.....my culinary adventures

Pulihora/ Chintapandu Pulihora/ Tamarind Rice

2011-10-26T09:54:00.000-07:00

Wishing everyone a Happy and Prosperous Deepavali .

"Tamarind pulp is cooked with tempering, peanuts and little jaggery and then added to cooked rice ."

Pulihora is a traditional Andhra dish made during most festivals. It tastes divine with the sourness from the tamrind pulp,spicyness from the green and red chillies, crunch from the peanuts, chanadal and urad dals and curry leaves.

The first time I made pulihora was for a trip after my marriage. Mr.IB asked me to make pulihora for the trip we were gonna make to Hilton head islands from Atlanta. Called up amma and she guided me through the recipe and it was a hit.

Ingredients for cooking rice:

Raw rice 1&1/2 cups

Chana dal 1/4 cup+ 1 tbsp

Urad dal 1 tbsp

Mustard seeds 1&1/2 tsps

Jeera 1&1/2 tsps

Hing 1/2 tsp or more

Turmeric 1 tsp

Curry leaves 10-12 leaves

Methi seeds 6-8

Jaggery 1/2 tbsp or a little less

Dried red chillies 6

Green chillies 5 slit

Tamarind a big lemon sized, soaked and pulp extracted

Salt to taste

Oil 1/4 cup

Method:

Cook rice with 1/4 cups of chana dal and 1 tsp oil. Spread on a plate and let it cool.
Heat 1/4 cup of oil and when hot, add methi seeds, mustard, jeera, dried red chillies, 1 tbsp of chana dal, urad dal, peanuts and fry till light brown.
Add green chillies and curry leaves fry for 2 mins.
Add the tamarind pulp, jaggery, salt and cook till the oil separates.
Add to the cooked and cooled rice and mix well.Adjust salt.
Serve with yogurt to make it a complete meal.
Enjoy!!!!

Notes:

Let the pulihora sit for aleast an hour before you serve it. This gives time for all the flavors to combine and bring out the best taste.

Masala Vada/ Paruppu Vadai

2011-10-25T10:34:00.000-07:00

Chana dal, blended with spices and fried till golden brown. YUM !Back home we find masala vadas at almost all the bajji stands. They are accompanied with allam chutney or green chutney or coconut chutney and you can't stop at just one. It is also served at most marriages as a starter or even during festivals. I send these as snack to M's school and he loves them (so do his teachers).

Ingredients:
Chana dal               1 & 1/2 cups
Ginger                    1/2 inch piece
Garlic                     4 cloves
Fennel Seeds          1 & 1/2 tsp
Jeera                      1tsp
Dhaniya                  1& 1/2 tsps
Garam masala         2 tsps
Cilantro                   3 tbsps finely chopped
Mint                        2 tbsps finely chopped
Salt                          to taste
Curry leaves    2 tbsps finely chopped
Dried red chillies      6 (to taste)
Onion                     1/2 chopped
Oil                          For frying.

Method:

Soak chana dal in water for atleast 3 hrs. Drain. Take out a 1/4 cup of the soaked dal and keep aside.
Heat oil for deep frying.
Coarsely grind the remaining dal, dhaniya, jeera, fennel seeds, garam masala, ginger, garlic, curry leaves,cilantro,mint,dried red chillies,salt.Add as little water as possible.
Add the 1/4 cup chana dal and chopped onion to the coarsley ground mixture. Adjust seasoning.
Make small balls and flatten them out into patties.
Carefully drop into the oil and fry till they are golden brown on both sides.
Drain on a tissue and serve hot with chutney or sauce of your choice.
Enjoy!!!

Notes:

The coarse mixture and the intact dal are the key to the perfect texture of the masala vada.
You can also add green chillies instead of red chillies.
If the mixture becomes too runny, add a little rice flour or gram flour .
You can also add finely chopped cashews in to the mixture before deep frying.
Do add the fennel seeds and mint. They give the vada's the exquisite flavor.

Puffed Millets Upma

2011-08-16T10:08:00.000-07:00

I've vanished from the blogging scene for quite some time now as I was awfully busy with family visiting,my unexpected trip to India,health.Now I'm back home and with a recipe we've come to love....Puffed millets upma.

I saw this packet of puffed millets on one of the grocery shopping trips and got it.After a few days I was wondering what I could make with it and my 3 yr old takes one look at it and asked me if i was making poha upma (dunno why he thought of that) and so this recipe.

Ingredients:

4 cups puffed millets
1/2 onion, chopped
1 green chilly, chopped
2 tbsps chopped cilantro
1/4 cup peas
1/2 carrot, chopped
2 tsps corriander pwd
1 tsp jeera pwd
1/2 tsp amchur pwd
A pinch of turmeric
Salt to taste
1/4 tsp red chilly pwd
3 tbsps roasted peanut and dried red chillies, coarsely ground
1 tsp jeera
1 tsp mustard seeds
1 dried red chilly, broken
5 curry leaves, torn
1 & 1/2 tsp urad dal
1 & 1/2 tsp chanadal
Oil
Method :

Soak puffed millets in water for 2 mins, squeeze all the water out and keep the millets aside.
Heat kadai, add 2 tsps oil and when hot, add the chanadal, urad dal, jeera, mustard seeds,redchilly, curry leaves and fry.
Add the chopped onion and fry till it turns translucent. Add the peas and carrot, jeera pwd, corriander pwd, amchur, turmeric,redchilly pwd, salt and cook till the veggies are cooked.
Now add the puffed millets and mix well. Cook for 3 mins. Add the coarsley ground roasted peanuts and dried redchillies pwd and mix well. cook for about 3-4 mins. Add cilantro switch off stove and serve hot.
Enjoy!!!

Pass them on when you are done!

2011-04-17T11:16:00.000-07:00

Saw this at sree's and had to pass it on.We do take things for granted.

A tearful good bye!

2011-04-07T19:00:00.000-07:00

The past few days have been a roller coaster of emotions for me and my family. Losing two family members just days apart is such a big blow. I want so much to be with my family now and I can't and I feel so angry at the helplessness. This just goes to show never take anyone for granted. Please enjoy and cherish every single memory. Please keep us in ur prayers.

Anapakaya Paluposina Kura/ Bottlegourd- Milk Curry

2011-03-29T09:00:00.000-07:00

Once mom planted some anapakaya seeds, which bore 3 vines with so many bottlegourds that even after distributing it in our entire neighbourhood we had many more left. So mom cooked with this very frequently. Though my father and me enjoyed them, my brother didnot like them and still doesnot.
I use the bottlegourd a lot, one reason being they are low in fat and high in fiber, the second being that it one vegetable I find every week in my grocery store. I make a tamarind based curry, with tomato, chutney, use it in sambar, dappalam, pappu. But this is a simple, easy yet a flavourful dish.

Ingredients:
1 medium sized bottle gourd, peeled and cut into 3/4 inch pieces,
1/2 medium onion, chopped,
1 green chilly chopped,
1/2 cup milk.
Tempering:
1 tbsp Oil,
1 tsp mustrad seeds,
1tsp jeera,
2 red chillies, torn
2 gralic cloves,
6-8 curry leaves,
1/2 tbsp urad dal, minappappu.

Method:

In a vessel, add the chopped bottlegourd.
Place onions, green chilly, turmeric on top of the bottle gourd pieces. Add 1/4 cup water.
Close lid and let simmer till the bottle gourd is cooked and all the water evaporates.
Add salt. Combine.
Add the milk and cook till the curry comes together. Donot close the lid at this point.
Keep aside.
Heat oil and add the urad dal and when it starts changing color, add the mustard seeds, jeera and when they splutter, add the torn red chillies, garlic and when they turn color, add the curry leaves.
Add this to the bottlegourd curry and combine.
Serve with white rice or rotis.
Enjoy!!!

Bendakaya Teepi Pulusu/Okra in Jaggery and Tamarind gravy

2011-03-28T15:21:00.000-07:00

Bendakaya/ Okara is our all time favorite vegetable. We like it in every form, fry, curry with tomato, pulusu, stuffed (u get the gist). Bendakaya/Okara pulusu is a simple yet tasty recipe from Andhra. Okra is cooked with some jaggery to cut down the tanginess from the tamarind.

Ingredients:
1/4 kg or 250 gms Bendakayalu/Okra (cut into 1&1/2 inch pieces)
1 and 1/2 medium onion, diced,
2 green chillies, chopped,
4-5 curry leaves,
Red chilly pwd (to taste),
Salt to taste,
A pinch of turmeric pwd,
A small lemon sized tamarind, extract thick juice,
Small lemon sized jaggery(to taste),
Oil for cooking.

Method:

Heat oil in a pan and then add the curry leaves.
Add the chopped chillies and diced onion and fry till the onion turn translucent.
Add the chopped okra, salt, turmeric pwd and red chilly pwd and combine.
Close the lid and let simmer for about 8 mins.
Then add the tamarind extract and jaggery. Combine.
Add some water (if the tamrind extract is thin, there is no need to add the water).
Cover with lid and simmer till the sauce thickens or till the okra is cooked through..
Switch off and serve with white rice.
Enjoy!!!

My New Photo Blog

2011-03-27T08:48:00.000-07:00

Last year I saw some blogs with the theme 365 day Project but did not understand what it was and left it at that. Then I saw Usha's photo blog and Sree's photo blog then Nag's and Divya . They were such an inspiration that I wanted to do it too. So, I called up Usha and she being a sweetheart helped me out and I started my photo blog on feb 22nd but then did not get to post due to some reasons(read LAZY :( ) . But here it is now http://www.aksoflife.blogspot.com (reflections of life). Pictures of what I see in my evryday life and also my travels.

Egg Pesarattu

2011-03-23T10:28:00.000-07:00

I've already blogged about pesarattu here . Egg pesarattu is an other version of pesarattu that me and my brother enjoy. The basic batter is the same and we just add egg, salt and red chilly pwd to it. Tastes great with allam pacchadi (ginger pickle), peanut chutney or ketchup.

Ingredients:
Pesarattu batter
Onions, finely chopped (accordingly),
3 green chillies, finely chopped,
2-3 tbsp finely chopped cilantro ,
salt (to taste),
red chilly pwd (to taste),
turmeric, a pinch,
oil

Method:

To make pesarattu follow the instructions here .

Spread the some of the chopped onions and green chillies.

Crack open an egg directly on to the peasarttu and spread it with a spatula.

Sprinkle some turmeric pwd, salt and red chilly pwd, cilantro and some oil and let cook till done.
Turn the pesarattu around and cook till done on the other side.

Remove and serve hot with chutney .
Repeat with the remaining batter.
Enjoy!!!

Note: Egg pesarattu taste the best when eaten hot.

Andhra Chepala Pulusu/ Fish in spicy and tangy tamarind sauce

2011-03-22T12:40:00.000-07:00

We at IB are seafood lovers. Back home in India we used to have fish atleast thrice a month. Some say chepala pulusu tastes better the next day but I love it immediately after cooking and also the next day.Chepala pulusu is fish cooked in spicy and tangy tamarind with ginger-garlic and some cumin seeds paste. Just the mention and my mouth waters. Traditionally made with boccha ( don't know the english name....) it tastes great. But here I make it with tilapia and its pretty close.

Ingredients:

10 pieces Tilapia or any fish of ur choice
1& 1/2 medium onions, grated
6 green chillies, slit
1 inch ginger, 2 cloves of garlic and 1/2 tbsp jeera, 1tbsp dhaniya, made into paste,
Salt, to taste,
Red chilly pwd, to taste,
a pinch of turmeric,
6-8 fenugreek seeds, roasted and powdered,
A little less than 1/4 cup tamarind, soak in 2 cups of warm water and extract thick juice,
2-3 tbsps cilantro chopped.

Method:

Clean fish and add salt, turmeric, red chilly pwd to the fish and keep aside.
Heat oil and when hot, add the slit green chillies and grated onion and let fry till the raw smell disappears.
Add the marinated fish pieces and fry for 2 mins on one side turn and fry for another 3-4 mins.
Add the extracted tamarind juice. Let simmer for 5 mins or till it comes to a boil.
Add the ground fenugreekseeds and the ginger garlic masala paste and adjust seasoning.
Shake the vessel. Donot use a spatula at this point as it make break the fish pieces. Add half of the cilantro now.
Cook till oil separates and add the remaining cilantro.
Switch off and serve hot or room temp with hot white rice.
Enjoy!!!

Dosakaya Tomato Kura/ Yellow Cucumber & Tomato Curry

2011-03-22T09:57:00.000-07:00

Dosakaya aka Yellow cucumber is a small round shaped and yellow-green vegetable with crunchy texture , seeds in between which are removed and discarded when cooking . Dosakaya are used in Andhra cooking usually in dals or pacchadi or curry and even make dosavakai.
Mom makes this awesome dosakaya tomato kura every summer when they are available in abundance. I can eat this curry every day sans rice or roti.

Ingredients:
1 large dosakaya, peeled, deseeded and cubed,
2 green chillies, sliced
1 small onion chopped,
2 medium tomatoes, chopped,
Salt to taste,
Red chilly pwd to taste,
A pinch of turmeric,
Oil for cooking

Method:

Heat oil and then add green chillies, onion and when onion turns translucent, add the cubed dosakaya pieces.Let simmer covered for about 8-10 mins or till the dosakaya is completely cooked.
Then add the chopped tomatoes, turmeric, salt, red chilly pwd and 1/4 cup water.
Cook for another 5-6 mins till almost all the water evaporates.
Switch off and serve hot with rice.
Enjoy!!!

Teepi Chaaru

2011-03-21T22:28:00.000-07:00

My parents are here as a surprise for Mr. IB's and li'l IB's birthdays(their b'days are a day apart) and we're having fun with them. They will be staying with us only for a month and we're making the most of their time here and enjoying my mom's cooking. Today she made my fav teepi chaaru/bellam chaaru. Simple to make and out of this world.

Ingredients:
Small lemon sized tamarind ,
Jaggerey/bellam to taste,

A pinch of turmeric,
A pinch of red chilly pwd,
Salt to taste,
3 glasses of water.

Tempering:
8 fenugreek seeds,
1 tsp mustard seeds,
1tsp jeera,
2 red chillies, torn,
1 clove of garlic, chopped,
1 tbsp onion, chopped,
6-8 curry leaves.

Method:

Heat oil, add fenugreek seeds let fry for 1 min.
Then add mustard seeds, jeera, torn red chillies, garlic and onions and fry till onion is translucent.
Add curry leaves and when it splutters , add tamarind and after 3-4 mins and jaggery/bellam and then add turmeric, red chilly pwd, salt and then add water.
Let boil for 10-12 mins. Adjust seasoning.
Switch off and serve with white rice.
Enjoy!!!

Quinoa Idly/Idli

2011-03-01T11:10:00.000-08:00

I wanted to try quinoa but was skeptical as to whether li'l IB would like it or not. I decided to sneak it into his favourite breakfast and see, so the quinoa idlies and they were great.
Quinoa are a great source of protien, dietary fiber, is gluten free and is easy to digest (source wikipedia).

Ingredients:
1 cup urad dal
1cup prewashed quinoa
2&1/2 cups idli ravva
water
salt to taste
oil, for greasing the idli plates

To prepare the idli batter :

Wash the quinoa for about 3 times or till it does not smell bitter any more and soak for 5-6 hrs
Wash urad dal a couple of times and then soak in water for atleast 5-6 hrs .
Wash the dal and quinoa again,drain the water and then grind to a smooth paste with very little water.
Wash and soak idli ravva for 1 hr.
When the urad dal forms a very smooth paste take out into a container and then add the idli ravva(squeeze the water from the ravva before adding to the idli batter) and mix very gently.
Place the idli batter in a warm place overnight prefferably or atleast for 8-10 hrs.
After fermantation the batter rises. Add salt when ready to make the idlis.The batter should not be too watery or too tight.

How to make idlis:

Grease the idli plates with oil or butter.Drop the idli batter onto the plates.Stack the plates on to the idli stand.Fill a pressure cooker with 2 cups of water and place the idli stand in this.
Close the lid and cook on high heat for 3-5 mins and when the steam start coming out reduce the heat to medium and after 12 mins switch off the stove and let stay for 5 mins.
Open the lid. Remove the idli stand from the cooker. Dip a spoon under water and run it under the idlis,place them on a plate with chutney and sambar
Enjoy!!!

Watermelon Popsicle

2011-02-12T11:39:00.000-08:00

Who doesn't love a cool popsicle on a hot summer afternoon? I absolutely do (anytime of the year) and thats what I chose for the fourth day of the marathon.
Mom made popsicles with all kinds of fruits for us in summer. She still does when I go home :) .Last year li'l IB had his first popsicle and he loved it. He kept asking mom everday to give him "oka popsicum please" and she would give him one. After coming back , he wanted one here too but somehow we couldnot make them.We made them yesterday as it was a little warm .Its the first time li'l IB helped me out in the kitchen and we both enjoyed it. Li'l IB wanted to take some pics as well so I gave him the camera and he took some good snaps too. Later we were too busy enjoying the popsicles that I forgot all about my camera and now we can't find it coz li'l IB put it in a 'safe place' (he doesnot want to tell us where) and I can't upload the pictures.

Ingredients:
4 cups watermelon(seedless), cut into cubes
1 tbsp sugar (I've not used sugar as the watermelon I used was very sweet)

Blend the watermelon, sugar till smooth.
Pour into popsicle molds, insert tops and freeze for atleast 6 hrs or till the popsicles are hard.
When ready to eat, take them out of the freezer and run them under warm water for 10 secs and pull the popsicle out slowly.
Enjoy!!!

Check out the yummy recipes dished out by my marathon buddies here:

Azeema, Champa, Gayathri Anand, Gayathri Kumar, Harini, Jay, Meena, Minu, Padma, Pavani, PJ, Priya Mahadevan, Priya Suresh, Priya Vasu, Rujuta, Santosh, Saraswathi, Savitha, Shanavi, Shobana, Smitha, Sowmya, Srivalli, Suma, Usha and Veena .

Dabeli

2011-02-11T10:30:00.000-08:00

On the third day of the blogging marathon,I chose to do Indian street food. Just those words make me drool !!!!!! I make sure to eat street foods as many times as I can with my brother,cousins and friends during my trips to India. For me dabeli will always be associated with my friend Sahil's home. I would ask his mom to make it for me everytime I visited his place and she would. After they left Hyderabad, I never got my fix of dabeli till my in-laws moved to Gujarat for 2 yrs and then again at my friend P's house here in the US. I just wish I had a better picture to show u guys.

Ingredients:
2 potatoes, peeled,boiled and mashed
1 medium onion , chopped finely
1 tomato chopped
1/4 cup peanuts, sauted in oil ,red chilly pwd and a little corriander pwd
1 tsp sugar
1&1/4 tbsp dabeli masala (Store bought)
1 tbsp cilantro, finely chopped
6-8 buns,
1/2 cup sev
1/2 cup pomegranate arils
1tsp lemon juice
salt to taste
tamarind chutney( store bought)
green chilly chutney (store bought)

Heat 1 tsp oil and 1 tbsp butter. Add chopped onion and saute till translucent.
Add chopped tomato, dabeli masala, sugar, salt and cook till tomatoes become a paste.
Add the mashed potato and mix well and fry for 3 mins. Add lemon juice mix well and switch off.
Take out onto a serving bowl/plate and let cool .
Add the peanuts, cilantro, sev and pomegranate arils.
Heat the bun a little. Add the tamarind chutney and green chilly chutney to the insides of the bun and spoon in the potato mixture.
Garnish with peanuts,raw onion, sev and cilantro.
Enjoy!!!

Check out the yummy recipes dished out by my marathon buddies here:

Azeema, Champa, Gayathri Anand, Gayathri Kumar, Harini, Jay, Kamalika, Meena, Mina, Padma, Pavani, PJ, Priya Mahadevan, Priya Suresh, Priya Vasu, Rujuta, Santosh, Saraswathi, Savitha, Shanavi, Smitha, Sowmya, Srivalli,Suma, Usha, Veena

Peas Pulao

2011-02-10T10:30:00.000-08:00

Second day of the blogging marathon and I chose a rice dish. Peas pulao is a simple yet a tasty rice recipe which can be prepared in a jiffy. I usually make this when pressed for time and want li'l IB to eat healthy and he loves it.

Ingredients:
1&1/2 cups basmati rice(washed and soaked in water for 30 mins),
Little less than 1/2 cup peas(fresh or frozen) ,
1/2 a medium onion, thinly sliced,
2 green chillies, slit vertically,
2- 1inch pieces of cinnamon sticks,
3 elaichi/cardamom,
5-6 cloves,
1 bay leaf
12 cashews,
1 tsp dhaniya pwd,
1/2 tsp jeera,
1/2 tbsp ginger-garlic paste,
Salt to taste,
1/4 tsp turmeric
3.5 cups of water (to cook rice in),
1 tsp ghee,
2 tsp oil.

