Friday, December 23, 2011

Mirchi Ka Salan

INGREDIENTS:

1.Green Capsicum/ Puebleno peppers-2 nos, cut into slivers
2.Onions- 1 small, chopped
3.Ginger garlic paste -1 tbsp
4.Turmeric powder-1/2 tsp

Masala Powder Ingredients:

1.Red Chillies-3
2.Coriander seeds- 1 tbsp
3.Cumin seeds-1 tsp
4.Fennel seeds-1 tsp
5.Fenugreek seeds- 1/2 tsp
6.Cloves-2 nos
7.Coconut powder- 1/2 cup
8.Roasted unsalted peanuts-1/2 cup
9.Sesame seeds- 1.5 tbsp
10.Tamarind paste- 1 tbsp
11.Jaggery-1 tbsp

PROCEDURE:

1.Dry Roast masala ingredients 1 through 9 and grind to fine powder.
2.In some oil, fry the capsicum till the skin is cooked and soft.
3.Now grind the peanuts with tamarind and keep aside.
4.In a pot, pour some oil and add the chopped onions and ginger garlic paste till golden brown.
5.Now add the masala ingredients, turmeric powder,salt and mix well.Add the roasted capsicum or peppers.
6.Add the ground peanut mixture and jaggery and pour water till you get a gravy consistency.
7.Allow to boil till thick.
8.Garnish with Cilantro.
9. Serve hot with chapathis,parathas,dosas and any kind of biriyani.

Monday, December 19, 2011

Cabbage Masala

This style of cabbage is only done by grandma and I have not tried this style of cabbage at anyone else's home so far and I should say I am really proud of sharing this post. This recipe is almost similar to how we make mutton kheema back at home except that its the vegetarian version but has tonnes of flavor in it and its not the usual sad cabbage poriyal or kootu type.I made a big pan of cabbage yesterday and V finished it all within a couple of hours mostly by himself.It was a big hit at home.

INGREDIENTS:

Cabbage-1 small, chopped
Onion-1 small, chopped finely
Tomato-1 small, chopped finely
Ginger Garlic paste-1 tbsp(I use fresh for more flavor)
Green chilli-1, slit vertically or you can grind it with the ginger garlic paste.
Red chilli powder-1 tbsp or more per your spice level
Coriander seed powder-1 tsp
Garam Masala-1 tsp or more per your desire
Turmeric powder-1/2 tsp
Saunf seeds-1 tbsp
Curry leaves-5 or 6

PROCEDURE:


  1. In a pan with oil, (You will need to use a little more oil than usual for more taste and flavor)add the saunf seeds,curry leaves.
  2. After they splutter, add the onion,ginger-garlic and green chillies and saute till golden brown.Now add the tomatoes.You can add a tsp of tomato puree if you want for extra tartness.
  3. Now add the spice powders and mix well.
  4. Add the cabbage and saute till well mixed.
  5. Add adequate water to allow the cabbage cook well.
  6. Allow the water to completely evaporate and keep stirring now and then to ensure that you dont burn the cabbage.
  7. Garnish with cilantro and turn off stove.
  8. Serve with hot chapathis(yum) or rice.
You can try the same recipe with Brussel Sprouts too. It came out pretty decent.



Red Pearl Onion Chutney

This chutney is definitely worth a try. Its a bit of work to peel the pearl onions and saute the chutney till raw smell is gone but I can guarantee that you will not regret the effort taken.

INGREDIENTS:

Red Pearl Onions- 2 bags, peeled
Red Chillies-5 or 6. You can add more if you want more spicier
Jaggery or Brown Sugar-1 tsp
Tamarind paste-1 tsp
Salt-According to taste

Temper:

Mustard Seeds-1/2 tsp
Split Urad dal-1/2 tsp
Channa dal-1/2 tsp
Curry leaves-3 or 4 leaves
Sesame Oil-2 tbsp
Asafoetida-1 puff


PROCEDURE:

1.In a mixie, finely grind to paste the raw pearl onions, red chillies and tamarind paste and salt.
2.In a pan with sesame oil, temper with mustard seeds,curry leaves,split urad dal,channa dal and asafoetida.
3.Now add the ground paste from step 1 and saute till the raw smell goes away.Now add salt and jaggery.
4.Turn off stove.
5.Serve with hot idlies and dosas and lick the plate clean.

Note: You will notice that the chutney will reduce half in quantity after stirring for a while. The water will evaporate.




Monday, December 12, 2011

For a moist,even cake

When I took my Wilton baking class 4 years back, my instructor said that once we pull a cake out from the oven, you will need to leave the cake in the baking pan for exactly 10 minutes and then run a knife through the edge of the cake and turn the baking pan upside down. This way the cake does not break when pulling out the cake from the baking pan.

Putting a paper towel on top of the cake can help keep the moisture too.

Easy way to peel pearl onions

Cut off the ends of the pearl onions and soak in water for 5-10 minutes. Now peel the skin around it. 

Easy peeling of Garlic Cloves

For easy peeling of garlic cloves, place the garlic cloves with the skin on in the microwave for 15-30 seconds.

Keep Potatoes from Budding in the bag

I read on pinterest that if you want to keep the potatoes from budding, place a apple in the same bag.

Friday, November 18, 2011

Tofu Fried Rice

Peanut oil - 2 tbsp
Firm Tofu - 1 block,drained and cubed
onion - 1 medium, sliced
bell pepper - 1 sliced(optional)
Garlic - 3 cloves, minced
green chillies - 1 large, chopped
cashews, roasted in oil - to taste

To mix in a bowl,
hot water - 1/3 cup
soy sauce - 2-3 tbsp
Corn flour - `1 tsp
brown sugar -1 tbsp
white vinegar - 2-3 tbsp
crushed red chillies 1 -2 tsp

scallions - 1 bunch
brown rice, cooked - 2 cups

Carefully fry the tofu in peanut oil.
When lightly browned, add onions, green chillies, garlic and bell peppers.
When vegetables are cooked but still crunchy (5 minutes), add the mixed sauce and stir for a few minutes until it coats the tofu and veggies and dries up a little.
Mix in chopped scallions and roasted cashews.
Mix in cooked rice in desired proportion.
Goes well with Red chillies in oil

Recipe Source

Thursday, November 17, 2011

Mexican Wedding Cookies or Indian Sweet Butter cookies with nuts


INGREDIENTS:

Butter- 1 cup
Sugar-1/2 cup
Powdered Sugar-1/2 cup
Flour-2 cups
Vanilla essence-2 tsp
Pecan chips-3/4 cup

Powdered sugar- For rolling the cookies.


PROCEDURE:


  1. Whisk butter and sugar together.
  2. Add vanilla essence.
  3. Now add the flour and make into a thick cookie dough.
  4. Add the pecan chips and knead well.
  5. Refrigerate for 1.5 hours
  6. Heat oven for 350 F. 
  7. Make small round balls and place in a cookie sheet.
  8. Bake for 15-18 minutes.
  9. Allow cookies to cool down and roll in powdered sugar. Enjoy!!
Note:

You can substitute with chopped almonds or remove the nuts.
You can add 1/4 tsp of salt if you like to add salt to your cookies.

Monday, October 3, 2011

Mutter Paneer Biriyani

INGREDIENTS for PANEER MARINADE:

Paneer-1 whole box,cut into small cubes
Yogurt-2 tbsp
Turmeric powder-1/2 tsp
Chilli powder-1 tbsp
Ginger Garlic paste-1 tbsp
Coriander seed powder-1/2 tbsp
Cumin seed powder-1 tsp
Saunf(Fennel seed) powder-1 tsp
Garam Masala-1 tsp

Mix all the above ingredients and soak for 1/2-1 hour.

