The Dabba Express

MOONG DAL BONDA

2010-07-26T18:34:00.004+08:00

I like the discipline and nearly perfect way of life in Singapore. But there are certain things about home India that I miss very much ...like my friends...like my affectionate neighbours..who are such an integral part of my childhood and life.

I cherish memories of the Diwali sweets we shared...noisy b'day parties ..

Here I am starved for all that :( Everyone is so busy in their lives and a smile is all I can expect..UNLESS one of my friends drop in with her parcel aka kids..

Yes Saleha and I had a lovely late afternoon chat over the bondas...

RECIPE

Yellow moong dal 1 cup

Green chillies 4-6

Garlic 4-5 big pods

Cumin seeds 1 tsp

Sesame 2 tbpsn

Coriander leaves 1/2 cup (finely chopped)

Semolina 2 tbspn

Salt

Soak moong dal for a hour in warm water

Grind to coarse paste (with less water) along with garlic, green chilli and coriander leaves.

Now add the semolina, sesame and cumin seeds , salt.

Make small balls and deep fry .Serve with chutney of your choice or ketchup.

GINGER CHUTNEY/THOGAYAL

2010-07-17T13:31:00.006+08:00

Today a lazy saturday morning my brain is in no mood to play the 5 minute "what to cook today" game ..Yes this surely is my one of the top 5 activities for the morning...pick the right vegs and decide the menu....

So I decide to quick fix the lunch and voila made a ginger thogayal which I had tried a long time ago courtesy aunty. My husbands maternal aunt is a benovalant lady. I have always been touched by how much ppl do for others without expecting anything in return . A tru gem she is. She would prepare the yummiest of Iyer 'chapadus' lunches for all cousins... As we all gather to visit her tirelessly she would mix and grind the ingredients. The aroma of freshly ground masala sambhar and crisp alapalams would fill the air.

I have learnt many a things from her above all something that my dad always emphasised "neeki kar dariya mein dall" If I could transalate what he said in hindi "do good and forget it.Do not wait for the return". Well perima is a true standing testimony to this ...

Now for the recipe

Ginger 3/4 cup washed , peel and cut to long slices
Urad dal 3 tsp

Chana dal 1 tsp

Tur dal 1 tsp

Red chillies 3
Hing /asafoetida few pinches
Salt
Tamarind
Gingelly oil/Nala ennai (optional) 2 tspn

Take 1 tbspn oil in a pan and fry the dals , chillies with hing. Set aside when dals turn brown . Make sure you keep stirring to avoid from burning.
Now fry the ginger in the same oil for about5-7 mins on medium flame.
Now grind the ginger along with the remaining ingredients to a coarse paste. Add the salt and the gingelly oil.

You can do a tadka of mustard seeds if you like, just as some like the thogayal/chutney with tadka .You can serve this with rice and a curry and yummy lunch is ready. Goes well with dosa also.

SIMPLE GREEN GRAVY

2010-07-17T13:12:00.004+08:00

Our trip to Bintan was full of fun..a lovely beach side resort in Indonesia....lush green trees ...blue waters and complimentary massage...what else could I ask for :)

Much to my surprise ...I found a good variety of vegetarian dishes at the buffet which is a luxury in this part of the world...I thought I would have to survive on bread and fruits...

Thai food is very tasty ..its got the right mix of spice and tangy taste a sure treat to my taste buds...... We had pinepapple rice , raw mango salad ...healthy sprouts salad and noodles... The dish I loved best was the green gravy /sauce...From my observation I saw they use peanuts , coconut , spinach , sprouts , not to mention the green and red chilli padi in PLENTY !!

I have added and omitted vegetables as per my liking ...You could like we do in pav bhaji or aviyal add the vegs of your choice...

Now for the recipe

For the vegs take a cup of chopped carrots, beans , capsicum , potato, peas

Boil and strain the water. Set aside the vegs.

For thr gravy

Coriander leaves 1 cup

Green chilli 3-4

Garlic 2 big pods

Coconut 1 tbspn.. You could use the coconut milk but I prefer the coconut to be ground well .

Peppercorn 1/2 tspn

Crushed peanuts 1/2 a cup

Grind the ingredients of gravy (expect the peanuts)to a fine paste with little stock saved from boiling the vegs

Heat Oil abt 1 tbspn and add the paste. Saute well on medium flame. Stir to ensure it does not stick and burn.

After about 2 mins toss in the vegs and 2 tbspn of stock . Add salt and cook for 3 minutes.

Remove from stove. Before you serve you can add the crushed peanuts...

Enjoy :)

7 GRAIN LADOO

2010-07-09T19:49:00.005+08:00

Back from slumber...There has been a lot happening ..that has kept me away from action ......THANKS for checking on me my dear friends... :)

Lets make a sweet start again ..and a healthy one at that ....
I found this super healthy multi grain flour... 6 grains blended with wheat ...I read the blend and loved it.. I tried out ladoos and they taste as good and are more powerpacked with protein and nutrients. Healthy snack for kids ...

Here goes the recipe:

1.5 cup of multi grain flour (7 grain atta)
1 cup powdered sugar
8-10 powdered cardomom
3/4 cup ghee (clarified butter)

You can add kaju, kismis or any dry fruits of your choice...

