Kootucurry

The proverbial “Curry”

2009-01-15T20:36:00.000-08:00

No south Indian meal is complete without a “kootu” or a “Curry”. The “kootu” is mélange of watery vegetables with some dal in coconut gravy and the “Curry” is usually blanched vegetables garnished with some grated coconut or it could also be fried. You do not need to do any elaborate preparations for both these dishes. Just chop the vegetables, blanch and garnish or fry them. However care must be taken while blanching so that the vegetables do not get mushy.
You could make a curry using French beans, broad beans, carrots, cabbage, potatoes or colacassia to name a few. I have used broad beans this time around. I have chopped them and blanched it for 4 - 5 minutes in hot water with some salt. In a kadhai i have heated some oil, spluttered some mustard. Then added some curry leaves and some some ground nuts, chana dal and urad dal with 3 red chillies and one green chilly once the flavours have been released i have added the vegetables and mixed it thoroughly. I have finally added around 1/2 a cup of grated coconut and mixed well. Kept the vegetables on the fire for another 2 minutes before serving it hot. A very simple way for making the vegetables interesting to eat.

Puttu

2009-01-15T20:16:00.000-08:00

As I was making this yesterday I smiled to myself that though I am not from Kerala I seemed to have a soft corner for their cuisine. This is another breakfast brunch that we like to indulge on a Sunday morning. A little dry of course if the accompaniment is not a gravy dish. But my early memories of eating this dish is with ghee and sugar I do not remember why but till date I do like to sprinkle some sugar over my puttu. My husband likes it with his “Puli pachadi” or “Vathal Kuzhambu”. My version is absolutely same as Aparna from “My Diverse Kitchen” except that I used the puttu powder readily available in the market.

This would be my third entry to MBP: Easy Breezy Breakfast

Appam

2009-01-10T06:38:00.000-08:00

This is another breakfast item from the God’s own country – Kerala. It has been a favorite of mine from my childhood days. I still remember my mother swirling the kadai to spread the batter over in the form of a boat that’s what we used to call it when we were young. A very simple and easy dish which is a little sinful if you add coconut milk to it – but what is an appam without coconut milk in it. So let’s forget the sin and enjoy this steamed delight. To make this dish you need an “Appachetti” however if you are first time user just use the smallest of the small kadai you have with you. In fact you could try using the garnishing spoon too I have tried it once it worked well.
You need the following for the Appam batter
Raw Rice - 1 cup
Boiled Rice – 1 cup
Urad dal – ½ cup
Methi – 1 tsp.

Wash well and soak all the above mentioned ingredients for 8 – 10 hours ideally overnight. Grind all of them into a smooth batter. Add salt to taste and allow it to ferment for another 8 – 10 hours. The batter is now ready for use.

Method
Take the required quantity of the batter and add ½ to 1 cup of coconut milk to it along with a pinch of cooking soda. Mix well and check the consistency. Rest the batter for 5 minutes. Heat the appa chatti and add around 2 – 3 big spoonfuls of the batter in the centre. Take the chatti off the fire and swirl it till the batter is spread evenly across all the walls of the chatti. The excess batter would seat itself in the centre of the appam automatically. So this portion would be heavier and spongier than the rest of the appam. This swirling is important since the appam will take the form of the chatti or kadai which you would be using. Cover it with a lid and allow it to cook. It would take roughly 3 – 5 minutes per appam. Open the lid and check if the centre is done. Then the appam is ready to serve. The appam is typically served with stew, payaru curry, kadala curry and of course coconut milk.

Pesarattu : A healthier cousin of the “Dosa"

2009-01-06T22:15:00.000-08:00

Living in Secunderabad for the last 5 years this is another breakfast item which we have grown to like over a period of time. A very simple, easy and healthy dish. My version of it is a little different from Aparna’s of “My Diverse Kitchen”. I do not add rice flour and instead of the onion I include ginger and garlic. The rest of the ingredients and the method is the same. However, I always make it a practice to soak the moong dal overnight.

A andhra housewife would typically serve the pesarattu by filling it with finely chopped onions and accompany it with coconut chutney, ginger chutney and sambar.

This would be my next entry to MBP : Easy Breezy Breakfast

Back again

2009-01-06T22:08:00.000-08:00

When EC mailed me the details of the “Easy Breezy breakfast” theme for MBP this month, I decided to begin again. I have been experimenting a lot these last three months but somehow never got to take photographs or write about them. Hope this breaks the spell.

Breakfast time has always been a favorite time for us. Apart from fresh fruits and juices a good breakfast preferably South Indian with a good accompaniment is always a must for us. I have made this a practice from the time we moved here. Adai happens to be one of our favorite breakfasts or may I say brunch. At times I use the mini version of it as an appetizer too. “Adai” is a very dry item and goes well with a gravy dish. So for the accompaniment I chose to make an “Avial” a vegetable dish from the God’s own country “Kerala”.

