Taste Spell ...........

Hooraay!!!!! success!!!

2010-04-28T10:16:00.002-04:00

chegodilu...one of my favorite snacks....who wouldn't like the crunchy little rings???????.When I looked up the recipe in Saritha's My kitchens Aroma I bookmarked it and thinking of trying it out.But many say it's difficult to make chegodi's even for the experienced which served as a speed header for my experiment.Finally I tried out and it came out perfect. First batch came little soggy but then on chegodi's came out pretty crunchy .So thank you Saritha for sharing this yummy recipe.

Look for the recipe here.

stuffed bitter gourd/kakarakya

2010-03-23T15:36:00.002-04:00

Ingredients:

7-8 bitter gourd small

1/4 cup roasted channa dhal,

4 tbs coriander seeds,

2 tsp cumin seeds,

6 garlic cloves,

4-5 red chillies,

1 medium onion finely diced,

salt to taste ,

oil for frying

Method:

cut the edges off the bitter gourd and make a slit in the center leaving the ends intact.
carefully remove the seeds using the back of a spoon and reserve aside.
Bring a pot of water to boil and add the bittergourd.promptly take them out within 2 mins and keep aside.
Take a heavy bottomed pan and head 2 tbs of oil .To this add diced onion and fry till golden and add the reserved seeds taken out of the bitter gourd.Add little salt and cook thoroughly.
Meanwhile make a powder of roasted channa dhal,coriander , cumin seeds, red chilies,salt and garlic.
Add this powder to the cooked onion and bitter gourd.Fry for about a minute and let it cool.
Stuff this mixture into the hallowed bitter gourd.
In a large pan take oil enough for shallow frying and carefully place the stuffed bitter gourds and fry them evenly on all sides.
Enjoy with hot rice and ghee.

happy pongal

2010-01-13T20:15:00.002-05:00

samosa chat

2010-01-09T13:18:00.004-05:00

Samosa chaat is one of my must to order dish at gokul chaat in hyderabad.I love samosa chaat (ofcourse any chaats) and miss them soo much after coming to US.In my effort to get over the winter blues and beat the cold arctic air I made this chaat yesterday and it was sooo comforting.Here goes the recipe.....

Ingredients:

6 -10 samosas,(fried)

2 cups dried green peas or channa,

2 big tomatoes,

1 medium onion,

1tbs ginger garlic paste,

2tsp chole masala,

5 green chillies,

1tsp cumin powder,

1/4 tsp turmeric,

2tbs oil,

salt to taste,

1/2 tsp red chili powder,

1tsp sugar/jaggery,

coriander to garnish.

tamarind chutney,

green chutney,

plain yogurt,

chat masala

Method:

Soak peas/channa in water for at least 4-6 hours.
Boil tomatoes and when cooled puree them.
Grind the onion and keep aside.
Heat oil in a pressure cooker pan and add green chillies,turmeric and onion paste and fry.
Add cumin powder and ginger garlic paste and fry till the raw smell of onions is gone.
Add pureed tomato and cook for few minutes.
To this add the soaked peas ,red chili powder and chole masala and mix well.

Add little water and pressure cook for 1 whistle.
Once cooled remove the whistle and cook till you get the desired thickness(like chole)
Add sugar or jaggery and mix well.

Assembly:Take 3 tbs of peas curry in a bowl and add crumbled samosa(fried) to it.Add green chutney,tamarind chutney and plain yogurt to it.Add the finely diced onions and coriander and chat masala .enjoy your chaat.

coriander/cilantro chutney

2010-01-06T11:22:00.003-05:00

I got this recipe from my friend's mom who is an excellent cook and an awesome person.When I first tasted this I was soo much charmed by the taste and decided to make it the next day and also promised my friend(who was pregnant then) that i 'll give her too.Meanwhile for some reasons I got soo busy...and after thrashing few bunches of cilantro ...finally I made it and it turned out awesome.So here goes the recipe.....

Ingredients:
3 bunches coriander/cilantro washed and chopped,
2 tbs channa dhal,

2tbs coriande seeds,
1tbs urad dhal,
1/2 tsp fenugreek seeds,
6-7 red chillies,
1tsp cumin seeds,
1/4 tsp poppy seeds,
5 garlic pods,
small ball tamarind(half of lime),
few curry leaves,
salt to taste,
pinch of turmeric,
3tbs oil
Method:
Heat a sauce pan and add 1tbs oil .when hot add chopped cilantro,turmeric and cook on low flame till the water is gone and let it cool. In a separate vessel heat 2tbs oil and do the seasoning adding fenugreek,channa dhal, coriander seeds,urad dhal cumin ,red chillies, curry leaves and garlic in order.Turn off the stove and cool it.Grind the seasoning adding salt and tamarind.now add the cooked cilantro and grind(use pulse button to make coarse chutney).
Enjoy it with rice and ghee or roti or dosas.

Italian breadsticks

2010-01-02T20:58:00.005-05:00

From food

Breadsticks are one of my favorites wether they are olive garden style or pizza hut style.I stumbled upon this recipe from real moms kitchen and tried out my hand at it and you can see the result.

Happy new year

2010-01-02T17:54:00.005-05:00

Black eyed peas vada/fritters

2009-11-04T15:55:00.007-05:00

Finally winter started casting it's spell with cool temperatures and giving one more reason to gobble on the hot ,fried foods...:) . These black eyed peas /cow peas fritters satisfy the winter craving and at the same time are nourishing with high protein and iron content.

Ingredients:

2 cups black eyed peas,(soak at least 4 hours)

1 medium onion finely chopped,

4-5 green chillies,

1/2 inch ginger finely chopped,

small bunch of mint chopped,

few leaves of mint chopped,

salt to taste,

oil for frying

Method:

wash the soaked beans and grind them coarsely .Add finely chopped onions,green chillies,ginger,mint,cumin and salt and mix well.

Heat oil for frying .Make small balls or vadas using the grounded paste and drop them gently in oil.

Fry till golden and remove.Serve them hot with sauce or chutney.

kalakand / milk sweet

2009-10-20T15:29:00.007-04:00

From Blogger Pictures

Hope you all had a funfilled Diwali.I'm trying to bounce back into the blogging world with this simple sweet I made on Diwali day (pretty lazy...Oh I made few other kinds too. :) )
I got recipe for this sweet from my dear friend Sailu,who is an awesome person. This is going to the event sweet series hosted by sireesha of Mom's recipes.
Ingredients:
1 pkg(15oz) natural ricotta cheese ,
1 can (140z) sweet condensed milk,
4-5 tsps sugar ,
1/4 stick butter,
chopped nuts(for garnish)
Method:
It's pretty simple ...Mix all the ingredients(except nuts) in a microwave safe bowl and microwave for about 20 mins(till it thickens) stirring ocassionally. Transfer it to a greased plate and let it cool.Cut it into pieces and garnish with chopped nuts.

Happy Vinaya chavithi

2009-08-24T11:34:00.004-04:00

From mix

Hope you all had a funfilled celebration of vinayaka chavithi.

EDITED: This Ganesha is hand made out of air dry clay and adorned with water colors

Guess who????

2009-08-21T15:47:00.004-04:00

Can you guess who she is ??????

EDITED :
Thank u very much for your response. It's kind of self test for me..Even if one person recognises her correctly I shall consider myself going in the right direction. SO far two of you guessed correctly..so it's good news.
Yes...she is Rachel Ray ........Below is the photograph that served as my guide

Can you guess who she is ??????????

My first award(s) and a tag

2009-08-05T13:13:00.008-04:00

My friends Mytreyi and Ann has passed me these awards and a tag.Thank you soooo much I'm honoured...:)

To know something about me:

1.What is your current obsession?Trying to have a beauty sleep in the afternoon.

2.What are you wearing today?err...still in PJs

3.What’s for dinner? vegetable rice for sure.

4.What’s the last thing you bought?Icecream bowls(set of 4)

5.What are you listening to right now?Colonial cousins ..krishna nee begane

6.What do you think about the persons who tagged you?

Both are very friendly ,talented awesome and very supportive.Glad you guys are my friends.

7. If you could have a house totally paid for, fully furnished anywhere in the world, where would you like it to be?Kodai canal with my friends and family around.

8. What are your must-have pieces for summer?capris ,flip-flops and t-shirts.

9.If you could go anywhere in the world for the next hour, where would you go?India ..to my mom's place.

10. Which language do you want to learn?French

11. What’s your favourite quote? The heart that gives gathers.

12. Who do you want to meet right now?My family..(I'm supposed to be @ my cousin's engagement :( )

13. What is your favourite colour?Cream , orange(not all shades).

14. What is your favourite piece of clothing in your own closet?Salwars,Jeans

15. What is your dream job?To run a boutique with the things I design.

16. What’s your favourite magazine? Looooove books..

17. If you had $100 now, what would you spend it on?Plants,painting supplies,arts and crafts...list go on.....

18. What do you consider a fashion faux pas? (faux pas mean error in ettiquette.. )

Tight bulging clothes....nooooo

19. Who are your style icons?None so far.

20. Describe your personal style.?Casual

21.What do you try to cook when you have cooking blues (When you feel real lazy to cook some thing)"?Eat out

22. What are your favourite movies?Athadu,behind the enemy lines,Gulabi....much more.

23. What are three cosmetic/makeup/perfume products that you can't live without? My burt's bee carrot cream,chap stick and bhindi.

