Dravidian Cooking

Mutton Kofta Biryani

noreply@blogger.com (Deepa Menon Shetty) — Sun, 13 Jan 2013 17:07:00 +0000

Mutton Kofta Biryani

Will post the recipe very soon !

Warm Regards,

Chemeen Roast

noreply@blogger.com (Deepa Menon Shetty) — Mon, 03 Sep 2012 13:53:00 +0000

I know its been a while(a long one at that ;p) since my last post.Honestly its been hectic in my end of the world.Will tell you guys all about it in another post,right now I want to share with you all my all time favourite recipe of prawns.Everytime I make it ,folks at home are bound to take a third helping =).So here it goes....

Ingredients:

1.Prawns – 500 gm

2.Ginger-Garlic Paste – 1 tablespoon

3.Green chillies – 2 / slit lengthwise

4.Onion – 2 chopped finely

5.Tomato – 2 chopped

6.Chilli powder -11/2 teaspoon

7.Cumin-Coriander powder – 2 teaspoon

8.Turmeric powder – 1/2 teaspoon

9.Pepper powder - 1 teaspoon/coarsely ground

10.Coconut pieces - 1/4 cup

11.Coconut milk -1 cup

12.Kudam puli / Kokum – 2 small pieces

13.Coconut oil -for frying

14.Curry leaves- for garnish
15.Salt- to taste

Method:

Heat oil in a frying pan. Add ginger & garlic paste and stir. Add green chilli , chopped onions & saute. Once the onion turns pinkish in colour add the chopped tomatoes. When the tomato is cooked add all the dry masala powders. Saute it till the raw smell fades off. Next add coconut milk and when it begins to boil add the prawns, kudampuli, salt and the coconut pieces.Cook till the coconut milk is absorbed completely onto the prawns. Pour coconut oil and blend everything well. Garnish with curry leaves and serve it hot with steam rice.

Cook it for your family.I would love to hear your experience =).

Happy cooking folks !!

Cheers,

Pasta with coconut milk

noreply@blogger.com (Deepa Menon Shetty) — Tue, 03 Apr 2012 14:40:00 +0000

This is super easy,super delicious & a must try esply. if your kids or family is fond of pasta.You can pull it off all in15 mins.Now is it not just wonderful? Now that I have your attention,lets move on to the recipe =)

Ingredients:

Pasta : 3 cups/ 250 gms (cooked)
Garlic flakes : 2 (finely chopped)
Unsalted Butter : 1 tsp
Carrot : 2 tbsp (finely diced)
Beens : 2 tbsp (fine juliennes)
Cheese : 4 slices (I ran out of the cubes ;p)
Fresh Cilantro : 1 tsp (finely chopped)
Oregano : 1 tsp
Red dry chilli flakes : 1/4 tsp
Pepper : 1/4 tsp (coarsely ground)
Coconut milk : 1 cup
Salt : to taste

Method:

Melt the butter in a saucepan.Add chopped garlic,saute till the raw smell fades away.Add the cheese & coconut milk to it and stir cotinuously till the cheese melts & blends in.Now add the carrots & beens (I boil it along with the pasta to save time).Add the cooked pasta.Season it with oregano,salt,chilly flakes.Add a dash of fresh cilantro.Pasta is ready.This tastes best when served hot.

So it is as simple as this.try it I am sure you & ofcourse your kids will love it !

NB: You could add any choice of vegetables you like.I usually add button mushrooms,brocolli,spinach & even sweet corn.I was in a hurry to pick my daughter from her school so had to do away with the hunting ;)

Do let me know how well your family enjoyed it.

Happy cooking !

Cheers,

Water amaranth / Ponnanganni keerai Rice

noreply@blogger.com (Deepa Menon Shetty) — Mon, 02 Apr 2012 16:22:00 +0000

I love greens & love to experiment and cook them in different ways not that I don't like the traditional keerai porriyal,koothu,masayal,fry,molakosham.....Of late our in take of greens has been very limited.So I thought maybe I should try to include greens atleast once a week to our menu.My kids are not very ethu when it comes to eating greens & sadly like most moms I have to hide them by puring or mincing it.Hopefully they will grow to appreciate the goodness of greens & spare me the trouble of puring it.Till then its hiding the greens that will work for me =).

The recipe I am about to share is not just very delicious but extremely healthy.There are several greens which have loads of goodness but we tend to be shy in trying them.Today I would like to share with you the goodness of "Green gold-Ponnanganni keerai". True to its name this green is believed to be beneficial in improving eye sight,for clearer complexion,for curing piles & ofcourse for promoting hair growth.

Now that a lot of gyan has been shared lets move on to the recipe =).

