Liberal dose of MASALA.

Ragda Patties

2012-01-26T20:02:00.000+05:30

Commonly spelt as Ragda Pattice!!. And saw this recipe at One Hot Stove . Tastes as good as it does at a roadside eatery. Try it out.

First - plan the dish a day before, because you will need to soak the peas overnight, or at least for 6-8 hours. There are three components here - Ragda, Patties, Tangy-sweet sauce.

The Ragda
Dry peas - 1 cup
Onions - 1 - dice
Ginger - garlic paste - 1/2 tsp
Turmeric - 1/4 tsp
Red chilie powder - to taste ( remember this is a spicy dish)
Coriander powder - 1/2 tsp
Tomato Purée - 2 -3 tbsp ( you can also use tamarind paste instead)
Salt to taste
Oil - 1 tbsp

Pressure cook the soaked peas till tender and soft.

Heat oil in a wok

Add the diced onion, saute for a while till transparent. Do not brown.

Add the ginger-garlic paste

The powders and salt.

Add the cooked peas and tomato purée

You can crush a few of the cooked peas and add.

Simmer.

The ragda should be slightly runny, so add water to the required consistency

Patties

Potato - 2 - boil

Bread slices - 2 ( or use cornflour - this serves as a binder)

Salt to taste

Chilie powder - to taste

Oil for shallow frying

Mash the boiled potato

Dip the bread slices in water briefly and then crush and add to the boiled potato

Add salt and chilie powder.

Mix well.

Make into balls and flatten to make the patties

Shallow fry to a golden brown on a hot pan

Tangy sauce

Tamarind paste - 2 tbsp

Grated Jaggery - 20 gms ( or more)

Chilie powder - 1/2 tsp

Mix to form a thick sauce

( Alternately - make a date tamarind sauce or use raisins)

Serving -

There are different ways the dish is served. You can cut the patties and put into the ragda mixture

Serve the patties and ragda mixture side by side

Place the ragda mixture in a bowl and place the patties on top

Garnish with finely chopped onions, and corriander leaves. And add the tangy sauce.

Peas Paratha

2012-01-26T19:20:00.000+05:30

We wanted a no-frills meal. Easy to eat. And since this is the time we are flooded with fresh peas, had V to shell them for me and made the peas paratha that I saw in this step-by-step recipe at Rak's Kitchen. I could not take pictures of the best parathas - they got consumed .. and had to make do with the last one. Also, the paratha here is relatively free of oil.

The one on the right is the peas paratha and the one on the left is a dal makhni paratha. Had some left over dhal makhi. Brought it to a dry mixture by keeping the leftover dal in the microwave for a few minutes and used it as a stuffing ... pretty good too. And now - the peas paratha.. Roti recipe not given.

Ingredients for the stuffing
Fresh / frozen Peas - 1 cup
Green chilies - 1 -2 ( depending on your spice tolerance)
Ginger - 1/2"
Garam masala - 1/4 tsp
Cumin powder - 1/2 tsp
Chopped coriander leaves - 1/4 cup
Salt to taste

Before you start on the stuffing , make the dough for the roti and let it rest for 1/2 hour

Put the peas either in the microwave or cooker. In the microwave, you will need a little water.
Cook till tender. And if you have used water, make sure you strain the peas.
When cool, put in blender with green chili, ginger, salt and grind to fine paste.
Add the powders, chopped corriander.
You can squeeze a little lime juice in if desire, but do not make the mixture soggy.
Mix and make into balls that make the stuffing.

Roll out a small roti.
Put the stuffing. ( Ideally the stuffing size and flour should be equal quantities)
Fold and make the roti.
Roast on tawa.
Use liberal ghee or oil if you want the taste and are not calorie conscious.

Served here with onion raitha and pickle.

Egg Roll - Kolkata Style

2012-01-14T21:02:00.001+05:30

I saw this recipe at Bong Mom's Cookbook. I love any kind of wrap. And have made an egg roll differently, but the pictures here were so tempting that I did not mind getting up to make the dough for a maida roti ( I did use a little wheat flour too).

Ingredients:

Egg - 1

Milk - 1 tbsp

Salt - to taste

Roti/Tortilla/or Malaysian Paratha like Bong Mom recommends - 1

Veggies - Thin cucumber slices, tomato slices,

I had some fresh mint chutney and so omitted the finely chopped green chilie

And if you have paneer - do not forget to add slightly browned / or fresh paneer

Tomato sauce - 1 tsp

Lime juice - a little

Beat the egg, add milk and salt and whisk again.

Heat a pan

Pour the egg on the pan

As the egg sets and the edges get done, place the roti on top as in pic

and then wait till the egg gets well done. Turn over.

Once done remove from pan and place on plate

Smear the tomato sauce

And the mint chutney

Place the veggies, onions, paneer slices

Squeeze a bit of lime

Roll the roti/tortilla

Tastes best when served hot.... Enjoy!

French Toast

2012-01-11T23:25:00.000+05:30

I have done a post earlier on the Bombay Toast aka the French Toast. But I came across this recipe at One Perfect Bite - a lovely blog with pictures that are absolutely drool-worthy. There is also a nice blend of recipes for all.

This is a version of French Toast that she claimed resulted in a firm and non soggy toast. And I found it true. It is like dipping bread in pancake batter and toasting it. And what's more, the leftover batter - there almost always is some - that can be made into a pancake!

Ingredients:
Egg - 1
Unsalted butter - 1 tbsp - melted

Milk - 3/4 cup

Vanilla - 1/4 tsp

Sugar - 2-3 tbsp - according to sweetness desired

Refined Flour - Maida - 1/3 cup

Salt - pinch

Bread - 4 slices

Lightly beat the egg in a shallow plate

Add the melted butter

And the milk and vanilla. Whisk

And then flour, sugar and salt and whisk again till blended.

Meanwhile heat a pan - on slow-medium heat

Dip a slice of bread into the batter for a few seconds on both sides till coated

Drip off excess batter

And place on medium hot pan

Add a little butter ( you could also use any good refined oil if you wish)

Allow to brown slowly, the flour also needs to get cooked, and then turn over till both sides are done.

Dust with powdered sugar.

Or have it without that if you want to do away with extra sweetness

Borani Esfanaaj - A Persian Spinach Dip

2012-01-05T01:00:00.000+05:30

Borani is a cold dish of vegetables. This is a recipe I found at The Spice Spoon. The dash of garlic in the dish enhances the taste. I had just this one bunch of Spinach. And I made a little. And I wanted more. This could serve as a dip, as a side dish, or even an accompaniment to an Indian bread. Try it.

(if you are wondering about the red streak of oil – I used chili infused olive oil

For serving 4 – double the quantity

Spinach – 1 bunch – (frozen spinach can also be used)

Garlic – 1 large clove – finely minced

Onion – ½ medium – finely chopped

Thick Yoghurt – 1 cup (you can vary the amount )

Dried Mint – Kasuri Methi – for garnish

Walnuts – I did not use this, but it would add a nice crunch – few

Ground Pepper – to taste

Salt to taste

Olive oil / Refined Oil– little

Essential that the yoghurt is fresh and thick, the garlic finely minced and the onion extra fine chopped.

Blanch the spinach.

Squeeze out all the water

Chop coarsely

Take a pan, heat a little oil, add the minced garlic

Sauté

And the chopped onion, continue to sauté

Add the blanched, chopped garlic, sauté a little while longer

Remove from heat and cool thoroughly

Whisk the yoghurt lightly. Add salt – mix well

Mix the spinach-garlic mixture

Blend.

Add ground pepper

Garnish with the dried mint and chopped walnut

Drizzle a bit of olive oil on top ( optional)

Dal with Greens - another one!

2012-01-04T20:52:00.001+05:30

A recipe with another type of pulse - split mung beans - and another type of greens that is called Thotakura in Telugu - Amaranth leaves. It was a good dish - different from the usual spinach dal that I generally make

Moong Dal – ½ cup
Amaranth leaves (Thotakura) – 1 bunch
Onion, medium -1 diced
Ttomato – 1 chopped
Green chilies- diced finely
Ginger – ½ tsp
Red chili powder – to taste
Ghee/oil for seasoning
Turmeric – ¼ tsp
Mustard and cumin seeds ¼ tsp each
Salt to taste

Cook Moong dal till just soft – I put it in the cooker and switched it off as soon as the whistle blew so that it did not get mushy

In a pan, take the oil ( ghee for a better taste), add the cumin and mustard. Wait till mustard splutters

Add chopped greens, green chilies, ginger, and onions. Simmer for a while till the onions get transparent.

Add the chopped tomatoes. Keep on simmer for another 5 minutes .

Add the chili powder, turmeric and salt to taste

Add the cooked dal. And some water to get it to the right consistency. Simmer till it all gets well blended. Bring to a boil. And remove off the heat.

Serve with roti or hot rice

Recipe from Mitho Limdo

Banoffee Pie

2012-01-02T23:22:00.002+05:30

This is a recipe sent to me by La - she said her friend A makes it and you could not go wrong with it. I had a couple of friends coming over and I thought I would experiment on them. I also had a pack of ice cream in the freezer as standby. Not only was the dish a great hit, the balance of the pie was packed and taken away!

The picture is rather plain... I did not want to grate chocolate on what I thought was already a rich dessert and I also could not get thick cream and that gave it a rather flat surface. I will replace the picture in the future when I turn out a better dish. The recipe here is as it was passed onto me.. with suggestions in italics

Ingredients
Oatmeal biscuits- 2 packets (preferably Hobnobs) - I used Good Day
Chocolate Chip Cookies – 2 Packets (for instance, Good Day)
Butter- melted (approx. Enough for the biscuits) This is over 100 gms
Condensed milk - 400 gms
Bananas – at least 3 (large)
Cream – 300 ml - Get thick cream..
Dark Chocolate- 1 Bar (optional) but it does add the finishing touch. Even a chocolate sauce would do.

1. Put all the biscuits in a polythene cover and crush them with a belan till powdery.
(Or put in a blender like I did)

2. Place them in a container (which is the final container in which the Banoffee pie will ultimately be set.
(If you have a cake tin with a removable base it would be ideal. You could also put in greased paper I think- then you can set the dessert on a plate while serving)

3. Melt the butter and cover the biscuits such that each portion of the biscuit layer has some butter. Put the container in the freexer for 20 minutes (at least)
(It might be a better idea to mix the butter with the biscuit crumbs well, and then place in the container)

4. Once out of the freezer, cut the bananas into small, thin slices and put them on the biscuit layer. Put it back in the freezer.

5. Empty the condensed milk tin in a pan and keep on heat stirring all the time until brown-ish (avoid burning)à [this is the faster method] or but condensed milk tin in a double boiler for approx. 2 hours till it carmelises in the tin itself.
(Caution - if the cans are not covered in water, it may explode and Nigella in her recipe version says you may have to spend hours cleaning up the ceiling!)

6. If you use the first technique mentioned in point 5 above, then use a hand blender and whisk till it becomes slightly liquidy. I had to add some milk to make it thin.

7. Pour the caramel ( Dulce de Leche) later on top of the banana layer.

8. If you are using fresh cream, add sugar to the cream (2-3 tb sp), and whip it till slightly thick.

9. Put the cream on top of the toffee layer. Put this in the freezer till the cream solidifies.

10. Grate the dark chocolate bar and put the chocolate on top of the cream.

Take out of freezer and keep out for a while before serving. It becomes easier to slice through the pie this way.

I had no picture of the sliced banoffee pie. I did not want to take out the camera in presence of my guests and I had no slice remaining to photograph either!!

But you could make it look like this .

Spicy Baby Potato Curry

2011-12-30T09:00:00.000+05:30

The original recipe here was titled Aloo Masaledar. I am not sure about that, since I find many different variants for the recipe. But it was good. And was it SPICY! So, I cut down a bit of the spice. Taste before serving and that can be adjusted with more spice if necessary.

Ingredients:

Baby Potatoes – 20

Tomatoes – 3-4 medium chopped ( better to use tomato paste 4 tbsp– I think that will give a smoother texture)

Onions – 2 medium finely diced

Green chilies – 2 finely diced again. ( original recipe called for more – but use at your discretion)

Ginger – ½ tsp grated

Turmeric – ½ tsp

Cumin – ¼ tsp

Chili powder – to taste

Garam masala – ¼ tsp

Curry leaves – break into smaller bits

Coriander leaves – chopped finely

Oil

Salt to taste

Boil potatoes till just done. Peel

Shallow fry in a little oil till slightly brown.

In a pan heat oil, add green chilies, cumin, ginger and onions. Sauté on low heat for about 10 minutes

Add the tomatoes/paste, turmeric, chili powder, garam masala, curry leaves, coriander leaves. Simmer.

Prick the potatoes and add. Mix well. Add salt to taste Simmer for a few more minutes

Instant Mysore Pak - Microwave Method

2011-12-29T14:00:00.000+05:30

Not quite the original but quicker and makes for an instant sweet when you have guests. Will work on it again, but want it recorded here for further tweaking of recipe.

Besan – ½ cup

Sugar – powdered – 1 cup ( I added slightly lesser)

Ghee – ½ cup

Milk – 2 tsp

First lightly roast the besan in a pan with a teaspoon of ghee – till the raw taste is lost ( you can do it in the microwave, but you will have to be extra careful that it does not burn)

Grease a plate and keep ready

Take a microwave safe bowl. Put the ghee in it and microwave on high for till it melts

Add the rest of the ingredients.

Microwave on high for about 2 ½ minutes. Every 40 secs or so, pause and stir the mixture to incorporate some air.

The mixture will begin to bubble.

Pour into greased plate. While still warm cut into diagonal squares.

When cool the pieces will separate easily.

Store.

Yes, it is as simple as it reads!!

Capsicum Curry with Peanut Gravy

2011-12-28T14:59:00.002+05:30

A recipe from Mitho Limdo

I was looking for a different way to cook the bell pepper when I came across this recipe. Quite like the Hyderabadi Mirchi ka salan I think. And is a nice accompaniment to rotis or rice

Ingredients:

Capsicum -2 – cut in medium size pieces.

