Anu's Kitchen

Sakkarai Pongal

2010-01-18T16:30:00.000-05:00

This was made on Pongal. I wanted to make Pongal, but not the authentic way, which is difficult if you dont know the correct measures. This recipe below suited fine and I tried it. The result was surprising, delicious Pongal, which all of us liked a lot.

Ingredients:
Rice - 3 cups
Moong Dal - 1/2 cup
Brown Sugar - 3 cups
Ghee - 2 tbsp
Water - 9 cups
Cardamom Powder - 1/2 tsp
Cashews - 2 tbsp
Raisins - 1/2 cup

Steps:
1. Wash and pressure cook the rice and dal.(9 cups water).
2. In a pan, add 1 -1/2 cups of water and brown sugar.
3. Keep stirring until you get one string consistency. To check this, take a drop of the syrup between your thumb and finger, press and release the fingers, you'll see a single string of the syrup. If you dont see any string, stir the syrup for some more time.
4. Once the single string consistency is achieved, add the cooked rice and dal in this syrup and mix well.
5. Keep the flame low and mix well for 2-4 minutes.
6. Fry the raisins and cashews in the ghee and pour this on the pongal.
7. Add more ghee if required and remove from heat.
Serve hot.

Note:
You can use jaggery instead of brown sugar.Make sure to strain the syrup before mixing the rice and dal.
Fry the raisins and cashews separately.

Puran Poli/Obbattu/Holige

2010-01-18T15:39:00.006-05:00

Festivals remind us of family, friends, fun and food... Im a born foodie and enjoy cooking especially on festive occasions. This year I prepared Puran Poli, Urad vadai, Sakkarai Pongal and murukku for Pongal.
Puran Poli is a must in all the festivals celebrated in Maharashtra. This recipe is not an authentic one, but nevertheless outstanding. I saw a video on youtube for this, by an elderly lady. Her name is not mentioned in the video. But I would like to give the credit to her, cos otherwise I would not have made these. I have not used nutmeg powder and made some few changes.

Ingredients:
Puran(Filling) :
Dal - 2 cups
Brown Sugar - 1 cup
Sugar - 1 cup
Cardamom Powder - 1/2 tsp

Dough:
Wheat flour - 2 cups
Maida/All purpose flour - 2 tbsp
Besan/gram flour - 2 tbsp
Oil - 6 tbsp
Salt - 1/2 tsp

Steps:
1. Wash and soak the dal for 2 hours in 4 cups of water.
2. In a pan add all the flours and using little water knead the dough. Knead it well. Cover it and let it rest for 30 minutes.
4. Take a plate, add oil, salt and 2 tbsp water and knead the dough again. It will become a bit gooey and after sometime, the dough will become very soft. Cover it and keep aside.
5. Pressure cook the rice for 1 whistle.
6. Remove excess water from the dal. Let it cool.
7. Add sugar and brown sugar/jaggery in the dal and mix well. Blend it in a mixer/blender to a fine paste.
8. In a microwave, cook the mixture for 5 minutes on high, remove, mix well and again microwave on high for another 3 minutes. The dal will be cooked. Cook the mixture in a non-stick pan if you dont want to microwave.
9. Tie a muslin cloth to the rolling board. Make round balls of dough and puran. Fill the puran in the dough and roll it using little rice flour.
Note: I tied a handkerchief to the rolling board, it was very easy to roll the polis.
10. Cook the polis carefully on a skillet on both the sides.
Serve hot with ghee, amti or milk.

Egg Kurma

2010-01-13T16:59:00.001-05:00

Had made this egg kurma on Sunday, but updating it today. Better late, than never. :) This egg kurma is a favorite at home. It's a simple and easy recipe which tastes divine. Try it to believe it.

Ingredients:
Eggs - 6
Onion - 2 finely diced
Tomato - 1 finely diced
Ginger Garlic paste - 1 tsp
Red chilli powder - 1 tsp
Turmeric - 1/2 tsp
Coriander powder - 1 tsp
Chicken masala - 1 tsp
Oil - 2 tbsp apprx.

Grind:
Clove -5
Cinnamon - 1 round stick
Cardamom - 1
Curry Leaves - 2 sprigs
Fennel seeds/Saunf - 1 tsp
Coconut - 1 cup
Pepper - 2 tsp

Steps:
1. Heat oil and fry all the things under 'Grind' for 4-5 minutes. You can stop when you get a good smell of all the spices, coconut becomes brown in color.
2. Let it cool and grind it to a fine paste using water as required.
3. Heat 2 tbsp oil in a pan, add ginger garlic paste and fry till the raw smell goes.
4. Add onions and cook them well.
5. Once onions are cooked, add chilli, turmeric, chicken masala and coriander powder and saute well for 3 minutes.
6. Add the tomatoes and cook till they get blended well with the onion paste.
7. Add the coconut paste and saute well for another 5-7 minutes.
8. Add salt and check for the taste, add masalas if required and cook well.
9. Add 1 cup water let it simmer for 2-3 minutes.
10. Put the boiled eggs and let it cook for another 5 minutes in low flame.
Serve hot with rice, dosa or paratha.

If you are a vegetarian, substitute the eggs with potatoes or any vegetable of your choice.

Christmas and New Year Cake

2010-01-10T21:13:00.001-05:00

Had a very good time during Christmas and New Year. Hubby's cousin Dr. R and wife Dr. D had visited us and we all had a guudddddddddd time(would like to presume :) ). D is a good cook and I assisted her in making the cakes.

We brought store made cake mix and with few modifications, made the cake even more tastier.
The first cake for Christmas was Double Chocolate Fudge.The recipe called for 1 eggs, vegetable oil and water. We substituted vegetable oil with applesauce and added almonds and cashews(
D's suggestion). It was a wonderful treat for us and our friends. Take a look at the cake.

The second cake, is a Chocolate Caramel Cake. This one came with two pouches, one cake flour and the other caramel syrup. Again we use applesauce and almonds. Pouring the caramel on the cake was a tedious task, which D managed very well. This cake was yum too. Have a look.

Happy New Year

2010-01-10T20:22:00.004-05:00

Happy New Year 2010. Wish you all a Happy and Prosperous New Year. Had taken a break from blogging, back with new recipes. I will start posting new recipes soon.
Through this blog, not only did I explore my cooking skills, also gained many friends. I would like to thank you all for visiting my blog and going thru my recipes and giving feedback about them. I appreciate your feedback and comments.
I wish all of you a Happy and Prosperous New Year. May all your dreams and wishes come true.
Happy Blogging...

Chegodilu/Chekodi Indian Cooking Challenge - Nov

2009-12-15T16:36:00.003-05:00

This is my first entry for ICC. Im really happy it was a simple recipe. I have eaten Chegodilu in Bangalore, we get it in many bakery shops, but I never knew their name. We(My friends and me) used to call this as ring murukku.

This is a very crunchy snack, and it got over in a jiffy. Thanks to Srivalli to teach me this wonderful snack.

Ingredients:

Rice flour - 1 cup

Moong dal - 2 tbsp

Water - 1 cup

Ghee - 1 tbsp

Cumin seeds - 1 tsp

Sesame seeds - 1-1/2 tsp

Chilli powder - 1-1/2 tsp

Salt and oil as required

Steps:

1. Soak the moong dal in water for 30 minutes.

2. Boil water in a pan, then add salt, moong dal and ghee.

3. When water comes to a boil, add rice flour little at a time and using a ladle keep stirring continously.

4. Remove from heat and cover it with a lid for 15 minutes.

5. Once the dough is cool, add the remaining ingredients(chilli, sesame n cumin) except oil and knead well.

6. Grease your palms with oil. Make small balls of the dough and roll them like a thread and join the ends together to form a circle.

7. Fry them in hot oil till they get a golden brown color.

Serve hot with tea/coffee.

First Award and ....

2009-12-01T15:38:00.002-05:00

Yes, I received an award from Vicky of Viki's kitchen. Vicky needs no introduction from me. Her cooking skills are well known(very famous blogger) in the blogging world. She is so generous in gifting me this award and appreciating my cooking.. It's really a great honour to get an award from an experienced cook like her. Vicky's blog has a good collection of veg and non-veg cusinie. All those non-veg fans, you know what to type to find a NV recipe.

My friend Krishnasri, will also be blogging with me starting today. She is a very good cook and excels in preparing all kinds of cuisines. Her love for cooking started when she was in 8th standard. So you see, she has lot of experience.. and has tried, tested and tasted many recipes. Im so happy to welcome Krishnasri in this blogging world again.

