Turkey Fry

Turkey Varuval:

Vaan Kozhi Milagu Varuval. Van Kozhi Fry.

Ingredients:

Turkey leg pieces 2-4
Onion
Garlic 4 cloves
Ginger 2" Tomato 1 small
Coconut grated 2 teaspoon
Salt
Turmeric powder 1/4 spoon
Chili powder 1 spoon
Oil.

Method:

In a wide wok, heat oil and add onion, garlic, ginger, coconut and stir-fry for few minutes and wet-grind to thick paste.

In the same oil...saute' turkey and add salt, turemric and chili powder. Cover and cook for few minutes.

Then add the ground paste and 2 cups of water. Cover and cook till tender.

Once water is reduced...stir-fry over high for 5-7 minutes.

Serve warm to gow ith your roti or chappathi.

Idly Milagai Podi

Idly Milagai Podi:

Chutney Podi. Idly Podi. Idly with Ellu Podi.

Madras, Murughan Idly Milagai Podi is quite famous! Although I couldnt perfect the recipe...I tried my level best!

Ingredients:

Urad dhal 1 cup
Dry red chilies 10-15 (bright red ones)
Brown sesame seeds 2 spoons
Curry leaves 4 twigs
Salt
Asafoetida 1 pinch

Method:

Dry roast each item, seperately and powder them togather!

Serve to go with your idly or dosa...run a spoon full of ghee or sesame oil!

Prawns Fry

Iral Thokku:

Shrimps Pepper fry. Iral Milagu Varuval. Prawns Pepper Fry.

I have been, long waiting for this small shrimps in the market. Small shrimps are absolute delicacies!

Ingredients:

Small shrimps 500 grams
Purple onions large 2
Salt
Turmeric 1/2 spoon
Chili powder 1 spoon
Pepper powder 2 spoons
Curry leaves 2 twigs
Mustard seeds 1/2 spoon
Cumin seeds 1/2 spoon
Tamarind paste 1/4 spoon
Oil 1/4 cup.

Method:

In a wide wok, heat oil. Add mustard, cumin and curry leaves to it. Wait till it pops.

Then add onions and fry real good. Add salt, turmeric and chili powder.

Followed by shrimps and tamarind. Cover and cook till tender. Then add pepper powder.

Serve warm to go with rice!

Brinjal or Eggplant Special Round-up

Vellore Mullu Kathirikai Serwa

Thai Eggplants Masale Curry

Kathirikai Puli Kuzhambu

Hot Italian Eggplants Varuval

Brinjal Mor Kuzhambu

Eggplant Chutney

Stuffed Eggplants

Bagara Baingan

Baingan ka Bartha

Eggplant Thayir Pachadi

Vaangi Bath


Eggplant Special Round-up

Eggplants are native to India. Proably the wild breed, was white in color, unpalatable, bitter, with full of thorns and round in shape. Constant breeding and domestication of vegetables...gave rise to pure line of violet, purple, green varieties. Bigger versions are all hybrid from careful selection.

Unlike animals, vegetable domestication demands lots of labor and thorough research. Identifying male and female plants, crossing the pure cell lines, avoiding ploidy, saving the beneficial mutants, gosh wonder how early man managed all these, without bit of science background!!!

The English word for this vegetable is Egg-plants...probably came through European tongue...it was probably in egg sized shape, during 17th Centuary. In Indian English(only in Indian English) they also call it as 'Brinjal'...probably a false cognate from the Hindi word 'Baingan'.

Vellore, North Arcot belt is my home town! There one could find a particular species of eggplants, called 'Vellore Mullu Kathirikai'. Literally means 'thorned Eggplants'. Yes, it is, the umberlla of this medium sized violet eggplants bear minute thorns...still hanging up with its original species. This particular eggplants are tasty, they stay in the curry without disintregrating for long time, the seeds are so minute and totally unnoticable when cooked.

Well, these eggplants/brinjal round-up recipes are going to Sanghi's Event of the Month. I am excited to send my work to her. Blogging really connects us all, thanks.

Quail in Country Style Curry

Quail Curry:

Kaadai Thanni Kuzhambu. Quail / Pheasant bird Curry.

