add the chopped tomatoes and cover with a lid for 30 seconds. Once the tomatoes get a little soft (but still chunky), add the cooked pasta along with the kasundi. Sprinkle some more pasta water if it gets too dry. Cook for 1-2 mins before removing from flame.

Garnish with fresh coriander leaves and serve immediately.





















Note - Click here for the recipe of Tomato Kasundi. Adjust the amount of pepper as per preference. 

Tuesday, September 16, 2014

Roasted Peppers Pasta (with Sambar masala)

This is my second entry for the Indusladies Kid's Lunchbox event. Most kids love pasta given that it is paired with the right kind of sauce. A sweet, tangy one with a hint of chili works well with the little ones. Red peppers (especially roasted ones) have a natural sweetness to them and are a popular choice for making pasta sauce. Roasted peppers with herbs and cheese, roasted peppers with balsamic vinegar, roasted peppers with tomatoes, roasted peppers with red wine. These are just a few of the varieties that one can find over the internet. While I have tried some of them, my son's current favorite (and mine too!!) happens to be one with sambar masala. Yeah, it might sound strange but it is a real good combination. But in case you are skeptical about it, leave out the sambar masala and add some good old processed cheese in it's place.

Read on for the recipe -






Sending this as a contribution to the Indusladies event 100 Kids Lunch Box Recipes. Check out more details here - http://www.indusladies.com/food/kids-lunch-box-recipes/









Preparation Time - 20 mins

Ingredients -


  • 1 cup pasta 
  • 1 big red bell pepper
  • 1 medium sized tomato
  • 1 medium onion
  • 1/4 tsp coriander powder
  • 1/5 tsp red chili powder
  • 1 tsp sugar
  • 1/4 tsp sambar masala
  • 2 tsp rice bran oil
  • salt


Preparation - Roast the pepper on a low flame till the outer skin turns black.

Keep aside till it cools down to a bearable temperature. Peel/remove the blackened skin and chop up the flesh. Discard the seeds.

Finely chop the onions and tomato and keep aside.

Cooking - Bring water to boil in a large saucepan. When the bubbles start to form, add the salt.

Once it gets to a rolling boil, add pasta. Cook till al-dente and another minute extra ( do give a stir 2-3 times in between so that the pasta does not catch at the bottom) on a medium flame. Drain the water ( while preserving 1 cup for the sauce ) and keep aside.

Add 2 tsp oil to a skillet. Add the onions. Fry till they turn translucent. Add the chili powder and coriander powder. Fry for 20-30 secs.

Add the chopped tomato to the skillet and cook till it softens up. Transfer the roasted and chopped pepper to a food processor/mixer jar. Buzz it to get a smooth paste.  Add this paste along with the sambar masala to the skillet. Cook for 2 mins.

Add the pasta. Cook for another 2-3 mins till the sauce thickens and coats the pasta. ( Add a few teaspoons more of the pasta water if the sauce feels too dry )

Serve hot or cold.





















Note - While pasta is supposed to be cooked al-dente, it makes sense to make it a little softer for the younger kids who are reluctant to chew their food.


Sunday, August 3, 2014

Chifferi Rigate in Roasted Pepper sauce (Indian Masala Style)

Last week they celebrated 'Red Day' at my son's kindergarten school. The kids were to be decked up in red and the contents of the tiffin box were to be something red as per the school's circular. Pack something like apples, cherries or strawberries advised their class teacher. However since my kid prefers something more filling than mere fruits, i had to cook something palatable but without using any red food coloring.

Thankfully I had bought red and yellow peppers over the weekend. And they looked quite inviting everytime I opened the fridge prompting me to incorporate them into some more than just a mere salad or a quick stir fried mixed vegetable side. Though I had read a few roasted bell pepper pasta recipes, this was the first time I tried it. I decided to roast a tomato along with the pepper and add it to the Indian masala kind of gravy that I had in mind.

It turned out to be fabulous and my kid wanted more even after finishing his box. I made it again for dinner after two days and even my husband loved it. Read on for the recipe -


















Preparation Time - 20 mins

Ingredients -


  • 1 cup chifferi rigate pasta ( )
  • 1 big red bell pepper
  • 1 medium sized tomato
  • 1 medium onion
  • 1/3 tsp GG paste
  • 1/4 tsp coriander powder
  • 2 pinch cumin powder
  • 1/5 tsp red chili powder
  • 1 tsp sugar
  • 2 pinch garam masala
  • 5 tbsp grated processed cheese (I used Amul)
  • 2 tsp rice bran oil
  • a small cube of butter (optional)
  • salt



Preparation - Roast the pepper and the tomato on a low flame till the outer skin turns black.

Keep aside till it cools down to a bearable temperature. Peel/remove the blackened skin and chop up the flesh.

Roughly chop the onions and keep aside.

Cooking - Bring water to boil in a large saucepan. When the bubbles start to form, add the salt.

Once it gets to a rolling boil, add pasta. Cook till al-dente ( do give a stir 2-3 times in between so that the pasta does not catch at the bottom) on a medium flame. Drain the water ( while preserving 1 cup for the sauce ) and keep aside.

Add 1 tsp oil to a skillet. Add the onions and fry on high for 30 secs. Add the GG paste and reduce the flame. Fry till the onions turn translucent. Add the chili powder, coriander, cumin and garam masala. Fry for 20-30 secs.

Remove the contents of the skillet and transfer to a food processor . Add the roasted pepper and tomato as well. Buzz it to get a smooth paste.

