Instant Pot Shrimp Pulao

September 7, 2021 No Comments

This Instant Pot Shrimp Pulao is a one-pot meal for a lazy Sunday morning or just any lazy day!

It has shrimp, vegetables, and rice, so it is an all-around kind of dish. You have protein, carbs, and fiber in one pot. What else could you ask for?!

It’s a dish your whole family will love, as always you can make it more or less spicy according to your family’s taste.

If you do not have an Instant pot, a pressure cooker can be used.

What are the Ingredients for this Instant Pot Shrimp Pulao?

(Exact measurements of each ingredient are in the recipe card below)

Basmati Rice

Shrimp – I used jumbo shrimp which was deveined and took the tails off.

Onion

Tomato

Cilantro

Mixed vegetables – the vegetables I used were carrots, green pepper, peas, and potatoes.

Ghee

To marinate shrimp:

Ginger garlic paste

Kashmiri Chili powder

Turmeric powder

Garam masala powder

Salt

Whole spices:

Cumin seeds

Cinnamon stick

Cardamom pods

Cloves

Some of my favorite Amazon Kitchen Picks:

(Disclaimer: This post contains affiliate links, which means if you buy any of these recommended products, I will receive a small commission from Amazon at no extra cost to you. Please know that I only recommend products that I love and know to be of great quality. Thank you for your support!)

How do you make this Instant Pot Shrimp Pulao?

Marinate the shrimp with the ingredients mentioned above and keep them aside.

Slice the onions and tomatoes and chop all the vegetables.

Heat up the Instant Pot on sauté mode. Add the ghee, when it is hot, add the whole spices.

Next, add the onions and fry well till lightly browned, add sliced tomatoes.

After the tomatoes turn soft, add the vegetables and shrimp. Stir well. Add some salt.

Add in the washed and drained rice. Mix gently.

Put in 1 1/2 cups of water for every cup of rice. I used 2 cups, so I used 3 cups of water. Mix and taste, if needed add more salt.

Close the Instant Pot and set it to high pressure for 4 minutes.

When the Instant Pot beeps after it comes to full pressure and 4 minutes is done, switch it off.

Set a timer for 10 minutes, once your timer goes off, you can release the pressure and open the Instant Pot.

Mix the Pulao gently and transfer to a serving dish and garnish with chopped cilantro. Your delicious shrimp Pulao is ready.

Enjoy with some Raita or just plain yogurt!

Notes:

You can use cooking oil in place of ghee, but ghee is recommended.

To add more spice, put in a few green chilies with the tomatoes.

Adding the right amount of water is key to your pulao coming out well. Use the same cup measurement for both the rice and water. For every cup of rice, add 1 and a half cups of water.

If you are a vegetarian, leave out the shrimp and just use vegetables and maybe marinated paneer or tofu. I have an Instant Pot mixed vegetable rice that you can find here.

Do check out my other Shrimp recipes:

Honey Garlic Shrimp Fried Rice

Pan-Fried Crispy Shrimp

Print

Instant Pot Shrimp Pulao

A one-pot meal of delicious marinated shrimp with Basmati Rice and mixed vegetables.

Course Main Course

Cuisine Indian

Prep Time 10

Cook Time 10

Total Time 20

Servings 4

Author Nandini

Ingredients

30 Jumbo Deveined Shrimp, tails off
2 cups Basmati Rice washed and drained
1/2 Onion sliced
1 Tomato sliced
2 tbsps Ghee
5-6 sprigs Cilantro chopped
1½ cups Mixed Vegetables (carrots, bell peppers, cauliflower, green beans, peas, broccoli, potatoes, etc.)
½ tsp salt

To marinate shrimp

1 tsp ginger garlic paste
1 tsp Kashmiri Chili powder
½ tsp turmeric powder
½ tsp garam masala powder
½ tsp salt

Whole spices

1 inch cinnamon stick
2 cardamom pods
3 cloves
1 tsp cumin seeds

Instructions

Marinate the cleaned shrimp with the ingredients mentioned above.
Slice the onions and tomatoes. Chop the cilantro.
Press the saute mode on the Instant Pot and add in the ghee.
Once the ghee is hot, add the whole spices.
Add the sliced onions, fry them till slightly brown.
Add the tomatoes, when they turn soft, add the marinated shrimp and chopped vegetables.
Mix it well. Add drained rice and 3 cups of water.
Add salt.
Close the Instant Pot and cook on high pressure for 4 minutes.
After the Instant Pot beeps, press cancel.
Set a timer for 10 minutes, after that release the pressure and open the lid.
Mix gently and transfer to a serving dish.
Garnish with cilantro and enjoy your Instant Pot Shrimp Pulao with some Raita or plain yogurt.

If you try out this recipe, let me know if you liked it by leaving a comment down below. Thank you so much for being here and come back soon as I post new content at least 3 times a week.

Follow me on Instagram, Facebook, and Pinterest @lovetostayhomeblog to know when I post something new!

Do consider subscribing to my newsletter to get updates! I appreciate each and every one of you!

Photo by Morgan Housel on Unsplash

Art/Crafts & DIY

Fall Felt Leaf Garland

September 5, 2021 No Comments

This Fall Felt Leaf Garland will give your home a nice touch this fall. Simple to make and easy on the budget!

It’s that time of year here in the US when everyone starts thinking about the changing seasons. Fall is a favorite time of year for many. The cooler temperatures, the falling leaves, pumpkins, apples, peaches, etc! Like they say in Texas, Happy Fall Y’all!!

Decorating for fall has become quite common nowadays. I suppose it just makes your home feel warm and cozy when it’s getting cooler outside.

Here is my DIY fall garland, it is super easy to make! I made it in under 45 minutes. Felt is one of my favorite craft materials to work with. It comes in beautiful colors and it’s really easy to cut, and it does not fray. Not to forget it is just around 33 cents a sheet, so you do not have to spend too much money.

