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August 07, 2008
2:46
Blogging This 'n That: All about Food Blog Events
» ‎ Passionate about Life 'n Spice...

Blogging This 'n That: All about Food Blog Events

August 06, 2008
22:49
Clove Ginger Honey Tea
» ‎ Vindu

Here is a nice, relaxing, cool drink for summer time. I was researching about antioxidants the past few days and here is the net net: Tea is your best bet. Green tea/white tea even better. Berries are rich sources too but they are seasonal. Cocoa is good too(they say its the best).. but only if consumed dark [...]

20:20
CLICK: Coffee and Tea. The winners are …
» ‎ jugalbandi

THIS MONTH’S CONTEST Contestants: 66 Judges’ and Hosts’ Entries: 6 Total Entries: 72

19:32
Sweet Potato Paratha
» ‎ The Spice Cafe

I enjoy eating sweet potato. Love the fleshy, fibery, orange mush that it makes. I have tried replacing it with potatoes in many recipes and enjoy the result thoroughly. This time I used them in paratha. This is a very common way of making aloo paratha at my home since I am too lazy to [...]

19:23
My Fridge Magnets...
» ‎ Siri's Corner

Until a month back, I was not a great fan for magnets (or) any kind of souvenirs (or) keepsakes. I know it brings loads of memories with them, but was not particularly fond of a them.

A trip to Atlantic City changed me!..you can see check out what I got from there in the second pic!

.... then I got some veggies.....then a 'Pooh' magnet.. I got the 'Mood Setter' as a free gift from my friend, and I absolutely love it! As soon as I enter my kitchen, the first thing I do is to set my 'mood'..it so much fun and thought provoking too!! *wink*.

When Veda announced her 'Fridge Magnets' event, I was very excited and was meaning to show off couple of fridge magnets.. I am still in lookout for some more.. for now here are some of them ..:))

Fresh Veggies!

L-R: a souvenir from the beautiful Atlantic City, USA; I love Poooh! magnet; 'How are u?': Mood setter.

this is my favorite of all!

signing off for now,
Siri

18:30
Vegetable badam curry
» ‎ Spice-Club

Rice is a staple food in Southern India, which is accompanied always with curry (wet). Curry is refered to gravy or dry vegetable stir-fry and not to be confused with curry leaves or curry...

18:00
Herbed Veggie Purses
» ‎ Finger Licking Food

Herbed Veggie Purses

17:50
Pizza Al Tegame
» ‎ LIVE TO COOK

“Mommy! shall we go to Pizza hunt?”, asked my little kid. It is his way of calling “Pizza hut”. “No honey! not today”, replied me. Eating out is a luxury and not a necessity is my point and I want him to learn that. Unless its a special occasion, he will get “no” as [...]

17:27
Grilled Sardines with Tarragon-Garlic-Lemon-Chile Butter
» ‎ Live to Eat

The grilling saga continues! This time it’s Sardines! Yes, I finally found fresh sardines here at Uwajimaya! Grilled these on my non-stick grill pan, since I was a bit afraid to use the cast...

[[[Visit my website for the rest of this entry and much much more!]]]

15:17
Vegetable of the Week -Bottle Gourd Round Up
» ‎ My creative Ideas

Vegetable of the Week -Bottle Gourd Round Up

14:34
Potato Chain and Some Sweet Moments
» ‎ Essence Of Andhra
Hi Friends, how are you all? I miss you all so much and of course blogging. I returned home just yesterday night after my long, happy trip to my sister’s place. I had so much fun with my sister, who is not just my big sister but a very good friend of mine. We shared lots of memories, enjoyed each moment we spent. Time just flew and we wished many more days together. She even insisted us to move nearby to her place so that we could spend each weekend together.

Now I am back on track with full force and with some yummy recipes that my sis and I have prepared together. But for today, I want to present one yummy, new snack I have prepared long before I left on vacation that has been taking rest in my drafts. Hope you like this new invention of mine!

Ingredients:
- 6 Potatoes
- 1 ½ cups All Purpose Flour
- 1 tsp Cumin Seeds
- 2 tsp Red Chili Powder
- Salt
- Oil to deep fry
Preparation:

Boil potatoes, peel skin and mash into a fine paste. Keep aside.

In a mixing bowl pour the flour and add the mashed potatoes + cumin seeds + red chili powder + salt and mix well to form dough like chapathi dough.

Take small portions of the dough and roll on a floured flat surface to make them into a ring shape.

Interlink two rings together just like a chain. Repeat the same process with rest of the prepared rings. Keep aside.

In a deep bottomed pan, heat the oil. When it is hot, carefully drop these interlocked chains one by one and fry well until they become golden brown. Then take them out of the hot oil and spread on a paper towel to absorb the excess oil. Repeat the same process with all the interlinked chains.

Enjoy these yummy chains with ketchup and ginger chutney or any other desired chutney. BTW, don’t forget to have a cup of tea or coffee with these delicious potato chains. These make a perfect evening snack.

Now let me share some happy moments:

Raffle Prize:

During the great fundraising event for dear Bri, the very generous and talented Jai & Bee have announced some raffle prizes for the donors. I feel so happy to be a part of this wonderful fundraiser and feel so honored to win a prize. It’s really a great feeling to obtain a sweet prize from the persons who inspire me in many ways.