Melt ghee on a pan and set aside. Dry roast the flour (1.5 cup) on low flame for about 8-10 minutes. Aroma will rise and the raw smell of the flour must leave.

Reduce the flame and add the ghee. Mix well for about 6 minutes. Now remove from flame and add in the cardomom and sugar. Keep mixing and folding with spoon.

Leave the mixture to cool for few minutes. When its ok to handle , take spooonful and give it a nice round shape. .. Laddoos are ready ...

As always offer to the LORD and enjoy...healthy ladoos...

HORSEGRAM- KOLU THOGAYAL

2010-04-26T19:50:00.005+08:00

I was introduced to Horse gram thogayal/chutney by my dear friend Priyanka.
I loved this version of thogayal/chutney. Truly a welcome change , no coconut .

A sweetheart she is , we share all the news..from toy land to cruise trips :) Shes tough competition and can beat me hollow in talking... hee hee Thanks dear for all the nice times we share . May Lord bless you with all the happiness and may you be content always.

I understand Kolu reduces bad cholestrol. So she recommends it strongly and has labelled it HEALTHY,It is also believed to create heat in the body.

Ingredients
Kolu/Horse gram 1 cup
Oil
Garlic 2 big pods
Small onion 1 cup
Tomato 1 big chopped
Coriander seeds 2 tbspn
Green chillies 3
Tamarind extract 2 tbspn
Salt

Take 1 cup of horse gram/kolu. Soak overnight. Pressure cook for 4 whistles with 3 green chillies.

In 1 tsp of oil roast coriander seeds and set aside. Now roast garlic ,small onion, tomato slices. Blend tamarind extract, roasted ingredients and cooked kolu(horse gram). Add salt.

Now you can do a tadka. In gingelly oil add mustard seeds and urad dal.
When seeds splutter add to the chutney.

This can be mixed with rice or enjoy as side with adai, dosa.

RED BEAN SALAD

2010-04-24T19:37:00.003+08:00

I had a pack of karamani, or the red beans waiting for my attention. So I decided to try a wholesome healthy salad, which would double up as my evening snack too....

These days I have become a big fan of lettuce leaves and am now eager to try most salad dressings available in NTUC. I liked the Kraft dressings very much ..just a perfect blend of herbs..some with tofu pieces soaked in olive oil ...hmmmmm

Ingredients

Red beans 1 cup

Tomatoes 1 big chopped

Onion 1 medium chopped

Lettuce leaves 1/2 a cup chopped

Coriander leaves 1/4 cup

peanuts roasted and crushed 1/4 cup

Lime juice/salad dressing 2 tbspn

Salt

Chaat Masala 1/2 tspn

Fruits (optional)

Soak red beans(karamani) overnight.Pressure cook the red beans to 3 whistles.Strain the water from the beans and set aside. Chop onion, tomatoes, corainder leaves, lettuce leaves. You can include few fruits of your choice. I had apples and grapes. So i chopped them and added to my salad.

Take a bowl and add in the chopped vegs, fruits and the cooked beans. Add salt, chat masala. You can now add lime juice or any salad dressing to this. Toss well and keep in refrigerator for about 10 minutes. Just before you serve you can add crushed peanuts as a garnish. For salad lovers this is a true treat. Can be a superb afternoon or evening snack.

CHANA DAL VADA

2010-04-22T16:25:00.006+08:00

Dal vada is an age old recipe and in most households made on all occassions. Diwali, navratri, birthday, weddings and all almost all pooja offerings and sathi (elaborate lunch) feature the vada. Vada is a crispy yummy snack mostly made from udad dal , chana dal or a combination of many dals.

I made the chana dal vada as an offering to the Lord. Enjoy the recipe. Simple and quick

Chana dal 1 cup

Red chillies 3-4

Green chillies 2

Curry leaves 8-10

Hing/asafoetida 1/4 tspn

Rice 2 tsp

Urad dal 2 tsp

Salt

Oil

Soak chana dal for 4 hours. Grind all the ingredients to a coarse paste.Do not add water while grinding.Take 2 spoonful of ground mixture and pat on a butter paper or in your palm.

Deep fry vadas to brown colour. Cook on medium flame and ensure the vadas are cooked well inside.

AVAL PAYASAM

2010-04-21T16:57:00.004+08:00

Its almost a week since the onset of new year. I had too many things to juggle. So my prasadam for the Lord Krishna was simple and saral.I made the avil /aval/beaten rice flakes payasam..sweet pudding. Its yummy and quick to make.

Do you know the story of Sudhama, and why poha has a special significance in offering to Krishna. Sudhama and Krishna were friends and studied together in the gurukul. Back in those days all children grew up in the teachers house. One day guru ma (teacher's wife) asked Krishna and Balaram to collect wood for fire, from the forest. When they did not return in the evening she then sent Sudhama with some food for them. It was dark and Sudhama wandered in the woods looking for his dear friend Krishna.

Then it started pouring and all 3 sat under a tree. Sudhama stealthily started eating all the food.Krishna asked what noise is that to which Sudhama said his teeth were making the noise as it is too cold...Krishna, the all prevaling knew what was going on.

