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.

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.

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.