Onions - 2 small cut in small pieces ( not diced)

Tomato - 1 chopped

Ginger – ¼” grated

Turmeric – ¼ tsp

Salt to taste

Oil for seasoning

For the sauce

Oil – 1 tsp

Peanuts – ¼ cup

Red chilies – 4-6

Coriander seeds – 1 ½ tsp

Cumin seeds – 1 tsp

Black gram dal (Urad) – ½ tsp

Bengal gram dal ( Chana) – ½ tsp

Sesame (Til) – ½ tsp

Cloves – 2

Tamarind paste – 1 tsp

Jaggery – small piece

Fry the ingredients for the sauce. Make sure you fry the dals separately otherwise they will tend to get burnt ( it happened in my case – hence the word of caution)!

Cool

Grind to a smooth paste with little water.

Take a wok. Heat oil

Sauté the chopped capsicum and Onion

Add the chopped tomato or tomato paste. Cook further

Add the peanut masala

Salt to taste

Enough water to make into a semi-thick gravy.

Simmer for 5-8 minutes.

Serve!

Adhirasam - Ariselu

2011-12-18T20:54:00.000+05:30

Adhirasam or Ariselu as they call it in the city I live is a delicious sweet. I had tried making it once before - and it was a major disaster, the flour just disintegrated while frying. I was sure that was my first and last attempt, until I chanced upon this post - which was title Adhirasam for beginners and had a step by step recipe with pictures. And this is the end result...

Ingredients:

Rice – 1 cup

Grated Jaggery – 3/4 cup

Cardamom Powder - 1/2 tsp

Ghee - 1 tspl

Oil -deep frying

Wash rice, soak for an hour

Drain and spread out to dry on a cloth for at least 10 minutes

When still damp, grind to a fine powder - maybe not extra fine.

Ensure there are no lumps

Place jaggery in a little water, heat to dissolve. Strain to remove impurities.

In a thick bottomed pan, put the jaggery solution back and heat, and it starts bubbling.

Let it form a syrup. Test by dropping syrup in a dish with water.

It should form a soft ball

Take the vessel off the heat.

Add the ghee and cardamom powder. Mix

Slowly add the rice flour, a little by little till the whole amount is used up.

Mix well. And place the pan back on a low heat

Keep on heat for about 10 mins, stirring all the time to allow the dough to cook

Remove off the heat. Cool.

Make small balls and spread on a banana leaf or plastic sheet ( I always use the inside of a milk sachet)

Do not spread it too thin.

Meantime, heat the oil for frying

Once the oil is hot, reduce the flame.

Drop a small ball of dough into the oil to test if it holds. If it does not, a good tip given by Tickling Palates ( link given above) is to add a teaspoon of wheat flour for every cup of rice flour.

Place the flattened dough into the hot oil. It will sink first and then rise.

Immediately flip over to prevent over browning and burning.

Remove from oil. And press to remove the excess oil.

Place on a tissue roll to further remove the oil.

Cool and store.

Do check the link for the step by step instructions. It is fail-proof like I happily found out.

The adhirasams were crisp and just the right sweetness. I think I should have kept them slightly thicker - I like them a little softer but never mind.

The recipe seems long, but it is not as tough as it appears.

Shevai - The Konkani Semiya

2011-12-14T23:06:00.000+05:30

I have been dreaming of this for some time now. And browsing through various food blogs led me to the recipe. I have memories of this food as one being difficult to make. Maybe in the past, with no mixie but the old stone grinder and then the shevai maker was not the easiest one to operate either. But there was this ' I have to eat it now' factor that set the wheel in motion....

Ingredients:
Rice - 1 cup
Coconut - 1/4 cup - some recipes even have 1/2 measure
Salt to taste

Step 1
Soak rice for about 6 hours.
Grate the coconut.
Grind the soaked rice and grated coconut to a fine paste.
The mixture should be like dosa batter

Step 2
Take a wok and lightly grease it
Pour in the batter, add salt to taste
Keep on a low flame, stir it constantly till it comes together like a soft dough
Take off flame
With wet hands ( since it will be hot) shape into medium sized rolls

Step 3
Put this in a steamer or whichever method you may use for steaming
Steam for about 12-15 mins. You can put a skewer in and it should come out clean

Step 4
Take the steamed roll out and put in a semiya/muruku maker
Pass it through and extract the final product - SHEVAI is now ready

Note - As you extrude one roll, make sure the remaining rolls are still in the steamer. They should be hot when you put them through the semiya maker.

Eat it with a nice accompanying dish of coconut milk sweetened with jaggery, or coconut oil with finely diced onions and green chillies, or just pickle, or a nice prawn gashi or eat it just plain. Have it for breakfast or any meal that you wish.

For a step by step account you can check the pictures at CusineIndia

Falafel, Tahini Sauce in Pita Bread

2011-11-27T18:30:00.001+05:30

This is my 7th or is it 8th post in the month of November.. Well, that is something. I have been cooking regularly!

I saw this being made on Masterchef India 2. There was this demo by the two chefs who said they would be making easy Mediterranean dishes which needed ingredients readily available in the Indian kitchen. I wish I had noted the recipe down, but then I was half asleep and was not too sure of what they would ultimately make. So I sat through the hour and liked what they made, and here is my experiment with Mediterranean food.

Ingredients:

Tahini Sauce -

White Sesame seeds - 30 gms

Olive oil - 1/4 cup

Toast the sesame seeds. Do not brown

Put in blender and make a fine paste with olive oil.

( I am not sure if I made an authentic tahini sauce, we do use sesame in our cooking, but never a sauce of this sort - the sauce we were told can be bottled and will stay for a couple of months in the refrigerator)

Falafel -

Whole chick pea ( Kabuli Channa) - 200 gms

Onion - 1 medium - finely chopped

Green chilies - 1-2 - to taste - finely chopped

Parsley - I used coriander

Garlic - 3-4 - finely chopped

Cumin powder - 1/2 tsp

Coriander powder - 1/2 tsp

Salt to taste

Oil for deep frying

( I do not know if ginger was used, but finely chopped ginger would add to the taste)

Soak the chickpea ovenight or atleast for 6-8 hours

Drain. And make a paste in the blender with green chilies and garlic

Add the chopped onions, green chilies, the spice powders

The salt and coriander leaves/parsley

Mix well

Make small balls, flatten and place in hot oil

This does not require any binding, and do not disturb them when frying, only gently turn over when under side is brown

Drain and keep aside

This got over as fast as I was making them!

Pita Bread

( This was not most successful, but then the recipe called for baking and I used a pan and the microwave - and that could be the reason).

This is a little like a small naan...

Dry yeast

Refined flour

Salt to taste

Activate the yeast, by dissolving it in warm water to which a little sugar is added. The chefs in the program I watched added a pinch of salt, which they said was to control the yeast activity..

Add the activated yeast solution to the flour.

Add salt and knead to a soft dough

Keep aside for an hour or more

It will rise.

Knead gently

Roll out into slightly thick round portions

(And then put in a pre-heated oven 180C)

I put it for a short while on a heated pan and then transferred it to the microwave

Watch the pita bread rise. And as soon as it puffs up completely, remove from the oven

Cut the round bread into half. Look into the cut half, and you can find a pocket in the bread.

Now time to assemble

You can half some onion rings,tomato slices, lettuce leaves. I had a ready salad of carrot, onion and tomato. I used that.

In the pita pocket, put the salad, place the falafel and put the tahini sauce on it.

And enjoy.

Despite the hiccups in the pita and possibly the tahini, the end product was YUM!

Hung Curd Desi Tiramisu

2011-11-26T20:02:00.001+05:30

I saw this recipe on many of the websites. And since I did not know where to get mascarpone, I decided to try the hung curd recipe. It was not bad. While I could have devoured a trifle pudding of this serving size, I somehow had to finish this dessert in two sittings! And that if you know me is very surprising!

Tiramisu - is actually an Italian dessert that literally means 'pick me up' And it has eggs, some liquor - so this one here is really a desi eggless version.

Ingredients:

Sponge Cake - 1 small

Custard Powder - Vanilla flavoured - 4-5 tbsp

Milk - 1 1/2 glass or roughly 350 ml

Sugar - 6-7 tbsp

Hung curd - 4 tbsp

Instant coffee powder - 1 tbsp

Cream - 3 tbsp

Take about 100 gms of curd, put in a muslin cloth and allow the water to drain out

You can do this by keeping it in the fridge for about 2 hours

The curd that you use should not be sour.

Slice the cake - I used a readymade sliced Brittania cake

Make the custard with the vanilla powder as per directions on the pack. Let it be slightly thick

Allow to cool.

Add the hung curd to the cooled vanilla custard.

Mix well

I also added a little sugar to the beaten cream ( since I did not get whipped cream)

Make a coffee decoction by dissolving the coffee powder in about 1/4 tbsp of water. Check to see the strength of the mixture. If it is too strong, you can reduce the quantity to be used

Now to assemble the desert. Take a suitable glass

Layer - 1

Dip the cake in the coffee solution briefly

And place at the bottom of the glass

Or since I found the coffee decoction a little too strong, I placed the cake slice in the glass and then drizzled the coffee lightly on it.

Layer - 2

Then a layer of the custard-hung curd mixture

Layer - 3

And a layer of cream

Repeat 1-2-3 till you fill the glass

Grate a little chocolate on the top - you can sprinkle some coffee powder through a sieve if you like

And then chill for about 2 hours so that it sets well before serving.

Midway through the dessert -when I had my fill - I could see the layers clearly like this

Ridge Gourd (Beerakaya) Chutney

2011-11-24T16:04:00.001+05:30

We belonged to the generation that did not grow up on fast foods. And when we went visiting friends, we looked forward to wholesome home-cooked foods. At my friend Divi's place, we absolutely loved the Beerakaya Chutney that her mom would make for us. She shared the recipe with us and it tasted almost as good as what we used to have

(PS - Don't click on image to enlarge- the seasoning looks scary! - I had not mixed it)
Ingredients:
Beerakaya - this can be made with the skin of the vegetable only. But I used the whole vegetable along with some of the skin. Wash it well remove the protruding ridges, lightly scrape the upper surface, remove the two ends. Taste ( I think it is necessary, not too sure) if it is bitter. If yes, discard. Slice the vegetable in the centre lenghtwise and remove the seeds. Cut into medium sized pieces.

Beerakaya - 2 large - must be around 1/2 kg
2-3 green chilies - depending on the pungency
1 small onion - sliced ( optional)
Fresh coconut - this is optional too - I used maybe 25 gms
Tamarind - lime sized ( soak ) or about 1 tbsp of readymade paste
Sugar or jaggery - 1 tsp
Salt - to taste
Oil - approx 4 tbsp including the amount for seasoning

For dry powder
Cumin seeds (jeera) - 1 tsp, Coriander seeds (dhaniya) - 1 tbsp, Fenugreek seeds (methi) - few
Dry roast and make a fine powder.

Seasoning
Mustard, red chilies, jeera, curry leaves

Heat oil in a pan.
Fry the sliced onion for a few minutes
Add the green chilies and the ridge gourd pieces
Fry until it softens
Add the tamarind along with the water
Cook till the skin of the ridge gourd is softened
Allow the mix to cool
Blend the cooked vegetable, dry powder, coconut, jaggery, salt till smooth

Season and add.
You can also add some finely minced onion.

YUM!

Flapjacks

2011-11-23T15:48:00.001+05:30

Recipe and pictures - Sa

Flapjacks in the US and Canada are thin pancakes. But in the UK they are nice crunchy or chewy bars - make them as you would prefer - quite like our chikis. I have always liked them chewy rather than totally crunchy.

Ingredients:

Butter - 125g

Brown Sugar - 80g

Golden Syrup - 5 tbsps

Oats - 250 gms

Walnuts and sultanas - chop them up

Place the sugar, butter and syrup in a pan over heat

The butter will melt. Mix the ingredients well.

Add the rest of the ingredients

Mix again till they are all well coated.

Butter a baking tray

Spread the mixture on in 2 cm - 3 cm thick

Bake in pre-heated oven ( 180 degrees) for about 20-25 minutes or till top is brown and is slightly soft to touch.

It will get firm as it cools.

Place on cooling rack.

Cut to squares when still slightly warm

Leave to cool completely before you remove them from the tray.

Store in airtight tin.

Egg Raitha

2011-11-18T19:36:00.001+05:30

I know it does not sound too appetizing, but I saw this on Quick Indian Cooking which had other lovely recipes and I thought, she wouldn't post a recipe that was not good. And besides, this lone egg was in the refrigerator for some time and had to be used quick. The result - not a Wow dish, but not bad either. Who would have thought egg and curd would go together. Might be useful if you want a kid to finish his egg.

Where is the egg in the picture? All hidden under the yogurt.

Ingredients: ( No measurements here)

Boiled eggs

Well beaten yogurt

Salt to taste

Chilie powder to taste

Asafoetida - pinch

Cumin powder ( you can use whole cumin for seasoning if you wish)

Turmeric

Curry leaves.

Coriander leaves for garnish

Little oil for seasoning

Mustard seeds

Cut the boiled eggs into halves

Add the powdered ingredients to the beaten curd.

Season with asafoetida and mustard and curry leaves

Garnish with coriander leaves.

Sesame Rice

2011-11-16T23:32:00.001+05:30

Or Ellu Saadam. Recipe from Edible Garden

Ingredients
Rice - 1 cup - cooked - preferably to a stage where the grains are still separate.

For the spice powder:
Sesame ( Thil) - 1/4 cup
Red chillies - 3
Grated coconut - 2 tbsp

Roast till the coconut and the thil are golden brown, cool and grind to powder

Seasoning:
Oil - 2 tbsp ( Remember that sesame is an oilseed)
Groundnuts - 3 tbsp
Bengal gram dal - 1/2 tbsp
Urad dhal - 1/2 tsp
Mustard - 1/2 tsp
Red chillie - 2 nos
Asafoetida - pinch
Curry leaves - few
Salt to taste

Allow the rice to cool. Add salt, spice powder and mix.

Heat oil.
Add the groundnuts, roast to a deep brown colour and keep aside.
Then the mustard, hing, dals, red chilie.
Allow the mustard to splutter and add the curry leaves.

Add the tempering and the groundnuts to the rice and mix and serve.

