Pacha kurumulagu pickle( Fresh raw pepper pickle)

Fresh pepper pickle (Raw pepper)

Ingredients

Fresh pepper  -  10 strings
Ginger a  small piece
Lime juice  - extracted from 5 lemons.
Salt to taste

Method of Preparation

Wash and use a clean kitchen towel to dry fresh pepper.  Cut ginger into small pieces. Extract juice from lemon and remove seeds using a  strainer.  In a glass jar add pepper, ginger, lime juice and adjust salt.  Mix well.

If you want you can add freshly chopped lemon pieces.  Make sure you pluck very tender raw pepper as it will be less spicy.  

Dum aloo gravy

Dum aloo is made with tiny soft potatoes. It's taste great with poori, roti or rice.  I have tried to make it as a semi gravy.

Ingredients

Baby aloo -  1 kg
Fresh peas a small cup
Tomato -  2
Onion -  2
Green chili - 2
Ginger a small piece
Jeera one tsp
Coriander whole one tsp
Dry red chilli -  2
Garam masala a pinch
Ghee one tsp
Peanut oil a tsp

Method of preparation

* wash and cook baby potatoes for three whistle. Once cooked remove potatoes from cooker peel the skin and cut into halves.  Use a fork to poke the potatoes.

*chop one tomato and one onion into small pieces.

*grind one tomato,  onion, green chili, ginger, red chili to a smooth paste.

In a thick bottom heated  pan pour oil. Add chopped onion and tomato, sauté for 2 minutes,  add tomato and onion paste. Mix well allow the paste to cook in medium flame till oil separates from the pan.  Add turmeric powder and baby potatoes.  Coat aloo with onion gravy. Add fresh shelled peas.  Mix all the ingredients gently.  Reduce flame adjust salt.  Allow the aloo to slowly absorb all the masala. Add a teaspoon of Ghee. After about 10 minutes add a cup of hot water.  Mix the dum aloo gravy and further cook it for about 5 minutes. Add garam masala mix gently now dum aloo will release fresh aroma of garam masala.   Off stove add chopped coriander leaves and  serve hot with freshly made phulka or poori.  

Vegetable rice savai with coriander chutney

Vegetable rice savai and coriander chutney

Ingredients

Rice sevai -  cooked two cups
Vegetables like  beans,  green peas, carrot,  cabbage and capsicum chopped - one cup

Onion, garlic, green chili and ginger chopped finely.

In a heated pan pour oil and  add a little jeera.  Once jeera splutter add onion, garlic, green chili and ginger.  Sauté for 2 minutes.  Add rest of the vegetables and cook for about minutes adjust salt.  Add cooked sevai to it and mix well.  Add chopped coriander leaves and a dash of crushed pepper.  Mix well and serve hot with coriander chutney or sambar.  This can be packed as lunch for school going children.  Enjoy vegetable sevai as breakfast or lunch.  

Vegetable rice paper roll

A quick and healthy evening snack for children.

Vegetable rice paper roll

Ingredients

Cabbage-one cup
Tomato- 1 large
Green pepper 1/2
Ginger a thin slice
Green  chilli -  1

Method of Preparation

Wash and  chop the vegetables into thin slices. Add a little salt and mix well.  Take one sheet rice paper,  quickly run water in it.  Spread in a flat surface or plate. Fill prepared vegetables salad and roll into desired shape.  Enjoy the quick and healthy snack with sweet and sour sauce.

Variation : you can try this roll with left over vegetable noodles.

If you like to fill cooked vegetables try sauté the salad in a little olive oil,  add a little crushed pepper.  Try this if you find raw cabbage pungent. 

Tomato, carrot and parsley soup

Winter vegetables like carrot and  tomato is best for making delicious soup.  Choose ripe tomatoes for making soup.


Tomato, carrot and parsley  leaves soup.

Ingredients

Tomato -  10 medium sized

Carrot -  1

Ginger a large piece

Ajwain leaves a few

Parsley y leaves a few

Basil a few

Crushed pepper a few

Salt as required

Method of preparation

Wash and slit tomatoes and carrots, grate ginger,  wash basil,  ajwain and parsley  leaves,  put everything together in a large pressure cooker. Add about 5 cups of water.  Add salt and pepper. Close the lid of pressure cooker and cook for two whistles.  Once it cools down open the lid and use a strainer to remove only cooked vegetables.  Preserve the vegetable stock. Allow it to cool. Grind it in a mixer. Add vegetable stock and little more hot water if the soup is too thick. Adjust salt and pepper.  Serve with bread toast. It's very healthy and nutritious.

