13.9.07
Tomato Rice:(Country Style)
Thakkali Saadham.
Ingredients:
Raw rice 1 cup
Green chilies 3 fienly chopped
Garlic 6 cloves fienly chopped & minced
Onion 1 medium fienly chopped
Toamtoes 6 (country ones) finely chopped
Salt
Turmeric powder 1/4 spoon
Chili powder 1-1 1/2 spoon
Chana dal 1 spoon
Urad dal 1 spoon
Asafoetida 1/4 spoon
Curry leaves few
Mustard seeds 1/2 spoon
Sesame oil few spoons.
Method:
Cook rice with salt and a spoon of oil in it. When they are doen, spread them in a wide tray and set under fan....to get well seperated and stiff rice.
In a handi/kadai/wok. Heat oil. Add mustards, asafoetida, chana urad and curry leaves to it. Let them crackle well.
Now add chilies, let the crack too.
Followed by garlic and onion, wait tillthey are fragrant.
Now add toamtoes, salt, pinch of turmeric and chili powder. Cover and cook. When the toamtoes turn pulpy and oil shows up on sides...remove from heat.
Now stir-in rice and mix them well. Now pack this rice in a dispaly dish.
Best travel dish! Serve warm or at room temeprature.
Labels: Main Dish - Rice
Potato Bajji:
Ingredients:
Potatoes 1-2 sliced thinly
Gram Flour 1 cup(besan)
Salt
Soda 1 pinch
Turmeric powder 1/4 spoon
Chili powder 1 spoon
Coriander seeds powder 1/2 spoon
Garam masala 1/4 spoon
Oil for deep frying.
Method:
In a bwol, bring all the ingredients togather except oil, and potatoes. Make a thin running consistency batter.
Now heat up the oil. Dip each slice of potato in the batter, let it coat very thinly. Remove the excess dripping.
Deep fry in oil till golden to reddish color. Fry few at a time. Maintain stove over medium heat. Lave the fried ones over kitchen tissues for a while.
Serve warm with toamto ketchup.
Labels: Potato
Three Layered Sorbet:
Layered Sorbet.(my way)
Ingredients:
Mangoes 3-4 ripe, pulpy & large
Raspberries 2 cups(fresh/frozen)
Vanilla/butter pecan ice cream 1 cup
Sugar syrup freshly prepared 1-2 cup
3 Glass bowls - 3 different sizes.
Method:
Remove pith and skin the mangoes, puree them. Mix with enough sugar syrup.
Blend raspberries with sugar syrup and set aside aw well.
Now pour this mango puree into the largest bowl(no:1) till the bowl is 3/4 th full.
Now gently immerse the second medium sized bowl(from the back) and push the mango puree to the trim. Freeze this set up.
When they got well freezed. Tap gently and remove the medium sized bowl. I used watm water...to remove tho'.
Now to this mango bowl, gently add raspberry puree too. 3/4 th way, now use smallest bowl/cup. Like the same way. Push till rim. Freeze.
When they are frozen, remove the bowl and fill the area with vanila ice cream.
Freeze them! Then topple upside down, slice and serve chilled.
12.9.07
Rice Noodles n Fried Shrimps:
Fiery Hot Shrimps in Rice Noodles.(my way)
Ingredients:
Shrimps with tail fins on (25)
Rice Noodles 300 grams
Dry red chilies 10-15(grated into flakes)
Lemon juice from 1 fruit
Salt
Turmeric powder 1 pinch(optional)
Garlic 1 whole head - finely chopped
Scallion 1 finley chopped
Toamto 1 large - puree
Sesame oil 1/4 cup
Green onions roughly chopped.
Method:
In a crock pot, boil water. Immerse noodles and cook for 5-7 minutes. Then decant the water. Now again wash this noodles with cold running water. Maybe place the noodles in a colander and use running tap water. Hold them without water dripping! Set aside.
Meanwhile...marianate shrimps with salt, turmeric, chili falkes and lemon juice for 20 minutes least.
In a wide heavy bottomed skillet, heat oil. Add fienly chopped garlic and fry till they are fragrant.
Followed by scallions, fry till they are fragrant as well.
Now add tomato puree, continue frying till they loose their water content.
Now stir-in shrimps, stir-fry till they are crisp and done completely.
Toss the noodles now and give a quick twist. Let the oil coat well and the noodle get really well blent in it.
Add green onions as well.
Serve warm as a main dish.
Labels: Shrimps
Vazhai Poo Kootu:
Plantain flower Kootu.
Ingredients:
Plantain flower 1
Thoor/ Moong/ chana dal 1/4 cup
Green chilies 3 finely chopped
Onion 1 finely chopped
Garlic 6 cloves chopped
Ginger 2" peeled and chopped
Tomatoes 1-2 fienly chopped
Salt
Turmeric powder 1/4 spoon
Chili powder 1/2 spoon
Mustar seeds 1/4 spoon
Cumin seeds 1/2 spoon
Asafoetida 1/4 spoon
Curry leaves few
Oil few spoons
Cilantro leaves few to garnish.
