.......................Coffee 'N' Conversation

On a Blogging Break!!!!!!!

2009-08-10T10:34:00.000-07:00

Hi all I have been busy for quite some time,taking care of a few things and soon will be going on a vacation for 2 months ......

So see u all after a few months with new mouth watering recipes....

Bye.......

Potlakaya Perugu Pachadi(SnakeGuard in yogurt gravy)

2009-07-27T10:17:00.000-07:00

It is known as potlakaaya in Telugu, pathola in Sinhala, pudalankaai (புடலங்காய்) in Tamil, dhunduli in Assamese, paduvalakaayi in Kannada and padavalanga in Malayalam

Ingredients:

1 medium size potlakaya
1 cup yogurt
1/2 medium onion chopped fine
2 red chillies broken into half
2 green chillies chopped fine
1 tsp mustard seeds
1 tsp jeera
1/2 tsp urad dal
1/2 tsp channa dal
few curry leafs
pinch of turmeric
salt

Method:
Wash n cut the snake guard lengthwise scoop out all the seeds n flesh from it(discard the seeds n flesh)

Now ur left only with the outer skin chop it into small pc's put it into a saucepan with pinch of turmeric and boil it until tender.

Now add these cooked pc's to the yogurt,add the chopped onions and keep aside

Heat some oil to this add the urad dal,channa dal and when it turns golden yellow add the mustard,jeera,green chillies,dry red chillies,few curry leafs.

Add this to the yogurt pcs,add some salt .Mix and serve cold with warm rice.

Thotakura Pulusu Kura

2009-07-16T10:26:00.000-07:00
This is a savoury and tangy curry made with tender thotakura leaves.Sorry i dont know what this green leafy vegetable is called in english.But i found a pic of it in mahanandi blog...so just wanted to give u an idea of how it looks like

http://www.nandyala.org/mahanandi/archives/category/indian-vegetables/thotakura-amaranth/

It is cooked in the similar way to spinach and can be used in stir frys,dals etc.This is a simple recipe as all the the ingredients are put togeather in a pan and bought to a boil and once cooked nice tadka is added to the curry.

Such simple recipes are easy to cook and time saving and healthy as well as less oil is used..

Ingredients:

1 medium bunch Thotakura
1 medium size onion chopped fine
1 small tomato chopped fine
3 green chillies
1 lemon size tamarind soaked in 1 cup water n pulp extracted
1/2 tsp turmeric
1 1/2 tsp chilli pwd
salt
1 tsp mustard
1 tsp jeera
3 dry red chillie broken into halfs
few curry leafs
2 pods garlic crushed

Method:

Wash n clean the thotakura by seperating the leaves from the stem.

Now finely chop the leaves and the tender parts of the stem(the remaining stem which is bit thick u can chop them into 1" size pc's and store it in a zip lock bag and use it in beerakaya pulusu etc)

Add chopped thotakura into a saucepan.

To the same pan add the chopped onions,chopped tomatoe,slit green chillies,salt,turmeric,chilli powder and the tamarind pulp along with the 1 cup water in which it was soaked.

Cover and cook until the thotakra and onions turn tender.Now remove the lid and let some of the water evaporate until u get ur desired cocnsistency.

Now in a small pan heat some oil,to this add the mustard,jeera,dry red chillies,crushed garlic and few curry leaves.

To this tadka add the boiled thotakura mixture and mix.

Serve it with warm rice

Kurbani ka Meeta

2009-07-13T11:03:00.000-07:00
This is a Hyderabadi dish which is made useing dried apricots.Its mainly served with fresh cream,vanilla ice-cream or custard.It reminds me of all my cousins weddings that i attended as a child in hyderabad...where this dish was a staple...

Kubani in urdu means apricots in english,n hence the name Kurbani ka Meeta...meaning sweet made out of apricots.

This sweet is very easy to make and a hit at most of my partys...As u can prepare the syrup the day before the party and store it in a air tight container in the fridge...On the day of the party just serve with any store bought vanilla ice cream.

I have learnt this dish from my uncle(dad's brother),he is a good cook and like's to experiment with different cuisines....I was his help whenever he is used to cook something new...that's how i learnt this dish.

Ingredients:

1 small packet of Dried apricots(for those of u who dont know what they look like here's a pic )

1 1/2 cup sugar
2 cups water

Method:

Soak the dried apricots overnight in bowl full of water.

The next day u will notice that they swelled up n became smooth.Then take each of these apricots open it with ur fingers and remove the seed from it.

Take the seeds n break them open u will see a small almond type nut in it,remove it and keep aside.

Take the deseeded apricots and mash them coarsely with ur hand or in a blender.

Put this into a pot add the suagr and water and on medium-low heat let it come to a boil.

Cover and Cook it for 20 mins stirring in between.Check for sugar adjust it according to ur sweet level.

Remove the lid n let it cook for 5mins or more or until the mixture tunrs into a thick brown sauce.

Remove n let it cool for some time at room temperature.Once cool remove into a air tight container and store it in the fridge.

U can use it as a topping on Vanilla ice cream,custard or fresh cream.Its a very cool n refreshing deseart after a heavy biryani meal.

A Simple Meal

2009-07-13T08:54:00.001-07:00
Usually when its a weekend there is always some party,get togeathers,potlucks...etc where we tend to eat lot of spicy and oily food....n when sunday night comes we start craving for a light meal with not much oil or masala's....On such occassions i prepare these type of meals which are simple to make and appealing on the palete,as they are made with very less oil n seasonings

So last sunday our meal consistted of mudda pappu,vankaya pachi pulusu,chikkuda ginjalu curry,avakaya n curd rice.

Vankaya Pachi Pulusu i posted the recipe already so here is the link

http://coffeenconvy.blogspot.com/2009/07/vankaya-pachi-pulusu.html

Mudda Pappu

Pressure cook 1/2 cup toor dal with 1 1/3 cup water and pinch of turmeric until soft(i.e upto 3-5 whistles),Once soft remove n mash it into a smooth paste,add some salt and if its a bit watery keep it on the stove for few mins until it thickens(usualy when it cools down it becomes bit thick)

In Charlotte we have this wonderful farmers market(will blog about it more in detail later) located close to my house....Its one stop shopping for all the vegetables including the indian varietys like thotakura,bachali aku,menthi aku ,gongura,drumsticks,aartipuvvu,dosakaya,potlakaya,dondakaya,bendakaya,kakarkaya,mint,curry leafs,green chilies etc...

When i visit the farmers market i visit most of the stalls to see what new variety they have.....on such visits i found a yellow watermelon...n zipper beans.This is how they look like.

Just remove the seeds from the beans,then peel the skin of the seeds and keep aside as shown below....at home amma used to use the peeled skins as fodder for the cattle or throw it around the plants as a composte.

Now heat some oil on medium heat ,to this add 1 tsp Mustard,1 tsp jeera,3 dry red chillies broken into 2,few curry leafs,dash of hing.Next to this add the peeled beans add salt and 2 tbsp water mix cover and cook for 3 mins.Then remove the lid and let the water evaporate.Remove n serve hot with rice n dal as a side dish.

Serve it with Hot rice

Amma used to make another curry with the seeds cooked along with drumsticks and bit of milk.

Vankaya Pachi pulusu

2009-07-13T08:33:00.001-07:00
Pachi pulusu or vankaya pachi pulusu goes well with muddha pappu or kandhi pappu pachadi.

Ingredients:

3 thin n long eggplants
1 lemon size ball tamarind soaked in 1 cup water n pulp extracted
1 medium onion chopped fine
3 green chillies chopped fine
pinch of turmeric
1/2 tsp chilli pwd
2 medium cubes jaggery pc's or 3 tbsp sugar(adjust according to ur sweet level)
1 tsp mustard seeds
1 tsp jeera
3 red chillies broken into half
few curry leafs
dash of hing

Method:

Line a baking tray with foil n apply some oil,Preheat the oven at 500F.

Take the brinjals/eggplants and rub some oil onto to it and put it on the baking tray and put it into the oven.(alternatively if u have a gas stove wrap the eggplants in foil n put it on top of the fire rotating once in a while)

After 5-10 mins remove and turn them and put it back in the oven and bake for another 5-10 mins.

U will notice the eggplants become mushy,then remove onto a plate with tongs and cover it with another plate or bowl n let it cool.

Once cool peel and discard the eggplant skin and reserve the pulp in a bowl.

Into the same bowl add the chopped onion,green chillies,turmeric,chilli powder,tamarind pulp,jaggery and water until u get a flowing consistency.

Check for sourness,salt n sweet levels and adjust according to ur taste.

Now in a pan heat some oil to this add the mustard,jeera,hing,dry red chillies and few curry leafs,add this to the eggplant mixture.

Chicken Kurma-1

2009-07-13T08:09:00.001-07:00
This spicy curry goes well with coconut rice,roti or even puri....

Ingredients:

8 medium size chicken pc's
1/2 big onion chopped
1 small tomato chopped
1" cinnammon stick
1 tsp shah jeera
1/2 tsp turmeric
1 tsp coriander pwd
1/2 tsp garam masala pwd
1 1/2 tsp red chilli pwd
1 tsp dry roasted poppy seeds(gasalu)
1 tbsp fresh shredded coconut
1 tsp ginger garlic paste
1 cup beaten buttermilk
salt
few curry leafs

Method:

Wash and keep the chicken aside.

Heat a tbsp of oil in a pan to this add the chopped onion pinch of salt and fry until golden yellow in color.Remove and keep aside let it cool for sometime.

Next add this cooled onions into a blender along with turmeric,coriander pwd,chilli pwd,garam masala pwd,poppy seeds n fresh grated coconut and blend to a smooth paste.

Next heat some oil again to this add the cinnammon and shah jeera,also add the ginger garlic paste n tomato pc's n cook until tomatoe turns soft.

Let it fry for few sec's then add the ground mixture along with salt,chicken pc's and 1/2 cup water.

Cover and cook until chicken is cooked and oil starts oozing out.Lower the flame.

Next add the buttermilk and few curry leafs let the gravy thicken to ur desired gravy consistency,remove and garnish with cilantro.

Bread Bonda

2009-07-09T13:14:00.001-07:00

Ingredients:

6 bread slices
2 medium size potato's boiled until tender.
5 green chillies
1/2" ginger
pinch of turmeric
1/2 tsp jeera
salt
chaat masala
few drops lemon juice
few fried broken cashew pc's
few chopped curry leaf's
oil for deep frying

Method:

Boil the potato until tender and mash it coarsely.

Make a coarse paste of the green chillis and ginger and keep aside.

Next heat some oil in a pan add the jeera and ground chilli n ginger paste.

Add the turmeric and curry leafs.

Add the mashed potato,salt,chaat masala,broken cashew pc's and some lemon juice and mix.

Let this mixture cool for sometime and once cool make lemon size balls and keep aside.

Next take all the bread slices cut off the edges.

Take a bowl with 2 cups water.

Take a bread slice slightly dip it in water on both sides,immediately remove and keep it between ur palms n squeeze out the water.

Now take this into ur palm put one ball of the prepared stuffing in the center,and bring all the edges togeather and seal it lightly.(just like we do it for paratha).

Repeat the same procedure for all the bread slices.

Heat the oil for deep frying and once hot,add the bread balls and fry until light or dark brown in color.

Serve hot with tomato ketchup.

Simple Cool Sandwich

2009-07-09T12:56:00.000-07:00

Ingredients:

4 whole wheat bread slices(u can optionally trim the edges).
8 slices cucumber
6 slices tomato
pinch of chaat masala
pinch of italian seasoning
3 tbsp parmesan cheese
1/2 tsp coriander n mint chutney
1 1/2 tbsp thick yogurt.

Method:

Mix the mint n coriander chutney with yogurt this will act as a spread.

Now take the bread slices and spread this yogurt mixture onto the slices.

Place 4 cucumber pc's on one slice,sprinkle some chaat masala and place the tomato slices on it.

Next top this whole thing with italian seasoning and parmesan cheese and cover it with another bread slice.

Lightly press it down cut it in the centre horizontally or diagonally.

Repeat the same procedure for the remaining bread slices.

Keep it in the refrigerator for 30 mins .

Serve the sandwich with some chips on the side.

Vankaya Vepudu

2009-07-09T12:36:00.000-07:00

Ingredients:

12 small purple brinjals
1/3 cup roasted peanuts coarsley powdered
1 tbsp roasted sesame seeds
3 dry red chillis broken
few curry leafs
2 garlic pod's crushed
hing

Make a masala powder of the following:

1 tbsp coriander seeds
1 tbsp jeera
1/2 tsp mustard
6 peppercorns
pinch of turmeric
2 tbsp red cilli pwd
salt

Method:

Wash the brinjals and wipe them dry with the paper napkin.

Heat some oil on medium heat to deep fry the brinjal pc's.

Cut each brinjal into 4 quarters and immediately add it to the oil,until they turn golden yellow in color.

Once fried remove onto a plate lined with paper napkin.

Now heat few tbsp of oil in a pan add the red chilli's,curry leafs,hing,crushed garlic and the fried brinjals.

Add the prepared masala powder along with peanut powder.

Just before removing sprinkle the roasted sesame seeds.

Serve with warm rice goes well with sambar or pappu charu as well.

Note:Before frying the brinjals make sure that there is no water on the brinjal because if there is any water on it then when u drop it into hot oil the oil will splatter all over the place.

Vegetable Puffs

2009-07-09T12:06:00.000-07:00

Ingredients:1

1 packet of Frozen puff pastry sheets(left outside at room temperature for an hour)
1 cup mixed veg packets
1 medium size potato
1 tsp red chilli powder
1/2 tsp coriander pwd
1/2 tsp jeera pwd
1/2 tsp ginger garlic paste
pinch of turmeric
pinch of chaat masala
salt
chopped cilantro
1/2 tsp lemon juice
1 beaten egg (for glaze)

Method:

Boil the vegetables and potato pc's togeather until tender and mash them and keep aside.

Preheat the oven to 350F

Heat some oil add the ginger garlic paste n fry for few sec's

Next mix the tumeric,coriander pwd,jeera pwd and red chilli pwd in 3 tbsp water and add it to the oil.

Add the mashed vegetables and salt.

Saute until bit dry add the chaat masala n lemon juice and keep this curry aside.

Now take one puff pastry sheet and cut it into equal squares the size of ur palm.

Now take a puff pastry sheet and wet the edges of the square.

Now take one pastry square put some prepared curry in the centre and fold one end over the other just like we do for handkerchief.

Now with a brush apply the beaten egg on top of the puff(this is optional,but it brings a glossy golden yellow color to the puff).

Now put these puffs onto a baking tray lined with foil and apply some oil onto the foil(so that the puffs dont stick to the foil once they are done)

Bake these for 10-15 min's or until the puffs are in golden yellow color.

Serve it with some tomato ketchup

Note: U can get the Pepperidge Farms Puff pastry sheets in the frozen food section of the any grocery stores.It's mostly available near the frozen desserts section.For those of u who dont know how it lokks like here is a pic

Chicken curry (with coconut milk)

2009-07-05T14:37:00.000-07:00
A curry that goes well with not only rice or biryani but also roti...

Ingredients:

1 lb chicken pcs(ususally with bone for more taste)
1" cinnammon
4 elaichi
4 cloves
1 tsp shah jeera
1 big onion chopped fine
3 green chillies slit
1 tbsp ginger garlic paste
1/2 tsp turmeric
1 tsp coriander pwd
1/2 tsp jeera pwd
2 tbsp red chilli pwd
1 tsp garam masala pwd
1 cup thick coconut milk
1/2 cup water
salt
few curry leaves
1 1/2 tbsp kasuri methi crushed

Method:

Wash n clean the chicken, to this apply ginger garlic paste,turmeric and 1 tbsp red chilli pwd and keep aside for 30 mins.

Heat oil in a pan add the whole garam masala's like cinnammon,cloves,elaichi n shah jeera be careful not to burn them.

Then add the slit green chillies,chopped onion and let it fry until they turn transparent.

Next add the remaining ginger garlic paste and turmeric.

Add the chicken and mix,Next add the coriander pwd,jeera pwd n remaining chilli pwd 1/2 cup water and salt.

U can either pressure cook this upto 2 whistles or just cover and cook until the chicken turns tender.

Once the chicken is cooked add coconut milk,garam masala pwd and curry leaves.

Check the gravy consistency it should be little bit thick other wise add little bit water.check for the spice n salt level and adjust at this point.

Let it come to a slight boil ,then add the kasuri methi mix and remove.

Garnish with cilantro leaves n serve with rice or roti.

Note: U can also dry roast 1 tsp poppy seeds(gasalu) and add 1 tbsp fresh grated coconut to it and grind it to a psate,add this along with the masala's .

Presentation does matter

2009-07-05T14:18:00.001-07:00
Usually on weekdays there are no sweets in the house,but when the weekends come even my sweet tooth starts to tingle...so be it a cheesecake from the cheesecake factory,tiramisu from olive garden,ice cream's from cold stone creamery,ben jerry's,dairy queen or a molten chocolate lava cake with vanilla ice cream etc etc ...i know the list is never ending ...but i just love all of them.

But this weekend i took some tips from my friends aruna's blog about serving ice cream here is the link to the post in her blog

http://arunathetemptations.blogspot.com/2009/03/tips-to-host-healthy-ice-cream-party.html

I came up with this ice cream....its simple easy to assemble ....n tasty....

What u need:

Some store brought brownies or homemade ones(i had some brownies that i made useing the brownie mix available in any grocery store in baking goods aisle)

Store bought vanilla ice cream

Hershey chocolate syrup(one of the regular guests in my fridge as it come in handy to make chocolate milk,cup of hot chocolate etc)

Some fresh cherries/strawberries (usually available during this season)

Assembling

Place the brownie in a bowl and microwave it for 30 sec's.

Put 1 or 2 scoops of vanilla ice cream

Then in a zig zag motion pour the chocolate syrup on top of it.

Garnish with a fresh cherry or strawberry n serve......

Simple isnt it...appearence of the food does make it look very appetizing.Its nice n simple to have such cute little thing's at home once in a while isnt it...Hope all of u enjoy.

The Indian spice Box--the tale behind it

2009-07-05T08:43:00.000-07:00
Since we are talking about spices lets first talk about indian cuisine.

The cuisine of India is characterized by its use of various spices, herbs and other vegetables grown in India.Indian cuisine has had a remarkable influence on cuisines across the world, especially those from Southeast Asia.In particular, "curry", which originated in India, is used to flavor food across Asia.

The staples of Indian cuisine are rice, atta (whole wheat flour), and a variety of pulses.The most important/frequently used spices in Indian cuisine are chilli pepper, black mustard seed (rai), cumin (jeera), turmeric (haldi, manjal), fenugreek (methi), asafoetida (hing, perungayam), ginger (adrak, inji), coriander, and garlic (lassan, poondu). Popular spice mixes are garam masala which is usually a powder of five or more dried spices, commonly including cardamom, cinnamon, and clove.

North Indian cuisine is distinguished by the proportionally high use of dairy products; milk, paneer, ghee (clarified butter), and yoghurt (yogurt, yoghourt) are all common ingredients. Gravies are typically dairy-based. Other common ingredients include chilies, saffron, and nuts.Most of the curries in northern india are eaten with a bread's like roti,phulka,naan,chaapathi etc.

Traditional cuisines of Eastern indian namely Orissa, Bengal, and Assam are delicately spiced. Their cuisine consists of Mustard paste, curd, nuts, poppy seed paste and cashew paste are preferably cooked in mustard oil.They curries are mostly eaten with rice or spiced rice.This region is more famous for the sweets such as rasagolla, chumchum, sandesh, rasabali, chhena poda, chhena gaja, chhena jalebi and kheeri.