The prize I got was a wonderful book called “Cup Cake Heaven” donated by the talented and kind-hearted blogger, dear Garrett of Vanilla Garlic. She was so prompt in mailing me the prize the very next day the raffle winners were announced at Jugalbandi, and it reached my door before I returned from my vacation. Thank you so much for the prize, dear Garrett and I apologize for acknowledging it so late. You are so nice and kind.

Thank you dear Jai and Bee, for hosting such a successful and wonderful fundraiser. May god bless you dear Bri!

Magic Lamp

Dear friends Rekha and Karuna have wished me good luck with this magic lamp. Thanks for the wishes dear friends! Of course, I am long due for this too!

The mighty Genie King and the beautiful Genie Princess from the magical Land of Faraway are back! Upon escaping the clutches of their Evil Master after being held captive for 1000 years, the magical genies have been busy flying on their Magical Flying Carpet, granting wishes and spreading love throughout the blogosphere. And now, the genies are back with a special gift for everyone! Behold the sacred, Magic Lamp of Luck! With this magic lamp, your blog will enjoy much good luck and fortune, warding off all things evil lurking around in the blogosphere.

We would like to share this magic lamp with you so please pass on the Magic Lamp of Luck to those in need of some good luck. Remember, do not be greedy or unkind, evil or vengeful and good luck & fortune will always be with you! Join us on another exciting magical adventure as we spread goodwill and good luck to one and all!

1. Add your site(s) to the list once you have received the Magic Lamp of Luck.

2. Pass on the Magic Lamp of Luck to as many people as you like. After all, everyone needs some good luck!

3. Leave a comment HERE once you’ve passed on the Magic Lamp of Luck. Once the Genie King and Genie Princess have visited your site to make sure your links are complete and proper, you will then be added to the Master List.

4. To ensure everyone receives equal link benefit, please UPDATE your list regularly!

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Blogging Friends Forever Award

Dear friends Suma Rajesh and Skribles have passed me this beautiful card of friendship long back. Thanks for thinking about me dear friends.

The following rules apply to this award:

1. Only 5 people are allowed to receive this award

2. 4 of them followers of your blog.

3. One has to be new to your blog and live in another part of the world.

4. You must link back to who ever gave you the award.

I choose four of my "frequent" (I highlighted this, since I have many ;)) followers to this blog :

Jayasree
Laavanya
Sunshinemom
Vaishali
Priti – New to my blog and lives in Singapore.

I am also passing the “Magic Lamp of Luck” to the above friends.

Congrats to all of you and have a great day!

Phew! That was a long post! Now go and have a cup of coffee to get rid of that headache! He he!

12:06
Raw Mango Gojju
» ‎ Taste of Mysore

Gojju is a way Karnatakites savor their vegetables in gravy. You can find 'n' number of gojju's and I loose count every time I make an attempt to keep track of them. There are variations to the recipe which makes them different, different vegetables used in preparing gojju's gives them a new taste.

Each region has it's own way of making! As we move north of Bangalore and reach Chitradurga, Davanagere you see Javalikayi/cluster beans gojju, avarekaalu/surti papdi gojju, mix vegetable gojju, ...list goes on..South of Bangalore..Mysore etc have most popular tomato gojju, mango gojju, menthe menasu gojju etc so we have different gojju's altogether. I have not made an prompt attempt blogging all the gojju's mentioned above.

It is most important (in my house) to find an appropriate partner for gojju, ex javalikayi gojju/cluster beans gojju goes well with joalada/sorgum flour rotti and dose, avarekaalu gojju for joalada/sorgum flour rotti and akki rotti, ufff...so basically you know how we have complicated our lives by matching and pairing them up with certain Indian breads/rottis. But believe me that is the best way to enjoy them :) Now..why did I tell gojju purana? here..oh ya..I have raw mango gojju on menu :D which can be paired with hot plain rice :) simple isn't it?
Raw Mango Gojju (Makes enough for 2 people)

Guest of Honor of the dish :
Raw Mango : 1 washed and cut into bite sized pieces with skin
Taste a piece of mango and you will know the sourness levels of mango. Use tamarind accordingly. Jaggery is used to mellow down the sourness of the dish.

Powder :
Dry grated coconut : 2tbsp
Coriander seeds : 1.5tsp
Fenugreek Seeds/Menthe kaalu/methi daana: 2 seeds
Red Chillies : 4 (adjust according to the hotness levels required)
Huridakadale(split dalia) : 1tbsp

Dry roast coriander seeds, fenugreek seeds, redchillies on a hot pan and powder it with coconut and split dalia. Empty the powder to a dish and mix it with half cup of water to make a paste.

Tampering :
Oil, mustard, turmeric, asafoetida/hing & curry leaves

1.Do the tampering in a vessel you intend to make gojju. Allow mustard to crackle fully before you add other ingredients to hot oil.
2.Add raw mango pieces after curry leaves. Stir nicely and add 2 cups of water and cook under medium flame with the lid closed.
3.It takes about 5-6 min for mangoes to cook. Keep checking.. When mangoes are soft ie., when you insert a fork into a piece it should pierce with ease ..reduce the flame or switch off the stove & add the paste that you have made and keep stirring. Add salt.

If you do not stir the mixture paste will stick to the vessel
4. Bring it boil and add little more water if required. Keep the final dish little thick/viscous (?)
5. Taste to see if you have to add any jaggery to mellow down the sourness of the dish. Adjust flavors accordingly. Serve hot with plain rice.

