What a crowd !!!

Now the inauguration gala has subdued... I stumbled upon a site with a great photographs of inauguration.I liked this one in particular...kind of like God's view...click it and enjoy the big picture.

You can look for more interesting pictures @ this link
http://www.boston.com/bigpicture/2009/01/the_inauguration_of_president.html

Kheema fried rice

In my last trip to India i came across a variety of recipes like kheema biryani , ulavacharu biryani , Apollo fish and so on....Amazed by the creative culinary minds I decided to come up with a new recipie..(ha..ha not really ..you know "necessity...." i have to come up with a quick recipe to satisfy my kid's starving tummy)I got this inspiration from kheema biryaani...

Ingredients:

4 cups cooked rice,

1/2 inch cinnamon stick,

4 cloves,

2 cardamon,

1tbs ginger garlic,

1/2 pound ground chicken or turkey(kheema),

1tsp garam masala( coriander seeds+cloves+cinnamon grounded),

2-3 green chillies,

1 medium onion diced,

1/2 bell pepper diced,

1/2 tsp red chili powder(optional),

2-3 tbs oil

recipe:

• Heat oil in heavy bottomed pan.
• Add cinnamon stick,cloves,cardamon and green chillies.
• Add onion and fry for few minutes.Add ginger garlic to it and fry.
• Add bell pepper and cook for a while.Add the washed ground chicken to it.
• Add salt to taste and fry till the ground chicken is fully cooked.
• Add red chili powder and garam masala to it.
• Add the cooked rice and mix well. serve hot.

Aawada / Dahi wada / perugu garelu ...south indian style

Aavadalu / perugu gaarelu are fried urad dhal balls soaked in spicy yogurt mixture. It's a famous south Indian especially Andhra delicacy.

Ingredients:

1 cup urad dhal(minapappu),(soaked at least for 6 hours)

4 cups yogurt,

2 tsp urad dal,

2 tsp channa dhal,
2tsp mustard seeds,

1tsp cumin seeds,
curry leaf,
2 red chillies,

2 green chillies,
1tsp turmeric,

1tbs oil,

salt to taste.

recipe:

1. Blend yogurt well with hand blender.


2. Heat oil in a heavy bottomed pan and do the seasoning adding the urad dhal,mustard seeds,cumin seeds,green chili ,red chili and curry leaves.


3. Pour this seasoning into blended yogurt ,add salt and mix well.


4. wash urad dhal and grind it using little water.It should be like a thick paste.


5. Heat oil in a heavy bottomed pan .


6. Take a polythene paper(like Ziploc) wet a little and place a small ball of urad dhal on it.


7. Flatten it using your fingers and make a hole in center.


8. Transfer it to your hand from paper and drop carefully into oil.


9. Fry it till it becomes golden brown.


10. Transfer fried wada into a bowl of water and quickly transfer it into yougurt mixture.
11. Soak them for 2 hours and enjoy.

gaarelu/ / wada

Ingredients:

2 cups urad dhal(soaked overnight),

1/2 onion diced,

2 green chillies diced,

salt to taste,

oil to fry.

recipe:

• wash urad dhal and grind it using little water.It should be like a thick paste.


• Add diced onions and chillies and mix well.


• Heat oil in a heavy bottomed pan .


• Take a polythene paper(like Ziploc) wet a little and place a small ball of urad dhal on it.


• Flatten it using your fingers and make a hole in center.


• Transfer it to your hand from paper and drop carefully into oil.


• Fry it till it becomes golden brown.


• Serve hot with chutney of your choice

Tamarind rice /pulihora

Tamarind rice /pulihora is an authentic south Indian recipe. It is usually made as prasadam during festivals and espicially in temples. I thought it would make a good post especially during this time of pongal.

ingredients:

tamarind about lemon size(de seeded),

2-6 green chillies.

2 cups rice,

1tsp fenugreek seeds,

peanuts (handful),

2tbs channa dal,

2 tsp urad dal,

2tsp mustard seeds,

curry leaf,

4-5 red chillies,

1tsp turmeric,

asofoetida,

2-3 tbs oil

recipe:

• Soak tamarind in water and extract the juice by throwing away pulp.Heat a tablespoon oil in a pan and add the tamarind juice to it.cook it until the juice thickens to paste and the raw smell is gone and add the green chillies and cook for few minutes.
• cook rice in rice cooker adding 2 cups of water for 1 cup of rice.(1:2)
• Take cooked rice in a vessel , heat 1tbs oil cool it and add to rice.Add turmeric and mix .
• Add the tamarind paste,salt to rice and mix well.
• In a separate pan heat oil add do the seasoning adding fenugreek seeds, chenna dal,ground nuts ,urad dal,redchillies,curryleaf,asofoetida in order.
• Add the seasoning to rice and mix well.

Happy sankranthi

chocolate mocha milkshake

You might be thinking i'm out of my mind to post this recipe in this chilling weather. But believe me i loooove cold coffee so much that one time i ordered cold coffee on the coldest day of winter...and the poor guy at the register had to double check the order.So for the love of cold coffee here goes the recipie

I am sending this recipe for the event -- For the love of chocholate hosted by purnima

1/2 cup espresso coffee, chilled(i added instant coffee to hot water)

2 tbs chocolate syrup

3-4 scoops vanilla ice cream

1/2 cup cold milk, (or to taste)

sugar to taste

recipe:

Blend the coffee and chocolate in a blender.Add the ice cream and blend again.Add the milk and sugar and blend. Serve topped with whipping cream and ice cream curls.

I got this recipe from a book called Smoothies and other blended drinks by Elsa Petersen.

veg noodles / veg chowmein

Ingredients I used today for making noodles.......

1/2 pack vegetable or egg noodles(the ones we get in korean store),

2 cups cabbage sliced,

2 bell peppers(any color) cut into 1 inch pieces,

2 bunches spring onions,

1 big carrot cut into 1 inch pieces,

1 can baby corn drained and cut in half,

(u can use othet veggies like peas,bean sprouts etc)

1 tsp black pepper,

2 tbs green chilli sauce,

3 tbs soy sauce,

2 tbs chilli garlic sauce(i use maggi )

olive oil (any oil will do)

salt to taste,

2 cloves garlic

Boil water in a large pan adding some salt to it. Add the noodles and cook for about 2-3 mins(don't over cook them).Drain the water add cold water and drain.Add little oil so that the noodles don't stick. Heat oil in a wok and add minced garlic. Stir fry spring onions followed by carrots,peppers and cabbage.Add little salt and let it cook on med high flame.Once the veggies are cooked(they should not cook fully...let them be little crispy) add green chilli sauce,soy sauce,pepper and chilli garlic sauce respectively.You can also add the hot sauce (fron korean stores) for spice.Add the noodles and mix using tongs.

enjoy them hot.....

** you can adjust the sauces according to your spice levels..

I am reposting this for the event 'fic-redand green' hosted by Neha and started by Harini