24. What inspires you? Optimistic persons.

25. Give us three styling tips that always work for you: Moisturiser,chap stick/lipstick,good dress

26. What do you do when you “have nothing to wear” (even though your closet’s packed)?

Time for shopping..

27.Coffee or tea? cold coffee.

28. What do you do when you are feeling low or terribly depressed?Pray to God.

29. What is the meaning of your name?Sweet nectar and also other name for godess Lakshmi.

30. Which other blogs you love visiting?Friends blogs,food blogs art and crafts and gardening blogs.

31. Favorite Dessert/Sweet?Rasgulla,pineaplle pastry.

32. Favorite Season ?Spring and Summer.

33.If I come to your house what would you cook for me? Spicy masala noodles.

34.If a Fairy/ Genie grants you one wish, what would you ask for? Happiness always.

My question: What's your dream menu for a special day?

Respond and rework – answer the questions on your own blog, replace one question that you dislike with a question of your own invention, and add one more question of your own. Then tag other bloggers.I am passing all these award to my friends..

Vrinda

Varunavi

Arti Agarwal

Moong dhal vada

2009-07-22T12:10:00.005-04:00

Ingredients:
3 cups moong dhal,
1 onion finely chopped,
3-4 green chilies ,
1tsp cumin seeds,
salt to taste and oil for frying

Method:

Soak moong dhal in water for at least 4 hrs.Grind it into a coarse paste with out adding water(adding water makes it runny).
Add salt,chopped onion,chili and cumin seeds to this paste and mix well.
Heat oil in a heavy bottomed pan.
Take a zip lock and wet it .Take a small ball of moong dhal paste place it on the zip lock on palm and press it making a hole in the center.
Drop them carefully in the oil and fry them till they are golden on both sides.

I miss you......

2009-07-08T14:41:00.005-04:00

This long weekend has been quite a busy one.With my in-laws arrival we became pretty busy anxious to show every part of our lives in their stay.Added to this my hubby's college friends also visited us making a busy weekend but a memorable one.After having endless walks to memorials in DC we stopped at the botanical garden by the capitol hill as per the suggestion of a good friend.Good thing we stopped..we felt pretty relaxed away from the city buzz.
But the saddest part of the trip is my long term companion and a beloved one my camera(not a sophisticated one though) mysteriously stopped working..(at lest it stayed till the end of the trip).So as a tribute to my old friend I thought of sharing some pics I took in our trip.

This one is called Lipstick flower......pretty obvious :)

Amazed by their wonderful marbled effect......

Lovely peppers...they looked like flowers from far......

Blogging my breakfast.....Adai and Bread Omlette

2009-06-25T16:47:00.011-04:00

"Eat breakfast like a king, lunch like a prince, and dinner like a pauper."~~~Adelle Davis
These are my entries for the event show me your breakfast hosted by Divya of dil se.
and dosa corner hosted by padma
Adai

Adai is a south Indian breakfast made from combo of lentils ,rice and spices resulting in a wholesome meal. It's packed with proteins and gives a great head start for the day.
Ingredients:
1 cup urad dhal/black gram,
1 cup channa dhal/Bengal gram ,
1 cup moong dhal,
2 cups rice,
few red chillies (depends on spice level),
few strands of coriander finely chopped,
pinch asofoetida/hing (optional),
salt to taste
Method:

Soak all the dhals /lentils,red chilies and rice overnight (or at least 6 hrs).
Grind them adding little water(like dosa batter).
Add the finely chopped coriander and salt.
Heat griddle and drop the batter in the center and spread it in circular motion.
Add little oil around the edges and when done remove with a spatula.

Note: you can also add finely grated carrot and minced ginger to the batter .

Bread Omelet

This is one of the easiest breakfasts I can think of ..at the same time very healthy too.I can't believe that I'm blogging this recipe..:)
Ingredients:

2 slices bread,

2 eggs,

1/2 medium onion diced,

1 green chili or 1/2 tsp red chili powder,

pinch turmeric,

1/2 tomato diced,

cilantro chopped,

salt to taste,

grated carrot (optional)

Method:

Mix all the ingredients except bread and eggs.
Beat the eggs into the mixture and whisk well till it's frothy.
In a heavy bottomed pan add 1tsp oil and pour the mixture and make the omelet.
Toast the bread pieces and place the omelet between the bread..

Okra fry with peanuts

2009-06-18T18:06:00.005-04:00

As I mentioned before Okra is my most favorite vegetable and I can consume it in any form(except raw).This is simple recipe which my dear hubby likes very much.Usually when we are cooking okra in large quantities it gets mushy.So making this way keeps it dry and little different from usual.

Ingredients:

2 lbs okra cut,

Oil for frying,

1tsp urad dhal,

1tsp mustard seeds,

1tsp cumin seeds,

few curry leaves,

1 cup peanuts,

1tsp turmeric powder,

1tsp red chili powder,

4 green chilies,

2tbs grated coconut,

salt to taste

Method:

Heat oil in a heavy bottomed pan and fry the okra pieces and keep them aside.
In a separate pan heat 2tbs oil and do the seasoning adding urad dhal,mustard seeds ,cumin seeds ,curry leaves and green chilies in order.
Add the peanuts and fry them.
Add fried okra and mix them well.Add salt and red chili powder and fry for a minute.
Add grated coconut and fry .
Serve hot with rice.

Bitter gourd /Kakarakaya fry

2009-06-17T10:28:00.004-04:00

Bitter gourd is one of the most hated curries till I got married.I was kind of devastated when I found out it's my dear hubby's favorite curry... till that moment ..even in my wildest dreams I never thought that some one will be out there with bitter gourd as their favorite....obviously I was wrong.....:) .Now it's a different story I don't say I love bitter gourd but At least I don't hate it now.(thanks to my MIl ..she makes awesome bitter gourd fry).I got this recipe from a friend who happens to be a wonderful cook....

Ingredients:

6 medium Bitter gourd diced,

1tsp turmeric powder,

1 tsp salt,

For powder/podi:

3tbs peanuts ,

2tbs coriander seeds,

1 tbs cumin seeds

For seasoning:

1tsp urad dhal,

1tsp cumin seeds,

1 tsp mustard seeds,

few curry leaves

Method:

Add 1tsp turmeric powder,salt to diced bitter gourd pieces and mix well and keep aside.
Squeeze the bitter gourd pieces .
heat the oil in a heavy bottomed pan and do the seasoning adding urad dhal,mustard seeds and cumin seeds and curry leaves.
Add the squeezed bitter gourd pieces and fry till they are cooked well.
Meanwhile roast the peanuts,coriander seeds and cumin separately and make a fine powder.
Once the bitter gourd is fried add red chili powder and mix well.
Add the Powder you made in step 4 and fry for 1 minute.

Spinach rice with beetroot raitha

2009-06-12T16:04:00.006-04:00

Most of the time I prefer to eat special rice ...This is one kind of rice that's yummy and at the same time pretty healthy too.Beet root raita is a great accompaniment to spinach rice with it's contrasting color and taste with a hint of sweetness. This is going to events monthly mingle -ravishing rice hosted by Nags and brainchild of Meeta
Fic-delectable combinations hosted by Kamalika and started by harini . and
cooing for kids-leafy greens hosted by pavani and started by Sharmi

Ingredients:
1 bunch spinach,
1 medium onion,
3 cups basmati rice,
5 green chillies,
2 tsp ginger garlic paste,
1 inch cinnamon,
5-6 cloves,
3 cardamon,
1 tsp garam masala or biryani masala,
few leaves mint and coriander
1 tsp turmeric,
3 tbs oil,
bay leaves,
salt to taste
Method:

In a vessel heat 1tbs oil and add cleaned and chopped spinach and cook .
Once the spinach is cooked grind it into fine paste.
In a heavy bottomed pan add 2tbs oil and add bay leaf,cinnamon,cloves and cardamon.
To this add green chillies and sliced onions and saute .
Add turmeric powder and ginger garlic paste and fry for a minute.
Grind mint and coriander leaves adding some water and add to pan.
Then add the spinach paste to the pan and fry till the raw smell is gone.
Add garam masala powder and washed rice and fry for 1 minute.
Transfer the contents to rice cooker and add water. (1:1 1/2)rice:water ratio. or you can cook in a pressure cooker or on stove top. If you are cooking on stove top you need to add more water.

Beetroot raitha:

1/2 beet root grated, 1 green chili diced, coriander chopped, 1 cup plain yogurt, salt to taste, 1tsp lemon juice (optional)

Method:

whisk yogurt and add all other ingredients.Goes well with spinach rice or any biryani.

Getting in touch with my artistic side...

2009-06-08T12:46:00.006-04:00

Seeing by the title don't assume I'm an artist ....but yeah had little touch with art...atleast i admire it...:) .I always have this desire to draw potraits..(may be I'm aiming too high) ...but our Abdul kalam ji said " Aim for stars...you might land on moon"... Just wanted to share my scribbles with you guys....
p.s : opinions are valued

This is my second portrait trail....first one is Baba's picture I shall upload it too.....
I tried to potray the below pic ...even though I couldn't capture her innocent smile but I would be content for now if there is a resemblence...:)..Mine look a lil' age progressed I guess..

