14.11.07
Chai Ice Tea:
Ingredients:
Tea leaves 2 spoons
Cinnamon 2 sticks
Cloves 3
Cardamom pods 3 crushed
Star anise 1
Mint leaves 10 crushed and bruised
Ginger 2" peeled & grated
All spice 1-2
Water 1 cup
Whole Milk 2 cups
Honey 4-6 spoons
Ice cubes few.
Method:
Boil water and add all the above mentioned spices & tea to it(first 8 ingredients)
Bring this to boil. Let it turn to deep reddish brown color and aromatic.
Now decant the liquid.
Add sugar/honey and milk to this.
Serve chilled.
Mango Litchi Salad:
Ingredients:
Mango ripe 1 large
Litchis 1 bunch/ 1 can
Sugar/honey few spoons.
Mehtod:
Slice and toss them togather, sprinkle sugar and serve chilled.
Labels: Salad/Pachadi
Bitter Gourd Soup:
Ingredients:
Bitter gourd 1 medium sized
Vegetable broth 4 cups
Salt as per taste
Pepper 1 spoon
Soy mushroom sauce few spoons
Scalion 1 fienly chopped(optional)
Butter 1/4 of a cube.
Method:
Scrape away the serrated outer part and vertically cut the vegetable. Now deseed them. Then slice them thinly.
Sprinkle little bit of salt and lemon juice to it. Set aside for a while. Then squeeze the excess water.
In a crock pot, melt butter. Saute' scalion and bitter gourd slices for a while.
Add salt, pepper, soy mushroom sauce and vegetable broth. Continue cooking till the veggie is done.
Serve warm as a starter.
Labels: Bitter Gourd, Soup
Eggplant Masala:
Ingredients:
To Be Fried in Oil Each Separately And Wet-Ground to Paste:
Coriander seeds 2 spoons
Chana dal 2 spoons
Urad dal 2 spoons
Dry red chilies 6
Fenugreek seeds 1-2 spoons
Whole black pepper 1 spoon
Cinnamon 2 sticks
Cloves 3
Cumin seeds 1 spoon
Dry coconut grated 1/4 cup
Asafoetida.
For Pan Frying:
Onion 1 paste
Tomato 1-2 chopped/puree
Thai Eggplants 8 with stalk(slitted twice)
Salt - little
Turmeric powder 1 pinch
Jaggery 2-4 spoons
Tamarind paste 1/2 spoon
Oil few spoons.
For Sesonning:
Ghee few spoons
Mustard 1/2 spoon
Cumin 1/2 spoon
Asafoetida 1/2 spoon
Curry leaves few
Coriander leaves - for garnishing.
Method:
In a sauce pan, heat oil and stir-in onions, tomatoes and egg-plants. Saute them real good.
Add salt, turmeric, jaggery, tamarind paste and wet-ground masala now. Cover and cook till the veggies are done. (The tamarind milk should get thickened, the masala's raw smell should leave the pan.)
In a separate pan, heat ghee. Add sesonning ingredeients one by one. Wait till they pop and splutter.
Now run this sesonning over the gravy made. Mix them once again thoroughly. Garnish with cilantro leaves!
Serve warm with steamed rice for lunch. Enjoy!
Labels: Brinjal/ Egg-Plant
Shrimps Vadai:
Ingredients:
Shrimps/Prawn shelled 200 grams
Chana dal 1 cup(soaked in water 45 min)
Ginger-garlic paste 3 spoons
Curry leaves 3-4 twigs (chopped)
Salt
Onions very finely chopped 1-2 bowls
Green chilies finely chopped 2-3 spoon
Finely chopped ginger 1-2 spoons
Chopped mint leaves few
Chopped coriander leaves few
Curry leaves fienly chopped few
Rice flour 2-4 spoons
Oil for frying.
Powder these together:
Dry red chilies 10
Fennel seeds 2 spoons
Salt
Method:
0. shred the shrimps/ finely chop them and set aside.
1. Wet grind coarsely the soaked chana dal. Mix with ginger - garlic paste. Mix the shrimps as well.
2.Mix curry leaves and powdered masal together. The dough should be tight. At the same time not too hard.
3. One can add few spoons of rice powder to it....to get the crispy outer layer.
4. Further add onions, green chilies, coriander, curry and mint leaves too. Mix well and leave it in fridge for about an hour.
5. In a deep pan, heat oil. Make roundels of the dough prepared. Fry them in oil. Maintain the stove on medium flame. The roundels should be thin here. Never make it bulby as we usually do for regular vadas. Fry till reddish brown.