Supplies needed for this Fall Felt Leaf Garland:

Felt sheets

Scissors

Leaf or leaf template

Jute string

Yarn Needle

Wooden Beads

Here are the Supplies on Amazon:

(Disclaimer: These are affiliate links, which means if you buy any of these recommended products, I will receive a small commission from Amazon at no extra cost to you. Please know that I only recommend products that I love and know to be of great quality. Thank you for your support!)

How do you make this Fall Felt Leaf Garland?

Cut out the leaves from the felt sheets. I used 10 different fall colors. You can use an actual leaf as I did ( I used a magnolia leaf from my garden) or you can use any free leaf template which is available online. You can find a template and 4 easy cute fall garlands here at abeautifulmess.com.

Next, poke a hole at the top of two felt leaves( I used a pin), then using a yarn needle threaded with the jute twine string both the leaves together.

Do the same for all the leaves, so you will have 5 sets of 2 leaves each.

After that, we add the beads. I thought the beads give it a nice farmhouse touch! To make it easier use cello tape on the ends and push the beads through till they rest on top of the leaves. I used one small bead, one medium bead, and a small one again.

Use cello tape on the ends of jute twine to make it easier to put the beads through.

Measure the length of thick jute twine for your garland. Tie the leaves at different intervals. I just tied them loosely so they could be moved when the garland is hung up. It’s optional to cut off the extra string but I just left it on to add to the rustic look.

That’s it, you can hang up your garland on your mantle, on a door, on a mirror, a shelf, etc

NOTES:

The garland can be made any length you want. I made it to fit my mantle. Just add more leaves to make it longer or less to make it shorter.

The colors can be mixed and matched, it is entirely up to you.

You can go the extra mile and embroider the leaves, check out this beautiful fall leaf garland from LiaGriffith.com

If you like to DIY, do check out my other easy DIY projects:

DIY Felt Christmas Ornaments

DIY Beautiful Envelopes

Easiest felt flower tutorial

DIY Faux Ceramic Vases

DIY Farmhouse Bead Garland

Hope you enjoyed this tutorial for this DIY fall felt leaf garland.

If you try out this easy fall leaf garland to decorate your home. Let me know by leaving a comment down below. Also, if you do. I would love to see it, share it with me on Instagram @lovetostayhomeblog.

Thank you for being here! Hope you have a wonderful day!

Photo by Randalyn Hill on Unsplash

Recipes

Eggplant and Paneer Manchurian

September 2, 2021 No Comments

This Eggplant and Paneer Manchurian is a real treat for the senses! It smells so good and tastes so delicious. It is a bit rich in taste as the eggplant and paneer are both fried in oil, so definitely an occasional treat, not an everyday meal!

I have heard of and tasted cauliflower, mushroom, and chicken Manchurian, but I have not seen or heard of Manchurian made from eggplant. So, I was curious to see how this would turn out.

Usually in this dish, the vegetable is deep-fried in a batter and then added to the sauce. I wanted to try it without deep-frying the eggplant, but the eggplant absorbed so much oil that it was as good as deep frying it! I think the next time I make it, my trusty air fryer will be used! If you would like to use less oil, I suggest air frying or baking the eggplant.

In the end, I was happy with how it turned out, it tasted so delicious, what a great and different way to use up an eggplant!

What are the Ingredients for Eggplant and Paneer Manchurian?

Eggplant

Paneer

Spring Onions (Scallions )

Garlic

Ginger

Green chilies

Cilantro

For the sauce:

Soya sauce

Sriracha

Tomato Ketchup

Vinegar

Oil

Below are my Amazon Kitchen Picks:

(Disclaimer: These are affiliate links, which means if you buy any of these recommended products, I will receive a small commission from Amazon at no extra cost to you. Please know that I only recommend products that I love and know to be of great quality. Thank you for your support!)

How do you make this dish?

Cut the eggplant into slices, ( I soaked the eggplant in salt water for about 15 minutes to remove the bitterness, after that I washed the eggplant slices and dried them with a kitchen towel)

Next, cut each one into 4 quarters. Heat oil in a frying pan and fry the eggplant quarters till golden brown, the eggplant does soak up a lot of oil. I drizzled a little bit more now and then.

I think the next time I will use my air fryer or roast the eggplant in the oven just to reduce the amount of oil used. You can try this if you want to make it less oily.

After the eggplant is fried, keep them aside.

Pan-fry the paneer with a little bit of salt and pepper. (Once fried, put them in hot water until ready to use, this keeps them soft)

Chop your scallions, ginger, garlic, and green chilies.

Heat up a pan with some oil, when hot add in all the chopped ingredients. Stirring quickly so they do not burn. Add the sauce mixture. Mix it all well and add in the eggplant and paneer.

Let the sauce coat the eggplant and paneer well.

Last, add the green parts of the scallions and cilantro. Mix it all up and your delicious Manchurian is ready!

Eat with Instant Pot Mixed Vegetable Rice, Quick Chicken and Egg Noodles, roti, or paratha.

Print

Eggplant and Paneer Manchurian

Eggplant and Paneer fried with scallions, ginger, garlic, green chilies, and cilantro and then cooked with a spicy chili sauce.