Many years later Krishna went back to his palace and Sudhama a brahmin lived a miserable life in poverty. His children and wife suffered. His wife suggested one day that he must meet Krishna and seek his help, coz he was a King. Sudhama was reluctant but he wanted to seek help for his children. Then his wife borrowed some avil/ beaten rice from teh neighbour and cooked it for Krishna.

Sudhama took it along and offered it to Krishna when he met him. Krishna knew Sudhamas love and faith in him was pure. He turned Sudhamas hut to a palace. His store room full of food..He gave him good clothes..Sudhama thanked Krishna and lived happily.
They say an offering however simple may be a fruit , a flower or food..made with pure heart makes its way to the Lord. Im sure you enjoyed the story now for the recipe...

The pal(milk) payasam , pudding or kheer is a favorite for many and sweets are always made on happy occassions. So how could my Krishna do without a sweet. So a sweet start to a sweet and happy new year. Wish all my friends a happy Vishu. :)

Ingredients
Milk 2 cups
sugar 3/4 cup
Poha/rice flakes/aval/avil 1 cup
Cashew 5-7
Raisins 2 tsp
Ghee 1 tbspn
Water 2 cups

How To:

Fry kaju and raisins seperately in ghee and set aside.
Fry poha/rice flakes in ghee till it turns brownish in colour.

Take 2 cups of water and heat for 2-4 minutes. Add the fried flakes. After flakes turn soft , add sugar and milk. Add cardmom powder and stir well. Ensure you cook on low flame till it thickens. Payasam will send a mouth watering aroma.

Remove from stove and add the fried kaju and raisins.
Serve hot or chill in refrigerator.

AMERICAN CHOP SUEY

2010-04-11T18:03:00.005+08:00

I am a big fan of Indian chinese food. I was first introduced to this fusion at home. Mom makes the yummiest vegetable fried rice and veg machurians ..i have ever had. Shes an avid reader ..guess she picked up these recipes from Womans era and other books. I guess back then we didnt have Discovery travel and living ,Lifestyle where a culinary expert from every corner of the world would stir up a super recipe every hour...

There was a famous a road side stall "Hungry eyes" , near my house (Yes that is a funny name). They served yummy indian chinese food ...But mom did not approve of this coz he also made chicken and other non vegetarian dishes in the same wok.

But temptations to hard to resist... Dad used to buy me the veg delicacies..american chop seuy , noodles, soup or manchurian.I remember the chop suey parcel used to be of 3 packs 1 for noodles, other for the gravy and third one of the fried noodles.Hmmm the gravy would be orange colour i guess he used food color....My love for american chop seuy began here...

Enjoy my recipe and the flavor ...

For the sauce
Cornflour/rice flour - 2 tbspn

Tomato sauce - 2 tbspn

Chilli sauce - 2 tbspn

Soya sauce - 2 tbspn

Pepper powder - 1 tspn(more if you want it hot)

Red chilli flakes - 2 tspn (more if you want it hot)

Water - 1.5 cup

Sugar - 1 tsp

Salt

Mix all the ingredients and bring to a boil. The sauce will thicken.Keep stirring and when thick remove from stove. Takes about 5-7 minutes.

Boiled noodles

Take a cup(or two) of hakka noodles and cook in a pot of salted boiling water.When noodles are cooked strain the water and set aside the noodles.

Fried noodles

Take 1/4 cup of cooked noodles and when water is strained deep fry noodles and set aside.This is added as a garnish to the noodles when ready. This adds a crunch to the chop suey.

For vegetables
Take a cup or two of vegs of your choice. Here is what i used.
carrot long slices 1/4 cup

cabbage grated 1/4 cup

cauliflower 1/4 cup

capsicum 1/2 cup
beans/peas/baby corn 1/4 cup

Green chilli 2-3

Garlic grated 1-2 tsp

Ginger grated 1 tsp
Take 1 tbspn of oil in a pan. When oil is hot add grated garlic and grated ginger. Add in chopped green chillies slit in long pieces.
Add the vegetables and toss on high flame for 3-4 minutes. Do not add water, cabbage has enough moisture to partly cook vegetables and we do not want to make the vegs soft.They must be crunchy!!
Now add in the cooked sauce. Mix well.
Add the boiled noodles and mix well for a minute.Chop seuy ready to serve.

Add in the fried noodles and serve piping hot !!

MANGO MORKUYAMBU

2010-04-02T21:45:00.011+08:00

Presenting Mango Morkutan or Mambaya Morkuyambu as it is popularly known!!

Name is certainly full of mmmms and the taste matches it too ...is yummy... Super popular in Iyer homes and is a special preparation along with Aviyal and other delicacies for Vishu and other festive days ..

Reminds me we are now in April and Vishu is fast approaching. Vishu is the new year celebration in Tamil nadu and Kerala in pomp and grandeur... I have beautiful memories of Vishu..and elaborate lunches I have shared with my family. Sundari pati as always I miss you as I write this :)

For Vishu the lady of the house makes a special decoration at the Lords altar.
We arrange all the grains and pulses in yellow and green in front of a mirror. Decorate the mirror with yellow flowers, called Vishu puu...and jewellery.We place a Krishna idol. Arrange ripe fruits and vegetables snake gourd, pumpkin, long beans , bitter fourd and many more.. all green and yellow. Then place a plate and add a cup or 2 of raw rice and then place the pumpkin on it. We break a coconut into 2 pieces and place 1 piece on either side of the pumpkin. Place lemons and decorate the altar.