Eating Tip: Half a tsp of ghee with mango gojju makes gojjanna(gojju+rice) a tasty morsel :)

I want to eat it again :D do you?....prepare it to know it!

Other Gojju I have on TOM :
Bendekayi Gojju/Okra in Green Sauce

Sending this to SWC-Karnataka hosted by Sheetal of My Kitchen

Sending this bowl of Gojju to Srivalli for her Curry Mela event

10:54
Carrot Balls
» ‎ La Gourmet Chef

Carrot Balls

Besan: Gram Flour

This one is a great dish to those who don't like to eat Carrots, esp kids. And an awesome appetizer for any day.
Printer-Friendly Recipe: Carrot Balls

Ingredients
2 Carrots, grated
1 Onion, chopped
1 tbsp Ginger Garlic paste
few Curry leaves, chopped
few coriander leaves, chopped
1 tsp red chilli powder
2 green chillies, chopped
a pinch of turmeric
salt to taste
oil for deep frying
Besan, as needed for binding

Method

1. Heat oil for deep frying.
2. Take a bowl add the rest of the ingredients except Besan and mix well.
3. Keep adding besan little at a time to form a stiff dough.
4. Make small balls out of the dough and deep fry.

Serve hot as is or with Ketchup.

8:06
Spicy Brinjal Curry
» ‎ Talimpu

Vankaya Menthi Karam ijarupmilat Ingredients: Brinjals 5 - 8 Whole Red Chiles 3 - 5 Fenugreek Seeds 1 tsp Urad Dal 1 1/2 tbsp Tamarind 1 inch sized ball Salt to taste Oil 1 tsp Talimpu: Chana Dal 1/2 tsp Urad Dal 1/2 tsp Cumin Seeds 1/2 tsp Mustard Seeds 1/2 tsp Broken Red Chiles 5 Curry Leaves 5 Oil 1 tsp Method of preparation: Wash, remove stems and slit brinjals vertically [...]

6:15
How To Break a Weight Loss Plateau
» ‎ Fun and Food

No matter how efficient your diet & workout plan, you are bound to face a weight-loss plateau at one point or another. But this does not mean your weight-loss trend has ended, it just means that you need to revise your tactics and fitness routine to overcome the plateau and march ahead! Plateaus are common to anybody who's been on the same diet and exercise plan for a while, which is the reason why you don't see the same results you saw at the beginning. But its not as scary or difficult to...

Please Click the Title for the Full Post

5:14
Eggless Vanilla Nuts Cookie/Biscuit
» ‎ Art of Cooking Indian Food

With all the voting going on for the Eat healthy event, I am full of excitement. Thanks to all. Do vote for your favourite protein rich recipe before 10th Aug'08 in My Blog

When I started my food blog, which is nearly 5 months ago, I came across many blogs dedicated to baking. Initially, I used to think that baking is very tough and you must go to classes to learn the art of baking. But with the help of my other foodie friends, I am now proudly presenting my first ever baked cookie/biscuit.

Though, I prayed God that these cookies must come out well, I whole heartily believed in the recipe given to me by my neighbour. Yes! I made Eggless Vanilla Nuts Cookie/Biscuit. Why vanilla? By now, everyone who knows about me must be aware that I am a great Vanilla fan. Be it Vanilla Milkshake, Vanilla Ice cream or Vanilla Cake, I will be the first in the queue. So, my first cookies are also of Vanilla flavour.

Before coming to the US, I am more familiar with biscuits than cookies. I thought both are different. But now, I know it is just a way of calling them. Its name derives from the Dutch word koekje or (informal) koekie which means little cake, and arrived in the English language through the Dutch in North America. It spread from American English to British English where biscuit is still the more general term. Being an Indian, we have more of a British influence, in anything we do.
This is one of the simplest cookie and perfectly suitable for a newbie in baking like me.

Now for my Eggless Vanilla Nuts Cookie recipe,

Ingredients:

1 Cup All purpose flour
1 Cup Sugar
1 tsp Vanilla essence
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 cup nuts (I used Mixed Nuts.You can use anything)
1 cup Butter/Ghee

Method:

In a bowl mix the all purpose flour, sugar,nuts and baking powder.

Melt the Butter and pour it into the bowl and mix it with the flour when hot.

Add Vanilla essence and mix well and form a dough. Make the cookies in whatever shape you want.

Preheat the Oven to 325 degree F for 10 min.

Place the cookies in the cookie tray and bake it in the oven at 325 degree F for 10 min.

Allow it to cool. Serve it as dessert or a snack.

Note: This cookie is more crispy and tasty if consumed after 1 day.

3:50
Okra Fry With Peanuts
» ‎ For The Cook In Me

Ok, I know what you are thinking. After all that hue and cry I made about being an okra-hater and all that, I go ahead and post 3 okra recipes in a span of 2 months. Well, the reason is, its one of the 'Indian' vegetables that I see always in the wet market and end up buying it thinking I can make something passable with it. After all, we both really liked the Okra with Besan curry that I made, TH more so because it resembles usili.

This is a dish I have tried in our office cafe when I was in Hyderabad. I always found it an interesting combination - ladies finger and peanuts. The crunch the peanuts gave to the curry was quite nice and though I wasn't sure what recipe the chef there used, I tried to replicate it the other day and it did come very close in taste.