My version of the Adai is the same as EC’s so I am not repeating the ingredients or the method. A small tweaking which I have done is including a ripe tomato to the batter ingredients.

For the Avial
Assorted Vegetables - 2 cups boiled
(Drumstick, Ashgourd, red pumpkin, potato, colocassia, yam, cucumber, carrots, capsicum, brinjals, French beans, flat beans)
Curd – ½ cup
For the gravy
Coconut (medium size) – ½
Green Chillies – 5 or 6
Jeera (Cumin) – 1 tblspn.
Chana dal – 1 tsp
Rice – 1 tsp
Salt to taste
Grind all the ingredients with sufficient water to a consistent smooth paste. Take a heavy bottom vessel and add all the boiled vegetables and the gravy and allow it cook on medium flame. When the gravy is cooked remove the kadhai from the fire and the curd to it, mix well, return to the fire and cook for another minute or two. Finally temper the avial with mustard and curry leaves. Use coconut oil preferably.

Its not adieu still!

2008-11-08T01:03:00.000-08:00

Its been a long time.... I have shifted into a new house. Its really been hectic, what with the packing, shifting, unpacking and settling down (which I am yet to) amidst a steady influx of visitors.
Well this time in my new house we assembled and set up our kolu padi with all our collections - a nice mix the old and the new. Well I had a lot of people I knew for the vethala paku. It was fun but it was a tedius job too. Had to experience it to acknowledge it. Once that was through it was time for diwali so that went through too. When I realized that it was almost a month since I moved to the new location and my system is still not in use. that's going to be my next project. Well this I hope as I write out this post from one of the systems in my club. Hope to get back into this virtual world as soon as possible. Have started missing it.
So it's au revoir! for the time being will catch up as soon as possible.

Coriander Rosti - Blog hopping

2008-08-26T20:38:00.000-07:00

It was another rainy day and I was looking for something interesting to snack on. I remembered Nupur's "Coriander Rosti" which she had made inspired by Sunitas world. So I started out on it. The only difference is that when I put the patties in the microwave griller the power conked off and I had to cook them on my tava. The taste was fabulous, you can check out the appearance.

Cinnamon Flavored Vegetables

2008-08-25T08:34:00.000-07:00

If you are trying to figure out the cuisine, let me help you out - its very much Indian. From the time I started blogging I have been wanting to participate in the "Think Spice" event, but most of the time I really could not figure what to do with the said spices. This time I saw that I could use any spice so I narrowed down on "Cinnamon". Now why "Cinnamon"? The answer is very simple I have a huge quantity of them and do not know in what to add them. I know they are good for the heart so I thought let me make a beginning here.

Let me get back, I wanted to use cinnamon as the only flavoring agent. After a lot of contemplation, I conjured up a dish with lots of vegetables and my husband did the namkaran after enjoying its flavor and taste. This would be my entry for the "Think Spice - Think favorite 1st anniversary" event.

Along with this I had also made some "Tikkar". I have used Maize flour along with the regular whole wheat flour. This is the first time I am trying. I sure was happy with the result. So here they are for you -

Cinnamon Flavored Vegetables

Ingredients

Vegetables of your choice - 1 cup

(I have chopped and added Aubergines, Potatoes, Onions, Carrots and French Beans)

Oil - 2 tblspn

Bay leaf - a small piece

Salt to taste

Cinnamon finely powdered - 1 tblspn

Chilli powder, Turmeric powder - 1/4 tsp each

Curd - 1 tblspn

Method

Heat the oil in a kadhai and add the bay leaf. Add all the vegetables and the chilli and turmeric powder. Mix well and allow to cook on slow flame. Once the vegetables are cooked, add the curd. Keep on fire till the vegetable is dry, then add salt and mix well again. Finally add the cinnamon powder mix well and switch off the flame. Serve hot with rotis or rice.

Tikkar

Maize Flour & Whole Wheat Flour - 1 cup each

Grated onion - 1 medium size

Ginger minced - 1" piece

Green Chillies finely chopped - 2

Coriander finely chopped - 1 tblspn.

Ghee - 1 tblspn

Salt to taste

Method

Sieve both the flours together. Add ghee and mix till the flour becomes like bread crumbs. Then add the rest of ingredients and mix it into a soft dough. Add water as required. Cover and keep the dough for a minium of an hour. After an hour ply the dough again and make 8 balls of it. Roll it round and fry them on a hot girdle. Once it is cooked add ghee on both sides to keep it soft. Serve hot otherwise the tikkar becomes rough.

A complete meal

2008-08-24T21:05:00.000-07:00

I was introduced to "Pasta" around 5 years back by my husband. Honestly speaking I hated it at the first go. I had to force myself to finish my portion. I felt it had a rubbery texture and with cheese put in, it definitely did not suit my palate. But over years I slowly grew to like it and now it has become a favorite on our dining table. I usually make it with a sauce but this time I decided I would use only vegetables. I prefer "Penne" to "Farfalle" or "Macroni", but I had to make do with "Bell Tubes". The best thing I liked about this dish was that the veggies had not become very soggy and were still crisp when we bit into it.

