Cook @ Home Mantra

Introduction - Cook at home Mantra

2016-01-14T02:28:00.000-08:00

Who doesn't love tasty and good food?

And if all the food one likes is available at home? I am sure it seems impossible to think of preparing everything at home in today's fast and busy lifestyle. Well, I believe if we want have 'tasty' and “good” food then it ought to be prepared at home!!!

Now, by 'tasty' I simply mean tongue-friendly food :-)

But, by “Good” I mean a lot of things:

Hygienic, Healthy, Nutritious, Diet Conscious and most important – 'Divine'

Divine????

Yes, Divine!!!

I call a food 'Divine' if its prepared will-fully, with good intentions & pure mind and offered with love. The first four characteristics of the 'Good' food can be bought. Its the fifth one which we all need the most, but, can get only at home. Either by cooking ourselves or by our loved ones.

The 'Divine' food is not only good for our physical health but is also instrumental in improving and stabilizing our mental health, mind and soul. This has the power to relieve stress, mental tension, and many psychological complexities & disorders. This divine nature of food was practised by our forefathers for thousands of years. No wonder they could invent such great sciences like DhyAna, PraNAyama, Yoga, Ayurveda etc.

|| aham vaiSvAnarO bhUtvA prANinAm dEhamASritaH

prANApAna samAyuktaH pachAmyannam chaturvidham ||

Bhagavad Gita, Chapter XV, verse 14

This Blog would be a list of all wonderful recipes which I prepare 'successfully'. Every recipe here would have undergone an iterative trial-and-error effort in picking up the BEST and EASIEST of recipes for every item. I hope you would love it.

Happy Cooking!!! :-)

Siri

Masal Puri Chat

2014-03-02T04:01:00.002-08:00

Masal Puri is one of the most popular Indian chats. It is often a clever use of those plain golgappas which do not come out 'round' :-) It is a common belief that the Masala Puri prepared at home can never match the taste of that we get on street. Well, while it is true because of quite a few reasons, there are many experiment being done by many enthusiastic household master chefs to get as close as they can to their street counterparts :-) The reasons for the difference in taste is because of the way it is prepared in hotels/streets - large utensils, cooking on high flame, constantly kept on mild heat after cooking, preparation in large quantities which allows for slight variations in proportions of ingredients without actually changing the taste, and most important of all, the perfection attained by them by preparing it day in and day out!!! Below is my experiment which I feel is almost as tasty and I bet you guys too can get to that point after a couple of iterations :-)

Kesar Peda (Quick and Easy Recipe)

2014-02-25T13:24:00.000-08:00

Kesar is saffron in Hindi. Ever wondered Kesar Peda is also a very quick and easy sweet to prepare? It does not need any cooking expertise or skills and still comes out very tasty and attractive option for any festival, get-together or at-home-parties. The traditional recipe is a long and time consuming and requires khowa. Here I will show you how to prepare it in a jiffy. If your mouth is already watering, scroll down for the recipe!!

Eggless Pineapple Coconut Muffins

2014-02-18T15:13:00.000-08:00

I had baked Muffins few times earlier but this is the one which I liked most. This Muffin fills your mouth with the rich flavour of Pineapple and coconut. While you eat, you can feel the tiny pieces of Pineapple amidst the coarseness of coconut, taking you to a different world!! Its a must-try for all of you and I bet you will all like it. Here you go.. :-)

Paani for PaaniPuri (Golgappa)

2014-02-16T14:50:00.002-08:00

How can PaaniPuri be complete without the paani. In my previous post I had told how to prepare the puri (plain golgappa) required for the paani puri. This post I am going to tell how to prepare the paani for the same. Many people also have a taste to directly drink the paani in a cup without having it in the actual puri/golgappa! Whatever once taste may be, it has always been a favourite chat of our country.