Method:
Cook any one of the dal(thuvar/moong/chana dal) in a pressure cooker.
Remove the bracts of the flower. Remove its male stamen and transluscent pith as well. Then chop them roughly and leave in cold water until told.
Maybe add salt or lemon juice to this water to avoid discoloring.
Maybe add salt and few spoons of oil in it. Cook till soft and set aside.
In a large wok/handi, heat oil. Add chilies, let it crackle well.
Then add ginger and garlic, fry real good...till its raw odour leaves.
Add onions and salt. Fry till onions turn to golden color.
Now add tomatoes, cover and cook. Once tomatoes wilt, stir-in finely chopped flower.
Fry for few minutes, maybe till the vegetables coats oil. Add cooked dal(lentils).
Cover and cook over medium heat.
When the vegetable is done soft and much of the moisture is absorbed, remove from heat.
Heat oil, in a seperate pan...add mustards, cumin, asafoetida and curry leaves to it.
Allow it to crackle well. Now run this seasoning over the 'kootu' prepared above.
Garnish with finely chopped cilantro leaves.
Serve warm as a side dish for South Indian Meals or as a subzi for chappathi/roti.
Labels: Plantain
Chicken-Peanut-Mango Curry:(Thai Style)
Ingredients:
Chicken (boneles, skinless & cubed)1 cup
Peanuts 1 cup (toasted, skinned and pureed)
Mango 1 large(skinned, pith removed & cubed)
Red peppers 2 fienly chopped
Green peppers 2 fienly chopped
Chicken stock 1 cup
Penang red curry paste 1 spoon
Fish sauce 1 spoon
Turmeric powder 1 pinch
Coconut milk thick 1 cup
Jaggery 1 spoon
Peanuts toasted 2 spoons
Peanut oil 1 tale spoon
Lime leaves 2
Lemon stalk 1
Cilnatro leaves few
Red chili powder 1/4 spoon.
Method:
In a heavy bottomed crock pot, heat oil. Add chicken and saute for few minutes.
Add chicken stock to it, cover and cook till the meat is tender.
Now toss lime leaves, lemon stalk, salt,peppers, turmeric, red curry paste, jaggery, peanuts puree and coconut milk/cream to it. Cover and cook over medium heat.
When the curry consistency is acheived....add mango cubes, clantro, penuts and chili powder on the top.
Serve warm as a side dish to jasmine rice.
Labels: Chicken
Thai Eggplant Dahl:
Brinjal Dal.
Ingredients:
Thai Eggplants/Green eggplans 6-10
Thoor Dal 1 cup
Salt
Turmeric pinch
Green chilies 3 fienly chopped
Onion 1 small finely chopped
Garlic 6 clovs fienly chopped
Tomato 1 large chopped
Cumin seeds 1 spoon
Asafoetida 1 pinch
Oil few spoons
Cilantro leaves few.
Method:
In a pressure cooker, cook thoor dalt with salt and pinch of turemric in it.
When they are doen soft and tender, set them aside.
Make two deep slits in the eggplants and leave them in water until told.
In a wide crock pot, heat oil. Add cumin and asafoetida to it. Wait till they crackle up.
Add chilies, garlic and onion. Saute for few minutes. Add salt too.
Now stir-in eggplants, tomatoes and cooked thoor dal to it. Cover and cook on medium heat.
When the eggplants are soft and tender, remove from heat.
Garnish with cilantro leaves.
Labels: Brinjal/ Egg-Plant
Artichoke Dip:
Ingredients:
Artichokes firm, fresh 2
Cheese 200 grams
Whole Milk 100 ml
Salt pinch.
Method:
Remove the tough leaves and stalk.
Boil the artichokes hearts, maybe add a spoon full of lemon juice and pinch of salt tot his water.
When they are done soft and tender, chop them to desired size bits.
In a sauce pan, heat milk, add artichokes & cheese. Bring them to cheesy dip like consistency.
Serve warm as a dip for tortillas.
Asparagus Risotto:
Spring Risotto.
Ingredients:
Arborio Rice (Italian Rice) 1 cup
Asparagus 6-9(tough ends trimmed & cut in 2" bits)
Carrot finely chopped
Scallions 1-2 fienly chopped
Jalapenos 1 seeded & chopped
Red Bell pepper 1 sliced
Peppercorns 1 spoon - ground
Chicken Broth 2 cups
Salt to taste
Parmesan cheese freshly grated 1/2 cup
Olive oil few spoons
Parsley/basil to garnish.
Method:
Cook rice with chicken broth and pich of salt. When the rice is done, set aside.
In a wide skillet, add oil. Add all the above mentioned ingredients(except cheese and parsley) and stir-fry them.
When the veggies are done, stir-in rice. Let the oil coat the rice well. Let all ingredients coem togather.
Now add cheese and parsley too. Make upt he fishishing touch.
Serve warm as a main dish.
