Asvadha

Spinach-Mango Dal

2009-05-21T09:56:00.000-07:00

Spinach and Mango makes a wonderful, pleasant combination for a dal which is served with rice or rotis. They are cooked with split yellow moong beans which adds an earthy flavor. All together they make a match made in heaven. This recipe is family favorite in many homes in Andhra Pradesh, India. The dal is tangy, yet subtle and lip-smacking good.

Ingredients:

1 cup - yellow moong dal(pesara pappu)
1 cup - roughly chopped spinach
1/2 cup - peeled and diced mango cubes
2-3 - green chillies, slit in halves
1/2 tsp - red chilli powder
1/4 tsp - turmeric
Salt to taste

For tempering :
1 tsp - mustard seeds (rai,avaalu)
1 tsp - cumin seeds (jeera)
1 tsp - urad dal (mina pappu)
Pinch of asafoetida (inguva)
Few curry leaves
2-3 tsps - Oil

Method:

In a pressure cooker, cook moong dal, mango pieces, spinach and green chillies together in 1 1/2 to 2 cups of water. Cook for up to 2 whistles. If you are cooking directly cook using the same amount of water until dal is almost cooked. Please remember, which ever way you are cooking, dal should not turn soft and mushy.

Heat oil in a heavy bottomed pan, on medium heat. When hot, add mustard seeds, cumin seeds, urad dal, asafoetida, curry leaves. When mustard seeds splutter and jeera and urad dal turns brown, add the cooked dal mixture.

Add salt, turmeric, red chilli powder and cook for 5-6 minutes or till your desired consistency. Turn off the heat.

Serve hot with white rice or with rotis.

Note:

You can avoid using red chilli powder and increase the amount of green chillies or vice-versa.

You can substitute moong dal with Tuvar dal.

You can add 1/2 cup chopped onion and ginger garlic paste to the above recipe for a variation in taste. If you are adding onion and ginger garlic paste, please add after the tempering, before adding the dal mixture. Saute till onions turn translucent and then add it to the cooked dal mixture. You can also add onions along with dal and the other ingredients in the pressure cooker.

You can cook mango pieces separately in a cup of water and add it to the cooked dal.

Gatte Ki Sabzi

2009-05-12T12:26:00.000-07:00

A few days back I saw a lady on Television making 'Gatte ki Pulao' and it sounded totally new to me (and wanted to try it, haven't yet, will post it soon). Later while browsing my cookbooks for new recipes I found 'Gatte ki Subzi' recipe in Nita Mehta's Great Indian Cooking. By now, I guess I've cooked most of the recipes from that book and I've loved all of it.

Gatte ki Sabzi is a Rajasthani dish made with Gatte (gram flour dumplings) and yogurt base. The taste is totally new and very tasty. Though it's a time-consuming process it is totally worth every effort.

Ingredients:
Servings : 4-5

For Ghatte:
1 cup - gram flour (besan)
1/2 tsp - carom seeds (ajwain)
1/2 tsp - turmeric powder
1/2 tsp - red chilli powder
1/2 tsp - cumin powder ( jeera powder)
1/2 tsp - saunf (fennel seeds),coarsely ground
1/2 tsp - coriander powder (dhania powder)
1/2 tsp - garam masala powder
1/2 tsp - ginger paste
1/2 tsp - green chilli powder
3 tsps - cream (malai)
2-3 tbsps - yogurt
few springs of mint leaves, coarsely chopped
a pinch of soda bi carb
1 tsp - salt or to taste
Oil for deep frying

Mix together:
1 cup - yogurt, preferably 1-2 days old
2 tsp - gram flour (besan)
1/2 tsp - turmeric powder
1 1/2 tsp - salt or to taste

Gravy:
1/2 cup - tomatoes puree
1/2 tsp - cumin seeds (jeera)
1/2 tsp - red chilli powder
3-4 - cloves (laung)
few curry leaves
3 tbsp oil

Method:

To make ghatte :

Mix all the ingredients under 'For Ghatte' into a soft dough like chapathi dough. Add more yogurt if required. Do not add any water.

Smear oil on both your hands and roll out 4"-5" long cylinder like pieces.