Raw banana (vazhakkai) and potato bajji

Evening snacks are my children's favourite .  Both love crispy pakodas and yummy Indian snacks .  Today I made raw banana bajji(pakoda)  with just one raw banana and potato the whole family can munch on delicious snack.

Vazhakkai and Aloo bajji

Ingredients

Raw banana - 1 cut into thin slices.
Potato  - 1cut into thin slices.
Red chilli powder  - 1 tsp
Garam masala  - 1/2 tsp
Ajwain a little
Hing a pinch
Salt as required
Jeera and coriander powder a little each
A few pudina and palak leaves finely chopped .
Ginger powder a little
Basan one large cup

Method of preparation

In a large bowl add besan , salt, red chilli powder , ajwain , ginger powder , jeera coriander powder , hing and garam masala powder .  Mix well by adding  water and make a thick batter out of it.  Add chopped pudina and palak leaves.  Mix well.  Keep oil for deep frying in an iron pan.  When the oil is medium hot dip each pieces of raw banana into the prepared batter and slowly drop it into oil.  Fry till raw banana/potato bajji turns into golden brown . Once done remove the backing using perforated ladle into kitchen absorbent towel spread on a bowl or plate.  Enjoy the delicious snack with green chutney or tomato ketchup . 

Cauliflower masala in coconut milk

Winter season slowly setting and we are getting fresh cauliflower, peas and french beans .  I tried a simple dish today with cauliflower , green peas, bell pepper and tomatoes .

Gobi masala in coconut milk

Ingredients

Cauliflower (gobi)  -  1 large , remove florets

Tomatoes - 4 small home grown slit into pieces .

Bell pepper - Tricolour ,  green , yellow and red chopped into small cubes.

Green peas - a few

Chopped coriander leaves a little

Green chilli 1

Ginger  a small  piece

Potato 1 cut into small cubes
Coconut milk - 1 cup

Turmeric , garam masala,  Red chilli , coriander and jeera powder -1/2 tsp each

Method of preparation

* wash and remove florets from cauliflower .  Immerse the florets in warm water with a pinch of salt .

* Peel and chop potato into large cubes.

* cut tomatoes into small pieces . I just slit them into four as they were too tiny.

Heat a pan pour a little oil,  add cauliflower and potato .  Cook in high flame by tossing it occasionally .  Once both the vegetables are soft add turmeric red chilli, coriander and jeera powder .  Mix well .  Add peas and  bell pepper .  Mix gently .  Now add coconut milk.  Simmer the stove.  Adjust salt,  add garam masala .  Mix well and finally garnish with coriander leaves,  green chilli and  ginger jullian.   Serve hot with phulka or enjoy this delicious gravy with rice.

Kaju, Badam and rolled oats burfi

Wishing all my readers A very happy Diwali .  Today I tried a new version of Kaju burfi.  I have added a few new ingredients to the original recipe .  The results are good .



Kaju, Badam and rolled oats burfi

Ingredients

Whole Kaju - 1 cup ( make sure the Kaju is in room temperature . Coarsely powder it in mixer)

Badam  - 1 cup (soak in hot  water , peel and grind in mixer. If needed add a little milk and make a coarse paste)

Rolled oats - 1/2 cup

Crushed cardamom - a little

Milk - 2 tbsp

Condensed Milk - 1 tin

Sugar  - 1 cup

Ghee - 2 tbsp

Method of preparation

* Make coarse powder or paste out of Kaju,  Badam and  rolled oats. Keep it ready.
* crush cardamom.

In a non stick large pan add sugar and a little water .  Melt it to one string pakam. Now  add each ingredient while stirring continuously .  Make sure no lumps are formed .  Since I added a little milk to  Kaju and  badam and made coarse paste no lumps were formed .  Add powdered rolled oats to the mixture .  Cook it in low flame as the Kaju and badam  thickness there is chance of getting burnt if not stirred continuously . Once the mixture is mixed well add condensed milk.  Keep stirring. Add cardamom for the delicious flavour.  Slowly add a little Ghee and stir continuously till the burfi oozes out the Ghee.  By now burfi will be leaving the sides of pan.  Grease two plates with little Ghee and  spread the burfi evenly.  Let it cool and come to room temperature .  Cut into desired shape.  Enjoy the healthy sweet with family and friends .  Happy Diwali to all of you .