Kashmiri Dum Aloo

2011-11-11T19:51:00.001+05:30

The humble potato is not one of my favourite veggies unless of course it is in the form of french fries or the equally unhealthy deliciously fried chips. But the recipe in the Sunday Express caught my eye and there was an interesting story about how the Dum which means steam became a popular method of cooking in Awadh. The recipe was also interesting. I am reproducing the recipe as it appeared in the article here, because that is the authentic recipe, I adapted to suit the ingredients that I had ready in my kitchen. My comments will be in blue.

Ingredients

•8 medium potatoes

•100 ml oil

•1 tsp caraway seeds (shahi zeera) ( I did not have this )

•2 chopped onions

•1 tsp black cardamom,

•Pounded 5 tbsp raisins

•5 tbsp cashewnuts

•Salt to taste

For the curry

•60 gms chopped onions

•1/4 cup curd

•1 cup tomato puree

•4 tsp ginger-garlic pastes•3 tsp almond paste

•1 tsp aniseed (saunf)

•4 green cardamom

•6 cloves

•1/2 tsp mace powder (javitri) ( this one too was missing)

•4 tsp red chilli paste ( used chili powder)

•2 tsp cumin powder

•1 tbsp coriander powder

•Salt to taste

•Oil for frying

Method

Peel the potatoes, slice off the tops and scoop out the centres. Fry the shells and the centres to a golden brown. Allow the centres to cool, then mash. ( Use slightly largish potatoes - otherwise it is difficult to scoop out the centers and difficult to fill it too)

Heat the oil in a wok, sauté the caraway seeds and the aniseed. Add onions and sauté till transparent. Add the fried potato centres, cardamom powder, raisins, and the cashew nuts. Stir-fry for a few minutes. Season with salt and keep aside. Stuff the potato shells with the prepared mixture and keep aside. (I had extra filling left over, so I used it to thicken the gravy - next step)

For the curry

Heat the oil in a thick bottomed pan and sauté onions till transparent. Add curd, tomato puree, ginger-garlic paste, almond paste, aniseed, mace, caraway seeds, green cardamoms, cloves, red chilli paste, cumin powder, coriander powder, and salt. Stir fry for 10 minutes.

Place the stuffed potatoes in the curry. Cover the lid and seal with dough. Cook on slow fire for about 10 minutes. Then place the potatoes in a serving dish, strain the curry ( I did not strain) and pour on the top of the potatoes.

Serve hot with rice.

It was a nice dish. If you are making it when you have company, make sure you have some help for preparation too, and keep all the ingredients ready .. Mise en place .....and it will be smooth sailing.

Capsicum with Gram Flour

2011-11-09T23:05:00.000+05:30

When you are tired of making capsicum with onions and tomato or with a coconut-dhania powder masala, try this one. Simple, easy and a nice change.

Ingredients

Capsicum - 3 large

Gram Flour (Besan) - 1/4 cup

Oil - 2 -3 tbsp

Chilie powder - to taste ( maybe 1 1/2 tsp)

Coriander powder - 1/4 tsp

Turmeric powder - 1/4 tsp

Salt to taste

Mustard seeds - 1/2 tsp

Roast the besan in a pan till till you get a nice flavour, so that it loses its raw flavour

Cut the capsicum to small pieces.

In a wok, put the oil. Heat

Add the mustard

Allow it to splutter

Add the capsicum, Stir and allow it to cook

Add the roasted besan. Sauté

Add the turmeric, chilie and coriander powder and salt.

If you wish you can sprinkle some water here

Keep on low fire and stir often.

The besan will turn a golden colour and be crumbly in texture

Remove from heat and serve.

Methi Chaman

2011-11-07T23:02:00.001+05:30

When someone who does not eat paneer ( yes, there are some like that!!) came home after a dinner and said that he had some delicious Methi Chaman, I was delighted. I immediately looked up a couple of recipes, rushed to the supermarket and got into the kitchen willingly. Here is what the dish looked like.. and it was good to eat too.

Ingredients:

Methi (Fenugreek leaves)- 1 bunch

Palak - Spinach - 1 bunch
( roughly 4:1 of Spinach is to Methi)

Butter - 1-2 tsp

Onion - 1 small - finely chopped

Garam Masala powder - 1/4 tsp

Coriander powder - 1/2 tsp

Cumin powder - 1/2 tsp

Green Chilies - 2 according to taste

Chilie powder - to taste

Fresh Paneer (Cottage Cheese)
- 200 gms - grated

Ginger - 1/2"

Garlic - 4 pods

Kasuri Methi - a dash of it

Oil - 1 tsp

Salt to taste

Remove the leaves of the Methi and Palak. Wash well and drain.

Blanch them in hot water to which a little salt has been added for a couple of mins.

Drain and cool.

Make into a purée - keep aside

Grind the green chilies, ginger and garlic to a paste

Take a wok. Add a mixture of butter and oil.

Sauté the green chilie-garlic-ginger paste

Add finely chopped onions, sauté again, do not brown, if required add a little salt to prevent that.

Now add the spinach-methi purée

Stir vigorously for a few mins. Then add a little water.

Add chilie, cumin, coriander powder

Simmer a while

Add grated paneer ( I mashed it and realise grating would have been a better option)

Add a little more water if the mixture thickens.

Add the garam masala and allow to simmer a little more

The dash of kasuri methi for that extra flavour.

Remove from heat and serve either hot with jeera rice or rotis

Kulcha

2011-10-30T21:52:00.001+05:30

We had an amazing Kulcha and Channa dish in a food court at a mall. It has been some time since I experimented something new in my kitchen. I googled for a recipe. Strangely each one had a different approach. I was not totally convinced about the use of yeast, soda and baking powder together in a recipe. Anyway here is what I ultimately did

Ingredients:
Refined wheat flour ( Maida) - 3 cups
Dry yeast - I had a 5g packet
Sugar - 2 tsp
Salt to taste
Curd - 3 tbsp
Cooking soda - 1/4 tsp
Oil - 2 tsps

Preparing the yeast mixture
In a cup of warm water, add a tsp of sugar and the yeast and keep aside, it will bubble a bit which is an indication that the yeast is working. Keep for about 15- 20 minutes

In the meantime, sift the flour.
Add salt, 1 tsp sugar, oil, curd, soda
Make a well in the centre and slowly add the prepared yeast mixture and fold in
Bring the flour together to a slightly moist but firm dough
Keep aside covered, or enclose in a damp cloth for about 3-5 hours
The dough will rise to more than double.
I did press the dough in between and kept it aside again to let it rise again.

Take portions of dough ( lime sized) and dust the surface with flour and roll out a thick round bread.
Press in whatever you wish as garnish - for a few I put in sesame seeds and kasuri methi and some I left plain

Roast in a pan with a little butter, ghee or oil ( whatever you can eat without guilt)

I also made some channa with the kulcha. I got a pat on my back for both! La, I wished you had stayed back another day!

Coconut Burfi

2011-10-30T15:45:00.004+05:30

The coconut burfi is the simplest sweet to make if you have someone else grate the coconut for you. It is also a fat free recipe if you turn a blind eye to the fat in the coconut itself. Calories aplenty as it would be in any sweet. L made the burfi here. And it was made at her insistence.

Coconut - 1 large - grated

Sugar - 1 1/2 cup

Ghee - 1 tbsp

Milk - if you need to clarify the sugar syrup

Cardamom powder - 1/4 tsp ( unless you have a daughter who hates the spice)

Take the sugar, add about 1/2 cup water to it and keep on heat

Let the syrup be nice and frothy. At this stage you can add a few tbsps of milk and remove the layer that forms on the top.

Let the syrup become nice and thick. Most recipes say one thread consistency, but it should be slightly more

If you wish to reduce the moisture content in the coconut, lightly heat it up in a pan for a few minutes stirring all the time. Or do away with this step entirely.

Once the syrup is nice and syrupy ( meaning thick and frothy and slightly beyond the one thread stage)

Add the coconut in and keep stirring till you feel it is coming all together.

You can add a few chopped nuts at this stage.

Keep it on heat a little while longer.

And then spread it onto a greased plate ( this is where the ghee is used)

As it cools when it is semi-set, take a knife and cut in required shape, but do not remove

Allow to set fully and then remove each piece and store.

Nagodi Aloo

2011-10-14T11:37:00.002+05:30

Saw this recipe in a magazine. I think hunger is the best motivation to get into the kitchen. A different way to prepare the Aloo sabzi - Poori .

Ingredients:
For the curry
Potato - Cut into 1 inch slices - 300 gms
Tomatoes - 2 large
Onions - 1
Cumin seeds - 1 tbsp
Cloves - 2
Chili powder - to taste
Coriander powder - 1 tsp
Oil/Ghee - 2 tsp
Salt to taste
Coriander leaves - garnishing

For the Nagodi
Wheat flour - 200 gms
Semolina ( Rava) - 100 gms
Salt to taste
Ghee ( optional)

( Knead the nagodi into a slightly stiff dough)

Curry:
Heat oil in wok
Add the cloves, cumin,onions, brown a little
Add the tomatoes - keep till they soften
Add the potatoes
Sauté.
Add water, and the other powders.
Cook till soft and done.
Add salt to taste.

Take the nagodi dough.
Make even portions and roll to puri - but this should be slightly thick
Deep fry in oil or ghee.

For serving:
Take a nagodi. Place on serving plate
Make a hole in the centre
Spoon the curry into it and eat it hot.

Egg Dosa

2011-09-12T23:11:00.003+05:30

I always thought an egg dosa was an omelette. Besides I love my dosa and my omelette and would never have thought of combining the two, until I read this article in The Hindu. Here the author describes the egg dosa as one with a golden underside, ever so slightly spongy.... hard to tell where the egg ended and the dosa began… a Krispy Kreme union… I was intrigued enough to give it a try.

The result - an interesting combination for sure. It neither tasted like the dosa nor did it taste like a fried egg.. it had a taste of its own.
Recipe:
Dosa batter ( 1 portion of rice, 1/2 urad dal - soak 5 hours, grind and ferment overnight)
One egg
Salt to taste
Pepper
Ghee or butter - 1 tsp (optional)

Take a pan. Preferably the non stick variety.
Keep it on a low fire
Spread the dosa batter
Break an egg in a katori and beat it with a little salt. ( alternatively, you could break it on the pan right onto to the batter)
Pour over the dosa - lightly spread it

Add some crushed pepper
As the dosa sets, the egg too will begin to coagulate

You can add the butter of ghee here to give it a rich taste.
When it is almost done, just turn it over for a few seconds and then remove from the pan onto a plate
Have it with sauce. I had it plain. Some say it is delicious with tomato or onion chutney.

Will I make it again? I might. I might chop onions, green chilies, coriander and then spread that on the dosa batter. I also read of someone who has mixed the egg in the batter and made crepes with it. So many possibilities. Interesting!!!

Ammini Kozhukattai

2011-09-01T17:51:00.000+05:30

Happy Vinayak Chaturthi ... been a long time since I was here.

I have been making the Kozhukattai (Modak) the past so many years. And it was just the other day, that my SIL who was visiting us, said that they would make these tiny balls of the left over rice dough covering and season it and made into a tasty snack!.

So this time, after I made the Kozhukatai - see link for the recipe, I actually made sure I had some left over covering dough.

Recipe:
Leftover Kozhukattai dough

For seasoning:
Oil - 1 tbsp
Mustard - 1/4 tsp
Black gram dal - 1/4 tsp
Asafoetida (hing) - pinch
Green chillies ( to taste) - chopped finely
Red Chili powder - to taste
Curry leaves - few

Take the left over dough. The dough has only a pinch of salt. And you will need to add more salt. Knead lightly
Make into small balls. The balls here are actually very small, but the closeup picture makes it look larger than they really are.
Steam the little balls for about 8-10 minutes

Take oil in wok
Add the mustard, wait till it crackles
Add the urad ( black gram dal) and hing.
Allow to lightly brown
Add the green chilies and curry leaves
Followed by the steamed balls.
Add chilie powder, or any curry powder if you want it spicier.
Toss. If you want it crisp, keep a while longer till it develops a crust.

Serve.

Jacket Potato

2011-05-18T22:42:00.002+05:30

Jacket Potato - the microwave method

Take a large potato.
Wash it really well
Gently prick the surface
Add butter or oil to the surface
Microwave on high for about 6-8 minutes
( Remember the potato will be very hot !!)
Gently stab with skewer/knife. It should be soft but not mushy ( make sure it is not hard)
Remove.
Split the potato and make a filling of your choice.
Here I have stuffed it with some sort of coleslaw.

Filling choices: source bbc

Here are some favourite fillings to make the perfect jacket spud:

1.Grate lots of cheese, sprinkle over the potato, let it melt, and eat.
   You could even cook up a can of beans, and pour them over the dish as well.
2. Cottage cheese is a favourite for those on a diet.
    If you have the time, you could add bits of herbs into the cottage cheese.
    Pineapple also gets mixed into the cheese occasionally.
3. Coleslaw is a bizarre mixture of cabbage, carrot, onion and mayonnaise but works surprisingly well in
    the humble potato.

Also, check thec bb link given for a recipe written by someone who has a good sense of humour. It will also tell you how to make it in the oven. And give you some tips for non-veg fillings too.

Khow Suey - Vegetarian

2011-05-15T15:18:00.002+05:30

Khow Suey the Burmese one dish soup soup meal that I was introduced to by La. She took me to this place called The Kitchen in Khan Market, Delhi. It was amazing. And AA gave me the recipe. It was not comparable to the one I had, but then this was the first time I was making it. And the toppings were not quite the same - the fried onion that I made not so crisp, the peanut powder should have been coarse and so on. But L said different places make the dish differently and what I made was definitely different, but quite tasty.

Ingredients( for 3-4 servings)

Rice Noodles - 1 pack ( I cheated here and used Rice Semai and it was not bad!!)