Boil about 6 cups of water. Keep the gatte in a round steel strainer and place on the pan of boiling water and cover with lid. Cook for 5-7 minutes. If it is not possible to do the 'strainer-way', add the gatte directly into the boiling water and cook for 8 minutes without placing the lid.

Let them cool. Drain them, once cool, cut them into 1" long like shown in the picture above. Keep aside.

Heat oil for deep frying, add the cut ghatte pieces and fry them till they turn crispy and golden brown. Set aside.

To make gravy:

Mix together yogurt, besan, turmeric powder, salt, ginger paste and green chilli paste. Add 1 cup water and beat well.

Heat oil on medium heat, add cumin seeds, when brown add curry leaves. Add cloves. Fry for a minute.

Add red chilli powder and the yogurt mixture. Keep stirring for 5-6 minutes. Add tomato puree and cook covered for another 5 minutes. Add water if the gravy is too thick.

Add ghatte and cook on low heat for another couple of minutes. Serve hot with rice or pulao.

Tomato-Methi Curry

2009-05-08T08:19:00.000-07:00

Who doesn't love tomatoes ? I love them and I'm always in hunt for more recipes with tomatoes. Did you know that they contain Lycopene, a powerful natural antioxidant ? Lycopene helps to improve skin's ability to protect against the harmful UV rays and prevents against certain cancers.

Coming to the recipe part, this curry is really tasty and is been taught to me by my dear friend, I. The flavor of tomatoes in the curry are futher enhanced with methi leaves, and you know about my recent love for methi and that I'm trying to use them more often. It's a very easy recipe and uses a short and sweet list of ingredients. What more can I say ? Try it and you'll love it too.

Ingredients:

5 - large ripe tomatoes, diced into cubes
1 - medium sized onion, chopped finely
1 - small bunch of methi leaves, chopped and which yields around 1/2 cup
1/2 tsp - ginger-garlic paste 'or' 3 - cloves of garlic, chopped finely ( both are optional)
2 tsps - dry coconut powder
1 tsp - coriander powder
1 1/2 tsps - red chilli powder or to taste
1/4 tsp - turmeric
1 tbsp - oil
Salt to taste

Method:

After all the prep work, like chopping and stuff. Heat oil in a pan, on medium heat. When hot add chopped onions and ginger-garlic paste or chopped garlic(if you are using). Cook till onions are transculent.

Add diced tomatoes, turmeric and salt. Mix well. Cook tomatoes till they are half-way done. Add coriander powder, dry coconut powder and red chilli powder and mix once again. Cook for another 3-4 minutes. Do not over cook. Please note that the tomatoes should not become mushy. The curry should be runny with the tomato juices and tomatoes should be in nice red color.

Add chopped methi leaves in the end and mix well. Cook for another minute and turn off the heat

Serve hot with hot rice and a dollop of ghee if you please or serve as salsa to your chips.

Vaangibhaath

2009-05-01T13:28:00.000-07:00

After a short break from blogging I'm back with my post, Vaangibhaath or Vangibhaath. It is super delicious rice item made with eggplants/brinjals and spices. Being an ardent fan of eggplants, this is one of my and my family's favorite dish. This rice item is from Karnataka, India. You can use ready made Vaangibhaath masala powder which is available in many Indian stores or make the powder right from scratch, like the way I did it. The homemade one is definitely superior in taste and is fresh. You can make a big batch of this powder and store it in the freezer for later use.

Please Note : The quantity of the ingredients for the masala powder given in my recipe below is for single use. If you need to make a large batch, double the quantity of the ingredients accordingly and store it in a ziploc/plastic bag in the freezer.

Ingredients:

2 cups - rice
10-12 - small eggplants ( Indian variety)
2 medium sized - onions
3 - green chillies
1 lemon sized - tamarind or 1 1/2 tbsp - tamarind paste
1/2 tsp - turmeric powder
Few curry leaves
Salt to taste
For tempering :
1 tsp - mustard seeds ( rai, avaalu)
1 tbsp - Chana dal (sanaga pappu)
3 tbsps - roasted peanuts
2 - whole red chillies
4 tbsps - groundnut oil or regular oil
Masala Powder :
3 - whole red chillies
1 tbsp - peppercorns
1/2 tbsp - fennel seeds (saunf)
1 tbsp - poppy seeds (khuskhus, gasaalu)
2 or 3 - cloves
2 0r 3 - green cardamoms

Method:

In a pan, dry roast(without oil) all the ingredients under ' Masala powder' and grind into powder.

