3:20
Tomato, Mint and garlic chutney
» ‎ Stories from an Indian Kitchen!!

Are you all enjoying warm weather? We definitely are. And I can say that some of my plants are so happy about the warm weather. My mint plants are growing like crazy. I keep pulling them and they grow faster than I can use them up. I had to make a chutney to go with the Paniyaram and it was a perfect opportunity to use up that mint that is growing out of control. One Year Back - Sourdough Chocolate Zucchini cake Two Years Back - Hawaiian Cobbler Ingredients: Tomatoes - 14 small or 8...

[[ This is a content summary only. Visit my website for full links, other content, and more! ]]

1:35
Coconut Chocolate chip Pecan Banana Bread
» ‎ Smitha's Spicy Flavors, Cooking my way...

Ya I know that's a long name, but what else could I name it?...It does have all the said ingredients and the name should reflect what the product consists of, so that's why the long name :).

I have made so many Banana bread these past few days....why? because I had tons of bananas which were past the eating point. The best way to consume them is to make a delicious banana bread and all are done!

What I noticed is that if I added chocolate chips to the banana bread, it would be finishes faster than the plain one. And I wanted to try a coconut banana bread, so went ahead and tried it! I make only one small loaf at a time, double it if you want a bigger loaf.

I love warm desserts and my old son has taken after me. We both tend go in the direction of warm desserts like warm banana bread with cold ice cream or warm brownie with ice cream. This has been one of our favorites now since I have been making this very often!

Ingredients:

Wet Ingredients:

1/4 cup butter @ room temperature
1 cup mashed bananas, about 3 medium sized
1 egg
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
1/4 cup milk

Dry Ingredients:

1 1/2 cups All purpose flour
1/4 tsp salt
1 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp baking soda
1/2 cup light brown sugar

1/2 cup unsweetened shredded coconut
1/4 cup mini semi-chocolate chips
1/4 cup chopped, roasted pecans, walnuts

Method:

Grease a loaf pan with butter and keep aside.
Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees.

Mashed bananas. Mix in butter, egg, vanilla extract, milk and brown sugar.
In another bowl, stir in the rest of the dry ingredients together, expect the coconut, choco chips and walnuts.
Mix in the dry ingredients with the wet ingredients slowly, being careful not to over mix.
Add and stir in the coconut, choco chips and walnuts.
Pour into loaf pan and bake at 350 degrees for 30-40 minutes or until a tooth pick inserted comes out clean.
Serve when warm or cold.
Enjoy!!!

Check out what the other marathoners are cooking up in their kitchens here.

Sending this to my own event Kid's Delight - Whats Kids love....For Summer

0:20
Spicy Green Lentils Fry
» ‎ Gita's Kitchen

Dear Friends and Readers, I know I have been missing from my blog for a really long time. I have been very busy with my toddlers these days that it has been a couple of months since I checked my blog dashboard for new messages or updates. My kids are at the stage where they keep running all over the place to climbing every chair and table to shelf they see and they need me all the time and when they sleep, I take a much-needed nap along with them. Many interesting things have been going on in our life for the past couple of months. We came to India in December for our babies first birthday and right now my babies are I are in India where they are having a good time getting pampered by everybody. There had been some happy moments (had our babies ear piercing ceremony done) and sad moments in our life (I lost my dear grandma a few months ago) since we came here. We are also shifting our base from Virginia to California this month.
It feels really good to read the mails from some of my friends enquiring about me or a few mails from new friends giving good feedbacks for my old posts in spite of my absence. There was one particular mail from a friend from Veena (thank you very much dear) from Australia, who said that she found my recipes useful during her pregnancy, so here I am back with a recipe that I did long back. I really hope I continue blogging regularly. This is a recipe that I had published long back at http:/blogcritics.org/tastes/article/spicy-green-lentils-fry . This was a big hit in my family and parents said that this dish tasted almost like prawn fry, so I guess a vegetarian-version of prawn .
Spicy Green Lentils Fry
INGREDIENTS: Green lentils, 1 cup. Onion, large, 1. Roma tomatoes, . Ginger-garlic paste, 1 teaspoon. This can be substituted with 2 crushed garlic pods. Fennel seeds, 1 teaspoon. Chili powder, 1 teaspoon. Coriander powder, 2 teaspoons. Turmeric powder, ½ teaspoon. Salt as per taste. Curry leaves, 3-4, (optional). Chopped mint and cilantro, ¼ cup.

PREPARATION:
Wash the lentils and cook them for 15-20 minutes with 2 cups of water in a pot under medium flame. They can also be cooked in the microwave in a microwave-safe bowl. If cooking in the microwave, add a drop of oil to the water before cooking. This prevents the lentils from sticking to one another. The lentils should not lose their shape after cooking and should have a little crunch. Dice the onions and tomatoes. Heat a pan with a tablespoon of oil. Once the oil starts to bubble, add the fennel seeds and fry for a few seconds. Then add the diced onions and sauté for a few minutes until the onions are tender. Then add the diced tomatoes, curry leaves, ginger-garlic paste and sauté for a few more minutes until everything is well blended. Add chili powder, coriander powder, turmeric powder, salt, and the cooked lentils; mix everything and cook under medium flame for 10-12 minutes stirring the mixture in between. If needed, another tablespoon of oil can be added during the stirring process. This helps to fry the spices and release their flavors. Add the chopped mint and cilantro leaves at the end and serve as a side dish with rice or bread. If needed, any curry powders or garam masala powder can also be added along with the given powders for a much spicier version. The green lentils can also be substituted with green peas or any type of beans.
GUEST POST
This is a guest post from Mr. Leroy Templeton. He is a recent college graduate and a health nut who is very passionate about educating people on how healthy eating can help fight certain forms of cancer. I thank him for sending this compelling and useful article. We find this very informative and interesting.
Nutrition and Cancer
By: Leroy Templeton
Good nutrition is important for all people. However, it is essential for cancer patients. Learning the proper foods to include in a diet can ease some cancer and cancer treatment symptoms and increase a patient's overall well-being. Simply taking control of the foods that are consumed and following nutrition tips can enhance strength, recovery, energy and mood.

Cancer often curbs an appetite. Those suffering from the illness find it difficult to eat due to stress, anxiety, nausea, fatigue and side-effects from treatments. When this occurs, it is important to select foods high in protein and calories without sacrificing healthy eating. Choose olives, seeds, nuts, and dried fruits as snacks. These are healthy options to add protein and calories to your meals. Pick cereals with dried fruits and nuts. Have yogurt topped with nuts and granola. Cook foods with olive or canola oils. Refrain from using empty sugars (milkshakes, candies, cakes, puddings, etc.) to complete a high-calorie diet.
Water should be on everyone's list for optimal nutrition. Those with fatigue, nausea and diarrhea can especially benefit from the hydration water adds to the body. Cancer and cancer treatments are often hard on energy levels and digestive systems. Water replenishes the intestines after vomiting and diarrhea, known symptoms of Pancreatic Cancer, Pleural Mesothelioma and many other forms of cancer.
Tolerance for certain foods may also cause issues for cancer patients. Treatments are often known for their interference with the small intestine to produce lactase. Patients taking chemo or radiation may want to be cautious with or refrain from eating or drinking dairy products.
Vitamins from fresh vegetables are also a great way to keep your immune system up during stressful and trying times on your body. However, raw veggies are filled with fiber, which can be hard for a stomach to digest. Cancer patients may want to consider jump-starting the process to prevent stomach troubles. Blend vegetables in a blender and drink them as a smoothie or add them pureed in a soup. This option is much healthier than skipping out on the vitamins offered by vegetables.
Fruits also offer much nutritional value. Patients with upset stomachs and digestive troubles will want to consume fruits with less fructose. Melons, for example, are known for their high level of fructose. Choosing fruits with lesser values, such as berries, peaches and citrus is one way to gain the nutritional benefits without overloading a small intestine.
A cancer patient's body suffers enough without added illness. Treatments and medications used to fight cancer cells often weaken the body's immune system. Therefore during these times, it is important to stay away from foods that are high-risk for bacteria. These include undercooked or raw meats, eggs and seafood.Gita's Kitchen

May 16, 2012
23:59
Cabbage Peanut Gravy Curry
» ‎ Talimpu

Cabbage Peanut Gravy Curry. Fresh green cabbage is chopped up and cooked in oil along with onion and spices. Tomatoes are then added to the cabbage along with freshly ground peanut spice powder. The...

Read the rest of the talimpu recipe @ www.talimpu.com

23:59
Cabbage Peanut Gravy Curry
» ‎ Talimpu

Cabbage Peanut Gravy Curry. Fresh green cabbage is chopped up and cooked in oil along with onion and spices. Tomatoes are then added to the cabbage along with freshly ground peanut spice powder. The...

Read the rest of the talimpu recipe @ www.talimpu.com

22:43
Bread Bajji | Fritters!
» ‎ S A R A' S C O R N E R

Tired of eating vegetable bajji......... try this with bread. This has been in my drafts since years. I tried this bread bajji, we all liked and it was different. Here goes the recipe. IngredientsBread -4 slices(White/Brown) Kadale maav/Besan/Chickpea flour - 1/2 cup Corn flour - 1 tspn Red chilli powder - 1/2 tspn(As per your taste) Hing/Asafotida - a generous pinch Salt - 1/4 tspn Water

19:52
Tofu Tikka Masala | Yogurt Marinated Tofu in Tomato Gravy
» ‎ Annarasa
Tofu is a wonderful substitute for paneer (Indian Style Cottage Cheese). I use regularly in my kitchen and so was surprised to find that I have posted just a handful of recipes on the blog. I would love to share some of the delightful dishes that I have whipped up successfully in my kitchen with my readers and so here goes. Last week I made my tried and tested recipe for Tofu Tikka Masala | Yogurt Marinated Tofu in a Tomato Sauce.

This is one of the best ways to enjoy Tofu in an Indian Curry. The spice blend makes for a delicious Tikka and the addition of the marinade at the end of the cooking process to the curry simply enhances the flavour of this gravy. Try Tofu Tikka Masala with plain rice or naan (Oven Baked Indian Flatbread), and you're sure to save this one for your recipes books!!

Ingredients for the Tofu Tikka:
1 block extra firm tofu
1/2 cup dahi (plain yogurt)
1/2 tsp haldi (turmeric)
1/2 tsp lal mirch (red chilli powder)
1/4 tsp garan masala
1 tsp oil
Oil for frying

Ingredients for the Gravy:
1 can tomatoes, chopped
1 medium onion, minced
4 cloves garlic
1" piece ginger
2 green chilies
1/2 tsp cumin seeds
1 tbsp coriander cumin powder
1/4 tsp haldi (turmeric)
2 tbsp kasuri methi (dried fenugreek seeds)
Salt to taste
1 tbsp oil

Method:
1. In a large bowl, mix together the yogurt, turmeric, red chili powder, garam masala, and oil.
2. Slice the tofu lengthwise to a thickness of half and inch, and then cut each slice into squares or rectangles.
3. Place the tofu squares in the yogurt spice blend, making sure that each piece is well covered.
4. Set aside for at least two hours to allow the tofu to marinate and take on the flavour of the spices and the yogurt.
5. Pour a tablespoon of oil in a non stick pan. Fry the marinated tofu pieces on both sides. Remove on kitchen paper to drain away any excess oil.
6. To make the curry, blend together the onion, garlic, ginger, and green chilies.
7. Heat oil in a big wok. Add the cumin seeds.
8. Reduce the heat and add the onion paste. Fry until the raw smell of the onion goes away.
9. Now add the tomatoes, turmeric, and the coriander cumin powder.
10. Cook on a medium heat for 10-12 minutes.
11. Then add the kasuri methi, the leftover yogurt marinade, and half a cup of water.
12. Reduce heat and cook for another 10 minutes. Season with salt to taste.
13. Add the marinated and pan cooked tofu, ensuring that each piece is covered evenly with the curry.
14. Cook for 5 minutes. Remove from heat and enjoy warm with naan, roti, or rice.
Vegan Substitute: Replace the yogurt for the marinade with a soy yogurt.

All content, text and photographs in this blog, unless otherwise noted, are Copyright of © Annarasa 2007 - 2012. All Rights Reserved. Kindly do not reproduce without permission.

17:20
Mixed Lentil Paniyaram / Aebleskiver
» ‎ Stories from an Indian Kitchen!!

I have always had Aebleskiver or paniyaram (gundu pongal, paddu are different names for this dish) that is made either with left over dosa batter or the batter they would make using rice and black gram dal. Many years ago, I had this kind at a friend's place. Her mother had made it and it tasted so different than the traditional one that I was used to. From that day onwards, I have always made these kind only. My friend's mother added coconut scrapings and few green chillies to the batter but I...

[[ This is a content summary only. Visit my website for full links, other content, and more! ]]

16:10
Green Chutney Sandwich : Bombay Sandwich
» ‎ A Cook @ Heart

If you are ever in Churchgate, Mumbai, and you travel in the local train, when you step outside the station, in one corner, you will find people flocking, young college going students, working men and women , around a small stall,which at first you may not even notice because of the flock. At a glance you will also notice, the flock is engaged in similar actions and you think, smiling to yourself, birds of a feather.... , and then you see what action it is, plate in one hand (left, mostly- unless that person is a left handed person, then right) and the other hand carrying a small square 'something' to the mouth and enjoying every bite. You are drawn to the flock and then you see what the fuss is all about. It's the sandwichwalla!This sandwichwalla ( The sandwich stall owner) I am talking about used to ( and maybe he still is there) operate outside Churchgate station and my news is at least 8 -9 years old.Rapidly preparing sandwiches, he works at a fast and smooth, unfaltering pace, slathering butter on the slices of bread creating a mound in one corner and then quickly laying these slices in a grid and smearing chutney on top. adding the vegetables ( as per customers preference) and slapping the second slice of bread on top and then using a thin but razor sharp knife, deftly cuts it into 8 little squares and slides the whole thing, neatly onto a plate. Using squeeze bottles, squirts ketchup on top and hands it to the hungry and waiting customer.
Walking thru Mumbai, you will find such small stall owners in practically every lane, catering to the hunger pangs of one and all for a small price.
I have no idea what a simple sandwich costs these days, but I remember, in my college days, it was Rs.5/- and on a student pocket money, it was affordable nutrition.
What made this sandwich so addictive was the spicy chutney, slathered onto a slice of soft buttered bread.I have a similar version for you today.
Cilantro chutney:
1 Large bunch, Fresh Cilantro ( leaves and tender stems)4 Green Chilies ( reduce quantity to suit your preference)1/2 tsp. Cumin Seeds1/2 tsp. Coriander seed powderPinch Asafetida1/2 inch Fresh ginger knobSalt to Taste2 Tbsp Lemon juice
Wash the cilantro. Add all the ingredients to the blender/ mixie jar, except lemon juice and blend to a smooth paste, with minimum water.Remove to a container, add lemon juice and mix it in.