South Indian cuisine is distinguished by a greater emphasis on rice as the staple grain, the ubiquity of sambar and rasam (also called chaaru and rasam), a variety of pickles, and the liberal use of coconut and particularly coconut oil and curry leaves.This region is more famous for the breakfast dishes like the dosa, poori, idli, vada, bonda,pongal etc.Another famous dish from the south is the "hyderabadi biryani".Not to forget the south indian filter coffee.

Western India has three major food groups: Gujarati, Maharashtrian and Goan.
For me maharashtra reminds me of the evening snacks like pani puri,bhel-puri,chaat,vada-pav,raagda etc Gujarati cuisine is predominantly vegetarian. Many Gujarati dishes have a hint of sweetness due to use of sugar or brown sugar. Goan cuisine is influenced by the Portuguese colonization of Goa.

This is the spice box that u find in most of the indian kitchen's.The other day all the ingredients in the spice box were over and so i again filled them up immediately...It was so pleasant to see all the beautiful vibrant colors..that i immediately thought of clicking a photo n here i am with it.The spice box is almost similar to the spice racks that we have out here in the US.

But for some reason i prefer useing the spice box itself(though its a personal opinion) might be i have more memories associated with things like the spice box,grinding mortor n pestle etc

I remember amma keeping all the grocery shopping money in it along with the spices..so that if any one passes by the house selling fresh vegetables or fish she doesnt need to run to the cupboard everytime.

So coming to the picture clockwise from top is

Methi
Chaana dal
Urad dal
Mustard
Corainder
Jeera
Red chillies( in the center)

These are the regular things that one uses for a Tadka or Poppu apart from the Hing,Curry leaves n Crushed Garlic.

Mixed Vegetable Curry

2009-07-02T08:42:00.000-07:00
I never knew making a mixed vegetable curry was so easy...the other day all the vegetables in the fridge were over except for a frozen mixed vegetable packet in the freezer and I was in a daze of what to cook that goes well with rotis for dinner....

As usual i started on a quest on the net in the hope of finding something healthy n easy...N there i was on http://www.manjulaskitchen.com

I found manjulas recipe for navaratan kurma...but in the start i was like why even have a look at the recipe....because i knew that Navaratan kurma has cream n cashew...But again i thought why not just have a look at it.....

Thanks to manjula ji....she made it without any onions n cream...she instead used milk n cornflour to get the gravy.

Apart from mine and amma's recipes...just wanted to blog about the various recipes i try from other blogs....so that acts a reference for me as well.

Ingredients

1 1/2 cups mixed vegetables(carrot,beans,cauliflower,peas,potato)
3 green chilli chopped fine
1/2" ginger grated
1/2 tsp turmeric
1 tsp coriander pwd
1 tsp chilli pwd
1/2 tsp jeera
1 bay leaf
2 cloves
1 cup milk
1 tbsp cornflour
few curry leafs
chopped cilantro
hing
salt

Method:

Parboil the vegetables with pinch of salt and keep aside.

Dissolve the cornflour in little milk(make sure they are no lumps in it)n keep aside

Next in a small bowl add the chopped green chillies,grated ginger,turmeric,coriander pwd,chilli pwd with 1/2 cup water n keep aside

Heat some oil in an pan,to this add the jeera,hing,curry leafs,bay leaf n cloves.

Next add the dissolved masala mixture into the pan n mix.

Immediately add the parboiled vegetables and let the vegetables coat with the masala's.Add some salt.

Next add the milk and also cornflour n milk mixture n mix.

U will notice that the gravy starts to thicken then add the cilantro leaves/kasuri methi.

Remove and serve with roti's.

Note:I always keep a packet of frozen mixed veggies in my fridge so that it comes handy in times like this...u can either make a quick curry,veg cutlets,pav bhajji with the mix veggie packet.

This curry is an easy recipe for bachelors or for people who are very tired after the days work n dont want to stress out in the kitchen.

Mixed greens Salad n Grilled Mahi Mahi

2009-07-02T08:15:00.001-07:00

Grilled Mahi Mahi

Marinate the mahi mahi fillets in the following

1 tbsp soya
1 tbsp olive oil
1 tsp vinegar
1/2 tsp pepper
1/2 dried herbs
1/2 tsp minced garlic
1 tsp hot sauce/chilli garlic sauce
salt
pinch of sugar
chopped cilantro

Line a baking tray with foil and apply some oil to it so that the fish doesnt stick to it.

Put the oven on broil mode

Put the fish on the baking tray and put it into the oven and cook for 5 mins on one side

Remove turn the fish and put into the oven n grill again for 5 mins more.Or until cooked.

Remove n sprinkle with some toasted seasame seeds n serve with salad n yougurt dip.

Mixed Greens Salad:

1/2 packet of mixed greens
6 almond half's or any dried nuts like pecan or walnuts
2 tbsp dried cranberries
few onion slices

Salad Dressing:

2 tbsp red wine vinegar
1 tbsp olive oil
pinch of pepper
pinch of salt
1/2 tsp mustard paste
1/2 tsp honey

Mix all the above salad dressing ingredients togeather until the oil in it gets mixed into the vinegar.

Just before eating put all the ingredients in a salad bowl and add the dressing little by little n mix

Dont add too much dressing as the salad greens tend to wilt fast when they are wet.

Just sprinkle some parmesan cheese on top of it.

Yougurt dip:

2 tbsp thick yogurt
pinch of salt
pinch of pepper
pinch of sugar
pinch of chaat masala pwd
chopped cilantro/celery

Mix all of the above n serve with grilled fish

Mamidikaya chinna mukka pachadi(mango pachadi)

2009-07-02T07:44:00.000-07:00
Amma used to make this pachadi when the mangoe season was about to come to an end.The method was similar to how we make dosakaya pachadi.But tangyness of the magoes adds a lot of flavour to the pachadi.

So while selecting the mangoe make sure that its a raw tender tangy mangoe variety.

Wash the mangoe and wipe clean with a kitchen towel or paper napkin and cut it into small pcs along with the skin as shown in the pic below...be sure to discard the seed from it.

I sure miss the taste of fresh mangoe pickle made in india at home.One day after makeing the pickle, amma used to mix it in hot rice along with ghee..mmmmmhhh...my mouth is already watering...Used to like it a lot...

Such good memories...ok apart from makeing all ur mouths water...lets come back to the mangoe pachadi recipe.

Ingredients:

1 raw mangoe(cut into small pcs as shown above)
1 tbsp jeera
1/2 tsp methi seeds
1/2 tsp turmeric
12 dry red chillies or fistful of them
2 green chillies
2 stems curry leafs
salt
oil
hing

Method:

Cut the mangoe into small pcs as shown in the pic above.Keep aside 1/4 of the pcs for grinding.

In the remaining mangoe pcs add the turmeric and salt n keep aside.

Next heat some oil to this add the jeera,methi seeds and hing.

Also add the green chillis, curry leafs and dry red chillis,be sure not to burn it.

Then seperate all of this from the oil.Add the oil to the mangoe pcs mixed with turmeric.

Next add the tadka items along with the mangoe pcs that we kept aside in the start and grind to a coarse paste.

Now mix this paste with the small mangoe pcs.

Check for salt n spicyness.Serve with warm rice and ghee.

Gongura Mamsam (Gongura mutton)

2009-06-29T11:50:00.001-07:00

Ingredients:

1 lb mutton
1 lb gongura leaves
1" cinnamon
3 elaichi
3 cloves
1 tsp shah jeera
1 big onion chopped fine
1 tbsp ginger garlic paste
8 green chillies
1/2 tsp turmeric
1 tsp coriander pwd
1 tbsp red chilli pwd
1/2 tsp garam masala pwd
1 Tbsp freshly extracted tamarind paste
salt
curry leafs

Method:

Pick the gongura leaves from the stem,wash them and keep aside.

Heat some oil in a pan then add the gongura leaves n let it wilt n come togeather.It will turn mushy,once cool then coarsley grind it or smash it with a smasher.

Make a paste of the green chillies n ginger n garlic n keep aside.

In a pressure pan heat some oil to this add the cinnamon,cloves,elaichi and jeera.

Next add the chopped onion and saute until they turn transparent.

Add the tuumeric,ginger garlic n green chilli paste.

Next add the mutton,coriander pwd and 1 cup water.

Let it cook for 5 mins,then cover it with the lid n put the whistle,let it cook for 5-6 whistles or until the mutton turns tender.

Once cool remove the lid n switch on the stove,then add the salt n chilli pwd.

Also add the smashed gongura leaves and tamarind pulp,curry leafs.

Let it cook for 10 more mins then remove n serve.

Goes well with hot rice or even roti's.

Note:Usually if the mutton is tender it cooks very fast,so be careful with the whistles,i usualy cook mine upto 6 whistles n check it after the pressure comes down,if its not cooked still i still put it for more whistles.

Alternatively u can use meat tenderizer like raw papaya.Here in US the gongura is not that sour so i use tamarind as well.But if the gongura itslef is very sour then no need to add the tamarind..

Basundhi

2009-06-29T11:25:00.000-07:00
Whenever i try something different outside i either get the recipe from the person who made it or search for the recipe in various blogs.This is one such recipe that i got from my friends mother but with a few variations here n there,but the outcome was similar to hers.

Ingredients:

2 cups whole milk
1 tin evaporated milk
1 tin condensed milk
1/2 tsp elaichi pwd
10 almonds
few strands of safforn or yellow color.

Method:

Soak the almonds in warm water n remove the skin and grind them to a coarse powder.

In a wide deep bottom pan add the whole milk on keep on low heat(atleast 3 or 4).

Keep mixing it so that it doesnt stick to the pan,now for once increase the heat to medium but still keep mixing it.

When it comes to a boil add the evaporated milk n condensed milk n again reduce the heat and keep mixing.do this for 15 mins.

Next add the almond powder and elaichi powder n few saffron strands or yellow color n mix.

Keep stirring for 10 mins,u will notice the mixture becoming thick.

Switch off the stove n remove to a bowl n let it cool.

When it comes to room temperature garnish it with few saffron strands,slivered almonds or pistachios n refrigerate it for 4 hrs or more

Serve chilled

Note:U should be patient with the whole procedure though it takes some time around 30-45 mins.Usualy it takes more time but since we are also useing already evaporated milk we reduce the time to half.

U can aslo use heavy whipping cream instead of the evaporated milk.

Masala Kichidi

2009-06-29T10:00:00.000-07:00
When ur in a hurry n have no time to care for healthy food this is the perfect wholesome meal,because it has the veggies,lentils n rice.Its also ready in a jiffy.

Ingredients:

1 cup basmati/brown rice
1/3 cup moong dal(pesarapappu) soaked for 30 mins
2 tbsp fried cashew
3 baby carrots cubed
4 beans chopped to 1/2" pcs
1/3 cup green peas/batani
1/4 onion chopped fine
2 green chillies slit
1 small tomato chopped fine
1/2 tsp ginger garlic paste
turmeric a pinch
1 tsp coriander pwd
1/2 tsp red chilli pwd
pinch of garam masala
pinch of hing
1 bay leaf
3 cloves
1/2" cinnamon
1/2 jeera/shah jeera
1 tsp ghee
salt
2 cups water
few curry leafs

Method:

Heat some oil,to this add the whole garam masala(bay leaf,cloves,cinnamon) and jeera.

Then add the hing,green chilli,curry leaf n onion n saute for 2 mins.

Next add the turmeric n ginger garlic paste

Then add the veggies(carrots n beans n batani),cahsew n saute.

Next add the tomato n cover n cook for 2 mins or until the tomato turns mushy.

Then add the coriander pwd,chilli pwd,garam masala pwd n salt

To this add the rice n dal n also add the 2 cups water and ghee.

Cover n cook until the rice is cooked.

Note:U can also add potato.If ur useing frozen peas add it to the rice after it is cooked.

Kobbari palu Munagkaya Kura(Coconut milk drumstick curry)

2009-06-29T09:43:00.000-07:00

Ingredients:

1/2 packet frozen drumsticks(cut into 1"pcs)
1 coconut milk(i used tin coconut milk which is very thick)
1" cinnamon
5 cloves
4 green chillies slit
1 tsp jeera
1 tsp mustard seeds
1 medium size onion chopped
1/2 tsp turmeric
1 tsp coriander pwd
1/2 tsp ginger garlic paste
1/2 tbsp besan
few curry leaves
salt

Method

Put the cut drumsticks into saucepan with enoguh water so that they are submerged in the water add pinch of salt,let it come to a boil n cover n cook for 10 mins.Strain n keep aside.

Coarsley crush the cinnamon n cloves n keep aside.

Heat some oil in a pan n add the jeera,mustards seeds n the crushed cinnamon n cloves

When nice aroma starts to come add the green chillies and curry leafs.

Next add the chopped onion pcs and let it fry for sometime until it turns transparent.

Then add the turmeric and ginger garlic paste.

Next add the coriander pwd,salt and besan n mix.

Add the drumstick pc's and saute for sometime

Then add the coconut milk n stir frequently n add 1/3 cup water and cover n cook for 3 mins.

U will notice that the gravy becomes to thicken.Then remove and garnish with coriander leaves.

Serve with rice

Tomato Charu

2009-06-26T13:02:00.001-07:00
This is the easiest rasam amma used to make.It is different from all the rasam's

Ingredients:

1 1/2 big tomatoes chopped n pureed
1 small onion chopped
3 green chillies slit
1 tbsp fresh extracted tamarind pulp
1/2 tsp turmeric
1 tsp chilli pwd
1 tsp rasam pwd
5 cloves
5 elaichi
salt
pinch of sugar
chopped cilantro

For the Tadka

1 tbsp ghee
1 tbsp oil
1 tsp mustard seeds
1 tsp jeera
3 red chillies
2 garlic cloves
few curry leafs
pinch of hing.

Method:

Blend the tomatoes to a smooth paste and keep aside.

Make a coarse powder of the cloves n elaichi.

In a sauce pan add the pureed tomatoes and 2cups water.

To this add the chopped onion,slit green chillies,tamarind paste,turmeric pwd,chilli pwd,elaichi n clove pwd and salt.

On medium heat bring this whole thing to a boil,let it cook until the onions turn transparent.

Next add the rasam pwd and pinch of sugar.

Remove to a bowl and garnish with cilantro leaves.

Next do the tadka,heat the oil n ghee togeather on medium heat.

To this add the mustard seeds,jeera,hing,dry chillies,curry leafs n crushed garlic.

Add this tadka to the prepared rasam n immediately cover n let it rest for some time.

Serve with hot rice .

Perugu Bendakaya(Dahi Okra)

2009-06-26T08:51:00.000-07:00
This is a yougurt based curry which is simple to prepare and goes well with roti.

Ingredients:

1 lb tender baby okra(ends trimmed)
1/2" ginger
1/2 tsp peppercorns
1 tsp mustard
1 tsp jeera
3 dry red chillies
4 green chillies slit
1 1/2 tbsp besan
1 1/2 cup thick buttermilk.
1/2 tsp turmeric
1 tsp coriander pwd
few curry leafs
salt
pinch of hing.

Method:

Preheat the oven to bake mode at 350F

Line a tray with foil n rub some oil onto it,spread the okra on it evenly n put it into the preheated oven.

Let it cook for 10-15 mins.Alternatively u can a tbsp of oil into a pan and add the okra and cook.remove and keep aside once done.

Crush the ginger n peppercorns togeather n keep aside.

Heat some oil in a pan and add the mustard,jeera,red and green chillies an curry leafs and hing.

Then add the cooked okra to this n mix.

Next add the ginger n pepper paste n besan n fry for 2 mins.

Add the turmeric pwd and coriander pwd.

Add salt n mix n turn the heat to the lowest as possible.

Once on very low flame(the heat should come down) add the buttermilk and mix.

Let it cook for 3 mins,when u get the required gravy consistency switch of the stove n garnish with cilantro leaves.

Serve hot with roti or rice.

Note:

alternatively u can also add onions to the tadka n fry for sometime n then add the okra(but i like mine without the onions).Brcareful while adding the buttermilk....there should be not heat at at all,so if ur useing the electric stove just remove the pan keep aside and add the buttermilk,if ur useing a gas stove then just keep the flame very low.

Allam Chutney

2009-06-26T08:28:00.001-07:00
i usually prefer making fresh ginger chutney at home because i get most of the flavour from fresh ginger.Ginger chutney mostly goes well with pesarattu upma,mysore bonda,n rava dosa.

Ingredients:

2″ ginger root
1 tbsp urad dal
1 1/2 tbsps channa dal
1 green chilli
2 dry red chillis
2 cloves garlic
small lemon sized tamarind pulp extracted
3 tbsps jaggery
1 tbsp chillie pwd(optional)
1/2 cup water
salt

1/2 tsp mustard seeds
6-7 fresh curry leaves
1 tsp oil or ghee

Method:

Peel the ginger wash and cut it into small pcs and keep aside.

Heat 2tbsp oil,to this add the urad dal,channa dal,green chillie,garlic,red chilli,fry until they turn light brown in color and nice aroma emanates from it.

Remove n let it cool

In the same pan add the chopped ginger n saute on medium heat until they turn red in color,remove n keep aside.

In a blender add the fried dals mixture n tamarind pulp n blend to a smooth paste.

To this add the ginger ,jaggery n salt along with water n blend again to a smooth paste,remove into a bowl.

Next add some oil n add the mustard seeds let them splutter then add the curry leafs.

Add this to the ground paste n mix.

Check for spice level in the chutney and add more jaggery or sugar accordingly.

Note:

I usually add some red chilli pwd to it,to get that red color look,but that is optional n depends on ur spice level

Coconut Chutney-1

2009-06-26T08:15:00.000-07:00
I usually make 2 types of coconut chutney...one variety i make it useing curd this one i made useing pachi sengapappu..

Ingredients:

1 cup fresh grated coconut/frozen
1/2 cup channa dal/putnala pappu
4 green chillies(adjust according to ur spice level)
1 tsp mustard
1 tsp jeera
1 tsp urad dal
3 dry red chillies
few curry leafs
oil
salt
pinch of sugar

Method:

Heat a tbsp oil to this add the green chillies n fry for a while,remove n keep aside.

To a blender add the coconut,channa dal,green chillies,salt,sugar and 1/2cup of water.

Grind to a smooth paste,remove to a bowl.

In a pan heat 2 tbsp oil ,once hot add the urad dal when it starts turning brown.

Add the mustard,jeera,red chillies and few curry leafs.

Add this tadka to the chutney and mix.

Serve with idli,dosa,mysore bonda,etc.

Note: As one of my friend said u can also add a small pc of fresh ginger to the coconut brfore grinding..this gives an added flavour to it

Hyderabadi Chicken Biryani

2009-06-22T11:25:00.000-07:00

Hyderabadi Biryani is a Hyderabadi dish based on basmati rice and meat. Popular variations use chicken or goat.

The blending of Mughlai and Telangana cuisines in the kitchens of the Nizam, ruler of the historic Hyderabad State, resulted in the creation of Hyderabadi Biryani.

Hyderabadi biryani is of two types, the Kacchi (raw) Biryani and the Pakki biryani.

Kachchi Akhnni biryani is prepared with raw meat, which is marinated in yoghurt and then cooked along with the rice by sealing the handi (vessel) with a layer of dough, and is cooked on dum - steaming over coals. This is a challenging process as it requires meticulous attention to time and temperature to avoid over- or under-cooking the meat.

In Pakki biryani, the meat marinating time is shorter, and the meat is cooked before being layered with the rice and cooked in a dough-sealed vessel. In Pakki Yakhni (with cooked gravy), the ingredients are already cooked before baking.

The gravy is redolent of mace, ittar and kewra. Saffron and cardamom are also used.

There is also a vegetarian version of the biryani, which is made from vegetables such as carrots, peas, cauliflower and potato.