White peas sundal(Thenga Manga Pattani sundal)

It's Navrathri time. Festival of dolls or Bommai Golu.  It's an auspicious occasion in Brahmin households to arrange dolls depicting mythological stories from epic Ramayana and Mahabharata. Each day of the festival we make different prasadam to goddesses Durga.  Today I made a  simple sundal with white peas.

Thenga Manga Pattani Sundal

White peas - 250grams (soak for 5 hours and cook it for one whistle)
Coconut pieces a few cut into thin slices.
Mango pieces a few cut into thin slices.
For tadka
Oil one tsp
Mustard 1/4 tsp
Urad dhal 1/2 tsp
Channa dhal 1/2 tsp
Green chilli two cut into small pieces.
Ginger a small piece.

Method of preparation

Wash and soak white peas for 5 hours and pressure cook it for one whistle  with little haldi and salt.  Drain excess water keep aside. Chop coconut, mango, ginger and chilli into fine thin pieces.  Keep aside.  In a heated pan add oil,  mustard, urad and channa dhal.  Let the mustard crackle. Now add cooked white peas.  Mix well. Off the stove.  Add chopped coconut, mango, ginger and  green chilli.  Toss it.  Adjust salt.  Offer this delicious sundal as offering to God and serve it in leaf cups (donnai) as prasadam for Navrathri haldi kumkum. 

Jackfruit kozhakattai in turmeric leaves

Poorana kozhakattai and jackfruit kozhakattai in turmeric leaves.

Jackfruit kozhakattai

I took two lemon sized rice dough and one tsp coconut pooranam. Smash and mix them together. Make small even sized balls it of it. Fill it in  jack fruit petals. Steam by placing it in turmeric leaves for 10 minutes. The delicious aroma of turmeric leaves and jackfruit gives a special flavor to the dish.

Sweet kozhakattai recipe please refer.

 http://jayanthisindianrecipes.blogspot.in/2014/09/sweet-kozhakattaiurad-kozhakattai.html?m=1

Lauki,cluster beans and green moong dhal gravy

Lauki, cluster beans green mong dhal gravy.

Ingredients

Broken green moong dhal 1 cup
Lauki(bottle gourd) 2 cups
Cluster beans a handful (home grown from my terrace garden)
Onion 1
Tomato 1
Green chili 2
Ginger 1 piece
Jeera 1 tsp
Ghee 1 tbsp
Jeera 1/2 tsp
Red chilli dry 2 broken
Garam masala 1/2 tsp
Coriander leaves a few
Salt as required

Method of preparation

Wash and cook green moong dhal in a pan by adding turmeric and salt.

Grind onion,tomato,green chilli,ginger into a fine paste.

Chop lauki into cubes and cluster beans into small pieces.

Pour oil in another heated pan. Add onion tomato paste. Cook it till oil separate from it. Add lauki and cluster beans. Mix well. Coat the vegetables with the reduced gravy. Add a little turmeric and little salt. Allow it to cook in high flame for about 5 minutes. Add the vegetables into cooking green moong dhal. Mix well. Add a tsp of jeera powder. Adjust salt. Add one more cup of water and pressure cook for 1 whistle.

In a small pan add ghee, jeera and red chilli. Let it splutter. Add a little garam masala and red chilli powder. Pour on top of the prepared lauki gravy.  Enjoy this healthy delicious gravy with rice or roti.

Tomato rice and curd rice

Tomato spicy peanut rice and cucumber curd rice. Today I made two delicious rice preparation with easily available spices vegetables at home.

Tomato rice

Ingredients

Tomato 4 ripe
Onion 1
Ginger a large piece
Garlic a few
Pudina and curry leaves a little
Green chili 2
Red chilli 2 (Kashmiri for bright color)
Peanut a handful
Black sesame a tsp
Clove 2
Cinnamon stick a small piece
Cardamom 4 (crushed and peel removed)
Salt as required

Method of preparation

1. Grind tomato,garlic,onion,green chilli and ginger into coarse paste. In a heated kadai pour gingly oil or ghee add the tomato paste and allow it to cook in high flame for 3 minutes and reduce flame for further time till the paste release oil.