Bow tie pasta with stir fry veggies in Marinara sauce

2009-06-02T14:48:00.007-04:00

Usually I make pasta when ever i need a quick fix of meal.My daughter absolutely loves it so I incorporate as many veggies I can to the dish. By the way I used mini bow tie pasta(Farfale) for this dish.
Ingredients:

2 cups bow tie pasta,

1 bell pepper cubed,

1 carrot diced,

1 bunch Green onion diced,

1tbs olive oil

2 cups marina sauce(according to personal taste)

Parmesan cheese (optional)

Mehod:

In a big vessel boil water and add little salt and boil pasta till they are cooked(according to directions on package) and drain.
In a heavy bottomed pan add oil and add the veggies and stir fry them for about 3 mins.
Add cooked pasta and mix well.
Add marina sauce and cook for about a minute.
Serve hot sprinkled with Parmesan cheese.

I got marinara sauce recipe here.You can also use store bought sauce .

Mutton curry (curried lamb)

2009-06-01T15:27:00.005-04:00

This is one of my daughter's favorite dish.She makes lot of commotion but just she usually ends up eating just a few pieces(the ones with bone in )..:)

Ingredients:
For marinating:
2 lbs mutton cubed(lamb),

1tsp ginger garlic paste,
1tsp red chili powder,
1tsp turmeric powder,
1tsp salt,
2tbs plain yogurt.
For masala:
10 cloves,
1inch cinnamon stick,
4-5 cardamon,
2tbs coriander seeds,
1tbs khus khus
For the curry:
1 big onion diced,
3 tomatoes cubed,
2tsp ginger garlic paste,
4-5 green chilies(cut lengthwise)
3 tbs oil,
salt to taste
Method:

Wash the mutton throughly and marinate using the ingredients under marinating.keep it refrigerated for about an hour.
In a heavy bottomed pan heat oil and add green chilies and onions and saute them till the onions are translucent.
Add ginger garlic paste and fry well.
Add the marinated chicken and cook for few minutes.
Add the onions and pressure cook the whole thing till the mutton is cooked(about 5 whistles).you can also cook in the pan but be sure keep it on low flame and cook till the mutton is well done.
Once the mutton is cooked add the masala powder(grind the ingredients under masala .You can make into paste by adding little water) and cook till the whole thing to desired consistency.
Serve hot with rice or roti.

smile like sunshine

2009-05-28T09:47:00.009-04:00

Most of us know smile and laughter have health benefits.They release endorphins,reduce stress and boost your immune system...(mmm...so many benefits with simple smile).Someone said "life is like a mirror .we get best results when we smile at it".So let's put up a smily face and spread the contageous smile.

By the way I found these pictures on internet ...thought they might help us in the process....:)

From fun_pics

Hot pongal

2009-05-26T11:25:00.006-04:00

Hot pongal is traditional south Indian dish usually made for breakfast.It is served as prasadam in temples. I'm not a great fan of pongal but my dear hubby loves it soo much .So I got the recipe from a friend and tried it out and to my surprise it was an instant success.Eventually I'm also developing a taste towards pongal..:)

Ingredients:

1 cup rice ,

1 cup moong dhal,

5 black peppercorns,

for seasoning:

1tsp pepper powder,

1 tsp cumin ,

4-5 green chillies,

few cashew nuts,

1 tsp mustard seeds,

1tsp urad dhal,

curry leaves,

salt to taste,

2tbs oil/ghee,

1tsp ginger finely chopped,

1tsp turmeric powder

method:

Wash rice and moon dhal ,add the peppercorns and cook them in 6 cups water.(1:3 ratio).
Mash the cooked rice and dhal mixture ,add salt and keep aside.
In a heavy bottomed pan heat oil/ghee and add the cashews and fry a bit.to this add urad dhal,mustard seeds ,cumin seeds in order.
Then add chopped ginger , green chillies and pepper powder.Add the curry leaves and turmeric powder and pour it in the rice mixture .
Mix well and serve with ginger chutney or chutney of your choice.

Chili chicken (repost)

2009-05-17T19:53:00.002-04:00

Chili chicken is most popular appetiser tickling the taste buds of food lovers till day.Even though it is a Chinese recipe it has made its way to different cuisines . Here is andhra style chili chicken recipe....

Reposting this for the event 'The potluck chicken' hosted by Vicky
Ingredients:
2lbs boneless,skinless chicken cut into 1"pieces,
2tbs ginger garlic paste,
2tsp red chili powder,
2tbs all purpose flour,
2 tbs corn flour,
oil for frying,
1 egg,
1tbs lemon juice,
5-10 cashew nuts,
6-10 green chillies,
curry leaves,
1 medium onion diced,
1 bell pepper diced,
1cup plain yogurt,
few drops food color(optional),
salt to taste.
recipe:
Add egg,salt,chili powder,ginger garlic,flour,corn flour,lemon juice and chicken and marinate it for 1 hour.
Deep fry the marinated chicken pieces.
In another heavy bottomed pan heat 2 tbs of oil add cashews ,green chillies and onions.
When the onions are translucent add bell pepper and add little salt to it .
When the bell pepper is cooked add the blended plain yogurt and food color.
Keep it stirring and add the chicken pieces .
cook for 2-3 minutes .
serve hot with cilantro on top.

dhum aloo --- curried baby potatoes

2009-05-15T10:46:00.006-04:00

Potato is one of the most versatile ingredient I know of. Dhum aloo is a vegetarian gravy curry made with baby potatoes .When ever I pass by the potatoes in veggies Aile I can hardly resist picking them up.I mean who can ....???they are soo cute and especially when you can make an awesome mouth watering curry

Ingredients:

15 baby potatoes,

2 medium tomatoes boiled and pureed,

2 tsp ginger garlic paste,

1 cup plain yogurt blended,

1 onion diced,

2-3 green chillies,

1tsp red chili powder,

1tsp garam masala powder,

turmeric powder,

2 bay leaves,

salt to taste,

oil for frying.

Method:

boil potatoes ,peel and prick them with fork .
Heat oil in a heavy bottomed pan and shallow fry the baby potatoes and keep them aside.
Take 2 tbs oil in a pan (or take away excess after frying potatoes) and add bay leaf ,green chillies,turmeric powder and onions.
Once the onions become translucent add ginger garlic paste and fry.
Add the pureed tomato and cook for 1 min.
Add the salt,red chili powder and garam masala and blended yogurt.
Mix well and add little water if needed.
Now add the baby potatoes to the gravy and let then cook on low flame for about 10 minutes.It is important to cook on low flame so the baby potatoes take up spices.
Turn off when desired thickness is reaches and garnish with coriander and serve hot.

Thai fried rice

2009-05-11T16:40:00.005-04:00

Firstly hope you all had an awesome mothers day.....
coming to this recipe ....Thai food is one of the foods I relish most. This is simple ,vegetarian recipe and can be made in no time.
Ingredients:

2 cups cooked rice ,

1 bell pepper diced,

2 bunches shallots /green onion diced,

1 carrot diced,

1 can water chestnuts,

2 tbs peanut oil /vegetable oil,

2 garlic pods minced,

2 red chilies,

2 tsp Thai curry paste( I used store bought paste.)

Method:

Heat oil in a heavy bottomed pan and add the minced garlic and saute for 30 seconds.
Add carrot,bell pepper and shallots,water chestnuts and stir fry till they are half cooked.
Add the red chillies and Thai curry paste and fry for 2 mins.
Add the cooked rice and mix well till the rice makes popping sounds.
Garnish with cilantro and serve hot.

Mirchi bajji.....and hooray my 50th post !!!!!!

2009-05-07T17:21:00.004-04:00

Ingredients:

10 big green chilis(hot),

1 cup besan/chick pea flour,

4 tsp aijwan/vaamu,

2 tsp putnala pappu/roasted channa dhal,

3-4 tsp tamarind paste,

1 cup besan/chick pea flour,

2 tbs rice flour,

salt to taste,

oil for frying

Method:

Slit the green chillies lengthwise and remove all the seeds using a spoon.
Blanch the green chillies by placing them in boiling water for 3 minutes.Remove and cool.
Take aijwan/vaamu and putnala pappu+1/2 tsp salt and grind into fine powder.
Take the green chillies and dab little tamarind inside and stuff the aijwan powder inside.Just add a tsp of powder.
In a wide mouthed vessel add besan,1 tsp aijwan,salt,rice flour and water to make a smooth paste without lumps. consistency should not be too thin .
Heat oil in an heavy bottomed pan.
Dip the stuffed chili in the besan /gram flour mixture and drop carefully in the oil.
Fry till they are golden on both sides.
serve hot with diced onions and a dash of lemon juice.

Spring so far....

2009-05-05T21:31:00.009-04:00

The much awaited spring time came and almost 8 weeks of it is spent.The other day when I was thinking what did I do in spring so far..these pictures came as rescue to refresh my memory...

This picture is a view from my kitchen window in the very beginning of spring and I was excited to see small new leaves springing up on bare tress.Can't wait to see the greenery.

This picture is few days back ...time just flies by.....pleasure for the eyes.

Then came spring break and I managed to make a few crafts with my sweetie and her friends.

