SPINACH MOONG DOSA

Hi all, Its been such a long time. Well, I am in India now for a long vacation with my kids and so far having a good time enjoying great food and meeting lots of people. Speaking about food, was watching a local channel and they were showing some healthy recipes which were easy to make and healthy too. We tried one of them at home and it came out so well. We didn't have a couple of ingredients and we didn't use one of the ingredients because of Navaratri pooja at home. Enough of talking about it, here it goes....

SPINACH MOONG DOSA

INGREDIENTS

MOONG DAL: 1 CUP
URAD DAL: 1/4 CUP
GREEN CHILLIES: 3-4
JEERA: 1 TSP
FENNEL SEEDS: 1 TSP
ONION: 1
SPINACH: 1/2 CUP CHOPPED WASHED IN WATER
SALT



Spinach Moong Dosa
 

MAKING

Soak the Moong and the Urad Dal for at least a couple of hours before use. Grind them both with salt and Green chilli's into nice smooth consistency like dosa batter. In a pan add a tsp of oil, saute the jeera, fennel seeds and onion until golden brown and add it to the dosa batter. Finally add the chopped spinach and mix them well. Take a non-stick pan and spread the batter like a dosa. Serve the dosa hot with tomato chutney and believe me its delicious.

VARIATIONS

Since I didn't have Fennel seeds and didn't want to use Onion on a pooja day. I made them with the rest of the ingredients and it came out so well. Its healthy and tastes so well too. Try it and let me know. Signing off from India.

 

FRESH BHINDI MASALA (GRAVY)

Hi all,

Its been a while since I psoted a recipe. Well, I've been busy with our India trip coming up shortly. Recently, much to my surprise I have been getting a good number of Okra/Ladies finger from my own veggie garden. I am surprised as I was never serious with my garden nor am I interested in gardening. This time I made my own veggie garden and for the first couple of months, I didnt have anything and now with fall commencing, I wasnt expecting anything but lo and behold, I have been getting fresh Okra's and Tomatoes almost every other day. This has motivated me to take an interest in gardening and maybe next time plant more veggie plants. So, the other day I had about 5-6 Okra's from my garden and I really wanted to make something as it was so fresh. Here it is, straight from my garden

FRESH BHINDI MASALA GRAVY

INGREDIENTS

OKRA/BHINDI/LADIES FINGER : 6-7
ONIONS: 1 CHOPPED
TOMATOES: 1 CHOPPED
POTATO: 1 CHOPPED INTO SMALL PIECES
GINGER AND GARLIC: CHOPPED 1 TBSP EACH
JEERA: 1 TSP
TURMERIC POWDER: A PINCH
RED CHILLI POWDER: 1 TSP
DHANIA POWDER: 1 TSP
GARAM MASALA: 1 TSP
GREEN CHILLI: 1 SLIT
SALT AND OIL AS REQUIRED




Bhindi Masala Gravy

MAKING

The first step is to wash the Bhindi slit them into 4 and then cut them into long medium sized pieces. Next, dry them thoroughly by cleaning them with a dry paper towel and set aside. Take a kadai and pour a tbsp of oil, add the Jeera, 1 Green Chilli, Onions, Ginger and Garlic with a pinch of Turmeric and saute it until light brown.Next add the tomato and stir for a couple of minutes before adding the red chilli powder, Dhania powder, Garam Masala powder and salt. Stir fry for 5 minutes. If it gets dry, add half a cup of water for all spices to get mixed. Add in the chopped potato pieces and close the lid and allow it to cook for 10-15 minutes in low flame with water until the potatoes are soft and cooked. Meanwhile in a separate pan, stir fry the Okra/Bhindi with a tsp of oil and salt until it is lightly cooked, fried and has a colour to it. Finally add the fried Okra pieces to the cooked Gravy and mix it all up and cook for a couple of minutes. Switch off the gas and delicious Bhindi Masala is ready to serve.

TIPS

I added the potato because Okra tends to reduce in size when cooked and since I had just 5-6 okra's it made sense.

Food for thought....

Hi its been a while since I posted something but with two small kids, thats how it works. Anyway I met a woman the other day at our community park and she was there with her 15 month old son. We started talking and found out that she was originally from Argentina and she too like me had come to America at the age of 24-25. I was fascinated that her culture was so similar to ours. The way her family structure is and the reactions to situations are so alike.

She hails from Argentina and her mother tongue is Spanish. She was talking about how Argentina  has people from all backgrounds and most of them were descendents from Italian and Arabic countries. I was so happy listening to everything she had to say about her country, people and food. Their food consists of Salads, Pasta's, Fajita's and most importantly Steak which was a regular. This was mainly because of the Italian and Spanish influence.

Another interesting fact was that when we hear Spanish we immediately think Mexican but in Argentinian history, the native people were all killed and wiped out and thats why they do not have less Mexican and more Italian and other influences.