This chutney is versatile and can be used in bhel or sev puri or ragda patties when coupled with meethi (date and tamarind) chutney.
To assemble the sandwich:

For one sandwich
2 Slices of Bread ( the original uses white sliced bread)A pat of ButterGreen Cilantro Chutney

Fixin's :
Thinly Sliced CucumberThinly sliced TomatoThinly Sliced, Boiled PotatoThinly Sliced Red OnionThinly sliced Boiled BeetrootDash of Salt and Pepper ( if required)Tomato Ketchup
Butter both slices of bread.
On one slice, apply the Cilantro chutney ( on both, if you want, but make sure that it does not overwhelm the over all taste it is a dominating taste and the vegetables are plain / raw)
Pile on the fixin's. Choose what you want, but the most common are Cucumber, Tomato and Boiled Potato ( and the ones we almost always have on hand). Sprinkle with salt and pepper, if using.
Place the second slice, buttered side down on top and carefully slice the sandwich into squares or triangles
Serve immediately with ketchup

NOTES:
Use water carefully when blending the chutney ingredients, you do not want a runny chutney, it makes soggy sandwiches
Mint can be added to the chutney to enhance the flavor ( about 1/4 cup fresh mint leaves)
Cream cheese can be used instead of butter, it alters the taste, but is a nice change
Substitute Whole Wheat sliced bread or a multi grain bread or Ciabatta roll ( as I have used here), instead of white bread
In most Indian stores, you will find a sandwich masala, this can be sprinkled instead of salt and pepper, it is purely optional.
For a Gluten allergies here is a recipe for Coconut flour bread
For a Vegan Version, substitute with vegan butter

These sandwiches make great picnic food.Just don't assemble and pack them to eat later on! Soggy mess- unappealing!

We walked this path on Saturday, there was a slight breeze and the sun, mercifully behind a few clouds, in short, nothing to mar my happiness. Bombay Sandwiches for a picnic lunch and this view, priceless!

P.S: call it Mumbai Sandwich , if you want, either way, it tastes the same!

12:20
Gobi and Chana Kurma
» ‎ Spice-Club

Exactly another month, the school will close for summer vacation and just another day to end the State Exams. My son is happy not because he is ending his tests, just because mom will allow him...

This is the summary of my post. Visit my blog for the rest..

12:00
Beerakaya Thokku Pachadi 3 | Rigde Gourd Peel Chutney | Side Dish for Dosa
» ‎ Spice your Life

While we already have two versions of this lovely and interesting way of using the peel of the vegetable, here is another version to add. I have the pleasure of sharing Athamma's version today.
First version was like how Amma makes and we were introduced to another interesting way by Amma's childhood friend. The memories of that evening spent with Aunty T, will always remain so fresh with these two recipes coming to mind. We have made those two quite a regular at home and each time we remember Amma's friend without fail. She is such a vivacious person and we had the most memorable evening spent with her and her husband.
This time Athamma used different blend of ingredients and the chutney was bursting with flavours. Also since she made it almost like a pickle, this chutney had a longer shelf life.
Beerakaya Thokku Pachadi 1 Beerakaya Thokku Pachadi 2
Beerakaya Thokku Pachadi 2

Ingredients Needed:

Beerakaya thokku / Ridge Gourd Peel - 1 cup
Berakaya pieces - 1/2 cup
Onions - 1 medium
Tomatoe - 1 medium
Channa dal - 2 tsp
Urad dal - 1 tsp
Coriander seeds - 1 tsp
Cumin Seeds - 1/2 tsp
Dry Red chili - 6 -7
Tamarind pulp - 1 tbsp
Oil - 1 tbsp

For Tempering

Oil - 2 tbsp
Dry Red chili - 2
Curry leaves few
Garlic - 3 cloves

How to make the Chutney

Wash and peel the skin from the Ridge Gourd. Save about 1/2 cup of flesh for the chutney as well.
Heat a kadai with 1 tsp oil, saute channa dal, urad dal, coriander seeds, red chilies and jeera one by one and remove after they turn colour. Keep it aside for it to cool down.
Then add some more oil, saute chopped onions till they turn colour, remove. Next add the ridge gourd peel and pieces. Saute well for couple of minutes. Remove to a plate.
Finally saute tomatoes, add salt and saute well till the raw smell leaves.
Soak the tamarind to make it soft. Either you can add this directly when grinding or else you can use extract.
When all the ingredients are cooled, take it in a mixer and grind to a paste.
Heat remaining oil and add the tempering ingredients. Then pour over the chutney.
Serve with Dosas or with steamed rice along with ghee. Notes:

Since this stays good for over 10 days, make sure you saute all the ingredients well. There should not be any moisture in the ingredients.

Add enough oil, keeps it good for days.

When using, spoon out only the amount you need and not the entire batch. Microwave for 30 secs before use.

Check out the Blogging Marathon page for the other Blogging Marathoners doing BM# 16

9:19
Q&A: What would be a good name for a running team?
» ‎ Sugar and Spices

Question by crazychic2003: What would be a good name for a running team? My boyfriend and I are running a 5K on February 11. They have a couples competition and we need a name for our team. It is a Valentine’s theme run so something along that lines could be good or just anything fun [...]

1:34
Back again, Hosting Kid's Delight & Starting BM # 16 with Mango Shrikhand with Greek yogurt
» ‎ Smitha's Spicy Flavors, Cooking my way...

Writing after a long time...hmm I am having to think what to write. There is a lot to put into words, but it going to take some time to get my flow back I guess!
With so much happening, my motivation had been at it highest low...hmm is there anything as 'highest low'...well you know what I mean...I am trying my best to get back and pursue my interests and get back in line of doing what I like to do and enjoy! Well that doesn't happen much does it? with kids running around and or rather me running behind them keeps me occupied for the most part!
Then, come some other stuff which I need to remember to remind my self to let go...just let go....that will surely will keep me a happy person! But that doesn't happen much either does it!!
Well that's OK, I guess that's how life is, cruel and mean sometimes and sometimes the best!!
So coming out of my philosophical mode, I am back again, with two things happening here on my blog.

I am hosting Kid's Delight, the theme being What Kids Love....for Summer! Such a beautiful topic and at the right time, don't you think. One of the best events here for kids started by Srivalli of Spicing your Life.

Here in US, Summer vacation is just about to start, well maybe in another Month, where as in Indian, Summer vacation is just about to finish. Well do the kids care??? Noooo...Summer vacation is all about enjoying and making some of the best memories of your life with their friends and family. This goes with the older beings...us adults too!! We like to do the best for our kids, take vacations, go on picnics, parks, hiking , swimming and the best of all - cook the most wonderful and most delicious food around this time. Well why don't we take the opportunity and advantage of this special time and do just that!

COOK, or rather MAKE or rather CREATE the fun foods enjoyed by our kids, their friends, nephews, nieces and all the other kid's who join in to have the fun during the summer vacation. It can be sweet or savory, hot or cold, baked or cooked, veg or non-veg...anything the little kids love, something easy and fun to eat as quickly as possible so that they can get back to doing what they were enjoying!

I remember when we were kids, hunger was the last thing on our minds, and eating was the last thing we wanted to do! This gradually changed when we got older and we started cooking for our friends and having fin during summer. So kids of different ages like different stuff, so be creative and have fun with them, include them in your kitchen projects, this will surely get them interested too!!

Just don't forget to send them over here, I mean to my email Smitha(dot)joga(at)gmail(dot)com

What Kids Love...For Summer!

Few quick guidelines:

Veg and Non-veg dishes are accepted

Should be kid approved dishes

Sweet or savory, hot or cold anything is possible

Last date for sending in entries to above email id is 15th June

Non-bloggers are also welcome to send in their entries to the above email id (please send in a picture with your recipe)

Only 2 archived recipes will be accepted if they are reposted with the logo and link to the event announcement

Linking each entry to this page is mandatory and use to logo will be highly appreciated!

I hope you guys will join me and make this event successful!

Coming to the BM# 16, another event started to Srivalli, which I have been participating on and off, but I wish I could be more regular, but I couldn't!! This time around I decided to do it again and for the first week of the marathon, I will be posting recipes for the above event Kid's Delight - What Kids Love....for Summer!

Whats' summer vacation without enjoying the yummiest fruit which is available during this time...Yes I am talking about MANGO! Here is a simple and easy dessert which is usually made during the season of mangoes - Mango Shrikhand or Amar Khand, which is a dessert made of mango and thick yogurt or Greek yogurt.
And who doesn't love flavored yogurt? Kids love it a lot and the simplicity of the dessert and even the easiness to make it, makes it so wonderful!

This can be made even when mangoes are not in season, by using canned mango or even frozen mango slices, but using fresh mango beats it all! Powdered sugar or confectioner's sugar is used to sweetened this, but I used only honey, which suited us just fine, since the mangoes were enough sweet too. A touch of cardamom and kesar (saffron) makes this so delectable and heavenly!
And why only as a dessert?...it can also be eaten as a snack! Its healthy and has the goodness of honey which is also a great summer cooler. Sure hit with the kids!

Serves 2

Ingredients:

1 cup of thick yogurt (I used Greek yogurt)(or you can always hang the yogurt in a cheese cloth for 4-6 hours, so that all the water is drained out)
pulp of one sweet mango (more or less depending on your taste and sweetness of the mango)
Pinch of cardamom powder
pinch of kesar, saffron strands
Chopped nuts (optional)
1 tbsp of honey (more or less depending on your taste)

Method:

Using a hand blender I pureed the mango pieces to pulp.
Then mix the rest of the ingredients, except the nuts, using the hand blender.
Pour in serving bowls.
Add nuts or garnish the nuts on top. You can add extra mango if you wish.
Chill in refrigerator until to be served.
Can also be served with rotis or pooris!...tastes heavenly!!
Enjoy!!!

Check out what the other marathoners are cooking up in their kitchens here.

0:53
Urulakizhangu and Kaya Mezhukkupuratti (Potato and Raw Banana Stir Fry)
» ‎ Marias Menu
Have I told you about the Kerala restaurants in Bahrain? I dont know how I missed telling you about it… Anyways, there are so many Kerala restaurants here starting from our typical chaya kada (tea shop) style ones to upmarket Kerala theme restaurants. Our friends who left Bahrain for good say that, the one thing they miss most about this place is the Kerala restaurants here. Ok, I’ve also come across a few who dont appreciate the food in these places. But I should say, it’s a minority. If you are so particular about the qty of ginger, garlic, curry leaves in your dish n how it is chopped/sliced, those sort of things, then I think those places are not meant for you :) If you ask me, some of them do a real good job and you get to taste home cooked style food at a very reasonable price.

Do you remember the “meals ready” board that used to be displayed in front of the hotels back home? You can see that here, also the Malayalam version of “uunnu thayyar” (meals ready). Yeah, that’s another thing I like about living in this part of the world. You dont miss home much :) I’m sure back home this boards are replaced with flex boards n stuff. It reminds me what some people say… if you want to see the real Onam celebration these days, you should go to Dubai ;)

Ok, let’s come back to what we were discussing, Kerala restaurants. Since I make Kerala fare regularly at home, we are not frequent visitors of these hotels. But if I’m in a mood to have an elaborate lunch, I mean the typical Kerala style lunch, we head to one of the these restaurants. For a decent price, you get a wide variety of spread with 2-3 non veg items and 4-5 veg items and dont forget the payasam in the end!

I had this dish for the first time when we had lunch from one of these places a few months ago. I had had potato mezhukkuperatti before, but the combination of kaya n potato was new to me. I liked it so much and concentrated my whole appetite on this. In the end the waiter started giving me a weird look, because I just had a spoonful of rice and almost a plateful of this! From that day onwards I wanted to try this at home.

So, I finally tried this dish at home, if you are thinking whether I got the recipe from the chef… no. It’s a very simple one, you could actually taste all the ingredients and it’s no rocket science. The only difference I felt between my version and the restaurant one is in the looks. While mine had a mat finish look, the restaurant one had a glossy look. I couldn’t bring myself to add that much oil. You can make it either mat finish or glossy, obviously the glossy one is more tastier.

Here you go…

Cook potato and raw banana separately, with salt. heat oil and splutter mustard. Add sliced onions, salt and curry leaves. Cook till the onions start changing the colour.

Add minced/crushed garlic and cook for 2-3 mins. Add all the masala powders and cook till the oil starts appearing.

Add water and let it boil. Add cooked potato and raw banana and mix gently. Continue to cook on low flame for a few more mins.

Urulakizhangu and Kaya Mezhukkuperatti (Potato and Raw Banana Roast) Print

Recipe type: Side dish Author: Maria Jose Prep time: 5 mins Cook time: 20 mins Total time: 25 mins Serves: 4-5 Ingredients
- Potato – 2 medium – big, cubed
- Raw Banana (pacha kaya) – 2 big, cubed
- Small onion – 3/4 – 1 cup, sliced (I used around 20)
- Garlic – 2 – 21/2 tsp, minced/crushed
- Chilli powder – 1 1/2 – 2 tsp
- Turmeric powder – 1/4 tsp
- Fennel powder (perumjeerakam) – 1/4 tsp
- Garam masala – 1/4 tsp
- Water – 1/4 cup
- Mustard – 1/4 tsp
- Coconut oil
- Salt
- Curry leaves
Instructions
1. Cut the cleaned potatoes and raw bananas into bite size cubes. Cook potato and kaya separately, with salt. Keep it aside. Make sure that you do not over cook them.
2. Heat oil in a pan and splutter mustard. Add sliced small onions, salt and curry leaves. Fry till the onions start changing the colour. Add crushed/minced garlic and cook for 2-3 mins. Add the masala powders and fry till the oil starts appearing, around 2-3 mins.
3. Add water to the masala and let it boil. Reduce the flame and add cooked potato and kaya and mix well. Make sure that you mix it gently, taking care not to mash it. Add a little more oil and continue to cook on low flame for 5-10 more mins. Drizzle some oil in between, if it appears to be dry.
Notes
I used kaya without skin. If you like, you can use it with skin also. Do not substitute the small onions with the big ones, it will affect the taste.

I added more garlic, because I think it gives more punch to this dish. However if you dont like the garlicky taste, adjust the qty accordingly.

I suggest using coconut oil itself for the flavour. Also, make sure that the potatoes and kaya isnt overcooked.
2.2.6

May 15, 2012
23:59
Rice Flour Moong Rotti
» ‎ Talimpu

Pesara Pappu Biyyam Pindi Rotti. This is a very traditional rotti made with rice flour. Rice flour is mixed with hot water along with soaked moong dal, chopped onion and spices. The freshly prepared...

Read the rest of the talimpu recipe @ www.talimpu.com

23:59
Rice Flour Moong Rotti
» ‎ Talimpu

Pesara Pappu Biyyam Pindi Rotti. This is a very traditional rotti made with rice flour. Rice flour is mixed with hot water along with soaked moong dal, chopped onion and spices. The freshly prepared...

Read the rest of the talimpu recipe @ www.talimpu.com

21:06
Pepper Rasam (Milagu Rasam) Recipe
» ‎ For The Cook In Me

I have always associated pepper rasam with being sick. It's not a very positive way at looking at it but that's just the way it's been. What I am sharing today is my mom in law's recipe which is made not only when someone is sick but also when you crave something simple and spicy for lunch.

Pepper Rasam is quite unique in some ways though. MIL adds garlic in her milagu rasam (which is avoidable if you want it that way) and adds no toor dal which again you can play around with.

