Curries and Spices

Corn Capsicum Pasta

2011-11-23T11:05:00.002+05:30

Someone said, 'Being a mom is one of the highest paid jobs, because the salary is pure love'!! I couldn't agree more!! It was like yesterday that I found this new job, it is already an year and my little one has already started calling me 'mmmmaaa'!!! Time really flies!

The other day I longed for some pasta dish but since I am strict about the cutting down on all the foods that increase my waist line, I was thinking of how I could replicate the usual cheese-cream pasta dish into a low fat one. The alternate was to use milk instead of cream and forgo the cheese. Sigh!!

But hey, the dish turned out real good and I did not feel any change in taste, leaving alone the cheese factor. So all those pasta lovers out there, if you are looking for some low fat version without compromising the taste, this one is for you!

Corn Capsicum Pasta
Serves 2

What we need:

Pasta - 2 cups I have used Penne
Sweet Corn - 1 cup
Capsicum, medium sized - 1, diced
Onion, medium sized - 1, diced
All purpose flour - 3 tbsp.
Milk - 1 cup
Butter/Ghee/Olive Oil - 2 tbsp.
Pepper powder - to taste
Salt - to taste

How to do:
1. Cook the pasta al dente. Drain and set aside.
2. Steam the corn.
3. Heat half a tbsp. of oil in a wok and add the diced capsicum. Fry till they are cooked but still crunchy. Set aside.
4. Heat oil again and add the onions. Fry till the onions turn pink. Remove and set aside.
5. Heat the remaining oil (or butter if you are using it) and slowly add the flour. Stir fast till all the oil/butter and flour gets mixed well.
6. Reduce the heat and slowly add about 1/4th cup of water. Keep stirring and dissolve the lumps if any.
7. Now when the sauce is smooth and thick, add milk, steamed corn, fried onions, fried capsicum, pepper powder and salt.
8. Give a good mix and remove.

Serve with garlic bread.

For those blessed ones who doesn't need to bother about the calories, go ahead and replace milk with fresh cream and add grated cheese on the top.

You can also sprinkle Oregano seasoning for that extra flavor and taste. Try adding some crushed garlic too.

Until I meet you all again with an interesting recipe, Happy Cooking and Happy Blogging!

With next every stage of my son, life is indeed getting better but time is always short. Everyday meal has become a 5-minute-on-the-go affair, with no luxury for indulgence. But once in a while, I do get time to cook my favorite or eat out and I try to make the most out of it.

Today's Guest blogger: Lata Raja of Flavours and Tastes

2011-05-23T17:15:00.009+05:30

The guest post section is back in action. Today's guest blogger is none other than Lata Raja of Flavours and Tastes . Lataji as we fondly call her is a very amicable, easy-to-approach person. She has an awesome array of recipes in her blog that includes specialities from various cuisines. Many new bloggers (including me) look upon her as a mentor as she is readily available to guide, give suggestions and appreciate our efforts.. Now without hijacking the post, here we go to see what Lataji has to say...

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C & S: Tell us about yourself
I am a woman who just loves life as it is. Have been blessed with many things wonderful and I keep counting all those blessings.

C & S: What does Cooking mean to you?
Cooking is still a learning process for me. I love to put ideas from all over to work in my day to day cooking. And to share them I write a blog @ Flavours and Tastes.

The blog was primarily to help document recipes for my daughter and her friends (who were taking up campus living with kitchen facilities), to try and cook their meal by themselves. Later the blog became a hobby and has evolved into what it is today.

Cooking was once an everyday chore, later developed to an interest. Now I would only be too happy to cook as many dishes for my family and friends.
Cooking and writing for the blog has taught me to be more attentive to my recipes, given me the confidence to try some dishes I would have not thought possible.

C & S: Your inspiration/role model/favorite cook
I draw inspiration from everyone, elders in the family, friends who are innovative. My fellow bloggers are my main influence. Of course some cookbook authors and television show hosts are serious inspiration.

C & S: Your favorite Cuisine
South Indian cooking is the top of charts, though Indian vegetarian food is my favourite. I would always willingly try any cuisine so long as it is vegetarian.

Traditional Vegetable Biriyani

Biriyani needs no introduction and just the blend of aromatic spices, rice and vegetables is sufficient to bring a healthy appetite about.
This one though is the first of the biriyanis I have ever watched someone cook for us and tasted, long many years ago. For a family who did not eat garlic and spices, even rarely, one of my aunts cooked it with permission from my grandmom. That was the first time, I recall that we had biriyani! The rest of the aunts and my mother soon copied the recipe and were trying it as a special treat for us kids! Thus I have the recipe and wanted to cook it for virtual friends here.

Recipe:
Serves four people.

Ingredients:
1 ½ cups basmati rice
3 cups vegetable stock or water
2 cups cubed vegetables that include shelled peas, potatoes, french beans, carrots and bell peppers
1 medium onion sliced in fine strips
3 tablespoons Ghee
1 bay leaf
Salt as required
For the masala:
(to be ground to a very fine paste, adding as little water as possible)
6-8 shallots pealed
2 teaspoons grated coconut
1 ½ teaspoon broken and soaked cashew nuts
1 tight fist full chopped coriander leaves
4 cloves garlic
1” piece of ginger
2 green chillis (can add according to required level of heat)
2 pods green cardamom
2 pieces Marathi moggu (optional)
4 cloves
2” piece cinnamon
1 teaspoon fennel seeds
1 teaspoon cooking poppy seeds (optional / or increase the coconut a bit)

Grind the paste. Recover the adhering paste with some water. This water may be added to the raita to flavor the same.

Method:
1. Wash the Basmati rice well and soak it in water for about 30 minutes.
2. Drain the water and spread the rice on a cloth to allow it to dry until about moist.
3. Meanwhile, steam the vegetables separately until they are cooked but the crunch is felt.
4. Heat one tablespoon of ghee in a pan. Add the bay leaf and then the sliced onions. Saute until the onions are pink.
5. Add the masala paste. Cook this on a low flame until very aromatic and the ghee separates.
Remove this from the pan.
6. Add some ghee if required and drop the drained rice. Toss the rice in the pan for a few minutes allowing it to roast a bit.
7. Heat the vegetable stock or water in a pan. Add the rice and cook the rice until tender, but separate grains showing.
8. Remove the rice from the pan. In a flat dish, mix gently the rice, the cooked paste and the vegetables well.
9. Heat the rest of the ghee in the pan. Add the above rice mix and cook on a low heat gently turning the biriyani over for a few minutes.
Serve hot with onion raita.

Onion Raita:
Slice one medium onion in very fine strips. Chop one green chilli very fine too. Chop fresh coriander leaves.
Combine all of the above and some salt as desired in a bowl of whisked yoghurt. The water which was recovered from the grinding of the masala can be added to this.

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Well, I am sure that left all of us slurping and drooling. Thank you Lataji for the wonderful recipe! Till I meet you all again with another interesting post, Happy Cooking and Happy Blogging!

Idli Milagai Podi - The best pal of Idli

2011-05-11T10:58:00.005+05:30

South Indian breakfast items are usually a hearty fare and you can go about even skipping the lunch if you had a heavy breakfast. Idlis form a staple diet in breakfast menu and comes with a variety of side dishes. Some like it with sambar, some with coconut chutney. Pudina or mint chutney is capable of sending down unlimited idlis within a wink of an eye while tomato chutney leaves you asking for more.. All said and done, it would be unfair if I leave out the most under-rated yet the most delicious side dish for idli, the 'Milagai Podi' or the gun powder as the local lingo names it.

My dad and grandma can never finish off their idli or dosa without a hint of this powder, irrespective of having sambar, chutney on the plate. I used to be a great fan of this one that I can have it even as a stand-alone snack! Brrr....

Now that I have toned down the spice levels during and post pregnancy, mom makes this less-spicy powder to suit my palates. You can always increase the amount of red chillies, or replace the red chilli with pepper for a better taste.

Idli Milagai podi/Gun powder
Spice powder served with rice cakes

What we need:
Urid dal - 1 cup
Gram dal - 1 cup
Red Chilli - 10 to 12 or Pepper corn - 1 tsp.
Asafoetida - 1 tsp.
Curry leaves - 4 sprigs
White Sesame - 1 tbsp.
Salt - as needed
Oil - little, for frying

How to do:
1. Roast all the above ingredients (except salt) separately in a tsp. of oil each.
2. After the ingredients cool down, grind to a coarse powder. You can also make it a fine powder if you like it that way.
3. Combine salt as needed and mix thoroughly.
4. Store in an air tight container.

When serving with idli, mix generous amount of sesame oil or ghee and serve.

Till I come back with another toungue tickling recipe, Happy Cooking and Happy Blogging!

Back to blogging with a Desi Delight!

2011-05-05T19:05:00.000+05:30

Hey people, I am back!!! (read as in "Terminator 3: Rise of the Machines") I know many of you checked in to find out if I was doing good. Thank you so much for your concern. I am very much alive and doing good. As my friend had said, I was down with a sweet sickness that bore fruit at the end of 9 months..Oh wait, it was 8 months plus 3 days!!

Yes, we recently welcomed a little cub into our pack! And that was the reason for my 'a year-long hibernation'. Our sonny dear arrived on a chilly November day and from then on, life has a taken a steep turn that is totally perpendicular to what it used to be! Suddenly sleepless nights are no more irritating, watching TV in mute and deciphering the dialogues is fun, and of all, waking up everyday to witness a sweet innocent toothless smile is HEAVEN!!

Well, I can go on and on bragging about my son and my new-found-status as a mom, but that's not what we are all here for, right? OK here's the recipe of the day, HOT and SOUR IDLI... yes our own south Indian breakfast with a twist.

This recipe, I saw a couple of years ago on a cookery show and it turned out to be fabulous. But I had completely forgotten about it. Recently when mom and I was talking about all the different dishes we used to make, this one promptly flashed on my mind and here I am blogging about it.

Hot and Sour Idli
Steamed rice cakes deep fried and topped with tomato based sauce

What we need:
Idli - 4 to 5 preferably left-over cold ones
Capsicum - 2, sliced
Tomato - 2 medium sized, chopped
Onion - 1 medium sized, thinly sliced
Garlic pods - 2 to 3, finely chopped
Red Chilli powder - 1 tsp.
Salt - as needed
Oil - to deep fry
Tomato ketchup - 1 tbsp. Optional

How to do:
1. Cube the idlis into bite sized pieces. Deep fry the pieces to golden brown.
2. Blanch and puree the tomatoes.
3. In a kadai, heat oil. Add onion, garlic pods and salt.
4. Fry till the onion turns pink and soft. Now add the sliced capsicums and fry till they get cooked.
5. While the capsicum is still crunchy, add the tomato puree, tomato ketchup, red chilli powder and if needed, a bit of water to bring to the gravy consistency.
6. Bring it a boil and swtich off.
7. When ready to serve, arrange the idli pieces in the serving bowl and pour the gravy over them
Serve immediately.

As I sign off with a hope that I would be able to resume blogging, I also hope that I would be able to catch up with all your posts I missed for so many months! Till then, Happy Cooking and Happy Blogging!!

Today's Guest Blogger: Sandhya

2010-04-20T20:30:00.002+05:30

Thanks everybody who extended your support in dealing with the anon comments. Not that I was upset, but I definitely feel a lot better! Thanks again! :)

Here comes the Guest blogger's space after a short gap! Till now, I was doing this space with my friends and non-blogger buddies. But I realized it is time to invite the you, the lovely bloggers out there, to adorn my blog with your fabulous recipes!

And the first person, who came to my mind was Sandhya Hariharan @ Sandhya's Kitchen. She remains a very special person to me always, as she was the first person to visit my blog and leave her comments. (I still remember the date: 22/09/09!) My joy knew no bounds when I received the first comment on my blog; I am sure all of us can remember that date, very much like the "first love" :D Thanks Sandy, you have no idea how much happiness your comment gave me! Those who haven't yet had a chance to peek in her kitchen, please do it right away. She has a lip-smacking collection of recipes with great clicks!

Over to Sandhya:
Hi I am Sandhya Hariharan .. My friends call me Sandy.. For tat matter my little one calls me San ,Sandy & Sandhya..... Amma..
This is my first guest Host in 10 months of blogging !! Thank you Rohini....Muwaah ..

Meet Sandhya:
Well.. Its ages I have written something about myself.. Last I wrote was for my campus interview ..lol ..
A South Indian having her upbringing in Mumbai... This is what I would call myself.. A total blend in culture ...coz I have been rared for 15 years of my early life which I can hardly forget... Lived in Chennai , B'lore and now in London... I love travelling to new places , learning their food culture.. and having it in my kitchen.

Meet Sandhya's Kitchen:
My Love & Passion for Cooking grew after meeting this handsome Hunk Hari who would never tired of praising & appreciating everything I cook. No matter how disastrous it could be. By Product of this Passion is Sandhya's Kitchen.

Sandhya's Kitchen is a very passionate culinary corner where I ponder & experiment Cooking. Looking forward to make it a one-stop location for any kind of Vegetarian Breaks in years to come.
I would take this lovely opportunity to thank all my blogger friends who visit my blog and shower their lovely comments. I have grown a lot in my cooking and as a person .. in these 10 months..

Inspiration/role model/favorite cook:
South Indian cook in me is very much what my mother has imbibed... Now I'm learning in bits and pieces from my Mil , Granny.... and of course my mom...

My Inspiration:Gordon Ramsay.. I love the way he does it . I totally admire his art of putting together the right ingredients and bringing the right flavours. The way Gordon presents food in Tele shows...

Favorite Cuisine: Mumbai street food / Thai food

Recipe Name: Pav Bhaji
This recipe is no new to anyone... But I have grown with this recipe.. I could cook Pav Bhaji since when I was in Class 9 .This recipe has been improvised in flavours and ingredients as I have grown and finally compiled into the final version.
I have posted this recipe when I begun my blog.. and have been updated with better pictures from time to time. Find this recipe in my blog here.

INGREDIENTS:
Sunflower oil - 2 Tsp
Chopped garlic - 3 cloves(optional)
Finely chopped green chillies - 1-2 Nos (depending upon hotness)
Medium sized onions - 2 Nos chopped finely
Freshly grated ginger - 1 Tsp
Medium size Tomato - 4 Nos diced finely
Cauliflower florets - 1/2 cup
Green Pepper - 1 Nos chopped finely
Green Peas - Handful
Carrot - 1/2 Cup
Potato - 3-4 Nos boiled &mashed

Powders & Garnishing:
Pav Bhaji masala - 2-3 Tsp( I have used an Everest one)
Turmeric Powder - 3/4 Tsp
Chilli Powder - 1/2 Tsp
Salted Butter - 50 gm
Salt - To Taste
Lemon Juice - 3-4 Tsp
Coriander Leaves - 1/4 cup

For Serving:
Sliced Lemon - 4 pieces
Dinner Rolls(Pav) - 8
Salted Butter - 10gm
Finely chopped onions - 1/4 cup
Sliced Lemon - 4 pieces
Cheese - Optional

Directions:
Cook cauliflower,peas,carrots,green pepper together in a pressure cooker and keep it aside.

Heat 2 tsp oil in a pan .Add garlic & green chillies and saute for 30-40 seconds. Now add ginger & onions and saute until it turns light brown. Add a pinch of salt while frying onions. It will help to evaporate the water & fry quickly.

Add the diced tomatoes to it and cook on medium heat for three to four minutes, stirring continuously or till oil separates from the masala.

Add turmeric powder, red chilli powder , 1 tsp pav bhajji powder to the mixture.

Now add the cooked vegetables & mashed potatoes to this mixture along with 1-1.5 glasses of water. Using a potato smasher, press the vegetables a few times till all of them are completely smashed.Bring it to a boil and simmer for ten minutes. Add the rest of the pav bhaji masala and salt now.

Cook on medium heat for 2-3 minutes and stir continuously.

Garnish the bhajji with chopped onions and lemon juice.

For Serving:
Heat some butter in a tawa. Slice pav horizontally into two and pan fry in butter for half a minute, pressing two or three times or till pav is crisp and light brown.

Garnish the bhaji with chopped coriander leaves, a little of butter and serve hot with pav accompanied with remaining chopped onion and lemon wedges.

See you all soon with another interesting post. Till then, Happy Cooking and Happy Blogging! :)

To all those "Anonymous" craps out there!

2010-04-19T22:05:00.004+05:30

Well, I am not going to waste any time giving an explanation for these so-called "Anonymous" comments that I have received today... All of us do have better things to do. But I just would like to tell this anonymous person who spends an enormous time trying to correct our spelling mistakes and telling us how to cook!

We all would be so glad if you can start a cooking-cum-blogging-cum-English language classes for us. This way, you don't have to waste time visiting each blog individually and correcting the mistakes!! Thanks in advance for your valuable service!

To all my buddies: I have disabled the anonymous commenting; so please do let me know if you face any issues in posting comments.

Aval Upma

2010-04-19T14:38:00.004+05:30

Our blogger buddy and my good friend Raji @ Raks Kitchen is celebrating her birthday today; so friends, please join me in wishing her a wonderful birthday filled with pleasant memories and good luck for the coming years! Happy Birthday Raji!!! :)

Most of you, who are reading my blog for sometime now must have known my love for Upma. I know, it is sometimes boring, dull and irritating. I have a big list of "I-hate-Upma" buddies! But to me, it is an ultimate comfort food, when I am not in a mood for an elaborate meal. Sometimes it is for breakfast, most of the time I even have it for lunch!

So presenting you one more Upma from my cook book, Aval Upma or the ever-famous Kanda Aloo Poha!

Aval Upma
Flatted rice cooked with Potatoes, Onions and spices
What we need:
Aval / Poha / Flattened rice - 2 cups
Potato, medium sized - 1
Onion, medium sized - 1
Curry leaves - 1 few sprigs
Red Peanuts - a handful
Green Chillies - 1 or 2, minced
Mustard - 1 tbsp.
Jeera (Cumin) - 1 tbsp.
Chana dal - 1 tbsp.
Turmeric powder - a pinch
Oil - a tbsp.
Salt - according to taste

How to do:
1. Wash, clean and soak the Aval/Poha with very little water for about 10 minutes. Ideal way is to leave them damp after cleaning.
2. Heat oil and add mustard, followed by Jeera and Chana dal. When the dal starts to brown, add the curry leaves, turmeric powder, green chillies, red peanuts and onion.
3. Fry till the onions turn soft and throw in the diced potatoes. Add salt.
4. Fry for a couple of more minutes till the potatoes are well-cooked.
5. Now slowly add the soaked Aval/Poha and stir gently so that the spices are incorporated and the poha is not broken.
6. Leave it for a minute and remove.

Garnish with coriander if desired and serve hot. It is a simple, stand-alone dish and doesn't need any side, but still you can serve it with some yoghurt.

See you all soon with an interesting Guest Blogger!! Till then, Happy Cooking and Happy Blogging! :)

Sago Murukku ~ ICC March '10

2010-04-15T09:41:00.000+05:30

When Srivalli announced this month's Indian Cooking Challenge, I was bit relaxed; not because I know to make Murukku. As a matter of fact, I have never made Murukku at all. I have only seen Amma doing it, but have never even touched the Murukku Achu but once (that was this time, when I brought it from India). Thank God I did it! Thanks Srivalli, from now Sago Murukku will not just be a challenge, but a regular affair at home! Amma usually makes Thenkuzhal or the typical Murukku. So Sago Murukku was new to me, but I was only thrilled with the outcome. It was perfectly crispy and so irresistible that it got finished in 2 days!!

But the flop-side was that the murukku didn't come out as a continuous piece; it got broke into small threads in spite of using the exact measurements given. And I was expecting a chakli-style murukku. Is my murukku ok? Or can somebody point out what could have gone wrong?

Sago Muruku

Rice flour and Sago coils

What we need:
Rice Flour - 2 cups
Besan flour - 1/2 cup
Fried gram flour - 1/2 cup Fried gram is the roasted gram dal which we get in shops. One needs to powder it and use.
Sago - 1/2 cup
Salt - according to taste
Chilli powder - 1/2 tsp or as per taste
Curd - 1/4th of a cup

Muruku Achu/Murukku Press

How to do:
Making the dough:
1. Dilute the curd with water to make buttermilk. Wash and clean the Sago and soak it in the buttermilk for 3 to 4 hours.
2. Once the Sago is soaked well and is soft, mix in all the flours, salt, chilli powder.
3. Heat 2 to 3 tbsp. of Oil and add it to the mixture. Knead well to bring it to a chapathi dough consistency.

Deep-frying the murukku:
1. Heat oil. Meanwhile, take a small portion of the dough (the size of a medium tomato) and press into the dough.
2. When the oil is hot enough (not smoking), press the murukku directly over the oil.
3. Reduce to medium flame and fry till the murukku is golden brown on all sides.
4. Remove and drain on a kitchen towel.
5. Store it in a air-tight container for longer shelf life.

Important Notes:
Sago should be well soaked to avoid bursting.
You can lightly grease the insides of the murukku press with oil.

Hope you all enjoyed this month's challenge. See you all soon with another interesting post. Till then Happy Cooking and Happy Blogging! :)

Keerai Masiyal

2010-04-13T12:21:00.008+05:30

Our blogger buddy, Sarawasthy @ Taste of Sara's kitchen is celebrating her birthday today; let us all wish her a wonderful Birthday and many many happy returns of the day!
I am on a recipe marathon, should I say? Well, there are so many posts lying in my drafts for a long time. Before any of them go stale, I want to deliver them hot and fresh! :)

Keerai Masiyal / Mashed Amaranth Gravy is that my-kinda-food which I turn to, when I miss home, or when my spirits need a lift. My brain is so complicated and one thing that I often go over and over is "Green means Healthy".. So anything green, I would eat without grudges telling myself that I am doing something good for my health! Oh, I don't graze grass though, that the cows in my farm(ville) will take care! ;)

So, I was so overwhelmed with joy when I saw these amaranth (mullai keerai) here in a Srilankan store I frequent often. This bunch was silently peeping through and the following was the conversation.

Me: Hey wait, Aren't you that.... Amaranth... Mullai Keerai??? What are you doing here?

Amaranth: Don't be silly.. What do you think I'm doing in a grocer's shop? Waiting for someone to buy me..

Me: But I have never seen you here before..

Amaranth: Oh ya, everyone likes me so much that as soon as I arrive, they come and buy me off.

Me: Oh, I see... *still contemplating whether to buy it or not*

Amaranth: Hey listen, I know you have been searching for me for so long... So don't pretend! I am tired of the usual curries these people make. Take me home soon before someone else buys me. I will be happy turn into that Keerai Masiyal / Keerai Kootu your mom often makes. I know you love that too!

Half an hour later, I was coming back home in the train happily with a bunch in my bag. The fresh smell of the leaves had done enough to make me go hungry; over and above that I was now and then opening my bag and smelling them, much to the confusion of my fellow passengers! Heck, what do they know about Keerai Masiyal??!!

Keerai Masiyal

Mashed Amaranth tempered with spices and coconut

What we need:

Amaranth leaves / Mullai Keerai / Thota kurra - 1 small bunch

Coconut oil - 2 tbsp.

Mustard - 1 tbsp.

Cumin (Jeera) - 1 tbsp.

Red Chillies - 3 to 4, broken

Urad dal - 1 tbsp.

Asafoetida - 1 pinch

Fresh Coconut, grated - 2 to 3 tbsp.

Rice flour - 2 tbsp.

Salt - as needed

Water - as needed

How to do:

1. Wash, clean and roughly chop the amaranth bunch. Make sure you trim the roots off.

2. Place them in a deep pan/vessel, add just enough water to immerse them, add a pinch of salt.

3. Bring them to a boil, when keeping the stove on medium-high. Then reduce the heat and boil for another 3 to 4 minutes. If the leaves are tender, they take less than 5 minutes to get cooked.

4. Dissolve the rice flour without lumps in 2 to 3 tbsp of water and and add it to the leaves. Add the remaining salt.

5. When the raw smell of the flour wears off, add the grated coconut, give a good mix and remove from the heat.

6. In a small seasoning pan, heat Coconut oil, add mustard seeds, followed by cumin, red chillies, urad dal and asafoetida.

7. When they are nicely done, add the seasoning to the gravy.

Notes:

You can add curry leaves to the seasoning for an added flavor.

Instead of using rice flour, you can soak a tbsp. of rice and grind it with coconut and add it to the gravy.