They too like us are very nosy and social. Like she was saying even if we go to buy bread we end up talking for hours and family togetherness is the core. It was such a pleasure to meet and interact with her.

After I got back home, It made me think that the world is indeed so small. There are so many countries with their own unique culture, people and distinct qualities yet we share some similar customs and traits here and there which makes us ponder on why we have so much Violence and wars.

Peace..

Think about it

VEGGIE CUTLETS

Hi All,

It was raining the other day. The first thought that came into my mind was the dish that I used to make before marriage. It was one of the first things that I made and still remains my favorite of all time. It was always the mom who used to cook and I used to treat cooking as a hobby like most young girls did. I used to make this dish along with potato fries whenever I had the "mood" to cook which was rare by the way. So, today when I made this dish again it reminded me of those days. Here it is......

VEGGIE CUTLETS

INGREDIENTS

VEGETABLES LIKE POTATO, PEAS, CARROTS AND CAULIFLOWER
MARIE BISCUITS: 1 FULL PACK
CLOVES, CINNAMON STICKS AND BAY LEAVES: 4-5, 2 AND 1 RESPECTIVELY
GARAM MASALA: 1 TSP
RED CHILLI POWDER: 1/2 TSP
SALT AS REQUIRED
OIL FOR FRYING

VEGGIE CUTLETS

MAKING

Take a Kadai with a Tbsp of oil. Add the Cloves, Bay leaves, and Cinnamon sticks. Stir for a couple of minutes before adding the above-mentioned vegetables. Stir again for 5 minutes before adding the Red chilly powder, Garam Masala and salt as required. Pour a cup of water, close the lid, and allow it to cook until the vegetables are soft and boiled thoroughly. Switch off the gas and allow it to cool for a little while. Make sure the veggie gravy is warm. Now, for the final step, grind the Marie biscuits into a coarse powder and add it to the mixture and make small flat balls with them and keep them aside.

Take a flat pan and pour oil in it just enough to coat the entire pan (just a layer). Fry the cutlet balls so that the outer layer is brown and fried. Delicious Veggie Cutlets is ready. Serve them hot with Tomato sauce.

TIPS: Always make sure the amount of powdered Marie Biscuits is more than the vegetable mix. for eg, if you have 1 cup of vegetable gravy, add at least 1 and a half cup of powdered Marie Biscuits. Also, the veggie mix has to be warm so that you can hold them and make it into balls. If you want, you can also deep fry the cutlets or for the health-conscious like me, just make it in the above-mentioned way.

KOTHAMALLI (CORIANDER) THOGAYAL

Hi All,

Its been a while since I posted something. Well, its all thanks to summer and my 2 naughty kids who keep me busy. But, here I am with a recipe that's very common and many of you would have already made it several times but for those who don't, here it is

KOTHAMALLI (CORIANDER) THOGAYAL

Its very similar to the Onion Thogayal that I had posted a few weeks back.

INGREDIENTS

KOTHAMALLI (CORIANDER) : 1/2 A BUNCH  washed and dried
URAD DAL: 2 TBSP
RED CHILLIES: 3-4
TAMARIND: 1/2 TSP
SUGAR: 1/2 TSP
SALT AS REQUIRED

Coriander Chutney/ Thogayal

MAKING

Take a pan, add a Tsp of oil and fry the Red Chillies and Urad Dal until they turn light brown.Switch off the gas, add the tamarind and the fresh Coriander. Wait for the mix to cool off and grind it into a paste with Salt and Sugar. Make sure you don't grind it too much, just give it a spin or two in a blender/mixer. Delicious Kothamalli/coriander Thogayal is ready to be served. Works well with Rice and Roti's

CHEESE-PAPAD STICKS

Hi all,

It's been hectic with my daughter running all around pushing and throwing everything she gets hold off. Coming to recipes, I saw this one when it was posted on the Food Network site and thought of making it. It's easy and is a big hit with kids as verified by my 2 little kids who finished it quick and fast. So here it goes, I've named it

ChEESE-PAPAD STICKS

INGREDIENTS

MILK: 3/4 CUP
ALL PURPOSE FLOUR: 1 CUP
SALT
LIZZAT PAPAD OR ANY FLAVOURED PAPAD (JEERA, GARLIC ETC) 1-2
MOZZARELLA CHEESE: AROUND 15 PIECES
BREAD POWDER: 1/2 -1 CUP

MAKING

First, take a bowl in it, add 3/4th cup of milk and 2 tbsp of flour and mix them well without any lumps and set them aside. In another bowl, mix the bread powder and finely crushed Papad and set them aside. Put the rest of the All-Purpose Flour in a Ziplock bag. Now the process begins, take the cut mozzarella cheese and first put them in the flour bag and mix well, next drop the flour-coated cheese in the milk-flour bowl and finally into the bread-papad mix so that the cheese is thoroughly coated with the bread mix. Take a flat baking tray and grease the base with vegetable oil, place the cheese-papad stick in a single layer so that it doesn't touch each other. Refrigerate them for at least 1-2 hours. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees and bake the cheese-papad sticks for about 10 minutes until the sticks are light brown. Delicious Cheese-Papad Sticks are ready to eat.