For the khow suey
Onions -2 nos chopped
Garlic - 2 tsp chopped
Ginger - 1 tsp chopped
Lemon Grass Root - 1 large sized chopped
Coriander Powder - 1 tsp
Cumin seeds powder - 1 tsp
Turmeric powder - 1/2 tsp
Besan ( gram flour ) -2 tbsp roasted
Coconut milk - 2 cups ( I used it from the carton)
Mixed vegetables - 1 1/2 cup (baby corn, broccoli, carrot, French beans and cauliflower) -small pieces
Sugar -1 tsp
Lemon juice - 1/2 tbsp
Salt to taste
Oil - 2 tbsp

Toppings:
Roasted peanuts coarsely powdered - 1/4 cup salted
Crisp fried onions - 1/4 cup
Lime - 1/2
Fried garlic cloves - few
Fresh red chillies sliced - 2-3

Method1. To cook the rice noodles follow the instructions on the packet, or immerse them in plenty of hot water for 10 minutes till they soften. Drain and place in a bowl of cold water till required. When you wish to serve, immerse them in hot water again and
2. Heat 1 teaspoon of oil and sauté the onions, garlic, ginger, lemon grass, turmeric, coriander and cumin powder till the onions are soft.
3. Cool, add the besan and blend it to make a paste.
4. Sauté the paste in the remaining 1 teaspoon of oil and season with salt and sugar.
5. Add the coconut milk and vegetables and simmer till the vegetables are tender, adding a little water if required.
6. Take it off the heat and add lemon juice.
7. Pour it over cooked noodles and serve with the toppings.

You could also add a boiled egg on top while serving.
Delicious. It is worth the trouble you need to take to get the ingredients organised.

Blueberry soured cream cake with cheesecake frosting

2011-03-27T22:08:00.000+05:30

Baked by Sa.
Recipe sourced from - BBC Good Food

Ingredients

Soft butter - 175 gms

Golden caster sugar - 175 gms

Eggs - large - 3
Self-raising flour 225 gms
Baking powder - 1tsp
Vanilla extract - 2 tsp
Soured cream - 140 ml
Blueberries - 375 gms

CHEESECAKE FROSTING
Philadelphia cheese - 200 gms
Icing sugar - 100 gms

Preheat the oven to 180C

Line the base of round cake tin with non-stick baking paper

Place butter, sugar, eggs, flour, baking powder and vanilla in a bowl
Beat with a wooden spoon or with a hand electric beater till lligher in colour ( generally 2-3 minutes depending on what you are using)
Beat in 4 tbsp soured cream, then stir in half the blueberries with a large spoon.

Tip the mixture into the tin and level it.
Bake for 50 minutes until it is risen, feels firm to the touch and springs back when lightly pressed.
Cool for 10 minutes, take out of the tin
Leave to finish cooling on a wire rack.

Frosting:

Beat soft cheese with icing sugar and remaining soured cream in bowl till smooth and creamy.

Spread over top of cooled cake ( if the cake is warm the frosting will melt!!)

Scatter the remaining blueberries.

The cake will keep in the fridge for a couple of days. Bring it to room temperature for about an hour before serving.

Enjoy!

Sa - you will have to make it for us!

Nachos

2011-03-26T23:09:00.000+05:30

This is a recipe from Good Housekeeping. I am not sure if it is authentic, it had some ajwain (carom seed?) in it

Corn flour – Makki ki atta – 1 measure

Whole wheat flour – 1 measure
Ajwain - ¼ tsp
Pepper powder - ¼ tsp
Chilie powder – ½ tsp
Salt to taste.
Oil – for deep frying

Make a stiff dough using corn and wheat flour and other ingredients.
Roll out thin.
Cut into triangular shapes.
Deep fry.

Serve with salsa and cheese sauces. I had some spicy ready made chili-garlic sauce that was used as a dip.

Momosa on a Roll

2011-03-26T23:04:00.000+05:30

I wanted to make momos – and steamed one too. But VK wanted it fried. And so I did not even check out a recipe. Made it my way – part Momo – part samosa – and quite like a spring roll. Hence the name.

Maida ( Refined wheat flour ) - 1 measure
Oil – for deep frying
Salt to taste

Add a little oil to the flour. Rub it in.

And make a soft dough. Keep aside

Filling:
Veggies – shredded – cabbage, carrot, capsicum and a bit of onion.
Olive oil – 1 tsp
Salt to taste
Maggi Magic Cube – 1 ( optional) – but it did add a great flavour
Pepper powder - ¼ tsp

Take a wok.
Heat the olive oil
Add the shredded veggies and sauté a while till it loses the moisture and comes together.
Take off fire
Cool.

Roll the dough into small thin puris.
Keep the filling in the centre
Bring the sides together to the middle. Pinch it together.
Deep fry.

Quite delicious.

I still wonder how they would have been if they were steamed. Some other time.

Blooming Brilliant Brownies.

2011-03-22T21:22:00.000+05:30

Baked by Sa. Recipe sourced from Jamie Oliver's website.

Ingredients:
Unsalted butter - 250 g

Dark chocolate - 200g broken up
Cocoa powder - 80 g sifted
Plain flour - 65 g sifted
Baking powder - 1 tsp
Caster sugar - 360 g
Eggs - 4 large

Optional :
Sour cherries - dried - 75 g ( optional)

Nuts - chopped - 50 g ( optional)

Preheat your oven to 180°C/
Line a 25cm square baking tin with greaseproof paper.

The Brownie Mix
Melt butter and chocolate in a large bowl over some simmering water.
Mix until smooth.
Add the cherries and nuts. Stir.
Take another bowl.
Mix cocoa powder, flour, baking powder and sugar.
Now, add this to the chocolate, cherry and nut mixture.
Stir together well.
Beat the eggs and mix in until you have a silky consistency.

Pour your brownie mix into the baking tray
Place in the oven for around 25 minutes.
They should not be overcooked like you do cakes.
The skewer should not come out clean.
The brownies should be slightly springy on the outside but still gooey in the middle.
Allow to cool in the tray.
Carefully transfer to a large chopping board and cut into squares.

Jamie Oliver also suggests that they can be served as a dessert by placing a dollop of crème fraîche mixed with some orange zest. Yummy! I would love to eat it with vanilla ice cream too!

Red Nose Day Raspberry Cookies

2011-03-21T16:01:00.000+05:30

Baked for charity by Sa.
Recipe sourced from - BBC Good Food

Make the Basic Biscuit Dough

250g butter , softened *
140g caster sugar *
1 egg yolk
2 tsp vanilla extract
300g plain flour

*( Reduce the butter and sugar – the dough was too soft and on the sweeter side – needed more flour to make it easier for rolling out)

Mix the butter and sugar in a large bowl with a wooden spoon,
Add the egg yolk and vanilla and beat to combine.
Sift in the flour and a little cinnamon
Stir until the mixture is well combined
Shape into 2 balls, wrap in cling film and chill for 20-30 mins.

Ingredients for the cookies:
1 quantity Basic biscuit dough
6 tbsp raspberry jam
6 tbsp icing sugar , sifted
icing , to decorate

Heat oven to 180C
Keep out the basic dough
Roll it on a lightly floured surface.
Cut out the biscuits with a biscuit cutter.
Lay these on non-stick baking sheets.

Cut the 'noses' from half the biscuits.

Bake for 10-12 mins until pale golden
Lift and keep on cooling rack.

Mix the raspberry jam with the sifted icing sugar.
When the biscuits are cool, spoon a little of the jam onto the whole biscuit and then place the other one ( which had the 'noses' cut out) on top.
Serve them. For making them more delightful – pipe out funny faces on top.

Kova Curry

2011-02-28T14:55:00.000+05:30

Excuse the picture - taken with a cellphone camera.

Thendle (kovai,dondakaya,ivy gourd) - 200 gms
Tomatoes - 2 large
Roasted til ( gingelly powder) 2 tbsp
Ginger garlic paste - 1 tsp
Onions - 1 large
Cumin seeds (jeera) - 1 tsp
Turmeric - 1/4 tsp
Dhania (coriander) powder - 1 tbsp
Garam Masala powder - 1/2 tsp
Chili powder - to taste
Salt - to taste
Oil - 2 tbsp

Wash and cut the kova - preferably into medium sized pieces
Place in a microwave dish, and coat with 1 tbsp oil
Microwave for about 4 mins on high, pausing each minute to stir the veggie

Take a wok
Add the jeera, brown them
Add the onions, sauté well
Add chopped tomatoes and continue to sauté
Now the powdered masalas - garam masala, turmeric, dhania powder.
Also, the roasted gingelly seeds powder
And the microwaved veggie
Mix well
Add a little water to get a gravy consistency.
Add the chilie powder and salt.
Simmer
Remove and serve with hot rotis.

Parupu Thogayal

2011-02-16T01:09:00.001+05:30

Ingredients:

Tuvar Dal - 1 cup

Red chilies - to taste ( atleast 4-5)

Cumin seeds - 1 tsp (optional)

Fresh coconut - 2 tbsp grated

Asafoetida - pinch

Roast the dal, red chilies and cumin in a little oil till the dal turns slightly red. Add the asafoetida.

Grind with coconut and salt and a little water.

Do not make it too liquidy.

And your chutney is ready.

Tastes good with hot rice.

Some people ( I read on the web) have used Moong dal too. Will try that sometime.

Gajar Halwa with fewer calories

2011-01-29T19:35:00.000+05:30

Gajar Halwa is a rich dish. Lots of ghee, lots of khova, lots of cashew and raisins. Now make it the healthier way :

Ingredients

Gajar ( variety of carrot) - 200 gms

Milk - 50 ml

Sugar - 50 gms ( to taste)

Ghee - 2 tsp

Cashew and raisins for garnishing - few

Peel and grate the gajar

Take a microwave bowl - put in the grated stuff with milk and put in MW for about 3-4 minutes

At this stage, I found the milk was a little too much, so I strained it and had it ( see I told you this is healthy!)

Add a tsp of ghee at this stage and pop into the MW again or use the stove - just to dry it out a little.

Take a seasoning spoon, heat a tsp of ghee.

Add the cashew and while it begins to brown, add the raisins.

Add to the prepared gajar.

Your halwa is ready. And tasty too. Eat without guilt.

Thendle Talasane

2011-01-29T19:24:00.000+05:30

Curry made with Kovakai or ivy gourd. A konkani dish long forgotten. Thought of it today.... because I was too lazy to cut the vegetable.

Ingredients

Kovakai - Tendle - Ivy Gourd - 100 gms

Garlic - a bulb - some 6-8 pods or more if you like it garlicky

Red chilies - 2

Mustard - 1/2 tsp

Oil - 4 tbsp

Salt to taste

Crush the tendle - not cut it - either with the flat blade of the knife or your palm if it doesn't hurt !

You can salt it if you wish at this stage since it draws out the moisture.

Take a wok

Add mustard, red chilies

When the mustard splutters, add the garlic, sauté

Add the crushed kova and continue to sauté till the veggie gets browned and done

Actually the dish is done at this stage, but I added some coriander powder and readymade parupu podi ( dal powder).

Serve. Ideally with rice and dalitoi.

Cabbage with Methi

2010-12-19T23:08:00.000+05:30

Fenugreek leaves ( the bigger variety) is my current favourite. It is methi in every dish I make, at least once or twice a week.

Cabbage - 200 gms shred fine -should be finer than what appears in the picture :-)
Fenugreek (methi) leaves - 1 bunch
Tomato purée - 2 - 3 tbsp ( or one medium sized tomato)
Onion - 1 - dice finely
Chilie powder - to taste
Garam masala powder - 1/4 tsp
Dhania (coriander) powder - 1 tsp
Turmeric powder - 1/2 tsp
Oil for seasoning
Mustard seeds - 1/2 tsp
Salt to taste.

Heat the oil for seasoning in a wok.
Add the mustard seeds. Allow it to splutter.
Add diced onion, sauté.
Add the chopped fenugreek leaves.
Sauté for a while.
Then the tomato purée,and the powders and salt.
Add a little water and allow the cabbage to cook.
Do not allow the cabbage to get too soft.

Tastes good with rotis.

Potato Raitha

2010-12-10T22:54:00.001+05:30

Recipe from Red Chillies

Ingredients:

Boiled potato - 1
Curd ( yogurt) - 1 cup
Chilies Green - 2 nos finely chopped
Onions - 1 small - diced
Coriander leaves - few
salt to taste

For Seasoning:
Oil - 1/2 tsp
Mustard - 1 tsp
Cumin - 1/2 tsp
Curry leaves

Lightly crush the boiled potato. Not to a fine mash, allow some uneven lumps to remain.
Beat the curd well.
Add the diced onion, chillies, salt and coriander.
Add the potato.
Mix.

Heat oil add the mustard, cummin. When the mustard splutters, add the curry leaves.
Add the seasoning to the curd mixture.

I think this is an ideal accompaniment for a stuffed paratha or masala pooris on a hot summers day. For a complete meal. Also good with a mixed vegetable pulao.

Palak-Methi Puri

2010-11-28T18:52:00.001+05:30

Puffed Spinach-Fenugreek Bread

Ingredients:
Whole Wheat flour - 1 cup
Chick pea flour - 50 gms
Maize flour ( Makki ka atta) - 50 gms (optional)
Fenugreek leaves - I used leaves of one bunch of the big variety
Spinach - 1 bunch
Cumin seeds ( Jeera) - 1 tsp
Coriander powder - 1 tsp
Turmeric powder - 1/4 tsp
Salt to taste
Chilie powder to taste.

Maize flour is optional, I bought it to make Makkai ki roti - and failed miserably, so I was left with the flour that I am using here. I am sure it had something to do with the crispness of the final product)

Take all ingredients. And with sufficient water make a dough with is reasonably soft ( not too soft). A little oil can also be added in the process. Keep aside for a while.

Roll into puris and deep fry.

The puris have the lovely flavour of fenugreek leaves.

Dahi Bhendi/Okra Masala

2010-11-17T14:39:00.000+05:30

Recipe from Edible Garden

Note: The ingredients seem many - the process is simple. Like I read some place. The trick is to keep ingredients ready ( mise en place [MEEZ ahn plahs] which is a French term referring to having all the ingredients necessary for a dish prepared and ready to combine up to the point of cooking. Or just pretend you are giving a cookery demo instead of running around at the last moment.