Use only coconut oil for seasoning; any other cooking oil won't bring out the actual flavor of this masiyal.

Hungry Puppy Caption Contest:

If you are creative (unlike me), have a good humor sense (unlike me, again!) and interested in captions, there is an opportunity for you to win some goodies. Please click on the picture below to know more about it!

See you all soon (now when I mean soon, it means soon!) with an interesting post! Till then, Happy Cooking and Happy Blogging! :)

Onion-Cherry Tomato Thogaiyal

2010-04-13T11:45:00.000+05:30

Here comes yet another thogaiyal / thuvayal / Chutney for rice from my cook book. I am a great fan of Thogaiyals and I am always on the look out for new varieties. This one, I first made with the shallot or the small onions and the taste was just excellent. Then I wanted to try it out with the red onions and so made some minor changes and used some cute little cherry tomatoes and this time too the result was just lip smacking! Do try it out for yourself, and I bet you can't agree with me more...

Onion-Cherry Tomato Thogaiyal

What we need:

Red Onion - 1, medium sized, cubed

Garlic - a small pod, Optional

Cherry tomato - 5 to 6, cut into halves

Red Chilli - 3 to 4, adjust according to your spice tolerance level

Urad dal - 3 tbsp.

Tamarind paste - a tbsp.

Salt - to taste

Oil - less than a tbsp.

Curry leaves - a few, Optional

How to do:

1. Heat oil and add the Urad dal and red chilli. Keep frying them till the dal starts to turn light brown.

2. Now throw in the cubed onions, halved cherry tomatoes and a pod of garlic (and curry leaves, if you are using them)

3. Add salt and saute them well till the onions and tomatoes are cooked.

4. Transfer to a blender, add the tamarind paste and blend into a smooth paste using very little water.

Serve with rice, sesame oil and roasted papad. I bet, you'll lick your fingers at the end of the meal. I did!! :D

See you all soon with another interesting post. Till then, Happy Cooking and Happy Blogging!

Kunuku Paniyaram

2010-04-11T22:30:00.001+05:30

Hello buddies,
I am back after a self-imposed mini break!! We had been to Vienna and Bratislava (the capital of Slovakia) for the Easter weekend and it was just a wonderful experience. Vienna is known for its architectural beauty and it took us less than a minute to fall in love with the beautiful city and its lovely atmosphere. More than anything, we found the people a lot friendlier in Vienna than any of the European cities we had been to. Twice we were approached by total strangers offering us help, because we apparently looked like hapless tourists (and oh, we were!!) standing in intersections of every street, reading the map and looking at the numbers!! ;)

And for foodies like us, there is a street called Naschmarkt which is completely dedicated to food, spices, fresh farm produces and hot street food. The minute I entered the street, my nostrils were filled with the aroma of spices, Olives, just-made Falafels.. And we tried our Indian khana at a local restaurant called 'Indian Pavilion' and the food was just awesome! So anyone of you, visiting Vienna next, please do try out this wonderful eatery!

After loads of walking, tons of clicks, and pleasant memories, I am back to the routine.. Yup, Farmville, Blogging, Eating, Sleeping.. What else do you expect???!!! ;)

Coming to our recipe of the day.. You might be confused reading the title, because Kunuku is a different recipe made from Adai batter and Paniyaram, as we all know is made of Dosa batter. By know you should have made the obvious connection. Yes, I just made Kunuku's using the Paniyara Kal.
Image Courtesy: Indiamart
Though I am a great fan of deep-fried foods, I am little freaky/ worried when doing it at home. I would rather prefer eating French fries once in a month from McD or Burger King rather than attempting it at home. So, naturally when the remaining of Adai batter in my fridge screamed "Kunukku" at me, I could not resist the idea of using my Paniyarakal which I flicked recently from my mom during the India trip. ;)

So, here comes the recipe.. This calls for usage for very little oil and the result is just too good!

Kunukku Paniyaram
Mixture of Dals, tempered with spices and shallow fried

What we need:
Par boiled rice - 1 cup
Toor dal - 1/4th of a cup
Chana dal - 3/4th of a cup
Moong dal - a tbsp. Optional
Red Chillies - 4 to 5, adjust according to your spice tolerance level
Curry leaves - 2 sprigs
Asafoetida - 1 tsp.
Salt - according to taste

Onion - 1, medium sized, finely chopped
Green chillies - 1 or 2, Optional
Oil - to shallow fry

How to do:
1. Wash, clean and soak the rice and dals separately for 3 to 4 hours. Soak Moong dal separately for half an hour.
2. Grind the rice first to a smooth batter. Transfer to a bowl.
3. Now grind the dal to a coarse paste, along the red chillies, asafoetida, salt. Add the Moong dal in the end, whipping for just 5 seconds. Mix the dal, rice together.
4. Heat the Paniyarakal and grease with little oil.
5. Meanwhile, mix the chopped onions and green chillies in the batter. I like to have them raw, but you can also saute them in little oil, before adding to the batter.
6. Spoon in the batter into each of the Kuzhi (or Compartment). Don't fill it to the brim; leave some space to help you turn them later.
7. Leave them on with the lid for 4 to 5 minutes on low-medium. Then, using the spatula gently turn them to the other side. If needed, add some oil to the sides.
8. Again, let this side cook for 4 to 5 minutes.
9. Remove them and serve with coconut chutney.

Notes:
1. Generally, Adai batter is thicker than Dosa batter, it should not be a surprise if Kunuku takes more time than Paniyaram.
2. Adding a handful chopped Mint leaves and Coriander will increase the taste and flavor by many folds.

Just after finishing, I realized that I have made an eligible entry for MLLA 22nd helping!! The most popular monthly series "My Legume Love Affair" was started by Susan and is hosted this month @ Ruchika Cooks.

Since Kunuku was not interested in going alone to the event, I am sending along
Chole Tikki
Pasi Paruppu Sundal to the same event.

See you all soon with anoher interesting post. Till then Happy Cooking and Happy Blogging!

Chegodi Bracelet with Thatai Hearts & My "Compulsive"ness-es

2010-03-29T16:16:00.007+05:30

So Me back!!! A month of hectic sessions left me worn out and I had a very satisfying weekend to give a fitting end to the whole thing. Of course, I would be continuing the course after sometime but hey, DO WE NEED A REASON TO SHOP?? TO GET PAMPERED? :)
That's what I did! A nice relaxed pampering session at the hairstylist, then some feel-good shopping* followed by relaxed Sunday and it spilled over to Monday, Tuesday too!

* Feel-good shopping means, shopping/buying and filling up your house with things, you absolutely know, you don't need, but doing it just for the heck of it! It can range anywhere from show pieces to fashion accessories, majority of them being Clothes!

Amma (and now DH) keeps telling me that I can open my own shop with the accessories I have! ;) But still the compulsive shopper in me peeps out every time I enter the mall/shop, takes over my original personality and whenever I come to, I am standing with bags full of items that will possibly lie in the wardrobe forever...

That said, I am a compulsive packer too. Meaning, whenever we go on trips, I always end up packing twice the amount I would need. For 4 days trip, I will have 8 dresses and corresponding accessories. And DH will always wonder why my bag is always heavy. My answer would be, "Because I am a girl!" End of conversation.

Now, what has all these to do with today's recipe? Definitely, this Chegodi Bracelet with Thatai hearts are not a result of my addictive-shopping. But they were born due to the "window shopping" by Sanjana @ KO Rasoi. She wants to give away a lovely Bracelet to one of us in turn for some unique dishes that are results of inspiration from that lovely bracelet. I have been thinking about it ever since she announced the contest, and now I am with this!
Chegodi or the Ring Murukku is not at all new to us. In fact, I was supposed to do it for ICC November Challenge (For my new buddies, ICC was initiated by Srivalli), but had to drop it due to my then-India-trip. But I had it at the back of my mind that I must try it out and found all right reasons to make it now.

Thatai is also one of the famous south Indian snack and our favorite munchie. Like the majority of us, I am no exception when it comes to munching snacks all the time. (Read: Compulsive Muncher)

So here I am, presenting the "Chegodi bracelet with Thatai hearts" for MY LOVE FOR SNACKS and sending them to Sanjana's "Wear your Food" contest!.

Whoops, what a lengthy prelude! By now, you know I am a compulsive talker, a compulsive writer..! Since you are still reading this, I am awarding the title "Compulsive Reader" to you!! :D

Chegodi / Ring Murukku
This recipe is exactly what Srivalli had given us.

What we need:
Rice Flour - 1 cup
Water - 1 cup
Split Yellow Moong dal / Pesara pappu / Mung Dal / Pasiparuppu - 1 1/2 - 2 tblsp
Cumin Seeds - 1 tsp
Sesame Seeds - 1 tsp
Chili powder - 1 tsp
Ghee or oil - 1 tblsp
Salt to taste
Oil for deep frying

How to do:
Making the dough:
1. Soak moong dal in water for half hour to 1 hour.
2. In a deep bottom pan, boil water, then add salt, ghee and moong dal.
3. Bring it to boil, simmer and slowly add the rice flour. Using a rolling pin or the ladle, mix the flour with water by stirring it well.
4. When the flour is mixed and done, turn off the heat immediately. Cover with lid and keep aside for 10 to 15 mins.

5. Once the dough is cool, add chilli powder, sesame seeds, cumin seeds and mix well. Knead till you get a smooth dough. Adjust the salt and spice depending on your preference.

Frying the Chegodi:
1. Heat a pan with oil, enough to fry 3 -4 at time. Simmer once it gets hot. The temperature should not be smoking hot.
2. Grease your fingers with oil and pinch out a small lemon size ball and roll between your palms to form a thick rope. Bring the two ends to together and press to form a rope. Ensure the ends are firmed pressed as not to give out during frying.
3. Continue with the rest of the dough until you are done with the entire batch. You can either cover it with a plate or a cloth to prevent the dough from getting dried.
4. Check if the oil is in the correct temperature, by dropping a tiny bit into the oil. Then gently slide the rings or the chegodis in batches of 4 -5.
5. The flame has to be on high until the chegodis come up to the surface, then lower the flame to medium and cook till you get a golden colour on the chegodis.
6. When the chegodis are golden all over, using a slotted ladle, remove to a kitchen towel and cool. Store in an air tight container for longer shelf life.

Notes: Remember to turn the heat to medium to high and high to medium for getting the chakodis to golden colour and also to be cooked evenly. Only this way you get crispy chakodis. These should not be cooked on low flame as they will absorb more oil and can turn soggy also at times.

Variation: Instead of Cumin and Sesame seeds, 1 tsp of Ajwain or Omam can be used along with chili powder.

Well, I purposely didn't join the ends for a few of them, just to create a chain effect!
Oops! Where are the hooks?

Thatai
Crispy Spicy Rice wafers

What we need:
Rice flour - 1 cup
Urad dal Flour - 2 tbsp.
Butter - 2 tbsp.
Salt - according to taste
Chana Dal - 2 tbsp.
Curry leaves - a sprig (I didnt add this)
Chilli powder - 1 tsp.
Asafoetida - a pinch
Oil - to deep fry
Aluminum foil/Plastic sheet - to press the thatai's

How to do:
1. Soak the chana dal for about 30 minutes to 1 hour.
2. In a bowl, take the rice flour, add the Urad dal flour, salt, chilli powder, asafoetida and mix well.
3. To this add the butter and keep mixing till it is evenly incorporated.
4. Add the soaked chana dal, torn curry leaves. Add water slowly and mix till you get the chapathi dough consistency. Close with the lid and set it aside for 10 minutes.
5. Heat Oil in a pan. It should be hot, but not smoking hot.
6. Meanwhile grease the plastic sheet with oil. Take a small ball of the out of the dough, press it on the sheet and make a flat round. Repeat with the rest of the dough. (I used a cookie cutter to get the heart shapes)
7. Slide 2 or 3 at a time (depending on the size of your kadai) and cook on medium-high till the bottom side turns golden brown.
8. Turn over with a slotted spoon and cook till this side turns brown.
9. Drain on a kitchen towel and store in an air-tight container for longer shelf life.

Heart puffed up with so much love!

Hope you all enjoyed today's post. See you all soon with another interesting recipe. Till then, Happy Cooking and Happy Blogging!

Ariselu / Athirasallu / Athirasam ~ ICC Feb 2010

2010-03-15T11:30:00.000+05:30

Oh boy!! This is the only word that comes to my mind at the end of this month's ICC. When Srivalli, who initiated Indian Cooking Challenge announced this month's challenge I was both over-whelmed and under-whelmed at the same time. Overwhelmed, because Athirasam as we call it Tamil is definitely one of my favorites. Under-whelmed, as all of us know, it is one of the difficult sweets to make. I am a great fan of the Kalyana Athirasams, the ones that come along with Murukku in the "Seer" in our marriages. In fact, Amma saved some from the Sashtiapdhapoorthy (60th Marriage day) of her sister and passed it on to me when Mom-in-law came here to visit us.. So that explains my love for this wonderful sweet :)

I immediately called up to check with Amma to get her inputs. She only asked me, "Are you sure you are going to do this?" This was enough to scare me once again and I was contemplating till last week how am I going to do this. Then finally, I decided.. Chalo, what's wrong in trying!!

First attempt was a total mishap with all the dough turning into hard bits with no scope for correction. Amma suggested that it could be because of the wrong consistency of the Jaggery and that I be a little more vigilent next time. Yes, vigilent I was, the second time. This time I took out the Jaggery at the right time, and I was finally able to make something that came close to be called Athirasam.

I made use of the second recipe given by Srivalli and found it simpler than the first one.

Ariselu / Athirasallu / Athirasam
This method yields about 8

Ingredients Needed
Rice Flour - 1 glass (standard measurement)
Jaggery - 1/2 glass
Coconut,grated - 2 tsp
Cardamom powder - 1/4 tsp
Water - 1/2 glass
Sesame seeds - 1 tbsp

Oil for deep frying.

Method to prepare:
1. Grate the Jaggery and add water just enough to cover it.
2. Cook it on high and removed the scum.
3. Then add the cardamom powder.
4. Once it starts boiling, add the grated coconut. You will see lot of bubbles coming out.
5. At this stage, add the Rice flour slowly and stir it together well. You will know when the consistency is correct, so till then you got to keep adding the flour.
This dough can be stored and used whenever you want. If it becomes too hard, just add about 2 tsp of water along with 2 tsp of sugar.
6. Get it to boil, while you keep stirring it. The mix should become soft again. When you handle it, it should come together as a soft dough. Divide it to equal balls.
7. Heat a kadai with oil to deep fry these. In a greased plastic sheet, pat them down to equal sized discs. Press down the sesame seeds over the top.
8. Once the oil is hot, gently drop these into them.
9. Fry on both sides. Since the sesame seeds are just pressed over the top, they will get into the oil. If you want to avoid this, try adding to the dough.
10. Once they are golden brown, remove and drain them on a kitchen towel. They will be soft when you remove them, will become crunchy once they are cooled.

Update: Some of my blogger buddies have passed on TOFAS which I'll update soon. Please excuse me for my laziness! :(

See you all soon with another interesting post. Till then, Happy Cooking and Happy Blogging!

Guest Post #3 : Madhurya

2010-03-07T20:52:00.003+05:30

Before any of you could scream "LAZY" on my face, let me tell you why I am "ON" and "OFF" the blogosphere. I have joined an intensive course for my next level Deutsch and it is taking up around 5 to 6 hours of my time everyday incl. travel. So I get drop-dead tired by the time I come back. Rest of the day is taken away by household activities (those of you in Facebook, you know I am getting addicted to FV too!). So, till the end of this month, please excuse me for my untold absence from my blog and of course, yours too! I shall catch up with all your lovely posts as and when I get time!!

So, coming to today's Guest, Madhurya is a dear friend of mine. We met here in Zurich because of a mutual friend. Thanks to so many common interests we share, it didn't take much time for us to become good friends. Madhu, as I call her, is a trained carnatic music singer and violinist. I always get mesmerised listening to her divine rendition of the ever-green classical songs.

Of all, she is an amazing cook too! Her Specialty (or should I say, Uniqueness?) is she never uses Garlic and Onion in her cooking. She intelligently uses her kitchen spices to recreate an even better . Though my amma's cooking taught me to use the minimum of these 2 stuff, over years I have become used to these that I feel so handicapped without Onion or Garlic in my cabinet! Amma will be angry seeing this... *blush*

C&S: Tell us about yourself!
Madhurya: A very jolly, creative, enthusiastic & a friendly person.

C&S: What does Cooking mean to you?
Madhurya: Cooking is a beautiful art. I love to try new recipes and also to invent new recipes :D

C&S: Your inspiration/role model/favorite cook??
Madhurya: For every human being in this world, Mom's cooking is the best cooking. I'm no different... :D Next to my mom, my Grandma, My mother in-law and myself :D

C&S: Your favorite Cuisine?
Madhurya: South & north Indian, Italian cuisine

So, do visit her blog "Subhojyam" and enjoy her spread! Here we go to our recipe which is my all-time favorite!!

Raw Mango Pickle

Ingredients:
Raw Mango – 1 (cut into small pieces)
Chilli powder – 3-4 tbsp (add according to the amount of Mango)
Salt – To taste
Refined oil – 5-6 tbsp
Fenugreek seeds – 1 tbsp
Mustard seeds – 2 tbsp
Jeera (cumin seeds) – 1 tbsp
Asafoetida – 1 pinch

Preparation of Pickle:
1. Wash the cut mango pieces and keep it aside.
2. Heat oil in a pan, add mustard seeds. After it crackles, reduce the flame and add jeera (cumin), fenugreek seeds. Add 1 tbsp of chilli powder and fry lightly.
3. Now add the mango pieces, rest of the chilli powder, salt, asafoetida and mix well. Cook for 1 min and remove from flame.
4. Leave the mixture outside open for 1 hour and then refrigerate.
Enjoy it with Rice varieties, especially with curd rice.

Additional Info:
This pickle will stay good for 1 week if it is refrigerated. This one is so easy and simple to make.

Hope you enjoyed today's post. See you all soon with another interesting recipe! Till then, Happy Cooking and Happy Blogging!!

Happy Birthday Nithya!

2010-03-02T19:04:00.006+05:30

Our dear blogger pal, Nithya of 4th Sense Samayal (better known as the creative, innovative, enthusiastic blogger!!) is celebrating her birthday today! So friends, please join me in wishing her a very Happy Birthday and many many such wonderful returns of the day!

Happy Birthday Nithya!!

Image Courtesy: 123greetings.com

Hyderabadi Vegetable Biryani & Mirchi Ka Salan

2010-02-26T18:11:00.007+05:30

Whenever I see/hear "Hyderabadi Biryani", I starting drooling... Not for the non-veg version though.. Wait!! Am I making a mistake by saying "Non-veg version of Hyderabadi Biryani"??? Oh yes, I am.. Isn't Hyderabadi Biryani always made with Chicken or Mutton or whatever...?

Being married to a Tamilian brought up in Hyderabad, I thought my DH will be the right person to show me a place that serves authentic veg version of this biryani. But he was also thoughtful when I asked for it. He and my in-laws did know a couple of joints that served the veg version, but all of us were quite skeptical because these joints are famous only for the non-veg biryani and always had the risk of (read: accidentally) mixing up both. So no taking chances!!

Now what? Put on your thinking hat and start experimenting.. That's what I did. Some enormous googling, some addition, some innovation and lots of patience resulted in a lip-smacking (authentic looking and tasting) Hyderabadi Veg Biryani! Traditionally, these biryanis are slow-cooked in dum-style i.e. a big vessel holding alternate layers of gravy and rice cooked not on direct heat, but kept over a bed of hot charcoal. I have used to oven-method to replicate it.

And what more could be a perfect partner for biryani other than mana Mirchi Ka Salan? Ever since I saw Malar's version of Mirchi ka Salan, I was looking out for an opportunity to do this exquisite combo! So here goes our very own Hyderabadi Delights Vegetable Biryani and Mirchi Ka Salan, hand-in-hand all the way to Pari's "The Combo Event" hosted to celebrate her 100th post. Hearty congrats dear!
Hyderabadi-style Vegetable Biryani
Basmati rice slow-cooked with vegetable gravy
Serves 2

What we need:
For rice:
Basmati rice - 2 cups
Water - 3 cups
Ghee - a tsp
Cardamom pods - 2
Salt - to taste

For Gravy:
Mixed Vegetables - 2 cups
I have used Carrots, French Beans, Potatoes, Green Peas, Cauliflower. I micro-waved them for 5 minutes. You can also par-boil them or use Frozen vegetables.

Onion - 1 big, thinly sliced
Tomato - 1 big, chopped into big cubes
Green Chillies - 2 to 3, slit
Coriander leaves - a bunch
Mint leaves - a handful
Ginger-Garlic paste - 1 tbsp.
Thick Yoghurt - 4 to 5 tbsp.
Turmeric powder - a tsp.
Cashews - 10 to 15
Oil/Ghee - 3 to 4 tbsp.
Salt - to taste

Whole Garam Masala:
Cinnamon stick - 1" inch piece
Cloves - 4 to 5
Bay Leaf - 1
Star anise - 1
Cardamom pod - 2 or 3
Cumin seeds - 1 tsp.

Biryani Masala powder:
Dry-roast the following ingredients and powder them: Cinnamon stick (2" inch), Cloves(4 to 5), Green Cardamom (4 to 5), Black Cardamom (1), Cumin (2 tbsp), Red Chilli (3 to 4), Peppercorn (1 tbsp)

For Garnishing:
Saffron strands
A tbsp of milk
Uff, that was a long list. Don't panic, you'll feel rewarded at the end! ;)

How to do:
Cooking the Rice:
1. Wash and soak the basmati rice for an hour.
2. Heat Ghee in a heavy-bottomed vessel. Drain and add the rice to this. Meanwhile boil 3 cups of water separately.
3. Stir till the rice becomes a little hard. Add the boiling water, cardamom pods and salt to this.
4. Cook till all the water is absorbed and holes start appearing on the surface. Switch off, cool and fluff it up with a fork. Set aside.

Preparing the Gravy:
1. Heat Oil or Ghee in a wok. Throw in all the ingredients marked under "Whole Garam Masala" and fry till the aroma is released.
2. Now add the cashews and fry till the cashews turn golden brown.
3. Add the Onion, green chillies and ginger-garlic paste. Fry till the onions start to turn brown.
4. Throw in the tomatoes, half of the coriander and mint leaves and stir for a couple of minutes. Add the salt, turmeric powder and 2 (heaped) spoonful of Biryani Masala powder.
5. Mix and add the vegetables. Coat them well with the masala and fry for 5 minutes till they are done. Remember, we have par-boiled them; so it should not take more time to cook.
6. Add the Yoghurt/Curd, give a good mix and remove from the flame. Add the remainder of coriander and mint leaves and mix.

Arranging/Cooking the Biryani:
1. Mix the saffron strands in milk and set aside.
2. Take an oven-safe vessel, or a heavy-bottomed deep vessel.
3. Arrange alternate layers of Cooked Rice and Gravy, starting with Rice and ending with rice, i.e both bottom-most and top-most layer must be rice.
4. Sprinkle the saffron-milk over the rice.
5. If using oven, cover the vessel with an aluminum foil and cook in the pre-heated oven for 20 to 30 minutes on 200° C.
For stove-top method, cover the vessel with a lid, lower it into a bigger vessel filled with water and place the whole arrangement on the stove on low-medium and cook for 20 to 30 minutes.

When ready to serve, dig out a layer all the way till the bottom and serve with some chopped coriander over it.

Mirchi Ka Salan
Chillies cooked in mildly spiced gravy
Serves 2

What we need:
Jalapeno Pepper / Long green chilli, medium-hot variety - 5 to 6
Turmeric powder - a pinch
Red chilli powder - 1 tsp.

To sauté and grind:
Onion, medium sized - 1
Tomato, medium sized - 1
Garlic - 4 to 5 pods
Ginger - 1" inch piece
Coconut, grated - 2 tbsp.

To Dry roast and powder:
Roasted Peanuts - 3 tbsp.
Sesame seeds - 1 tbsp.
Cumin seeds - 1 tbsp.

To Temper:
Cumin seeds - 1 tbsp.
Fenugreek seeds - 1 tsp.
Curry leaves - a sprig
Oil - 2 tbsp.

How to do:
Making the paste:
In a tbsp. of oil, gently sauté the diced onions, along with garlic and grated ginger. When the onions turn soft, throw the chopped tomatoes, saute for a couple of minutes. Sprinkle the grated coconut and switch off. Let the mixture and then blend to a smooth paste with very little water.