TIPS

Make sure you refrigerate the cheese sticks well. You could even do that one day in advance. This is necessary as cheese remains firm and does not melt when it's in the oven. It's very important to do this step as my first try had all the cheese half melted.

ONION THOGAYAL

Hi all,

Its been quite a while but here I am with a new recipe. This one was taught to me by my mom when I was a newly wed and she had written a bunch of recipes for me on a sheet of paper. This one is very simple and can be made within 10 minutes. Its perfect as a side dish and also can be eaten with rice on its own. So, here it goes

ONION THOGAYAL

INGREDIENTS

ONIONS: 2 MEDIUM
RED CHILLIES: 4-5
URAD DAL: 3 TBSP
PULI/TAMARIND: 1/2 TSP OR A VERY SMALL PIECE
MUSTARD SEEDS
OIL AND SALT AS REQUIRED




Onion Thogayal

MAKING

Take a pan, add a spoon of oil, fry the Urad dal, Red chillies, Onions for a few minutes until the urad dal has become light brown and the onions too has started sweating and has become golden brown. Switch off the gas, and add the Puli/Tamarind. Allow this mix to cool and grind it to a fine paste (chutney consistency) with the required amount of salt.

Take the pan, add a Tsp of oil. Once the oil is hot, add some Mustard seeds. Once it splutters add the onion paste and stir it for a couple of minutes until the raw smell of the gravy is gone. That's it, delicious Onion Thogayal is ready to eat. Serve it with Rotis/Chapathi's or mix it in rice with a bit of Gingelly oil and its equally tasty.

 Its perfect for anyone who wants to make something easy and instantly so you have more time in your hands or you simply don't want to cook. Its also perfect for bachelors who want to make something quick and tasty. Enjoy !

TIPS

Use dark Indian onions than light ones as it gives a nice color to the thogayal. Also in case you run out of big onions, you can also use small onions instead.

CORIANDER PESTO SAUCE

Hi All,

Hope you had a wonderful weekend. So, I decided to make Pesto sauce only to find out that I pretty much didn't have any of the ingredients needed. For those who don't know, Pesto is a chutney or sauce which is made primarily with Basil leaves, Pine nuts, Cheese, Garlic etc. I was so determined to make pesto that I did my own take on it and came up with a Coriander Pesto. Unsure of the outcome made it more exciting and fun. In the end, it turned out perfect and delicious. We spread it over a grilled cheese sandwich and it was just way too good. So here it goes, my own version of pesto sauce which I am going to call....

CORIANDER PESTO SAUCE

CORIANDER LEAVES: 1 CUP OR 1/2  BUNCH
WALNUT: 4-5
GARLIC: 2 CLOVES
CHEESE: ANY WHITE CHEESE (I used plain cream cheese)
SALT and SUGAR
OLIVE OIL (OPTIONAL)




CORIANDER PESTO SAUCE

MAKING

Grind fresh Coriander leaves, Garlic, Walnuts, Cheese with Salt  and Sugar (1/2 tsp) into a fine paste. You can add Olive Oil for additional taste if needed. Otherwise, your coriander pesto Sauce is ready to serve. Spread it on a sandwich and that's it !

TIPS AND VARIATIONS

You can use Romano Cheese or Parmesan cheese for the Sauce. You could also use Pine Nuts instead of walnuts. You could add Olive oil for added Flavor.

VEG. JALFRAZIE WITH CHEESE

Hi all,

Hope you had a nice weekend. Ours was a busy weekend doing a Pooja for my daughter on her 1st Birthday. So, the recipe I am going to share today is a simple vegetable Jalfrazie with a twist right at the end. Its very simple and the ingredients are common and used in many other side dishes. so here it goes

VEGETABLE JALFRAZIE WITH CHEESE

INGREDIENTS

ONIONS: 1 BIG OR 2 SMALL
TOMATO: 1 MEDIUM
CAPSICUM: 1 MEDIUM
POTATO: 1 MEDIUM
CARROTS AND PEAS: 1/2 CUP
GREEN CHILLIES: 1-2
GINGER AND GARLIC: 1 TBSP TOGETHER
RED CHILI POWDER : 1/2 TSP
DHANIA POWDER: 1/2 TSP
GARAM MASALA: 1 TSP
GHEE: 1 TBSP
SALT AS REQUIRED
CHEESE FOR GARNISH

Veg Jalfrazie with cheese

MAKING

Cut all the vegetables into long thin slices including the Onion, Tomatoes. Green chillies, Ginger and Garlic. Take a pan, add a tbsp of ghee. Once its hot, add the Jeera, Ginger, Garlic, Green chillies and Onion , stir it for a couple of minutes until the onion starts sweating and is light brown in color. Add the tomatoes and allow it to cook for another 2 minutes before adding Red chilli powder, Dhania powder, Turmeric powder. Stir this for a few minutes, make sure it doesn't get burnt. Add all the vegetables and cook them with required salt and Garam Masala. Add a cup of water and close the pan lid and cook until the vegetables are thoroughly cooked and soft. Switch off the gas and allow it to cool a bit. Add long thin slices of cheese as garnish. Delicious Veg. Jalfrazie with cheese is ready. Serve it with hot roti's/Chapathi's or rice.