Ingredients:
Bhendi - 200 gms - washed, dried, and diced

Onion - 1 large
Tomato paste - 1 tbsp
Ginger-garlic paste - 1 tsp
Curd ( yogurt) - 1 cup - beaten well
Coconut - 1 small piece - to yield about 20 gms grated coconut flakes
Almonds - 8 nos ( soak in warm milk for atleast 10 mins) - Original recipe called for cashew
Kasuri methi ( dried fenugreek leaves ) - 1/2 tsp
Garam masala - 1/2 tsp
Chilie powder - 1 tsp
Turmeric powder - 1/2 tsp
Dry mango powder (amchur) - 1/2 tsp
Dhania/coriander powder - 1 tsp
Oil - 2 tbsp
Salt to taste

Seasoning:

Mustard Seeds - 1 tsp
Cumin (jeera) - 1/2 tsp
Urad dal - 1 tsp
Dry red chilies - 2
Asofetida / hing - pinch
Curry leaves - few
Oil

The Process

In a wok, heat the oil
Fry the bhendi till crisp and keep aside.

Grind the almonds and coconut to fine paste.

Heat oil in a wok
Add mustard, allow to pop
Add cumin, urad, red chilies, hing, curry leaves - till the dal browns a bit
Now add the chopped onions and sauté till golden
Mix in the dry powders of garam masala, turmeric, dhania, chile powder, amchur, kasuri methi
Sauté for a few minutes
Add the ground paste and the tomato paste too.
Here you can pour in half to one cup of water for the gravy to form and simmer.
Add the beaten curd and continue to allow the mixture to simmer for 5 minutes.
Check for consistency of gravy, you may add a little more water if you feel it is too thick.
Add the fried bhendi.
Blend into the gravy.
Remove from fire. Serve.

We had it with Gujarati Kichidi.

Pudina Rice

2010-11-17T14:05:00.002+05:30

A nice flavoured rice. Simple and would go with any accompanying gravy.

Ingredients:

Pudina leaf (Mint) - One bunch / a cup of cut leaves

Rice - 1 1/2 cups

Cinammon - 1 "

Cloves - 2

Ginger-garlic paste - 1 tsp

Ghee - 2 tbsp

Cumin seeds (jeera) - 2 tsp

Green chilies - 2 -3 ( vary according to taste)

Bay leaf - 1

Cashew - few

Wash the mint leaves, drain

Take a pan, fry the cashew in ghee and keep aside.

In the same pan roast in the ghee, cumin seeds, cloves, cinamon, bayleaf, chopped green chilies for a little while.

Remove, cool and grind along with mint leaves.

Add to rice.

Add salt and cook with required amount of water.

Once done, gently mix and and garnish with fried cashew.

Here, we had it with curd, salad and fried goldfingers!

Raw Banana Chips

2010-11-17T13:43:00.001+05:30

Having guests for lunch, VK made the raw banana (green plantain) chips. They were yummy.

Raw Banana - 2 nos
Salt to taste
Chilie powder - to taste
Oil - for deep frying

Peel the banana.
Slice into chips.
Soak in water.
Heat oil for deep frying
Remove few sliced banana chips at a time from the water.
Drain well.
Slip carefully into hot oil.
Fry till golden brown
Remove and keep on tissue paper
Once all are done.
Sprinkle salt and chile powder.
Toss and Serve.

Badusha

2010-11-06T18:22:00.000+05:30

A sweet that the younger one likes. And also my S-I-L. Thought I would try it out and found a good recipe at Indian Cuisine

This is zoomed in, the actual badushas are about 1.5" in widht.

Ingredients:
For the dough :
Maida /Refined flour: 1 cups
Butter : 50 gms
Oil : 25 gms
Sugar : 1 tbsp
Cooking Soda - big pinch

For the Syrup :
Sugar : 1 1/2 cup
Water : 3/4 cup

Oil for deep frying

Start off on dough a little in advance:

Take the flour, add the soda

Mix the butter - blend into the flour with fingers.

Add the oil, mix well

Add sugar

And enough water to make a soft dough

Cover and keep aside for one hour.

Mix sugar and water and place on heat

Make a one string sugar syrup.

After one hour, take the dough and make small balls.

Flatten it and make a dimple in the centre

Heat oil

Fry on low flame till the badusha's are golden brown

Make sure the oil is not very hot, otherwise the surface will brown quickly and the insides will be raw.

Slip in the badusha's into warm syrup.

Keep for five minutes and then onto a plate.

Allow to cool thoroughly and then store in a container.

Boondi Ladoo

2010-11-06T17:43:00.001+05:30

Diwali time once again. Thought I would make something different. Found this recipe at Uma's Kitchen. And here is how it turned out -

Maybe not the perfect round. But tasty nevertheless

Ingredients:

Besan / Chickpea Flour – 1 cup

Rice Flour – 1 tsp
Oil – for deep frying
Cooking Soda – a pinch
Cashew and Raisins - as desired
Ghee - 1 tbsp
Sugar - 1 1/2 cup
Cloves - 3
Cardamom - 3-4 ( optional - I kept them ready but forgot to add them!!)

Method:
Take the besan, soda, rice flour.
Mix.
Add sufficient water to make a batter ( like a dosa batter - should be reasonably thick and flowing)
Keep aside till you make the syrup

For the syrup
Mix the sugar in 1/2 cup water and keep on heat
Let the sugar form a syrup of one thread consistency.
Check this by taking a little syrup between thumb and forefinger and slowly lifting the finger to find out if there is indeed a single thread :-)
The syrup is kept ready for the prepared boondi.

Meanwhile, also heat the ghee and fry the cashew, raisins and cloves. ( Raisins separately - otherwise you will have burnt raisins). Keep aside

Heat oil
Take the besan batter on a perforated spoon and keep tapping it
You will find drops of batter fall into the oil
Do this till you have a reasonable number of 'boondis' and gently stir them till they just begin to turn colour.
Remove immediately and place on tissue paper.
(Tip - the boondi should get crushed and not crackle when pressed)
Start the next batch and as that is getting done, place the ones on the tissue paper into the syrup.

So tap,tap, pick up boondis, onto tissue paper, into syrup - till all are done.

Mix gently, make sure the syrup is mixed totally.
Add the cashew, raisins, clove and cardamom. ( If you do not want the clove and only the flavour- you can remove them now)

And now, start making the ladoos.

Tip from the blogger from where I sourced the recipe and it helped:
If you are not able to make the ladoos, place the mixture for 15-20 seconds in the microwave. Take them out, allow it to cool a bit, and when still warm make the ladoos.
Allow to cool and store, share, consume

Cucumber Kosumalli

2010-10-25T21:54:00.000+05:30

I got this recipe from Saffron Trail -

Tip from blogger - taste a piece to ensure cucumber is not bitter

Ingedients:

Moong dal / split green gram - 1/4 cup

Cucmber = 2 large - cut small pieces *
Lime juice -1 nos
Green chilie - 1 large - very finely chopped
Salt - to taste
for seasoning
Oil - 1 tsp for seasoning
Mustard seeds - 1/4 tsp
asafoetida (hing) - pinch
for garnish
Coriander leaves - finely chopped
Fresh coconut - grated - 2 tbsp

Wash, soak dal in water for atleast and hour. Drain of all water. Keep

In a bowl, mix cucumber, lime juice, salt, coriander leaves and green chili . Toss
Add the soaked and drained moong dal

Season-
Take oil, heat, add hing, mustard and once it splutters add to cucumber.
Garnish with coconut .

*You can substitute the cucumber with grated carrot.

Sabudana ( Sago) Vada

2010-10-17T18:43:00.001+05:30

Ingredients:

Sago - 1 cup

Green chilies - 2 nos ( or more according to desired spiciness)

Jeera ( cumin seeds) - 1 tsp

Potatos - 2

Corriander leaves - few

Groundnut - 25 gms

Preparation:

Sago

Wash by swirling the sago. And then soak sago for about 2 hours prior to use.

This should be done by pouring water to just cover the sago.

After it has been soaked sufficiently drain any excess water. And mash with hand.

Potato

Boil potato - I did this by applying a few slits on the potato and then into the microwave for 5 mins. ( AG advice)

Peel and mash.

Groundnut/Peanuts

Groundnuts should be roasted and then coarsely powdered.

Mix the soaked sago, mashed potato, groundnut, finely diced chilies, salt, cumin seeds.
And make a dough.
Make small round balls and flatten
And fry in hot oil over a low flame.
Remove when golden brown.
Place on tissue to drain off any excess oil.
Serve with pickle, sauce or chutney.

(The vada made here did not absorb much oil - this could be because the dough was soft but firm)

Stuffed Okra

2010-10-17T14:51:00.001+05:30

I saw this on a Gary Rhodes show -

Ingredients:
Okra ( bhendi) - 200 gms
Wash, dry, slice off the top and the tip
Slit lengthwise from top to middle without it going through, so as to form a pocket.

Filling:
Coconut - 1/4 - fresh
Chillie powder - 2tsp
Coriander leaves - 1 tsp
Coriander powder - 1 tsp
Cumin powser - 1/2 tsp
Asafoetida ( hing) - pinch
Salt to taste
Turmeric - 1/2 tsp

Grind all the above to a fine paste. Put the paste into a dish and mix it with a little oil.
Fill in the paste into the pocket made in the okra.

Take a flat deep pan ( I took a wok and this is what I thought I should have done)
Take about 2-3 tbsp oil.
Heat, add a little more hing.
And place the okras into the pan.
Saute.
Sprinkle a little water if the mixture is getting too dry.
Cover and cook over a slow flame till the okra is done.

We had it with baby onion ( madras onion) sambar and a lovely colourful salad.

PS: I would not recommend making this if you are having people over for a meal, unless you have some help. The stuffing can take some time and you would need a nice big pan so that the okra can get done evenly.

Crêpe with vegetables

2010-10-14T00:02:00.003+05:30

For the Crêpe :
Refined Flour ( Maida) - 1 cup
Milk - 1/2 cup
Salt - to taste
Sugar - 1/2 tsp
Baking powder - 1/4 tsp

( Beaten egg for a coating - optional)

Filling-
Any filling can be used. Just make a curry with whatever you fancy. We had shredded vegetables - cabbage, juliennes of red, yellow and green pepper, boiled corn. Some spicy sauces / spice powders were added and generally turned into a tasty curry.

Grated cheese
Raw onion, capsicum - finely diced or sliced for the final serving. ( optional)

Take a pan.
Smear a little oil
Place the palm about 3 inches over the pan to make sure the pan is adequately hot.
Make a crêpe with the batter.
When slightly done and the sides are loosening at the sides.
Turn. Keep awhile - do not allow to brown at this stage.
Flip again. Pour a little beaten egg on the crepe.
Turn over gently. Allow the egg to set. Flip again.
( No particular rules here - just do whatever you think right)
Fill the crepe in the centre with the curry.
Top with grated cheese and a little raw onion and capsicum.
Fold.

Alternately - Place the crêpe onto a plate, place the filling on one side, and roll it.
Serve.

Eat hot. If necessary with a sauce. I found that quite unnecessary. .

Parupu Usli

2010-10-13T23:36:00.001+05:30

Another nice recipe from Edible Garden.

Tuvar Dal /Red gram dal - 1/2 cup

Channa Dal / Chick pea - 1 tbsp

Asafoetida - pinch

Red chilies - 4-5 ( vary according to desired spiciness - a little on the extra side will do no harm)

Salt to taste

Oil for seasoning

Mustard - 1 tsp

Turmeric - 1/4 tsp

Capsicum - green pepper - 1 medium

( The capsicum can be substituted with cabbage, onion, beans)

Wash and soak the two dals for about an hour. This is an essential step.

Drain ( not totally).

Grind to a coarse paste with salt, chilies, asafoetida, turmeric.

Place this mixture in a vessel ( flatten it as much as possible)

Steam for about 5-7 minutes.

( You could steam the vegetable here along with the dal - but I did not want to do this - especially since I was using capsicum )

Take a wok

Heat oil

Add mustard. Allow to splutter.

Add chopped capsicum.

Sauté till slightly tender ( do not overcook) After which you can add the steamed dal mixture.
If it is too dry, sprinkle a little water.
Check for salt.

Remove and serve.

Puri and Curry All-in-One

2010-10-07T20:12:00.000+05:30

I wish I had discovered this earlier. I guess it is nothing new. But would have been a convenient finger food while the kids were younger, a lunch - picnic - journey snack. Makes it easier to carry as compared to Puris and Curry separately packed, plates, spoons and stuff.

Puri -

Wheat Flour

Salt - to taste

A spoon of oil

And oil for deep frying.

Add sufficient water to make a slightly tough dough. Keep covered till use.

Curry:

Potato -3 large, boiled

Onion - 1 - diced

Green chilies - 2 - finely diced ( can avoid and add the chili powder instead)

Red chili powder - 1 tsp ( optional)

Turmeric powder - 1/4 tsp

Coriander powder - 1/2 tsp

Salt to taste

Oil - 2 tsp

Mustard - 1/2 tsp

Curry leaves - few

In a wok heat the oil, add the mustard - allow to splutter, add curry leaves.

Add the onion. Saute till trasparent along with the chili

Add mashed potato

And the powders, salt

Mix . Keep a while.

Remove from stove.

Cool.

Roll out puri.

Add a little potato curry in the center of puri

Fold puri over the curry.

Roll again.

Fry in oil.

Drain well.

Eat hot.

Or pack in foil along with a little pickle and eat later.

Beetroot-Carrot Curry

2010-09-12T15:37:00.000+05:30

I adapted the recipe from a dish called Beet Gajor Chechki from here. The adaptation was mainly because I did not have certain ingredients (kalonji) and forgot the others( like the onion)! But the combination of beet and carrot is lovely.

Beetroot – 1 – cut into 1” strips
Carrot – equal quantity – similarly cut
Mustard – 1 tsp
Coriander powder ( dhania ) – 1 tsp
Cumin powder ( jeera) – 1 tsp
Green chillies – 3 -4 ( remember both carrot and beet are sweet) - slit
Turmeric - 1/2 tsp
Oil – 1 tsp
Salt to taste.

Parboil the veggies ( optional) - I did this for about 4 minutes in the microwave.
Take a wok, add oil
And the mustard and allow it to splutter
Add the parboiled veggies and green chillies
Sauté
Add the coriander, turmeric powder.
A little water, cover and allow to cook. ( The dish is actually a stir fry, but here again a deviation)
Once the vegetable is done ( do not overcook)
Add sufficient salt and cumin powder.
Stir.
Remove.

Lovely combination. Have it with rotis.