Ingredients

Bell Peppers (Green, Yellow & Red) - 1/2 of big size (each cut into thin strips )

Aubergines (Brinjals) - 1 long one (cut into thin round slices)

Tomatoes - 1 (cut into thin strips)

Beans - 5 - 10 (cut into thin strips)

Onions - 1 medium size (cut into thin strips)

Carrots - 1 medium size (cut into thin strips)

Garlic - 5 pods (finely chopped)

Ginger - 1" piece (finely chopped)

Red Chillie - 1 finely choppped

Oregano, Basil and Parsley (dry) - 1 tblspoon (all put together)

Salt to taste

Olive Oil - 2 tblspn

Cheddar Cheese - 2" piece

Bell Tubes - 2 teacups (boiled in the usual fashion)

Method

Add Olive oil in a pan and heat it. When oil is hot add the garlic, ginger and red chilli and flavour the oil. Then add the onions followed by the aubergines saute for 2 minutes then add the rest of the vegetables and mix well. Keep over fire till the vegetables are cooked, since the vegetables have been cut in thin strips and are of the same size, it would be done in 3 - 4 minutes time. Then add the mixed herbs and salt mix well and allow it to stand for another minute. Finally add the pasta toss well, add the grated cheese and switch off the fire. Cover with a lid. The cheese will melt in the heat of the vegetables.

Vathal Kuzhambu

2008-08-21T19:52:00.000-07:00

In spite of the varied eating habits across our country one is able to find some similarities in the various cuisines practised. There are a lot of similarities in some of the dishes that are prevalent in the southern states. For instance this dish which i am discussing today "Vathal Kuzhambu" is cooked as "Pulusu" in Andhra and "Puli Pachadi" in Kerala. May be Karnataka also has something similar to this, which I am not aware of. There is usually a slight variation in the ingredients which make them special.

I remember a reason given by my great grandmother for making this dish. She used to prepare this on days immediately after some festivals or after days when some elaborate eating has been done. It was her belief that after eating heavily throughout the week or during the festivals it was time to give the stomach a rest and eat light. So she would always couple this "kuzhambu" with "sutta applam" (applam which have been roasted over fire), "paruppu thogaiyal" or "keerai masial". When i pen this down i still am able to remember the taste of her keerai and vathal kuzhambu - an amazing taste which my mother who is a great cook has also not been able to replicate. So check out

Ingredients

Tamarind - roll it into a small lemon ball and soak it in 2 - 21/2 cups of water

Vathal Kuzhambu podi - 1 tsp (this is readily available however I will get the method to prepare this in another post)

Salt to taste

Oil (Gingelly oil is preferred)

Vegetable - you could use drumsticks, pumkin, ladies finger, small onions, garlic

(However, tradition calls for some sort of vathal to be used)

Method

Soak the tamarind for around half an hour in water and strain it. In a pan heat oil and temper it with mustard and chana dal. Then add the vegetables and saute for a minute.Then add the podi and saute for another minute. Finally add the tamarind water along with salt. Cover with a lid and allow to cook till the mixture gets thick and oil starts to float on top, on a slow flame. Over the years that i have been making this I realized that the slower and the longer this dish cooks the more tasty it is.

Puri Masala

2008-08-18T18:39:00.000-07:00

This happens to be one of my favorite breakfast. Thanks to the oil quotient I get to make this once or twice in a month. This time it was an inspiration from Easy Crafts.

I always try to add different things to the puris to make them more interesting. Usually I add peas puree, palak purree or just some masala. This time I decided to make some masala puris. So here it is.

Masala Puri

Whole wheat flour - 1 cup

Turmeric Powder - a pinch

Red Chilli powder - 1 tsp

Dhania Powder - 1 tsp

Ajwain - 2 tablespoon

Salt to taste

Milk to mix the dough

Oil to fry

Method

Put all the ingredients except the milk in a mixing bowl and mix well. Then add milk as necessary to make a soft pliable dough. Keep it aside for atleast an hour. Roll out the puris and fry them in hot oil.

Potato Masala

Boiled Potatoes - 5 (mashed)

Onions - 1 medium size finely chopped

Green Chillies - 4 - 5 (as per your taste) finely chopped

Ginger - 1" piece finely chopped

Besan (Chickpea flour) - 1 tblspn mixed in 1/2 cup of water

Salt to taste

Oil - 2 tblspn

Method

In a kadhai heat oil and temper with mustard, chana dal and urad dal. Then add the onions, green chillies and ginger. Fry them till the onions turn translucent or brown. Add the mashed potatoes mix well. The mixture would be a thick one so add the besan water, the mixture turns into a gravy but the besan prevents it from being too watery. Keep on fire for 5 - 6 minutes. Garnish with coriander and serve hot.