This is kind of heavy snack.....usually served along with warm green tea. It can be treated as side dish as well
Peerkankai Korma:
Ingredients:
Ridge Gourd/Ribbed Gourd/Chinese Okra 1
Onions 2 finely chopped
Tomato 2 finely chopped
Fresh ginger paste 2 spoons
Fresh garlic paste 2 spoons
Green chilies 3 slitted
Curry leaves 3 twigs
Cloves 3
Cinnamon 3
Cardamom 3 pods
Fennel seeds 1 - 2 spoons
Bay leaves 2
Cas cas milk few spoons(2 spoons of cas cas wet ground...maybe after soaked in warm water)
Fresh coconut 1 (chopped and wet ground to thick milk)
Oil 1 cup
Salt
Turmeric powder 1/2 spoon
Chili powder 1 -2 spoons
Oil few spoons
Cilantro leaves few to garnish.
Method:
Slightly scrape the ridge gourd and chop them roughly.
In a pan heat oil, add cloves, cinnamon, cardamom, fennel seeds, bay leaves, curry leaves and green chilies. Fry them for a while.
Now add onions and fry till golden brown.
Then add ginger - garlic paste to it. Fry them till its raw smell leaves.
Later add tomatoes and fry till it looses its water content.
Now add salt, turmeric, chili powder and gourd. Cover and cook over medium heat.
Further add 2 cups of water and continue cooking.
When the vegetable is done...add cas cas milk and thick coconut milk to this. Let it boil 3-5 times.
Garnish with cilantro leaves.
Serve this hot along with chapathis.One can try this even with dosa, appam, poori or even plain rice too.
Labels: Qorma, Ridge Gourd
Mango Payasam:
Ingredients:
Mango ripe, juicy and large 1-2
Jaggery 1 cup
Cashew nuts 10-15(split ted)
Raisins 15-20
Green cardamom seeds powder 1 spoon
Milk 300 ml(optional)
Fresh coconut first milk 1 litre
Ghee 1 cup
Grated coconut few spoons.
Method:
0. Cook mago pulp for about 7 minutes and mash it. Do not blend to puree or too chunky as well.
1. In a pan heat ghee and fry cashew nuts till golden color and set aside.
2. In the same ghee fry raisins till they pop-up and set them aside too.
3. In a deep bottomed non-stick vessel add chunky mango fruit paste along with milk. Cover and cook over medium flame. Never attempt to add any water. Cook only by using milk.
4. In the separate pan, heat jaggery along with one cup of water. Let it come to syrup consistency.
5. Once the pulp turns glossy, add jaggery and cardamom powder to it.
6. When it is 3/4 done add fresh coconut milk, cashew nuts and raisins to it. cook without cover. Until coconut milk reduced into half.
7. Never use watery coconut milk. Use only first milk....i.e., wet grind coconut pieces using minimal water and squeeze for thick extract. And immediately discard the squeezed coconut. Never use any further water in to order to extract milk from it again.
8. Let it be in runny consistency. Remove from stove.
Serve chilled, garnish with grated coconut just before serving.
Nandu Rasam:
Crab Rasam. Kekra-Imili Ki Shorba.
Ingredients:
Crab with Shells(preferably)
Tamarind (gooseberry size)
Garlic 1 whole head - peeled and semi crushed
Dry red chilies 6-8 broken
Curry leaves few
Salt
Turmeric powder 1/4 spoon
Whole peppercorns 1/4 spoon
Cumin seeds 1/4 spoon
Asafoetida 1/4 spoon
Mustard seeds 1/2 spoon
Freshly ground - pepper powder 1 spoon
Freshly ground cumin powder 1 spoon
Sesame oil few spoons.
Method:
Soak tamarind pulp in warm water for 20 minutes. Then using your hands...mash it and extract thick milk. Add 2-4 cups of water to this and set aside.
In a deep iron wok, heat few spoons of oil. Add garlic and dry red chilies.
Add washed and cleaned crab, saute for few minutes.
Then add tamarind water. Add salt, turmeric and rasam powder(pepper+cumin powders) to it. Bring this to boil.
Meanwhile....heat a small iron pan. Add oil and wait till its smoky hot. Now add mustard, cumin, whole pepper, asafoetida and curry leaves. Let it pop and splutter well.
Now run this sesonning over the rasam.
Serve steaming hot along with palin steam cooked rice. Good choice during rainy days.
Egg Rice Noodles:
Ingredients:
Rice noodles 1 box
Eggs 4 large
Vegetable oil few spoons
Salt
White pepper 1-2 spoons
Jalapenos 1-2 deseed, chopped
Scalion 1 small finely chopped
Green onions 1 bunch chopped
Method:
Cook rice noodles as said in the directions and wash with cold water, strain and drain it. Set aside.
In a wide skillet, heat oil. Add jalapenos and scalions fry real good, set aside.
In the same oil, crack eggs and scramble real well. Add salt and pepper too.
Now stir-in cooked noodles and fried jalapenos + scalions to it. Toss real good.
Serve warm as a main dish.
Chow Chow Sambar:
Chayote Sambar. Tamil Nadu Vegetable Sambar.