What I Used:

Okra/ladies finger/vendakka - 15 (number of okras)
Raw shelled peanuts - 3 tbsp
Shallots - 4, chopped
Garlic - 1 tsp, minced (optional, but add for more flavour)
Red chilli powder - 1/2 tsp
Salt - to taste
Oil - 1 tbsp
Curry leaves - a few (optional)
How I Made It:

1. Heat oil in a pan and lightly fry the shallots and garlic. When it starts browning, add the chilli powder and fry for another 10-15 seconds.

2. Now add the okra and peanuts and fry on sim till the okra turns soft and the peanuts are done.

3. Finally, mix the salt and curry leaves in and remove from fire.

Serve with hot rice and some gravy.

Related Posts

Fried Okra with Besan
Vendakka Aviyal
Kovakka Mezhukkupuratti

2:15
Food Blog Events & Round-ups
» ‎ Passionate about Life 'n Spice...

Food Blog Events & Round-ups

2:00
Orangey bread pudding
» ‎ sunita's world
Yes, the holidays are on in full swing...the voices ringing through the house, are definite proof of it. The sounds of giggling, laughing, and of course, of small feet running down the stairs with a complaint. But, hey, what is childhood without a little squabble with your sibling :-)

But, seriously, I am sometimes amazed at the close bond that seems to be developing between Rengoni and Agastya...they seem to have become really good friends. Although, they still do have their differences now and then, they are easily outnumbered by the number of times that they get along...sharing a joke, playing chase in the garden, poring over books and laughing or being bewildered at their contents; ganging up, in whispers, to creep up behind me and give me a scare,(although the whispers are always loud enough for me to hear and forcing me to stifle a laugh)...yes, the house is very much alive these days. And yes, like every other long holiday, makes me wonder as to how fast childhood flies by. Hope they cherish these days forever.

Now, a few days ago, I made this Orangey bread pudding which I really liked...

and would like to share with you. With a slightly citrusy flavour and a crunchy topping, it was a delight. Here's how it was created...

What's needed-

3 eggs
zest of 1 orange
1/2 C fresh orange juice
3/4 C milk
2 large slices of wholemeal bread
4 tblsp of honey
a handful of dates, chopped
a generous helping of almond flakes for topping

How to-
1. Pre heat the oven at 180 deg C and grease an 8 inch round pan.
2. In a bowl, tear the bread into small pieces. Add the orange zest and juice. Mix well and keep aside.
3. Whisk together the eggs, milk and honey.
4. Tip the egg mixture into the bread mixture and whisk till smooth.
5. Mix in the chopped dates.
6. Pour the mixture into the greased pan and sprinkle the generous helping of almond flakes on top.
7. Place the pan in the centre of the pre heated oven and bake for 30-40 minutes or till nicely browned and a toothpick inserted through the centre comes out clean. It should be firm round the edges and slightly soft round the centre.
8. Serve hot or cold with a sprinkling of icing sugar (optional)
*note-
- It may puff up a bit while baking, but will settle down on coming out of the oven.
- the slices of bread that I used were quite large and thick, if your's are thin, increase the number, but not by too many...the mixture should not be thick.
A simple , but yummy dessert is now ready to be enjoyed...a hassle free satisfaction for sweet cravings. And, if in the mood for indulgence, serve with a dollop of whipped cream. We liked ours simply like this...

Enjoy!

August 05, 2008
21:52
7 Cup Burfi
» ‎ Creative saga...

As the name suggests, these burfi requires only seven cups of the total ingredients. I make this very often. It is very easy to make. As I had mentioned in my earlier posts, the only thing that scares me during making burfis is that I am not very sure at what consistency the burfi sets. But practice certainly makes things perfect. Today, I could make the burfi very comfortably without any hassles. I removed it from the flame at correct consistency and they set properly and it was soft and absolutely delicious. I am very happy with the developments in my burfi making ability!!! Begineers can start with this one. I have seen this recipe in many websites and magazines. One can be sure of good results.

Ingredients-Gram flour/besan- 1 cupGrated coconut- 1 cupMilk- 1 cupGhee- 1 cupSugar- 3 cups( But I use only 1 3/4 cups, I find it sufficient, you can adjust according to your requirements)
Method-Mix all the ingredients together in a thick bottomed vessel. Keep stirring (takes around 30 minutes) in a medium flame till you get a thick consistency. Pour it on a greased plate. Allow it to cool and cut into pieces.

20:31
K’s Chole Poori
» ‎ Ammalu's Kitchen

My amma is a health freak , so much so that she is anti fried food , I do not remember eating pooris in my house except for once , when I and my kiddo brother were bawling our lungs out for this beautiful flat bread. She always uses sesame (gingelly) oil for cooking and [...]

14:10
Suppli
» ‎ LIVE TO COOK

No! No! I am not going to cook with the monkeys. But they are the inspiration for this post. These are the famous “Three Wise Monkeys” that symbolizes the saying “Hear no evil, See no evil, Speak no evil“. These are Mahathma Gandhiji’s favorites. I got a new meaning for these [...]

12:49
Refreshing: Crème Fraîche Strawberry Basil Ice-Cream
» ‎ What's For Lunch Honey?

We all get so caught up in our daily routines, that we just forget how great the simple things in life can be. Everyday we get out of our beds, drag ourselves to the bathroom, jump with fright at the freak staring at us from the mirror. But we still wash that freak, until it resembles the person we...

[Read the rest of this post on my website]

12:47
Meen Vevichathu (Fish Curry,Kottayam Style)
» ‎ Marias Menu

This fish curry is one of the most sought after items at my house in Kerala. I missed making it for such a long time and the reason: my husband wants “charu” (gravy) for everything, so I...