INGREDIENTS FOR BIRIYANI:

Basmati Rice-3 cups
Onions-1 big,sliced thin
Tomato puree-1 tbsp
Dried Fenugreek powder-1 tbsp
Yogurt/Sour cream-2 tbsp
Red chilli powder-1 tbsp
Green chillies-3 slit
Turmeric Powder-1 tsp
Coriander seed powder-1 tbsp
Fennel seed powder-1 tsp
Cumin seed powder-1 tsp
Frozen peas-1 cup
Ginger Garlic paste-1.5 tbsp
Biriyani powder(you can substitute by using cloves,bay leaf,cinnamon stick,cardamom pods,aniseed)
Cilantro-1/2 a bunch for garnish
Saffron strands-A pinch for flavor.
Ghee-2 tbsp
Water-6.5 cups

PROCEDURE:

  1. In a pan of oil,add the paneer and fry till the masala is brown. Remove and keep aside.
  2. In the same pan,add the onions and caramelize them. Remove and keep aside.
  3. Now add some ghee,add the frozen peas,ginger garlic paste,tomato puree and mix well. Now add the yogurt,dried fenugreek leaf powder,all the spices and allow to come to a boil.
  4. Add the rice and mix well and saute till the gravy mixes well with the rice.
  5. Add the caramelized onions and mix well.
  6. Cook in rice cooker.Pour water.
  7. After the rice is cooked. Mix with the paneer and cilantro.

Paruppu urandai Kolambu

INGREDIENTS for KOLAMBU:

Onion-1 small, finely chopped
Tomatoes-4 small,peel skin by boiling in hot water and grind to a smooth paste
Garlic pods- 4 or 5 roughly chopped
Tamarind pulp- size of a golf ball,soaked in hot water and take the extract.
Turmeric powder-1 tsp
Coriander powder- 1 tbsp
Red chilli powder-2 tbsp
Cumin powder-1 tsp
Curry leaves-A few
Sesame oil-1/8 cup
Mustard seeds-1 tsp
Asafoetida-2 puffs

INGREDIENTS for PARUPPU URANDAI(LENTIL BALLS):

Toor dal-1/2 cup
Channa dal-1/2 cup
Saunf(Fennel seeds)-1.5 to 2 tbsp
Onion-1/2 small,finely chopped
Red chillies-4

PROCEDURE for PARUPPU URANDAI(LENTIL BALLS):

  1. Soak toor dal and channa dal for 1 -2 hours.
  2. Remove water and grind toor dal,saunf,channa dal and red chillies to a fine paste.
  3. In a pan with a drop of oil,saute onions till golden brown.
  4. Now add the ground dal paste and fry till raw smell.
  5. Let cool and make balls from the paste.


PROCEDURE for KOLAMBU:


  1. In a pan with sesame oil,add mustard seeds,curry leaves,asafoetida and let splutter. Now add the onions,garlic and saute till golden brown.
  2. Add the tomato paste that you have ground. Add all the spices.Mix well/
  3. Now add the tamarind pulp extract.Allow to boil till the mixture reduces to half and oil separates.
  4. Reduce the flame of the stove to minimum and add the paruppu urandai(Lenthil balls) and close the lid and allow to cook for 2-3 minutes. Switch off stove.
  5. Serve hot with rice,idlies,dosas.
You can replace the lentil balls with pearl onions or baby brinjals or fish.

Wednesday, September 21, 2011

Kadai Vegetables

INGREDIENTS:

Baby Carrots-5 nos cut into small pieces
Green bell pepper-1 small,cubed into small pieces
Mushroom-1/2 cup,cubed into small pieces
Cauliflower-1/2 cup
Green beans- 1/2 cup,cut into small pieces
Onion- 1/2 big
Onion-1 small,chopped into course pieces.
Green chillies-3 or 4 nos
Tomato paste-1 tbsp
Ginger garlic paste-1 tbsp
Sour cream-1/4 cup
Kasoori Methi-1 tsp
Turmeric powder,cumin seeds powder,chilli powder,fennel seeds powder,dry coriander seeds powder,Garam masala-According to taste

PROCEDURE:


  1. Boil all the vegetables in water separately except green bell pepper and mushrooms.
  2. Soak 1/2 the onion in the hot water to remove the strong raw smell.
  3. Remove the onion from the hot water and chop into fine paste with green chillies in a chopper.
  4. In a separate pan,add oil,add the onions,green peppers and mushroom and allow to cook.
  5. Now add the onion/green chilli paste and allow cook well.
  6. Add the tomato paste.
  7. Add some yogurt,all masala powders and kasoori methi and mix well.
  8. Now add the boiled vegetables and add some left over hot water.
  9. Allow the water to evaporate and become a dry sabzi.Turn off stove.
  10. Garnish with cilantro.Serve hot with chapathis/naan/rice.


Tuesday, September 20, 2011

Aviyal

This is a very famous Kerala dish but made in Tamil Nadu as well quite often.

INGREDIENTS:
  1. Carrots-1 big,cubed
  2. Plantain-1 big,peeled and cubed
  3. Drum stick-1 cubed
  4. Cauliflower-Some pieces
  5. Green beans-3 cubed
  6. Butter beans or Soy beans- A handful
  7. Cayote squash-1 small,cubed
  8. Pumpkin-A few pieces,cubed
  9. Yam or Potatoes-1 small, cubed
  10. Raw Mango(if available)-1 side,cut into smaller pieces.
  11. Coconut oil
  12. Red chilli powder,Coriander seeds powder,Turmeric powder-1 tsp each
GRIND TO PASTE:
  1. Coconut powder-1/2 cup
  2. Yogurt or sour cream- 1 cup
  3. Green chillies-3 serrano 
  4. Cumin seeds-1 tsp

PROCEDURE:
  1. In a pot filled with water,add some turmeric powder and all the vegetables and allow to cook till tender but not mushy.Drain and keep aside.
  2. In a bigger pan,add coconut oil,add the vegetables,salt and masala powders and mix. 
  3. Now add the ground paste.
  4. Add the yogurt, mix once and switch off stove. Garnish with cilantro.
  5. Serve with chapathis,rice,dosas,anything you like.
Note: You dont have to necessarily add all the vegetables.A few from the list is good enough.Raw mango gives a good twist for sure.

Thakkali Kurma(Tomato Kurma)

This dish literally takes not more than 15 minutes to make and you can eat with idlies/dosas/chapathis.

Ingredients:
1.Tomatoes-4 nos
2.Onions-1 small sliced
3.Turmeric powder-1/8 tsp
4.Sambar Powder-1 tbsp
5.Garam masala-1 tsp
6.Ginger garlic paste-1 tsp or more as per your taste
7.Curry leaves &  Cilantro-For garnish
8.Cumin seeds

To grind into a paste:
1.Coconut-1 tbsp
2.Sombu/Saunf/Fennel seeds-1/2 tbsp

Procedure:
  1. In a pan, add oil,cumin seeds,onions,curry leaves,ginger garlic paste and saute till well done.Now add the tomatoes, masala powders and some water and allow to boil well and make sure the tomatoes are cooked well.
  2. After the onion/tomato mixture has cooked well, add the ground paste and allow to come to a boil.
  3. Turn off the stove and add cilantro.
  4. Serve hot with idlies/dosas/chapathis. Yummo!

Ghee rice

A simple and very elegant rice dish that goes well with Kurma,Sodhi,Kadappa,Channa or Rajma.