Onion Podi Dosa

2009-11-24T11:09:00.008-05:00

This was made for breakfast today. Just a simple and easy recipe. When Im lazy to prepare chutney, I do this.

Ingredients:
4 cups: 1cup = Long grain rice/idli rice : Urad dal
Fenugreek seeds - 1/2 tsp
Poha/Avval/Beaten Rice - 1/4 cup
Salt - 1 Tsp to ferment the batter
Onion - 1 finely chopped
Oil as required

Steps:
1. Rinse and soak the rice for 5 hours.
2. Rinse and soak urad dal and fenugreek seeds for 5 hours.
3. After 5 hours, drain the water from the dal and seeds and grind it in a mixer. Pour very little water at grind to a fine consistency. You'll see small bubbles forming on the dal batter. Remove and transfer in a steel container.
4. Pour little water in the poha so that it covers it. Let it soak.
5. Grind the rice using sufficient water to get a coarse batter. Transfer to the steel container.
6. Grind the poha with remaining rice to a coarse batter. Pour the batter in the stainless steel utensil.
7. Add 1 tsp salt and mix the batter well in anti-clockwise direction.
8. Place the container in a warm place.(near the oven, on top of the fridge, etc)
Tip : Due to cold temperature, the batter may not ferment. You can place the batter on/near one of the stove tops which you are not using. This will make the batter ferment well.
9. Leave the batter covered overnight or for 12 hours.
10. After 12 hours, batter will be fermented .i.e. you will see the batter risen to double the size. Its ready to use now or you can refrigate it to use later.
Note: Leaving the batter for more than 12 hours will give a sour taste to the batter. To avoid this refrigate it.
11. Heat a non-stick skillet, pour a laddle full of batter and spread the form in the form of a circle.
12. Pour little oil on the dosa and immediately spread the onion. Let it cook for a minute. Apply the podi(mixed with water) on the dosa.
13. Flip the dosa carefully and pour 2-3 drops of oil, and let if cook for another minute.
14. Flip over again and transfer to a plate.
Serve hot with chutney and/or sambar.

It is a very simple procedure, dont worry about the number of steps. :)

Apple sauce with Yogurt

2009-11-23T16:48:00.010-05:00

I usually prefer oranges to apples. Decided to make something with apples, so googled for apple recipes. Found many recipes, selected this one cos of the time and effort. :) I havent picked up from one site, went thru some sites, so dont know whom to give the credit. :(

Anyways, here goes my simple apple with yogurt recipe.

Ingredients:
Apple - 1 peeled and cut in small pieces
Sugar - 1 Tbsp
Water - 1/2 cup
Yogurt - 1/2 cup

Steps:
1. Pour water in a pan and let it boil.
2. When water comes to a boil, add apple and sugar and stir for a minute.
3. Keep stirring frequently every 2 minutes until all the water evaporates. Remove from heat when there is no water left or very less water is left.
4. Let it cool.
5. Add yogurt in the apple sauce and refrigate for an hour before serving.
Serve cold.

Tip : Before adding yogurt, you can grind the apples in a blender/mixie to get the apple sauce.

I dint make the apple sauce, cos I found the apples by itself very tasty.. Planning to try the apple sauce. If you detest apples, try this for a change.

You can try either ways which you like.

Zebra Cake

2009-11-20T09:07:00.012-05:00

I was searching for Marble cake recipe but ended up making an eggless Zebra Cake. It is taken from the site from Farida's blog. This cake looks awesome and tastes yum.. I did not use eggs as my DH is not eating eggs this month. I have substitued eggs with vegetable oil and vinegar. Next time I plan to use applesauce as an egg substitute.

You can check Farida's blog as she has given detailed step by step instructions along with pics. Im still trying my hands on camera, i must confess, im a slow learner, especially where an art like photography comes into 'picture'. Any tips on photography...

Adai Dosa

2009-11-19T18:49:00.006-05:00

I got this recipe from my mom. She used to make Adai dosas for Sunday breakfast. This was one breakfast item which we all looked forward to eagerly, also one reason to wake up a little early on a Sunday morning.

Mom makes this the traditional way, using many ingredients, predominantly drumstick leaves for that authentic flavour. I loveeeeeeee Adai dosa with drumstick leaves. Here, I make a simple version of Adai...

Ingredients:

Rice - 1 cup

Tuvar dal - 1 cup

Urad dal - 1/2 cup

Channa dal - 2 cups

Red chilli - 10 - 14

Cumin seeds - 2 tsp

Onion - 1 finely chopped

Ginger - 1 tsp grated

Fennel seeds/Saunf - 2 tsp

Curry leaves - 1 sprig

Salt and Oil as required

Steps:

1. Soak the rice and dals for 4 hours.

2. Using a blender/mixer, grind rice and dal along with cumin seeds, red chillies and salt to a coarse batter.

3. Let the batter ferment for an hour.

4. Add chopped onions, fennel seeds and curry leaves to the batter and mix well.

5. In a skillet, pour a ladle full of batter and make it a little thicker than dosa. If you make it thicker like an uttapam, it will take a lot of time to cook(tastes yummy).

6. Pour little oil on the edges and then flip over to the other side and let it cook for some more time. Serve hot with coconut chutney and jaggery.

Health Quotient: Its obvious this dosa is high on health quotient, cos of the lentils used. Would like to share info about fennel. Some believe that fennel has some diuretic effect, and may help reduce a problem with water retention. Fennel for some reduces the appetite and is therefore effective in weight loss. Click here to know more benefits.

Medu Vada

2009-11-16T20:10:00.006-05:00

The recipe for this was given to me both by my mom and MIL. However, I found my MIL's version time-saving.

Ingredients:
Whole Urad Dal - 2 cups
Pepper - 1 tsp
Onion - 1 finely chopped
Salt and Oil as required

Steps:
1. Soak the urad dal for 15 minutes.
2. Add pepper and grind the urad dal in a grinder/blender. Use very little water while grinding.
3. Add salt and onions and mix well.
4. Pour enough oil in a pan and heat it well. You can pour the batter using a spoon or grease your hands with oil and take a little batter, shape it like a doughnut and carefully put in the oil.
5. Cook on both the sides. Repeat the same until all the vadas are done.
Serve hot with chutney, sambar or curd.

Mysore Pak

2009-11-07T20:40:00.013-05:00

This recipe is given by my MIL. It's a bit tricky, but it came out a succes in one try, im sure you can do it too. It was yummy.... Have a look..

Ingredients:
Besan/chickpeas flour - 2 cups
Sugar - 2 cups
Ghee - 1 Cup
Oil - 1 Cup

Steps:
1. Sift the besan using a sieve.
2. In a wide bottomed pan, add 1 glass water and sugar and keep stirring. You'll get a one-thread consistency in sometime. (Take a drop of the syrup between your thumb and finger)
3. In another pan, add oil and ghee, keep it in medium flame.
4. Once you get the sugar consistency, pour the besan little at a time in the sugar syrup and keep stirring continously.
5. Using a ladle, keep adding oil in the besan-sugar syrup mixture. You need to add oil at frequent intervals, making sure the mixture doesnt stick to the pan.
6. Within 6-7 minutes, you'll see the mixture is cooked, and you dont get the raw smell.
7. Immediately remove the mixture and pour it on a greased plate. Let it cool for 15 minutes.
Cut into the shape you want.

Carrot-Beetroot-Pumpkin Halwa

2009-10-25T04:58:00.008-04:00

Had to cook something before these 3 not often liked vegetables go waste. I used to make Carrot halwa, used the same procedure without any innovative approach. I love sweets, but have never liked carrot halwa. I've always cooked it for family and friends. Sometimes, I guess, you cook for others, though you personally dont like or dont eat what you cook. I know few vegetarians who have never tasted non-veg, cook amazing nv food.

This was very yummy, it tasted like basundi. I tasted a little(hubby's persuasion)and then had a generous amount without worrying about weight woes.

Ingredients:
Carrot - 1
Beetroot - 2
Yellow Pumpkin - 50 gms/1/2 cup grated
Milk - 3 cups
Sugar - 1 1/2 cup
Ghee - 1/2 cup
Cardamom seeds/powder - 5
Cashews and raisins for garnish

Steps:
1. Grate the vegetables.
2. In a non-stick pan, pour the milk and add the veggies.
3. Keep stirring frequently until the milk thickens. Once the milk starts bursting like bubbles, remove from heat(stove). This process usually takes 20-30 minutes. Using a pressure cooker may not give good results, though it saves time.
4. In another non-stick pan, heat ghee and add the veg-milk mixture and keep stirring continously.
5. After 5 minutes, add sugar and keep stirring. Once you add sugar, it will turn to a liquid consistency and colour will change. This is expected.
6. Keep stirring frequently every 2 minutes until the halwa is ready. When you feel the consistency is thick enough, remove from heat. This process needs a little patience.... Remove from heat.
7. Fry raisins and cashews in ghee and garnish on the halwa.
Serve hot or cold with icecream.