18th day of the Aadi month

2008-08-13T00:39:00.000-07:00

Adi Pathinettam perukku was celebrated on August 3rd this year. A significant day in the life of the thousands of farmers who wade across muddy slush to sow their new crop. I believe the "River Kaveri" is in full flow on this day, thereby blessing the farmers. Being city bred, this is a piece of news seen in some "Tamil movie". For me this is the day when you get to eat all the "kalantha sadam" i.e., mixed rices. My mother always used to make Lemon Rice, Pulihora, Coconut Rice, Chakkra Pongal, Poli, Vadai, Paruppu Payasam and of course the vadam & vattals. The last 4 years were spent trudging to office and hectic deadlines. This year I decided to recreate my mother's dishes. Well with just 2 people at home it is usual very difficult to make too many dishes so I just shortenend the menu and this is what it was finally - Coconut Rice, Lemon Rice, Pulihora, Curd Rice, Avial, Potato curry and Paruppu payasam. I was making Coconut rice for the first time, it turned out heavenly so did the avial - so check it out. This time I am just sharing the photograph

Upma - Finally

2008-07-20T23:12:00.000-07:00

Till date Upma and I share a very bad relationship. We never turn out well till date. I always used to be surprised at the Upma's dished out by so many people. Even a beginner used to dish it out properly but mine was always a nice soggy paste. What do I do when hubby dear loves upma? This sad nexus has continued for the last 4 1/2 years.

Then yesterday night when I was blog hopping I happened to visit Aparna's "My diverse Kitchen" where she had shared with all, her "Lump-free Upma", inspired by the photograph I tried it out today morning. I had understood the fact that the water I added was the reason for my upma to become a soggy paste. So today I stuck on to Aparna's tip on adding water and Voila! I also dished out something great.

Check out the photograph. Like hubby dear commented "Finally your upma has come of age".

Subzi ki pulav

2008-07-16T00:06:00.000-07:00

Like I mentioned earlier I love making mixed rices. One main advantage I find in it is the fact that the dish can contain all the possible vegetables and also include rice to make it a one wholesome dish meal. I just make a raita as the accopaniment for such rices. My inspiration for this was a TV show which came up when I was flicking channels. The colour and the look of the vegetables where amazing so here it is for you.

Ingredients

Rice Basmatic - 1 cup

Potato - 1 cut into 1" pieces

Beans - 10 cut into 1" pieces

Peas - 1 cup boiled

Carrots - 2 medium cut into 1" pieces

Onion - 1 medium ground into a paste

Garlic - 3 pods - ground into a paste with the onions

Ghee - 1 tbsp

Green chilles - 4 slit lengthwise

Kasuri Methi leaves - 2 tblspn

Salt to taste

Method

Heat ghee in a kadhai. Add the onion and garlic mix and fry for a minute. Add the kasuri methi and continue frying. Then add all the vegetables and fry till cooked. Then add the rice with the necessary water with the green chillies and salt. Cover and cook till the rice is fully done.

I must say that though I was very apprehensive of trying it out, I was thrilled when it was cooking. The flavours that were released was amazing that it even pulled my hubby dear into the kitchen to find out what was being made. So check it out.

An Interesting Evening with Brinjals

2008-07-15T23:42:00.000-07:00

Another Sunday, I was tired after a long Saturday night out and as usual I had to clean and wash in the absence of a maid. I was busy with my work when it struck me that I was lucky that I had to do it only once in a while and not on a daily basis. My husband was at his best so he volunteered to cook for me. Sometimes I consider it as a risk but that day I had no other go than to succumb to the offer.
With all smiles he opened my fridge and found for himself the last of my brinjals. The smile was slowly turning into a halo as it was his favorite vegetable. So this is how he made it for me - After cleaning the brinjals, he cut them into four but did not remove them. Then he wiped the brinjals on all sides with some oil. Then he mixed some chilli powder and salt and wiped them all over the brinjals and also stuffed some of them inside. He then lit the kadhai and cooked the brinjals in it. He waited for the outside skin to dishievle after which he separated the pieces and turned sides and allowed the inside flesh to cook.
Though the whole process seemed to me as a big experiment in a chemistry lab, I must admit that the final result was great.