2. Dry roast peanut,sesame, cardamom and powder.

3. Cook basmathi rice by adding bay leaves. Drain off excess water and spread cooked rice in a tray. Let it cool down.

In a large bowl spread 1/4 rice, add dry roast powder and add a little from tomato paste. Mix gently. Keep repeating the process till you finish all rice. Finally adjust salt and garnish with pudina leaves. Serve with raitha and papad or fried vadam.

Curd rice

Ingredients

Cooked rice 2 cups
Curd 2 cups
Green chili 2
Roasted curd chilli a few
Curry leaves a few
Grated cucumber 1
Oil a tsp
Mustard seeds 1/4 tsp
Urad dhal 1/2 tsp

Method of preparation

Cool down rice, add curd mix gently with hands or with a spatula. Add grated cucumber. Mix well.Pour oil add mustard and urad dhal. Allow it to splutter. Add roasted curd chilli. Mix well. Serve with pickle of your choice.

Piri piri paneer pakoda

A delicious snack perfect for rainy evening. Piri piri paneer pakoda. This super tasty snack need a few extra ingredients to make it.

Ingredients needed

Paneer( cottage cheese) -1/2kg
Salt as required
Hing a large pinch
Green chili 2 chopped
Ginger a large piece grated
Ajwain leaves 10(chop into thin slices)
Red chilli powder 1 tsp
Garam masala 1/2 tsp
Amchoor powder 1/2 tsp
Chat masala a pinch
Crushed pepper powder 1/4 tsp
Besan 1 cup
Kala jeera a pinch
Lime juice a little
Water to make a thick batter
Oil for frying

For piri piri masala(for that extra taste)

Salt 1/4 tsp ,
crushed pepper-1/4 tsp
chat masala-1/4 tsp
add all three ingredients.

Method of preparation

Cut thin slices of panner. Keep aside.

Keep oil in a deep pan for heating.

In a large bowl add all ingredients mix water and make a thick batter. Adjust salt.

Carefully dip each slices of panner into batter. Deep fry till golden brown.Remove from frying pan in absorbent napkins. In another bowl add piri piri masala and prepared paneer pakodas. Toss gently. Enjoy hot piri piri paneer pakoda with hot tea. Perfect for a chilly rainy evening.

Khichdi with green gram dhal

Khichdi with green gram dhal, keerai masiyal and mampazha morukuttan

Ingredients

Broken raw rice 1 cup
Split green dhal 1 cup
Ghee 2 tbsp
Jeera 1 tsp
Red chilli 2
Turmeric a pinch
Salt as required
Water 6 1/2 cups
Coriander leaves a few

Method of preparation

In a heated pressure cooker pan pour ghee add jeera and red chilli to splutter Add washed rice and green gram dhal. Mix well. Add turmeric powder, salt and mix well. Pour water. Pressure cook for two whistles. Add chopped coriander leaves. Serve hot with khadi or mampazha morukuttan. It tastes great on a chilly rainy day for lunch.

http://jayanthisindianrecipes.blogspot.in/2014/04/keerai-masiyal-and-manbhazha-morrukuttan.html?m=1

Idli cake with left over idli batter.

Spongy spicy idli cake with left over idli batter.

Ingredients

Idli batter - 3 cups
Fruit salt 1/2 tsp
Green chili 3
Ginger a large piece
Pudina a few
Curry leaves a few
Hing a little
Water 1/4 cup
Oil for greasing the cooker vessel.
Salt 1 tsp
Turmeric powder 1/2 tsp

Method of preparation

Grind green chili, ginger, pudina and curry leaves by adding a little idli batter. Mix it in the idli batter, salt,add turmeric powder, fruit salt(eno)  hing and water. Mix well. Keep aside for 10 minutes. Apply grease on idli vessel and pour prepared batter. Arrange in pressure cooker and steam for 15 minutes. Check the middle part of the idli cake by carefully poking a wet fork. If the fork comes out clean that means the spongy idli cake is ready. Cut into desired shape serve with coriander chutney.

