Indulge In The Taste

Humble Kitchdi

2011-01-08T16:39:00.001+05:30

Easiest, yummy food :)

Ingredients:

Washed rice - 3/4 cup
Washed moong dhal - 1/4 cup
Potato - 1, skinned and cubed
Onion - 1, sliced
Green chilli - 1, split into two
Garlic - 1 pod, smashed
Jeera - 1 tsp
Oil - 1 tsp
Water - 4 cups
Turmeric powder, Chilli powder - 1/2 tsp each
Salt - to taste
Ghee - 2 tsp

Method:

Heat the oil in a cooker. Add jeera. As they splutter, add the garlic, chilli and onion. Saute for a min. Add the potatoes, rice, moong dhal and fry for another 2 mins. Add turmeric and chilli powder. Add salt to taste. Add water and mix well. Pressure cook till the rice is finely done (about 15 mins). Open the cooker, once all the pressure is down and mash the rice mix well. Serve hot topped with ghee :)

Masala Dosa

2010-10-09T21:08:00.002+05:30

The famous traditional South Indian food. Crepe filled with awesome potato masala !!!

Ingredients: Serves 6- 8 dosas

For masala:

Boiled and mashed potatoes without skin - 2 large
Onion - 1 medium chopped
Green chilli - 2 split
Mustard seeds - 1 tsp
Urad dhal - 1 tsp
Salt as required
Turmeric Powder - 1/2 tsp
Chilli Powder - 1/2 tsp
Channa dhal - 1 tsp
Coriander/Curry leaves - 1 tsp

For Dosa:

Dosa batter - as required (salt added)
Oil - as required

Preparation:

Masala:

Mash the potatoes well and give a kneading if required. Heat 2 tsp oil in a kadai. Saute the mustard seeds, urad dhal, channa dhal and green chilis. Add onions and fry well. Add turmeric and chili powder. Stir for a minute. Add the mashed potato and enough salt. Mix well adding little water if the moisture gets dry. Keep mixing in low flame for 5 mins. Garnish with coriander leaves and keep aside.

Masala Dosa:

Heat a skillet. Spread the dosa batter in a thin layer as for a regular dosa with some oil along the edge. Keep the flame in medium. Make it as thin an possible for a crisp crepe. When the dosa is almost done, place 2-3 tbsp of the masala in the center and fold the dosa as shown in the pic. After a min, masala dosa is ready for serving :) Make similar dosas with the rest of the masala.

Variation: Other vege like carrot, cauli flower, peas, capsicum can also be chopped well and added. They should be well fried before adding the mashed pototo.

Apple for Breakfast

2010-01-23T10:52:00.003+05:30

I'd say it is simple yet crunchy :) I had this today for my breakfast. I made it in 10 mins max !! And, there is no cooking time. I have sent this to Divya's Show me your salad. And you can view the round up here.

Ingredients:

Peeled and cut apple - 1 (I prefer a cold one from the fridge !!)
Whipped cream - a little generous
Honey - as you like
Chopped walnuts & sliced almonds - less than a handful

Method:

Place the cut apples in the serving bowl. Top with whipped cream, followed by honey. Garnish with walnuts - almonds and serve immediately !

Minty potatoes and Garlicky Long beans - A dinner combo

2010-01-17T14:29:00.001+05:30

This is for the ones who like to try something new "always" like me !! This combo has got the carbs as well as proteins. So, it is filling , nutritious, yummy, spicy and tasty!!

Ingredients:

For minty potatoes:

Peeled potatoes (With skin tastes even better !!) - 1 large, cut into wedges or any chunky size that u like !
Turmeric powder - a pinch
Chilli powder - 1/4 tsp
Mint leaves - 10 -15
Oil - 2 tsp
Water as required
Salt as required

For Garlicky Long beans:

Long beans - Ends cut and cut into 4 inch long pieces
Garlic - 2 pods cut roughly into bits
Turmeric powder - a pinch
Chilli powder - 1/4 tsp
Oil - 2 tsp
Water as required
Salt as required

Method:

Basically both recipes are similar.

Minty Potatoes:

Heat 1/2 tsp of oil in a non stick pan. Add the potaotes. Fry for a min. Add salt, turmeric powder and water, cover with a lid. When the potatoes are cooked well (firm and not mashed), make sure all water is absorbed. If not drain the rest of water. Now, add 1 1/2 tsp of oil, mint leaves and chilli powder. Roast them well and serve hot.

Garlicky Long beans:

Heat 1/2 tsp of oil in a non stick pan. Add the Long beans and Garlic pieces. Fry for a min. Add salt, turmeric powder and water, cover with a lid. When the beans are cooked well, make sure all water is absorbed. If not drain the rest of water. Now, add 1 1/2 tsp of oil and chilli powder. Roast them well and serve hot.