Heat ghee, add cinnamon sticks, cardamom, cloves, bay leaf,cashews and fry till the spices release a nice aroma.
Add sliced onion and green chillies and saute till the onion turn translucent.
Add ginger-garlic paste and fry for 3 mins (till the raw smell disappears).
Add dhaniya pwd, jeera pwd, salt, turmeric and peas and cook for 6-8 mins or till the peas are half cooked.
Add soaked and drained basmati rice and saute for 3-4 mins, taking care not to break or burn the rice.
Add the water and let boil. Adjust seasonings.
Close lid and cook till rice is done.
Once done, fluff with fork.
Serve hot with curry and raitha of choice.
Enjoy!!!

Do check out and enjoy the wonderful recipes posted by my blogger buddies on the second da of the blogging marathon.

Plantain-Carrot Vada and blogging marathon

2011-02-09T09:02:00.000-08:00

When Srivalli announced the week long blogging marathon I was all for it. I missed the month long blogging marathon last month. She's asked us to choose from the 7 themes and I chose to do one from each theme just for the sake of diversity. I'm starting the first day of the marathon with starters.

There are a variety of vadas in South India. Masala vada among them is very popular and served as a snack in the evening or appetizers in marriages and other functions. I tried a variation to the normal chana dal, ginger, spice mixture.

Ingredients:
1/2 cup chana dal (soak for atleast 3 hrs),
1 plantain (boiled and skinned),
1 carrot, grated.
1/2 inch ginger, skin peeled and chopped.
4 green chillies, cut into 2 pieces each.
3 tbsps cilantro,
1 tbsp mint,
1&1/2 tsp corriander pwd,
1 tsp jeera pwd,
1/2 tsp turmeric,
1/2 medium onion, chopped .
6-8 curry leaves, chopped finely.
Salt to taste,
Oil to deep fry

Keep 2-3 tbsp chana dal aside .
Make a coarse paste of remaining drained chana dal (make sure that the chana dal has no water in it),cilantro, mint, ginger,chillies, corriander pwd, turmeric, jeera pwd .
Mash the boiled plantain and add to grated carrot, chopped curry leaves, salt, the 2-3 tbsps od chana dal kept aside and the coarse chanadal mixture and combine well.
Adjust seasonings.
Heat oil to deep fry.
Make desired shape patties and gently drop into the hot oil and fry till golden brown on medium heat.
Serve with any chutney or tomato sauce/ketchup.
Enjoy!!!

Do check out and enjoy the wonderful recipes posted by my blogger buddies who are a part of the blogging marathon.

Pomegranate Cupcakes and a new look for my blog

2011-02-08T21:17:00.000-08:00

I have a new look for my blog. This is a surprise for me from Mr.IB and what a great surprise it is. I absolutely love it. Now moving on to today's recipe, I had half a bottle of pomegranate juice that I got from my local farmers market which I've been having daily for breakfast. I love pomegranate and make it a point to eat it or have the juice everyday whenever I can get it. Today I wanted to have cupcakes for breakfast and had cake mix in the pantry so I made these beauties. And instead of water I added the juice of pomegranate and they turned out perfect.

Ingredients:
1 box of white cake mix
1 and 1/4 cups pomegranate juice
2-3 tbsps pomegranate arils

Follow the directions on the cake mix and substitute water with 1 and 1/4 cups pomegranate juice.
Preheat oven to 375F with the rack in the center .
Place a baking cup in each of the muffin cups.
Divide the batter equally into all the baking cups, about half full.
Add a 5-6 arils of pomegranate on the top.
Bake at 350F for 21 minutes or a toothpick inserted at the center of the cupcake comes out clean.
Let cool. Enjoy!!!

Mysore Bonda/Mysore Bajji

2011-02-03T10:30:00.000-08:00

Back home mom always had a snack ready when me and my brother got back from school. And during the monsoons, she made mysore bondas and bajjis. I have no idea why they call them mysore bondas but I enjoyed eating them.
Crispy on the outside, soft and spongy on the inside they were just perfect. Mom served them with coconut or peanut chutney or tomato ketchup.
Its been cold for the past few days and the weather made me crave for something hot and spicy. What better excuse to make these glorious bondas. So lets dive into the recipe.

Ingredients:
2 cups Maida
1/2 cup sour curd/yogurt
1/2 tsp jeera
Salt to taste
1 medium chopped onion
3-4 chopped green chillies finely chopped(to taste)
12-14 curry leaves chopped
A pinch of baking soda
water as required.

In a bowl add maida, curd, , salt, and combine adding little water at a time till u reach the consistency of idli batter without forming lumps.
Leave a side for 3-4 hrs.
Mix in onion, green chillies, jeera, curry leaves and baking soda just before deep frying. Check for seasoning.
Heat oil to deep fry. Drop batter into the oil with a spoon or by hand (which ever is convenient) and fry till golden brown on medium flame.
Remove onto a paper towel.
Serve hot with ketchup or peanut chutney.
Enjoy!!!

Capsicum and Peanut Fry

2011-02-02T12:59:00.000-08:00

I like the taste of fried peanut with capsicum. A very simple, fast and yet a flavorful fry.

Ingredients:
3 large capsicum,cubed
A little more than 1/4 cup roasted peanuts.
1/4 tsp turmeric pwd
1&1/2 tsp dhaniya pwd
1tbsp Red chilly pwd
Salt to taste
For tempering
1/2 tbsp chana dal
1 tbsp urad dal
2 dried red chillies
2 cloves of garlic, crushed
6-8 curry leaves

Heat oil and add the capsicum pieces.Cover and cook till half done (about 10 mins).
Add salt, red chilly pwd, dhaniya pwd , turmeric pwd and fry for 10 mins.
Grind the peanuts into paste with little water and add this to the capsicum.
Let cook till done.
Heat oil and add chana dal, urad dal.
when they turn a little brown,add jeera, mustard seeds.
Let them splutter and add crushed garlic, dried red chillies and curry leaves.
Add the tempering to the capsicum curry.
Serve with rice along with rasam and enjoy!!!

Junnu/Ginnu/Kharvas

2011-02-01T10:00:00.000-08:00

Junnu....just thinking about it makes me wanna have it right away.My grandmother's brother who stays in a village near Rajahmundry would send us the junnu and we would finish it all off in a day.I miss having it here in the US until one of my friend's sil shared this recipe with me.Here 'm sharing two methods. One using sweetened condensed milk and the other using evaporated milk.

Junnu with evaporated milk:

Ingredients:
1 can evaporated milk(use the same can for measuring milk and jaggery and sugar)
1 same measure whole milk(boiled and cooled)
3/4 Jaggery grated (reduce if u like)
1/4 sugar(reduce if u like)
2 eggs(room temp)
A pinch of cardamom pwd
2 pinches of ground pepper

Method:
Pour about 2 cups water in a pressure cooker and keep aside. Beat the egg(it should not be frothy) and add the sugar ,jaggery and dissolve the jaggery and sugar. Add evaporated milk ,cardamom pwd, pepper and boiled room temp milk and mix well.Pour in a deep dish(donot put a lid on) and keep it in the pressure cooker with water.Close the cooker and cook on high for 2 mins and then on low for 30-40 mins on low heat without the whistle(just like idlis).Cool and refrigerate for 2-3 hrs.Serve chilled.Enjoy!!!!

Junnu with sweetened condensed milk

Ingredients:
1 can sweetened condensed milk
Measure 2 and 1/2 milk with the same can (boiled and cooled)
2 eggs room temp
A pinch of cardamom pwd
2 pinches of ground pepper

Method:
Beat the eggs(they should not be frothy) and add condensed milk and mix well.Add the milk,cardamom pwd,ground pepper and combine.Pour in a deep vessel (donot put the lid on) and put it in a pressure cooker with water and cook for 30-40 mins on low heat.Cool and refrigerate for 2-3 hrs.Serve chilled. Enjoy!!!

Kreative blogger award

2011-01-31T15:37:00.000-08:00

Kreative blogger Award

Thanks Swathi and paddu for sharing the award . I know I'm late in posting it...

So here is how it works.
Rules for accepting this award:

1) Thank the person giving the award
2) Copy the award to your blog
3) Place a link to their blog
4) Name 7 things people don't know about you
5) Nominate 7 bloggers
6) Place a link to those bloggers
7) Leave a comment letting those bloggers know about the award

7 things people don't know about me
.
1. Still talk to my mom everyday. Twice :)
2. My brother is my closest friend.
3. I watch cartoons.
4. Love eating plain rice with tomato dal and aavakai with a dollop of ghee.Yum!
5. I get nervous about silly things but tackle extreme situations confidently
6. Am an avid reader
7. Love dark chocolate. Yum!

I'm passing on the award to all the bloggers.

Storing Green chillies

2011-01-28T18:07:00.000-08:00

In India everyday mom buys her fresh green leafy vegetables from the vegetable walla, he always gives her some extra green chillies or karivepaku(curry leaves) or kothmir (cilantro) . No such luck here in these chain grocery stores here, except in our local farmers market where they throw in some chillies or couple of fruits just like in India. But I go there only in summer. I do go to a mexican store everyother weekend to buy vegetables and stuff and some times there's a sale on green chillies and once in awhile I buy more chillies than needed.
After heading home,

I snap off and discard the stems,
wash the chillies,
pat them dry(make sure they are completely dry),
put them in a ziplock and store in the freezer.This keeps for about 3-4 months.

Another thing I do immediately after getting home(when the quantity is less is)

Follow Steps 1 through 4 and put the chillies in an airtight container lined with tissue and keep in the refrigerator. This keeps for about 3 -4 weeks.

New Home and an award

2011-01-28T08:41:00.000-08:00

Everythingaboutcooking has a new home . The change has been on my mind for sometime now and I finally took charge . Thank you everyone for following the blog and all the lovely comments. I'm still in transition and sorry for any inconvenience caused.

Kavya of www.kavyanaimish.com passed on a lovely award. Thank you Kavya.

Here are the rules of the award:

1. Accept the award. Post it on your blog with the name of the person who has granted the award and his or her blog link.
2. Pay it forward to 15 other bloggers. Please don't leave it general and just invite all your blogger friends to collect the Award. It's always nice to be nominated so please do the favour and nominate 15 bloggers to share the Award with.
3. Contact those blog owners and let them know they’ve been chosen.

I'm passing on the award to

Arunduti of http://www.mysaffronkitchen.com
Sayantani of http://ahomemakersdiary.blogspot.com/
Sree of http://sreeszone.blogspot.com/
Deesha of http://vegetableplatter.blogspot.com/
Harika of http://harikaskitchen.blogspot.com/
Ujvala of http://ujvalaskitchen.blogspot.com/

I'm not passing it on to 15 bloggers and u need not too. And other bloggers, please feel free to collect the award.
Thanks

Happy New Year

2011-01-01T00:00:00.000-08:00

Here's wishing my family, friends, readers and blogger friends a very happy and prosperous new year.

Wishing .......

2010-12-25T00:01:00.000-08:00

Hope all you guys out there have a wonderful time

Home with family!!!

2010-10-15T12:34:00.000-07:00

Have been missing from the blogsphere for quiet some time now...'m in India enjoying amma's food, watching movies , eating street food with cousins, going out with friends, attending marriages........will be back soon...........

Sick sick sick!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

2010-08-12T09:49:00.000-07:00

Haven't been logging in recently.....We're taking turns falling sick at home.....still sick and I hate the way I feel.
The only gud news is that I'm going home to mom....won't be able to login from there...take care everyone...

Coming Posts

2010-07-15T20:10:00.000-07:00

Hi everyone been busy with the long weekend and vising friends, friends visiting us and with my LO.
Will do the post on golgappa shortly. Also posting some pics will update the detailed recipes soon.

Paani Puri/Golgappa/Puchka/Pani puri

2010-06-14T19:39:00.000-07:00

Back home in India, me and my brother would go and have chaat every 2 weeks ...the thing that my brother didnot know was I had pani pur or chaat regularly with my friends after college... When Srivalli of spice your life announced Pani puri as this months Indian cooking challenge, I was very excited so I started making puri's and the first three times I had a hard time. But the fourth time was a success. But I was so frustrated that I didnot take pics of the step by step process . I am going to make them again this weekend for the chaat party we're having at home......Yay....and I will definetly post the recipe and step by step pics of the whole process next month as we'll be on our vacation...

Watermelon and Ice cream cooler

2010-06-10T16:43:00.000-07:00

Going through my blog, I realized that there were no posts for drinks/tanda . So decided to do a post on drinks today. We have gorgeous days now here in Ca , so I frequently make coolers.

Ingredients:
3&1/2 cups of cubed watermelon(seedless)
3/4 cup of vanilla ice cream
2-3 tbsps of rose syrup
2-3tbsps of soaked & drained tukmaria/basil seeds(optional)
1/2 tsp of kala namak/black salt
1 tsp lemon juice
A pinch of salt (optional)

Method:

Juice the water melon in the blender or juicer without any lumps. Add the ice cream and rose syrup and blend well.
Add lemon juice, kala namak(black salt) and salt and blend.
Pour in a container and put in the fridge for 1-2 hrs or in the freezer for 30 mins.
Mix well before serving.
Add the soaked and drained tukmaria seeds .Serve chilled.
Enjoy!!!

Sending this to Divya's show me your smoothie event.

Flax Seed and veggies rice

2010-06-08T15:01:00.000-07:00

Flax seeds contain high levels of dietary fibers and is rich in omega-fatty acids. it also helps in reducing cholestrol levels especially in women. Its healthy fat and high fiber content make it a great food for weight loss.

Ingredients:
2 cups cooked rice with enough salt
1/2 small onion , finely chopped
1tsp ginger-garlic paste
1 tsp red chilly pwd
A pinch of turmeric
1tbsp coconut pwd
1/2 tsp mustard seeds
1/2 tsp cumin seeds/jeera
4 curry leaves
1 small piece of cinnamon
1 green cardamom pod
4 cloves
1 small bay leaf
1tsp garam masala pwd
1 tsp roasted peanut pwd
1/4 cup fresh or frozen peas
1 medium sized carrot, chopped into small cubes

Method:

Heat 2 tbsp oil in a kadai and when hot, add mustard seeds, jeera and curry leaf. Let splutter.Add the cloves, bay leaf, cinnamon,cardamom and saute for 1 min.
Add the chopped onion and saute till it turns translucent. Add ginger garlic paste and saute till the raw smell disappears.
Add the peas and saute for 2 mins. Add the cubed carrots and cook for another 5 mins, covered and on low heat.
When the vegetables get soft, add salt (just enough for the vegetables),turmeric, garam masala pwd, red chilly pwd and saute for a min.Add the roasted peanut pwd and flax seed pwd and mix and add the cooked rice immediately and mix well.
Lower heat and cover the kadai and cook for 2-3 mins or till the rice gets warm.

Zucchini and carrot dal

2010-04-27T21:03:00.000-07:00

I made Zucchini and carrot dal to go with the capsicum&besan fry.

Ingredients:
1 small cup toordal(I have a different cup to measure dal)
1/2 small onion sliced
4 green chilles slit
1 zucchini peeled and cubed
1 tomato cut into small pieces
1 carrot peeled and cubed
1tsp sambar pwd
Small amla size tamarind

For tadka:
1tsp jeera
1tsp mustard seeds
2 garlic cloves crushed
2 redchillies torn into 4 pieces
4-6 curry leaves

Method:

Pressure cook dal with zucchini,carrot,tomato,tamarind,turmeric pwd, sambar pwd,green chillies, onion along with 3 cups(the one used for measuring dal) .
Remove pressure, add salt mix well.Keep aside.
In a kadai, heat oil/ghee. Add mustard seeds, jeera and when they crackle, add redchillies, curry leaves, garlic and fry for a min.
Add this to the prepared dal and serve hot with rice with a dollop of ghee.
Enjoy!!!!

Capsicum and senapindi fry/Simla mirch aur besan ki sabzi/Capsicum and gramflour fry

2010-04-27T20:53:00.000-07:00

I've been quite busy these past few months with S and M's birthdays, cousins visiting, all of us falling sick and now with M's school. Today I made capsicum and besan/gramflour fry after getting the recipe from my aunt and it turned out delicious. No photos though.

Ingredients:
5 medium capsicum/simla mirch
1 cup gramflour/besan/senagapindi
2 tbsps red chilly pwd (acc to taste)
1/2 tsp turmeric pwd
3 tbsps peanuts ground coarsely
1&1/2 tsp corriander pwd/dhaniya pwd
1 tsp cumin pwd
1 tbsp coconut pwd(optional)
1tsp sesame seeds(optional)
Salt to taste
1 tsp mustard seeds
1tsp jeera
4-6 curry leaves
2 garlic pods crushed

Method:

Wash, dry and cut the capsicum into pieces(square or long) and keep aside.
Heat 1 tbsp oil and when hot add mustard seeds, jeera and when they crackle, add curry leaves and crushed garlic, turmeric and let fry for a min.
Add the capsicum pieces and a little salt and cook covered till half done.
In the mean while mix besan with salt, red chilly pwd, coconut pwd, peanut pwd, corriander pwd, cumin pwd and sesame seeds and add to the half done capsicum and fry with closed lid till the raw smell of besan disappears.
Serve hot with rice or roti.
Enjoy!!!

Daring Cooks April Challenge-Brunswick Stew

2010-04-14T08:00:00.000-07:00

I've never made Brunswick Stew before but when Wolf of Wolf's den announced it I wanted to try it. So I did and followed the first recipe but omitted bacon and decided to go with minced lamb meat and bone in chicken pieces also I added cumin and corriander pwds along with zucchini, peas, garlic, onion,carrots, mint leaves, cilantro,parsley and oregano. It turned out great and we had it it with toasted whole wheat garlic bread.

The 2010 April Daring Cooks challenge is hosted by Wolf of Wolf’s Den. She chose to challenge Daring Cooks to make Brunswick Stew. Wolf chose recipes for her challenge from The Lee Bros. Southern Cookbook by Matt Lee and Ted Lee, and from the Callaway, Virginia Ruritan Club.
Notes-
Version One-
1- I used 2 Serrano Chiles, fresh, stemmed, deseeded and sliced into quarters. Use what you have on hand or can get easily.
2- I used pork (country style pork ribs, which here, are mostly meat, with very little bone) instead of rabbit, as it is hard to find, as well as rather on the expensive side. In fact, the original recipe says to “substitute 1 1/2lbs of boneless pork shoulder cut to 1” dice”.
3- I used Swanson’s Cooking Chicken Stock, rather than make my own, as it would have added extra time to an already long cooking time. You could use your own homemade stock or store bought if you prefer.
4- I used frozen corn, canned butterbeans, red onions, red skinned potatoes, frozen carrots, and chopped the celery into a rough dice. You could also use lima beans if butterbeans are not handy or easy to find.
5- Now, it seemed to me that is was a waste of perfectly good bacon and celery to simply discard them. So I left them in mine. The chiles fell apart as I tried to remove them, so only the skins were actually removed. You could do the same if you choose.
6- You can use dried bay leaves if you do not have fresh handy. In fact, the ONLY reason I used fresh myself, is because I happen to have a Bay plant. Otherwise, dried is generally the way to go.
Version Two-
Poultry Seasoning contains variations of sage, thyme, pepper, marjoram or other similar herbs. You can substitute with your favorite herbs and spices if you cannot find actual poultry seasoning.
Variations allowed-

Recipes may be halved if you choose.
You may substitute any vegetables you don’t prefer. You may use fresh, canned or frozen vegetables. My variations are included in the notes. For example- some recipes include okra in their stew, others use creamed corn.
You may sub out the rabbit for pork, turkey, beef, or even another game animal if you have it available.
Mandatory- You must use one of the two recipes provided. Now, to not exclude our vegans/vegetarians, if you’d like, use vegetable stock and leave out the meats. It won’t be a ‘true’ Brunswick Stew, but it’ll have the spirit of one.} There’s no gluten anywhere in this that I’m aware of, so we’re good in that regard.
Prep Time-
Recipe 1- Estimated time-3-4 hours, longer if making the Sunday Chicken Broth, or your own stock from scratch
Recipe 2- Estimated Time- 1 ½ to 2 ½ hours, depending on whether you have your meats already cooked first.
Equipment needed-
Large stock pot, at least 10-12qt OR Dutch Oven , or smaller if you halve the recipe used
Cutting board
Knives
Measuring cups and spoons
Colander
Large bowl
Large wooden spoon for stirring
Tongs
Ingredients-
Recipe One, the Long Way-
From “The Lee Bros. Southern Cookbook: Stories and Recipes for Southerners and Would-Be Southerners” by Matt Lee and Ted Lee

Serves about 12
1/4 lb / 113.88 grams / 4 oz slab bacon, rough diced
2 Serrano, Thai or other dried red chiles, stems trimmed, sliced, seeded, flattened
1lb / 455.52 grams / 16oz rabbit, quartered, skinned
1 4-5lb / 1822.08- 2277.6 grams / 64-80oz chicken, quartered, skinned, and most of the fat removed
1 Tablespoon / 14.235 grams / ½ oz sea salt for seasoning, plus extra to taste
2-3 quarts / 8-12 cups / 64.607-96.9oz Sunday Chicken Broth (recipe below)
2 Bay leaves
2 large celery stalks
2lbs / 911.04 grams / 32oz Yukon Gold potatoes, or other waxy type potatoes, peeled, rough diced
1 ½ cups / 344.88 grams / 12.114oz carrots (about 5 small carrots), chopped
3 ½ / 804.72 grams / 28.266oz cups onion (about 4 medium onions) chopped
2 cups / 459.84 grams / 16.152oz fresh corn kernels, cut from the cob (about 4 ears)
3 cups / 689.76 grams / 24.228oz butterbeans, preferably fresh (1 ¼ lbs) or defrosted frozen
1 35oz can / 996.45 grams / 4 cups whole, peeled tomatoes, drained
¼ cup / 57.48 grams / 2.019 oz red wine vinegar
Juice of 2 lemons
Tabasco sauce to taste
Recipe Two, The Short Way-
This version goes on the assumption that you already have cooked your meats and have broth on hand. This was also my first experience with eating Brunswick stew. It’s got more of a tomato base, has larger, chunkier vegetables, but is just as wonderful as recipe one. However, it is a lot quicker to make than the first recipe.