Lobia, aloo and cauliflower gravy

I tried a new recipe today. Lobia(karamani or vanpayar) is a very tasty bean. We generally add this to olan and make dry sundal. But I tried to make a gravy with lobia.

Lobia, aloo and cauliflower gravy.

Ingredients

Lobia (karamani) 1 cup(soak it for 2 hours)
Aloo 1
Cauliflower few florets
Green chili 1
Ginger a large piece
Garlic two pods
Onion 2 large
Tomato 2
Bay Leaves one
Ghee 2 tbsp
Coriander seeds 1 tsp
Jeera 1 tsp
Coriander leaves for garnish
Kasuri methi(dry methi leaves)
Red chilli 2

Method of preparation

Peel and chop potato, onion, tomato and cauliflower.

Grind onion, green chili, red chilli,garlic, ginger, coriander seeds, jeera into a fine smooth paste. Add water if necessary. Keep aside.

Cook lobia in pressure cooker by adding two cups of water for two whistles in low fire. Keep aside.

In a heated pan pour ghee, add onion, tomato paste. Let it reduce into 1/4 of its quantity and ghee will separate from the paste. Now add potato and cauliflower. Add turmeric powder and coat the vegetables with dry paste. Saute for a while add cooked lobiya and adjust salt. Add bay leaves and pressure cook the vegetables for just one whistle. Finally garnish with chopped coriander leaves. Keep little ghee on a small pan add kasuri methi and let it roast and emit delicious aroma. Pour it on top of the lobiya gravy. Serve as a side dish for phulka, Nan or rice.

Onion and Tomato Chutney

Onion Tomato Chutney

Ingredients

Onion 3
Tomato 2
Green chili 1/2
Ginger a large piece
( chop all the above ingredients into small pieces)
Pudina leaves a few
Coriander leaves a few
Chana dal 1 tsp
Urad dal 1 tsp
Red chilli 3
Hing a large piece
Garlic 2 (optional)
Oil a little
Grated coconut 1 cup

Method of preparation

Pour oil in kadai add chana dal, urad dal, hing piece, red chilli. In slow saute the ingredients. Let chana release aroma. Now add chopped onion, tomato, ginger, green chili and garlic. Cook it till the onion becomes translucent. Now add chopped pudina and coriander leaves. Mix well. Add grated coconut and salt. Let it cool. Grind to a coarse chutney consistency.  It's ready to serve with soft idli, crispy dosa or uthappam.

Variation

I've added few more ingredients like star fruit, non spicy green chillies, bajji chilli baby onions, for flavour. 

Almond and coconut halwa

A super tasty almond halwa. I enjoy trying something new with the existing tried and tested recipe. Here is another such experiment!! Microwave baking is recommended for final stage for the crispy crunchy,  golden finish.

Ingredients

Almonds - 2 cups (soaked and peeled)
Coconut grated - 1 cup
MTR badam powder mix 1 pkt
Roasted chana dal(Pottukadalai) - 2 cups
Sugar 2 1/2 cups
Elachi a few
Ghee 1 cup
Milkmaid 1 tin
Milk 1/2 litre
Cashews a few broken into small pieces.
Black raisins a few

Method of preparation

Peel and grind almond adding milk to smooth consistency. Keep aside.

Grate coconut and grind it also by adding milk and keep it ready.

Powder roasted chana dal and seive it. Keep it ready.

Crush elachi and keep the powder.

In a large non stick pan pour one cup water add sugar. Mix well allow the sugar to boil. Once it reaches one string consistency add almond paste and coconut paste. Mix well add ghee to it. Keep stirring as it may get stuck to the bottom for about 10 minutes by now almond and coconut will be emitting delicious aroma. Add elachi powder, raisins and broken cashews. Add milkmaid to this and keep stirring. To this slowly add roasted chana dal powder. Make sure you mix it well as it may form lumps. Once all the ingredients are mixed well keep stirring. Add badam mix powder. Keep mixing the halwa. At this point I poured the halwa in a large microwavable bowl with lid. Kept it for about 10 minutes for further reduction and even baking. Off the microwave and allow the mixture to cool down.  Serve it in room temperature. It's taste delicious.

Maladu (fried chana dal sweet)

Celebration time. Maladu is a tasty sweet made with just four ingredients. All you require is Pottukadalai (fried chana dal) sugar, elachi and ghee.