See ! I told you they are similar :)

Lemon-Chilli Pickle

2010-01-14T19:12:00.004+05:30

I got too many ripe lemons from my garden. To use them I thought of a pickle recipe. The inspiration for this recipe comes from two people. My grand pa - actually gave the base recipe. My roommate - likes this a lot. The shelf life of this pickle is about 2-3 weeks when kept in a warm place.

I've sent this recipe to House of Annie's Grow Your Own blogging event !!! It is an event featuring recipes made using home grown ingredients :) And here it is : Grow Your Own roundup #38 - Thanks a lot, Nathan.

Ingredients:

Lemon - 10 (small size)
Ginger - 5 one inch pieces (Skin peeled)
Green chillies - 10
Salt - 10 tsp

For thadka:
Red chilli flakes - 2 tbsp
Red chilli powder - 2 tsp
Mustard oil - 7-10 tbsp
Mustard seeds - 1 tbsp
Urad dhal - 1/2 tsp
Fenugreek powder - 1 tsp

Method:

Wash the lemons, ginger pieces and chillies. Allow them to dry completely. These and 1 1/2 tsp of salt should be arranged in layers in a sterilized dry glass jar. I used a tall and narrow jar. But, a wide one helps the mixture to soak well. So, spread a 1 1/2 tsp of salt in the bottom of the jar. Slice 2 lemons in rings, cut a ginger piece into tiny pieces and chop 2 chillies into small pieces. Mix these and place over the salt. Sprinkle 1 1/2 tsp of salt over this mixture. Fill the rest of layers in a similar way. Use a dry spoon to add the last tsp of salt and gently stir the whole mixture. By this time the lemon juices would have got squeezed out and the salt too would have dissolved. Make sure you have enough salt in thi mixture, else fungus may start growing. Close the jar with the lid. Keep it in a warm place. Stir it thrice a day for a period of three days to mix the ingredients well. Then stir it once for a period of three days.

After about a week, the lemon skin would get softened and the chillis would lose color. Now heat a pan and add 3 tbsp of oil. Saute the mustard and urad dhal. Add the chilli flakes keeping the flame low - else flakes may get burnt. Add the chilli and fenugreek powder. After a min, remove the pan from the fire. Add the pickle mixture to the pan. Mix well. Allow to cool. Now arrange this mixture in the same jar by dividing the pickle into 5-6 parts and layering each part with tbsp of oil. Top the jar with the rest of the oil. Stir well. Close the lid and allow to rest this for another two days while stirring the mixture twice a day.

After two days, the pickle is ready to be served. Always use a dry spoon and dont leave the spoon in the jar. NEVER use water in any stage of the preparation. Else, the pickle will get spoilt in a few days. Make sure every part of the pickle is soaking the oil all the time !

Tangy Strawberry jam

2010-01-09T14:37:00.001+05:30

Well, this idea sudddenly dawned on me when i was brainstorming to use the left over strawberries. I made a very small batch and it turned out great !! My strawberries are a bit tangy, so I made them real tangy :)

Ingredients:

Strawberries - cut into small chunks - 1 cup
Sugar - 3/4 cup
Lemon juice - a min of 1 tsp upto the tanginess you desire.

Method:

Simple ! Put all the ingredients in a sauce pan. Bring it to a boil in medium flame. Remove the foam that forms on top now and them. Keep stiring and mashing the pulp with a spoon. It is ready when the pulp is all jammy and quite sticky. Store in a sterilized dry glass jar with lid. Shelf life is a week. Never use water during the process.

Green Chutney

2009-12-26T01:15:00.000+05:30

Ingredients: Serves 2

Curry leaves, Mint leaves, Coriander leaves - equal part of each making 100 gm
Shredded coconut - 2 tbsp
Mustard seeds - 1 tsp
Green chilli - 1
Split roasted gram - 1 tsp
Salt - as required
Oil - 1 tsp

Method:

Heat the oil in a pan. Saute the mustard seeds. Add the rest of the ingredients and fry on a medium flame till the greens begin to get tender. Switch off the heat and grind this to a fine paste in the blender using required water. Serve hot with idli / dosa.

Othappam made simple

2009-12-25T22:10:00.001+05:30

Ingredients:

Dosa batter - 1 cup (to serve 3 othappams)
Very thinly chopped onion - 2 tbsp
Chopped tomatoes - 2 tbsp
Chopped Curry leaves - 1 tsp
Thinly sliced green chilli - 1/4 tsp
Salt & pepper - 1/2 tsp
Oil - 3 tsp

Method:

Mix all the ingredients except oil in a bowl. Heat a tawa and draw a dosa in medium thickness. Spread a tsp of oil on the dosa. Once the bottom side is golden brown, flip it and cook for a min in medium flame. Draw the rest of two dosas as above. Serve hot with Green chutney.