Brunswick Stew recipe from the Callaway, Va Ruritan Club, served yearly at the Blue Ridge Folklife Festival in Ferrum, Va.

Serves about 10
2 ½ lb TOTAL diced stewed chicken, turkey, and ham, with broth - yes, all three meats
3 medium diced potatoes
2 medium ripe crushed tomatoes
2 medium diced onions
3 cups/ 689.76 grams / 24.228oz frozen corn
1 ½ cups / 344.88 grams / 12.114oz frozen lima beans
4-5 strips crumbled bacon
½ stick / 4 tablespoons / ¼ cup / 56.94 grams / 2oz of butter
1 Tablespoon / 14.235 grams / .5 oz sugar
1 Tablespoon / 14.235 grams / .5 oz ‘Poultry Seasoning’
Dash of red pepper
2 diced carrots (optional)
Tomato juice
Directions-
Recipe 1-
1-In the largest stockpot you have, which is hopefully larger than the 5 qt ones I have, preferably a 10-12 qt or even a Dutch Oven if you’re lucky enough to have one, fry the bacon over medium-high heat until it just starts to crisp. Transfer to a large bowl, and set aside. Reserve most of the bacon fat in your pan, and with the pan on the burner, add in the chiles. Toast the chiles until they just start to smell good, or make your nose tingle, about a minute tops. Remove to bowl with the bacon.
2- Season liberally both sides of the rabbit and chicken pieces with sea salt and pepper. Place the rabbit pieces in the pot and sear off all sides possible. You just want to brown them, not cook them completely. Remove to bowl with bacon and chiles, add more bacon fat if needed, or olive oil, or other oil of your choice, then add in chicken pieces, again, browning all sides nicely. Remember not to crowd your pieces, especially if you have a narrow bottomed pot. Put the chicken in the bowl with the bacon, chiles and rabbit. Set it aside.
3- Add 2 cups of your chicken broth or stock, if you prefer, to the pan and basically deglaze the4 pan, making sure to get all the goodness cooked onto the bottom. The stock will become a nice rich dark color and start smelling good. Bring it up to a boil and let it boil away until reduced by at least half. Add your remaining stock, the bay leaves, celery, potatoes, chicken, rabbit, bacon, chiles and any liquid that may have gathered at the bottom of the bowl they were resting in. Bring the pot back up to a low boil/high simmer, over medium/high heat. Reduce heat to low and cover, remember to stir every 15 minutes, give or take, to thoroughly meld the flavors. Simmer, on low, for approximately 1 ½ hours. Supposedly, the stock may become a yellow tinge with pieces of chicken or rabbit floating up, the celery will be very limp, as will the chiles. Taste the stock, according to the recipe, it “should taste like the best chicken soup you’ve ever had”.
4- With a pair of tongs, remove the chicken and rabbit pieces to a colander over the bowl you used earlier. Be careful, as by this time, the meats will be very tender and may start falling apart. Remove the bay leaf, celery, chiles, bacon and discard.5 After you’ve allowed the meat to cool enough to handle, carefully remove all the meat from the bones, shredding it as you go. Return the meat to the pot, throwing away the bones. Add in your carrots, and stir gently, allowing it to come back to a slow simmer. Simmer gently, uncovered, for at least 25 minutes, or until the carrots have started to soften.
5- Add in your onion, butterbeans, corn and tomatoes. As you add the tomatoes, crush them up, be careful not to pull a me, and squirt juice straight up into the air, requiring cleaning of the entire stove. Simmer for another 30 minutes, stirring every so often until the stew has reduced slightly, and onions, corn and butterbeans are tender. Remove from heat and add in vinegar, lemon juice, stir to blend in well. Season to taste with sea salt, pepper, and Tabasco sauce if desired.
6 You can either serve immediately or refrigerate for 24 hours, which makes the flavors meld more and makes the overall stew even better. Serve hot, either on its own, or with a side of corn bread, over steamed white rice, with any braised greens as a side.
Recipe2-
In large stock pot or Dutch Oven, mix all ingredients, heat until bubbly and hot. Add salt and pepper to taste. Add tomato juice as desired. Cook until all vegetables are tender. Serve hot.
Optional- Not required for the Challenge-

Sunday Chicken Broth
From “The Lee Bros. Southern Cookbook: Stories and Recipes for Southerners and Would-Be Southerners” by Matt Lee and Ted Lee

Makes about 1 quart (4 cups or 919.68 grams or 32.303 oz)
Estimated Time- 1 ¼ hours
Bones and trimmings, but not giblets, of one 3 ½- 4 ½ lb (1594.32-2049.84 grams or 56-72 oz) chicken, or 12-14 oz / 341.64-398.58 grams / approx. 2 cups chicken bones and trimmings
1 large onion, trimmed, peeled, quartered
6 large stems fresh flat leaf parsley
1 stalk celery, cut into 2” lengths
2 large bay leaves
5 cups / 1149.6 grams / 40.379 oz cold water
1 cup / 229.92 grams / 8.076oz crisp dry white wine
Salt and pepper to taste
Place bones/trimmings in medium stockpot and add onion, parsley, celery and bay leaves. Add wine and water, liquid should cover all ingredients, if not, add more until it does. Bring to vigorous simmer over high heat, then reduce heat and simmer gently for roughly 45 minutes to an hour, skimming any scum or fat that comes to the surface.
Strain broth into bowl through fine mesh strainer. Discard the solids. Measure what you are left with, if not planning to further reduce, then salt and pepper to taste.
Store in tightly sealed container in refrigerator until the remaining fat congeals on the top. Remove the fat, and unless not using within 2 days, keep tightly sealed in the refrigerator. Otherwise, freeze, and it will keep for upwards of a month.

ICC Ariselu / Aathirasallu

2010-03-16T12:23:00.000-07:00

When Srivalli of spice your life announced ariselu as this months challenge, I was very excited as I never made ariselu before. I followed the second recipe. I made ariselu twice before they turned out perfect. I soaked the rice for 12 hrs and dried it on a cloth and then powdered it and seived it 3 times ( and all the work was worth it)

Recipe 2

This method yeilds about 8.

Ingredients Needed

Rice Flour - 1cup (standard measurement)
Jaggery - 1/2 cup

Coconut grated - 2 tsp
Cardamom powder - 1/4 tsp
Water - 1/2 cup
Sesame seeds - 1 tbsp

Oil for deep frying.

Method to prepare:

Grate the jaggery with knife and added water just enough to cover it.
Cook on medium-low till the jaggery melts and starin to remove the scum.
Add the cardamom powder. Once it starts boiling, add the grated coconut. You will see lot of bubbles coming out.
At this stage, reduce the heat and add the rice flour slowly and stir it well to form a smooth dough.
In Srivalli's words "The beauty of this dough is, you can store and use whenever you want. If it becomes too hard, just add about 2 tsp of water along with 2 tsp of sugar. 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.
Heat a kadai with oil .
Grease a ziploc bag or any plastic sheet or newspaper or parchment paper with oil and pat the dough balls down to equal sized discs with your fingers.
Make sure that they are not too thick or too thin that they break when u try to pick them up.
Press down the sesame seeds over the top.
Once the oil is hot, gently drop one at a time. Fry both sideson medium heat.
Once they are golden brown, remove and drain them with 2 spatulas one on each side to remove excess oil and place them on kitchen towels to drain any remaining oil.

Virus problems!!!!!!!!!!!

2010-02-10T23:06:00.000-08:00

I'm having some problems with my laptop for a couple of days now and today I spotted some virus (it's driving me crazy.....I'm at it for some hrs ugghhhhhhh!!!!!!)so won't be able to login till I resolve those. Used hubby laptop for this post.......take care ......hopefully I'll get back to blogging soon!!!!!!!!!!

Rajgira and atta puri/poori / Amaranth seeds and whole wheat poori

2010-02-03T19:30:00.000-08:00

Rajgira or ramdana or amaranth seeds are poppy seeds look alikes, it is a good source of dietry fibers and protein. I bought rajgira from Indian store to make laddoos, but for some reason the seeds wouldnot pop. Determined not to throw them, I made a pwd and added it to whole wheat flour and make rotis which I did not like. So I made puris instead , S and M loved these puris.

Ingredients
1 cup rajgira flour/amaranth(I roasted the rajgira and powederd it was a little coarse, if using store bought rajgira flour,add 1tbsp semolina/sooji to it.)
1&1/4 cup atta/whole wheat flour
Salt to taste
Water to mix the flours to dough.

Method:

Mix well the rajgira flour with whole wheat flour and salt and add just enough water and knead to form a stiff but pliable dough .
Cover with a damp cloth or damp tissue and keep aside for 30 mins.
Mix again( donot knead).
Pinch of small lemon sized dough and roll them in between your palms to make small and smooth rounds .
Flatten and roll out into puris or use a puri press.
Meanwhile, heat oil and when hot, slide (donot drop) one puri at a time .
When the puri starts to rise a little put a slotted spatula on the puri apply very gentle pressure.
The puri will puff, turn and cook till the puri is golden brown on both sides.
Remove and drain on paper towels.
Repeat with the others.
Serve hot with curry of your choice or just sprinkle some sugar when the puris are hot.
Enjoy!!!

Note:-

You can also make masala puris by adding green chilly paste or redchilly pwd along with some garam masala and kala namak(black salt).
Can add tomato puree instead of water for kneading the dough to make tomato puris.

Kobbari Annam/Coconut Rice.

2010-02-03T13:24:00.000-08:00

Today is one of those days, when I'm too lazy to make 2 curries and rice.....I wanted to ask S to get lunch form a near by restaurant, but instead decided to make kobbari annam/coconut rice, when I saw a can of coconut milk in the cupboard. Its very simple and will be done in about 20-30 mins.

Ingredients:
1&1/2 cups of uncooked basmati rice
3 cups of coconut milk diluted in a little water
1/2 cup shredded coconut pwd
4 green chillies slit(increase or decrease the amount acc to taste)
1 small onion(optional)
1 tsp ginger(chopped)
10-12 cashews(optional)
6 curry leaves
2 dried red chillies(torn)
1/2 tsp jeera/cumin seeds
1/2 tsp mustard seeds
1/2 tsp ajwain seeds
1&1/2 tsps urad dal/minappappu
1 tsp chana dal/senaga pappu
1tbsp ghee
Salt to taste

Method:

Heat 1 tsp oil in a pressure cooker, when hot, add the onion, green chillies, ginger , cashews and saute for 3 mins.
Add the shredded coconut pwd and fry for another 2-3 mins.
Add the basmati rice and salt and saute for 2-3 mins, add the coconut milk, mix well and close the lid and cook for 1 whistle.
Add ghee in another pan and when hot, add the cumin seeds, mustard seeds, and when they splutter add the dried red chillies, urad dal, chana dal and curry leaves and saute for 2 mins.
Switch off and add to the cooked rice and mix.
Serve with chicken,mutton curry or aloo kurma or any other masala curry.
Enjoy!!!

Nellore Fish Pulusu/ Fish in tangy tamarind gravy

2010-02-02T11:30:00.000-08:00

I first had Nellore fish pulusu at my friend D's house. She's from Nellore. Knowing how much I love seafood, she asked her mother to make it for me when I went to her house. I fell in love with this curry with the first morsel. It was out of this world. I tried to recreate the recipe and it's not as good as D's mother's but pretty close. I think the ingredients and fish here also made a major difference.

Ingredients:
10 pieces of tilapia(steak cut)
6 green chillies, slit length wise
2 large onion chopped
2 medium tomatoes
4 tbsps tamarind pulp
4-6 curry leaves, torn
8 methi seeds/fenugreek seeds
3 tbsps red chilly pwd (increase or decrease acc to your taste)
Salt to taste
1/2 tsp turmeric pwd
2 large garlic pods, crushed
1 tsp jeera /cumin pwd
1/2 tsp dhaniya / corriander pwd
2 tbsps chopped cilantro

Method:

Wash the fish pieces and drain all the water. Marinate with half of the salt, turmeric, chilly pwd and keep aside.
Heat oil in a wide pan, when hot, add the methi/fenugreek seeds and 1/2 the curry leaves, saute for 10 secs, add slit green chillies and saute for about a min.
Add the chopped onion and fry till the onion turns translucent.Now add the chopped tomatoes and cook till they are soft.
Add the remaining turmeric, red chilly pwd, salt and mix well.
Now add the marinated fish pieces(arrange each piece beside each other) and let cook for 3 mins on one side. Turn and cook for another 3 mins.
Add the tamarind pulp mixed with enough water and pour into the pan till the fish submerges.
Place a lid and cook for 10-15 mins on low-medium heat.Stirring the pan in between. Do not use a spatula(the fish pieces might break), hold the sides of the pan and rotate the pan carefully.
Check for seasoning or water, if u need any add now.
Add crushed garlic pods, jeera/cumin pwd, dhaniya/corriander pwd. Close the lid and rotate the pan like above and keep it back on the flame.
Cook for another 10 mins, add the remaining curry leaves.
Cook till oil separates.
Add the chopped cilantro. Close the lid, cook for another min and switch off the stove.
Let stay for atleast 30 mins to 1 hr before serving.
Serve with white rice.
Enjoy!!!

U can have it the same day or if u cook it if the morning, u can serve it in the evening (it will taste even better).

Tofu koftas for New Years potluck.

2010-02-02T10:55:00.000-08:00

When I saw malai koftas at Mahanandi, I decided to try them out for the new year party's potluck, not with paneer, but with tofu and we loved it. And when I asked Indira garu, if I could use her recipe she agreed. Thank you Indira garu........U can find the original recipe here. Adding tofu instead of paneer is the only change I made.

I'm sorry for the picture quality.......

Royyala Vepudu / Shrimp / Prawn Fry

2010-02-01T10:51:00.000-08:00

I love seafood, especially when cooked by ammama. I made prawn/shrimp fry for sunday's dinner and it turned out very good. I like the taste of curry leaves in any non-veg dishes, and so I use curry leaves generously when making these dishes.

Ingredients:
300 gms shrimp/prawn
1/4 tsp turmeric
1 tbsp red chilly pwd(reduce or increase according to taste)
1&1/2 tsp garam masala pwd
1 tbsp ginger- garlic paste
1tsp cumin pwd
1tsp corriander pwd
6-8 curry leaves
2 large onions sliced
4 green chillies slit(reduce oe increase acc to taste )
1tsp lemon juice
2 tbsps chopped cilantro
Salt to taste

Method:

Marinate shrimp with half of the salt, red chilly pwd, turmeric, ginger garlic paste for 10-15 mins. Cook covered with 1/8 cup water till the shrimp are cooked.
Remove from heat when cooked and keep aside.
Heat 2 tbsp oil and when hot, add curry leaves and saute for a minute. Add sliced onion and slit green chillies and saute till the oinon is translucent.
Add the remaining ginger garlic paste and fry till the raw smell disappears.
Add remaining salt, tumeric, red chilly pwd, corriander pwd, cumin pwd and garam masala and fry for 2 mins.
Add 1/2 cup water along with the cooked shrimp and cook till all the water evaporates.
Add cilantro and fry for another min. Switch off, add lemon juice.
Serve with roti, white rice. I served it with white rice, tomato rasam.
Enjoy!!!

Egg Puffs

2010-01-28T21:00:00.000-08:00

Me, my brother and cousins used to go to this bakery near my nanamma's house and relish puffs and pastries of all kinds.Puffs are puff pastry sheets filled with boiled eggs seasoned with salt and red chilly powder or mixed vegetables, or minced chicken curry or minced meat curry. They are generally served with tomato ketchup. Making puff pastry from scratch is such a pain and time consuming, hence never tried making it before and thats when I came across puff pastry sheets. Now, making puffs is a breeze and I make them when ever I feel like having 'em. I made egg puffs when my bil visited us a couple of weeks ago.

Ingredients:

9 boiled eggs, halved and seasoned with salt and red chilly powder on cut side
1 Pack Pepperidge farm puff pastry sheets

Onion Masala
4 large onions sliced
4 green chillies sliced
1&1/2tsp ginger-garlic paste
2tsp red chilly pwd(optional)
1 tsp garam masala pwd
2-3 curry leaves, chopped
1/4 tsp fennel pwd
A pinch of turmeric
A pinch of sugar(optional)
Salt to taste

Method:

Thaw the puff pastry sheets as per the instructions on the box.

Mean while, heat oil in a kadai. When hot, add the curry leaves, sliced onion and green chillies. Let cook till onion is translucent.
Add ginger-garlic paste and saute till the raw smell disappears. Add turmeric, salt, red chilly pwd, fennel pwd, garam masala, sugar and saute for 2-3 mins.
Let cool.
Place thawed pastry sheets on a floured surface and cut each sheet into 9 equal parts(u'll get 2 sheets in a box so it would make 18 equal squares).
Lighty roll them(do not make them too thin).

Place 1 tbsp of mixture on one piece and place the halved egg, cut side down on this.

Brush water on all four sides and fold each corner into the middle and seal .

Place on a baking tray.
Repeat with all the remaining.

Brush with milk or egg wash (egg beaten).

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F and place the baking tray in the oven and cook for 22-24 mins (check in between) or until they turn golden brown.

Serve warm with tomato ketchup.

60th Republic Day of India and Instant Tiranga Idli/ Tri coloured Idly

2010-01-26T12:31:00.000-08:00

WISHING A HAPPY REPUBLIC DAY TO INDIA AND EVERY ONE..........

India celebrates her 60th Republic Day today. I woke up with this song (S was listening to it), its been ages I heard this song and it bought back many memories. I made tiranga idli to mark the Republic day .This is very fast and simple.There is no need for fermentation and waiting for 12 hrs to relish your idlis. These are instant. can be made whenever you feel like having idlis or when u have unexpected guests.

Ingredients:
1 cup bombai ravva/sooji/cream of rice
1/2 cup curd/yogurt
1/2 tsp baking soda
little more than 1/2 tsp of lemon juice
Salt to taste
1/8 cup water( if needed)
1/2 cup grated carrots
1/2 cup of mixture of peas, cilantro, pudina, 1 green chilly

Method:

Mix together bombai ravva, curd, baking soda, lemon juice, salt and mix well. Add water if needed.
Grease idli plates and pour the batter in them. Garnish with carrots on one end and the green pea mixture on the other, leaving the middle white.
Pour 1 cup water at the bottom of the cooker, place the idli stand in it, close the lid and leave on high for 2 mins and then on medium and cook for 11 mins.
Switch off stove, let stand for 5 mins, wet a spoon and remove the idlis from idli paltes.
Serve with chutney of your choice or sambar. I served mine with Nellore fish pulusu( Nellore fish curry).
Enjoy!!!

ICC Dec Challenege: Moong Dal Halwa/Pesarapappu Halwa/Moong dal Seera

2010-01-15T08:00:00.000-08:00

When Srivalli of Spiceyourlife announced that we were to make moongdal halwa for december's challenge....I was pretty excited, as I never made it but had it many times. I made it twice. Once with the second recipe and again without soaking the dal (this is my friend's version).

Split (Yellow) Moong dhal - 1 cup
Ghee - 1/2 cup
Sugar - 3/4 cups to 1 cup (as per required sweetness)
Milk - 1/2 cup (Notes from Lataji - instead of water for the sugar, this gives the khoya added taste, Simran's recipe asked for water)
Cashews/ raisins roasted in ghee for garnish.

Method to Prepare:

Soak 1 cup moong dal overnight. Next morning, grind to a paste.
Heat a heavy Kadai, take initially only 1/2 of the ghee and heat it.
Add the dhal and stir continuously, not allowing lumps to form. This part is very tricky as the dhal cooks really fast, irrespective of the ghee.
Keep the heat at the lowest and keep stirring even after the dhal becomes thick.
Add the rest of the ghee intermittently and cook the dhal until aromatic and the ghee starts oozing out.
Meanwhile mix the sugar with water/ milk in a pan and bring to a boil. Add this slowly to the cooking dhal.
Keep the fir low at all times and break lumps if formed while adding the sugar and water/ milk mix.
Cook until the ghee surfaces.
Garnish with cashews and raisins.
Notes :* Use a thick bottom pan or better nonstick pan

* Don't leave the halwa unattended. The dal can stick and it can go from just done to burnt in a second so keep stirring as much as possible. You should remember to keep stirring to prevent dhal from sticking irrespective of the ghee added.
* You aren't looking for the halwa to get too thick when you turn off the heat. It was thicken as it cools.
* Cook until ghee surfaces on the sides and the halwa attains a very nice shine.
* Initially, it may appear that all the ghee is being used up. But as the dhal cooks the ghee separates. So the ghee measure is sufficient.
* In both recipes depending on how you got the moong dal paste, you may require slightly more ghee to get the texture
* Though original recipe didn't call for roasting the dhal before soaking, Lataji felt roasting it a bit gives more fragrance.