Pepper Rasam (Milagu Rasam) Recipe Preparation time: 5 minutes
Cooking time: 30 minutes
Serves 4

Ingredients:
1 lemon-sized ball of tamarind
3-4 cloves of garlic, peeled and slightly crushed
1 generous pinch of hing / asafoetida
1/4 tsp of turmeric powder
1 tomato, chopped
Salt to taste

To dry roast:
2-4 dry red chillies
2 tbsp of channa dal / kadala paruppu
1 tbsp of toor dal
2 tbsp of coriander seeds
1 tbsp of black peppercorns
1/2 tbsp of jeera / cumin seeds
A few curry leaves

To temper:
2 tsp of ghee
1/4 tsp of mustard seeds

How It's Made:

1. Dry roast the ingredients mentioned in the list until the dals turn golden brown. Make sure you keep the flame at low and keep mixing at all times for uniform browning. If you burn anything, I'd recommend starting over since that will ruin the flavour of the rasam completely. Cool this mixture, grind to a powder, and set aside.

2. Soak the tamarind in a cup of warm water, Extract juice and discard pulp.

3. Place the tamarind extract in a pan and add the peeled garlic, hing, turmeric, chopped tomato, and some salt. Bring to a boil.

4. When the mixture has boiled for about 3 mins, add the ground spice powder. You can add half of it to begin with and taste as you go for spice and flavour. The quantity need will change depending on how strong your tamarind is and your personal preference.

5. Boil this mixture for about 20 mins until the raw smell leaves the tamarind mixture. Thrown in more curry leaves if you feel like it. I will be honest, I did it for the pictures.

6. When the rasam has boiled long enough, remove from fire and heat the ghee in a small (tadka) pan. Add mustard seeds and 1/4 tsp jeera and when they splutter, dunk the entire thing into the rasam. Adjust salt.
That's it. Serve hot with steamed white rice and any curry of choice. I generally balance pepper rasam with some coconut-based side dish.

You can also drink this straight out of a mug. Yum!

18:24
Indian Kitchen Utensils - 101 - Saute Pan or Wok or Kadai
» ‎ Daily Musings

Writings about Indian cooking as we all know primarily deals with the spices, flavors and the cooking techniques. What gets short shrift but is an equally important aspect of the cooking process is...

[[ This is a content summary only. Visit my website for full links, other content, and more! ]]

15:06
Mutton Semi Gravy | Mutton Gojju ~ Non Veg Thali
» ‎ Cooking 4 all Seasons

Since I extended the Indian Thali Mela, I was in no hurry to post all my thali recipes. However since I was posting the Mutton Gojju, made differently from the previous methods, decided to share that before getting into the other Thalis.
With kids having their summer vacation, it becomes extremely tough to give them ideas to keep themselves occupied. I mostly end up drawing them something that they colour in a jiffy and are back with a new request. While I think I will keep myself busy with ideas for them, check out this recipe.

Other Mutton Recipes

Tomato Pulao, Chicken Curry, Mutton Gravy, Mutton Fry, Pepper Cumin Rasam, Plain Rice and Curds

Andhra Style Mutton Semi Gravy

Ingredients Needed

Mutton - 500 gms
Oil - 2 tsp
Fennel seeds
Cardamon - 3
Cloves - 3
Cinnamon - 3
Onions - 3/4 cup
Ginger Garlic paste - 1/2 tsp
Turmeric powder - 1/2 tsp
Rock salt to taste
Mint leaves / pudina - handful
Tomato - 1 medium
Coriander powder - 2 tsp
Chili powder - 2 tsp
Water - 1 cup
Coconut paste - 1/2 cup

How to make the Mutton Gojju

Wash and cut into smaller pieces, let it drain in the colander.

Heat a kadai with oil. Add the fennel seeds, cardamon, cloves and cinnamon. Saute well.

Then add finely chopped onions. Saute till the colour changes.

Next add the ginger garlic paste and cook till the raw smell leaves.

Add the drained mutton pieces, saute on high flame till the water starts coming out.

Add turmeric powder and continue cooking.

Now add the mint leaves and cook on high. Add chopped tomatoes, then chili powder, coriander powder. Cook with lid covered for 10 mins.

Make sure the water is all evaporated. Saute well.

Now add a cup of water or just enough to cover the gravy. Transfer to pressure cooker and cook for 3 whistles or till done.

Once the pressure falls down, remove the lid and add the coconut paste.

Bring to boil and simmer for few mins.

Finally garnish with coriander leaves.

Serve with rotis or pulao

Sending these for my Indian Thali Mela

12:00
Allam Pachadi (Ginger Chutney) 2 | Side Dish for Dosa | Step by Step Recipe
» ‎ Spice your Life

Today we are starting the 16th edition of Blogging Marathon. As I was mentioning from the next Edition there is going to be a change in the BM. So this edition is the last in the series of 7 day marathon. I hope new one will also get well received as well.
For the first week, I will be blogging Recipes with Shelf Life, focusing on Chutneys, Spice powders that can be served along with Rice or for Dosas. These dishes typically stay good for a week when refrigerated.
Last month when I decided to make some breakfast thali, I was really clueless as to what to make. We have already prepared all the possible breakfast thalis. So when I was mentioning to Amma that we might have to make some thali featuring breakfast, I was asking if there is anything new other than the Pesarattu or make it along with something else, she took me seriously and soaked the moong dal for the Pesarattu.
Next morning when I was told that we will be making this combo, I was confused as to what other new dish has to be made. Since Pesarattu was the same old recipe, there is no new one to be shared. Same went for all the rest of the items. When I mentioned this to Amma, she suggested Oats Upma and another version of Allam Pachadis. So she quickly referred to her paper clippings that were saved up and scanned through them.
So the Breakfast Thali that was finally made for Indian Thali Mela had Oats Upma, Pesarattu, Allam Pachadi, Peanut Pachadi and Paneer Payasam.
Other Allam Pachadi Recipe Yellow Moong Dal Dosa

The Ginger chutney turned out to be a keeper, it this deliciously tangy, spicy and gingery. Though on principle I try to avoid ginger, even I liked it. It has all the right mix of taste like tangy, sweet and ginger in it. And added to boot, this has a good shelf life. When you are really in deep despair to have chutneys that stay good for a while and also have a variety for your breakfast or if like me, you need to make chutneys for just one or two members, then this is your savior.
The Allam Pachadi that I have already blogged about was shared by my friend in the first few posts. In fact I remember her saying "Valli you should make allam pachadi for pesarattu and not coconut chutney" I was remembering her when I was making it. Though our mundane life makes it hard to reach out to all our friends, things like these do remind them.

Allam Pachadi for Pesarattu

Ingredients for Ginger Chutney

Ginger and dry red chilies roasted in oil
Extracted tamarind pulp with soaked jaggary

Allam Pachadi ~ Ginger Chutney

Preparation Time : 15 mins Shelf Life : 5 or more days when refrigerated.
Ginger Chutney
Ingredients Needed:
Ginger - 60 gms / 1/2 cup appr. Tamarind - 125 gms / 1/2 cup appr Dry Red Chilli - 25 gms / 15 nos Jaggary - 60 gms / 1/4 cup Salt to taste
Tempering
Channa dal - 1/2 Sesame Seeds - 1/2 tsp Urad Dal - 1/2 tsp Curry leaves few Oil - 1/2 cup
How to make the ginger chutney
Wash and soak tamarind in water. Extract pulp. Keep it aside. Then add grated jaggary to the tamarind. It will get soften after a while. After 10 mins, mix well with hands for it to blend together.
Wash and peel the skin from the ginger. Chop into small pieces.
Heat a kadai with 2 tsp oil, saute the ginger till it turns colour, remove and saute red chilis. Remove and allow to cool.
Then in mixer, take ginger, red chilies, tamarind jaggary mix along with salt and blend to a smooth paste. No need to add water.
Transfer to a bowl. Heat the remaining oil and add the tempering ingredients and pour over the chutney.
Though traditionally allam pachadi is served with Pesarattu, this makes a good side dish for Dosa as well.

Notes:
Water should not be added at all. The liquid in tamarind should be enough.
Moreover adding more oil, keeps this in good condition. We tried having this at room temperature for two days, it was good. Then stored it in fridge for few more days.
Works out best if you refrigerate soon after it cools down. And use/ spoon out only the amount you require.
Keep it out in room temperature until use. Just before serving, microwave for 30 secs and it's ready.

Check out the Blogging Marathon page for the other Blogging Marathoners doing BM# 16

10:19
Potato Tortilla / Aloo Roti
» ‎ Stories from an Indian Kitchen!!

Work is hectic and on the top of it comes the yard work of spring. So, here is a quick post for you all. There is not much special about this roti or flat bread. Instead of making a filling and wrapping it for a traditional paratha, I have added this to the dough and made rotis out of it. Makes it quick and kids can't take out the filling and eat just the dough part. I still remember that I had actually believed that this is what is called paratha when I was about 12. One Year Back -...

[[ This is a content summary only. Visit my website for full links, other content, and more! ]]

9:10
SUMMERY COCKTAIL FRUIT CAKE
» ‎ IN LOVE WITH FOOD

Light, summery, fresh, fruity!!!ALL that I had in mind while baking this gorgeous Cake for mum's birthday, and I am so hooked to Bavarian cream!!
The cake is a light as a feather sponge soaked in all the delicious fruit juices, filled with the cocktail fruit and the Bavarian cream and the top lavished with more of the same, indulge!

Ingredients-
for the fatless sponge-
3 eggs
3 egg yolks
¾ cup powdered sugar
1 tsp vanilla extract
3 egg whites
1/8 tsp cream of tartar
2 tbsp powdered sugar
2/3 cup sifted cake flour
zest of 2 lemons
reserved juice from the Cocktail fruit can
Vanilla Bavarian Cream
5 egg yolks
Vanilla custard powder-1 tbsp
2/3 cup sugar
1 ½ cups milk
1 tbsp lemon juice
Vanilla extract-1 tsp
1 ¾ cups whipping cream
for filling and topping-
1 can Cocktail fruit
a handful of chopped toasted walnuts
some mint leaves

1.Preheat oven to 450F. Butter and flour the sides of large springform pan. Line bottom of pan with a sheet of parchment paper cut to fit bottom pan exactly.
2.Beat eggs, egg yolks, lemon zest and ¾ cup sugar together in a medium bowl until thick and light. Beat in the vanilla.
3.In a separate bowl, beat the egg whites until foamy, add cream of tartar and beat until whites begin to form peaks. Add the 2 tbsp sugar and beat until the whites hold stiff, glossy peaks(do not over beat).
4.Sift flour over the egg yolk mixture and fold in . Stir in one fourth of the whites. Then carefully fold in the remaining whites.
5.Spread batter evenly in pan. Bake until light brown and springy to touch. Cool in pan 5 minutes. Run a knife along edge to loosen.let cool. Cake may be frozen at this point.
6.To assemble cake: Slice cooled cake carefully into half and Center one layer of the cake at the bottom of serving tray. Brush the cake with some of the reserved syrup to just moisten(not drench) the cake; set aside.
7.Prepare Vanilla Bavarian Cream. Immediately pour about half of the Bavarian Cream over the first layer of cake in the pan, layer with half of the Cocktail fruit bits Set the next layer of cake on top of the cream. Pour remaining Bavarian Cream over cake and smooth top of the cream with spatula, top up with the remaining cocktail fruit arranged decoratively.Sprinkle chopped walnuts and add mint leaves.
Prep Work
Vanilla Bavarian Cream
1.Combine egg yolks, custard and sugar in a bowl’ beat until light. Bring milk to a boil in sauce pan. Pour hot milk into yolk mixture and stir with a wooden spoon(it doesn’t say so but I would temper the egg mixture first to be safe). Return this mixture to the saucepan and cook over medium heat, stirring constantly, until your finger leaves a clear trail in sauce when drawn across the back of the spoon.(Do not boil or mixture will curdle.) Immediately remove from heat. Pour into a stainless steel bowl places over a bowl of ice water. Stir in lemon juice and vanilla extract. Cool over ice water, stirring occasionally, until mixture thickens to the consistency of softly whipped cream.
2.While mixture is cooling, whip the whipping cream until it holds soft peaks. When cool, fold the whipped cream into the mixture.

Adapted from Cakes and Pastries At The Academy by the California Culinary Academy 1993

5:27
Mango Cocktail
» ‎ My Kitchen Treasures

Mango Cocktail

4:28
Dish it out Green Gram,Carrot and Potato Event Roundup!
» ‎ S A R A' S C O R N E R

Dear Friends, Thank you friends for contributing your entries to the event Dish it out Green Gram, Potato and Carrot started by Vardhini hosted by me. Thanks Vardhini for allowing me to host. Heres the roundup of the event. document.write('</script>'); Hope to see you soon in another Event. Do participate and send in your entries to my Events Cooking with Love Dad

2:19
Q&A: What are some good girl guinea pig names?
» ‎ Sugar and Spices

Question by : What are some good girl guinea pig names? i am planning to get either one or two guinea pigs. Could you help me get some names. For the two guinea pigs, could you give me some names that rhyme, for example Sugar and spice. Thank-you!! Best answer: Answer by BrianMiss Piggy? Sorry [...]
2:19
What are some good girl guinea pig names?
» ‎ Sugar and Spices

Question by : What are some good girl guinea pig names? i am planning to get either one or two guinea pigs. Could you help me get some names. For the two guinea pigs, could you give me some names that rhyme, for example Sugar and spice. Thank-you!! Best answer: Answer by BrianMiss Piggy? Sorry [...]

1:54
Pala Kottai Poriyal (Jack Fruit Seed Fry )
» ‎ Solai's True Chettinad kitchen

This recipe is for those living in rural areas where jack fruits are abundant. In kerala and in Neyveli it is very common. So I am used to good preparations out of this seed. Palakottai murungakkai kuzhambu also will be very tasty. Little bit of patience is needed to cook this as we have to take of the outer white skin first.Cut it into two halves, then it will be easy to peel off the white skin. This seed is said to be little gastric. So avoid taking it too much. But this fry is very tasty and will go well with sambar, rasam and curd rice
IngredientsPalakottai-30Sambar powder-2 teaspoonsTurmeric powder-1/2 teaspoonProcedurePressure cook the kottai with half cup water and little salt for 5 minutes. Open the cooker ,I f you have time peel off the brown skin too. Keep the kadai in the stove. In a teaspoon of oil,season the fry with little mustard seed. Add the chili powder and salt needed to the cooked kottai and put it in to the kadai. Fry everything together for 6 to 7 minutes without adding water

1:49
Strawberry Rhubarb Tiramisu
» ‎ What's For Lunch Honey?

Time: here today, gone tomorrow. Trying to hold onto it is like trying to grasp sand in our fists, it creeps through our fingers leaving only traces of what was … once upon a time. But time creates memories allowing us to delve into moving emotions, sometimes bitter, sometimes sweet. While I...

[Read the rest of this post on my website]

May 14, 2012
23:59
Cashew Pootharekulu
» ‎ Talimpu

Jeedi Pappu Pootharekulu. Poothareku is a famous coastal Andhra sweet made with thin flaky sheets of paper made of rice flour. For cashew pootharekulu, cashew nuts are ground into powder along with...

Read the rest of the talimpu recipe @ www.talimpu.com

23:59
Cashew Pootharekulu
» ‎ Talimpu

Jeedi Pappu Pootharekulu. Poothareku is a famous coastal Andhra sweet made with thin flaky sheets of paper made of rice flour. For cashew pootharekulu, cashew nuts are ground into powder along with...