Tri Salad

2009-12-25T21:50:00.001+05:30

Ingredients: Serves 1

Shredded carrot , radish & beetroot - an equal amount of each , giving 200 gms
Yogurt - 4 tbsp
Salt - a pinch
Pepper powder - a pinch
Chopped Coriander and mint leaves - 2 tbsp
Thinly sliced green chilli - 1/2 tsp
Urad dhal & Mustard seeds - 1 tsp
lemon juice - 1 tsp
Coconut oil - 1 tsp

Method:

Combine the all the ingredients except yogurt, coconut oil, urad dhal & mustard seeds in a salad bowl. Refrigerate for 2 hrs.Mix in the yogurt to it. Heat a skillet and add the coconut oil. Saute the urad dhal & mustard seeds and pour over the salad. Mix well and have a refreshing cool salad.

Butter Cookies

2009-12-25T01:37:00.000+05:30

These are some pics of butter cookies made by my chithi (mom's younger sister). They were dead yummy and crisp !!! Finished the whole batch in 2 days :)

Chocolate Cake with Almond Chip Icing

2009-12-25T01:25:00.002+05:30

This has been in my mind for a long time and it turned out very well - got my mental image live on my plate :)
This cake is made using Pillsburry Chocolate Cooker cake mix. And the Icing is my idea.

Almond Icing:

Sugar - 4 tbsp
Unsalted butter - 2 tbsp
Cocoa - 1 tbsp
Almonds - 20

Soak the almonds in water for 10 mins. Slice them thin. Prepare the icing with rest of ingridients by gently stirring & heating them up in a bowl held in boiling water. Once the cake is done, apply the cocoa icing on top of it and immediately spread out the almonds equally. Serve after almonds are set in the icing.

Paal Kozhukattai

2009-12-15T23:29:00.000+05:30

This is a dessert made out of rice flour, cocunut, milk & jaggery.

Cabbage toast

2009-12-13T19:26:00.002+05:30

Ingredients: Serves 1

For the filling:

Shredded cabbage - 100 g
Pepper and salt as required

Heat a pan, stir fry cabbage, salt and pepper until cabbage begins to soften - in high flame so that water from the cabbage does not stay. Keep aside.

For the toast:

Wheat bread slices- 3
Cheese cut into little bits - 3 tbsp

Heat a skillet and toast the bread. Add the filling on top of each bread. Sprinkle the cheese bits. Now, bake the slices in an oven until the cheese begins to melt. Serve hot with tomato sauce. This can also be made into a sandwich.

Almond Muffin

2009-12-13T19:10:00.000+05:30

Well, I didn't make it. I bought it from a local shop ;)

Hi, this is the link to my old blog..

2009-12-13T19:06:00.000+05:30

http://sleepingbeauty-sweetsomethings.blogspot.com/

There are some quite interesting recipes !!!

Vendakai Pachady

2009-12-13T19:03:00.000+05:30

Ingredients: Serves 2

Finely chopped lady's finger - 1cup
Finely cut onion - 3/4 cup
Cut tomato - 1/2 cup
Dry red chillies 2
Mustard seeds - 1 tsp
Broken white lentils - 1 tsp
Turmeric powder - 1/2 tsp
Chilli powder - 1 tsp
Coriander powder - a pinch
Water - 3/4
Salt - 1 tsp
Oil - 1 tbsp
Curry leaves - a few
Coriander leaves - to garnish

Method:

Heat oil in a pan. Saute mustard and white lentil. Add red chillies breaking them into two. Add in the onion and curry leaves. Fry till onion begins to brown. Add the tomato and fry over medium flame till tomato is tender. Add the lady's finger, Turmeric powder, Chilli powder, Coriander powder & salt. Fry for a minute. Add water, cover with a lid and cook till lady's fingers are done. There should be some gravy in the dish. Garnish with coriander leaves and serve.

Paruppu with rice

2009-12-13T18:46:00.003+05:30

Ingredients: Serves 2-3

Toor dhal - 1 cup
Red chilli flakes - 1 1/2 tsp
Grated coconut - 1 tbsp
Mustard seeds - 1 tsp
Broken white lentils - 1 tsp
Turmeric powder - 1/2 tsp
Water - enough to cook the dhal + 3 tbsp
Salt - 1 tsp
Coconut Oil - 1 tbsp

Method:

Cook and mash the toor dhal well using a pressure cooker. This should be in a thick paste consistency. Heat oil in a pan. Saute mustard and white lentil. Add red chilli flakes and coconut. Add in the dhal before the flakes get burnt. Add turmeric, salt and 3 tbsp of water to give it a little flowing form. Cook for 5 mins in medium. Serve hot with rice. Can be garnished with curry/coriander leaves.