Sago Kichidi

2010-09-08T20:48:00.000+05:30

This is a favourite dish of mine. A friend would get this in her lunch box every Friday of her Santoshimata fast, and she hardly had any of it to eat, because all of us ( her classmates at college) would finish it even before the lunch break. I could never make the dish well. After so many years ( decades) I saw this Dummies guide to Sabudana Kichidi here, hop over for a step by step guide. The recipe as I made it -

Sago – 1 cup

Green chilies – 2
Cumin seeds – 1 tsp
Groundnuts – 50 gms
Oil – 1 tbsp
Salt to taste
Lime – ½
Coriander leaves for garnishing

Soak the sago for about half hour
Drain the water. Add some more and gently swirl and drain again.
Do not drain totally.
Keep covered. Allow to stay for about 8 hours
The grain will be soft and swollen.
Roast the groundnut and coarsely powder

Take oil in a wok
Add the cumin seeds. Allow it to brown.
Add the green chilies
Add the sago.
Sauté briefly
Add salt
Now add the groundnut powder
Mix well.
Squeeze lime juice onto the sago.
Remove from fire and serve hot.

Soya granules kofta curry - (Non Fried)

2010-09-02T21:37:00.003+05:30

This is a modified meat ball curry that I saw in an issue of Good Housekeeping. Non vegetarians can substitute the soya granules with minced meat. I also used ready mixes wherever available. So it seemed quite simple.

Ingredients:

For the kofta

Soya granules - 250 gms

Turmeric powder -1 tsp

Egg - 1 - beaten ( you will need only half of it)

Bread - 2 slices, dipped in water and squeezed dry

Green chillies - according to taste- 1or 2 finely chopped

Garlic - 2 - finely chopped

Ginger - 1/2" finely chopped

(or like I did, simply use ginger-garlic paste)

Coriander leaves - finely chopped

Mint - finely chopped ( few) - optional.

Salt to taste.

For the curry:

Onion - 1 chopped

Tomatoes - chopped

Ginger-garlic - paste 1 tsp

( I used an onion and also used Maggi Bhuna Masala - which has onion, tomatoes, ginger garlic )

Turmeric - 1/2 tsp

Coriander powder - 1/2 tsp

Salt to taste

Coconut milk - 3 tbsp ( I did not use it - but it would add to the taste)

First the faux meat balls:

Heat water.

Soak the granules in it for about 15 mins

Squeeze dry and keep aside.

Add all the other ingredients except the egg.

Once mixed well, slowly add just enough egg to bind the mixture.

The mixture should be moist but firm.

Make balls of the mixture and keep on a plate ( under the fan) for about 1/2 hour to dry out.

It is essential that the koftas do not disintegrate in the gravy. So to be on the safe side, after 20 minutes of 'drying', I just popped the plate into the microwave for a minute.

For the curry -

Heat oil, add onion, fry a while.

Add the Bhuna Masala or chopped tomatoes, ginger garlic paste and allow to simmer till it forms a thickhish gravy.

Add the masala powder and salt.

Slowly slide in the koftas.

Simmer, partially covered till the koftas are cooked.

At this point, you may add the coconut milk and remove from fire.

Garnish and serve.

It was good to taste. And what I especially liked was that it did not involve frying of the 'meat ball' and seemed a healthier option.

PS - Do something with the remaining beaten egg.

Rava Idly - Easier version

2010-09-02T19:24:00.001+05:30

Rava ( Wheat Semolina) - 1 cup

Sour curd - 1 cup

Ginger - 1/2" finely chopped

Green chili - 1 large - finely chopped

Cashew nuts - few - break into bits

Coriander leaves - finely chopped

Urad dal ( split black gram) - 1 tsp

Mustard - 1 tsp

Pepper - couple of corns - crushed

Cooking soda - large pinch

Salt to taste

Oil - 1 tsp

( You can also add - finely chopped carrot, and semi cooked or frozen peas)

Take a wok.

Add the oil, and heat

Add the mustard and after a few seconds the dal.

The timing should be such that mustard should splutter and the dal should begin to brown at the same time.

Add the cashew, the chili, pepper, ginger.

Sauté. If you are adding any veggies, you will need to add them here.

And as the cashew begins to brown, add the semolina.

Roast till the semolina gives out a nice aroma..

Take off fire. Cool.

Once the mixture has cooled, add the sour curd and the soda.

Mix well and leave for about 15 minutes.

Check the consistency, it should not be too thick. If required add a little water to loosen it.

And the salt.

Pour into idli mould and steam for about 10 minutes

Serve with chutney or/and sambar.

Phirnee

2010-08-29T20:51:00.001+05:30

Milk - 2 cups
Rice - 2 tbsp
Sugar - 1/2 cup ( vary according to taste)
Almonds - few ( for garnish)
Rose essence (optional ) - I did not use it.

Soak rice for a few hours. Preferable to use basmati rice
Grind to paste

Blanch almonds - if using a microwave - place almonds in a bowl, microwave for a minute. Cool, peel off the skin and cut the almond into thin slivers.

Take a thick vessel
Mix the ground rice in milk.
Heat on gentle flame
Add the sugar.
Stir often and keep on the heat till the rice cooks and milk begins to thicken.
( If required add condensed milk, in which case, the quantity of sugar needs to be reduced)
Remove, garnish with almonds.

Chill and serve.

Note - the mixture will thicken as it cools.

Assorted Bajjis - Fritters

2010-08-29T20:11:00.000+05:30

Ideal snack ( if you can ignore the calories) for a rainy day. This is not made often at home and when it is, it is a treat.

Gram flour ( Besan) - 1 cup
Chilie powder - to taste
Salt - to taste
Coriander powder - 1 tsp
Ajwain - 1/4 tsp
Assorted veggies - cut into rings - onions, potatoes, capsicum
Cooking soda - a pinch
Oil for deep frying

Take besan, salt, chilie powder, ajwain and soda. Mix
Add sufficient water to make a slightly thick batter.
( You could add ginger-garlic paste, kasuri methi, chopped corriander leaves - whatever you think will add to the taste)
Dip the cut vegetables into the batter and drop into hot oil
Allow it to turn golden brown.
Drain the oil, remove and place on tissue to remove any excess oil
Serve with sauce, chutney, pickle or eat it plain.

Chikudukaya (Indian Broad Beans) Curry

2010-08-18T06:07:00.002+05:30

Broad Beans – 200 gms

Onions -1
Maggi Bhuna Masala – 1 pack *
Coriander powder – 1 tsp
Turmeric powder – ½ tsp
Chili powder – 1 tsp ( acc to taste)
Oil – 1 tbsp
Cumin seeds – 1 tsp
Curry leaves - few
Salt to taste

*In the absence of Maggi Bhuna Masala - fry onion in a little oil. When it browns, add tomato. Sauté. Then grind to paste. You will also need to add ginger-garlic paste 1/2 tsp.

Wash, string the beans.
Cut into ½ inch pieces
Take a wok. Heat oil
Add the cumin seeds, when they brown, add the curry leaves
And the onions. Sauté
And the beans.
Put the Maggi Bhuna Masla
And the rest of the powders.
Add water, salt to taste.
Cover and cook till the beans are tender.

Pineapple Kesari

2010-08-18T05:56:00.002+05:30

I found different versions of making Pineapple Kesari online. I decided to do a little of each and the dish turned out quite nice. I made a small quantity just enough for the two of us.

Ingredients:

Bombay Rava ( Sooji, Semolina) - 1/2 cup

Sugar - 1/2 cup ( this could vary according to the sweetness of the pineapple)

Pineapple slices - 3 ( fresh) chopped into small pieces

Ghee - 50-75 gms

Cardamom powder - 1/4 tsp

Cashew - few

Raisins - few

Water - 1 1/2 cups approximately

Sauté the rava in a little ghee till it acquires a nice flavour. Keep aside

Take the chopped pineapple in a bowl, sprinkle a little sugar and microwave for about 2 mins

Take the wok, add remaining ghee, fry the cashew and raisins. Remove and keep aside.

In the same vessel, add the pineapple pieces and sauté for a minute or so.

Add the water, allow it to boil. Turn down the heat add the sugar and allow to simmer for some time.

Add the roasted rava gradually. Keep stirring all the while. Add the cardamom powder

Once the mass comes together and separates from the sides of the vessel.

Remove. Garnish with cashew and raisins.

Serve warm.

Spinach Kadi

2010-08-16T22:25:00.002+05:30

I found this recipe here.

Not a very good picture. But let it not put you off. The Kadi was nice and tasty.

Chickpea Flour ( Besan ) - 2 tbsp

Yogurt - 1 cup
Spinach - 1 bunch
Cumin (jeera) - 1 tsp
Ajwain - pinch ( the recipe called for fennel seed ( saunf), but I add this by mistake, but it tasted good.
Mustard - 1 tsp
Hing ( asafoetida) - a large pinch
Red chlies - dry - 2
Green chilie - 1- according to taste
Kasoori Methi- 1 tsp ( loved the taste and flavour it added)
Red Chili Powder - 1/2 tsp or more according to taste
Turmeric - 1/4 tsp
Salt to taste
Oil -2 tsp
Curry leaves - few

Clean the spinach well. Cut roughly. Microwave for about 3-5 minutes with green chili.
Mash the cooked spinach.

Take the thick yogurt and beat well.
Add besan and some water and beat till smooth.
Heat oil
Season with cumin, ajwain, mustard, asafoetida, broken red chili and curry leaves.
When the mustard starts spluttering, add the spinach
Lower heat and add the yogurt mixture slowly.
Crush 1 tsp of Kasoori methi between your palms and add .
Add the turmeic, chilie powder, salt. Mix well.
Add sufficient water and simmer for about 10-15 minutes till the chickpea flour is cooked and the raw flavour is not there anymore.
Serve with Rice / Kichadi

Spinach Omelette with Cheese

2010-08-16T21:55:00.002+05:30

I found this recipe in the NYT. Quite by accident. But I thought I should give it a try with the ingredients I had.

Spinach - 1 bunch stemmed and cleaned in water

Salt and freshly ground pepper
Egg - 1 large
Skim milk - 1 tbsp (optional - I forgot to add it)
Onions - 1/2 finely diced.
Olive oil - 1 tbsp
Coriander leaves - chop finely
Cheese - recipe called for Parmesan ( I used a cube of Amul Cheese) - grated

Wash the spinach but don’t dry.
Heat a large frying pan over high heat, and wilt the spinach in the water left on the leaves after washing. Remove from the heat, rinse briefly with cold water and squeeze dry. ( I didn't do this)
Chop medium-fine, season with salt and pepper, and set aside.
Separate the egg yolk and white. Beat the white till it is stiff and then fold in the yolk.
Whisk in the milk, and salt and pepper to taste.
And the finely chopped onion and coriander leaves.
Heat an nonstick omelet pan over medium-high heat.
Add the olive oil. When the oil feels hot as you hold your hand above the pan pour in the egg.
Swirl to distribute the eggs evenly over the surface.
Lift the corners so that the thin eggy solution runs underneath .
As soon as the eggs are set on the bottom and barely runny on top, sprinkle the cheese
And then the spinach down the middle of the eggs.
Fold the omelette
Cook for about a minute longer until heated through
Tilt the omelette onto a plate.
Serve hot.

Note - Do not make the mistake I made. Make sure while you wilt the spinach long enough so that the leaf is well cooked. Otherwise it may taste a little bitter. If that is taken care of, it is delicious.

Subz Meloni and Naan

2010-08-08T20:12:00.001+05:30

Spinach – 1 bunch

Carrots – 2 - chopped
Beans – 50 gms - chopped
Peas – 50 gms
Garlic – 2 pods
Tomato – 1 large
Onion – 1
Cumin seeds – 1 tsp
Cumin powder – ½ tsp
Coriander powder – 1 tsp
Chilie powder – to taste ( or you can grind green chillies with the spinach)
Butter – 10 g
Salt – to taste

Wash spinach. Boil and cool. Blend to fine paste
Boil chopped carrots, beans, peas.
Finely chop garlic, onions, tomatoes
Heat oil. Add cumin seeds.
Add the chopped onions and garlic.
Sauté. Add the tomatoes. Stir till it thickens.
Add the spinach paste. Sauté
Add the boiled vegetables.
Cook for a few minutes.
Add salt, cumin, coriander and chilie powder.
Add butter. Stir
Remove.
Serve hot with rotis.

Naan

No measures given here.

Refined Flour ( Maida)
Dry yeast
Curd – 4-5 tbsp
Milk – ¼ cup
Garlic – finely chopped – 4 nos ( optional)
Mint – few leaves – finely chopped ( optional)
Coriander leaves – finely chopped (optional)
Salt to taste.

Sprinkle yeast in warm water. Add a little sugar ( ½ tsp). Keep for about 10-15 mins. You should see some bubbly activity here.
Take flour, add curd, milk, salt and make a soft dough with the yeast mixture.
Cover and keep ( if required in a damp cloth) in a warm place for an hour.
The dough will double.
Punch down the dough.
Make small balls. Dip in flour and roll into naan like shapes
Heat a tava ( griddle) and roast the naan.
Add a little fat if you wish.

I even rolled out a small ball rolled it out and filled it with some potato curry and folded it and rolled it out again. So there is a stuffed naan - the one on the right in the picture above.

Fried Egg Sambal

2010-08-04T21:46:00.000+05:30

Discovered this recipe here at Edible Garden. It is supposed to be a Malaysian dish. Normally when I am alone, I will not be caught in the kitchen. I guess the pictures and the description probably did it. And it seemed to be the simplest egg curry to make. And tasty/tangy/good to look and good to eat. Try it.

Eggs - 2

Tomato - 1 medium, finely chopped ( or use paste/purée )
Onion - 1, finely chopped
Garlic - 2pods - finely diced
Tamarind paste - 1/4 tsp
Red chilli powder - to taste
Coriander /dhania powder - 1/2 tsp
Turmeric powder - a pinch
Oil - 2 tbsp
Salt - to taste
Spring onions - for garnish - I did not have this, and used coriander leaves instead.

Break eggs in a bowl. Lightly beat. Blend in some salt and turmeric powder.
Take a wok. Heat oil. Add beaten egg to form a thickish omellete
Cool, cut into strips.

In the same pan, add a little more oil. Sauté onions and garlic. Do not burn.

Add the powders and tamarind paste, sauté for a while.

Add the tomatoes. Till they get slightly mashed.