The paper flowers and lanterns came out so well I'm soo excited.

In spite of my pollen allergies I dared and managed to take a few pictures of spring...good thing I did ..look how pretty those flowers are..

I learnt that spring not only brings beauty but it also brings rains :)....it has been raining from 3 days.....

These are my spring encounters so far(recorded ones)...hope it brings more surprises and happy things.

Mmmm......Mango lassi

2009-05-01T12:38:00.007-04:00

Mango ...the very word makes me drool.I just love the mangoes we get in India esp the juicy ones(rasaalu) ...ooohh I miss them. And by the way India is the top producer of mangoes(1/2 of world mangoes) . Mango lassi is a very smooth refreshing drink esp. for summer months( of course I can drink at anytime) and also it is packed with nutrients.I made this recently for my daughter's school event and it was such a big hit that one of them actually asked if I teach Indian cookery classes...:)

This is going to event 15 minute cooking hosted by Mahimaa

Ingredients:

1 cup mango pulp or 2 cups fresh mango,

1 cup plain yogurt( tastes good with whole milk),

1/2 cup milk,

4 tsp sugar (adjust according to your personel taste)

pinch of cardamon powder

Method:

Blend all the ingredients in blender until smooth.Refrigerate and serve chilled.

Note: This comes out very thick and rich(restaurant like) .you can add more yogurt and milk to make it thin.I used tinned mango pulp here.

saggubiyyam /sago vada

2009-04-28T09:48:00.008-04:00

I got this recipe from my cousin.It is very easy to make appetiser.I usually try not to make the fried foods but I think it's ok for an ocassional treat..:)
I'm sending this to the event wyf-side dish hosted by EC

Ingredients:

1 cup sago/saggubiyyam,

1 cup buttermilk /blended yogurt,

1 small onion diced,

3 green chillies diced,

1tsp cumin powder,

1tbs all purpose flour,

1tbs rice flour,

salt to taste,

oil for frying

Method:

Soak sago in buttermilk overnight.
Add the flours ,onion,chilis ,cumin and salt and mix well.If consistency is too thin vada take up more oil.
Heat oil in a pan and when the oil is hot drop little balls of the sago mix and fry till it is golden on all sides.
Serve hot or else they will be mushy.

Going nuts over ....Cashew nut curry

2009-04-24T11:50:00.011-04:00

When I read about the event in Poornima's blog I was transported to my childhood days.This cashew curry is an authentic dish that is made in green belt of Andhra pradesh(godavari dt).

Before getting into the recipe I should say something about cashewnut.

We all know it is a kidney shaped fruit attached to cashew apple(the pulpy part).But before the cashewnuts are fully developed they are green in color.The cashew nuts we get are from the matured seed but the curry I 'm writing about is usally made from immature(green) cashew seed.

My mom used to make curry from these seeds.It's absolutely delicious and rich. But the availabily is so less...that we can get those seeds only for a few weeks. I can never get enough of it....miss it soo much..:( Ok....for my version I used the regular cashews soaked overnight.

This is going to the event let's go nuts-cashewnuts hosted by poornima and Aquadaze

Ingredients:

1 cup cashewnuts ,

2 medium onions,

2 ripe tomatoes,

3-4 green chillies,

2 tsp ginger garlic paste,

1tsp red chilli powder,

1 tsp garam masala,

salt to taste,

coriander chopped

seasoning:

1tbs oil,

1tsp urad dhal,

1tsp mustard seeds,

1tsp cumin,

few curry leaves,

1/2 tsp turmeric

Make it like this:

soak cashew nuts in water overnight.
In a heavy bottomed pan heat oil and do the seasoning with urad dhal,mustard seeds,cumin,curry leaves in order.
Add onions and turmeric and fry till the onions are translucent.
Add diced tomatoes and salt and cook for 3-5 mins with lid on .Stir occasionally.
Once the tomatoes are cooked add red chili powder and mix well.
Add the cashew nuts (washed) and cook with lid on on low flame.Add little water if needed.
Once the cashews take in the gravy nicely add garam masala powder and cook for about 1 min.
garnish with coriander and serve with roti or rice.

Got the cashew nut picture here

vegetable noodles

2009-04-24T09:44:00.004-04:00

Noodles are one of my favorite foods I never get tired of eating.They are great hit with the kids and makes moms happy(they can incorporate many veggies and kids don't seem to notice..:) ).For the love of my Indo-chinese food....here goes the noodles recipe....

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

happy earth day

2009-04-22T15:55:00.004-04:00

It's an undeniable fact that the earth and ultimately we are effected by global warming.so it is our duty to protect it. I found a nice article on worldwatch.org which has simple things that most of us can follow in our daily lives.
here is the link http://www.worldwatch.org/resources/go_green_save_green
So let's start taking little steps to make our earth green....
HAPPY EARTH DAY
this is link that has incredible pictures from earth hour on march 28th..enjoy.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/earthhour_global/sets/72157615780247025/show/

Dhum biryaani (dish I can die for)

2009-04-20T16:59:00.010-04:00

DhumBiryani is one of the most popular delicacies of Hyderabad.Dhum biryani is made in two ways..kachi biryani and pakki biryani.kachi biryaani is done with raw meat ,rice and spices cooked together .In pakki biryani curry and rice are cooked separately and layered. I guess my recipe comes under second kind.
I like this dhum biryaani for two reasons....first for it's greeeeaaat taste and second my dear dear husband(learnt it from his friend) makes this awesome dish ....just sitting back,relaxing and eating a great tasting dish ...it's a boon and I can say I'm lucky enough..:).my hubby cooks it with utmost care and perfection that all of it is reflected in the taste.. After enjoying it for several times I am shedding my ego to say these words" dear you make dhum biryani better than me....you are the best".......

Ingredients:

5 leg quarters halved or 10 medium drumsticks,

4 cups basmati rice,

6 cups water.

For marination:

2 tsp ginger garlic paste,

1/2 cup yogurt,

1tsp red chili powder,

1 tsp turmeric powder,

1 1/4 tsp salt,

For biryaani:

1 medium onion,

4 green chillies,

1tsp ginger garlic paste,

5-6 cloves,

3 star anise,

2 -3 jaapatri/mace,

bay leaves few,

1" cinnamon stick,

2-4 cardamon,

1/2 bunch mint,

Biryaani masala powder( I use shan biryaani masala 1pk for 5 cups rice),

2-3 tbs oil

method:

marinate chicken pieces with salt,red chili powder,turmeric,ginger garlic paste and yogurt.

wash and cook rice in rice cooker adding water in 1:1 1/2 (rice:water) ratio.Cook till the rice is 3/4 th cooked.
In a heavy bottomed pan heat oil and add bay leaves,cinnamon,star anise,jaapatri/mace,cloves,cardamon,green chillies and onions in order.Saute them till the onions sweat.
Add ginger garlic paste and fry for 1 min.

Add chicken pieces and mint. mix well and cook keeping the lid closed.
Once the chicken is cooked thoroughly add garam masala and cook for 2 mins in simmer.

Now take the cooked chicken pieces in a plate leaving 2-3 pieces in pan.
Add the rice like a layer covering the pieces.Again add chicken and rice layers.
keep the lid closed tightly and cook on a very low flame for 5 mins.Once the rice is well done mix thoroughly and put the lid on and cook for about 2-3 mins.

Note: Shan biryani masala has salt in it .If the masala you are using has no salt you can add acordingly during marination. Ajust spices according to your spice level.

Traditionally once the layering is done the lid is sealed with dough so that the air don't escape ...so keep a tight fitting lid once you are done with layering.

coffee talk !!!!!

2009-04-14T16:42:00.007-04:00

Stumled upon these while browising here. So cute I couldn't wait to share.But the question is can you drink em????

Instructions to make them using coffee stencil @ coffeestencil.com.

EGG fried rice (Indian style)

2009-04-13T09:25:00.007-04:00

Every Monday I always wonder "how come the week end went so fast...???". especially after the spring break for kids I was so lazy to get into the routine ..fixing lunch boxes etc and this recipe came to my rescue.

This is a very simple recipe and you can make use of left over rice for this recipe.I usually make this when I need a quick fix for lunch boxes.I make egg fried rice both in Indian style and Chinese style ..for now this is the recipe for Indian egg fried rice.Will post the Chinese one later...:)

This is going to event for eggs hosted by Sudeshna

Ingredients:

11/2 cup cooked rice,

1 small onion diced,

2 green chillies,

1/2 cup green onion diced,

2 eggs,

1tsp ginger garlic paste,

1/2 tsp red chili powder,

1 tsp garam masala powder,

few strands of coriander

salt to taste,

1tbs oil.

for seasoning:

1tsp urad dhal,

1tsp mustard seeds,

1tsp cumin seeds/jeera,

few curry leaves

Method:

Heat oil in a heavy bottomed pan and do the seasoning adding urad dhal,mustard seeds ,cumin and curry leaves.
Add green chilies,onion,green onion and saute till the onion is cooked.
Add ginger garlic paste,red chili powder and garam masala and fry for 2-3 minutes.
Beat the eggs and mix well(like scrambled eggs).
Add the cooked rice and mix well .
garnish with coriander and serve hot.

Love and Sorrow...Felt By All living Creatures

2009-04-08T17:51:00.005-04:00

I got this forwarded from a friend .....It's very very sad and touchy...