Coconut Potato Fry

2009-12-05T12:52:00.002+05:30

Well, weekend began with some good news.. And I got little time to kill. So, here it is..

Potatoes taste good with any dressing, but any sour ones ! This is a mild spicy-sweet dish that goes well with rice or tortillas.

Ingredients: Serves 3

Medium sized potatoes - 3
Grated coconut - 4 tbsp
Mustard seeds - 1 tsp
Cumin seeds - a pinch
Broken black lentil - 1 tsp
Mashed Garlic - 1 tbsp
Green chilli - 1 cut into four pieces
Chilli powder / Cayenne pepper - 1 tsp
Turmeric powder - 1/2 tsp
Water - 1/2 cup
Salt - 1 tsp
Oil - 3 tbsp

Method:

Wash the potatoes, scrap the skin and cut into little pieces of 1/2 inch thickness. Heat 1 tbsp of oil in a deep pan. Saute the mustard, cumin and black lentil until they start to splutter. Add in the green chilli and garlic. Fry till garlic starts to brown in a medium flame. Add the potatoes and salt. Add the water and cook till the potatoes are done with lid closed. They should be firm and not get mashed. Once the water is all absorbed, add the remaining oil. Add chilli and turmeric powder. Now, fry till the potatoes start to get roasted. Add the coconut, mix it well and turn off the heat. The coconut will be slow cooked in the heat of the potatoes.

Basundhi

2009-11-21T23:57:00.002+05:30

Boil about 1 litre of a milk stirring in occasionally so that it does not overflow !! When it becomes almost 1/3rd and begins to form thin long lumps, add about 200 g of sugar. After the sugar gets dissolved, add a crushed pod of cardamon. Chill and serve with a dash of clarified butter.

Apple Halwa

2009-11-21T23:51:00.004+05:30

My favourite dish - that i make it once a month regularly. Adapted from http://www.aayisrecipes.com.

Ingredients: Serves 1-2

Medium sized Apple (should be sweet to taste) - 1 shredded/cut into thin pieces
Sugar - 4 tbsp
Cardamon pod - 1
Food color - a pinch, optional
Any coarsely powdered nut - 2 tbsp
Unsalted butter/clarified butter - 1 tbsp

Method:

Heat the butter in non stick kadai. Add the apples and cook till its tender and caramelized. Add in the sugar and mix until dissolved. Add the rest of ingredients except food color and cook for 2-3 min. Add the food color - preferably kesar color and cook for about a min. Serve garnished with carondas.

Pumpkin soup

2009-11-21T23:36:00.002+05:30

Ingredients: Serves 2

Pumpkin - 150 g, skin scrapped and cut into cubes
Onion , finely chopped - 1
Cinnamon - 1 small stick
Unsalted butter - 1 tsp
Powdered pepper - to garnish
Salt - to taste
Water/any stock/milk - as required

Method:

Boil the pumpkin till done. Heat the butter in a kadai. Add the cinnamon and onion. Mix this with mashed pumpkin & water/ blend with the pumpkin with water. Garnish with pepper and serve hot.

Aubergine - the chinese style

2009-11-21T23:27:00.003+05:30

Ingredients: Serves 2

Violet unstriped Eggplants - 6 medium, cut into medium long strips
Oil - 3 tbsp
Soy sauce - any kind - 1 tsp
Vinegar - preferably balsamic - 1 tsp
Salt- to taste
Water - as required
Powdered pepper - to garnish

Method:

Heat about 100 ml of water in a non stick kadai. Add in the sliced eggplants & salt. Cook till they are almost done. Add in the oil, once the water is gone. Fry till the eggplant becomes tender on medium flame. But, dont' roast or mash. Add in the soy sauce and vinegar. Stir for a min and transfer to the serving bowl. Serve hot garnished with powdered pepper.

Cabbage salad

2009-11-21T23:18:00.003+05:30

This is very simple. Shred about 200g of cabbage with a good length. Heat a tsp of salted butter in a non stick pan. Add in the cabbage. Add salt to taste. Add few spoons of water and cook till the cabbage begins to turn tender. It should be crisp - not tender. It takes about a min or two. Spread on a bowl/plate. Garnish with fresh ground pepper and a dash of lemon/vinegar.

Basic scramble flavoured with pepper

2009-11-21T23:06:00.003+05:30

Well, the name itself suggests the ingredients very well !! Anyways..

Ingredients: Serves 1

Egg - 2
Salted butter - 1 tbsp
Cream/Milk - 1 tbsp
Powdered pepper - 1 tsp
Salt - a pinch

Method:

Heat the butter in a non stick pan. Break and add the eggs. Scramble it well. When it is almost done, add in the milk/cream. Stir for some 20 seconds & transfer to the breakfast bowl. Sprinkle the pepper powder and serve. I adopted it from somewhere I really dont remember :)

Long beans curry

2009-11-21T22:57:00.002+05:30

Again a pepper based dish !!