Add the omelette strips. Gently mix without breaking them.

Garnish and serve.

Curry a' La Dondakaya (Gherkin)

2010-07-31T17:50:00.001+05:30

Dondakaya ( Gherkin , Gentleman's toes) is cut into small circles and fried. That is the only way we made it at home, until the day the younger one (L), she must have been 10 then, entered the kitchen to help the father cook. On the stove - we had the Rasam and the other burner had the Gherkin Fry. Half way through, she was given instructions to add some water, presuming that she would add it to the Rasam. Instead it was poured into the fry. To salvage the curry, some fast thinking was required and it turned out into a curry that is being still made at home. Thank you La.

Dondakaya - 250 gms - wash, dry and cut round pieces

Coconut - 1/4 - grated

Coriander seeds (Dhania) 1 tbsp

Cumin seeds (jeera) - 1 tsp

Bengal gram dhal ( channa dhal) - 1 tsp

Red (dried) chillies - 4

Turmeric powder - 1/4 tsp

Tomato - 1 large

Salt to taste

Oil - 2 tbsp

Dry roast the red chillies, bengal gram dhal, coriander seeds, cumin seeds

Grind coarsely.

Add the coconut and grind again, let it remain slightly coarse

Meanwhile, in a wok heat the oil

Add the cut gherkins

Saute till slightly tender.

Add 1/2 cup water. As it comes to a boil

Add the chopped tomato.

After a while the coarse powder and turmeric powder and salt to taste.

Cook, you may need to add some more water as it cooks.

Let the water evaporate. Check if the vegetable is done - do not overcook.

Eat with roti or rice.

Microwave Recipe -3 - Oats Kichidi

2010-07-31T16:20:00.000+05:30

If you are one, who believes oats is healthy and have it for breakfast everyday ( there are a few I know who do!), this is a good variation. I thought it was fine - if you are an oats fan. Saw this in a newspaper. Remember to eat it hot.

For 1 serving:

1/2 cup oats

1/2 onion - chopped

1 tbsp olive oil

1 tomato ( small) - optional

1/4 cup - green peas ( I used frozen peas)

1/2 tsp - cumin seeds

1/4 tsp turmeric powder

1 tsp ginger-garlic paste ( optional - I avoided this ingredient)

1-2 green chillies - finely chopped - according to taste, but remember oats is very bland

Lime juice - few drops

Coriander leaves for garnish

In a microwave safe bowl, add olive oil, cumin, onion, turmeric powder, paste, green chillies

Microwave for 4 mins.

Add the green peas, chopped tomatoes, microwave again with a lid - fresh peas can pop - so chop them

Remove lid.

Add oats and 1/2 glass of water and microwave uncovered for about 2 mins.

Remove, squeeze fresh lime

Fluff with fork. Garnish with coriander leaves.

Eat it while it is hot.

Microwave Recipe 2 - Quick Chocolate Pudding.

2010-07-31T15:58:00.001+05:30

I adapted the recipe from here - and I would recommend you have a look there, I went slightly berserk with the decoration and quite made a mess of it. But a simple recipe to make. I would prefer making it on the stove, since I had to be careful the contents did not spill over in the microwave, which had to be frequently paused and stirred. I also in the process, took the dish out a little earlier than I should have. But all in all, a tasty, simple, easy to make dish, especially if you have to satisfy a sweet tooth ( in this case, mine).

1/3 cup unsweetened cocoa powder

1/3 cup use unsweetened cocoa preferably
1 Tbsp butter
1/2 cup brown/white sugar - I reduced this since I used drinking chocolate instead of cocoa
1 1/2 cups milk
Pinch of salt - ( I omitted this since I used salted butter)
3 Tbsp cornflour
few drops vanilla extract (optional )
nuts for garnishing (optional)

In a microwave-safe bowl, mix together sugar, salt, cocoa and cornstarch/cornflour
Add milk a little at a time and mix. Ensure no lumps remain
Place in the microwave, and cook for 2 minutes on high.
Keep stirring at 1 min intervals.
Till mixture is thick ( like custard ). It will thicken further on cooling - may take 5-7 mins
Stir in essence and the butter and mix again.
Chill in the refrigerator and serve cold, garnish before serving.

Bitter Gourd Fry - Microwave Recipe

2010-07-21T21:45:00.001+05:30

Got this recipe from Red Chillies
Bitter Gourd ( Karela) - 250 gms - cut into rings
Oil - to coat ( I used chilie infused olive oil) - and this method does not require as much oil as the regular deep frying method
Chilie powder - to taste
Salt - to taste
Coriander powder (dhania) - 1 tsp
Turmeric - 1/2 tsp
Sugar - 1 tsp ( optional)

Take about 2 tbsp of oil, add salt, turmeric, dhania and chilie powder. Mix.
Drop the cut bitter gourd into this mixture and make sure the vegetable get well coated.
Place without overlapping on a plate.
Put in microwave for about 2 minutes.
Take out - stir so that the cooking gets done evenly.
Do this at 2 minute intervals a few more times.
Add a little more oil - just drop about a tbsp from above so that it roughly covers all the pieces - by now the bitter gourd should have shrunk to half.
Place back into microwave till the pieces are crisp.

Cooking time - 12 - 15 minutes.. Do not store . Have it immediately. Can get chewy if left awhile.

Recipes from my mother's recipe book - 1 - Eri Sheri

2010-06-13T16:30:00.001+05:30

I found this in my mother's handwritten recipe book - and this followed a couple of pasta recipes, and I somehow always thought it was a continental dish - till I discovered recently that it was very Indian and a very famous dish of Kerala.

Ingredients -

Yellow Pumpkin - 2 cups of small cubes

Curd ( yoghurt) - 1/2 cup - well beaten

Grind to fine paste -

Mustard seeds - 2 tsp

Coconut - 1/2

Red Chillie powder - 2 tsp ( or to taste)

For seasoning -

Oil - 1 tsp

Black gram dal ( urad dal) - 1/2 tsp

Curry leaves - few

Add sufficient water and salt to the yellow pumpkin and cook till half done.

Add the ground paste and cook further till just tender ( this should not take too much time)

Add the beaten curd. ( after this the dish is not placed back on the stove)

Season.

Eat with hot rice. It tastes good with rotis too ( which I am sure is not the usual combination). I am told ash gourd ( white pumpkin) is also a good vegetable to make this with. Simple to make and good to eat.

Veg Hotchpotch

2010-05-29T13:58:00.003+05:30

A Hotchpotch - is said to be a stew or soup of veggies or meat. A jumbled mixture. This is only with vegetables and a little cooked dal. I picked up whatever there was in the refrigerator - and some readymade masalas.

Ingredients
Veggies - Shallots, Capsicum, Potato, Tomato, Carrots - one of each

Maggi Bhuna Masala - 1 pack - this is essentially a paste of sautéd onion, tomato and salt.

Maggi Veggie magic cube - 1 ( did it add to the taste? not sure) - optional
Moong dal ( green gram split ) - cooked - 1/2 cup
Garlic - 2 pods
Raw mango - 1 small piece ( optional)
Coriander (dhania) powder - 1 tbsp
Chilie powder - 1 tsp
Turmeric powder - 1/4 tsp
Oil - 1 tsp
Mustard - 1 tsp
Curry leaves few.

Take a wok. Heat oil.
Add the mustard and wait till it splutters.
And the curry leaves. sauté
Add the shallots, sauté till slightly brown
Add the vegetables. Some water and cook till just tender.
Then add the cooked dal and a pack of Maggi Bhuna Masala and the veggie cube
I had a little piece of raw mango which I added and it gave a tanginess to the dish ( optional)
Add the powders - turmeric, dhania, chillie
Add salt if required.

Serve with hot rice or roti.

Spinach - Tomato Curry

2010-05-24T12:56:00.001+05:30

Palak - 3 bunches
Tomatoes -3 (medium) chopped
Green chillies - 1 chopped fine
Tumeric - 1tsp
Chilli powder - 1tsp
Jeera (cumin ) powder - 1tsp
Dhania (coriander) powder - 1tsp
Salt - to taste
Oil- 4 tbsp

Wash the palak (spinach) well.
Chop coarsely.
Take a wok and add 3 tbsp of oil.
When the oil is hot, add the palak and 1tsp ofsalt.
The palak will start losing water and reduce in quantity.
Keep mixing continuously on a medium flame till all the water has evaporated.
Once the water evaporates, conitue to stir fry for a while till the palak acquires a very deep green colour.
Add the tumeric, chilli, jeera and dhania powders and mix well.
Add the green chillies and tomatoes and continue to cook on a low flame. Add 2-3 tbsp more of oil and stir.
Simmer and cover till the tomatoes are completely cooked.
Make sure that the mix is not completely dry as it won't taste very nice.

Serve with rice/ roti.

The son-in-law made this at home. It was delicious.

Beaten Rice ( Poha) Vada

2010-05-23T12:36:00.006+05:30

I saw this recipe at Edible Garden. ( Thank you ). It was a hassle-free vada to make. And did not absorb much oil unlike the other vadas especially the urad dhal type

Ingredients:

Poha ( beaten rice) - 1 cup
Onion - small - finely chopped
Green chillies - 3 medium - finely chopped - since there is no grinding, it requires these chopped finely.
Jeera - 1/2 tsp
Ginger - 1/4 " finely chopped
Rice flour - 1 tbsp
Refined flour ( Maida) - 1 tbsp ( for binding)
Curry leaves - finely shredded
Salt to taste
Oil to deep fry

Wash poha well. Soak in little water for a while
Drain and crush well
Add finely chopped ingredients, jeera, curry leaves, salt.
Mould to small balls. Flatten.
Deep fry till golden brown.

Serve with chutney, sauce, or as in the original recipe - dunk in rasam or sambar.
(Note - You may need to sprinkle some water if the dough is very dry. )

For variation - add boiled potato, besan ( gram flour), finely cut vegetables. Whatever. It will taste good.

Aug 8 -
I also made a dahi vada out of these. Just soak them in a little water and place them in salted and spiced curd. Season and garnish and serve.

Palmyra Fruit Dessert - Munjal or Nungu

2010-05-20T22:54:00.000+05:30

The original container for the fruit -the above two pictures from The Hindu

It was maybe a coincidence that hubby got home the fruit just after Mothers Day. Palmyra fruit or Munjal as it is known in these areas. It brought back memories of the dessert that my mother would make ever so often in summer.

The ones here ( below) were bought off a highway, freshly plucked from the palmyra tree.

The outer peel has to be removed and the succulent white fleshy mass is exposed- juicy when tender and a treat to eat. It can be eaten plain, but I decided however to make it the way my mother did.

The pulpy fruit is placed in a bowl. Sometimes she would cut it into small even pieces ( when they were not too tender) and a dollop of cream was placed on the fruit and lightly sprinkled with powdered sugar. This was chilled in dessert bowls and would be at just the right temperature to devour when we came back from school. This was of course before cholesterol made news. I went a little easy on the cream and sprinkled some diet sugar. Maybe not the same, but did bring back memories of the dish the way amma made it.

Recipes with Raw Mango

2010-04-18T17:37:00.003+05:30

The mango tree ( neighbour's compound - unfortunately!) is full of mangoes. Surprising, because the papers say the mango crop is poor.

Well, here are three recipes made from raw mango -

1. Maanga Pachadi - Made for the Tamil New Year -

( the ingredients are all approximate – will depend on the size of the mango and the sweetness you would like to add – so make accordingly).

Raw Mango – 1 small
Jaggery – 150 gms
Cumin seeds ( jeera) – ½ tsp
Red chillie – 2
Mustard – ½ tsp
Oil for seasoning
Salt – pinch

Cut the mango into small pieces.
Add a little water and microwave for a minute. Just to make it slightly soft. I do not like the mango to be overcooked
In the meantime. Add a little water to the jaggery and make a thick syrup. Strain.
Add the slightly cooked mango to the syrup and simmer till the syrup thickens a little more. ( not to any string consistency, but should not be watery either)
Remove from fire – the mixture will cook a little even after you remove it from the heat.
Season with a little oil, mustard, cumin and red chillie.

2. Mango- Coconut Chutney/Thogayal
( excuse the picture)

Remember the mango is the sour component. Taste the mango and add accordingly. In the regular chutney, tamarind is added. The mango here replaces the tamarind and adds a tangy taste.

Coconut - ½ small
Raw Mango – small pieces – 50 gms ( to taste)
Urad dhal ( black gram dhal) – 2 tbsp
Red chillies – 2
Green chillies – 1
Asafoetida – pinch
Cumin seeds ( jeera ) – ½ tsp
Corriander leaves – ½ bunch ( optional)
Salt to taste
Oil for seasoning/ and roasting
Currry leaves/Mustard for seasoning.

Saute the urad dhal, jeera, red chillies in a little oil, till the urad turns slightly red
Grind along with coconut, mango pieces, salt.
Add a little water – this chutney should be slightly thick
Season.
Eat with hot rice / roti

* Recipe from Papukka

3. Mango Rice
( no picture for now!)

Cooked rice – the grains should be separate - 2 cups
Grated mango – ½ cup – more or less according to sourness desired
Bengal gram dhal ( channa dhal) – 1 tbsp – soak for a while
Black gram dhal ( urad dhal) – 1 tsp
Salt
Turmeric – ¼ tsp
Corriander powder – ¼ tsp
Jeera – 1 tsp
Green chillies – 2
Red chillies – 2
Curry leaves for seasoning.
Peanuts / Cashewnuts – sauté to golden brown
Oil – slightly generous – for seasoning

Heat oil in a wok
Add the soaked and drained channa dhal, urad dhal, red chillies, mustard.
When mustard splutters add curry leaves
Add the grated mango.
And the coriander powder ( dhania), turmeric powder, slit green chillies
A little water to cook the mango.
Add salt
When the mixture is semi dry.
Remove and cool.
Add to the rice, the peanut/cashe nut and mix well.

Serve.

