Roasted peanuts (Time pass verkadalai)

Roasted peanuts

One of my favourite snack. It's something which I prefer on a chilly winter evening or on a rainy day.

Ingredients

2 cut Fresh raw peanuts

1 tsp Gingly oil

A little salt

Tips

* Use fresh peanuts.

* Roast in low flame for better crunchiness.

Method

* In a heated pan add peanuts, roast it in low flame, tossing now and then.

*Add gingly oil and salt, roast peanuts till they are crunchy and the peanuts should crack. Showing the white part of it.

* Off stove and let it cool. I love to peel off and eat. If you want you can peel off and store in airtight containers.

* I have glass jars,so prefer to store in them.

It's called time pass verkadalai(peanuts)

Strawberry Goat Cheese Pizza by Sujata Shukla

Here is an interesting recipe for strawberry goat chesse pizza by Sujata Shukla on Pepperonpizza.com/thin-crust-strawberry-goat-cheese-pizza-valsamic/

For recipe link

https://www.pepperonpizz



https://www.facebook.com/groups/chefatlarge/permalink/2290164317738864/?hc_location=ufi

Mango and mixed vegetables rice pulao, curd rice, raitha and lotus roots fry

Sunday is the most busy day for me, so I try to make a pretty delicious lunch which can be called a one pot meal, It saves time, its healthy, nutritious and biggest advantage is you can relish a tasty meal after all the hard work. I have got a large mango from the regular vegetable seller, which is bit tangy and fleshy. I used a small piece in the pulao and make mango pickle by chopping the other piece. 

Mango and mixed vegetable pulao

Ingredients

2 cups Basmathi rice (Wash and drain water keep aside for 30 minutes)

Chop the following ingredients

one small piece mango

1 small beetroot 

1 carrot medium size

4 ivy gourd(kundru)

A few cauliflower florets

1 large onion

1 medium potato

1/2 cup peas

3 green chillies

A small piece ginger

For the delicious aroma add the following ingredients to ghee

Whole spices

2 Cardamom crushed

A piece of cinnamon stick

2 small bay leaves(I used the one I got from my friends farm)

To be added with pulao

1/2 tsp turmeric powder

1/2 coriander powder

1/2 tsp garam masala

1/2 tsp red chilli powder

1/2 tsp dry ginger powder

2 tablespoon ghee


Tips

Wash and drain basmathi rice for half an hour, use old basmathi rice for better results

Add just enough water to the pulao, dip the ladle, heck whether water covers 1/4. The ratio I have used is for 2 cups rice and vegetables 3 cups of water.

Method

In a thick bottomed pressure pan pour ghee, add whole spices, let it emit aroma. Then ass chopped onion, green chilies, ginger, carrot, potato, ivy gourd, mango, peas and cauliflower florets. Add bay leaves. Allow the vegetables to cook in medium flame. Mix in and cook further for about 3 minutes. 

* Add basmathi rice and mix all the dry masala powders like turmeric, dry ginger, coriander, red chili, garam masala powder and finally salt. Mix in 

* Pour three cups of water and do the ladle test. 

* Close lid and cook for two whistles.

* Mix in and serve hot with raitha.


Raitha for pulao

Chop onion/cucumber/tomato. Add to curd, mix in cumin powder, salt. Add freshly chopped coriander leaves, green chilies and salt. Serve with pulao.

Lotus stem fry 

I have fried dry lotus stem in oil and served it along with pulao and curd rice.

Curd rice

Ingredients

1 cup cooked rice

2 ups curd

1/2 tsp salt

1 tsp chopped coriander leaves

1/4 cup fresh ruby red pomegranate seeds

2 tsp gingly oil

1/2 tsp mustard seeds

1/2 tsp urad dal

5 curd chilies

2 green chilies(chopped)

A small piece of ginger (Chopped)

 Tips

*Use previous days cooked left over rice or cook rice with more water say a cup more for better softer curd rice.

*curd chilies should be roasted till extreme brown or black before adding to curd rice.

Method

*Use a ladle to mix in curd with soft rice. Add salt, pomegranate, chopped coriander leaves. Mix in.

*In a small pan pour gingly oil add mustard seeds, urad dal. Allow mustard seeds to splutter, add curd chilies. Let it turn into dark brown to black. 

* Add chopped ginger and green chilies, a few curry leaves. Pour this into prepared curd rice. Serve with mango pickle or any other pickle of your choice.


Mango pickle

Ingredients

1 mango chopped into tiny pieces

1/2 turmeric powder

1 tsp red chili powder

1/4 tsp hing powder

salt as required

2 broken red chilies

1/4 tsp methi seeds

Tips

Use fresh mangoes, it taste good. I used mango which was bit tangy and fleshy. I have not removed the outer skin, used it as it was very tender.

If you wish you can remove the outer skin of the mango.

Shelf life of this pickle is very limited as I am not using any preservatives, so make in small batches and use it.

Method

* In a pan pour gingly oil, methi seeds, mustard seeds and broken red chilies. Let the mustard seeds splutter.

* Add chopped or grated mango, add turmeric, red chilli, hing and salt. Mix in, allow to cook for 2 to 3 minutes.

*A little grated jaggery will enhance better taste. But its optional.I have not added, but usually when the mango is too sour we add jaggery to balance the taste.

Dhaliya and pulses khichdi

I love to make healthy and nutritious one pot meal. Many days for dinner I enjoy a mixed vegetables, dhaliya and pulses khichdi. Its the most comforting food, on winter nights.