Ponnanganni keerai Rice:

Ingredients:

Water amaranth / Ponnanganni keerai :1 bunch (cleaned & washed well-atleast 4-5 rinses)
Shallots : 7-8 no's(peeled,washed & chopped finely)
Garlic : 3 flakes(finely chopped)
Tomatoes :3 (medium sized,chopped finely)
Cumin seeds : 1 tsp
Tumeric : 1 tsp
Red chilly powder : 1- 1 1/2 tsp
Green chilly : 1(uncut)
Tamarind pulp :1-2 tbsp
Mustard seeds : tsp
Curry leaves : 1 sprig
Dry red chilly : 2 no's
Salt : to taste
Oil : 2 tbsp
Ghee /Clarified butter : 2 tbsp
Cooked Rice : 3-4 cups ( amount used for serving 3 adults)

Method:

Boil about 1 cup of water in a large sauce pan.When the water comes to a boil add the greens,shallots,tomatoes,green chilly,garlic,cumin & tumeric powder.Cook it covered for about 5-8 mins.Remove and let it cool down to room temperature.Puree this when it cools and set it aside.

Now in a wok add the oil & clarified butter.Add mustard seeds,dry red chilly,curry leaves.When the mustard seeds begin to splutter add the pureed green's mix to it and cook for 5 mins.Now add salt,tamarind pulp,red chilly powder.

When the pureed greens starts emitting oil from the sides,its time to add the cooked rice.Blend everything well.The Keerai rice is ready to be served.It tastes best when eatten hot.
Vaddams / papadam /Vattal & fresh curd go very well as acompaniment with the keerai rice.The rice is quite filling one since w have been generous with the clarified butter =) but trust me your family will love every bit of it.

NB: The pureed green mix (before adding rice to it) could also be eatten as an acompaniment dish with curd rice / jeera rice / coconut rice / plain dhal rice & ofcourse parrupu podi =).

So the choice of serving it is totally your discreation.Do make it & let me know how well your family enjoyed it.

Happy cooking !

Cheers,

Malabar Pepper Chicken Fry

noreply@blogger.com (Deepa Menon Shetty) — Fri, 24 Feb 2012 18:34:00 +0000

I know I have spoken about my dislike for too much of coconut in any dish,be it as garnish or as an indispensible ingredient in the cooking process.I often try to tweek the recipe to suit my taste.But I must admit few dishes taste best with the authentic flavouring ingredients which could be simple coconut scrappings =).This is one such dish.Thanks to Jisha this is one dish I am sure to serve at family dinners going forward.My husband was all praise for it & it was a delight to watch the rest of my family dig into it with enthu :).So here goes my tweeked version of the recipe .....

Malabar Pepper Chicken Fry

Ingredients:

Chicken:1/2 kg
Garlic: 7-8 garlic cloves (Peeled and crushed:I used a pestle to crush it )
Ginger: 2 medium sized pieces ( Peeled and crushed:I used a pestle to crush it)
Green chillies : 4-5 nos (Chopped finely)
Shallots :15 no.s (Chopped finely)
Tomato : 2 Medium sized (Pureed )
Turmeric powder : 1/2 tsp
Black pepper powder : 3 tsp
Lemon juice : 1 nos
Garam masala : 1/2 tsp
Freshly Grated coconut : 1/2 cup
Coriander powder : 2 tsp
Fresh Curry leaves : 2 sprigs
Coconut oil / Cooking oil:5 tbsp
Mustard seeds(for tempering)
Salt to taste

Method:

Marinate the cleaned chicken pieces with turmeric powder, pepper powder, lemon juice and little salt and refrigerate it till you get the other ingredients ready :).

Heat oil in a pan/wok.Add mustard seeds & curry leaves when the mustard seeds begin to crackle add crushed ginger and garlic and fry for 2-3 minutes. Now add the finely chopped shallots,green chillies and saute till shallots turn light pink in colour. Add the coriander powder, turmeric powder and the tomato puree (Jisha in her recipe had instructed to add 3 tbsp of water,I poured 3tbsp of water to the mixie jar used for puring the tomato and added that to this.) Cook till all blends in & gets cooked well.

When you think its all cooked add the marinated chicken (which you have left in the refrigerator ).Check for salt; if less now is the time to adjust the taste.Cover with a lid and cook for about 20 minutes (donot add any further water,chicken will generate water while it is getting cooked). Stir well ;remove the lid & cook for another 10-15 minutes. Add black pepper powder, garam masala, grated coconut and the remaining curry leaves. Cook till all the gravy has thickened up & has coated the chicken pieces well. Your Malabar Pepper Chicken Fry is all ready to flaunt & ofcourse relish !

Happy Cooking !

Cheers,

Chutney powder/ Idlli powder

noreply@blogger.com (Deepa Menon Shetty) — Sun, 19 Feb 2012 11:24:00 +0000

Like me; both my kids are fond of having idlli powder as an acompaniment for Idlli & Dosa.It is relatively simple to make & could be customised for individual preference.Also it comes handy while travelling or on a busy morning or like us when you just like to dip in the iddli's into them and savour it.

Ingredients:

Black Urad Dhal:1/2 kg

Red dry chillies:10

Black Whole pepper:2tbsp

Rock Sea salt: to taste

Curry leaves: handfull

Asafoetida:1tsp

Heat a large wok.Dry fry individual ingredients and keep aside to cool.I add Asafoetida to the urad after I am done frying it.This is to ensure it doesnot get burnt.After all the ingredients cools off Grind them into a fine powder.I grind the ingredients seperately & then mix them up.This provides me the freedom to adjust the hotness(chilly powder/pepper powder) & ofcourse salt.