Making the dry masala powder:
Dry roast peanuts, sesame seeds and cumin and make a fine powder using a mixie.

Making Mirchi ka Salan:
1. Heat oil in a kadai and sauté the chillies till the skin starts turning white. Remove and set aside.
2. In the remaining oil, add the cumin, fenugreek seeds and the curry leaves. When the cumin crackles and fenugreek turns dark brown, add the ground onion-tomato paste.
3. Stir well till the oil starts to separate. Now throw in the turmeric powder, red chilli powder and powdered peanut-sesame-cumin powder. Sprinkle little water to avoid the burning.
4. When all gets blended well (you can see that mixture will no more stick to the pan), add a cup of water and salt.
5. When it starts boiling, add the sautéed chillies and stir. Adjust the consistency of water based on how thick you want your gravy.
6. Allow it to boil for a minute and remove.

Serve the Hyderabadi Vegetable Biryani and Mirchi Ka Salan together and relish the irresistible combo! :)

I agree the whole thing is a bit tedious process and involves a lot of work. But it is definitely worth every bit of it. So save it for a special occasion or a party-day where your efforts would be noticed and appreciated! :)

Hope you enjoyed today's combo. See you all soon with another interesting post. Till then, Happy Cooking and Happy Blogging!

Guest Post #2

2010-02-24T14:30:00.001+05:30

Today's Guest Post is by one of my ex-colleagues and a very good friend, Karpagam. A kind-hearted person, great cook and of all, a very helpful person she is..! We used to have a gala lunch-time every day, with all the team members sitting in one big table and sharing everyone's lunch box (typical pattikadu style!) Those days are so memorable time of my career. :)

These 2 recipes I am posting today are her specialties and I can vouch 100% for the taste! :)

French Toast

Ingredients:
3 eggs
1 teaspoon sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup milk
Sliced white bread - 10
Butter

Method:
1. Beat the eggs lightly.
2. To this, add sugar, salt, and milk and stir it well.
3. In a medium-low heated Tawa/Skillet, add butter.
4. Place the bread slices one at a time in the egg mixture for a few seconds.
5. Transfer to the tawa and cook until bottom is golden brown. Turn and brown the other side.

Serve hot with honey/jam. You can team it up with a glass of Orange juice and a fruit for a satisfying breakfast!

Milagai Killi Sambar
Broken chilli Sambar

Ingredients:
Toor dal – 1 cup
Tomato – 2
Turmeric powder – 1/4 teaspoon
Tamarind Juice – 1/2 Cup
Green Chillies – 4
Garlic flakes – 5
Onion – 1
Oil – 1 tablespoon
Salt – As required
Mustard seeds - 1/2 teaspoon
Fenugreek seeds – 1/4 teaspoon
Jeeragam (Cumin seeds) - 1/2 teaspoon
Curry Leaves – 5
Coriander leaves – for taste
Asafoetida - 1/4 teaspoon

Method:
1. In a pressure cooker, take the toor dal, tomato, green chillies, Asafoetida and turmeric powder. To this, add 2 cups of water and Pressure cook till 4 whistles.
2. In a pan, heat oil and add Mustard followed by Fenugreek seeds, Jeeragam and curry leaves.
3. When they are donea, add garlic and fry till golden brown.
4. Add chopped onion and fry till the onion turns transparent
5. Add Tamarind Juice and cook for 3 minutes.
6. Add this to the boiled dal, along with salt to taste and pressure cook again for 5 minutes.
8. Garnish with chopped coriander leaves and serve hot.

Hope you all enjoyed today's guest post. See you all soon with another interesting recipe. Till then, Happy Cooking and Happy Blogging!

Khasta Kachori / Moong Dal Kachori ~ ICC January Challenge

2010-02-15T12:27:00.000+05:30

Kachoris or Samosas? I would have without a second thought, said "Samosa".. But having tasted this Kachori now, I will have a dilemma from now on, when it comes to Kachori or Samosa... Of course, they are no synonyms! Since I hadn't tasted Kachoris for a long time now, I had no idea how would it even look like.. I don't wanna sound like a moron anymore ;)

ICC January gave me the perfect timing to rekindle my memory cells and refresh my palates. Thanks to Srivalli, whose brain child is Indian Cooking Challenge, who made the right decision, choosing Kachori over Samosa, otherwise a moron like me would have never remembered this delicious savory! Needless to say, the end result was simply delicious, crispy Kachoris that brought a wide smile on DH's lips :)

Thanks to Medhaa, whose tried and tested recipe is what we are going to use for this month's challenge. Over to the recipe.. I have pasted the recipe, as is as given by Medhaa. Also I made the kachoris a bit smaller than the usual, as I preferred it that way.

Kachoris
Adapated from Medhaa's Aunty recipe

Resting Time for the Dough is app 1/2 hr - 1 hr
Frying time for the Kachoris - 20 mins for each batch app.
Soaking Time for the Filling is app. 1 hr
Cooking Time for the Filling is app 15 mins
Yields - 15

For the Dough
Ingredients Needed:
All purpose flour / Maida - 2 cups
Oil/ Ghee - 1/4 cup ,
Salt - 1/2 tsp
Water for kneading

Method
Mix the flour and salt, Add the oil/ghee and mix till you get a bread crumbs texture.
Slowly add water and make a soft dough. Knead well for about 8 minutes.
Cover and keep aside to rest for atleast half hour.

Special Tips / Notes for the dough:
1. Keep the dough covered at all times, if not it will dry up and not puff up when frying. If the dough is made right wet cloth can be used if not just a towel.
2.The dough could spring back for many reasons:
Dough is too cold (If wet cloth is used)
Dough is not soft enough.
Not kneaded for enough time.
Oil is less.
Not rested enough.

Fillings
Khasta Kachori - Moong Dal Kachori

Ingredients Needed:
Split Moong Dal (yellow) - 1/2 cup
Cumin Seeds - 1 tsp
Hing / Asafoetida - a pinch
Curry Leaves - 2 tsp chopped fine (opt)
Green Chilli - Ginger paste - 1 tsp
Sauf / Fennel seeds powder - 1 tsp
Garam Masala - 1/2 tsp
Red Chilli powder - 1/2 tsp
Mango powder / Amchur - 1 tsp
Oil - 1 tsp
Salt to taste

Method
1. Wask and Soak dal in water for atleast 1 hour. You can go upto 4 hours not more.
2. Drain the water well.
3. Grind the dal to a coarsely. (Will resemble Idli Rawa)
4. Heat oil in a pan.
5. Add the hing and cumin seeds.
6. Once the seeds splutter add the curry leaves.
7. Add the dal.
8. Lower the heat and keep stirring for 5 minutes till the dal stops sticking to the pan.
9. Cook for another 10 minutes on low till the dal turns slightly brown.
10. Add all the masalas.
11. Cook for few minutes till the aroma of the spices hit you.
12. Add Salt.
13. Remove from heat and keep aside to cool.

Special Tips / Notes for the filling:
1. The fillings have to be really dry if not when rolling they will ooze out when rolling.
2. Adjust the masalas according to your taste. What is given in this recipe is spicy to the extent one can still enjoy.
3. For idea on pressing the filled kachori, check out Manjula's method. If you try to press out using a rolling pin, the filling may come out and make holes in the kachori.
4. Fry the kachori's on medium low to get a crisp outer layer, that is the key. For people using electric stove, the numbers can be going from 6 to 4.

To Make Kachori's
Make a small ball from the dough. Roll out into a 2 inch diameter circle. Or flatten the ball using your fingers having the center thick and sides little thin.

Place about 1.5 tsp of the filling in the center of the rolled dough.

Cover the filling with the dough by slowly stretching it over the filling. Seal the ends and remove excess dough. Repeat with all the balls and keep aside for 5 -7 mins.

Then using your palm, flatten the balls by lightly pressing it, as using the rolling pin will make the filling come out. (See notes below). Keep aside covered. Repeat with the remaining dough.
Meanwhile heat some oil for deep frying. The oil should not become smoking hot. Test to see if the temperature is right by dropping a tiny ball of dough and see if it is rising slowly to the top.

Drop the kachoris in batches of 3-4 gently into the oil. It should rise up slowly. If you don't want to use lot of oil, use just enough for two or three at a time and fry them.

After it rises up (about 2 minutes), turn it over.

Cook for about 6 to 10 minutes till the side down gets a golden brown color.

Turn and cook the other side for another 6 minutes or till its golden brown in color.

Remove when done, cool and store in airtight container. Serve with coriander chutney and tamarind chutney .

Special Tips / Notes for making the Kachoris:
You can fry 3 kachori's at a time.
The oil should be at a heat when you drop some dough it should come up slowly, if the dough comes up too fast the oil is too hot, if it does not come up then the oil is cold.
It will not be crisp if the oil is too hot.

Hope you enjoyed this challenge as much as I did. See you all soon with another interesting post! Till then, Happy Cooking and Happy Blogging!

Happy Birthday Anupama!

2010-02-14T17:16:00.004+05:30

Our dear blogger buddy and my shweeeet friend Anupama, is celebrating her birthday today! Isn't that so nice to be born on a day dedicated to LOVE? No wonder she is such a lovable person! :)

So, may we all wish Anu a very HAPPY BIRTHDAY and many many wonderful returns of the day!

And wishing all my friends and readers a HAPPY VALENTINE'S DAY!
See you all soon with an interesting recipe! Till then, Happy Cooking and Happy Blogging!

Killu Milagai Rasam - Dedicating to a loved one!

2010-02-13T16:35:00.012+05:30

Duh... Another rasam? Why is it again RASAM???? Before you could fire me with any questions, let me clarify! More than this rasam, my memories associated with this rasam are more special!

Every one of us has this special person in life whom we love/like unconditionally.. No no wait! I am not talking about Parents, Spouse, In-laws, Boy friend/Girl friend, Siblings.. True that we love these people and we always need to love them! But apart from these relationships, we may share a special bond with one person, who may be a friend, a distant relative, a cousin or a colleague, whom we love/like without any special reason! Do you agree with me?

So I am dedicating this post, to my that-special-person, my cousin, S. I am 12 years elder than her, but I am her favorite "Akka" and she is my sweetie-pie. Right from her childhood (and mine too! You know, I am not that old!) we have a mutual affection for each other, which keeps growing each day. I was (and am) so pleasantly happy to love and be loved by a cousin, as I don't have siblings and I used to be one nasty, mean, b****y cousin to the rest of them ;)

And this rasam, is one of auntie's speciality and S's and my favorite too. Now over to our "Killu Milagai Rasam"... Since "Fenugreek" is a main flavoring ingredient of this Rasam, I would like to send this to, SE (Denu)'s Cooking with Seeds:Fenugreek. CWS was initiated by Priya and hosted this month by SE.

Killu Milagai Rasam
Broken Chilli Rasam/Soup

What we need:
Tamarind - a lemon sized ball
Red Chillies - 3 to 4
Fenugreek seeds - 1 tbsp.
Mustard - 1 tsp.
Cumin (Jeera) - 1 tsp.
Asafoetida - 1 tsp.
Ghee - a tbsp.
Salt - according to taste
Water - as needed
Curry leaves - a sprig
Coriander, finely chopped - 2 tbsp. Optional

How to do:
1. Extract the tamarind in 2 cups of warm water. Set aside.
2. Heat Ghee in a deep bottomed vessel and add the fenugreek seeds.
3. Wait till they start turning brown, now add the mustard and allow it to pop.
4. Add cumin, torn/broken red chilli pieces and curry leaves.
5. When they are done, throw in some Asafoetida and a pinch of turmeric powder.
6. Now add the extracted tamarind water with salt. Check for seasoning and adjust the consistency according to taste.
7. Bring to a boil and remove.
Garnish with chopped coriander and serve hot with rice. To serve as a soup, let this rest for sometime, this is for the tempering's flavor to seep in, and then strain and serve.

Award time:
My lovely buddies never stop sharing their happiness with me. So here comes another shower of appreciation.
Priya on her 200th post shared with me this award. Hearty Congratulations dearie, wish you many many such wonderful milestones! *wondering how long would it take for me reach that milestone*

Malar has passed on to me:

Nithu shared with me:

Devi has shared with me:

Hearty congrats to Sara too, on her 200th post.
Thank you so much friends. Your every comment, award only boosts me to do better. Kindly do accept these awards from me too!

T&T Rotli from Lataji's Kitchen
Lataji is one blogger I always look upon and admire at. The way she gives every minute detail when making the dishes, her constant encouragement, and her immediate response to any queries only teach me how to be more perfect as a blogger! Here's something I tried from her kitchen and absolutely loved!
These Rotli's were so soft and perfectly layered that I actually kept peeping into the layers the first time I made it. :) And now whenever I am making Roti's at leisure, I make Rotli's instead. Thanks Lataji, for presenting us such wonderful recipes

It was a long post, I know. Here I sign off, promising to see you again with a Guest Post. Till then, Happy Cooking and Happy Blogging!

My First Guest Post!

2010-02-11T13:07:00.006+05:30

So I am joining the band-wagon too! Yes, starting today "Guest Post" will be a regular feature in my blog. Here I am planning to present you some delicious recipes from my family and friends who have inspired me, motivated me and the most important of all, from some of the wonderful persons, whose cooking, to me, is indeed a magic!

I am not promising to make it a weekly section, but I shall try to be regular as much as possible (given that I am such a lazy person, "regular" itself is too much a commitment to make!)

Kick starting this series with Pranita Raj, whom we fondly call Chinnu. We (as in my DH) are distant cousins, but when it comes to similarities, interests and tastes, we are not that distant at all! And she is the person who gave me the right push to start this "Guest Post" series. A greatly talented person esp when it comes to designing dresses and presenting the food artistically, this recipe of hers was featured in one of the editions of last week's 'Eenadu'.
http://epaper.eenadu.net/svww_zoomart.php?Artname=20100209a_007101006&ileft=587&itop=652&zoomRatio=130&AN=20100209a_007101006
Also she is planning to start her own food blog soon. So Wishing her good luck, let's hear what she has to say!

C&S: Tell us about yourself!
Pranita: A HR by profession, an artist by heart.. Thats what I am.. Super creative and Uber Crazy... :)

C&S: What does Cooking mean to you?
Pranita: I enjoy experimenting with food and as my husband loves homemade food, I always look to innovate and try out new dishes..

C&S: Your inspiration/role model/favorite cook??
Pranita: My mom is the best cook in the World :)

C&S: Your favorite Cuisine?
Pranita: I like Chinese and South Indian cuisine.

Recipe Name: Fruit Chaat
Speciality of this recipe: Done within minutes and very nutritious. Considering that Maha Shivratri is around the corner, what could be more apt than a recipe with fruits!

Fruit Chaat
Serves 2

Ingredients:
A Pineapple (cut into two halves length wise, and scooped out, and the pulp cut into small bite-size pieces)
An Apple/Pear (cut into small bite-size pieces)
2-3 Chikoos/Sapota/Sapodilla (cut into small bite-size pieces)
6-7 Fresh Strawberries (cut into small bite-size pieces)
A few seedless Grapes (halved)
Watermelon Half (cut into small bite-size pieces)
Kiwi (optional and cut into small bite-size pieces)
Half a Cucumber (cut into small bite-size pieces)

For the Dressing:
2 tsp Olive Oil
1/2 a cup Lime juice
2 tsp Chaat powder
1 tsp roasted Jeera/Cumin pwd
1/2 a tsp freshly ground Pepper
A pinch of salt (optional)

For Garnishing:
An orange cut into two halves, some strawberries and grapes.

Method:
Take all the cut fruits in a bowl.
In a separate bowl, mix all the ingredients of the dressing.
Add this mixture to the fruits and toss lightly.
Serve in the scooped out pineapple. Garnish with this orange halves.
Tastes best when served chilled. :)

See you all soon with another interesting post. Till then, Happy Cooking and Happy Blogging!

Ellu Podi / Ellu Urundai

2010-02-04T15:33:00.007+05:30

Ellu or the Sesame seeds is the one of the most versatile seeds that have a place in every other cuisine in the world. They are known for the nutritional benefits and are exceptionally rich in Iron, Magnesium, Manganese, Calcium and also have Vitamin B1 and Vitamin E.

There is also a general belief that Sesame seeds have the property to regulate the menstrual disorders in Women. Although I do not recommend taking it without any Professional advice, I myself have experienced it working like magic.

Over to our simple Ellu Podi or Sesame powder..

Ellu Podi
Sweetened Sesame Powder

What we need:
White Sesame seeds - 1 cup
Powdered Jaggery - 3/4th cup
Cardamom Powder - a pinch Optional

How to do:
1. Check for any impurities and dry roast the sesame seeds till they turn light brown.
2. Let them cool and powder them in the mixer.
3. To this, add the powdered Jaggery and pulse it for 3 to 4 times. Mix in the cardamom powder and pulse it once more.
4. Allow it cool and store it in an air-tight container.

You can use this powder to make Ellu Sadam (Sesame rice), Ellu Sevai (Sesame Rice Hopstrings) and also add this at the end when making "Vatha Kozhambu", it tastes awesome!

To make Urundai or balls, all you have do is to shape the powder using your hands into balls immediately after pounding. The stickness from the sesame and the slight warmth will help in shaping them.

These yummy Sesame balls find their way to Priya's Cooking with Seeds: Sesame. Thanks Priya for organising such a wonderful event!
See you all soon with another interesting recipe. Till then, Happy Cooking and Happy Blogging!

Avial

2010-02-03T21:30:00.004+05:30

Hope this post finds you all in good colors! Here I come again after a tiny gap, with a yummy, tasty, healthy and traditional South Indian Curry, Avial. I love Avial! (read in block letters!) Yes, to an extent that I don't need rice or Adai to go with it. I simply like to relish the bowlful.

I am sure there are various methods to prepare Avial; so I am sharing with you amma's version. I have also tasted other variations like Avial with Onion-Tomato, Avial with Tamarind, each of them tasty in their own way. Hope one day I'll post all of them!

Avial
Mixed Vegetables cooked in Coconut-based gravy
What we need:*Mixed Vegetables - 2 cups
Thick Yoghurt/Curd - 1/2 cup
Salt - according to taste

To temper:
Coconut oil - 1 tbsp.
Mustard - 1 tsp.
Curry leaves - a sprig
Asafoetida - a pinch

To grind:Coconut - 4 to 5 tbsp.
Cumin (Jeera) seeds - 1 tbsp.
Green chillies - 2 or 3 Red Chillies taste good too
Ginger - a small piece, de-skinned

*I have used Raw Banana, Carrot, German Turnip, Potato, Cluster beans, Beans. Ash-gourd, Yam, Drumstick are also best vegetables for Avial.

How to do:
1. Wash and cut the vegetables into long pieces. Boil them till they turn soft.
2. In a deep bottomed vessel, heat Coconut oil and add mustard seeds.
3. When they crackle, add Curry leaves and asafoetida.
4. Now add the boiled vegetables (along with the water used to boil them). Add salt as needed.
5. When they come to a boil, add the ground coconut mixture and give a good mix.
6. Bring to a boil and remove from flame. Now add the thick curd and mix well.

Serve with rice and appalam or Adai.

Notes:
1. Use only coconut oil for tempering as it gives that special flavor. Also before serving, add a generous amount of coconut oil, mix well and serve.
2. If you are including Drumstick, cook them separately as they can get mushy too easily.
3. A little sour curd will enhance the taste.
4. If you have Banana leaves to spare, keep the lid of the vessel tightly closed with a banana leaf. The flavor and smell is just too good!

T&T Tandoori Mushroom Capsicum Tikka Rice from Sushma's blog
Sushma, we all know is such a innovative cook. I get excited everytime she posts an Indo-Chinese dish or Tandoori dish, as she not only does it in a simple way, she also ensures it is so tasty and delicious. I always wanted to try her preparations; So I chose this Tandoori Mushroom and Capsicum Tikka Ricefor a lunch when DH was working from home. Not only did the otherwise I-wont-eat-Mushroom-Person loved it, he also asked me to make it often. Thanks Sushma for sharing it with us the wonderful recipe, we simply loved it!

Award time:
Akal's Saappadu has passed this to me.

Kanchan has tagged me again with the Kreative blogger award. She wants us tell yet another 7 interesting (or not interesting!) things about ourselves. So here you go!
1. I am or rather was a very short-tempered person. I have refined a lot over years, especially after marriage. DH has played a major role in moulding me! ;)
2. I get real terrible dreams. Often I dream that I have become blind or I am surrounded by Crocodiles, wake up screaming and bring down the whole house. So don't you dare to sleep next to me ;)
3. I have only 26 teeth. Rest of them has been taken away in the process of installing bridges and setting my teeth right. :(
4. I love reading books, ok this one is old.. I love reading the same books again and again. Like for example, I have read Sidney Sheldon's Master of the Game more than 5 times and Dan Brown's Da Vinci code for more than 4 times. Crazy, ain't I?
5. I like to have Tea as many times in a day as I can (though I have it just once!).
6. I am the only person in my family who loves Dogs.. So much.. So much.. That I like to pet and cuddle all the dogs on the road going for a walk ;)
7. As much as I used to hate Greens, I just love them now! And I really miss them now, as we get only selected varieties here.

Thansk buddies for sharing your happiness with me too!
Guess I have bored you all enough. Here I sign off promising to see you all with another interesting recipe! Till then, Happy Cooking and Happy Blogging!

PS: Does the spell-check feature in the Editor (of Blogger) work for you all? It doesn't, for me! :(

Arisi (Kurunai) Upma

2010-01-25T14:06:00.010+05:30

Is this something to do with the weather? I have started justifying the word Couch Potato. I am literally lying on the sofa doing nothing the whole day! And you know what? Sometimes, it is fun! Once in a while I pamper myself with this eat-something-do-nothing phase..

Coming to the recipe, Arisi Kurunai Upma is a complete, wholesome meal by itself. Arisi Kurunai is nothing but broken rice. It is also called as "Noi" in tamil. As for preparation of this broken rice, a simple procedure would be to :

Wash the rice and drain it completely. Leave it for half an hour and then pulse (remember not to grind) it in the mixer twice or thrice. This helps in getting a coarse texture.

Over to our recipe..

Arisi Kurunai Upma
Broken rice tempered with mild spices
Serves 2
What we need:
Broken rice - 1.5 cups
Moong dal - 2 tbsp.
Water - 3 cups
Coconut, scraped - 3 to 4 tbsp.
Mustard seeds - 1 tbsp.
Cumin (jeera) - 1 tbsp.
Urad dal - 1 tbsp.
Chana dal - 1 tbsp.
Dry Red Chilli - 2 or 3
Salt - according to taste
Asafoetida - a pinch
Curry leaves - a sprig
Coconut oil / Cooking oil - 1 tbsp.

How to do:
1. Soak the moong dal in warm water for 10 to 20 minutes. If using store-bought broken rice, wash it well.
2. In a deep-bottomed vessel or pressure cooker, heat a tbsp. of oil and add mustard seeds.
3. When it crackles, add cumin, urad dal, chana dal, red chillies, curry leaves and a pinch of asafoetida.
4. When the dal turns light brown, add 3 cups of water and salt as needed.
5. When water starts boiling, add the broken rice, soaked moong dal and coconut scrapes.
6. Cover with a lid and cook until the rice is done. It should take around 15 minutes. If using pressure cooker, let it give out 2 to 3 whistles.

Garnish with fresh curry leaves if desired and serve with chutney / Gothsu (recipe follows). IMHO, it tastes best with a dash of pickle! To impress the kids, all you have to do is shape them into nice round balls! Like this!
T&T Ginger Rasam from A2Z Vegeterian Cuisine:
Rasam is indeed a comfort food for most of us. That too, with a running nose and sore throat, nothing can be more filling as a warm bowl of rasam! Ginger is also an effective ingredient to send sore throat packing (Remember the vicks ad, where the sore-throat-devil gets chased away!) So when the lovely ladies @ A2Z Vegetarian Cuisine came up with this Ginger rasam, I bookmarked it and tried it almost immediately. I strictly prohibited myself from making any alterations to the original recipe. Man, flu or no flu, it was so wonderful! Thank you dearies, for the yummy rasam!

Now, competing the shower of snow outside my window, is the shower of awards in my blog. Sorry buddies, I am very late in acknowledging some of them.
Swarna passed on to me
Devi, Sowmya, Indu (a.k.a) kitchen queen shared with me
Sowmya also showered me with
Thank a ton friends, it means a lot to me!
See you all soon with another interesting post! Till then, Happy Cooking and Happy Blogging!