Labels: Carrot, Main Dish - Rice
Shrimp Laksa:(Thai Style)
Shrimps n Rice Noodles Soup. Thai Coconut Shrimps Soup.
Ingredients:
Shrimps with shell/without shells 10
Coconut milk thin 4 cups
Vegetable stock 1 cup
Rice Noodles 75 grams
Red/ Green pepper 1 seeded & thinly sliced
Ginger 2" matchsticks
Scallions 1-2 sliced
Jaggery/brown sugar 1 spoon
Green onions few.
Method:
In a heavy bottomed crock pot, add all the ingredients mentioned above (except shrimps & green onions).
Bring them to boil and start slow cooking. Maybe till the noodles are doen soft.
Now add shrimps too and continue cooking. Mayeb about 7 minutes.
When the shrimps are done, garnish with green onions and serve warm.
Mini Pizza:
Ingredients:
For Dough:
All purpose flour 1 cup
Salt
Baking soda 1/4 spoon
Baking powder 1/4 spoon
Sugar 2 spoons
Butter - melted few spoons
Dry yeast 2 spoons.
For Sauce:
Tomato sauce 1 table spoon
Salt
Italian herbs sesonning powders 2 spoon
Parsley falkes 1/2 spoon
Dry red chili flakes 1/2 spoon
Ground black pepper 1/4 spoon
Olive oil few spoons.
For toppings(as per choice)
Jalapenos
Black & green olives
Purple ONions
Tomatoes
Mushrooms
Zucchini
Cheese
Olive oil few spoons
Italian herbs sesonning powder 2 spoons.
Method:
For Dough:
In a wide bowl, add luke warm water. Add salt, sugar, butter and yeast. let this stand till they becoem foamy.
Now add flour, baking salt and soda to it. Knead them to soft, smooth fissure less dough. Cover with damp cloth. Let this sit for 7 hours. Maybe till it rises to 3 fold.
Make equal parts out of it. Knead them gently. Using a biscuit cutter, cut them into desired shapes. Set aside.
For Sauce:
In a sauce pan, heat oil. add all the above mentioned items and bring it to thick sauce to paste like consistency. Set aside.
For Mini Pizza:
Line the oven tray with aluminium foil. Run few spoons of olive oil.
Place the mini pizza with equal gap. Run 1 spoon of sauce on each of it. Spead tehm evenly. Now top with your desired topping. Run again few spoons of oil and herbs.
Bake them for 12-15 minutes over 350.
When they are almost done. Cheese it and rebake again till the cheese melts(another 4-6 minutes).
Serves good as a snack.
Lime Sorbet:
Ingredients:
Lime 4
Sugar 1/4 cup
Mint to garnish.
Method:
Make a sugar syrup. To this syrup squeeze in lime juice. Scrape the lime rind too in it.
Freeze them for 2 hours.
Blend them quickly just before serving. Garnish with mint leaves and lime slices.
Salsa Verde:(Mexican Style)
Ingredients:
Tomatillos 6
Onion 1 small
Green peppers/jalapenos 3
Cucumber 1 small
Salt
Lime juice 1 spoon
Cilantro leaves few.
Method:
Chop 50% of tomatillos and cucumbers and set aside.
Blend all the remaining ingredients and 50% of cucumber and toamtillo togather in a food processor.
Now mix them togather.
Serve chilled with tortilla chips as an evenning snack.
Labels: Dip
Radish Greens Poriyal:
Ingredients:
Radish Greens 1 bunch
Chana dal 1 cup(soaked)
Garlic 8 pods chopped
Salt
Green chilies 3 chopped
Salt
Turemric 1/4 spoon
Coconut grated few spoons
Mustard seeds 1/4 spoon
Oil few psoons.
Method:
Trim the ends of greens and chop roughly and set aside.
In a pan, heat oil. Add mustard seeds and wait till it crackles.
Now add chilies and garlic and saute for 2 minutes.
Then add soaked chana dal and cook for 7 minutes.
Followed by salt, turmeric and greens. Cover and cook till they wilt.
Now remove cover and cook over medium heat untill the water content leaves the pan.
Serve warm as a side dish.
Masal Dosai:
Ingredients:
Parboiled rice 1 cup
Raw rice 1 cup
Urad dal 1/2 cup
Fenugreek seeds 1 spoon
Salt
Soda
Sesame oil 1-2 spoons
Sesame oil for making dosa.
For Topping:
Onion 1 large fienly chopped
Green chilies 6 fienly chopped
Garlic 4 crushed
Potatoes 2 large skinned, boiled & mashed
Salt
Turmeric 1/4 spoon
Mustard seeds
Oil few spoons
Cilantro leaves few to garnish.
Method:
Mix all the above said ingredients except salt, soda and oil. Soak them in water for about 5 hours.
Wet grind them....to thin paste. Maybe with limited water.
Now add salt, soda dissolved in water and sesame oil.
Let it to ferment....maybe 7 hours.
Once the fermentation part is over.....the dosa batter is ready.