Feeling Hungry? Try out Maria's Culinary Delights selected from a wide range of dishes tested and tasted by family, friends and relatives.

12:34
Where Vanity Rules
» ‎ Anna Parabrahma

I am not a follower of TV programs but do catch up with some as my Dad likes to watch them. Saptak was a contestant in the TV program Lux Junoon Kuchh Kar Dikhaane Ka. An amazing singer. He got eliminated last week due least no. of votes in the public ranking.
Saptak cried and I cried with him! He has been singing consistently and scoring well with the judges. Inspite of that lack of public votes got him out. His last outburst wrenched my heart. He cried out, " I give 500% of my singing to this stage yet that is not enough! You have to look good, be in good shape........"
In the world of TV and other media looks and glamour over rules talent. That is the truth!
This is percolating in our personal life too. Corporates now look for fit and dashing leads besides having a talent. Less talked about the marriage scenario the better.
Saptak said a goodbye to this show with Main Shayar Badnam and promised he will keep improving on his singing skills.
For some one who has struggled with weight and medical problems I understand his pain yet in this world of survival of the fittest here is message for Saptak:
"You must fit into the requirements of the glamour world, we want you to be a winner. Wish you luck for it and hope to see more of you!"All material on this blog is Copyright © 2006, 2007 to Anna Parabrahma

11:43
Communal chicken and rice
» ‎ Quick Indian Cooking
Just as I was leaving home for yoga, my neighbour invited me to join her BBQ in our communal garden.

Normally, I am the focused, sensible sort. But given a choice between dangling my legs mid air and watching succulent cuts of meat cook outdoors, I knew which way to go.

I fretted all the way to the yoga class. Sulked as the instructor didn’t show on time. Then 20 minutes of waiting, I hurried home via the supermarket praising divine intervention.

In an ideal world I would get more notice for a BBQ. But this is Britain. We don’t notice we’ve had summer until it’s long gone.

Carpe Diem!

I slashed a few chicken drumsticks and smothered them with a roasted cumin marinade. Made a rice pulao to accompany it. Shoved the whole lot with a jar of mango pickle into a large Selfridge’s bag and dashed downstairs before the flames went out.

The mini meal was a big success. I’m waiting for my next invitation. Hopefully, before summer runs out.

PS= They ate the whole lot before I could photograph the food. I had to cook it again and grill the lot. Your BBQ version will be a lot darker (from the charcoal) and drier (ditto). But it will taste delicious anyway.

Jeera murgh kebab

Feeds 3-4:
- 6 chicken drumsticks
- 75gm onion
- 15gm fresh coriander
- 3 tsp whole cumin
- 4 cloves garlic
- 1 inch ginger
- Half a lemon
- 2 tbsp thick yogurt
- 2 green chillies
- 1 tsp oil
- Salt to taste
Turn the grill on to a high flame (210 Degree C). Skin the drumsticks, make two deep sideways gashes on each of them and place in a mixing bowl.

Now place the whole cumin on a baking tray and dry grill for about 20 seconds until you can smell them. Remove and place in a food processor along with the peeled onion, ginger, garlic and all the other ingredients. Puree until smooth and add salt to make it a really strong marinade.

Add the marinade to the mixing bowl and leave to rest. Grill or BBQ turning at least two times until the meat has lifted away from the bone.

My top tip is to fry up any leftover marinade with a tablespoon of oil to turn it into a chutney for the kebabs. Mix with a bit of yogurt to get the dipping consistency of your choice.

Channa dal pulao
- 40gm channa lentils
- 350gm basmati rice
- 20 curry leaves
- 1 tsp mustard seeds
- 1 tsp cumin seeds
- Half tsp turmeric powder
- Sprinkle of asafoetida
- 1 tbsp oil
- Salt to taste
Soak the channa lentils in cold water. Wash the rice thoroughly under the tap until the water runs clean.

In a medium pot, bring the oil to heat over a high flame. When it is hot, add the asafoetida, cumin and mustard seeds. Give them a stir and throw in the curry leaves. As this lots sizzle up and releases its heady aromas, stir in the channa dal and the turmeric.

Stir the channa dal for a few seconds until it contracts. Next mix in the washed rice and stir for about a minute. The rice will turn bright and opaque. When it does, add a pint of boiling water and stir once.

Bring it back to the boil and then lower the flame to a gentle simmer, cover and cook until all the water is absorbed. This takes about 20 minutes.

This rice is delicious hot or cold. We ate it with the chicken kebabs and mango pickle.

9:48
Phool Gobi Aur Mutter Ki Curry
» ‎ My Kitchen World
I was on Long vacation... its been many days since I saw my fellow bloggers posting so many recipes will update mine asap.
Today i am posting this phool gobi aur mutter ki sabzi / Cauliflower And Peas Curry. This is very familiar sabzi best for roti's. This curry with the touch of coconut gives a fabulous taste.
Sending this to Srivalli's Curry Mela

Preparation Time : 15 minutesCooking Time : 20 minutesServes - 6

2 Cups cauliflower , divided into small florets1 Cup green peas, boiled2 bay leaves 2 tomatoes2 tsp fresh curds / yogurt2 tbsp chopped cashewnuts1/2 tsp sugar3 tbspn ghee or oil Salt to taste
To be ground into a paste :1 Onion, chopped2 tbspn grated cocont2 garlic cloves2 tsp Coriander seeds / dhaniya 2 tsp Cumin seeds / Jeera1/2 piece ginger2 tsp poppy seeds / Khus Khus5 Red Chillies
Method
1. Boil the tomatoes in the water or microwave. Blend into a puree
2. Heat the ghee or oil, add cauliflower florets and gently fry for 5 to 8 min. Remove and keep aside
3. In the same ghee, add bay leaves and paste and fry for few minutes
4. Add the tomato puree and curds and fry for 2 to 3 minutes.
5. Add the cauliflower, green peas, cashewnuts, sugar, 1/2 cup of water and salt and cook for 10 minutes until the vegetables are soft.
Serve hot.