Ingredients:

1/2 of cut up whole chicken(cut into medium size pcs).
3 cups basmati rice
1 bay leaf
1 tsp kala jeera
2 tbsp yellow color dissolved in water
2 tbsp orange color dissolved in water
1/2 big onion sliced
few mint n cilantro leaves

Marinate the chicken with the folowing for 2 hrs:

1 big cinnamon stick broken into 2
2 bay leafs
2 black cardomon
2 mace
5 cloves
4 elaichi
1 tsp kala jeera
2 tbsp yogurt
1 tbsp red chilli pwd
1 tsp coriander pwd
1 tsp jeera pwd
1 tsp garam masala pwd
1 tsp lemon juice
Paste of -ginger,garlic,8 small green chillies,handfull of mint n cilantro leaves.
salt
2 tbsp oil/ghee

Method:

As said above marinate the chicken with the listed ingredients for 2 hrs at room temperature.

Next take the basmati rice wash n soak it a deep container with water for 30 mins.

Meanwhile deep fry the onion slices to make fried onions,fry till they start to brown in clolor,remove onto a plate with a tissue.

Now put the container with rice on the stove top on medium high heat,to this add the salt.

Taste the water ,u should be able to taste the salt,to this add the bay leaf n kala jeera n oil.

Once the water starts to boil u will notice that the rice starts to pop to the top,one it starts to boil let it cook for 3 mins.The rice should be half done i.e it should be bit grainy.

Immediately remove n strain the rice.

Next take a deep bottomed pan n apply oil to the inside,put the marinated chicken into this pan.

Sprinkle some mint n cilantro leaves and half of the fried onions.

Now put the half cooked rice on top of the chicken n evenly spread it out.

On top of the rice sprinkle rest of the fried onions,mint n cilantro leaves

Also add bit of ghee and the yellow n orange color(or even saffron strands soaked in water)

Cover the top of the pan with aluminium foil,put a kitchen towl on top of it n cover it with a tight lid.

Put the stove on heat 3 n let it cook for 30-45 mins.

Remove from stove top n carefully remove the foil,becareful not ot burn ur hands as hot steam will escape from it.

Serve it with cool raita and mirchi ka salan(i already posted the recipe for it)

Note

u should be very careful while half cooking the rice,just be near the stove n keep looking as it cooks very fast.Remember we are doing the dum type of biryani so the stove heat should be as low as possible (mostly on 3 as said for electric stoves).
Instead of covering it with foil n kitchen towl u can alternatively seal the lid n pan togeather with chapathi dough.

Mirchi Ka Salan

2009-06-22T11:02:00.000-07:00

This curry goes well with the Hyderabadi Biryani served along with raita....

Ingredients:

4 fingerhot chillies(the long thin variety)
1/2 cup dry roasted peanuts
1 tbsp sesame seeds
2 tbsp dry coconut pwd
1/2 onion sliced
1 lemon size tamarind soaked n in 1 cup water
1 tbsp red chilli pwd
1/4 tsp turmeric
1/2 tsp coriander pwd
1/2 tsp jeera pwd
1/2 tsp ginger garlic paste
3 cloves
5 peppercorns
1 bay leaf
salt
pinch of sugar or jaggery

Method:

Make slits in the middle of the chillies n if u cant take the heat from them remove the seeds from it,stir fry in tbsp of oil n keep aside.

Next dry roast the peanuts,sesame seeds,coconut pwd and grind it to a paste n keep aside.

Next add few tbsp of oil in a pan and add the sliced onions n cook till brown in color.Add this to the ground paste n grind again.

Heat oil in a pan then add the bay leaf,cloves,peppercorns and ginger garlic paste n saute.

To this add the ground paste,add the turmeric,chilli pwd,coriander n jeera pwd n fry for some time.

Next add the tamarind water n salt the consistency should be little watery...let it come to a boil.

Once it comes to a boil add the Green chillies n keep mixing so that the gravy doesnt stick to the pan.

At this time u will notice that it starts splattering n oil starts oozing out...

Then check for salt n spice level,then add the sugar/jaggery n switch of the stove n garnish it with cilantro leaves.

Chicken Fry

2009-06-20T11:45:00.001-07:00
This is the most simplest and easiest recipe for a chicken fry that i have ever known ...I got the recipe from one of my cousins mother-in-law.The best thing is u dont need to deep fry the chicken.

Its so simple to make ....u can eat it as an appetizer or even have it with rice n pappu charu...

So here is the tempting delicious recipe....

Ingredients

3 boneless n skinless chicken breast/thigh meat
1 onion chopped fine
1 tsp ginger garlic paste
1/2 tsp turmeric
few chasew nut pcs
few curry leaf's

Dry roast n make a fine powder of the following:

1 tbsp coriander seeds
7 dry red chillies
3 elaichi
3 cloves
1" cinnammon
1 tsp gasalu(Khus Khus)
4 cashew nuts
1 tbsp grated dry coconut pwd

Method

Wash n cut the chicken into small bite size pc's n keep aside.

Next heat few tbsp of oil,to this add the cahsew pc's and few curry leaf's,dont burn them,remove n keep aside once the cashew turn golden brown.

To the same oil add the chopped onions n fry for some time ,when they turn transparent,add the turmeric,salt and ginger garlic paste.

Add the chicken pcs mix n cook for some time then cover n cook for few mins until the chicken turns tender.(during this time u will notice chicken oozing out water).

Then remove the lid and add 2 tbsp of the ground powder.(at this time the cocnsistency should be wet n like a thick gravy,if not then add little water).

Let the chicken cook in it for sometime,u will notice that oil starts oozing out.

During this time keep mixing the chicken until it turns dark brown in color as shown in the pic.Remember not to burn it.

To this add the fried cahsew and curry leafs.

Garnish it with tsp of lemon juice and few onion strands

Note

I usually prefer boneless meat for such type of dishes because it cooks fast n takes less oil.But u can also use whole cut up chicken as well,but it takes a longer time.
alternativley u can also try this recipe with raw peeled shrimp as well.

Chole curry n Roomali roti

2009-06-19T14:17:00.000-07:00

Ingredients:

1 1/4 cup channa(chickpeas) soaked overnight
1 medium size potato(peeled n chopped into cubes)
1" cinnamaon
3 elaichi
1 tsp jeera
1/2 tsp mustard
1 big onion chopped fine
1 1/2 tomato pureed
1 tsp ginger garlic paste
1 tsp coriander pwd
1/2 tsp jeera pwd
1 1/2 tbsp chilli pwd
1 tsp amchur pwd
3 green chillis slit
2 tbsp kasuri methi leaves
few curry leaves
few cilantro leaves

Method:

Take the soaked channa n the potato pcs n put it in a pressure pan with enough water and pressure cook for upto 2 or 3 whistles.Remove once the pressure comes down...strain away the water from the channa n potato pcs n reserve both of them seperately.

Take some of the boiled channa n grind to a paste n keep aside.

Heat oil in a deep bottom pan, to this add the cinnamon n elaichi,jeera n mustard seeds(be careful not to burn them).

Then add the chopped onions,green chillis n curry leaves.

Once they start turning transparent add turmeric and ginger garlic paste.

Mix once the raw smell dissappears add the coriander pwd,jeera pwd,chilli pwd and amchur pwd and salt.

Next add the tomatoe puree mix n cover with a lid for 3-5 mins.

Remove lid n mix u will notice oil oozing out then add the boiled channa n potato pcs.

Next add the reserved water according to ur required gravy consistency approx 1 1/2 cups and also add the pureed channa paste n mix.

Mix check for salt n spice level and cover with the lid so that the channa absorbs the flavours from the gravy.

Remove lid after 10 mins and then add the crushed kasuri methi leaves.

Let the water evaporate until u get the required gravy consistency.

Remove n garnish with lime juice n cilantro leaves.

Roomali roti:
For rommali roti i just followed Sanjay thumma's video on home made roomali roti.
So here is his link to the video...

http://72.3.253.187/vahrehvah/popvideo.php?recipe_id=2981

i followed the video as it is and they turned out perfect,Thnaks to the vah chef.

Amla Pachadi(Usirikaya pachadi)

2009-06-18T10:21:00.000-07:00
The Indian gooseberry Common names of this tree include amalaka in Sanskrit, amla (आँवला) in Hindi, amlaki (আমলকী) in Bengali, Nellikkai (நெல்லிக்காய்) in Kannada and Tamil, ఉసిరి in Telugu, amala in Nepali language, 'ma kham bom' in Thai, and 'mak kham bom' in Lao.

The fruit is nearly spherical, light greenish yellow, quite smooth and hard on appearance, with 6 vertical stripes or furrows.

Ripening in autumn, the berries are harvested by hand after climbing to upper branches bearing the fruits. The taste of Indian gooseberry is sour, bitter and astringent, and is quite fibrous. In India, it is common to eat gooseberries steeped in salt water and turmeric to make the sour fruits palatable.

Amla is a natural, efficacious, an antioxidant with the richest natural source of Vitamin C. It is used in Ayurveda as a cardiotonic, aphrodisiac, antipyretic, antidiabetic, cerebral and gastrointestinal tonic.Amla is referred to in ancient text as the best medicine to prevent aging.

Overall benefits of amla in the body:

Enhances food absorption
Enhances fertility and memory
One of the best herbs for diabetes
Powerful skin and hair rejuvenator
Eye and liver toner
Restores stomach and intestinal digestive enzymes
Supports heart and lungs
Reduces body heat or weight naturally

I miss eating amla here in the US...but one day when i was going through the frozen food section of the grocery store...n found a packet of frozen amla,Immediately my hand picked the packet...initially i thought of making dal with it....

But i was going through http://www.gayatrivantillu.com/ i found a video on usirikaya pachadi...n i thought wow...that sounds good..But hers was a version useing fresh amla n so the pickle stays for longer period...

But i made mine frozen Amla so it stays for a week in the fridge...so here is a modified version of her recipe

Ingredients

8 frozen or fresh amla
12 red chilllies
8 green chillies
2 tsps mustard seeds
1 tsp methi seeds
1 tsp jeera
pinch of hing
few curry leaves
1 tsp turmeric
salt

Method:

Cut the amla along the veins into small pc's remove n discard the seeds.

Now put the pcs into a blender with some salt n turmeric n blend to a coarse paste ,do not add any water,it looks like grated amla.

Now in a pan heat few tbsps of oil.

To this add the mustard seeds,methi seeds,jeera,hing,also add the green chillis n red chillies n curry leaves.Let it cool for sometime

Once cool grind it into a fine powder.

Now add this powder to the ground amla n mix thouroughly.

Test for salt n spice level.

Next heat one tsp oil and add this mixture to it(by doing this any excess water will evaporate)if u desire more spice u can add some chilli pwd now.

Remove n serve hot with ghee n hot rice.

Note: Since i used frozen amla i made some changes to gayatris recipe...but this is her original recipe video
http://www.gayatrivantillu.com/usirikayapachhadi

Spinach Dal(Palakura Pappu)

2009-06-18T10:02:00.000-07:00

Ingredients:

1 cup moong dal(pesara pappu or any dal like toor dal is also good)
1/2 cup chopped fresh/frozen spinach
4 green chillies split
1/2 onion chopped
1/2 tsp turmeric
few curry leaves
2 cloves garlic crushed
1 tsp mustard seeds
1 tsp jeera
1 tsp urad dal
4 dry red chillies broken into half
salt
pinch of hing

Method:

Put the dal in a pressure cooker,add the chopped onion,slit green chillies,chopped spinach, add the turmeric n tsp of oil,and 1 1/2 cup water n pressure cook upto 2 whistles.

Once the pressure comes down,smash until the dal is soft.

To this add the salt.

Do the tadka,heat 2 tbsp oil to this add the urad dal,mustard seeds,jeera,hing,red chillies,curry leafs n crushed garlic.

Add this to the Dal and mix n cover.

Serve hot with rice or roti.

Note:They are several variations to the making the dal,some people like to add chilli pwd , some add bit of tamarind for tangyness...But personaly i like it this way...as it retains the original flavours of the spinach.

Mooli Paratha(Raddish Paratha)

2009-06-18T09:14:00.000-07:00

Radish is:

Low in Saturated Fat and Cholesterol
High in Dietary Fiber, Vitamin C, Folate, Potassium, Riboflavin, Vitamin B6, Calcium, Magnesium, Copper and Manganese

The nutritional value of radish makes it ideal for:

Maintaining optimum health
Weight loss

Ingredients:

1/2 of a big white radish
1 small onion chopped fine
3 green chillies chopped fine
1/4 tsp jeera pwd
1/4 tsp chaat masala
1/4 tsp garam masala pwd
1 tsp chilli pwd
few chopped cilantro leaves
salt

Method:

Grate the raddish add some salt,put it into a bowl n cover with a plastic cling wrap or a tight lid because it gives out a strong unique smell.

Prepare a soft piable chapathi dough by adding 2 cups wheat flour,pinch of salt n tsp of oil n 1 cup luke warm water.

Now take the grated raddish take little bit of it in ur palm n squeeze it hard until it leaks out all the water,repeat the process for the rest of the raddish.

Immediately add the onions,green chillies,cilantro n the masala along with chilli pwd.(raddish oozes out water very fast so be fast with it or before making each paratha just squeeze out the excess water).

Now take a lemon size ball off the chapathi dough n roll it into a small puri,with a thick centre n thinner edges.

Put a Tbsp of the grated raddish stuffing in the centre of the puri,and bring all the ends togeather n twist n flatten.

Dust it with some flour n keep rolling it like a chapathi,If u see bubbles just prick it with a fork,once u get the desired thickness put it on a hot tawa/pan.

Cook on both sides until u see brown spots on it add tsp of oil or butter.

Serve with cool cucumber n onion raita and hot pickle of ur choice.

For other versions or to get a more clear view see the recipe in this video.

http://showmethecurry.com/2008/10/23/muli-paratha-radish-stuffed-indian-bread/

Note:u will need to squeeze out all the water from the raddish otherwise it will wet ur chapathi dough n u will not be able to roll out the chapathis.

Desi Sandwich N Broccoli Slaw

2009-06-11T10:15:00.000-07:00

The other day my brother asked me to post some easy n healthy to eat food recipes so here i am with this new section dedicated to people like him.

Desi-Sandwich Ingredients:

2 slices whole wheat/multi grain bread
1 tsp coriander n mint chutney
2 tbsp thick yogurt(instead of mayo)
3 cucumber sliced thin
3 slices tomato
4 thin slices of bolied potato/1 turkey slice.
salt
pepper
chaat masala(optional)

Method:

Mix the coriander n mint chutney with the yogurt.

(optional)u can cut of the sides of the bread or leave them as it is.

Spread the yogurt n chutney spread onto the bread slices just like u do with butter.

Next layer one slice of the bread with cucumber,tomato n potato slices sprinkle some salt,pepper n chaat masala.

Now cover it with the next bread slice..with the chutney side facing down.

Now insert 2 toothpicks near to the ends n cut the sandwich diagnolly n serve.

Broccoli Slaw Ingredients:

Buy a packet of Broccoli slaw or any slaw or ceaser salad leaves in any grocery store.Take a handful from the packet. Put it into the bowl.

In a seperate bowl take all of the following n mix with a spoon to a smooth paste(this is the salad dressing)....

1 tsp mustard paste(regualr one that we use for hot dogs)
pinch of salt n pepper
pinch of sugar
3 Tbsp thick yogurt
few drops of soya sauce
1/2 tsp of any dried herbs
1 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil.

To the slaw or salad leaves add few dried cranberries/pomergrante seeds/chopped apple pc's/grapes....n also add any few nuts like walnuts/almonds,add onion slices.

To this add the salad dressing n mix so that all the leaves get qouted with the dressing.

U can garnish with any shredded chesse (optional).

Serve Chilled.

Note:I substitued the mayo for thick yogurt n added fruits n nuts into the salad to make it nutritious.U can use store bought coriander n mint chutney in any desi store.Or just take few mint n coriander leaves along with 1 green chilli 1/2 tsp jeera n salt n grind it to a coarse paste without adding any water.

I usually make this chutney in bulk n store it in the fridge n use it as a spread,dressing or as a dip as well.

Usualy for creamy dressings crisp leaves like romaine lettuce are used n for vinegar based dressing(the ones which are transparent) spinach leaves etc are used(i.e the ones which are delicate n dark green in color) as they tend to become soggy fast.

I always make sure there is cucumber,n salad leaves n fruits in my fridge so that i can prepare any salad or sandwich in a jiffy when i am in no mood to cook.

Chinnese Egg Fried Rice

2009-06-11T09:46:00.000-07:00

Ingredients:

1 cup basmati rice
1 1/2 cup water
1/4 cup carrot chopped very fine
1/4 cup cabbage sliced very thin
few sprouts or green peas or beans chopped fine(optional)
2 garlic cloves chopped fine
2 tbsp spring onion chopped fine
2 egg beaten
1 tsp soya sauce
1/2 tsp pepper
2 tbsp seasame oil
pinch of salt
pinch of ajinomoto(optional)

Method:

Wash the basmati rice add pinch of salt and add the 1 1/2 cup water and cook the rice.

Once the rice is done,remove into a pan n spread out evenly n keep aside.

Next heat a pan with oil add the beaten egg add salt n pepper n scramble the egg into small bite size pc's n keep aside.

In a wok or deep bottom pan on medium heat add the seasame oil.

Add the chopped garlic,cabbage,carrots n few white ends of the spring onions n (any other veggies) and stir fry until the cabbage starts to wilt.

Next add the salt n soya sauce.

Then immidiately add the cooked rice,to this add the pepper pwd n ajinomoto.

Also add the scrambled egg.

Check for salt,then garnish with spring onions and serve hot.

Note: The Carrot n cabbage should be chopped very fine as possible.If u want to add chicken then stir fry the chicken breast pc's cut into thin strips with salt n pepper n add it along with the cooked rice n scrambled eggs.
Spring onions give it more flavour so try not to avoid them.

Thai Red Curry

2009-06-11T09:13:00.000-07:00
Red curry is a popular Thai dish based on coconut milk heated with red curry paste and fish sauce. Red curry dishes may include ingredients such as kaffir lime leaves or peel, Thai eggplant, bamboo shoots, thai basil, and some sort of meat such as chicken, beef, pork, shrimp one can substitute tofu for a vegetarian vertion.

Red curry paste includes red chili peppers (fresh or dried), shallots, garlic, galangal, lemon grass, coriander roots, peppercorns, salt, shrimp paste and kaffir lime zest. For an authentic recipe.

This recipe is a more quick version to the traditional red curry as i used canned red curry paste rather than makeing a fresh red curry paste.

Ingredients :

1 chicken breast cut into thin strips
1 small potato
1/2 onion chopped into big chunks
1/2 capsicum chopped into chunks
few sprouts
n any vegetables of ur choice(carrots,bamboo shoots,snow peas,broccoli etc)
1 tin thick coconut milk
3 tsp maesri/thai kitchen red curry paste(found near the international food section in any grocery store)
few basil leaves
few spring onion chopped fine
salt

Method:

Heat a pan on high, add a 1 tbsp of oil,to this add the onion,capsicum n the remaining veggies(except potato) n just stir fry for few sec's,they should retain their color n shape.Remove n keep aside.

In the same pan add the chicken strips n the curry paste.

To this add the whole coconut milk on medium heat,mix n add the potato as well.

When it comes to a boil cover n cook until the chicken n potato are cooked through.

Once done u will notice oil floating on top then add the stir fried veggies and basil leaves.

Remove n garnish with spring onions.

Serve hot with white rice or fried rice.

Note: u can add water to the coconut milk according to ur desired cocnsistency(but dont add too much).Even though we use just a Tbsp of oil,lot of oil oozes out from the curry paste,so that should be fine n nothing to worry about.U can adjust the curry paste according to ur spice level

Dont avoid the basil leaves because they give the curry a nice flavour.