If you try this recipe, do let me know how it turned out for you.

Besan Laddu

2009-10-13T14:05:00.007-04:00

Had to make this for my husband's Diwali potluck. I love besan laddoos made by my aunt back home in Pune. I have never liked store bought besan laddoos for 'n' reasons(i love my aunt's besan laddoos :)).

Hubby informed me at the last minute about the besan laddoo, which left me with no other option than checking online. Was skeptical not about making laddoos, but the method to choose. Finally, we both agreed to proceed with Manjula Aunty's recipe. The way she explains and gives small details helps a lot for cooks like me who are trying something for the first time.

Followed the recipe given by Manjula aunty of http://www.manjulaskitchen.com/ . It came out very well and was appreciated by one and all. I used the same procedure.(doubled the quantity).

I would recommend everyone to go ahead with her besan laddoo recipe, it will make ur day. :)

Methi Paratha

2009-10-13T13:14:00.008-04:00

Methi Parantha... healthy and yummy. We all love methi parathas and I am sure each of us make it differently. Well, this is how I make mine.

Ingredients:
Kasoori methi - 1/2 cup
Wheat flour - 4 cups
Chilli powder - 1 tsp
Salt and oil as required

Steps:
1. In a bowl, add all the above ingredients and knead well using little water at a time.
2. Once the dough is pliable, add little oil and knead again for 2 minutes.
3. Rest the dough for atleast 15 minutes.
4. Make round balls of equal size and roll into thin paranthas.
5. Cook the parathas on the skillet on both the sides. Apply oil on both sides.
Serve hot with curd, raitha or pickle.

Health Quotient:
Indian Ayurvedic and traditional Chinese medicine recommend fenugreek to treat arthritis and bronchitis, induce labor, improve digestion, and maintain a healthy metabolism. Fenugreek also has a long history of use for treatment of reproductive disorders in women. Recent studies have shown that fenugreek helps lower blood glucose levels, and may be an effective treatment for both type 1 and 2 diabetes.
Fenugreek is also being studied for its cardiovascular benefits. Researchers in India found people who took 2 ounces of fenugreek seed each day had significantly (around 14 percent) lower cholesterol levels after 24 weeks, and had lowered their risk of heart attack by more than 25 percent. The same study showed that participants with type 2 diabetes had significantly lower blood sugar levels after eating fenugreek. To know more benefits of fenugreek, click here.

Gobi masala/cabbage masala

2009-10-11T12:01:00.010-04:00

Recently I have posted cabbage peas curry. One more cabbage recipe, cooked in a different way. This is something which tastes little different than other cabbage curries. The difference being that instead of adding various masalas or another vegetable, besan is added, which gives a very different flavour. It's worth a try, especially for those who do not like the smell of cabbage.

Ingredients:
Cabbage - 1/2 chopped
Onion - 1 chopped lengthwise
Besan/gramflour - 1/4 cup
Urad dal - 1 Tsp
Cumin seeds - 1 tsp
Mustard seeds - 1/2 tsp
Garam masala - 1 tsp
Chilli powder - 1 tsp
Turmeric - 1/4 tsp
Salt and oil as required

Steps:
1. Heat oil in a pan, add the mustard seeds.
2. When the mustard seeds splutter, add urad dal and cumin seeds and saute for a minute.
3. Add the onion and fry till the onion are cooked.
4. Once the onions turn brown in color, add garam masala, chilli powder, turmeric and salt.
5. Saute till the masalas are cooked well and then add the cabbage.
6. Saute the cabbage for 5 minutes at frequent intervals.
7. Sprinkle little besan at a time and saute well for another 4 minutes.
8. Pour little water and let the cabbage cook.
9. Saute the cabbage at regular intervals till its cooked well.
Serve hot with roti or rice.

Tip: You can skip the water part and saute for some more time to get a crunchier cabbage masala. Tastes good both the ways.

Healthy Quotient:
Cabbage is the best vegetable to eat if you are on a weight loss diet. The reason being very calories and less fat as compared to other vegetables. Now we know why they call it, dieter's friend.

Ragi cookies

2009-10-07T20:26:00.009-04:00

A big thanks to Sowmya of creativesaga who has posted about this recipe. Ragi and oats both are very healthy. This cookie is packed with loads of nutrients and vitamins. I made these cookies today, they tasted really good. I have used the same proportions as Sowmya. The only change I did is add almonds. Also I ran out of butter, so used vegetable oil.
Please click here to go to Sowmya's recipe.

Health Quotient:
Ragi/Millet is gluten-free and packed with vitamins and minerals. We are all aware of the health benefits of Oats. Millet is actually a seed not a grain.
Millet is a delicious way to start or end your day. Try some today and experience the benefits of millet nutrition that made it the prized grain of so many ancient cultures!

Kabuli Chana Masala

2009-09-30T15:56:00.020-04:00

This is a snack that I make on some lazy evenings when I m hungry and want to cook something in couple of minutes. I have some cans of chick peas stored, they come in handy most of the times. My hubby loves this a lotttttt. Im sending this for the MLLA Event hosted by Sia of http://www.monsoonspice.com/ and the event was initiated by Susan of the http://www.wellseasonedcook.blogspot.com/. Click here to know about the event details.

Ingredients:
Kabuli Chana / Chick Peas - 2 cups boiled or 1 can
Tomato sauce - 1 tsp
Chilly powder - 1/2 tsp
Salt and oil as per taste

Steps:
1. Heat little oil in a pan, add the chickpeas and saute for a minute.
2. Add tomato sauce, chilly powder and salt. Saute for 2 minutes.
3. Remove from heat and garnish with lemon juice and onions.

You can add more spices as per your palate to enhance the flavour. I also added Buffalo sauce to this, it tasted yum...
Have it as a tea time snack. Its good during the monsoon and winters.

Health Quotient:
Chick peas/Garbanzos give you energy to burn while stabilizing blood sugar. In addition to its beneficial effects on the digestive system and the heart, soluble fiber helps stabilize blood sugar levels. If you have insulin resistance, hypoglycemia or diabetes, beans like garbanzos can really help you balance blood sugar levels while providing steady, slow-burning energy. Studies of high fiber diets and blood sugar levels have shown the dramatic benefits provided by these high fiber foods. To know more about the benefits and storage of these, click here.

Chewy Chocolate Walnut

2009-09-29T22:35:00.011-04:00

Own version of chewy bars. Chewy bars are something I love to eat. Thought of making one for kids. This one comes in a package. I mean, chocolate and walnut-museli or cornflakes combo. Kids will love the chocolate, and you'll be delighted to make them eat nuts and cereals. You can alter the recipe as per your palate. I have used the ingredients available in my kitchen.

Ingredients:
Corn flakes / Oats /Muesli - 1 cup
Walnuts - 1/4 cup, chopped
Chocolate chip - 1/4 cup
Milk - 1/2 cup

Steps:
1. Using a double boiler or microwave, melt the chocolate. Click here to know the details.
2. Once the chocolate melts, add muesli(Oats/Cornflakes).
3. Stir well and add milk a little at a time. Keep stirring at frequent intervals.
4. Add the walnuts and stir well for a minute or so until you get a perfect blend of all the ingredients.
5. Remove from heat.
6. Place these on a parchment paper or greased plate and refrigate it for 30 minutes. You can also mould them in a silver foil and refrigate it for 30 minutes.
Serve cold with milk or as a dessert.

Health Quotient:
Walnuts are a delicious way to add extra nutrition, flavor and crunch to a meal. Adding walnuts to your diet can be an important step in improving your cardiovascular health. To lower your risk of cardiovascular and coronary heart disease, enjoy a handful of walnuts, or other antioxidant-rich nuts, at least 4 times a week. To learn more about walnut nutrition and health benefits, click here.
This is my entry for CFK -chocolates hosted by Hema of salt2taste.blogspot.com and Sharmi of http://www.neivedyam.com/ who initiated the CFK event.