Ingredients:
Chow chow 3(peeled and roughly chopped)
Thoor Dal 1 cup
Onion 1 large
Tomato 1 large
Salt
Turmeric powder 1/4 spoon
Chili powder 1 spoon
Sambar Powder(home made) 1-2 spoons
Tamarind paste 1 spoon
Ghee or oil few spoons
Cilantro leaves to garnish.
For Tempering:
Mustard seeds 1/2 spoon
Cumin seeds 1/2 spoon
Asafoetida 1/4 spoon
Curry leaves few
Ghee/ Oil few spoons.
Method:
In a pressure cooker, add thoor dal + salt + few spoons of oil. Pressure cook till tender. Maybe for 3-6 whistles.
Now set this dal aside.
In a large crock pot, heat ghee. Add onions and fry till it is transluscent.
Then add toamtoes and fry till they turn pulpy. Add salt, turmeric and chili powder to this. Fry for 2 minutes.
Now stir-in chopped chow chow and stir-fry for 2 minutes. Maybe till the oil coats.
Add cooked thoor dal now. Cover and cook till the veggies are done.
When the veggies are done, add tamarind paste, samabar powder and cilantro leaves. Bring this to boil once. Then transfer the contents to display ware.
In a seperate pan, heat oil and fry the tempering items in it. Then run this seasonning over the sambar prepared.
Labels: Sambar
Saffron Risotto:
Ingredients:
Italian rice/Arborio rice 1 cup
Vegetable broth 2 cups
Saffron 1/4 spoon
Milk few spoons
Salt
Butter a cube
Cheese 1 cup shredded
Saffron few strands to garnish.
Method:
Wet grind 1/4 spoon of saffron with milk and make a thick paste, set aside.
In a heavy bottomed skillet, melt butter. Stir-in rice....let the rice coat oil thoroughly.
Add enough salt and vegetable broth to it. Cover and cook over low-sim heat.
When the rice is half the way done, add saffron milk and continue cooking.
When rice is done without any liquid, add cheese. Mix thoroughly.
Garnish with saffron strands. Enjoy!
Labels: Main Dish - Rice
Cashew Candy:
Cashew Nuts Halwa.
Ingredients:
Cashewnuts 1 bowl full
Milk 1 cup
Sugar 1 bowl full
Saffron 1/2 spoon(optional)I didnt use any today
Ghee 1 cup.
Method:
1. Soak cashew nuts in warm milk for 20-30 minutes.
2. Blend this soaked cashew to thick puree. One should add only milk while grinding it to paste.
3. Optional step: Separately mix saffron to few spoons of milk and grind it. One can do this with simple mortar and pestle manually than a blender.
4. In a non-stick pan add ghee. Try to maintain the whole process on low flame only.
6. Now add sugar and 1/2 cup of water....bring the syrup to pearl consistency.
7. To this syrup add cashew paste and saffron. Constant stirring with well greased wooden spatula is advised. Better smear the spatula with ghee before hand.
8. Once the Halwa consistency is achieved transfer it to well greased container. Smear the container preferably with ghee.
The shelf life is more than a month. If refrigerated it stay long till 3-4 months.
Brussels Sprouts Salad:
Mini Cabbage Salad.
Ingredients:
Mini cabbage/Brussels Sprouts 1/4 kilo
Salt
lemon juice
Jalapenos 2 deseed
Olive oil few spoons
Black mustards few(optional)
Method:
Shredd brussel's sprouts and set aside. Slice jalapenos too.
Heat oil, crackle mustards. Add jalapenos and sprouts to it. Sprinkle salt and lemon juice. Cover and cook for 2 minutes over medium.
Yeah done? Remove fro heat. Serve as a salad. Drizzle few more extra spoons of EVOO.
Celery Soup:
Celery Thin Soup
Ingredients:
Fresh Celery with leaves - 4 tender ones(pluck from the middle)
Soy sauce
Vegetable broth(home made, low sodium) 2-4 cups
Salt
White and black pepper to taste
Butter 1/2 cube.
Method:
Melt butter, Add sliced celery sticks alone. Saute for few minutes.
Add salt and veg broth to it. Bring this to boil.
Add soy sauce, pepper and leaves. Remove from heat.
Perfect for weight watchers!
Potato Fritters:Corn Fritters:
Ingredients:
Golden potatoes 2 large
All purpose flour 1-2 fistful
Salt
White pepper powder 1-2 spoons
Jalapenos 3 finely chopped
Scalion 1 small finely chopped
Egg whites 2
Cilantro/Parsley leaves few
Oil for shallow frying.
Method:
Wash and pat dry the golden potatoes. Peel the skin off. Now grate the potato using food processor.
Sprinkle little salt and lemon juice and set aside for a while. Then spread them in a clean white cheese cloth. Now squeeze them to remove excess water content from them.
Combine the other ingredients except oil tot his well squeezed shredded potatoes. Set them in frifge for about 2 whole hours.
Heat oil in a shallow pan. About an inch level.
Now make flat triangle shaped fritters using wet towels/palm.