Peerkangai Thogaiyal and a bunch of Thanks

2010-01-15T13:58:00.001+05:30

May I take this moment to ask you all to join me in praying for victims of the terrible earthquake at Haiti.. May the God give the survivors the strength to come back to normalcy soon..! My heartfelt prayers to everyone out there who had to pass through this calamity!

Now over to our recipe...

Peerkangai Thogaiyal / Beerakaya Pachadi

Ridgegourd Chutney

What we need:
Peerkangai - 2
Urad dal - 3 tbsp.
Tamarind paste - 1 tbsp.
Red Chilli - 4 to 5, adjust according to your spice-tolerance level
Salt - to taste
Oil - 1 tbsp.

How to do:1. Wash, clean and peel the ridgegourd. Save the skin. Cut the vegetable into small pieces. I have used both the skin and flesh here. You can also opt for using only one of these.
2. Heat oil and add the urad dal. Fry till the dal starts turning light brown.
3. Now add the red chilli and fry till they start turning darker in color.
4. Mix in Asafoetida. Now add the vegetable and skin along with some salt. Keep stiring till they turn tender and done.
5. Let it cool for a while and transfer everything to the blender, add tamarind paste now. Blend to a smooth/coarse chutney.

Serve it along with rice mixed with sesame oil and roasted papad.

A recap of 2009:
As I havent done thies earlier, here's a short and sweet of recap of my 2009. Slow, quite satisfying and uneventful! This was how my 2009 was.

Some good things:
** I could visit a lot of new cities in Europe. A typical Saggitarian, I always love to travel and thanks to my DH who also has become a backpacker now, we had fun exploring the European architecture.
** "Curries and Spices" was born out of my boredom. Now I never feel bored!
** Thanks to the response and support for the cooking blog, I was motivated to start "Demystifying Beauty", a little corner from the artist in me!
** Above all, I have earned a good bunch of lovely friends, from the blogging world and the forums out there!

Not-so-good things:
** The first year after my college days that I spent my time idle mostly.
** A few saddening incidents on the family-front that left me quite disheartened.. But thankfully, 'All izz well' now!

In all, 2009 was an year of mixed feelings!

Now coming to acknowleding all the appreciation my buddies have showered on me:

Kanchan, my sweet friend, had wished me in her blog on my birthday; so sweet of you dear! Thanks to all you friends, who showered me with your good wishes on my birthday; it was so touching!

Asha , Priya passed on to me:

Vineetha and Cool Lassi(e) passed on to me this award. Thanks buddy, I have already been tagged here.

Dolly has motivated me with:

Thanks a ton friends, I am touched. I am happy to share these awards with everyone of you, so please free to accept it and display it in your blog!

See you all soon with another interesting post and T&T. Till then, Happy Cooking and Happy Blogging!

Happy Birthday Namitha..!

2010-01-14T17:10:00.004+05:30

Our blogger buddy, Namitha fondly known as Gulmohar from Collaborative Curry is celebrating her birthday today; please join me in wishing her a wonderful birthday and loads of happiness for the years to come!

Happy Birthday Nami!!

Happy Birthday Jeyashri

2010-01-10T14:24:00.005+05:30

Our lovely blogger friend, Jeyashri is celebrating her birthday today; she is enjoying her vacation right now, but that doesn't stop us from wishing her, does it? :)

So here's wishing Jeyashri a wonderful birthday and tons of happiness for the years to come!

See you all soon with another interesting post! Till then, Happy Cooking and Happy Blogging!

Bajji Milagai Thogaiyal, T&T Kadai Paneer

2010-01-09T21:44:00.008+05:30

So I am back... A whirlwind trip I should say! Phew... But we thoroughly enjoyed every moment of it! This time it has been a pure mana Andhra affair as parents have also shifted base to AP by virtue of dad's work and in-laws always been in AP. Thankfully we didn't get affected by any of the current political situation.

Needless to say, how it feels to be with parents and relatives after a long gap of one year! Lots of pampering and good food has generously donated a few extra kgs and a few inches around the waist line! ;) But who cares!!! This is the time to binge on all those stuff we miss abroad. So did I!
Coming to our recipe of the day, I apologise for not posting the picture of the same; my laptop has been formatted and I am yet to install the photo editors and camera-related softwares. So I shall update the pic as soon as I can! But be assured, this has been one of the tastiest thogaiyal/pachadi my MIL prepares and a true spicy andhra accompaniment for rice, idlis, dosas. I have always regarded this yummy Mirchi as a 'bajji' thing and was pleasantly surprised to know that it tastes so well in the form of thogaiyal and also as a sambar-veggie.

Image Courtesy: Wikipedia

Do try this one and you'll know why I am raving about it so much!

Bajji Milagai Thogaiyal / Mirchi Chutney
A chutney/dip made from Chilli Peppers

What we need:
Bajji Milagai / Mirapakaya / Chilli Peppers - 5 to 6
Tamarind - a lemon sized ball
Salt - according to taste
Oil - 1 tbsp.

For tempering:
Oil - 1 tbsp.
Mustard - 1 tsp.
Cumin - 1 tsp.
Broken Urad dal - 1 tsp.

How to do:
1. Wash, cut and de-seed the chillies.
2. Heat a tbsp. of oil in a pan and fry the chillies till the they turn soft.
3. Allow them to cool and blend to a smooth paste along with tamarind, salt. Do not add water.
4. Heat a tbsp. of oil and add the mustard, followed by cumin and urad dal. When they are done, add the blended mixture and keep stiring them till oil starts to separate. Remove from flame.
5. Cool it and transfer to an air-tight jar. This has a longer shelf life and comes very handy during travel.

Serve with steaming hot rice drizzled with sesame oil and a roasted papad. Now, do I hear you saying,"Mmmmm....." ? :)

T&T Kadai Paneer from Vidya's blog

How many times in a month would you like to eat Paneer? I never, never, never get tired of this one. Sometimes it gets boring when we make the same stereo-typed recipes again and again. So when my dear friend, Sree Vidya posted this Kadai Paneer, I slurped, rolled my sleeves and got into action. It was yummy and so flavorful that I had to click it straight from the pan; the moment it got transferred to the serving bowl, there was no stopping me and DH!! He he.. The only change was adding red capsicum instead of the green ones. Thanks Vidya, it was a definitely wonderful recipe!

So see you all soon with another interesting post! Till then, Happy Cooking and Happy Blogging!

Hello

2010-01-05T09:23:00.004+05:30

Hey all,

Hope this post finds you all in good colors! Wish you all a very happy and prosperous New Year!! :)

We are still enjoying our break in India...Needless to say, good food, lotsa fun and pampering... all these will continue for 2 more days! I'll be back soon to my blogging routine and will catch up with all your wonderful posts!

Meanwhile, our beloved buddy Sangeetha is celebrating her birthday tomorrow; so let's all wish her a wonderful birthday with loads of happiness, good health and prosperity for the years to come!

Happy Birthday Sangeetha...!

See you all soon! :)

A Break!

2009-12-14T18:55:00.004+05:30

Dear friends,

We are going on vacation to India for about 3 weeks. We would be welcoming the new year "2010" with our parents!!!!!! Hence my next post will be 2010 :) (reason being 1. enjoying the vacation 2. laptop is dead!) So new year to me means new hopes, new resolutions, new ideas for blogging and of course, new laptop too!

So Wishing you all Merry Christmas and a very Happy and Promising New Year!!!!

Cheers!
Rohini

Vegetable Pulav, T&T Chilly Paneer

2009-12-10T20:45:00.006+05:30

Yay, I'm back! Thanks a bunch friends, for all your concerns, tips and wishes, my laptop has gotten itself some life and is normal (at least as I am typing this post!) For anybody who is facing this issue, I uninstalled and re-installed my Anitvirus and did a couple of malware scans and that did the trick. Please do write to me if you would like to have the complete steps.

Coming to our recipe for today, Vegetable Pulav is one yummy, complete meal that is a sure hit in most of our homes, be it a party or a lazy sunday lunch! I have about half-a-dozen pulav recipes, with difficulty level ranging from easy to high, the simplest (yet tasty) one being my MIL's version. I shall post that some time soon!

Here is a version that calls for a little bit for work before hand, but is well worth the effort. So without much talks, let's see how I made Vegetable Pulav.

Vegetable PulavBasmati rice cooked with marinated vegetables and spices
Serves 2

What we need:
Basmati Rice - 2 cups
Onion, big sized - 1, thinly sliced
Tomato, big sized - 1, roughly chopped
Vegetables - 1 cup ( I have used Carrot, Beans, Peas, Cauliflower, Potato)
Soya chunks - a handful - Optional
Green chillies - 2 or 3, minces
Mint leaves - less than a handful
* Pulav Masala powder - 1 tbsp.
Bay leaf - 1
Cumin seeds - 1 tbsp.
Ghee/Oil - 3 tbsp.
Water - 3 cups
Salt - according to taste
Coriander - chopped, for garnish

To marinate:
Thick Curd - 3 to 4 tbsp.
Red Chilli powder - 2 tsp.
Turmeric powder - 1 tsp.
Cumin powder - 1 tsp.
Coriander powder - 1 tsp.
Salt - a little
Kasoori Methi - 2 tbsp., crushed
Ginger-garlic paste - 1 tbsp. - Optional
A few mint leaves

* If you don't have store-bought Pulav masala, you can dry-roast 3 to 4 cloves, 1" inch cinnamom stick, a black cardamom, 2 or 3 green cardamom, cumin seeds, fennel seeds and powder them.

How to do:
1. Wash well and soak the basmati rice in water for 30 to 40 minutes.
2. In a bowl, mix all the ingredients given under 'To marinate'. To this, add the vegetables and give a good mix. If you are adding soya chunks, boil them for 3 to 4 minutes, squeeze the excess water and add them to the marinade. Let this also sit for 30 minutes.
3. Heat ghee/oil and add the bay leaf and cumin seeds.
4. When they are done, add the onion, green chilli, mint leaves and saute well.
5. When the onions turn translucent, add the tomatoes, salt and Pulav masala powder.
6. After the tomatoes turn soft, add in the marinated vegetables and the remaining marinade if any.
7. Drain and add the rice; mix well. Now add water (1 cup of rice: 1.5 cups of water)and cook till the rice is done.

Notes:
Take care when adding salt, as our marinade has a bit of salt.
If you are using Pressure cooker, in step 7, add boiling water, add a few drops of lemon juice and cook for 1 whistle.

Garnish with chopped coriander and serve hot with a raita of your choice!!

T&T Chilly Paneer from Kanchan's Personal Tadka

Paneer is my all-time favorite ingredient, and am sure it is for most of us too! (That is evident from so many Paneer-related events in the blogsphere!) But for snacks, I stick diligently to Paneer tikkas or Paneer bites. Kanchan's Chilly Paneer kept coming back to me, so I made it one evening. Only change I did was to add red bell peppers instead of green ones, as I didn't get the green ones that week.
And the outcome: DH and myself, ate in complete silence!!! It was sooooo tasty and finger-licking-delicious (in our case, fork-licking!) Thanks Kanchan, I am passing to you my DH's thanks too :)

See you all soon! Till then, Happy Cooking and Happy Blogging!

A tale of my trouble!

2009-12-09T17:44:00.005+05:30

First of all, a million "Sorry" buddies, for not catching up with any of your posts of late. I would like to give the due credit to none other than my own "Laptop"...Argggghhhhh.... Somehow my laptop has gotten an idea that it is a 6 months old baby and it is craaaaaaawwwwwliiiiiing! (I feel even babies nowadays are faster!) Every single page/blog takes nearly 20 minutes to load, and if I start punching in the comments, that is another 20 minutes! I sometimes feel like throwing the laptop out of my balcony and happily wait for someone to take it away! :(

Talking in techincal terms, my CPU usage always shows 100% and the process "svchost.exe" seems to be culprit! No virus, all probes run clean!! I have already tried so many fixes but nothing seem to help. So any techies out there, if you have faced such issue and had a fix, please let me know!

Even this post, I am typing from the notepad, as that seems to be the only application not affected by the "god-knows-what" issue! So please bear with me for a while (a while can be a few hours, a few days or even a few weeks!) and I shall try to be back as soon as possible. However I'll try to post whenever my laptop permits me to do so!

Take care buddies and see you all soon! Till then, Happy Cooking and Happy Blogging!

Mutter Paneer, T&T Snakegourd Poriyal/Kura

2009-12-06T18:44:00.010+05:30

It took me some time to realise "Less is More"! If you are wondering what I am talking about, it is about the number of columns I was considering in my new template! Though my older one wasn't that bad, I wanted a change. I strongly follow the mantra "Variety is the spice of Life" (although there are exceptions ;) ) Hope you like this new look; please do let me know if there is room for any improvisation!

Coming to our recipe for today, Mutter Paneer is one of those favorite dishes we like to order when eating out. I hadn't considered making it at home, but then one fine day I was bored with the usual Paneer Butter Masala and wanted some different side for the rotis. Hence presenting you the yummy "Mutter Paneer"..

Mutter Paneer
Indian Cottage cheese and Green Peas cooked in rich creamy gravy
Serves 2

What we need:
Paneer - 150 g, cut into 1" inch cubes
Green Peas - 1 cup, frozen/fresh
Onion, big - 1
Tomato, big - 1
Tomato puree - 2 tbsp.
Ginger-Garlic paste - 1 tbsp.
Kasoori Methi (Dry fenugreek leaves) - 4 to 5 tsp., crushed
Red chilli powder - 1 tsp.
Turmeric powder - 1 tsp.
Coriander powder - 1 tsp.
Cumin powder - 1 tsp.
Garam Masala - a pinch
Cumin - 1 tsp.
Salt - according to taste
Heavy cream - 3 to 4 tbsp.
Butter/Ghee - 1 tbsp.
Water - as needed

How to do:
1. Blanch the Onions (i.e. boil them as whole in water for 10 minutes with vetical slits) and grind them to a smooth paste. Chop the tomatoes finely. If you are using fresh green peas, cook/microwave them till they are soft.
2. Heat ghee or butter in a pan and fry the paneer cubes till they start to turn brown. Drain and keep them in warm water.
3. In the remaining ghee/butter, add the cumin seeds. Whey they crackle, add the ground onion paste, followed by ginger-garlic paste and salt.
4. Fry till the mixture turns brown and the raw smell of garlic starts to leave.
5. Now add the tomato, tomato puree (diluted with little water). Fry till the oil starts to separate.
6. Stir in all the dry powders except garam masala and half of the Kasoori Methi and give a good mix.
7. Now add green peas and half a cup of water. Bring to a boil, and add the paneer pieces.
8. Sprinkle the remaining Kasoori Methi, garam masala and add the heavy cream. Mix well and remove from stove top after a minute.

Garnish with fresh chopped coriander and serve with roti, naan or parathas.

Note:
I add chopped tomato to give a texture; you can also omit it and increase the tomato puree.
Be generous when adding cream, it gives a really good taste and texture.
For added spicy tasty, add some chopped green chillies in step 3.

T&T - Snakegourd/Podalangai Poriyal/Kura from Rak's kitchen and Prathiba's blog

Snake-gourd or podalangai falls under the not-so-interesting category for DH. He doesn't fuss, but from his consumption, it will be evident that he doesn't prefer it either. So I was determined to make him like this vegetable. So when Raji and Prathiba posted two different varieties of the same poriyal, I decided to give both a try.

Raji's version:
I add either coconut or onion but not both. So Raji's version was new to me. Adding some dal to the vegetable made it all the more healthy and tasty. It was a welcome change for the usual Poriyal I make and both of us loved it! Thanks Raji dear, for sharing it!

Prathiba's version:
Adding coconut wasn't new, but grinding them along with green chillies and then adding them was something that caught my attention in Prathiba's kura. Turmeric powder altered the boring smell of the vegetable and coconut-green chilli mix enhanced the taste many folds, and made the kura utterly yummy. So thanks Prathy, we both enjoyed every bit of it!
So that's all for now folks! See you all soon! Till then, Happy Cooking, happy Eating and Happy Blogging!

Chole Tikki

2009-12-02T15:51:00.008+05:30

Call it a liking, obsession or craving? Or what else? Every time I make this Chole Tikki, as I finish off the last bit from my bowl, I start wishing that I could have made some more! And the following week, I make it again! ;)

I had this long time before when I was in Chennai, really loved it and then had completely lost any idea how it tastes like. About a month or two before, during our sunday-evening-tea-meet with our sweet friends-couple V & V (who stay just a floor above us), they had prepared Chole Tikki for the snack. I fell head-over-heels in love with it! (Is this love at second sight, no.. second-taste??!) Then as the tale goes, "Prince and princess lived happily ever after"... I am making this yummy delight based on the recipe given by V, at every possible chance! (V dear, I hope I did justice to your recipe!)
So here it goes!

Chole Tikki
Garbanzo bean or Chana cooked with spices and served with potato patty, yoghurt and spices
Serves 2

What we need:
For Chole Masala:
Kabuli Chana / Garbanzo beans / Konda Kadalai - 2 cups White variety
Onion, medium sized - 1, finely chopped
Tomato, medium sized - 1, finely chopped
Green chillies - 2 or 3, minced
Garlic - 1 pod, crushed
Ginger - 1 inch, finely grated
Chana Masala powder - 3 tbsp
Red Chilli powder - 1 tsp. Optional
Turmeric powder - a pinch
Salt - according to taste
Water - as needed
Oil - 2 tbsp.
Cumin (Jeera) - 1 tbsp.

This one is slightly different from the regular Chole I make for rotis. Please click here for the simpler version.

For potato tikkis
Potato, medium sized - 2
Cumin - 1 tsp.
Salt - to taste
Coriander - 2 tsp Optional

To Garnish:
Chat Masala - 1.5 tbsp for each serving (Everest, MDH brands taste great)
Green chutney - 1 tbsp for each serving Click here for the recipe
Yoghurt / Thick Curd - 2 tbsp for each serving
Onions - finely chopped
Coriander - finely chopped

How to do:
Preparing Chole Masala:
1. Heat oil and crackle the cumin seeds.
2. Add the onions, green chillies, ginger, garlic and salt. Saute till the onions turn soft and then add the tomatoes.
3. Stir in the chana masala powder, red chilli powder, turmeric powder and mix well.
4. When oil starts to separate, add the cooked Chana / Chole with little water (in which it was cooked) and mix well.
5. Let it boil on medium flame for 10 to 15 minutes;then sprinkle some garam masala, garnish with coriander and remove from the stove top.

Preparing potato tikki:
This tikki is not the usual Aloo Tikki we do. I like to keep this one very simple because Chole already has enough spices. And this way, it saves some time too!

Boil, peel and mash the potatoes. Add some salt, coriander, cumin and mix well. Make into small balls, pat them and shallow fry till they turn golden brown on both sides. Drain on a kitchen towel and set aside.

Serving:
In the serving bowls, arrange the potato tikki's one per bowl. Pour 2 to 3 ladles of Chole masala over them.
Spread (don't mix) Yoghurt over this.
Drop a dollop of Green chutney over this.
Sprinkle the Chat Masala, chopped onion, chopped coriander and serve. Mix well as you relish it!

V's tip: Sprinkle some broken potato chips or broken puri or sev to add some crunchiness!

Sending this to "My Legume Love Affair #22" started by Susan and hosted this month @ Ruchika Cooks

T&T Paruppu Thogaiyal from Anupama's blog:

I love all type of thogaiyals. That's why when my dear friend Anupama posted this simple and delicious Paruppu Thogaiyal, I bookmarked it. Believe me, I have already made it 3 times! It is unbelievably simple, yet uncomprisingly tasty! As she has suggested, it tasted heaven with Garlic rasam (the recipe will come soon!) Thanks Anu dear, I really enjoyed it!

PS: I have been trying many recipes from each of your blogs, and relishing every bit of it. I'll start posting each one of them along with my posts from now on (and of course, link it back to you!) Thanks buddies, for spreading the love for good food! :)

See you all soon! Till then, Happy Cooking, Happy Eating and Happy Blogging!

Quick Reposts

2009-11-30T23:28:00.004+05:30

I am always a 11th hour person. I start my assignments only a day before submission date and start studying for the exams just a day before. But somehow always I manage to finish it and stay out of trouble. So here I am, again on the last minute archiving my recipes for the events (with deadline today!)

Sending in the following recipes to "Think Spice: Think Turmeric" hosted this month by Sudeshna, originally started by Sunita.

Lemon Rasam
Mor Kozhambu

These Paneer recipes are finding their way to JFI:Paneer @ The Spice who loved me, hosted by Trupti, originally started by Indira of Mahanandi.

Palak Paneer
Paneer Pulav
Paneer Butter Masala

Happy cooking and happy Blogging!

Bye for now!

Rösti - A Switzerland Speciality

2009-11-27T16:53:00.019+05:30

As promised in my previous post, Presenting you the Switzerland's very own "Rösti". Generally pronounced as "Rose-tee", the actual pronunciation would be "Roesh-ti" where you have to twist your tongue a bit when you pronounce 'o' and 'e'. Before going to the recipe, a few facts on Rösti (Ok you know I love to talk, even when blogging! ;) )

Potatoes, we all know, is one of the most versatile vegetable (or rather root) that has a special place in every other cuisine over the world. Switzerland is not far behind in honoring this yummy tuber ecstasy (as I call it!). Fresh potatoes are hand-picked by the farmers and used to make the delicious Rösti for the entire family. It is generally compared with "Hashbrown" but I beg to differ because both of them are different and tasty in their own way.

Ideally Rösti is a complete meal by itself; you can have it with a sauce of your choice. I prefer to have it as such for lunch without any accompaniment, it tastes wonderful! It is usually served in a plate or in the pan itself, in which it is cooked.

The recipe for Rösti also varies based on each Kanton. For 26 Kantons in Switzerland, you can find over 30 different recipes! First time I had Rösti in an Albis restaurant, I could not finish the entire portion because it was loaded with cheese and fat and I had to skip eating for next 2 days! ;) The idea of making it at home was nagging me since long, as I can have a control over the amount of butter I use. Now the time has come! And the best part was the first attempt itself turned out so good!

Since this is a speciality from Switzerland Cuisine, Rösti finds its way to EC's WYF: Speciality Food event.

Rösti
Makes 1 portion

What we need:
Potatoes - 3, medium sized
Butter - 3 tbsp.
Salt - according to taste
Pepper powder - according to taste

How to do:
1. Boil the potatoes in their skin. Cool them and peel the skin.
It would be better if you can boil them the previous night and let them cool. Potatoes must be firm and cooked and should not get mashed.
2. Use the bigger side of your grater and grate the potatoes into thin strips.
When using the grater, use only forward motion to grate the potatoes. i.e, Go from up to down, start again from the upper part without retracing. This way the strips don't break.
3. Season them with salt and pepper and give a gentle mix with a fork or slotted spoon taking care not to break them.
4. Melt the butter in the pan. Once the butter gets melted, swirl the pan so that it gets coated with butter all over including the rim.
5. Transfer the grated potatoes to the pan and let them sit for 3 to 4 minutes.
6. Now, pat them all together to make a pan cake shape and increase the heat to medium-high.
7. After about 4 to 5 minutes, (this is when the lower part starts to turn golden brown) cover the pan with a plate.
8. Hold the plate and reverse the pan. Transer the entire stuff to the plate. Now you will see that the bottom part is nice golden brown.

Don't worry if the shape disintegrates a bit now; it is usual. After putting it back to the pan, you can pat them again to bring back to shape. Grated potatoes are usually sticky and will happily sit together when patted!
9. Now slide the potatoes gently back to the pan and let this side cook for another 5 to 6 minutes on medium-high.
10. If you desire you can do the flipping again using the plate. Or else slide the Rösti to the plate and get ready to serve!!
Variations:
1. You can use raw potatoes (by just peeling and not boiling them). They have a completely different taste.
2. You can also use butter with herbs (what we call here Krauterbutter), add onions, apples and fresh herbs like parsley, basil, thyme.
3. Those who eat non-veg, can add diced bacon to the mixture.
4. If you would like to incorporate cheese, transfer the cooked Rösti to the baking dish, top with grated cheese and bake it for 4 to 5 minutes before serving.
5. For Berner style Rösti, add a tbsp of milk, in Step 9 and cook for 3 to 4 minutes.