Ingredients: Serves 2

Long beans - 20-30 washed and cut into 1 inch long pieces
Kuzhambu powder- 1 tbsp
Garlic - 3 minced
Salt - to taste
Coconut powder - 1 tbsp
Urad dhal and Mustard seeds- 1 tsp
Water - for cooking the beans
Oil - 3 tbsp

Method:

Heat oil in a non stick kadai. Saute the Urad dhal and Mustard seeds. Add the garlic and fry for a min. Add the beans. Fry for 5 mins. Add salt and water. Cook till the beans are done in medium flame, with lid on. Once, the water is all gone, add the Kuzhambu powder/paste and coconut. Fry for 2 min and it is ready to be served with melagu kuzhambu rice - my lunch menu :)

Kabuli channa- Garlic Kuzhambu

2009-11-21T22:45:00.001+05:30

This is another innovation out of the kuzhambu paste - sans coconut !! Please check out the recipe for making this kuzhambu's paste from my other post - http://indulgeinthetaste.blogspot.com/2009/11/melagu-kuzhambu.html, omitting the coconut and complementing with one more tbsp of channa dhal.

Ingredients: Serves 2-3

Kabuli channa - 150 g soaked overnight with 300 ml water
Garlic - 10 pods peeled
Tamarind pulp - 150 ml
Kuzhambu paste - 3-4 tbsp
Urad dhal & Mustard seeds - 1 tsp
Chilli powder - 1 tsp
Coriander powder - 1/2 tsp
Turmeric powder - 1/2 tsp
Salt - to taste
Water - for consistency
Oil - 3 tbsp
Fried curry leaves - to garnish

Method:

Heat a kadai and add the oil. Saute the Urad dhal and Mustard seeds. Add the garlic and drained kabuli channa and fry for a min. Add the masala powders (turmeric, chilli & Coriander). Add the tamarind pulp, salt and water to get a watery consistency. Cover with a lid and cook till the channa is done. Then, add the kuzhambu paste and cook over medium - high flame for 10 mins. Garnish with fried curry leaves and serve hot with rice. I made the rice, a little watery as you can see in the pic :) And, a video to show the final stage..

Melagu Kuzhambu

2009-11-21T20:22:00.003+05:30

Well this is supposed to be a very authentic dish. But, believe me I didn't ask any one for any recipe. I made it out of my "own instinct" and it came out yummy well :) To prepare the kuzhambu paste , the following is the recipe:

Ingredients: To serve two

Peppercorn - 2 1/2 tbsp
Dried red chillies - 4 long ones
Cumin seeds - 1 tsp
Channa dhal - 1 tbsp
Coriander seeds - 1 1/2 tsp
Coconut powder- 3-4 tbsp
Fenugreek seeds - 1 tsp
Oil - to saute

Method:

In a kadai, heat a tsp of oil. Add all the ingredients except coconut and fry for a min in medium flame. Add the coconut and fry until coconut begins to turn golden yellow. Cool and grind it to a little coarse mixture.

Here comes the kuzhambu.

Ingredients:

Tamarind pulp - 150 ml (should be thick and concentrated)
Garlic - 10 pods - optional
Urad dhal and Mustard seeds- 1 tsp
Chilli powder - 1 tsp
Coriander powder - 1/2 tsp
Turmeric powder - 1/2 tsp
Salt - to taste
Water - for consistency
Oil - 3 tbsp

Method:

Heat a kadai and add the oil. Saute the Urad dhal and Mustard seeds. Add in the peeled garlic and fry for a min. Add the rest of ingredients and adjust water as you want. This should not be thick. As it boils, it'll become thick. Cover the kadai with a lid and cook in medium flame for about 10 mins/till garlic is cooked. Now add 3 tbsp of the kuzhambu paste. Adding more than this will increase the hottness!! Boil in high flame for 5 mins and the kuzhambu is ready to be served hot with hot mashed rice :) Another dish to have during flu :) The following is a video to show the consistency of the kuzhambu.

I'm back with pepppppeerrrrrrrrr :)

2009-11-21T19:51:00.002+05:30

It has been a lonnnggggggggg 2 weeks ;( loads of work, whew.. Still some pending ;( Still I'm back with some very easy dishes, for eg., this Melagu Paal - Pepper milk. As you know pepper is known to be subsiding cold.

Preparation:

After boiling milk, take 150 ml and again boil in simmer flame. Add 10-15 whole peppercorns or 5 crushed ones. Add 1/2 tsp of turmeric powder. Boil for 2 mins. After switching off the heat, let it stand for 5-10 mins, so that the pepper will get soaked. When it is warm enough to drink, just filter the pepper and enjoy a warm, soothing drink - perfect for a sore throat.