My friends recipe:

1/2 cup moong dal
1/2 cup-3/4 cup sugar(depending on your taste)
1/2 tsp cardamom pwd
1&1/2 tbsps dry coconut pwd or fresh grated coconut
1&1/2 cups water or 1 cup milk and 1/2 cup water
2 tbsps ghee
12-15 cashews
6-8 raisins
1 tsp rose water(optional)
Some saffron strands(for colour)

Method:

Dry roast the moong dal on very low flame till they turn golden brown(take care not to burn)or nice aroma fills ur kitchen. Cool ,make a coarse powder and keep aside.
Heat ghee and roast the cashews and raisins, keep aside.
Now add the moong dal pwd and fry on low flame for about 5-6 mins or till it turns into a nice golden brown colour.
Add the coconut and saute for a couple of minutes.
Add milk and water slowly, 1/2 cup at a time mix well. Avoid any lumps. Add the cardamom pwd and saffron and cook covered on low heat, stirring occassionaly and taking care not to burn the halwa at the bottom.
Once the dal is cooked, add the rose watre, switch off, transfer into a bowl , garnish with cashews and raisins.
Enjoy!!!!!

On a break!!!

2010-01-05T08:25:00.000-08:00

2010 stared off busy.......taking a small break .....will be back soon....

HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!!

2010-01-01T00:00:00.000-08:00

Mushroom and Carrot Biryani

2009-12-29T20:00:00.000-08:00

We love mushrooms and S even likes to eat them raw. So I decided to make mushroom biryani today for lunch. An easy and yummy dish which we enjoyed with raitha. I'm sending this to Arundhuti who is hosting her first event, 'Served with Love'.Do check her blog out. She has some pretty amazing recipes......

Ingredients:
1&1/2 cups uncooked basmati rice
1 pack of sliced mushrooms(remove the stalks)
4 green chillies, slit
1/2 onion ,sliced
1 tomato(optional)
1 medium carrot, peeled and cubed
1/4 cup mint leaves
2 green cardamom
5 cloves
1&1/2 inch cinnamon stick
1 star anise
1 bay leaf
10-15 cashews
1/2 tsp fennel seeds
1/2 tsp kala jeera/ black cumin seeds
1&1/2 tsps ginger-garlic paste
1 tsp chilli pwd
1/4 tsp turmeric pwd
2 tsps garam masala pwd
1&1/2 tsp lemon juice
Salt to taste

Method:

Wash and soak basmati rice for 1/2 hour.
Heat oil in a pressure cooker and when hot, add the fennel and black cumin seeds. Let splutter, add the cardamom, cloves, bayleaf, cinammon, star anise and when they start giving a nice aroma add the cashews and fry for 1 min.
Add green chillies and onion and saute till the onion turns golden brown.
Add ginger-garlic paste and saute for a min. Add the chopped tomato and let cook till oil separates.
Add the carrots, mushrooms, mint leaves, salt, chilli pwd, tumeric pwd, garam masala pwd and cook till oil separates and the water dries.
Add 2 and 1/4 cups boiling water and adjust seasoning.
Add rice, mix well and close the lid. Add cook for one whistle. Switch off and let stay for about 5-8 mins.
Open lid and add lemon juice , garnish with mint leaves and serve with onion slices and raitha.
Enjoy!!!

hOME FOR THE HOLIDAYS!!!!DARING BAKERS DECEMBER 2009 CHALLENGE.....

2009-12-25T12:59:00.000-08:00

Ginger bread houses....when ever I saw them on TV or displayed at stores I was awestruck.......and when Anna & Y announced that we will be making ginger bread houses for decembers challenge I was very excited and very scared at the same time. I tried Y's recipe , the dough it self was okay but after I baked them they shrunk but could be fixed easily.....guess I over mixed the dough.... My house fell (courtesy of my 20 month old...he wanted to grab every thing)before I could take any pictures and also I wanted to decorate after i took pictures ...big mistake......'m sharing some pics here......will definetly try it again later...

The December 2009 Daring Bakers’ challenge was brought to you by Anna of Very Small Anna and Y of Lemonpi. They chose to challenge Daring Bakers’ everywhere to bake and assemble a gingerbread house from scratch. They chose recipes from Good Housekeeping and from The Great Scandinavian Baking Book as the challenge recipes.
Anna: The recipe I tested is from Good Housekeeping - I chose it because it was simple and required only ingredients I personally always have in my kitchen. Plus, it was so funky I HAD to try it, and luckily that worked out. I made my house around Halloween and decided to take advantage of the spooky goodies I could only get at that time of year.

Y: I tested a Scandinavian recipe from The Great Scandinavian Baking Book. I chose a Beatrice Ojakangas' recipe because I love her book, and usually have great success with her recipes. I was also attracted to the ingredients she had in her gingerbread. If you're using this recipe, please be aware that in general, gingerbread for houses are usually designed less for taste and more for it's ability to be sturdy and long lasting. My house is titled, "Steve the StormTrooper comes home for the Christmas holidays".

Anna's Notes: If you don't have an awful lot of time, the doughs can easily be frozen and then thawed when you are ready to roll it. The baked pieces can also be tightly wrapped in plastic and frozen for assembly later.
Y's Notes: I found this slideshow very helpful: http://www.bonappetit.com/tipstools/slideshows/2008/12/gingerbread_house...
I didn't make the simple syrup, because I couldn't be bothered, but it's included as an added option for other people to try. Instead of using the syrup as glue, I just used the royal icing above. My house is quite small, so it held well together very easily, until the royal icing dried. The amount of royal icing you will end up needing will of course depend on whether you use it purely for decoration, or also as the 'glue' for the house.
Variations: You are welcome to use either recipe we tested, depending on your taste or what is available where you are.
Obviously, you are also allowed to use any sort of candy or sugar decorations you wish. You can even make your own candy to decorate the house! You may give your house any theme you'd like - you don't have to stick to the traditional Christmas house. We are providing a rough template but feel free to find or make your own (there are a lot of great books out there with tons of fun blueprints and ideas). Some books you may want to check out:
Gingerbread: Things to Make and Bake by Teresa Layman http://www.amazon.com/Gingerbread-Things-Make-Teresa-Layman/dp/081093367...
How to Build a Gingerbread House: A Step-by-Step Guide to Sweet Results by Christina Banner http://www.amazon.com/Build-Gingerbread-House-Step-Step/dp/0981580610/re...
Gingerbread Houses by Christa Currie http://www.amazon.com/Gingerbread-Houses-Christa-Currie/dp/0385472676/re...
The Gingerbread Architect: Recipes and Blueprints for Twelve Classic American Homes by Susan Matheson and Lauren Chattman http://www.amazon.com/Gingerbread-Architect-Recipes-Blueprints-American/...
Gingerbread Houses: Baking and Building Memories by Nonnie Cargas http://www.amazon.com/Gingerbread-Houses-Baking-Building-Memories/dp/087...
Your house can be as big or as small as you'd like, but it MUST meet these requirements:
1. Everything needs to be edible - no glue or inner non-food supports allowed.
2. You must bake the gingerbread yourself, whichever recipe you choose. No graham cracker houses please!
3. You must use some sort of template. If you don't use ours, take a picture or link to what you do use in your final post. It doesn't have to be super technical - Anna didn't even measure hers, she just cut out shapes from parchment and made sure the edges matched up.

4. Your house must be able to stand on its own. If you want to go adding balconies with candy stick buttresses or whatever go right ahead, but the main house itself must be free-standing.
We feel that by having these simple ground rules in place but giving you the freedom to run with the challenge otherwise, anyone with a few hours of free time this month can tackle this. And if you have a bigger chunk of time, you can REALLY tackle it.
Preparation Time for Anna's Recipe: 10 minutes to mix the dough, 4-8 hours at least to chill it, then 5 minutes to roll, 10 to rest, and 10 to cut. Another 30 minutes to rest, if necessary. 25-30 minutes to bake, depending on the size of the pieces. I would estimate 2-4 hours to decorate, depending on how ornate you want to make everything. It could certainly take longer if you are doing a lot of intricate royal icing designs or making your own candies. Altogether, this will take 7-13 hours, including chilling time. But, as noted above, you can break this up over several days or even a couple weeks if the freezer is utilized.

Preparation Time for Y's Recipe: 5-10 minutes to mix the dough, 2 hours to chill, 5 minutes to roll, 10 to cut and 15 minutes to bake. Estimated 4-7 hours from start to finish including chilling.
Equipment Needed:
Stand or handheld electric mixer (not required but it will make mixing the dough a lot easier and faster)
Plastic wrap
Rolling pin
Parchment paper
Baking sheets
Cardboard cake board or sheet of thick cardboard
Foil, if desired
Small saucepan
Small pastry brush (optional)
Piping bag with small round tip, or paper cornets if you're comfortable with them
Anna's Recipe:
Spicy Gingerbread Dough (from Good Housekeeping) http://www.goodhousekeeping.com/recipefinder/spicy-gingerbread-dough-157...
2 1/2 cups (500g) packed dark brown sugar
1 1/2 cups (360mL) heavy cream or whipping cream
1 1/4 cups (425g) molasses
9 1/2 cups (1663g) all-purpose flour
2 tablespoon(s) baking soda
1 tablespoon(s) ground ginger
Directions
1. In very large bowl, with wire whisk (or with an electric mixer), beat brown sugar, cream, and molasses until sugar lumps dissolve and mixture is smooth. In medium bowl, combine flour, baking soda, and ginger. With spoon, stir flour mixture into cream mixture in 3 additions until dough is too stiff to stir, then knead with hands until flour is incorporated and dough is smooth.
2. Divide dough into 4 equal portions; flatten each into a disk to speed chilling. Wrap each disk well with plastic wrap and refrigerate at least 4 hours or overnight, until dough is firm enough to roll.
3. Grease and flour large cookie sheets (17-inch by 14-inch/43x36cm)
4. Roll out dough, 1 disk at a time on each cookie sheet to about 3/16-inch thickness. (Placing 3/16-inch dowels or rulers on either side of dough to use as a guide will help roll dough to uniform thickness.)
5. Trim excess dough from cookie sheet; wrap and reserve in refrigerator. Chill rolled dough on cookie sheet in refrigerator or freezer at least 10 minutes or until firm enough to cut easily.
6. Preheat oven to 300 degrees F (149C)
7. Use chilled rolled dough, floured poster board patterns, and sharp paring knife to cut all house pieces on cookie sheet, making sure to leave at least 1 1/4 inches between pieces because dough will expand slightly during baking. Wrap and reserve trimmings in refrigerator. Combine and use trimmings as necessary to complete house and other decorative pieces. Cut and bake large pieces and small pieces separately.
8. Chill for 10 minutes before baking if the dough seems really soft after you cut it. This will discourage too much spreading/warping of the shapes you cut.
9. Bake 25 to 30 minutes, until pieces are firm to the touch. Do not overbake; pieces will be too crisp to trim to proper size.
10. Remove cookie sheet from oven. While house pieces are still warm, place poster-board patterns on top and use them as guides to trim shapes to match if necessary. Cool pieces completely before attempting to assemble the house.

Y's Recipe:
Scandinavian Gingerbread (Pepparkakstuga)
from The Great Scandinavian Baking Book by Beatrice Ojakangas http://astore.amazon.com/thedarkit-20/detail/0816634963
1 cup butter, room temperature [226g]
1 cup brown sugar, well packed [220g]
2 tablespoons cinnamon
4 teaspoons ground ginger
3 teaspoons ground cloves
2 teaspoons baking soda
½ cup boiling water
5 cups all-purpose flour [875g]
1. In a large bowl, cream the butter and sugar until blended. Add the cinnamon, ginger and cloves. Mix the baking soda with the boiling water and add to the dough along with the flour. Mix to make a stiff dough. If necessary add more water, a tablespoon at a time. Chill 2 hours or overnight.
2. Cut patterns for the house, making patterns for the roof, front walls, gabled walls, chimney and door out of cardboard.
3. Roll the dough out on a large, ungreased baking sheet and place the patterns on the dough. Mark off the various pieces with a knife, but leave the pieces in place.
4. [I rolled out the dough on a floured bench, roughly 1/8 inch thick (which allows for fact that the dough puffs a little when baked), cut required shapes and transferred these to the baking sheet. Any scraps I saved and rerolled at the end.]
5. Preheat the oven to 375'F (190'C). Bake for 12 to 15 minutes until the cookie dough feels firm. After baking, again place the pattern on top of the gingerbread and trim the shapes, cutting the edges with a straight-edged knife. Leave to cool on the baking sheet.
Royal Icing:
1 large egg white
3 cups (330g) powdered sugar
1 teaspoon white vinegar
1 teaspoon almond extract
Beat all ingredients until smooth, adding the powdered sugar gradually to get the desired consistency. Pipe on pieces and allow to dry before assembling. If you aren't using it all at once you can keep it in a small bowl, loosely covered with a damp towel for a few hours until ready to use. You may have to beat it slightly to get it an even consistency if the top sets up a bit. Piped on the house, this will set up hard over time.
Simple Syrup:
2 cups (400g) sugar
Place in a small saucepan and heat until just boiling and the sugar dissolves. Dredge or brush the edges of the pieces to glue them together. If the syrup crystallizes, remake it.

Strawberry Cake

2009-12-21T10:05:00.000-08:00

I made this simple cake for our friends P and A 's anniversary(Happy Anniversary P & A). Hope u enjoy it.....
This is my first cake after a 5 yr sabbatical from cake decorating.

Strawberries and leaves are made out of gumpaste.

Carrot and Zucchini rice

2009-12-17T13:16:00.000-08:00

S has office lunches every tuesday and thursday . I would have skipped cooking on those days if were only me. But gotta cook for M. So I decided to make carrot-zucchini rice for lunch(again did not want to wash dishes...yeah I know 'm lazy ).

Ingredients:
1 cup uncooked rice

Wash and cook rice with tsp of oil and keep aside.

1 cup shredded carrot
1/2 cup shredded zucchini
1/2 tsp aavalu/mustard seeds
1/2 tsp jeera/cumin seeds
2 tsps minappappu/urad dal
1 tsp pacchi senagapappu/chana dal
2 cloves of garlic(crushed)
6-8 curry leaves
2 dried red chillies, torn
4 menthulu/fenugreek seeds
1/2 onion finely chopped
3 green chillies, slit
1/2 tsp garam masala pwd
1 tsp red chilly pwd
1/2 tsp jeera/cumin pwd
1/2 tsp dhaniya/corriander pwd
1/4 tsp turmeric pwd
6-8 cahews(optional)
Salt to taste

Method:

Heat 1 tbsp oil in a kadai and when hot, add the mustard seeds, cumin seeds and when they splutter, add the dried red chillies, curry leaves, fenugreek seeds, urad dal, chana dal and fry till the dals give out a nice aroma.
Add the crushed garlic , cahews and saute for a min. Add the green chillies and onion and cook till the onion turns translucent.
Add the shredded carrot and cook for a min. Add the shredded zucchini and cook for another min and add salt, tumeric pwd, red chilly pwd, cumin, corriander and garam masala pwds.
After adding salt, zucchini will release water. Cook till the water dries up and the carrot is cooked and add the cooked rice and mix gently. Serve with raitha or just plain curd/yogurt.
Enjoy!!!

Ragi Idli

2009-12-17T09:45:00.000-08:00

Ragi idli, I first saw these beauties at Shilpa's blog, Aayi's recipe and have been meaning to try them ever since but never got around to it till today. I used urad flour instead of soaking urad dal and grinding( you see 'm bit of a slacker) and also I was not sure how the two flours will be can give nice and soft idlis so added idli ravva to it. Also no soaking the dal and grinding it just mix everything together and you are done. Do try them, they are nutritious, tasty and very easy to make.

Ingredients:
1 cup urad flour
1 cup ragi flour
1/4 cup idli ravva(wash and keep aside, there is no need to soak it)
Salt to taste
A pinch of baking soda(optional, I was not sure if they would rise so used just a pinch)
Oil/Ghee (for greasing the idli plates)

Method:

Add ragi flour, urad flour and washed idli ravva and water in a big bowl( the batter will rise during fermentation) and mix well with out any lumps. The consistency should be of the normal idli batter.
Cover and keep it in a warm place like oven overnight .
The batter will increase by the next morning. Add salt and baking soda if using and mix.
Grease the idli plates with oil or ghee.
Pour a ladle full of batter into each mould.
Pour 1&1/2 cups water in a pressure cooker and put in the filled idli stand in the water and cook on high heat for 3-5 mins or till u see steam coming.
Reduce heat to medium and cook without the whistle for 11-12 mins. Switch off, let stay for 5 mins.
Wet a spoon and scoop out the idlis from the idli plate and serve with chutney and sambar .
Enjoy!!!

This is my contribution to JFI-Raagi , an event hosted by Madhuram . Jhiva is a brain child of Indira .

Karam Gavvalu

2009-12-16T13:36:00.001-08:00

Recipe to follow soon

Bellam Gavvalu/Teepi Gavvalu

2009-12-16T13:35:00.000-08:00

Made them week ago ....recipe will follow soon

Aloo-Palak and Anda burji/ Scrambled Eggs with Potato and Spinach

2009-12-16T10:20:00.000-08:00

We had this for breakfast yesterday with phulkas. I made aloo-palak stuffing for parathas but made phulkas instead. S wanted eggs with his phulkas and I just combined aloo-palak with eggs and he loved it. He now insists that I make his eggs this way.

Ingredients:
1 large potato peeled and boiled till soft and mashed
1 cup chopped washed and spinach
1 onion finely chopped
4 green chillies finely chopped(adjust)
4 -5 eggs
1 tsp garam masala
1/2 tbsp ginger-garlic paste(optional)
1/4 tsp jeera/cumin pwd
1/4tsp dhaniya/corriander pwd
1 tsp lemon juice(optional)
1&1/2 tsp red chilly pwd
Salt to taste
A pinch of turmeric

Talimpu/Tadka/Tempering:

1 tsp aavalu/mustard seeds
1 tsp jeera/cumin
3 dried red chillies, torn
6-8 curry leaves
A pinch of hing(optional)

Method:

Heat oil in a kadai/pan and add the mustard and cumin seeds. When they start to splutter, add the dried red chillies, curry leaves and hing (if using).
Add the chopped onion and green chillies and saute till translucent. Add the ginger-garlic paste(if using) and saute till the raw smell disappears. Add the chopped spinach, tumeric and saute for about 5-7 mins.
Add the mashed potato, salt, red chilly pwd,garam masala, cumin and corriander pwds, mix well and saute for another 5-7 mins.
Add about 2 tsps of oil and mix. Beat the eggs in a container and add it to the mixture , mix well and cook till the eggs are completely cooked. Switch off, add the lemon juice(if using) and garnish with cilantro and serve.
Enjoy!!!

Chicken Kheema/keema(Mince) Rice

2009-12-16T10:15:00.000-08:00

Kheema biryani...I always wondered how to make it. Yesterday I wanted to make one pot dish as I was in no mood to clean the a load of dishes and so made this. S and M loved it .

Ingredients:
1 and half cups uncooked basmati rice (wash and soak for atleast 20 mins)
1/4 tsp kala jeera (black cumin)
1/4 tsp fennel seeds
Make a pouch of 2 green cardamom, 1 inch cinnamon, 4-6 cloves, 1/2 star anise
Salt to taste
1tsp oil

Add salt, water, black cumin, fennel seeds, the pouch with whole masala, oil,soaked rice and cook till done.

Minced chicken about 1 lb
1 onion, chopped finely
6 green chillies, slit
2 tomatoes, finley chopped
2 tsps red chilly pwd(adjust to taste)
1tsp jeera ped/cumin pwd
1tsp dhaniya pwd/ corriander pwd
1 tbsp ginger-garlic paste
1&1/2 tbsps meat masala(I used Badshah meat masala)
1/2 tsp tumeric
2 tbsps of cilantro
2 tbsps of mint
A pinch of sugar
Salt to taste
2-3 tbsps lemon juice
Onion rings for garnish

Method:

Heat 3 tbsps oil in a wide pan and when hot, add the green chillies and onion and saute till the onion are translucent.
Add the ginger-garlic paste and fry till the raw smell disappears. Add the chopped tomatoes and salt and saute for 2-3 mins and add tumeric, red chilly pwd, cumin pwd, corriander pwd, meat masala,sugar and saute till oil separates.
Add the chicken mince and break down and mix well and saute till the chicken is cooked well.
Add the cilantro and mint and switch off the stove and add the cooked rice and mix well , taking care not to break the grain.
Sprinkle the lemon juice, garnish with onion rings and serve with raitha. Enjoy!!!