Readymade Rösti from the Supermarkets come really handy in many times; I use it to make any recipe that calls for mashed potatoes like Bonda's, tikkis etc.

Wanna try some?

Have a wonderful weekend. See you all soon with another interesting post! Till then, happy cooking and happy Blogging! :)

Aloo Paratha, Some Milestones and Awards

2009-11-22T15:22:00.012+05:30

I am extremely happy today for various reasons!!

My visitors count has crossed 1000...

My post count crossed 50... That's relatively small compared to some of our super bloggers..But still...

I have successfully completed my first year at Zurich!!! Yeah that's a milestone for me! Ask my DH how much scene I created as soon as I landed an year before. Even I was doubtful if I'll stay here for 3 months. But it took only 3 days for me to fall in love with this beautiful city. Now unless the immigration throws me out, I am not gonna go away from here ;)

Above all, I have passed my first level Deutsch certification exam with 1st grade!!!!

Yay, with so many reasons for celebration, I must actually post a recipe for a sweet or dessert. But why in the world am I posting the same, beaten-round-the-bush ALOO PARATHA???? Because it's my favorite, your favorite and most of our favorite! (Actual reason for such a simple recipe is I didnt have anything else in my drafts. But I promise, my next post will be an exciting Swiss speciality. Keep guessing!)

So over to our recipe without much rambling...

Aloo Paratha
Indian Wheat bread stuffed with Potato Masala
What we need:Atta / Wheat flour
Water
Oil - a tbsp
Salt - to taste

For Stuffing:
Potato,medium sized - 2
Cumin (Jeera) - a tbsp
Chilli powder - a tsp
Salt - according to taste
Amchur powder - a tsp
Asafoetida - a pinch
Fresh Coriander, chopped - a few tbsp

Butter - to top

How to do:
1. Mix wheat flour with salt. Slowly incorporate the oil and water and knead to a pliable dough. It should not be too hard nor to soft. Cover tightly and set aside for half an hour.

Mom's tip: The more you knead the dough, more soft and easy it becomes to roll. This way it also puffs up well. I usually think of somebody/something I don't like, and show all my anger on the dough..Ahem ;)

2. Boil, peel and mash the potatoes. Mix in salt, cumin seeds, chilli powder, amchur powder, asafoetida, coriander and make it into small rounds of golf-ball size.
3. Divide the dough into equal parts. Dust with a little flour and roll into a small disc.
4. Keep in the potato ball in the center, pull up all the sides and pinch to close it. It will resemble a modak or kozhukattai, as in step 4 in the pic below.

5. Press gently on the top, dust again with flour, and roll into thick discs. Don't overdo, otherwise potato may start peeking out. Rolling it on the same side you closed the filling without flipping will help.
6. Cook the Parathas in a hot tava, flipping each side occasionally for 4 to 5 minutes each or till the sides turn golden brown.
Serve with pickle, yoghurt. Drop a generous dollop of Butter over each paratha before serving!

Now it is award time again. Thanks everybody for your unstinted support! Your every visit, comment and award are the constant sources of motivation to me!

my Kitchen (Selvi) has passed on to me:

My dear buddies Priya and Jeyashri made my day with:

Aruna gave me this award, which I'd like to pass on to: Sarah Naveen, Asha, Akal's sappadu, Ambika, Nithya, Sushma, Anupama, Meeso, Babli, Indu a.k.a Kitchen Queen, Lata Raja, Kanchan, Sandhya, Sangeetha, Prasu, Sree, Vidya and Lakshmi, Sree Vidya and Sh... (Buddy, what's your real name?)

Plese accept it dearies!

See you all soon! Till then, Enjoy life, happy cooking and happy Blogging! :)

Chutney Upma

2009-11-17T23:39:00.008+05:30

If you are wondering if it is a typo as the title says "Chutney Upma" rather than "Upma and Chutney".. NO, it is not! When I say "Chutney Upma", it is upma made with chutney as base! Now without saying, you must have understood that this is one of my so-called kitchen experiments during the mid-morning crisis* that resulted as a delicious breakfast /tiffin item worthy enough to be blogged about.

Mid-morning crisis - A recurring phenomenon that occurs during weekends and holidays, when you sleep late and wake up ravenous and not knowing what to eat to appease your giant-hunger! ;)

Green Chutney is not new to us; it is a multi-purpose chutney that can used as dips for samosas, toppings for chaat, spread for sandwiches, marinade for tikkas, base for pulavs and what not!! Here is one more use of this delicious chutney.

Since this recipe is something I accidentally found, (I am sure I haven't seen or heard of it before!) this delicious Chutney Upma finds its way to Sanjana's Create for a Chilli Chopper. Sanjana's KO Rasoi is a great blog with a wonderful collection of recipes, so don't miss it!

Green Chutney

What we need:
Fresh Coriander leaves - a bunch, cleaned
Fresh Mint leaves - a handful (almost equal or 3/4th of the coriander leaves), cleaned
Ginger - 1" inch, deskinned
Green Chillies - 2 or 3, according to your spice tolerance
Cumin (Jeera_ - 1 tbsp.
Oil - 1 tsp.
Lemon juice - a few drops
Salt - a pinch
Asafoetida - 1 tsp.
Garlic - 1 pod Optional

How to do:
Grind together all the ingredients to a fine paste with very little or no water. Add a pinch of salt if you are planning to store it for sometime. Transfer to a jar and refrigerate.

If you have sharp eyes, you probably noticed the red pieces sticking out the chutney. Since I ran out of green chillies, I just cheated the system by using red chillies (not the dry ones, though!)

I mix a tbsp or 2 Yoghurt or thick curd to use it as a dip or chutney.

Chutney Upma
Serves 2
What we need:Vermicelli / Semiya - 2 cups
Green Chutney - 5 to 6 tbsp.
Oil / Ghee - 1 tbsp.
Cumin (Jeera) - 1 tsp. Optional
Salt - according to taste
Water - 3 cups
Chopped Onions - To garnish

How to do:
1. Roast the vermicelli or Semiya till it turns light brown and set aside. If you are using roasted vermicelli, proceed to Step 2.
2. Heat oil or ghee and add the Cumin. This is also optional since our chutney has enough Jeera.
3. When they start to sputter, add the green chutney and reduce the flame. Fry it for about a minute or 2.
4. When the raw smell starts to leave, add water and salt. Remember our chutney has a little salt, so adjust accordingly.
5. When water starts boiling, add the roasted vermicilli or semiya, cover and cook until the Semiya is done.
Transfer to the serving plate, garnish with chopped onions and serve with a cup of curd!

Rajma Masala from Nithya's blog
Last night for dinner, I tried the Spicy Rajma Masala from Nithya's 4th Sense Samayal. Check out Nithya's blog (I am sure most of you would have, she is pretty famous!); she has a mouth-watering collection of recipes with excellent presentations!

Needless to say, Rajma masala was delicious and lipsmacking! Only change I did was to saute the onions before grinding them with garlic, because somehow the white onions I get here turn bitter if I grind them without sauting! Thanks Nithya for sharing it with us.

Now time to acknowledge the awards; Babli has passed on to me

Thanks dear; I am honored, as always!! I'd like to pass it on to my newest blogger buddies: chakhlere, Sowmya, Shubha, my Kitchen, Preeti Kashyap, Padhu . Please accept it friends!

See you all soon with another interesting post. Till then, Happy cooking and happy Blogging!

Gulab Jamun ~ ICC October '09

2009-11-15T09:30:00.002+05:30

Phew! What a challenge it was!! People like me, who thought Gulab Jamun was the easiest sweet were made to think twice before uttering that again! But regardless of how challenging it was, this was probably my best experience in making sweets. Now after making these Jamuns twice or thrice before getting it perfect, I can assure that I can make best Gulab Jamuns from the scratch! Oh, that was intention of ICC right? :) So here we go on to my maiden venture of ICC of the month, Gulab Jamun initated by Srivalli.

Before going into the recipe, a short story on my first attempt which was a complete disaster. I decided to try out a small quantity and started off with 250 ml milk. It simmered to about 1/2 cup of Khova/Khoya/Mawa. All was fine till here. Now the stupid chef in me woke up and led me through the rest of process. Before I could realise, I had added twice the amount of Maida as to Khova. Needless to say, the result was chunky, elastic balls that could noway qualify for a sweet, let alone Jamun!! ;)

In the second attempt, I donned the role of a sincere student who follow the teacher's instructions to book and went through all of the recipes given by Srivalli. It took me a while to understand the basics, but once I understood the bottom-line, I should say it was surprisingly easy and resulted in proper edible jamuns. I have followed the Yum Blog method here. But it is not Gulab(less) Jamun; I managed to get hold of a bottle of Rose water. So mine is GULAB JAMUN! Gee... :D

Gulab Jamun

The following recipe is from Yum blog.
Makes: around 25 Jamuns

What we need:
Khova – 11/2 cups/ 1 recipe I simmered 8 cups of milk and got around 1.5 cups of Khoya
Maida – 1 cup
Sugar – 3 cups (if you want excess syrup i.e floating jamuns increase by a cup)
Water – 1 cup (increase if you’re increasing sugar)
Cooking Soda – 3 pinches
Cardamom – 4 pods
Saffron leaves – a few I didn't add these
Oil – 1 cup (for deep frying)

Rose water - a few drops

Khova making steps
Method :
1. Combine sugar and water in a flat bottomed broad pan and simmer on a low heat until sugar dissolves. Add cardamom powder and saffron leaves (and a few drops of rose water) and remove from fire.
2. Knead khova, maida and soda and quickly shape into balls.
3. Heat oil on a medium flame. Fry the jamuns till golden brown over a low to medium flame, keeping oil temperature uniform. Oil should not smoke.
4. Drain the jamuns and soak in the warm sugar syrup.

Serve the jamuns after half an hour.

Tips:
You will achieve correct consistency for jamun syrup when 3 cups of sugar dissolves 1 cup water over low heat.
Only when the syrup is ready, mix the jamun dough. Since the dough has soda, if its kept aside the jamuns will disperse while frying and will not hold well.
Right temperature of oil of utmost importance to get soft jamuns.
Never refrigerate jamuns. Jamuns when refrigerated will shrink and become hard. Jamuns will stay fresh for 4 days when stored in air tight containers.
If you like you can add two drops of rose essence to the syrup to make it Gulab jamun.

For this measurement, I got exactly 25 jamuns, of medium sized balls.

Important notes:
1. We must follow the same order to do the jamuns, i.e sugar syrup must be ready before we fry the balls.
2. Since the balls have soda, they cannot stand for a long time. So they must be fried immediately after rolling.
3. If the oil is not of correct temperature, the balls will be unevenly cooked.
4. Add rose water to the sugar syrup only after the syrup becomes warm. If added when the sugar is boiling, it will turn bitter.

My experience:
1. I also used a tbsp of melted ghee to roll out smooth, crack-less balls.
2. I did a mistake of heating the oil too much, so some of the balls turned dark brown. For the second batch, I adjusted the oil temperature and got them right.

Hope you all enjoyed this challenge as much as I did!

Happy cooking and happy blogging!

Masala Dosai with Amma's Sambar

2009-11-12T23:49:00.009+05:30

Now all of you, say with me...."I LOVE DOSA".....! What?? No? Who was that?? Could there be possibly anyone who doesn't love dosa??? Me and V can have dosa for breakfast, lunch, dinner, snack... or even midnight munch!!! ;) I am fairly good at making dosas, thanks to my "Prestige" non-stick dosa-tava, with which making dosa is as effortless as eating it! (No no, I am not a marketing agent for Prestige!!!!)

This Sambar is amma's version. It is not the usual Sambar and I don't know where she got the recipe, but it is an absolutely delicious combo for Dosa and Idli. Try it for yourself and let me know! Now no more talks, only action!!

Masala Dosai

What we need:

For Batter:

Rice - 4 cups

Urad dal - 1 cup

Fenugreek seeds - 1 tbsp.

Salt -as needed

Water - as needed

For Masala:

Potaotes, medium sized - 2, boiled and peeled

Onion, medium sized -1, finely chopped

Green chilli - 1 or 2, minced

Turmeric powder - a pinch

Oil - 1 tbsp.

Mustard seeds - 1 tsp.

Cumin - 1 tsp.

Chana dal - 1 tsp.

Ginger, grated - 1 tbsp.

Salt - as needed

Coriander - for garnishing, optional

How to do:

Preparing the batter:

Wash well and soak rice, urad dal and fenugreek seeds for 5 to 6 hours, preferably overnight. Grind together to a fine smooth paste. Add enough water, salt and dilute to the desired consistency. Leave it overnight for fermentation.

For the Masala:

1. Heat oil and add mustard, followed by cumin, chana dal.

2. When they are done, add the chopped onion, turmeric powder, grated ginger and green chillies. Fry till the onion turn soft.

3. Mash the boiled potatoes to a coarse texture, giving them a rustic shape. Add this to the pan, along with salt and mix well.

4. Remove from the flame, garnish with coriander and let it cool.

Preparing the dosa:

1. Heat the tava or griddle to high. To check the heat, sprinkle some water over the tava. It should sizzle immediately.

2. Now pour a ladle full of batter, and slowly spread it to form the dosa shape. Add a few drops of oil/ ghee around it.

3. After 3 to 4 minutes, (if you want it golden brown, leave it for a minute more), flip to the other side.

4. After the other side is done, flip back again. Take a spoon full of potato masala, keep it on one side of the dosa. Slowly roll the dosa (use another spoon to hold other side) and transfer to the serving plate.

Sambar for Idly / Dosa

What we need:

Shallots / Small Onion - 5 to 7

Tomato, medium sized - 2, chopped

Carrot - 1, diced

Dhania - 2 tbsp.

Red Chilli - 2 or 3, depending on your spice tolerance

Roasted gram / Pottu Kadalai - 3 tbsp.

Tamarind extract - 3 tbsp., extracted from a marble sized ball

Oil - 2 tbsp.

Mustard - 1 tbsp.

Salt- as needed

Water - as needed

Coriander - to garnish

How to do:

1. In a pan, heat a tbsp of oil and roast red chillies and dhania. When they are done, add half of the shallots / small onions.

2. When they start to turn soft, add half the chopped tomato and stir till they pulp.

3. Let this cool and grind them along with the roasted gram.

4. Heat oil again and add mustard. When they start to pop, add the remaining small onions. Fry till the turn soft. Now add the carrots and stir well.

5. When the carrots are done, add the remaining tomato, salt and stir. When the tomatoes turn soft, add the tamarind extract, half a cup of water, followed by the ground masala from step 3.

6. Bring to a boil and remove from the flame. Garnish with chopped coriander.

Serve together the dosa, Sambar and Coconut chutney and relish it as you sing..."I love Dosa" :)

Happy cooking and happy Blogging!!

Red Radish Sambar

2009-11-10T01:11:00.009+05:30

Rajini Fans vs. Kamal Haasan Fans

Dog Lovers vs. Cat Lovers

Steffi Graf vs. Monica Seles

Rasam lovers vs. Sambar lovers

By now you'd have made an obvious connection of what I'm talking about!! According to the research by my "vetti-statistics-edupor-sangam" (club that takes useless statistics), there are only 2 sets of people in the world, who fall either in the left category or in the right! Yes, You can't possibly like Rajini as well as Kamal. Same way, you can't love both Sambar and Rasam!From most of the people I met, venus inhabitants are rasam lovers and the ones from Mars are all thumbs-up for Sambar. Too much of free time leads to such useless ramblings! Sigh!

Sambar is always not my kinda food. But after our marriage, when it became evident that I can never let go Sambar from the daily menu (even if not daily, atleast 2 or 3 times in a week), I surrendered to learning and eating the same. After coming here, those round little red Radish bundles in the fresh-produce section kept tempting me, and when my MIL visited us, we bought one of those bunches and tried. Needless to say, it was soft, flavored and tasted way better than the white radish. Even the leaf, when cooked with dal, was delicious.

So ladies and gentlemen, presenting you, the (second) love of my DH, Sambar!!! *Sniff* *Sniff*

Red Radish Sambar

What we need:
Red Radish - a small bundle or about quarter of a Kilogram

Onion, small - 1, chopped or A few shallots / Small onions - Optional
Sambar powder - 3 tbsp.
Toor dal - 1/2 cup
Tamarind - 1 marble sized ball
Salt - according to taste
Asafoetida (Perungayam) - 2 pinch
Turmeric powder - a pinch

For tempering:
Oil/Ghee - 1 tbsp.
Mustard - 1 tsp.
Cumin - 1 tsp. Ya, I mean Jeera. It tastes really good!
Curry leaves - a sprig

How to do:
1. Pressure cook the toor dal with a pinch of turmeric powder, and a tsp. of oil till soft. Mash the dal well and set aside
2. Boil the Radish and onion vegetables with just enough water.
3. Once the vegetables are boiled (takes about 10 min), add the tamarind extract and sambar powder and required salt.
4. Boil for another 5 to 10 minutes or till the raw smell of powder starts leaving.
5. Add the dal at this point, and mix thoroughly. When the first set of bubbles/foam start appearing on the surface, remove and set aside.
6. In a seasoning wok, heat oil/ghee and add mustard. When it starts popping, add jeera, curry leaves, stir well and add it to the sambar.
7. Sprinkle some asafoetida and close with a lid.
8. If you are adding some garnish like curry leaves/coriander, add it at this point.

Notes:
1. Garnishing with coriander leaves gives an excellent flavor to Sambar.
2. Usually Cumin is not added as tempering, but I tried one day adding Cumin and it turned out to be good.
3. The procedure for all types of vegetable sambar (except Arbi/Shama Gadda/Sepa Kizhangu) is the same. So replace any vegetable of your choice and follow the same method.
4. Don't slow cook the red radish, because after a few minutes they start distributing the color and finally sambar will turn red!

Serve hot with rice, ghee and papad!

An Update: In my last post, I had mentioned about this little roadside joint near Naidu hall in Pondy Bazaar, Chennai. Where this joint is: Just a few metres away from Naidu hall on the opposite side of the road, you'll see a small lane. It will practically be invisible due to too many flowers shops and heavy traffic. Take this lane and towards the end you'll see "Brilliant Tutorials" (Ya, the same IIT training center). This Kaiyendhi bhavan sits right there. Hope you enjoy this place as much as I did.

Happy Cooking and happy blogging!

Kurma / Veg Saalna for Parotta

2009-11-08T15:34:00.013+05:30

If you want to taste the best PAROTTA in the world, IMHO Chennai is the most recommended place. There is this lovely Kaiyendhi Bhavan or the road-side eatery near Naidu Hall in Pondy Bazaar, where you get out-of-the-world Parottas and Podi dosais. But if you are going on a weekend evening, make sure you reach there by 7, because the place starts flooding with people coming in Cars, scooters, bikes and you'll literally find yourself land-locked with people!! Now I guess you'd have got an idea of the reputation of this wonderful Joint. They serve only vegeterian food, that being the first reason of me frequenting there; despite being a road-side eatery, they prepare the food and serve it in the most hygenic way, which makes my DH too like the place! They serve their Parottas with a Kurma, piping hot that your fingers burn before you finish the plate. That's how it tastes best too.

Now that I have raved enough about one of my fav food joints.. I tasted this wonderful Kurma in one of my friend's place during the Diwali party and liked it very much. Last week I bought some frozen Parottas and wanted to make this Kurma. Since I didn't get a look-alike recipe anywhere else, I decided to venture myself and the result was utterly yummy! (though I shouldn't say that myself!!)

I really don't know if this qualifies for Saalna,that's why the question mark in the title, as I have never tasted an authentic one. So please free to drive the ignorance out of me if I am wrong! :)

Kurma / Saalna for Parotta
Gravy for Parotta/ Indian Layered Bread

What we need:
Onion, big - 1, thinly sliced
Tomato, big - 1, finely chopped
Green Chillies - 2 or 3, sliced
Mint - 15 to 20 leaves
Coriander - a handful, finely chopped
Turmeric powder - 1 tsp.
Chilli powder - 1 tsp.
Dhania powder - 1 tsp.
Cumin powder - 1 tsp.
Garam Masala - 1 tsp.
Salt - as needed
Water - 1 cup

For tempering:
Cinnamom stick - 1" inch
Cloves - 3 or 4
Bay leaf - 1 or 2
Oil - 2 tbsp.

To grind:
Coconut - 3 tbsp.
Fennel seeds - 1 tbsp.

How to do:
1. Grind the coconut and fennel seeds with little water.
2. Heat oil and add the Cinnamon stick, bay leaf and cloves.
3. When they are done, add the thinly sliced onions, green chillies, half of the mint leaves, and half of the coriander.
4. When the onions turn soft, add the tomatoes. Throw in the dry powders, salt and mix well.
5. When the tomatoes start to pulp, add a cup of water and the ground coconut mix. Mix well.
6. When the gravy comes to a boil or when the raw smell of coconut and fennel is leaving, switch off and garnish with the remaining coriander and mint leaves.

Note:
This gravy is meant to be a little watery than the usual ones, so don't worry if it flows out of your plate like a flooded river! ;)
The main flavoring agent is the mint leaves. So please don't omit them!

Serve hot with Parottas, Rotis or even rice!

Now it is time of acknowledge all the awards passed on to me by my lovely buddies. So sorry to post it so late!!!

Asha has showered me with

Asha and Sree has passed on to me

Asha and SE(Denu Food) has passed on

SE(Denu Food) (Oops, What's your real name dear?) also gave me

Thank you so much dearies, I am honored. I would like to pass these on to all the buddies who are yet to receive them. Please feel free to post them in your blogs!

Happy cooking and happy blogging!

Chole Masala

2009-11-03T13:06:00.008+05:30

First of all, my sincere apologies for not catching up with any of your posts! Last weekend had been quite hectic because V had suddenly planned for a weekend trip to Venice and till the very moment I took the train, I was on my toes! And needless to say the after-math of the trip!! House full of clothes to be washed, shopping bags, clutters.. Yeah yeah! I partially attribute my absence to my laziness too ;)

I'd be back to my routine of blogging from tomorrow and this quick post is just to remind you (in case you've forgotten) that this poor soul still exists! :D And the most important part, I have not yet updated the recent awards my buddies have shared with me. So one more Sorry for that too! I'll post it soon dearies! :)

This easy Chole goes well with Bature (recipe will follow soon) or as a quick chat by itself. You can also use this for Chole tikki. I adapted this recipe from Manjula's Kitchen and tweaked it to my taste. I am sure most of us would have enjoyed her simple, yet delicious recipes. She makes even the complex of recipes in a simple way!

Chole MasalaChickpeas cooked in spicy gravy

What we need:

Kabuli Channa / Chick peas - 2 cups

Tomato puree - 1 cup

Chilli powder - 1 tbsp.

Cumin Powder - 1 tbsp.

Asafoetida - a pinch

Besan / Gram flour - 1 tbsp.

Garam masala - 1 tsp.

Ginger- Garlic paste - 1 tbsp.

Amchur /Dry Mango powder - 1 tsp.

Chat Masala - 1 tsp. Optional

Cumin (Jeera) - 1 tsp.

Oil - 2 tbsp.

Salt - according to taste

Water - as needed

Chopped Onions and Coriander - for garnishing

How to do:

1. Wash and soak the chick peas overnight or for 5 to 6 hours. Change the water and pressure cook the chick peas till soft. Drain and reserve the water.

2. Heat oil and add cumin and asafoetida. When they sizzle, add the ginger-garlic paste.

3. When they are done, add besan. Fry till the flour starts to turn brown.

4. Add the tomato puree, chilli powder, cumin powder, salt and stir well.

5. When oil starts to separate from the gravy, add the cooked channa and mix.

6. Now add the reserved water (in which channa was cooked) and mix.

7. When the gravy comes to a boil, sprinkle the garam masala, amchur powder, stir and remove.

Garnish with chopped onions, coriander and serve.

Notes:

1. Sprinkle some chat masala and dash of lemon juice to serve as a lip-smacking starter.

2. We can omit the garlic part on festive days or for the non-garlic eaters!

3. To serve as gravy, add one more cup of water and increase the besan accordingly.

4. To obtain a dark color for the channa, cook it along with a tea bag and discard the bag after cooking.

Happy cooking and happy blogging!

Milagu Kozhambu / Pepper Gravy

2009-10-28T15:00:00.000+05:30

Milagu kozhambu is one recipe that would fall under so many categories like, instant recipe, pathiya samayal (food as medicine), spicy kozhambu, travel special, post-partum menu etc. So this kozhambu always has a special place in most of our menu cards and comes to the dining table often after a heavy treat. Needless to say, it also stays good in the refrigerator for a week.