Transfer the mixed powder into a dry container.

For serving:

Take the required amount of the powder & mix it with oil (Gingely / any cooking oil).Serve it with hot idlli's or Dosa's.

Happy cooking !

Cheers,

Pepper Rasam

noreply@blogger.com (Deepa Menon Shetty) — Tue, 03 Jan 2012 06:24:00 +0000

Pepper Rasam

Rasam was never a common cusine in my house.

Cheers,

noreply@blogger.com (Deepa Menon Shetty) — Mon, 02 Jan 2012 16:53:00 +0000

Beetroot stir-fry

Stir fries are a part of most south Indian meals.There are several benefits of having stir fries as part of our main course meal.One of the main health benefit being low oil consumption.Stir fries requires as less a tbsp of cooking oil.Another reason is that it gets made in a jiffy and requires very little preparation time.So today I will share with you another stir fry from my land,the beetroot stir fry !.

Ingredients:

Beetroot-2 large ones(peeled,cleaned & diced)
Green Chillies-1(chopped finely)
Onion-1/4 of a medium-sized onion(chopped finely)
Coconut-2tbsp(scrapped)
Mustard seeds-1tsp
Red dry chilly-1(ripped by hand into2-3 pieces)
Curry leaves-1 sprig
Oil-1 tsp
Salt-to taste
Water-2-3 tbsp

Method:
In a pan add one tsp of oil.Add mustard seeds,red dry chilly,curry leaves.When the mustard seeds begin to splutter add the chopped onion & chopped green chillies.Wait for the onions to turn pale pink.Then add the diced beetroot,salt & water.When the beetroot is cooked add the scrapped coconut.Transfer into a bowl & serve hot.

Happy dinning !
Cheers,

Zucchini chips with caramelised onion dip !

noreply@blogger.com (Deepa Menon Shetty) — Wed, 28 Dec 2011 16:40:00 +0000

Snacks at tea time is a welcome fare at our home,especially when the kids are at home during vaccation.I made zucchini chips today and they tasted real nice with the caramelised onion dip.Here's the recipe for you to try.

Zucchini chips with caramelised onion dip:

Ingredients:

Zucchini: 3 medium sized( cut either like french fries or like chips)

Bread crumps: 1 cup

Mixed Itallian herbs: 1 tbsp

Cheese-grated: 1/2 cup

Salt to taste

Eggs-2 (whisked well)

Oil-for frying

Method:

Mix the bread crumps,cheese,mixed herbs & salt.Spread the mix on a platter.

Take the cut zucchini,dip it in the egg batter and then roll it in the bread crumbs mix.Do it one-by-one.Donot be in a hurry and toss them all together it will become messy.Fry the dipped zucchini in hot oil in a frying pan.Remove them onto a kitchen tissue paper to soak any excess oil.Serve the chips with caramelised onion dip(recipe later).This is sure to be a hit with the kids esply. because of the sweet dip =)

Do try & share your experience.

Happy cooking !

Cheers,

Malabar Avoli(pomfret) meen curry

noreply@blogger.com (Deepa Menon Shetty) — Tue, 27 Dec 2011 09:35:00 +0000

Everyone in my house relishes fish curry except for me =( Infact my family often hurl jokes at me saying that you are indeed a very unique & rare breed malayali with a dislike for fish ! Hmm...well I donot like eating fish but that doesnot mean I cannot cook fish =) I decided to try my hand at making some fish curry to prove more so to myself that when you enjoy cooking the ingredients should not stop you from cooking a nice dish.So here's what I made.

Malabar Avoli(pomfret) meen curry:

Ingredients:
Pomfret fish-1(the one I had on hand was a big fellow must have weighted about 2kgs easily) cleaned & cut into serveable sizes
Shallots-1 cup(peeled,chopped finely)
Garlic-8 pods(peeled,chopped finely)
Ginger-2 inch(peeled,chopped finely)
Green chillies-2 slit length-wise
Curry leaves-1-2 sprig
Corriander powder-4tsp
Red chilly powder-4tsp
Tumeric powder-2tsp
Coconut-1 grated
Salt-to taste
Water-for cooking
Coconut oil-4 tbsp
Kodampulli-8 flakes

Heat a pan,add abt 1 tbsp of oil.Add the grated coconut and fry till brown(fry on medium to low heat;donot burn the coconut).Remove from fire,let it cool.Grind this with a little water(2tbsp) into a smooth paste.Set aside.In another pan pour 2 cups of water.To this add salt,2tsp of tumeric powder,2tsp of corriander powder & 2tsp of red chilly powder.Cook for about 10 minutes;till the raw smell of the masala powder fades away.Add the cleaned-cut fish pieces into this gravy.Let it cook for 5 minutes.Remove from flame & set this aside.
Take another pan,add the remaining 2tbsp of coconut oil.Add chopped garlic;saute till light brown.Then add the chopped shallots,ginger and slit green chillies.Add the ground coconut paste,the remaining 2tsp of corriander powder & 2tsp of red chilly powder.Add the kodampulli & the curry leaves.Fry till oil starts to separate.Remove from fire.Now add this fried masala to the cooked fish gravy.Simmer it for 5 minutes in low flame.The malabar fish curry is ready to be served with steamed rice or cooked tappioca (the keralite favourite combination).