Love and Sorrow...Felt By All living Creatures
Here his wife is injured and the condition is fatal. She was hit by a car as she swooped low across the road.

Here he brought her food and attended to her with love and compassion..

He brought her food again but was shocked to find her dead. He tried to move her....a rarely-seen effort for swallows!
Aware that his sweetheart is dead and will never come back to him again, He cries with adoring love.
He stood beside her, saddened of her death.

Finally aware that she would never return to him, he Stood beside her body with sadness and sorrow.
Millions of people cried after watching this picture in America and Europe and even in India. It is said that the Photographer sold these pictures for a nominal fee to the Most famous newspaper in France. All copies of that Newspaper were sold out on the day these pictures were published.
And many people think animals don't have a brain or feelings?????
Think again....

chaat ...chaat..chaat !!!!

2009-04-06T19:03:00.015-04:00

Chaat is one of the street foods which I relish apart from the mirchi bajji and jilebi.It is so much fun and yummy when you buy rather than make at home.But my view changed after coming overseas ...can be due to lack of a good chat store that offers the chat comparable to what we get back home.After realising how easy it is to make I got much more addicted to it.Bhel puri and pani puri are 2 chaats which I make often at home.I got this recipe from my North Indian friend who makes absolutely mouth watering chaat.I am posting this for cfk-rice event hosted by Trupti and brainchild of Sharmi .

This is going to the event sunday snaks-chats hosted by pallavi

Bhel puri:

Ingredients:-

3 bowls bhel puri mix (you can buy ready made mix from Indian store),

1 medium potato boiled and mashed,

1/2 cup chick peas boiled and mashed,

1 small onion finely diced,

1 medium tomato finely diced,

1 cup fine sev(you can get this from Indian store),

1/2 cup finely diced cilantro,

salt to taste,

chaat masala,

tamarind chutney(recipe below),

green chutney(recipe below)

Method:

Take the Bhel mix in a bowl and add mashed potato and mashed chick peas.
Add the finely diced onions,tomatoes, 3 tsps green chutney, 5 tsps tamarind chutney ,salt(bhel mix also contain salt so be cautious) and mix well.
Put the mixture in the bowls and put lots of tamarind chutney and top with fine sev.
Garnish with coriander and chat masala and enjoy quickly or else it becomes mushy.

Tamarind chutney:

1 cup tamarind juice (soak tamarind in water and extract juice),

1/4 cup grated jaggery/sugar,

1/2 tsp red chili powder,

1/2 tsp cumin powder,

1/2 tsp salt (kala namak/black salt is best),

method:In a pan put tamarind juice and sugar/jaggery and bring to boil and simmer till it thickens a little (soup consistency ..kind of ) and cool .Then add the other ingredients and mix well.You can store in a air tight container in fridge for 4 days. Alternatively you can buy this in an Indian store near you...

Green chutney:

1 cup chopped mint,

1 cup chopped coriander,

2-3 green chilies,

2-3 tsp lemon juice,

salt to taste

Grind all the ingredients to a smooth paste adding little water if required.

Sev puri:

Pani puri puris ,

1 medium potato boiled and mashed,

1/2 cup chick peas boiled and mashed,

1 small onion finely diced

1 medium tomato finely diced,

1 cup fine sev(you can get this from Indian store),

1/2 cup finely diced cilantro,

green chutney,

tamarind chutney,

chaat masala

method:

make a little assembly line of all the ingredients.Make small hole in puris and add potato,chick peas,onion,tomato,green chutney,yogurt,tamarind chutney,sev,chaat masala and coriander in order and enjoy them.

Chunky pineapple delight

2009-04-03T13:02:00.003-04:00

This is one of the easiest desserts I know till date. It is easy to make and comes as a life saver when a quick dessert is needed. So when you don't feel like cooking yet want a yummy home made dessert...it's the best choice .

Ingredients:

2 cans crushed pineapple(14oz),

1 can pineapple chunks(14oz),

1 can condensed milk(14oz),

1 box whipped topping(8oz)

Method:

Drain all the juice from pineapple and place them in a bowl.
Add condensed milk and whipped topping(keep whipped topping outside for 15 mins so it 'll be easier to mix)and mix well.
Refrigerate for 1 hour and serve chilled.

You can also freeze this and serve like ice cream and you can try mixing different seasonal fruits along with pineapple.

Sweet world

2009-03-30T16:07:00.005-04:00

The other day I was so bored and was browsing and came accross these awesome creations.I just wanted to share these......By the way the second picture is named honey moon.....how cute is that !!!!!

source: worth1000.com

Happy UGADI(repost)

2009-03-26T15:09:00.016-04:00

First of all....HAPPY UGADI to you all............

For those who don't know about UGADI.....Ugadi is telugu new year day which comes on first day of first month(chaitra Sudda padyami) in telugu calender.It's the spring festival .Usually winter is followed byspring bringing blooms to plants that are barren.Similarly even a person's life filled with hardships will ultimately bloom into happiness...that's the spirit of ugadi.

Usually UGADI day begins with ritual showers,prayers to god followed by eating ugadi pachadi.Ugadi pachadi is a mixture of six tastes (shad ruchulu) ......symbolising life is mixture of happiness,hardships/sorrow,anger,fear,disgust,surprises but we have to accept them all as a whole .Main ingredients in UGADI PACHADI are neem flowers (bitterness),raw mango (tangy),tamarind juice(sour),jaggary/sugarcane pieces(sweet),pinch of salt(salt),green chili/red chili(hot).

I still remember my childhood days ....we used to have a big neem tree in our front yard from which we(atleast half of the village along with us) used to get neem flowers...skillfully separate the petals ...and use them in ugadi pachadi...(..memories..)

If we go through telugu magazines during ugadi we can come across numerous jokes on ugadi pachadi but really it doesn't taste bad at all..(of course my mom uses very little salt and green chillies)

The other thing we usually do on UGADI is listening to panchanga sravanam (alamnac) . Usually temple poojari used to come to the house and recite raasiphalalu from panchangam.But now we have it conveniently at the click of remote button or mouse..but don't we miss the human interaction????

Link to raasiphalalu 2010

And here is the recipe for ugadi pachadi...(of course the recipe differs from family to family)

Ingredients:

1-2 tsp neem flowers,

1/2 cup green mango peeled and diced,

2 medium ripe bananas,

1/2 cup tamarind juice (put tamarind in water and extract juice),

3tbsp putnala pappu(roasted channa dhal),

pinch of salt,

1 green chili or pinch of red chili powder,

1tbs grated jaggery

method:

In a bowl mix all the ingredients until they are mixed well like salsa.Offer to god and enjoy...

souces :wikipedia,eenadu

Andhra chicken curry(fry)

2009-03-23T22:42:00.008-04:00

Last weekend I went to dinner to my friend's house and she made this yumy chicken fry that reminded me of the chicken my mom used to make.I was spell bound (tastespell bound..:) ) by her chicken so much I made it the next day after coming from dinner and it turned out awesome.

Ingredient:

2 lbs chicken,

2 medium onions,

5 green chilies,

3tsp ginger garlic paste,

1tsp turmeric powder,

1-2 tsp red chilli powder,

salt to taste,

few curry leaves,

2 tbs oil,

2 -3 tsp grated coconut,

1-2 tsp garam masala powder.

for garam masala:

1inch cinnamon stick,

6-8 cloves,

1tbs coriander seeds,

grind all these 3 ingredients to make garam masala.

method:

Marinate washed chicken with turmeric powder,1tsp salt,red chilli powder,1tsp ginger garlic paste for about an hour.
In a heavy bottomed pan heat 2 tsp oil and add the marinated chicken and cook on a low flame stirring occasionally till the chicken is cooked and all the water is gone.This will take about 20 mins so you can prep the other ingredients meanwhile.
In another heavy bottomed pan add 2 tbs oil add green chillies and onions and fry till the onions become translucent.
Add salt and and fry till the onions are cooked and then add the remaining ginger garlic paste and fry .
Add the cooked chicken to the onions and add red chilli powder,curry leaves and garam masala and fry.
Add the grated coconut and fry for about 2-3 minutes.Take care not to smush the chicken.
Turn off the stove ,garnish with coriander and serve.

Majjiga pulusu --- vegetables cooked in blended plain yogurt

2009-03-20T10:53:00.011-04:00

Majjiga pulusu is one of authentic Andhra foods along with gongura pachadi,guttivankaya ,gaarelu,pulihora (list goes on...)... Everyone has their own way of making majjiga pulusu.Here is one way that's pretty easy to make and tasty (that's why I'm attracted to it..:) ) It's very delicious and nutritious (calcium rich)dish.Traditionally vegetables like bottle gaurd ,egg plant,okra are used but I also use bll pepper ,carrots and tomatoes

Ingredients:

3 cups plain yogurt blended(sour one is best)

2 cups bottle gaurd /sorakai peeled and cut into 1"pieces

5-10 okra cut ,

3-4 Indian egg plant cut into 4 pieces,

1 medium tomato,

10 green chillies,

1 medium onion cut into 1" pieces,

1tsp turmeric powder,

2 tsp channa dhal/chick pea flour,

1tsp toor dhal,

1tsp mustard seeds,

1tsp fenugreek seeds,

1tsp cumin seeds,

few curry leaves,

salt to taste,

1tbsp oil.

veggies I used today

Method:

heat oil in a heavy bottomed pan and do the seasoning adding fenugreek seeds, toor dhal,mustard,cumin seeds and curry leaves in order.
Add green chillies ,onions and turmeric powder and cook till the onions sweat.
Add the vegetables except tomato and add salt and let it cook with lid on occasionally stirring.
Once the veggies are cooked add tomatoes and cook for 2 mins.
meanwhile mix besan in 2tbs water to make a thick paste and add it to blended yogurt and mix well.Add water if necessary (consistency should be somewhat like creamy tomato soup).
Add this mixture to the cooked veggies and stir well.
Bring it to boil stirring occasionally or else it will curdle.
Cook for about 5 mins till it thickens and garnish with coriander.