Ingredients:

Quail - 2 (cut into small pieces)
Green chilies 3 sliced
Onion 1 grated
Ginger 2" julienned
Garlic 6 cloves julienned
Tomatoes 2 crushed
Salt
Turmeric 1/4 spoon
Chili powder 1 spoon
Pepper powder 1 spoon
Sesame oil few spoon
Cumin seeds
Curry leaves
Cilantro to garnish.

Method:

In a wide vessel, heat oil. Add cumin,chilies and curry leaves, wait till they splutter.

Now add ginger, garlic, crushed onions and salt...let the raw odour leave the pan and onions turns to golden color.

Now add tomatoes plus meat pieces. Saute for few minutes...until meat turns opaque.

Followed by turmeric, chili and ppper powders. Fry over high for few minutes and then add 4 cups of water, cover and cook for 10-12 minutes or till the meat becomes tender and nice.

Garnish with cilantro leaves, serve warm to go with your plain steamed rice.

Lemon Mint Cauliflower

Lemon Mint Cauliflower:

Lemony Cauliflowers. Tangy Cauliflower Poriyal. Neembu flavoured Gobi. Gobi Masala. Gobi Subzi.

Cauliflowers and Potatoes are considered Vegetarian's chicken, at several places! So, it became compulsary for me to fix these veggies for my vegetarian companian and friends! Otherwise, why would I, in the hell care to fix these vegetables, right! According to me...making vegetables palatable is one of the tuffest job...so I go through every level of spicing it up!! When I got tired of the usuals 'cauliflowe korma' and 'paratha'...jumped into easy fix concept of 'poriyal/subzi'!!

Ingredients:

Cauliflower 1 whole head
Lemon 1 fruit
Mint leaves fistful - finely chopped
Ginger 2"grated
Salt
Turmeric powder 1/4 spoon
Chili powder 1 spoon
Butter few cubes.

Powder These:

Fennel seeds 1/2 spoon
Coriander seeds 1 spoon
Cumin seeds 1 spoon
Cloves 3
Cinnamon 1 stick.

Method:

In a wide wok, mealt butter/ heat oil.

Add the spice blend, followed by ginger and cauliflowers. Add salt, cover and cook till tender.

Once the flower is kind of semi-done, add turmeric and chili powders. Mix through.

Finally add lemon juice and mint leaves...stir-fry over high for quick 2 minutes and set aside.

Enjoy with your meals.

Egg Rolls

Egg Rolls:

Sudden fix with left over stuff! Towards the end of the week, I tend to clean up all the left over stuff and make use of long lying eggs, vegetables and dough! Evening snack, ready in minutes!

Ingredients:

Rolling Sheets:

All purpose - dough
Egg white 1 - for egg wash
Oil for basting
Dry Flour for dusting.

For the Stuffing's:

Eggs 4
Salt
Carrots, beans, cabbage - thinly sliced
Green chilies 1 sliced
Green onions 2 sliced
Soy sauce
MSG 1 pinch
Oil few spoons
Oil for pan frying.

Method:

In a wide griddle, heat oil. Scramble eggs with pinch of salt. Then set aside.

In the same oil, saute vegetables with pinch of salt, MSG and soy sauce. Set aside as well.

Make equal parts out of dough. Roll them into thin spread, bast with oil and sprinkle with dry flour. Repeat the same for 4 times minimum...until you get the neat stiff egg roll sheets!

Now bast the inner side of the sheet with egg whites(egg wash). Place a spoonful of stuffing now(scrambled eggs + vegetables, green onions). Fold them to your desired shapes. Repeat the same for the remaining stuff!

Fry these in hot oil, till crisp! Serve warm along with tomato ketchup!

Cashewnuts Burfi

Jeedipappu Pakam:

Kaaju Chikki. Munthiri paruppu Burfi. Jeedipappu Chikki.

Hyderabad, legendary sweet shop 'G.Pulla Reddy's special Jeedi pappu Pakam'!!! No one would have missed it at Hyderabad!! My friend Kranthi introduced me to this sweet! Myself and my friend Balaji used to stop at this shop...before leaving home(Tamil Nadu)! I never failed to carry this awesome sweet. One important thing about 'Pulla Reddy is, he started his life from zero, started as a street vendor. Few wise words about his product: they were pure, perfect and he never lied about his product. Never-lying about a product...thats pretty much missing in these days, business, right!