Chegodilu/Chekodilu for Indian Cooking Challenge

2009-12-15T08:36:00.000-08:00

This month when Srivalli of spice your life chose chegodilu/chekodilu for the ICC, I was excited. Never made them but always wanted to and here's my chance. I chose the first recipe and added sesame seeds and ajwain. Also instead of soaking the moong dal, I added it to the boiling water and it was fine. Be sure to cover the dough and the forms you make with a wet tissue or something and as the recipe mentions do use a little oil to grease your hands and roll out the dough with your palms rather than your fingers.

Chegodilu / Chekodilu - Recipe 1

Ingredients Needed:

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

Method to prepare:

Making the dough:

Soak moong dal in water for half hour to 1 hour.

In a deep bottom pan, boil water, then add salt, ghee and moong dal. 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. When the flour is mixed and done, turn off the heat immediately. Cover with lid and keep aside for 10 to 15 mins.

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 Chokodi:

Heat a pan with oil, enough to fry 3 -4 at time, if you conscious of not using too much oil. Simmer once it gets hot. The temperature should not be smoking hot.

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.

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.

Check if the oil is in the correct temperature, by dropping a tiny bit into the oil. Then gently slide the rings or the chakodis in batches of 4 -5. The flame has to be on high until the chakodis come up to the surface, then lower the flame to medium and cook till you get a golden colour on the chakodis.

When the chakodis 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.

Daring Bakers December Challenge, Salmon en croute!!!

2009-12-14T08:30:00.000-08:00

December's daring cooks challenge was Salmon en croute. I've never heard of it and was pretty intimidated till I read the recipe. Simone gave a step by step process. I made some changes to the recipe. I sauted the spinach with onion, garlic, salt and red chilly pwd. Rubbed the salmon with tandoori mix and also some salt , redchilly pwd and lemon juice. Made a sauce with cilantro, mint, green chillies, lemon juice, sour cream , yogurt, cumin and corriander pwds, salt. I also used store bought pastry sheet. I also made chicken curry pouches with leftover chicken mince curry.

Salmon en croute:

Mince chicken curry pouches:

Simone's version:

The 2009 Daring Cooks challenge was hosted by Simone of Junglefrog Cooking. Simone chose Salmon en Croute (or alternative recipes for Beef Wellington or Vegetable en Croute) from Good Food Online.
Recipe source : Good Food online
A few notes first:
1.If you are making the short-crust pastry yourself; make sure not to add too much water as that will render the pastry too hard, making it impossible to roll out into the needed size. I made that mistake for the first batch and ended up using store-bought instead.
2. If you cannot find short-crust pastry (a I did) and don’t want to make it yourself, you can substitute with puff pastry. Do not use the packages that are available (at least in the Netherlands) for pies... Not the right dough! (I did make that mistake and the taste was just not that good)
3. The recipe does not call for adding any extra salt or other seasonings to the salmon. I found that the salmon could use just a little bit of extra flavor, so feel free to add some seasoning to your liking. Be careful not to use too much as the topping also adds flavor.

Variations allowed: Mandatory for this challenge is to cook with pastry.!If you do not like fish or are allergic to salmon, you can substitute the salmon for the Beef version, which is Beef Wellington. Recipe below. Salmon can be substituted for another type of fish, although I am not sure which fish would do well in pastry. Vegetarian versions are also allowed. For a vegetarian version check out this recipe on my blog and leave out the chicken
Preparation time: Total prep time incl. cooking for the Salmon is 50 minutes
Total prep time for the Beef Wellington is 3 hours
Shortcrust pastry : 50 minutes (optional)
Equipment required:
For the Salmon en croute
oven
foodprocessor
rolling pin
For the Beef Wellington
Blender or food processor
Frying pan
15 cm crepe pan or small frying pan or griddle
cling film
oven
Salmon en croute:
Ingredients
Mascarpone or creamcheese 5.2 ounces/150 gr
Watercress, rocket (arugula) and spinach - 0.6 cup/4.2 ounces/120 gr
Shortcrust pastry - 17.6 ounces, 500 gr. Use a butterversion such as Jus-rol which is frozen or dorset pastry. or... make your own!
Salmon fillet (skinless)- 17.6 ounce/500 gr
egg - 1 medium sized
Directions:
1.Heat the oven to 200°C/390 F. Put the mascarpone or cream cheese in a food processor with the watercress, spinach and rocket and whizz the lot until you have a creamy green puree. Season well.
2. Roll the pastry out so you can wrap the salmon in it completely (approx. 2-3 mm thick) and lay it on a buttered or oiled baking sheet (it will hang over the edges). Put the salmon in the middle. If it has a thinner tail end, tuck it under. Spoon half of the watercress mixture onto the salmon. Now fold the pastry over into a neat parcel (the join will be at the top, so trim the edge neatly), making sure you don’t have any thick lumps of pastry as these won’t cook through properly. Trim off any excess as you need to. Make 3 neat cuts in the pastry to allow steam to escape and make some decorations with the off-cuts to disguise the join if you like. Brush with the egg glaze.
3. Bake for 30 minutes or until the pastry is crisp and browned. To test wether the salmon is cooked, push a sharp knife through one of the cuts into the flesh, wait for 3 seconds then test it against the inside of your wrist; if it is hot, the salmon is cooked. Serve with the rest of the watercress puree as a sauce.
Shortcrust pastry
While this is not mandatory to do, I highly recommend making your own shortcrust pastry as it is very simple to do! As mentioned in the notes; please make sure to not add too much water as that is the key to having a successful shortcrust pastry. Watch this video to check the correct consistency of the dough Making shortcrust pastry
Ingredients:
450 gr (15.8 ounces or 3.2 cups ) of plain all purpose flour
200 gr ( 7 ounce) cold butter
pinch of salt
Sift the flour into a large bowl, add the butter and rub in with your fingertips until the mixture resembles fine breadcrumbs. If you have a food processor you can use that as shown in the above video.
Stir in the salt, then add 2-3 tbsp of water and mix to a firm dough. Knead the dough briefly and gently on a floured surface. Wrap in cling film and chill while preparing the filling.
For best results make sure the butter is very cold.

Enjoy!!!!

Ragi/Raagi Dosa/ Finger millet crepes

2009-12-10T11:13:00.000-08:00

Yesterday night I realised that I forgot to soak urad dal and rice to make dosas for todays breakfast and my son M has been pestering me to make dosas for a couple of days now, so I thought of making dosas with the urad and rice flours. But what do u know 'm all out of rice flour but found some raagi flour so I thought why not...........and am glad I did. Do try these, you won't be dissappointed.

Ingredients:
2 cups raagi flour
1 cup urad dal flour
1/2 cup sooji/bombai ravva
A very small pinch of fenugreek seeds pwd
Salt to taste

Method:

Mix together the raagi flour, urad flour, sooji, fenugreek seeds pwd . To this add water slowly ( can add warm water if you like). Avoid any lumps.Keep in a warm place over night or 8-10 hrs.
After fermenting, add salt to taste and water to make it into the dosa batter consistency.
Heat a griddle or flat pan, take a ladle full of the batter and spread it in a circle (flame should be on low) and add / spray some oil and cook on one side till it turns golden brown, turn with a splatula cook for an other min(medium-high heat).
Repeat with the remaining batter.
Serve with any chutney or pickle.Enjoy!!!

Note: The flame should be on low when spreading the dosa batter and on medium-high after adding the oil.
Mix the batter well before making each dosa.Add more water if required.

Aanapakaya/Sorakaya/Bottle gourd/Dudhi Pacchadi/Chutney

2009-12-10T10:57:00.000-08:00

I had this lone half piece of aanapakaya/bottle gourd lying in the fridge for a couple of days, so I made pacchadi/ chutney for the ragi dosas I made for breakfast today. We enjoyed this chutney with dosas.

Ingredients:
2 cups aanapakaya/ bottle gourd (washed and cut with skin)
1 tsp sesame seeds(optional)
1tsp senagapappu/chana dal
1tsp minappapu/urad dal
1/2 tsp jeera/cumin seeds
1 dried red chilly(optional)
3 green chillies(adjust)
10 peanuts(optional)
Tamarind -a small lemon sized
2 tbsps chopped cilantro
2 garlic cloves
Salt to taste

Talimpu/Tadka/Tempering:
1 tsp aavalu/mustard seeds
1 tsp jeera/cumin seeds
2 dried red chillies torn
4-6 curry leaves
1/2 tsp minappapu/urad dal

Method:

Heat 1tbsp oil in a kadai and add the urad dal, chana dal, seasame seeds, cumin seeds, peanuts and saute till they turn golden brown (take care not to burn), let cool and grind into pwd.
In the same vessel add the slit green chillies and after a minute add the chopped aanapakaya/bottle gourd pieces. Saute till they are almost cooked.
Add the garlic, tamarind, cilantro and saute for another 3 mints. Switch off and keep aside to cool.
Grind it along with some salt and add the pwd we made before hand.
Heat 1 tbsp oil in a kadai and when hot, add the mustard seeds, cumin seeds and when they splutter, add the urad dal and let it cook for 1-2 mins. Add the red chillies and curry leaves and saute for 30 secs and switch off.
Add to the pacchadi/ chutney, mix well and serve with dosas, idlis or with rice. Enjoy!!!

Mulakkaya Rasam/Mulakkada Rasam/Drumstick Rasam

2009-12-08T11:42:00.000-08:00

Both nanamma's(dad's mom) and ammamma's (mom's mom) backyard had drumstick trees. Mouthwatering dishes were made from the leaves and drumsticks. This is one of them, easy and tasty.

8-9 drumstick pieces (3 inch pieces)
Tamarind lemon sized(soak in water and take out pulp and keep aside)
3-4 cups water
1 tsp jeera/cumin pwd
1tsp dhaniya/corriander pwd
1 big clove or 2 small cloves of garlic (mashed)
1 tsp red chilli pwd (adjust to taste)
1 tbsp cilantro chopped
1/4 tsp sugar
A pinch of tumeric
Salt to taste

Talimpu/tadka/tempering

1tsp avalu/mustard seeds
1tsp jeera/cumin seeds
2-3 dried red chillies torn
6-7 curry leaves
4-6 menthulu/methi seeds/fenugreek seeds
1/4 tsp hing(optional)

Method:
Heat a deep vessel and add drumsticks, salt, sugar, red chilli pwd, tumeric pwd and 1/2 cup water and cook for 5 mins with lid closed on medium flame. Add the tamarind, jeera pwd, corriander pwd and water and boil for 8 mins on medium to low heat with the lid on. Add the garlic and cilantro seeds. Switch off and keep aside. In a kadai, heat 1 tbsp oil add the mustard seeds , cumin seeds and the methi seeds and when start to splutter, add the dried red chillies, curry leaves and hing if using, saute for a min and add to the rasam. Check for seasoning and serve with rice or you can have it as is. Enjoy!!!

Tomato Ooragaya/Tomato Nilava pacchadi/Tomato Pickle

2009-12-04T13:28:00.000-08:00

My ammamma makes the best ooragayalu and with any vegetable. Every year she sends me avakaya (Mango), allam pacchadi(ginger pickle), tomato pickle and we enjoy them year long. She makes tomato ooragaya many ways. This is one on them.

Ingredients:
6 medium ripe tomatoes
1&1/2 tsp avapindi/mustard pwd(dry roasted and powdered)
1/2 tsp menthi podi/Methi pwd( dry roasted and powdered)
1/2 cup pacchadi karam/pickle chilli pwd (I get pickle chilli pwd from India. u can use normal red chilli pwd ,reduce if u donot want it very spicy)
1/2 tsp turmeric pwd
1&1/2 tsp sugar
Salt to taste
Tamarind -big lemon sized
1/4 cup vegetable oil

Talimpu/Tadka/Tempering
1 tsp avalu/mustard seeds
1 tsp jeera/cumin seeds
8-10 menthulu/methi seeds
4 cloves of garlic(crushed)(optional)
4-6 red chillies torn(optional)
1/2 tbsp minapappu/urad dal
1tbsp pacchi senagapappu/chana dal
1/4 cup vegetable oil

Method :

Wash the tomatoes and cut them. Heat oil in a heavy bottomed, deep kadai and add the chopped tomatoes and cook on medium heat for 5 -10 mins, stirring occasionally.

Add the tamarind (u can also soak the tamarind in very little water and extract thick pulp and add this instead )and tumeric pwd and cook on medium heat stirring occasionally for another 15 mins.

Reduce heat and cook till the oil separates from the tomato mixture, stirring once in a while(take care not to burn). Add the salt, pickle chilli pwd, mustard pwd, methi pwd , sugar and mix well and cook stirring for 5 more minutes. Keep aside.

Heat the oil for talimpu/tadka and when hot, add the mustard seeds, cumin seeds , methi seeds and when they splutter, add the chanadal, urad dal and saute for a minute. Add the garlic, dried red chillies, curry leaves and saute for 2 mins. Switch off and add this to the tomato mixture. Mix well. Cool completely and transfer into a clean and dry jar/ bottle/jaadi. Enjoy!!!

Note: Reduce the amount of oil if you want. Taste and make sure that there is enough salt (if there is less salt, the pickle will be spoiled.).Donot add all the salt at once. Add some mix and taste and if not enough add some more.ALWAYS USE A DRY SPOON WHEN HANDLING THE PICKLE. IF U DON'T, THE PICKLE WILL SPOIL.

Home made Perugu/Curd/Dahi/Yogurt

2009-12-03T09:48:00.000-08:00

We prefer home made curd to store bought yogurt. I always thought yogurt making is a very complicated process and that I could never master it but its not once u know at which temperature u need to add the culture, its a 1,2,3,4 process. I always boil my milk twice (coz thats how mom and grandmom do) and always use whole milk ('coz thats how S likes it.)

Step 1: Boil milk in a clean vessel till a layer is formed on top of the milk and keep aside till it cools down. (Boil on medium-low flame)

Step 2: Boil milk again and keep it aside till it is lukewarm, pour in a vessel and add 1 tsp of previously made curd or if using store bought yogurt use 2 tsps instead and mix.

Step 3: Place covered in the oven or some place warm overnight undisturbed.

Step 4: Take out, remove the cover and jsut move the vessel to see if the curd is done if not let it stay for few more hrs(donot disturb it). Serve chilled or at room temp. Enjoy!!!

Mamidikaya Annam/Pulihora/Mango Rice

2009-12-03T09:21:00.000-08:00

Mango rice is basically cooked rice mixed with grated mango and tadka. Ammamma(mom's mom) and amma made (still ) mamidikaya annam/ mango rice every summer. We have a mango tree in our backyard and also get mangoes from our groves in the village. All the kids looked forward for this treat. I bought these mangoes to make chutney but opted to make this instead and am so happy I did :).

Ingredients:
2 cups rice (raw rice)
2 cups grated sour raw mango(adjust to your taste)
15 cashew nuts(optional)
15 peanuts(optional)
1 tsp avalu/mustard seeds
1 tsp jeera/cumin seeds
3 dried red chillies torn
5-6 green chillies slit (adjust)
8-10 curry leaves
2 pinches turmeric
1 tbsp urad dal
1&1/2 tsp chana dal
1/2 tsp chopped ginger
2-3 tbsps oil
A pinch of hing

Method :
Cook rice with a little oil in it (it should not be mushy and should retain its shape) and fluff with fork, keep aside. Heat oil in a kadai and when hot, add the mustard seed, cumin seeds. When they start to splutter, add cashew nuts and peanuts, urad dal, chana dal and saute for 2 mins or until they are roasted. Add the dried red chillies, slit green chillies, curry leaves, turmeric, hing and saute for a min. Add the grated mango and salt and saute for 2-3 mins, check for salt and switch off. Add the cooked and fluffed rice and mix/fold in gently. You can also add a tbsp of chopped cilantro if u like. Enjoy!!!

Allam/Ginger chaaru

2009-12-01T12:23:00.000-08:00

I make this rasam when S catches a cold and/ cough. But I up the amount of ginger and pepper. It is very soothing.

Ingredients:
A small lemon sized tamarind (soak in 1/2 cup of warm water for 10 mins and extract the juice)
3&1/2 cups water
4-5 green chillies( adjust to ur taste)
4-5 curry leaves
2&1/2 inch piece of ginger
2 garlic pods
1 tsp cumin seeds
1&1/2 tsp corriander seeds
1 tbsp chopped cilantro for garnish
Salt to taste
A pinch of tumeric

Tadka/Talimpu
1 tsp mustard seeds
1 tsp cumin seeds
3-4 curry leaves
4-6 methi seeds
3 dried red chillies

Method:
Grind to paste ginger, green chillies, garlic, cumin seeds, corriander seeds and keep aside. Boil water with the tamarind juice, salt, tumeric, curry leaves for 5-8 mins. Add the paste and boil for another 10-12 mins. In an other pan heat 1 tbsp oil add the mustard seeds and cumin seeds and when they start to splutter, add the methi seeds, red chillies and curry leaves and saute for 1-2 mins and add this to the prepared chaaru. Garnish with chopped cilantro and serve with white rice or have it as is. Enjoy!!!

Note :
You can also grind 2 tbsps of cilantro and add ground black pepper.

Atukula Upma/Thick poha upma

2009-12-01T10:45:00.000-08:00

Atukulu/poha upma is an easy breakfast when time is a constraint. Its done in 15-20 mins. This is our breakfast today. First time for my son and he loved it :) .

Ingredients:
2 cups atukulu/poha(choose the thick poha as they won't become mushy quickly)
1 tbsp roasted peanuts
4-5 cashews halved
1 tbsp urad dal
1 tsp chana dal/senaga pappu
1 tsp aavalu/mustard seeds
1 tsp jeera/cumin seeds
1 small onion finely chopped
3-4 small green chillies slit and rubbed with a little salt
6-8 curry leaves
2 dried red chillies torn
1/4 inch ginger chopped
1/2 tbsp cilantro chopped
1&1/2 tsps lemon/lime juice
A pinch of tumeric
Salt to taste

Method :
Wash the poha and saok it in water for 3 mins. Drain without water and keep aside. Heat 2 tbsps oil and add the mustard seeds and cumin seeds. When they start to splutter, add the urad dal , chana dal, dried red chillies, curry leaves , roasted peanuts, cashew nut pieces and saute till the dal changes color. Add the ginger, tumeric and green chillies and saute for a min. Add the chopped onion, salt and saute till translucent. Add the drained poha and mix well. Switch off and add the chopped cilantro and lemon/lime juice and serve. Enjoy!!!!

Ravva Kesari/Rava Kesari/Sooji halwa

2009-11-30T19:27:00.000-08:00

Ravva kesari is made as an offering to god in our house every saturday and also during Satya Narayana Swamy Vratam. This can be made very quickly and so I opt this as a dessert when we have friends over unannounced.

Ingredients:
1 cup sooji /bombay ravva
1&1/2 cups water
1&1/2 cups milk (boiled)
1 cup sugar(add more if u like)
1cup ghee(reduce if u like but it tastes gr8 with lots of ghee)
1/2 tsp cardamom pwd
6 cashews halved(optional)
2-3 almonds sliced(optional)
4-6 pistachios(optional)
4 raisins(optional)
Orange food color(optional)

Method:
Fry the nuts and raisins in 1 tbsps ghee and keep a side. Heat a heavy bottomed pan and add 3 tbsps of ghee and add the sooji and saute till it turns light brown and a nice aroma fills the kitchen. Meanwhile boil the milk and water add the color if using. Add to the sauted ravva stirring constantly to avoid forming lumps and cook for 10-12 mins, adding more hot water if required. When the ravva is cooked, slowly add the sugar, the remaining ghee and the fried cashews, pistachios, almonds and raisins and cook for 3-4 mins. Serve warm. Enjoy!!!

Chepala vepudu/Andhra Fish Fry

2009-11-30T18:48:00.000-08:00

Back in India, we ate (they still do) lots and different kinds of fish. I love fish curry, fried or baked. But after coming here its limited. For some reason i donot like to make traditional Indian curries or fry with the fillet we get here. So this week when I went to an Asian market I bought a live tilapia , asked the guy to clean it and cut it into steaks just like in India. After coming home I made fish fry and had it along with white rice and rasam. The combination was great.

Ingredients:
1 tilapia (cut into steaks about 5-6 pieces and washed)
1 tbsp ginger garlic paste
4-6 curry leaves
1/4 tsp tumeric
1/2 tbsp salt (adjust to taste)
1/2 tbsp red chiili pwd (adjust to taste)
1/2 tsp lemon juice

Mix all the above with the fish and keep aside for 15- 20 minutes or longer if you can. Heat a little oil in a pan and add the curry leaves and when they start to splutter, add the marinated fish pieces one by one and cook on medium- low heat for 5 mins on each side. Keep aside.

Grind to paste:
1&1/2 large onion
2-3 green chillies
3-4 curry leaves
1 tbsp cilantro
1/2 tsp cumin pwd
1/2 tsp corriander pwd
Salt enough for the onion

Heat some more oil about 2 tbsps in a pan and add the ground paste and fry till the raw smell disappears and the oil separates. Add the fried fish and saute for 2-3 mins and garnish with cilantro.Serve with rice or on its own.Enjoy!!!