Heat the remaining oil and butter in the same wok. Add the pepper-tomato sauce along with 1/3 cup of the pasta water and fry for 2-3 mins on a medium flame. Add the sugar and the grated cheese. Adjust the salt.

Add the pasta. Cook for another 2-3 mins till the sauce thickens and coats the pasta. ( Add a few teaspoons more of the pasta water if the sauce feels too dry )

Serve hot or cold.

Note - Skip the cheese if you want to keep it vegan.


















This is my entry for the event Pasta Please~Peppers hosted by Nayna ( blog ) and Jacqueline ( blog). Do check out their page for more details!!




Tuesday, April 29, 2014

Pasta in Mango Sauce

I have come across a lot of people who are totally clueless when it comes to preparing pasta. They believe that pasta needs to be smothered in a whole lot of cheese and sauce. And they somehow end up choosing recipes that are unnecessarily complicated and lengthy.

But the reason I love pasta is its simplicity. For me it is something akin to roti. Quickly rustle up a subzi or get some yogurt and you are good to go. A simple marinara sauce or some mayonnaise-yogurt combo with pasta does it for me.  Hence I am forever on the lookout for such super simple recipes. This time I had some ripe mangoes and red peppers sitting in the fridge and I decided to incorporate them in my pasta. Added some raw mango for that extra zing and I loved the end results. A beautiful dish which was quite something on the tongue. Eureka...I had discovered another summery pasta recipe.

[Did you know ?? - White spaghetti made from Durum wheat  and boiled for 12 minutes has a GI of 34 which ranks it among the low GI foods. But when it is boiled for more time, for example 20 mins , the GI value increases to 58.]

Read on for the recipe:

















Preparation Time - 15-18 mins

Ingredients -

1 cup farfalle pasta
1 cup peeled and diced ripe mangoes
1/3 cup thinly sliced red bell peppers
1 tbsp grated raw mangoes ( u can also use paste instead)
1/2 tsp chilli flakes
3-4 finely chopped garlic flakes
2 pinch oregano
1 1/2 tsp Fortune Rice Bran oil
salt to taste


Cooking - Bring 7-8 cups of water to boil in a saucepan. Add enough salt so that the water so that it tastes too salty. Once it gets to a rolling boil, add the pasta. (Depending on the brand it takes 12-15 mins to become al-dente. Do give a stir 2-3 times in between.)

Once the pasta has cooked for 7-8 minutes, heat a wok. Add the oil. Once oil has warmed, add the garlic and allow it to turn a light brown.

Add the chilli flakes and wait for 10-15 seconds before adding the raw mango. Stir for 1-2 minutes and then add the ripe mango cubes/chunks. Cook for a 4-5 minutes till they become mushy.Sprinkle the oregano.

By this time, the pasta would be done. Strain the pasta while retaining a few tablespoons of the water used to cook it.

Add the pasta to the wok along with the red peppers. Give it a shake of two and cook for 1 minute. Add a little of the pasta water if its getting too dry. Remove from the wok.

(The flavor of the ripe mango is reduced while being cooked. Mix in more ripe mango while serving.)

Garnish with a few mango slices and serve immediately. (But it tastes good even when cold)




















Note - Using the pasta water in the sauce has a dual purpose. It adds saltiness and the starch content in it acts as a binding agent which ensures that the sauce binds well with the pasta.

Wednesday, July 3, 2013

Hariyali Pasta ( Pasta with green sauce )


















Preparation time - 15-20 mins

Ingredients - 1 cup paste, 1 cup chopped spinach ( palak, use only the tender leaves with stems chopped off ), 1 medium sized onion, 1 tsp ginger garlic paste, 1 green chilli, 2-3 garlic flakes, 1/2 tsp cumin, 1/3 tsp chilli powder, 1/5 tsp garam masala (optional), 2-3 tsp tomato ketchup, 1 tsp oil, 1 small cube of butter, inch of turmeric, salt to taste.

Preparation: Bring water to boil in a pan. Add spinach to it for 3 mins. Drain off and fill with cold water.
Drain and squeeze out excess water from spinach. Also known as blanching, this step retains the green color of spinach.
Chop the onions into small pieces. Slit the garlic flakes along their length into thin slices.

Cooking:
For pasta - Heat sufficient water in a pan. When the bubbles start to come, add pasta and salt. Boil till the pasta is cooked yet firm. Drain all the water in a colander and give it a shake to prevent pasta from sticking to each other.

For the sauce - Heat oil in a wok. Add cumin seeds and allow to splutter. Add chopped onions and saute them for 2 mins. Put in the ginger garlic paste and fry till the raw smell is gone ( 2-3 mins ). Add the chilli powder, turmeric, garam masala and blanched spinach. Cook for 3 mins.
Allow to cool down. Transfer to a grinder along with a green chilli and 3-4 tbs of water/vegetable stock. Make a smooth paste.

Heat the butter in a wok so that it just melts. Throw in the garlic slices and stir them so that they give off their smell. Toss in the pasta and saute for 1-2 mins. Add the sauce along with the ketchup. Allow the sauce to coat all the pasta.

Garnish with chilli flakes or crumbled ricotta cheese if desired.Serve hot .


Note: Cook the pasta a few degrees softer when preparing for kids. Also reduce the chilli content and cut up the cooked pasta into bite size portions. Sending this to

Guru's Cooking Giveaway Kids Special 2013











Featured Post

Green Papaya Laddoos (SugarFree recipe)

Mom is undoubtedly the dessert specialist at home. God forbid, if she takes to blogging, she could give a lot of folks a run for their mone...