Ingredients:

Cashewnuts 2 cups
Jaggerry 1/2 cup
Sugar 1/2 cup
Cardamom seeds powder 1/4 spoon
Ghee 1/4 cup.

Method:

In a wide wok, heat jaggery plus sugar with about 1/4 cup of water. Bring them to syrup like consistency.

Add cardamom seeds powder. Now stir-in cashewnuts, once the syrup reduces and nuts get crispier, remove from heat.

In a wide tray/plate, smear ghee. Add the cashew nuts content in it! Place them in the fridge for few hours.

Garlic Naan

Garlic Naan:

Nothing much to say, when I was in India...relished this a big time, at the restaurants! Miss the fun here, but why to give up on 'naan' though! Hmmm, fixed it at home...pretty much home adopted version, absolutely no grilling! Just baked and broiled them...so howz that sounds to you?!!

Ingredients:

All purpose flour 2 cups
Warm water 1 cup
Sugar 1 teaspoon
Salt as per taste
Baking soda 1 pinch
Active Yeast 1-2 teaspoons
Ghee to knead
Garlic minced 2 teaspoons to garnish!

Method:

In a large bowl, bring warm water, add sugar and salt to it. Dissolve completely.

Now add the yeast to it. And allow this to stand for 10-20 minutes.

Once this is frothy, add flour and baking soda, knead through. Finally finish with ghee. Set aside for atleast 7 hours, over the counter is fine. Remember...they rise to 3 fold...so let the bowl have enough room, already!

Now, divide them into equal parts...each about a ping pong ball size! Make a water-drop shaped thick naan now.

Greese your baking sheet, place the naan bread. Bake them for atleast 12 minutes over 350 degrees.

Then, sprinkle some garlic on the top and broil them for quick 1 minute, placing them in the middle rack.

Tandoori Chicken

Tandoori Chicken:

Ingredients:

Chicken 1 whole - cut into 4 (2 breasts and 2 thighs)

Spices to be Toasted & Powdered:

Cinnamon
Cloves
Cardamom
Peppercorns
Coriander seeds
Tymol seeds
Chironji
Saffron

Other Ingredients:

Black Salt
Regular Salt
Chili powder 1 spoon
Kashminri chili powder 1 spoon
Red food color 1 spoon
Turmeric 1/4 spoon
Lemon juice
Yogurts
Ginger-garlic paste
Onion paste 2 spoons
Mint paste 1/4 spoon
Few cubes of butter/ghee for basting
Chaat masala to garnish.

Method:

Skin the chicken, make a neat incision probably thrice on top of the breasts and things. On things, underside...make atleast 2 cuts.

Well, now mariante this with plain salt, lemon juice and chili powder for about 2 hours.

Then followed by all the above mentioned items, except ghee.

Maybe overnight marination will do!

Now, smear them with ghee and grill them till soft and tender on the inside and crisp on the outside.

If you prefer to do it in the oven, bake them for 30 minutes of 350 degrees and and broil them for roughly 7-10 minutes, often changing its postion!

Enjoy!!

Chicken Special Round Up

Chicken Special Roundup:

Chicken, Chicken, Chicken...its all Chicken Today, Enjoy!!!

Grilled Chicken Biriyani

Grilled Whole Chicken

Chicken Bonda

Ginger Chicken

Arcot Chicken Biriyani

Saffron Chicken Pilaf

Jerk Chicken

Cornish Hen Curry

Cornish Hen Manchurian

Country Chicken Tomato Curry

Chicken Pickle

Country Chicken Soup

Country Chicken Fry

Tomato Chicken Thokku

Nilgiri Chicken Korma

Country Chicken Kuzhambu

Pepper Chicken Kuzhambu

Chicken 65

Kozhi Rasam

Nei Kozhi

Hot Cornish Hen

Achaar Chicken Curry


This Chicken Special Round up goes to my buddy's 'The Chicken Potluck Event' !! My friend, Vicky is hosting this lovely event! Can you imagine it, a true chicken lover like me and others...are all excited!! Well this post is just a re-published work of few of my old work!! But stay tuned for an exciting new recipe!! Coming up, next!!!