TIPS

Make sure the veggies are not overcooked. I used American cheese as its mild but you could use Cheddar too. You can also squeeze half a lemon for added flavor.

DAL MASALA

Hi all,

The recipe I am going to share today is one of my favourite side dish. Its a very common dish and I am sure many of you would be making it often as well. I was introduced to this dish by my MIL in one of her visits to the US. I loved it and since then its been a regular at our house for dinner. Hope you like it as much as me and my family do. Here it goes

DAL MASALA

INGREDIENTS

MOONG DAL : 2 CUPS
ONION: 1 MEDIUM CHOPPED
TOMATO: 1 MEDIUM CUT INTO SMALL PIECES
GREEN CHILLIES: 4-5 CHOPPED
GINGER: CHOPPED (2 TSP)
HALF A LEMON
CHOPPED CORIANDER LEAVES
OIL AND SALT AS REQUIRED

DAL MASALA

MAKING

Boil the Moong dal covering it with enough water on a low flame with a pinch of turmeric and salt. Make sure the gas in in low flame as Moong dal tends to overflow and the salt added should be half of what we is needed for the entire dish as we add the rest to the veg gravy in total. Take a kadai, fry the onions in 2 tsp of oil until light brown. Add the Ginger, green chillies and stir for a couple of minutes. Once the onion is sweating and soft, add the cut tomato pieces and stir again until the tomatoes are soft and have mixed well with the onion mix. Add the other half of salt as required and allow it to cook for about 2-3 minutes on a medium flame. Finally, add the boiled Moong Dal and cook for another few minutes until the dal has mixed well with the rest of the ingredients. Garnish it with chopped coriander leaves. Delicious Dal is ready, serve it hot with roti's /chapathi's,

TIPS

 If you want you can make the Dal without Tomato in it. In that case, just add the lemon juice right at the end after garnish to get the flavor. Make sure the gas is switched off when adding the lemon juice. Enjoy !

SPROUTED GREEN GRAM (MOONG) DAL GRAVY

Hi all,

I am here with one more recipe that I made yesterday. This one is traditionally a side dish for Puttu, a Kerala delicacy. But as I found out, it makes an excellent side dish for Roti's/Chapathi's too. Its simple, healthy and delicious so here it goes.

MOONG (GREEN GRAM) DAL GRAVY

INGREDIENTS

SPROUTED GREEN GRAM (MOONG) : 2 CUPS
ONION: 1 BIG OR 2 SMALL
GREEN CHILLI'S: 3-4
JEERA : 2 TSP
COCONUT: 2 TBSP
SALT AND OIL AS REQUIRED
LEMON : 1/2 PIECE

GREEN GRAM (MOONG) DAL GRAVY

MAKING

Boil the sprouted Green Gram until its well boiled and soft. Make sure its not overly boiled and is intact.Next, grind coconut, jeera and green chilli's together to make a nice paste like a chutney. Take a pan, pour 1 Tsp of oil, add finely chopped onions and saute them until light brown. Add the gravy mixture to the onions and stir them for a couple of minutes until the raw smell of the gravy mix is gone. Finally, add the boiled Green Gram (Moong) and mix them all together and cook them for a couple of minutes.Garnish it with Curry leaves and your Green Gram Dal Gravy is ready to eat. Serve hot with Roti's / Chapathi's. Enjoy !

TIPS

After you switch off your gas, add a dash of freshly squeezed lemon juice (1/2 lemon) to give it a nice flavor.

CABBAGE PAKODA

Hi All,

I am back. Have been so caught up in the last month with my Daughter's first B'day and other stuff that I just didn't find any time to try something new and share it here.

Moving on, cabbage is one vegetable which has very limited options and I am always confused on what to make with this large ball of leaves.It is my least favorite vegetable (My parents would swear by that) and I guess its the least favorite for many others especially children who run away at the sight of any veggies anyway leave alone cabbage. So, I had some cabbage left and was wondering what to do when thought of this recipe. So, here it goes

SIMPLE CABBAGE PAKODA

INGREDIENTS

CHICKPEA FLOUR/BESAN/KADALAI MAAVU: 1 CUP
RICE FLOUR: 1/2 CUP
CABBAGE: 2 CUPS FINELY CHOPPED
ONION: 1 BIG OR 2 SMALL: FINELY CHOPPED
GINGER AND GARLIC: 1 TSP (PASTE) OR 2 TSP FINELY CHOPPED
GREEN CHILLIES: 3 CHOPPED
RED CHILLI POWDER; 1/2 TSP
TURMERIC POWDER
SALT AND OIL AS REQUIRED

Cabbage Pakoda

MAKING

Mix both the Flours together with salt and all the ingredients mentioned above. Mix them thoroughly with 1/2 cup hot oil and little bit of water if needed. Make sure the mixture doesn't stick in your hands but is loose but at the same time well mixed just like the other pakodas we make.