Chocolate Glazed Almond Stuffed Strawberry

2009-09-29T21:22:00.015-04:00

I had a tough time thinking about a chocolate recipe. Being a die-hard chocoholic, made the job even more difficult, to say the least. Any type of chocolate, even a teeny-weeny one doesnt escape my ever hungry chocolate deprived tummy. Sending this entry to Hema of salt2taste.blogspot.com, who is hosting her first CFK event. I have used strawberry, if you dont find it in the market, try using some other fruit like apple, plums, banana or any fruit you have at home. After all, CFK(my opninion) is all about healthy and fun cooking for kids.

Ingredients:
Strawberry - 10
Chocolate chip - 1/2 cup
Almonds - 10
Milk - 1/4 cup

Steps:
1. Wash the strawberries gently in a colander and immediately wipe it with a tissue paper. Make sure not to remove the stems while washing, as exposure to water will affect the texture and flavor. Alternatively, use a wet tissue paper to wipe the strawberries.
Note: Strawberries should be removed from the fridge an hour before use. This makes glazing easier and the flavor of strawberries are best at room temperature.
2. Soak the almonds in milk for 30 minutes.
3. Melt the chocolate chips on the stove, microwave or double boiler. Click here to find the details.
4. Once the chocolate chip is melted, hold the strawberry using the stem and glaze it in the chocolate evenly. Do the same with all the strawberries and place it on a greased plate.
5. Glaze the almonds in the chocolate and place it on a greased plate or parchment paper.
6. Refrigate the almonds and strawberries for 10 minutes.
7. Remove the stem off the strawberry using a knife.
8. Once the stem is removed, pierce the almond into the strawberry.
OR
You can cut the strawberry and stuff it with the almond and put another coat of chocolate on top.
Serve it cold with icecream or by itself as a dessert.

Health Quotient:
A strawberry is a superstar when it comes to antioxidant power, says Dr. Barry Sears in his book The Top 100 Zone Foods. Also a good source of Vitamin C and packed with flavonoids. Almonds are one of the most nutritious of all the nuts. Cancer prevention, protection against cardiovascular diseases, lower cholestrol are some benefits reaped with almond consumption. As Hema mentioned, chocolate is not all that bad if taken in moderation. To know the benefits of chocolates and to know the type of fat associated with it, click here.

Hope you try this easy recipe for your kids. Im sure they'll love it. I am sending this to Hema of salt2taste.blogspot.com who is hosting CFK - chocolates and Sharmi of http://www.neivedyam.com/ who has initiated the CFK event.

Navaratri special

2009-09-28T15:00:00.007-04:00

It's been a long time that I last visited my blog. Was busy with 'nav-rathri' celebrations. Had a very good time these 9 days. Each day one sundal, one sweet as neivedhyam was tooooo much of good food. Alas!!! dint get any time in clicking pics of the yummy decadent delicacies....

This is what I offered as neivedyam:

Day 1 - Semiya payasam and brown chickpeas sundal

Day 2 - Channa dal sundal

Day 3 - Kidney beans sundal

Day 4 - Green gram rice

Day 5 - Moth bean sundal

Day 6 - Sabudana payasam and sabudana khichdi

Day 7 - Sakkarai pongal

Day 8 - Sabudana and semiya payasam

Day 9 - Kesari, puri, white chickpeas sundal, potato curry

Today, I m making Paruppu vadai. As I have already posted this recipe before, I m not going to repost it.

Today, I am not going to post any food recipe, just spreading the joy of Dussehra/navaratri with all my fellow bloggers. May the divine blessings of Goddess Durga help you achieve success in whatever you do.

Grapes-Blueberry juice

2009-09-16T11:23:00.004-04:00

Recently, you may have read or heard alot about antioxidants in conjunction with good health or avoiding diseases. Antioxidants have been getting great press lately, and rightfully so. But what are they? What do they do once inside our bodies? And how can we get more of them? This is a simple drink which is very healthy and the same time tasty..

Ingredients:

Black grapes - 1 bunch

blue berries - 1/2 cup

water - 1/2 cup

milk - 1/2 cup (optional)

Steps:

Grind all these in a mixer/blender. Add very little water.

Health Quotient:

Blueberries are known for the antioxidants. Antioxidants in our food can save us from virtually everything. Antioxidants provide stronger immune resisitance to flues, viruses and infection, reduced risk of all cancers and anti-aging of cells and overall body. These are just a few benefits. Black grapes are a healthy food, and if you enjoy eating them, there is nothing to stop you from making them a regular part of your diet. Grapes contain a large variety of nutrients, and are particularly rich in minerals such as potassium, phosphorus, magnesium, and calcium, as well vitamin C.

Potato Peas curry / உருளை பட்டாணி குருமா /आलू मटर की सब्जी

2009-09-14T16:16:00.008-04:00

Whether mashed, baked or fried, people often consider potatoes as comfort food. This one is a favorite at my home. It is an important food staple and the number one vegetable crop in the world. Potatoes are available year-round as they are harvested somewhere every month of the year. It's one easy to make dish, which goes well with chappati, dosa, rice or bread. Boiled potatoes are healthier than fried potatoes. This is what I think while cooking these, to avoid the guilt-conscientious. This is a common recipe, so why blog it. This site is all about cooking by a naive person and it has all the basic recipes, often the most known and easy ones as well.

Ingredients:

Potatoes - 2

Green Peas - 1 cup

Onion - 1 finely chopped

Ginger garlic paste - 1 tsp

Mustard seeds - 1/2 tsp
Cumin seeds - 1 tsp

Coriander powder - 1 tsp

Turmeric powder - 1/4 tsp

Chilly powder - 1 tsp

Amchur powder - 1/2 tsp

Salt and Oil as required.

Steps:

1. Peel the potatoes and cut them 1 inch cubes. Add water and boil it in the microwave for 7 minutes. If using pressure cooker, pressure cook for 2 whistles and then cut the potatoes. Potatoes should not be completely cooked.

2. Heat oil in a pan. Add mustard seeds. Once they splutter, add the cumin seeds and saute for a minute.

3. Add ginger garlic paste and saute until the raw smell goes.

4. Add the onions and saute till it turns translucent.

5. Add the CTC(chilly, turmeric, coriander)powders and saute till masalas are cooked.

6. Once the raw smell masala goes, add green peas and saute for 2 minutes till it mixes well with the onion masala.

7. Add the boiled potatoes and saute for 2 minutes. Pour little water and let it cook in slow flame till the potatoes are fully cooked. Cover with a lid.

8.Add the amchur powder and mix well. Cover with lid and let it cook for a minute on slow flame.

Serve hot with chappati, roti, naan or dosa.

Health Quotient:

Potatoes are very low in saturated fat and have no cholestrol. Potatoes have good water content. They are a very good source of vitamin C, a good source of vitamin B6, copper, potassium, manganese, and dietary fiber.

Potatoes as such are healthy and have all the essential nutrients. People shunning these for weight issues, please go ahead and have potaotes cooked in proper manner, which retain most of the nutrients.

Wheat - Oats Blueberry Scones

2009-09-11T22:15:00.009-04:00

Got this recipe from http://www.brooklynfarmhouse.com/ site. This recipe is adapted from the fantastic Vegetarian Cooking for Everyone by Deborah Madison. All the recipes in the blog are good and the way the author writes is very impressive. I read the site for almost 2 complete hours. It's one of the best cooking sites I have visited so far. It inspired to eat something healthy. I have made few changes to the original recipe. I added only milk without adding any yogurt.

Ingredients:
1 1/2 cups whole wheat flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
3 tablespoons brown sugar (dark or light)
1 teaspoon grated ginger
7 tablespoons cold butter, cut into small pieces
1/2 cup milk (lowfat is OK)
1 egg
2 tablespoons yogurt or milk
1 teaspoon high-quality vanilla extract
1 cup frozen blueberries tossed in 1 teaspoon flour
1 cup rolled oats

Steps:

1. Preheat your oven to 425ºF. Line a baking sheet with a Silpat, with parchment, or spray with cooking spray. Set aside.
2. In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, 1/2 cup oats, baking powder, salt, brown sugar, and ginger.
3. Cut the butter into the flour mixture using a pastry blender, two knives, or your fingers.
4. In a small bowl, whisk together the milk, the egg, the yogurt (or additional milk), and the vanilla extract.
5. Add the liquid mixture to the flour-butter mixture, and stir until just combined. Stir in the blueberries.
6. Make round balls of the dough and coat them with Oats and place it in the baking sheet
7. Bake the scones for 12-15 minutes, or until they are light golden brown. Serve warm.

Health Quotient:
Blueberries are packed with antioxidants. Oats are a good source of dietary fiber. Eating oats makes you feel fuller and less hungry. It eventually leads to weight loss.