Matar Khaju Kheema

2009-06-09T14:00:00.000-07:00

Ingredients

1 lb Ground Turkey/lamb/chicken/pork
1 cup fresh or frozen peas
1/2 cup fried cashew
1 big onion chopped fine
1 big tomato chopped fine
3 green chilli chopped fine
1 tbsp fresh ginger garlic paste
3 elaichi
1" cinnamon
1 bay leaf
1/2 tsp turmeric
1 tsp coriander pwd
1/2 tsp jeera pwd
2 tbsp red chilli pwd
1 tsp garam masala pwd
few curry leaves
salt

Method:

Heat some oil in a pan on medium heat.

Next add the elaichi,cinnamon,bayleaf becareful not to burn them.

To this add the chopped onion,chopped green chilli n few curry leafs.

Add some salt turmeric pwd,n when the onions turn golden yellow add the ginger garlic paste.

Next add the chopped tomato's,mix n cover with a lid for 2 mins

Remove the lid n u will notice the tomato's turn mushy mix once again.

To this add the Coriander pwd,jeera pwd,red chilli pwd,salt n garam masala pwd n 1 cup water.

Next add the ground meat keep mixing so that no big lumps are formed cook it for 5 mins.

Now pressure cook this whole thing for upto 2 whistle's.Once the pressure comes down remove the lid n switch on the stove again so that the left over water gets evaporated.

U will notice little bit oil oozing out,then add the peas n fried cahsew's,mix n switch of the stove.

Garnish with cilantro n serve hot with rice or roti

Note: U can use this as a filling in sandwich,samosa,puffs or paratha or naans.I usually use lean turkey meat which has less fat n find not much of a difference between the turkey n lamb. If ur adding the potatoe then add it just before u pressure cook it.

Madras Rasam

2009-06-09T13:33:00.001-07:00

Ingredients

1/2 cup toor dal
1 lemon size ball tamarind juice extracted.
1 tomato
1/2 onion chopped
3 green chillies slit
1 tsp chilli pwd
1/2 tsp turmeric
2 tsp MTR madras rasam pwd
few curry leafs
few chopped cilantro
2 garlic pods crushed
2 dry red chillies broken into half
1 tsp mustard seeds
1 tsp jeera
few methi seeds
pinch of sugar
pinch of hing
salt

Method:

Boil the toor dal until soft ,let it cool

Once cool put the toor dal n chopped tomatoes into the blender n grind until smooth.

Put this mixture into a pan on medium heat.

To this add the chopped onions,slit green chillis,few curry leafs,few cilantro leaves.

Also add the tamarind juice along with some water until u get ur desired cocnsistency,along with turmeric,salt n red chilli pwd.

Once it starts to come to a boil,add the rasam pwd n pinch of sugar.

Next in a seperate pan heat some ghee/oil on medium heat, add the mustard seeds,jeera,methi seeds,dry red chillies,few curry leaves n crushed garlic n hing.

Add this tadka to the boiled rasam n immediately cover it with a lid n switch off the stove.

After some time remove lid n garnish it with cilantro.

Serve hot with rice n papad's.

Andhra Special Pessarattu-Upma

2009-06-08T11:53:00.000-07:00

Pesarattu made from soaked whole mung beans has a greenish hue, while yellow coloured Pesaralu, made from peeled mung beans, gives a fine golden yellow tint to the dosa when roasted. Both these forms are famous in Andhra Pradesh, and are typically served with chutney made from ginger and tamarind.

Upma pesarattu is a favourite in Andhra Pradesh, especially in coastal Andhra and East Godavari and West Godavari.

Ingredients

1 cup whole moongdal(pesarapappu)
1/2 cup raw rice
2 tsp grated ginger
1 big onion chopped fine
3 green chillies chopped fine
1 tsp jeera
3 dry red chillies
pinch of turmeric
salt

Method:

Soak the rice n moong dal along with dry red chillies overnight.

Just 1 hr before making the dosa grind the soaked ingredients with pinch of turmeric into a smooth paste(it should be of the same flowing consistency like the regular dosa batter)Add salt to this .

Chop the onion n green chillies finely,to this add the jeera n grated ginger n keep aside.

Prepare regular upma n keep aside

Heat a pan,Cut a onion into half dip one half in oil n rub this onion with oil on the pan.

Now pour a laddle full of the batter onto the centre of the pan,and spread it just like we do for regular dosa.

Sprinkle some oil onto the dosa,n spread the onion mixture onto the dosa(as shown in the pic) n pat it down with the spoon.

U will notice that one side is cooked to golden brown,then flip the dosa n cook for 1 min.

Again flip it back ,lay few tbsp upma on the centre of the dosa n fold n remove.

Serve hot with allam chutney or coconut chutney

Note u no need to ferment the batter n if u dont like eating raw ginger then put it in into the batter n grind it along with it it.Try mostly to use the non stick pan as the dosa comes out easily.Try to make a medium thickness dosa rather than making it too thick or too thin.

Gutti Dondakaya Fry

2009-06-08T11:26:00.000-07:00
In Karnataka, Kannada speakers refer to it as "Tondekayi". In Maharashtra, they are referred as "Tondli". In Andhra Pradesh, south India, Telugu speakers refer to this vegetable as dondakaya. In Tamil Nadu, south India, Tamil speakers refer to it as kovakkai. In Kerala it is known as kovakka(കോവയ്ക്ക). In Assam it is known as kunduli. It is eaten as a curry, by deep-frying it; stuffing it with masala and sauteing it ; or boiling it first in a cooker and then frying it. It is also used in sambaar, a vegetable- and lentil-based soup.

In India, ivy gourd is often recommended to diabetics due to its low glycemic index and its possible ability to help regulate blood glucose.

Ingredients:

25 Whole tender ivy guard(Dondakaya),Tindora
1 tsp tamarind paste
1 big onion chopped fine
3 dry red chilli broken into halfs
1 tbsp chilli pwd
1/2 tsp turmeric
1/2 tsp corinder pwd
1/2 tsp mustard seeds
1/2 tsp jeera
few curry leafs

Method:

Slit the ivy guard just like we do for gutti vankaya curry,but dont let the ivy guard seperate...it should be able to hold its shape.

Now let 4 cups water to a boil,to this add pinch of salt,turmeric n the tamarind paste n let it come to a boil again.

To this add the ivy guard n boil until ivy guard is tender(approx 10 min's).

Strain the liquid from the ivy guard n reserve the water n ivy guard's.

Heat some oil in order to deep fry the boiled ivy guard,Once u fry all the ivy guard until golden yellow remove n keep aside on a plate covered with tissue paper.

Next heat few tbsp oil in a saute pan next add the mustard seeds n jeera,when they start to splutter add the red chilli's n curry leafs

Add the chopped onion when they start to become transparent add the turmeric pwd,red chilli pwd,coriander pwd.

Next add the fryed ivy guard,mix n cook on medium heat for 5 mins.

Next add 3tbsp's of the reserved tamarind juice.

Add salt n mix n cook until it starts to turn into brown color.

Remove n serve with hot rice.

Almond Basil Pesto Pasta

2009-06-03T09:00:00.001-07:00
The word basil comes from the Greek word βασιλεύς (basileus), meaning "king".Basil is still considered the "king of herbs" by many.Basil is commonly used fresh in cooked recipes. It is generally added at the last moment, as cooking quickly destroys the flavour.

There are many varieties of basil. That which is used in Italian food is typically called sweet basil, as opposed to Thai basil, lemon basil and holy basil, which are used in Asia.

Basil is one of the main ingredients in pesto—a green Italian oil-and-herb sauce. Its other two main ingredients are olive oil and pine nuts.Whenever possible, choose fresh basil over the dried form of the herb since it is superior in flavor. The leaves of fresh basil should look vibrant and be deep green in color. They should be free from darks spots or yellowing.

Fresh basil should be stored in the refrigerator wrapped in a slightly damp paper towel. It may also be frozen, either whole or chopped, in airtight containers.

Basil is an excellent source of vitamin K and a very good source of iron, calcium and vitamin A. In addition, basil is a good source of dietary fiber, manganese, magnesium, vitamin C and potassium.

The other day i went to the farmers market n all these herbs were in the plastic bags..so i mistook Basil for mint...So i decided to make use of it ...i bought some whole wheat pasta n made a delicious pesto pasta.

Ingredients:

1 1/2 cups whole wheat penne pasta
1 cup fresh basil
1 clove garlic chopped
1/4 cup almonds
1/2 tsp pepper pwd
3 tbsp olive oil
saly
few drops lemon juice
3 tbsp parmesan cheese

Method:

Put the almonds in warm water n let it rest for 1 hr,then remove n peel the skin n chop n keep aside.

Next take the basil leaves wash them n put them into a blender.

To this add the chopped almonds,pepper pwd,garlic,salt n few drops lemon juice.

Blend all of these togeather to a coarse paste,Add only few drops water if needed.

Next add the olive oil n 1 1/2 tbsp parmesan cheese n blend again,check for salt n adjust.

It should look like a coarse paste.Keep this aside

Next boil 4 cups water until till it comes to a boil,Once u see its bubbling add pinch of salt n few drops of oil

Add the pasta n let it cook.Once the pasta becomes tender to the touch

Switch off the stove and strain out the water from the pasta.

Immediately put the pasta into a bowl add 3 tbsp prepaired pesto sauce n mix....if u want more pesto u can add according to ur taste.

Garnish with the remaining parmesan cheese n serve hot.

Note: U can serve this few grilled vegetables like bell peppers,brocoli etc.Usualy pesto is made with pine nuts,since i didnt have any i substituted it with blanched almonds...but if u have pine nuts u can directly add them to the basil i.e u dont need to blanch them like almonds

Cabbage n Channa dal Stir Fry

2009-06-02T14:54:00.000-07:00

Ingredients:

1/2 cup channa dal soaked for 30 mins
1/2 cabbage chopped fine
2 tbsp fresh grated coconut
5 green chillis slit
3 dry red chillis split into half
1/2 tsp jeera
1/2 tsp mustard seeds
1 tsp urad dal
pinch of hing
few curry leaves
cilantro chopped
salt
few drops of lemon juice

Method:

Pressure cook the channa dal with 1 cup water upto one whistle (so that it retains its shape).Once cool drain the water n reserve the dal.

Next heat some oil,add the urad dal once they start to become brown,add the mustard n jeera.

Next add the green chillis n dry red chillis,pinch of hing n few curry leaves.

Next add the sliced cabbage,add some salt ,mix n cover n cook.

Once the cabbage turns bit soft add the channa dal .

Switch off the stove n add the grated coconut ,chopped cilantro n lemon juice.

Serve hot with rice.

Hot hot summer ...n Cool cool Watermelon Juice

2009-06-02T14:31:00.000-07:00

No other fruit says summer like the subtly crunchy, thirst quenching watermelon. Although watermelons can now be found in the markets throughout the year, the season for watermelon is in the summer when they are sweet and of the best quality.

Fresh watermelon may be eaten in a variety of ways and is also often used to flavor summer drinks and smoothies.

Watermelon contains about six percent sugar by weight, the rest being mostly water. As with many other fruits, it is a source of vitamin C.

Watermelon rinds are also edible, and sometimes used as a vegetable.Watermelon with red flesh is a significant source of lycopene.Watermelon is not only great on a hot summer day, this delectable thirst-quencher may also help quench the inflammation that contributes to conditions like asthma, atherosclerosis, diabetes, colon cancer, and arthritis.

Watermelon is rich in the B vitamins necessary for energy production. Our food ranking system also qualified watermelon as a very good source of vitamin B6 and a good source of vitamin B1, magnesium, and potassium.

Ingredients:

2 cups chopped seedless watermelon
1/2 cup sparkling water(optional)
few drops of lemon juice

Method:

Put all the above ingredients in a blender n blend until smooth.

Cool n serve

Note: u no need to add sugar n water in it because watermelon itself has both of it.Since its seedless u no need to strain it as well after blending,as the pulp has lots of fiber it

Chepala Pulusu(Fish cooked in tamarind gravy)

2009-06-01T15:19:00.000-07:00
I spent most of my childhood in the coastal city of Visakhapatnam, n my husband also comes from a coastal place were fish,shrimp and crab are abundant n becomes part of most of the meals.

When i knew i was going to the USA wherever i went i took a book with me n was writing down all the best recipes from the family's i met....So after my marriage i wrote down this recipe from my husbands grandmother who is very good at cooking seafood dishes.

This dish tastes best ,when prepared the previous day n eaten the next day....this is because the fish absorbs the flavours from the tamarind juice....In some places its even cooked in a clay pot which gives it more flavour.

Ingredients:

1 lb of cat fish steaks(cant use fish fillets for this dish)
1 big onion
1 inch ginger
5 cloves garlic
1 tsp jeera
1/2 tsp methi seeds
5 dry red chilli's
3 green chillies slit
1/2 tsp turmeric
1/2 tbsp coriander pwd
2 tbsp chilli pwd
1/2 tsp garam masala(optional)
2 lemon sized balls of tamarind soaked in 1 cup water n pulp extracted
few curry leaves
chopped cilantro
1 clove garlic crushed

Method:

Rub the fish with some salt n turmeric n keep aside.

Grind the onions,ginger n garlic togeather into a paste.

Heat 5 tbsp oil add the jeera,methi n dry red chilli n green chilli.

Next add the onion mixture n some salt.

Once it starts changeing color add turmeric.

U will notice oil oozing out,then add the coriander pwd n red chilli pwd

Mix well then add the fish pc's n let it coat well with the masala's

Mix carefully so that u dont break the fish pc's let it cook for 3 mins.

Then add the tamarind juice n mix careflly..it will come to a boil n the fish will start to cook in this stage..

So dont keep mixing it as the fish will get disintegrated cook for 10-15 min's.

Fish will cook fast, n u will notice oil floating on top.

Just before switching it off add the curry leaves n crushed garlic n garnish with cilantro.

Note: Fish pulusu needs bit more oil than the regular cooking as fish is bit stincky .This pulusu tastes good next day with hot rice

Chilli Chicken

2009-06-01T14:02:00.000-07:00
This is one of my favorite appetizer dish when it comes to Indo-Chinese dishes.Coming to the best place i had a nice chilli chicken was way back in chicago when we used to stay there.

Chicago has a nice china town...where there are nice chinese restaurants...n one of them is LaoSzechuan http://www.laoszechuan.com its small but very crowded place during weekends.They have this item no#563- Chef's Special Dry Chilli Chicken** which is very good...its basically chilli chicken with lots of dry red chillis.

So for anyone who stay in chicago n would like to vist chinatown do try that out.

Ingredients :

2 boneless skinless chicken breasts(cut into small bite size pc's)
1 egg white
salt
2 tbsp cornflour
2 tbsp maida
1/2 onion chopped into big chunks
1/2 capsicum chopped into big chunks
6 dry chillies broken into half
4 green chillis slit.
1 tbsp soya sauce
1 tsp chilli garlic sauce
2 cloves garlic chopped fine
1/2 inch ginger chopped fine
ajinomoto
pinch of orange/red color
pinch of sugar(optional)
3 tbsp thick curd/ water
few curry leaves
chopped spring onions
chopped cilantro

Marinate the chicken with the below items for 30 mins or more in the refrigerator

1/2 tsp pepper
1 tbsp soya sauce
1 tsp chilli sauce
1 tsp ginger garlic paste

Next beat the egg white with some salt,add the cornflour n maida n mix to bhaji batter consistency.

After marinating dip each piece in this mixture n deep fry them until chicken is cooked through or until they are light brown in color.Drain onto a plate with tissue paper.

After frying all the pc's keep aside

Next heat some oil on medium high heat n stir fry the onions n capsicum,slightly so that they retain they color.

Heat some oil in a pan then just when the oil is about to get heated add dry red chilli n saute until they turn to change the color.

Add the chopped ginger n garlic n green chilli n curry leaves,then reduce the heat to very low.

Then add the curd,soya sauce,salt,ajinomoto,chilli garlic sauce,orange color n mix .

When the curd becomes to come togeather add the stir fryed capsicum n onion pc's along with the fried chicken pc's.

Optionaly sprinkle some sugar and mix so that all the pcs get coated with the sauce.

Once dry remove n garnish with spring onions n cilantro and serve.

Summer Cooler(fresh mango with vanilla cutsard)

2009-06-01T11:09:00.000-07:00
The other day i went to the farmers market n got fresh mangoes,n the next day was a very hot sunday...As usual sunday means a heavy meal in the afternoon in my house..I knew that the food n weather would make everyone feel like eating something cool

So in summer whats better than the king of all fruits MANGOE,So i made this vanilla custard mixed it with some fresh mangoe pc's n refrigerated....the very mention of mangoes brings back fond memories from my home back in india.

I grew up in a family with an agriculture background...we had large acres of land filled with mangoe trees of various variety..So when summer came the half ripe mangoes were covered with straw..once ripe they were removed from it n dropped in huge barrels filled with water(back when we didnt have fridges)

Be it breakfast,lunch or dinner or during evening after nice slumber there was always a mangoe in someones hand...not the regular cut variety but the juice ones..with the juice from the mangoe drooling from the fingers to the elbow...

Apart from all these there was my grandmother just squeezing out the juice from the mangoes mix it with some sugar n in the hot afternoon sun go out...n apply layers n layers of the juice on the starw mats...to form a mangoe jelly(mamidi thandra),which is something similar to the fruit bars that we get over here.

Ingredients:

1 ripe mangoe(peeled n cut into medium size pc's)
1 1/2 cups milk
1/2 cup suagr
4 tbsp custard pwd mixed in 1/4 cup cold milk (mix thouroghly unitl it gets dissolved in the milk without any clumps)
few saffron strands(optional)
1 tbsp almond/pistachios chopped finely

Method

Bring milk to a boil,when it starts to bubble add the sugar n mix,check the sweeteness,if u need it bit more sweet add more sugar.

Next add the custard pwd milk mixture n keep mixing n swtich off the stove

Let it cool ,put it in the fridge.

Remove once cool,place the mangoe pc's in a bowl pour custard over it and garnish with saffron strands n chopped alomnds/pistachios.

Cluster beans curry

2009-06-01T10:37:00.000-07:00

Usually when i go for grocery shopping,i make sure that i include one/two indian vegetables along with carrots/cabbage/cauliflower/beets/beans n leafy vegetables like spinach/methi leaf...

So on the whole my weakly menu concsists of a choice of the above vegetables along with dals/chickpeas/rajma,eggs n chicken once a week

Cluster Beans is one of those vegetables that i get once in a while

Ingredients:

1/2 lb of cluster beans(washed n chopped into 1/2 inch pc's)
1 medium onion chopped
1 1/2 tbsp fresh grated coconut
1/2 tsp turmeric
1/2 tsp mustard seeds(avalu)
1 tsp jeera
2 red chillies split into 2halfs
few curry leafs
2 cloves crushed garlic
salt

Dry Roast n make a powder of the following

1 1/2 tbsp channa dal
1 tsp coriander seeds
1/2 tsp jeera
4 red chillies split into halfs
1 tbsp seasame seeds
few curry leafs

Method

Pressure cook or boil the cluster beans with salt upto one whistle or until tender
Heat oil in a pan then add the mustard seeds,jeera dry red chillies n few curry leaves.

Next add the chopped onions n let it fry until golden yellow

Add the boiled cluster beans,turmeric salt n mix,let it fry until the moisture evaporates from it...

Next add the ground powder along with fresh grated coconut n mix,so that the beans get coated well with the mixture.

Note:u can adjust the chillie according to ur spice level

Tomato Egg Curry

2009-06-01T09:47:00.001-07:00
I cant debate on the fact that whether the chicken came first or the egg...But one thing i know for sure is that eggs are available at a less price n is very nutritious form of food.