For Topping:
In a wide pan, heat oil. Crackle mustards and add chilies, onions, mashed potatoes, salt and turmeric powder. Let them blend really well and aromatic.
Garnish with cilantro leaves. Set aside.
For Masal Dosa:
Smear a spoon full of oil or ghee on a hot tawa. Take a table spoon full of batter and make a thin crepe. Maintain the stove on low flame only. Cover with lid.
Add few spoons of ghee or oil at the edges of the crepe. Now place a table spoon full of potatoe on the top. Maybe tap and spread them a little. Its not necessary to turn the dosa to the other side.
Serve warm along with chutney, sambar or korma.
Orange-Canta Punch:
Orange-Cantaloupe Slush.
Ingredients:
Cantaloupe 1 cup(skinned, cored & cubed)
Orange juice 1 cup(freshly squeezed)
Lime juice 2 spoons
Amretto 4-6 spoons
Sugar syrup/sugar to taste
Lime slices to garnish
Mint leaves to garnish
Cinnamon sticks powder to garnish
Cantaloupe cube 1 to garnish.
Method:
Blend first 5 ingredients togather in a blender to a smooth juice.
Garnish with last 4 ingredients mentioned above.
Serve chilled.
Cucumber Relish:
Ingredients:
Cucumber 1 peeled, cored & finely chopped
White onion 1 small finely chopped
Green peppers/red peppers 1 fienly chopped
Salt
Turmeric 1 pich(optional)
Sugar 1 pinch
Toasted mustard seeds/celery seeds 1/4 spoon.
Method:
Bring everything togather in a bowl. Let this sit for 2 hours in fridge.
Serve chilled.
Podalankai Paal Kootu.
Snake Gourd Olan. Ash Gourd Milk based Recipe.
Ingredients:
Snake gourd/Ash gourd 1 small (deseeded & chopped)
Thoor dal 1 cup (cooked)
Fresh coconut grated 1/4 cup
Green chilies 3-6
Milk 1 cup
Cumin seeds 1/2 spoon
Salt
Oil 2 spoons.
For sesonning:
Mustard seeds 1/4 spoon
Cumin seeds 1/4 spoon
Asafoetida 1/4 spoon
Curry leaves few
Oil few spoons.
Mehtod:
In a blender blend, cooked thoor dal, coconut, cumin, chilies and milk togather and set aside.
In a vessel, heat oil. Add the vegetable. Add salt, cover and cook over medium heat.
Let the vegetable get semi done with its own water content.
Now add th ethick wet-ground paste from the step 1. Cover and cook for few more minutes.
In a seperate handi, heat oil and toss th esesonning items and run this over prepared above 'olan'.
Treat this a side dish for South Indian Meals.
Pavakkai Pitlai:(Version 1 dry)
Bitter Gourd Pitlai.
Ingredients:
Bitter Gourds 1/4 kilo
Salt
Turmeric powder 1/4 spoon
Chili powder 1 spoon
Jaggery 1 small gooseberry size
Tamarind paste 1/4 spoon
Coconut oil few spoons.
To be Toasted and Wet-Ground to Thick Paste:
Dry red chilies 6
Chana dal 1-2 spoons
Urad dal 1-2 spoons
Peppecorns 1-2 spoons
Cumin seeds 1 spoon
Coriander seeds 1-2 spoons
Coconut fresh/frozed 4 spoons
For Sesonning:
Mustard seeds 1/4 spoon
Cumin seeds 1/4 spoon
Asafoetida 1/4 spoon
Curry leaves few
Coconut oil few spoons.
Method:
Heat oil in a shallow pan. Stir-in sliced bitter gourds, salt, turemeric, chili, jaggery and tamarind paste to it.
Cover and cook till they are tender. Now add the toasted and wet-ground paste to it.
Cook over medium heat without cover, maybe till the oil shows up on sides and the veggie becomes dry and aromatic.
In a seperate pan, heat oil. Add the sesonning items one by one and wait till it crackles. Now run this sesonning over the dry pitlai made above.
Serve warm as a side dish to South Indian Meals.
Labels: Bitter Gourd
Chicken Stock:
Preparing stock, broth, white sauce out of chicken is though time consuming. I prefer doing it on my own.
Ingredients:
Whole cornish hen/regular chicken(cut into 4 pieces)
Carrots 2-4 chopped into huge chunks
Celery 4-6 stalks chopped into huge chunks
Onions 2 quartered
Garlic 1 whole head(with/without skin) semi crushed
Ginger about 50 grams - peeled & roughly crushed
Cilantro leaves 1 bunch- root trimmed & roughly chopped
Parsley leaves 1/2 bunch - roots trimed & roughly chopped
Jalapenos 6-8 chopped
Wild rice 1 cup
Coriander seeds 1 table spoon
Peppercorns 1 table spoon
Cumin 4-6 spoons
Cinnamon sticks 1 large
Bay leaves dry 2 crumbled
Oil few spoons.
Method:
In a heavy bottomed crock pot, run few spoons of oil.