Heat oil in a kadai, once its hot, fry the pakoda mixture and your hot Cabbage Pakodas are ready to eat. Serve them with Tomato sauce or Green chutney. Believe me, its really good. The reason we add the other ingredients is to take away the taste of cabbage which many of us I assume, dislike.

VEGETABLE CASHEW MASALA

Hi All,

Hope you all had a great weekend. On my side, it was busy as my daughter's Birthday is coming up so, running here and there making all the arrangements and purchases for the party. The recipe that I am posting is straight from my mother's kitchen. She is an awesome cook and the best part is that she makes it look so easy. This one is again a side dish for Roti's and Chapathi's and its called


CASHEW MASALA

INGREDIENTS

MIXED VEGETABLES: POTATOES, PEAS, CARROTS, CAULIFLOWER, BELL PEPPERS ( Half a cup each, overall 2-3 cups)
OIL
SALT AS REQUIRED
TURMERIC POWDER : A PINCH

FOR THE GRAVY

TOMATO: 1 BIG OR 2 SMALLCASHEWS : AROUND 15 SOAKED IN WATER FOR 10 MINS
RED CHILLI'S: 4-5
CORIANDER SEEDS: 4 TSP
CORIANDER LEAVES: A HANDFUL
GINGER: 1 TBSP OR 1 SMALL PIECE
GARLIC: 1-2 CLOVES
CUMIN SEEDS/JEERA : 1/2 TSP

Vegetable Cashew Masala

MAKING

Cut all the vegetables into small cubes and boil them with a little bit of salt and turmeric powder until soft and set aside. Grind all the Masala ingredients with the Tomato in the blender into a nice smooth paste (chutney consistency).

Take a kadai, pour a Tsp of oil. Add some Mustard seeds. Once it splutters, pour in the masala paste and stir them for 3-4 minutes until the raw smell of the masala is gone. Finally, add all the boiled vegetables with a little bit of salt and stir them again for 5 minutes. Switch off the gas once the vegetables have mixed well with the gravy . Granish with a blob of butter on top and your delicious Cashew masala is ready to serve..

TOMATO CHUTNEY

Hi all,

Hope you all had a great weekend. So, Last week I had made Uthappam with the left over maavu/batter and so came up with it but then again it required a side dish. The best thing about Maavu/Batter is that you can make Idli, then dosa and if theres any leftovers, we can make delicious Uthappam. The best side dish in my opinion, for this is Tomato chutney so that's the recipe I am going to share today. Its easy to make and simple yet works very well with Uthappam's, Dosas and the likes ...

TOMATO CHUTNEY

INGREDIENTS

TOMATO : 2
DRY RED CHILLIES: 3
GINGER : 1 SMALL PIECE
CURRY LEAVES : 10-12
COCONUT GRATED : 2-3 TBSP
MUSTARD SEEDS :1/2 TSP
OIL
SALT AS REQUIRED


Tomato Chutney

MAKING

Fry red chillies, curry leaves and Ginger in a tsp of oil until light brown and add the tomatoes. In a Blender/Mixer, add the above fried ingredients with coconut and salt and grind them into a nice pasts. Finally, season it with spluttered mustard seeds and curry leaves. Serve at room temperature with hot Uthappam's or freshly made Dosa's...Enjoy

Variations: You can add a couple of small oinions for flavor. Fry it along with the red chillies, ginger and curry leaves and grind along with the rest mentioned above.

PALAK-GAAJAR MASALA

Hi All,

Thank you all for the wonderful and encouraging response to my blog, really appreciate it. So, decided to make Chapathi's the other day and you know, its always a struggle to come up with different Side- dishes for it frequently. In an utter indecisive state, thought of making a side dish that I had seen on TV. This side dish comes from the state of Uttar Pradesh. The interesting thing about the dish is the making because its different and you will see that when you read the making instructions. So, here it goes. I have decided to name it

PALAK-GAAJAR MASALA

INGREDIENTS

ONIONS: 1
TOMATO PUREE : 1/2 CUP OR 1/2 TOMATO
PALAK/SPINACH : 1/2 CUP (BLANCHED)
CARROT: 1/2 CUP (BOILED)
PEAS: 1/2 CUP (BOILED)
BAY LEAF: 1
CARDAMOM : 2
DHANIA POWDER/CORIANDER POWDER: 1 TSP
RED CHILLI POWDER : 1 TSP
SALT AS REQUIRED
GHEE : 2 TBSP
FRESH CREAM : 2 TBSP



Palak-Gaajar Masala

MAKING

Firstly, Boil the Onions in water and grind into a nice paste. Also boil all the vegetables and keep them aside. Take a pan, add 2 tbsp Ghee, bay leaf, and cardamom.When its hot, add the onion paste and stir them until you see the oil separating and to take out the raw smell of the onions. Now, add some Chilli powder and Dhania powder and stir for a a few seconds before adding the tomato puree/tomato and again cook them until the oil separates from the pan. Add salt and  finally add the boiled/blanched vegetables and cook till the veggies have blended well with the rest of the gravy. Garnish it with fresh cream and serve hot with rotis/naan's. Trust me, its delicious.