Pepper Fish Curry

Ginger-Pepper Fish Curry:

Strong Spicy Fish Sauce. Ginger based Fish Curry. Pepper Fish Curry. Milagu Meen Kuzhambu. Miriyam Chappalu Pulusu. Inji Meen Kuzhambu.

This is my favourite 'fishing spot' in the neighbourhood! My team had a short fishing trip few months ago, got bit lucky!! Mississippi is famous for its catfish and its panfried catfish recipe. But, I totally did this in my way,today. As my crew here are all big 'maniacs' for 'hot food'! Can you beleive it!!

I have a regular cooking class team here, who are fond of extra-spicy Indian food. Guess, I almost changed their 'bland tongue'! Few of my students started complaining that they are gaining weight coz' of my food!! There is one hell of my buddy here, who wants more 'spice' in his food. And my friend Kyle adds almost 1/4 cup of Thai chilies (Bird's eye red peppers)to 1 cup of rice these days!! Dennis, adds chili powder to his breakfast omlette! Kathyrn says, she fixes 'hot chicken tikka and tandoori' in old a fashioned way...all chili powder, absolutely no color!! Samantha changed her 'tomato ketchup' with 'Lousiana hot sauce'! Americans started craving for 'hot food' these days. Whooo!!!

Ingredients:

Fish 1-2 or many!!
Purple onion 1 small chopped
Country tomato 1 finely chopped
Garlic 7-9 cloves semi crushed
Ginger 3-4" grated
Peppercorns 2 spoons - semi crushed
Salt
Turmeric 1/4 spoon
Chili powder 1/2 spoon
Tamarind paste 1 spoon
Sesame oil few spoons
Mustard, cumin, asafoetida - 1/4 spoon
Dry chilies & curry leaves few.

Method:

In a wide wok, heat oil. Fry fish for fw minutes on both the sides, till the skin turns crisp slightly and then set aside.

In the same oil, heat the remaining oil. add tempering spices and followed by onion, garlic and tomatoes...fry real good, maybe until tomatoes wilt and raw odour of onions and garlic leave the pan.

Now, add salt, turmeric, chili, ginger and peppercorns to it. Continue frying over high heat till fragrant.

Add tamarind paste and 1 cup of water to it. Bring this to sauce like consistency, add fish. Coook for brief period and set aside.

Serve to go with thai sticky rice or palin steamed basmati rice, Enjoy!!!

Chicken Chettinad Sandwich

Chettinad Chicken Sandwich:

Spicy Chicken Sandwich. Hot Chicken Sandwich.

Whenever I am on long drive, I prepare my own food sometimes. Its better than eating at fast food joints. Its good to stay on track while dieting. One little deviation, then I am gone!! Traveling, makes me to gain weight! No proper exercise, eat at any new place, that allures you...meeting new people, always get carried away for snacks and fried appetizers!!

Guess few of us might be interested in these tips!! While travelling, drink plenty of water...never deprive yourself for water. Avoid colas or sodas!! Its better to carry fruits like oranges and bananas with you, all the time!! We always tempt to make unhealthy choice only when we don't have any back up resource!! Carrying granola snack bar always in a hand bag, is safe(even for shot trips)!!

If you plan to eat outside, pick the place you know better...for example 'subway' fast food joint will be better choice than an unknown alluring 'Chinese Restaurant'!!! Try to avoid eating meat at any new place during travel (except top class restaurants). Swine flu, bird flu, undercooked, bad handling...who the hell knows!!!

I am a true spice lover!! So made this spicy sandwich for myself. The recipe is rather simple, it just took me 15 minutes in the kitchen!! Hope you'll will like it!!

Ingredients:

Chicken breast 1/2 cup (shredded)
Green chilies slices 1
Garlic 8 cloves sliced
Onion 1 sliced
Salt
Chili powder 1/2 spoon
Pepper powder 1 spoon
Cumin seeds 1 spoon
Curry leaves few
Sesame oil few spoons
Brown bread 4 slices.