Shallow fry them till golden color both the sides evenly. Fry 1-3 fritters at a time. Leave them on kitchen tissues for a while.
Serve warm with tomato ketchup.
Labels: Potato
Corn Raita:
Ingredients:
Corn 1 small cup (fresh/frozen)
Yogurts 2-3 cups
Oil 1-2 spoons.
Wet-Grind These:
Cashewnuts 4-6
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:
Steam cook corn for about 5-7 minutes. Add little salt tot his steaming water. Set aside.
Now wet grind cashews, coconut, green chili, salt and 1/4 cup of curd.
Combine corn 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.
Chana Korma:
Kondaikadalai Korma.
Ingredients:
Brown/black small chana(garbonza)
Onions 2 finely chopped
Tomato 2 finely chopped
Fresh ginger paste 2 spoons
Fresh garlic paste 2 spoons
Green chilies 3 slitted
Curry leaves 3 twigs
Cloves 3
Cinnamon 3
Cardamom 3 pods
Fennel seeds 1 - 2 spoons
Bay leaves 2
Cas cas milk few spoons(2 spoons of cas cas wet ground...maybe after soaked in warm water)
Fresh coconut 1 (chopped and wet ground to thick milk)
Oil 1 cup
Salt
Turmeric powder 1/2 spoon
Chili powder 1 -2 spoons
Oil few spoons
Cilantro leaves few to garnish.
Method:
Soak chana overnight or atleast 7 hours ahead cooking. Always soak them with enough water inside the fridge....never on the kitchen counter.(the water may get fermented)
Now pressure cook with the same water, add salt and little bit of turmeric and oil to this. Cook just till one whistle sounds.
Now set aside. Do not throw the chana cooked water. Retain it for further cooking.
In a pan heat oil, add cloves, cinnamon, cardamom, fennel seeds, bay leaves, curry leaves and green chilies. Fry them for a while.
Now add onions and fry till golden brown.
Then add ginger - garlic paste to it. Fry them till its raw smell leaves.
Later add tomatoes and fry till it looses its water content.
Now add salt, turmeric, chili powder and cooked chana along with its water. Cover and cook over medium heat.
When the chana is done...add cas cas milk and thick coconut milk to this. Let it boil 3-5 times.
Garnish with cilantro leaves.
Serve this hot along with chapathis. One can try this even with dosa, appam, poori or even plain rice too.
Labels: Qorma
Bread Dipped in Omlette:
Ingredients:
Bread 2-4 slices
Eggs 2
Milk 1/4 cup
Salt
Chili 2 grated
Onion grated 1 bulb
Ginger garlic paste 1/4 spoon
Pepper 1/4 spoon
Butter 1 cube.
Method:
Mix all the above said ingredients except butter and bread. Bring them to frothy condition.
Now heat up a griddle, smear butter, dip each bread slice in the mixure...and toast them up!
Serve warm as a break fast!
Vegetable Cheese Rice:
Ingredients:
Arborio Rice/Italian 1 cup
Carrots 1 small finely chopped
Peas 1 fisful
Jalapenos 1-2 finely chopped
Scalion 1 small finely chopped
Salt
White pepper 1 spoon
Black pepper 1 spoon
Cheese as per taste
Vegetable oil few spoons.
Method:
Cook rice with little bit of salt and oil in it. Spread them in a tray to get well seperated stiff rice.
In a wide skillet, heat oil.Add jalapenos and scalions to it. Fry real good till golden color.
Then add carrots and peas to it. Cover and cook for 2-4 minutes.
Followed by rice, salt, white and black pepper. Fry real good over high heat without lid.
Now stir-in cheese. Maybe not at one corner, crumble at all the sides and give a quick toss. Let it melt real good.
Serve warm as a main dish.
Labels: Carrot, Main Dish - Rice
Chicken Kuzhambu:
Hot Pepper Chicken Kuzhambu. Milagu Kozhi Kuzhambu. Miriyalu Kodi Pulusu.
Ingredients:
Chicken Large Pieces 2-4
Purple Onion 1 large chopped
Tomatoes 2 large finely chopped
Ginger 2" chopped
Garlic 2 whole heads - peeled & chopped
Curry leaves a fistful
Green chilies 3 slitted
Salt
Turmeric 1/4 spoon
Chili powder 1-2 spoons
Coriander powder 1 spoon
Pepper powder - hand pounded coarsely 2 spoons
Whole peppercorns few
Sesame oil 1/4 cup.
Method:
In a wok, heat oil. Add whole peppers, curry leaves, chilies, ginger and garlic. Fry real good!
Maybe the pepper should pop,curry leaves turn crispy, chilies crack a little, ginger and garlic turn aromatic!
Yeah...now turn in onions and fry then till golden color.
Add tomatoes and wait till they wilt.
Further add salt, turemric, chili and coriander powders. Give a quick turn.
Add chicken and wait till it coats up oil at all the sides and turns opaque as well!