This kozhambu will be served on the third day of marriage in Tamil Brahmin's community, i.e on the "Kattu Sadha Koodai". This day, usually in olden times, was the day people who attended the marriage, as well as the new bride and groom, would pack up and leave for their destination. Since they had to travel a long distance, food was usually packed and distributed, hence the name "Kattu Sadha Koodai" (A basket of packed food) which ideally consisted of long-lasting items like Idlis (smeared with Milagai Podi), Puliyodharai, Curd rice with appalams and Vadams (rice/sabudana crackers). And since the previous day would have called for a heavy treat, simple food is usually served on this day to ease the tummies. Milagu Kozhambu invariably does the trick, not compromising on the taste too.

Nowadays for the sake of convenience and time, in most marriages this Kattu Sadhai Koodai day is often opted out. But luckily in our marriage, this was on Saturday; so most of our relatives stayed back and we had the luxury of packing up in a leisure way. And since I was relocating in Chennai, but for some occasional sniffs, none of us were really crying or going through the usual post-marriage-we-will-miss-you thing. ;) Not to mention, we had this Milagu Kozhambu in our menu and V's grand mom indicated me that this is one of V's favorite dishes. I diligently recorded it in my mind, and here I am blogging my DH's fav! :)

Milagu Kozhambu
Pepper and Tamarind gravy for rice

What we need:
Tamarind - a marble sized ball
Pepper - 2 tbsp.
Dhania (Coriander seeds) - 2 tbsp.
Cumin (Jeera) - 2 tbsp.
Red Chilli - 2 or 3
Chana dal (Kadalai Paruppu) - 1 tbsp.
Toor Dal - 1 tbsp.
Asafoetida - 1 tsp.
Curry leaves - a sprig
Sesame /Gingely oil - 2 tbsp.
Mustard - 1 tsp.
Salt - as needed
Water - as needed

How to do:
1. Heat a tsp of Oil in the pan and roast Pepper, Cumin, Dhania, Red Chilli, Chana Dal, Toor dal, half of curry leaves till they emit a nice aroma. Take care not to burn them. Let them cool and blend it to a fine powder.
2. Meanwhile extract the tamarind pulp and set aside.
3. Heat Gingely oil and add the mustard, remaining curry leaves and asafoetida. When it starts to sputter, add the tamarind extract and salt.
4. When it begins to boil, add the ground powder and stir well. Reduce the flame to low-medium and simmer the gravy until it becomes thick and remove from flame.

Serve with rice, mixed with gingely oil and Sutta appalam!

Happy Cooking and happy Blogging!

Vazhai Poo Usli & Mor Kozhambu

2009-10-27T14:02:00.005+05:30

Our lovely blogger buddy Kanchan is celebrating her birthday today! Let us all wish her a very HAPPY BIRTHDAY, with long-lasting happiness for years to come!

Happy Birthday dear!

Picture Courtesy: 123greetings.com

I believe I have told you all before in one of my earlier posts, that I used to be a very rebellious and fussy eater in my childhood (actually till I entered college!) Mom had a tough time with me always because I had a finicky taste and my preferences were limited to rasam, vendakkai poriyal (Okra Stir-fry), Dosa and Maggi! Almost every second day the lunch box will come back home as it was packed.

I don't remember when and how I became a foodie; probably during my college days, where my 3 best friends were those foodie types and they influenced my eating habits a lot. Thanks to them, here I am trying out new and traditional recipes each day and blogging about them! Mom would have never had even in her faintest idea that one day her daughter would become a FOOD BLOGGER (of all the other things!!!)

Usli - probably one of the most tried recipes that would be blogged over and over! Because no matter how many times we read about it, blog it or share it, every time Usli tastes as heavenly as the first time! More than the Usli itself, it is the Vazhai poo that fascinates me. I still remember those beautiful full moon nights, we all would go to the terrace and mom prepares the mixed rice, probably sambar or kozhambu (which otherwise is in the "untouchable" list for me)and serve it in the "Vazhai poo Madal" i.e the leaves of Banana flower, which she had reserved for me.

Before I get too nostalgic, let's go to our recipe!

Vazhai Poo Usli
Chana Dal and Banana flowers cooked with mild spices

What we need:
Vazhai Poo - 1, medium sized
Chana Dal / Kadalai Paruppu - 1 cup
Red Chillies - 3 to 4, according to your palates
Curry leaves - a sprig
Asafoetida - a pinch
Salt - according to your taste

For tempering:
Oil - 1 tbsp.
Mustard - 1 tsp.
Split Urad dal - 1 tsp.

We also need:
A cup of buttermilk to soak the cut vazhai poo. This eliminates the "tuvarpu" taste of the vazhai poo.

Preparing for the Usli:
Wash, clean and soak the Chana dal along with some red chillies for about an hour.

Meanwhile, switch on the TV or start a movie in your laptop and sit down with a bowl of buttermilk, little salt or oil, and the vazhai poo. It is a loooong process to cut and clean this flower. Apply a little oil or rub your hands with little salt because later you don't want to look like a mechanic who repairs the car!
Make sure you remove the "Kalan", inside every flower. It resembles a Match stick head. Also remove a fine glass-like layer inside the flower. Cut the flowers into small pieces and soak them in the buttermilk for about 30 to 40 minutes.

Chitra has given the clear picture of how the "Kalan" looks. Please click here to see her recipe.

How to do:
1. Grind the chana dal to a coarse paste along with the red chilli, salt, asafoetida and little or no water.
2. Mix it with the chopped flowers and spread the mix over a steel plate or the idlis plate creased with oil, and steam it for about 8 to 10 minutes. Let it cool and crumble it to coarse pieces.
3. Heat oil and add the mustard, followed by split urad dal and curry leaves. When they are done, add the dal-flower and mix well.
4. Adjust the salt according to your taste and remove from the flame.

Mor Kozhambu
Yoghurt soup simmered with coconut

What we need:
Thick yoghurt/curd - 2 cups
Fresh grated Coconut - 3 tbsp.
Chana Dal - 2 tbsp. Reserve some chana dal you soak for the usli.
Cumin (Jeera) - 1 tbsp.
Red/Green Chillies - 2
Turmeric powder - a pinch
Asafoetida - 1 tsp.
Salt - according to your taste

For tempering:
Coconut Oil/Cooking oil - 1 tbsp.
Mustard - 1 tbsp.
Curry leaves - a sprig

How to do:
1. Grind together the grated coconut, chana dal, green/red chillies, cumin.
2. Mix this ground paste with yoghurt, along with a pinch of turmeric powder, asafoetida and salt. Add water to achieve your desired consistency.
3. Heat coconut oil and add the mustard, followed by curry leaves. When they are done, reduce the flame to low-medium and add the yoghurt mix.
4. Stir well. It may start to splatter in a few minutes, that is when you need to remove it from the flame.

Note:
1. Coconut Oil enhances the flavor of the Mor Kozhambu by many folds. Inspite of using it for tempering, I also add a generous amount of coconut oil to the mor kozhambu after removing it from stove, and leave it undisturbed till serving time. It smells and tastes so good.
2. For those who don't have an aversion to Asafoetida, sprinkle it generously over the kozhambu and leave it undisturbed till you serve.
3. If you have some banana leaves to spare, cover the vessel tightly with the leaf and keep a lid over it. It increases the flavor and makes your Mor Kozhambu a sure hit!
4. To make a simple, instant mor kozhambu, please click here.

Serve together Usli and Mor Kozhambu with piping hot steamed rice drizzled with sesame oil!

Happy Cooking and Happy Blogging

It's raining Awards!!

2009-10-24T13:50:00.017+05:30

I had posted earlier that my Diwali this time went by without any spark, it seems my blogger buddies have decided to compensate for it. It is raining awards!! Yay, I am so happy!!!! Thank you friends; your every word is a source of encourgament that pushes me to perform better than yesterday!

My lovely buddies Sandhya, Lakshmi and Vidya, Prasu passed on to me

Lakshmi and Vidya, Prasu also passed on

Lovely gals @ Collaborative Curry showered me with

Thanks a bunch buddies; I would like to pass on all the above awards to my lovely fellow bloggers Anupama, Sanjana, Sarah Naveen, A2Z vegetarian Cuisine, Tina, Shuba, Gethan, Dhanya, Ramya, Vrinda, Trish, Pari, Pavithra

My new buddy Sanjana has tagged me with

Thanks buddy; regarding the tag that comes with the award, I have already talked (a lot!!) about myself here and don't want to bore you all more!

Prasu also gave me

I would like to pass it on to some fantastic food bloggers, Vidya, Sandhya, Lata, Shanthi, Kamala, Sanghi, Priya, Nithya, Kanchan, Sree, Jeyashri, Ambika, Raje, Sushma, Collaborative Curry, Divya, Kitchen Queen!

Please accept it dearies!

Happy cooking and Happy blogging!

Baked Broccoli and Cheese Pasta

2009-10-21T21:01:00.006+05:30

Once in a while, I get a sudden desire to indulge in something sinfully delicious without worrying about those extra calories, or the size 32 jean resting in the wardrobe that fits no more! I bet all of us do, don't we??? Yesterday was such a day when I started craving for something loaded with cheese! Unfortunately I didn't have any cheese left in my fridge. So I did a quick shopping, came home with that "devil-knows-why" smile, and today I made this delicacy and had it to my heart's content. Btw, yeah, I am still in shape. Round is a shape!!!

Without testing your patience any further, let's go our recipe :)

Baked Broccoli and Cheese Pasta
Serves 2

What we need:
Pasta, of your choice - 2 cups I have used Macaroni
Broccoli - a handful, steamed lightly (about 100 g) You can also do it in microwave.
Onion, medium sized - 1, thinly sliced
Green chillies - 2, finely chopped
Garlic - 2 or 3 pods, crushed
All purpose flour - 4 tbsp.
Mozzarella cheese - 50 g, torn into pieces
Grated cheese - 5 to 6 tbsp.
Butter - 2 tbsp.
Black pepper powder - 1 tbsp.
Dry Basil - 1 tbsp.
Salt - according to taste
Water - 3 cups

How to do:
Cooking the pasta:
Cook the pasta according to instructions on the pack. Drain, run through cold water, and set aside.

For the sauce:
1. In a wok, melt the butter and add onions, garlic, green chillies and salt.
2. When the onions turn soft, throw in the all purpose flour. Stir fast so that no lumps are formed.
3. Now add the pepper powder and dry basil and steamed broccoli. To this, add 3 cups of water and mix well.
4. Let the sauce thicken a bit, ideally 2 to 3 minutes. Remove and set aside.

Baking:
1. Pre-heat the oven to 250 degrees.
2. Meanwhile, in the baking dish, add the cooked pasta and spread.

3. Over this, pour the sauce and spread it evenly.
4. Add the Mozzarella cheese bits, and press it lightly so that it settles.
5. Over this, spread the grated cheese generously. Tap the dish lightly so that everything settles down evenly.
6. Bake it in the oven at 250 degrees for 15 minutes. You can also extend for another 5 minutes to get a brown crust of cheese!
Serve with your favorite bread!

One more entry to Saraswathi's "Say Cheese" event!
Happy Cooking and happy Blogging!

Avarakkai Kootu and Thakali Thayir Pachadi

2009-10-19T17:57:00.008+05:30

Hope you all had a great Diwali. For us this year, for 2 reasons it was a very sober occasion without any spark. Yeah, first we could not light crackers here, as we do in India. Even if we could have celebrated, we shouldn't have, because of a condolence in the family, that being the second reason! So, Diwali went by without any event, though we had a nice dinner party in a friend's place.

Coming to our dish for today, post-festival always calls for simple, comfort food to ease the tummies that were loaded with all types of sweets and savories. So, I made this simple Avarakkai kootu, with a pachadi to complement it. I have added a bit more Dal than I usually do, because V likes it that way. And tomato raitha is the best combination for this kootu. I suggest serving this combo with rice, a spoon of dal mixed with the rice and a dollop of ghee!

Avarakkai KootuBroad beans cooked in coconut gravy, simmered with Dal
Serves 2

What we need:Avarakkai/Broad beans - 200 g
Toor Dal/Moon dal - 1 cup
Grated Coconut - 4 tbsp.
Red Chilli - 2 or 3
Cumin (Jeera) - 1 tbsp.
Turmeric powder - a pinch
Salt - as needed
Water - as needed

For tempering:Coconut oil - 1 tbsp.
Mustard - 1 tsp.
Split Urad dal - 1 tsp.
Asafoetida - a pinch
Curry leaves - a sprig

How to do:1. Wash and cook the dal with a pinch of turmeric powder. Mash well and set aside.
2. In a vessel, take the chopped avarakkai and add enough water to cover it. Add a pinch of salt, cover and cook for 5 to 6 minutes.
3. Meanwhile, grind together coconut, cumin and red chillies with little water into a paste.
4. When avarakkai is cooked, add the ground paste, salt and reduce the flame.
5. In about 3 or 4 minutes, the raw smell of coconut and red chillies will start to leave. Then add the mashed dal, bring to a boil and remove from the flame.
6. In a seasoning wok, heat a tbsp. of oil, add mustard, followed by split urad dal, asafoetida and curry leaves. Add this to the kootu.

Variations:1. Both toor dal and moong dal will taste good for this kootu. For a change, you can also try adding half of each dal.
2. Replace red chillies with green chillies for an enhanced taste and flavor.
3. To save time, you can also pressure-cook the avarakkai.

Thakali Thayir PachadiTomato Yoghurt Raitha

What we need:Ripe tomato, medium sized - 1
Salt - as needed
Yoghurt - 1 cup

For tempering:Oil - a tsp.
Mustard - a tsp.
Cumin - a tsp.
Split urad dal - a tsp.

How to do:1. Chop the tomatoes fine and de-seed it. Add it to the yoghurt along with some salt.
2. Heat oil and add the ingredients for tempering. When they are done, add it to the yoghurt and mix well.

Serve togther with kootu and rice!

My dear friend, Sanghi has passed this lovely award to me. Thanks buddy, you made my day!

The rules of the award are:

* You must thank the person who has given you the award.
* Copy the logo and place it on your blog.
* Link to the person who has nominated you for the award.
* Name 7 things about yourself that people might find interesting.
* Nominate 7 other Kreativ Bloggers.
* Post links to the 7 blogs you nominate.
* Leave a comment in the nominated blogs to let them know they have been nominated

By now, most of you would have been tagged for this award! I would like to nominate Sandhya, Jeyashri, Ambika, Kanchan, Saraswathy of Taste of Sara's Kitchen. Please accept it dearies!

Now to the 7 things about me that may (or may not!) interest you!

1. I am a very friendly person and a non-stop chatter box. It is sometimes hard to put up with my rants and raves! ;)
2. Photography, Mehndi designing are my passions, next to cooking.
3. The best thing that has happened to me till date is my darling hubby! Touchwood! :)
4. My parents are my best friends. Being the only daughter doesn't mean I am a spoilt brat, but I have all the love of my parents for myself.
5. My passion for cooking has developed only recently; precisely after I became a full-time homemaker. Until then, I loved to eat but never ventured anything other than sambar, rasam and poriyal.
6. Books give me the best company. I love to read as much as I can. Sidney Sheldon and Dan Brown are my favorite writers.
7. I am a freaky Shop-oholic! Love to shop till drop! I am trying hard to curb this obsession. :D
So if you have reached till here, thanks for bearing my lengthy post. Happy Cooking and happy blogging!!

Pudina Thogayal

2009-10-15T16:41:00.015+05:30

Yay!! I am delighted to share with you all my happiness; my dish Paneer Puff had made it to the "Top 10" at Garnish the Dish event and has now been chosen as People's Choice.

I am extremely happy and would like to take this moment to thank the hosts, Nithya and Pavithra. Thanks a lot buddies, for having given us this wonderful opportunity, that made us explore our creative side and unleash some wonderful eye-catching ideas.

A million thanks to my family members, blogger buddies and friends who have made this possible. My Heart-felt congratulations to the other 3 winners, Kamala, Lakshmi, Gethan and all the participants. All the entries were tastefully done and were unique in its own way!

Now over to our recipe! For the benefit of non-tamils, thogayal is a variation of chutney, but the former is often taken with rice and the latter is usually meant for dosas and idlis. And pudina thogayal always has a special place in the heart of thogayal lovers. The overpowering flavor of pudina is something I love and can have it anytime!

My hubby dear is not very fond of thogayal, so I make this often for myself and relish it with hot rice, sesame oil on top and a "sutta appalam". :)

Pudina ThogayalMint chutney for rice

What we need:
Mint leaves - a bunch
Urad dal - 2 tbsp.
Fresh Grated Coconut - 2 tbsp.
Red Chilli - 2 or 3
Asafoetida - 1 pinch
Tamarind - a marble sized ball
Salt - as needed
Oil - 1 tsp.
Water - a little to grind

How to do:1. Heat oil and add the ural dal, red chilli, tamarind. Fry till the urad dal starts to turn light red. Set aside.
2. In the same pan, add the cleaned mint leaves and saute for a minute.
3. Transfer all the roasted ingredients to the mixer and grind along with coconut, asafoetida, salt and little water.

Serve with hot rice, drizzled with a tsp of Sesame oil and roasted appalam.

Happy Cooking and Happy Blogging! Catch you all after Diwali! :)

Paneer Pulav, Reposts, Awards

2009-10-14T13:20:00.010+05:30

Uff... A gentle bark shook me out of the reverie! It was our neighbour's playful Jack Russell on his morning walk who pulled me out of the daydream. I had been sitting on my dining table munching by favourite butter croissant, scratching my brain looking for something to write about this recipe!

But no, I am at loss of words, my mind preoccupied with my forthcoming Deutsch Certification exam that is driving me to my wits' end! Okies, it is not rocket-science; but I always get this familiar queasy feel in my abdomen whenever there is an exam, big or small, awaiting me! ;)

So with no more further rants, I am going to the recipe. This is a very simple, easy to make Pulav in a short time, provided you have paneer in your fridge!

Paneer PulavIndian Cottage Cheese cooked with basmati rice and mild spices
Serves 2

What we need:
Basmati rice - 2 cups
Paneer - 100 g, cut into 1" inch cubes
Onion, medium sized - 1, finely chopped
Tomato, medium sized - 1, finely chopped
Green Chilli - 1 or 2, minced
Ginger-Garlic Paste - 1 tbsp.
Cumin (Jeera) seeds - 1 tbsp.
Chilli powder - 1 tsp.
Jeera powder - 1 tbsp.
Dhania powder - 1 tbsp.
Mint leaves - 5 to 6
Salt - as needed
Oil - 2 tbsp.
Water - 3 cups
Kasoori Methi - 1 tbsp.
Saffron - a pinch, dissolved in water Optional
Fresh chopped Coriander - 2 to 3 tbsp.

How to do:
1. Wash and soak the basmati rice for 30 minutes.
2. Heat oil and fry the paneer cubes till they turn slight brown. Drain and set aside, preferably in warm water.
3. In the remaining oil, add Cumin and allow it to sputter. Now add the onions, ginger-garlic paste, green chillies and salt. Fry till the onions turn brown.
4. Add the tomato, mint leaves, chilli powder, jeera powder, dhania powder. Mix well and fry till oil starts to separate.
5. Drain and add the basmati rice and mix. Add 3 cups of water (1 cup of rice: 1.5 cups of water). Cover and cook for 10 to 12 minutes.
6. When all the water gets evaporated, and holes start to form on the surface of rice, add the paneer cubes, crushed kasoori methi and mix.
7. Let this cook for another 6 to 7 minutes, or until the rice is done.
8. Dissolve the saffron powder in a tbsp of water/milk and drizzle it over the rice.

Remove from flame and let this sit for 3 to 4 minutes. Mix well, garnish with coriander and serve hot with onion raitha.

Note: Addition of Saffron is purely optional. Usually it is done only in biriyanis; but when added in Pulav, it gives a nice flavor and color. Pssst... it tastes so good the next day!! ;)
Since Paneer is the Indian Cottage Cheese, sending this entry to Say Cheese event @ Sara's Corner

Also I am re-posting my other Paneer dishes for the same event

Palak Paneer, Paneer Butter Masala, Paneer Bites

Now coming to awards, It is raining awards again! :) Vidya has been so generous to pass on these awards!

Don't miss her blog; She has a neat, well-organized space and a wonderful collection of recipes! Thanks Vidya, it was so sweet of you!

Since I had already passed on the first 3 awards, I would like to pass on these 2 awards:

to my buddies Pavithra, Sree, Sangeetha, Jeyashri, Raje, Nithya

To be honest, I am so sad to pick out just 6 people to pass the awards. I really don't want to miss anyone as I absolutely enjoy reading each and every one of your blog! So I am sorry to have missed some of you!

Happy cooking and happy Blogging!

Pasi Paruppu Sundal & Rava Ladoo

2009-10-09T19:58:00.011+05:30

"Thenga Maanga Pattani Sundal.....!" Chennai-tes could not have obviously missed this sound! Little boys and men carrying tins of Murukku and bowls of green peas sundal are just a common sight in Marina or Elliott's beach in Chennai. And I bet, none of us could have missed the yummy sundal topped with tangy scrapped mango, forgetting about the hygiene and indulging for a moment!! :)

Festive season or not, sundal is a favorite snack for most of us. Next to the beach sundal, home-made pasi paruppu sundal is my favorite. That complemented with a yummy, melt-in-mouth Rava Ladoo, bajjis and a steaming cup of Nescafe, perched by the window sill on the raining day!!! Mmm.. I'm lovin' it! (read aloud as in McD ad!)

Rava Ladoo is not anything new; it is a breeze to most of us. So I am not going to re-invent the wheel, just sharing with you all my version!

Pasi Paruppu Sundal / Moong dal Sundal
Split Yellow Moong dal snack
Serves 2

What we need:
Yellow Moong dal / Pasi Paruppu - 1 cup
Green Chilli - 1, minced
Fresh scrapped Coconut - 4 tbsp.
Mustard - 1 tsp.
Cumin (Jeera) - 1 tsp.
Asafoetida -a pinch
Oil - 1 tbsp.
Salt - 1 tbsp. or according to taste
Turmeric powder - a pinch
Water - as needed
A dash of lemon juice

How to do:
1. Wash and clean the dal. In a vessel, take the dal and fill with water just enough to cover it. Add a pinch of turmeric powder and cook until it starts to absorb the water. Take care that the dal should not be too mushy.
2. Heat oil and sputter mustard and jeera. When they are done, add the green chilli and curry leaves.
3. Add the cooked dal, salt and mix carefully not to mash the dal.
4. Garnish with coconut and remove from the flame.

Sprinkle a dash of lemon juice and enjoy it!

Serving suggestion for over-cooked dal
Side note:- Sometimes I over-cook the dal because I like the mashed texture.In case you over-cook the dal, just crease a small cup with a drop of oil, stuff it with the sundal and invert it on the serving plate. Sprinkle some coriander leaves and it is good to go the dining room!! For kiddies, you can also make it into small balls and serve.
Sending this to "My Legume Love Affair #22" started by Susan and hosted this month @ Ruchika Cooks

Rava Ladoo

What we need:
Rava / Sooji - 1 cup
Powdered Sugar - 3/4th cup Increase the quantity of sugar according to your taste
Ghee - 100 g
Cardamom Powder - 1 tbsp.
Cashews - 10 to 15 pieces

How to do:
1. Heat a tsp. of ghee. Add the cashews and fry till they start turning brown. Set aside a few pieces of cashew as whole and break the rest of them into tiny pieces.
2. Heat another tsp. of ghee and add the rava. Roast until a nice aroma starts emitting.
3. If you prefer a smooth ladoo, let the rava cool and powder it fine.
4. In a bowl, add rava, powdered sugar, cardamom powder, broken cashew pieces and mix well.
5. Slowly add the ghee spoon by spoon and mix well. After adding about 3/4th of the ghee, try to gather the mixture and make a ball.
Mom's tip: Amma used to say that the correct consistency is, when you gather the mixture into ball and drop it, it should fall back as 3 or 4 pieces and not as a powder.
6. Now that the mix is in the right consistency, make the balls into desired size. Take a full cashew and slowly press into the ball, without breaking it.

Since Ghee is the one of the main ingredient, sending this Rava Ladoo to Sanghi's FIL: Ghee Sweets.

Happy cooking and happy Blogging!!