Eggs add protein to one's diet, as well as various other nutrients.

Chicken eggs are the most commonly eaten eggs. They supply all essential amino acids for humans,and provide several vitamins and minerals, including vitamin A, riboflavin, folic acid, vitamin B6, vitamin B12, choline, iron, calcium, phosphorus and potassium. They are also an inexpensive single-food source of protein.

All of the egg's vitamin A, D and E is in the egg yolk. The egg is one of the few foods which naturally contain Vitamin D. A large egg yolk contains approximately 60 Calories (250 kilojoules); the egg white contains about 15 Calories (60 kilojoules).

A large yolk contains more than two-thirds of the recommended daily intake of 300 mg of cholesterol,it contains all of the fat in the egg and slightly less than half of the protein and much of the nutrients. It also contains all of the choline. Choline is an important nutrient for development of the brain, and is said to be important for pregnant and nursing women to ensure healthy fetal brain development.

It is a good source of nutrients for growing kids,who make a fuss while eating vegetables.

So over all the egg whites are more healthy than the yolk(yellow).But you dont need to avoid completely eating the yolk...u can eat the yolk once in a while(atleast once or twice a week) to get most of its nutrients.

I saw a video on showmethecurry.com about various tips on eggs here is the link to it
http://showmethecurry.com/2009/05/19/egg-fun-facts-tip-tuesday/

Eggs are a permanent resident in my fridge...because they come in handy whenever i am in a dilemma to what to cook.So whenever i notice they are getting over i replace them immediately.

Whenever i have some unexpected guests or whenever i am lazy i make this curry because its ready in a jiffy.My husband tells me that this egg curry was they staple food as bachelors when they came to USA to do they MS...My mom used to make this curry but with a slight variation she adds drumsticks(munnagkkai).For cooking eggs with drumsticks i follow sailusfood recipe http://www.sailusfood.com/2007/05/30/kodi-guddu-munagakaaya-kura-egg-drumstick-curry/

Ingredients:

4 hardboiled eggs
1 big onion chopped finely
3 big tomatoes chopped/1 can of crushed tomato
4 elaichi
3 red chillies broken into two
1/2 tsp turmeric
1 tsp coriander pwd
1 tbsp chilli pwd
1 tsp ginger garlic paste
1 tsp jeera
few curry leaves
chopped cilantro
pinch of garam masala
salt

Method:

Boil the eggs,peel the shell n make slits on it(i additionaly stir fry the eggs in bit of oil until its skin turns golden yellow n remove n keep aside.)If ur not into it u can skip the stir frying step.

Heat oil in a pan,then add the jeera,elaichi n red chillies

Next add the chopped onions,curry leaves,once they turn golden yellow add turmeric n ginger garlic paste.

Next add the chopped tomatoes and salt,mix and cover with a lid.Once they turn mushy remove the cover.

Next add the boiled eggs to the gravy n mix so that the eggs coated with the masala.

Next add the coriander pwd,chilli pwd n fry until oil starts oozing out.

Once done sprinkle some garam masala pwd n cilantro.

Serve with rice

Glass Painting's

2009-05-28T11:17:00.001-07:00
Everyone who first meet's me ask what i do...i say Housewife....soon afterwards comes the big question...then how do u pass ur time??..N the general answer i give is cook,clean,bake n deocrate cakes n do glass painitng.

Glass painting... i was first introduced to this hobby in 2004 just by mistake...I was doing my MBA n them Amma was like apart from studying u dont even have a nice hobby...Ofcourse she will not let me come into the kitchen n cook then..

So she introduced me to her friend...n she inturn introduced me to her cousin,who does glass painting,mehndhi,pot painting etc...all such simple stuff.

That's how i learnt my glass painting.Here are a few of my works..

It's just a nice n simple hobby which doesnt require much painting skills.Thanks to amma i learnt it because of her.During my initial stay in US..this helped me a lot to pass my time...n from then on it became one of my hobby.

So when i went to india last year i wanted to thank Amma...So i painted the rajasthani lady n some camels(that u see above) n framed it n gave it to her when i stayed over there.

The other 2 paintings that of the birds n fish on lotus were my first paintings in US(painted on 2nd week after coming to US).The elephant painting was a gift to my friend who recently bought a townhome.They were some more which i gave as gifts but forgot to take a picture of them.

I usually get a photo frame with glass(since framing is quite costly out here in US) n paint on that...on most occassions i give them as gifts to my friends,which make's them very happy..

I will blog the procedure of how to paint on glass along with pictures(picture tutorial) soon

Semiya Pulihora

2009-05-28T10:53:00.001-07:00

Ingredients:

1 1/2 cups vermicelli(semiya)
1/2 cup peanuts
3 green chillies slit
3 red chillies broken into two
1 small onion chopped
small pc ginger chopped finely
2 tbsp lemon juice
1 tsp urad dal
1/2 tsp channa dal
1 tsp mustard seeds
1 tsp jeera
1/2 tsp turmeric
few curry leaves

Method:

Boil some water until it reaches boiling point add salt n few drops oil/ghee along with semiya(vermicilli)

Once the semiya is soft drain the water from the semiya useing a seive..once the water is drained run the semiya under cold tap water to remove excess starch n ensure that they dont stick togeather

Heat some oil on medium heat,then add the urad ,channa dal,mustard,jeera.

Once they start spluttering add the green chilli,dry red chilli,chopped ginger and curry leaves.

Then add the peanuts n chopped onions, once fried add the salt n turmeric.

Next put in the boiled semiya into this n mix .

Add the lemon juice n mix so that it gets coated well with the turmeirc n lemon juice.

Check for salt n sourness n adjust according to ur taste.

Serve hot

Andhra Style Spicy Chicken Curry

2009-05-28T09:03:00.000-07:00

Ingredients:

1 whole chicken cut into medium pc's
1 big onion chopped finely
1 small tomato chopped finely(optiona)
3 green chillies
1 tbsp ginger garlic paste
1 tbsp chilli pwd
1 tsp turmeric pwd
1/2 tbsp coriander pwd
1 tsp jeera pwd
1 tsp garam masala pwd
1 tbsp fresh grated coconut
1 tsp gasalu(poppy seeds)
1" cinnamon
1 bay leaf
3 cloves
3 elaichi
1 tsp shah jeera
few curry leaves n cilantro

Method:

Marinate chicken with 1 tsp ginger garlic paste,1/2 tsp turmeric,1 tsp chilli pwd for 30 min's.

Dry roast the poppy seeds for few mins n make a coarse pwd with it n add the coconut to it along with few drops of water...u will get a paste consistency keep aside this.

Heat oil in a pan on medium heat ,then add the cinnamon,bay leaf,cloves,elaichi n shah jeera(dont burn them).

Next add the chopped onion,green chillies n fry until they turn light golden yellow color.

Add the remaining turmeric and ginger garlic paste .

Add the chicken n mix so that all the pc's are coated with the mixture.

Next add the gasalu coconut paste n mix,let it fry for 3 min's.

Then add the coriander pwd,jeera pwd,chilli pwd n salt n mix.

Add 1/2 cup water n chopped tomato's mix n cover n cook until the chicken is tender to the touch.(alternatively u can pressure cook for one whistle)

U will notice the oil oozing out ,then add the curry leaves n garam masala pwd n remove the lid.

Let it cook until ur desired gravy consistency,turn off heat n garnish with cilantro.

Note:

u can adjust the green chillies n chilli pwd according to ur spice level.Another variation to this curry is u can also add 1 1/2 tbsp of curd after u remove the lid n cook for few mins.But remember that u need to add the curd on very low flame

Aloo Gobi

2009-05-27T15:36:00.000-07:00
Aloo gobi आलू गोभी or aloo gobhi, is a dry Indian dish made with potatoes (aloo), cauliflower (gob(h)i) and Indian spices. It is yellowish in color, due to the use of turmeric, and occasionally contains kalonji and curry leaves. Other common ingredients include garlic, ginger, onion, coriander stalks, tomato, and cumin. A number of variations and similar dishes exist, but the name remains the same.

It is eaten regularly by North Indians and Punjabis, especially in winter when cauliflowers are in season.This curry is usually eaten with a phulka or roti.

Ingredients:

1 whole cauliflower(cut into florets n soaked in salt water for few min's)
1 big russet potatoe(cut it into medium pc's)
1 small onion
1 medium tomatoe
3 green chillies
1 tsp mustard seeds
1 tsp jeera
1 tbsp ginger garlic paste
1/2 tsp turmeric
1 tsp chilli powder
1/2 tsp coriander pwd
1/4 tsp jeera pwd
1/4 tsp amchur pwd/chaat masala
1 1/2 tbsp crushed kasuri methi
1/2 tsp garam masala pwd
salt
cilantro leaves

Method:

Coarsley crush the onions,green chillies n tomatoes n keep aside.

Heat some oil in a pan add the jeera,mustard n when they splutter add the ginger garlic paste n turmeric.

Next add the coarsley ground paste n fry until the oil starts oozing out.

Next add 1/2 cup water,then add the corainder pwd,jeera pwd,chilli pwd,amchur pwd,salt n kasuri methi.

Next add the cauliflower n potato pc's mix so that all the pc's get coated with the masala's.

Cover with a lid n cook on medium heat.

When the cauliflower n potato pc's became tender remove the lid .If there is any water left this will get evaporated.Dont keep mixing as this will break the cauliflower pc's

Once the curry becomes dry sprinkle some garam masala pwd n chopped cilantro n mix.

Serve with hot phulka or rotis or even rice

Chettinadu Chicken Curry

2009-05-17T16:36:00.000-07:00
My first non-vegetarian dish on my blog...

Chettinad cuisine is the cuisine of the Chettinad region of Tamil Nadu state in South India. Chettinad is one of the driest regions of south India. The Chettiar community, who are a majority in this region are a very successful trading community. Chettinad cuisine is one of the spiciest and the most aromatic in India.

Chettinad cuisine is famous for its use of a variety of spices used in preparing mainly non-vegetarian food. The dishes are hot and pungent with fresh ground masalas, and topped with a boiled egg that is usually considered essential part of a meal. They also use a variety of sun dried meats and salted vegetables, reflecting the dry environment of the region. The meat is restricted to fish, prawn, lobster, crab, chicken and mutton.

Chettinad is known for its culinary delicacies. Most of the dishes are eaten with rice and rice based accompaniments such as dosais, appams, idiyappams, adais and idlis.Chettinad food, now is one of the many reasons why people get to know Chettinad. Chettinad food is essentially spicy, with a standard full meal consisting of cooked dhal, eggplant (brinjal) curry, drumstick sambar, ghee for flavouring rice, and sweet meats like payasam and paal paniyaram. "Kara kozhambu" is a highly regarded south Indian sambar.

Though i am not from the chettinad region i am in love with this regions spicy dishes..esp the non-veg dishes.Usually during weekends its this kind of stuff which is spicy that i generally prefer eating once in a while esp when its a rainy day.

So here is my tale it was a rainy sunday....a day where there is compulsary non-veg dish on the menu in my house...i bought cut up chicken the previuos day n was wondering what to cook with it other than the regular chicken briyani,or chicken fry...etc....N i was going through the non-veg section in various blogs....My face lit up with a smile as i found one beautiful recipe with a beautiful pic in sailusfood.com ...there it was chettinad chicken curry....i thought of giving it a try....Happy to say it turned out perfect...dont be afraid of the amount of oil u see in the pic because its from the coconut milk as well...

Chettinad Chicken Curry:
1 kg chicken cut into pcs

Roast n Make a Powder : On medium heat add a 1/2 a tsp of oil to a pan to this add the following in the order listed below...be sure not to burn them

1" cinammon
4 cardamon
4 cloves
1/2 tsp peppercorns
1/2 tsp cumin
3/4 tsp fennel/saunf
1 1/2 tbsp corainder seeds
5 curry leafs
6 dry red chillies

Make a paste of the following :

4 garlic cloves
1" ginger
2 green chillies (small)

Ingredients for curry
1 medium onion chopped
4 curry leaves
1/2 of big tomato
1/2 tsp turmeric
1 tsp red chilli powder
1 cup coconut milk

Heat a pressure pan/cooker with 5 tbsp oil,then add finely chopped onions and curry leaves.

Add the ground paste(ginger,garlic n green chillies)

Then add the turmeric,salt,red chillie powder n 1/2 cup water(so that the spices r not burnt)

Then add the chicken n combine well so that it gets coated well with the masala's.

Add the chopped tomato n mix n let it cook in it for 4-5min's.

Now add the 1 cup of coconut milk,mix and cover with lid,put the whistle and let it cook for 1 whistle(not more than 1 whistle).

Once the pressure comes down removw lid,put it on the stove again n let it come to a boil,now add the ground masala powder according to ur spice level.

Check for salt n spice level n cook it for 4 mins .

Remove n garnish with chopped cilantro n serve with rice or roti .

Note: U can prepare this dish with mutton(lamb)as well,but instead of 1 whistle u need to get atleast 5 whistles.

Asparagus Soup

2009-04-22T20:09:00.000-07:00
Asparagus has been used from very early times as a vegetable and medicine, owing to its delicate flavour.

Only the young shoots of asparagus are eaten.

The shoots are prepared and served in a number of ways around the world.

In Asian-style cooking, asparagus is often stir-fried. Cantonese restaurants in the United States often serve asparagus stir-fried with chicken, shrimp, or beef, also wrapped in bacon. Asparagus may also be quickly grilled over charcoal or hardwood embers. It is also used as an ingredient in some stews and soups.

In the French style, it is often boiled or steamed and served with hollandaise sauce, melted butter or olive oil, Parmesan cheese or mayonnaise. It may even be used in a dessert.[9] The best asparagus tends to be early growth (meaning first of the season) and is often simply steamed and served along with melted butter. Tall, narrow asparagus cooking pots allow the shoots to be steamed gently, their tips staying out of the water.

The bottom portion of asparagus often contains sand, and as such thorough cleaning is generally advised in cooking asparagus.

Asparagus is used ethnomedically to treat urinary tract infections, as well as kidney and bladder stones.Asparagus is low in calories and carbohydrates, and compared to other vegetables it is relatively rich in protein.

One cup of asparagus supplies only 24 calories, almost half of which are derived from protein. Asparagus is an excellent source of potassium, vitamin K,folic acid (263 micrograms per cup), vitamins C and A, riboflavin, thiamine, and vitamin B6. It has an excellent ratio of potassium (288 milligrams per cup) to sodium (19.8milligrams per up). Asparagus is also a very good source of dietary fiber, niacin,phosphorus, protein, and iron.

Historically, asparagus has been used as a diuretic and in the treatment of arthritis and rheumatism.

Ingredients:

12 stalks of asparagus washed trimmed n cut into 1 inch pc's
1 bay leaf
1/2 tsp peppercorns
2 cloves garlic chopped fine
pinch of lemon zest
pinch of nutmeg powder

Method

1.Heat some olive oil in a pan on medium heat.
2.Add the chopped garlic,bay leaf n peppercons...do not burn them
3.Add the asparagus pc's n fry for a while
4.Then add 2 cups water or chicken stock
5.Once the asparagus is cooked i.e it breaks to the touch.Remove n let it cool.
6.Once its cool blend this whole mixture until smooth.
7.Pour it into a pan again add salt,lemon zest n nutmeg powder.
8.See the consistency..according to ur thickness level adjust the water(because some like they soup thick n some like it thin)
9.Serve hot with 1 tsp of Fresh cream(optional)

Chilli Paneer

2009-04-22T19:04:00.001-07:00

Ingredients

1 cup paneer cut into cube
1/2 a small onion chopped into big cubes
1/2 capsicum cut into cubes
3 green chillies chopped/red chillies
few curry leaves chopped
1 tsp of chopped garlic
1 tsp ginger garlic paste
1/2 tsp jeera pwd
1/2 tsp coriander pwd
pinch of chilli pwd,salt n sugar
1 tsp chilli sauce
1/2 tsp soya sauce
pinch of ajinomoto(optional)
1/3 cup fo water mixed with some orange food colour
Few cilantro leaves chopped
1 tbsp cashew(optional)
2 tbsp corn flour
1 tbsp maida

Method

1. Mix the corn flour,maida,1/2 tsp ginger garlic paste n salt,add some water mix it into a thick paste like bhajji batter.
2.Coat each paneer cube with the above mixture,u can either deep fry or shallow fry them until golden yellow color.Remove n keep aside on a tissue paper.
3.Heat few Tbsp's of oil in a deep pan on medium heat
4.Add the chopped garlic,chopped green chillies,few curry leaves,cashew,chopped onions n chopped capsicum and ginger garlic paste.
5.Once the onions are turning transparent add the jeera pwd,coriander pwd,chilli pwd.
6.Add the water mixed with color add the chilli sauce,soya sauce,salt n sugar n ajinomoto(optional)
7.Once its turning to get thick add the fried paneer cubes n mix so that the paneer gets quoted with the sauce.
8.Garnish with cilantro

Citrusy French Toast

2009-04-22T19:02:00.000-07:00

French Toast is a breakfast which i crave for once in a while and ideal for a sunday brunch.

Ingredients

3 slices of wheat/white sandwich bread
1 cup milk
1 egg beaten
4 tbsp sugar(adjust according to ur sweet level)
1 tsp vanilla essence
1 tbsp fresh orange juice or orange jest(grate some peel of the orange)
1/3 tsp of of grated nutmeg/cinnamon powder

Method:

1. Here the bread is too soft in the egg n milk mixture so just remove the slices from its cover n leave it outside overnight,by next morning the bread becomes hard.
2.Now mix the milk with sugar n let the sugar dissolve in it.
3.Now add the beaten egg to the milk,also add the vanilla essence,orange juice,nutmeg and mix well.
4.Meanwhile heat a pan/tawa ,rub some butter or oil on it
5.Next soak the bread in the milk n egg mixture for few seconds(dont soak it for too long because the bread will break).
6.Remove the bread n put it on the pan on medium heat.Once cooked on one side flip it.
7.While flipping remember that the bread is too delicate so dont break it.
8.Once cooked on both the sides serve it hot with some maple syrup/choclate sauce/strawberry sauce/orange marmlade or fresh orange slices(I prefer them as it is but the combinations are really ur choice)

Sambar Vada

2009-04-16T09:46:00.000-07:00
One of my favorite south indian tiffins is Vada with hot sambar.It is a donut shaped south indian breakfast dish made with lentils...At first in US i didnt really know how to make these vada's though i was always craving for them....once in a while i used to get the instant vada mix packets and make them....

The reason i didnt make the vada batter fresh at home was that ,the vada batter is nothing but overnight soaked urad dal ground to a paste without adding any water...n in my blender over here in US the dal cannot be ground without adding any water....