Ingredients

Pottukadalai (fried chana dal) 2 cups
Sugar 1 cup
Elachi a few
Ghee 1 cup

Method of preparation

Make a fine powder out of Pottukadalai in mixer. Use a sieve to make a fine smooth powder. Powder sugar and add both in a large bowl. Mix well with a spatula. Now add heated ghee and crushed elachi. Mix all ingredients and make small ladoos out of it. Serve as a dessert. It's celebration time in many homes as children's exam results are coming out. Wishing everyone good luck!!

Onion pakoda

Summer rain and cool breeze. What more to ask for on a beautiful evening!! Yesterday we experienced a quick shower in evening. I thought why not celebrate the first rain of the season with crispy crunchy onion pakoda and freshly made tea.

Here is the recipe for onion pakoda

Ingredients

Large onion 3
Green chili 3
Ginger a large piece
Besan a large cup
Curry leaves a few
Coriander leaves a few
Red chilli powder a tsp
Garam masala a tsp
Salt as required
Ajwain a little
Oil for frying

Method of preparation

Peel and chop onion, ginger, green chili, curry and coriander leaves into thin long slices. Add all the ingredients in a bowl, add besan, red chilli powder, garam masala powder, ajwain, salt and sprinkle a little water and make a dry batter. Keep sufficient oil for frying in a heated iron kadai. Once oil becomes hot take a small portion of onion pakoda batter, drop it in oil deep fry till golden brown. Use a perforated ladle and carefully take fried pakodas in kitchen absorbent napkins. Let it absorb all excess oil. Serve pakoda with mint chutney and freshly made tea. Enjoy your evening with this crispy crunchy snack. Happy summer holidays!!

Mango rasam

Summer and juicy delicious mangoes. Let me share a new recipe. Yes you guessed it right its Mango rasam!!

Ingredients

Mango slices a few( make pulp out of it)
Tamarind pulp 1 tsp
Turmeric a little
Rasam powder 1 tsp
Coriander leaves a few
Red chilli 1 broken
Hing a pinch
Ghee a tsp
Mustard 1/2 tsp
Fenugreek 1/4 tsp
Salt as required
Jaggery 1 tsp
Water 3 cups

Method of preparation

In a eeya chumbu ( a vessel specially designed for making rasam) add water, mango pulp, tamarind pulp and turmeric powder. Boil till the raw smell goes away. Add rasam powder, salt,hing and jaggery. Boil till the rasam becomes frothy. Off the stove. In a heated pan pour ghee  add mustard, fenugreek let mustard splutter. Now add broken red chilli. Pour the tadka one top of the prepared rasam. Garnish with chopped coriander leaves and serve hot with freshly cooked rice.

Potato dry subji

A quick side dish when you expect a special guest for lunch.

Potato dry subji

Potato - 10(wash, peel and cut into cubes)
Red chilli powder 1 tsp
Turmeric powder 1/2 tsp
Ginger one small piece
Green chili 1
Coriander leaves a few
Salt as required.
Oil 2 tbsp
Jeera 1/2 tsp

Method of preparation

Wash potato, peel and cut into small cubes. In a large heated pan pour oil and add Jeera. Let it splutter. Add chopped potato add turmeric. Mix well. Add a cup of water and close the pan with a lid. Allow the potato to cook in medium flame till soft and golden brown. Check whether potato is cooked well and soft. Add chilli powder, salt, ginger and green chili to it and mix well. Garnish the golden yummy potatoes with chopped coriander leaves. Serve as a side dish with rice or roti.

Addai (Multi grain crepe)

Addai

The best way to increase your protein intake is to add a handful of each pulses into your regular addai batter. I have added a handful of Ragi, Bajra, jowar,karamani, green gram, orange masoor dal,horse gram, tuvar dal, broken black urad dal, channa dal, broken raw rice,(1cup) boiled rice(2cups)

Soak all ingredients into a bowl add enough water. After 5 hours grind by adding 4 green chili, little jeera and a few curry leaves. A little hing and finally add salt and adjust taste. Allow the batter to ferment in room temperature. And keep it refrigerated till you want to make addai. Taste great with avial/jaggery/thick curd with crushed green chili, salt and curry leaves.