INGREDIENTS:

1.Basmati rice-1 cup
2.Coconut milk-Canned-1 cup
3.Water-1.5 cups
4.Onion-1 small, sliced thin
5.Green chillies(Serreno peppers)-2 slit
6.Cumin seeds-1 tsp
7.Ginger-garlic paste-1 tbsp
8.Mint leaves-optional.
9.Cilantro-For garnish.
10.Raisins and cashewnuts- For garnish,optional.
11.Ghee-Ofcourse ,since this is called ghee rice-2 tbsp.
12.Cloves-4 nos
13.Bay leaf-1 no
14.Cinnamon stick-1 small

PROCEDURE:

  1. In a pan,add oil with ghee, add cloves,bay leaf,cinnamon stick,cumin seeds,ginger-garlic paste and let splatter.
  2. Add onions,green chillies and saute the rice along with this mixture.
  3. Add some salt and extra garam masala(if you like more spice flavors).
  4. Move this mixture to a rice cooker and add the coconut milk and water. I add some saffron for extra fragrance.
  5. After rice is cooked well,add mint leaves and cilantro leaves for garnish.
  6. Saute some cashews,raisins(optional,if you like some sweetness,generally we dont use it at home) in ghee and add to the rice and mix well.
  7. Serve hot with the curries mentioned above.
Note: Some people add peas but to me this changes the dish and makes it look like pulao.So I like to leave some dishes original and simple.



Eggplant Gojju/chutney

This is one of the dishes that everyone likes in our family.In particular, my Father-in-law is a big fan of this dish. Its really awesome with hot and soft idlies and also goes well with crispy dosas too. The jaggery gives a twist to this dish.


INGREDIENTS:

Baby eggplant-5 nos or Big Eggplant-1 no cubed
Onion-1 small,chopped fine
Tomato-2 small,chopped fine
Green chillies-3 slit
Garlic(optional)-1 pod,chopped fine or smashed well
Tamarind paste-1 blob
Jaggery-1 small bit
Sambar powder-1 tbsp
Turmeric powder-1 tsp
Asafoetida-1 puff
Curry leaves,Mustard seeds,split urad dal-For tempering
Cilantro-For garnish.

Procedure:

  1. In a pressure cooker,add some oil, fry onions,tomatoes,eggplant,green chillies and then add some water enough to immerse the entire mixture.
  2. Keep the whistle for 2-3 whistles depending on your pressure cooker.
  3. After the pressure has subsided. Open the cooker.Add the tamarind paste and some jaggery and let boil.
  4. Now in a separate pan,add oil,mustard seeds,urad dal,curry leaves,asafoetida.Add the turmeric powder,sambar powder and salt and mix it with the ingredients in the pressure cooker.Allow to come to a boil.This gojju/chutney is supposed to be a little thick. You can add water accordingly.Do not make it too watery.
  5. Serve hot with idlies or dosas.

Tuesday, September 6, 2011

Green Peas Masala

INGREDIENTS:

Frozen Green Peas-1 small packet
Onion-1 medium,chopped finely
Tomatoes-2 small chopped finely
Garlic-1 nos,chopped finely(optional)
Coconut-2 tbsp
Green chillies-3 slit
Cumin seeds and curry leaves for tempering.
Red chilli powder,Coriander powder,turmeric powder,Garam masala

PROCEDURE:
  1. In a pan with little oil,temper cumin seeds,curry leaves.
  2. Add the onions,garlic and sautee till golden. Add tomatoes and cook till done.
  3. Now add the green peas and all the masala powders and pour little water to allow the peas to cook well.
  4. Add cilantro,coconut powder and turn off stove after the peas are well cooked.
  5. Serve with chapathis,dosas or even rice as a side dish.

Monday, August 29, 2011

Yellow Pumpkin Poriyal


INGREDIENTS:

Yellow Pumpkin-1 slice,peeled of skin and chopped into bite size cubes
Mustard seeds-1 tsp
Urad dal-1 tsp
Curry leaves-Few
Red chillies-4 or 5
Turmeric powder-1 pinch
Asafoetida-2 puffs
Salt
Shredded coconut-1 tbsp

PROCEDURE:
  1. In a pan with a little bit of oil,add red chillies,mustard seeds,urad dal,asafoetida,curry leaves and let splutter.
  2. Now add the cut pumpkin,add salt and turmeric powder and sprinkle little bit of water.Cover with lid and allow to cook until soft.
  3. Add shredded coconut.
  4. Serve with rice or chapathis.


Monday, August 22, 2011

Baby Eggplant/Drumstick masala

INGREDIENTS:

Baby Eggplant-6 nos,slit into four
Onion-1 small chopped
Tomato-1 small chopped
Garlic-2 pods chopped
Coconut-A handful
Saunf-1 tbsp
Mustard seeds-1 tsp
Urad dal split-1 tsp
Chilli powder,Turmeric Powder,Danya powder- To taste
Curry Leaves,Cilantro-For garnish

PROCEDURE:
  1. In a pan ,add oil, mustard seeds,urad dal and curry leaves and let splutter.
  2. Add the chopped onions,tomato and garlic and allow to cook.
  3. Add the baby eggplant and keep frying until well done by closing lid.
  4. Add the masala.
  5. Grind coconut with saunf to a smooth paste.
  6. After the baby eggplant is well cooked, Add the coconut-saunf mixture.
  7. Once the masala is cooked,turn off stove and add cilantro for garnish.
  8. Serve with rice or chapathis.
Note:
You can substitute eggplant for drumstick. You will have to cook drum stick separately in water.

Sunday, July 10, 2011

Egg Puffs

Ingredients:

Eggs-7 hard boiled and peeled.
Puff pastry sheet-1 box
Onions-1 big sliced
Tomato Puree-1 tbsp
Cumin seeds-1 tsp
Cilantro- Few leaves chopped for garnish
Chilli powder,Coriander seed powder,Garam Masala powder-Fennel seed powder
Ginger Garlic Paste-1 tsp
Salt per taste
Egg wash-1 egg

Procedure:

1.Boil eggs,peel and cut them into half.
2.In a pan, add oil,cumin seeds,onions,ginger garlic paste and fry till brown.
3.Add tomato puree, all the masala powders, little water and allow to cook.
4.Add cilantro for garnish.
5.Now cut the puff pastry sheet into 14 pieces.
6.Roll out each piece into thinner and longer pieces.
7.Add the onion mixture,place the egg facing down and pull the corners and cover into a flower/box.Using a brush, apply the egg wash on the pastry sheet for a nice glossy and brown texture.
8.Bake at 400F for 25-30 minutes.

Apologize for no pictures. Will upload them when I make it again.

Monday, June 13, 2011

Vaatli Daal (Channa Daal/ Bengal Gram Daal)

Ever since my diabetes screening scare, I have been paying close attention to the amount of carbs in my diet. Being a vegetarian, I end up eating more carbs that I should be eating while not getting enough protein. I also did some reading up on Glycemic index, glycemic load etc. Although I did not test positive for diabetes, I know I better watch out because it runs in the family.

One ingredient that seems to work very well for diabetics is channa daal/ bengal gram daal (http://www.mendosa.com/chanadal.html).

I used to wonder why people up north (India) eat missi roti (Roti made with wheat flour + channa flour) when they were trying to control their glucose levels. Now I know.


Since I am supposed to be eating a number of small snack through out the day, while still getting my dose of protein, some carbs etc, this recipe I got from Amrutha came to mind. It's a popular Maharashtrian dish mostly prepared on the last day of Ganapati. Its quick, very tasty, and surprisingly filling.

Here is the recipe.