Capsicum/Shimla mirchi/green bell pepper with coconut and ginger

2009-11-30T18:20:00.000-08:00

Capsicum/ bell pepper can be eaten both raw or cooked. I cook capsicum in different ways and this is one of them. It is easy to make and tastes great.

Ingredients:
4 capsicum/bellpepper/shimla mirchi (de-seeded and cut into bite sized pieces)
1&1/2 inch ginger
2 tbsps fresh coconut or dessicated coconut pwdr
4 green chillies(adjust to taste)
1 large garlic pod
A pinch of turmeric
Salt to taste

Make a paste of coconut, ginger, garlic, green chillies with very little water if necessary and keep aside.

Tadka/Talimpu
1tsp aavalu/mustard seeds
1tsp jeera/cumin seeds
2 dried red chillies- torn
6-8 curry leaves
1/2 tbsp minappappu/urad dal
1 tbsp oil

Method:
Heat a pan add oil and when hot add the mustard seeds and cumin seeds and when they start to splutter, add the dried red chillies , curry leaves and urad dal and when the dal changes color, add the cut capsicum pieces and saute for 2-3 mins. Add the tumeric and about 4-5 tbsps water and cook on low heat covered for 6-8 mins. Add the paste of coconut, ginger, garlic, green chillies and salt and cook till the capsicum is a little soft.
Serve with rice or phulkas. Enjoy!!!

My first Daring Bakers challenge.....Cannoli !!!!!

2009-11-27T08:39:00.000-08:00

I joined the daring bakers and was excited to see that this months challenege is not baking but deep frying for making crunchy, creamy cannoli. I never had cannoli before and so this was indeed a challenge for me.

The November 2009 Daring Bakers Challenge was chosen and hosted by Lisa Michele of Parsley, Sage, Desserts, and Line Drives. She chose the Italian Pastry, Cannolo (Cannoli is plural), using the cookbooks Lidia's Italian-American Kitchen by Lidia Matticchio Bastianich and The Sopranos Family Cookbook by Allen Rucker; recipes by Michele Scicolone, as ingredient/direction guides. She added her own modifications/changes, so the recipe is not 100% verbatim from either book.

Cannoli are known as Italian-American pastries, although the origin of cannoli dates back to Sicily, specifically Palermo, where it was prepared during Carnevale season, and according to lore, as a symbol of fertility. The cannoli is a fried, tube-shaped pastry shell (usually containing wine) filled with a creamy amalgamation of sweetened ricotta cheese, chocolate, candied fruit or zest, and sometimes nuts.

Although not traditional, mascarpone cheese is also widely used, and in fact, makes for an even creamier filling when substituted for part of the ricotta, or by itself. However, cannoli can also be filled with pastry creams, mousses, whipped cream, ice cream etc. You could also add your choice of herbs, zests or spices to the dough, if desired. Marsala is the traditional wine used in cannoli dough, but any red or white wine will work fine, as it’s not only added for flavor or color, but to relax the gluten in the dough since it can be a stiff dough to work with .I used cranberry juice instead of wine.

Equipment:
Cannoli forms/tubes - optional, but recommended if making traditional shaped cannoli.
Deep, heavy saucepan, enough to hold at least 2-3-inches of oil or deep fryer
Deep fat frying thermometer. although the bread cube or bit of dough test will work fine.
Metal tongs
Brass or wire skimmer or large slotted spoon
Pastry bag with large star or plain tip, but a snipped ziplock bag, butter knife or teaspoon will work fine.
Cooling rack
Paper bags or paper towels
Pastry Brush
Cheesecloth
Sieve or fine wire mesh strainer
Electric Mixer, stand or hand, optional, as mixing the filling with a spoon is fine.
Food Processor or Stand Mixer – optional, (I made the dough by hand)
Rolling pin
Pastry or cutting board
Round cutters or the lid of a small bottle or the dough can also be cut into squares and rolled around the cannoli tube prior to frying. If making a stacked cannoli, any shaped cutter is fine, as well as a sharp knife.
Mixing bowl and wooden spoon if mixing filling by hand
Plastic Wrap/Clingfilm
Tea towels or just cloth towels

I halved Lisa's recipe, added cranberry juice, mixed the dough with hand (it turned out great and did not take much time at all) and made my filling with heavy cream , sugar and pomegranate juice instead of ricotta cheese since S doesn't like it.

Heavy cream filling:
1 cup heavy cream
4 tbsps sugar
1/4 cup fresh pomegranate juice
A pinch of cardamom pwd
A few drops of rose water

With a hand blender, blend all the ingredients for filling till stiff.Spoon into a ziplock bag, cut a small hole on one side of the bag and squeeze into the cannoli shell from both sides and garnish with pistachio pwd , chocolate pwd and pomegranate seeds.

Lisa's recipe:

CANNOLI SHELLS

2 cups (250 grams/16 ounces) all-purpose flour
2 tablespoons(28 grams/1 ounce) sugar
1 teaspoon (5 grams/0.06 ounces) unsweetened baking cocoa powder
1/2 teaspoon (1.15 grams/0.04 ounces) ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon (approx. 3 grams/0.11 ounces) salt
3 tablespoons (42 grams/1.5 ounces) vegetable or olive oil
1 teaspoon (5 grams/0.18 ounces) white wine vinegar
Approximately 1/2 cup (approx. 59 grams/approx. 4 fluid ounces/approx. 125 ml) sweet Marsala or any white or red wine you have on hand
1 large egg, separated (you will need the egg white but not the yolk)
Vegetable or any neutral oil for frying – about 2 quarts (8 cups/approx. 2 litres)
1/2 cup (approx. 62 grams/2 ounces) toasted, chopped pistachio nuts, mini chocolate chips/grated chocolate and/or candied or plain zests, fruits etc.. for garnish
Confectioners' sugar

Note - If you want a chocolate cannoli dough, substitute a few tablespoons of the flour (about 25%) with a few tablespoons of dark, unsweetened cocoa powder (Dutch process) and a little more wine until you have a workable dough (Thanks to Audax).

CANNOLI FILLING

2 lbs (approx. 3.5 cups/approx. 1 kg/32 ounces) ricotta cheese, drained
1 2/3 cups cup (160 grams/6 ounces) confectioner’s sugar, (more or less, depending on how sweet you want it), sifted
1/2 teaspoon (1.15 grams/0.04 ounces) ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon (4 grams/0.15 ounces) pure vanilla extract or the beans from one vanilla bean
3 tablespoons (approx. 28 grams/approx. 1 ounce) finely chopped good quality chocolate of your choice
2 tablespoons (12 grams/0.42 ounces) of finely chopped, candied orange peel, or the grated zest of one small to medium orange
3 tablespoons (23 grams/0.81 ounce) toasted, finely chopped pistachios

Note - If you want chocolate ricotta filling, add a few tablespoons of dark, unsweetened cocoa powder to the above recipe, and thin it out with a few drops of warm water if too thick to pipe.

DIRECTIONS FOR SHELLS:
1. In the bowl of an electric stand mixer or food processor, combine the flour, sugar, cocoa, cinnamon, and salt. Stir in the oil, vinegar, and enough of the wine to make a soft dough. Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface and knead until smooth and well blended, about 2 minutes. Shape the dough into a ball. Cover with plastic wrap and let rest in the fridge from 2 hours to overnight.

2 Cut the dough into two pieces. Keep the remaining dough covered while you work. Lightly flour a large cutting or pastry board and roll the dough until super thin, about 1/16 to 1/8” thick (An area of about 13 inches by 18 inches should give you that). Cut out 3 to 5-inch circles (3-inch – small/medium; 4-inch – medium/large; 5-inch;- large. Your choice). Roll the cut out circle into an oval, rolling it larger and thinner if it’s shrunk a little.

3 Oil the outside of the cannoli tubes (You only have to do this once, as the oil from the deep fry will keep them well, uhh, oiled..lol). Roll a dough oval from the long side (If square, position like a diamond, and place tube/form on the corner closest to you, then roll) around each tube/form and dab a little egg white on the dough where the edges overlap. (Avoid getting egg white on the tube, or the pastry will stick to it.) Press well to seal. Set aside to let the egg white seal dry a little.

4. In a deep heavy saucepan, pour enough oil to reach a depth of 3 inches, or if using an electric deep-fryer, follow the manufacturer's directions. Heat the oil to 375°F (190 °C) on a deep fry thermometer, or until a small piece of the dough or bread cube placed in the oil sizzles and browns in 1 minute. Have ready a tray or sheet pan lined with paper towels or paper bags.

5. Carefully lower a few of the cannoli tubes into the hot oil. Do not crowd the pan. Fry the shells until golden, about 2 minutes, turning them so that they brown evenly.

8. Lift a cannoli tube with a wire skimmer or large slotted spoon, out of the oil. Using tongs, grasp the cannoli tube at one end. Very carefully remove the cannoli tube with the open sides straight up and down so that the oil flows back into the pan. Place the tube on paper towels or bags to drain. Repeat with the remaining tubes. While they are still hot, grasp the tubes with a potholder and pull the cannoli shells off the tubes with a pair of tongs, or with your hand protected by an oven mitt or towel. Let the shells cool completely on the paper towels. Place shells on cooling rack until ready to fill.

9. Repeat making and frying the shells with the remaining dough. If you are reusing the cannoli tubes, let them cool before wrapping them in the dough.

Pasta Machine method:

1. Divide the dough into 4 equal pieces. Starting at the middle setting, run one of the pieces of dough through the rollers of a pasta machine. Lightly dust the dough with flour as needed to keep it from sticking. Pass the dough through the machine repeatedly, until you reach the highest or second highest setting. The dough should be about 4 inches wide and thin enough to see your hand through

2. Continue rolling out the remaining dough. If you do not have enough cannoli tubes for all of the dough, lay the pieces of dough on sheets of plastic wrap and keep them covered until you are ready to use them.

3, Roll, cut out and fry the cannoli shells as according to the directions above.

For stacked cannoli:
1. Heat 2-inches of oil in a saucepan or deep sauté pan, to 350-375°F (176 - 190 °C).

2. Cut out desired shapes with cutters or a sharp knife. Deep fry until golden brown and blistered on each side, about 1 – 2 minutes. Remove from oil with wire skimmer or large slotted spoon, then place on paper towels or bags until dry and grease free. If they balloon up in the hot oil, dock them lightly prior to frying. Place on cooling rack until ready to stack with filling.

DIRECTIONS FOR FILLING:
1. Line a strainer with cheesecloth. Place the ricotta in the strainer over a bowl, and cover with plastic wrap and a towel. Weight it down with a heavy can, and let the ricotta drain in the refrigerator for several hours to overnight.

2. In a bowl with electric mixer, beat ricotta until smooth and creamy. Beat in confectioner’s sugar, cinnamon, vanilla and blend until smooth. Transfer to another bowl and stir in chocolate, zest and nuts. Chill until firm.(The filling can be made up to 24 hours prior to filling the shells. Just cover and keep refrigerated).

ASSEMBLE THE CANNOLI:

1. When ready to serve..fill a pastry bag fitted with a 1/2-inch plain or star tip, or a ziplock bag, with the ricotta cream. If using a ziplock bag, cut about 1/2 inch off one corner. Insert the tip in the cannoli shell and squeeze gently until the shell is half filled. Turn the shell and fill the other side. You can also use a teaspoon to do this, although it’s messier and will take longer.

2. Press or dip cannoli in chopped pistachios, grated chocolate/mini chocolate chips, candied fruit or zest into the cream at each end. Dust with confectioner’s sugar and/or drizzles of melted chocolate if desired.

PUMPKIN FILLING

1/2 cup (123 grams/4.34 ounces) ricotta cheese, drained
1/2 cup (113 grams/4.04 ounces) mascarpone cheese
1/2 cup (122.5 grams/4.32 ounces) canned pumpkin, drained like ricotta
3/4 cup (75 grams/2.65 ounces) confectioner’s sugar, sifted
1/2 to 1 teaspoon (approx. 1.7 grams/approx. 0.06 ounces) pumpkin pie spice (taste)
1/2 teaspoon (approx. 2 grams/approx. 0.08 ounces) pure vanilla extract
6-8 cannoli shells

1. In a bowl with electric mixer, beat ricotta and mascarpone until smooth and creamy. Beat in confectioner’s sugar, pumpkin, pumpkin pie spice, vanilla and blend until smooth. Transfer to another bowl, cover and chill until it firms up a bit. (The filling can be made up to 24 hours prior to filling the shells. Just cover and keep refrigerated).

2. Fill the shells as directed above. I dipped the ends of the shells in caramelized sugar and rolled them in toasted, chopped pecans.

TIPS AND NOTES:
- Dough must be stiff and well kneaded
- Rolling the dough to paper thinness, using either a rolling pin or pasta machine, is very important. If the dough is not rolled thin enough, it will not blister, and good cannoli should have a blistered surface.
- Initially, this dough is VERY stubborn, but keep rolling, it eventually gives in. Before cutting the shapes, let the dough rest a bit, covered, as it tends to spring back into a smaller shapes once cut. Then again, you can also roll circles larger after they’re cut, and/or into ovals, which gives you more space for filling.
- Your basic set of round cutters usually doesn’t contain a 5-inch cutter. Try a plastic container top, bowl etc, or just roll each circle to 5 inches. There will always be something in your kitchen that’s round and 5-inches if you want large cannoli.
- Oil should be at least 3 inches deep and hot – 360°F-375°F, or you’ll end up with greasy shells. I prefer 350°F - 360°F because I felt the shells darkened too quickly at 375°F.
- If using the cannoli forms, when you drop the dough on the form into the oil, they tend to sink to the bottom, resulting in one side darkening more. Use a slotted spoon or skimmer to gently lift and roll them while frying.
- DO NOT crowd the pan. Cannoli should be fried 2-4 at a time, depending on the width of your saucepan or deep fryer. Turn them once, and lift them out gently with a slotted spoon/wire skimmer and tongs. Just use a wire strainer or slotted spoon for flat cannoli shapes.
- When the cannoli turns light brown - uniform in color, watch it closely or remove it. If it’s already a deep brown when you remove it, you might end up with a really dark or slightly burnt shell.
- Depending on how much scrap you have left after cutting out all of your cannoli shapes, you can either fry them up and sprinkle with confectioner’s sugar for a crispy treat, or let the scraps rest under plastic wrap and a towel, then re-roll and cut more cannoli shapes.

Note: Do check out the amazing cannoli creations of fellow daring bakers here.

Rasgulla/Rasagulla/Rosogulla

2009-11-25T19:31:00.000-08:00

S loves rasgullas. Last weekend when we went to the Indian grocery store, he wanted to buy them from a tin but wanted to make them for him. So I made them today. Ingredients:

Making of chenna here
Chenna made from 1/2 gallon of milk(drain with out any water)

For sugar syrup:
2 cups sugar(reduce if u like)
4 cups water
1/4 tsp cardamom pwd
3-4 drops rose essence or rose water

Method:
Boil sugar and water along with cardamom powder in a heavy bottomed pan and keep aside. Meanwhile, knead the chenna till it becomes smooth and when u roll, it makes a perfect ball. Make small marble sized balls(they will double in size) and slowly drop in the boiling sugar syrup.Cover and cook for 10-12 min on low heat,turning once in between(u will see that they have doubled in size). Add rose essence just before turning off the stove.Remove into a bowl carefully along with the syrup and set aside to cool.When cool refrigerate for atleast 5-6 hours.Serve chilled or room temperature. Enjoy!!!

Note: Rasgulla can be stored in the refrigerator in an airtight box for upto 5 days.

Hyderabadi chicken Biryani

2009-11-23T22:05:00.000-08:00

Hyderabad is famous for its biryanis and I never appreciated biryani when I was in India....infact I hated it so much that when ever biryani was made at home, something different was made for me . But after coming to the US, I made it frequently for S, his friends and relatives. But, I used to cook the basmati rice and chicken together with all the spices in the pressure cooker. But the last time when I went to India, I learned making the proper way of making biryani from one of our cooks.He makes amazing food and when I told him how i made my biryani, he insisted on teaching me how he makes it. We had friends over yesterday and I made this biryani and so could not take proper pics.I will update them soon with a step by step tutorial.

Ingerdients:
For Marinade:
2lbs skinless chicken with bone( cut into medium sized pieces, washed and squeezed without water)
        2 cups curd (beaten)
        1/2 cup chopped mint leaves/pudina
        1/2 cup chopped cilantro/kothimeera
        6-8 green chillies (slit lenght wise)
        1/2 onion(thinly sliced(optional))
        1/2 tsp turmeric
        1&1/2 tbsps red chilli pwd
        1 tbsp dhaniya pwd/corriander pwd
        1 tbsp cumin pwd/jeera pwd
        2-3 tbsps lemon juice
        2 tbsps ginger garlic paste
        Salt to taste
Grind together:-
      2 green cardamom
      1 black cardamom
      6-7 cloves
      1 bayleaf
      1&1/2 inch cinnamon stick
      2 pieces of mace/javitri
      1 whole star anise /anaasa puvvu
      1/2 tsp kala jeera
      1/2 tsp fennel seeds
Mix all the ingredients for marinade, the ground powder and check for salt except chicken. Add the chicken pieces and mix well.Keep aside overnight or atleast 5-6 hrs.

For rice
3 cups basmati rice( pre washed and soaked in water for atleast 30 mins)
Whole garam Masala
--3 green cardamom
--2 black cardamom
--6-8 cloves
--1 inch piece of cinnamon
--1 tsp kala jeera
--1 tsp fennel seeds
--1 bay leaf
--1/2 star anise

Add 2 tbsps oil to 8-10 of cups water along with salt and boil. Tie the whole garam masala in a clean cloth (make a pouch) and add to the boiling water and check for salt.The water should be a little salty but not too salty.Drain the soaked basmati rice and add to the boiling water and cook till the rice is 80% cooked (ie when u squeeze a garin, it should have a little bite to it), remove the garam masala pouch and drain immediately and keep it aside.

1/4 cup chopped cilantro leaves
1/4 cup chopped mint leaves
Soak a 2 tsps of saffron starnds in 3 tbsps warm milk or water and keep aside for 15 mins
3-4 dried plums(optional)
12-14 cashew nuts fried in 1 tsp ghee
1/4 cup fried onion(optional)
2 tbsps rose water(optional)

Assembly:
In a deep and heavy bottomed vessel with atight lid,arrange the marinated chicken tightly.Add the dried plums and fried cashew nutsAdd the 80% cooked rice and scatter the fried onion, mint leaves, soaked saffron solution, rose water and close the lid tightly (if you donot have a tight lid,cover the vessel with a clean kitchen towel and close the lid or close the lid and seal it with dough made with water and whole wheat flour or all purpose flour) and cook on high flame for 5 mins,20 mins on medium flame and 15 mins on very low flame.
Switch off and carefully open the lid and mix very gently and serve when hot with raitha and salan of your choice.Enjoy!!!

Baby bok choy and tomato dal

2009-11-23T08:58:00.000-08:00

Last week when we went to an Asian grocery store,I picked up baby bok choy.After coming home they went into the fridge and all forgotten about.I usually stir fry bok choy with onion and green chillies and serve as a side dish or add it into my soups. Today I made it for dinner combined with toor dal and tomato.

Ingredients:
1 cup toor dal (washed)
1&1/2 cups bok choy(chopped)
1 small onion (chopped)
2-3 green chillies(slit length wise)
1 medium tomato (chopped)
1tsp sliced ginger(optional)
1&1/2 tsp sambar pwd
A small marble sized tamarind
A pinch of turmeric
Salt to taste

Tadka/Talimpu
1 tsp aavalu/mustard seeds
1 tsp jeera/cumin seeds
3-4 dried red chillies(torn )
5-6 curry leaves
2 pods of garlic or a pinch of hing

Method:
Heat 1 tsp oil and saute the onions, green chillies, ginger for a minute.Add the washed and chopped bok choy and saute for 2-3 mins and add tomato, toor dal, tamarind, turmeric and sambar pwd along with water and pressure cook till done.Add salt and mix well.
Heat an other pan add oil/ghee and add the mustard seeds and cumin seeds.When they splutter, add the dried red chillies, garlic or hing, curry leaves and saute for another 2 mins.Switch off and add to the cooked dal and mix well.Serve with rice or phulkas.Enjoy!!!

Beerakaya tokku pacchadi/Ridge gourd skin chutney

2009-11-20T16:09:00.000-08:00

My mom-in-law makes vegetable pacchadis/chutneys with any and every vegetable and greens and we love them. I made a few changes of my own to her beerakaya pacchadi. Mil adds green chillies,which I substituted for red and added 1/2 tbsp sugar.