Ingredients for Paani:
Mint leaves - 1/2 cup
Corionder leaves - 1/2 cup
Green chilli - 3 or 4 (Depends on your spiciness)
Tamarind juice - 1/4 cup
Panipuri Masala Powder - 1 tbsp
Amchur (dried unripe mango) Powder - 1/2 tsp
Black salt - 1/2 tsp
Cumin Powder - 1 tsp
Lemon Juice - 1/2 tsp (Optional)
Water - 2 cups
Salt - 1/2 tsp

Procedure for Paani:

Grind Mint leaves, Corrionder leaves, Green chilli finely with little water, and pour into a bowl.
For that add Tamarind juice , Paani puri masala, Amchur Powder, Black salt , Cumin powder , Lemon juice , Water, Salt all together and stir it well.
the above given proportions are as per my taste. However, since each individual's taste varies, I would suggest you prepare a spoonful and taste a little, then vary the proportions iteratively till you arrive at the best one.

Sweet and Sour Chutney:

Paani itself is sufficient for having paani puri. But I like it with little sweet and sour chutney which adds to the taste.

Ingredients:

Tamarind juice - 1/2 cup

Sugar - 3/4 cup

Cumin Powder - 1 tsp

Red chilli powder - 1 tsp

Black salt - 1/2 tsp

Salt - 1 tsp

Pepper - 1/4 tsp

Procedure:

Mix all ingredients in a bowl. You can add an extra bit of any ingredient as per your taste.

Final Paani Puri

Ingredients:

Shredded Carrots - 1 medium

Onion - 1 medium finely chopped

Sev - half cup (Indian snack prepared with lentils)

Boiled potato - 1 medium (peeled and mashed)

Peas - boiled

Puri (Golgappa) - 8-10 (Click here for how to prepare Puri)

Procedure:

Make holes in the golgappas using your thumb.
Add little shredded carrot, chopped onion, sev, boiled potato, peas into the puri.
Pour little sweet and sour chutney and Paani into it.
Enjoy one by one :-)

Ragi Mudde

2014-02-14T10:22:00.003-08:00

rAgi mudde is an authentic Karnataka dish and a staple food in most rural parts of the state. rAgi has extremely high nutritional values. Unlike rice, it has low sugar contents and hence, very good for diabetic patients. One of my relatives was advised a rAgi diet by doctor to recover from anaemic condition and iron deficiency. We can have rAgi in various amazing forms - rAgi roTTi, rAgi dose, rAgi maNNi, rAgi huri hiTTu etc. rAgi maNNi which is far better than processed baby food which we get in markets is often given to babies as the first external food after mother's milk. rAgi mudde is the most well known form of rAgi delicacies.

To add to the popularity of Ragi, one of the famous Daasara Pada goes like this:

|| rāgi tandira bhikshake rāgi tandira

yogyarāgi bhogyarāgi

bhāgyavanthavarāgi nīvu ||

Methi Paratha (Fenugreek Indian Stuffed Flat-bread)

2014-02-14T10:10:00.001-08:00

The good old Paratha is Indian stuffed Flatbread comes in hundreds of enticing flavours and stuffing, one of which Methi. The Methi version of Paratha is better than its Alu (Potato) counterpart because it is not only easier and quicker to prepare, but also healthier. Methi is known for its medicinal and nutritional properties and Methi Paratha is just a tastier option to enjoy its goodness!!

Rasam Powder Recipe

2014-02-14T10:00:00.005-08:00

Rasam is one of the very simple and most common dish in south India. Its Kannada version is saaru or tiLi saaru. It is eaten mixing with hot rice and many people love drinking it directly like soup. Main ingredient of rasam is the rasam powder which is available in different flavours from different parts of south India or from different companies selling masala powders. However nothing can beat the taste of rasam prepared using our mother's or granny's rasam powder!! It comes in various flavours and ways of preparation, though basic ingredients are more or less the same. I am going to tell you how my granny prepared it....