VARIATIONS: You can also add vegetables like corn/beans if you want. You can blanch the spinach by cooking it in hot water and making it soft.Not too much as spinach cooks fast so just until it becomes soft. The dish would be milder and not so high on the spicy side. Do try it.

VEGGIE BREAD BALLS

Hi All,

Time for a new recipe. I made this when it was raining and you crave something fried, hot, and tasty. This one is perfect on a rainy day. It's simple and great for kids who refuse to eat vegetables otherwise. So, here it goes...

VEGGIE BREAD BALLS

INGREDIENTS

POTATOES: I BOILED AND GRATED
CAULIFLOWER: 1/2 CUP BOILED AND GRATED
PEAS, CARROTS: 1/2 CUP EACH BOILED
RED CHILLI POWDER: 1/2 TSP
DHANIA POWDER: 1/2 TSP
GARAM MASALA: 1/2 TSP
BREAD SLICE: 2-3
CORIANDER LEAVES: 2 TBSP
SALT AS REQUIRED
OIL FOR FRYING

Veggie Bread Balls

MAKING
Boil all the vegetables and grate them. Add red chili, dhania powder, garam masala powder, salt, and coriander leaves and mix them well. Soak the bread in water and drain all the water out of it and mix it with the veggie mix. Make it into balls and deep fry them until golden. Garnish it with finely chopped coriander leaves and serve it with sauce either tomato or pudhina.

VARIATIONS

You can add cheese spread into the mix to make it extra delicious. You can also add chopped mint leaves to give flavor. For health-conscious people, instead of deep-frying, you can just fry the outer layer as the vegetables inside it are already boiled. One can also add rice flour in case the veggie mix is loose and has extra water.

MUSHROOM MASALA CURRY

Hey all,

The recipe that I going to post today was from a cooking show that I saw on TV some days back. This dish is from the state of Goa and apparently Goans love using coconut in everything. I made this yesterday and it was an instant hit. when I say " hit", it means it was relished by everyone at home including my 3 year old son who surprisingly asked for more. So here it goes, its called.....

MUSHROOM MASALA CURRY

INGREDIENTS

MUSHROOM : 6 LARGE
ONIONS: 1 LARGE OR 2 SMALL
TOMATOES : 1 LARGE OR 2 SMALL
GREEN CHILLIES: 2
COCONUT MILK: 2-3 TBSP
TAMARIND PULP: 1/2 TSP

FOR THE GRAVY

CUMIN SEEDS/JEERA : 2 TSP
CORIANDER SEEDS/DHANIA: 2 TSP
GINGER
GARLIC; 2-3 CLOVES
CORIANDER LEAVES: 1 BUNCH OR 1/2 A BUNCH
COCONUT : 2 TBSP
GREEN CHILLIES: 3

Mushroom Masala Curry

MAKING

Wash the Mushrooms thoroughly and cut each one into 4 equal pieces and keep them aside. Put all the ingredients needed for the gravy and grind them into a nice paste. Take a kadai, pour 2-3 tsp oil. Add the finely chopped onions, slit green chillies, a pinch of turmeric powder and stir them until golden. Add the tomatoes and stir them until the tomatoes have softened and blended well with the onions. Now add the gravy masala and cook them (3-4 mins) with salt till the raw smell of the masala goes away. You can add some water if the gravy is too thick. Finally, add the cut mushrooms, the tamarind pulp and stir them for another 5 minutes until the mushrooms are cooked and blended with the gravy. Don't over cook the mushrooms as it will shrink and soften a lot. Make sure the gas in in low flame, add the coconut milk and cook for a couple of minutes before switching off the gas. Garnish it with a dash of coconut milk and serve them hot with chapatis/rotis.

TIPS

Don't add too much water as Mushrooms releases water when cooked so your gravy might end up too thin. Keep the gas in low flame when adding coconut milk. Don't overcook the mushrooms.

MORU KALI

Hey All,

First of all, Wishing everyone a Very Happy Valentines day. The recipe I am going to post today has nothing lovey-dovey about it. Its an experimental dish, so some may like it and many may wont. It looks like Upma , consistency is pasty and tastes like tart but in the end, its all up to individual preferences. I liked it and so did my husband so here it goes.

