Homemade Recipes

Are you fond of culinary art but never tried your hands in cooking? Don't worry. There are loads of delicious homemade food recipes which are easy to understand and their preparation requires hardly any skill of a chef. Cooking becomes both exciting and relaxing once you enter the kitchen.

You can win hearts of your family members and friends by preparing variety of delectable homemade food for them. So learning few tips to prepare homemade recipes make all your weekdays colorful, not just your weekends.

Following are some of the homemade food recipes that you can try in your kitchen and have fun:

(1) Indian seafood recipes

(a) Tandoori fish

Ingredients

1 x 900g/2 lb whole trout

45ml/3 tbsp oil

5ml/1 tbsp garam masala

1 lemon, cut into wedges

Seasoning

2.5cm/1 in ginger root

8 cloves garlic

5cm/2 in cube green papaya

5ml/1 tsp ground turmeric

1.5ml/1/4 tsp chili powder

Juice of 2 lemons

Salt

Method: Make 4 dents on either side of the fish after cleaning and scaling it. Make a smooth paste of grinded seasoning ingredients and rub it over the fish, inside and out. Clean and scale the fish and wash well and make 4 incisions on either side of the fish. Grind all the seasoning ingredients together to a smooth paste then rub all over the fish, inside and out. Leave to stand for 1 hour. After one hour, cook the fish under a hot grill often turning and brushing with the oil for at least 10 minutes until it turns into dark golden brown. Then serve it hot with rice.

(b) Plain with fenugreek

Ingredients

45ml/3 tbsp oil

450 g/1 lb plaice fillets, cut into pieces

5ml/1 tsp cumin seeds

2 onions, finely chopped

60ml/4 tbsp chopped fresh or 20 ml/4 tsp dried fenugreek leaves

1-2 green chilies

1 small bunch fresh coriander (cilantro)

4 cloves garlic

2.5 cm/1 in ginger root

1.5ml/1/4 tsp ground turmeric

5 ml/1 tsp ground coriander (cilantro)

5ml/1 tsp sugar

2 tomatoes, skinned and chopped

Salt

Method: Fry the fish in hot oil and keep it aside. Then fry cumin seeds for 30 seconds. Fry onions till it turns into golden brown color. Grind fenugreek, chilies, coriander, garlic and ginger and make a smooth paste. Add the remaining ingredients to the paste and stir it well into the pan. Boil for 5 minutes and add fish. Cove and cook for 15 minutes until the fish is tender. A little amount of water can be added if necessary. Then serve it hot with rice and okra.

(c) Prawn mustard curry

Ingredients

6 dried red chilies

5 ml/1 tsp ground turmeric

15 ml/1 tbsp cumin seeds

6 cloves garlic

10 ml/2 tsp mustard seeds

6 onions, chopped

450 g/1lb peeled prawns (shrimp)

45 ml/3 tbsp ghee

900 ml/1 1/2 pts/3 3/4 cups water

1 sprig fresh curry leaves

Salt

15 ml/1 tbsp lemon juice

Method: Make a paste of grinded chilies, turmeric, cumin seeds, garlic, mustard seeds and onions and mix it with prawns. Fry this prawn mixture for two minutes in ghee. Boil it again by adding water, curry leaves and salt for about 10 minutes and then serve hot with rice or chapattis.

(2) Party and picnic recipes

(a) Country combination pate'

Ingredients

1 onion, chopped

1 clove garlic, crushed

Spring fresh thyme

Spring parsley

Spring fresh chervil

1/4 cup (60ml) butter

1/2 lb (225g) chicken livers, cleaned

Salt and pepper, to taste

1/4lb (110g) fat pork, roughly chopped

1/4 lb (110g) lean pork, roughly chopped

6 slices bacon

Method: Take onion, garlic and herbs in butter and cook for 1-2 minutes. Add livers diced into 3/4 inch (2cm) pieces to it. Cook the mixture gently for about 1 minute. Cool, then season and puree with pork. Add bacon slices in meat mixture. Stand pan in a baking dish half-full of water and bake at 350F (180C) for 1 hour. Let it cool followed by refrigeration until it becomes firm. Then serve chilled, slice pate' on lettuce leaves, accompanied by triangles of toast.