Add 1/2 spoon of pounded pepper now! Then followed by 1 cup of water. Slow cook over medium.
When the chicken is half the way done, add another spoon of pepper(hand pounded). Cover and continue cooking!
When the gravy thickens and oil shows up on top....add remaining 1/2 spoon of pepper.
Serve warm to go with rice. Wow....pepper chicken kuzhambu is simply unbeatable. No ghaat spices here! So enjoy!
Labels: Chicken
Cheesy Brocoli Cream Soup:
Ingredients:
For The Shell:
All Purpose flour
Baking salt & soda
Salt
Butter few cubes.
For Soup:
Fresh cut broccoli florets 1 cup
Veg or chicken broth 1 cup
Corn Starch 2-4 spoons
All purpose flour 2 spoon
Half n Half(tetra pack milk)4 cups
Butter 1-2 cubes
Salt as per taste
White pepper to sprinkle
Grated cheese to garnish.
Method:
Make a smooth dough using the above ingredients. Now drizzle little oil on the back side of your muffin tray.
Now make equal parts out of the above dough. Flatten them over the back side of the muffin tray(which is eventually greesed)
Bake them.
Serves as a cup!
In a shallow pan, melt butter. Add flour and corn starch to it. Saute' them for 2 minutes or maybe till they turn to golden color.
Now add chicken or veg broth to this. Bring it to boil. When it is almost half the way reduced....add half and half and continue boiling.
Let this acheive to rich creamy soup like consistency. now sti-in cut broccoli florets. Bring this to boil once or twice. Do not over-cook the florets.
Serve warm with melted cheese on it. Sprinkle salt and pepper before serving. Serve with one of those shells made above. Enjoy!
Labels: Soup
Karaari Karela:
Careless solo cooking! Bittter Gourd Karaari. Pavakkai Poriyal.
Ingredients:
Bitter Gourd 4
Salt
Turmeric powder 1/4 spoon
Chili powder 1 spoon
Mustard seeds 1/4 spoon
Oil few spoons.
Method:
Chop bitter gourd roughly. Add salt and set aside.
After a while...it gathers little water. Squeeze that away.
Well...now heat a wok, add oil. Splutter the mustard seeds in it.
Add gourd, salt, turmeric and chili powder. Cover and cook over medium for 4 minutes.
Then remove lid and cook over high for few more minutes.
Done!? Okay....can be served with steamed rice.
Labels: Bitter Gourd
Celery Omlette:
Health Cooking ha ha:)
Ingedients:
Anything that is green!
Eggs 3
Celery 1-2 finely chopped
Cilantro leaves
Jalapenos 1 deseed
Tomato chopped few(optional)
Salt
Ginger
Oil few spoons.
Method:
Grind jalapenos, ginger and cilantro leaves. To this add salt, chopped celery, tomato and egg whites/whole eggs.
Make a thin/thick omlette.
Best for breakfast!
Labels: Eggs
Shrimps Biriyani:
Iral Biriyani. Era Biriyani. Roiyalu Biriyani. Prawn Biriyani.
When I was in Hyderabad, I hardly ever eat in the mess(hostel mess). Most of the time I managed with raw veggies and fruits. I hated hostel food....so very badly. Well....later I started cooking lightly in the room itself! Like I had one small electric stove and had few vessels to manage. On one particular day...myself and my friend Balaji went for a shopping, we came across some 'frozen shrimps' in the aisle.....we thought of cooking our own meal! Since....for biriyani all it takes is just one vessel and it was pretty handy for me to make this recipe. Though on the other day shrimp biriyani didnt turn out so well...as I expected...it was okay!
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)
Shrimps/Prawns medium sized 1/4 kilo
Salt to taste
Red chili powder 1-2
Method:
1. Add 1 spoon of ginger-garlic paste with shrimps. Further add salt +lemon juice + curd and set this aside/in fridge. Maybe for 20 minutes minimum.
2. 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.
3. Add chillies, and wait till it splutters.
4. Followed by onion and remaining ginger-garlic paste. Fry them well till its raw smell leaves.
5. Now add tomatoes, coriander leaves and mint. Fry them until all water content evaporates and oil shows up in the top.
4. Now start adding marinated shrimps to this and toss them well.
5. Add food color(optional), salt and red chili power. Semi cook them without adding any water....until the raw smell of chili powder goes.
6. 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. Never release the pressure before time. Let it be on dum for 10-15 minutes.
7. Garnish with roasted cashew nuts.
Serve hot with onion raita or brinjal serva.
Labels: Main Dish - Rice, Shrimps
Nuts Cutlet:
Ingredients:
Almonds 20 chopped
Cashew nuts 25 chopped
Pistachios 25 chopped
Potato 1 small - boiled, peeled and mashed
Green chilies 3-5 finely chopped(deseed, if you hate hot food)
Onion 1-2 large finely chopped
Coriander leaves 1 fistful - finely chopped
Salt
Cumin seeds powder 1-2 spoons
Garam masala powder 1/2 spoon
Corn flour 2 spoons
Egg whites from 2 eggs
Bread crumbs 2-4 spoons
Semolina 2-4 spoons
Oil for pan frying.