Mint Chutney

2009-11-08T22:48:00.001+05:30

Ingredients: Serves 2

Mint leaves - from a small bunch of around 50 stems

Coconut - scrapped about 100 gms

Small onions- peeled 5

Green chill -1

Red chilli - 1

Channa dhal - 1 tbsp

Mustard seeds - 1 tsp

A little piece of Ginger

Salt to taste

Oil - 2 tbsp

Water - as required

Method:

Heat 1 tbsp oil in a kadai. Fry channa dhal for a while. Add in the mustard. Add onions & chillies. Fry over low flame for 2-3 mins. Add the ginger, mint leaves & coconut. Fry for 2-3 mins. Cool this , add salt and grind to a fine paste using water as required. Serve with a dash of oil for dosa / idli.

Lemon-Mint cooler

2009-11-08T22:34:00.002+05:30

Fill a 200 ml glass half with cold water + lemon juice from 1 lemon. Add sugar compensating the other half also + pinch of salt. Add crushed/powdered mint leaves. Stir well so that sugar completely dissolves. Top the rest of glass with chilled soda and enjoy the drink :)

Capsicum Fry

2009-11-07T13:47:00.004+05:30

Ingredients:

Capsicum - green/red coloured - 1 large sized, diced
Onion - 1 large size diced
Ginger-garlic-green chill paste - 1 tbsp (take in a ratio 2:1:1)
Tomato - 1 medium sized , grinded to a paste
Turmeric, Coriander powder - 1/2 tsp each
Chilli powder - 1 tsp
Salt - to taste
Oil - 3 tbsp
Coriander leaves - to garnish
Cumin seeds - 1 tsp

Method:

Heat 1-2 tbsp oil in a kadai. Add onions and capsicum. Fry for 2 mins. Keep aside. Again heat oil in the same kadai (make use of leftover oil if any). Saute with cumin seeds. Add Ginger-garlic-green chill paste. Fry till rawness goes off. Add tomato paste. Fry for 5 mins. Add Turmeric, Coriander powder, Chilli powder & Salt. Fry for a min. Add 4-5 tbsp of water and cook till it becomes dry. Add onion & capsicum. Fry for 5 more mins in medium flame followed by a min or so in high flame till it becomes dry again. Do not add water as capscicum gives off water when cooked. Garnish with coriander and serve hot with paranthas.

Maida Roti

2009-11-07T11:01:00.003+05:30

Ingridients:

All purpose flour - 200 g, 50 g for dusting

Salt - 1/2 tsp

Oil - 1 tbsp

Warm water - as required

Clarified butter - as required

Method:

Mix the flour, salt. Use little amounts of water and make a firm dough. Add oil and knead it well till it becomes even in softness. Keep the dough ball covered with a vessel for 15 mins.

Divide the dough into 4 equal parts. Roll each dough using the extra flour for dusting. Heat tawa/griddle. Make the rotis in medium flame. When they are done, cook them directly on the medium flame for 2-3 secs/each side. Take aside and coat with clarified butter. Serve hot.

Bhaigan Bharta

2009-11-07T10:45:00.003+05:30

Ingredients:

Medium sized eggplants - 4

Very finely chopped onion - 1 large sized

Very finely chopped tomato - 1 large sized

Ginger garlic paste - 1 tsbp
Green chilli paste - 1/2 tsp
Green chilli - 1 split
Turmeric, Coriander powder - 1/2 tsp each
Chilli powder - 1 tsp
Salt - to taste
Oil - 3 tbsp
Coriander leaves - to garnish
Mustard + urad dhal - 1 tsp

Method:

Wash and dry the brinjal/wipe with a cloth. Rub them with oil and roast them in open low-medium flame till they become dark and the skin starts to peel. Tip: You can use the stem part to rotate them often to get the even roasting.

When done, completely immerse in hot water for 10 mins. Take out from water & peel the skin, mash them completely. No need to use blender as they would be very tender by now.

Heat remaining oil in a kadai. Saute with Mustard + urad dhal. Add chilli paste, ginger garlic paste and chillis. Fry for 2 mins. Add onions and cook till they are tender. Add tomatoes and fry. Add salt,Turmeric, Coriander powder, Chilli powder. Add 100 ml water and cook for 5 mins. Add the mashed brinjal and cook for another 5 mins. Garnish with coriander leaves and serve hot with maida rotis.

Caronda Sandwich

2009-11-07T10:30:00.002+05:30

Ingredients:

Caronda - 150 g

Sugar - 1 tbsp

Honey - 2 tbsp

Bread slices - toasted with unsalted clarified butter - 4

Method:

Grind the carondas finely. Add sugar and honey. Mix well. Spread over the bread and enjoy the sweeeeeeeeeeeeet sandwich !! Easy, isnt it !!