Method:

In a wide wok, heat oil. Add cumin, chilies and curry leaves...wait till they pop.

Now thrown in garlic and onion, fry real good until aromatic.

Now add shredded chicken and stir fry over high. Maybe till they turn opaque and ind of semi done.

Add salt, turmeric, chili and pepper powders...fry till the chicken is done.

Now stuff them in the bread and grease your sandwich maker. Ta-dah...dinner ready!!!

Stuffed Tomatoes

Stuffed Tomatoes:

Best way to have fresh tomatoes is to either grill or bake them, with a hint of butter...its heaven!! Today I planned for snack meal dinner. It doesnt mess up your kitchen at all, so simple to fix!!

Ingredients:

Roma tomatoes 4-6
Wild rice/brown rice/red rice 1 cup
Salt
Garlic crushed
Chili powder 1/2 spoon
Cilantro leaves few
Butter 2 cubes
Cheese to garnish.

Method:

Slice a small part of tomatoes and core them neatly.

In a skillet, add a cube of butter...throw in all the spices and wild rice. Fry real quick until fragrant. Remove from heat and bring down to rooom temperature.

Now fill this rice in the tomatoes, garnish with cheese. Melt butter, bast them over tomatoes.

Now either bake or grill them until semi-tender.

Serving steaming hot as a meal.

Stuffed Eggs

Stuffed Eggs:

Cheesey Rice stuffed Eggs. Cheesy rice balls.

Eggs are essential part of my pantry! When I run out of the vegetables...its an easy solution! I fixed this recipe with left over rice, One could possibly come up with freshly prepared ones, of course! The idea is simple, I love eggs...hmmm, very scared to use lots of fatty yolk in my diet...so carefully avoided it!!

Ingredients:

Eggs 4-6 (soft boiled, sliced into halves)
Cooked Basmati rice 1 cup
Salt to taste
Paprika powder to taste
Cheese (3-4 different types)
Mint 2 teaspoons finely chopped
Butter 1 cube.

Method:

Melt butter, in a wok. Add rice, salt, paprika and mint. Fry for few minutes.

Throw in cheese and mix well. Once cheese melts and becomes sticky, remove from heat.

Make uniform 'egg yolk' sized roundels and fill them up in soft boiled eggs. Here you go, dinner is ready in few minutes.

Saffron Chicken Pilaf

Saffron Chicken Pulav:

Saffron Chicken Pilaf. Cornish Hen Pilaf. Saffron Pilaf with Meat.

Its been a while, I posted anything meat...my friends started asking me, whether I became a 'vegetarian' or what?? That's ridiculous, how can I became a vegetarian!! My friend Balaji used to tease me...'If I come by with one whole fried chicken and 4 white sheets, Malar will be ready to sign the damn white papers for a fried chicken'!! Hmmm, that's very damaging tho'...will I? Maybe...!!!

Here is an another lousy creation from my kitchen! Cornish hen saffron pilaf, Cornish hen is an easy fix for solo cooking/quick meals!! Its small, easy to cut, less fat, gets cooked faster...what not!! One could substitute with regular chicken or any meat tho'...should I even tell this??

Ingredients:

Rice 1 mug
Cornish hen - leg pieces 2
Saffron 1/2 teaspoon
Milk 1/4 cup
Salt to taste
Chicken broth 2 mugs
Jalapenos 2-4 sliced
Onion 1 large sliced
Ginger-garlic paste 1 teaspoon
Mint leaves 1 fistful
Cloves 3
Cinnamon 1 stick
Bay leaves 2
Star anise 1-2
Cardamom 3 crushed
Ghee/butter 1/4 cup
Almonds 1 fistful.

Method:

In a crock pot, heat ghee/butter. Add the whole spices and chilies. Wait till they crackle up.

Maybe add almonds right now and fry real quick. And remove them using slotted spoon. Set aside to garnish later(or one could leave it on, like me).

Now add onions, ginger-garlic paste and mint leaves. Fry real good, till raw odour leaves the pan.

Followed by chicken. Let the meat turn opaque from pink.

Now using mortar and pestle gently tap the saffron, add milk for further grinding.

Add this saffron milk to the chicken, cover and cook for 7-9 minutes.