Upma Kozhukkattai - Less is More

2008-07-07T22:33:00.000-07:00

An interesting topic – it definitely justifies the fact that food is tasty and at its best when the number of ingredients is very less. I decided on a breakfast item with a lot of accompaniments, chutneys that I had been making for a long time now. All the ingredients in these dishes are readily available in all homes.
So it was “Upma Kozhukkattai”. This item is no stranger to most South Indian households. For the accompaniments I decided on some “Coconut chutney”, Mint Chutney” and “Beerakaya Chutney” (Ridge Gourd)

For the Upma Kozhukkattai

Rice Rave – 1 cup
(You can get this of the shelf or if you want to make it at home just soak some rice in water for 2 hours, dry it and grind it coarsely, sift it before use, this way the powder will get separated and you can use the powder)
Ginger – 1 inch piece finely chopped
Green chilies – 3 finely chopped
Curry Leaves
Method
Add some oil in a kadhai, when hot season with mustard seeds and chana dal. When they splutter add the curry leaves, ginger and green chillies and fry till the flavors are released. Then add 2 cups of water and salt. When the water starts boiling add the rava into it. Stir continuously and allow it to cook till it reaches the upma consistency. Remove from fire and allow it to cool. Then make round or oval balls out of it and steam it for 10 minutes. Allow it to rest for a few minutes before you serve.

Mint Chutney
Fresh Mint leaves – 2 cups
Onion – 1 medium size cut into cubes
Red chillies – 3 – 4 to suit taste
Tamarind – a small piece
Method
In a kadhai, fry the washed mint leaves (without oil) till it becomes dry. Also fry the onion along with it. Allow to cool. Then grind all the ingredients in a blender, add water to get the consistency. You can store it for 2 – 3 days.

Beerakaya chutney (Ridge Gourd)
Beerakaya finely chopped – 1 medium size (peel the skin)
Green chillies – 2 nos finely chopped
Tamarind – a small piece
Coriander Leaves – a few sprigs
Method
In a kadhai, heat oil and season with mustard and channa dal. Then add the finely chopped beerakaya and green chillies and fry till it becomes dry. Allow to cool. Then grind all the ingredients in a blender, add water to get the consistency. Finely add the coriander leaves.

This is my entry to the "Less is More" event conducted by Nupur of "One Hot Stove".
Note: I have not considered Seasoning, Oil, Water and Salt as part of main ingredients

From another blog

2008-07-03T22:55:00.000-07:00

Everytime I have people home for dinner, I invariably have to order the appetizers and starters from outside. Starters were always my limitations. Blog hopping inspired me to try out a few of them. This is the first of it.

My first stop was Nupur's "Receipe from One Hot Stove", Voila! I did find something which suited my palate - the "Kothimbir Wadi". I am not repeating the recipe here. All I would like to say is it was tasty and we enjoyed it a lot.

Open Sesame 2

2008-06-30T20:53:00.000-07:00

Wonder what it is? It is the title of the event conducted by Siri of Siri’s Corner. A nice interesting one, with the ingredient hidden in a riddle and then we try to make a dish with the ingredient. I found it interesting so I decided to participate. The following is the riddle which I got:
A moniker in my name for a city

A phrase with me will make you cherished

I am so good for you in my utter simplicity

In Medical dictionary the fact so furnished
I am so famous in the world of bytes

Known for many aspects of usage

I am fat and rotound and make crunchy bites

My fame known from many religious traditions - right from the old age
Am, I forbidden? Or mystical ? or the eternal giver of Youth

I consists of five internal carpels

Am good for good health of your mouth
I am as basic a fruit as you can think of

Or as hard if you dont try enough

If You eat me on a day to day basis

Then you dont have worry about anything - be it cold or dry cough

The answer to it was “APPLE”.
This riddle solving was of course 2 weeks back. Then I thought and thought and thought what do I make with an apple? I could not come up with anything. Well I told myself better luck next time with the ingredient.

Well my thoughts drifted off. What did Open sesame remind me of? What else - Alibaba and the 40 thieves. I realized that it had been ages since I read that story. Well I decided I must read it up and again and I started browsing the TV channels and guess what - this movie was going on in Tamil in one of the Channels. It was hilarious to watch Mr MGR & Mrs Bhanumathy along with the rest of their retinue. But to think of it, the movie was around 50 to 60 years old and the gimmicks, gizmos and stunts almost matched the recent times. It did not have Dolby effect etc and but to think of it, they had already done all this with almost no technology. Ooh! It was great.
Well getting back to my APPLE, yesterday when I realized it was the last day to submit the entry I came up with this idea. I tried it out and it did taste well. So check it out.
Apple Salad
Ingredients
Apple – 2 nos. finely chopped (I have used the green variety of apple, it was crunchier)
French Onions – 10 finely chopped
Tomatos – 1 medium (remove the seeds and finely chop)
Red Onion – 1 small finely chopped
Coriander leaves – 1 tblspn
Juice of 1 lemon
Salt to taste
A pinch of pepper
A drop of balsamic vinegar
Method
Toss all the ingredients in a mixing bowl. Refrigerate until serving time.
Note: Ensure that the apples are well coated with the apple juice otherwise it changes color fast and it unappetizing.

A colourful rice

2008-06-26T22:12:00.000-07:00

Its rains here in Secunderabad! Hurray the much awaited break from the heat. Another morning after some short spells of rains! The perfect weather to curl up and dream of that hot hot cup of "Chocolate" with foam and that wonderful smell!!! Then comes the moment of truth that hot cup would not reach your lips if you did not get up. Stark reality.