Add coriander seeds, cumin, pepper, cinnamon and bay leaves first.
Then followed by chicken pieces and all the remaining items. Saute for few minutes.
Add 2-3 jars of water, cover and cook. When the meat is tender. Remove from heat.
Filter this and store for further use. Very aromatic and challenging in taste.
Tomato Celery Juice:
Ingredients:
Tomatoes 2 large, juicy & farm fresh
Sugar as per taste
Salt 1 pinch
Celery sticks 2(without leaves)
Method:
Place the tomatoes in the luke warm water for 2-4 minutes and peel off its skin. But remember most of the vitamins lie very close to the skin.(So its optional step)
Remove the strong fibres from celery stalk and chop them roughly.
In a food processor bring all the ingredients togather and blend till smooth.
Filter them and serve chilled.
Tomato Uthappam:
Ingredients:
For Batter:
Raw rice 1 cup
Parboiled rice 1 cup
Urad dal 1/2 cup
Fenugreek seeds 1 spoon
Thoor dal 1 fistful
Sesame oil few spoons
Yeast 1-2 spoons
Soda 1/4 spoon
Salt as per taste.
For Toppings:
Tomatoes 2 firm, large finely chopped
Jalapenos 1-3 fienly chopped
Cilantro leaves few finely chopped
Salt to taste
Lemon juice 1 spoon(optional)
Sesame oil 1 cup.
Method:
Batter:
Soak first 5 ingredients (for batter) around 5-7 hours.
Then wet-grind it coarsely to thick, dropping consistency batter.
Now mix other 4 ingredients to it. Let it ferment. Maybe for 7 hours.
Uthappams:
Mix all the toppings ingredients togahter and set aside.
Heat a small pan, smear a spoonful of oil. Now make thick pancake using a laddle of batter.
Top with chopped tomatoes. Cover and cook for few minutes. Then run a few spoons of oil on the sides. Either turn over to the other side or serve as the same.
Serve warm with chettinad gravy, stew or korma. Should be gud with sambar and chutney as well.
Labels: Dosa
Mango Juice:
Ingredients:
Mango - 1
Sugar Syrup/Sugar.
Method:
Blend mango and sugar syrup togather and serve chilled.
Cucumber Thayir Pachadi:Ingredients:
Cucumber 1 bowl(peeled & cored)
Yogurts 2-3 cups
Oil 1-2 spoons.
Wet-Grind These:
Fresh grated coconut 3-5 spoons
Green chilies 2-3
Salt
Yogurts 1/4 cup.
For Tempering:(optional)
Oil few spoons
Mustard seeds 1/2 spoon
Cumin seeds 1/4 spoon
Asafoetida 1/4 spoon
Urad dal 1/2 spoon
Curry leaves few.
Method:
Peel and core cucumber and fienly chop them.
Now wet grind coconut, green chili, salt and 1/4 cup of curd.
Combine cucumber and wet-ground above paste in yogurd. Mix them well.
In a shallow frying pan...heat oil and add sesonning items and wait till they pop.
Then run this above sesonning over mixed cucumber-yogurts set-up.
Serve chillied or at room temeprature as a side dish.
Labels: Salad/Pachadi
Bhindi Masala Gravy:
Bhindi Masala Curry. Vendaikkai Mandi. Okra Masala.
Ingredients:
Okra whole 15(trim the ends)
Onion paste 1 table spoon
Ginger-garlic paste 1 spoon(freshly wet-ground)
Toamto puree 2 cups
Sugar 1 spoon(optional)
Salt
Turmeric 1/4 spoon
Chili powder 1 spoon
Coriander seeds powder 1 spoon(freshly ground)
Garam masalapowder 1/2 spoon(freshly ground)
Oil few spoons.
Method:
In a deep wok, heat oil. Stir-fry okra in it. Maybe till it coats oil well and looses its musilageneous nature.
Now add onion paste, followed by ginger-garlic paste. Fry till its raw odour is gone.
Now add toamto puree as well. Let it consolidate too.
Toss salt, turmeric, coriander seeds powder, chili and garam masala powders to it.
Fry till the raw odour leaves, gravy consolidates & oil shows up on top. One can add a spoon of sugar to bring the glossy color to it.
Serve warm with chappathis and rotis.
Labels: Okra
Whole Chicken Roast:
Whole Cornish Hen Roasted.
Ingrdients:
Cornish Hen 1
Ginger-garlic paste 1-2 spoons
Ginger 2" size minced
Salt
Chili powder 2 spoons
Pepper powder 1 spooons
Pepper pounded 1 spoon
MSG 1 pinch
Soy Sauce 2-4 spoons
Lemon juice 2 fruits
Cloves powder 2 pinch
Garam masala powder 1/4 spoon
Egg whites (optional)
Butter 1 cube(optional)
Method:
Bring all the ingredients togather except hen. Mix them thoroughly.
Now using basting bush, bast this marination paste all over the chicken. Leave them in the fridge for 4-7 hours.