Chilli Parantha

2009-09-08T13:40:00.007-04:00

This is chilli paratha, my apologies if you mistook it for Chilli Porotta. This is not the Chilly Porrotta served in the Kerala restaurants. I too love them a lottttttt. This is a Punjabi version, Chilli Parantha. We used to have this in Bangalore, in a place called Punjabi Dhaba. We used to gorge on all kinds of parathas, it was often difficult to select from the wide variety of parathas. Aloo paratha, methi paratha, Mooli paratha, Onion paratha, Gobi paratha, chilli paratha are the ones that we used to eat often.
This is just a simple paratha, with minimal ingredients, but it tastes ....... hot(what else :)) and yummyyyyy. Do try at your own risk, cos this is realllyyyyyyy hotttttttt.

Ingredients:
Green Chilli - 15 - 20
Lime juice - 1 Tsp
Wheat flour - 2 cups
Salt and water as required

Steps:
1. Slit the green chillies and soak it in the lime juice for 30 minutes. This is to reduce the heat of the chillies, you can skip this step if you want it really hot.
2. Grind the chillies in a blender or mixie. You can also chop them.
3. Knead all the above ingredients to a pliable dough.
4. Make round balls of equal size and roll it.
5. Heat the tawa/skillet, cook the parathas. Use oil or ghee to enhance the texture and flavour.
Serve hot with dal, curd or raita.

Health Quotient:
The nutritional value and health benefirts of green chilly make it ideal for maintaining optimal health and weight loss.
If you cant take too much heat, try adding peanuts along with chilly, that tastes yum too. This goes to Anita from http://madteaparty.wordpress.com/, an experienced blogger who is celebrating 3 years of blogging. I often visited her blog, before I started blogging. Her blog is really coolllllll and her conversations are lively and interesting, not to forget the yummy recipes.

Potato fry/ Aloo fry

2009-08-31T16:09:00.006-04:00

Potatoes are a favourite at my home. Guess, its the same with many families. It's one vegetable, which has a huge fan following. :) I cook potatoes in many ways, this is just one of them.(Other ways will be published soon). This is one of the quickest ways of cooking potato. The best part is you dont have to boil the potato.

“The way to love anything is to realize that it might be lost.” - G.K. Chesterton

Ingredients:

Potatoes - 2 small sliced

Chilly powder - 1/2 tsp

Turmeric Powder - 1/4 tsp

Coriander powder - 1/2 tsp

Garam masala(optional)

Salt and oil as required

Steps:

1. Slice the potatoes using a mandoline/potato slicer.

2. Lay the sliced potatoes in a big plate and add all the above ingredients(except oil) and mix well.

3. Once it is dried for about 10 minutes, saute it in a pan with a little oil.

4. Keep sauteing, adjust the seasonings if required. Fried potatoes will be ready in appx. 5 mins.

Serve hot with rice or roti.

This sure is an easy, zero-failure recipe. It's time saving and at the same time delicioussss. Try it, im sure you'll love it.

Happy Easy Cooking.

Aloo / Potato Rice

2009-08-29T20:50:00.012-04:00

Both me and HD prepared this on a lazy sunday afternoon. Our stomachs were growling and we wanted something asap. Thus, the idea of aloo rice was conceived. Though I was skeptical initially, the final product was simply supberbbbbbbbb.

Ingredients:
Potatoes - 2(peeled and cut in cubes)
Onion - 1/2 finely chopped
Rice - 2 cups
Cumin seeds - 1 tsp
Turmeric - 1/2 tsp
Coriander powder - 1 tsp
Chilli powder - 1 tsp
Salt and Oil as required

Steps:
1. Heat oil in the pressure cooker, add cumin seeds and stir well.
2. Add onions and saute for few minutes. Once the onions turn brown, add the potatoes and stir well.
3. Add salt, chilli powder, turmeric and coriander powders and cook till the raw smell goes.
4. Add the rice and saute for a minute.
5. Pour 4 cups water and pressure cook for 3 whistles.Serve hot with raita or chutney.

Health Quotient:
Rice is high in complex carbohydrates, contains almost no fat, is cholesterol free, and is low in sodium, unless you add salt to the cooking water. Generally all rice - both brown and white - is considered a good source of vitamins and minerals. Although almost all the nutrients are stripped from white rice when the bran layer is removed during milling, ninety percent of all American grown rice is enriched with thiamine, niacin and iron and in some instances riboflavin, Vitamin D and Calcium. White rice because it is enriched has more iron and thiamine than brown rice. Brown rice has five times more Vitamin E and three times more magnesium. Brown rice provides twice as much fiber as white rice, but it is not an especially rich source of fiber. On the other hand, rice bran alone is an excellent source of fiber. Rice is a fair source of protein containing all eight essential amino acids. It is low in the amino acid lysine, which is found in beans making the classic combination of rice and beans, popularly known as complimentary proteins, a particularly healthful dish. Rice is gluten free and easily digestible making it a good choice for infants and people with wheat allergies or digestive problems. A half cup of cooked white rice provides 82 calories; an equal amount of brown rice provides 89 calories. To know more click here.

Kaara Kozhukattai

2009-08-28T23:30:00.006-04:00

My MIL gave me the recipe for Kaara Kozkukattai. They make it every year for Ganesh Chaturthi. This accompanied with a sundal has been the evening tiffin for Ganesh Chaturthi since ages. I dint want to disappoint my hubby this year, so made the same.

Here comes my MIL's recipe.

Ingredients:
Rice - 2 cups
Onion - 1 finely chopped
Red chillies - 10 chopped finely
Channa dal - 1 Tsp
Urad dal - 1/2 Tsp
Mustard seeds - 1/4 tsp
Coconut - 1/2 cup shredded(dry/fresh)
Salt and oil as per taste

Steps:
1. Soak the rice for 2 hours.
2. Grind the rice in a mixer/blender.
3. In a pan, heat oil and add the mustard seeds.
4. When the mustards splutter, add red chillies channa dal and urad dal and saute for a couple of minutes.
5. Add onions and saute till its brown in colour.
6. Pour the rice batter and add salt.
7. Keep stirring continously till the batter has a thick consistency like a dough.
8. Remove from heat and let it cool for 10 minutes.
9. Apply oil to your hands and make round balls with the rice dough. Shape it either length wise or make round balls.
10. In a idli cooker/pressure cooker, steam the kozhukattais. If using pressure cooker, do not use weight. Pressure cook it for 10 minutes.
Serve hot with coconut chutney.

Health Quotient:
Festival time is no time for healthyyy info.. at least in our house.. This is the time to have some fun, and what better way than food.. (especially for foodies like me.)

Potato Cabbage kofta curry

2009-08-26T23:47:00.018-04:00

I thought this was a very difficult recipe, until i made it today. It's one of the easiest dishes which many of us are not aware of. Once the koftas are made, the curry is ready in a jiffy. Amazing, isnt it... I have made a simpler version of the kofta curry, which is tasty and at the same time is not overly 'rich'. You dont need a special occassion to make this kofta curry. All the ingredients will be available in your kitchen.

Ingredients:

For Kofta:

Cabbage - 1/2 finely chopped/grated

Potatoes - 1 big boiled and smashed

Besan/gram flour - 1 Tbsp

Red chilly powder - 1 tsp

Salt and oil as required

For Gravy:
Curd - 1/2 cup
Onions - 1 finely chopped
Tomato - 1 finely chopped or pureed
Cumin seeds/jeera - 1 tsp
Coriander power - 1 tsp
Chilly powder - 2 tsps
Garam masala(optional)
Salt and oil as required.

Steps:

1. Boil the grated cabbage in water. Add little salt and water should be just enough till it covers the cabbage. Remove from heat once the cabbage is soft, this will take appx. 5-7 minutes.

2। Filter the cabbage using a colander and transfer the cabbage to a muslin cloth. Squeeze out to remove the excess water.

3. In a bowl, add the cabbage, potato, salt and chilly powder and mix well. Sprinkle the besan little at a time and mix well. You can make round koftas and place it on a plate.

4. Heat oil in a kadhai, and fry the koftas till they turn brown. Place the koftas in a tissue paper to soak excess oil.

5. In a pan, add little oil and the cumin seeds. Saute for a minute and add the onions.

6. Once the onions turn brown, add tomatoes and saute for 2 minutes.

7. Add chilly powder, coriander powder, garam masala(optional) and saute till the raw smell goes.

8. Pour 2 cups water and let it boil.

9. Beat the curd and pour it when the water is boiling. Stir well for a minute.

10. Add the koftas and let the curry simmer for few minutes.

11. Remove from heat once the koftas are soaked well in the curry.

Serve hot with roti, puri or naan.