This arrangement is made on the previous night before Vishu. Early morning lamps are lit near the Lord and the elders of the house lead the children and everyone has a glimpse of the Vishu. Patis and tatas , uncles and mamis give money as a blessing to kids and they begin the year with a namaskaram. Followed by a banana leaf sadii...

Now for the recipe of morkutan

Ripe mango 1 yellow cut pieces of 1/2 an inch each

1/2 cup fresh coconut(grated)

3-4 green chillies

Jeera/cumin seeds 1/2 tsp

Curry leaves 8-10

Salt

Curd 1 cup

Red chillies 2

fenugreek seeds 1/4 spn
Turmeric 1/2 spoon

Dry Spices - vathal in tamil
Coconut oil 2 tspn (optional)

Water

Add 1/2 a cup of water to 1 cup curd and beat well. If required use the mixie and make it uniformly thin.

Grind the coconut, green chillies and jeera to a fine paste.

Cut mango to pieces. In a pan add mango pieces, turmeric , salt and 1/2 a cup of water. Cook on medium flame for 8-10 minutes till mangoes become soft. Add in the ground coconut paste and reduce the flame. Now add in the beaten curd.

Ensure flame is low else curd will curdle. Remove from stove after first boil. This should take max of 3-4 minutes.

Now for the tadka. Take 2 spoons of coconut oil in the pan. For those who do not like coconut oil , can use cooking oil. When oil is ready, fry the vathal and add to the morkutan This will add an amazing aroma to the morkutan. This is available in Mustafa too...

In the remaining oil add the mustard, curry leaves, fenugreek seeds and red chillies. When ready add it to the morkutan.

This is served with rice. Goes well with dosa also.. If you think you have added more water add in a spoon of rice flour and it will thicken and improve consistency.

ANDHRA CARROT CHUTNEY

2010-03-22T19:22:00.004+08:00

Ingredients

Carrots 2 finely chopped
Tomato 1
Green chillies 3
Garlic 2 big pods
Oil
Urad dal 1 tbspn
Jeera 1 tspn
Coriander leaves
Curry leaves
Tamarind extract 1/2 tspn
Salt
Turmeric

Heat 1 tbspn oil in a pan. Add in jeera and urad dal. Saute till dal turns brown. Add in green chillies and garlic. Toss in the carrot , turmeric and tomato pieces. Saute well till carrot turns soft. Remove from heat and let it cool.

Add corainder leaves, curry leaves , salt and tamarind extract. Add few spoons of water and grind to fine Paste. Carrot chutney is ready.

I loved this variation in chutney. Its got a unique taste. credit goes to my close friend Vasudha. She introduced this yummy chutney to me. Vasudha a simple God fearing humble human being. A doting mother and a dedicated wife. Her faith in God is immovable. And perhaps thats what I like the most about her.Vasu thanks for being there through thick and thin :)

NOMBU ADAI - PART 2

2010-03-18T15:45:00.004+08:00

Ok, just grabbed my laptop to scribble the post on my Nombu adais. The previous post was the sweet version. Nice and brown..sweet and yummy!! This one is spicy and salty. For those like my husband who enjoy spicy to sweet, this variety is for you.

Ingredients
Rice flour 1 cup
Water 2 cups
Karamani/Red beans 1 tbspn
Coconut 2 tbspn
Green chilli chopped/grated 3-4
Curry leaves handful
Red chilli whole - 2
Mustard seeds 1/2 tspn
Urad dal 1/2 tspn
Salt
Ginger grated a spoon
Oil

For karamani as in sweet version this also must be soaked and pressure cooked.
For the dough I grind the roasted rice powder and water to make a batter like in my previous post. Heat 1 tbspn oil. When warm add in mustard seeds , urad dal seeds ,green chilli, ginger,curry leaves and Red chilli broken and stir.

Add salt and boiled karamani. Stir on medium flame for few minutes. Reduce the flame and add the rice batter.

Keep stirring on low flame until the batter thickens and resembles a dough. It must leave the sides of the pan and become soft ball like. Wrap in a wet handkerchief and take a small portion of the dough.

Take a butter paper and pat the ball flat, make a small hole in the centre. Steam the adais for 12 mins without a whistle . Let it cool and offer to the Goddess.

NOMBU ADAI

2010-03-14T22:06:00.005+08:00

Karadiyan Nombu is a festival celebrated by women from South India. This is also popular in the North by the name of Karvachauth. The idea is the same. All women folk pray to the Goddess to bless their husband with a long life and companionship forever.

Ladies fast all day and prefer to eat fruits and other items. The day before all preparation is made. People clean up their homes. On the day of the Nombu yellow charadu/thread is placed near the goddess,one for each female member of the house. The thread is decorated with a piece of turmeric and few flowers. This thread will be worn by the ladies in the evening after the pooja.

The story behind celebrating this is that Sati won back her husband from Yama the lord of death. Of how a ladys wit and determination is an inspiration and example for all of us.