Method:
In a bowl, add salt, green chili, onion, mashed potato, coriander leaves, Cumin seeds powder, Garam masala powder and chopped nuts. Mix them thoroughly. Bring it to dough like consistency. Make equal parts out of it. Pat them into cutlet shape.
Now dip this cutlet in egg whites.(Egg whites should be well spread in a tray)
After dipping in egg white. Roll the cutlets over bread crumbs. (Bread crumbs must be well spread in a tray) Later dust little bit of semolina on the top.
In a pan spray oil. Fry 2-3 cutlets each time. Till they are golden to reddish brown color. Fry both the sides.
Serve hot with tomato sauce and chili sauce.
Labels: Potato
Green Peas Raita:
Ingredients:
Green Peas 1 small cup
Yogurts 2-3 cups
Oil 1-2 spoons.
Wet-Grind These:
Cashewnuts 4-6
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:
Steam cook fresh/frozen green peas for about 5-7 minutes. Maybe adding little salt to this steaming water will be a good idea. Set aside.
Now wet grind cashews, coconut, green chili, salt and 1/4 cup of curd.
Combine steamed peas 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.
Corn Fritters:
Ingredients:
Corn Kernels 1-2 cups
All purpose flour 1-2 fistful
Salt
White pepper powder 1-2 spoons
Jalapenos 3 finely chopped
Scalion 1 small finely chopped
Egg whites 2
Cilantro/Parsley leaves few
Oil for shallow frying.
Method:
In a wide bowl, bring all the above said ingrediens togather except oil. Mix them well and leave it in the refridgerator for about 2 hours.
Heat oil in a shallow pan. About an inch level.
Now make flat triangle shaped fritters using wet towels/palm.
Shallow fry them till golden color both the sides evenly. Fry 1-3 fritters at a time. Leave them on kitchen tissues for a while.
Serve warm with tomato ketchup.
Kal Dosai:(Country Style)
Kal dosai is something made with iron griddle. The dosai is not papper thin here....much like plain uthappam. The dosai seems to be very aromatic, makes wonderful combination with chettinad side dishes.
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
Iron Griddle.
Method:
Mix all the above said ingredients except salt, soda and oil. Soak them in water for about 5 hours.
Wet grind them....to thick and heavy 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 iron tawa. Take a table spoon full of batter and make a thick pancake. Maintain the stove on low flame only. Cover with lid.
Add few spoons of ghee or oil at the edges of the pancake. Do not turn to the other side, remove from heat, when it is done.
Serve warm along with chettinad chicken/mutton curry.
Labels: Dosa
Bitter Gourd Kootu:
Ingredients:
Bitter Gourd 300 grams
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 these dal(thuvar/moong/chana dal) in a pressure cooker.
Trim the ends of the gourd and finely chop them. One could deseed and scrape the serrations as well.
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.
Garnish with finely chopped cilantro leaves.
Serve warm as a side dish for South Indian Meals or as a subzi for chappathi/roti.
Labels: Bitter Gourd
Ridge Gourd Poricha Kootu
Peerkankai Poricha Kootu.
Ingredients:
Ridge gourd/ribber gourd/chinese okra 1 medium sized
Moong dal 1/2 cup
Salt
Turmeric powder 1/4 spoon
Ghee few spoons.
To be Fried in Ghee and Wet-Ground to Paste:
Ghee
Black pepper 1 spoon
Dry red chilies 4
Urad dal 2 spoons
Coconut grated 2 spoons
Cumin seeds 1 spoon.
For Tempering:
Mustard seeds 1/4 spoon
Cumin seeds 1/4 spoon
Urad dal 1/4 spoon
Asafoetida 1/4 spoon
Curry leaves few
Ghee few spoons.
Method:
Slightly scrape the ridges fromt he gourd and finely chop them.
Pressure cook dal with salt, turmeric and ghee. When dal is done soft, remove from heat.
Now bring the gourd in a deep pan. Add the above cooked dal to it. Cover and cook.
When the vegetable is done soft. Add the fried and wet-ground spice paste to it. Continue cooking for 5 more minutes.
In a shallow pan, heat ghee. Fry all the tempering items said above. Run this seasonning over the 'kootu' prepared.
Serve warm a side dish to Soutn Indian Meals.