Strawberry milkshake

2009-03-18T11:57:00.007-04:00

spring is around the corner and today the weather is looking gorgeous.I could use a big chilled yummy milkshake. I have strwberries on hand so ..I got busy...

I'm sending this to FIK-pink/rose event hosted by priya and authorised by Harini

Ingredients:

6-10 strawberries,

1cup milk(can adjust to desired consistency ),

2tsp sugar or honey,

1 scoop vanilla icecream,

few ice cubes (optional)

method:

Blend strawberries ,sugar and milk in a blender.Add ice cream and ice cubes and blend.Top with wipping cream and enjoy..

curry puffs -- baked puff pastry with potato curry filling

2009-03-16T13:12:00.007-04:00

It is always pretty difficult to satisfy kids who are picky eaters.Often they indulge in appetisers than a regular meal.So it is best way to persuade them by offering more vegetables concealed in the form of appetisers.Curry puffs are one such dish which most of the kids relish on and my daughter is one of them.She absolutely loves curry puffs.

I am posting this recipe as a part of event cooking for kids authorised by sharmi of neivedyam and hosted by Deepa hari.

Ingredients:

4 medium potatoes boiled and cut into cubes,

1 medium onion diced,

3-6 green chillies(depends on spice level),

1" ginger crushed,

1tsp urad dhal,

1tsp mustard seeds,

1tsp cumin seeds,

few curry leaves,

1tsp turmeric powder,

1tsp coriander/dhaniya powder,

salt to taste,

1 tbsp oil,

1 package pepperidge farm puff pastry sheets.

Recipe:

Grind green chillies and ginger in a mixer.
Heat oil in a heavy bottomed pan and do the seasoning using urad dhal,mustard seeds,cumin seeda and curry leaves in order.
Add the turmeric powder ,green chili and ginger paste and fry.Add diced onion and cook till the onion become translucent.
Add the potato pieces and add cook for about 5 mins till the onions are completely cooked.
Add the coriander powder and you can also add fresh coriander.
Allow it to cool and meanwhile thaw the puff pastry sheets according to package directions.
Each box has 2 sheets folded in three parts.Make each part into 3 pieces..ie each sheet will make 9 curry puffs and the whole box 18..(ha..ha math wizz)
take 1 piece of sheet and take some curry (about half lemon size) and place it on one side and fold the sheet in half.
Seal the edges by pressing the sheet firmly.

baking part:

Heat the oven to 350 degrees.
Place the prepared pastry sheets in a baking pan and bake for about 20 mins tuning in between.
They are ready once they are golden on both sides.

Cooool video ...

2009-03-13T11:52:00.005-04:00

Nice video ..I saw this on chefwannabe.com first and got impressed..Enjoy it..

HAPPY HOLI

2009-03-11T10:44:00.002-04:00

What do chefs do when they are bored?????

2009-03-09T10:20:00.010-04:00

Today I received a mail from my friend with these awesome pictures with the same title.Found these pictures pretty interesting so I thought of sharing in this space. I wish I know the original source of these pics......Whoever made these they sure have a great imagination..!!!!

Happy womens day

2009-03-07T13:50:00.001-05:00

HAPPY WOMENS DAY......
and thank you GOD for your best creation....

Fry that fish!!!

2009-03-06T22:40:00.005-05:00

Fish is one of my all time favorite food.As I hail from coastal region of India, like many most others there my taste buds crave for recipes like fish pulusu,fish fry ...fish in any (..may be many) forms.Even though we don't have that much selection of fish variety here I try to incorporate fish in my meal whenever possible.This fish fry is one of our family favorites(...easy to make too :) )

Ingredients:

4 thilapia fillets(cut into 4 inch pieces),

2 tsp ginger garlic paste,

1/2 tsp turmeric powder,

2tbs lemon juice,

1tsp red chili powder,

2 tsp garam masala ( I use shan fish seasoning..i use whole pack),

salt to taste,

oil for frying,

Method:

Mix all ingredients except oil and fish in a bowl.
Marinate fish for about 30 min in this mixture.
In a heavy bottomed skillet add oil and shallow fry fish pieces.
Once they are golden brown flip to other side and fry til golden brown.
Serve hot as appetiser or with rice.

note: If you are using shan masala note that there will be salt in it .

Tomato mutter pulav

2009-03-06T09:42:00.006-05:00

Pretty fancy name for a simple dish.I used to call it tomato rice but got attracted to the fancy name when I heard it at a gathering.I think the dish deserves it.Tomato mutter pulav very easy and tasty recipe.

Ingredients:

2 cups basmati rice,

4 medium tomatoes diced,

4 green chillies,

1 medium onion diced,

1 cup peas,

few leaves of mint (optional),

2tbs oil,

3 bay leaves,

1 inch cinnamon stick,

5 -10cloves,

3-5 cardamon,

2 tsp ginger garlic paste,

1 tsp garam masala.

Method:

In a heavy bottomed pan add 2 tbs of oil and heat .
Add bay leaf,cinnamon,cardamon,cloves ,green chillies and onions respectively and stir fry till the onions become translucent.
Add ginger garlic paste and fry for a minute.
Add peas and chopped tomatoes and cook 2-3 mins with lid on.
Once the tomatoes are cooked add salt to taste,mint and garam masala powder.
Add the washed basmati rice to it and fry for about a minute.
Add water(11/2 cups of water for each cup of rice) and cook with lid on.Alternatively you can transfer the contents to a rice cooker and add water and cook till the rice is done.
serve hot with raitha or gravy curry.It's yummy even by itself.

Note: If you cooking on stove top add little bit more water .

Bread pakora

2009-03-05T12:00:00.003-05:00

Don't know what to do with the bread lying on your fridge and waiting to make it's journey to garbage???Wait you can make better use of it by making this simple snack. Bread pakora is one of the easiest snacks you can make in a snap.

Ingredients:

4 slices of any bread,

1/2 cup besan/gram flour,

1/2 cup rice flour,

1tsp red chili powder,

1tsp aijwan/vaamu,

salt to taste,

oil for frying

Method:

Cut each bread slice into 4 pieces.
In a bowl mix flours,salt,chili powder,aijwan and add some water and mix well without lumps.
Heat oil in a heavy bottomed pan.
Dip each bread piece in the batter (make sure batter is coated on all sides) and drop gently in oil.
Fry for a while and turn to another side and fry till golden.
Serve hot with sauce.

Aratikai masala curry...fried plantains cooked in spicy sauce

2009-03-02T22:11:00.009-05:00

This is one of the recipes that is passed to me from my mom.Even though the procedure is little lengthy I think it is worth as it turns the very ordinary plantain curry to an awesome curry worth for a gathering.

Ingredients:

2 plantains,

1 medium onion,

2-3 green chillies,

2 medium tomatoes diced,

1 tbs ginger garlic paste,

1tsp garam masala,

1 tsp red chili powder,

1 cup tamarind juice or 2 tsp tamarind paste,

1 tsp urad dhal,

1tsp mustard seeds,

1tsp cumin seeds,

curry leaves few,

1tsp turmeric powder,

oil for frying,

salt to taste

recipe:

Peel off the plantains and slice them into thin round pieces.
Add salt,chili powder, turmeric powder and tamarind juice and let it sit for a while.

heat oil and shallow fry the plantain pieces.Save the tamarind juice. In another pan do the seasoning using urad dhal,mustard seeds and cumin seeds and curry leaves.

Add the green chillies and minced onion and fry till the onion becomes golden brown.
Add ginger garlic paste and fry for 2 mins.
Add the tomatoes and salt and cook with lid on .(note that you will have salt in the tamarind juice we are going to add later)
Add the saved tamarind juiced saved after frying the plantain pieces and cook for 2 mins.

now add the fried plantain pieces and garam masala and cook till the gravy thickens.

Serve hot with rice.

chole masala-- Boiled chick peas in spicy curry sauce

2009-02-23T15:03:00.008-05:00

Chole is a North Indian (punjabi)vegetarian dish made with chick peas in a spicy curry sauce.I have tried out many chole recipes in past but I couldn't get the great taste.I got this recipe from one of my North Indian friend who makes absolutely mouth watering Chole.So let's dig in.