Course Side Dish

Cuisine Chinese, Indian

Prep Time 30

Cook Time 10

Total Time 40

Author Nandini

Ingredients

1 Eggplant
10 cubes Paneer
3 Scallions
4 cloves garlic
2 inches ginger
2 green chilies
Oil as required

For the sauce

1/4 cup Soya sauce
1 tbsp Vinegar
2 tbsp Sriracha sauce
3 tbsp Tomato Ketchup

Instructions

Cut eggplant into slices and then into quarters, sprinkle salt on them, and let them sit for about 10 to 15 minutes. This brings out the bitterness in them.
After 10 minutes wash the eggplant slices and dry them with a kitchen towel.
Heat oil in a pan and fry the slices till golden brown on both sides. You can also use an air fryer or oven to use less oil.
Pan-fry the paneer cubes till golden brown (sprinkle with salt and pepper), and keep them in hot water. This makes it remain soft.
Chop the spring onions, ginger, garlic, green chilies, and cilantro.
Mix all the ingredients for the sauce and keep the sauce aside until needed.
Heat 2 tbsp oil in a pan on medium-high heat, when the oil is hot, add the chopped ingredients except for cilantro and scallion greens.
Add the sauce and mix well. Immediately add the fried eggplant and paneer(drained). (The paneer can be seasoned with some salt and pepper at this point)
Mix well so the sauce coats the eggplant and paneer well. Check for salt, and add if needed. Lastly, garnish with scallion greens and cilantro.

NOTES:

The eggplant and paneer can be air fried or baked to reduce the amount of oil that goes into this dish.
This dish is spicy, to reduce the spice level, add fewer green chiles and less Sriracha sauce.
I do not mention salt in the ingredient list as the soya sauce is salty, but you can taste it and add salt in the end if required.
You can use chopped onion instead of scallions but using scallions is preferred.

Do try out this different way of cooking eggplant. Let me know your feedback if you try it out by commenting below.

Thank you for visiting my little blog! I appreciate you being here!

You might also be interested in these other simple and delicious vegetarian recipes:

Crispy Zucchini Fritters

Fried Masala Mushrooms – Deep-fried Vs Air-Fried!

Beetroot Cutlets

Mixed Vegetable and Paneer Curry

Quinoa Upma

Image by Marta Kulesza from Pixabay

Crochet

Beginner Velvet Crochet Scarf

August 30, 2021 No Comments

This Beginner Velvet Crochet Scarf is the easiest and softest scarf you will ever make!

The velvet yarn used for this is so soft and the scarf feels so nice and cozy. If you are new to crochet this is the best project to try as it has just one stitch repeated for about 70 rows.

I say beginner because it really is super easy to make! With all the lovely colors you get, you can easily make a whole bunch of these for every day of the week!

Even if you do not know how to crochet and would like to learn, it is very easy. I urge you to take that step and make crochet a hobby as it really is a great hobby to have! I have mentioned my other beginner crochet posts down below if you would like to learn.

Velvet yarn is not the easiest yarn to work with as it is quite slippery. I am being really honest here, but this project has only one stitch so it goes pretty fast. You can finish this scarf from start to finish maybe in an hour or two.

What do you need to make this Beginners Crochet Velvet Scarf?

Velvet yarn – I used Bernat’s Velvet yarn available at Micheals. I am sure you could get it at any craft store and it is also available on Amazon.

Crochet Hook size J/6mm

Scissors

Yarn needle

(Disclaimer: These are affiliate links, which means if you buy any of these recommended products, I will receive a small commission from Amazon at no extra cost to you. Please know that I only recommend products that I love and know to be of great quality. Thank you for your support!)

What is the Pattern for this Beginner Velvet Crochet Scarf?

This is the pattern I followed from the website crochetandcraftwithme.com:Super easy, Super soft Velvet Scarf

It’s extremely easy, just repeating double crochet for all the rows. For the exact instructions please visit the above-mentioned website. You can make it shorter or longer if you like.

This length is perfect for an adult. In fact, it can be good for kids too but it will go twice around. It is very cozy and warm! Perfect for the upcoming cold weather! In fact my kids loved these scarves and wore them all winter whenever we went out!

If you would like to learn how to crochet, do check out these posts:

Learn How to Crochet

Learn the Basic Crochet Stitches

I have posted crochet scrunchies using velvet yarn, if you like another idea to use up your velvet yarn, make some soft and lovely scrunchies! Take a look at them here.

Easy Healthy Oat Crepes

August 27, 2021 No Comments

These easy and healthy Oat Crepes are making a comeback on my blog! I explain below!! I think they certainly deserve their very own blog post!

One of the very first posts on my blog was about 5 quick and healthy breakfast ideas. This was almost 4 months ago! These crepes were one of the 5 healthy options.

Breakfast is the most important meal of the day, at least in my opinion! So, I am always looking for healthy options rather than processed food which is full of preservatives, sugar, and lots of unwanted things. These crepes are a healthy and quick option even for a busy morning as everything is dumped in a blender! Anyone who loves oatmeal will love this, and it just might convert the oatmeal haters too! 😄

These easy oat crepes are a staple at my house for breakfast! I love making them as they are healthier than pancakes or regular crepes and have no processed all-purpose flour in them. I make them every week and my kids love them, so it’s a win-win situation at breakfast time!

This is not my original recipe, it is based on this recipe from the website powerhungry.com.

What Ingredients do you need for these Easy Healthy Oat Crepes?

Only 5 simple ingredients!!

These ingredients are very simple and straightforward:

Whole grain oats

Egg

Milk

Vanilla essence

Sugar ( I have used maple syrup in place of sugar and it gives the same great results!)

Here are some of my Favorite Amazon Kitchen Picks:

(Disclaimer: These are affiliate links, which means if you buy any of these recommended products, I will receive a small commission from Amazon at no extra cost to you. Please know that I only recommend products that I love and know to be of great quality. Thank you for your support!)

How do you make these Easy Healthy Oat Crepes?

In a blender, add the whole grain oats, blend the oats to a flour consistency. ( does not have to be very fine).

Add the milk, vanilla essence, egg, and sugar.

Blend the mixture till it is all mixed up well.

Easy healthy crepe batter — The crepe batter will be thin.

Pour your mixture into a bowl. It will be a thin batter. Remember to stir every time you make a crepe as the oats will settle at the bottom.