One look at the watch I realize I am late. I have to prepare breakfast and lunch. Breakfast had still another hour to go, so whats for lunch was my thought. As I looked into my crisper a big grin came over - for Voila!! I had a huge colorful range of vegetables the last of them from my last weeks shopping. So I decided to make what I am good at. A mixed colorful rice. I must tell you, I am not a very good cook. But give me some veggies, boiled beans and some rice I can dish out some very good mixed rice but it is always once. I would never repeat the combination of spices that I used for it again. So this time what is it?? Check it out!!

Ingredients

Basmati Rice - 1 cup (cook in your way with some mixed herbs)

Vegetables finely chopped 1 - 1/2 cups

(I have used red, yellow and green bell peppers, carrots, baby corn, onion, french onions, you could add in all possible vegetables that you like)

Garlic - 6 cloves finely chopped

Ginger - 1/2 inch piece finely chopped

Olive Oil - 1 tblspoon

Dried red chillies - 2 finely chopped

Salt to taste

Method

In a kadhai heat the olive oil. When hot add the ginger and garlic and fry till the flavours get released. Then add all the veggies. Mix well and allow them to cook for 2 minutes. Then add the salt and and the chillies and cook for another 2 minutes. Since the veggies are finely chopped it will cook faster. Remove from fire and mix well with the rice.

This would also be my entry to the "Mixed Rive Varieties Event" hosted by "Simple Indian Food - An easy cooking blog. Hope you like it!

A Meal Combination

2008-06-24T20:54:00.000-07:00

“Kabuli Chana” has always been one of our favorite ingredients. It could be cooked in a variety of ways. If you ask most of the South Indians, we would say that it tastes the best with a “Batura”. But considering the health conscious attitude of everyone I think a “Batura” is a “NO NO” these days. I did not want to make Chole either so I decided on “Amritsari Chana”, the recipe of which I had for the last 8 years.
As I soaked the Chana, I was thinking on what I must make as the main dish. I also remembered that this was my 10th post so I thought I would make it extra special. So I finalized a mixed veg paratha. Voila!! I had arrived at a good combination, to add some variety to it I also decided on a “Boondi Raita”. So my final list was Mixed Veg Paratha
Amritsari Chana
Boondi Raita (I used haldiram’s RTE)
Though it took a long time to prepare this, the final outcome tasted well. The smell and flavor which wafted through my house cannot be described by words. Hope you would enjoy them too. So check them out.
Mixed Veg Paratha
Whole Wheat Atta – 2 cups
Tomatoes – 1 large (remove the seeds and finely chop)
Onion – 1 large finely chopped
Ajwain (Carrom seeds) – 1 tsp
Green Chillies – 3 finely chopped
Salt to taste
Water
Ghee
Method
Mix all the ingredients into a dough. Allow it to rest for an hour. Divide the dough into 10 pieces. Roll it out and cook on a girdle lined with a little ghee. Serve hot.
Amritsari Chana
Kabuli Chana - 2 cups (soaked overnight and boiled)
Ghee – 2 tbspns
Onions (finely chopped) – 2 medium
Pasted of 1 onion
Ginger & Garlic Paste – 1 tbspn
Cinnamon – ½ inch stick
Cloves – 4 nos
Cardamom – 4 nos
Green chillies – 2 finely chopped
Roasted and Powdered cumin & pepper seeds – 1 tbspn
Tomato Puree – 2 medium
Whipped curd – ½ cup
Kashmiri Mirch – ½ tsp
Turmeric Powder – a pinch
Coriander finely chopped for garnishing
Method
Heat the ghee in a pan. Add the onions and fry till golden. Add the ginger garlic and the onion paste and fry for 2 minutes. Add the cinnamon, cloves, cardamom and the green chillies, and fry for a minute. Add the tomato puttee, mix well and allow the mixture to cook for 3 minutes. Take the pan of fire and add the curd to the mixture (this prevents curdling). Also add the turmeric powder and the kashmiri mirch, mix well. Finally, add around 1 cup of water along with the boiled chana to the mixture. Close the lid and allow it cook till the ghee separates out on top. Garnish with Coriander and serve hot.

Thirati Pal - A sweet dish

2008-06-23T21:22:00.000-07:00

This is one of the many sweet dishes we like. A traditional dish which forms part of all important events in a tamil brahmin household. I have seen this sweet as an important part of the seer bakshanam during our weddings, poonals and naming ceremonies. The ingredients are simple but it is a time consuming process. My reference for this was the evergreen Meenakshi Ammal's "Samaithu Par" (Cook & See). Though the process was very cumbersome, the end product was awesome.

Why did i make this? Yes!! i was invited by a family friend for lunch. So it was my gift to her. She and her daughter enjoyed it. Hope you like it too!!