But i was wrong ,i happened to hear from a friend that we can add few tbsp of water and for the other techniques regarding the fluffyness of the vada i saw the vah chef(www.vahrevah.com) sanjay thumma video on you tube for medhu vada

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DwiDbLfHnjI

once i saw this video i knew instantly how to make nice vada's ,this video tells u clearly how to aerate the vada batter with hand when we blend it in a blender and it also shows how we can test the batter before frying by putting small batter of dough into water to test wether it is floating or not

So i recommend everyone to first see this video and consider these small things that help in getting beautiful vadas....but for the recipe for vada i followed my mothers recipe

Ingredients for Vada

1 cup urad dal
6 methi seeds
Soak the above 2 togeather with water overnight.Strain the water from the dal .Then put half the quantity of the soaked dal into the blender along with the soaked methi seeds,add few drops of water n grind to a paste( in between grinding stop the blender for a while mix the batter n again switch on the belnder)once its in a paste form remove n then add the remaining dal n repeat the procedure...(U need to add only few drops of water not much)
Note: This procedure is for a blending in a blender...but if u have a ultra grinder or something similiar to it like a food processor u no need to add any water
Once u have the batter add
salt,pinch of baking soda,
Optional.....1 tsp jeera,3 green chillies chopped,1 onion chopped,chopped cilantro
Mix and aerate the batter as shown in the video....and do the batter testing as said in the video
Heat oil in a kadai for deep frying on medium flame...Once u know the oil is hot drop a pinch of batter when it floats u know the oil is ready
Now wet ur hand take little batter in ur hand make a hole in the centre and drop it into the oil(becareful not to burn ur hand in the hot oil)Once fried on oneside turn it n remove once golden yellow color.For a more detailed description u can see the video.
Alternatively u can take a ziploc bag just rub its surface with a wet tissue,then put a ball of batter on the ziploc bag make a hole in the centre ,remove it carefully n drop it into the oil.
Ingredients for Sambar
1/3 cup toor dal soaked n pressure cooked for 3 whistles or until soft,once cool remove n mash it
1 small lemon size ball tamarind soaked in water n its juices extracted
1 cup of mix veggies(carrot,radish,lady finger,brinjal,bottle guard)
1/2 onion chopped
1 small tomatoe chopped
3 green chillies
2 cloves garlic crushed
few curry leaves n cilantro
pinch of hing
1 tsp red chillie pwd
1/2 tsp turmeric
1 tbsp sambar pwd
pinch of sugar
1tbsp of fresh grated coconut
Tadka items(mustard,jeera,methi seeds each 1/2 tsp)
Method
Heat some oil, add the tadka items then add the chopped onions,green chillies,curry leaves crushed garlic.
Add turmeric,then add the mix veggies
once they are fried add chopped tomatoes cover and cook until the tomatoes turn mushy and the veggies turn soft
Then add the chillie powder,hing and salt
Next add the boiled dal n mix
Add the tamarind juice,cilantro and salt
Let it come to a boil then add the sambar powder.
once nice aroma starts coming put in the sugar and grated coconut

Serve hot with rice ,idli,vada or pongal......the combinations are endless.

Punukulu

2009-04-09T11:21:00.001-07:00
Today i was wondering what to do for lunch today,i didnt want to eat the regular stuff that i usually eat like chapathis or rice.So i opened the fridge and started searching ......n i happend to see this dosa batter which was sitting in my fridge for quite a long time...So then i got the idea of makeing these punukulu from the leftover dosa batter...

The weather was also cold outside so enjoyed my hot punukulu very welll with tomatoe pickle and a glass of nice lassi after it.

Ingredients

2 cups of left over dosa batter(the thick one which we have before makeing the dosa's)
1/2 medium onion chopped
3 green chillies chopped fine
1 inch ginger grated/chopped fine
1 tsp jeera
few sprigs of cilantro chopped
1 tbsp sooji(upma rava)
pinch of bakeing soda/powder

Method:
Heat some oil for deep frying on medium heat.
Next take the dosa batter,to this add all the chopped onions,chillies,ginger,cilantro,jeera.
Now add the salt,sooji and bakeing soda/powder.Then mix the batter with a spoon
Once the oil is hot,then keep droppping a tablespoon of batter into the oil...but dont crowd the pan.
Once golden on oneside turn each of it ,Once its fully golden on both sides remove onto a tissue.
Serve hot with any chutney like coconut/peanut or even pickle of ur choice like tomatoe or mangoe pickle or even tomatoe ketchup
This is a nice snack for a rainy day with a nice cup of hot tea.These punukulu have a crunchy texture because of the sooji we put into the batter.

Broccoli Soup

2009-04-06T15:00:00.000-07:00
Broccoli belongs to the cabbage family,it has a lots of nutritional value.Broccoli's noteworthy nutrients include vitamin C, vitamin A (mostly as beta-carotene), folic acid, calcium, and fiber. While the calcium content of one serving doesn't equal that of a glass of milk, broccoli is an important calcium source for those who don't consume dairy products.

Calcium does more than build strong bones. Research shows that this mineral may play a role in the control of high blood pressure, and it may work to prevent colon cancer. Beta-carotene and vitamin C are important antioxidants that have been linked to a reduced risk of numerous conditions, including cataracts, heart disease, and several cancers.

Broccoli is a fiber find. Not only is it a rich source, but half of its fiber is insoluble and half is soluble, helping to meet your needs for both types of fiber. But the story doesn't end with broccoli's rich array of nutrients. Broccoli provides a health bonus in the form of protective substances that may shield you from disease.

U can steam the broccoli florets and eat it with ranch,or u can even marinate the florets with some olive oil,salt,pepper and balsamic vinegar and grill it,u can even toss it into any salad.But for those people who dont like to eat broccoli as a whole,u can eat it in a soup form.

I usually like the Broccoli and cheddar soup that we get in panera bread,but this one is a healtier version of broccoli soup minus the cheese and cream....

Ingredients:

2 cups broccoli florets
1 medium potatoe peeled n chopped
1 bay leaf
1 tsp peppercorns
1 small onion chopped
2 cloves garlic chopped
1 stick celery(optional)
salt

Method:

Heat some oil on medium heat.
Add the bay leaf n peppercorns.Be sure not to burn them
Then add the chopped garlic , onions,celery and saute until the onions turn transparent
Next add the broccoli florets and potatoes and let them cook for sometime.
Then add 2 cups water,salt and let it come to a boil
Once u notice the potatoes turned soft switch off the stove and let it cool
Then remove the bayleaf from the liquid .
Strain the water(this is the broth) and reserve the water and pulp seperately.
Grind the pulp with bit of water that we reserved.
U will get a thick mixture ,Now in this mixture mix the remaining water until u get ur desired thickness
Now let this come to a boil again.Serve Hot with fresh bread or croutons .

Note : I usually put in some herbs into the soup like dill/parsely/thyme which give it a lot of flavour.Once done instead of serving with fresh cream or cheddar cheese,u can just add 1 tsp of half n half or milk for one bowl of soup.

Spinach and Moong Dal Stir Fry

2009-04-06T08:59:00.000-07:00
Once in a while i prefer to make these simple and easy meals which are pakced with a lot of nutrients and one of them is this dish which my mom used to make.It has all the good nutrients from the spinach n the lentils(moong dal),another good thing is it needs very less amount of oil.

Ingredients:
1 box of Birds Eye chopped frozen spinach/1 bunch of fresh spinach
1/2 cup soaked moong dal/pesarapappu
1/2 tsp mustard seeds
1/2 tsp jeera
1 tsp urad dal
1/2 tsp chana dal
4 dry red chillies broken into half
4 cloves of garlic (each cut into 2 halfs)
4 green chillies cut lengthwise
few curry leaves
salt
Method:
Soak the moong dal for 30 mins and then drain away the water
If useing frozen spinach just put it in the microwave for 4 mins or u can let it to defrost at room temperature as well.But if ur useing fresh spinach wash it thoroughly and chop it very finely.
Heat some oil in a pan on medium heat.
To this add the urad dal,channa dal when they turn light brown add the mustard,jeera,garlic,green chillies,dry red chillies and few curry leaves.
Once they are fried a bit add the spinach,add some salt
Keep mixing it so that it doesnt stick to the pan,once the raw smell of the spinach goes of
Then add the drained moong dal,keep mixing it .If u think it is sticking to the pan then add the few tbsp of water
Note:- I always prefer birds eye frozen spinach for this type of dish,as i can skip the process of cleaning n cutting the spinach finely .I did not use any onions for the dish but alternatively u can add chopped onions before adding the spinach and let it fry for some time and then add the spinach.If u dont prefer the moong dal u can avoid it but i personally feel that it gives a nice crunch to the dish.
It goes very well with rice.

Roses Are Red......

2009-03-31T12:37:00.000-07:00

The other day i was writing about the march snow in chicago...n the same day i happend to this CLICK event for April 2009.I might be relatively new to the blog world but i thought of giving it a try.....so here i am submitting an entry for it......

Spring, spring is coming soon,
Grass is green and flowers bloom,
Birds returning from the south,
Bees are buzzing all about,
Leaves are budding everywhere,
Spring, spring is finally here!

"April prepares her green traffic light,and the world thinks,'GO' "-Christopher Morley

Every season has its own beauty,be it the snow in winter,amazing color's of the leaves in autumn,beautiful flowers in spring etc.....But out of all my favorite was always spring,where i get to see the beautiful flowers,butterflies,birds....Its so refreshing to see it after many months of white snow .....which turns the whole place into black white.

Spring brings not only a fresh lease of life to the plants and birds but also to us.....because we start with a new year (ugadi).....which inturn brings us new hope ,new begining.....Since spring signifies color....I thought of submittimg this "Basket weave cake with red roses"..
That's a choclate cake with chocolate frosting topped with red fondnat roses.As said in my earlier post ,i made that for valentines day...becoz the two things that go hand in hand for valentines day are Chocolate n Red colour so i incorporated both of them into my cake .

But apart from that the cake had bright red roses which signifys spring as well .So thats the reason for me sending it to this event .

Roses signify a lot of things but a red rose always signifies love....Lets all start this new year (ugadi) by sharing this love with one another and make this world a better n worhty place to live in.

IF...?????????

2009-03-30T13:19:00.000-07:00

After a nice full and heavy meal on Ugadi day,that afternoon i happened to this good telugu movie called "Happy Days" on Tv.I have seen this movie several times before.....n i was like each time i see it...i think ....is this movie trying to remind me of something ?.......N then there was the answer Yes.....It reminds me of something....so what is it...

For those of u who didnt see the movie It is about a few friends n their life in an Engineering college.....Apart from this what caught my attention was a poem which one of the friends had to byheart n recite it back inorder to impress a English Lecturer.......It was this that caught my attention...I have heard it somewhere.....Where ? Where did i first hear it .....??

Any Guesses?????

Till my 8th standard i studied in a catholic school St.Josephs in vizag ,It had a ICSE syllabus n from 7th or 8th std we had a book on poems it was called "Flights Of Fantasy".....n Two poems that made a place in my mind were IF---Rudyard Kipling n Daffodils-Williams Wordsworth.
Two very good poets i am found of.

IF---??????

No matter what ever we do in our daily lifes,everything starts with a If....What if i do this? What if i do That? What if my boss doesnt like it? What if this will happen? etc etc etc.......They are so many if's and but's in our life.....thats because man is a social being...we need to socialise with people wherever we are...So it's not always What we like to do..its sometimes What we can do for others...

Oh my god thats a lot a Philosophy from a girl of my age.......but thats ok....it did one good thing ,it reminded me of my school days...While in school i was staying in a hostel and i can say i had the best time in life with all my friends..We were a bunch of naughty friends...

IF---Rudyard Kipling

If you can keep your head when all about you
Are losing theirs and blaming it on you,
If you can trust yourself when all men doubt you
But make allowance for their doubting too,
If you can wait and not be tired by waiting,
Or being lied about, don't deal in lies,
Or being hated, don't give way to hating,
And yet don't look too good, nor talk too wise:

If you can dream--and not make dreams your master,
If you can think--and not make thoughts your aim;
If you can meet with Triumph and Disaster
And treat those two impostors just the same;
If you can bear to hear the truth you've spoken
Twisted by knaves to make a trap for fools,
Or watch the things you gave your life to, broken,
And stoop and build 'em up with worn-out tools:

If you can make one heap of all your winnings
And risk it all on one turn of pitch-and-toss,
And lose, and start again at your beginnings
And never breath a word about your loss;

If you can force your heart and nerve and sinew
To serve your turn long after they are gone,
And so hold on when there is nothing in you
Except the Will which says to them: "Hold on!"

If you can talk with crowds and keep your virtue,
Or walk with kings--nor lose the common touch,
If neither foes nor loving friends can hurt you;
If all men count with you, but none too much,

If you can fill the unforgiving minute
With sixty seconds' worth of distance run,
Yours is the Earth and everything that's in it,
And--which is more--you'll be a Man, my son!
There is a lot to learn from this poem,it tells us how we should be . Its one encourageing poem we can look at when we lose anything....

If" illustrates the practice of self-confidence and expresses that, in being confident, the reader must have the courage to face unpopularity and disagreement.It helps to find a balance between private ideals and public action, warning against making the machinations of the mind an end in itself. In other words, to be a leader an individual must be able to put private dreams and philosophies to public action.

It tells us how a individual should regard both profit and loss, neither of which is permanent.It shows that model leadership requires action that is based on a worldview that is complex, multifaceted, and ultimately inclusive.

It tells people to work against favoritism and work toward regarding men with equality.By emulating the characteristics of a model leader, an individual can achieve "manhood." That's how all of us should be .

Let it Snow.....!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

2009-03-30T09:15:00.000-07:00
March 29th 2009 when i woke up this morning and started brushing my teeth ,i heard my hubby shouting.... Ammu .......come fast come and have a look at what happened!!!!!.I was like what,what must have happened so early in the morning....then i came out n he was standing in the balcony next to our living room.

....and i was like WOW!!!!!!! thats so pretty.I was so surprised to see snow all over the trees and from between the branches i could see the lake flowing calmly and two ducks having a nice swim in it....n there was our apt office just near the lake appearing like a small cottage with snow all over it...My idea of a perfect dream home...I was so happy n excited...that i didnt find any words to express it .....but here is how exactly i felt like..... in the word's of Billy Collins

Snow Day by Billy Collins:-

Today we woke up to a revolution of snow,
its white flag waving over everything,
the landscape vanished,
not a single mouse to punctuate the blankness,

and beyond these windows
the government buildings smothered,schools
and libraries buried,
the post office lost under the noiseless drift,
the paths of trains softly blocked,
the world fallen under this falling.

In a while I will put on some boots
and step out like someone walking in water,
and the dog will porpoise through the drifts,
and I will shake a laden branch,
sending a cold shower down on us both.

But for now I am a willing prisoner in this house,
a sympathizer with the anarchic cause of snow.
I will make a pot of tea and listen to the plastic radio
on the counter,as glad as anyone to hear the news .

And now I am listening hard in the grandiose silence of the snow.

Thats how exaclty i felt ....

Seeing the snow i became a bit lazy and enjoyed the calmness for sometime,then got romantic heard some good old hindi kishore kumar songs,with a nice cup of masala tea and masala dosa.I know ur mouth is watering as well...

Its nice that once in a while we get to enjoy such beautiful things of nature....forgetting all our worries,responsibilitys.....etc from the regular hustle and bustle of life.The last time i felt such a peace of mind was for fall when we to the Great Smoky Mountains National Park for fall....n went to some beautiful spots like Cades Cove,Clingmans Dove,The blue ridge parkway....
They were simply superb...I never get tired going to places like that over and over again....which are very scenic be it the beaches like Bora Bora(Tahithi),Santorini(Greece),Maui(Hawaii),Bahamas etc or the mountains like Smokys or Yellow Stone national parks, or The snow clad Alaska n Swizerland......Of course those are my dream holiday spots

So back to what we were discussing ......this sunday i was so excited to see the snow,that we went to the forest preserve nearby....we took our camera as well....I Fell in love with the nature so much ,that my camera started clicking...CLICK!!!...CLICK!!!!....CLICK!!!!.I am not a professional photographer with the SLR cameras......But i felt like one big photographer with just slim n sleek olympus camera.For more clear photos u can follow this link
http://picasaweb.google.co.in/amukta.ch/MarchSnowfallInChicago?authkey=Gv1sRgCJzz5ML0-Lb_dw#

All the photos are in there original colors,except for one or two which were processed......the moment i stepped out it was all black n white......all the trees appeared black n snow was white.....that must be the reason why people say "As White As Snow"
And so u can see some of my good work in all the above photos .We were walking in this forest preserve in the parking lot taking some photos ....n my hubby pointed his finger towards the trees....n there i could see a family of deer ,i think 4 of them 2 big with beautiful antlers n 2 small ones sitting on the white snow staring towards us.....that was a very good sight ....but i couldnt capture it in my camera as they were too far....n they didnt stay there for long..

So that was One beautiful day in chicago suburbs....wihtout the regular complaints from why its so windy n cold in chicago.....We will surely miss it wherever we might be.

Masala Dosa

2009-03-30T08:03:00.000-07:00
Masala

2 big russet potatoes
3-4 green chillies slit
1 big onion sliced thinly lengthwise
1 tsp mustard seeds
1 tsp jeer
1 tsp urad dal
1 tsp channa dal
hing a pinch
1/2 tsp turmeric
1 tsp grated or chopped ginger
few curry leaves
few cilantro leaves
few drops lemon juice(optional)
1. Wash the potatoes cut each into 2 halfs and presurre cook them for 2 whistles.
2. Once cool remove lid,peel the potatoes smash them roughly with ur hand.
3. Heat a pan with 3 tbsp oil,once hot add the urad dal n channa dal
4. When they start changeing color add the mustard,jeera,greenchillies n ginger
5. Add the hing ,turmeric and slice onion pc's,curry leaves and fry until they turn transparent
6. Add salt and the smashesd potatoes ,mix well n let it fry for sometime.
7. Then add the cilantro and few drops of lemon juice,mix and keep aside.
U can serve this curry with dosa on the side or before taking the dosa from the pan, put it on the centre of the dosa as shown in the picture fold it and serve with coconut chutney.U can use the same masala with puri or chapathis as well .But if u need little gravy consistency for puris n chapathis just add a cup of water to the curry and let it come to a boil.

Ingredients for DOSA batter

3 cups raw rice
1 cup urad dal
few methi seeds half tsp(optional but they give nice flavour n colour to the dosa)

Wash and soak the rice with methi seeds for 6 hrs and seperately wash n soak the urad dal as well.Grind both of them togeather do not add too much water,the batter should be thick consistency.Usually i use 1 small electric rice cooker cup of water .Let it ferment overnight in a warm place.
When i came to US at first i didnt know that i have to ferment the batter :),but then i learnt it from my friends....So what i started doing is that grind the ingredients,pour into a large container so that its half full(As once fermented it will rise up and it needs some space for that to happen otherwise it will spill out from the container),then put it onto the oven tray(this will help to see that if the batter overflows it will not spill onto the oven directly) ,n put it in the oven near to the oven light switch on the oven light close the door n leave it overnight in the oven.Next morning u will see that the batter has risen.

Fermenting in the oven is for people in the the cold places for people in warm places u just need to leave the batter in a warm place .

So once fermented mix once again.Take the required quantity into a small bowl add some salt and water n mix it until it has a flowing consistency(i.e not too thick or not too watery).Ur regualr dosa batter is ready.

Now heat a flat pan on medium until its hot,cut a small onion into half ,dip into oil n rub the panwith it.Then take a deep laddle with round bottom i.e take a laddle full of batter,pour onto the centerof the pan,and gently with light pressure start spreading the batter with the bottom of the laddle incircular motion usualy clockwise,sprinkle some few drops of oil all over it...once golden brown fold itinto half n remove from pan and serve hot with coconut chutney.

Note:
Usually the frist dosa might not come out that good,as the pan need to become little oily(this isthe reason why we cut a onion dipped it in oil n rubbed the pan with it).Remember the dosa pan should always be a seperate one i.e never use the pan for making chapathis n omlettes for making dosa's...