I'm reposting this recipe for the event My Legume Love Affair - Ninth Helping (MLLA9)hosted by Laura (click for laura's blog)and created by Susan (link to event)

Ingredients:

2 cups chick peas (soak them for about 6 hrs)( you can also use canned chick peas),

2 tomatoes (boil and puree in blender),

1 medium onion (make paste),

1 small onion diced,

1/2 tsp turmeric powder,

1tsp red chili powder,

2 tsp ginger garlic paste,

2-3 tsp chole masala powder(available in Indian food Aile),

2 bay leaves,

1 inch cinnamon stick,

3-4 cloves,

1tsp sugar,

2 tbs oil,

salt to taste

recipe:

Boil the soaked chick peas.You can add baking soda to chick peas while boiled if they are not soaked well.
In a heavy bottomed pan add oil and add bay leaf,cinnamon and cloves.
Add diced onion and saute.Once they are translucent add the onion paste and fry.
Add ginger garlic paste and cook for 2 minutes.
Add the pureed tomato ,turmeric powder and salt.Keep the lid and cook for 2-3 minutes.
Add chili powder and chole masala and cook for about a minute.
Add the boiled chic peas and add some warm water in order to get more gravy.
Add 1tsp sugar and cook till the gravy thickens.
Garnish with coriander and serve hot woth rotis or puris.

Note : If you are using boiled chick peas you don't need to boil so much as they become tender easily

carrot rice

2009-02-20T11:45:00.009-05:00

carrot rice is a very delicious,nutritive recipe with right balance of flavors .This is such a quick recipe that you will get addicted to making this dish more often than you think.With its yummy taste you can persuade even pickiest eaters to get their daily dosage (or may be part of ..)of nutrients.

Ingredients:

21/2 cups basmati rice (rice cooker cups),

2 medium carrots grated,

1/2 cup peas,

1tbs ginger garlic paste,

1 tsp garam masala,

1tsp red chili powder,

1/2 tsp turmeric powder,2 -3 green chillies,

2tbs oil,

few coriander leaves chopped,

salt to taste.

For seasoning:

1tsp urad dhal,

1tsp mustard seeds,

1 tsp cumin seeds,

1 strand curry leaves.

recipe:

Cook basmati rice in rice cooker using 11/2 cups water for every cup of rice.(if you are cooking on stove you might need little more water .so adjust accordingly).
Heat oil in a heavy bottomed pan and do the seasoning by adding urad dhal,mustard seeds,cumin seeds and curry leaves in order.
Add turmeric powder and ginger garlic paste to the seasoning and fry.
Add peas and saute for about a minute.
Add the grated carrot and fry for 2-3 minutes.
Add salt ,red chili powder and garam masala and fry for a minute.
Add the cooked rice and coriander leaves and mix well.
serve hot.

I am reposting this for cfk-rice event hosted by Trupti and brainchild of Sharmi

Bisibela bath / sambar rice

2009-02-13T17:51:00.009-05:00

When I first heard of bisibelabath or sambar rice I just thought why take pain making this recipe ??why not just eat rice and sambar mixed????. But later when i tasted it in SV temple in Maryland it's that moment I really decided to try out this recipe. From then on it has been one of our favourite Friday dinner recipes.I think it's an intelligently formulated recipe with has rich supply of carbs,protein,vitamins and minerals. I usually do this using the mtr bisibelabath paste from Indian stores (lazy me.. semi home made :) ) but I managed to get the recipe for masala from my friend.

Ingredients:

1 cup rice uncooked,

3/4 cup toor dhal,

4 cups water,

1 cup vegetables ( bottle guard, carrots,peas,beans ..any thing you can use in sambar except drumsticks),

1 medium onions cut into 1" pieces,

1-2 tomatoes diced,

1/2 tsp turmeric,

salt to taste

for seasoning:

5-10 cashew nuts,

3 red chillies,

1/2 tsp urad dhal,

1/2 tsp mustard seeds,

1/2 tsp cumin seeds,
curry leaves few,

1tbs oil.

for the masala paste:

1tsp bengal gram ,

tbs coriander,

1/4 tsp fenugreek seeds,

1/2 tsp cumin seeds,

3 red chillies,

1 tsp black pepper,

1/2 tsp khus khus,

2 tbs coconut grated,

recipe:

Roast all the ingredients for masala paste one by one and grind to make a fine paste.
Cook toor dhal and rice in a pressure cooker adding 4 cups of water.
Cook the vegetables separately.
Add the cooked vegetables to the cooked rice and dhal.
Add turmeric powder ,salt and the grind masala paste to it.Add little water at this step if needed.
Simmer and cook for about 5 mins stirring occasionally.
In a small pan do the seasoning adding the cashew nuts,urad dhal ,cumin seeds,mustard seeds,red chillies ,curry leaf and hing respectively.
Add the seasoning to the rice mixture.
Serve hot with papad or raitha.

Note: you can substitute the grind masala paste with bisibelabath paste ( i use MTR)available in market. you can do the seasoning with ghee or you can add few teaspoons of ghee while cooking to make it more tastier

Tomato pulusu--Hot and spicy cousin of tomato soup

2009-02-08T19:11:00.004-05:00

This is an authentic recipe passed on to me from my mom. I always get very good feedback whenever i make this recipe and especially it's big hit with the kids.I love tomatoes for their taste,color and nutrients.So try out this one and you won't be disappointed.

Ingredients:

6 large tomatoes,

5-10 green chillies diced,

1tbs ginger garlic paste,

1tsp garam masala,

1 onion ground...(I use the pulse button in Indian mixer so that it don't become fine paste),

tamarind extract(soak tamarind about lime size and extract the juice...adjust the quantity if the tomatoes are tangy),

pinch of turmeric,

1tsp sugar,

1tbs oil,

salt to taste

recipe:

Boil the tomatoes and puree them in a blender.(make sure they are cold before you blend or else it makes the lid pop while blending.

In a heavy bottomed pan add oil and add green chillies,turmeric and onion.

cook the onion till the oil separates and add ginger garlic paste and cook for 2-3 minutes.

Add pureed tomato to the onion paste and cook.

Add tamarind juice to it and bring to boil.Then simmer it and cook it for about 10 minutes.

Add garam masala,sugar and cook for 2 minutes and add cilantro(coriander).

serve hot with plain rice.

Note: Use red ,ripe tomatoes for this recipe which brings real color for this recipe.

chilli chicken

2009-02-02T17:05:00.005-05:00

Ingredients:

2lbs boneless,skinless chicken cut into 1"pieces,

2tbs ginger garlic paste,

2tsp red chili powder,

2tbs all purpose flour,

2 tbs corn flour,

oil for frying,

1 egg,

1tbs lemon juice,

5-10 cashew nuts,

6-10 green chillies,

curry leaves,

1 medium onion diced,

1 bell pepper diced,

1cup plain yogurt,

few drops food color(optional),

salt to taste.

recipe:

Add egg,salt,chili powder,ginger garlic,flour,corn flour,lemon juice and chicken and marinate it for 1 hour.

Deep fry the marinated chicken pieces.

In another heavy bottomed pan heat 2 tbs of oil add cashews ,green chillies and onions.

When the onions are translucent add bell pepper and add little salt to it .

When the bell pepper is cooked add the blended plain yogurt and food color.

Keep it stirring and add the chicken pieces .

cook for 2-3 minutes .

serve hot with cilantro on top.

What a crowd !!!

2009-01-30T10:53:00.001-05:00

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

2009-01-22T16:42:00.003-05:00

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

2009-01-14T16:38:00.002-05:00

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:

Blend yogurt well with hand blender.

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.

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

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

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.

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

gaarelu/ / wada

2009-01-14T15:52:00.002-05:00

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

2009-01-14T14:50:00.002-05:00

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

2009-01-12T18:12:00.002-05:00

chocolate mocha milkshake

2009-01-12T17:05:00.003-05:00

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

2009-01-02T21:14:00.002-05:00

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

2008-12-31T00:29:00.001-05:00

..... HAPPY NEW YEAR ......

virginia satsang '08

2008-12-28T23:03:00.001-05:00

This is a picture from satsang held in Virginia on dec 27th....divine ....isn't it??

Veg Manchuria

2008-12-20T19:12:00.000-05:00

Whenever i think of veg Manchurian i remember the hot ,spicy Manchurian we used to eat at Mayuri restaurant in Dallas. I love the Indo Chinese food very much that the very thought of it makes me hungry.So let's dig into the recipie.I made this recipe this weekend and got very good comments from my friends.

Ingredients:

1/2 medium cabbage grated,

2 bell pepper/capsicum,
2 carrots grated,
2tbs maida or all purpose flour
salt to taste
oil for frying

for the gravy:

2 small onions, finely chopped,
1 bell pepper diced,
4-5 green onions chopped,
4 green chillies,
2tsp green chili sauce,
2tbs soy sauce,
1/2 inch ginger finely minced,
2 cloves garlic minced,
1/2 tsp pepper powder,
1 tbs corn starch (if u don't want it to be very dry)

recipe:

Mix the grated cabbage, carrot , bell pepper ,maida /flour, salt,little red chili powder(optional) to make a sticky paste.
Make small balls and deep fry in oil.
In a kadai add 2 tbs of oil add minced garlic ,ginger and add the chopped green chillies.
Add onions,bell pepper to it and and let it cook till the onions become translucent.
add green chilly sauce,pepper,soy sauce.
Mix the corn starch with a cup of water and add it .
Add the Manchurian and cook for about 2-5 mins.
Garnish with coriander.