Labels: Ridge Gourd
Bottle Gourd Kara kuzhambu
Ingredients:
Bottle gourd 1 small sized
Cricket ball size tamarind or 1 spoon of thick tamarind paste
Red onion 1 large finely chopped
Garlic 1 large peeled and semi crushed
Tomato 1 large chopped
Jaggery or brown sugar 1 spoon
Salt
Turmeric powder 1/2 spoon
Chili powder 1 spoon
Rice powder 1 spoon
Sesame oil 1 cup
Mustard seeds 1 spoon
Cumin seeds 1 spoon
Fenugreek seeds 1/2 spoon
Chana dal 1/2 spoon
Urad dal 1/2 spoon
Asafoetida 1/2 spoon
Dry red chilies 3-5
Curry leaves few.
Method:
In a deep pan heat few spoons of oil. Add garlic, fry till its raw smell goes off. Further add onions, fry till they turn to golden brown color. Now add tomatoes, fry them till they loose their water content.
Now add salt, turmeric, chili powder, sugar/jaggery and rice powder. Blend them together.
Add chopped gourd. Fry them for a while. Maybe till they are kind of fried a little.
Then add tamarind paste and 2 cups of water.
Once the vegetable is done, gravy thickens, oil shows up on top....remove from heat.
In a separate pan, heat oil. Add mustard, cumin, asafoetida, fenugreek, chenna dal, urad dal, dry red chilies and curry leaves. Let them pop and splutter well. Run this seasoning over the gravy.
Serve this along with plain steamed rice. Run a spoon full of ghee over it.....just before serving.
Labels: Veg Kuzhambu
Okra Sambar:
Vendaikkai Sambar. Lady's Finger Sambar.Tamil Nadu Vegetable Sambar.
Ingredients:
Whole Okras 1/2 kilo - trim teh ends and chop roughly
Thoor Dal 1 cup
Onion 1 large
Tomato 1 large
Salt
Turmeric powder 1/4 spoon
Chili powder 1 spoon
Sambar Powder(home made) 1-2 spoons
Tamarind paste 1 spoon
Ghee or oil few spoons
Cilantro leaves to garnish.
For Tempering:
Mustard seeds 1/2 spoon
Cumin seeds 1/2 spoon
Asafoetida 1/4 spoon
Curry leaves few
Ghee/ Oil few spoons.
Method:
In a pressure cooker, add thoor dal + salt + few spoons of oil. Pressure cook till tender. Maybe for 3-6 whistles.
Now set this dal aside.
In a large crock pot, heat ghee. Add onions and fry till it is transluscent.
Then add toamtoes and fry till they turn pulpy. Add salt, turmeric and chili powder to this. Fry for 2 minutes.
Now stir-in chopped okras and stir-fry for 2 minutes. Maybe till the musilageneous nature leaves.
Add cooked thoor dal now. Cover and cook till the veggies are done.
When the veggies are done, add tamarind paste, samabar powder and cilantro leaves. Bring this to boil once. Then transfer the contents to display ware.
In a seperate pan, heat oil and fry the tempering items in it. Then run this seasonning over the sambar prepared.
Peerkankkai Dahl:
Ridge Gourd Dahl. Beerakai Pappu Chaaru.
Ingredients:
Ridge gourd/chinese okra 1 large
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 done soft and tender, set them aside.
Gently scrape away the serrations from ridge gourd. Washa nd pat dry them. Finely chop and set aside.
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 ridge gourds, tomatoes and cooked thoor dal to it. Cover and cook on medium heat.
When the veggie is done soft and tender, remove from heat.
Garnish with cilantro leaves.
Labels: Ridge Gourd
Lime Rice:
Kacha Neembu Ka Chaawal. Elimichankkai Saadham. Green lime's Rice.
Ingredients:
Raw rice 1 cup
Salt
Turmeric powder 2 pinch
Lime juice 1/2 cup
Mustard seeds 1/2 spoon
Cumin seeds 1/2 spoon
Chana dal 1 spoon
Urad dal 1 spoon
Asafoetida 1/4 spoon
Green chilies 6-8 slitted or chopped
Ginger skinned and chopped from 4-5 inch size
Curry leaves 1 cup
Cashew nuts 1 cup
Sesame oil 1/4 cup
Cilantro leaves few to garnish.
Method:
1. In a pressure pan boil 2 cups of water. Add salt, few spoons of oil and rice to it. Pressure cook till 2-3 whistles.
2. Spread the cooked rice in a wide tray. Allow them to cool. Let the rice be stiff and well separated.
3. In a pan heat oil. Add mustard, cumin, asafoetida, cashew nuts, chana and urad dal. Let them pop and splutter well. Add further ginger, chilies and curry leaves. Let them to come to crisp condition with good flavor.
4. Now add little salt, turmeric and lime juice. Let it come for a boil. Remove from stove.
5. Mix this above syrup to rice. Using hands or blunt spatula....mix them thoroughly. If needed add few spoons of hot oil. Set them aside for at least 1-2 hours.
Garnish with coriander leaves and fried curry leaves.....just before serving.
Labels: Main Dish - Rice
Keerai Thandu Sambar:
Tamil Nadu Vegetable Sambar. Greens Sambar. Saag Sambar.
Ingredients:
Green - along with stem, cut into bits.