Heat up a non-stick pan on medium heat. When hot, spread a little butter, pour a spoonful of batter into the pan. Swirl the pan around so the mixture spreads into a circle. Cover with a lid and let it cook for 2 minutes.

Flip after 2 minutes. Cook on the other side for another 2 minutes.

Take the crepe out of the pan, spread with Nutella, Strawberry Jelly, peanut butter, etc

Enjoy your breakfast crepes!

Print

Easy Healthy Oat Crepes

Easy 5 ingredient recipe, just blend and fry in a non-stick pan, you get delicious tasting healthy crepes in no time!

Course Breakfast

Cuisine French

Prep Time 5

Cook Time 10

Ingredients

½ cup Whole grain oats
3/4 cup milk (whole milk or 2%)
1 tsp vanilla essence
1 tbsp sugar (or maple syrup)
1 egg

Instructions

Add oats into a blender, and make the oats into oat flour. ( It does not have to be very fine)
Into the same blender jar, add the milk, egg, vanilla, and sugar.
Blend this mixture into a smooth batter.
Pour the batter into a bowl, it will be a thin batter.
Heat up a non-stick pan on medium heat. When hot, brush a little butter on the pan. Mix the batter and pour a ladle full of batter on the pan.
Just swirl the batter around by moving the pan in a circular motion.
Cover and cook for 2 minutes. When the crepe is set and you can see that the bottom part is cooked, turn the crepe using a flat spatula or turner.
When the crepe is slightly brown, take it out and put it on a plate.
Make the rest of the crepes the same way, remembering to stir the batter well before pouring it onto the pan.
Spread Nutella, Strawberry spread, honey, peanut butter, etc, roll up and enjoy!

Notes:

Use whole grain oats and not instant oats. Make sure to powder the oats first in your blender.
Maple syrup can be used instead of sugar. A pinch of salt can be added to balance out the flavors.
If you want savory crepes, skip the sugar and add some salt instead.
The most important part is making sure you use a non-stick pan.
Stirring the batter every time you make a crepe is necessary as the oats will tend to settle at the bottom.
Do not try to spread the batter with a spoon or spatula, just swirl by moving your pan around.
This recipe can be doubled or tripled. This recipe only makes about 6 crepes which are perfect for my kids.
I’m sure these can be made in advance and frozen too! I have not personally tried but If you do let me know if it works for you. It’s actually so easy to make so I have not found a reason to freeze them. But I’m sure if you are a mom who likes to meal prep and plan ahead this might be a good recipe to make and freeze.

Hope you will try this easy breakfast recipe! I’m sure if you do, it might become your family favorite!

Let me know if you like it and please rate it. Thank you for reading, I appreciate each and every one of you!

If you have not seen my post on 5 healthy and quick breakfasts, do check it out here.

Have a great day!

Photo by Toa Heftiba on Unsplash

Art/Crafts & DIY

DIY Felt Christmas Ornaments

August 25, 2021 No Comments

It’s Christmas in August!!! Since I missed Christmas in July I am improvising! I guess it’s not too early to be thinking about Christmas!

These DIY Felt Ornaments are so easy to make and will look cute hanging on your tree or even as a garland. Christmas is definitely my favorite time of year. Decorating the house and putting up the tree is the most fun part! So, even though it is still August, I thought I can post this now, so there is lots of time to DIY these Felt Ornaments in time for Christmas!!

You can make these felt ornaments in no time and in whatever color scheme you prefer. They are easy to make and are pretty inexpensive. You can even get gold or silver embroidery thread to make it more sparkly and festive!

What are the Supplies needed for these DIY Felt Christmas Ornaments?

Felt sheets in colors of your choice – I got mine at Walmart for just 33c a sheet. But apparently, it is cheaper on Amazon!

Embroidery thread

Needle

Marker (to draw the shape on the felt)

Scissors

Thread or ribbon (for creating the hanging loop)

Felt scraps (for stuffing the ornament)

Cookie cutters (optional but recommended)

Here are my Amazon picks for this project:

(Disclaimer: These are affiliate links, which means if you buy any of these recommended products, I will receive a small commission from Amazon at no extra cost to you. Please know that I only recommend products that I love and know to be of great quality. Thank you for your support!)

How do you make these DIY Felt Ornaments?

Place the cookie cutter on your felt sheet and draw the outline with a marker. To get 2 of the same shape, just fold the felt so that you have 2 pieces of felt, the one that has the shape drawn and another underneath. That way you will get 2 of the same shape when you cut them out.

DIY Felt Christmas Ornaments — Trace shapes with a cookie cutter and cut them out. (2 of each shape)

Next, you have to stitch whatever pattern you want on the felt shapes. I stitched on both the sides that will be facing out. You can stitch only on one side to save time if you prefer. (Make sure that the marker cannot be seen, make that side the inside of the ornament.)

Stitch both the shapes together using blanket stitch. Here is a great tutorial from thesprucecrafts.com on the blanket stitch.
When coming to the point where you need to attach the hanging loop, using a hot glue gun stick the bottom part of the loop in between the 2 shapes of felt. (I made a knot at the bottom of the thread). Continue stitching, towards the end, stuff the shape with little pieces of cut-up felt.

Continue stitching till the end. Your felt ornaments are ready!

Notes:

If you do not have Cookie cutters, you can draw or print out templates onto cardboard and use that to draw your shapes on the felt. There are lots of free templates available online.
I used all 6 strands of the embroidery thread. Feel free to use just 3.
It does take a lot of practice to get the blanket stitch right. As you can tell I am still practicing as I am not very good at it!
Using a thin ribbon instead of a thread for the hanging loop would be easier. I found the thread that I used was not easy to work with.
To make it even easier you can use a glue gun on the edges to glue the shapes together. To make the edges look neater, cut them with pinking shears.
Another option instead of embroidery is using sequins or beads. I have not personally tried it but I think it might look good.
There are many options that you can make like stockings, snowman, holly, poinsettia, bauble, Santa, reindeer, candy cane, etc.