Thenga Pal Kurma / Vegetable Stew

2009-10-07T18:28:00.011+05:30

All of us have some specific item that kindles our memory. Nostalgic, in other words! It might be one of your mom's speciality or your grandmom prepares it for you specially, saying "என் பேத்திக்கு ரொம்ப பிடிக்கும்" (My grand-daughter loves it) or something your loved hubby prepared for you for the first time or something your kiddies love from you! Yes, all of us have such special item that lingers in our memory as well as the palates!

To me, it is this kurma. It is my grandmom's speciality. Every time I make this, I realize that her kaimanam can never be matched! So I am dedicating this post specially for her!! Love you patti..!! :)

Thengal Pal Kurma / Vegetable Stew
Vegetables cooked in Coconut milk gravy
Serves 2

What we need:
Potatoes, medium sized - 2
Cauliflower - 1 cup, picked into bite size florets
Peas - 1 cup
Onion, medium sized - 1, cut lengthwise
Green Chilli - 2 or 3, slit vertically
Garlic - 5 to 6 pods
Cinnamon stick - 1" inch piece
Cardamom - 2 to 3 pods
Bay leaf - 1
Cloves - 2 or 3
Salt - as needed
Water - as needed
Thick Coconut milk - 1/2 cup
Ghee - 1 tbsp.

How to do:
1. Boil and cube the potatoes. Cut the cauliflower into bite size flowers and boil it with a pinch of salt. Drain and set aside.
2. Heat Ghee or oil, and add Cinnamon, cardamom, bay leaf and cloves. When they emit a nice aroma, add the onion, green chilli and garlic. Fry till the onions turn soft.
3. Add the boiled potatoes, cauliflower, peas, salt and half a cup of water. When it comes to a boil, add the coconut milk. Mix well and remove from the flame.

Serve with rice and papad.

Note: To make it a stew for Appam, add about half a cup of water to dilute the gravy.
As coconut milk is the only thickening agent, make sure it is thick. You can also mash a piece of potato to bring the thickness.
If you need more richness, soak and grind a few cashew pieces and add before the coconut milk.

Now to the cheering time, my lovely buddy Sree has passed on to me this award.
And my another lovely buddy Sandhya has given me a "Giant Bear Hug". Thanks dearies; I am glad to know that you have found my blog worth it!!

With this "Over the top" award goes a fun meme that has to be passed on to 6 people. So here goes my answers:

1. Where is your cell phone? Charging
2. Your hair? Brown
3. Your mother? Loving
4. Your father? Caring
5. Your favorite food? Rasam
6. Your dream last night? I am a Blond!
7. Your favorite drink? Tea
8. Your dream/goal? Entrepreneur
9. What room are you in? Living
10. Your hobby? Books
11. Your fear? Accidents
12. Where do you want to be in 6 years? India
13. Where were you last night? Home
14. Something you aren’t? Hypocrite
15. Muffins? None
16. Wish list item? Nikon SLR
17. Where did you grow up? Chennai
18. Last thing you did? Chat with MIL
19. What are you wearing? Tee and Half-Pants
20. Your TV? None
21. Your pets? None
22. Your friends? LOTS
23. Your life? BLISSFUL
24. Your mood? Joyous
25. Missing someone? Yes
26. Vehicle? No
27. Something you’re not wearing? Shorts
28. Your favorite store? Globus, Chennai
29. Your favorite color? Black
30. When was the last time you laughed? Afternoon
31. Last time you cried? Don't remember
32. Your best friend? Kalpana
33. One place that I go over and over? Interlaken
34. One person who emails me regularly? Father-in-law
35. Favorite place to eat? Dining room

And I'd like to pass it on to:

Sanghi
Nithya
Ambika
Pavithra
Chithra
Kanchan

I wish to include as many buddies as I can but the rule says it should be passed only to 6 people. So, I am sorry to have missed out some of you!!

Happy Blogging and Happy cooking!

Rajma Palak

2009-10-06T12:30:00.012+05:30

Festival means lots of shopping; shopping means drop-dead-tired; that in turns means a nice, sumptuous lunch/dinner @ Saravana Bhavan or Rathna Cafe or a quick chat @ Adyar Ananda Bhavan or Gangotri.

Having brought up in this luxury of having round-the-corner-eateries, I really really miss India! So whenever I get a chance, I try hunt all the Indian food joints here, from perfectly-ambient-restaurants to small take away services. On one such instance last weekend, I stumbled upon this Rajma Palak and was pleasantly surprised, because not even in the faintest of my imagination would Rajma and Palak go together!! I tried to recreate it again at home and was quite successful too.

Rajma PalakRed Kidney beans simmered in Spinach gravy
Serves 2

What we need:Rajma - 1 cup
Spinach leaves - 200 g
Tomato puree - 1 to 1.5 cups
Cumin seeds - 1 tsp.
Cumin powder - 1 tbsp.
Turmeric powder - a pinch
Ginger-Garlic paste - 1/2 tbsp.
Asafoetida - 1 pinch
Oil/Ghee - 3 tbsp.
Salt - as needed
Water - as needed
Milk - 3 tbsp.
Cream - 3 to 4 tbsp. Optional

Optional Ingredients: Enhances the flavor and gives a texture to the gravy
Paneer - 100 g, cut to 1" inch cubes
Chopped tomato - 5 or 6 small pieces
Garam Masala - a pinch

How to do:1. Soak the Rajma overnight. Change the water and pressure cook the dal (about 4 to 5 whistles) or until soft.
2. Wash, clean and boil the spinach for about 5 minutes. Let them to cool and blend them coarsely. If you would like to have a restaurant style gravy, blend it into a smooth paste.
3. Heat Oil/Ghee. If you are adding Paneer,fry the Paneer cubes till they start to brown out on the edges. Drain and drop into warm water to keep them soft.
4. Heat the remaining oil/ghee and add cumin seeds. When they start to sizzle, add a pinch of Asafoetida, Ginger-Garlic paste, Turmeric powder.
5. When they are done, add the tomato puree, chopped tomatoes, salt, cumin powder. Stir well and fry till the fat starts to separate from the gravy.
6. Add the pureed Spinach and cook for 3 to 4 minutes. If you are using frozen spinach, thaw it accordingly to the instructions and add.
7. Add the rajma at this point and reduce the heat to low-medium. Let this simmer for 15 to 20 minutes. Keep stirring in between.
8. After the gravy has simmered, add the fried paneer, cream, milk, garam masala. Mix well and remove from the flame.

Serve with Naan or Rotis. Goes well with Rice and papad too!

Sending this to JFI Rajma by Divya started by Indira of Mahanadi

Yet another award time!!

Vidya and Raje has given me a Giant Bear Hug.

Another "One Lovely blog" award has been given by Kitchen Queen and Raje.

Sree has passed on to me

Thank you so much friends. I am super excited!! :) Now I would like to pass it on to my new blogger buddies.

So here goes "A Fabulous Blog" award to

Mythreyi
Kitchen Queen
Sanghi
Collaborative curry

And "One lovely blog" award to

Prathiba
Sree
Kanchan

Happy Blogging and happy cooking!

Award Time!

2009-10-03T13:38:00.013+05:30

Yipee....! My first blog award!

Sangeetha has passed on to me this award! Thank you so much dear; it really means a lot to me! Today I am very happy because I have earned so many good friends in a short span of time. I would like to take this opportunity to thank each and everyone of you for supporting me, encouraging me, motivating me to do better! Thanks to you all lovely ladies!! :)

Now, it is my turn to pass on the awards.

I would like to pass on the "Lovely Blog Award" to

Sangeetha
Divya
Shanthi
Chitra
Indhu
EC
Raks
Nithya
Pavithra
Srivalli

and a "Giant Bear Hug" to

Sandhya
Jeyashri
Sushma Mallya
Ambika
Raje
Sree Vidya
Sadhana & Muskaan
Lata Raja

I am not so very familiar with the rules of passing awards, so if I have made any mistake or did something I am not supposed to do, Please do let me know!

Have a great weekend! :)

Paneer Puff Flowers

2009-10-01T18:42:00.009+05:30

How many times have we started to do something, ending up with something else? How many of us start doing something simple, ending up with something exotic? Well, I am also just one of you who is now nodding in agreement. What started out as a simple paneer puff, resulted in Paneer Puff Flowers!! :) Yay, I am all set to send this to 2 upcoming events!!

To cut the long story short, there was a portion of pastry sheet in my fridge calling for attention. I decided to make some paneer puffs to go with evening tea, that way I can also use up the small amount of paneer remaining. I didn't seal the flap of the puff properly which resulted in the puff opening up like a flower ;) But I was still skeptical if it was luck or it happened naturally. So I made another batch just to confirm that this way puff sure opens up!!

Paneer Puff Flowers

What we need:
Puff pastry sheet - a small packet or about 100 g
Paneer - 100 g
Onion, medium sized - 1, finely chopped
Green chillies - 1 or 2, minced
Garlic - 2 pods, minced
Ginger - 1" inch, grated
Kasoori methi - 2 or 3 tbsp., crushed Optional
Chilli powder - 1 tbsp.
Cumin (Jeera) powder - 1 tbsp.
Cumin - 1 tbsp.
Oil - as needed
Salt - as needed

How to do:
For the filling:
1. Grate the paneer.
2. Heat oil in a pan add cumin seeds. When they start to sputter, add onion, green chilli, garlic and ginger. Fry till the onion turn soft.
3. Now add grated paneer, chilli powder, salt. Mix well and add crushed Kasoori methi.
4. Remove from flame and let it cool.

For the pockets:

1. Cut out the pastry sheet as much as required. Dust a little bit of flour and roll out the sheet to a large square.
2. Cut out into medium sized squares as in step 2.
3. Take a spoonful of cooled paneer mixture and heap it in the center of the square.
4. Bring together the opposite ends (diagonal ends) and seal lightly with the tip of finger. Do not press too hard.
5. Do the same with the other ends. Before sealing the fourth end, it will look as in step 4. (How stupid of me to forget to click them with all sides sealed!) Make as many pockets as desired.

Baking:
1. Preheat the oven to 200 degrees for 5 minutes. Arrange the pockets on a baking sheet and drizzle a little bit oil over the pockets, if required.
2. Keep the sealed side on the top and bake the pockets in the oven in 200 to 250 degrees for 5 minutes.
3. Now turn them to the other side and bake for another 5 to 7 minutes or till the side starts to turn brown.
4. Now that the back side is evenly browned, flip the pockets back to the top and again bake it for 5 to 7 minutes. By now, the sealed edges will open up and look like petals.
5. Carefully set them on a serving plate and serve with tomato or chilli sauce.

Since this is a high-cal food, I felt it should be balanced with a healthy company. So I garnished with carrots, lightly steamed green peas, and baby corn.

Sending this entry to:
1. Nithya and Pavithra's "Garnish the Dish"

2. Though I don't have one yet to vouch it :) , I am sure kids will love this dish. Hence to Srivalli's Kid's Delight

Happy cooking!!

Thakali Rasam & Tested and tried Sandhya's Coriander Roti

2009-09-30T11:56:00.009+05:30

Another lazy Sunday.. Another round of thinking what to do for Brunch....

So, I was sipping my coffee and staring out from my window at the Alps when I heard some rattling from the kitchen. Rest assured that I don't own cats, I took a peek and was surprised to see my darling hubby playing around with tomatoes and tamarind. A smile! and I understood that he had taken the responsibility of the day's cooking. What more could make you as happy as to see your loved one cooking for you! :)

So this rasam was prepared by none other than my loving V. For most of my blogger buddies, this recipe is a breeze and probably a "Is this a recipe at all?" question has already popped up. I am posting this for the benefit of absolute beginners and bachelors.

Here we go!!

Thakali Rasam
Serves 2
What we need:
Tomato, medium sized - 1
Tamarind extract - made from a marble sized tamarind ball
Rasam Powder - 2 tbsp.
Asafoetida - 2 pinch
Salt - as needed
Water - as needed
Coriander - for garnishing

For tempering:
Mustard - 1 tsp.
Cumin (Jeera) - 1tsp.
Ghee - 1 tbsp.
Asafoetida - a pinch
Curry leaves - a sprig

How to do:

1. Chop the tomatoes. Prepare the tamarind extract by squeezing the tamarind using a cup of warm water.

2. In a deep bottomed vessel, put the chopped tomatoes, tamarind extract, rasam powder, salt, asafoetida and stir well.

3. Keep in this medium-high flame, till it comes to a boil. Remove from flame and set aside.

4. In a small pan, heat ghee and add mustard. When it starts to pop, add cumin, asafoetida and curry leaves.

5. Add this tempering to the rasam and garnish with coriander.

Note: The most important thing about Rasam is the flavor. Do not let the rasam boil for more than once. It is the secret to retain the flavor.

Another secret to a lip-smacking rasam is Coriander and Asafoetida. Both these ingredients increase the flavor and taste by many-folds.

Tested and Tried:

Sandhya's Coriander Roti

Last Sunday, I tried out the Coriander Roti from Sandhya's Kitchen . The only change I did was to omit the green chillies and add Jeera instead of Ajwain. It was definitely worth the try and was a welcome change to an otherwise normal roti. As Sandhya had posted, it was also an effective way to use up all the drying Coriander. :)

Thanks again Sandhya , for sharing it with us! For the original recipe, please click here.

Rasam Podi

2009-09-29T11:56:00.003+05:30

This is the rasam powder mix my mom and grandma makes. They have been following the ratio to book for years. All the measurements are rough and approximate, because we never measure it with a scale. Everything is "கை அளவு கண் அளவு" (Taken in hand, measured with eyes!!)But I sure can vouch for the taste, because it has come this way over a few years! :)

Rasam Powder
Basic Spice powder to make Rasam

What we need:
Red Chilli - 100g
Dhania - 50g
Peppercorn - 50g
Jeera - 50g
Fenugreek (Vendhayam) - 25g
Mustard - 2 tbsp.
Turmeric powder - 1 tsp.
Asafoetida - 1 tsp.
Curry leaves - a few sprigs

How to do:
1. Dry roast the mustard till it starts to pop. Remove and set aside.
2. Dry roast the fenugreek seends till it turns dark red. Remove and set aside.
3. Dry roast the dhania seeds till it starts emiting out a nice aroma. set aside.
4. Now add all the remaining ingredients (except turmeric powder and asafoetida) to the pan and roast well.
5. In a mixie, grind together all of them with turmeric powder and asafoetida to a fine powder.

Note: 1. It is important to roast Mustard and Fenugreek well (as in Step 1 and 2). Otherwise the rasam will taste bitter.
2. In order to make large batches, increase the quantity of ingredients propotionately.
3. Storing in an air-tight container preserves this powder along with its flavor for upto an year. You can use upto 2 tbsp. of this rasam powder to make 2 servings. Please do refer to my Thakali Rasam recipe for the procedure.

Panakam and Neer Mor - Neivedhyam

2009-09-28T14:12:00.012+05:30

Neer Mor (Diluted Buttermilk) and Paanagam (Jaggery Juice) are definite Neivedhyam for Rama Navami.

Ram Navami or राम नवमी is celebrated marking the birth of Lord Rama, son of King Dasharatha of Ayodhya, and a divine figure in Hinduism believed to be an incarnation of Lord Vishnu. The day also known as Sri Rama Navami, falls on the Navami, ninth day of the Chaitra month of Hindu lunar year in 'Shukla paksha' or waxing moon, thus named Chaitra Masa Suklapaksha Navami, and marks the end of nine-day Chaitra-Navratri celebrations.
Source: Wikipedia

This version of Neer mor is my favorite. It has a good cooling effect on the body. Probably that is the reason why it is served during Rama Navami festival that falls in April, which is the on-set of summer in India.

Source: Wikipedia
Panakam is the drink made from Jaggery seasoned with cardamom, ginger and pepper powder. It has high medicinal values too. So, these 2 are those refreshing drinks I would like to have in anytime of the year!

Neer Mor
Diluted Buttermilk
Serves 2
What we need:
Curd - 5 to 6 tbsp.
Water - 1 cup
Milk - 1/2 cup
Asafoetida - 2 pinch
Green Chilli - 2 or 3 tbsp., minced
Coriander - 3 to 4 tbsp.,minced
Grated ginger - 2 tbsp.
Salt - as needed
Grated Mango - 2 to 3 tbsp. Optional

How to do:
In a bowl, add curd, water, milk and whip well. Add all other ingredients, mix well and serve chilled. Stir well before drinking.

If you do not want to pick out the chillies, coriander or ginger, grind together all these ingredients and mix it with the buttermilk.

Panakam
Spiced Jaggery Water
Serves 2

Trying to capture the reflection of Lord Rama in the panakam

What we need:
Jaggery powder - 5 to 6 tbsp. (or you can also grate pieces of Jaggery)
Pepper powder - 2 pinch
Cardamom powder - 1 tsp.
Grated Ginger or Dry Ginger powder (Chukku podi) - 3 tbsp.
Water - 2 cups

How to do:
In about half a cup of water, dissolve the jaggery. Drain to remove any impurities. Add water and mix all other ingredients. Serve chilled.

Now coming to the event part, this is the first event I am participating since I started blogging. Sending this entry to WYF: Festive Treat Event at Simple Indian Food

Buttermilk is lower in fat and calories than regular milk because the fat
from buttermilk has already been removed to make butter. It is high in
potassium, vitamin B12 and calcium. Buttermilk is more easily digestible
than whole milk and it also contains more lactic acid than skim milk.

Pori Upma / Mor moraalu Upma

2009-09-28T00:26:00.004+05:30

It was one of those lazy monday morning when my mom-in-law and I were sitting across the dining table, in comfortable silence, sipping our morning coffee.

Me: What for breakfast ma?
MIL: Hmm... Shall I make Pori upma?
Me: Pori?? Oh, you mean Aval upma?
MIL: No, I mean Pori upma. I saw the packet of Pori you bought for Bhel Puri. I'll make Upma with that.
Me: Oh, I have never heard of it!! Err... Can I take a picture of it?

It was then I came to know this typical Andhra dish made with Pori (Tamil) or Bhel (Hindi) or Mora moraalu (Telugu) as it is called. Commonly known as Puffed rice, Pori is a staple food in many parts of North Karnataka, Bengal and Bangladesh.

Pori Upma
Puffed rice Upma
Serves 2

What we need:
Pori - 2 cups
Onion, medium sized - 1
Green Chilli - 1, minced
Potato, medium sized - 1, diced into small cubes
Ground nuts - a handful
Chana dal - 1 tbsp.
Mustard - 1 tbsp.
Cumin (Jeera) Seeds - 1 tbsp.
Curry leaves - 1 or 2 sprigs
Turmeric powder - a pinch
Oil - 2 tbsp.
Coriander - for garnishing
Water - to sprinkle

How to do:
1. Heat oil in a pan, and add mustard and turmeric powder. When mustard starts to pop, add cumin and chana dal and groundnuts.
2. Whent the chana dal starts brown, add the onions, green chilli, and curry leaves. Add salt.
3. Cook till the onion turn soft. Now sprinkle some water in the bowl of Pori and mix well with your hand. Do not add too much water or else pori will become soggy.
4. Add the pori to the pan and mix well.
5. Remove from flame and garnish with fresh coriander.

This is a very light meal and doesn't need any side dish at all. But you can serve it with little yoghurt as an accompaniment.

Simple Mushroom Garlic Pasta

2009-09-24T20:33:00.003+05:30

This is the dish I can't make anyone in my family eat. I don't know if it is Mushroom or the odd shape of pasta (!) that does the trick. Rarely have I come across vegetarians, who like Mushroom. Of late, as if making a survey, I have started questioning every vegetarian friend I meet, if he/she likes mushroom. I invariably end up with no company! So whenever I go to restaurants, I just can't order any mushroom dish for the sake of my companion. Phew! So much rambling for this little umbrella-shaped veggie, right?

Ever since I had tasted this pasta in Pizza Corner, I wanted to try it out at home but didn't know the recipe though. So what? I once again transformed my avatar (into a Chef!) and experimented. The result was worth it too!

Mushroom Garlic Pasta
Pasta cooked in White Mushroom Garlic sauce
Makes 1 Portion

What we need:
Pasta (Fussilli, Macaroni or Spaghetti) - 2 cups
Mushroom - 100 g
Onion, medium sized- 1, finely chopped
Garlic - 2 to 3 pods, minced
Pepper powder - 2 tbsp.
Salt - as needed
Fresh (heavy) cream - 3 to 4 tbsp.
Flour - 1 tbsp., heaped
Water - as needed
Butter/Oil - 2 tbsp.

How to do:
1. Cook the pasta according to instructions on the packet. Drain and set aside.
2. Heat oil in a wok or pan. Add the onions, garlic and half of the salt.
3. When the onions turn soft, throw in some pepper powder and mix well.
4. Dissolve a tbsp of flour in 2 tbsp of water. Whip well to dissolve all the lumps. Add the flour paste and half a cup of water to the pan.
5. Mix well. When it starts to boil, add the pasta and salt as needed.
6. Keep stirring to coat the pasta with the mixture. Now add the cream.
7. Stir well and let it sit on low flame for 2 to 3 minutes.

Suggested serving: With Garlic bread.

Thakali Thokku

2009-09-24T19:50:00.004+05:30

I have clearly been smitten by the Tomato Bug. Yeah, in a week's time, I have made both tomato chuntey and thokku and here I am, blogging the same.

Those big ripe tomatoes in the fresh produce section always leaves me buying about 1 kg everytime. And in the home of 2, 1 kg of tomato lasts forever......! And tomato is not a clear winner in V's palates. So thsi time, instead of finding its way to the trash, all those ripe tomatoes got themselves chopped and made into Thokku, which luckily could be kept for 3 to 4 days in fridge. This is my mom's version and utterly delicious.

Thakali Thokku

Tomato chutney (Pickle style)

What we need:

Ripe Tomatoes - 3 to 4
Salt - as needed
Mustard - 1 tbsp.
Chana dal (Kadalai paruppu) - 2 tbsp.
Cumin (Jeera) - 1 tbsp.
Asafoetida - 1 pinch
Sesame (Gingely) Oil - 4 to 5 tbsp.

How to do:
1. Wash and roughly chop the tomatoes. Heat oil in a kadai and drop in the mustard and asafoetida.
2. When it starts to crackle, add cumin and chana dal.
3. Once they are done, add the chopped tomatoes. Add salt, chilli powder and turmeric powder.
4. Keep mixing occasionally. It takes about 5 to 7 minutes for the tomatoes to get cooked.
5. When the oil starts to separate, remove from flame.

Serve with Idlis, Dosa, Chapati. You can store this in refridgerator for upto a week.

Spicy Tangy Tomato Chutney

2009-09-17T00:23:00.003+05:30

There are numerous ways of making tomato chutney - with onions, garlic, tamarind, coconut, coriander... every twist is a new taste.

This Chutney is a combo with rice, but it makes a good partner with idlis and dosas as well. My MIL makes this often and it is always my favorite. 2 reasons.. One because of the simplicity. It hardly takes 10 minutes to make this. Second, I like the raw taste of tomato. Yes, the reason being tomato is cooked as whole.. No cutting or chopping!! So if you can't stand the raw smell of tomato, I am afraid, this chutney will be a disappointment. Of course, you can add variations like grinding a pod of garlic or a few red chillies. But please do not chop the tomato or you'll miss the authentic taste of this lip-smacking recipe. When I say lip-smacking, I bet you'll!!

Spicy Tangy Tomato Chutney

Serves 2

What we need:
Tomato, big - 1
Green chilli - 1
Salt - as needed
Oil - 2 tbsp.
Broken Urad dal - 1 tsp.
Cumin (Jeera) seeds - 1 tsp.
Mustard - 1 tsp.

How to do:
1. Break the green chilli into 2 pieces.
2. Heat a tbsp of oil in a kadai. Drop the tomato and green chilli into the kadai. Pour hot oil from the kadai over the tomato. Close with a lid
3. Let it cook for 2 to 3 minutes. Turn the tomato to other side and leave it again for 3 to 4 minutes.
4. Remove from flame and let this cool for a while. Coarsely blend them together with salt.
5. Heat oil in a smaller pan and add mustard. When it starts to pop, add cumin and broken urad dal. Add the tempering to the chutney.

Serve with rice and papad or with dosa and idly.