Read the rest of the talimpu recipe @ www.talimpu.com

23:41
Instant Rasam (Quick Tomato Rasam)
» ‎ Solai's True Chettinad kitchen

I have already blogged 2 recipes of rasam. Now a days I stick to this recipe because its a very easy, fast and tasty preparation. Bachelors who come home tired and want to have something hot and tasty very fast can have this along with chips. Even my younger one is able to prepare this in no time with almost good taste. I want my readers to try it once and get back with comments.IngredientsTomato -1 (if you use a bigger one reduce the tamarind used)Red chili-2 (1 for grinding and one for seasoning) I have shown 4 but use just 2Garlic-7 podsPepper corns-1 ½ teaspoonsSmall jeera-1 ½ teaspoonsTamarind-littleTurmeric powder-1/2 teaspoonCurry leaves &coriander leaves-littleJaggerry –a small piece (totally optional) Try with and without and find out your tasteProcedureIn the medium jar of the mixie grind the tomato, pepper corn,jeera,garlic,1 red chili and turmeric powder. Run the mixie for a minute. In 3 cups of water add the salt required along with the tamarind and keep ready. Keep the kadai in the stove. In a teaspoon or two of cooking oil season the rasam with a teaspoon of mustard seed ,small jeera and little curry leaves. Pour the grinded mix into the kadai. Keep the stove in medium and sauté till you get a nice flavor. Now add the tamarind salt water and bring rasam to a nice boil (boil for atleast 3 minutes). Jaggerry if used can be added now and cook for a minute.Check for the salt and hot taste. If found anything less, little pepper jeera powder or salt can be added. Switch off and garnish with coriander leaves if you have

19:51
Cashew Fruit Fritters(Kaju Modak/Mulik)
» ‎ Aayi's Recipes

Generally these Muliks(as they are called by some Konkanis) or Modaks(as they are called at our place) are prepared with bananas. Some people prepare them using jackfruit also.The other day my neighbor gave me a few modaks made of cashew fruits. I did not know about them till then. They were tasty. I [...]

12:35
Fish Molly ~ a cooking demo at Green Woods, Thekkadi
» ‎ Spicy Chilly

L astweek we had a two day break in Thekkady and the cute little resort we opted to stay was a new property named Green Woods. We were, quite relaxed with our stay, enjoying the extensive shirodhara, swimming in the pool, going happy with the food and most importantly strolling in the woods mesmerized by the faint aroma in the air.of the woods soaked in rain! This is so special about the

11:59
Badaam/Almond Halwa
» ‎ Creative saga...

I had tasted this halwa at a restaurant for the first time when I came to Singapore and absolutely loved it.I then tried at home. It was good and then we totally forgot...

[[ This is a content summary only. Visit my website for full links, other content, and more! ]]

8:14
Mango Icecream| Icecandy| Popsicles!
» ‎ S A R A' S C O R N E R

Mango popsicles/kutchi ice I made this simple and easy for my son yesterday. It was just a beginners recipe and we all enjoyed on a sunny afternoon. Just remembered the ice cream factory near my house in Bangalore and we used to buy 1 ice cream on saturday afternoon while coming back from school:-) Ingredients Mango - 1no Sugar as required Water Preparation Method Wash, remove skin and seed

7:57
Split Moong Dal Stew (Pesara Pappu Kootu)
» ‎ Essence Of Andhra
Belated Happy Mother’s Day to all! Hope you had a nice one. Coming to today’s recipe, this is a different kind of dal recipe where we cook moong dal with a tasty combination of coconut, urad dal and vegetables. We love to make different kinds of pappu varieties. This is very delicious yet simple recipe that goes well with steaming hot rice.

Ingredients:
- 1 cup Split Yellow Moong Dal (పెసర పప్పు)
- ½ cup fresh Coconut, grated
- 1 medium sized Potato, peeled and cubed
- A pinch of Turmeric
- 6 small pieces of Drumstick
- 5 dry Red Chili
- 3 tsp Black Gram (మినప్పప్పు, Urad Dal)
- Salt
For Seasoning/Tempering:
- 1 tsp Oil
- ½ tsp Mustard Seeds
- ¼ tsp Cumin Seeds
- Few Curry Leaves
- 2 dry Red Chilies (Optional)
Preparation:
1. Dry roast red chilies + urad dal and grind into a smooth paste along with grated coconut. Keep aside.
2. Pressure cook moong dal until cooked (for 3 whistles).
3. Meanwhile pour some water into a bowl and add potato + drumstick pieces. Add a pinch of turmeric and allow the vegetables to cook well.
4. Then add the coconut paste and stir well. Allow the contents cook for 5 minutes more.
5. Later add cooked dal and mix well. Add salt as needed. Keep the dal on low flame for some time until all the contents are blended well.
6. Then heat oil in a pan and add mustard seeds. When they pop, add cumin seeds + curry leaves + red chilies and sauté well.
7. Pour this seasoning on top of the cooking dal, mix well and turn off the flame.
8. Transfer the contents to a serving bowl and enjoy the great smelling and delicious kootu with steaming hot rice.

5:55
Amma's Recipes: Nagori Poori | Puri with Paneer Korma
» ‎ Siri's Corner

“A mother's love is something we keep locked deep in our hearts; always knowing it will be there to comfort us.” ~ Harmony Ferrario

Nagori Poori, all puffed up and ready to be devoured.

Yesterday was Mother's Day - a day that celebrates the essence of a mother, her importance in our lives, to cherish the everlasting bond we share with them and acknowledge their selfless love.

...well, if I may ask, do we really need a special day to express our feelings and make our mothers feel special? Honestly, all my mother would want is to hug her and plant a kiss on her cheek. That in itself is a mother's day for us. :-). I have talked about her many times before and I never get tired of it. She is an inspiration to me and my little sister and would strive to be like her when I hit 50!

Make sure the dough is stiff.

uncooked poori.

Today's recipe - Nagori Poori is a recipe I bookmarked eons ago and the korma recipe is my mom's classic and a long time family favorite. It is very versatile and works best with any combination of vegetables, meat, eggs and paneer/tofu.

The weather here in Hyderabad is quite unpredictable these days. Durring one such chilly, gloomy days, my mother made these with spicy paneer korma on the side. Amidst some funny family conversations and while watching a old black & white Telugu movie, these pooris were devoured until the last morsel and gone in matter of minutes. :-)

Now, its your turn to enjoy! Buon appetito..

Paneer Korma.

{Recipe} Nagori Poori with Paneer Korma
Adapted from here. NDTV Cooks

Makes 5-6 medium sized pooris

Ingredients:

1 cup maida/all purpose flour
2 tbsp ghee
2 tbsp yogurt/dahi
1/4 tsp ajwain/carom seeds
salt- to taste
1/2 cup or less water
oil - for frying

Preparation:

1. In a large bowl, mix maida, ghee, ajwain, salt and yogurt. Add water little by little and knead to a stiff dough.

2. Make small lemon sized balls of the dough and roll out into small rounds.

Note: Click here for step by step pictures of frying a traditional poori.

3. Heat oil. Slide one-poori-at-a-time into hot (not smoking) oil and it almost instantly rises up. For puffy pooris, the trick is to press down slightly. Fry until light golden brown. Drain all excess oil and drop them onto a paper towel. Serve immediately to enjoy them at their best taste.

Paneer Korma:

Cut paneer into small cubes and fry them in oil until light golden brown. Drain excess oil on paper towels. Follow this post for the korma recipe. Just add the fried paneer at the very end.

We all scream for poori!!!

Previously posted Amma's Recipes:

Instant Mango Pickle
Chana Dal Wadi ki Kadhi (Lentil Dumplings in Yogurt Gravy)
Cut Mirchi Bhajji (Double Fried Cut Chilli Fritters)
Kova Billalu & Kobbari Undalu (Ammama's recipe) Eggplants stuffed with a Spice paste Spice Powder for Dry Curries Poori Bhaji/Poori Koora Coconut Chutney and Babycorn Kurma Vegetable Biryani Aloo/Tofu Kurma (Version 1)

until next time,

5:45
Guest of honour
» ‎ Quick Indian Cooking
Just when life couldn’t get any more exciting, I got the mother of all phone calls. How would I like to be cooking alongside the one and only Madhur Jaffrey for her BIG British TV comeback later this year? Erm, how would I like to win the lottery, stop ageing and sleep uninterrupted for the rest of eternity?

Turns out they were looking for someone who works, has a busy family life and shamelessly reaches for shortcuts to get proper Indian food on the table, quick.

So the first thing I did was call our architect/design agony uncle, Christophe Spiers of Thomas and Spiers. A dab hand at chappati rolling too, he vetoed the keeping-the-spotty-oilcloth idea and gave me orange and yellow as key kitchen accent colours. Next step, an emergency Shellac manicure and hair rescue by the lovely people at Sanrizz.

Whatever was I going to do with the kitchen things still lying in nameless boxes? And where would I hide the children?

I plunged into action on the day. Dropped the kids off to nursery, borrowed serving dishes from our neighbours, got my shower cap on and fired up a big pot of Murgh Mattar Pulao, a one-pot chicken and pea rice, for the kids’ lunch. As Madhurji’s recipe master arrived half an hour before schedule, I made him in charge of the pulao and dashed upstairs to get ready/sedate myself. In the meantime, the crew arrived early followed closely with the legend herself.

She was absolutely lovely. I felt less sick. We shot the first sequence and fed the kids, who’d returned from nursery and were working the cameras. All good so far. Then we took a lunch break. And I quietly offered everyone a bit of chicken pulao. With not enough plates to go around, disposable paper bowls were the order of the day.

And she would love to try the chicken pulao. So I gave Madhur Jaffrey toddler food in a paper bowl. The shame. The horror.

In case I end up on the edit floor, I want it on record that she liked the pulao (particularly expressing suprise at the chilli powder in it). So did the kids and the crew. And I do not serve guests food in disposable tableware normally.

The recipe follows. Send magic dust for the TV debut later, will you? More details to follow.

Feeds 6-8:
- 2 cups raw basmati rice (450gm)
- 5 chicken thigh fillets (475gm)
- 4 medium tomatoes
- 1 tsp whole cumin
- 1 inch cinnamon
- 1 large bay leaf
- 2 black cardamoms
- Half teaspoon chilli powder
- 1 tsp turmeric
- 1 cup frozen peas
- Salt to taste
- 2 tbsp vegetable oil
Chop the chicken into small bite-sized pieces and roughly chop up the tomatoes. In a sieve, wash the rice with cold water until the water runs dry.

In a large pot, bring the oil to heat on high. When it’s hot, drop in the whole spices and as they sizzle up, toss in the chicken pieces. Brown the chicken for a couple of minutes, then mix in the tomatoes and the powdered spices. Fry for two minutes until the tomatoes start disintegrating.

Next, stir in the rice and seal it in the chicken mixture for a minute. You will see the grains turning less translucent. Finally, mix in 3.5 cups of boiling water. Bring back to boil, then mix in the peas, cover and cook on a gentle simmer for 20 minutes until the water is absorbed and the rice is cooked. Resist the temptation to stir the rice while it’s cooking or you will get mushy rice.

This is lovely served with thick natural yoghurt. My kids almost always eat the chicken and peas first, then make a yoghurty rice mix to spoon messily into their mouths! I follow suit… with some chilli pickle of course.
Share this:

5:29
Piya's Orange Chocolate Cupcakes on Mother's Day
» ‎ Bong Mom's CookBook

Yesterday was Mother's Day. I am sure you had a nice one if you are one or made it nice for some Mother if you are not one. Mine started on Friday itself with a Mother's Day Tea at Little Sis's school. I am very excited about these pre-school activities as I get to see the child in a different scenario than I am used to and this time I was going back to the same school where I had attended

May 13, 2012
19:19
Where can I watch the movie sugar and spice online for free?
» ‎ Sugar and Spices

Question by bubblyorange394: Where can I watch the movie sugar and spice online for free? Best answer: Answer by GANG GREENovguides.com Know better? Leave your own answer in the comments!

17:26
Garden 2012
» ‎ Daily Musings

I have not been that diligent in the gardening department this year. I did not start any seeds indoors. I just sowed them directly in the pots outside. This plant survived the...

[[ This is a content summary only. Visit my website for full links, other content, and more! ]]

0:52
cream centre and ice cream works
» ‎ Lulu Loves Bombay

cream centre on marine drive is comfort food for me.. i head there every now and then when i'm just not in the mood to count the calories. they have been churning out their famous chole bhatura with remarkable consistency for decades now and it just never fails to be utterly satiating. best consumed with lots of raw onion and spicy pickles as well. i usually wash down with a glass of coke or pepsi. on my last trip i discovered that they do a yummy nachos as well - not the traditional type, of course, but a very indianised version with amul cheese et al. there are lots of takers in bombay for cream centre as it is always bustling and it takes a while to get a table during peak times. now you can even walk a few hundred metres to their "ice cream works" parlous and indulge even more. they have quite a nice and unusual selection of ice creams and sorbets.

May 12, 2012
23:58
Spicy Toor Dal Powder
» ‎ Talimpu

Kandi Podem. Toor dal is roasted until its aromatic and changes color. The roasted toor dal is then ground into fine powder with spices and herbs. Serve spicy toor dal powder with steamed rice and...

Read the rest of the talimpu recipe @ www.talimpu.com

23:58
Spicy Toor Dal Powder
» ‎ Talimpu

Kandi Podem. Toor dal is roasted until its aromatic and changes color. The roasted toor dal is then ground into fine powder with spices and herbs. Serve spicy toor dal powder with steamed rice and...

Read the rest of the talimpu recipe @ www.talimpu.com

16:26
Composting The Daily Dump Way
» ‎ Anna Parabrahma

What is that in my balcony?
Guess what? my balcony is A Green Balcony, and that is a new label on this blog. My bro S loves growing stuff. He has nurtured a few plants, we have a Brahma kamal, Peace Lilies, Hibiscus and Tulsi in the decorative category and for the kitchen he grows Lemon Grass and Mint. I am helping him expand the green in our home but I will focus on growing something for the kitchen. In the upcoming posts I will share both my bro's and my experience on growing our greens in our balcony in this Metro.
This post inaugurates the new category on this blog. As our little balconies become green, we need to sustain them with compost and other care. We are also committing ourselves to Upcycling the waste generated by our busy Kitchen.
What you see in the picture above is called a Khamba, I purchased it from the Daily Dump clone in Sion, Mumbai just today. I am so happy to have this composting unit in my home. It consists of 3 large Terracotta pots of about 15 liters capacity each. The pot that sits on the floor is the one with a bottom. The other 2 pots are bottomless. They just have a rope grid in the bottom, as you see in the pics below. The middle and top pots are used for dumping the daily waste from the kitchen.
It's set up in my balcony at the further most end leaning against the wall for good support. Here is how I started it up.

Step 1: Filled half of the bottom pot with dried leaves.
Step 2: Put the empty middle pot above it. Notice the rope grid on the inside.
Step 3: Placed the 3rd pot on the top. It has the same rope grid, as the second on the inside. Covered it with a sheet of news paper.
Step 4: Added some dry leaves, to form a bed for the wet waste from the kitchen.

Step 5: Then added the wet waste from the kitchen, peels, used tea leaves, wasted food etc. Plastic should not be added, not even in traces. In my home we have separate bins for wet waste and dry waste (papers, plastic, glass etc.)
Step 6: Sprinkled 2 tablespoons of the Compost Accelerator. Sprinkled some water.

Step 7: Sprinkled 2 handfuls of sawdust on the pile. Covering the waste with saw dust avoids growth of maggots.
Step 8: Need to sprinkle 3 tablespoons of Neem after 3 days, to keep the pile fit and free from harmful microbes and fungi.
Step 9: Covered the pot with a lid.
Now every day till the pot is full, we will repeat the step 5 and 7.