Despite knowing that her husband Satyavan would live for a year she married him. And when Yama came she confronted him and followed him,till her had to stop and give in. Yama offered her few boons and she asked to have children. Satyavan was back with Sati and they lived happily thereafter.

On Nombu day , a special preparation is made. Nomby adai , one sweet and the other salt flavor.

Recipe

Rice flour 1 cup

Water 2 cups (more if required)

Cardmom powder 1 tsp

Jaggery 1 cup

Karamani/Red beans 1 tbspn

Coconut grated/sliced 1 tbspn

Oil

Take a cup of water and add in jaggery. Make a syrup till it gets a 1 thread consistency.

Soak karamani in water for 4-6 hours and pressure cook for 4 whistles. Drain water and set aside.

My sister has thought me a new method now, to prepare this dough. The conventional way would be to boil the water 2 cups and add in the rice flour slowly stirring it to avoid making lumps. And then stirring this until this thickens.

The new way and fool proof is to grind in the mixie rice flour and water till the flour becomes like dosa batter. Now Heat 2 tspn oil in a pan . Add the batter in on low flame. Stir in the jaggery syrup , coconut, cardmom powder and boiled karamani.

Keep stirring on low flame until the batter thickens and resembles a dough, It must leave the sides of a pan and become a soft ball like. Now remove from flame and knead it.

Wrap it in a wet handkerchief and take a small portion of dough.

Take a butter paper and pat it flat. Make a small hole in the centre like the medu vada/doughnut. Steam all of these in a steamer/cooker for 12 minutes. Let it cool and offer as naivedyam to Goddess with butter.

RAGDA PATTICE

2010-03-07T18:43:00.003+08:00

Ragda pattice is the most popular street food and a personal favorite. Its a hit at any friends meet and easy to make. The Ragda or gravy is nowadays teamed up with a samosa and 'Samosa chaat' is ready..You can also add some yoghurt and sev to it and serve it as 'dahi chaat'. Tangy tamarind chutney and Spicy Green chutney make it very tempting!!

Ingredients

Chickpeas 1 cups

Turmeric 1 tsp

Jeera/cumin seeds 1/2 tsp

Green chillies 2 chopped long

Ginger small piece grated

Coriander leaves 2 tbspn
Red chilli powder 2 tsp

Garam masala powder 1 tsp

Onion 1 big chopped

Oil

Tomato 1 chopped(optional)

For pattice
Mashed Potatoes 4 (boil and mash)

Green chilli 2 finely chopped

Ginger grated 1/2 tsp

Sugar 1/2 tsp

Lemon juice 1 tsp

Salt
Chaat masala 1/4 tsp

Mix all the ingredients and set aside for 10 minutes. Divide to equal portions and make
pattice . Shallow fry this and set aside. To avoid oil you can grill this if you like.

For Ragda gravy
Soak chickpeas overnight. Pressure cook peas for 4-5 whistles.Heat 2-3 tspn oil in a pan. Add jeera. Wait for it to splutter. Add in green chilli, ginger and onion. Saute well till onion is transparent.Add in chopped tomato, turmeric, red chilli powder, garam powder, coriander and mix well. Sprinkle some water so masala is not dry.

Cook for 2 minutes and add in the boiled chickpeas along with the water.It will be almost mashed and mix well with masala. Cook well for 7-8 minutes, till gravy thickens.

To serve place pattice on the plate and add the gravy on top. Add onion pieces and a spoon of
Green chilli chutney and Tamarind chutney.

For the green chilli chutney you can click here. Just add 2-3 green chillies if you like it really spicy. Enjoy ......

HAPPY CHINESE NEW YEAR :)

2010-02-15T20:26:00.002+08:00

Yes festive season is here !! You ask again ? ;)
Its CHINESE NEW YEAR ..the Lunar New Year. The Chinese celebrate it with pomp and grandeur. In Singapore and most countries in SE Asia , chinese new year, is the most important festival and it is holiday time!!! Family reunions and exotic dinners are the norms.

Dressed in traditional outfits i watched little kids run around with red envelopes. Their gifts from elders. So sweet !!
Singapore the city is painted RED!!The malls have beautiful laterns, the manaqeuins dressed in RED and almost everything is RED :) According to Chinese zodiac , this is the Year of the GOLDEN TIGER.

Yes RED certainly is the colour of the season with the CNY and Valentines day :) To all my friends and family i love you all very much for being my sunshine.. Continue to shine on me, thats all i ask. wish all my readers a very HAPPY CHINESE NEW YEAR!! May the Lord of wealth and happiness smile his way to your home :)

PANEER KOFTAS

2010-02-15T19:37:00.011+08:00

I am a big fan of paneer. Paneer is high on calcium and high on fat too. So i use it sparingly. See anything we eat in moderation will only do good. Paneer is a good source of proteins along with calcium.The calcium factor makes our bones strong and can reduce joint problems. Holiday season is the time to relish exotic dishes. Paneer kofta sure is exotic.. The kofta melts in your mouth ..and you will love the spicy chillies with sweetness of raisins..

Ingredients

For the Stuffing
1/2 Onion finely chopped

Paneer 1/4 cup

Green Chillies 2 chopped

Coriander leaves 2-3 tbspn chopped

Cashew nuts 4 (kaju)

Ginger a spoonful chopped

Raisins 6-8

Salt

Ghee 2 tsp

Red chilli powder 1/2 tsp

1) Crumble 1/4 cup paneer with hand.