Green Rice loaded with the goodness of greens !

noreply@blogger.com (Deepa Menon Shetty) — Sat, 10 Dec 2011 12:02:00 +0000

Hi my lovely readers,tell me how many of you find it difficult to make your kids eat the greens?I did =( Well like all smart mommies out there I thought to myself "darling if you want them to eat the greens then you need to be innovative there is now other way to it" ,so I made "Green Rice" for my kids and guess what they helped themselves at the table also went in for second serving.I for one pretended not to notice it at all {this is a trick with my kids that I follow....the more I fret & ask them to do something the more they test my patience but not doing just that =/ which is why I decided to IGNORE their act & surpisingly they fell for it =D.I couldn't be happier !}

Here we go at the recipe.

Green Rice:

Ingredients:

Greens: 1 cup(I used Mulai Keerai - Amaranth leaves) rinsed & cleaned
Mint leaves: few (abt 4-5)
Fresh Corriander leaves: a sprig
Fresh curry leaves: few (abt 4-5)
Shallots:3-4(peeled)
Green chilly:1 inch
Ginger:1 inch
Garlic:5-6 flakes{you can lessen/increase according to your preferrence,I used more because my son is having a bad cold that doesn't seem to go away =( }
Cauliflower:two florets (seperated into tiny ones)
French Beans:3 chopped finely

Onion- 1/4th portion of a mid-sized onion chopped finely
Tomato-1/4th portion of a mid-sized tomato chopped finely
Cooked Rice: 2 cups (I made this only for the kids,if you want u can add more rice)
Mustard seeds: 1 tsp
Cumin seeds: 1 tsp
Tumeric powder: 1 tsp
Corriander-Cumin powder: 1 tsp
Butter: 1 tbsp
Cooking Oil: 2 tbsp
Salt: to taste

Method:

Grind ingredients1-8 (from the ingredients list) in a blender finely,add a tbsp of water if needed.Keep it aside.In a frying pan add oil,mustard seed & cumin seed.When the mustard seeds begin to crack up add chopped onion and tomato & fry till the onion turns pink/ translucent.Add cauliflower,chopped beans,tumeric powder,cumin-corriander powder and salt.When the veggetable are almost cooked ;add the ground paste and cook it covered till it is done (till the raw smell of the greens & garlic disappear).Add butter.Check the taste (if you want it spicier you could add pepper/red-chilli powder).Add the cooked rice and mix everything well.Serve hot with fresh curd.

Do try and let me know how it went with your kids :)

Happy cooking !

Cheers,

Delicious Tomato soup

noreply@blogger.com (Deepa Menon Shetty) — Tue, 29 Nov 2011 09:56:00 +0000

Its been raining continuously for the entire week.Kids are not keeping all that lively & well.Its on such days that you want to bring down your soup pot & make something yummy for your kids to enjoy.Soups are an all time favourite with our family especially the kids.Today I made some tomato soup,it was really satisfying to watch the kids savour it up & ask for a second helping =D.

Tomato Soup:

Ingredients:
Tomato-5 large
Onion-1/2 medium sized onion,chopped finely
Garlic-3-4 flakes,chopped finely
Tomato sauce/ketchup- 1tbsp
Salt-to taste
Mixed Itallian herbs- for seasoning
Butter-2tbsp
Cornflour-2 tbsp
Sugar-1tsp(optional)
Water- 2 cups

Method:
Make a cross on the top of the tomatoes using a knife and let them boil in a pot(add a cup of water).Take out the tomatoes when they have blanched.Remove the skin & let it cool.In a shallow pan add butter and saute the onions,garlic and salt.While this gets cooked,puree the blanched tomatoes in a blender.Strain the puree & transfer the puree into a bowl.In the same blender add the sauted onion & garlic into a smooth paste.Add this paste back into th shallow pan.Add the tomato puree,tomato sauce,salt,water(1 cup) & itallian seasoning.Let it cook for about 5 minutes.Add sugar.Make a running paste of the cornflour & 3tbsp of water.Add this to the soup.Let it simmer for 2-3 minutes.Remove from the stove-top.The soup is ready to serve.{I like to strain this since my kids donot like the seasonings}Transfer into soup bowls & serve them hot.

Do try it & let me know how it turned out with your family.

Have an awesome day !

Cheers,
Deepa

Handy tips

noreply@blogger.com (Deepa Menon Shetty) — Mon, 28 Nov 2011 01:30:00 +0000

To avoid crying while chopping onions,slice the onion into half and immerse it in water in a bowl for 5 minutes.Go on chop those onions without shedding tears any more !

Handy tips

noreply@blogger.com (Deepa Menon Shetty) — Mon, 28 Nov 2011 00:45:00 +0000

While cleaning poultry /meat / sea food,use lime as a final rinse.Not only does it ensure odour free cooking,it also removes the pungent odour from your hands !

Coming soon.....Pav Bhaji !

noreply@blogger.com (Deepa Menon Shetty) — Sat, 26 Nov 2011 13:24:00 +0000

Pav Bhaji !