Recipe Source : Tarla Dalal

8:04
Bottle Gourd with Coconut
» ‎ Talimpu

Anapakaya Kobbari Koru ijarupmilat Ingredients: Bottle Gourd 1/3 of small one Fresh Coconut (shredded) 2 tbsps Green Chiles 3 Salt to taste Talimpu: Urad dal 1 tsp Mustard seeds 1/2 tsp Cumin seeds 1/2 tsp Broken red chillies 3 Curry Leaves 3 Hing a big pinch Oil 1 tbsp Method of preparation: Peel and chop bottle gourd into small pieces (abt. 2 cups) Boil few cups of water in a [...]

7:43
Araichu Vitta Kozhambu (Gravy made with freshly ground spices)
» ‎ Peppermill

Most of you must have figured out now that I love kozhambu (South Indian curries), the spicier and tangier the better! There is this one with okra, another one with pumpkin and yet another one with sun dried berries

A week of dals, roti, subzi or even pasta, pizza and tortillas and there will be this gnawing feeling at the back of my mind (or is tongue) and eventually I figure out I can't wait to shake up my palate with a lip smacking kozhambu. It took some time for me to get the proportions right, but when I did, making this seemed even more easier than sambar - atleast one didn't have to wait for the dal to cook.

This Sunday morning was one such day. I woke up feeling quite in the mood for something different than the usual tomato or onion chutney or sambar we have with dosai. It helps if you have a stock of tamarind extract or if you are using tamarind paste.

But even if you don't, pour some warm water over a small ball of tamarind. By the time, you cut the veggies and boil then, roast the masala and grind it, it would have soaked for about 20 minutes - long enough to extract the juice. Boil with the freshly ground masala, add the cooked vegetable half way through and in a bit you have some great tasting kozhambu ready to go with dosai, idli or rice.

This dish goes to Srivalli's Curry Mela which she is hosting on her blog Cooking 4 all Seasons.

Araichu vitta kozhambu

Half a cup chopped pumpkin (drumstick, brinjal or okra can be used; brinjal and okra need to be fried a bit before adding to the gravy and not cooked in water)
Small lime size ball of tamarind soaked in 3 cups of water

Masala:
Red chillies - 5
Coriander seeds - 1 tbsp
Fenugreek - 1/4 tsp
Chana dal - 2 tsp
1/4 cup grated coconut

Tempering:
Oil - 1/2 tbsp
Mustard seeds - 1/2 tsp
asafoetida - pinch
curry leaves - 5-6

1. Extract juice of tamarind and keep aside
2. Cook the pumpkin pieces in about 2-3 cups of water till just done.
3. Roast the spices in half a tsp of oil and then grind to a paste with the coconut.
4. Heat oil in a kadai, add the mustard seeds; when they splutter, add the asafoetida, curry leaves and saute for half a minute.
5. Add the masala paste and fry for a minute
6. Pour the tamarind extract, add salt and bring to a boil. Cover and simmer for about 15 minutes
7. Add the cooked vegetables and simmer for another 5-10 minutes till the gravy is a bit thick and the flavours have blended well.
8. Serve with idli, dosai or rice.

5:00
Of Cabbages & Things
» ‎ when my soup came alive

The best thing about getting married, it seemed, was getting my own kitchen as the folks at home had never been happy about my cooking and baking pursuits.

Getting my own kitchen, however, did not mean anything fancy. We had a small, portable, one-burner stove and that was it. I had all my cookbooks, of course, and maybe it was during some festival or the other that I hit upon the idea of making something new and unusual to distribute to my kind neighbours.

Being the feminist that I was, I had prepared The Spouse to expect him to pull his weight in the house and that evening saw both of us kneading one kilo of maida (white flour) and some rawa (semolina), rolling it out, rolling it up, cutting it into bits and folding it all over again and pinning it with a clove, frying it in oil and dunking it in sugar syrup to make some confection called Lavang Latika (LL).

"No way, I'm not going through with this, you shouldn't have used so much flour," said The Spouse.

"I can only follow recipes, and recipes are not mathematics that you can just halve or quarter them," I retorted. Actually, I'd never kneaded anything before, so the whole process was new to me, but it was thrilling, because there was something exotic to look forward to. Huffing and puffing, we managed to tame the dough to the best of our ability and fried the whole thing, almost running out of containers to house the LLs. The smoke and the smell of oil lingered for days after that and my kneading experiments stopped as soon as they began.

It was only post matrimony that I learnt to cook ordinary, everyday food, often going off certain foods for weeks because I'd cooked them so badly and couldn't shake off those memories. Today's recipe is a simple one devised out of the need to use up some frozen sweet corn, coriander and some shredded cabbage I got from the store.