2) Heat 2 tsp ghee in a pan. Add in chopped onions. Add kaju,ginger, green chillies and 1/4 cup paneer and fry for 2 minutes.

3) Add salt ,red chilli powder, raisin and coriander fry for 4 minutes. Remove from stove. Filling is ready.

For the wrap/cover

Paneer 200 gms

wheat flour 1 tbspn

Salt

Red chilli powder 1/2 tsp

1) Crumble remaining paneer with hands. Add in flour and mix. Add salt and red chilli powder.

2) Knead it well and make a thick dough. Sprinkle some water if required.
3) Take a small portion and make like a puri with your hands. Put in a spoonful of filling and close the wrap to make the kofta.
4) Give it a round ball shape and deep fry balls.Kofta is ready

Yummy Paneer balls !!!

Now We make the gravy.

Garlic Ginger 1.5 tsp

Onion 1 big

Tomatoes 2 chopped /puree 1 cup

Oil

Sugar 1/2 tsp

Garam Masala 1/2 tsp

Green chillies 2 optional

1) Fry finely chopped onions , green chillies and ginger garlic paste. Add tomatoes, red chilli
powder, turmeric powder, garam masala pwdr,sugar and salt.
2) Add some water and cook for 5-7 minutes. Wait for the gravy to cook and thicken. Gravy is now ready.

3)Add in the fried paneer balls and serve hot. Goes well with rotis ...Enjoy !!

Modak - Sweet Dumplings

2010-01-11T21:18:00.007+08:00

We usher in the new year with a lot of hope and happiness. The Hindu God 'Ganesh', is known to remove all the obstacles from our lives and is called Vignaharta. We always pray to the Lord Ganesh at all auspicious occassions and at the start of any significant event. Modaks or sweet dumplings are his favorite food. This is made in odd numbers of 11, 21 or 51.

This year i made them as a token of thanks and to pray to the Lord to be ever so merciful.

So here goes the traditional recipe of sweet steamed dumplings...
For Filling
Coconut scrapped 1 cup

Jaggery 1 cup

Cardamom powder 1 tsp

Ghee 2 tsp

Heat ghee in a pan. Add jaggery to it and wait for it to get syrup consistency. Keep stirring so it does not burn. Stir for 5-7 minutes. Add grated coconut and mix on slow flame. Mix for another 5 minutes till the mixture thickens. Add in cardamom powder and remove from stove. Filling is ready.

For the cover
Rice 1 cup
Milk 1 tbspn
Oil 1/2 a cup
Water

Soak the rice for 20 minutes. Drain the water and grind the rice with few tbspns of water. Make the batter to dosa texture. Add salt and 2 spoons of milk to it.

Heat a pan and add in few tspns of oil. Put the batter in it and stir the batter till it leaves the sides and thickens. This will become like a thick roll. Takes about 6-8 minutes.

Remove from stove and put in a plate to cool. Wait for 4-5 minutes and knead well like chapati dough. Add in few tspns of oil and knead. Now wrap the dough in a wet handkerchief or muslin cloth. This is the secret to keep the dough from cracking. Also the dough will remain white and soft.

Take a small portion of the dough , and keep the remaining wrapped, make a small umbrella with your fingers. if this seems difficult flatten it like a puri. Dip your fingers in oil so the dough does not stick to your fingers. Place a spoonful of filling and close from all the sides. Make design with the dough and give it the modak shape.

Now steam all modaks for 15 minutes. Offer to Ganapati and enjoy the blessed modaks. Modaks are steamed and hence very healthy, so dont stop yourself from gulping them down !!

VEGETABLE BROTH

2010-01-01T15:36:00.006+08:00

It was pouring on the eve of Christmas. So i decided to stir up a soup. And yes it was a hit at home. I hope you enjoy the warmth of the broth as i did reading my copy of Today newspaper.

Today is the leading newspaper in Singapore and is distributed free at MRTs (railway stations) and commercial office areas. A comprehensive list of topics of news around the region from elections in Malaysia to the troubled Thailand. I love reading the section on sales and advertisements..immaterial of whether or not i drop in to loot.

Ingredients

Onion 1 medium finely chopped

Tomatoes 3 medium

Potato 1 big grated

Carrot 1 chopped

Green Peas 1/4 cup

Coriander 2 tbspn chopped

Salt

Black Pepper 1/2 tsp

Butter

How To

1) Wash and chop all vegetables. Grate the potatoes.

2) Heat butter in a thick bottom pan . Toss in all vegetables one after another. Stir fry for 2-3 minutes.

3) Add in black pepper powder and salt. Add 3 cups water.

4) Cook till vegetables turn soft. It should take about 15 minutes.

5) Remove from stove and let it cool. Blend in a mixie to fine texture. You can leave some veggie chunks and grind to coarse , depending on your taste.

6) Delicious Broth is ready.

7) You can reheat this and serve with crushed roasted peanut garnish or paneer garnish.