Vada paav !

noreply@blogger.com (Deepa Menon Shetty) — Sat, 26 Nov 2011 10:57:00 +0000

Vada paav is a favourite snack with the Maharastrians(people residing in Maharastra).I had a short stint in Pune & used ask my husband to get some home every so now and then .So it was a regular evening snack for us.Back home in Chennai I really missed the authentic vada pav.There are several sweet shop which sell north Indian snacks but none have the authetic charm & taste.So my mom-in-law who is an awesome cook made "the vada Pav" for me.So here is the recipe for making yummy vada paav.

Vada Paav:

Ingredients:
Potato- 1/2 kg (wash & cook it in pressure cooker)
Green chilli-2 (chopped finely)
Garlic-5 flakes (chopped finely)
Fresh corriander-1 sprig
Curry leaves- 1 sprig
Tummeric powder- 1 tsp
Salt- to taste
Mustard seeds-1 tsp
Butter-100 gms (for the paav)
Oil-2 tbsp (for tempering)
Oil- 1/2 ltr.(for frying)

For Batter:
Rice flour-1tbsp
Bengal Gram flour- 250 gms
Salt-to taste
Tumeric powder-1/2 tsp
Hing-1/4 tsp(or) 1 pinch
Cooking soda -1/4 tsp(or) 1 pinch
Water- 1 cup
Oil-1tsp

Mix the above mentioned ingredients into a batter(it should not be too running nor too thick).Set aside.

Green Chutney:
Green chilly-2
Fresh corriander leaves-1 bunch
Scrapped coconut-2 tbsp
Ginger-11/2 inch
Salt-to taste
Grind the ingredients into a smooth paste.Transfer into a bowl.

Method for making "Vada":
Peel the skin & mask the cooked potato.Heat oil(for tempering),add mustard seed & curry leaves.When the mustard seeds starts to splutter add the chopped garlic,green chillies,tumeric powder & salt.Now add the mashed potato.Cook it for 4-5 mminutes.Remove from the stove top & set aside.
Make medium sized balls of the potatoe mix and keep aside.You should be able to make about 14-15 mediumm sized balls.
Keep oil for frying in a wok.Dip the potato balls into the batter and deep fry it.Strain & set aside.

Assebling the Vada paav:
Take one paav.Slice it into two.Spread butter on one side.On the other side spread the green chutney.Keep one vada inbetween the paav slices.Do the same with the rest of the vadas.Vada paav is ready to be served.Serve them hot with masala chai.This is such a irresistable combination.I bet you can never say no to such a tasty snack.

Have a wonderful day !

Cheers,
Deepa

Keshera !

noreply@blogger.com (Deepa Menon Shetty) — Sat, 26 Nov 2011 08:50:00 +0000

Its been few months since I made any desert.So today;I thought I would make some kesari.Kesari is a simple yet delicious sweet made in few parts of south India.It is not only easy to put together but also quick one.But guess what I goofed it up a wee bit (I added 2 cups of sugar instead of one :/).Not to worry...not all was lost.I didnot want to dump it all out after all my kids were so wanting to have the kesari.So I tweeked the recipe and guess what? the result was a refreshingly different sweet dish,which every one relished.I couldn't be more happy & thrilled.Since it was neither Kesari nor Sheera I decided to call it "Keshera" :).So here's introducing an old delight in a new packaging =D,do try it & let me know how you liked it.

Keshera:

Ingredients:

Semolina(Rava/Sooji) - 1 cup
Clarified butter / Ghee - 3/4 cup
Sugar - 1 cup
Cashews - 10-12
Liquid Food colour - 5 drops (I used pink/rose flower)

Hot water - 1 &1/2 cups

Boiled milk - 1 &1/2 cups
Crushed Cardamom / Elakka powder - 1/2 tsp

Method:

Heat 3 tbsp of ghee in a shallow pan.Add rava and fry till the raw smell of the rava fades.Add sugar & fry on low heat.At no point should the rava over fry/ turn brown.So keep a watch over the flame.Mean while boil water in a pan.Add the hot water and milk to the pan with rava.Mix well ensure that the consistency is smooth & that there are no lumps.Add the liquid food colour and the rest of ghee and mix well.In another pan fry the cashew nuts in the remaining ghee.Fry till they turn light golden brown.When all of the water in the rava evaprates & the mix starts becoming thick, add the fried cashews and the cardamom powder.Pour the rest of the ghee on top and stir once.Remove from fire and transfer into a seving bowl.Drizzle a little ghee & serve hot.

Go on,pamper that sweet tooth of yours :)

Bon appetite !

Cheers,

Deepa

Salad

noreply@blogger.com (Deepa Menon Shetty) — Wed, 23 Nov 2011 11:13:00 +0000

Vegetable /Green salads are a must at our home.No meal esply. dinners are ever complete without a

salad.Ofcourse we do have a favourite veggy that we dig into, in the salad bowl.Cucumbers are a common favourite :) There are the not so welcome veggys (like tomato for one-I find it very difficult to eat raw tomatoes) that finds home in the salad spread.Here I share with you one of the salad recipe.