When the meat is kind of semi-done, add rice...let the rice coat oil all over it.

Add chicken broth, cover and cook. Once the rice is tender, garnish with almonds and remove from heat.

Serve to go as main dish with some spicy accompaniments!!

Beet Root Greens Subzi

Beetroot Greens Vepudu:

Beet Root Greens Poriyal. Beet Root Greens Stir-fry. Beet Root-Peanuts stir-fry.

My mommy adds peanuts to any bitter tasting greens like 'Moringha' or 'Radish Greens'. I pretty much used the same idea here! The leafy vegetable's saponins help to produce gastric juice in the body, which in turn renders good digestion! So including them in diet has become essential in today's high-protein and high-fat diet!I never seen beetroot greens hitting the market in India, its good to see them fresh at Amish place! Guess one could spot them in the regular farmers market as well!

Ingredients:

Beet Root Greens 1 bunch (chopped)
Peanuts 1 small cup (toasted & grated)
Garlic 5-7 cloves (with skin, crushed)
Dry red chili flakes 1-2 teaspoons
Salt
Mustard seeds 1/4 spoon
Oil few spoons.

Method:

In a wide wok, heat oil. Add mustard seeds and wait till they pop.

Add greens and salt. Cover and cook for few minutes. Maybe till the leaves wilt and reduce.

Now remove the lid and stir-fry over high for 2 minutes.

Once the moisture is gone, add chili flakes, garlic and grated nuts. Fry real good for another 2 minutes.

Serve warm to go with your plain steamed rice.

Methi Kitchedi

Fenugreek Greens Kitchedi:

Methi Kitchedi. Vendhiya Keerai Pongal/Pulav. Menthilu Annam. Greens Kitchedi. Greens-Rice Kitchedi.

When it comes to gardening, I am a lazy goose. Though planting and sowing sounds all nice...its not so easy to maintain a plant for a whole year!! So, I prefer tender greens likes this...which grows pretty fast. Just matter of 2 weeks of caring, its ready to harvest!!

Myself and my room mate used to argue over the fact 'killing an animal for consumption' and 'destroying the whole plant' for consumption are both 'violence' equally...then why just blame the meat eaters?!! Especially greens, they are always plucked from the root. Vegetables are no less sin either, eradicating the whole reprodcution part of the entire species...one could go on!

Ingredients:

Rice 1 cup
Split Moong dal 1/4 cup
Fenugreek greens 1 bunch
Green chilies 3 sliced
Onion 1 sliced
Garlic 6 cloves
Salt
Cumin seeds 1/2 spoon
Cinnamon stick 1
Clves 3
Butter/ghee 1/4 cup.

Method:

Wash and clena te greens, save only the leaves.

In a crock pot,heat oil. Add the spices and chilies. Wait till they splutter.

Now add garlic and onions...fry real good.

Stir-in rice, lentils and greens. Add enough water, cover and cook till tender.

Serve to go as a main dish.

Curried Pasta

Curried Pasta:

Indianized Pasta dish. Spicy Pasta. Curry Flavoured Pasta.

I pretty much Indianize anything that I like! I can't really help it, I love spicy food! Pasta is one of favourite food, although I make it in a usual way...today I was really playing in my kitchen!! Curry powder, Garlic, Thyme and Tomatoes really gave lots of flavour to this dish, I am glad that I fused!! Its easy to fix meal, hope you guys will like it!!

Ingredients:

Pasta 1 cup
Salt to taste
Thyme 2-4 teaspoons (fresh leaves)
Garam Masala powder 1/4 spoon
Chili Powder 1/2 spoon
Coriander seeds powder 1/2 spoon
Cumin seeds powder 1/2 spoon
Garlic 5-7 cloves chopped & minced
Tomato Sauce 1 cup
Curry leaves 2 twigs
Oil few spoons.

Method:

Cook pasta as per the directions and set aside.

In a wide wok, heat oil. Add curry leaves and garlic. Fry for about 2 minutes or until fragrant.

Now stir-in tomato sauce. Cover and cook for few minutes.

When oil shows up on top, add salt and all the spice powders.

Stir-in cooked pasta and thyme. Cook over high heat, without lid. Maybe till the sauce is absorbed.