Health Quotient:

Cabbage and potaoes together have all the nutrients required for maintaining optimal health. If potatoes add weight, cabbage negates it, as it is a very good vegetable for weight loss. This is one good combination you can try anytime. Try these as a vegetable curry, or make a aloo gobi paratha, if nothing else works, then atleast try these as koftas. Bet you'll love these as much as I do.

Spicy Mushroom masala / Kaalan masala

2009-08-24T23:22:00.009-04:00

Many people consider mushroom as a non vegetarian food. No matter how much you convince them, they will not indulge this healthy treat. For those who consider mushrooms as non vegetarian food, I suggest a simple search in wikipedia on mushrooms. People who relish this can go ahead to the mushroom masala recipe...

Wisdom stands at the turn in the road and calls upon us publicly, but we consider it false and despise its adherents. - Kahlil Gibran

Ingredients:
1 pack Mushroom - 500 gms appx
Onion - 1 cut lengthwise
Tomato - 1 medium sized
Garlic - 5 pods crushed

Masalas:
Coriander Powder
Turmeric Powder
Chilly Powder
Chicken masala
Salt and oil as required

Steps:
1. Heat oil in a pan, add mustard seeds and urad dal and let it splutter.
2. Add crushed garlic and saute till it turns light brown. Add onions and fry for 5-7 minutes.
3. Now add the tomato and stir well. Add mushrooms and saute for 5 minutes. Cover it with a lid for another 3 minutes on low flame.
4. Add the masalas and salt and stir until the raw smell goes.
5. Add a cup of water and stir well. Cover with the lid for 5 minutes or till the mushrooms are cooked.

Serve hot with roti or chappati.

Health Quotient:
Mushrooms are very low in saturated fat and contain no cholestrol. Have a good amount of dietary fiber, iron, Vitamin C and zinc.

In 2009, a large case-control study of woman, revealed that women who consumed mushrooms had approximately 50% lower incidence of breast cancer, while those who consumed mushrooms and green tea had a 90% lower incidence.
Source : wikipedia

Kozhukattai

2009-08-23T11:25:00.007-04:00

Had to make this on Ganesh Chaturthi to please my favorite God. The first attempt (morning)was a small success, but the second attempt(evening) was a major hit with hubby and friends.

Ingredients:

Rice flour - 1 cup
Milk - 1/2 cup
Ghee - 1 tsp
Salt to taste
Water - 1 1/2 cup

Filling:
Shredded coconut - 1 cup
Brown sugar - 1/2 cup
Sesame seeds - 1 tsp
Cardamom powder - 1/2 tsp
Oil/ghee as required

Steps:
1. Heat the ghee in a pan, add water, salt and milk.
2. Once the water comes to a boil, add little flour at a time and stir well. Stirring continously avoids the lump formation.
3. Remove from heat when the flour is mixed well with the water. Let it cool for sometime.
4. In the meantime, in another pan, pour oil, add the coconut, and stir for a minute.
5. Add the remaining ingredients and stir well. Do this for 2 minutes or until the mixture is cooked. Avoid over stirring this mixture, or else the sugar will caramalise and the filling will become hard.
6. Make a small round ball of the rice flour mixture, add little coconut filling and shape it either round, or triangular(traditional way). Repeat the same with the remaining flour and filling.
Note: Apply some oil to your hands before making the balls. To make perfect modaks, flatten the rice flour with your palms evenly, add little filling in the center and pull all the edges together to seal it. Alternatively, you can use your thumb and forefinger to get the shape. Moulds are available in the market to make this job easier.
7. Place the kozkukattai in a greased idli plate and steam in idli cooker/pressure cooker. If using pressure cooker, dont use the weight.
Serve hot.

Health Quotient:
Hmmmmmmmmmmmm, well, coconut, is very good in destroying intestinal parasites, that we get from eating infected food. Coconut water is good for kidney and urinary bladder problems. Coconut milk has been found to help cases of sore throat as well as relieving stomach ulcers.

Try these kozhukattais to please one and all.

Celery Egg Bhurji

2009-08-22T03:17:00.014-04:00

This is another innovative recipe. We had to come up with something to eat the celery. Teamed it up with other 'salad' veggies, got bored of it. It's always good to experiment with cooking, cos you never know something you cooked might turn out to be your favorite. Keep trying with your cooking, cos only when you do, you learn to cook.

Try and fail, but don't fail to try - Stephen Kaggwa

Ingredients:

Celery - 1 cup finely chopped

Eggs - 3

Onion - 1/2 finely chopped

Green chillies - 5 finely chopped

Cumin seeds - 1 tsp

Mustard seeds - 1 tsp

Coriander powder - 1 Tsp

Turmeric powder - 1/2 tsp

Chilly powder - 1 tsp(optional)

Salt as per taste

Oil - 2 Tsp

Steps:

1. Heat the oil, add mustard seeds. Once it splutters add cumin seeds and saute for a minute.

2. Add the green chillies and onion and saute till the onion is translucent.

3. Add the CTC powders, salt and stir till the raw smell goes.

4. Add Celery and let it ooze out excess water. Keep stirring every couple of minutes.

5. Beat 3 eggs and keep stirring. Eggs will cook with the celery water.

Serve hot as a snack, or an accompaniment to chappati.

Tip : You can add tomato sauce or buffalo sauce to add more flavours.

Note : You can add more salt and chilly powder and/or green chilly, as celery oozes out lot of water.

Healthy Quotient:

Celery is loaded with nutrients, plus its low in saturated fat and very low in cholestrol.

Eggs are a good source of protiens.

Lemon Rice

2009-08-22T02:51:00.010-04:00

This is an easy one, but I learnt it from HD. I was little apprehensive of this before, now this has become one of my favorites.
It is not easy to find happiness in ourselves, and it is not possible to find it elsewhere. - Agnes

Ingredients:
Rice - 1 cup
Juice of a big lemon
Red chillies - 5
Channa dal - 1 tsp
Urad dal - 1 tsp
Peanuts - 1 tsp
Turmeric - 1/2 tsp
Asafoetida - as per taste
Salt as per taste
Oil - 1 Tsp

Ingredients:
1. Cook rice and set aside.
2. In a small pan, heat oil and add mustard seeds.
3. Once they splutter, add red chillies, and saute till they turn brownish black.
4. Add channa dal, urad dal and peanuts and saute for a minute or till the peanuts are cooked.
5. Add asafoetida, turmeric powder and mix well.
6. Add the lemon juice and saute for 2 mins.
7. Remove from heat and mix with the rice.
Serve hot with pickle or chutney.

Health Quotient:
Low in Saturated Fat, Cholesterol and Sodium
High in Dietary Fiber, Vitamin C, Calcium, Potassium, Iron among others
Lemons are ideal for maintaining an optimum health and weight loss.

Beans Sambar

2009-08-20T16:53:00.019-04:00

I could have never thought of making a sambar with beans. This is made by Aunty today. Aunty is HD's colleague's mom. She came home and made this yummy beans sambar. It was a good learning for me. She made this sambar from scratch... in just 30 minutes or less.

All that we are is the result of what we have thought. - Buddha

Ingredients:

For Sambar powder:

Dry red chillies - 7

Chana dal - 1 Tsp

Coriander seeds(dhania) - 1 Tsp

Cumin seeds(jeera) - 1 Tsp

Fenugreek seeds(methi/vendhiyam) - 1/2 Tsp

Other Ingredients:

Tuvar Dal - 1 cup

Garlic - 5 cloves

Beans - 1/2 cup

Onion - 1/4 cup

Tomato - 1/2

Green chilly - 3

Tamarind pulp - 1 Tsp

Mustard seeds - 1 tsp

Curry leaves - 1 sprig

Asafoetida powder(hing/peringayam) - 1/2 tsp

Salt as per taste

Oil as required

Steps:

1. Pressure cook the dal, garlic cloves and asafoetida powder with 2 cups of water for 2 whistles.

2. In a wok, add very little oil, add all the sambar powder ingredients(in the order given) and saute it for a minute. Grind these and keep aside.

3. In another pan, pour 2 tsp oil(or more as required), add mustard seeds, let it splutter.

4. Add the curry leaves and saute for a minute. Add onion and beans. Saute till the onions and beans are semi cooked.

5. Add the tomato and saute for a couple of minutes. Add the freshly made sambhar powder and saute for a minute. Pour 4 cups of water and let it simmer.