Hope you enjoyed this tutorial and will make your own felt ornaments! Let me know if you do, I would love to hear from you.

You can tag me on Instagram @lovetostayhomeblog so I can see pictures of your Ornaments!

Please follow me on Pinterest, Facebook, and Instagram @lovetostayhomeblog.

A big thank you to all those who are already following me! I really am grateful for your love and support of my little blog!

Also, thank you to all who are visiting my blog today, I appreciate you too! Please do stay awhile.

If you like to DIY, you might also like these posts:

10 Fun Hobbies to do at Home

DIY Farmhouse Bead Garland

Hand Stitched Paper Gift Tags

DIY Faux Ceramic Vases

DIY Paper Boxes and Felt Baskets for Organizing!

Easiest felt flower tutorial

DIY Beautiful Envelopes

DIY Paper Bunny Garland

Hope you have a wonderful day!

Photo by Katarzyna Grabowska on Unsplash

Recipes

Spicy Indian Pork Chilli Fry

August 22, 2021 No Comments

This Spicy Indian Pork Chili Fry is a delicious way of cooking pork. The spiciness comes from green chilies, chili powder, and pepper powder.

You can easily adjust the spice level to your taste. It does not have any gravy but is more of a tasty masala that coats the pork.

We enjoyed this dish with Peas Pulao and Raita( yogurt with onions and cucumbers). I guarantee you will love it and be tempted to have a second serving!!

Let’s get straight to what we need and how to make this deliciousness!!

What are the ingredients for Spicy Indian Pork Chili Fry?

Exact measurements are given in the recipe card.

Pork – I used pork tenderloin that I cut into cubes. This cut of pork has hardly any fat. I actually recommend using a cut of pork that has more fat.

Onion

Green chilies

Ginger

Garlic

Curry leaves

Cilantro

Whole Spices – cinnamon stick & cloves

Mustard seeds

White vinegar

Spice powders – turmeric powder, Kashmiri chili powder, cumin powder, coriander powder & pepper powder

Salt to taste

Oil

Here are some of my favorite Amazon kitchen picks:

(Disclaimer: These are affiliate links, which means if you buy any of these recommended products, I will receive a small commission from Amazon at no extra cost to you. Please know that I only recommend products that I know to be of great quality. Thank you so much for your support!)

How do you make this delicious Spicy Indian Pork Chili Fry?

Heat oil in a pan, when the oil is hot, add the whole spices and mustard seeds. Next, add the curry leaves.

After that add the onions, green chilies, ginger, and garlic. Fry them till translucent.

Next, add the pork pieces mixed with 1 tbsp white vinegar. Immediately add all the spice powders and salt.

Mix everything well, add 1/2 a cup of water. Cover the pan and let it cook on medium to low flame for at least 45 minutes to an hour. Stir in between and add a little water if it’s too dry.

After about 45 minutes, check if the pork is cooked. The pork will be coated with the masala, this dish has no gravy. Switch off and garnish with chopped cilantro. Your delicious chili pork fry is ready!

I added some chopped red onions on top, they just enhance the dish with their crunchiness! The combination of the succulent pork masala and the crunchy red onions is just a delicious treat to the senses!

You can have this pork fry with plain rice and yogurt, it makes a delicious combination. Also, it can be eaten with bread.

Or enjoy it with Instant Pot Peas Pulao or Mixed Vegetable Rice and Raita.

Print

Spicy Indian Pork Chili Fry

Pork cubes cooked with onions, ginger, garlic, green chilies, and a whole lot of spices! Makes a delicious pork dish coated with a spicy masala!

Course Main Course

Cuisine Indian

Prep Time 10

Cook Time 1

Ingredients

1 lb Pork (cut into cubes) (I used pork tenderloin, but Pork with a little more fat is better)
1 large onion (diced)
5 garlic cloves (chopped)
2 inches ginger (chopped)
2 green chilies (chopped)
1 tbsp Vinegar (I used white vinegar but any cooking vinegar is fine)
1 sprig Curry leaves
1 handful Cilantro leaves ( and stalks) (chopped)
1 tsp Salt ( or to taste)

Whole Spices

1 inch Cinnamon stick
4 cloves
1 tsp black mustard seeds

Spice powders

¼ tsp turmeric powder
1 tsp Kashmiri chili powder
1 tsp coriander powder
½ tsp cumin powder
½ tsp pepper powder

Instructions

Wash and cut pork into about 1-inch cubes. Mix them with 1 tbsp vinegar and set aside.
Dice the onion, chop the ginger, garlic, and green chilies.
Heat up about 3 tbsp oil in a pan on medium flame. I recommend a dutch oven or any heavy-bottomed pan.
When the oil is hot, add the whole spices. Stir and add the curry leaves, (you can chop the leaves finely or leaves them whole).
Next, add the onions, ginger, garlic, and green chilies. Fry them for a few minutes till they turn translucent.
Add the pork and salt, and all the spice powders.
Give it a good mix and add about ½ a cup of water.
Cover the pan and let it cook on a medium flame for about 45 minutes to an hour.
Stir the pork in between to make sure it does not burn. Add a little water if it is too dry.
After about 45 minutes to an hour, check if the pork is cooked. If it is, add some chopped cilantro and mix. Switch off the stove.
Your delicious spicy pork chili fry is ready to be enjoyed! Garnish with more chopped cilantro and chopped red onions if desired. (Optional but recommended!)

Notes:

Curry leaves give it a really good flavor, I recommend adding them., but if you do not have them you can leave them out. Chopping the curry leaves into small pieces is a great way of getting more flavor out of them.

Add more green chilies if you like to make this dish spicier.

Use fresh ginger and garlic chopped, it makes a big difference.