Aloo Rasedar

 

A delicious and quick gravy for poori, phulka or nan. All you need is potato, tomato and just a small onion (optional)

Ingredients

Aloo 4
Tomato 1
Onion 1(optional)
Green chili 1
Ginger a large piece
Jeera 1 tsp
Dhaniya 1 tsp
Saunf a little
Hing cake a small piece
Red chilli powder 1 tsp
Turmeric powder a pinch
Garam masala 1/2 tsp
Amchoor powder 1/4 tsp
Curry leaves a few ( optional)

Chopped fresh coriander leaves a little

Method of preparation

Wash and cut potatoes into halves and pressure cook till soft. Remove skin and cut into medium sized cubes.

Dry roast saunf, dhaniya, jeera, ginger pieces and finally add hing cake. Coarsely ground the dry roasted masala.

Chop tomato, onion and green chili.

In a heated kadai pour oil or ghee add onion,tomato and green chili. Saute till onion becomes transparent. Let it cool. Make a paste out of it in a mixer be as adding a little water.

Use the same kadai for roasting the cubed potatoes in little oil. Add turmeric, and roast the potatoes till golden brown. Keep aside. Now pour onion and tomato paste, add a little water, allow it to cook till the oil gets separated. Add roasted potatoes, dry ground spices, garam masala, amchoor powder. Coat all the ingredients in potatoes. Cook for 2 minutes. Garnish with fresh dhaniya or curry patha. Serve hot as a side dish with poori, phulka or nan.

Avakkai (Mango pickle)

Fresh avakkai made for this year. It's the most unique pickle made with less effort. A delicious pickle can be made and it will last a whole year.
Avakkai
Mango cut into large cubes 2 kg
Red chilli dry 200grams
(half for spice half for colour) I use sun dried badigaye and red dry chilli. Powder it after removing the stem.
Turmeric1 tbsp
Hing 1/4 tsp
Gingly oil 2 cups
Salt 2 cups
Mustard 1 cup crushed
Method of preparation
Cut the mango along with the seed. Add turmeric, salt,red chilli powder, mustard powder, hing and mix well. Finally add gingly oil. Mix well and leave the pickle for 10 days. Mix the pickle gently everyday for about 2 weeks. Start using it as a side dish with curd rice.

Dhokla with left over idli batter

Dhokla with left over idli batter.
Ingredients
Idli batter 3 cups
Besan 1/4 cup
Green chili 4 slit
Ginger one large piece grated
Grated coconut three tbsp
Mustard 1tsp
Curry leaves a few
Hing a pinch
Eno one sachet
Red chili powder 1/2 tsp
Chopped dhaniya leaves one tbsp
Method of preparation
Mix idli batter, besan, red chili powder, Eno, grated Ginger and salt. Add one cup of water and make the dhokla batter. Leave it for 10 minutes to ferment. Grease cooker vessel with a little oil. Pour the dhokla batter. Pressure cook for 15 to 20 minutes. Poke a fork to check whether the middle part of the batter is soft and evenly cooked. Off the cooker and remove cooked dhokla into a plate. Cut into small pieces.
In a bowl add a tsp of sugar add a little hot water. Mix well till sugar is completely dissolved in water. Pour the mixture on top of the dhokla.
In a heated small pan pour two tsp ghee, little mustard and a dash of Hing. Once the mustard start crackling add curry leaves and slit chili. Spread grated coconut and mustard tadka on top of prepared dhokla. Garnish with finely chopped dhaniya leaves. Serve with dhaniya, pudina chutney.

Kappa masala (Tapioca gravy)

After a long time I bought Kappa (Tapioca) to my surprise the one I bought was very soft and it had very thin outer skin.  Instead of peeling it I had  gently deskin using a peeler!!

To cook Kappa use pressure cooker.  Cut Kappa into large  pieces and add sufficient water,  salt and a little Turmeric powder. Pressure cook for two whistles.  Once it reaches room temperature remove the thin inner stem from Kappa.  Discard the water.
You can enjoy Kappa with crushed green chillies, garlic, tamarind and salt or make Kappa masala for poori or roti.