- 1 cup of channa daal soaked overnight.
- 1 green chilli chopped(or more if you like it spicy)
- Juice of half a lemon
- Cilantro - 2 tbsp chopped
- Curry Leaves 5-10
- 1/2 tsp haldi
- 1 tsp mustard seeds
- 2 tsp oil
- 1 pinch asefoetida
- Salt to taste
- 2 tbsp grated fresh/frozen coconut

- Process the soaked channa daal in a chopper/ food processor into a coarse crumbly meal without using any water. blenders/grinders do a poor job. they end up making a paste out of some of the daal while leaving the rest un touched. I rely on my little onion chopper to do this.
- Heat oil in a pan, add asefoetida, mustard seeds, curry leaves, green chilli, saute for half a minute. Add the channa daal to the pan, add haldi and salt.
- Stir for a min. Add 1/4th cup of water, cover the pan, and let it cook over low heat for 15-20 mins. Check occasionally to see if the daal is cooked. Add more water if needed.
- Once the daal is cooked, garnish with cilantro and lemon juice.
Serve hot.

Wednesday, June 8, 2011

Three Bean Salad

This is a quick snack if you have canned beans in your pantry. I have tried it with 3 different beans. This can be tried with other beans too.
Ingredients:
Garbanzo beans - 1 can
Red kidney beans - 1 can
Pinto beans - 1 can
Onion - 1 medium sized (finely chopped)
Tomatoes - 1-2 (finely chopped)
Green chillies - 3-4 (slit lengthwise)
Lemon juice - 1-2 tbp
Grated carrot (optional)
Cilantro for garnishing
Oil for seasoning
Mustard seeds - 1 tsp
Jeera seeds - 1 tsp
Turmeric powder - 1/2 tsp
Dhania powder - 1/2 tsp
Jeera powder 1/2 tsp
Red chilly powder - 1/2 tsp
Garam masala - 1/4 - 1/2 tsp (according to taste)
salt as per the taste

Procedure:

Put oil in a wok and put mustard and jeera seeds and let them splatter. Then add chopped onions and green chillies and fry till golden brown. Then add all dry powders and stir for 2 mins. Then add chopped tomatoes and cook for another 5-10 mins stirring in between. Drain all 3 beans, run under cold water and add them to the onion tomatoes mixture. Cook for 5-10 mins covered stirring in between. Once done add lemon juice and garnish with cilantro and grated carrot.
Enjoy this as an evening snack!

Wednesday, June 1, 2011

Zucchini Boats

I am always on the look out for easy vegetarian side dishes to go with pastas, pizzas and burgers. Zucchini boats turned out to be just the thing. they are simple to make, healthy, and can be altered and personalized in a million ways.

So here is the recipe:

You'll need:
- 3 medium sized Zucchini
- 1 large onion
- 3-4 cloves of garlic (More if you like things garlicky)
- Italian seasoning
- Panko bread crumbs
- Red chilli flakes
- grated cheese (I used an italian blend of 2 italian cheese. I magine it will be tasty with just about any cheese)
- Butter and or Extra Virgin Olive Oil
- Salt

- Preheat the oven to 340
- Wash and slice zucchini's into halves lengthwise. Scoop out the insides to make boats. I allow about 1/2 cm of thickness on the boats... just depends on how much pulp the zucchini's have. Reserve the pulp. Brush the boats inside and out with EVOO and keep aside.
- Chop the pulp (if in large chunks) into small pieces.
- Chop 1 large onion and 3-5 cloves of garlic
- Heat butter (or EVOO) in a pan, add the garlic, then the onion - saute until onions are cooked. Add the zucchini pulp. Saute until the pulp is cooked. At this point, things will be fairly wet. Add about a cup of Panko bread crumbs and mix well to get a crumbly slightly dry mixture. (You may have to play with the amount of bread crumbs needed) Now add salt, italian seasoning and red chilli flakes to taste.
- We can get very creative with this stuffing - add quinoa, add bell peppers, olives, mushrooms, etc.
- Now fill the boats with this filling, top with cheese (I used the italian blend... that had 3 italian cheeses). Bake for 30-40 mins.
- Broil for 1-2 mins to get the cheese to brown.

If you like your vegetables with a bite to them, bake only for 30 mins. I like my vegetables well cooked, so I bake for 40 mins. Also, the zucchini's tend to soften a bit after they cool - so bake them to slightly less that what you want them to be.

Thats it. If you try it out, please leave a comment and let me know how it turned out. It tastes much better the next day!

Wednesday, May 25, 2011

Easy Breezy Pudding Pie


Ingredients:
Readymade Pillsbury Pie Crusts-1
Instant Pudding mix-2 boxes(Vanilla or White Chocolate pudding)
Berries of your choice-Strawberries,Blueberries,raspberries
Powdered sugar/whip cream -For garnish(optional)

Procedure:
1.Make the instant pudding mix as per instructions in the box.
2.Layer the pudding mix on the pie crust.
3.Refrigerate for 4 hrs or more.
4.Layer again with fruits of your choice.
5.Garnish with powdered sugar or whip cream before serving.Enjoy!

Tuesday, May 17, 2011

Easy Kadappa Recipe


This is a famous Thanjavur dish and they serve it in any celebrations or weddings and reminds me of home. Here is a very simple recipe that you will surely enjoy.



INGREDIENTS:

Moong dal-1 cup
Potatoes-1 or 2 big
Baby Carrot- 3 nos cut into small pieces
Green Chillies- 2 or 3 according to spice level
Onion-1 small, diced
Tomato-1 small, cubed
Bay leaf-1 nos
Cloves-5 nos
Ginger-1/4 inch grated or smashed
Garlic-7 nos diced

Saunf/Fennel seeds powder-1 tsp
Cinnamon-1 small stick
Coconut-1/4 cup
Cilantro-For garnish

PROCEDURE:


1.In a small pan, add oil, all spices, onions, ginger, garlic, green chillies,tomatoes and saute till done.
2.In a pressure cooker, add the moong dal after washing it well, 2.5 cups of water,coconut & the cooked vegetables from the pan and keep for 3 or 4 whistles.
3.Open cooker and see if the curry is too thick, add water and dilute. Let boil. Add cilantro for garnish.
4.Serve with Idiyappam,Appam,Idlies,Dosas or even chapathis.

Note:

If you wish, you can substitute coconut milk instead of grated coconut to thin the gravy out. Make sure you do not add too much coconut milk, then it may taste like Sodhi.

Monday, May 9, 2011

Nivi's Indian Bean Burger


This recipe is purely my own invention with what I had in hand & man it was so good and filling.

INGREDIENTS:

Garbanzo beans- 1 can,drained of juice and washed well
Butter Beans-1 can,drained of juice and washed well
Roasted Red peppers from can-3 or 4 pieces, chopped
White/Yellow onion-1/4 of a medium, finely chopped
Green Onions-2 bulbs-chopped
Red chilli powder/Paprika Powder-1 tsp
Coriander seed powder-1 tsp
Roasted Cumin seed powder-1 tsp
Garam Masala-1 tsp
Ginger Garlic Paste-1 tsp
Salt-According to taste
Oil- 2 tsp
Chick pea flour-2 tbsp

PROCEDURE:

1.Pulse the beans in a food processor or mixer until smoothe. Does n't have to be too smoothe.
2.Mix all ingredients
3.Make burger patties or kabobs and grill until done.
4.Serve on burger buns with green chutney and some sliced onions.
5.Eat hot and enjoy your summer.

Tuesday, May 3, 2011

Thai Pizza


This is an awesome pizza and is really quick and easy too.

INGREDIENTS:

Naan bread from Target- 1 packet
Peanut Sauce-Enough to smother the entire pizza
Tofu- Cut into tiny pieces
Spring Onions or Green Onions- 2 bulbs
Roasted Red Peppers-2 pieces from the can

PROCEDURE:

1,Take the Naan bread, smother the entire bread with peanut sauce.
2,Garnish the pizza with the tofu, roasted red peppers & spring onions.(Now the pizza is all colorful with white,red and green)
3,Bake in oven for 350 F for 8-10 minutes until done.