Ingredients:
Peel of three beerakayalu/ridge gourds along with seeds and 1/4 cup of ridge gourd(optional)(wash them throughly)
1 tsp jeera/cumin seeds
1/2 tsp dhaniyalu/corriander seeds
2-3 menthulu/methi seeds
6-8 dried red chillies(adjust according to your taste)
1/2 tbsp sugar(add more if u like or omit completely)
1&1/2 tbsp minapapu/urad dal
2 cloves garlic
Salt to taste
A small marble sized tamarind

Tadka/Talimpu:
1 tsp jeera/cumin seeds
1tsp avalu/mustard seeds
6-8 curry leaves
2 dried red chillies(torn apart)
1 tbsp minapappu/urad dal

Method:
Saute red chillies, jeera, corriander seeds, methi seeds in a little oil and keep aside. Saute urad dal it changes color and emits nice aroma(take care not to burn) and keep aside.Let cool and powder. Saute the skin,seeds and pieces (if using)of the ridge gourd,tamarind till the raw smell disappears.Cool.Add to the powder, along with salt and sugar and make a paste using as little water as possible.Check for seasoning.Keep aside.
Heat another pan and add a tbsp oil and add the cumin, mustard seeds and let them splutter.Add the dried red chillies and urad dal and saute till the urad dal changes color.Add the curry leaves.Add this tadka to the ridge gourd paste and mix well.Serve with rice and ghee or phulkas or parathas.Enjoy!!!

Anapakaya Pappu(Sorakaya /Bottle gourd/Dudhi)

2009-11-19T18:00:00.000-08:00

Growing up we had this vine in the backyard and it grows like a crazy giving us loads of anapakaya...even after mom shared them with family and neighbours ,we would be left with so many of them and yet i loved this vegetable.Mom made many varieties with them and anapakaya dal is one of them.
Anapakaya pappu is bottlegourd cooked in toor dal along with tangy tamarind,hot green chillies, tumeric and onions.And finally add the talimpu.....and the result...yummmmmm!!

Ingredients:
1 cup kandi pappu/toor dal
1&1/2 cups anapakaya/bottle gourd cubed
4-5 green chillies slit length wise
1/2 onion sliced
A pinch of turmeric
Marble sized tamarind washed

Talimpu/Tadka
1 tsp mustard seeds
1 tsp cumin seeds
6-8 curry leaves
2-3 dried red chillies
1 clove of garlic crushed or a pinch of hing
1 tbsp ghee or oil

Method:
Wash the dal and put it in a pressure cooker.Add the bottle gourd, tamarind, green chillies, onion, turmeric and add enough water (I used 2 and 1/2 cups water) close the lid and pressure cook for about 3-4 whistles. Let it cool and then open the lid,add the salt to taste and mix well.Donot mash the bottlegourd.

Heat ghee in a pan and add the mustard seeds and cumin.When they start to splutter,add the dried red chillies
and garlic or hing. Saute for a min and add the curry leaves and switch off the stove.Carefully add this to the cooked dal and mix gently.Serve with rice and papad or phulkas.Enjoy!!!!

Nutella and banana or strawberry sandwiches

2009-11-19T17:28:00.000-08:00

I love chocolate !!!!!!Anything that has chocolate in an instant hit with me.I usually have a bottle of nutella stashed away in my pantry.One day when we where staying in Atlanta,one of my neighbours dropped by with her grandchildren and I had nothing to offer them as they never had Indian food and I didnot want to experiment...so she suggested I make a nutella sandwich.....so I started making one and in the process added strawberries in one and banana in the other.The kids loved them and so did we and 've been hooked to these ever since. And its so simple u will need all of 15-20 mins.Photos will follow.....

Ingredients:
4 slices of bread
1 medium banana(sliced)
4-6 strawberries(depending on the size)
3-4 tbsps nutella
1 tbsp butter
2 tbsps pwd sugar

Method:
Apply enough nutella on one side of the bread slice and arrange sliced bananas and apply nutella on the other slice if u like.Close the sandwich and apply butter on the outside (both sides)and sprinkle pwd sugar.Keep aside.Repeat with the other two slices but add sliced strawberries instead of the bananas.Add butter on the outeside and sprinkle pwd sugar.Heat a pan and when hot add the sanwiches and cook till both the sides turn a golden brown.Take care not to burn.When done carefully remove from heat and cut diagonally or into strips and serve with chocolate dipping sauce.
Note:Omit the pwd sugar if using a sandwich maker.

Chocolate dipping sauce:

Mix 2 tbsps of nutella and 2 and 1/2 tbsps of heavy cream and serve.Enjoy!!!!

Paneer and peas butter masala

2009-11-18T18:03:00.000-08:00

My mom says 'm obsessed with North Indian food and hubby dear agrees......and maybe jusssst a taaaaaad bit...I still remember when we first ate it in a dhaba on the way to Rayaghad where my mom's parents lived at the time.I was about 10 ,we had it with butter naan and lassi....it was delicious!!!Paneer is very versatile.You can whip up an entire meal with paneer as a main ingredients, like appetizers,curries,pulaos,biryanis and desserts.Here's my version......

Ingredients:
250 gms of home made paneer(cubed)
1/4 cup green peas
1 very large onion blanced and pureed
3 medium tomatoes pureed
3-4 green chillies(paste)
1 tbsp ginger-garlic paste
1/2tbsp corriander pwd
1/2 tbsp cumin pwd
1&1/2 tsps tomato paste or 1&1/2 tsps tomato ketchup
1 tsp kasoori methi pwd
1 tbsp redchilly pwd
1 tsp garam masala pwd
8-10 cashews paste
3 tbsps heavy cream(optional, increase if u like)
2 tbsps unsalted butter
Salt to taste
A pinch of sugar
A pinch of red food color(optional)
Cilantro for garnish
1/4 inch ginger thinly sliced for garnish (optional)

Method:
Heat a kadai and add the butter.Add the pureed onion and cook till the raw smell disappears.Add the tomato paste, tomato puree and green chilly paste and ginger garlic paste.Cook till the tomato is fully cooked and the raw smell of the ginger garlic paste disappears.When oil starts to separate,add peas and cook for 10 mins.Add the cashew paste and cook till the raw smell disappears(take care not to burn).Add the cumin pwd,corrinader pwd,garam masala pwd,salt,chilly pwd,sugar,kasoori methi pwd,food color if using any.Saute for 2 mins and add the paneer and 3/4 cup of water and cook covered for 5 mins and add the cream.Cook for 5 more mins or till the required consistency is acheived.Garnish with the sliced ginger and cilantro.Serve with naan or jeera rice or pulao.Enjoy!!!!!

How to make Chenna/Paneer

2009-11-18T11:14:00.000-08:00

Making paneer or chenna is easier than u might think it is.All u need is milk,lemon juice or vinegar,curd and a piece of cloth and you're all set to make paneer/chenna.So next time u wanna make paneer butter masala or shahi paneer or even rasgulla or sandesh,do try to make ur own paneer/chenna.

Ingredients:
1 gallon milk
2 tbsps lemon juice or vinegar or 1 cup of curd with whey
1 tbsp water

Method:
Heat a heavy bottomed pan and add milk.Let it come to boil,stirring(to avoid the milk from buring).

Add lemon juice mixed in 1 tbsp water and stir for a sec.Switch off the stove.The milk breaks and clear water can be seen .

Line a strainer with cheese cloth.

At this stage,drain the chenna onto a cheese cloth,lined in a strainer.

Make sure to drain the water completely or set it with heavy weight,keep aside for an hr and cut it into peices and use as paneer.or crumble and use in sweets.

Oats Dosa

2009-11-18T10:30:00.000-08:00

I always buy Oats (when 'm in the healthy mode) and never finsih them...so dear hubby finishes them off ....this time I wanted it to be different and bought some oats and stocked up the pantry and forgot all about it.I found them way back in the pantry when I was searching for something and decided to try something with oats for breakfast the following morning ...so I googled and found this recipe here and loved it.Do try it and you'll love it.

Ingredients:
3/4 cup urad flour
1&1/4 cups rice flour
1/4 cup+2 tbsps rolled oats or old fashioned oats (not the quick cooking or instant oats)
Salt to taste
2 tsps sugar

Method:
Soak the oats in a little water and set aside for 10-15 mins.And then blend till smooth adding more water if required.Add the urad and rice flours and 1/2 cup water(if needed) and blend till smooth.Take it into a bowl and keep in a warm place overnight or for about 10 hrs.Just before making the dosas, add the salt and sugar and mix well.The batter should be of pouring consistency.Neither too thick nor too thin.Heat an iron griddle ,add a tsp of oil and wipe with a wet tissue or half cut onion.....reduce the flame and pour a laddle and half of the batter and spread it in a circle with the back of the laddle.Spray a little oil around and on the dosa, turn up the heat and let cook till the dosa turns golden brown.Take care not to burn.Flip and cook for 1/2 min and then fold or roll and keep aside.Repeat with the rest of the batter.Serve with chutney or sambar.Enjoy!!!!

Note: If u want steamed dosa,pour a laddle full of dosa batter and spread it a little thick add a tsp of oil to the sides and cover cook on low heat till it is cooked.

PullaVada/Pumpkin Vada

2009-11-17T12:05:00.000-08:00

This is a recipe post by one of my friends V.She won the first prize in a contest held in a community we're a part of.I asked her if I could post it in my blog and she agreed....Thanks V....and here's the recipe in her words....

Pulla Vada maa intlo it is one of the favorite snack.Pumpkins vorlo ninchi vasthey chaalu, compulsary ga ee snack cheyalsindhey!It is very easy and does not require much time to prepare.

Ingredients:

Par boiled Rice/ Idli Rice- 1 cup
Coconut - 2 spoons
Tamarind - A very small piece
Red chillies - 6 to 7 depending on taste
Jeera - 1 spoon
Soaked Channa dal - 2 spoons
Mustard seeds and curry leaves for tempering
Coriander leaves - few sprigs
Salt - to taste

Method:

Wash and soak raw rice in warm water for couple of hours. Drain.
Chop pumpkin into 1 inch piece and soak them in boiling water for 2 minutes (Just to soften the pumpkin)
Soak channa dal and keep aside.
Grind the rice, pumpkin, red chillies, jeera, coconut, tamarind, salt into fine paste by adding very little water. Pindi thick ga vundali. Jaaruga vunthey vada asalu raadu..appudu kodiga rice flour add chesukovali.(The batter/dough should be a little thick...if its thin add a little rice flour.)
Heat oil. do the tempering with mustard seeds and curry leaves. Add it along with coriander leaves and channa dal to the dough.
Heat oil in a deep dish.
Take a plastic sheet or wax paper. Apply little oil. Take some dough and pat it flat to half a cm thickness.
Deep fry the flattened vada in the oil and remove when it turns golden brown.
Suggested Serving: Kobbari pachadi.
Can also be roasted instead of deep frying(make them thin)

Gudlu vankaya pulusu/Eggs cooked with eggplant in tamarind sauce

2009-11-15T08:54:00.000-08:00

Eggs are a good source of protein and choline.Choline is an important nutrient for development of the brain, and is said to be important for pregnant and nursing women to ensure healthy fetal brain development.Children should have a whole egg at least 3 times a week.Courtesy wiki.Egg is cooked in so many different ways. Cooking boiled eggs in a tangy tamarind sauce is one of them and I love it this way.Amma would add brinjal to this some times and thats what I did.

Ingredients:
4-5 eggs
5 small brinjal(optional) sliced into 6 pieces
1 large onion, finely chopped
3 green chillies,slit
4-5 currry leaves
1 tsp avalu/musatrd seeds
1 tsp jeera/cumin
2-3 tbsps of thick tamarind pulp(adjust to taste)
1&1/2 cups water(more if required)
1 tbsp red chilli pwd (optional)
1 tsp sugar
A pinch of tumeric
Salt to taste

Method:
Boil eggs in water with a little salt (to prevent the shell from cracking).let cool and remove shells and make small slits on all sides.Keep aside.Heat oil in a kadai/pan add the boiled eggs and fry till golden brown on all sides(can omit this if u don't like it).Keep aside.Add cumin, mustard seeds when they satrt to splutter,add curry leaves, onion and chillies.Saute till the onions turn translucent.Add the sliced brinjal,tumeric,salt,redchilli pwd ,sugar and cook till the brinjal is 3/4 cooked.Add the eggs and tamarind pulp along with 1 and 1/2 cups water and boil till the gravy thickens(add more water if required).Adjust seasonings.Serve with rice.Enjoy!!!

Quesadilla and Mexican rice

2009-11-11T18:12:00.000-08:00

I love Mexican food.I wanted to make quesadilla for brunch today.But I had to make something different for my 19 month old and he loves Mexican rice.So this was our brunch menu,quesadilla with side of mexican rice.I know the pics donot do justice....I will re post them when I make them again.....

Mexican rice :
2 cups of spanish rice or any long grain rice
1 medium onion chopped
2-3 tomatoes (pureed)
2 jalapeno peppers finely chopped
1/2 cup mixed veggies(carrots,peas,green beans chopped (optinal))
1 bay leaf
4 garlic cloves(grated on the finer side of the grater)
1 tbsp tomato paste(optional)
2 cups low sodium chicken or vegetable broth
1 cup water
1/4 cup cilantro
A pinch of saffron(optional)
1&1/2 tbsp cumin pwd
1tbsp corrinader pwd
Salt to taste
Olive oil/butter

Method :
Heat olive oil or butter.Add the rice and fry till it turns golden brown.Donot burn.Keep aside.Heat oil in a pan and add bay leaf,garlic,jalapenos,onion and fry till the onion is translucent.Add tomato paste and satue for 2 mins.Add the mixed veggies and saute for 3-4 mins.Add the tomato puree,cumin pwd, corriander pwd and chicken broth ,saffron and let it come to a boil.Check for salt.Add rice,mix and cook till the rice is cooked adding more water if necessary.Add the finley chopped cilantro and fold it in gently.Serve hot.Enjoy!!!!!!

Quesadilla:

Ingredients:
2 large flour tortillas
1 can of balck beans(washed and drained)
1 large onion sliced thin
1 large red bell pepper
1/4 cup canned/bottled jalapenos(chopped finely)
1tbsp oil
cheese
salt to taste

Method :
Heat oil in a pan and add red bell pepper and saute for 2 mins and add the onion ,salt and cook till it gets translucent.Add the drained beans and mash some of them.Add the chopped jalapenos and saute for a min and switch off the stove.Heat the tortillas in microwave for 30 secs wrapped in a damp paper towel.Keep aside covered.Take one tortilla place it in a pan and add cheese to cover half the tortilla.Add the bean and onion mixture and spread then add the cheese again to cover the mixture.Carefully fold over the tortilla and place a heavy bottom vessel to cover the top of the tortilla and once the cheese on the bottom melts.Flip around the quesadilla and let the cheese melt.Plate, cut and serve with sourcream.Enjoy!!!!!!

Gunta Ponganalu/Gunta Pongadalu/Ponganalu

2009-11-11T12:05:00.000-08:00

Gunta Ponganalu is a dish made especially in the Rayalaseema region of Andra Pradesh.They are made in a special pongadala pan.My grandmother made this frequently for breakfast when we visited them for Sankranthi every year.She served these beauties with peanut chutney ,coconut chutney or any non veg curry......I loved it with chicken curry and also fish pulusu.....just typing about it is making my mouth water...yummy.....hmmmmmm......so without further ado, lets move on to the recipe.

Ingredients :
3 cups left over uthappam batter(u can find the recipe here) or u can use left over idli batter(recipe here)
1 onion finley chopped
2 green chillies finely chopped(optional)
1 tsp vaamu/ajwain
1tsp jeera/cumin seeds
1/4 cup finely grated carrot(optional)
3 tbsps finely chopped cilantro
Salt to taste
A pinch of tumeric(optional)
A pinch of baking soda(optional)
2 tsp of black pepper(if not using green chillies and if u want to use both,reduce the black pepper to 1tsp)

Method :

Mix all the ingrdients.The batter should not be as thick as the idli batter or as dosa batter ....it should be in between.Heat the pongadala pan and spary oil .

Pour in the batter till its full.

Close the lid and cook on medium to low heat for 5-8 minsand turn them around and cook on the other side for 4-5 mins and they are done.

Serve hot with chutney of your choice.Enjoy!!!!

Note : Gunta ponganalu can be had for breakfast lunch or dinner.They are quiet filling.
Make sure to cook them on medium to low heat for about 5-8 mins on each side.

Chole/Garbanzo beans cooked in spices

2009-11-10T15:50:00.000-08:00

I always loved the chole my mom made.Mom usually made it to go with phulkas,but I relished it by itself.Last year when my mom visited us I made this and she said she loved the way I make it and asked me to make it frequently through out her visit.I want to send it to the steady pulse event.

Ingrdients:
2 cups kabuli channa, washed and soaked overnight and cooked till soft or canned garbanzo beans
2 tomatoes finley chopped
1 large onion finley chopped
1&1/2 tsp ginger grated
3-4 green chillies finley chopped
1 tsp kala jeera
1 tsp fennel pwd
2 tsp cumin pwd
2 tsp corriander pwd
1 tbsp garam masala pwd(2 cloves,1/2 inch piece of cinnamom,1 green cardamom)
1 tsp amchur pwd
1 tsp anardana pwd
1 tbsp redchilli pwd(reduce or increase to ur taste)
1/2 tsp tumeric
1 tsp kasoori methi
a pinch of methi seeds pwd
a pinch of hing
cilantro for garnish
lemon wedge for garnish

Method :
Heat oil in a deep kadai and add hing and kala jeera...when it splutters,add chopped grren chillies and onion.Saute till the onion turns translucent.Add the grated ginger and saute for a min.Add the tomatoes,salt,red chilli pwd,garam masala,tumeric,kasoori methi,fennel pwd,cumin pwd and dhaniya pwd and cook till the oil leaves the sides and the tomato is mushy and cooked.Add the channa and about one and half cups water and let cook till the channa are completely cooked and the water reduces to half(u can mash some channa at this stage if u like ).Add the kala namak and anardana pwd and cook for another 3-4 mins.Check for salt.Garnish with cilantro.If u like more tartness,add a dash of lemon juice and some sliced raw onion .Serve with phulka or puri or jeera rice.Enjoy!!!!

Gulabjam/Gulab Jamun/Gulab Jamoon with Khoa/Kohya/Mawa for ICC

2009-11-10T15:20:00.000-08:00

I'm now a proud member of Indian Cooking Challenge started by Srivalli .This months challenge is to make gulab jamun.Gulab jamun...deep fried balls of heaven with sugary syrup which melt in your mouth.........Sure I make gulab jamun once in a while with the ready mix but never with khoya and to top it home made khoya and thats the challenge.I never made khowa so this is a challenge for me.It took me two hrs to make khoya.
I followed Alka's method with a few changes of my own.

Ingredients for sugar syrup :
2 cups sugar(add more if u like)
1 cup water
1/2 tsp rose water
1 tsp cardamom pwd
A few strands of saffron

Method:
Heat a thick bottomed vessel and add the sugar,saffron and water and bring to a boil.Remove the scum which forms on the top with a ladle.Now add the cardamom pwd.The syrup should not be too thick nor too thin.Add more water and sugar if required.Switch off when the syrup get to the desired consistency and add the rose water.Keep aside.Always prepare the sugar syrup before frying the jamuns.

For making Jamuns:
1&1/4 cups koya/mawa/Khova
1cup maida
1 tbsp rice flour
1tsp milk(optional)
1/4 cup chocolate chips/morsels(optional)

Method :
Mix all the ingredients except chocolate into a soft dough adding moisture if required.Now make small balls and stuff each ball with one chocolate chip and form round balls again.They should not have any cracks on them.Fry the jamuns in a deep kadai on low flame to ensure that the middle is also completely cooked.Donot disturb the jamuns when cooking.turn only once or twice or they will break.Fry till they are golden brown and remove with a slotted ladle and immediately add to the sugar syrup.Let sit for atleast 30 mins to an hour inorder for the gulab jamuns to absorb the sugar syrup.Can be served warm with vanilla ice cream or chilled before serving.Enjoy!!!!!

Note:
When making making the jamuns wet hands in water to ensure crack free balls.Fry one jamun first.If it come out flat add a little more maida to it.

Thanks Srivalli for a wonderful challenege.......

Uthappam/Oothappam/Savoury pancakes topped with vegetables

2009-11-10T11:10:00.000-08:00

I made uthappam for breakfast today.Both me and my brother like them.I never could finish one of these and my brother one and half.They are quite heavy.I guess u can have them for lunch or dinner too.We never did though.My mom made uthappam batter seperately.They are basically rice and lentil savoury pancakes with onions,tomatoes and vegetable toppings of ur choice.So u get ur carbs,protein and veggies in one serving.

Ingredients:
1 cup split urad dal,pre-washed
1/2 cup yellow moong dal,pre-washed
1/2 cup channa dal,pre-washed
2&1/2 cups rice,pre-washed
1 cup atukulu/poha,pre-washed
1/2 tsp menthulu/fenugreek seeds

For toppings:
1 medium onion finely chopped
2 green chillies finely chopped
1 carrot grated
1 large tomato deseeded and finely chopped
1/4 cup finley chopped cilantro
1/2 tbsp cumin seeds

Keep aside.

For uthappam batter:
Pre-wash and soak all dals and rice together along with menthulu.Pre-wash and soak poha seperately.Soak all of them for 8 hrs.Wash and drain water and gring in a wet grinder or mixie till till it becomes soft, adding water if necessary.The batter should be thicker than the dosa batter and thinner than the idli batter.Keep in a warm place like oven,overnight, slightly covered.In the morning the batter would rise and is fermented.Add salt just before making the uthappam.