Kappa masala

Ingredients

Kappa  1kg
Onion 2
Tomato 1
Green chili 2
Ginger a small piece
Oil a tbsp
Mustard 1/4tsp
Urad deal 1/4tsp
Channa deal 1/4tsp
Red chili 2 broken
Salt as required

Method of preparation

Chop onion, tomato, green chili and ginger.  In a heated pan pour oil. Add mustard, Urad dhal, Channa dhal and broken red chili.  Let mustard crackle.  Add chopped vegetables and saute.  Once onion becomes translucent add cooked Kappa.  Smash it gently and add enough water,salt and allow the masala to thicken. Garnish with chopped Coriander leaves and serve hot with phulka or poori.

Roasted mixed vegetables rice and bhindi raitha

Roasted mixed vegetables rice and bhindi raitha.

Ingredients

Basmathi rice 1 cup (cooked)
Onion  1
Carrot 2
Beans a few
Long bean a few
Cauliflower chopped a small  cup
Garlic  a few
Green peas shelled  a small  cup
Coriander a handful
Green chili 2
Ginger a few slices
Ghee 1tbsp
Sunflower oil1tbsp
Salt for taste
Garam masala 1tsp
Turmeric 1/4tsp
Dhaniya jeers powder a little
Pepper powder  1/2 tsp

Method of preparation

Wash and cook Basmathi rice by adding just enough water(1:2) spread in a plate.  Pour Ghee and oil in a heated  kadai.  Add one by one  chopped  vegetables,  garlic, onion, carrot, beans Cauliflower and finally peas. Add green chili and ginger slices.   Saute for a while.  Add Turmeric powder. Reduce the flame allow the vegetables to cook and roast  in slow  fire till soft, tender and onion and cauliflower turns into golden brown. Add Garam masala, , jeers daniya  powder, red chili powder  and salt.  Mix well.  Add a handful of freshly cut Coriander leaves. Toss well with  prepared rice.  Make sure the rice is well mixed with roasted vegetables  adjust salt.  Serve hot with bhindi raitha.

Bhindi raitha

Ladies finger a few
Green chili 2
Ginger a few slices
Coconut a tbsp
Green chili 2
Hing a pinch
Salt for taste
Curd 2cups
Coriander leaves a tbsp

Oil for deep frying bhindi

Method of preparation

Wash, trim and chop bhindi into very small pieces. Keep  oil in a small kadai when oil is really hot slowly add a handful of  chopped bhindi. Let it turn golden brown.  Repeat the process till  all the chopped bhindi is fried.  Spread the fried bhindi on a  paper  napkin.  Let the excess oil be absorbed.

Crush the green chili and coconut in a mixer.
In a bowl add 2 cups of curd, chili, ginger, Hing, salt, chopped coriander leaves, crushed coconut and finally fried bhindi. Mix well.  Serve as a side dish with  roasted mixed vegetables rice.

Badam and coconut halwa

I am tempted to try different ways to make sweets. Today I thought of making badam halwa with almonds and fresh coconut!! The result is super delicious badam coconut halwa.
Badam coconut halwa

Ingredients

Badam 30 nos.
Milk 1/2 litre
Sugar 1 cup
Coconut 2 cups
Elachi 3 to 4
Clove 1
MTR badam milk powder 200grams
Ghee 4 tbsp

Method of preparation

Soak badam and remove skin. Grind the badam with little milk, elachi and one clove. Keep aside. Grate coconut and coarsely grind it in mixer. In a thick bottomed pan pour sugar and 1/2 cup water. Allow it to melt and bubble. Add grated coconut, badam paste, milk. Cook it in high flame for about 20 minutes. Reduce the flame add ghee. Now slowly blend in MTR badam milk powder. This helps in giving a different taste and texture to the sweet. Further keep stirring the halwa till ghee separate. Apply a little ghee on a plate and spread the halwa on it. Allow it to reach room temperature. Cut into desired shape and serve.

Dragon fruit salad

Wishing all my friends and family a very happy new year.
A new twist in salad. I tried making a simple salad with pomegranate, green apple and dragon fruit. (wonder why this most beautiful fruit is called dragon fruit!)
Dragon fruit salad
Ingredients
Dragon fruit 1
Green apple 1
Pomegranate 1
Jeera powder a little
Black salt a little
Chat masala a little
Line juice 1/4 tsp
Method of preparation
Take a beautiful presentable bowl. Cut and chop dragon fruit, apple and remove pomegranate seeds. Mix together. Sprinkle black salt, chat masala, jeera powder and add a 1/4 tsp lemon juice. Toss and serve.