6. Add the dal and let it simmer for some more time. Cover with a lid and let it boil.

7. Once the beans is cooked, pour the tamarind pulp and let it simmer for another 5 minutes.

Serve with idli, dosa, vada or rice.

Health Quotient:

Beans contain no cholesterol, and they can help lower your cholesterol level because they are one of the richest sources of fiber! They are also loaded with many nutrients, Vitamin A, K , iron, potassium to name a few.

Aloo Palak Rice/Potato Spinach Rice

2009-08-19T13:46:00.012-04:00

You got it right. It is aloo palak rice. Well, not many like palak and many like potato. This recipe is just a way to make people eat spinach. Potato makes this palak rice more yummy.

If all our likes were similar, individuality wouldnt exist. - Anonymous.

Ingredients:

Rice - 2 cup

Potato - 1 medium sized boiled and chopped

Spinach - 1 1/2 cup

Onion - 1/2 chopped lenghtwise

Mustard seeds - 1/2 tsp

Cumin seeds - 1 tsp

Ginger garlic paste - 1 tsp

Chilly powder - 1 Tsp

Coriander powder - 1 Tsp

Garam masala - 1/2 Tsp

salt as per taste

Oil - for frying

Steps:

1. Cook rice with 4 cups water and set aside.

2. Heat oil in a pan, add mustard seeds. Once it splutters, add cumin seeds.

3. Add ginger garlic paste and saute well. Stir fry until onion becomes translucent.

4. Add chilly powder, coriander powder and garam masala and stir well for 2 minutes.

5. Add the potato and stir for 2 minutes. Now add spinach and stir every 2 minutes till cooked.

6. Remove from heat. Add rice and mix well. Close the lid and let it sit for 3 minutes.

Serve hot with curd and pickle.

Health Quotient:

Spinach is a health food par excellence. Spinach is loaded with many antioxidants an minerals. Though many people dont like it, its one of the healthiest vegetables.

Oats Roti/chappati

2009-08-17T19:06:00.012-04:00

It's a 100% oats roti. Never experimented much with oats. Ran out of wheat flour, had to cook something for the palak sabzi. Oats came in handy.

Obviously, the highest type of efficiency is that which can utilize existing material to the best advantage. - Jawaharlal Nehru.

Ingredients:

Oats - 3 cup

Onion - 1 finely chopped

Cumin Seeds - 1 Tsp

Coriander powder - 1 Tsp

Chilly powder - 1 Tsp

Salt as per taste

Oil - 1 Tsp

Procedure:

1. Grind the oats in the mixer. Do not add water.

2. In a pan, heat oil and add cumin seeds. Saute till you get the aroma.

3. Add onion, chilly powder, coriander powder and salt. Saute till onion is translucent.

4. Add this mixture in the oats four. After 5 minutes, mix the onion and flour well.

5. Let it sit for 5 minutes. Now add very little water and knead the dough.

6. Make small balls and roll it like a chappati. Use wheat flour while rolling.

7. Heat the griddle. Put the oats chappati gently and let it cook for a minute on both sides. Cook for another minute if not cooked well. Apply little oil on both sides if required.

Serve hot with any side dish.

Health Quotient:

Oats, well, we all are hooked to it for healthy reasons. Need I say more.

This is just another way of enjoying your healthy oats.

Kalakand

2009-08-17T18:47:00.011-04:00

Tried this on Janmashtami. Outcome: looks werent appealing, but it tasted yummy. It's made of milk. Making kalakand is a time consuming process, but its worth the effort.

Unless you change how you are,you will always have what you've got. - Jim Rohn

Ingredients:

Milk - 2 litres/1 gallon

Lemon juice - 1 tsp

Sugar - 1 cup
Butter/Ghee - 1 Tsp

Cardamom powder - 1/2 tsp

Optional Ingredients:

Silver foil

Almonds

Pistachios

Steps:

1. In a wide bottomed pan, pour half the milk. When it comes to a boil add add the lemon juice. Remove from heat. Sieve the channa using a muslin cloth to press out excess outer. You can do this by placing some weight on the chenna.

2. Dont knead the chenna, or else the kalakand will become hard.

3. Pour the remaining milk in another pan and boil it to half.

4. Add the chenna and boil till the mixture thickens. Keep Stirring continously.

5. Once it thickens well, add the sugar and stir well.

6. Keep stirring till the mixture thickens. Once this is achieved, set it in a greased plate/tray and apply silver foil(optional). Sprinkle finely chopped almonds and pistachios.

Serve hot or refigerate it and serve with an icecream.

Health Quotient:

Do I need to write this? Guess, I have to. Kalakand is loaded with calories, cholestrol etc. The plus point is its high in protiens..

Dont think, its festival time, go ahead and indulge yourself. Make sure to hit the gym or go for a walk to burn the calories.

Happy cooking.

Uppu Seedai

2009-08-17T18:40:00.007-04:00

Yes this post is late for Janamashtami. Made seedai for the first time on janmashtami, it came out much better than expected. I got this recipe from my MIL and she was very happy with the results. My husband warned me about the small explosions that occur while frying the seedai, nonetheless I went ahead with the seedai. Started frying the seedai, no explosions whatsoever. HD wanted to help me, so when he started frying the last round of seedai, there was this big explossssssssionnnnnnn which I witnessed for the first time. All the oil was spilled out on the stove and the exhaust fan. :( But we were lucky to have survived the 'explosion'. I think the explosions were caused due to the cracks in the seedai. I rolled them well making sure there are no cracks, but at the end I was hurrying up, so might have not rolled some well enough. This is just my assumption about the seedai explosion. If anyone knows the root cause of the explosion, please let me know, it will be a good help to all of us making seedai next time.

Ingredients:

Rice flour - 2 1/2 cups
Urad dal flour - 1/2 cup
Cumin seeds/jeera- 1 tsp
Sesame seeds/yellu/til - 2 tsp
Asofoetida/hing - 1/4 tsp
Salt and Oil as required

Steps:
1. Soak the rice for 30 minutes and dry it on a cloth for 10 minutes. Dry grind it and sieve it.
2. Dry roast the urad dal for 5 minutes till it turns golden brown. Once it cools, dry grind.
3. Mix all the ingredients(except oil), add little water at a time to make a soft dough.
4. Make round balls apprx the size of a marble and place it in a dry cloth or tissue paper.
5. Fry a handful at a time on medium to low heat till they turn yellow or brown. Once the seedais are cooked, the bubbles will disappear and the seedais will float up on the oil.
Store it in air tight containers.

Uppu seedai is a good munch which pleases the Lord Krishna. After eating the seedai, you'll know why Lord Krishna has chosen Seedai as a offering to him. Still guessing... try this recipe and you'll know. :)

Onion Parantha

2009-08-12T10:19:00.018-04:00

Wowwwwww, this is what HD said when he tasted it. Same opinion was shared by some friends after tasting this yummy onion paratha. This recipe is special, because its more of an innovation, no matter how small it may be.

"If you're not failing every now and again, it's a sign you're not doing anything very innovative.” - Woody Allen.

Ingredients:
2 onions finely chopped
3 cups wheat flour
1/4 tsp turmeric
1/2 tsp coriander powder
1/2 tsp mustard seeds
1/2 tsp cumin seeds(jeera)
1 tsp carom seeds(ajwain)
1-2 tsp chilly powder
salt as per taste
Oil for frying

Steps:

1. In a pan, heat oil, add mustard seeds, cumin seeds, carom seeds and let it splutter.
2. Add onions and saute till it turns translucent. Ensure not to fry till brown.
3. Add all the remaining ingredients and fry till the raw smell goes.
4. Add the onion mix to the wheat flour. Mix well with the flour. Set aside for 15 mins.
5. Add water and knead the dough well.
6. Make round balls of equal size and roll them.
7. Heat the frying pan/tawa, cook the parathas on both sides for a minute. Add oil if required.

Note:
1.You can use any add some more masalas to it, like chaat masala, goda masala, garam masala to enhance the taste and flavours.
2.If the onions are not cooked completely, they will ooze out water in the dough, so make sure it is translucent.
3.Overcooked onions will become sweet, in this case increase the quantity of chilly powder as per taste.
4. Dont leave the kneaded dough to rest for long, as onions tend to ooze out water.

Health Quotient:

Onions are very low in saturated fat, cholestrol and sodium. Also a good source of dietary fiber and vitamin C. Onions aid in weight loss, asthma, and many more ailments.