Note:
You can also substitute Panneer instead of tofu.
If you want you can garnish with cilantro but I think the green onions are good enough.

Thursday, April 28, 2011

Panneer Smothered Burritos


INGREDIENTS:

Ready made Tortillas-6 nos uncooked or cooked
Green bell peppers-1/2
Panneer- cubed into very small pieces
Taco seasoning Mix
Onions-1/2 medium
Cilantro-For garnish
Salsa
Enchilada Sauce-Green or Red of your choice
Lemon Juice-A splash for taste
Grated Cheese- For Garnish
Sour cream/Guacamole for side.

PROCEDURE:
1,Make the ready made tortillas.
2,In a pan, Add some oil, onions, green bell peppers and saute till done.
3,Add some Salt and Taco seasoning mix
4,Now add the panneer and saute till cooked.Garnish with cilantro and a splash of lemon juice.
5,Preheat oven to 350 F.
6,Take a baking pan and grease it with baking spray.
7,Now pack the tortillas with the cooked mixture
8,Cover with enchilada sauce.
9,Garnish with cheese.
10,Now bake in oven for 5 mins or until the cheese on top melts.
11,Serve hot with some Sour cream.

Monday, April 25, 2011

Vegan Mango Cupcakes

I followed the recipe from the following link:


The only change I did was add 1/2 tsp of baking soda, reduce the sugar to 1/2 a cup & cut down the cardamom powder by just adding a pinch. The cupcakes were so moist and yum.

Wednesday, April 13, 2011

Potato Radish Fry


INGREDIENTS:

Baby Red Radish-10 sliced thin
Baby potatoes-6
Onion-1 medium chopped
Curry leaves
Cumin seeds,Mustard seeds-1/2 tsp each
Asafoetida powder-few puffs
Turmeric powder,Coriander seeds powder,Chilli powder
Cilantro-For garnish

PROCEDURE:

1,Pressure cook baby potatoes for one whistle and peel.
2,In a pan, season cumin seeds, mustard seeds,asafoetida,curry leaves.
3,Add onions and radish and saute well.
4,Add salt,all the masala powders and then add potatoes.
5,Do not add water ever.
6,Fry till crisp and garnish with cilantro.

Tuesday, April 5, 2011

Wooden skewers for BBQ

If you are using wooden skewers for bbqing. Soak them in water for 30 minutes before you use it, so it does not burn.

Wednesday, March 30, 2011

Dum Aloo


Ingredients:

Baby Potatoes- 1 bag
Onion-1 large-grated
Tomato-2 -grated
Ginger garlic paste- 1 tbsp
Yogurt-1 cup
Green chilli-1
Cumin seeds- 1 tsp
Turmeric Powder, Coriander seeds powder, Red chilli powder, Saunf powder, Garam masala

Procedure:
1.Pressure cook baby potatoes for one whistle. Peel potatoes and fry them until done.
2. In a separate pan, add oil and then cumin seeds, the grated onion, green chillies, ginger garlic paste until raw smell is gone.
3.Now add tomato grated or tomato puree to this mixture. Mix well.
4.Add all the spices.Now add the yogurt and mix well.
5.Add the potatoes and toss with the masala.
6.Garnish with cilantro and half and half and serve hot.

Tuesday, March 29, 2011

Rice dishes

When you make any rice dishes such as biriyani or pulao, always saute the raw rice in little bit of ghee or oil until dry and then cook with the veggies and spices. This will avoid your dish from being mushy and the rice will fall separate from each other.

For a fresher closet

When summer comes, you can pluck some lavender flowers from the roadside and put them in your closet. This will keep the clothes and the closet smelling good.

To make cilantro last longer

Always dry pat the cilantro and wrap the cilantro bundle in a paper towel and make sure that it does not get crushed by keeping any weight on top to make it last longer. If you have the patience and time(which I don't), you can pluck the leaves from the stem and make sure its dry and store it in an airtight container.

Efficient Storage of Kitchen/Dining Linens

Use baskets to store all your kitchen wash cloths and table linens. This saves a lot of space in your pantry/storage cabinet.

Avoid bugs in Lenthils

To avoid bugs in lenthils/dals, put one or two red chillies in the storage container. This stops bugs from being in the dals.

To remove Raw Onion smell while grating

To remove the raw and strong smell from Onions, soak the onions in some warm water with salt for about 15-20 minutes before grating.

Wednesday, March 16, 2011

Kadhi Pakori Recipe


The first time I've had this in my life is at my dear friend's place here in Denver and I absolutely love it ever since. I was craving for the taste for a long time and finally decided to stop thinking about it too hard and just make it.

The taste resembles more kolambu but not quite.

Here goes the recipe.

KADHI

INGREDIENTS:

Yogurt-2 cups
Sour cream-1/2 cup
Buttermilk-1 cup
Besan/Chickpea Flour-1 cup
Red chilli powder-1 tbsp
Danya Powder-1 tbsp
Asafoetida powder-1/2 tsp
Salt-As needed
Turmeric Powder-1 tbsp or until the mixture turns yellow

TAMPERING:

Mustard seeds
Cumin seeds
Ginger-1/4 inch grated finely
Green chillies-1 finely chopped
Cilantro- For garnishing
Curry leaves-For garnishing

PROCEDURE:
1.Mix all the ingredients well to not form any lumps into a smooth paste until it reaches a buttermilk consistency.
2.Switch on the stove, tamper with the ingredients above and pour the kadhi mixture and stir now and then until its thick and no lumps are formed. Switch off stove.

PAKORI:

INGREDIENTS:

Besan Flour-2 cups
Onion-1/2 small finely chopped
Red chilli powder-1 tbsp
Danya Powder-1 tsp
Salt-As needed

PROCEDURE:

1.Mix into a very thick batter and pour into a pot of hot oil and fry till done.
2.Add in kadhi mixture and let it soak.
3.Eat hot with rice or rotis. Enjoy and lick away!!

Thursday, March 3, 2011

Besan Ki Mirch (Peppers with Chick Pea flour)


Besan Ki Mirch is one of those "always in the fridge to go with daal roti" dishes. It goes great with any daal, any type of watery sabji, aalan ka saag (will post recipe soon), parantha's, poori's etc.

You'll need:
1) Peppers chopped - Use Bell peppers if you want to stay low on the spice quotient, If you like it spicy, use your pepper of choice. I absolutely love it with Anaheim peppers. Use 1 bell pepper, or two Anaheim peppers for this recipe. (Scale it if you want to use more)
2) Besan - Chick Pea Flour - 3 Tbsp
3) Oil - 1.5 Tbsp
4) Jeera - Cumin seeds - 1tsp
5) Red Chilli Powder - 1-2 tsp (depending on how spicy you want it)
6) Dhaniya Powder (Dry Coriander seed powdered) - 3 tsp
7) Haldi (Turmeric) - A pinch
8) Hing (Asafoetida) - A pinch
9) Saunf Powder (Fennel seeds powder) - 1 tsp
10) Salt to taste
11) Amchoor (Dry Mango powder) - 1tsp

Heat oil in a pan on medium heat, add hing and jeera. Then add the besan. You have to make sure there is enough oil to cook the besan. If things look too dry, add a little more oil. Trust me, skimping on oil while making Rajasthani dishes is not a good idea.
Stir continuously. Once the besan starts cooking, it burns very easily.

Roast the besan until it is fragrant and it changes to a light brown color.
Now add all the dry spices - chilli, amchoor, dhaniya powder, haldi, and saunf. Keep stirring until the spices are well incorporated into the besan.