Fresh Green Salad with Itallian seasoning:

Ingredients:

Cucumber- 1{chop into bite-size}

Carrot-1{chop into bite-size}

Tomato-1{chop into bite-size}

Capsicum- 1/4th of a capsicum (I had only the green ones on hand,you could use coloured ones too)

Salt-to taste

Olive oil-1tbsp

Itallian mixed herbs - 1tsp

Method:

In a large bowl add all the vegetables.In a small bowl,mix olive oil,salt & seasoning.Pour this over the vegetables & mix well.This is a nice variation to plain green salad.The olive oil adds to a distinc flavour & taste.

http://dravidiandelights.blogspot.com/search/label/Pasta

Happy dinning all !

Cheers,

Deepa

Pasta

noreply@blogger.com (Deepa Menon Shetty) — Tue, 22 Nov 2011 19:24:00 +0000

Pasta fantasy

Ingredients:
Pasta (any brand,I use Colavita):2 cups
Onion: 3 large,diced & pureed
Tomato: 3 large,diced & pureed
Ginger:1 inch,chopped & pureed
Garlic:8-10 flakes,chopped & pureed
Oil: 3-4 tbsp
Tumeric powder:1 tsp
Pepper powder: 1 tsp
Aachi Chicken masala:1 tbsp
Soya sauce: 1 tbsp
Itallian seasoning: 1 tbsp
Cheese: 1/2 cup(shredded/cubbed)
Salt: to taste

Method:
Boil the pasta as per the instruction on the package with a little salt.Strain & set it aside.
In a skillet add oil.To this add the onion & ginger-garlic paste.Add a little salt(this will speed up the cookingcprocess).Saute till the raw smell fades.Now add tumeric powder,pepper powder,chicken masala,salt & soya sauce.Let the masala/the ingredients cook for 2-3 minutes.Add the tomato puree,cook till oil starts separating from the sides(an indicator that the ingredients have cooked).To this add the cooked pasta.Mix in well.Season it with mixed Itallian herbs.Sprinkle the cheese.Cook for 2-3 minutes.Garnish with fresh cilantro leaves.

My kids relish & savour this pasta meal with great fervour.

Do try it and share your experience :)

Happy cooking !

Cheers,

Deepa

noreply@blogger.com (Deepa Menon Shetty) — Tue, 22 Nov 2011 16:09:00 +0000

Back from a wonderful weekend getaway @ Pondicherry.The hotel we stayed at "Mango Hill" is unique in its own way.It is an environment friendly building from decor to cutleries,very french...very rustic.Enjoyed this short-quick break from the routine.

Today I am game for posting few recipes(all refreshe from the retreat ) I made this last night.Everyone liked it esply the kids.I find it complementing when my kids leave their plates licked clean ;)

Delightfully Delicious macaroni
Ingredients:
Macaroni-3/4 packet
Onion-3 large
Tomato-3 large
Ginger-1 inch
Garlic-8 flakes
Spinach- 5-6 leaves
Green chilly-1 long one
Soya sauce-2 tbsp
Tomato sauce/ketchup-2 tbsp
Mixed Itallian seasoning-1tsp/to your taste
Pepper powder-1 tsp
Red chilly powder-1 tsp
Sausages-5 large ones(I used chicken sausage,you could use sausage of your preference)
Salt- to taste
Oil-3 tbsp
Butter- 25 gms
Cheese- 1/2 cup shredded
Fresh corriander leaves- for garnish

Method:
Cook the macaroni till al dente.Boil/thaw the sausages for 5 mins.Cut the sausages into bite-size pieces.Grind onion & green chilly,keep aside.Then grind ginger-garlic into smooth paste.Grind the tomatoes into smooth puree,keep aside.In a wok/skillet add oil & saute the ground onion-chilly paste.Add ginger-garlic paste.Cook till the raw smell fades away.Next add the tomato puree & salt.Also add hilly powder and pepper powder.Cook till oil starts seperating on the sides.To this add soya sauce & tomato sauce.Let it cook for 5 mins.Add the cut sausages & spinach and cook for 2-3 mins.Add the macaroni to it.Add the butter & blend everything in.Now season it with the itallian herbs.Top it with shredded cheese.Garnish with fresh corriander/cilantro leaves.Serve hot.

This is not a spicy meal so kids with relish eating it. Mine did =).

Cheers,
Deepa

Palakkad sambar

noreply@blogger.com (Deepa Menon Shetty) — Wed, 16 Nov 2011 05:08:00 +0000

I belong to God's own country rich in vegetation & ofcourse fish yet neither am I fond of coconut nor fish !(yeah thats right I donot eat fish).Back at my grandmother's home every recipe called for a dash of coconut.I do like coconut but not too much.As far as fish is concerned I have some bad memories of eating fish good enough never to eat them again ;p But I love cooking fish though :).Most of the house holds in kerala have either idlli/dosa/Idiyappam/Kozhukatta/Appam for breakfast.Coconut chutney is a must accompainiment,so is varathuaracha sambar.Here's the traditional recipe which I learnt from my grandmother.
Traditional Varathuaracha Palakkad Sambar:

Ingredients:

Toor dhal-1& 1/2 cups
Whole corriander seeds-3 tbsp
Whole cumin seeds-3 tbsp
Dry red chilly-3-4
Fenugreek seeds-1/2 tsp(divide this into 2 portions one will be used for frying the second portion for tempering)
Mustard seeds-1/2 tsp
Asafoetida-1/2 tsp
Sambar powder-2 tbsp I use MTR sambar powder
Tomato-1 big (preferably the regular one & not the hybrid one)chopped into 1" size
Shallots-6-7
Ladies finger-5{cut in 2" long}
Egg plant/Brinjal-2 diced {2" long}
Hyacinth beans/ Avarakkai-4-5{remove the strings from the sides}
Coconut flower-1/2 cup
Tumeric powder-1 tsp
Green chillies-2 slit horrizontallyFresh corriander leaves-1-2 sprigs(for garnish)
Tamarind pulp-1/2 cup(for this add a lemon-sized tamarind ball into 1&1/2 cups of hot water,squeeze out the pulp,filter & set aside)
Curry leaves-2 sprigs(for tempering)
Cooking Oil-2 tbsp(preferably coconut oil for autheticity of the recipe)
Ghee /clarified butter -1-1&1/2 tbsp
Salt-to taste

Method:

In a cooking pan/Skillet roast{fry without oil) corriander seeds,cumin seeds,dry red chillies,fenugreek seeds(one portion) & coconut flowers.Fry them till the seeds begin to change colour(brown).Remove it from fire & transfer it into a blender,you will have to grind this up after it cools down & set it aside.Another check test to know if it is time to remove from the stove top is when you can smell the wonderful aroma of the spices.That is a speciality with Indian cooking,we use such aromatic spices to our cooking that just the aroma makes one hungry =D.

Ok,next to the same pan(that we used to roast the spices) add oil & fry the vegetables shallots.Remove it from the pan when it is semi-cooked(the shallots will turn translucent).Transfer the vegetables to a platter.Meanwhile cook the dhal,tomato & tumeric powder in a presure pan/cooker with 1&1/2 cups to 2 cups of water (enough to cover the dhal in the pressure pan).Let it cook well(say 4-5 whistles or abt 5-7 mins).Now add the fried vegetables,the ground spices.tamarind pulp,salt & sambar powder & cook till the vegetables are well cooked(not slushy though!)

In another skillet add ghee/clarified butter,mustard seeds,fenugreek seeds,curry leaves & asafoetida.when the mustard starts crakking/spluttering remove from fire & add it to the cooked dhal & vegetales.Give it a healthy stir.Check the taste.Garnish with chopped fresh corriander leaves.Serve hot with rice/dosa/idlli.Yes it takes a while(about 45 mins) but trust me once you cook this for your family they ill never let you cook sambar any other way !

Happy cooking,serving & eating folks !

Cheers,

Deepa

NB:You will find another variation of sambar here .

noreply@blogger.com (Deepa Menon Shetty) — Mon, 14 Nov 2011 11:42:00 +0000

"Porriyal "/ stir-fried assorted vegetable is a regular feature on the south indian cusine.Porriyal can be made out of variety of vegetables.It is a healthy alternative to deep fried vegetables.Here's one of my favourite porriyal combination.

Porriyal (Stir-fried assorted vegetables)

Ingredients:
Beans-100 gms
Carrot-100 gms
Cabbage-100 gms
Fresh green peas-handfull
Green chillies-1{chopped about 1/2''}
Garlic flake-1 {crushed}
Fresh coconut flower-1/2 cup
Salt-to taste
Mustard-1tsp
Urad dal-1/2 tsp{optional}
Fresh curry leaves-a sprig
Oil- 1 tbsp {for tempering}

Method:
In a skillet add the oil.Add mustard seed,urad dal,curry leaves.When the mustard starts spluttering add the crushed garlic.Saute for 2-3 mins till the raw smell fades.Then add the vegetables(beans,carrot,peas,cabbage).Add green chillies,salt & half of the coconut flower.Pour about 2-3 tbsp of water to this and let it cook.Donot pour a lot of water."Porriyal" tastes best when it is crunchy & not when it is over-cooked so do keep that in mind while adding water to it.Cover the skillet & let the vegetables cook in steam for 5-7mins.Add the remaining coconut flower,blend it in & remove from the stove top.Serve hot with steam rice,rasam/sambar,any vegetable fry/ fried chicken.

Bon appetit !

Cheers,
Deepa

noreply@blogger.com (Deepa Menon Shetty) — Tue, 08 Nov 2011 12:43:00 +0000

If like me you have fussy eater kids this recipe that I am about to share is sure to make your life much easier :)

Fried rice with an Indianised twist!