Rava kesari,Boorelu N Pulihora

2009-03-26T09:04:00.000-07:00
Rava Kesari:-

1 cup sooji/rava(that we use for upma the thin variety)
1 cup sugar
2 1/2 cups water
1/2 cup ghee
1/2 cup nuts(cashew,khismiss,almonds)
pinch of orange food color/saffron soaked in 3tbsp warm milk
pinch salt(optional)
Melt ghee in a pan on low heat
Add the nuts when they turn light brown add the Khissmiss(raisins)
When the Kismiss puff up a bit add the sooji and on low heat roast it
When it turns light brown ,add the sugar and mix it up.
Add water and the orange color and keep stirring continously.
Add pinch of salt
When the kesari starts leaving the side of the dish remove, n serve hot or cold
I used a non stick pan so everything was made easy...remember to keep the flame on low or medium low.
Boorelu(Poornalu) N Pulihora
I picked this recipe from my favorite site sailusfood so all credit goes to her.Till now all the recipes i try from her site just turn out perfect n more or less remind me of my mothers cooking.
so here are the links to her site
Boorelu
http://www.sailusfood.com/2007/01/08/boorelu/
Pulihora
http://www.sailusfood.com/2008/10/30/pulihora-andhra-tamarind-rice/

Ugadi n Ugadi pachadi

2009-03-25T15:40:00.000-07:00
First n foremost wish u all a HAPPY UGADI

As you savour Ugadi Pachadi
Here's wishing that your
New Year is filled with all
The rich flavours of life!!!!!
HAPPY UGADI!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

This year Ugadi falls on March 27th 2009.Now lets see its significance

Ugadi (Kannada: ಯುಗಾದಿ, Telugu: ఉగాది from yuga+aadi, yuga is era, aadi means start. the start of an era) is the new year's day for the people of the Deccan region of India. While the people of Karnataka and Andhra Pradesh use the term Ugadi for this festival, the people of Maharashtra term the same festival, observed on the same day, Gudi Padwa. Sindhis, people from Sindh, celebrate the same day as their New Year day Cheti Chand.
Ugadi is celebrated on a different day every year because the Hindu calendar is a lunisolar calendar. The Saka calendar begins with the month of Chaitra (March/April) and Ugadi marks the first day of the new year.

It is believed that the creator of the Hindu pantheon Lord Brahma started creation on this day - Chaitra suddha padhyami or the Ugadi day

It is a season for raw mangoes spreading its aroma in the air and the fully blossomed neem tree that makes the air healthy. Also, jaggery made with fresh crop of sugarcane adds a renewed flavor to the typical dishes associated with Ugadi. "Ugadi pachchadi" is one such dish that has become synonymous with Ugadi. It is made with a mixture of
1.Neem Buds/Flowers for bitterness
2.Raw Mango for tang
3.Tamarind Juice for sourness
4.Green Chilli/Pepper for heat
5.Jaggery for sweetness
6.Pinch of Salt for saltiness
This mixture with all six tastes (షడ్రుచులు), called "Ugadi Pachhadi" (ఉగాది పచ్చడి) in Telugu and "Bevu-Bella"( ಬೇವು-ಬೆಲ್ಲ ) in Kannada, symbolizes the fact that life is a mixture of different experiences (sadness, happiness, anger, fear, disgust, surprise) , which should be accepted together and with equanimity.
Later, people traditionally gather to listen to the recitation of the religious almanac (Panchangam) of the coming year, and to the general forecast of the year to come. This is the Panchanga Sravanam, an informal social function where an elderly and respected person refers to the new almanac pertaining to the coming year and makes a general benediction to all present. The advent of television has changed this routine, especially in the cities. Nowadays, people turn on the TV to watch broadcasts of the recitation.
Preparations for the festival begin a week ahead. Houses are given a thorough wash. Shopping for new clothes and buying other items that go with the requirements of the festival are done with a lot of excitement. The celebration of Ugadi is marked by religious zeal and social merriment. Special dishes are prepared for the occasion. In Andhra Pradesh, eatables such as "pulihora", "bobbatlu" and preparations made with raw mango go well with the occasion.
With the raw mango available in abundance only during the two months (of April/May), people in Andhra Pradesh make good use of mangoes to last them until the next season. They pickle the mangoes with salt, powdered mustard and powdered dry red chilli and a lot of oil to float over the mangoes. This preparation is called "avakai" and lasts for a whole year.
Mangoes and summer season go hand in hand. Ugadi thus marks the beginning of the hot season which coincides with the school vacations.
My menu for Ugadi
Ugadi pachadi,Pulihora,Boorelu,Kesari,mangoe dal, kakarakaya vepudu,tomatoe rasam,papad, n curd .

Ugadi Pachadi
Ingredients:

3-4 Tbsp tamarind paste
2 small pc's of jaggery
few neem flowers/for people outside india where neem flowers are unavailable use tsp of methi pwd
pinch of salt
1/2 tsp chilli pwd
3 tbsp of chopped finely raw mangoe pcs'
few coconut pc's chopped fine
few sugarcane pc's chopped fine.
1 glass of water

Method

Mix all the above ingredients,adjust the sweetness,sourness according to ur taste.

Here in US staying in chicago we get lot of indian stuff....one such thing is i was able to get the dried neem flowers in one indian grocery store, and was also able to get a raw mangoe n sugarcane as well.....Ugadi Pachadi is prepared in many variations accross andhra pradesh but the basic 6 ingredients are always the same .Mine is more of a Andhra version,some people even add putnala pappu(channa dal) n banana pc's as well.

Nimmakaya pappu(Lemon Dal)

2009-03-25T14:39:00.001-07:00
Ingredients:

1 cup moong dal/pesarapappu
1 tsp urad dal
1 tsp channa dal
1 tsp mustard seeds/avalu
1 tsp jeera
4 red chillies
1 tsp turmeirc pwd
few curry leaves
pinch of hing
1 lemon
few cilantro leaves

Method:
Pressure cook the moong dal with 2 cups water upto 3 whistles
Let it cool and smash it till soft
Heat oil in a pan,then add the urad dal,channa dal,mustard seeds,jeera,red chillies,curry leaves n hing
Becareful dont burn the tadka items.
Add the turmeric,add the cooked dal to the tadka
Add the lemon juice to the dal,add salt mix n let it come to a slight boil.
Remove and garnish with chopped cilantro leaves.
Serve hot with rice or roti's.
Note:
Alternatively u can do the tadka with ghee for more taste.Add the lemon according to ur taste until u get the sourness in the dal.

Kobbari annam(coconut milk rice)

2009-03-23T10:11:00.000-07:00
Amma used to make this rice in a jiffy.Whenever there used to be dinner at home,they used to be a mix of people i.e both vegetarians n non vegetarians.In such a situation amma used to make this coconut rice which was light but flavourful n used to serve it with a chicken curry,aloo kurma ,raita n rasam as usual just like how a typical south indian party meal should be.

I like my coconut rice with green peas in it rather than all the mixed veggies.I served mine with an egg curry which i got the recipe from sailus food here is the link http://www.sailusfood.com/2009/02/12/fennel-flavored-egg-curry/ it went very well with this rice n i made some raita as well.

Ingredients:
2 cups basamati rice
1 inch cinnamon
4 elaichi
4 cloves
1 bay leaf
1 star anise
1 tsp shahjeera
1 small onion sliced
4 slit green chillies
1 tsp ginger garlic paste
1 handful of fresh mint/pudina
cilantro few sprigs
1 cup green peas or vatna soaked(or u can used 1 cup of mix veggies as well)
1 cup thick coconut milk(i use the tinned coconut milk)
2 cups water
2 Tbsp ghee
1 Tbsp oil
few fried cashew's
few drops of lime juice
few drops of yellow food colour
few drops of orange food colour

Method:
Wash n soak the basmati rice for 30 mins in the meanwhile
Heat the ghee n oil in a pan once its lightly hot
Add the cinnamon,elaichi,cloves,star anise,bay leaf,shahjeera fry for a sec until nice aroma emanates dont bun them
Add the onions n green chillies once its fried ,add the mix veggies if any but dont add the green peas now
Add the ginger garlic paste n fry till the raw smell disappears
Then add the mint n fry till it wilts.
Next add the coconut milk n water
Add some salt to it n bring to a boil
Next add the green peas,cilantro,fried cashews n few drops of lime juice
Once the water comes to a boil transfer it to a electric rice cooker dish,add the basmati rice and switch it on.
While its cooking u will notice a foam like substance on the top,just mix it n cover with a lid again.
Once cooked add the food colour drops or saffron strands soaked in bit milk. mix and serve.
NOTE :- I didnt use any mix veggies instead i used dried vatna soaked overnight n added it to the rice n instead of useing the regular electric rice cooker used my pressure cooker for upto 3 whistles. The water ,coconut milk n rice ratio is 2:1:2 its for soaked rice other wise if the rice is not soaked the ratio is 2:2:2.
Another alternate method is u can also add 1/2 tsp of turmeric,1 tsp coriander pwd n 1 tsp gasalu paste or pwd to the cooked onions.

Betroot curry

2009-03-23T08:52:00.000-07:00
Beets, known as beetroot in many areas of the world, seems to be one of those vegetables you either love or hate. The rich maroon flesh of this root vegetable is naturally sweet and nutritious.

beetroot belongs to the same family as spinach and chard, the difference being that with beetroot both the leaves and root can be eaten . Beet greens (use in salads and stir frys) are higher in nutritional value than the roots as they are a richer source of calcium, iron and vitamins A & C. The roots are a very good source of folic acid, fibre, manganese and potassium, whereas both the greens and roots are rich in magnesium, phosphorous, iron and vitamin B6.

The health benefits of beetroot include their stimulating effects on the liver's detoxification processes. The betacyanin content gives beetroot its rich purple - crimson colour and is a potent cancer - fighting agent. Beetroot's fibre promotes both healthy cholesterol levels and bowel function.Betanins, obtained from the roots, are used industrially as red food colourants, e.g. to intensify the colour of tomato paste, sauces, desserts, jams and jellies, ice cream, sweets and breakfast cereals.

Beet juice can help lower blood pressure. Research published in the American Heart Association journal Hypertension showed drinking 500ml of beetroot juice led to a reduction in blood pressure within one hour.

Ingredients:

2 Big Beetroots
4 green chillies slit lengthwise
2 Tbsp grated fresh/frozen coconut
1/2 tsp coriander pwd
1/2 tsp jeera pwd
pinch of garam masala
1 tsp urad dal
1 tsp chana dal
1/2 tsp mustard/avalu
1 tsp jeera
few curry leaves
1/2 tsp hing

Method :
Wash and pressure cook the whole beetroots as it is i.e without peeling in 2 cups of water for 2 whistles.
Once the pressure comes down let them cool for sometime,then peel the skin(the skin easily comes off),chop them into small pc's and keep aside
Heat 2Tbsp of oil then add the urad n channa dal when they start to turn light brown add the mustard,jeera,hing,green chillies n curry leaves.
Once nice aroma starts to come add the beetroot pc's sprinkle some salt,let it cook uncovered for 5 mins .
Then add the fresh grated coconut.Serve with rice or roti

Note:
Alternatively u can skip the beetroot boiling process n instead just peel n chop them into pc's.But when u add it to the tadka u have to cover n cook it until they turn tender.I didnt use any onion's but u can also add onions to the tadka n let let them fry for sometime n then add the beetroot.U can also garnish it with some lime juice n coriander.I use the water in which the beetroots were boiled to make rasam as well.

Beets are naturally very sweet,n since we are not adding any chilli pwd,u can increase or decrease the green chillies according to ur taste.N try omitting the onions to avoid more sweetness.

But if ur using onions use the red onions or white onions rather than the yellow onions(yellow onions are also sweet n not apt for indian cooking)

Dondakaya(ivy guard) curry

2009-03-13T12:08:00.000-07:00
I really love this vegetable be it a fry or a curry .It's one of the things that i liked a lot and used to eat as a kid.Even to this day i like cooking and eating this vegetable.

Ingredients:

dondakaya sliced long n thin/cut into thin rounds
1 medium onion chopped finely
1/2 tsp turmeric
1 Tbsp chilli pwd
salt
1 tsp mustard seeds/avalu
1 tsp jeera
1/2 tsp urad dal
4 red chillies
few curry leaves
1 garlic pod crushed

Method:
Heat oil then add the urad dal,mustard(avaalu),jeera,red chillies.
Then add the chopped onion and curry leaves let it fry for 2 min's .
Now add the dondakaya(ivy guard) add pinch of salt and turmeric and mix
On medium heat cover the pan with a lid and in between keep mixing it,so that it doesnt stick to the pan.This will ensure that the dondakaya pc's will become soft n cooked.
Once the pc's become tender n soft add the remaining salt , chilli powder and the crushed garlic and mix
Remove n serve hot with rice

Methi Channa Dal curry

2009-03-13T11:13:00.001-07:00
I was always scared to use methi in my dishes as i thouhgt it will give out a slight bitter taste,but no i was wrong instead it adds more flavor to the dish.It has a lot of good nutrients in it.I recently started cooking with methi leaves(Fenugreek) both the fresh and dry ones(kasuri methi).Surprisingely it adds a lot of flavour to the dish be it vegetables,dals or chicken etc.

Fenugreek is used both as an herb (the leaves) and as a spice (the seed). Methi seeds are used in the preparation of pickles, curry powders, and pastes, and is often encountered in the cuisine of the Indian subcontinent. The young leaves and sprouts of fenugreek are eaten as greens, and the fresh or dried leaves are used to flavor other dishes. The dried leaves (called kasuri methi) have a bitter taste and a strong characteristic smell.
In India during the good old days, fenugreek seeds are mixed with yogurt and used as a conditioner for hair. It is one of the three ingredients of dosa . Methi seeds mixed with thick yogurt and swalloed is used as a digestive aid.

The active constituents of fenugreek seed include iron, vitamin A , vitamin B1, vitamin C , phosphates, flavonoids, steroidal saponins (diosgenin, yamogenin, tigogenin, and neotigogenin), trigonelline, and other alkaloids. The seed also contains fiber and protein high in lysine and l-tryptophan.It also helps to lower cholestrol and blood sugar levels.
Ingredients:

1 bunch of fresh methi / 2 cups frozen methi thawed at room temperature
1 cup channa dal soaked for 3mins
2 garlic pods crushed
2 medium size tomatoes chopped
2 green chillies slit
1 tsp jeera
1/2 tsp hing
1/2 tsp turmeric
1/2 tsp coriander pwd
1 Tbsp chilli powder
salt
oil

Method:
In a pressure cooker add 1 cup channa dal n 2 cups water , cook for upto 1 whistle,turn off heat n let it rest until the pressure comes down.NOTE--the dal should retain its shape so dont cook more longer than that.
Let it cool, drain the water from the channa dal,(U can use that water to make any rasam) keep the cooked channa dal aside
Heat oil then add the jeera and crushed garlic
Next add the hing,green chillies and tomatoes,mix for few min's and cover with lid for 2 mins.
Remove the lid u will notice that the tomatoes turn mushy n the oil starts oozing out .
Now add the methi leaves and let fry for sometime until the raw smell disappears n the methi leaves are cooked.
Next add the turmeric,coriander pwd,salt n chilli powder n mix
Now add the boiled channa dal ,mix and let it cook until its a bit dry.
NOTE:- U can substitue the methi leaves for spinach as well

Ragada Patties

2009-02-26T10:00:00.000-08:00
Out of the things that i missed after coming to US was all the lovely street foods like pani puri,chaat,pav bhajji,noodles.......n the list goes on.So I thought the country might be foreign to me but still its where my home is....my very first home after marriage.

I sat down one day n started thinking why not make everything that i miss in india at home in US as well n there i am today will all the pav bhajjis,chaat's,pani puris etc.Today here i am with a dish named Ragada patties.

Its one of the north indian fast food dishes.We get it in Andhra on the street carts but they sell it as chaat,well its a type of chaat.Ragda Patty is one of the renowned food items in Maharashtra. Ragda is a spicy mash of potatoes and various lentils. This spiced potato cake with tangy chickpea curry garnished with chopped onions and cilantro is the essential fast food in Mumbai.

For Patty

2 big potatoe's
2 green chillieschopped
1tsp grated garlic
salt
1 tsp chaat masala
cilantro chopped
1/2 tsp turmeric
salt
2 bread slices crusts cut off

Boil the potatoes until soft.Remove n cool and mash them into a smooth paste. To this add all of the above ingredients except bread slices n mix.Now wet the bread slices with bit of water n squeeze out all the water by pressing the slices inbetween the hands.Add this to the potatoe mixture and combine.U should be able to form round patties with it just like vegetable cutlets,if not then this means ur mixture is wet if so add more bread slices to it.Then shallow fry the patties on a hot tawa with bit of oil on both sides.

Ragada:

2 cups white or green vatna(dried peas) soaked overnight
1 medium onion chopped finely
1 tsp ginger garlic paste
1/2 tsp turmeric
1 tbsp coriander pwd
1 tsp jeera pwd
1 tbsp chillie pwd
1 tsp chaat masala
pinch of sugar
lemon sized tamarind soaked in water
salt
oil
Garnish(curd,store bought or home made mint n coriander chutney and tamarind n date chutney-i prefer the knorr one we get in indian stores,haldirams sev,chopped cilantro,chopped onion's)

Method:
Pressure cook the soaked vatna upto 2 whistles,be sure that they reatin their shape,once cooled remove palm full of vatna n smash them n keep aside also reserve the water in which the vatna were boiled
Heat some oil in a pan,add chopped onions and let it fry till golden yellow.
Next add the turmeric and ginger garlic paste
Fry for a min then add the coriander pwd,jeera pwd and chilli pwd immediatley add 1/2 cup of water to make sure that spices dont get burnt.
Then add the boiled vatna along with the reserved water,let it come to a boil .
Add the tamarind water/pulp,also add the chaat masala n salt at this point,leave it to boil to recquired gravy consistency
Add some sugar ,taste it n adjust the spice n sour levels in it according to ur taste.
Assembling
Beat the curd to a flowing consistency,but not too loose. Place 2 patties on a plate or a bowl .Pour the Ragada gravy on top of it.Garnish with the curd,mint n coriander chutney,date n tamarind chutney,sev,chopped onion's and cilantro.

Black Forest Cake

2009-02-25T16:53:00.000-08:00

Black Forest Cake and Black Forest gateau are the English names for the southern German dessert Schwarzwälder Kirschtorte (literally "Black Forest cherry torte").

Typically, Black Forest cake consists of several layers of chocolate cake, with whipped cream and cherries between each layer. Then the cake is decorated with additional whipped cream, maraschino cherries, and chocolate shavings. In some European traditions sour cherries are used both between the layers and for decorating the top. Traditionally, Kirschwasser is added to the cake, although other liquors are also used (rum is common in Austrian recipes). In the USA Black Forest cake is most often prepared without alcohol.

After the succeessful completion of my cake decorating course. I always wanted to try out my favorite cake which is a "Black Forest Cake". Finally one day i said "Let's Do it"....after doing a good research on the internet i finally wrote down my recipe for a black froest n ever since that has become my very suceessful recipe...Everyone in my house n friends started likeing it a lot ...

So whatever the occassion might be ever since i learnt it ....its the first thing on the table to celebrate the day.I had made several of them be it a round ,oval ,square or a heart shaped cake.I make use of the common ingredients that are available in the bakeing section of the grocery store.It's time taking but it's well worth the wait.