Turn down the heat to the lowest you can manage.

Add the chopper peppers and salt. Stir to coat the peppers well with the besan.
Cover and cook.

Keep stirring occasionally.

The peppers take about 10-15 mins to cook on low heat.
Once cooked (should be soft) you are done. Enjoy!

Stone baked Pizza- (partly) whole wheat and (mostly) from scratch!



Note: Highlights of the recipe in 'RED' for easy re-read/reference!
I got the pizza dough recipe from @tKe and the recipe has been a regular feature in our house. There are all kinds of pizzas and all kinds of preferences. This pizza has a crispy yet soft medium crust and does not have any tomato sauce (just our family's preference). When you take a slice in your hand, it does not droop or bend. In spite of this level of crispiness, the crust is soft to the bite and not chewy. Its also fairly higher on the health quotient for a pizza due to whole wheat flour and oil, cheese, sauces and toppings being in your control. So if you think you like this kind of pizza read on. I hate asking you to buy equipment for a recipe but some inexpensive equipment makes all the difference in the crust.
  • A pizza stone (I bought mine from Bed bath and beyond). A pizza stone ensures an oil-free non stick surface and even heating of the crust without burning it. It also helps the crust be crispy and soft at the same time. This is a deal clincher. 
  • A surface to roll the pizza and a rolling stone. I have a marble tile and a marble rolling pin.
  • A Pizza peel for handling the baked and unbaked pizza. (Optional but useful)
  • A pizza cutter.
Ingredients:
Basic pizza dough:
Makes about three 12'' pizzas
Warm water (as needed - about 3 cups)
nonfat dry milk 1/4 cup or warm milk - 1 cup

salt - 1/2 tsp
bread flour/maida/all purpose flour2 cups
atta/whole wheat pastry flour - 2 cups
sugar - 1 tbsp

active dry yeast - 2 tsp
olive oil - 2 tbsp
dry flour/cornmeal - to dust
dry herbs (basil, oregano) - optional and to taste

Add yeast, sugar, salt, and dry milk/warm milk in a large bowl. Add a cup of warm water and stir to mix well. 
Allow to sit for two minutes. 
Add olive oil and stir again. 
Add flour, water and any herbs/seasonings you may like in the crust. (We like dried basil and oregano)
Knead with warm water until the dough comes together and is soft but not sticky to the touch.
Close the bowl and leave in the oven with the light on for about half an hour or until the dough almost doubles in volume.
Pizza dough is ready

Place your pizza stone in the oven and set the 'Bake' function to the highest temperature possible (in a range of 450 to 550 F depending on level of crispness needed)
During preheat get the crust and toppings ready.

For the crust,
Lightly, roll and flatten 1/3 of the dough and dust it with dry flour.
Roll out the pizza while applying as little pressure as needed. (I cannot twirl, stretch or pat or do any of the fancy hand movements to make the pizza crust)
Dust the crust very liberally on one side with cornmeal or flour (this is important for easy transfer to the pizza stone in the oven) and place on the pizza peel with dusted side at the bottom.

For the toppings,
Apply sauce. (We like the classic basil pesto). Other ideas include white sauce, broccoli cream sauce, garlic with olive oil, or plain ole' tomato sauce. Go easy on the sauces to avoid a soggy pizza. A sauceless pizza is actually pretty tasty too with the right toppings and seasonings.

Then goes the veggie toppings. Our favorite combinations (not too many - we are creatures of habit it seems)
Pineapple chunks + red onion slices + green peppers (serrano or Thai). - Good candidate for sauceless pizza
Tomato + red onion slices + dried herbs. (excellent with pesto)
I usually add fresh basil leaves from my kitchen pot but in reality fresh basil is wasted on a pizza as it is usually overcooked and charred. Pesto is a better option for basil flavor.

Then comes the cheeses - mozzarella with a sprinkling of feta.
Brush the edges with olive oil if you really want to give it your best.
Slide onto pizza stone (DH's area of expertise) and bake for 10-15 minutes until the edges are golden brown. 
Set oven to Broil on high and broil just for a few minutes until the cheese bubbles. (Broil setting heats from above)
Time for broil!
Remove from oven using pizza peel.

Serve with grated parmigiana, crushed red peppers and/or garlic salt/ dried garlic.

Notes:
Never place the hot stone on a cold surface or a cold pizza stone into a hot oven.
I do not wash my stone with soap. I do not wash my stone, period. Leaving it in the oven at high temperatures keeps it clean after a wipe down.
Pizza dough can be stored in the fridge for a few days. Getting it to room temperature before baking is a good idea.
Adding yogurt/paneer/cheese whey (instead of warm water) while kneading makes for an unbelievably soft crust. Make sure whey is at room temperature or warm and not too cold.
@tKe swears increasing the proportion of whole wheat flour to more than half ruins the pizza! I always do a 50-50 whole-to-white mix.

Tuesday, February 22, 2011

Saagu

Saagu is a vegetable curry sort of gravy. In Bangalore, it is commonly served with Set Dosa or Rava Idli or sometimes even with Poori's.

It is a great way to get your daily serving of vegetables when having dosa or rava idli instead of just the daily serving of potatoes ;-) It's one of the few south-Indian dishes that my hubby will gobble up and ask for more.

Here goes:
A few things:
- All vegetables are chopped small.. maybe a 1cmX1cm cube size
- All vegetables shopped to the same size will ensure that things cook evenly.
- 1/2 onion chopped
- 1 cup chopped carrots
- 1 cup chopped Chayote squash (Seeme badnekai in Kannada)
- 1 cup chopped potatoes
- 1 cup chopped bell peppers
- 1 cup chopped green beans / 1 cup chopped yellow squash/ 1 cup chopped zucchini
- 1 cup peas.
- 1 inch piece whole cinnamon
- 1.5 tbsp whole coriander seeds
- 2 cloves
- 2 black pepper corns
- 1 tsp poppy seeds (optional)
- 1/4 cup fresh/frozen coconut(you could add more if you like it very coconut-y)
- 2 tbsp roasted channa daal (dalia)
- 2-3 green chillies (I say, more the merrier- if you can handle it)
- 1 inch piece of ginger
- Tamarind (paste or whole). I use whole tamarind, and end up taking a ball of inch diameter
For seasoning:
- 1 tbsp oil
- Black mustard seeds - 1tsp
- curry leaves - 10
- Asafoetida (optional) - a pinch

You can add almost any vegetable, I just make sure I add potatoes, 1 squash of any kind, peas, and bell peppers, the rest - feel free to substitute with whatever you want. - Its a great way of getting rid of that stray carrot or squash lurking at the back of your crisper.

Pressure cook all vegetables (except onion) with salt and a pinch of turmeric. 1 whistle is usually enough, remember, we are making saagu and not pav bhaji. On the bright side, if you do end up over cooking the vegetables to a mush.. there is always pav bhaji!


Now for the curry paste:

Dry roast the cinnamon, cloves, poppy seeds, pepper corns and whole coriander seeds until they are fragrant. Cool down.
Grind, coconut, green chillies, ginger, tamarind and roasted channa daal and the roasted spices with enough water to create a paste.

This curry paste will give you a green curry. Some people make a red curry. They use dried red chillies instead of green chillies. If you want to go that route, roast the red chillies with the rest of the dry spices. I think about 5 red chillies should be enough. Also, skip the dalia (roasted channa dal). Instead, roast about 2 tsbp of raw split channa daal until it starts turning brown, and grind this along with the rest of the ingredients.

Once the paste is ready and the vegetables are cooked, we are ready to bring it all together.