Peas Pulav

2009-09-02T21:48:00.005+05:30

While Potatoes top the charts in my home, Peas comes next. A pod that never lets me down, a pod that never fails!! It was yet another time of scratching the brain for a dinner menu when the packet of frozen peas came to rescue. Now since I don't have a story to ramble on, we go directly to our recipe

Peas Pulav
Basmati rice cooked with peas and mild spices
Serves 2

What we need:
Peas - 1 cup
Basmati Rice - 1.5 cups
Onion, medium sized - 1, finely chopped
Green chilli - 1 or 2, minced
Garlic - 2 or 3 pods, minced
Peppercorn - 1 tbsp.
Cumin (Jeera) -1 tbsp.
Oil - 3 to 4 tbsp.
Coriander - for garnishing
Salt - as needed
Water - 2 cups

How to do:
1. Wash and soak the rice for about 30 minutes.
2. Heat oil in a deep bottomed pan, and add the pepper corn and cumin. When they sizzle, add onion, green chilli, garlic and salt.
2. Fry till the onion turn soft. Now add water; when it starts boiling, drain and add the soaked rice.
3. Cover and cook for about 8 to 9 minutes. When the rice is about half-done, add the frozen peas and mix gently.
5. Let this cook for another 5 to 6 minutes. Check by mixing with a wooden spatula.
6. Once the rice is done, remove from flame and garnish with coriander.

Generally peas pulav is bland on its own; so instead of raitha, you can combine it with any gravy like Paneer Butter Masala or Dal Makhani.

Dal Makhani

2009-09-02T21:33:00.003+05:30

Dal Makhani always meant extravagance to me. Yes, having seen a tiny caption in the menu card of every restaurant "Black Urad dal and Red Kidney Beans slow cooked in a rich gravy overnight"... I had decided that this is one recipe I'd leave it to the chefs! Until my last birthday..

A good friend of mine rang me to tell that she had made Dal Makhani and wanted to give me some. As usual, my hubby dear was made the messenger and he picked it up on the way home. Needless to say, it was recreated to perfection and we actually fought for the last spoonful!

Now it has become a regular visitor to our dining tables. But I must admit that though I try to copy the recipe to book, I am still reminded of my first experience of home-made Dal Makhani by my friend.. Just like everyone remembers their first date! ;)

Dal Makhani
Black Urad dal and Red Kidney beans in a rich cream gravy
Serves 2

What we need:
Black urad dal - 1 cup
Rajma (Red Kidney beans) - 1/4 cup
Tomato puree - 1 cup
Ginger-garlic paste - 1 tbsp.
Green Chillies - 1 or 2, minced
Turmeric powder - a pinch
Asafoetida - a pinch
Chilli powder - 1 tbsp.
Garam masala - a pinch
Cumin (Jeera) seeds - 1 tbsp.
Oil/Butter - 2 tbsp.
Fresh heavy cream - 2 to 3 tbsp.
Kasoori methi - 2 to 3 tsp.
Salt - as needed
Water - as needed
Coriander - for garnishing

How to do:
1. Wash and soak the dals overnight. Change the water and cook them in a pressure cooker for 4 to 5 whistles or till they are done.
2. Heat oil or butter in a pan. Add the cumin seeds and asafoetida.
3. When the cumin starts to sizzle, add the ginger-garlic paste. Fry till they emit a nice aroma and add tomato puree.
4. Stir in the turmeric powder, chilli powder and salt. Cook till oil starts to separate.
5. Now add the cooked dal and water. Reduce the flame and let this cook for 10 to 15 minutes on low flame.
6. Add the kasoori methi (gently crush it before adding)
7. Drizzle in 2 to 3 tbsp. of cream and mix well. Remove from flame.

Serve with naan, roti or paratha.

Egg Masala Dry

2009-09-02T20:51:00.005+05:30

Now I don't have a story to go with this, we are going directly to our recipe. I can almost hear some of you jumping with joy because of the escape from my boring rants! :)

Egg Masala Dry

Serves 2

What we need:

Boiled eggs - 2 to 3

Onion, medium sized - 1, finely chopped

Tomato, medium sized - 1, finely chopped

Coriander, finely chopped - 3 to 4 spoons

Green chilli - 1 or 2, minced

Garlic - 2 to 3 pods, minced

Cumin (Jeera) seeds - 1 tbsp.

Cumin Powder - 1 tbsp.

Coriander (Dhania) Powder - 1 tbsp.

Turmeric powder - a pinch

Garam Masala - a pinch Optional

Kasoori Methi - 2 tbsp, crushed

Mint leaves, chopped - 8 to 10 leaves

Salt - as needed

Oil - 3 tbsp.

How to do:

1. Boil the eggs, remove the shell and cut them into quarters.

2. Heat oil and add the cumin seeds. When they start to sizzle, add onions and salt.

3. Fry till the onions turn soft, and add turmeric powder, green chilli and garlic. Once they are done, add tomatoes and mint leaves.

4. In 2 or 3 minutes, tomatoes will be done and will start to pulp out. Then throw in the dry spice powders (Cumin, Dhania, a pinch of Garam masala). Sprinkle little water to avoid burning.

5. When the mixture starts to get lumpy texture, add the boiled eggs. Mix slowly and carefully to coat them with the masala.

6. Let this sit for 2 or 3 minutes. Add the crushed Kasoori Methi and remove from flame.

Garnish with coriander. Goes well with Rotis, Naan as dry side-dish. Try this also with Sambar rice, or rasam rice.

I always add a few mint leaves to most of the egg-based dishes, because I don't like the smell of egg when it starts cooling down and the overwhelming flavor of mint covers it.

Paneer-liciously Yours!!!

2009-09-02T20:40:00.002+05:30

I know, by now the title should have suggested my love for Paneer...! So is the case with my dear hubby. As I has said in my previous post, I have started trying out different varieties with this yummy dairy product and the results are always edible!

But Paneer Bhurji was one recipe that didn't come up to my expectation. Because when I grate and add paneer, I feel that oil starts coming out of the dish, and in the end, I end up having more oil in my plate that what I had actually added. Maybe it is my mistake in the way of doing it.

So I have started chopping Paneer into fine small pieces (yes, of course a lot of work, but really worth the effort!). Now I see that it is no more oily as it used to be. And yes, the texture of the dish is too good, as the pleasure of biting into chunky paneer pieces is definitely INCREDIBLE!

Quick Paneer Bites
Indian cottage cheese snack
Serves 2
What we need:
Paneer - 150 g, chopped into small fine pieces
Onion, medium sized - 1, finely chopped
Tomato, medium sized - 1, finely chopped
Green chillies - 1 or 2, minced
Ginger - 1", grated
Garlic - 2 to 3 pods, minced
Chilli powder - 1 tbsp.
Cumin (Jeera) powder - 1 tbsp.
Turmeric powder - 1 pinch
Cumin (Jeera) seeds - 1 tbsp.
Kasoori Methi (Dried Fenugreek) - 2 tbsp.
Salt - as needed
Oil - 1 tbsp.
Chopped Coriander - for garnishing

How to do:
1. Heat oil in a pan, and add the cumin seeds. When they start to sizzle, add onion and salt.
2. Fry till the onions turn soft. Add green chillies, ginger, garlic. (You can also use a tbsp. of ginger-garlic paste).
3. Once they are done, add the tomato and dry powders (chilli, turmeric, jeera powders). Stir and mix well till the tomatoes are soft.
4. Now half of the kasoori methi (crush gently before adding) and the paneer. Mix well, and coat the paneer pieces with the masala.
5. Reduce the flame and let this sit for 3 to 4 minutes.
6. When the paneer starts turning brown, add the remaining kasoori methi and remove fro flame.

Garnish with fresh chopped coriander and serve as a snack. It also goes well with rotis and naan as a dry side dish.

2009-08-31T15:18:00.032+05:30

Appetizers, Starters and Snacks
Masal Vadai
Quick Paneer Bites
Gobi Manchurian
Paneer Puff flowers
Pasi Paruppu Sundal
Chole Tikki
Hot and Sour Idli

Chutneys and Dips
Spicy Tangy Tomato Chutney
Thakali Thokku
Pudina Thogayal
Thakali Thayir Pachadi - Tomato Raitha
Bajji Milagai Thogaiyal
Peerkangai Thogaiyal

Rasams, Soups
Lemon Rasam
Rasam Mix - Wet
Thakali Rasam

Breakfast and Tiffins
Masala Dosai
Roesti
Peas Semiya Upma
Egg Dosa
Pori Upma
Chutney Upma
Arisi Kurunai Upma

Rice, Pasta, Noodles
Paneer Pulav
Indian Style Pasta
Baked Broccoli and Cheese Pasta
Veggie Rice
Quick Egg Biriyani
Schezwan Fried Rice
Egg Fried Rice
Mushroom Garlic Pasta
Vegetable Pulav

Indian Flat Breads
Aloo Paratha

Dals
Dal Palak
Dal Makhani
Methi Dal / Menthiya Koora pappu
Chole Masala

Vegetables, Gravies, Kootu, Sambar and Curries
Avarakkai Kootu
Palak Paneer
Paneer Butter Masala
Rajma Palak
Egg Curry
Egg Masala (Dry)
Aloo Methi
Aloo Mutter Bhaji
Dry Green Aloo Gobi
Dry Palak
Spicy Plain Palak
Thenga Pal Kurma / Veg Stew
Milagu Kozhambu
Kurma / Veg Saalna
Mutter Paneer

South Indian Brahmin Cooking
Mor Kozhambu / Plain Kadi - I
Mor Kozhambu - II The Authentic version
Beans Curry/ Poriyal
Vazhai Poo Usli (Banana Flower-Lentil Cake Stir Fry)
Red Radish Sambar
Avial

Refreshing Drinks
Panakam and Neer Mor

Sweets, Desserts
Gulab Jamun
Rava Kesari
Rava Ladoo

Podis (Powders)
Rasam Podi
Ellu Podi

Dry Palak

2009-08-12T20:14:00.006+05:30

Dry Palak
Spinach cooked with dry spices
Serves 2

What we need:
Palak- 150 g
Onion, medium sized - 1, finely chopped
Tomato, medium sized - 1, finely chopped
Turmeric powder - 1 tbsp.
Mustard seeds - 1 tbsp.
Cumin (Jeera) seeds - 1 tbsp.
Broken Urad dal - 1 tbsp.
Red Chilli - 2 or 3, torn
Oil - 2 or 3 tbsp.
Salt - as needed
Water - as needed

How to do:

1. Heat oil in a pan, and add mustard. When they start to sputter, add cumin, broken urad dal and red chillies.

2. Once they are done, add the onion and fry till they are soft. Add salt.

3. Throw in the tomatoes, turmeric powder, and chopped palak. If needed, sprinkle water to cook the palak.

4. Keep stiring occasionally. In about 3 to 5 minutes, palak will turn soft and cooked. Check the seasoning and remove from flame.

Serve with sambar rice, rasam rice or as a filling in Rotis.

Egg Fried Rice and Gobi Manchurian

2009-08-12T20:09:00.004+05:30

Of late, I have started realising the demerits of being abroad. First thing that comes screaming is "INDIAN FOOD". Oh yes, we do have a lots of Indian restaurants here, but none of them serve the dishes in their original spiced versions. (Looks like the chefs have lost the cook-books!) And whenever I order for a (read: in quotes) spicy dish, I invariably find fresh green chillies sticking out of my bowl. Phew...

So my little kitchen often transforms into Chinese, Tandoori, South-Indian restaurants, desperately trying to recreate the magics. The following is one such attempt turned quite successful. Now enough of my rambling, over to our recipe!

Egg Fried Rice
Eggs cooked with sauteed onion and rice
Serves 2

What we need:
Eggs - 3 to 4
Rice - 1 Cup, cooked
Onion, medium sized - 1, sliced
Green chillies - 2 to 3, finely chopped
Ginger-Garlic paste - 1 tbsp.
Pepper powder - 1 tbsp.
Soya sauce - 1 tbsp.
Salt - as needed
Oil - as needed

How to do:
1. Cook the rice and set aside. The grains of the rice should be separate.
2. Break the eggs in a separate bowl and beat them well. Add a little salt and mix well. Set it aside.
3. Heat oil in a deep bottomed pan. Add onion, green chillies and ginger-garlic paste.
4. Fry well till the onion turns soft.Now add pepper powder, salt.
5. Slowly add the beaten eggs, and keep stirring. Scramble them and keep mixing till the eggs are cooked and broken.
6. Now add the rice and mix gently. Add soya sauce and mix well. Check and adjust the seasoning and remove from flame.

Note: You can add chopped beans, carrot to make it more colorful and nutritious.

Gobi Manchurian

Indian version of Cauliflower Manchurian
Serves 2

What we need:
Cauliflower, medium sized - 1
Onion, medium sized - 1, finely chopped
Tomato paste - 2 tbsp.
Tomato sauce or ketchup - 1 tbsp. Optional
Garlic - 3 to 4 pods, minced
Soya sauce - 1 tbsp.
Green onions (Spring Onions) - 3 to 4 sprigs
Green Chillies - 2 to 3, minced
Ginger paste - 1/2 tbsp.
Corn flour - 2 tbsp. heaped
Chilli powder - 1 tbsp.
Salt - as needed
Oil - 2 to 3 tbsp.
Water - as needed

For the batter:
Corn flour - 5 tbsp. heaped
Chilli powder - 1 tbsp.
Oil - 6 to 7 tbsp.
Salt - as needed
Water - as needed

How to do:

Part 1:
1. Pick the cauliflower into medium sized florets and wash them well. Drain and set aside.
2. In a bowl, mix corn flour, chilli powder, salt. Add water slowly to make batter. The consistency should almost be like a dosa batter.
3. Heat oil in a deep pan. Dip the florets into the batter and drop in the oil. Fry well till they turn golden brown. Do not coat the florets with too much batter, as it will become soggy in the gravy.
4. Drain in a kitchen towel and set aside.

Part 2:
1. Heat oil in a kadai. Add the onions, green chillies and garlic. Add salt and fry well till the onions turn soft.
2. Add the tomato paste, tomato ketchup (optional) and chilli powder. Mix well.
3. Add half of the spring onions, soya sauce. Now add half a cup of water.
4. Mix 2 tbsp. of corn flour with little water and make a paste. Take care that all the lumps are dissolved.
5. Add this to the boiling gravy, and keep stirring. Now the gravy will start to thicken.
6. Add the fried Cauliflower florets and coat them evenly with the mixture.

Garnish with the remaining spring onions.

Note: For dinner parties, you can make part 1 and part 2 before hand and leave them aside. When you are ready to serve, heat the mixture a little, add the florets, mix well and serve immediately.

To relish this as a gravy, in step 3, add 2 cups of water.

Serve together Egg Fried rice and Gobi Manchurian and earn a pat-on-the-shoulder from your loved ones! :)

Masal Vadai

2009-08-12T20:00:00.006+05:30

For V, piping hot vadais and coconut chutney are inevitable favorite and he never bothers to count how many he had.

Till our marriage, I had limited my business with vadai just till the dining room. But after learning the secret to please my hubby dear, I learned to make this lip smacking snack. Now it is just a matter of hours notice, and they are ready for the evening bite with tea!

We can make many variations using the same batter like
1. Mix Pudina to make pudina vadai
2. Mix chopped banyan flowers (Vazhai poo) to make Vazhai Poo vadai
3. Use Chopped Cabbage instead of Onion to make Vadai for Neivedyam

Masala Vadai
Spicy Lentil cakes
Makes 5 to 6 vadais

What we need:
Kadalai Paruppu (Chana Dal) - 1 cup
Onion, medium sized - 1, finely chopped
Coriander - 5 tbsp., finely chopped
Red Chillies - 2 or 3
Salt - as needed
Asafetida - a pinch
Oil - for deep frying
Water - as needed

How to do:
1. Wash and soak the dal for about 1 hour.
2. Drain and grind with red chillies, salt, asafetida and very little or no water.
3. In a bowl, mix this batter with chopped onions and chopped coriander. Check for salt and adjust accordingly.
4. In a deep pan, heat oil. To check the heat, drop a small bit of batter in the oil. It should come up immediately.
5. Take some batter and using a banyan leaf/ butter paper /hand, flatten out to make the shape of vadai. Use some oil to avoid batter getting sticky.
6. Drop into the oil, and fry on both sides till golden brown.

Serve with coconut chutney or tomato sauce.

Paneer Butter Masala

2009-08-12T19:47:00.006+05:30

This dish is one item that recurs every time we go to a restaurant! It is our love for paneer, and simplicity of the dish that makes me crave for it. Having smitten by "Paneer Bug", nowadays I am trying out a lot of varieties in Paneer, and this one never fails me.

Tastes best with Rotis and Nan, my (weird) choice is to have it with Chinese Veg. Fried rice. (Psst, it tastes so good!!)

Paneer Butter Masala
Indian Cottage cheese cooked in mildly spiced gravy
Serves 2

What we need:
Paneer - 150 g, cut into cubes
Butter/Oil - 3 to 4 tbsp
Tomato Puree - 1 cup
Green Chillies - 1, minced
Ginger-Garlic paste - 1 tbsp.
Cumin (Jeera) Seeds - 1 tbsp.
Chilli powder - 2 tsp.
Cumin powder - 1 tsp.
Turmeric powder - 1tsp.
Yoghurt - to 4 tbsp.
Garam masala - 1 tsp. Optional
Coriander - for garnishing
Kasoori Methi/Dry Fenugreek Leaves - 1 tbsp. Optional
Salt - as needed

How to do:
1. Heat Oil (or butter) in a kadai and fry the paneer. Drain and keep it aside.
2. Heat the remaining butter (or oil) and add the cumin seeds. When they sizzle, add the ginger-garlic paste and green chillies.
3. When they are done, add the tomato puree, turmeric powder, chilli powder, cumin powder and salt.
4. Fry well till the oil starts to separate. Now add 3 to 4 tbsp. of yoghurt and stir well. Reduce the flame to low.
5. Add the fried paneer cubes, mix well, and sprinkle a tsp. of garam masala.
6. Remove from the stove and garnish with fresh chopped coriander.

Note:
1. Sprinkle crushed Kasoori methi for a better flavor (at step 5).
2. If dealing with calories is not a problem, you can drizzle a dollop of butter over the gravy before serving.
3. Those who don't eat garlic, can omit it and use only ginger. It has a flavor of its own.

Dal Palak - A Warm bowl of Comfort!

2009-08-05T20:56:00.016+05:30

This time I am sharing with you my all-time favorite recipe, Dal Palak. Dal as such is highly nutritious, and having it cooked with palak make the whole package an irresistible combination.

While Dal Palak goes well with Roti, Chapathi, I prefer to have it with rice and papad and find it absolutely comforting. And I am sure you can't agree more with me.

Dal Palak
Moong Dal cooked with Spinach
Serves 2

What we need:
Moong dal - 1 cup
Spinach leaves - 150 g
Onion, medium sized - 1, finely chopped
Tomato, medium sized - 1, finely chopped
Garlic - 3 to 4 pods, minced
Green chillies - 1 or 2, finely chopped
Cumin seeds - 1 tsp.
Ghee (or) Oil - 4 to 5 tbsp.
Salt - as needed
Water - as needed

How to do:
1. Wash and clean the Spinach. Roughly chop them.
2. Wash and pressure cook the dal (for about 15 to 20 minutes). Mash them well.
3. In a pan, heat oil or ghee, add cumin seeds.
4. When they start to sputter, add the onion, green chillies and garlic. Fry till they are soft.
5. Now add the tomatoes, spinach and cook till they turn soft and start to pulp.
6. Add salt, dal and a cup of water.
7. Bring to a boil and remove from the flame.

Serve with rotis or rice and papad.

Rasam Mix (Wet)

2009-08-05T20:22:00.007+05:30

The idea of having a rasam mix was born out those bottles I used to see at Ambika Appalam Depot, Sri Krishna Sweets in Chennai. They are very much a boon to the bachelors and even us, house-wives, to make rasam in less than 3 minutes.

We had planned for a long weekend get-away to Paris and MIL was already planning for the menu after holidays; I must say she is a dheerga darisi, because after a long holiday that had only french fries and pizza for lunch and dinner (thankfully the hotel we stayed provided a decent American breakfast.. But no indian there too!!), I was looking a spicy homemade rasam to satisfy my palates.

We prepared this mix before hand and kept in the fridge. It was just a work of 3 minutes to make the rasam and less than that to happily to drink it off the plate ;) And I will bet anywhere, nothing can be so overwhelming than having a simple homemade rasam after you palates have died consuming an all-foreign-food!! :)

The quantity I have mentioned here makes enough rasam for 3 to 4 people. Adjust the ingredients accordingly to your needs.

Rasam Mix (Wet)

What we need:
Tomato, medium sized - 1
Tamarind extract - 5 to 6 tbsp. Made from a marble sized tamarind ball
Cumin seeds - 1 tbsp.
Dhania (Coriander) seeds - 1 tbsp.
Pepper corns - 6 to 7
Curry leaves - 2 sprigs
Chana dal - 1 tbsp.
Toor dal - 1 tbsp. Optional, but gives a frothy texture
Red Chillies - 2 to 3
Salt - as needed

How to do:

1. Dry roast all the ingredients except tomato and tamarind extract.
2. Blend the roasted ingredients along with salt, tomato and tamarind in a mixer/blender without adding water.
3. Transfer to an air-tight jar and store it in the refrigerator.

Making Rasam with this mix:

Dilute this mix with enough quantity(2 to 3 glass) of water. Bring it to a boil, garnish with coriander leaves.

Tips: Temper mustard and cumin seeds in Ghee and add to this mixture to give a better flavor. Grind a pod of garlic along with the other ingredients for an added flavor and taste.

Methi Dal / Menthiya Koora Pappu

2009-08-05T19:51:00.008+05:30

Summers here are not exactly the summers that I had experienced. Sun shines brightly for 3 to 4 days and when the temperatures touch 25+, it starts to rain. So weird for someone like me from India! So whenever it is raining, the interest in cooking also drops with it. When the palates crave for something simple and enriching, nothing beats like digging into a bowl of rice and dal, with a dollop of ghee over it, and a deep fried appalam to complement it... Yummy!!

The other day I was scanning through the fresh-produce section in the supermarket when this box of green grabbed my attention. I never thought I'll find fresh "vendhaya keerai" or the green methi here in Switzerland and t was a like meeting a childhood friend accidentally after long time ;)

Here I have used half and half toor and moong dal. You can also use only toor or moong dal; anyways, it is tasty.

Methi Dal or Venthaya Keerai paruppu

Dal cooked with Green Methi leaves and spices

Serves 2

What we need:

Toor dal - 1/2 cup

Moong dal - 1/2 cup

Methi leaves - a small bunch

Onion, medium sized - 1, finely chopped

Tomato, medium sized - 1, finely chopped

Garlic - 3 to 4 pods, minced

Green chillies - 1 or 2, finely chopped

Cumin seeds - 1 tsp.

Mustard - 1 tsp.

Ghee (or) Oil - 4 to 5 tbsp.

Salt - as needed

Water - as needed

How to do:

1. Wash and clean the methi leaves. If desired, roughly chop them.

2. Wash and pressure cook the dal (for about 15 to 20 minutes). Mash them well.

3. In a pan, heat oil or ghee and add the mustard. When they start to sputter, add cumin seeds.

4. Once they are done, add the onion, green chillies and garlic. Fry till they are soft.

5. Now add the tomatoes, methi and cook till they turn soft and start to pulp.

6. Add salt, mashed dal and a cup of water (if needed).

7. Bring to a boil and remove from the flame.

Serve with rice and papad.

Egg Dosa

2009-08-03T21:09:00.006+05:30

Like any other child, I used to be very rebellious when it comes to eating food.. But take me to a restaurant; I'd happily munch down dosas, chole baturas without complaining. I wasn't particularly fond of any rice items and used to survive on MAGGI and dosa, to an extent! ;) This Egg dosa was born out of such desperate attempt of Mom to make me eat egg. So when she served me this, I thought it was dosa and gulped it down without a second look! Now years later, I still love that dosa.

It doesn't taste much like egg when eaten hot (unless you are an avid foodie, can't make out much difference!). Do try this out, and let me know your comments.

Egg Dosa
Rice based Pan cake cooked with Egg
Makes 3 to 4

What we need:
Dosa batter - 2 to 3 cups
Eggs - 1 or 2
Oil - as needed
Salt - as needed

How to do:
1. Break the eggs in a bowl and beat them well. Salt them lightly if needed.
2. Pour this mixture into the bowl of Dosa batter and mix well.
3. Make dosas as usual.

Serve with tomato or chilli sauce.