Carrot - Cluster beans Fry

2009-10-31T14:08:00.006+05:30

Ingredients:

Carrot - 1 sliced thinly into 1 inch pieces
Cluster beans - same as above in equal quantity
Onion - 1 sliced
Ginger garlic paste - 1 tsp
Cumin seeds - 1 tsp
Urad dhal + Mustard seeds - 1 tsp
Maggi gravy masala - 1 tbsp
Turmeric powder, Coriander powder - 1/2 tsp each
Chilli powder - 3/4 tsp
Salt - to taste
Oil - 2-3 tbsp

Method:

Heat oil in a kadai. Saute cumin, urad dhal and mustard seeds. Add ginger garlic paste and fry for 2 mins. Add onion and fry till tender. Add the carrot and cluster beans and fry 5-7 mins. Add Turmeric powder, Coriander powder, Chilli powder, Maggi gravy bunna masala and salt. Fry for a min. Add enough water and cook till the veges are done and water gets over. Serve hot with bread/roti/rice.

Easy Rajma Curry

2009-10-31T00:21:00.001+05:30

Ingredients:

Rajma - 1 cup soaked overnight for atleast 6 hrs

Tomato - 1 medium sized

Ginger - 1 Inch

Green chillies - 3-4

Cumin seeds - 1 tsp

Turmeric, coriander powder - 1/2 tsp each

Chilli powder - 1 tsp

Salt - as required

Oil - 2 tsp

Coriander leaves to garnish

Method:

Mash 1/4 of the rajma in a blender with little bit water. Blend tomato, ginger & Green chillies. Heat oil in a pressure cooker. Add cumin seeds. Add the blended paste and cook till it becomes 3/4 of its volume. Add chilli, turmeric, coriander powder and salt. Fry for a min. Add the rajma along with the mashed rajma. Cook for 5 mins. Now added 1.5 cups of water & replace cooker with lid. Cook till a whistle comes. Cook again for 5 min to get the desired gravy consistency without lid and garnish with coriander leaves before serving. Goes well with maida roti / rice.

Vermicelli Pulav

2009-10-31T00:11:00.002+05:30

Ingredients:

Vermicelli - 1 cup

Thinly cut mixed veg (Carrot,Beans,Potato,Cabbage,Capsicum,etc ) - 1/2 cup

Medium onion sliced - 1

Small Tomato sliced - 1

Ginger garlic paste - 1 tsp

Cardamon - 1 pod

Cinnamon - 1 inch piece

Cloves - 2

Coriander powder - 1/2 tsp

Chilli powder - 1tsp

Turmeric Powder - 1/2 tsp

Green chillies - 5-6 split into two

Cumin seeds - 1 tsp

Salt - to taste

Powdered pepper - a pinch

Clarified butter - 3 tbsp

Coriander leaves to garnish

Oil - 1 tbsp

Water - 3-4 cups

Method:

Heat 1 tsp clarified butter in a kadai. Fry the broken vermicelli until brown. Keep aside. Heat the remaining clarified butter and oil in the kadai. Saute with cumin seeds,Cardamon, Cinnamon, Cloves. Add ginger garlic paste and chillies. Fry till raw smells goes off. add onion. Fry till tender. Add tomato and vegetables. Fry till veges are half done. Add Chilli, turmeric and coriander powder. Add salt. Add 3 cups of water to cook the vegetables. Cook them in medium flame with a lid covered. Once done, add vermicelli and keep stirring to avoid lumps. Add water if required. Cook and stir till vermicelli becomes tender. Garnish with coriander leaves.

Carrot Halwa

2009-10-30T23:46:00.002+05:30

Banana Pudding

2009-10-30T23:43:00.005+05:30

One yummy dessert :)

Ingredients:

Grated Coconut - 1/4 cup

Maida - 1/4 cup

Thick Milk from 1/2 cup grated coconut

Powdered Sugar - 1 cup

Cardamon powder - 1 tsp

Sliced sweet banana - 1

Baking powder - 1 tsp

Honey - 1 tbsp

Preparation:

Mix coconut milk, maida, honey, cardamon & baking powder and sugar without lumps. Add 1-2 tbsp of grated coconut. It should not be very thick or running. Add water to get the correct consistency. Place the sliced bananas in a microwave glass bowl and form a layer. Top it with a layer of grated coconut. Top it with the batter. Cook in microwave high 4 for 8 minutes in two intervals without lid. When done, test the batter part with a toothpick. It should come out with out sticking to the dough. Serve a scoop with all three layers, chilled or hot with a dash of honey and even vanilla ice cream !!