So r u ready....for the mouth watering recipe

Ingredients:

For an 8 inch cake with 2 fillings in between

Below Items are available in the baking goods section of any general grocery stores like walmart,jewel,dominicks,safeway,krogers etc

8 inch cake pan
1 box of betty crocker super moist milk chocolate cake mix
1 1/4 cups water
1/3 cup vegetable oil
3 eggs
1 pint Dean’s Ultra-Pasteurized Whipping Cream /Cool whip box 2
1 can comstock original country pie filling
1 big bar of ghirardelli semi sweet chocolate bakeing bar
4 tbsp cherry liqour (kirsch)/rum
6 tbsp sugar pwd
1 tsp vanilla essence
pam baking spray/ butter n maida(all purpose flour)
large serated knife
electric hand held blender with whisk attachment

Method for baking Cake

In a large deep bowl add the water ,oil and eggs and blend with the hand blender until its frothy.Next add the chocolate cake mix in batch wise and keep blending until smooth and keep aside
Take the bakeing pan and spray it with the baking spray(alternatively u can just rub it with butter and sprinkle it with some all purpose flour.
Preheat the oven to 350*F
Pour half of the cake mix into the pan till the pan is half full ,just even out the mix on top by just tapping the pan on the countertop,this will release the air bubbles from it.
Put it in the oven for 30-35 mins,Remember do not open the oven in between to see how the cake look as this will result in the rising cake to collapse.Instead just on the oven light n see through the oven glass door.
Once done after 30 mins insert a toothpick in the center n remove it should come out clean,that means the cake is done.
Remove the pan from the oven and let it rest for 3o mins at room temperature.Then remove the cake from the pan it should be able to come out of it easily without breaking.
Follow the above method again for baking a second cake with the remaining cake mix.Alternatively if u have 2 cake pans of the same size u can bake both the cakes at once.
Once both the cakes are done leave it to cool in room temperature for 3-4hrs .Then just level out the cakes by cutting the bulging tops http://www.wilton.com/cakes/making-cakes/leveling-cakes.cfm
Next we have to divide one of the cake into two parts,http://www.wilton.com/cakes/making-cakes/torting-cakes.cfm this means u will have 3 cakes now
Prepare the soaking syrup
Take a bowl,put a seive on top of it.Open the cherry pie filling can n empty it onto the seive U have to seperate the cherrys from the syrup which is thick.Once u do this remove 10 cherries for garnish,then smash the remaining cherries.Now take the thick syrup add 3 Tbsp sugar pwd, rum or cherry liquor add water until the syrup is like a juice consistency.Keep aside
Prepare the filling n icing
Icing:--(if ur useing the cool whip box u can avoid this icing step because its already whipped,but i personally feel that fresh whipped cream is more tasty).Pour the whipping cream into a deep bowl it looks like thick milk consistency,add vanilla essence an blend it with the electric hand blender.It starts becoming more thick,now add the 3tbsp of pwd sugar and continue to blend until its thick which means it should be able to hold its shape when a peak is formed.
Filling:--Now take some whipping cream that is whipped and then add the mashed cherries to it and mix
Chocolate Shavings
Take the chocolate bar and a vegetable peeler.Now hold the chocolate in one hand and the peeler in the other hand n start peeling the chocolate.U will notice small chocolate curl like things coming ,finish the whole bar like this n keep the chocolate shavings in the fridge.While doing this tha chocolate might be melting n sticking to ur skin ,if so then put the chocolate in the fridge n wash ur hands,after sometime start doing it again.
Assembling the whole cake:
Place one cake on the cake board or plate,then sprinkle a couple of tablespoons of syrup that we prepared on the cake, make sure whole top of the cake is wet with the syrup.Just make sure u dont add too much of syrup because the cake will fall apart.
Next spread some of the filling on the cake it should be a thick spread.
Put another cake on it n again sprinkle some syrup on it let it soak,then again spread the filling on it.
Now put the 3rd cake n sprinkle it with syrup, Now here the filling is now more needed.
Now start covering or icing the cake with the remaining plain whipped cream.Cover the whole cake with it,the cake should not be shown outside the icing.
Now take the chocolate shavings in one hand and start pressing lightly towards the icing,dont mind if some of the shavings fall down..
Continue to repeat the procedure until u cover the whole cake with chocolate shavings as shown in the photos above
Now put some cherries on the cake for garnish.

Tomato Peanut Chutney

2009-02-25T16:22:00.000-08:00
I generally used to make tomato chutney regularly.Because it goes well with idlis and dosa's.Then one day i went to one of my friends house and she happened to make this chutney.Me and my husband liked it a lot because of the combination,tomatoe's n peanuts.So as usual got the recipe from her n started making it once in a while.

Ingredients:
2 big tomatoe's chopped
1 medium onion sliced
1 small cup roasted peanuts
1 tsp jeera
3-4 green chillies chopped(adjust according to ur spice level)
1/2 tsp turmeric
salt as recquired
few curry leaves
1/2 of a lemon sized tamarind soaked in water n pulp extracted
cilantro chopped

Poppu/Tadka:
1/2 tsp mustard
1/2 tsp jeera
1/2 tsp channa dal
1/2 tsp urad dal
pinch of hing
4 red chillies
few curry leaves

Method:
First dry roast the Peanuts on low flame until it turns light brown n keep aside.
Heat 3 tbsp oil in a pan add jeera n let it splutter next add green chillies
To this add the sliced onions,few curry leaves and let it fry for some time until it tunrs golden yellow.
Next add the chopped tomatoes mix n cover for 1 min.Remove the lid n mix u will notice the tomatos turned mushyn there is lots of water
Cook it until the water evaporates n tomatoes come togeather,then add salt n turmeric.
Cook for a min,remove n let it cool
Put this mixtue into a blender along with the tamarind pulp n grind to a coarse paste
Next put the peanuts into it n grind it to a coarse or a smooth paste. Check for salt n spice level and adjust anything if needed
I did mine to a coarse paste because i like to have the nutty flavour n texture in my chutney.
Finally do the tadka n add it to this chutney also add the chopped cilantro and mix.Serve with hot idli's or dosa

Ridgeguard Chutney

2009-02-25T15:47:00.000-08:00
Beerakaya Pachadi

As a kid i never liked this vegetable,so my mom used to make this wonderful chutney inorder to disguise the vegetable.I grew up likeing it so much ,that i started likeing the vegetable as well.This goes well with plain rice n ghee.

My mother used to originally grind it in a stone grinder with very little water so it used to retain that coarse texture.U can do it any blender but the texture might be a bit smooth...which is not that big a issue.I make it very often ...guess why?????This is the only dish that i make without wasting any part of the vegetable n its ready in a jiffy.So why dont u all try it as well...

Ingredients:

1 medium size ridgeguard
1 tbsp channa dal
3-4 big green chillies broken into half(u can increase or decrease according to ur spice level)
1 small lemon sized tamarind (seperate into small bits n remove any seeds)
1 tsp mustard seeds
1 tsp jeera
1 medium onion sliced
1/2 tsp tumeric
2 garlic cloves chopped
few curry leaves
salt as recquired
oil as recquired

Method:
Wash the ridgeguard ,chop it into small pcs leave the skin intact
In a pan heat a 1 Tbsp of oil on medium heat ,to this add the channa dal when it turns light brown remove onto a plate
In the same pan add green chillies when it starts to blister remove onto a plate,again add the bit size pc's of tamarind and fry for a 2 seconds n remove
Next add 3 Tbsp of oil ,to this add the mustard n jeera ,toss in the sliced onions as well
Once the onions are slightly done add the ridgeguard pc's and mix
Cover n cook for 5-10mins in between see if its sticking to the pan if so sprinkle some water
Add the turmeric,once the pc's turn soft remove and let it cool
In a grinder add the fryed channa dal,green chillies,tamarind,ridgeguard onion mixture,curry leaves n garlic pc's
Add salt and grind to a smooth paste,u can add few tbsp of water while grinding if needed
Remove onto a bowl mix in chopped cilantro,chopped onions(optional)....n tadka/poppu(optional)

Spinach Potatoe curry

2009-02-24T15:51:00.000-08:00

Spinach is known as a rich source of iron and calcium. According to the United States Department of Agriculture, a 180 gram serving of boiled spinach contains 6.43 mg of iron, whereas one 6 oz. (170 gram) ground hamburger patty contains at most 4.42 mg. Thus spinach does contain a relatively high level of iron, compared to other vegetable and meat sources.

Spinach also has a high calcium content.Spinach still has a large nutritional value, especially when fresh, steamed, or quickly boiled. It is a rich source of vitamin A (and lutein), vitamin C, vitamin E, vitamin K, magnesium, and several vital antioxidants. Recently, opioid peptides called rubiscolins have also been found in spinach. It is a source of folic acid (Vitamin B9), and this vitamin was first purified from spinach.

Ingredients:

1 bunch fresh spinach/1 small box of chopped frozen spinach thawed
4 medium sized potatoes boiled until soft n cut into pc's
1 medium onion chopped finely
2 green chillies also chopped finely
1 tsp of chopped garlic
1 big tomatoe pureed
few curry leaves
1/2 tsp turmeric
1 tsp jeera pwd
1 tsp chilli powder
1/2 tsp garam masala
salt as recquired
3 tbsp oil

Method:

First bring one cup of water to a boil then add fresh spinach to this and let it wilt ,remove and let it cool n then make a paste out of it.Alternatively if using frozen spinach microwave it on high for 3 mins n then puree it.
Now heat some oil add the chopped garlic n green chillies.To this add the chopped onion
When the onion is turning golden yellow add the pureed tomatoe n fry till oil oozes out.
To this add the turmeric powder,jeera powder and chilli powder and half cup of water.
Once the spices are fried,this takes about a min then add the pureed spinach,fry for some time until oil oozes out a bit.
To this add the boiled and chopped potatoes.Add salt and garam masala powder.
Cook until ur desired gravy consistency.
Serve with roti or plain rice with salad on the side

Pineapple Juice

2009-02-19T16:18:00.001-08:00
Thirst Quencher's

At first i was scared to buy a whole pineapple and cut it myself,because of its thorny exterior but somehow i gained the courage the bought the pineapple n cut it myself. One good thing i didnt get hurt that much as i was holding the pineapple with a kitchen towl n succeessfully cut it with perfection.

After a good evening meal of Pav bhajji i was feeling thirsty and i whipped up this juice in a jiffy. It made me feel light after a heavy meal.

Ingredients:

1 cup of chopped pineapple pc's
1 cup of cold water
a splash of club soda
1/2 a lemon juice
1 tsp sugar(optional)

Method

In a blender put all the ingredients and blend for a couple of minutes
Then put a strainer on top of a bowl and pour this juice onto a strainer. This is done to make sure that you seperate the pulp from the juice.
Once the juice gets collected into a bowl pour it into a glass and garnish with a pineapple piece.
note:-I remove the pulp in this juice because i am not a fan of the pineapple pulp and it causes irritation inmy throat.So if u like the pulp u can leave it as it is.

Bagara Baingan

2009-02-19T09:15:00.000-08:00
I love this hyderabadi dish that goes so well with the hyderabadi biryani or even white rice.I prepare it once in a while because its very rarely that we can get fresh purple small brinjal's in my place.While in india whenever we used to go the market my mother used to spend a lot of time selecting the brinjals..i used to laugh at her seeing her criteia for selecting them.But now i began to realise why she spent so much time on them because even i began to do the same thing after all i have the same genes.

So i thought ok i can share my knowledge about selecting brinjals or eggplant whatever u call it..

First thing is that the brinjals should be a bit sleek,not too fat then the colour .It should be bright purple in color and the skin should be shinny not dull, Next it should not have any holes or dents on the skin.Be sure that when u cut the small brinjals look inside them to make sure they are good.I preferably cook my brinjals within day 2 or 3 from the time of purchase or even more earlier than that ,because i feel it has its freshness only for that long.

Ingredients:
10 or 12 small purple brinjals
Dry roast and make a paste
1 cup peanuts
1/2 cup seasame seeds
1/3 cup grated coconut
8 red chillies
1/2 tsp methi seeds
1 tbsp coriander seeds
1 tsp jeera

Gravy
1 big onion chopped finely
3 green chillies slit lengthwise
few curry leaves
1 tbsp chilli powder(adjust according to ur spice level)
1/2 tsp turmeric
1/2 tsp garam masala pwd(elaichi,cloves and cinnamon pwd)
1 cup tamarind juice
1 tsp ginger garlic paste
1/2 tsp mustard seeds(avalu)
salt
1 tbsp jaggery/sugar
Method:
Make 4 slits on the brinjal but keep it intact . Then deep fry the brinjal's in hot oil for 3 mins remove n keep aside. Alternatively u can line a baking sheet with foil paper and arrange the brinjals on it n spray some oil on them bake them in the oven at 350F for 15-20mins.If u still want to avoid this u can directly put the slit brinjals in the gravy but taste will differ slightly
Heat some oil in the pan add mustard,curry leaves and let them le.
Then add slit green chillies,chopped onions n fry until they turn light golden yellow color
Then add turmeric and combine ,then add the ginger garlic paste n fry till raw smell goes out.
Next add some chilli powder and garam masala pwd ,salt,add 1/2 cup of water to make sure that spices do not burn,once the oil oozes out
Add the grinded paste n combine fry for 3 mins ,then add 1 cup water and the tamarind water
U can add the raw brinjals at this point combine n cover with lid.but if ur adding fryed brinjals or the oven baked brinjals u have to add them at a later stage
Be careful because the gravy will be splurting all around,mix once in a while because it will start sticking to the pan if u dont mix for too long
Remove the lid u can add the fryed brinjals at this point.Be near the stove n mix once in a while until the oil oozes out.,add the sugar/gaggery
When the oil oozes out remove onto a dish and garnish with cilantro

Pav Bhaji

2009-02-19T08:06:00.000-08:00
Pav bhaji is a fast food dish native to Maharashtrians and is popular in most metropolitan areas in India, particularly in the Maharashtrian city of Mumbai. In Marathi, pav means bread The term may derive from the term "one quarter" as the loaves are divided into four parts before being sold. Bhaji is a term for a curry and vegetable dish. Pav bhaji consists of the bhaji (a potato-based curry) and the pav, garnished with coriander and chopped onions. Pav is high in carbohydrates and fats (if served with butter), while bhaji, the vegetable-based curry portion, is high in carbohydrates.

How can i forget those good old days ...when after the college we used to go this hang out place.,which was named Teenage point(vizag) and have a plate of pav bhajji. Not only that be it a samosa chaat,pani puri or even noodles for that matter,we used to be about 6 friends and all of us used to to dig into one plate because of our pocket money limitations. But we all enjoyed it n liked it that way...we never bothered about our diet.We could happily eat whatever we wanted to...such were the good old days of 80's and 90's..KAHAN GAYE WOH DIN ....

As for me there is no food like unhealthy food ,each n everything has it's own advantages n disadvantages.Same is the case with Pav Bhajji its good if u avoid the butter a bit once in a while.Because its so rich in carbs and the curry has all the mixed vegetables in it.I dont exactly remember from where i got this recipe,but it made a way to my cookbook because every time i make it ,it turn's out to be too good just like the street fare...

Ingredients:
1/2 of the giant big onion's we get in US
1 tsp ginger garlic paste
3 green chillies slit lengthwise
1 capsicum finely chopped like onions
2 small tomatoes finely chopped
1 cup of mixed veggies(carrot,beans,peas,cabbage,cauliflower,potatoes,beetroot-for the red colour look)
3 tsp Everest pav bhajji masala
1 1/2 tsp red chilli powder-adjust acording to ur spice level
1/4 tsp turmeric
1/2 tsp surgar(optional)
salt as required
3tbsp oil
1/2 lemon juice
cilantro chopped
Method:
Pressure cook all the mixed veggies with 1 cup of water except onions,capsicum and tomatoes for 3 whistles.
Once they are cooked till soft,dont throw away the water, mash the veggies in that water with a masher keep aside.
Heat oil in a pan and add onions.Fry till the onions turn golden brown in color.
Add ginger garlic paste and green chillies and fry for 2-3 min's
Now add the chopped green bell peppers and fry for 2 min's
Add the pav bhajji masala,red chilli powder,turmeric, salt.
Add half cup water immediately to ensure that the spices do not burn.
Stir to combine now add the chopped tomatoes and mix and cover with a lid for 3 min's.
When u remove the lid u will notice that the tomatoes turn mushy now mix and fry till oil seperates.
Add the mashed vegetables and stir to combine.
Add 1 1/2 cups of water and adjust salt,add pinch of sugar and combine
Now let it cook uncovered on slow fire for 15-20 mins.In between make sure that u keep mixing it to ensure that it does not stick to the bottom.
In the end garnish with lemon juice ,chopped cilantro and butter(optional) .Serve onto a plate with this curry,chopped onions and toasted buns or dinner rolls.

Let's Celebrate!!!!!!!!!!!!

2009-02-17T11:40:00.000-08:00
Hi

Thanks for visiting my blog. I was waiting to start a blog for a long time n share my knowledge about cooking and baking because i believe in

''To teach, is to touch a life forever''

I went and learnt cake decorating in a Michaels store Wilton Cake Decorating calsses n successfully completed all the 4 courses in it.I named my blog long time back but didnt get any time to post something in it .Then came valentines day when i broke out of lazyness and prepared the cookies and chocolate basket cake full of fondant(edible) roses for my hubby. I will post this recipe for the chocolate cake very soon!!!

Happy Valentines Day
source-Wikipedia

Valentine's Day or Saint Valentine's Day is a holiday celebrated on February 14 by many people throughout the world. In the West, it is the traditional day on which lovers express their love for each other by sending Valentine's cards, presenting flowers, or offering confectionery. The holiday is named after two among the numerous Early Christian martyrs named Valentine. The day became associated with romantic love in the circle of Geoffrey Chaucer in the High Middle Ages, when the tradition of courtly love flourished.

The day is most closely associated with the mutual exchange of love notes in the form of "valentines". Modern Valentine symbols include the heart-shaped outline, doves, and the figure of the winged Cupid. Since the 19th century, handwritten notes have largely given way to mass-produced greeting cards. The sending of Valentines was a fashion in nineteenth-century Great Britain, and, in 1847, Esther Howland developed a successful business in her Worcester, Massachusetts home with hand-made Valentine cards based on British models. The popularity of Valentine cards in 19th century America was a harbinger of the future commercialization of holidays in the United States.

Apart from the reason of why people celebrate valentines day.I personaly feel that each day is a special day for everyone.So I thought ok whatever the reason might be,its party time so lets celebrate.........

Raspberry Jam Sandwich Hearts
recipe source-Williams Sonoma"Essentials of Baking"

Ingredients:
Makes 16 cookie sandwiches and 16 miniature heart cookies
2 1/2 cups maida(all purpose flour)
1/2 tsp salt
1 cup unsalted butter at room temperature(that means leave the butter on a table for an hour it will become soft do not melt it)
3/4 cup powdered sugar
1 1/2 tsp vanilla essence
1/2 tsp almond extract
6 tbsp seedless raspberry jam at room temperature
Raw material's u need:
Deep round bowl
Wooden spoon or hand blender with whisk attachment
rolling pin
baking tray
parchment paper or aluminium foil
plastic cling wrap
heart shaped cookie cutters 2 1/2 inch and 1-inch or cookie cutter of ur choice
sieve (like ur tea strainer)

Method:
Remember that first n foremost baking anything is very easy until u follow the exact measurements
In a large bowl,combine the butter and powdered sugar.Beat with a wooden spoon until smooth.
Add the vanilla and almond essence and mix once again until well blended
Now add the salt and maida in small quantities and mix well until the dough comes togeather in large clumps.Press the dough togeather into a ball like a chapati dough, it will be bit sticky but dont worry.
Divide it into 2 balls.Gather each ball n flatten into a small disk,wrap in plastic cling wrap,and refrigerate until firm,about 40 mins
Line 2 baking sheets with parchment(baking) paper,meanwhile preheat oven to 325*F
Remove 1 dough disk from the fridge.Lightly dust a work surface with flour in the same way as we do for chapathi.Roll out the dough bit thick .
Using a 2 1/2 -inch heart shaped cookie cutter,cut out the 16+16 cookies.
Place 16 of them on a cookie sheet.
Next take the remaining 16 cookies and 1 inch heart shaped cookie cutter n using it cut out the center of the cookies.
Seperate the miniature hearts from it place each of the cut out cookies on the baking sheet.
Bake the cookies,until the edges are light brown for 12-15 min's.
Remove and let the cookies cool on the baking sheet for 15 min's
Next place the cut out cookies(heart shape which in turn has a heart cut into it) seperate ,put some powdered sugar onto a seive n dust the cookies with this sugar.
Take the whole cookies and spread the raspberry jam onto it then place this cut out cookies onto it.