I used regular white vinegar as that is what I had, any cooking vinegar can be used.

You can make this in the Instant Pot to save time. Follow the directions till you add the water, then put the instant pot lid on and cook on high pressure for 10 minutes.

Hope you will try out this recipe, let me know if you do, and please rate the recipe if you can. Thank you so much for visiting my blog.

Here are some more Non-vegetarian recipes you might also be interested in:

Easy Instant Pot Mutton Biriyani

Easy Indian Chicken Stew

Instant Pot Spanish Chicken Pulao

Simple Chicken Curry

Air Fryer Salmon Fish Fry

Have a wonderful day! Do follow me on Instagram, Pinterest, and Facebook @lovetostayhomeblog to get the latest happenings on my blog!

Until next time, keep smiling!!:)

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Art/Crafts & DIY

10 Fun Hobbies to do at Home

August 19, 2021 No Comments

I thought it would be a great idea to put together 10 hobbies that are both fun and interesting to learn.

For many of us, this past year, we find ourselves at home more often than not. We must spend our time productively and take a little time to pursue our passion and interests. So, this is where these hobbies come in. It is proven that taking a little time for yourself doing something creative refreshes the mind and helps lower your stress levels.

Why not try a new hobby, you never know it just might change your life!

(Disclaimer: This post contains affiliate links, which means if you buy any of these recommended products, I will receive a small commission from Amazon at no extra cost to you. Please know that I only recommend products that I love and know to be of great quality. Thank you for your support!)

WHAT ARE THE 10 FUN HOBBIES TO DO AT HOME?

CROCHET

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I just had to start with crochet as it is my favorite hobby! It is relaxing, you can make many beautiful useful things for yourself, your family, your home, etc. really the possibilities are endless!

Crochet is very easy to learn and all you need is a crochet hook and some yarn! In fact, you can even start with finger crochet, in which case you only need yarn!!

A great resource is the Bellacoco crochet channel on Youtube.

And nowadays the web is full of free patterns and helpful videos to help you if you need to get started or even if you are a seasoned Crocheter!

My Amazon Crochet Picks:

Check out my posts about crochet if you are interested in learning or if you need some ideas of what to make next!

Learn How to Crochet

Learn the Basic Crochet Stitches

Easy Crochet Chain Earrings

5 Useful Crochet Projects

I have many more posts on Crochet so do check them out! Here is a look at just some of my crochet projects:

Crochet projects using the basic stitches — Different Crochet Projects using the basic stitches.

KNITTING

Photo by Rebecca Grant on Unsplash

Knitting of course is very much similar to crochet. I never really took to knitting, but I know a lot of people who love to knit. My grandmother is of course my number 1 inspiration, she is always doing something, you will never find her sitting idle even for a minute!

She knits and has been knitting for more than 60 years!

Here again, there are lots of resources to help you get started. Here are some great ones!

I love the website thesprucecrafts.com, you can find so many great resources about knitting here. In fact, this website is great for a lot of the hobbies mentioned!

Head on over to sheep&stitch to learn how to knit!

Here are some basics on Amazon to start knitting:

EMBROIDERY

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There is just something about embroidery that is so relaxing! I love it and the most important thing is that you can create your own designs, use your own colors, and create a masterpiece! Whether it is a wall hanging, a hoop, a t-shirt, a pillowcase, a towel, etc, you can create something beautiful and be proud of yourself!

The below picture is my attempt at embroidery! I am a beginner but I just love doing it. The process of planning your design, choosing the fabric, the colors of thread, the stitches you will use, and finally seeing the finished piece that you made is so rewarding!

For many embroidery tutorials, I recommend thesprucecrafts.com, click here to visit their embroidery page.

Here is a nice video by Chloe Wen on YouTube, Embroidery101

My Amazon Embroidery picks:

MACRAME

Photo by That’s Her Business on Unsplash

I’ll be honest, I did know a little about Macrame, but never really paid much attention to this hobby until recently. I was on Instagram one day and came across someone’s macrame page, I have been in love with Macrame ever since!

It looks really easy, it is all about tying knots in macrame cord to create wall hangings, bags, pillowcases, keychains, earrings, plant hangers, wristlets, etc

The result is just so good! This is definitely my next hobby to try!

Here are my Amazon Macrame supply picks:

Some helpful resources:

Soulful Notions has an awesome Youtube channel with lots of macrame videos, here is a macrame keychain tutorial from her.

Update: I wanted to recommend the website macrameforbeginners.com, It is an excellent resource if you are completely new to macrame.

Of course, thesprucecrafts.com is a fantastic resource too. Head on over to their website if you want to learn and get ideas for different projects.

Photo by Susan Wilkinson on Unsplash

COOKING/BAKING

Photo by Jason Briscoe on Unsplash

Of course, this is probably what many of us are doing every day anyway, but I had to mention it as a fun hobby to experiment with different recipes, try different cuisines, bake something unexpected!

Cooking/baking can be therapeutic and at the end of it, you have yourself something the whole family can enjoy!

Photo by Brooke Lark on Unsplash

Some of my favorite Amazon kitchen picks:

Here are some different recipes you can try!

Fried Masala Mushrooms – Deep-fried Vs Air-Fried!

Honey Garlic Shrimp Fried Rice

Jalapeno Poppers

Chicken Shawarma Pita Wraps

Homemade Pizza

Pan-Fried Crispy Shrimp

Air Fryer Tortilla Samosas

2 Ingredient Naan

QUILLING

Photo by melodi2 from FreeImages

This is a creative hobby to have which is basically making things out of rolling strips of paper. It is called paper filigree. You can find many interesting things to make like cards, wall hangings, jewelry, etc.

Quilling is a relatively easy hobby to learn. if you have the right kind of paper and tools, that’s all you need. it’s a great hobby for kids, teens, or even adults who want something easier to learn.