I will share with you the happenings in our Khamba as we go along on this journey of composting at home the Daily Dump way.

These are the other accessories we got with the Khamba unit, a compost sieve (the pink basket), a short rake and a pair of gloves.All material on this blog is Copyright © 2006, 2007 to Anna Parabrahma

12:23
Do women also have dark and often sadistic desires?
» ‎ Sugar and Spices

Question by : Do women also have dark and often sadistic desires? I know men are usually the ones with fantasies or desires that’re a bit twisted in dark nature. But. I also know women aren’t all sugar ‘spice and everything nice. And Im sure there’re alot of women who’re equally sadistic and have dark [...]

10:53
Baked jalapeno poppers
» ‎ Food, In The Main...

The first time I ate these little things was at a work party in Singapore and they were the frozen store-bought type - but they were so delicious that I made a pig out of myself over them. I don't remember eating anything else that evening, actually. It could have just been the relief of finding something to eat that was vegetarian (our office parties had plenty of delicious looking things to eat, 98% of them barred to me), but that was not the real reason I monopolised the poppers - the real reason was a sort of disbelieving greed that something could be so darn good. I didn't imagine that replicating them at home was possible, so I didn't bother. I didn't even know what they were called, other than the generic "stuffed pepper".

Eventually, though, years later and thanks to the Internet and food websites, I discovered that the peppers were called jalapenos, and that the stuffed ones had a name - poppers. Going by my own experience, I imagined that was because you couldn't stop popping them into your mouth. Pop pop pop...

Anyway, if I was making these just for myself, I would not have bothered to remove the innards from the jalapenos. But as there were other less chilli-tolerant people who would be trying out the poppers, I removed every last vestige of seeds and pith that I could manage. So, stuffed with cheese as they were, the poppers didnt quite give me that hit of heat I would've ideally liked. That said, they were still quite, quite delicious. One of the few things, in my opinion, that are just as gorgeous baked as deep-fried.

Don't get me wrong, just because they are baked doesn't mean these jalapenos are low in fat or can be classified as health food (oh how I wish...!) - far from it. But they're that much less fattier than deep-fried, that's all. They're best had fresh and warm - I don't think I would recommend eating them oven-hot, because the cheese would probably strip the lining from your cheeks. Eat them warm, though, and tell me these poppers aren't the scrummiest thing you've ever tasted...

Recipe for: Baked jalapeno poppers

Ingredients:
10 jalapenos, all of a size
1/3 cup garlic-herb cream cheese
1/3 cup Boursin cheese
1/3 cup grated mature Cheddar cheese

2 tsp milk
1/2 tsp ground pepper
1/2 cup plain flour
1/2 tsp garlic powder
1 egg + 1 egg white
Breadcrumbs as required (1 generous cup)
Water

Method:
1. Halve the jalapenos lengthwise and carefully remove the seeds and pith without cutting through the flesh.

2. Mix the flour, pepper and garlic powder in a shallow, wide bowl.

3. Put the cream cheese, Boursin and cheddar in a bowl and mix together well.

Dribble in the milk and blend again.

4. Whisk the egg and egg white till well blended but not foamy.

5. Fill the jalapeno halves with the cream cheese mixture.

6. Put some plain water in a shallow bowl. Dip each filled jalapeno first in the water, then in the flour so that both sides are well covered,

then in the beaten egg,

and finally in the breadcrumbs.

Place on a non-stick foil-covered baking tray.

7. Heat the oven to 180C/350F and bake the jalapenos for about 30-40 minutes - it took 30 minutes in my fan-assisted oven.

8. Serve warm or at room temperature.

RECIPE: BAKED JALAPENO POPPERS
Ingredients:
10 jalapenos, all of a size
1/3 cup garlic-herb cream cheese1/3 cup Boursin cheese1/3 cup grated mature Cheddar cheese2 tsp milk1/2 tsp ground pepper1/2 cup plain flour1/2 tsp garlic powder1 egg + 1 egg whiteBreadcrumbs as required (1 generous cup)WaterMethod:1. Halve the jalapenos lengthwise and carefully remove the seeds and pith without cutting through the flesh. 2. Mix the flour, pepper and garlic powder in a shallow, wide bowl.3. Put the cream cheese, Boursin and cheddar in a bowl and mix together well. Dribble in the milk and blend again. 4. Whisk the egg and egg white till well blended but not foamy. 5. Fill the jalapeno halves with the cream cheese mixture. 6. Put some plain water in a shallow bowl. Dip each filled jalapeno first in the water, then in the flour so that both sides are well covered, then in the beaten egg, and finally in the breadcrumbs. Place on a non-stick foil-covered baking tray. 7. Heat the oven to 180C/350F and bake the jalapenos for about 30-40 minutes - it took 30 minutes in my fan-assisted oven.8. Serve warm or at room temperature.

4:47
The Flour Works- or does it ?
» ‎ thecookscottage

Quantities were painfully small. This main course is meant to be fattened with a salad, an appetizer and a dessert. Do NOT expect to share it amongst two people.

Food, cooking and recipes in India.From the heart of the Deccan.[ This is a content summary only. Visit my website for full links, other content, and more! ]]

4:16
Vegan Waffles – A Mother’s Day Special
» ‎ EgglessCooking
Just like eggless pancakes, eggless waffles recipe has also been long pending here. And just like how my husband kept me pushing to prepare eggless pancakes for the blog he has also been nagging me about preparing eggless waffles for the blog for such a long time now and we did it finally. The reason I was postponing the waffles recipe was, I did not want to buy a waffle iron. My kitchen is already flooded with too many small appliances and I’m running out of counter space. So I didn’t want to spend another $30 and add one more gadget which is actually not even remotely necessary. Each and every time I go to Walmart, my husband will remind me to get a waffle iron, which I will conveniently forget. I couldn’t postpone it any longer because he made it very clear that we have to post a vegan waffle recipe before Mother’s Day. So I got myself a waffle iron as wedding anniversary/Mother’s Day gift. They both come back to back this year.

I didn’t have to go looking for a vegan waffle recipe because I had borrowed Vegan Brunch by Isa Chandra Moskowitz weeks back from the library. As the name implies, the book has an amazing collection of vegan recipes of classic American brunch dishes. Pancakes, waffles, omelets, frittatas, muffins! You name it, she has got it! I did not look for a recipe anywhere else because I knew that this one too will turn out perfect just like her vegan banana bread. I followed her recipe exactly but for substituting few ingredients to make use of what I had in my pantry. Next to try from the book is the chocolate waffles recipe. I think I will get it done before Father’s Day this year!

Vegan Waffles Recipe Print

Prep time: 15 Mins Cook time: 06 Mins Yields: 8 Four Inch Square Waffles Make any day a special day with these vegan waffles. Top it off with your favorite berries and maple syrup for a simple yet elegant looking breakfast. Wet Ingredients:
- 2 Cups Milk (I used Almond Milk)
- 1 Teaspoon Apple Cider Vinegar
- 3 Tablespoons Oil (See My Notes)
- 2 Tablespoons Maple Syrup
Dry Ingredients:
- 2 Cups All Purpose Flour or Whole Wheat Pastry Flour (See My Notes)
- 1/2 Teaspoon Salt
- 1 Tablespoon Baking Powder
- 1 Tablespoon Cornstarch
Procedure:
1. In a large bowl add the wet ingredients one by one and mix it thoroughly with a whisk.
2. Add the dry ingredients and mix it until the batter is smooth. It should have the consistency of pancake batter; neither too thick nor too thin.
3. Spray the waffle iron with cooking spray and make waffles according to the instructions that comes with your waffle iron.
Taste:
1. We all loved these vegan waffles very much. I have never tasted waffles before, so I don’t have anything to compare it with but I’m sure that others too will like it. The original recipe used 1/4 cup cornmeal so that the waffles would be crispy on the outside and chewy on the inside. I used all purpose flour for that portion too because I didn’t have cornmeal at home, so my waffles were not very crispy. We toasted the waffles in a bread toaster and it came out crispy around the edges.
My Notes:
1. I have switched to coconut oil for all my vegan baking needs. So I did the same with this one too. I melted the coconut oil and proceeded with the recipe. By the time I could prepare the batter the coconut oil started to solidify again once added to the almond milk and stuff and I could see small pieces of coconut oil, which wouldn’t dissolve no matter what. But this did not affect the end product. Anyhow I switched to sunflower oil when I prepared it the next time.
2. The very first time I prepared these vegan waffles I used all purpose flour. The batter was thick like that of pancake batter and the waffles turned out beautiful. The next time I substituted whole wheat pastry flour for the all purpose flour and kept the rest of the ingredients unchanged. I could immediately guess that something was wrong because the batter was too thin, when compared to the first batch made with all purpose flour. So I tried making just 1 waffle and it did not turn out good. The shape was not right and I couldn’t peel the waffle off the waffle iron. I had to add another 1/2 cup of whole wheat pastry flour to get the right consistency. Once that was fixed the waffles turned out pretty as usual. I did not add extra baking powder or any other ingredients. Just increased the quantity of flour. So keep this in mind while using whole wheat flour to prepare these waffles.
3. As mentioned earlier, I’m definitely going to try using 1/4 cup of cornmeal as mentioned in the original recipe to get crispy waffles. In that case reduce the quantity of all purpose flour to 1 and 3/4 cups.
4. Also 3 tablespoons of barley malt syrup was used in the original recipe, which I have substituted with only 2 tablespoons maple syrup because it is sweeter than barley malt syrup.
1.2.4

May 11, 2012
23:59
Daliya Chilli Powder
» ‎ Talimpu

Putnala Mirapakaya Podem. Dalia / Roasted gram is ground into somewhat coarse powder using fried spices and herbs. The daliya chilli powder can be used to layer dosa’s or can be served with...

Read the rest of the talimpu recipe @ www.talimpu.com

23:59
Daliya Chilli Powder
» ‎ Talimpu

Putnala Mirapakaya Podem. Dalia / Roasted gram is ground into somewhat coarse powder using fried spices and herbs. The daliya chilli powder can be used to layer dosa’s or can be served with...

Read the rest of the talimpu recipe @ www.talimpu.com

18:19
Homestyle quick Fish Curry
» ‎ Daily Musings

Saw this really good movie The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel on Tuesday with a friend. The movie is about a group of British retirees on vacation to India staying in a hotel that is not what it is...

[[ This is a content summary only. Visit my website for full links, other content, and more! ]]

17:50
Vegan Almond Oat Cookies
» ‎ Stories from an Indian Kitchen!!

I had a jar of Almond Butter that would expire soon. My obsession of food ingredients' shopping sometimes forces me to make something to use it up before it goes bad. I had to make some cookies for the kids and this was a perfect opportunity for me to try tweak my own recipe to use oats. I had blogged about Vegan Almond cookies in the initial days of blogging and that post went kind of unnoticed. This one is based on the same recipe with few changes. One Year Back - Tomatillo rice spiced...

[[ This is a content summary only. Visit my website for full links, other content, and more! ]]

15:58
Friday Challenge: Clean Those Fridge Door Shelves
» ‎ One Hot Stove

Friday Challenge: Clean Those Fridge Door Shelves

12:16
Galouti Kabab – Melt in mouth Kababs
» ‎ Zaiqa

I am a big fan of kababs, be it sheekh kabab or tikka kabab or kofta kabab. I cannot resist them. I also love to cook kababs for potlucks, get togethers and parties. My guests are often served kababs as appetizers. The fact that I like perhaps the most about kababs is that you can play [...]

12:00
Album For The Week ~ Malaichamy Kovil
» ‎ Spicy Chilly

It had been a while since I posted for 'a picture of the week series'. These pictures were shot in Theni on our way to Thekkadi last week. I had thought of sharing just a picture but decided upon posting a few just to get the feel of the place as an album, though an overload :) Wanted to find more about the temple from the villagers, but the place was deserted on the hot Sunday noon and

11:41
Parfait : Summer Breakfast
» ‎ A Cook @ Heart

Are you a breakfast person? I am a breakfast person. Miss my breakfast or do not eat it, I am a grumpy bear, with a headache. You can hear me growl for miles around!
As a child, teen and young adult, I never made my breakfast, Mom always saw to it that we got fresh food to start our day. But, oh my! how the breakfast options have changed over the years!Mom was a working woman and had to prepare and pack our lunch boxes before she got ready for work and dashed off to catch the 10:10 a.m local to V.T. She would make fulkas (roti/ chapati/ Indian flat bread) and a vegetable dish to go with it. I would get ready for school go into the kitchen and many a times just take the fulka off the flame, smear it with a bit of ghee and perhaps a tiny pinch of salt sprinkled on it, roll it and eat up. Or instead of salt, sprinkle a teaspoon of sugar or crumble some jaggery, roll up and eat! On weekends a leisurely breakfast of upma or idli or something similar on those lines. It was a practical approach. No one thought of cereals, indeed, we did not even think of those until I went to college. Even then, with cereals, I think I'd still have preferred thalipeeth! I still do, I suppose.
Like in the past, I need my breakfast, but here is the weird part, most people are early breakfasters (err, you know what I mean) I am a bit on the late side, though an early riser, the day begins with a sip of Chai, to lift the fog, then of course there is the mad rush to get S ready and off to school. Once this gargantuan task is over and done with say by 10:00 a.m, I like to relax, take my breakfast, sit comfortably on the sofa, feet tucked under me, start the laptop to catch up with e-mails, FB and blogs or read my book. I savor every bite of my breakfast and this whole routine makes me happy, sunny and fuels me thru out the day.
These days, with the temperature rising and making me cross as a dozen sticks, I need to keep cool! One of my easy breakfast options ( and with a chockful of nutrition) is making a parfait. Nothing as easy!
You Need:
There are no measures, you make it up as you go!

Yogurt ( Plain or Vanilla Flavor)
Chopped fruit- Berries ( Strawberry, Raspberry, Blackberry, Blueberry), Banana, Mango
Granola
Toasted Walnuts and Almonds
Sugar (optional)
Vanilla extract (optional)

If using plain yogurt, add 1-2 tsp of sugar and whisk, set aside.
If using vanilla extract, add a few drops along with the sugar and whisk, set aside.

The use of sugar and vanilla is purely optional. I exclude it, I like plain yogurt.

Alternatively, use store brought Vanilla Yogurt. You can use flavored Greek Yogurt too.

In a glass bowl (like in the picture) o any other bowl you want, spoon in some yogurt to cover the bottom of the bowl.
Add the chopped fruit on top.
Layer with yogurt
Top with fruit
Garnish with a sprinkling of granola and toasted chopped nuts

Enjoy your chilled breakfast and chill out!

*NOTES :
Use any combination of fruit that will pair well and taste well with yogurt.
Use cold yogurt
Make as many layers as you want, just make sure that it is manageable and you can finish it. It looks nice and light, but remember, yogurt is filling!

Have a great weekend, Folks!

8:21
Amrakhand
» ‎ Served with love

This is a small part of an e-mail I wrote 2 years ago, soon after I wrote this post, to a few of my very special childhood friends. We were a group of 3 girls and 2 boys and their friendship was one of the best things that ever happened to me.

Do you remember our summer holidays? The months of April and May when the sun shone with all its might and we roamed aimlessly around the neighbourhood, barefoot, with nary a care in the world.
Except, of course, our exam results.