Do try this recipe and share your experience.

kaala chana wheat upma / Konda kadalai godamai upma

2009-08-02T17:35:00.012-04:00

Sounds weird.. trust me you'll love it.
It's healthy and at the same time easy. Makes the otherwise boring godamai upma look appealing and tempting. Love the color combo - brown and dark brown, resembles chocolate chips in a cookie. :) This is a favorite. Sure your family will love it too. Try and let me know.

When the heart is at ease, the body is healthy - Chinese proverb.

Ingredients:
2 cups broken wheat
3/4 cup kaala chana soaked overnight and boiled
5 dried red chillies
1/2 tsp cumin seeds/jeera
1/2 tsp mustard seeds
1/2 - 1 tsp chilly powder
1 small onion finely chopped
salt to taste

Steps:
1. Heat oil in a pan. Add mustard seeds. Once it splutters, add cumin seeds and saute.
2. Add the red chillies and once it changes color, add the the onions.
3. Saute the onions till they become translucent. Add the chilly powder and salt to taste.
4. Once the raw smell vanishes, add the kaala chana and saute well till it blends well with the onion paste.
5. Pour 4 cups water. When this comes to a boil, add the broken wheat.
6. Keep stirring frequently till the upma is done.

Health Quotient:
Kaala chana also known as garbanzo or black chickpea are high in dietary fiber, protein and manganese. They have no cholestrol whatsoever, very low in sodium and saturated fat.

Vathal Kuzhambu

2009-08-02T16:34:00.015-04:00

Hmmmm, is Kuzhambu right or kulambu? Guess it depends which way you want to pronounce, or rather how you 'can' pronounce. I find it difficult to say pa'zh'am, often say 'palam'. People always laugh at the incorrect pronunciation. Wish people had the patience and courtesy to correct me, my tamizh would have been more pleasant. But HD is encouraging, as usual, :) and is trying to teach me 'zh' sound. Ohh, must say, he's quite good at it. Being a quick learner, especially languages, im picking it up. Too much bragging for today.. ;P

“The mediocre teacher tells. The good teacher explains. The superior teacher demonstrates. The great teacher inspires.” - William Arthur Ward.

Ingredients:
Tamarind - 1 lemon sized soaked in 2 cups warm water(an hour)
Garlic - 8-10 cloves
Turmeric - 1/2 tsp

Fried Sundakkai/Manathakkali/vendakkai/other vegetable - a handful
Salt and oil as required.
Gingelly oil - 1 Tsp

To grind:
Red chilly - 7
Pepper - 1 tsp
Fenugreek seeds/vendhiyam - 1 tsp
Cumin seeds/jeera - 1 tsp
Urad dal - 1 Tsp
Chana dal/kadala parappu - 1 Tsp
Coriander seeds - 1 tsp
Curry leaves - 1 sprig

Steps:

1. Sieve the tamarind juice and set aside.
2. Heat little oil in a pan and add all the ingredients under 'to grind' and saute well.
3. Once it cools, using a mixer or grinder, grind well without using water
4. Heat oil in a pan, add the garlic saute for a minute, then add fried sundakkai/vendakkai/or any other vegetable and saute well.
5. Add turmeric, salt and saute for another 2 minutes.
6. Add the tamarind juice and let it boil. When it comes to a boil, add the ground ingredients and let it boil.
7. The tamarind juice will thicken once it boils. Switch off the gas when the desired consistency is achieved.
8. Pour the gingelly oil on the kuzhambu and cover it with a lid.

Serve with rice and papad.

Health Information:
Sundakkai/Turkey Berry is good for health. Please click here to get more info.

Masal Vada/ Chana Dal Vada

2009-07-13T17:06:00.007-04:00

You may ask what's in a name (What's in a name? That which we call a roseBy any other name would smell as sweet.~William Shakespeare, Romeo and Juliet).... Well, words have meaning, names have power. Names are an important key to what a society values. Cant stop ranting about 'name', but lets have a reality check. Your name does say a lot about you, doesnt it...
Let's get to the recipe. This is not a very healthy recipe, as fried foods contain lot of calories. But this is one snack you wouldnt want to miss while having a south indian meal. :)

Preparation Time:
20 minutes.
2 hours for soaking dal.

Ingredients:
Channa dal/kadali paruppu/cholar dal/shanaga pappu - 2 cups soaked in 3 cups of water for 2 hours
Green Chillies - 8 finely chopped
Onion - 2 medium sized finely chopped
Cumin seeds/jeera - 1 tsp
Ginger - small piece finely chopped or grated
Salt to taste
Oil for Frying

Steps:
1. Drain all the water from the dal. Using a blender/mixie, grind the dal and salt to a coarse paste. You can do 3 pulses if using a mixie. Add very little water if required.
2. Add all the ingredients to the dal and mix well.
3. Heat oil in a pan, make small rounds of the dal mix, flatten it and fry.

Note:
1. You can add very little water if the dal is not getting grounded. If the batter is become too watery and you are finding it difficult to make vadas, add some rice flour.
2. If oil is not heated well, vadas will absorb lot of oil and take a lot of time to cook.

Health quotient:
Nutrition FactsServing Size: 1(120g)
Amount per Serving
Calories 100
Calories from Fat 12

Est. Percent of Calories from:
Fat 12.6% Carbs 74.0%
Protein 19.2%

The best part is masala vada, it has loads of Vitamin C... which as an antioxidant helps in numerous ways.
Nothing can stop me from eating my fav masala vadai. While I enjoy the rains with vadai n hot cup of coffee.. you can enjoy this blog and leave a comment to improve or just say hi.

Kaju Katli - all time fav sweet

2009-07-10T15:53:00.003-04:00

Kaju Katli.. ummm.. soo.. delicious...

Wow, this is one sweet which is a favorite for most of us. This sweet originated in North India, not too sure about the specific place and time.
This is a very simple and easy to make recipe.
Diligence is a good thing, but taking things easy is much more restful - Mark Twain.

Ingredients:
1 cup kaju, cashewnuts
1/2 cup sugar
1/4 cup water
ghee or oil to grease

Steps:
1. Use a mixer or blender to grind the cashews to a paste(powder). Make sure the cashews are grounded well, do not add water.
2. In a non-stick pan, add the water and sugar. Keep stirring till you get a one string consistency. To check if you got this desired consistency, take a drop of this mixture and place it between your thumb and index finger and when you release it, you will get one string consistency.
3.Add the powdered cashew nuts and stir till it becomes like a thick paste. The cashews and the sugar syrup should be properly mixed. Switch off the burner and let it cool to become thicker.
4.After 10 minutes knead the mixture like a chappati dough to make a ball and roll it using a butter paper or use ghee to roll it to 1/8" thichness.
5. After an hour, you can cut it in diamond shape or square shape.

Health Quotient:
For all the health conscious people.
Nutrition Facts Serving Size: 1 piece (1 cubic inch)
Amount per Serving
Calories 58 Calories from Fat 22
Est. Percent of Calories from:
Fat 38.8%
Carbs 55.4%
Protein 9.7%

Cashews are very low in Cholesterol and Sodium. It is also a good source of Magnesium, Phosphorus, Copper and Manganese.

Go ahead, try this ez recipe and share your experience with me.

First Blog :)

2009-07-10T10:37:00.001-04:00

Yes, this is my first blog!!!!!!!!!! After lot of prodding from my hubby, finally i plunged into the big beautiful world of blogging. Every time he browses thru cooking websites(blogs especially), he comes up with some really smashing blogging ideas. We can say this blog is a result of lots of inspiration from fellow food bloggers, recipes from mom and MIL and little bit of innovation n creativity.

Phew!! This blog is a big relief to me, HD's ideas will be utilized to their fullest extent. :)

Cooking is an art, yes it is, once you cook, you'll believe me. Amateur cook, or naive cook, that's what I am. We all know the trials and triumphs of it. HD has always been supportive and encouraging throughout. Journey with cooking so far, has been really amazing, impressive and challenging. Cooking...., hmmmmm, can say I am a die hard cooking fan like most of my fellow bloggers.

In this blog you will come across Indian recipes, predominantly num Tamil sammaiyal. Most precious years of my life were spent in Maharastra, Maharashtrian cuisine will surely find its way to this blog. Have worked in Bangalore for some years, so Kannada food glimpses can be seen. HD gorges on Kerala food, I just can resist spicy Andhra food. Did I miss something, oops.. Punjabi, Gujarati, Bengali,n many more such regional cuisines will be part of it.Let me just sum it up, this blog will cater to all the people who have a little 'India' with them.

Mark Twain said: India is, the cradle of the human race, the birthplace of human speech, the mother of history, the grandmother of legend, and the great grand mother of tradition. Our most valuable and most instructive materials in the history of man are treasured up in India only.