Here are some cool finds on Amazon to learn Quilling:

Again, there are so many great resources out there., Find lots of information on paper quilling here at myspruccrafts.com.

PAINTING

Photo by Rifqi Ali Ridho on Unsplash

This is an oldie but a goldie! 😃 painting is a favorite pastime for many people. It really brings out your creative side.

There is something about putting color to your canvas, sketchbook, paper, etc that is relaxing and fun!

Whether it is watercolors, acrylic, oil painting, diamond painting, or color by number painting, they are all equally fun hobbies.

Some of my favorite painting supplies and kits on Amazon:

COLORING

Photo by Customerbox on Unsplash

I mention coloring because it has become a fun hobby of late. You get so many adult coloring books that you can color and make your own. If you live near a dollar tree, they have amazing adult coloring books for a dollar!

It is apparently a stress-busting hobby to have. So sit back and relax with your cup of tea/coffee and color your stress away! 😁

Find these Coloring supplies on Amazon:

DRAWING/SKETCHING

Photo by felipepelaquim on Unsplash

I recently came across this video on YouTube about how a sketchbook can change your life! Take it with you wherever you go, and sketch in it every single day. You can check it out here.

It really made me want to try, so I did. I am definitely not an artist by any stretch of the imagination but I just decided to draw something every day to see if it helps or if I enjoyed it. Let me tell you it really does help, when you get into the zone of creating your masterpiece, nothing can take that joy and peace from you. Your troubles are far away and for that time they seem insignificant! So why not try it out today! All you need is a sketchbook and some pencils, markers, pens, etc. you can just use whatever you have.

Below are a few pages from my sketchbook!

Here are my Amazon picks for sketching:

SEWING

Photo by Darling Arias on Unsplash

You do not need a fancy sewing machine to sew. Hand sewing is fun and is calming too! Even though you have a sewing machine, it makes your life easier to make bigger projects!

If you want to learn to sew, you can just start with small projects that can be hand sewn. I did mention sewing as different from embroidery as it is different. Embroidery is stitching designs on fabric, but sewing is making things out of fabric.

Simple projects to start with are felt coasters, fabric scrunchies, face masks, pillow covers, pencil cases, pot holders, etc

These are some simple face masks that I stitched by hand:

The picture below is some felt birds that I hand-stitched:

Here are some sewing supplies available on Amazon:

You can find fun projects to hand sew over here:

17 Hand sewing projects you will love

Hope you enjoyed reading about these fun hobbies! It was so much fun for me to put this together, let me know if you already do any of them or if you plan to try out one, two, or all of them!

Leave me a comment, I love hearing from you.

Thanks for visiting Lovetostayhome.com and please come back soon for more! Find me on Instagram, Facebook, and Pinterest @lovetostayhomeblog. Sign up for my newsletter to get the latest happenings on my blog!

Have a wonderful day!

Isn’t this saying appropriate for this post?!

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Recipes

Instant Pot Mixed Vegetable Rice

August 17, 2021 No Comments

Instant Pot Mixed Vegetable Rice is a quick simple recipe! It is one of those recipes that does not have many ingredients yet tastes really good.

This Mixed Vegetable Rice tastes very mild, I have not used any chili or spice powders except for turmeric powder. I love using turmeric powder in all of my recipes mostly for its health benefits. Apart from that, I love the bright yellow color that it gives the rice!

The Instant Pot is by far one of my favorite kitchen gadgets. The ease and convenience of cooking everything in one pot is a real big plus, also the time factor is very important. For many of us, we need this Instant Pot in our busy lives! I have 2 and I use one of them almost every day! These are the Instant Pots that I have, a 6quart and a Mini 3quart.

(Disclaimer: This post contains affiliate links, which means if you buy any of these recommended products, I will receive a small commission from Amazon at no extra cost to you. Please know that I only recommend products that I love and know to be of great quality. Thank you for your support!)

I have many one-pot recipes that you might like to try using the Instant Pot. Here they are if you would like to have a look at them, and try them out:

Instant Pot Egg and Peas Pulao

Instant Pot Chicken Pulao

Easy Instant Pot Mutton Biriyani

Instant Pot Peas Pulao

Instant Pot Spanish Chicken Pulao

What are the ingredients for Instant Pot Mixed Vegetable Rice?

Basmati Rice

Mixed vegetables

Onion

Tomato

Ghee

Whole spices – cinnamon stick, cardamom, cloves, cumin seeds

Turmeric powder

Salt to taste

Here are some of my favorite Amazon Kitchen Picks!

How do you make this Instant Pot Mixed Vegetable Rice?

Press sauté on the Instant Pot, add the ghee. When it is hot, put in the whole spices.

Add sliced onions and fry them till slightly brown, next go in the sliced tomato.

When the tomato is soft, add the turmeric powder.

Add all the vegetables with salt to taste.

Mix well. Add water. For every cup of rice, add 1 1/2 cups of water.

Stir it all, check for salt.

Close your instant pot and cook on high pressure for 4 minutes.

After it is done, press cancel, do a quick release after 10 minutes.

Open the Pot, transfer to a serving dish. Garnish with chopped cilantro.

Enjoy your instant pot vegetable rice.

Print

Instant Pot Mixed Vegetable Rice

Basmati Rice cooked with Mixed Vegetables, and whole spices in ghee!