Thoor Dal 1 cup
Onion 1 large
Tomato 1 large
Salt
Turmeric powder 1/4 spoon
Chili powder 1 spoon
Sambar Powder(home made) 1-2 spoons
Tamarind paste 1 spoon
Ghee or oil few spoons
Cilantro leaves to garnish.
For Tempering:
Mustard seeds 1/2 spoon
Cumin seeds 1/2 spoon
Asafoetida 1/4 spoon
Curry leaves few
Ghee/ Oil few spoons.
Method:
In a pressure cooker, add thoor dal + salt + few spoons of oil. Pressure cook till tender. Maybe for 3-6 whistles.
Now set this dal aside.
In a large crock pot, heat ghee. Add onions and fry till it is transluscent.
Then add toamtoes and fry till they turn pulpy. Add salt, turmeric and chili powder to this. Fry for 2 minutes.
Now stir-in greens along with stems and stir-fry for 2 minutes.
Add cooked thoor dal now. Cover and cook till the greens are done.
When the greens are done, add tamarind paste and samabar powder. Bring this to boil once. Then transfer the contents to display ware.
In a seperate pan, heat oil and fry the tempering items in it. Then run this seasonning over the sambar prepared.
Shrimps Kebab:
Ingredients:
Shrimps 100 grams fienly chopped(pink ones)
Egg 1 well beaten
Onion finely chopped
Green Chilies 5 - chopped
Chana soaked overnight & wet ground
Garlic 5-6 cloves
Ginger 2"
Cumin Seeds 1 spoons
Cardamoms 4 crushed
Cinnamon 2"
Whole Peppercorns 1/4 spoon
Cilantro leaves 1 bunch chopped roughly
Ghee for frying.
Method:
Wet grind ginger, garlic, cumin seeds, cardamoms, cinnamon, ginger, peppercorns and soaked gram dal all togather to thick paste.
Mix chopped shrimps and above paste togather.
Now mix well beaten egg to this above mixed thick paste. Prepare a uniform dough.
Add finely chopped green chillies, onion and cilantro leaves to dough.
Shape the dough into small round balls or kebabs.
Heat ghee and deep fry kebabs till golden brown and serve hot with mint chutney or ketchup.
Labels: Shrimps
13.11.07
Gobi Muttar Masala:
Cauliflower - Green Peas Masala.
Ingredients:
Cauliflower 1 small head(cut into florets)
Green peas 1 cup(fresh from the pod/frozen)
Green chilies 4 fienly chopped
Onion 1 large chopped
Ginger-garlic paste 1 spoon(fresh)
Tomatoes 2 chopped
Salt
Turmeric powder 1/4 spoon
Chili powder 1 spoon
Coriander seeds powder 1 spoon
Garam masala 1/2 spoon
Curry leaves few
Cashew nuts 15 halved
Cloves 2
Cinnamon 1 stick
Oil few spoons
Cilantro leaves to garnish.
Method:
Heat oil. Add cloves cinnamon, cashew nuts and green chilies. Let them crackle well.
Now add onions and bring to golden color. Followed by ginger-garlic paste...fry till its raw smell leaves the pan.
Now add toamtoes and wait till it becomes pulpy. Add cauliflowers and fresh peas. Saute for few minutes.
Further add salt, turmeric, chili, coriander and garam masala powders to it.
Cover and cook for a while. When the raw odour leaves the pan, oil shows up on sides and no moisture left...remove from heat.
Garnish with cilantro leaves.
Labels: Cauliflower
Turnips Korma:
Ingredients:
Turnips 1/2 kilo
Onions 2 finely chopped
Tomatoes 2 finely chopped
Fresh ginger paste 2 spoons
Fresh garlic paste 2 spoons
Green chilies 3 slitted
Curry leaves 3 twigs
Cloves 3
Cinnamon 3
Cardamom 3 pods
Fennel seeds 1 - 2 spoons
Bay leaves 2
Cas cas milk few spoons(2 spoons of cas cas wet ground...maybe after soaked in warm water)
Fresh coconut 1 (chopped and wet ground to thick milk)
Oil 1 cup
Salt
Turmeric powder 1/2 spoon
Chili powder 1 -2 spoons
Oil few spoons
Cilantro leaves few to garnish.
Method:
In a pan heat oil, add cloves, cinnamon, cardamom, fennel seeds, bay leaves, curry leaves and green chilies. Fry them for a while.
Now add onions and fry till golden brown.
Then add ginger - garlic paste to it. Fry them till its raw smell leaves.
Later add tomatoes and fry till it looses its water content.
Now add salt, turmeric, chili powder and turnips. Cover and cook over medium heat.
When the turnips are half the way done....add cas cas milk and thick coconut milk to this. Let it boil 3-5 times.
Garnish with cilantro leaves.
Serve this hot along with chapathis. One can try this even with dosa, appam, poori or even plain rice too.
Labels: Qorma
