Fusilli Pasta in White Sauce with Capsicum and Corn

Fusilli Pasta in White Sauce with Capsicum and Corn

How many times do we go to buy grocery , and unknowingly pick up something that you don’t really know how to make? It happens with me all the time. Though this time it was not me, but what my mom picked up. The one thing she knows is that I like pasta….but not which one :) If I am buying, its usually Penne. But this time it was Fusilli…sadly I saw this packet only after I came home. And fortunately or unfortunately, there are totally 2 packets, as it was buy one get one free. So I had t use them at any cost. Unluckily for me, I couldn’t find much of pasta recipes for Fusilli. Surprised ! So I came up with my own.
Unlike penne, fusilli is very decorative to look at, and absorbs sauces very quickly. This recipe serves 2.


Ingredients:
For the pasta:
Fusilli Pasta : 300 gms
White Onion : 1 large, cut into slices
Green Capsicum : 1, cut into cubes
Sweet Corn : 3/4 th cup
Garlic : 6 cloves, chopped finely
Olive oil : 5 tbsp
Oregano : 1/4th tsp
Cheese : 3 tbsp, Grated ( I used a pizza cheese left over)
Cheese spread : 2 tbsp ( used in Mexican chilli flavor)
Salt : to taste
Green Chilli Paste: 1tsp
White sauce : 2 1/2 cups

For White sauce :
Salted Butter : 2tbsp
Maida : 1 ½ tbsp
Milk : 2 cups
Salt, Pepper, Oregano & Nutmeg for flavor

Method :

White sauce:
1. Heat a saucepan, and put the butter. Melt it , till it starts bubbling
2. Add the maida, and stir continuously for approx 2-3 mins, till the raw smell disappears.
3. Start adding the milk and keep stirring, so that the sauce doesn’t have any lumps.
4. Add salt to taste. Grated nutmeg & crushed Oregano ( a pinch) and powdered black pepper to taste.
5. Bring to a boil.
6. White Sauce is ready.
PS: Ensure the milk you add is at room temperature, else the sauce will be very lumpy.

Pasta:
1. Cook the fusilli pasta as per the instructions on the packet. Mine said to cook in 3 litres of boiling salted water for 9-11 mins. Drain and keep it aside.
2. Heat a wok, and add olive oil. Once the oil is hot add the chopped garlic, sauté for a minute. Take care not to brown the garlic.
3. Add the onion , sauté for 3-5 mins, till it becomes translucent.
4. Next put in the capsicum and corn, add a pinch of salt and fry till all the veggies are done.
5. Fry in the green chilli paste, once the oil starts to separate, add the cooked paste and mix well.
6. Now here is the interesting part, add cheese and the cheese spread to the prepared white sauce. The remaining heat in the sauce will melt the cheese.
7. Pour in the prepared white sauce, add salt and mix well into the pasta.
8. Just before serving, sprinkle some crushed oregano on top, garnish with chopped Coriander and serve hot.

Now, don’t we Indians try to indianise everything? And since this pasta happens to be a little bland, you can spice it up with Kitchen King Masala. Tastes awesome.

I Feared UNTIL ……!!!

I feared being alone
Until I learned to like Myself .
I feared failure
Until I realized that I only Fail when I don't try.
I feared success
Until I realized that I had to try in order to be happy with myself.
I feared people's opinions
Until I learned that people would have opinions about me anyway.

I feared rejection
Until I learned to have faith in myself .
I feared pain
Until I learned that it's necessary for growth
I feared the truth
Until I saw the ugliness in lies.
I feared life
Until I experienced its beauty .
I feared death
Until I realized that it's not an end, but a beginning.
I feared my destiny ,
Until I realized that I had the power to change my life.
I feared hate
Until I saw that it was nothing more than ignorance
I feared love
Until it touched my heart, making the darkness fade into endless sunny days.

I feared ridicule
Until I learned how to laugh at myself.
I feared growing old
Until I realized that I gained wisdom every day.
I feared the future
Until I realized that Life just kept getting better.
I feared the past
Until I realized that It could no longer hurt me.
I feared the dark
Until I saw the beauty of the starlight.
I feared the light
Until I learned that the Truth would give me Strength.
I feared change,
Until I saw that even the most beautiful butterfly had to undergo a Metamorphosis before it could fly.

Experiment

My latest stress buster....
chopping veggies...

Crispy Fried Potatoes:

Time for one more Experiment…
Presently there are two things with which I am experimenting.
1. Cooking
2. Photography
Need to still learn how to blog posting pictures.
This is a cooking experiment though. Sadly since I dunno how to put pics, the dish is without any picture.

Since I am a working professional, I need recipes that can be made as quickly as possible with least effort. :) Don’t we all wish so….

This would be a nice starter / accompaniment with the main dish ( read rice and rasam / sambar)

Crispy Fried Potatoes:

Ingredients:
1. Parboiled Potatoes – 4, large – Cut the same way as for Finger Chips
2. Ginger Garlic paste – 1 tbsp
3. Amchoor Powder – ½ tsp
4. Black Pepper Powder – ½ tsp
5. Red Chilli powder – ½ tsp
6. Turmeric Powder – ¼ tsp
7. Oregano – ¼ tsp
8. Juice of ½ lemon
9. Paste of 1 green chilly
10. Salt to taste
11. Corn flour : as required
12. Oil for Frying

Method :
1. Mix all the ingredients, 2 to 10 into a thick paste.
2. In a large plate, spread the parboiled potatoes, put this paste and marinate the potatoes.
3. Let this rest for atleast 1 hr ( if you need it quick , put it in the freezer for 30 mins)
4. Heat oil in a frying pan.
5. Spread corn flour in a plate, dip each potato finger in this and then fry as a batch.
6. Fry the potatoes till golden brown.
7. Drain excess oil on a kitchen towel.
8. Serve.
Serves : 4 people.
Enjoy and let me know the result!

Winds of Change..

What I thought to be a dream was actually a nightmare;
What I thought to be nectar, was poison…
What I thought was love, was not even concern
What I thought was my support system, was in fact a parasite;
What I thought to be care, was nothing but fear..
What I thought to be mine, was never in my grasp

What I thought to be sweet, is actually bitter
What I thought is patience, was actually a plot
What I thought as sacrifice, was full of selfishness
What I thought , made no thought.

What I thought as promises, were only a farce..
What I thought as bond of strings; was in reality a noose
What I thought as commitment ,was phobia;
What I thought as interest; was actually a time-pass
What I thought made no thought.

Whom I thought to be an angel , was a Vampire
Whom I thought to be a lover, is a cheater
Whom I thought to be a mother, was just a human
Whom I thought to be my friend for life, became strange than a stranger;
Whom I thought to be a pillar of strength, is a coward
Whom I thought to be a saint, was really a liar
Whom I always thought to be a winner, is a LOSER
Whom I thought to be everything, is actually nothing