Ingredents:

Rice: 2 cups;cooked & let to cool
Spring Onion: 3-4 sprigs;cleaned & chopped finely(the leaves & bulb included)
Mushrooms: 3-4 chopped finely
Coloured capsicums: 1/2 cup-chopped
Beans:1/4 cup chopped
Carrot:1/4 cup chopped
Green peas:1/4 cup boiled
Green chillies:2;deseeded & chopped finely
Tomato:1/2 cup-chopped
Ginger:1/2";crushed
Garlic:2-3 flakes;crushed
Soya sauce: 1/2 tsp
Garam masala powder: 1/2 tsp
Tumerc powder: 1/2 tsp
Butter/Oil: 1-1 1/2 tbsp
Salt: to taste

Method:

In a wok(kadai) add oil/butter.Add the chopped spring onion & crushed ginger-garlic.Fry till the raw smell disappears.Add the chopped tomato & green chillies and fry a while (3-5 minutes).Then add the vegetables(beans,capsicum,mushroom,carrot,peas)Now add tumeric powder,garam masala powder & soya sauce.Blend well.Cook till the vegetables are done(but donot over cook !)Add salt.To this add the cooked rice.Blend everything in.Add a dab of butter on top.Serve hot (here I have served it with fried hard boiled eggs;recipe on another post)

Try it out & watch your kids savour it up :)

Happy cooking !

Cheers,
Deepa

Spaghetti in white cheesy sauce

noreply@blogger.com (Deepa Menon Shetty) — Mon, 07 Nov 2011 15:46:00 +0000

Hi all, hope you had a lovely weekend.I did.It was my son's 2nd birthday last Saturday.We had a small party with family and friends for our lil' guy.My son throughly enjoyed his party.It was such a pleasure watching him enjoy himself :).
Today I am going to share a recipe which is an all time favourite with my kids.

Spaghetti in white cheesy sauce!

Ingredients:
Spaghetti:1 packet (cook as per the instructions given on the packet/carton)
All purpose flour /maida:2 tbsp
Cheese :shredded 1 cup
Florets of broccoli:1/2 cup
Sliced mushrooms:1/2 cup
Garlic: 4 flakes (finely chopped)
Onion:1/2 medium sized onion (finely chopped)
Butter:1 tbsp
Boiled milk: 2 cups
Salt: to taste
Black pepper :1 tsp (crushed freshly)
Oregano, basil:1 tsp

Method:
Boil about 2 cups of water add broccoli and mushroom and a little salt.Cook for 3-5 minutes(ensure it does not over cook and become soggy).Strain the excess water and keep it aside.
Cook the spaghetti as per the instructions on the packet/carton and keep it aside.
For preparing white sauce heat butter in a pan add garlic and onion and saute till onion turns translucent.
Add the all purpose flour and saute for about a minute(be on your guard not to let it burn).Now add milk and stir till it blends into a smooth consistency.Also make sure to avoid any lump formation.When it starts thickening add salt,oregano,basil,pepper.Now add the boiled vegetables and the cooked spaghetti.Top it up with the shredded cheese.Mix and blend all the ingredients together.Garnish with a sprig of fresh cilantro/coriander.Serve hot.

This is such a lovely variation to its spicy counter-part (recipe later :))

Do let me know how it turned out for you.

Have an awesome day !

Cheers,
Deepa

noreply@blogger.com (Deepa Menon Shetty) — Mon, 31 Oct 2011 17:52:00 +0000

Hi its one of those days for me when I am too lazy to cook yet not lazy enough to feed or eat.I am sure if not all atleast few of you do sail the same boat every so now & then :) So what do you do when your cook does not turn up & you are no where in the mood to cook?? why because its such a lovely weather outside.Did I mention its raining here? its just awesome,prefect to cuddle up nd snore..oops! did I say snore (not lady-like ;p) ok lets just say cuddle up & dream.
So here I am wondering what to make....quickly so that I can resume my rain gazzing.Well ofcourse it has to be the Dhal,simple yet a satisfying dish.So here we go...

The simple life saver - Dhal

Ingredients:
Toor dhal : 1/4 cup
Moong dhal : 1/4 cup
Tomato: 1,finely chopped
Onion:1/2,finely chopped
Green chilly:1,finely chopped
Corriander leaves:for garnish
Ginger- 1/2 inch,finely chopped
Garlic- 1-2 pods,finely chopped
Tumeric powder-1 tsp
Salt-to taste

For tempering:
Ghee/clarified butter:1 tbsp
Mustard seed:1 tsp
Curry leaves: handful
Red dry chilly-2
Asafetida/Hing: a pinch

For garnish:
Fresh corriander leaves

Method:
In a pressure cooker,add the cleaned-washed dals.Add 2 cups of water,tumeric powder,onion,tomato,green chilly,ginger and garlic.Close the pressure cooker & let the dhal cook throughly (say 5 whistles).Remove from fire & set aside to cool down.Meanwhile in a small wok add ghee,hing,mustard seeds,curry leaves & red dry chillies.When the mustard seeds starts spluttering add it to the cooked dhal.Add salt and let it simmer for 2 minutes.Garnish with freshly chopped corriander leaves.Best served with steamed rice or rotis.

We had dhal,spicy egg thokku(I will link up the recipe here later),rice,curd,pappad & pickle for lunch.Simple yet a satisfying meal.At times it is best to avoid the frills and keep it simple.What healthy meal do you like to cook for your family when you are not in your best mood to cook? Do share your inputs here.Have an awesome day.

Cheers,
Deepa