Ingredients:
Dry Red Chillies - 1/2 kg
Asafoetida (hing) - 2 tsp
Cumin seeds (Jeera) - 1 1/2 cup
Fenugreek seeds (Methi) - 1 cup
Coriander seeds - 2 1/2 cup
Mustard seeds - 1 tsp
Pepper seeds - 10 seeds
Curry leaves - 15 leaves

Procedure:

Roast Coriander seeds, Fenugreek seeds, Dry Red Chillies,and Cumin seeds each separately with 1 tsp oil till they are golden brown and keep aside.
Roast Mustard seeds, Pepper seeds, Asafeotida, Curry leaves (Altogether) with 1 tsp oil till they are golden brown and keep aside.
Grind all the roasted ingredients to fine powder in a mixer. The ingredients can be ground either separately or altogether depending on the size of your mixer jar.
Mix all the ground ingredients well and the Rasam powder is ready to be used.

Sambar Powder

2014-02-14T09:57:00.001-08:00

Sambar powder has different recipes at areas and ethnic groups of India. Each recipe has the flavour of that place's culture and ethnicity making it unique. Though the ingredients are more or less same, it is their ratios and proportions and process of preparation what them their unique taste. The recipe that I am going to tell comes from my aunt in Shivamogga, a beautiful town on the banks of river Tunga kissing the feet of the evergreen Western Ghats in Karnataka.

Ingredients:
Dry Red Chillies - 1/2 kg

Fenugreek (methi) seeds - 1 cup

Coriander seeds (dhaniya) - 2 1/2 cup
Chana dal - 1 cup
Black Gram (urad dal) - 1/2 cup
Mustard seeds - 1 spoon
Pepper seeds - 10 seeds
Poppy seeds - 1 spoon
Asafoetida (hing) - 1 tsp
Dry Coconut (Grated) - 1 cup
Curry leaves - 15 leaves

Procedure:

Roast Chana dal, Coriander seeds, Methi seeds, Dry Red Chillies, Dry Coconut and Urad dal, each separately, with 1 tsp oil till they are golden brown and keep aside.
Roast Mustard seeds, Pepper seeds, Poppy seeds, Asafeotida, Curry leaves (All together) with 1 tsp oil till they are golden brown and keep aside.
Grind all the roasted ingredients to fine powder in a mixer. The ingredients can be ground either separately or all together depending on the size of your mixer jar.
Mix all the ground ingredients well and the Sambar powder is ready to be used.

Mentya Baath (Methi Rice)

2014-02-14T08:09:00.006-08:00

Methi, (Fenugreek) known as Menthya in Kannada, is one of the many healthy and nutritious Indian edible leaves. Menthya Baath is a Karnataka dish which is normally had for breakfast. It also substitutes the monotonous lemon rice in feasts and festivals.

Golgappa Recipe (Paani Poori)

2014-02-10T14:16:00.002-08:00

Golgappa is the most favourite and famous street snack of India. Indian cinema industry has also contributed to its popularity by showing it often in the movies. Having said that, its recipe is also the most preserved secret among the street snack vendors. No one seems to be knowing its secret - how much ever one tries it does not match the street golgappas!! And to add to that, nobody wants to take the risk of preparing at home as it would never come out "round". Well, I have tried preparing at home and have been fairly successful to get the same shape and taste. Scroll down to unveil the secret!!!

Mysore Pak Recipe

2014-02-10T06:52:00.001-08:00

Mysore Pak, as the name suggests, comes from the the heritage capital of Karnataka, Mysore. 'pAka' in Kannada means dish. Its is an authentic Kannada sweet. It has a myth that it is difficult to prepare. Well, its not that difficult and you can prepare it quite professionally after a couple of times. Given its spellbinding taste, I am sure you would not hesitate for those few tries! Having said that, if you are a newcomer to sweet section, have a Bheem or Hanuman for your assistance as this would need constant stirring of ever-concentrating and thickening ingredients in hot pan!! :-) I am sure everyone has a Hanuman Bro or Bheem Hubby ;-)

Gasagase Payasa (Poppy seeds Kheer)

2014-02-09T09:34:00.002-08:00

'Gasagase' means Poppy seeds in Kannada. My husband remembers his hostel days when they used to eagerly wait for second Thursday of every month. It was on that day the cook prepared Gasagase Payasa as per hostel menu timetable!! One of the features of Gasagase Payasa is its drowsiness effects. So, this is one of the best natural remedies if you are having troubles in getting sleep at night!!