MORU KALI

INGREDIENTS

SOUR BUTTERMILK ( ABOUT 4-5 CUPS)
RICE FLOUR : 2-3 CUPS
GREEN CHILLIES: 4-5
RED CHILLIES: 1-2
CHANNA DAL: 2TSP
MUSTARD SEEDS: 1TSP
CURRY LEAVES
SALT AS REQUIRED

MAKING

Mix the rice flour, green chillies, salt into the buttermilk and mix it thoroughly.The consistency would be slightly thinner than a dosa batter. Next take a kadai, pour 2 tsp of oil, add mustard seeds, Channa Dal and red chillies. Once the mustard seeds splutters, add the buttermilk mix and stir it continuously keeping the gas in low flame until the mix thickens just like in upma. Garnish it with Curry leaves and your Moru Kali is ready to eat. Its very simple and tastes good too.

LIQUID KULFI

Hi All,

My recipe today is more of a Dessert drink and its very simple and just basic. This one is called Liquid Kulfi as its pretty much tastes like a Kulfi. So, here it goes.

LIQUID KULFI

INGREDIENTS

CONDENSED MILK: 1 CAN
EVAPORATED MILK: 1 CAN
WHIPPED CREAM: AS REQUIRED
CARDAMOM POWDER: 1/2 TSP

MAKING

Very simple actually, Open all the cans, pour in to the blender, add whipped cream and Cardamom powder. Blend it well and that's it, its ready to serve. Best served, if chilled and if you want, you can add fruits like Strawberries, Grapes, Blueberries etc...

Tips: The consistency of the drink should be a little thinner than a smoothie or a milk shake. This is great for parties or getogethers because its simple and quick to make so Enjoy !

EGG MASALA

Hey all, Hope you all had a great weekend. So here I am with a new recipe. This one is very very simple. I made it when I didn't have the mood to make anything detailed nor wanted to eat out so, came up with this one. So here it goes.

SIMPLE EGG MASALA

INGREDIENTS

EGGS: 5 (LARGE)
GINGER; 2 TBSP
GARLIC: 2 CLOVES
ONION: 1
TOMATO: 1
JEERA: 1 TSP
RED CHILLY POWDER: 1/2 TSP
TURMERIC POWDER: A PINCH
DHANIA POWDER : 2 TSP
SALT AS REQUIRED


MAKING

Take a vessel, fill it with water and boil the eggs with a sprinkle of salt. Take the eggs out after its hard boiled and peel the outer cover and keep aside. Now take a pan, add little oil, add the Jeera, Ginger, Garlic, Turmeric powder, Red Chilli Powder, Dhania Powder. Stir for 2 minutes before adding the finely cut onion. Stir fry again for a couple of minutes before adding the tomato cut into small pieces. Add the salt as required and stir for 2-3 minutes. Add the hard boiled eggs cut into half, add a little water and allow it to simmer until the gravy has no water residue and is thicker. Garnish it with fresh coriander leaves and your simple Egg Masala is ready to eat.

Serve it with bread or pav as my sis-in-law mentioned. She told me that its more tasty when served with Pav spread with butter.Hope you make it and more im[portantly like it.

TIPS

Dont stir the gravy too much after the Eggs are added.

Mac N Cheese

So, hey all. The recipe coming up today is is the traditional and everyones favorite Mac N cheese. Its very simple and can be made with simple ingredients.

MAC N CHEESE

INGREDIENTS

TUBE PASTA : SMALL ONES

FOR THE SAUCE

MILK : 1-2 CUPS
ALL PURPOSE FLOUR OR MAIDA : 2 TBSP
UNSALTED BUTTER : 1/2 STICK OR 2 TBSP
CHEESE : SHARP CHEDDAR OR LIGHT CHEDDAR, MOZZARELLA, AMERICAN, MIX OF ALL
SEASONINGS: ONIONS, GARLIC etc

MAKING

Take a vessel and boil water in it with a sprinkle of salt. Once the water has started boiling, add the pasta and cook for 10 minutes. Drain the water and keep the pasta aside.

For the sauce, take a pan, add butter and allow it to melt ( don't melt it too much that it becomes ghee). Add the 2 tbsp all purpose flour and mix it for a few seconds before adding the milk. The reason the all purpose flour/ maida is added is, to thicken the sauce. After the milk is added wait till it starts boiling. Don't let it boil too much. Just when the milk starts boiling, you will see it thickening, add the cheeses. You can combine a little bit of everything. You will see a nice smooth paste like consistency. Make sure the cheese doesn't become sticky or stringy so  keep the gas in low flame and switch off the gas once the cheeses have melted.

Add the pasta, add salt and sprinkle pepper powder on top. Yummy Mac N Cheese is ready.

Now for some variation and Tips;

Mozzarella cheese tends to be sticky so avoid it if  possible. You can also add garlic and onions to it. light fry them both before adding them to the sauce. Add them after the milk . You can also bake them by adding breadcrumbs as the top layer in a greased oven pan. Bake at 350 degrees F for 10 minutes. Lastly, the gas should always be in low flame and make sure the sauce doesnt become too burnt.