Then Bake at 350 for 1 and 1/2 to 2 hours. Whoel baking always cover with the aluminium foil. Often(15 mins) spoon in the gathering juices from the sides.
One could broil for 2-4 minutes.
Serve warm with onions, lemon wedges and cucumber slices.
Chow Chow Olan:
Chow Chow Paal Kootu. Choyote milk based Recipes.
Ingredients:
Chow chow/Chayote(skinned, deseeded & chopped)
Thoor dal 1 cup (cooked)
Fresh coconut grated 1/4 cup
Green chilies 3-6
Milk 1 cup
Cumin seeds 1/2 spoon
Salt
Oil 2 spoons.
For sesonning:
Mustard seeds 1/4 spoon
Cumin seeds 1/4 spoon
Asafoetida 1/4 spoon
Curry leaves few
Oil few spoons.
Mehtod:
In a blender blend, cooked thoor dal, coconut, cumin, chilies and milk togather and set aside.
In a vessel, heat oil. Add the vegetble. Add salt, cover and cook over medium heat.
Let the vegetable get semi done with its own water content.
Now add th ethick wet-ground paste from the step 1. Cover and cook for few more minutes.
In a seperate handi, heat oil and toss th esesonning items and run this over prepared above 'olan'.
Treat this a side dish for South Indian Meals.
Muttai Dosai:
When we were doing M.Phil at the University of Madras....myself, Sugumar and Jayanthi...used to have breakfast in the canteen all the time. And Sugumar prefers this Muttai Dosai, most of the time. We started teasing him for that. Well...anyway he says...this is the only tiffin they make 'suda suda after you order'! Well...makes sense.
Ingredients:
Parboiled rice 1 cup
Raw rice 1 cup
Urad dal 1/2 cup
Fenugreek seeds 1 spoon
Salt
Soda
Sesame oil 1-2 spoons
Sesame oil for making dosa
Country/Regular Eggs 6-8/as many as dosas.
Method:
Mix all the above said ingredients except salt, soda and oil. Soak them in water for about 5 hours.
Wet grind them....to thin paste. Maybe with limited water.
Now add salt, soda dissolved in water and sesame oil.
Let it to ferment....maybe 7 hours.
Once the fermentation part is over.....the dosa batter is ready.
Smear a spoon full of oil or ghee on a hot tawa. Take a table spoon full of batter and make a thin crepe. Maintain the stove on low flame only. Cover with lid.
Add few spoons of ghee or oil at the edges of the crepe. Crack an egg, held right above the top. Then using a fork...spread it thinly to all over the dosa. Its not necessary to turn the other side.
Serve warm along with chutney,sambar or korma.
Pineapple Shrimp Fried Rice:(Indo-Chinese Style)
Ingredients:
Basmathi Rice/Any long grained rice 1 cup
Sesame oil 1/2 cup
Ginger 2" peeled,chopped & minced
Garlic 4 cloves choped & minced
Pineapple -cubed 1-2 cups
Carrots 1 small - chopped fienly
Beans 50 grams - chopped fienly
Cabbage - fienly chopped
Red Bell peppers 1 sliced
Salt
MSG 1 pinch
White pepper 1 spoon
Rice starch 1 spoon
Eggs 3
Shrimps 15-20 pieces
Soy sauce 2-4 spoons
Red chili sauce(not the hot sauce)
Toamto paste 1-2 spoons
Green onions to garnish.
Mehtod:
Cook rice with salt and few spoons of oil. When it is done, spread them over a wide tray and set under fan.(To get well seperated and stiff rice) Or its always better to use cold cooked rice.
Marinate chicken and shrimps each seperately with salt,light soy sauce, white pepper and rice starch.
In a wide skillet, heat few spoons of oil. Break-in eggs. Sprinkle salt and pepper, scramble them and set aside.
In the same skillet, heat oil. Stir-fry shrimps over high heat. When it is done, set them aside.
Now stir-fry carrots, beans, cabbage & bell peppers. Add pich of MSG to maintain
its color. Set these aside as well.
Now heat the same or seperate heavy bottomed skillet. Add oil. Stir-in ginger and garlic. Stir-fry till its raw odour is gone.
Further add rice, break up if there is any lumps. Stir-fry till oil coats evenly to it. Add chili, tomato paste and soy sauce to it. Stir-fry till the rice slightly
becoems crispy.
Now add all the stir-fried veggies, shrimps, scrambled eggs and pineapple to it. Give a thorough turn.
Garnish with green onions and serve warm. Enjoy!
Labels: Carrot, Chicken, Main Dish - Rice, Shrimps
Onion Uthappam:
Ingredients:
For Batter:
Raw rice 1 cup
Parboiled rice 1 cup
Urad dal 1/2 cup
Fenugreek seeds 1 spoon
Thoor dal 1 fistful
Sesame oil few spoons
Yeast 1-2 spoons
Soda 1/4 spoon
Salt as per taste.
For Toppings:
Purple Onion 1-2 large fienly chopped
Jalapenos 1-3 fienly chopped
Cilantro leaves few finely chopped
Salt to taste
Lemon juice 1 spoon(optional)
Sesame oil 1 cup.