Serve warm, garnish with cheese!!!

Falafel

Falafel:

Middle East Falafel recipe. Middle East Fried Chickpea Fritters. Middle East form of Indian Vada!!

One my friend's friend is doing her Ph.D(in International Studies)at The University of Mississippi. The interesting subject she chose was 'Studying the similarities between all the Southern Food'. I mean...below the equator(a rough scale)to see the similarities through food!

I generally see some commonalities between every culture, every ethnic group in fact...what can I say 'Physic Unity of Mankind'!! Well...I could relate Mississippi pan-fried catfish with my own authentic South Indian preparations and Kentucky fried chicken with Indian chicken 65(the butter milk marination, fried in peanut oil...etc)!! Same goes for bread...universally every culture has its own bread!! Every meals has a staple from carb' and protein! Even in deep thick Africa...they tend to eat more carb' (from corn), like rest of us do with rice, wheat etc.

Anyway, coming to the point...when I tried this 'Falafel', for the first time. I felt I like...what a wonderful form of Middle East Vada!! After seeing my friend Sufian's culinary skills(who is from Lebanon)...I learnt so much about their culture! Interestingly we do have lots of commonalities to cherish!!

Ingredients:

Chickpeas/garbanzos 1 cup (soaked and drained)
Onion 1 large finely chopped
Garlic 2 cloves crushed
Parsley 1 fistful finely chopped
Cilantro few chopped
Salt
Pepper
Cumin powder (optional)
Sesame powder 1 spoon
Oil for deep frying.

Method:

Grind the chickpeas coarsely and set aside.

Combine all the ingredients together, except oil.

Heat oil in a frying pan. Make small roundels out of the batter and deep fry them till golden to reddish brown.

Serve warm as an appetizer.

Mithai Mela - Special Round Up

Halwa Candies

Jack Fruit Payasam

Wheat Halwa

Makkan Peda

Boodhi

Baasandhi

Nuts Halwa

Walnut Halwa

Nuts Kheer

Milk Kowa

Sugar Cane Pongal

Black Gram Kali

Fruit Halwa

Almond Halwa


Mithai Mela - Special Round-Up:



These recipes are going to Srivalli's Mithai Mela Event!!!

15 Minutes Cooking

Masala Pongal


Milagu Pongal


Gothumai Kitchedi

When it comes to solo cooking, we'll always end up making a quick crock pot meal or a stir-fry for an accompainment! Generally such menu will be simple and easy to flip in minutes. Most of my dinner menus are all cooked under 15 minutes!! So here, I have listed some of my easy cooking recipes. Hope you all will enjoy it.



These recipes are going to Mahimaa's 15 minutes Cooking!!!

Water Melon Sorbet

Water Melon Sorbet:

Water Melon Sarbeth. Tarpoosani Sharbeth.

When I was a kid, we had 2-3 water melon vines in our garden. Each vine produces just one, but big, big, very big melon! The stumpy vine always spread on the ground to support their extraoridinary large fruit. It was fun getting up early morning and take a look at the fruit(how big it has grown today)!!! Nostalgic childhood memories.

Water Valley, Mississippi is the Water Melon Capital of the World!! This little town's name comes from the Melons they produce, actually. Water Valley supplies water melon, through out US. They have a Water Melon festival carnival,every year.

Tips: For more sweeter Water melons, always buy the eliptical ones!

This recipe goes to Maheshwari from www.publishtoday.blogspot.com

Event Hosted by Ashwini from Spicy Cuisine

Ingredients:

Water melon chunks 1-2 cups(deseed)
Sugar 1/4 cup
Mint to garnish.

Method:

Make a sugar syrup. Set aside till it cools down to room temperature.

Make a puree out of melon. Now mix this puree with syrup. Freeze them for 2 hours.

Blend them quickly just before serving.

Drumstick Greens Usili

Murungai Keerai Usili:

Moringa Keerai Poriyal. Murungai Keerai Masala Poriyal. Moringa ilai thoran(Tamil Nadu Style)

Moringha oleifera is the Botanical name of this tree. We call this as 'Murungai Keerai' in Tamil. The leaves are rich in iron and potassium. Rich source of dietary fibre. It is an aphrodisiac plus stimulant. It has good content of Vitamin A...as in folks words 'good for eye sight'! It is also considered as nerve tonic in many places(I have no clue about it). Leaves are diuretic in nature.