I am explaining two of the many ways in which it can be prepared.

Neer Dosa

2014-02-09T09:03:00.000-08:00

Neer Dosa is a delicacy from Udupi in coastal Karnataka. It is a simple and delicious breakfast. 'Neer' means 'water' in Kannada. It has got this name since its batter is watery. Neer Dosa is one of the easiest Dosas to prepare since it is cooked only one side and does not require spreading. The watery batter is self-spreading!!

Pudina Paratha (Indian Mint Flat-Bread)

2014-02-09T09:02:00.003-08:00

Pudina means mint in most Indian languages. Paratha is one of the common Indian Flat-bread, commonly a stuffed alternative to rather plain Chapatis, Rotis, Fulkas etc. It gets its name's suffix from wide variety of stuffing from more common Alu (potato) & Gobi (Cauliflower) to hard-to-find Beetroot & Pudina.

With its freshening taste-aroma and natural medicinal properties added to the goodness of Paratha, what else can you ask for except wishing to have it at home?

Gojju Avalakki or Huli Avalakki (South Indian Poha)

2014-02-08T13:11:00.002-08:00

Gojju Avalakki or Huli Avalakki is a common South Indian breakfast. It is very delicious and can be prepared in a jiffy. It has a tantalizing aroma with sweet, spicy and sour tastes all filling your mouth together in every morsel. It is liked by people in different avatars like that of whole thick Poha, coarsely ground Poha, with curd, sugar or even some with chutney! This is usually a household delicacy which is seldom found in hotels.

Vegetable Biriyani (No onion No garlic)

2014-02-07T13:38:00.001-08:00

Can Biriyani prepared without Onion and Garlic?

Well, yes!! Here is a recipe for all my sAtvik friends who love Biriyani but at the same time have a desire to avoid Onion and Garlic. And what's more, you don't need Basmati rice too! This can well be prepared with normal Sona Masuri rice, and the taste will be just as good to envy those tantalizing hotel counterparts!! scroll down and enjoy :-)

Akki Rotti (Indian Rice Bread)

2014-02-06T00:52:00.002-08:00

Akki Rotti (Indian Rice Bread) is one of the favourite breakfasts in south India, especially in Karnataka. It is one of those excellent breakfasts which you rarely find in Hotels. Though tasty, many people find it very difficult to prepare it at home due to the nature of Rice flour which makes it slightly difficult to knead and roll, unless you have the right tricks!!!

Here is a simple formulae for all you Uttara-Kannada cuisine lovers to have Akki Rotti whenever you wish for it!! :-)

Vegetable Pulav (No Onion No Garlic)

2014-02-04T11:45:00.000-08:00

Here is a really quick and simple recipe to prepare delicious vegetable Pulav with normal rice using no Onion and Garlic. I want to defy the notion that Pulav can only be prepared with Basumati rice and can never be tasty without onion and garlic :)

Eggless Chocolate Cake (In Pressure Cooker)

2014-02-03T14:52:00.000-08:00

Do you know Cake can be prepared using our house-hold Pressure Cooker?? Surprised??

Well, here is a recipe to bake Cake in Pressure Cooker, and that too, without Egg!!! This might require a few tries & iterations to get the exact ratios and proportions that fit your flour, cooker and stove. Nevertheless, I can assure you that after a couple of tries you can bake an Eggless Cake as good as those in finest bakeries!!!