INSTANT POLI

2010-01-01T14:58:00.010+08:00

New year has just arrived with loads of wishes and smiles from friends. Thank you technology, internet and mobile for bringing my friends from all around the world closer to me :)

As i walk into the malls , i see colours everywhere ..christmas decorations and christmas trees. Everyone is shopping and sharing. As we talk of sharing i would like to share a thought with you, please take time to share what we can with the less fortunate. Please donate to the needy. Pass on old clothes , books or anything at all, to collection centres like the Salvation army and Red Cross. Its just a matter of taking out some time and finding out a place. We need to reach out.

So this happy note , i will present to you a sweet recipe. Simple as always and sweet. Wish you all a rocking year ahead. May you have wonderful days full of smiles.

Ingredients

All purpose flour Maida 1 cup

Semolina Rava 1/4 cup

Sugar 1 cup

Chutney Dal 1 cup

Kaju Cashew nuts 1 /4 cup

Salt 1 pinch

Water

Ghee 1/2 cup

Cardomom powder 6-8

Method

1) Grind chutney dal to a fine powder. Grind cashewnuts to powder. Grind sugar also to fine texture.

2) Mix cashewnut powder, sugar, chutney dal powder , cardomom powder and ghee. This is the filling or poornam.

2) Make a soft dough with maida , rava and salt. Cover it and set aside for 10 minutes to soften

3) Take a lemon size ball of maida dough and roll out like papad.

4) Take a spoonful of filling and place in the roti. Close the roti from all sides like stuffed paratha and roll out. Sprinkle flour to ensure roti spreads.

5) Roast on hot tawa with ghee. Enjoy hot polis !!

MERRY CHRISTMAS AND A HAPPY NEW YEAR

2009-12-28T16:05:00.009+08:00

I wish all TheDabbaExpress friends , loved ones and readers a very HAPPY NEW YEAR..wish you the best of everything !!

Ok , Christmas wishes came a little late, but you know what i love this season...full of colour and joy....since the new year is just around the corner , i thought i 'd club both the wishes for all of you... Here's a slice of cake from TheDabbaExpress kitchen to you...may all your dreams come true in the year to come :)

Singapore has a unique way of sharing joy. They deck up Orchard road with lights and cut outs...I will let the pictures do the talking..Enjoy !!

VATHAL KUZHAMBU

2009-12-27T13:03:00.009+08:00

Vathal Kuzhambu ...hee hee the name is complicated to read, but even a toddler can tell its taste in a tamil household ...Lets call it Spicy Tamarind Gravy...

In North India and in the west, states of Gujarat and Maharashtra, Dals are a must for every meal. Likewise in the south sambhar , rasam, saru or kuzhambu are a must. Kuzhambu, is a thick gravy with tamarind juice as its base. Tamarind is extensively used in many dishes in the south. This dish has many variations and a wonderful taste for each variation. Vathal kuzhambu with drumsticks , with brinjals , with only vathals ....

There are some dry herbs, vegetables called 'vathal' and you will find many varieties of these in a madrasi shop. Vathal kuzhambu goes well with rice and curry.

Tamarind Small lemon size

Vathal 1 tspn each

Bengal gram 1 tsp

Fenugreek 1/4 tsp

Mustard 1/2 tsp

Garlic 4-5 pods(optional)

Gingelly oil (Nala ennai) 1/2 cup

Big Onion 1 thin slices

Tomatoes 2 small

Dry Red chillies 2

Sambhar powder 1.5 tsp

Salt

Hing 1 tsp

Curry leaves handful

Drumstick 3(they give a nice aroma , u can add brinjals or okra)

Turmeric 1/2 tsp

How To
Wash and chop onions, tomatoes and drumstick.
Soak tamarind in 2 cups of hot water and extract thick pulp.
Heat 3 tbspn gingelly oil in a pan. Add mustard seeds and wait for it to splutter.
Add in bengal gram and red chillies. Fry for a second. Add in curry leaves, hing and fenugreek. Keep stirring make sure fenugreek does not burn.
Add in onion slices , whole garlic,tomato and drumstick. Let it cook for 3-4 minutes. Add in tamarind water , salt and turmeric powder. Mix in the sambhar powder.
Cook this on medium flame for 15-20 minutes.
Let the drumstick cook and the raw smell of tamarind leave. Check if the gravy has
thickened. Cook for few more minutes and remove from stove.
Add remaining gingelly oil and serve hot with rice ...

You can even store this in the fridge for 3-5 days the flavour will only get better !!!

KHICHDI

2009-12-26T16:33:00.008+08:00

I watched 'Paa' a recent released hindi movie last night starring Shri Amitabh bachchan, Abhishek Bachchan, Vidya Balan and 'Bum'. Sorry 'bum' i didnt get your name ...bum is what Paa the hero , a 12 year old boy calls his grandmom...I liked the characterisation and all the artists have done a superb job..including the little class mates of Auro (Amitabhji is called Auro in the movie)

Paa is a story of a 12 year old boy , intelligent with a whacky sense of humor but suffers from a medical condition of Progeria. Amitabh Bachchan Sir , aap kadh se hi nahi artist bhi bahut unche stre ke hai ..(you are an artist of high stature)...Aap ko salam.

Auro in the movie is advised to keep away from spicy food and always eats khichdi. I love the scene where Auro gobbles the plate in full speed, not because he loves it , but coz he wants to get over soon.....