Tell me, do you remember those little white lies we told each other of how well we had done in our exams, only to sheepishly hang our heads in shame when our mothers got together and bemoaned our dismal results?

Do you remember the games we used to play? I know how that sounds - games we played - but back then, it simply meant lagori, dabba ice-spice, chor police, dodge ball, carrom, statue or colour - colour, to name some. We could play all day long, in fact, the day wasn't just long enough to accomodate all our games, we used to complain!
Of course, there were times when we would fight. Bitterly. Loudly. Physically. We used to take sides, split into groups and declare a cold war.....only to reconcile a few hours later and start playing again, as if the fight had never happened. Playing, fighting, reconciling - it was all so easy then.

Do you remember us glugging down glasses of cold panha, kokum sherbet or Rasna after playing in the hot sun and egging you, M, to burp? Louder, louder, we used chant. And you would oblige us every single time.
We would all collapse into giggles. We would laugh so hard that we would get hiccups. So we'd drink some more to get rid of the hiccups and start with the 'burp' game again.

Do you remember landing up at odd hours at each others' houses, demanding to be fed? With our mouths stuffed with food and without any regard for the feelings of the aunty feeding us, we would start loud arguments about how our respective mom was the 'world's best cook'.

Do you remember the races we had? No, we never had running or cycling races. We competed to find who could eat a ripe mango the fastest. We would soften the mango between our fingers and suck on it, the juice dripping down on our already stained and muddy clothes. K, your 'white' petticoats would take quite a beating! We never savoured the taste then, all we wanted was to eat as fast as possible.

And do you remember looking up at the skies towards the end of May when the monsoon clouds would start to gather? We couldn't wait to get wet in the first monsoon showers and yet the first showers would always sadden us a little. For with the first showers also came the realisation that our schools would reopen soon and we would have to wait a whole year for the fun to begin again.
"Oh what a vacation we 've had", we would say over and over again. "We are never going to forget it".

So tell me....tell me that you still remember. Because I....I have never forgotten.

*******************************************************************************

I have said this before and I don't mind saying it again. No matter where I live, no matter what the season it is there at that time, to me the months of April and May will forever mean summer holidays.

And mangoes. Lots of mangoes.

And amrakhand. We preferred amrakhand over shrikhand and when the mango season was at its peak, there would be amrakhand at the table almost every other day.

Amrakhand is simply mango pulp mixed together with chakka or hung curd and sweetened with a bit sugar. Making it very easy but it does need some pre-preparation.

Making chakka or hung curd:

Chakka or hung curd is nothing but yogurt from which excess water has been drained off.

To make hung curd, you will need a muslin cloth and a bowl. Place the muslin cloth over the bowl and pour the yogurt in the centre of the muslin cloth. Tie up the muslin cloth tightly with a string and suspend it over a hook. ( I suspend mine over a door knob) and place the bowl directly under the cloth. This is important, else you will end up with a puddle of whey!

After about 4 hours, open the muslin cloth and gently mix the yogurt, tie it up tightly once again and suspend it for another 4 hours. At the end of about 8 hours, you should end up with a creamy yogurt, almost like cream cheese.

(Don't discard the water strained from the yogurt. You can use it in your curries or to knead dough; I use it to make dugh).

Once you have the thick and creamy hung curd, making amrakhand is a breeze.

Amrakhand

Ingredients:

Hung curd: 2 cups
Fresh mango pulp: 1.5 cups - 2 cups ( see 'notes' below)
Cardamom powder: 3/4 tsp
Icing sugar: 2 tbsps, or to taste
Salt: a pinch

for garnishing, optional:

Chopped nuts: 2-3 tbsps
Mango cubes: 1/2 cup

Method:

Make mango pulp by pureeing mango cubes in a blender.

Place a sieve over a bowl, put the the hung curd and the mango pulp into the sieve and mix together with a spoon.

You could mix the two directly in a bowl, but passing it through the sieve ensures a smooth, lump - free, glossy amrakhand.

Add the cardamom powder and the salt. Do a taste test and add sugar as needed. I sometimes don't need to add any sugar, the sweetness from the mangoes is good enough for us.

Let it rest in the refrigerator for atleast a couple of hours before serving in order to allow the flavours to mingle.

Garnish with nuts and serve the traditional way, with hot puris.

Or, if frying puris is as tedious for you as it is for me, fold in a few mango cubes and serve it as a post meal dessert. Absolute manna from heaven!

Notes:

Canned mango pulp is very easy to get these days. It doesn't matter. Make amrakhand with fresh mangoes only. For nothing else can match the taste of fresh mangoes in amrakhand.

The colour of your amrakhand will depend on the type of mango used.

Use pulpy as opposed to juicy mangoes. In India, Alphonso mangoes work best. Here in Johannesburg, I used Heidi mangoes.

If I am serving the amrakhand with puris, I use 1.5 cups of mango pulp for 2 cups of hung curd in order to get a thicker amrakhand. I increase the mango pulp to 2 cups if I am serving it as a post meal dessert to get a more intense mango flavour.

5:26
Chettinad Milagu Kozhi Kuzhambu (Chettinad Pepper Chicken Gravy)
» ‎ Solai's True Chettinad kitchen

Chettinad is famous for spicy non-veg items. These pepper gravies of chicken or lamb are specially made during the mass prayer to the ancestors which we call padappu.To serve the big crowd the gravy will be little watery but the taste can’t match the carefully made gravy made at home. In the padappu they use only pepper for hot taste. But for the small quantity we make at home, I feel that little chili powder should be added .I recommend the use of a glass of coconut milk also since the chicken and pepper are hot and especially during summer coconut milk will compensate little bit of heat. This preparation which I have blogged is one of our favorite item in a mess in our town. I personally met the old woman who cooks this in the mess, a member of the family who runs the mess and got the recipe. My elder daughter also loves this gravy and wanted me to blog it today itself so that she can serve it in my grandson Siddarth’s Birthday party tomorrow. He is turning two today.IngredientsChicken -3/4 kgBig onion chopped -2 cupsTomato-2Garlic-10 podsGinger garlic paste-1 table spoonCurry leaves-littleRed chili powder-1 table spoonPepper fennel powder- 2 table spoons (keep some powder extra so as to add according to taste)Coriander powder – 1 table spoonCoconut milk thick- 1 cup
To seasonCinamon-3 small piecesBay leaf-1 small oneClove-3Pepper fennel powderTake 4 table spoons of pepper and two table spoons of fennel seed (perungeerakam).Powder it well and store in a container. Use the required amount.ProcedureMarinate the chicken pieces with the 1 table spoon chili powder and little salt and marinate for an hour.Keep the kadai in the stove. In three to four table spoons of oil season the gravy with the items given in ’to season’. Add the garlic pods first. When it turns golden brown, add the ginger garlic paste, chopped onion and sauté well. Then add the tomatoes.saute well till the tomato pieces are soft. Now add the coriander powder and half of the pepper fennel powder and sauté well.Close the kadai checking in between that there is water in the gravy. If there is no water to cook, mix 1 cup of water to ½ cup coconut milk and add. Cook for 15 minutes in low fire .This cooking time absolutely depends on the quality of chicken you use. In US I have found the chicken getting cooked very fast.But here in India it takes pretty long time to cook in an open kadai. When you feel the chicken is almost cooked add the remaining pepper powder and the salt needed too. Always be careful while adding the pepper powder. Be sure that you don’t make it very spicy. So use your required quantity. Cook for 5 minutes. Now add the remaining ½ cup thick coconut milk and cook for 3 minutes. If you want the gravy to be little watery add 1 or ½ cup water to the coconut milk. Today as a whole I used 1 cup milk adding 1 cup water.

5:21
Looking for spice cookie recipe from sugar bag. It was rolled in sugar and it had white vinegar in the recipe?
» ‎ Sugar and Spices

Question by relaxed cook: Looking for spice cookie recipe from sugar bag. It was rolled in sugar and it had white vinegar in the recipe? I had found the recipe on a Domino Sugar bag and after moving several times, it has gotten lost, I would like to see if I could get it again, [...]

2:12
Vazhakkai Roast | Crispy Raw Plantain!
» ‎ S A R A' S C O R N E R

Crispy flavoured Vazhakkai/Raw Plantain Roast is a popular in Tamil Nadu non-brahmin homes. Its very tasty and flavoured. This recipe was taught by my MIL and she told it will be very nice. I tasted it for the first time and like it. Here goes the recipe. Ingredients Vazhakkai/Raw Plantain - 1 no (medium size slice) Rice flour - 1 tablespoon Red chilli powder - 1 tspn(As per your spice taste)

May 10, 2012
23:59
Chana Dal Coconut Chutney
» ‎ Talimpu

Senagapappu Kobbari Pachadi Split chana dal is roasted till light golden in color. It is then ground into powder with spices. Finally grated coconut is ground along with the chana dal mixture into...

Read the rest of the talimpu recipe @ www.talimpu.com

23:59
Chana Dal Coconut Chutney
» ‎ Talimpu

Senagapappu Kobbari Pachadi Split chana dal is roasted till light golden in color. It is then ground into powder with spices. Finally grated coconut is ground along with the chana dal mixture into...

Read the rest of the talimpu recipe @ www.talimpu.com

19:53
Chocolate Cake – Second Birthday Cookie Monster Cake
» ‎ Aayi's Recipes

Time truly flies. My baby is already two. I cannot believe it sometimes. We are busier than ever, but at the same time he is keeping us happy with his little mischiefs. I get choked up when I hear him talking in his baby words and when he learns something new – like [...]

18:30
Vengaya Kara Kuzhambu (with Coconut Milk) Recipe
» ‎ For The Cook In Me

The kuzhambu (or pulusu, as we Reddiars call it) in my home and TH's home are very different. My mom-in-law's recipes are much milder, easier to make, and taste great with typical South Indian side dishes.

This kara kozhambu is something she makes very often and it goes best with rice although we have it with pretty much anything in hand, like ven pongal. In fact, some of you emailed me to ask for that kozhambu recipe when I posted the ven pongal recipe a couple months back.

I'm led to believe that this is her own concoction though. She adds coconut milk to the kozhambu to add flavour and thicken it up a bit. The end result is mild, flavourful, and absolutely delicious.

Vengaya Kara Kuzhambu (with Coconut Milk)
Preparation time: 10 minutes
Cooking time: 20 minutes
Serves 6

Ingredients:
1 lemon-sized ball of tamarind
1 cup of peeled shallots / chinna vengayam
1 tbsp of coriander powder
1 tbsp of sambar powder
1/4 tsp of turmeric powder
3 tbsp of oil
1/4 tsp of mustard seeds
A few methi seeds / uluva / menthayam
A few curry leaves
1/2 tsp of red chilli powder (optional)
A generous pinch of hing
1 tomato, chopped
Salt to taste
1 cup of thick coconut milk

How It's Made:

1. Soak the tamarind in 1 cup warm water for 10 mins. Extract juice and discard the pulp.

2. Peel and wash the shallots. Leave them whole, no need to chop them.

3. Heat oil in a pan and add the mustard seeds. When they pop, add the methi seeds, and curry leaves. When the methi seeds start to turn brown, taking care not to burn them, add the chopped tomatoes and the shallots.

4. Mix well and add the tamarind water, salt, turmeric, chilli powder, coriander powder, and hing. Top off with another cup of water and bring to boil.

5. Simmer for 10-15 mins, adding more water if needed, until the shallots are cooked soft. The mixture should be a bit watery.

6. Finally, add the coconut milk and when it just begins to boil, remove from fire.

If you find the kozhambu too watery, you can add 1 tbsp rice powder in 3 tbsp water and add to the mixture and bring to boil. Usually, the coconut milk gives the gravy enough thickness.

Serve the kara kozhambu with rice, poriyal, and chips.

16:30
Snow Peas and Pinto Beans Curry
» ‎ Daily Musings

During spring and early summer these snow peas are everywhere. I bought these in our Amish market. They taste great when lightly sauteed in some olive oil, salt and pepper. They are also good in this...

[[ This is a content summary only. Visit my website for full links, other content, and more! ]]

11:30
Aloo Potol diye Chingri Macher Jhol (Bengali Shrimp Curry)
» ‎ Ahaar

Aswin is allergic to shrimps and that means that I stopped getting shrimp home for cooking about 3 years ago. I used to before we found out. The last time I bought shrimp was when I was pregnant with Lil A. I went through a phase of craving for shrimp and sharshe bata chingri mach. I would get shrimp, cook it, eat it all in one go. :)

Now that my parents are visiting, I have started getting shrimp again. We still try to finish it all in one session and be careful about spoons etc. It is more fun eating it together rather than consuming it all by myself.

My father recently made a old favorite that we grew up eating. Aloo Potol diye Chingri Macher Jhol or Shrimp curry with Potato and Pointed gourd curry. I saw some fresh parwal/potol in the Indian store and got some immediately.

The curry reminds me of my childhood when we would spend summer vacation at my grandparents and would spend most of the time with cousins playing and chatting. Outside in the morning and inside for the afternoon. No worries, no homework and no early nights to think about, just play, eat and sleep.

My father who made the jhol also talks about the making in this short podcast.

Ingredients
12- 14 Raw and deveined shrimp 4 medium Aloo/Potato - cut in small cubes
5 medium Patal/Parwal/ Pointed gourd - cut it into 2 - 3 pieces
1 Tomato -pureed
2 Green chillies
1 tspoon grated ginger
2 Dry red chillies
1 tspoon coriander powder
1 tspoon cumin seed powder1/4 tspoon asafoetida
1/4 tspoon turmeric powder1/4 tspoon garam masala powder
1/2 tspoon ghee3/4 tspoon kalo jeere5-6 tbspoon oilsalt to taste21/2 cups water
Method:Rub the shrimp with salt and turmeric powder and keep it aside for 10-15 min. Then shallow fry the shrimp in 2-3 tbspoon oil till it starts to turn orange. Shallow fry the potatoes next for 3-4 minutes and then the potol/parval.

Put the rest of the oil in a sauce pan and temper it with the kalo jeera, red and green chillies. Then add the pureed tomato and saute for a minute. Add the coriander and cumin seed powder next. Then add the asafoetida and turmeric powder and let it cook together till the oil separates. Now add ginger and cook for another minute.

Add 21/2 cups of water and salt and close the lid. When the gravy/jhol starts to boil, add shrimp, potato,and patal/parwal. Cook for 8-10 minutes till potato is cooked.

Add ghee and garam masala. Check the gravy thickness and take it off the heat.

Serve hot with rice.

5:56
No crust Quiche or Baked Frittata ?
» ‎ Bong Mom's CookBook

Now that the writing for my book is towards the end and is at a point-- where I am having the I-want-to-scratch-the-whole-thing-and-start-all-over-again-but-even-then-I-am-going-to-write-the-same-thing-so-we-will-wait-for-the-editor syndrome -- I find myself with some time after 9:30 at night . Since I keep referring to the book as my third child I must tell you this was kind of similar to

May 09, 2012
23:59
Brown Rice Flakes Snack
» ‎ Talimpu

Brown Rice Flakes Snack. Brown rice flakes / poha is toasted on low flame till they are crisp enough. Whole spices and herbs are fried in oil along with garlic and crushed with help of a pestle. The...