(b) Oyster cheese puffs

Ingredients

1/4 lb (110g) butter

1 1/2 cups (375ml) grated sharp cheddar cheese

2 tsp (10ml) sherry

1 egg, separated

2 x 4 oz (110g) cans smoked oysters, drained

32 x 1 1/2 inch (4cm) bread rounds

1 tbsp (15ml) finely chopped parsley

Paprika, to taste

Method: Mix egg yolk with butter, cheese and sherry. Blend it well. Fold whisked egg white into cheese mixture. Place 1 oyster on each round and top with 1 tsp (5ml) of cheese mixture. Sprinkle with chopped parsley and paprika and place it on baking sheets. Bake at 450F (230C) for 10m minutes and serve piping hat.

(c) Hot Dip Fry Raw Vegetables

Ingredients

5 cloves garlic

3 tbsp (45ml) milk

1 1/4 cups (310ml) olive oil

4 tbsp (60ml) butter

4 oz (110g) anchovies, finely chopped

Method: Put finely chopped garlic in the milk for a few hours to remove some of its pungency. Then take a heatproof earthenware pot and put oil and butter in it. Add anchovies and drained garlic in the pot and anchovies and drained garlic. Stir the mixture frequently. Then serve it serve immediately, with prepared vegetables.

(3) Fruit Desserts Recipes

(a) Apple and Plum Crumble

Ingredients

1 lb (450g) cooking apples, peeled, cored and sliced

1 lb (450g) plums, halved and pitted

1 cup (250ml) white sugar

4-5 tbsp (60 to 75ml) orange juice

1/4 lb (110g) butter, cubed

2 1/4 cups (560ml) all-purpose flour, sifted

1/2 cup (125ml) flaked almonds

Grated rind of 1 orange

Method: Take a large ovenproof dish and put half the fruit in it. Sprinkle with 1/4 cup (60ml) sugar and the orange juice and then put the remaining fruit in dish. Mix butter into flour until mixture resembles fine breadcrumbs. Stir in remaining sugar, almonds and orange rind. Spread this crumble mixture thickly over fruit and bake it at 350F (180C) for 35 to 40 minutes or until top is slightly golden. Serve immediately, with whipped cream or custard.

(b) Fruited Chicken Salad

Ingredients

1 1/2 to 2 cups (375-500ml) cooked, diced chicken meat

1/2 cup (125ml) brown long grain rice, cooked

2 grapefruit, peeled and segmented

2 carrots cut into julienne strips

2 slices onion, separated in rings

1 large ripe avocado

3 tbsp (45ml) lemon juice

1 tbsp (15ml) vinegar

1 tbsp (15ml) oil

Lettuce leaves for serving

Watercress, to garnish

Dressing

1/2 cup (125ml) mayonnaise

1 tsp (5ml) curry powder

Method: Take chicken, rice, grapefruit, carrots and onion into a salad bowl and toss well. Then take peeled avocado and dice it and brush with lemon juice. Combine vinegar and oil. Add to chicken mixture with avocado and lemon juice and toss gently. Serve salad on bed of lettuce. This is the best homemade salad dressing recipes.

To make dressing: Combine all ingredients. Serve dressing separately.

(4) Potato Recipes

(a) Herbed Potatoes  

Ingredients

2 small new potatoes per person, lightly scrubbed

1 tsp (5ml) butter per 2 potatoes

2 tsp (10ml) chopped fresh parsley or basil, per 2 potatoes

Method: Boil potatoes in a pan filled with water until tender for approximately 20 minutes. Melt butter and add parsley and potatoes in a pan. Coat potatoes well with parsley butter and serve immediately.

(b) Fettuccine with Potato and Tomato Sauce

Ingredients

1 lb (450g) fettuccine, cooked

1 1/2 tbsp (20ml) butter

2 green onions, diced

2 celery stalks, diced

1/2 green pepper, diced

1 zucchini, diced

1 large potato, peeled and diced

4 slices bacon, diced

1 2/4 cups (440ml) canned tomatoes with liquid

1 cup (250ml) water

1 cube chicken stock

Pinch dried thyme

1 clove garlic, crushed

Method: First melt butter and then add all vegetables (except tomatoes) and bacon in it and gradually fry until bacon fat becomes clear. Put remaining ingredients in the fried mixture and boil for 30 minutes. Add diced potato and cook 2 minutes. Serve with cooked fettuccine.

(c) Best Roast Potatoes

Ingredients

6 medium potatoes, peeled

3 tbsp (45ml) oil

Method: Put washed potatoes in cold water for 30 minutes. Dry all the potatoes with paper towels. Cut the potatoes in half lengthwise. Then heat oil in a baking dish for 5 minutes and add potatoes and bake at 475F (250C) for 20 minutes more or until golden. Use paper towels to absorb excess oil and serve immediately.