From Buttercream Cupcakes to Prawn Curry: Food pics & recipes!

Food photography is becoming a very provocative, glamorous art -- share yours with us, alongside recipes!

We invited you to send in delectable food pics and recipes -- dishes you love, whipped up yourself, or order at restaurants -- to share with other readers. Here is the next set of responses!

First off we have this delicious image of Vanilla Buttercream Cupcakes made by Lirisia Vishen.

If you want to attempt making them, visit http://www.food.com/recipe/bakery-style-vanilla-cupcakes-with-vanilla-buttercream-494967 for the recipe.

Send us your food photographs. Make sure they are original, that you mention what the dishes are and where you shot them. If by any chance you happen to have a recipe that can be carried alongside, we'd love to have it!

E-mail your photographs to getahead@rediff.co.in (subject line: 'Food pics') and we'll publish the most interesting ones right here on rediff.com and in India Abroad. Hurry and send in your entry today!

Disclaimer: The photographs featured in this series are, to the best of our knowledge, original entries submitted by readers; rediff.com does not assume any responsibility for their originality.

Next we have this Coconut Milk Pulao preparation from Rama Muralidharan.

If you want to give it a whirl, log onto http://www.vahrehvah.com/Coconut milk pulao:7912

Tina Mazumdar, who calls herself "a software engineer by profession and a passionate cook by nature", sent in delectable photos from her kitchen, along with her own recipes.

Seen here is Palak Paneer and here's how she prepares it; more of her culinary preparations are available on her food blog, http://taste-and-talk.blogspot.in/

Ingredients:

• 200 gms paneer, cut into small cubes
• 3 bunches palak
• 3 chopped green chillies
• 1 pureed tomato
• 8-10 pods of garlic, chopped
• 1 tsp ginger paste
• 1/2 tsp turmeric powder
• 1 tsp chilly powder
• 2 tbsp refined oil
• 2 tbsp butter
• 2 tbsp fresh cream (optional)
• 2 tsp sugar
• Salt to taste

Method:

• Soak the paneer in salt water for 15 minutes; if it is fresh then there is no need to fry, else do so in a little oil so that the smell goes away. Take care not to over-fry it.
• Wash palak and cut into pieces.
• Boil water in a pan, add palak and salt. Boil for four to five minutes.
• Now switch off the flame and drain the excess water. Immediately wash the palak in cold running water, this way it will retain its dark green color.
• Now make a paste of the palak and green chillies in a mixer.
• Heat oil in a kadai. Add chopped garlic and ginger, frying for half a minute. Add tomato and fry for some more time, till the oil separates.
• Add turmeric and chilly powder. Fry for one minute.
• Now add the palak paste and one and a half tbsp of butter. Fry for three to four minutes and then add one cup of water, along with salt and sugar.
• Let the gravy boil for five minutes. Add the paneer pieces and boil for two-three minutes more.
• Lower the flame and add one  tbsp cream; cook for two minutes.
• Garnish with half tbsp butter and one tbsp cream and serve hot.

Note: The entire cooking process should be devoid of any covers on pans and vessels, then the colour will be a very nice dark green.

Here is Mazumdar's Prawn Malai Curry preparation. Also known as Chingri Macher Malai Curry, it is a Bengali dish that she claims "just melts in the mouth."

Ingredients:

• 500 gm prawns (preferably jumbo or tiger prawns)
• 3-4 cardamom pods
• 3-4 cloves
• 1 inch piece of cinnamon
• 1 bay leaf
• 1/2 a coconut, grated
• 200 ml coconut milk
• 3-4 green chillies
• 1/2 cup cashew and magaj (watermelon seed) paste, made by combining 1/4 cup each
• 1 tsp garam masala powder
• 1 tbsp mustard paste
• 1 tsp turmeric powder
• 2 tbsp refined oil or mustard oil
• Salt to taste
• 1 tsp sugar

Method:

• Clean and de-vein the prawns, adding salt and turmeric.
• Fry them in mustard oil till they become white and set aside; make sure not to over-fry.
• Heat mustard oil in a kadai and add whole garam masala and bay leaf.
• Add slit green chillies and fry for one minute; then add coconut milk and cook for five minutes.
• Add grated coconut and cook for some more time. Using both grated coconut and coconut milk will give the curry a very good consistency.
• Add the cashew and magaj paste (it will give an amazing consistency and taste) and cook till the oil oozes out.
• Add turmeric powder and cook for two minutes and add a little water to thin the gravy just a bit, not too much.
• Add salt and sugar to taste.
• Add mustard paste and cook for one or two minutes; finally add some garam masala and ghee.

Mazumdar has also provided another Bengali recipe for Potoler Dorma, a very famous parwal (pointed gourd) dish. She says that it can be prepared with gravy, or can be served as a snack too -- here is the preparation for the dry version, which can be eaten with tea this monsoon.

Ingredients:

• 16 parwal/potol (pointed gourd)
• 400 gm mutton keema
• 2 onions, one finely chopped and one ground to a paste
• 2 tsps crushed garlic
• 1 tsp ginger paste
• 1 tsp turmeric powder
• 1 tsp chilly powder
• 3 pods cardamom
• 1 inch piece of cinnamon
• 3 cloves
• 1 tsp garam masala powder
• Salt to taste
• 1/4 tsp sugar
• Mustard oil for frying

Method:

• Scrape the outer skin of the parwal with a knife, but do not peel it off entirely. Cut the two ends off in such a way that the inside is visible from just one end. Now scrape out the inside with the help of a spoon to create a hollow.
• Mix salt and turmeric powder and fry the parwals in two-three tbsp mustard oil. Set aside.
• In the same oil, add whole garam masala (cardamom, cinnamon and cloves). Then add finely chopped onion and saute for five minutes, add salt.
• Add ginger garlic and onion paste and fry for some more time till the oil comes out on top.
• Add turmeric powder and chilly powder; fry for one more minute.
• Add keema and some more salt. Cover and simmer till the keema is cooked and soft. There's no need to add any water.
• When the keema is cooked, add garam masala powder and sugar and cover it for five more minutes.
• Let the keema come down to room temperature and stuff it inside the fried parwals.

And finally we have this image and accompanying recipe for a tasty fruit smoothy sent in by Sheetal Mehta, who runs the website www.smoothiehealthyrecipes.com:

Ingredients:

• 3/4 cup almond milk
• 1 packet vanilla bean protein powder
• 1/2 cup frozen berries
• 1/2 banana
• 1/2 cup yoghurt
• A few ice cubes

Method:

• Combine all ingredients in a blender, and mix until smooth.