I have used the most basic ingredients to begin with like dhaliya, yellow moong dal, black broken urad dal and a few vegetables. 

Ingredients

Dhaliya 1/2 cup

Moong dal 1/4 cup

Broken black urad dal 1/4 cup

Onion 1

Carrots 5 (very small and tender)

Beans 10

Green chilies 2 (cut into small pieces)

Ginger a small piece 

Green peas 1/2 cup

Tomato 1 large

Cauliflower a few florets(chopped)

Bay leaf 1

Cinnamon stick a small piece

Elachi 2 (Crushed)

Ghee 1 tbsp

Method

* Wash, peel and chop all vegetables, ginger and green chilies.

* In a kadai dry roast dhaliya, moong dal and broken urad dal. 

*Pour ghee add cinnamon stick and bay leaf, gently toss in onion, ginger, green chilies and rest of the chopped vegetables. Saute for 5 minutes. 

*Add roasted dhaliya, pulses and salt. Mix in add 4 to 5 cups of water. 

* Close lid and pressure cook for 3 whistles.

*Served with subzis(Avarkkai and Bitter gourd), rasam and gooseberry pickle. I had a cup of buttermilk with it. Absolutely delicious.

1. 
   

Rava/Maida and rice powder dosa

I have tried to create a small video which describe the right method of making rava dosa. Sometimes I follow the same procedure to make maida and rice powder dosa.

Rava/ Maida and rice powder dosa

Ingredients

Maida/rava 1 cup

Rice powder 1/2 cup

Chopped green chilies 1 tsp

Ginger grated a little

Salt as required

Red chilli powder 1/2 tsp

Jeera powder 1 tsp

Coriander powder 1/2 tsp

Crushed pepper a little

Whole jeera 1/2 tsp

Mustard seeds 1/2 tsp

Gingly oil 1 tsp

Hing powder a little

Chopped methi leaves a little

Chopped coriander leaves a little

Method

*In a bowl mix in rava/maida and rice powder. Add sufficient water and make a thin batter.  

Add chopped coriander, methi leaves,salt, red chilli powder, jeera, coriander and mix in.

*In a small pan pour oil add mustard and let it splutter, add chopped ginger and green chilies. Pour it on top of the batter and mix in.

*In hot tawa/griddle pour batter from little height so that it falls and create web.

*Don't worry about the shape as you cannot make rava dosa into exact round shape like regular dosa.

*Flip the other side and cook till golden brown and crispy. Serve with green chutney or coconut chutney.

We had it with pulikachal. It's divine! 

Onion shoots pakodi with ginger, mint black tea

Onion shoots taste great when added to pakodi. Today's evening snack was garden fresh onion shoots, palak, green chilies, curry leaves, red amaranth.

Ingredients

Bean 1 cup
Salt as required
Green chilies 2
Ginger a small piece,thinly sliced
Red amaranth a few
Curry leaves a few
Fresh coriander leaves
Palak a little
Onion shoots a bunch
Kalonji a little
Ajwain a little
Red chilli powder a tsp
Turmeric powder a little
Coriander powder a little

Method

* Chop all greens, chillies, onion, ginger

*In a large bowl mix in Besant, chopped greens, onion, ginger, green chilies, kalonji, ajwain,salt, turmeric powder,red chilli powder,and very less water. Carefully blend them into a soft thick batter.

*Keep oil for frying. When it's medium heat use a spoon to scoop small portions of besan batter and put it in the oil. Fry till golden, crispy brown.

*Remove in kitchen paper napkins and let it absorb any excess oil.

*Serve with masala chai  and hari chutney.

Ginger and mint black tea

Ingredients

Tea powder 1 tsp

Sugar 1/2 tsp

Ginger grated 1 tsp

Mint leaves a few

Water 250 ml

Method

In a tea pot add tea powder, grated ginger, mint leaves and sugar. Boil water and pour into this mixture. Wait for a while and enjoy your ginger, mint black tea. 

Besan ki gravy with parathas

Some days for morning breakfast I make plain parathas, with that I make a besan(Gram flour) gravy. Its something which is very quick gravy it hardly require any preparation.

All you need is a few tablespoonful of besan, green chilies, ginger, curry leaves, little curd, salt and hing.

Well, I will explain how to make besan ki gravy in a jiffy. 

Ingredients

Besan - 2 tablespoon

Buttermilk - 1/2 cup

Water - 2 cups

Green chilies - 2(chop into extremely thin pieces)

Ginger a small piece( cut into thin slices)

Hing a little

Salt as required 

Turmeric powder - 1/2 tsp

For tempering 


Mustard oil 1 tablespoon

Mustard seeds 1/4 tsp

Dry red chili 1 broken into halves

Curry leaves/coriander leaves a few


Method

*In a bowl add besan and buttermilk, use a hand blender to blend it to a smooth paste, no lumps at all. Add turmeric, red chili powder, salt. Add water and mix well. Keep aside.

*In a heated kadai pour oil, mustard, allow it to splutter, add broken red chili. Pour the besan mixed with water. Add hing, curry leaves and stir. 

*Mix gently. Allow it to cook in medium flame. Stirring in between. Within a few minutes it will start boiling and the quantity will reduce to half of what you have poured. Off stove. Serve hot with parathas and a cup of masala cahi.  Its a dish in itself. Yum!