To make my recipe more easier i found Manchurian sauce mix in Indian grocery store .After step 4 i will add the sauce mix and about 2 cups of water and follow the instructions and viola ..you will have your Manchurian ready in no time.

So wether it is fully home made or semi-homemade you can enjoy delicious Manchurian.......

Our first chirstmas tree

2008-12-10T11:44:00.002-05:00

Mysore pak

2008-12-10T10:58:00.000-05:00

I got this recipe from a friend and when i was noting down the recipe i was like"2 cups of ghee!!! that's a lot of fat!!". But sometimes cravings take over the thinking...and the result is "i made this sweet".After i got very good feedback from the friends who tasted it..i thought okay why not share it.....

Ingredients:

1 cup besan

2 cups ghee(clarified butter)

13/4 cup sugar

1/4 cup water

1or 2 cardamon

recipe:

roast beasn in little ghee till it becomes golden ( till the raw flavour of besan goes ) and keep aside.

In a sauce pan add the sugar and 1/4 th cup water .

make the sugar syrup to about 2 thread consistency.

Add powdered cardamon.

Add besan little by little making sure it does not form the lumps.

Add ghee little by little and keep stirring making sure it does not stick to bottom.

When the starts separating turn off the stove.

Pour this mixture into greased pan.

Once it is set cut into pieces and enjoy.

Pav bhaji

2008-11-15T12:42:00.001-05:00

Pav bhaji...the very name makes me nostalgic.... .If someone asks you what is pav bhaji you can just say "it's a kind of Indian mixed vegetable curry served with dinner rolls" or you can say"It's delicious ,aromatic, flavourful,spicy,mouth watering ,addictive dish made from vegetables". If you ask me I would go with the second description. Not just tasty...it's also healthy with loads of veggies .

My friend would make her son eat this dish by saying 'power bhaji' instead of pav bhaji( boys..all the power stuff works very well with them).Anyways this recipe justifies it's nick name as power bhaji with lots of carbs,vitamins and minerals ,fiber from veggies....So i think it's time to actually make the recipe and enjoy it instead of drooling( the very thought of it makes me drool).

Ingredients:
6 Burger buns or pavs
1 medium onion
3 medium potatoes
2 cups of cauliflower florets
1 big bell pepper/capsicum
1 cup carrots diced
1 cup peas
2 medium tomatoes
1 cup Green beans
2-3 tsps ginger garlic paste
salt to taste
red chilly powder(depends on your spice level)
oil/butter

Recipe:

Boil potatoes ,peel , and mash them.

Boil the vegetables and mash them.

In a heavy bottomed pan heat oil/butter (i use both about 1/4 th stick butter) and add Green chillies and diced onions.

Add ginger garlic paste and pav bhaji masala when the onions are translucent.

Add diced tomatoes and cook for a while.

Add red chilly powder,salt and add mashed vegetables and potatoes(at this point you can add little water )

Cook this on a medium flame till you get the desired consistency.

Garnish with diced onions and lemon juice.

Heat a skillet and add little ghee(clarified butter)/butter/oil to it.

Place the buns/pavs on the skillet and toast them a little.

enjoy hot pav bhaji with toasted buns....

Minestone soup

2008-11-15T11:47:00.000-05:00

Mmmmm......minestrone soup one of my favourites at olive garden.Hot steaming soup , a perfect company for a cold winter day.Minestrone soup is loaded with lots of fresh veggies ...so you can sip without guilt.This soup is so versatile that you can experiment with different veggies on hand,different consistencies..and so on.Here is my version......

1 cup diced onion
1 cup diced carrots
1 cup diced zucchini
2 medium tomatoes diced
4 cloves of garlic minced
1/2 cup diced celery
1 cup diced green beans
2 cups kidney beans and green beans (soaked overnight,1 cup un soaked )
(I use mixture of 16 beans easily found in grocery section)
2 table spoons Italian seasoning(you can use fresh herbs if available)
1/2 cup pasta (elbows,shells etc)
3-4 cups vegetable stock
salt and pepper to taste

Recipe:

-Heat olive oil in a large soup pot and add garlic , onion ,and Italian seasoning to the oil.
cook them stirring occasionally till the onions are translucent.
-Add the veggies ,salt and beans and let them cook for a while covered(you can pre cook the beans or use canned beans if desired).
-Once the beans are cooked add the vegetable broth.
-Bring it to a boil and simmer it.
-Add cooked pasta to it and let it simmer.
-season with pepper and garnish with chopped cilantro/parsley/cheese.

Methi paratha

2008-11-12T21:30:00.000-05:00

I tasted Methi paratha for the first time at my friend's house.It was cool outside and she served me hot methi paratha with mint chutney and it tasted so yummy.It's that moment i decided to try out methi paratha......from then on it is one of our family favorites. It's yummy and healthy at the same time.

Ingredients:

2 cups wheat flour

1 cup methi leaves(fenugreek leaves) finely chopped

salt to taste

1 tbs plain yogurt

1/2 tsp turmeric

1tsp chilli powder

1 1/2 tsp cumin powder

2tbs oil

Recipe:

Mix wheat flour,salt,turmeric,cumin powder,meethi leaves,tbs oil .

Add water to the mixture and make a dough.

Leave it for sometime(about 1/2 hour).

Tale the dough and roll it into little balls(about lime size).

Roll the dough into a circle(they should not be very thin).

Heat the griddle and place the rolled paratha on the griddle.

Flip the paratha and coat the surface with little oil.

Flip it over and add oil to the other surface as well.

Flip it again and roast it

Serve hot with curry of your choice or chutney of your choice(my daughter likes it with ketchup).

Healthy junk.....

2008-11-02T09:30:00.001-05:00

The other day my daughter was asking me a question."mom why can't all the junk food be healthy and you never have to say no to junk food ?"...( Her favorite foods are potato chips,corn chips and if feels to eat healthy food then vegetable chips). I smiled and said "if it is junk food it can't be healthy and if it's healthy it can't be junk". she is like "awwwww you are confusing me".That's how i got the idea of healthy junk and i got a recipe that qualifies for the title.The recipe is vegetable pakora. Mmmmm...enough with my chatter and let's dive into the recipe.

Ingredients:

11/2 cup chick pea flour/besan
2tsp garam masala
1tsp red chilly powder or according to spice level
1 cup cabbage diced(like you do for noodles)
1 medium size onion
1 bell pepper diced(big size,any color)
2 carrots diced into thin and long (1 inch) pieces
4 green chillies(optional)
oil for frying

Recipe:

Dice all the vegetables uniformly, add salt and mix thoroughly
Keep them aside for 5-10 min so the water oozes out from the veggies.
Add garam masala,chilli powder t the besan/flour and mix.
Now add the flour to the veggies little by little and mix thoroughly.
You can add water at this point to mix the flour and veggies.
The batter should not be too loose.
In a kadai/pan heat oil for frying .
Once the oil is hot take the pakora mixture and add little by little to the oil.
Fry till they are golden brown and remove.
Serve hot with ketchup or your favourite sauce.

**You can add any of your favorite veggies to this recipe.I also add some rice flour or corn flour to besan to make the pakoras crispy.

They make a great snack especially on a cold winter day........have fun!!

Bagara Baingan (stuffed eggplant curry)

2008-10-30T18:09:00.000-04:00

I can't even imagine posting this recipie for my first post. Actually i used to

hate eggplant as a kid but later on i developed soft corner for guttivankaya koora alias stuffed egg plant.I always make this espicially when i need to make vegi special ( it's always hard for me to make special vegetable dishes).

Ingredients:

Indian eggplant -- 10 (medium sized)

onions --- 2 medium

tomatoes -- 2 medium sized(boiled and pureed)

green chillies -- 4

oil ---as needed

ginger garlic paste -- 2 table spoons

turmeric--1/2 teaspoon

chilli powder--1to 2 tea spoons(according to your spice level)

for the masala paste:

groundnuts -- 4 table spoons (roasted)

coriander seeds--3 tablespoons

cumin seeds -- 2 tablespoons

fenugreek seeds--2 tea spoons

sesame seeds -- 1 table spoon

kaskas/poppy seeds -- 1 table spoon

coconut -- 2 table spoons(grated)

This is how i make it

Slit the egg plant/baingan length wise into 4 sections without cutting off the green part

first roast the groundnuts/pea nuts and let them cool

Roast coriander seeds,fenugreek seeds ,cumin seeds,sesame seeds,kas kas one after other to avoid burning

Now add grated coconut to the roasted seeds and grind them adding little water.you can first powder the groundnuts separately and then grind all of them to make a fine paste.

In a heavy bottomed pan add oil and shallow fry the egg plants.keep turning them so that they are cooked evenly on all sides.

Remove the eggplants and keep aside.

Add green chillies ,onions to the oil (at this point you may add li'l bit more oil if you need)

Once the onions become translucent add ginger garlic paste,tomato paste and cook for few minutes.

Add red chili powder to it and add 2 teaspoons garam masala powder.

Now add the grinded masala paste and let it cook.Add a cup of water to it and carefully place the roasted eggplants in the pan.

Cook the whole thing on medium flame for few minutes checking occasionally.

Once it is done garnish with coriander and serve

Goes well with veg pulav or rotis