Ashu's Mutton Curry

2010-03-23T22:39:00.002+05:30

Boneless Mutton - 1/2 kg
Non Veg Curry Paste ( Priya) - 1 ( or saute onion, garam masala, chillies and grind to paste)
Cinnamon -2

Clove -2
Bayleaf - 1
Turmeric - 1/2 tsp
Ginger-garlic paste - 1 tsp
Onions - 3 large - chop
Tomatoes - 4 large - chopped
Green chillies - 3-4 chop fine
Cummin ( jeera) - 1 tsp
Corriander ( dhania) powder - 1 tsp
Red chillie powder - 1 tsp
Lime juice
Salt to taste
Oil ( as per requirement)
Curry leaves - few

Take the meat, add the curry paste, chillie powder, salt, lime juice, curd ( optional).
Mix well.

Cover with foil and marinate in the refrigerator for 2 hours.

In a wok, add the oil

Once heated, add cinnamon,clove,bay leaf and curry leaves'
Add the chopped onions and 1 tsp salt and cook till golden brown.
Now, add turmeric , ginger-garlic paste and chopped green chillies
Saute for a few minutes.
Add chillie powder,cummin and corriander powder
Now, add a little water ( 1/2 glass), cover and simmer for 5 minutes

Once you see oil separate add chopped tomato, cover again and allow to simmer for sometime

Mash the mixture well.

Add the marinated mutton and fry for about 10 mintues..keep mixing to avoid burning..

Add about 300 ml of water and salt to taste.. cover with a well fitting lid

Simmer for 25-30 min.

Check and make sure the mutton is cooked well.

Garnish with corriander and serve.

Channa Masala

2010-01-20T22:02:00.004+05:30

Ingredients:
Kabuli Channa ( whole chick pea) - 200 gms
Jeera (cummin seeds) - 1 tsp
Onion - 1 ( slice, brown and grind to paste)
Ginger-garlic paste - 1 tbsp
Tomato - 1 small ( chop)
Channa Masala - 2 tsp

Garam masala powder - 1/4 tsp

Green chillies - 1

Red chillie powder - to taste

Ginger - 1/2 " piece julliene finely

Lime juice - to taste

Salt - to taste

Ghee/oil - 3 tbsp

( Instead of the onion paste and chopped tomatoes I used a readymade paste - Maggi Bhuna Masala )-

Soak the channa overnight.

The next day pressure cook it with a tea bag ( this gives it the rich black colour) * useful tip from my sister-in-law, and a green chilli till soft.

In a wok, heat the oil/ghee.

Add the cummin.

And the onion paste, the ginger garlic paste and sauté awhile.

Add the chopped tomatoes now.

Sauté further.

Add the channa masala, fry the masala for some time

Add the boiled channa, salt, chillie powder

Simmer for about 5-8 minutes.

Add garam masala.

Remove, garnish with corriander leaves, sliced onion, julienned ginger

Squeeze lime juice into the channa and serve with rotis, nan, batura.

Or even eat it plain.

Shepherd's Pie - Vegetarian !!

2010-01-17T20:04:00.001+05:30

Saw this on Cooking Isn't Rocket Science - Chef Manju Malhi. And changed it to a vegetarian dish - if ever there was a Vegetarian Shepherd's Pie. Also made in the microwave in this case.

Ingredients
Oil - 2 tbsp
Bay leaves2
onion -1 finely chopped
green chillies -2 finely chopped
soya granules - 100 ( substitute with mince lamb for the authentic Shepherd's Pie)
carrot -1 peeled and sliced ( round pieces)
Salt to taste
Cumin -1 tsp ground
Plain flour or maida - 25g
Stock300ml (chicken stock for the non vegetarians)
Tomato purée - 1 tbsp
Potatoes -200 gm , peeled and boiled and mashed
Butter -15 gm
Milk 4 tbsp
Cheese - 50 gm grated

Soak soya granules in warm water for 10 minutes
Squeeze out water and keep.
Take a pan.
Heat the oil and add the bay leaves.
Add onion and fry awhile.
Add green chillies and soya granules and the carrots.
Sauté 8-10 minutes .

Add the salt, cumin and flour and stir for a minute.
Add stock and the tomato purée.
The mixture will begin to thicken. Cook till it thickens properly.
Keep aside.

Add butter and milk to mashed potatoes.
Make a thick mash.

Grease an ovenproof dish.
Place the thickened soya mixture.
Spread the mashed potatoes on top and sprinkle the cheese.

Place in microwave for about 5 minutes.
Once the dish is done. Cut the pie into slices and gently remove the portions onto a plate.

Pancake with Filling

2010-01-03T15:43:00.000+05:30

I saw this on a Sanjeev Kapoor show this morning. The recipe was simple and since it did not seem too much effort , especially since I wanted to satisfy that sweet tooth of mine, I made it.

Ingredients: ( this will make about 4 pancakes)

Maida (Refined flour) - 1/2 cup

Baking powder - 1/4 tsp

Salt - 1/4 tsp

Sugar - 1/4 tsp

Milk - to make it a dropping consistency - approx 1/4 cup

Filling:

Nuts - use cashew, walnut or whatever - powder

Powdered Sugar - 4 tbsp ( I used brown sugar)

Mix the ingredients for the pancake.

Add enough milk to bring to the right consistency.

Lightly grease a non stick pan.

Drop a ladle of the batter

Twirl around the pan till it spreads.

Keep on low fire till one side is done and the edges seem to loosen at the sides.

Remove and keep on a plate.

Place filling in centre of the pancake ( lengthwise)

Fold.

Place on pan again till it is lighly browned.

Another option is to steam it.

Serve when warm with honey.

Variations:
Filling : Can be just about anything. You may reduce or omit the sugar in the batter. And fill it with mince meat, soya granules, a salad or whatever.

A Salad for the New Year

2010-01-01T16:18:00.005+05:30

For the Salad:

All vegetables/fruits to be cut fine

Yellow Pepper /capsicum - 1

Red Pepper/Capsicum - 1

Celery

Apple - 1

Carrot - 1 large

Boiled corn

( Add anything else you would like - lettuce, purple cabbage, pomegranate seeds, coriander leaves)

For the dressing:

Olive oil - 1 tbsp

Lime - 1 large - squeeze out juice

Pepper to taste

Salt to taste

Sugar - 1 tsp

Mix ingredients for the dressing well and make sure the sugar is dissolved.

All ingredients here are approximate. Do vary according to quantity of vegetables cut and taste.

Cut vegetables and keep in the refrigerator.

Add the salad dressing just before serving.

* Recipe from Manni

Also recommended for all those who blog - especially a recipe blog - a movie - Julie and Julia.

And thoughts on Celery by Ogden Nash

Celery, raw
Develops the jaw,
But celery, stewed,
Is more quietly chewed.

Missi Roti - Roti with Spinach

2009-12-29T10:44:00.004+05:30

This is a wholesome roti and can be considered a meal in itself - has the cereal ( wheat flour), pulse ( chickpea flour - besan), leafy vegetable ( spinach). Can be eaten with various accompaniments.

Ingredients:
Wheat Flour (Atta) - 1 cup
Chickpea Flour (Besan) - 1/4 cup
Spinach purée - 1 cup - (I had earlier blanched spinach, ground to purée without addition of water, and stored it in the refrigerator)
Salt - to taste
Chilie powder - to taste ( 1 1/2 tsp approx or less)
Coriander powder - 1 tsp
Turmeric powder - 1/4 tsp
Ginger- Garlic paste - 1/2 tsp

In a bowl add all the ingredients - makes a colourful picture

You may not need to add any water since the spinach has some moisture. If required some water may be sprinkled while making the dough.

The mixture is then rolled into rotis

And roasted on a pan - tawa

Eat with just about anything - raita, chutney, pickle, dal, jam, cheese spread. Whatever!

Hot and Sour Soup

2009-12-28T22:30:00.000+05:30

Got this recipe from Vah Re Chef's recipe and adapted it using whatever vegetables I had.

Ingredients:
Vegetable Stock - 250 ml
Vegetables - finely cut - carrots, beans, mushrooms, shelled corn, cabbage
Spring onions greens - 1 ( for garnishing)
Soya Sauce - 3-4 tbsp ( make sure you get the brown colour)
Vinegar - 2 tbsp
Sugar - 1 tbsp
Cornflour - 1 tbsp
Chilie flakes - 1 tsp ( acc to taste)
Tomato Ketchup - 2 tbsp
Salt to taste
Egg - whole egg not required - break and use about 1 tbsp of the beaten egg.

Place the cut vegetables ( apart from the cabbage) for a couple of minutes in the microwave - let them be crunchy.

Take the vegetable stock
Add the soya sauce and vinegar
Add sugar
Place the cut vegetables and cabbage in the boiling stock
Add the salt, chillie flakes and tomato ketchup
Allow to simmer for a while

Mix cornflour in a little water and blend into the stock.
Allow soup to thicken.
Take the beaten egg and either pass it through a strainer - so that thin strands of egg are formed when it comes in contact with the hot soup or allow the egg to run thinly from the spoon.
Add the finely chopped spring onion greens.
Simmer and remove.
Serve hot.

La's Yummy Omelette with Vegetables

2009-12-28T18:49:00.003+05:30

This is a recipe for a vegetable omelette - the pictures do not show too many vegetables - but don't let that stop you from adding your favourite veggie!
Ingredients:
Vegetables - use tomatoes,onions,carrots,mushrooms,peas - finely diced. Blanched spinach would be good too.
Eggs - well beaten
Salt - to taste
Chillie powder - to taste
Pepper powder - to taste
Chopped corriander leaves
Grated cheese.
Ginger-garlic paste - 1/2 tsp
Olive oil/ refined oil - little

Chop all vegetables - as fine as possible.

Beat the eggs till frothy. Add salt, chilie and pepper powder. Keep ready.

Take a pan. Add a little oil.

And the ginger-garlic paste,

Add the onions, sauté

And then the vegetables, keep till they are slightly crunchy but done.

Then pour the beaten egg on the sautéd vegetables.

Put grated cheese on top ( missing in this one!)

Lower the flame and keep the pan covered.

Check occasionally to make sure the omelette is done.

And serve. Seen here with a bowl of soup and toasted bread with cheese spread.

Okra with Tomato

2009-12-24T17:34:00.002+05:30

Okra (Bhendi)- 500 gms, wash, dry well and cut into one inch pieces

Onions - 2 large - diced

Red chillies - 6 ( or use chilie powder)

Coriander powder ( dhania) - 1 1/2 tsp

Turmeric powder - 1/4 tsp

Garam masala powder - 1/4 tsp

Tomato purée - 3 tbsp

Salt to taste

Oil - 3 tbsp

Heat oil in a wok.

Add the dry red chillies, sauté

Then the diced onions - brown them

Add the okra and sauté well.

Now, the turmeric, coriander and garam masala powder.

Cook a while

Add the tomato purée and a little water to make it a semi-dry curry.

And the salt

Simmer for a short while.

Serve hot with rotis.

(Prepared by VK)

Spaghetti with faux meat balls

2009-11-26T00:17:00.005+05:30

Ingredients:

Spaghetti - 100 gms

For the sauce

Garlic - 4 pods - dice

Pasta seasoning - 2 tbsps

Olive oil ( seasoned) - 2 tbsp

Onion - 2 medium

Tomato - 1 large ( dice fine)

Green chilies - 2 dice fine

Chillie powder - to taste

Salt to taste

Coriander leaves - for garnish

Cheese - grated for garnishing

For the 'meat' balls

Soya granules - 100 gms

Potato flakes ( optional ) 25 gms

Ginger-garlic paste - 1 tsp

Chillie powder - 1/2 tsp

Salt - to taste

Cornflour - 3 tbsp

Oil for deep frying

Slide spaghetti into boiling water. Add oil and salt and cook till al dente.

Drain the water and immediately immerse in or hold under cold water.

Keep aside

Prepare the soya balls

Soak the soya granules in warm water for 10 mins.

Drain and squeeze the granules well

Mix with the rest of the ingredients and a little water if required to bind

Make into small balls and deep fry till golden brown.

For the sauce

In a wok add olive oil

Add the garlic, onion, green chillies. sauté .

Add the tomato, fry awhile
Add the tomato Purée
Crush the seasoning and add.
Also the salt, chilie powder, and simmer on slow fire till it thickens.

Slide in the 'meat balls' and allow to simmer and absorb the sauce.

Add a water a little at a time, if it thickens too much.

Remove from fire.

Serve spaghetti on a plate and spoon the sauce over it.

Garnish with coriander leaves and grated cheese and top it with seasoned olive oil if required.

Eat and enjoy.

Chutney with puffed chick pea ( without coconut)

2009-11-22T15:53:00.001+05:30

A nice simple chutney to make without coconut. Courtesy Papu akka.

Ingredients:

Puffed chick pea - Puttanalu/daria dal/bhuna dal - 50 gms

Green chillies - 2

Garlic pod - 1

Coriander leaves - 25 gms

Salt to taste

Lime juice or tamarind paste - 1 tsp lime juice ( I used lime) or 1/2 tsp tamarind paste.

Oil for seasoning

Dry red chillies - 2

Black gram dhal ( urad) - 1/4 tsp

Mustard - 1/2 tsp

Curry leaves - few

Soak the dal for about 1/2 hour before use

Grind with green chillie, garlic, salt and coriander leaves

Place in bowl and mix in the lime juice

Season with black gram, mustard and curry leaves.

Serve with dosa/ uthapam ( shown in pic below)

Vegetarian Kheema ( Soya granules curry)

2009-11-15T21:41:00.003+05:30

Soya has the texture of meat and therefore a meat substitute. It is also a good source of protein.

Soya granules – 250 gms
Peas - 100 gms
Onions – 2 medium
Tomatoes – 2 medium ( or tomato puree )
Green chillies – 3 – chopped finely
Red chillie powder – to taste
Ginger –garlic paste – 1 tsp
Garam masala powder – ½ tsp
Dhania powder – 1 tbsp
Oil – 2 tbsp
Ghee – 2 tbsp

Immerse the soya granules in warm water for about 15 minutes.
Squeeze and drain the granules
Rinse again if required with cold water .
The soya granules are ready for cooking.
Heat oil in wok
Add the onions, ginger garlic paste, green chillies and sauté well.
Add the tomatoes, continue sautéing
Add the peas and
Then the drained soya granules
Add the masala powders and a little water. Cook a while
Add the ghee and cover and simmer for about 10 minutes till the water and masalas are totally absorbed.
Add the garam masala and stir for a few minutes.
Remove from fire and serve hot with rotis.