Ingredients

Milk - 2 litres
Sugar - 1 cup
Cardamom - 15 (powdered or corsely powdered)
Method

Boil the milk in a very thick bottom pan. After it boils reduce the flame and allow the milk to simmer stirring frequently. When the milk has reduced into a thicker consistency stir continuously. When the milk has reached a consistency that is quiet like wet sand add the sugar and stir vigourously. The sugar will melt stir till the milk again reaches the wet sand consistency. Add the powdered cardamom stir once and remove from the fire. Cool and eat.

Note: You would wonder why i have referred to the consistency as wet sand! You will realize it also when you try this out.

Vegetable Makhni - One more version

2008-06-20T19:45:00.000-07:00

This dish i rustled up to serve with phulkas on one of the evenings when I was not keen on cooking. However, it turned up to be the star of the evening. Check it out.

Ingredients

Onions - 2 medium (finely chopped)

Puree of 2 blanched tomatoes

Potato - 1 medium (finely chopped)

Carrots - 1 medium (cut into thin rounds)

Baby Corn - 10 (cut into halves)

French Beans - 10 (finely chopped)

Paneer - 100 gms (cubed)

Cardamom - 4 nos

Cloves - 4 nos

Cinnamon - 1 medium piece

Star anise - 1

Bay leaf - 1 small piece

Chilly Powder - 1 1/2 tsp

Dhania Powder - 2 tsp

Jeera - 1 tsp

Salt to taste

Method

Heat oil in a kadhai and add jeera. Wait till it splutters. Then add the cloves, cardamom, cinnamon and star anise. Wait for 1 minute, then add the onions and fry for some time. Add the chilly powder and dhania powder mix well and allow it to cook for a minute. Add the other vegetables and mix well. Wait for the fragrance to release and the vegetables to soften up. Then add the tomato puree. Mix well and add salt. Allow the mixture to cook for a minute. Add 1 cup of water and check consistency. Wait for another 5 minutes before removing from fire. Add the paneer and garnish with coriander leaves. Serve hot.

Aval (Poha) Upma

2008-06-20T06:00:00.000-07:00

This is the first dish that i made when i first moved to secunderabad. I had never prepared any breakfast items till then. We were yet to shop, so i decided to make this Aval Upma. I opened up the boxes and took out my new kadhai and got started. The onions, chillies and the peanuts went in fine and were sort of ready. Then i remembered that i had to soak the aval (poha) for some time. So i put it to soak in a generous quantity of water. Waited for 10 minutes. I had seen the aval in my mother's upma as slightly puffed up. So i waited for some more time for it to near the consistency which i had observed. It did not happen so i tried to squeeze out the excess water. This process made the aval even more softer. What finally reached the kadhai was a aval paste. The final product could not be called as an upma, it could only be called as an aval paste. For many years to come i stopped making it. Even till this day my husband always has a dig at me whenever i try out any other complex dishes - "You could do this but what about the aval upma". Then a year back when i tried it out, i realized i had perfected the art. Check out the recipe for the most healthy and easy breakfast that one can get ready

Ingredients

Aval (Poha) - 1 cup

(wash and soak in water for a few minutes, once the water is absorbed and it enlarges strain out the excess water)

Onions - 1 medium size finely chopped

Oil - 2 tblspoon

Green chillies - 3 finely chopped

Mustard seeds - 1 tsp

Coriander leaves finely chopped - 2 tblspoons

Turmeric powder (Optional) - 1/2 tsp

Salt to taste

Method

Heat the oil in the kadhai. When hot add the mustard seeds and wait for it to crackle. Then add the onions and green chillies. Wait for them to brown a little. Add the turmeric and salt. Mix well and then add the aval (poha). Mix well and keep on fire for a 4 - 5 minutes. Remove from fire garnish with coriander and serve hot.

Note: This tastes best when served with a coconut or a tomato chutney.

Bharwan Bhindi (Ladies finger)

2008-06-18T18:46:00.000-07:00

A couple of months ago we were invited for dinner by a friend. It was at this dinner that i tasted this dish for the first time. Coming from a south indian family bhindi or Vendakay or ladies finger was a part of our diet on a very regular basis. There is a belief that bhindhi or vendakay as we call it, is very good for the growth of the brain. So invariably the grand mothers and mothers would include more of it in any growing child's diet. you could have Vendakay Curry, Vendakay Roast, Vendakay Sambhar and so on.

The Vendakay Curry was a simple and the most easy dish to make. All you had to do was to wash the Vegetable in water and dry it. Slice it into small pieces. Add oil in a kadhai and when hot add some Mustard seeds, Urad Dhal and Red chillies (as it suits your taste). Add the vegetables mix well and cook with the lid on for a few minutes. Once the vendakay becomes soft then add salt and cook for some more time and serve hot. The variations you could do is to add besan powder to make it crisp, add peanuts, add onions along with vendakay and so on.