- Heat 1 tsbp oil in a pan. Once the oil is hot, add asafoetida, mustard seeds, curry leaves.
- Add onions and cook until transparent.
- Then add the curry paste and heat it for a couple of minute stirring constantly.
- Now add the cooked vegetable.
- Add water if needed to bring it to a curry consistency.
- Now let this boil for 5-10 mins on low heat to allow the tamarind to cook and the flavors to blend.

When one, garnish with fresh chopped cilantro.

Enjoy with dosa, set dosa, rava idli, poori or roti's.

Rajasthani Bharwan Bhindi (Stuffed Okra)

I have eaten and relished this dish on several occasions, but tried it out for the first time last week. Turned out to be very simple and pretty good.

Without further ado, here is the recipe:

What you'll need:
Fresh Okra - 1Kg
Besan (Roasted black-chickpea flour) - 3Tbsp
Oil - 3Tbsp + 2Tbsp
Kalongi (Onion Seeds) - 1tsp + 1tsp
Red Chilli Powder - 2 tsp (or more depending how spicy you want it)
Coriander Seed Powder - 4 tsp
Amchoor (Dry Mango Powder) - 1 tsp
Saunf Powder (Fennel Seed powder) - 2 tsp
Salt to taste

And here's how you make it:
- Heat 3 tbsp oil in a pan, when hot (not smoking), add onion seeds, and then the besan. Continue stirring until the besan is fragrant and changes color. Add the rest of the spices (chili powder, coriander powder, amchoor, saunf, salt) and stir well and roast for a minute more. - This roasted goodness will be the stuffing.
- While the stuffing cools, snip off ends of Okra. Slit the Okra (not into two pieces, just a slit so you can stuff it).
- Now stuff each okra making sure that the stuffing is divided as evenly as possible amongst the Okra.
- Heat a pan, add 2 tbsp of oil, add 1 tsp of onion seeds and all the stuffed Okra.
- Toss well so that all okra pieces are coated with oil.
- Cover the pan and lower heat (I lower it to 2-3). Let the Okra cook for about 10 mins. Stir occasionally.
- Check if the Okra is soft - it should be cooked by now. If not, cook longer until soft and cooked.
- Once cooked, uncover pan, and let Okra roast on low heat. stir occasionally to ensure all side get crisp.

- Thats about it. The longer you roast, the crispier it gets.

Enjoy. Do let me know how it turned out if you try it.

Oreo truffles

Hello!!!
Here is the link to the super simple recipe for Oreo truffles.
http://allrecipes.com//Recipe/easy-oreo-truffles/Detail.aspx
The only thing I did different was, once I rolled the "dough" into balls, I let it sit in the fridge for a few hours. I think that helped the chocolate stick to them quick.
Also, I used the microwave to melt the chocolate chips instead of using a double boiler. The only thing to remember is to use the microwave on half power , check/stir the chocolate every few seconds and not to overheat since it burns easily.
Enjoy!!

Tuesday, February 15, 2011

Brussel sprouts and spring onion curry


Brussel sprouts - 1 lb
Spring onion - 1 bunch
Roma tomatoes - 2
Green chillies - 3-4
Cilantro - 1/4 bunch
Dhaniya powder - 1 tbs
Jeera powder - 1/2 tbs
Red chillies powder - 1/2 tbs
Mustard seeds - 1 tsp
Jeera - 1 tsp
Red chillies - 2
Canola oil - 3 tbs
Salt - to taste

Cut Brussel sprouts into two pieces lengthwise. Chop spring onions and tomatoes. In a kadai, heat oil and put mustard seeds, jeera and let them splatter and then add red chillies and fry for 2 mins. Add spring onion and green chillies and fry them for 5-6 mins and then add tomatoes and cook for 5 mins. Then add all dry powders ( dhania, jeera, red chilli, and salt) mix everything and fry for 5 mins and then add brussel sprouts. Cook till the sprouts are tender. add salt according to taste and when done garnish it with cilantro.

This goes well with rice or roti.

Monday, February 14, 2011

Thayir Semiya or Yogurt/Curd Vermicelli


Ingredients:
Vermicelli-1 cup
Curd/Yogurt- However thick or thin of consistency you want.
Mustard seeds-1/4 tsp
Green chillies-2 small, sliced
Ginger-small bit, minced finely
Curry leaves-few
Asafoetida-Few puffs
Fruits-Grapes optional
Cilantro-For garnish

Procedure:
1.Dry roast vermicelli until raw smell is gone. Now boil it in water and drain.
2. In a dry pan,add oil, mustard seeds, green chillies, ginger, asafoetida,curry leaves and allow to splatter. Now add the vermicelli and mix well.
3. Allow to cool and add curd/yogurt and garnish with cilantro and fruits.
4.Serve with pickle.

Wheat or Godumai Dosa

INGREDIENTS:

Wheat-1 cup
Rice flour-1/2 cup
Yogurt-1 cup
Salt

PROCEDURE:
1. Mix Wheat flour with rice flour and yogurt and water until it reaches a normal dosa batter consistency and pour on dosa pan.
2.Serve hot with onion chutney.

Rava Dosai

Ingredients:
Rava-1 cup
Maida/Wheat-1/4 cup
Rice Flour-1/2 cup
Onions-1/2 of a medium,Chopped
Green chillies-2 chopped
Ginger-1/4 inch-chopped
Pepper-1/2 tsp
Cumin seeds-1/2 tsp
Asafoetida-few puffs
Salt-As per taste
Curry leaves-Optional
Buttermillk or Yogurt-1 cup.


Procedure:
1. Mix Rava, maida/wheat and rice flour with salt and buttermilk/yogurt and some water until its really watery enough to pour into a thin dosa.
2.In a separate pan, saute onions, green chillies,ginger with cumin seeds,pepper corns, asafoetida and curry leaves and mix with the batter.
3.Pour in dosa pan and serve hot with chutney or Sambar.

Sunday, February 13, 2011

Puli Milagai Pachadi (Sweet Sour and Spicy Chilli Pickle)

This is a good recipe when you have more chillies than you would ever want to taste in your food. 


Makes about 2 cups.
(Serrano) Green Chillies - 200 gms
Tamarind pulp - 1/4 cup (If using tamarind - size of 2 Indian lemons)
Jaggery - 2 tbsp
Roasted fenugreek powder - 1/2 tsp
Gingelly (sesame) oil - 1 tbsp
Asafoetida - a 
pinch
Mustard seeds - 1 tsp
Water - 3 cups
salt - to taste (about 1.5 tsp)

Handle green chillies with latex gloves to avoid burning. Make a slit on the narrow end of the chillies. If using big American chillies, you may need to cut them into two halves with slits. 
Add sesame oil (1 tbsp) to a non reactive vessel (due to acidic nature chillies and tamarind) and let the mustard seeds sputter. 
Add the slit green chillies. Saute them until white and brown spots appear. 
Add the water, salt, tamarind and set to boil.
While boiling, add jaggery and roasted fenugreek powder.
Taste for required blend of pepper heat, sweetness and sourness and remove from fire.
Enjoy with curds and parathas.

Note:
The spice level of the dish can be adjusted by type of chillies used, by using with seeds/deseeding (traditionally cooked with seeds) and adjusting the other ingredients in proportion (tamarind. jaggery and salt)

Tuesday, February 8, 2011

Sour Sour Cranberry Pickle

I ended up with one of those boxes of disgustingly sour cranberries. If I threw it away, I will have to squirm as DH pokes me on one more failed experiment in 'exotic' grocery shopping. So I decided to take advantage of the sourness, blend it with spice, oil and some flavor - the ideal recipe for a pickle.