Read the rest of the talimpu recipe @ www.talimpu.com

23:59
Brown Rice Flakes Snack
» ‎ Talimpu

Brown Rice Flakes Snack. Brown rice flakes / poha is toasted on low flame till they are crisp enough. Whole spices and herbs are fried in oil along with garlic and crushed with help of a pestle. The...

Read the rest of the talimpu recipe @ www.talimpu.com
23:59
Brown Rice Flakes Snack
» ‎ Talimpu

Brown Rice Flakes Snack. Brown rice flakes / poha is toasted on low flame till they are crisp enough. Whole spices and herbs are fried in oil along with garlic and crushed with help of a pestle. The...

Read the rest of the talimpu recipe @ www.talimpu.com

22:19
girls are made from sugar and spice,what kind of spice?
» ‎ Sugar and Spices

Question by man: girls are made from sugar and spice,what kind of spice? Best answer: Answer by !! I love Our President !!cajun Add your own answer in the comments!

18:28
Nachos with the Works
» ‎ One Hot Stove

Nachos with the Works

7:27
Cauliflower Kurma Recipe | How to Make Simple Vegetable Kurma
» ‎ Passionate about Life 'n Spice...

Cauliflower Kurma As soon as the early sunrays caressed the chubby cheeks of little girl with pigtails she opened her eyes slowly, rubbing it fast to kick the slumber still clinging to it in a...

[[ This is a content summary only. Visit my website for full links, other content, and more! ]]

4:05
Coffee and Walnut Battenberg Cake
» ‎ My Kitchen Treasures

Coffee and Walnut Battenberg Cake

3:52
Black and White Wednesday # 31 Gallery + Two Surprise winners.
» ‎ Siri's Corner

"Black and white are the colors of photography. To me they symbolize the alternatives of hope and despair to which mankind is forever subjected." ~ Robert Frank

Experimenting with Food in Raw Sihi of Wandering Ladle
********************

Simplicity Sharmila of The Yellow Turmeric
********************

Paris in NYC Kavita of Tasty Touch
********************
“You don’t take a photograph, you make it." - Ansel Adams
********************

Chocolate Fudge Doughnuts Nags of Edible Garden
********************

Cardamom Cookies, easiest ever Scarlett O'Hara of The Meal Algorithm
********************

On the Kitchen table Alessandra - Alessandra Zecchini
********************
“Which of my photographs is my favorite? The one I’m going to take tomorrow."
~ Imogen Cunningham

********************

Vada Rajani of My Kitchen Trials
********************

Making caciocavallo: Stretching the curd Simona of Briciole

Taleggio in the mold: early phase of draining Simona of Briciole

********************
“I always thought good photos were like good jokes. If you have to explain it, it just isn’t that good."
~ Anonymous

********************

Fish & Chips, Pub Food Shri of TiffinCarrier Anticque's

********************

Vintage Snack Rosa of Rosa's Yummy Yums
********************

Aluminium Kitchen Tools Cinzia of Cindystar
********************

“In photography there is a reality so subtle that it becomes more real than reality.”
~ Alfred Stieglitz

********************

Whistles Raks of Rak's Kitchen
********************

i-Kitchen book Cinzia of Cindystar
********************

Penne Pasta Jaya of Spice and Curry
********************
”There is a creative fraction of a second when you are taking a picture. Your eye must see a composition or an expression that life itself offers you, and you must know with intuition when to click the camera. That is the moment the photographer is creative. Oop! The Moment! Once you miss it, it is gone forever.”
~ Henri Cartier-Bresson

********************

Mizuna Apple Almond Salad Mireille of Chef Mireille's Global Creations
********************

Shopping at Naviglio Grande Antiques Market, Milan Cinzia of Cindystar
********************

White Beans Brii of Briggishome
********************

Toppings for your drink
Lata Raja of Flavours and Tastes

Flavours for your drink
Lata Raja of Flavours and Tastes

********************

I feel brand new again
La belle Aurore

********************
Here is the entry from original host of BWW herself - Susan of The Well Seasoned Cook

Leading the Way
********************
...and here is my Black and White submission

Playing With Fire (photographed at Shiro, Bangalore)

********************
Thank you all for participating in this week's Black and White Wednesday event. I never realized world in monochrome could be so beautiful. To make things a little interesting and as a small of token of thanks, I randomly chose two participants from the list above to give away award-winning books by Jigyasa and Pratibha. (Cooking At Home With Pedatha fame)
....and those two lucky ladies are: Alessandra - Alessandra Zecchini and Rosa of Rosa's Yummy Yums. Congratulations. Please email me your shipping details at the earliest.
Cya and until next time,

3:43
Pooshinikai Mor Kulambu | Pumpkin Yogurt Gravy!
» ‎ S A R A' S C O R N E R

Mor Kulambu is my mom's favourite gravy in South Indian cuisine and you know many recipes are learnt from Mom. All recipes will be extraordinary when mom prepares for us with her motherly love. I am dedicating to her for Mother's Day. Ingredients Pooshanikai/White/Grey Pumpkin - 1/2 kg Curds - 1 cup Fresh grated coconut - 1 cup Green chillies - 2nos(As per your taste) Salt Rice - 1/2 tspn

0:27
Ambe Dal
» ‎ My Foodcourt

The Mango Mania refuses to leave us. First the tangy green raw mangoes and now the luscious ripe ones. I am still hooked on to the raw mangoes and have been using them in every way I can. Ambe Dal is a traditional Maharashtrian preparation, specially made during these hot summer days when green Mangoes [...]

May 08, 2012
23:59
Sesame Idli Podi
» ‎ Talimpu

Sesame Idli Podem. White sesame seeds are toasted and ground into powder along with toasted chana dal and spices. The freshly prepared powder is then mixed with warm ghee. This can be served with...

Read the rest of the talimpu recipe @ www.talimpu.com

23:59
Sesame Idli Podi
» ‎ Talimpu

Sesame Idli Podem. White sesame seeds are toasted and ground into powder along with toasted chana dal and spices. The freshly prepared powder is then mixed with warm ghee. This can be served with...

Read the rest of the talimpu recipe @ www.talimpu.com

23:58
Thayir Bonda or Thayir Vadai (Curd Bonda)
» ‎ Solai's True Chettinad kitchen

All Indians would have certainly tasted thayir vadai, the traditional vadai soaked in Curd. This bonda soaked in curd is little different . I prefer this to thayir vadai since there is no seasoning and no onions added .For the youngsters it is a very easy item as they need not flatten the vadai with a whole in the middle It is false proof too. The main thing to be taken care of for the dish turning perfect is the small tips to be followed. If you are going to make all the vadai or bonda and going to soak it in curd for hours and serve then the vadai is going to be soggy. So follow the blog exact to get good resultsIngredientsUrudh dhal -1 cup (It gives 30 bondas to the size shown in snap) In a party can be served to 10 people.Green chili-1Salt to tasteOil to fryCurd whipped with salt -3 cups (keep some curd extra)Red chili powder- 1 table spoonCoriander leaves for garnishingOmam powder -1 table spoon (optional)ProcedureSoak the dhal for 30 minutes. Don't soak more else there is a chance of bonda becoming oily. grind it the way you grind vada batter. Tip to the new ones grind it adding less than ¼ cup water. Excess water will make the bonda oily and also difficult to drop in oil. So use the minimum water. Since you are not using much water to grind check the grinder often and mix well. In between add the chili and salt needed too. Add ½ litre oil in a kadai and heat.once the oil is hot keep the flame in medium. Take little batter in your hand and try to somewhat make it round between your fingers and drop in oil. If you don’t make it round also no problem. It will automatically form like bondas.If the bondas stick to each other also don’t worry .It can be separated once fried.Turn sides and fry golden brown with the flame high. Take the bondas and keep it in a tissue paper to absorb excess oil.
Keep the curd whipped along with salt also ready.If you are going to serve in a party,then when you are going to serve keep the required cups and place bondas in it. Add the curd to immerse the bondas in curd to all cups. Now sprinkle red chili powder and omam powder on top. Finally garnish with coriander leaves. Important thing to be noted is that the bondas should not be allowed to soak in curd for more than 10 minutes.since there is no seasoning or onions children will love it. To my surprise my younger one waited for me to take the snap and finished the cup. She is not a big fan of thayir vadai

20:17
Gajar Koshimbir Ver 2.0 | Carrot Yogurt Salad
» ‎ Annarasa
Today I want to share another go to recipe of mine. Carrots are great for salads and and I always keep a fresh pack handy at home. I buy organic carrots for salads. They are really tender and sweet and juicy and bursting with flavour!! Last week when I made my Hara Masala Makai Pulao | Spicy Green Corn Rice, I made this delicious yogurt based salad to accompany it. Did I mention its the simplest thing in the world to put together, you'll never be left wondering what to add to the table should someone unexpectedly drop by!!

Ingredients:
4 large carrots, peeled and grated
3/4 cup peanuts, dry roasted and peeled
2 cups plain yogurt
Salt to taste
1/4 tsp sugar

Method:
1. Whip together the yogurt, salt, and sugar.
2. Fold in the grated carrots and peanuts.
3. Serve immediately with rice or parathas.
Vegan Substitute: Try Soy Yogurt in place of the regualar dairy one.

All content, text and photographs in this blog, unless otherwise noted, are Copyright of © Annarasa 2007 - 2012. All Rights Reserved. Kindly do not reproduce without permission.

19:41
Paneer Payasam (Chenna Payash) in 12 Minutes
» ‎ For The Cook In Me

Before any of you get confused and wonder what Paneer Payasam is all about, let me tell you this is not Basundi or Rabri or any of those delicious things you get when you are super patient and have good-quality milk in hand.

What I have for you today is a delicious DELICIOUS dessert that takes all of 12 mins to make. This is another gem that Darsh introduced me to and I was floored, just like I was with her tiramisu recipe.
The name she gave this - Chenna Payash - leads me to believe that this is a Bengali dessert, not that we are surprised by that, so I want to leave a disclaimer that this may not be an authentic chenna payash recipe or anything. But did I mention it's delicious?

Paneer Payasam (Chenna Payash) RecipePreparation time: 2 minutes
Cooking time: 10 minutes
Serves 2-4 people

Ingredients:
3/4 cup of crumbled paneer (here's how you can make paneer at home)
2 cups of milk (I used low fat)
1/4 cup of sweetened condensed milk (adjust to taste)
2 of green cardamom pods
1/2 tsp of sugar
A few strands of saffron for garnish (optional)
A few pistachios (or almond slivers)

How I Made It:

1. Powder the cardamom seeds with the 1/2 tsp sugar until fine. I don't like biting into chunky cardamom seeds so I pound it fine. If you have powdered cardamom in hand, just omit the sugar and use a bit of that.

2. In a pan, bring the milk to boil on low heat.

3. Add the condensed milk and mix well.

4. Bring to boil again and then add the powdered cardamom.

5. Crumble paneer as fine as you can with your fingertips...
... and add it to the boiling milk. Stir well to combine. Let it simmer for about 5 minutes more. Test for sweetness and adjust the amount of milk/condensed milk as desired. You need to have enough liquid base for the paneer to swim in so keep an eye on the consistency. These proportions worked great for me.
That's it! You can serve it hot but personally we prefer it chilled for a couple of hours. So bring the payesh to room temperature and then chill in the refrigerator.

Oh, and if you want to add saffron, add it at the end when the payesh is hot.

Garnish with pistachios before serving. The payesh looks very dull on it's own and doesn't convey how delicious it is without the help of the pistachios ;)

15:42
Dulce de leche and Remembering Jagan Baba
» ‎ Anna Parabrahma

My Ajoba that's my grand dad was a tyrant and that too with the entire village. Any woman passing our house and found not wearing kunku/ tikka would be stopped and questioned, did you eat? If the answer was in the affirmative he would ask, when you remember to eat why did you not remember to put a bindi? The era has gone by...
There was yet another pet question he would ask young women just engaged for marriage, do you know how to boil a coconut? If the woman exposed her ignorance by saying never heard of such a thing, he would smash the women with the most vicious words but if it was a smart woman and mocked him for asking that question then he would pat the woman's back and bless her.
I remembered my grandpa today as I made this Dulce de leche. It is a dummy's recipe. As easy as boiling a coconut!
How to make
Just dump a sealed can of condensed milk in a pressure cooker with water up to 3/4 level of the can, close the lid and put the weight. Simmer. Time is what you watch here, ignore the whistles. I boiled it for 30 mins and got what you see, an almost toffee consistency.
Next time for a more pourable consistency and lighter shade will boil for just 15 mins.
I used Amul Mithai Mate because it is easy to open by just tugging at the opener ring on the lid unlike Nestle's Milkmaid can which needs a can opener and if you don't have one then you will struggle to cut open the seal. Plus I prefer local products any day.
Now I am looking for suggestion as to what I can make with it. Tarts are playing on my mind.

Ajoba, narol ukadtan kinai mahit nai, pun condensed milk cha dabba mana ukadita yete :)Jagan baba where ever you are hope you found peace. (Death: 17th Dec 1985)
(It's a message for my grand dad, "Not sure if coconuts can be boiled but I can boil a can of condensed milk)
All material on this blog is Copyright © 2006, 2007 to Anna Parabrahma
15:42
Dulce de leche and Remembering Jagan Baba
» ‎ Anna Parabrahma

My Ajoba that's my grand dad was a tyrant and that too with the entire village. Any woman passing our house and found not wearing kunku/ tikka would be stopped and questioned, did you eat? If the answer was in the affirmative he would ask, when you remember to eat why did you not remember to put a bindi? The era has gone by...
There was yet another pet question he would ask young women just engaged for marriage, do you know how to boil a coconut? If the woman exposed her ignorance by saying never heard of such a thing, he would smash the women with the most vicious words but if it was a smart woman and mocked him for asking that question then he would pat the woman's back and bless her.
I remembered my grandpa today as I made this Dulce de leche. It is a dummy's recipe. As easy as boiling a coconut!
How to make
Just dump a sealed can of condensed milk in a pressure cooker with water up to 3/4 level of the can. Simmer. Time is what you watch here, ignore the whistles. I boiled it for 30 mins and got what you see, an almost toffee consistency.
Next time for a more pourable consistency and lighter shade will boil for just 15 mins.
I used Amul Mithai Mate because it is easy to open by just tugging at the opener ring on the lid unlike Nestle's Milkmaid can which needs a can opener and if you don't have one then you will struggle to cut open the seal. Plus I prefer local products any day.
Now I am looking for suggestion as to what I can make with it. Tarts are playing on my mind.

Ajoba, narol ukadtan kinai mahit nai, pun condensed milk cha dabba mana ukadita yete :)Jagan baba where ever you are hope you found peace. (Death: 17th Dec 1985)
(It's a message for my grand dad, "Not sure if coconuts can be boiled but I can boil a can of condensed milk)
All material on this blog is Copyright © 2006, 2007 to Anna Parabrahma

15:19
Doesent everybody hate the song Sugar And Spice And Everything nice!!!?
» ‎ Sugar and Spices

Question by Mousey!: Doesent everybody hate the song Sugar And Spice And Everything nice!!!? Best answer: Answer by docjukeNope. Don’t know it so can’t hate it. Add your own answer in the comments!

12:05
Mango Lassi- making summer tolerable!
» ‎ A Cook @ Heart

The only thing that makes a hot sticky, unbearable summer tolerable, in India ( or for that matter, here in Dallas, for me) is the Mango. A mango crate, the ripe color of the sun, the setting sun, makes it feel cooler, already!
If you are a mango devotee, like I am, you would want to eat THE fruit in every possible way. In it's raw stage, I like to make it into a spectacular chutney or a tasty mouth puckering sour-spicy pickle and last but not the very least Panha.