I find khichdi very soothing. Khicdhi is on the dinner table ,mostly when we have had a heavy lunch or food from restaurant at lunch....Its light on the tummy and has a subtle taste. It goes well with plain dal and papad ..or just a curry. My little girl enjoys the khichdi , all i do is make it more colourful , add chopped carrots , green peas to it while cooking...

Rice 1 cup

Yellow moong dal 1/2 cup

Turmeric powder 1/2 tspn

Ginger 1/2 inch piece

Green chillies 2 slit to long pieces

Black pepper whole 8-10

Jeera cumin seeds 1/2 tspn

Ghee 2 tspn

Coriander leaves for garnish

Hing pwd a pinch

Soak rice and moong dal for 20 minutes. You can soak it in hot water for 7-10 mins if u r running short of time. Heat ghee in a pan. Add cumin seeds. When it splutters, add chopped chillies, ginger, hing and black pepper. Drain water and add the moong dal and rice to pan. Stir fry for 3-5 minutes. Add in tumeric ,salt and 3 cups of water. Pressure cook this for 4 whistles. Add 2 tsp of ghee before you serve.

OATMEAL DRINK

2009-12-24T22:31:00.002+08:00

Oats help reduce cholestrol, control blood pressure. Pretty easy to find and is easy to cook :)
So my routine of oats one day a week is around oats dosa, oats porridge and this warm oatmeal drink...
I enjoy it with cinnamon...You can replace it with dates syrup or dry fruits of your choice.

Ingredients
Banana 1 big ripe yellow
Oatmeal 2 tbsp
Water 1/2 cup
Milk 1/2 cup
Cinnamon 1 small stick
honey 2+ tspn (as per taste)

Mix water and milk in a pan and bring to a boil.
Take a bowl and chop banana. Add rolled oats. Add hot milk and water to it. Leave it to soak for 5 minutes. Add in honey and blend in a mixer to fine shake consistency.
Add cinnamon powder or syrup of your choice. Serve warm, reheat if required. Reheating may make this thicker.
Enjoy this rich oatmeal drink ...

BOMBAY SANDWICH CHUTNEY - YUMMY DIP

2009-12-23T15:16:00.006+08:00

During our school vacations mummy always bought plenty of books to read. I love reading Archie comics ..I dont know why i loved Jughead, Archie's best friend. Jughead has an affinity for food..Jumbo sandwiches ,doughnuts and soda.........

Mom always let me make my Jumbo sandwich. One quality about her that amazes me is she never controlled our thoughts, though she closely monitored them. That way me and my sister had always the space to try out new things in the kitchen and also our art and craft skills.

So jumbo sandwich is boiled potato , cucumber , onion and tomato slices all piled up between bread slices coated generously with butter and Sandwich chutney...sprinkle salt and pepper and repeat this for 2 layers ...

I'll share the recipe of the Bombay sandwich chutney. Enjoy !!
Bombay Sandwich Chutney
Coriander leaves 1 cup
Green Chilli 2-3
Garlic 2 big pods
Cumin seeds 1/2 tsp
Salt
Lemon juice 2 tsp
Sugar 1/4 tsp

Grind all ingredients except lemon juice to a fine paste. Sprinkle some water and grind.
Transfer to a container and add in lemon juice. Spread generously on your bread

You can serve chutney with pakoda, dhokla and snacks ..like batata vada

BEANS PARUPPU USLI

2009-12-22T22:16:00.012+08:00

Cluster Beans Paruppu Usli is a traditional Iyer recipe.

Cluster beans is not very popular coz of the slight bitter taste. But this version of beans is very tasty and healthy. The dal mix,Paruppu usli makes the curry crunchy and goes well with rice and sambhar. You can enjoy the variations by changing the base, beans to long beans or broad beans and add the same usli...It will enhance the taste of beans and you will appreciate the new flavor.

Ingredients

Cluster beans 2-3 cups

Turmeric 1/2 tsp

Salt

For Dal Mix
Yellow moong dal 2 tbspn

Tur dal 1/4 cup

Urad dal 2 tbspn

Chana dal 1/4 cup

Dry Red chilli 6-8

For Tadka

Curry leaves handful

Mustard seeds 1 tsp

Urad dal 1/2 tsp

Oil

2 dry red chillies

Hing

How To

1) Soak the dals for half an hour. Drain the water and grind the dal with red chillies.
Grind to a thick paste(without water). Add in a tsp of salt.

2) Grease a plate with a tsp of oil and steam this paste for 20 minutes in a cooker without
whistle. Insert a knife and check if paste is cooked. If knife shows sticky paste then steam
for a couple of minutes.

3) Allow this to cool. Crumble the dal to powder and keep it aside. You can run this in a mixie for few seconds to get coarse dal texture.

4) Wash and string the cluster beans. Cook it in hot water along with turmeric.

5) Heat oil in a pan. Add mustard seeds .When it splutters add 1/2 tsp urad dal , 2 red
chillies, 1/4 tsp hing powder and curry leaves.

6) Add in cooked cluster beans ,salt and toss.

7) Add in the crumbled dal and saute for few minutes. Keep stirring for 5 minutes.

Beans Paruppu Usli is ready. Serve hot.