Method:
Batter:
Soak first 5 ingredients (for batter) around 5-7 hours.
Then wet-grind it coarsely to thick, dropping consistency batter.
Now mix other 4 ingredients to it. Let it ferment. Maybe for 7 hours.
Uthappams:
Mix all the toppings ingredients togahter and set aside.
Heat a small pan, smear a spoonful of oil. Now make thick pancake using a laddle of batter.
Top with chopped onions. Cover and cook for few minutes. Then run a few spoons of oil on the sides. Either turn over to the other side or serve as the same.
Serve warm with chettinad gravy, stew or korma. Should be gud with sambar and chutney as well.
Labels: Dosa
Bitter Gourd Achaari Curry:
Karela Achaari Curry. Pavakkai Oorughai Kuzhambu.
Ingredients:
Bitter gourds 1/4 kilo - sliced
Green chilies 3 slitted
Onion made into paste 1/2 cup
Garlic 6 cloves - paste
Toamto puree 1 cup
Tamarind paste 1/2 spoon
Salt
Turmeric powder 1/4 spoon
Chili powder 1 spoon
Mustard seeds 1/4 spoon
Asafoetida 1/4 spoon
Curry leaves few
Dry red chilies 3
Mustard oil few spoons.
Achaari Powder:
Fennel seeds
Cumin seeds
Nigela(kalonji/onion seeds)
Kastoori methi
Mustard seeds
Fenugreek seeds
Dry red chilies
Asafoetida
Coriander seeds.
Method:
In a wok, heat oil. Add chilies, onion and garlic paste and fry real good, till its raw odour just leaves.
Then add bitter gourds slices and give a quick twist.
Add salt, turmeric and chili powder to this. Followed by tomato puree & tamamrind paste. Maybe add little water. Cover and cook till it is done.
Add the pickling spices and bring this to boil.
In a seperate pan, heat oil. Add mustard, asafoetida, red chilies and curry leaves. Let it crackle well.
Now run this sesonning over ht curry prepared.
Labels: Bitter Gourd, Veg Kuzhambu
Aloo Roast:
Cumin Flavoured Potato. Urulai Kizhangu Roast.
Ingredients:
Potato 4 cooked & cubed
Salt
Turemric powder 1/4 spoon
Chili powder 1 spoon
Coriander seeds powder 1 spoon
Cumin seeds powder 2-3 spoons
Asafoetida 1/4 spoon
Mustard seeds 1/2 spoon
Cumin seeds 1/2 spoon
Garam masala powder 1/4 spoon
Curry leaves few
Sesame oil 1/4 cup.
Mehtod:
In a pressure cooker cook potatoes till tender. Then peel the skin off. Now cube them.
In a iron wok, heat oil. Add mustard, cumin, asafoetida and curry leaves to it. Let them pop and splutter well.
Now add potatoes to it. Give a quick stir, further add salt, turmeric, chili, coriander, cumin and garam masala powders to it.
Roast this set up over medium heat for long time. Turn them ocassionaly.
Serve warm as a side dish.
Labels: Potato
Achaari Bhindi:
Stir-Fried Okra pickles.
Ingredients:
Okra - sliced
Salt
Turmeric powder 1/4 spoon
Chili powder 1 spoon
Lemon juice few spoons
Sesame oil few spoons.
For Tempering:(optional)
Mustard/Sesame oil few spoons
Mustard seeds 1/4 spoon
Asafoetida 1 pinch
Dry red chilies 3
Curry leaves few
Achaari Powder:
To Be Toasted Each Seperately and Powdered Togather:
Mustard Seeds 1 spoon
Fenugreek Seeds 1 spoon
Coriander Seeds 1 spoon
Fennel Seeds 1/4 spoon(optional)
Cumin Seeds 1/4 spoon(optional)
Asafoetida 1/4 spoon.
Method:
In a wide pan, heat oil. Add sliced okras, salt, turmeric and chili powder. stir-fry till it turns crispy.
When the vegetable is 3/4 th done....add the achari powder. Now fry over high heat.
In a seperate sauce pan, heat oil. add tempering items. Now run this sesaonning over the above 'poriyal' made.
Fianlly squeeze lemon juice on top. Serve warm as a side dish for south/north Indian meals.
Labels: Okra, Pickle/Thokku
Keerai Kootu:
Ingredients:
Turnip greens/Mustard greens along with stem chopped
Thoor/ Moong/ chana dal 1/4 cup
Green chilies 3 finely chopped
Onion 1 finely chopped
Garlic 6 cloves chopped
Ginger 2" peeled and chopped
Tomatoes 1-2 fienly chopped
Salt
Turmeric powder 1/4 spoon
Chili powder 1/2 spoon
Mustard seeds 1/4 spoon
Cumin seeds 1/2 spoon
Asafoetida 1/4 spoon
Curry leaves few
Oil few spoons.