In school, many of you reading this part will nod in agreement, we had this bhaiyya with his bushel full of raw mango, berries , starfruit, tamarind and a plastic bag full of cayenne and salt. As per our order, he'd cut the starfruit or raw mango in wedges and sprinkle the cayenne-salt over it and hand it to us thru the school gates in to our eager hands! Mouths watering , we would enjoy these treats sitting on the steps of the school or perhaps under the tree.

The ripe mango can be pureed and added into shrikhand to make Amrakhand which is ambrosia with a puffy poori! Or just cut wedges of the ripe Alphonso mango and eat them, just as, pure heaven!

The one way my mother could shove milk down my throat was making Mango milkshake, bung mango pieces and a cup of cold milk in the blender, give it a whizz, pour into a tall grass and drink up. It was the only time I did not say No to drinking milk!
Moving on to what I have for you today, is the famous Mango Lassi ! Nobody doesn't like love mango Lassi! Whoever thought of combining yogurt and mango was brilliant! There is no recipe folks, just a matter of absently putting things into the blender and blending, taste, adjust sweetness to your liking, give it a whizz if you make changes and then just pour yourself a tall glass of bliss, sit in your favorite chair or where you like and sip!

For those who still need guidelines, here is what you do,
Pick a ripe and big mango. Alphonso, being the BEST variety, but here I make do with Atulfo variety. The best fruit is a big plump mango, with a deep rich, mango-ey color ( sorry, how else can I describe it!?!)Give it a good sniff, the heady aroma of mango should waft, that's it! That's the fruit you want!Alternatively, you can use canned mango pulp, use about 6 oz when making this lassi.
Choose the yogurt. It MUST be Plain. You don't want sour yogurt.Low fat, no fat yogurt is okay. But, Plain.You need 1/2 cup of Yogurt
2-3 Ice cubes2tsp sugar, optional, if the mango is really , really sweet, you won't need this ( adjust it to how sweet you want the lassi to be)
Peel and chop the mango, do not use the seed. Reserve some chopped mango pieces to garnish.Place the mango, yogurt, ice cubes and sugar in the blender and blend until smooth.This will make a thick, spoonable lassi, if you want., thin it out with some water. Do a taste test, if everything is just as you like it, pour into a tall glass, add the chopped mango pieces on top and drink up!
If you want some more sugar, add it, blend it and then pour it into a glass, enjoy!
Optional:
You can add a pinch of cardamom powder when blending.You can add a few strands of Saffron to give the lassi another dimension (soak the strands in some warm water, for about 10 mins. and add when blending)You can use Chopped almonds and pistachios to garnish the lassi.

10:49
How to make Channa Masala | Spicy Chickpea Curry ~ Step by Step Recipe & Featured in Indian Express
» ‎ Spice your Life

My kids love Chana Masala with Puri. Infact I love it too, and love the fact that they love it, which makes it possible for me to make it every other week. I know that's quite a tongue twister. There are two breakfast combos that my kids love, one is Appam Tomato Kurma and the other is the Poori Chana Masala. How many ever times I make it, they can eat that without complaints.
The Sunday I made this thali, it was even more wonderful as they got to eat their Appam Tomato Kurma for breakfast and the channa masala with pooris for lunch. Since I made methi puris, I also made some luchis for them. While Konda was fine with eating Methi Poori, Chinnu wanted more luchis. Then I fed him Chana Masala with Saffron rice, he liked that too. In all it was a delicious meal that my kids enjoyed too.
I have my usual recipes for chana masala and I also make it in couple of different recipes. I thought I should make it differently and since it was served for lunch, decided to make it spicy.

Spicy Chana Masala

Step by Step Picture

Spicy Chana Masala
Ingredients Needed
Kaduli Channa / Chickpea - 1 cup Onion puree - 1 cup Tomato puree - 1 & 1/2 cup Ginger Garlic paste - 1/2 tsp Green Chili - 2 long Salt to taste Bay Leaf - 2 Cinnamon - 2 Cardamon - 1 Cloves - 2 Cumin Seeds - 1/2 tsp Chana Masala powder - 1 tsp Red chili powder - 1/2 tsp Turmeric powder a pinch Garam Masala - 1/4 tsp Butter -1 tbsp
How to make Spicy Channa Masala
Wash and puree Onions and tomatoes seperately.
Heat a non stick pan with butter, add the whole spices. Stir for the spices to cook for couple of minutes.
Add the onion puree, mix well. Cook in simmer till the onion puree is cooked well.
Next add the tomato puree and continue cooking. When oil starts coming out of the paste, add all the spice powders and combine everything well. Add cooked Channa, mashing handful of channa for making the gravy thick.
Finally add the slit green chilies, cook in simmer with lid closed.
After 5 - 7 mins, add one cup of water and bring to boil.
Add coriander leaves and switch off.
Serve with Saffron Rice.
I have some wonderful news to share. When Preeti of Indian Expressed touched based wanting to feature me in her article on Chennai Bloggers, she was keen on talking about Spice your Life!. I was elated and so glad that my little blog got its share of limelight for all the nice things.

5:55
In The Kitchen With Dawn
» ‎ Indian Food Rocks

After two consecutive hot and dry months, we gladly take precipitation in any form. The clouds opened up yesterday to shower us with rain and by the time I arrived at my friend Dawn's house in Boulder, the tiny hail bouncing off my car quickly turned into a snow shower.

Snow in May, not unusual. And we like it!
There was no better day to fry some pakodas, soak them in steaming hot kadhi and warm our insides as we watched the snow come down steadily for a couple of hours. The snow did not stick — which is a good thing — as the parched ground, too, got its fix.

chopped ginger and serranos
My friend, Dawn, learned this kadhi from her husband, who in turn was trained by his mother. Her in-laws hail from a small village called Shergarh in the Indian state of Uttar Pradesh.

Read on...Contents & images copyright © 2003 - 2012
Indian Food Rocks
http://www.indianfoodrocks.com

May 07, 2012
22:03
Dalia Coconut Red Chutney
» ‎ Talimpu

Dalia Coconut Red Chutney. Dalia / Roasted gram is ground into powder along with grated coconut and spices. Spices are fried in oil and added to the dalia chutney as a finishing step. Serve dalia...

Read the rest of the talimpu recipe @ www.talimpu.com

22:03
Dalia Coconut Red Chutney
» ‎ Talimpu

Dalia Coconut Red Chutney. Dalia / Roasted gram is ground into powder along with grated coconut and spices. Spices are fried in oil and added to the dalia chutney as a finishing step. Serve dalia...

Read the rest of the talimpu recipe @ www.talimpu.com

21:48
Curried Quinoa & Vegetables Soup & Mothers Day Wishes In Advance !!!
» ‎ Sreelu's Tasty Travels

Curried Quinoa & Vegetables Soup -- Mothers Day Wishes In Advance !!!

I know Mothers day is still few days ahead still wanted to wish all the fabulous mothers, grandmothers, aunts ,sisters ,sister-in-laws and my best friends and my blog readers a very happy mothers day in advance. Being a mother or mother figure is a serious job and a job where learning happens everyday and on the job and the one that does not come with rules or instructions. Being a mom to me means to follow your heart with best intentions and hope at the everything works out at the end.

The impact mom has on a girl’s life is immense, at some point in our lives I think we turn into our moms like it or not :).
I was raised by a very level headed, smart and a balanced mom who taught me always to hold my head high and be proud of what I do no matter how big or small of a task it is and always to respect traditions and emphasized how important it to maintain a good relation say with in-laws or my very big large extended family. And I cannot tell how proud I am of my mom , also fortunate that I share a loving relationship with my mother-in-law who never shy's always from paying a compliment or to tell me to take a time out of my hectic pace to do something that I am passionate about. Feel truly blessed to be surrounded by such role models who include my grandmothers, aunts, mom, mil,sil and not to mention my rock star girl friends wear different hats of working/stay-at-home moms, raising kids, running a household and doing million other things but yet know when to take a pause and enjoy life.
Coming to today's recipe last week met a friend for lunch at a restaurant in Palo Alto called Sprouts, loved the choice of salads and sandwiches that were offered everything organic and made fresh to order. Saw Curried lentil soup with Quinoa on the menu and I knew I had to try it. Ordered it and was not disappointed, tried recreating the same with the fresh farmers market produce this weekend.Loved the taste and relished it to hearts content.

Ingredients makes for about 4-6 cups
Use this is a rough guide feel free to substitute ,add or change up ingredients to your choice

Fresh Ingredients

1 cup boiled quinoa
1/2 cup fava beans
1/2 cup fresh peas
1/2 cup green onions
1/2 cup celery
1/2 cup carrot
1/2 cup parsley
1 garlic clove chopped finely

Seasoning

salt according to taste
1/2 cup lemon juice
1 tbsp of oil
corriander for garnish
3-4 cups vegetable stock(optional)

Dry Ingredients

1 tbsp of cumin/corriander powder
1 tbsp of garam Masala
1/2 tbsp red chilli powder/paprika
1/2 tspn turmeric
Fresh Vegetables
Dry Ingredients

Process
1. Heat a pan large enough to make about 6 cups of soup.
2. When hot add oil, garlic and saute for few seconds till garlic is well cooked.
3. Now add all the dry ingredients and saute for 10-20 seconds, this should give out a strong curry aroma :)
4. Now add all the vegetable and mix till they are well coated with masala
5. Add 3-4 cups of vegetable stock or water and add salt. Adjust the amount of water to suit the consisteny of the soup you like
6. Allow it to boil on simmer with closed lid for about 10 minutes.
7. Now add boiled quinoa and allow it to simmer for about another 8-10 minutes.
8. Remove from heat add lemon juice and adjust for salt accordingly.
9. Garnish with cilantro and some crushed tortilla chips and serve hot.

My mom is super fanatic healthy eater and this soup would have been up her alley if she tried it.

Pic courtesy

So all you moms keep doing what you do the best and HAPPY MOTHER'S DAY again !!!

20:17
Mango Lassi | Summer Specials!
» ‎ S A R A' S C O R N E R

Mango is one of the favourite fruit in the family. Now the season started and coming up, we bought these in Little India on weekend shopping. Mango Lassi is favourite drink for my hubby and MIL. Kids will also love it. Ingredients Ripe Mango - 1no pulp or chopped Curds/Plain thick yogurt - 1/2 cup Milk - 1/4 cup(if the curds are sour) Sugar -1 tablespoon(As per your taste)

18:46
Cream cheese cocoa truffles
» ‎ Stories from an Indian Kitchen!!

If you love chocolate, you will definitely love truffles. If you love truffles, you will not like one thing about them. Their cost. So, here is an alternative to those expensive truffles but very delicious at the same time. This recipe doesn't have any fancy chocolate in it. Just cocoa powder, butter, cream cheese and sugar. Of course, you can coat it with candy coating to get the shell but I didn't. I kept them as they are - soft. One Year Back - Strawberry Rhubarb Jam Two Years...

[[ This is a content summary only. Visit my website for full links, other content, and more! ]]

15:53
Finger Millet Sweetdish (Nanchne Duddalli / Ragi Manni / Ragi Halubayi) With Coconut
» ‎ Aayi's Recipes

In our region, finger millet is used by many people along with other cereals. It is called Raagi in Kannada and Nanchano in Konkani. It is healthy and nutritious besides being cold to the body. It is used in preparing nanchanya bolu(a kind of drink) and nanchanya udaak especially in summer. Nanchanya [...]

13:00
Vegetable Broken Wheat Biriyani
» ‎ Spicy Chilly

These days I find myself substituting rice with whole wheat, surrendering to the pre occupied notion that wheat is healthier than starchy polished rice! Be them, idlies or upma I find comfortable enough with the variety of easily available broken whole wheat grains in the market. The vegetable broken wheat biriyani made here is a one pot meal after my hit recipe easy tomato biriyani :) The

11:44
Vegetarian Croquettes
» ‎ Fun and Food

As a mom, I am always on the look-out for healthy delicious recipes for my child, and as she is still a toddler, finger foods seem to top the list. Last week, I came across these beautiful Carrot Croquettes on Patricia's blog [photo courtesy Technicolor Kitchen]. They were delicious to look at, and I knew these would appeal to my whole family. But as I was going through the ingredient list, I saw that it contained Apricots along with the carrots. Fruit and veggies, both together in one recipe?!...

Please Click the Title for the Full Post

10:43
Kolhapuri Teekha Aloo (Spicy Potatoes With Kolhapuri Spice paste) #FoodieExchange
» ‎ Siri's Corner

Potatoes cooked with Kolhapuri Thecha [chilli-garlic spice paste]

I love surprises, especially when it involves 'food'.

Last month, a "FoodieExchange" was organised by Charis of Culinary Storm where each of the participating bloggers from different parts of India are paired together and send each other a goodie bag filled with little surprises.

...and here what I received from "the moody foodie" (jeetendra), a blogger from Maharashtra.

[L-R] - Kolhapuri Thecha, Sindhi papad, Kutti (a maharashtrian sweet made with wheat flour, ghee, sugar & nuts)

I quite liked the taste of "kolhapuri thecha" and today's recipe is the simplest way to make use of it - with potatoes and spring onions added for a herby feel. This paste so versatile that am sure it can be used in every and anything. - even in these, to add a spicy, indianized note. I can't wait to try. :-)

"the thecha".

..devoured on it - one bite at a time!..

Below are the bloggers who participated in this round of "Foodie Exchange" -

Deeps of Naughty Curry
Madhuri of Cook Curry Nook
Sarita of The Clean Toothpick
Pratiksha of Honeyed Pandemonium
Jeetendra of Moody Foodie
Apeksha of Veggie Wiz
Poorna of Presented by P
Ameya of Kitty in the Kitchen
Sid of Chef at Large
Ruchira of The Great Cookaroo
Geetha of Fragrant Kitchen
Renuka of Pinch of Salt
Marsha of The Harried Cook
Sangeeta of Health Food Desi Videshi
Rekha of My Tasty Curry
Nikhil of Nonchalant Gourmand

It was so good that me and my laws polished it off and had to make again for Mr.Husband's dinner.

{Recipe} Spicy Potatoes With Kolhapuri Spice paste
Ingredients:

4 medium sized potatoes, washed, peeled and cubed.
3 bunches of spring onion, trimmed to remove roots (if any) and finely chopped leaves & white bulb as well.
(1 tbsp of kolhapuri thecha masala + 2 tbsp of olive oil) --> Mix well. Note: Reduce or increase the amount based on the spice level you can handle. I would recommend add little by little.
1 tsp olive oil
salt - to taste

Preparation:

1. Heat 1 tsp of olive oil in a flat, shallow pan and add potato cubes. Cover and cook until half done.

2. Add chopped spring onion leaves and bulb (the white part). Mix and cook for 3-4 minutes on medium-low heat.

3. Now, add the (thecha + oil) mixture and season with salt. Gently toss until potatoes are coated. Cook until done.

4. Serve with rice or roti. Tastes best when eaten hot.

until next time,

8:19
Q&A: poll:: sugar and spice or all things nice…?
» ‎ Sugar and Spices

Question by *: poll:: sugar and spice or all things nice…? Best answer: Answer by ISNT IT JUST AMAZING!?!CHOCOLATE CAKE Give your answer to this question below!