This childhood practice continues and this dish interested me a lot. But Bharwan what did it mean? for which i was told by my hostess that it meant stuffed. Jeera powder had been stuffed into the vegetable. But to make it simple she had just added the jeera powder to the dish as a whole and not stuffed it. The taste was great and it was simple. Check out the receipe:

Ingredients

Bhindi - 1/2 kg (washed & cut into 1" pieces with a slit)
Onions - 3 big (grated)
Garlic - 5 - 6 (grated, you can increase the number based on your taste)
Roasted Jeera Powder - 1 tsp
Turmeric - 1/2 tsp
Salt to taste
Mustard Oil for frying

Method

In a kadhai (preferably non-stick) heat the mustard oil nicely till the smell goes away. Add the grated onion, garlic and turmeric and fry till they have crossed the transluscent stage. Then add the Bhindi and mix well. Keep covered on fire till the vegetable becomes soft and is fully cooked. Then add the salt and the jeera powder. Mix well over the flame without closing the lid for 3 - 4 minutes. Serve hot.

Note: The other tip which my hostess gave me was to use mustard oil for cooking green vegetables this gives a good flavor for the dish.

AWED - Middle Eastern Cuisine 2

2008-06-15T05:54:00.000-07:00

Bean & Spinach Rice

This is my second entry for this event. Couple of days back i was browsing across as usual when i found an interesting and easy recipe. I would say that it is a version of the many bean dishes that are widely used in Turkey and Greece. I have altered it to suit our palate.

Ingredients

Black Urad Dal - 1/2 cup soaked overnight and boiled
Spinach - 1 big bunch washed well & finely chopped
Garlic - 6 pods finely chopped
Green Chillies - 6 finely chopped
Olive Oil
Salt to taste
Rice - 2 cup

Method

In a pan heat the oil and add the chopped garlic and green chillies to it. Saute till the flavour of the garlic and chillies are released. Add the spinach and saute for a few minutes. Then add the black dal and saute. Add salt to taste. Keep on simmer till done. Add rice mix it well. Serve Hot.

Note: The taste is best when it is hot

AWED - Middle Eastern Cuisine

2008-06-14T23:53:00.000-07:00

Visiting a couple of blogs inspired me to participate in this event. This would be my first entry for this event. A very simple and colorful salad. Time tested in my kitchen that has always won some good comments from my guests and family.

Greek Salad

Ingredients

Capsicums (Bell Peppers - green, red and yellow) - 1 each of the same size
Tomatoes - 2 ripe and firm
Cucumber - 1 medium size
Olives - 20 (green, black or a combination of both)
Cilantro - finely cut small bunch

For the Dressing

Olive Oil - 2 tablespoons
Lemon Juice - 1 lemon medium size
Garlic - 2 pods crushed
Salt to taste

Method

Mix all the dressing ingredients in a small bowl and allow it to rest so that the garlic flavor is released. Cut Capsicums into thin round pieces. Remove the seeds and cut the tomatoes into medium size pieces. Cut the cucumber into medium size pieces. You can put in the olives as is it is or cut into into halves. Toss all the cut vegetables into a bowl. Add the dressing and toss it well refreigrate till serving time.
Note: This salad is best when it is served cold. It can be used as a good starter with a curd dip.

Getting back to the olives

2008-05-16T05:13:00.000-07:00

As i was saying earlier, the vegetable salad was a great hit. It is a simple one hope you like it too. I do not have a picture of it to host but the following is the recipe:

Green greek salad

Tomato - 2 medium size ripe and cut into cubes
Cucumber - 1 medium size cut into wedges
Green capsicum - 2 medium size cut into rings
Green Olives - 20 (if they are seedless cut into halves)
Coriander or cilantro - 1 small bunch chopped finely

For the garnish

Juice of 2 medium size lemons
1 Minced garlic pod
olive oil - 1 tsp
salt and pepper to taste

Method

Wash and cut all the salad vegetables as mentioned. Remove the seeds from the tomatoes, capsicums and the cucumber. Toss them into a bowl. In a small bowl take the lemon juice, add the other ingredients for the dressing, mix them well. Pour into the bowl which contains the salad. toss well and refregirate till serving time.

2008-05-11T23:51:00.000-07:00

When did this interest start in me? I would say around 4 years back. From a trip to Athens my husband got me a bottle of green olives. The bottle looked nice and the fresh green olives in brine looked very colorful. But i had my doubt will they use it in vegetarian cooking. The bottle found its place in my fridge and remained safe and sound there. A month later i found it disgusting that i could not do anything with it. So i sat down and browsed for a easy vegetarian recipe. Voila! i did find one that was very simple and easy. Though i had my doubts i tried it and it was really very good. Soon i tried it out with every one i knew my friends, my father in law and of course my parents. Got a very positive response which set me experimenting even more.

A new baby is born

2008-05-10T23:23:00.000-07:00

Its been our long desire to start a blog on our favorite topic - Food. Today is the day, she is born. So let us enjoy every moment with lots of action.