This can also be made in small glass bowls to serve readily. The cooking time will be less around 4-5 mins.

Diwali Sweets - Made by my mom/grand mom

2009-10-22T00:01:00.003+05:30

Halwa from the milk of wheat

Traditional Ulundhu Vadai with coconut Chutney

Sugiyam

Easy Veg Pulav - Sambar with rice & Cabbage Poriyal - Dhal with rice & Beans Poriyal

2009-10-10T18:08:00.003+05:30

I'm posting some pics of what I had for this week ;) I dont think these need recipes - They r all the same old dishes ! If I find time in coming days - Holidays r thr, I'll update this post with the recipes I used. Actually, I made each of these in 30-40 mins. Well, it served two ppl only ... LOL. But still, these are easy dishes that can be done in no time !! And it comes handy for ppl like me.

Easy Veg Pulav:

Sambar with rice & Cabbage Poriyal:

Dhal with rice & Beans Poriyal:

Idli Upma

2009-10-10T17:57:00.013+05:30

Its very simple to make n spicy to eat - no need to prepare a side dish for the idlis (However, u can spice up with a chutney/sambar).

Ingredients: Serves 1

3 medium sized hot idlis
1 tsp - Mustard & Urad dhal
1 tsp - Oil
Salt
2 tbsp -"Idli" Chilli Powder - Not the paprika / regular chilli powder
Salt
Coriender & Curry Leaves

Preparation:

Crumble hot idlis with a fork. Heat oil in a non-stick pan - idli will stick to ordinary pans. Saute Mustard & Urad dhal with Curry Leaves. Add the idlis & "Idli" Chilli Powder. Mix well for a minute. Serve hot with coriander garnished on top.

Orange Pomegranate Mocktail

2009-10-04T19:05:00.005+05:30

Just blend 1 medium orange (without rind of course)+ 1 tsp sugar and 150 gms pomo seeds+1 tsp sugar separately. Chill, mix them together and serve :)

Butter Milk

2009-10-04T18:14:00.004+05:30

Mix 2 tbsp of yogurt+150 ml water+salt+pinch of asafoetida in a blender. Chill and serve garnished with coriander/cilantro leaves.

Morkolambu with Vendakai Fry

2009-10-04T16:59:00.008+05:30

Morkolambu:

A traditional recipe from Tamil Nadu - an essential part of lunch - is a very mild curry of coconut + yogurt + spices. It goes with plain/flavored softly cooked rice.

Ingrdients: Serves 3

1 medium sized chayote - peeled and cut into 1 inch cubes (White pumpkin can also be used)
200 gms - yogurt/well beaten curd
100 gms - freshly grated coconut
10 - shallots sliced longitudinally
3 - long green chillies - slit
2 - dried red chillies
1 inch ginger
1 tsp - coriander seeds - this wonderful flavour gives uniqueness to this dish !!!
1 tsp - cumin seeds
1 tsp - Mustard seeds+Urad dhal
1 tbsp - Tur dhal/Channa Dhal
1/2 tsp - Turmeric powder
Salt to taste
Vegetable Oil
Curry leaves/Cilantro/Coriander leaves - To garnish

Preparation:

Boil the cut Chayote for 10 mins in medium flame with 200 ml water with salt and a pinch of turmeric with a tsp of oil. Dont drain the remaining water.

Heat oil in kadai. Add coriander & cumin seeds. Add dhal. Add 2 green chillies, ginger,cocunut. Roast until it becomes tender. Grind to a paste using water.

Now heat kadhai in medium flame. Add oil and saute Mustard & Urad dhal. Add rest of chillies and onion. Add few curry leaves. Fry till tender.

Add salt, rest of turmeric powder & Chayote with water. Cook until Chayote is done- it should not get mashed.

Add the Ground paste. Add water to get a watery-gravy consistency and cook for 2 min in med flame. Allow to cool down to room temp. Add Curry and Coriander leaves along with yogurt. Mix them well and serve with hot rice.

Vendakai Fry:

A very tasty Side dish to go with any mild gravy preparation. 1 tbsp of Tamarind juice can be added with the spices while cooking to get a tangy taste !!!

Ingredients: Serves 2-3

250 gms - Chopped Lady's fingers
1 tsp - Chilli Powder
1/4 tsp - Coriander Powder
1 tsp - Mustard seeds+Urad dhal
Salt
Oil - 4-5 tbsp
Curry Leaves

Preparation:

Heat oil in a kadai. Saute Mustard seeds+Urad dhal & Curry leaves. Add Chopped Lady's fingers and cook until the stickiness is gone. Add salt , Chilli Powder & Coriander Powder. Fry until Lady's fingers turn tender. This goes well with Morkolambu Curry and rice.

And here goes my lunch box :)