Course Main Course

Cuisine Indian

Prep Time 10

Cook Time 20

Total Time 30

Author Nandini

Ingredients

2 cups Basmati Rice
2 cups Mixed vegetables ( I used carrot, corn, peas, and green bell pepper)
½ onion (sliced)
½ tomato (chopped)
½ tsp turmeric powder
1 tsp salt (or to taste)
2 tbsps ghee

Whole spices

1 inch cinnamon stick
4 cloves
3 cardamom pods
1 tsp Cumin seeds (jeera)

Instructions

Press saute on the Instant Pot, add the ghee. When it is hot, put in the whole spices.
Stir it, add the onions, fry them till lightly brown, then add the chopped tomatoes.
Once the tomatoes turn soft, add the turmeric powder.
Next, add the vegetables along with salt.
Mix well, add 3 cups of water. For every cup of rice, you need 1½ cups water.
Stir it well. Close the Instant Pot and cook on high pressure for 4 minutes.
Once the Instant Pot beeps when done, press cancel. After 10 minutes, do a quick release of pressure.
Open the pot, mix gently and transfer the Vegetable rice to a serving dish. Garnish with chopped cilantro.

Notes:

You can use any vegetables of your choice. Some good options are potatoes, cauliflower, broccoli, peas, carrots, corn, etc.
If you like spicy food, you can add some chopped green chilies when you are adding the onions.
Ginger garlic paste can be added too if you like the taste of it. If adding, put in 1 tsp after frying the onions.
You can use oil instead of ghee. However, the ghee gives this rice a nice rich taste.
Instead of water, you can use coconut milk, your rice will be even creamier and tastier!
Use the same measuring cup for the water that you used to measure your rice. For every 1 cup of rice, use 1 1/2 cups of water.

Try out this Instant Pot vegetable rice with a yummy side dish like:

Paneer Masala

Chickpea Masala

Easy Indian Chicken Stew

Easy Egg Masala

Mixed Vegetable and Paneer Curry

Simple Chicken Curry

Palak Paneer

Sausages and Peppers

Thank you for visiting my blog, hope you will try this recipe. Don’t forget to leave me a comment and rate this recipe!

Do follow me on Pinterest, Instagram, and Facebook @lovetostayhomeblog to see my latest posts.

Also, you can subscribe to my newsletter to get updates once every two weeks.

I just want to say Thank You for your support of my blog! It means a lot to me!

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Recipes

Quinoa Upma

August 14, 2021 No Comments

Quinoa Upma is a different, more flavorful way of cooking your quinoa. I started eating quinoa instead of rice as it has more protein and it is a much healthier option. You can read about the 11 proven health benefits of Quinoa here.

On its own quinoa is pretty tasteless, so you need to add some flavors to it.

I decided to try out this Quinoa Upma and I was pleasantly surprised. Upma is a very common Indian breakfast usually made with Semolina. (Sooji/Rava in India) it is made with vegetables and a few spices. It is vegan and gluten-free as well!

What are the ingredients for Quinoa Upma?

Quinoa – I used white quinoa, but any kind of quinoa will work.

Mixed vegetables like carrots, beans, and peas

Onion

Ginger

Green chili

Turmeric powder ( optional) – I use it for most of my recipes because of its medicinal value, you can read more about it here. If you leave it out, your Upma will not be yellow but white.

Salt to taste

Cilantro

Oil

For seasoning:

Mustard seeds

Channa dal ( split yellow peas)

Split Urad dal ( white split dal)

(Disclaimer: These are affiliate links, which means if you buy any of these recommended products, I will receive a small commission from Amazon at no extra cost to you. Please know that I only recommend products that I love and know to be of great quality. Thank you for your support!)

How do you make this Quinoa Upma?

Heat some oil in a pan. Add seasoning ingredients., when they splutter, add chopped onions, ginger, and green chilies.

Next, add the turmeric powder if using. After that goes in the vegetables along with salt to taste. Mix well.

Put in the washed and drained quinoa. Add double the quantity of water. Mix and cover it.

Check after about 10 to 15 minutes. The quinoa would have absorbed all the water. Mix gently and make sure that it is not too wet nor too dry.

Garnish with chopped cilantro. Serve with coconut chutney or peanut chutney. ( any kind of chutney will do)

Print

Quinoa Upma

Quinoa cooked with mixed vegetables and a few Indian spices.

Course Breakfast, Main Course

Cuisine Indian

Prep Time 15

Cook Time 20

Total Time 25

Author Nandini

Ingredients

1 cup Quinoa
1 cup Mixed vegetables (peas, carrots, beans, cauliflower, potato, etc)
½ Onion (chopped)
1 inch Ginger (chopped)
1 green chili (chopped)
¼ tsp turmeric powder
Salt to taste
2 tbsp cooking oil
Cilantro (for garnishing)

For Seasoning

½ tsp black mustard seeds
½ tsp split white urad dal
½ tsp yellow split pigeon peas (chana dal)

Instructions

Heat the oil in a wide pan, add seasoning ingredients, when the mustard seeds splutter, add chopped onions, ginger, and green chili.
Add turmeric powder if using it.
Next, add in the vegetables and salt to taste. Mix well.
Put in the washed and drained quinoa, adding double the quantity of water. (2 cups)
Mix and cover it on medium to low flame. Check after about 10 to 15 minutes, the quinoa would have absorbed all the water.
It should not be too dry or too wet. Garnish with chopped cilantro.
Serve with coconut chutney or peanut chutney on the side.

NOTES:

Make sure to wash the quinoa a couple of times to get rid of its bitterness.
When adding water, use the same measuring cup used to measure the quinoa.
You can add different vegetables like carrots, peas, green beans, potatoes, cauliflower, etc

Do give this a try, it’s something different using quinoa! Makes a great filling breakfast, lunch, or dinner.

You might also like these easy vegetarian recipes:

Crispy Zucchini Fritters

Fried Masala Mushrooms – Deep-fried Vs Air-Fried!

Broccoli and Quinoa Patties

Chickpea Masala

Paneer Masala

Thanks for visiting! If you try out this recipe, let me know in the comments or rate the recipe. I love hearing from you!

Follow me on Instagram, Facebook, and Pinterest @lovetostayhomeblog to get the latest happenings on my blog. Also, do subscribe to my newsletter for updates. THANK YOU!

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