Method to make uthappam:
Heat an iron girdle or pan and spread a tsp of oil over it .Pour a ladle full of the batter onto the hot pan and spread it (uthappam should not be crispy nor too thick).It should be about 1/2 inch think.Drizzle a tsp of oil around and on the uthappam and cover it and steam cook for 4-5 mins on low heat.When golden brown, turn and cook for another min or two.Serve with chutney of ur choice.
My mom always served it with peanut chutney and I love the combination.So thats what I did.Enjoy!!!!

Note :
This measurement is for a family of 4 people.Double or half the measurements according to the needs of ur family.The unsalted batter can be stored in fridge.

Gutti vankaya/Muvva Vankaya/Onion and spice stuffed eggplant

2009-11-09T22:38:00.000-08:00

Gutti vankaya or muvva vankaya is one of my favourite curries.....cannot get enough of it.Actually I like anything brinjal (eggplant).My nanamma's(dad's mom) garden had these and my mom would make the best gutti vankayaand and she made it with different kinds of stuffings.I like brinjal with cilantro cooked in spices and so thats how I made mine .

Ingredients :
10-12 small brinjal
1 large onion, peeled and chopped
6 green chillies cut
3 cloves of garlic
1 and 1/2 inch ginger
1tsp fennel seeds
1tsp cumin seeds
1/2tsp dhania pwd
4-6 black peppercorns
1/2 cup cilantro
1/4 cup sesame seeds
3tbsp ground nuts
6 cloves
1 inch piece cinnamon
1 green cardamom
1tbsp of sugar
A lemon sized tamarind, washed and soaked in warm water
A pinch of tumeric
Salt to taste
Oil

Method :
Heat a pan and dry roast cinnamon,cardamom,cloves,fennel,cumin,peppercorns, ground nuts and sesame seeds.When a nice aroma fills the kitchen turn off the stove and cool.In the mean while, grind the onion , greenchillies ,ginger,garlic and cilantro with salt & sugar.Keep aside.Now grind the spice mixture and add to the onion mixtureand also add turmeric.Check for seasoning.Keep aside.Wash all the brinjals and cut them in a plus sign but not all the way through and place them in a bowl filled with water.Squeeze the brinjals of water and stuff it with the stuffing taking care not to break the brinjal.Keep on a plate.Repeat with all the brinjals.Heat 3 tbsps oil in a pan and add the stuffed brinjal one by one and fry on all sides and keep aside.Add the remaining stuffing mixture and fry for 4-5 mins and then add the fried brinjal and cook till the raw smell of onion disappears.Keep stirring to keep the mixture from sticking to the pan. and also take care not to break the brinjals.Add the juice of tamarind and check for seasoning.Cook covered for 15-20 mins and the brinjal are completely cooked.Garnish with finely chopped cilantro.Serve with rice or phulka. Enjoy!!!!

Kajjikayalu

2009-11-05T23:28:00.000-08:00

Kajjikaya is a traditional Andhra sweet made by rolling out maida balls, stuffing it and then deep frying it till golden brown.I've enjoyed these growing up.My nanamma (dad's mom) used to( still does)supervise my mom and aunts when making these.They used to make these with different kinds os stuffings like ravva, roasted fresh coconut,sugar,cardamom,coarsley powdered almonds etc.I made these for Diwali this year with roasted fresh coconut,sugar,ravva,almond and pistacios.

For the dough:
1& 1/2 cups maida/all purpose flour
2 tbsp ghee
2 tsps semolina
water
a pinch of salt

For the stuffing:
1/2 cup sooji roasted till nice aromas fills the kitchen

1/4 cup+2 tbsps finely grated & roasted fresh coconut(roast on low flame taking care not to burn)
1/2 cup or less sugar(acc to ur taste)
3 tbsps+2 tsps roasted and coarsley ground almonds and pistachios
1 tsp cardamom

Method:
Mix the dough with semolina and salt.Knead it with ghee and add enough water to make it into a soft ,pliable but not sticky dough.Cover with a damp cloth or paper towel and set aside for 30 mins.Mix all the ingredients for stuffing and keep aside.Make equal sized balls and keep covered.Roll them into thin puris.Add a tablespoon of the stuffing in the middle of the puri.Wet one edge of the puri with milk or water and fold over the other end and seal it nicely so that it does not open up during deep frying.Take a fork and press the edges to form a neat pattern.Keep aside.Cover them so that they won't dry.Heat oil in a deep kadai and when the oil is hot add 3-4 kajjikayalu at a time, depending on the size of the kadai.Donot crowd it.Fry on both sides till golden brown.Drain excess oil on paper towel.When completely cool store in an air tight container.These will keep upto 3 weeks.Enjoy!!!!

Panasakaya Biryani/Raw Jackfruit Biryani/Kathal Biryani

2009-11-05T15:25:00.000-08:00

My mom's parents stayed in a small village on the border of Orissa and A.P called Rayagad for almost 8 yrs 'coz of my grand father's job and we used to go there every summer holidays and this was a special dish she made during those times.My ammamma's backyard was filled with trees and plants of all kinds.Jack fruit trees were one among them.We enjoyed the fruit and then she would boil or fry the seeds in open fire....hmmm loved them.I wanted to make this particular biryani,but without the time consuming process of cleaning the jack fruit.So I opted for canned jack fruit.I also added peas to it.This is our brunch today and this goes to the monthly mingle event hosted by Meeta K of what's for lunch honey?

Ingredients:
1 can of canned jack fruit.
1/4 cup grren peas (optional)
2 cups of basmati rice
1 cup deep fried onions
1/2 onion sliced thinly
3-4 green chillies(to ur taste)
1 tbsp ginger garlic paste
1/2 tbsp fennel seeds
4 green cardamoms
2 black cardamoms
8 -10 cloves
1 inch piece of cinnamon
2 bay leaves
1 tsp jeera/cumin pwd
1 tsp dhania/corriander pwd
1/2 tsp anardana pwd
1/2 tsp tumeric
12-14 cashews
6-8 raisins
2 tomatoes, chopped
1 cup curd/yogurt
1/4 cup finely chopped cilantro
1/4 cup finely chopped pudina/mint leaves
1 tbsp rose water
1 tbsp redchilly pwd
Soak a few strands of saffron in 2 tbsps of milk
Oil/ghee
Salt to taste

Method :

Wash and soak rice in water for 30 mins.In a vessel boil water add a tbsp of oil,salt(the water should be a little salty when tasted).In a cheese cloth add 2 green cardamoms,1 black cardamom,little fennel seeds,tie and throw in the boiling water along with rice.Boil till the rice is 90% cooked.Drain the rice,remove the cheese cloth.Keep aside.Drain the jack fruit and wash ,wipe out the excess water and cut into 1 and 1/2 inch pieces and fry them in oil till the color changes.Drain excess oil and keep aside.In another vessel fry cashews and raisins.Then add remaining grren cardamom,black cardamom,fennel seeds,biryani leaf,cinnamon and fry.Add thinly sliced onions, green chillies and saute for 2 mins.Add turmeric and ginger-garlic paste.Fry till the raw smell dissappears.Add grren peas and saute for 3-4mins.To this add salt,redchilly pwd,jeera pwd,dhania pwd,anardana pwd and chopped tomatoes and cook till the tomatoes are mushy.Add the fried jack fruit and saute for a min and add the curd and half the cilantro and mint leaves and 1/4 the deepfried onions.Mix well.Check for salt.It should be slightly salty. Add the 90% cooked rice to this and add the remaining deep fried onions,cilantro mint leaves and drizzle the rose water and the soaked saffron milk and close the lid tightly so the air does not escape.Cook this on a very low flame for 20-25 mins.Take care not to burn.Serve hot with a raitha.Enjoy!!!!!!!!!!!!

Indian style spicy Chicken burger

2009-11-05T15:24:00.000-08:00

I wanted to eat burgers but did not want to go out .So I made these for dinner yesterday.They were easy to make and pretty good.Do try them.

Ingredients:
1& 1/2 lbs of ground breast chicken
1 jalapeño minced or grated
1&1/2 tsp garlic minced or grated
1 tsp ginger minced or grated
1/2 large onion grated
1/2 apple grated
1/2 tsp lemon juice
1 tsp jeera/cumin pwd
1tsp dhania/corrinader pwd
1&1/2 tsp fennel seeds pwd
1&1/2 tbsp tandoori masala(I used shan)
1/4 cup of finely chopped pudina/ mint leaves
2 tbsp finey chopped cilantro
1 tsp redchilly pwd
1 tsp oil(optional)
1/4 cup panako bread crumbs
Salt to taste
A pinch of tumeric

For assembling:
Hamburger buns (I used whole wheat)
Sliced tomatoes
Sliced cucumber
Sliced onion
2 tbsp mayonaise(optional)
2 tbsp mustard(optional)
2 tbsp ketchup(optional)
Cheese(optional)

Method :
Mix all the ingredients and keep aside for some 15 mins. Make burger sized patties/discs.Heat a girdle or on stick pan.Fry the patties on medium heat on both sides.And then close the lid and let it cook for some more time, about 5-6 mins.Check for doneness.Saute the onion if u donot like the raw smell.Heat the hamburger buns in the juices of the chicken.Assemble the burger with what ever u like and if using cheese keep the assembled burger in the hot pan till the cheese melts.I made mine with mayonaise, ketchup, cheese, tomato, onion and cucumbers.Serve with chips or fries.Enjoy!!!!

Green Papaya fry/oriyal/Raw Papaya fry

2009-11-04T17:24:00.000-08:00

I was first introduced to green papaya by my atta(dad's cousin) who stayed in Kerala for 10 yrs.The other day when I saw it in the Mexican store I had to buy it.Got it home and then called my atta for the recipe.I made some changes to the original recipe to our taste.

Ingredients:
1/2 raw green papaya peeled and cut into thin strips
3-4 green chillies slit vertically
2 tbsp grated fresh coconut
1tsp mustard seeds
1tsp jeera/cumin seeds
2 red chillies(torn)
1tbsp urad dal
1/2 tbsp chana dal
6-8 curry leaves
2 cloves of garlic or 1/2 tsp hing
A pinch of tumeric
Salt to taste
2tbsp oil

Method :
Half boil the papaya strips in water (I microwaved in water just enough to cover the strips ,a little salt and for 12 mins(also depends on the power of ur microwave)).Heat oil in a kadai and add mustard seeds and jeera and when they splutter,add the dried red chilly, urad dal,chana dal and when dal starts to change color add the garlic or hing and curry leaves.Fry for a min.Now add green chillies,tumeric ,grated coconut and half boiled papaya strips add salt and cook covered till the papaya is done.Check for seasoning.Donot overcook.Serve hot with steamed rice and rasam or sambar.Enjoy!!!

Idli/Idly/Idlee

2009-11-04T09:46:00.000-08:00

I've always loved idlis but my brother not so much.These white fluffy round discs of goodness when eaten with chutney and sambar simply melt into ur mouth ..aah..brings back a lot of memories.These are low in fat and high in proteins.We can make them healthier by adding grated veggies to 'em.

Ingredients:
1 cup split urad dal
1 1/2 cups idli ravva
salt to taste

To prepare idli batter:

1.Wash urad dal a couple of times and then soak in water for atleast 5-6 hrs .Wash the dal again,drain the water and then grind to a smooth paste with very little water.Wash and soak idli ravva for 1 hr.When the urad dal forms a very smooth paste take out into a container and then add the idli ravva(squeeze the water from the ravva before adding to the idli batter) and mix very gently.
2.Place the idli batter in a warm place overnight prefferably or atleast for 8-10 hrs.After fermantation the batter rises.Add salt when ur ready to make the idlis.The batter should not be too watery or too tight.

How to make idlis:
Grease the idli platea with oil or butter.And drop the idli batter onto the plates.Stack the plates on to the idli stand.Fill a cooker with 2 cups of boiling water and place the idli stand in this.Close the lid and cook on high heat for 3-5 mins and when the steam start coming out reduce the heat to medium and after 12 mins switch off the stove and let stay for 5 mins.Open the lid remove the idli stand from the cooker.Dip a spoon under water and run it under the idlis,place them on a plate with chutney or sambar or both.Enjoy them hot.

If u have left over idlis, place them in a microwave safe dish,sprinkle some water,close lid and micro wave for a min and they'll turn fluffy and soft again.

Simple Vegetable rice

2009-11-03T21:05:00.000-08:00

A simple and tasty Vegetable rice.Can be served with raitha or papad or just have it by itself.

Ingredients :
1 medium potato peeled and cubed
1 small carrot peeled and chopped
1/4 cup green peas
2 green chillies slit lenghtwise
1 small onion sliced lengthwise
1 tsp ginger-garlic paste
1/4 cup pudina and cilantro leaves
12 cashews
1 tbsp+1 tsp Chicken Masala pwd(I used Shan) or can use garam masala pwd
Salt to taste
A pinch of tumeric
2 tbsps oil/ghee
1&1/2 cups rice
Enough water to cook rice.

Method :
Heat oil/ghee in a pressure pan and fry cashews and when they change colour strain and keep aside.To the same oil add onions and green chillies and fry till the onions turn translucent.Add ginger garlic paste and fry till the raw smell disappears.Add the vegetables,salt ,pudina,cilantro,chicken masala and tumeric and fry for about 3-4 mins.Add cashews and water.Check for salt.Add the rice and close the lid and cook on pressure till done.Serve with raita.Enjoy

Sambar

2009-11-03T20:39:00.000-08:00

Sambar,serve it with just plain white rice or accompanied with papads or curries or fries and just a dash of ghee tastes divine.Sambar is a staple in almost every South Indian home.And they have many types of sambars.Sambar has tamarind in it which besides providing tartness to the dish also has a cooling effect.Almost any vegetable can be used to make sambar.Today I made it with whatever I could find in my fridge.Also I was out of the home made sambar powder so used the store bought.

Ingredients :
1 cup toor dal (pressure cooked and made into a paste)
1 small onion sliced lengthwise
4 green chillies(adjust to taste) slit
1 large or 2 small tomatoes chopped lengthwise
1/2 bottle gourd/dudhi/anapakaya/sorakaya peeled and chopped lengthwise
1 turnip peeled and chopped lenghtwise
3-4 small red radishes sliced into 1/2 inch circles
1 large carrot peeled and chopped
small lemon sized tamarind (soak in water and extract juice)
salt to taste
1/4 tsp turmeric
1&1/2 tbsps sambar pwd (I used MTR sambar pwd)
1&1/2 tsp red chilly pwd
1tbsp sugar
3-4 methi seeds/menthulu
1&1/2 tbsp grated fresh coconut(optional)

Tempering/Tadka/Popu :
1tbsp ghee/oil
1/2 tbsp mustard seeds
1/2 tbsp jeera/cumin seeds
1/4 tsp hing/inguva/asafoetida( or u can use 4 crushed garlic flakes)
2 dry red chilli
8-12 fresh /dried curry leaves

Method :

In a vessel add onion,chillies,anapakaya,turnip,carrot,red raddish,salt,turmeric,chilli pwd,sugar.Add water till it submerges the veggies.Boil covered on medium heat till the veggies are almost cooked,but are still firm.Now add the tamarind juice,tomatoes,cooked mashed dal ,sambar powder,grated coconut and water.Let cook till a frothy layer forms on top and the raw smell of tamarind disappears.Check for seasoning and adjust.Add cilantro leaves.
Heat oil/ghee in a separate pan, add mustard seeds,cumin seeds and when the mustard seeds splutter,add menthulu,red chillies,hing/inguva,curryleaves and switch off the stove taking care not to burn .Add to the sambar and close the lid immediately.Serve with white rice,with alittle ghee...Enjoy!!

Cabbage and Peas fry/Cabbage and peas poriyal

2009-11-03T19:52:00.000-08:00

Cabbage when cooked correctly tastes great.Stir fried on low heat in its own juices with some peas and no additional masalas.This is just what I needed after a series of housewarming ,birthday and anniversary parties. Good accompanied with rasam,sambar,curd rice or simply on its own.

1 large cabbage or 4 cups of finely chopped cabbage
1/2 cup fresh grren peas
4 green chillies(adjust)
3 tbsp fresh grated coconut or 3 tbsp coconut flakes
2 garlic cloves or 1/4 tsp hing
6-8 curry leaves
Salt to taste
2 dried red chillies(torn)
1/2 tsp cumin seeds
1/2 tsp mustard seeds
1 tbsp urad dal
1/2 tbsp chana dal

Method:
Heat oil in a kadai and add mustard seeds and cumin seeds.When they start to splutter add the dried red chillies,urad dal and chana dal,when they start to turn color add the crushed garlic,curry leaves.Now add the green chillies and fry for a min.Add green peas and let cook for 4-5 mins.Add the chopped cabbage and turmeric and fry on high heat for 3-4 mins.Take care not to burn.Reduce heat to medium and cook covered till the cabbage is cooked about 15-18 mins adding a little water if necessary.Remove lid,add salt and grated coconut and fry a couple of mins.Enjoy!!!

Tomato rasam/Tamata rasam

2009-11-01T19:49:00.000-08:00

Spicy tomato rasam with white rice and any dry curry .....it does not get any better than that.My son loves this rasam.

Ingredients:
2 medium tomatoes
1 small marble size tamarind
1 tbsp toor dal powdered
1 clove garlic
1&1/2 tsp cumin seeds/jeera
1&1/2 tsp coriander seeds
2 dried red chillies (increase or decrease acc to taste)
1 tsp black pepper pwd (increase or decrease acc to taste)
1&1/2 tsp shredded coconut or dry coconut flakes
A pinch of turmeric
5 cups water
salt to taste
Cilantro for garnish

For talimpu/tadka:
1&1/2 tsp mustard seeds
1&1/2 tsp jeera
4-5 fenugreek seeds or methi seeds or menthulu
2 dried red chillies
4-6 curry leaves

Method:
Powder cumin seeds,coriander seeds and red chillies and keep aside.Wash,chop and crush the tomatoes.Soak tamarind in water and extract pulp.Heat oil in a vessel and add all the talimpu/tadka in that order when the methi seeds turn color,add the toor dal pwdr and the coriander,cumin and dried chillies pwdr and fry for a minute.Now add 5 cups water and the crushed tomato and tamarind extract,salt,pepper pwdr,tumeric ,shredded coconut and crushed garlic.Let it boil on low flame till froth forms on the top.Check for seasoning.Add cilantro and switch off the stove.Enjoy hot with white rice.

Carrot Fry

2009-10-28T17:30:00.000-07:00

A simple carrot fry served with rice, sambar or rasam or even with phulkas is just awesome.....

Ingredients:
3-4 large carrots peeled and grated
3-4 tbsps grated coconut
1 tbsp urad dal
1 tbsp chana dal
4-5 curry leaves
1 tsp mustard seeds
1tsp cumin seeds
2 dried red chilles
1 garlic clove
A pinch of turmeric
Salt to taste
Chilli pwdr to taste

Method:
Add oil to a kadai and when the oil gets hot add urad dal,chana dal and fry for a min when they start to change colour, add the mustard seeds,cumin seeds and when the mustard seeds splutter, add dried red chillies,curry leaves and crushed garlic.Let fry for a min. Add the grated carrot and fry for 2-3 mins on high heat .Reduce the heat add tumeric,salt and fry till almost done.Then add the grated coconut and chilli pwd.Fry for another 3 mins and switch off.Enjoy with hot rice and sambar,rasam or with phulkas.

Ricotta Cheese Balls

2009-10-28T17:03:00.000-07:00

While cleaning out the fridge I found ricotta cheese which I bought to make something and forgot all about.So I made ricotta cheese balls as a snack for my 19 month old and he enjoyed them. I followed this recipe but tweaked it to our taste.

Ingredients:
1&1/2 cups of whole milk ricotta cheese
1extra large boiled egg minced
1 egg yellow
2tbsps of finley chopped corriander
1 garlic clove grated
1tsp chilli pwd
1tsp cumin and corriander pwds
1tsp amchur pwd or chaat pwd
salt to taste
oil for frying
1 cup bread crumbs
1egg for binding.

Method:
Mix everything except oil,breadcrumbs,egg for binding.After mixing make small round ball or your desired shape and keep aside for 10 or so mins.In the mean time heat oil.In an other bowl beat egg with a little salt and keep aside.Place the bread crumbs in an other plate kee aside.Now dip the ricotta balls in the egg and roll them in the bread crumbs.Make sure that the ricotta balls are coated on all sides.Now gently drop them in to the oil and fry till they are golden brown. Remove, drain the excess oil and serve hot. Enjoy when they are hot with ketchup.

Note: If the ricotta balls are falling apart add the egg white also and if its too soggy add breadcrumbs.

Qubuli

2009-10-28T16:21:00.000-07:00

Qubuli or Qabuli 'm not sure.I had this at my friend's place in hyderabad.Her mom made it during one Ramzan.I wanted to try it but didnot have the recipe.So i googled it and landed here.I just omitted the shahjeera,corriander and mint leaves and turmeric as I was out of them.

I know my pic does not do any justice.Will updated once I make it again with all the ingredients.Enjoy!!!!!!!!!!!