Fresh cranberries - washed (but dry - with no moisture) 2 Cups
Curry leaves - 1/2 a cup or to taste
Dried Red Chillies - 10-12 or to taste
Urad Dal - 1-2 tsp
Fenugreek seeds - 1/2 tsp
Gingelly (Sesame) oil - 1/4 cup
Ginger - 2tsp grated
Salt to taste

Dry roast the Urad Dal, Red Chillies and fenugreek seeds and grind into a powder in a spice grinder
In a tablespoon of oil, lightly saute the curry leaves and transfer to mixer/blender.
In a tablespoon of oil, saute the cranberries until they burst open and mash up into a glob.
Grind with curry leaves, ginger and dry roasted spice blend.
Add oil, salt and ground blend to wok and stir with ladle until raw smell disappears and everything comes together (time spent in this stage depends on the quality of cranberries - the worse the quality the more time it spends on the flame to get rid of the edge (துவர்ப்பு))
The pickle goes well with parathas and curd rice.

Watermelon Iced tea

Ingredients:
Iced tea
Club Soda
Sugar
Mint leaves
Watermelon- made into small balls
Ice cubes

Procedure:
Mix above ingredients and serve chill. You can add vodka if you want to make it alcoholic.

Cool cool jal jeera drink

Ingredients:
Lemonade-1/2 bottle
Jal Jeera Powder1-2-3 tbsp according to taste
Mint leaves- A handful
Ice cubes- Handful

Procedure:
Mix the above ingredients in a punch bowl and serve cold.

Iced Coffee or Mocha Frappucino

Ingredients:
Vanilla Icecream-1/2 scoop
Instant Coffee powder-1 tsp
Milk-1/2 cup
Sugar-1 tbsp
Ice cubes-2 or 3 cubes

Procedure:
1.In a blender, add icecream,milk,instant coffee powder,sugar and ice cubes and blend until smoothe and foamy.
2.Pour in a glass and serve chill.

Saag Mushroom


Ingredients:

Baby Spinach-1 bundle or 1 box
Onion-1/2 of a medium ,grated
Serrano Chilli-1 or 2
Ginger-1/2 inch
Garlic-2-4 pods
Button Mushroom-6 to 8 nos cut
Tomato puree-1 tbsp
Half and Half or whipping cream-3 tbsp optional
Sour cream-1 tbsp
Honey-1 tbsp
Turmeric powder, Chilli powder, Garam Masala,Coriander powder- 1 tsp
Cumin seeds-2 tsp
Procedure:
1.In a chopper, grate onion,green chillies, ginger and garlic.Meanwhile boil spinach and grind coarsely.

2.In a pan, add oil of your choice,cumin seeds and let splatter. Now add the grated mixture and then add mushrooms. Let it fry until done. Now add tomato puree,honey, all the spice powders, salt and mix well with sour cream and optional cream or half and half.
3. Add the spinach puree and let boil until the water evaporates.
4.Serve hot with chapathis or naan.

Options:
You can substitute Mushrooms with Boiled Potatoes for Saag Aloo or tofu for Saag Tofu or Chicken for Saag Chicken or even chickpeas for Saag Channa.

Tuesday, February 1, 2011

Instant Mysore Bondas


Ingredients:
Maida-1 cup
Rava-1 tbsp
Rice Flour-1/4 cup
Baking soda-1/8cup or 1/2 tsp
Onions-1/2 small chopped
Buttermilk-As needed
Green chillies-1 or 2 according to taste
Black pepper corns-1/2 tsp
Cumin seeds-1/2 tsp
Cilantro-Little, chopped
Asafoetida-2 puffs
Salt-According to taste

Procedure:

1.Mix rava,maida,baking soda,rice flour,cumin,pepper corns,salt and asafoetida with buttermilk until it reaches a thick consistency and allow to stand for 10 minutes.
2.When ready to fry in oil,add vegetables and fry till done.
3.Serve with coconut chutney or ketchup.

Roasted Vegetables


Ingredients:

Sweet Potatoes-1 cut
Carrots-2 cut
Bell Peppers-1/2 cut
Beets-1 cut
Potatoes-1 cut
Balsamic Vinegar-1/2 tbsp
Olive Oil-1/4 tsp
Mushrooms-Few
Fresh Basil Leaves-Few cut
Salt and Pepper-To taste

Procedure:
1.Mix all ingredients in a baking dish.
2.Cook in oven at 350F for 40 minutes.
3.You can eat as appetizer, mix with pasta or have it as a sandwich with mozarella cheese slice and some fresh basil leaves.

Thursday, January 27, 2011

Soft Yummy Rava Idlies


Ingredients:
Rava-2 cups
Baking Soda-1/4 tsp
Buttermilk-1-2 cups

Tadka:
Mustard seeds-1/4 tsp
Urad dal-1/4 tsp
Chana Dal-1/8 tsp
Green Chillies-2 chopped finely
Cashew Nuts-1/2 tsp
Ginger-A small bit
Salt-1/2 tsp

Garnish:
Carrot-4 baby ones,grated
Cilantro-Chopped
Peas-optional

Procedure:
1.In a little bit of oil,season mustard seeds,urad dal, chana dal, cashewnuts, green chillies and ginger.
2.Now add rava and saute till raw smell is gone and switch off stove. Allow this mixture to cool.
3.Add Baking soda, salt& buttermilk to this mixture until it reaches the consistency of idly batter.
4.Grease idly plates with a little oil, put a little bit of carrot,peas and cilantro. Now pour batter over this and cook until done.
5.Serve with any kind of coconut chutney. Rava idlies are good at room temperature too.

Makes about 20 or more idlies in total depending on the idly plate size.

Sunday, January 23, 2011

Croissant or bread Halwa(Pudding)

Ingredients:
Stale Croissants or Bread without the crust-cut into small pieces.
Milk-Enough to soak the bread in the pan.
Cashew nuts, pistachio-nuts, almonds- A handful together
Elaichi-2
Sugar-1/2 cup or as desired to taste.
Ghee-1tbsp or as desired.
Cashew nuts-As desired.
Raisins-5 or 6.
Saffron- A pinch.

Procedure:
  1. In a blender/mixie,dry grind cashewnuts,almonds.elaichi/cardamom and pistachionuts into a fine powder.
  2. In a spoon of ghee,fry croissants and the ground mixture till golden brown.
  3. Add milk and stir till soft.
  4. Add sugar to your taste and mix.
  5. Garnish with cashewnuts and raisins fried in ghee.Add some saffron for flavor.
  6. Serve warm.
Tips:
You can also add crushed pineapple or banana with the pudding for a different flavor.

Cabbage Chapathis

Ingredients:

Cabbage-1/4 of a small cabbage-grated
Green chilli-1
Garam masala-1/4 tsp
Salt-As desire
Wheat Flour-3 cups
Oil-2 to 3 tbsp
Ginger-As desired

Procedure:
1.Grate cabbage,ginger and green chilli in a grater.
2.Mix with Wheat flour,oil,salt and knead into a dough.
3.Roll into chapathis and pan toast.
4.You can also try the same with radish or carrots.

Monday, January 17, 2011

Home made Easy Tres Leches Cake


Ingredients:

Betty Crockers Yellow Cake mix- 1 box
Cool whip Fat free-1 box
Evaporated Milk- 1 can
Condensed Milk-1 can
Whole Milk-1 cup

Procedure:
1.Bake the cake as per instructions on the back of the box in a 13x9 inch pan.
2.Let it cool completely.
3.Mix evaporated milk, condensed milk and whole milk together.
4.Pour over the cake after it has cooled and refrigerate over night.
5.Smother coolwhip on the cake right before serving and keep the cake refrigerated for best results.
6.Garnish with fresh fruits like Berries,Pineapple, Kiwi and you can also garnish with some almond flakes.