Cabbage, chopped: 2 cups
Sweet corn, fresh/frozen and thawed: 3/4 cup
Oil: 1-2 tsp
Mustard seed: 1 tsp
Cumin: 1 tsp
Chilli powder: 1/2 tsp
Turmeric: a pinch
Garam masala: 1/2 tsp
Coriander, chopped: 1/2 cup

In a pan, heat the oil. Pop the mustard and then the cumin.

On a low flame, add the cabbage and stir fry. Cover and let it cook for a while. Don't let it wilt too much.

Now add the salt. Add the corn, mix.

Cover and cook some more, till it softens just enough to your liking.

Add the chilli powder, mix well. Take it off the fire.

Sprinkle the garam masala, add the chopped coriander.

Bon appetit!

Cabbage Stir+fry Vegetarian Sweet cornThis feed contains copyrighted photos and text from http://www.whenmysoupcamealive.blogspot.com. If you are not reading this material in a feeds aggregator or by e-mail subscription, the site you are viewing may be guilty of copyright infringement. Please contact srablog (at) gmail (dot) com.

3:02
No-knead bread - the second rising
» ‎ Food, In The Main...

So, it turns out that “slow rising” in the refrigerator really means “no rising at all whatsoever, not a millimetre, no way no how, uh-HUH”, as far as I’m concerned.

But wait, that’s not the beginning. In the beginning there was dough, which happened when flour and a bit of yeast and some water were stirred together.

This time around, though, I thought I would let it rise in the fridge overnight, to see if a slow rising would really give rise to a better crumb. So the dough went into the fridge one Wednesday evening, and because I really don’t have the time to spare for baking bread in the morning on workdays, it remained there all the next day as well.

When I came back from work on Thursday evening, I peeked into the fridge and found the dough still sitting there in its bowl, giving an astonishingly good impression of a large unresponsive lump. Thinking that it perhaps needed more fridge time, I left it there overnight. Friday morning, it still hadn’t moved from its original position, so I took it out of the fridge and placed it in the conservatory with a towel over the top of the bowl. That Friday, of course, turned out surprisingly warm with the sun shining all day. In the closed conservatory, the temperature must have been quite high, so the dough had risen nicely, as it was meant to.

I did the smell test to make sure that the dough hadn’t turned from friendly yeasty to dangerously beasty, and found it had a nice sourdoughy sort of aroma. I tipped it out of the bowl and briefly kneaded it on a well-floured surface, greased a length of silicone paper, transferred the dough on to that and put the whole thing back in the bowl, paper and all, for the second rising. (Odd phrase, that... has the ring of something supernatural in a religious sort of way, doesn’t it?). Only, as it turned out, I’d forgotten we were going out, so I couldn’t leave the dough outside as I wouldn’t have the time to bake it later.

Back it went into the fridge.

The next day, Saturday, the dough was as I had left it the previous evening – cosy in the bowl, cocooned in its wrapping of silicone paper, and not even a hundredth of a millimetre higher. Evidently it resented being out in the cold.

So I took it out and put it back in the conservatory so that it could thaw out and begin the second uprising. (Yeah, if that sounds like a battle, at that point it was so a battle between me and the dough!) It stayed out there for 4-5 hours, but at least it had risen to the challenge. I gave it a second smell test, which it passed without much trouble. It seemed rather more sticky inside than the first time around, with the top surface being kind of dry, like a skin had formed on it.

By this time I had no idea what would happen to the dough if I baked it – would it explode in the oven? The only way to find out was to bake it.

I turned on the oven to 220C, and when it had reached the right temperature, I turned out the dough into my Pyrex casserole, pulling it off the silicone paper…

… and then realisation struck. The bowl was meant to have heated up in the oven before the dough was put into it to bake.

As Homer Simpson would say in this situation - D’oh! (oh yeah, pun intended)

Oh well. Too late to do anything about it now, so I popped the covered casserole into the heated oven and let the bread bake for 40 minutes (10 minutes extra to make up for the casserole not being pre-heated), then uncovered it and baked it for 20 minutes more – by which time the top of the bread was beginning to look close to being burnt. Hastily removed from the oven, the loaf looked allright.

Fifteen impatient minutes later, I tried to up-end the casserole to see if the bread had stuck to it or would fall out (as per the first time). It didn’t pop out. Uh-oh. That probably meant disaster.

I waited another 15 minutes, then tried to prise out the bread with a strong metal spatula… and to my surprise, I found that the bread had stuck to the bottom of the dish in only one bit. After some huffing and puffing, I managed to lever the loaf out whole, with only that little burnt bit left stuck to the casserole – which I thought was a miracle in itself.

And the best part? The bread tasted just as lovely as the first time, despite everything that had happened to the dough. So I’m here to confirm that it really IS quite difficult to ruin no-knead bread, no matter how disorganised you are as a baker. I will also add that the dough probably didn’t become beasty because of having been refrigerated off and on, rather than being outside for 3 days straight.

If any of you find yourself baking this bread in my patented method as described above, for heavens sake remember to grease the casserole dish before putting the dough in it (but ONLY if you’ve neglected to pre-heat your chosen baking dish). Otherwise be prepared to do battle with the casserole dish for possession of the baked bread because by golly it will resist you with every ounce of gluten it has.

August 04, 2008
21:16
Plum Sauce and a New Something!
» ‎ Tangerine's Kitchen Hangout!