Enjoy !

VEGETABLE STEW

Hey all, I am back. First of all, thank you all for the encouragement, thats exactly what I needed to go further. Ok, now my son has gone to school and my daughter is sleeping so its the perfect time to dish out my next recipe. This one I learnt recently and is known to many especially in Kerala. Its called Vegetable Stew served with Appam and Idiappam. I am sure all those from Kerala would be familiar with this.

VEGETABLE STEW

INGREDIENTS

VEGETABLES: CARROTS, POTATOES, CAULIFLOWER, PEAS, CORN etc..
ONIONS : 1 BIG OR 2 SMALL
GINGER : 2 TBSP (CUT, SHREDDED OR PASTE)
GREEN CHILLIES: 4-5
CURRY LEAVES
CORN PEPPER : 1-2 ( not compulsory)
BAY LEAVES : 2
CARDAMOM : 3
CINNAMON STICKS: 3-4
COCONUT MILK : 1 CUP
COCONUT OIL AND SALT

MAKING

Take a pan, add a spoon of coconut oil or any other oil (vegetable, refined oil. canola), add the Bay leaes, Cardamom, Cinnamon sticks, Curry leaves, Ginger paste, Green chillies , Corn pepper. Stir them for a few seconds before adding the Onions. Stir again for a couple of minutes before adding all the vegetables. Make sure the onions and the vegetables are not too fried otherwise the whole stew would be dark in color. Simmer the gas, stir the vegetables, add the salt as required and then finally add the coconut milk. Make sure the gas is in very low flame so that the coconut milk doesn't curdle.If you don't have coconut milk, take grated coconut, grind it in the mixie with water/milk and liquify it so that it gets the consistency like coconut milk. This is what I did as I didnt have coconut milk one time and it came out equally well. The stew shouldn't be too thin or too thick. Your stew is ready, serve it with Appam, Idiappam or any dish like uttappam, sevai . Believe me, its yummy...

CARROT THOGAYAL

Hey there, I am back with a new recipe, this one comes from my Mom-in-law's cooking artillery. She had made this when she visited us in 2011. It's so simple yet delicious. So, here it goes.

CARROT THOGAYAL

INGREDIENTS

CARROTS: 1-2 GRATED
SMALL ONIONS: 5-6

Carrot Thogayal

TAMARIND: SIZE OF A TEN CENT COIN-OR 25 PAISE OR SMALLER
COCONUT: 1-2 TBSP
RED CHILLIES: 3-4
SALT AS REQUIRED


MAKING

Very easy, just grind all the above with salt as required and season it with little coriander leaves and coconut oil.

yummy Carrot Thogayal is ready. you can serve it with chapathi's or rice.

Try it and let me know.

BEETROOT KOOTU

This recipe was made by mom when she was here for my delivery. The other day I wanted to make it but as always I forgot how she made it and so I was forced to give a new spin to it and lo-behold it came out so well that I was surprised myself.

So this recipe is a new spin to my mom's Beetroot kootu

INGREDIENTS

BEETROOT: 1-2
CHANA DAL (Kadalai Paruppu): 1/2 cup
CURRY LEAVES
URAD DAL: 1 TBSP OR HANDFUL
COCONUT : 2 TBSP
RED CHILLIES : 3

Beetroot Kootu

SEASONING

COCONUT OIL AND MUSTARD SEEDS



MAKING

Cut the Beetroot into small cubes. Take the Channa Dal and wash it. Boil the Channa Dal and Beetroot together in a vessel with enough salt and water. Now, I didn't have enough time to boil the dal in the cooker which is the easy way to do, so I chose to boil them both together. Meanwhile, fry the Urad Dal, Dry Red Chillies, and coconut until they are light brown in colour and grind it in the mixie with little water. Remember, Channa Dal, takes a long time to cook which I figured out that day. So once its almost cooked or half-cooked, I couldn't wait any longer so to speed things up, I added this to the coconut gravy already in the mixie. Gave them all one or two more rounds in the blender and yes, the beetroot kootu was ready and well mashed and mixed. The Channa dal was totally cooked and mashed totally with the gravy.

Season it with coconut oil and mustard seeds, add it to the kootu once the mustard splutters and your tasty easy Beetroot Kootu is ready. Have it as a side dish to sambhar and even works well with Roti's.

So try it out especially when you have just one beetroot left out which is of no use.

Happy New Year...

Hi Everyone,

Heres wishing everyone a very Happy New Year. Though I am late and have been busy running around my two little tots day in and day out, I have decided to give my blog another shot and this time want to focus on it a little more.

This year started with me trying out something and ending with something really different and tasty that had my husband asking me to write it down somewhere....

So this really encouraged me to do this more often and so I am going to do it. Lets see how it works out...