This recipe goes to Sowmya's Cooking with Greens Event!

Ingredients:
Drumstick Greens 1 large bowl
Mustard seeds 1/2 spoon
Cumin seeds 1/2 spoon
Chana dal 1/2 spoon
Urad dal 1/2 spoon
Curry leaves few
Green chilies 3 finely chopped
Dry red chilies 6
Chana dal 1 cup(soaked in water for 20 minutes)
Ginger-garlic paste 1 spoon
Fennel seeds 3 spoons
Salt(to grind with dal)
Salt for beans
Turmeric 1 pinch
Curry leaves few(to grind)
Oil 2 cups

Method:

In a blender dry grind fennel seeds, salt, dry chilies and curry leaves. Set them aside.

Wet grind chana dal bit coarsely and set aside.

In a pan, heat oil. Add mustard, cumin, curry leaves, chana and urad dal. Let them pop and splutter well.

To this add green chilies and cleaned drumstick greens. Fry well. Add salt and 1 pinch of turmeric powder. Sprinkle little water over this. Cover and cook.

When it is 3/4th done, add chana (wet-ground paste) and stir-fry. Let the dal-paste get well coated with the greens.Toss to all sides..until dal gets fried and cooked.

Run few spoons of oil now, if needed. The dal should not be wet or undercooked anymore. It should be sort of crispy and fragrant now.

Serve warm to go with plain steamed rice.

Ambur - Vaniyambadi style Mutton Biriyani

Vaniyambadi Mutton Biriyani:

India's finest cuisine developed after Mughal rule(14-16th Century), they took basic Indian cooking to art level! Since Mughal empire was widely spread, one could see biriyani recipe where they had strong foothold. Even now...several 100s of years after...local and outside influences fused together to create a unique style. To name a few Kashmiri biryani, Calcutta biriyani, Hyderabad biriyani etc.

Regional spcialites Tamil Nadu Biriyani: Nawaab a small time ruler of Mughal empire, introduced biriyani, kebab...to south Indians. The local influence could be...they tweaked the recipe with strong South Indian chilies and changed the rice from long grain to short grain. Tamil Nadu biriyani became famous after certain specific restaurants/hotels...which are all a centuary old!! To name a few, like Arcot Star biriyani, Vellore Jyothi biriyani, Ambur Ahmedhiya biriyani and Vaniyambaadi Khaja biriyani. Again when it comes to side dish...always I see is raita, its only in these regions its 'brinjal/eggplants curry' is served as side dish. Again there is a slight difference from town to town. Arcot Serwa and Vellore Serwa.

Ingredients:

Cloves 3
Cinnamon 2
Cardamon pods 3
Bay leaves 2
Maratti mokku 2
Star anise 1
Ghee 1 cup
Mutton/goat's meat 1/2 kilo
Short grained rice 2 cups(seeraga samba)
Green chilies 6 slitted
Onion 1 made into puree
Garlic 6 cloves made into paste
Ginger 2" size peeled and made into paste
Mint leaves 1 fistfull
Coriander leaves alone few
Lemon juice from 1 fruit
Curd 1 cup
Salt

Note: There is no tomato in this recipe, in case if you like....just add 1 small size tomato.

Method:

In a bowl, marinate meat with ginger-garlic, salt, lemon juice and curd. Let it stand for at least half an hour.

In a crock pot, heat ghee. Add cloves, cinnamon, crushed cardamon pods, maratti mokku, bay leaves, star anise and green chilies. Fry them till chilies crack and try to turn opaque.

Now add onion puree to this and fry them really well, until its pungent smell is gone. Then add mint and coriander leaves. Fry them till the leaves wilt.

Add meat and fry real good. Cover and cook till tender and nice.

Now add rice and saute it for few minutes and add 1:1.5 ratio water. Here for 2 cups of water add 3 cups of water. Add enough salt again for the rice. Slow cook them.

Once it is done. Serve them in clean banana leaf with brinjal/eggplant serva.