Method:
Cook any one of the dal(thuvar/moong/chana dal) in a pressure cooker.
Roughly chop the greens.
In a large wok/handi, heat oil. Add chilies, let it crackle well.
Then add ginger and garlic, fry real good...till its raw odour leaves.
Add onions and salt. Fry till onions turn to golden color.
Now add tomatoes, cover and cook. Once tomatoes wilt, stir-in finely chopped vegetables.
Fry for few minutes, maybe till the vegetables coats oil. Add cooked dal(lentils).
Cover and cook over medium heat.
When the vegetable is done soft and much of the moisture is absorbed, remove from heat.
Heat oil, in a seperate pan...add mustards, cumin, asafoetida and curry leaves to it.
Allow it to crackle well. Now run this seasoning over the 'kootu' prepared above.
Serve warm as a side dish for South Indian Meals or as a subzi for chappathi/roti.
Dhum Aloo:
Ingredients:
Baby potatoes 6-8
Onion paste 1 cup
Ginger-garlic paste 2spoons(freshly prepared)
Tomato puree 1 cup
Cashew nuts paste 2-4 spoons
Coconut milk 1/4 cup(optional)
Salt
Turmeric powder 1/4 spoon
Chili powder 1 spoon
Coriander seeds powder 1 spoon
Gram masala powder 1/2 spoon
Yogurd 2 spoons(optional)
Ghee few spoons
Cilantro leaves to garnish.
Method:
Peel the baby potatoes skin and make a deep pores using a fork or needles. Then leave them in cold water until told.
Now in a kadai, heat ghee. Add onions paste, ginger garlic paste and fry real good. Maybe till its raw odour is gone.
Then add tomato puree to it, and fry for few more minutes. Maybe till oil shows up on top.
Add salt, turmeric, chili, coriander and garam masala powders to it now.
Toss potatoes too. Let this coat oil to all sides.
Add yogurts, cashew paste and 2 cups of water. Cover and cook till the vegetabel is done.
Serve warm with chappathis or rotis. Garnsih with cilantro leaves.
Mango Salsa:(Mexican Style)
Ingredients:
Mango ripe and frim 1-2
Toamto 1 large
Green peppers 1-2
Red Peppers 1-2
Capsicum/Bell peppers 1
Cilantro leaves few
Salt
Method:
Deseed mango and peel off. Chop them roughly.
Deseed the peppers and fienly chopped
Then now toss everything togather and let this sit for 2 hours in fridge. When its kind of comes togather, its ready.
Serve chilled with Corn chips as an evenning dip!
Labels: Dip
Baked Naan:
Ingredients:
All purpose flour/maida flour 1 cup
Salt
Sugar 1 spoon
Milk few spoons
Yeast 2 spoons
Warm water to knead
Ghee 2 spoons
Dry working flour little.
Method:
In a wide bowl. Add warm water, salt, sugar, ghee, milk and yeast to it. Let this come to frothy stage.
Now add flour to this little by little and make a soft dough. Cover with wet cloth on the top.
Let thsi sit over for 7 hours. Or till th edough comes to 3 fold.
Now make equal parts out of it. Knead gently and grill or bake them till its done.
Serve with rich gravy.
Labels: Indian Bread
Fish Biriyani:
Ingredients:
Cinnamon sticks 2-4
Cloves 5
Cardamom pods 5
Bay leaves 3
Biryani flower 2
Marathi mokku 3
Ghee 2 cup
Green chillies 6-8 slitted
One large onion finely sliced
3-4 ripe tomato finely chopped
Mint one cup
Lemon juice 2-4 spoons
Ginger-garlic paste 4-6 spoon
Coriander leaves 4-6 twigs- chopped
Curd half cup
Rice 3 cups(Basmathi rice)
Firm and fresh fish fillets 4-6
Salt to taste
Red chili powder 1-2
Method:
Add 1 spoon of ginger-garlic paste, lemon juice, curd and few mint leaves. Now coat this marination over fish fillets. Maybe for 20 minutes minimum.
Then heat up oil in a shallow frying pan. Fry fish till it done crispy and aromatic.
Pour generously ghee in the pressure cooker and bring it to smoky hot...now add the spices one by one...cinnamon, cardamom, bay leaves, cloves, maratti mokku and birinji flower to it. Let them fry for a while.
Add chillies, and wait till it splutters.
Followed by onion and remaining ginger-garlic paste. Fry them well till its raw smell leaves.
Now add tomatoes, coriander leaves and mint. Fry them until all water content evaporates and oil shows up in the top.
Add food color(optional), salt and red chili power. Semi cook them without adding any water....until the raw smell of chili powder goes.
Now add water 5 cups of water and bring it to boil followed by rice. Pressure cook them over medium heat till one whistle or two maximum. Let the rice be only 3/4 th done.
Now toss the fried fish in biriyani and let this stand in dhum for another 10 minutes.
Garnish with roasted cashew nuts.
Serve hot with onion raita or brinjal serva.
Labels: Fish, Main Dish - Rice
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