Igrew up in a hillstation that comprised of fruit trees in abundant. It was a town that was lush in greenery. My home was this pretty cottage that overlooked a valley and the sight of the misty hills is a sight that I miss in the city that I now live in. My two siblings, two other cousins and I grew up together until we all moved to the city for higher education. We had our share of adventure where we would go trekking with an elderly man referred to as "Maali", who used to take us to unexplored caves and waterfalls.. It was during these trips, that we got to see smalll meandering streams and it is claimed that water in these streams are the purest kind of water. It does taste sweet though. There are so many insects and flowers that are prettier than the common ones that we think to be the prettiest. The only thing that scared me the most was the constant twitter of insects or whatever.
Our cottage was surrounded by fruit trees, which bore blushing peaches, plums, custard apples, oranges,mangosteens, nutmegs, bamblimaas (I am still yet to find the english word for it),guavas and wild berries. Each of us had and still have a plum tree to each one's name and everybody else's tree would bear fruits and mine would be bare through the season. And I had to trade in knick-knacks for a plum from their respective trees. Although my tree didn't bear fruits..it was the prettiest tree with ever prettier branches, home to many a caterpillars and birds....
After we moved away to the city, our trees are still taken care of by my G'mom and her caretakers. Why I rambled all this is my plum tree has been fruiting for the past five years and what you see below is the bounty that my tree bore....

I find it easiest to make sauces from fruits..since they need very little of effort. The sauce that I made was sweetened and is ideal fo desserts or can be served on savoury food as well. I used some of these on bread, as a sauce for roast meat and here. Since plums bruise easily, it is best made into sauce or preserves for me.
What you need for the sauce are
500 g plums, stoned
100g brown sugar (more depending if the plums ae sour)
juice of 1 lime (orange can also be used)
100 ml water
Add all the above in a thick bottomed pan on a low flame and bring them to a boil all the while stirring. Add a stick of cinnamon and let it cool. I left the skin on..discard them if needed.
So there, make some of this tart and flavourful sauce to enliven the ordinary~

Ok do visit here for a something from Aparna and me.This plum sauce is off to Food in Colours Event.Subscribe to my space!

20:57
Spaghetti & soya balls
» ‎ Spice-Club

If someone asked the question what is your favorite childhood dish? Without any hesitation, my reply would be one of my mom dish and definitely Indian (regional cuisine). But if I ask my son the same...

20:11
Chakkakuru-Maanga curry – Jackfruit seeds and green mango cooked in a ground coconut base
» ‎ Mishmash !

Chakkakuru-Maanga curry – Jackfruit seeds and green mango cooked in a ground coconut base

16:51
Banana Bread Recipe
» ‎ Spicy Tasty
I have a special place for banana bread because this is the first recipe that got me in to baking. Banana bread makes an excellent snack to go with evening tea or coffee or even as dessert. I have adapted this recipe from epicurious and added a little bit of my style in it. If you do try this recipe I would love to know how it turns out . This is a great beginner baking recipe if you would like to wet your feet in the wonderful world of baking.

(...)
Read the rest of Banana Bread Recipe (272 words)

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16:36
Cheese oregano straws
» ‎ Dil Se...

These Cheese straws are French appetizers..They are meant to stimulate one's appetite during any meal and not ruin it..With frozen puff pastry from the grocery store, these cheese straws are really easy to make..The smell of the oregano added really peps up the flavor of these cheese straws.
Oregano or pot marjoram is a perennial herb, growing to 20-80 cm tall, with opposite leaves 1-4 cm long. The flowers are purple, 3-4 mm long, produced in erect spikes.It is particularly widely used in Greek and Italian-American cuisines. It is the leaves that are used in cooking, and the dried herb is often more flavourful than the fresh.It has an aromatic, warm and slightly bitter taste. It varies in intensity; good quality is so strong that it almost numbs the tongue, but the cultivars adapted to colder climates have often unsatisfactory flavour. The influence of climate, season and soil on the composition of the essential oil is greater than the difference between the various species.

Ingredients (Makes about 20 to 22 straws)

Puff pastry - 2 sheets defrosted in the refrigerator
Egg -1
Any two types of cheese grated - 1 cup
Salt - 1 teaspoon
Freshly ground pepper - 1/2 teaspoon
Oregano (dried)-1 teaspoon

Directions

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
Roll out each puff pastry sheet on a lightly floured board until it's about 10x12 inches.Beat tthe egg along with one tablespoon water and brush the surface of the puff pastry.Sprinkle each sheet evenly with the cheese,dried herbs,salt and pepper..With the rolling pin slightly press the flavorings into the puff pastry..Cut each sheet crosswise with a floured knife or pizza cutter into 11 or 12 strips.Twist each strip and lay on baking sheets lined with parchment paper..

Bake for 10 to 15 minutes, until lightly browned and puffed.Turn each cheese straw and bake for another two minutes..Dont overbake or the cheese will burn..Cool and serve at room temperature..

Note: You need to work quickly, because the puff pastry needs to remain cold until it's baked.
Instead of using cheese to brush the pastry, sundried tomato paste, pesto can also be used.
This is my entry to Weekend Herb Blogging started by Kalyn and hosted by me this week.
For more details about this week's event see here.

16:05
Sweet potato hot pockets
» ‎ LIVE TO COOK

What do you think about the different varieties of vegetables? I think, it is mother nature’s memory game. If we take each part of a plant, say leaves, stems or roots, there are so many parts. Each part has unique characteristics though they fall under same category. If we take the unique characteristics as color, taste [...]

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