Wash and slit eggplants into fours, keep aside soaked in water, it prevents discoloration. Chop onions and green chillies. Soak tamarind into 1 cup of hot water.

Wash rice and add 4 cups water and cook till done.

In a deep pan, on medium-high heat, add oil, when hot, do the tempering. Add mustard seeds, chana dal, peanuts and red chillies. When the mustard seeds splutters and chana dal turns golden brown(please make sure you don't burn dal and peanuts), add curry leaves and chopped green chillies. Add chopped onions and saute till onions turns transculent.

Add slit eggplants/brinjals, salt and turmeric powder and mix well. Cook till eggplants are half done. Now, squeeze pulp out of tamarind and add the tamarind water into the curry. Place lid and cook till all the water is evaporated and the eggplants are completely cooked.

Add the masala powder into the curry and cook for another 3-4 minutes. Turn off the heat. Mix cooked rice into the curry. Mix well and mix the rice gently.

Serve hot with papad, or raita, or just plain yogurt.

Happy Ugadi -2009

2009-03-27T11:28:00.001-07:00

Asvadha wishes all the readers and dear friends a Very Happy Ugadi and Gudi Padwa. Hope the New Year brings in peace and prosperity in your home !

Here, is a lovely Carnatic music video of the music jewel of India, Bharat Ratna M.S.Subbalakshmi Garu, which I truly love. It's a beautiful song praising Lord Ganesha. Meaning of this song can be checked here. Enjoy !

Picture courtesy : apfamgs.org

Methi Rice with Corn Raita

2009-03-23T10:50:00.000-07:00

I was never a huge fan of Fenugreek (Methi) leaves as the bitterness of the leaves always puts me away from them. Hence, I never learnt lot of recipes with them. I know of all it's goodness and health benefits, I've stayed away from them many times. I've been seeing many people buying bunches of them in the grocery stores and have always wondered how they cooked them and how they get rid of the bitterness. I've tried couple of times before, used them in making curries, added them in gravies and dals, and once I made a dal with them, which turned out to be a complete disaster. So, I usually restrain myself buying them, until recently I've started buying them again to challenge myself and to find what mistakes I've made. I searched for lot of recipes and asked my friends about how they cook them and started loving them as much I used to hate them. This methi rice recipe is one such wonderful find, which made me change my mind. I know there may be lot of people like me who stay or stayed away from this healthy green. Please try this vegetable and I'm sure you'll change your opinion too.

Corn raita is my latest creation and my latest affair. I'm in totally love with it. I can eat away from a bowl without any accompainments as a snack. It's totally easy and really tasty. I can't stress on how much I want you all to try it. I've used dried basil leaves to give raita a licorice-clove flavor. It's unique and really good taste.

Methi Rice :

Ingredients:

2 Cups - rice, soaked for atleast 20 minutes
1 Cup - fenugreek(Methi)leaves, plucked, washed and chopped roughly
2 - tomatoes, diced
1 - onion, chopped
3- green chillies, slit lengthwise into four
1/2 tsp - red chilli powder
1 1/4 tsp - salt or as required
1/2 tsp - turmeric(haldi)
1 tsp - coriander(dhania)powder
1/2 tsp - cumin(jeera)powder
1/2 tsp - garam masala powder
1 tbsp -oil
coriander leaves for garnishing

Method :

Put oil in the a deep, thick bottomed pan. When hot, add green chillies pieces, chopped onions and fry them till they get slightly brown.

Now add chopped tomato pieces and fry them for about 2-3 mins or until they are cooked.

Add chopped fenugreek(methi) leaves. Mix well and saute for 2 mins till reduced.

Add dhania powder, red chilli powder, jeera powder, garam masala and turmeric.
Saute them well.

Remove the water and add rice to the masala.Stir the rice for few minutes till dry. Now add salt.

Add 3 1/2 cups of water. Cook uncovered. Mix rice gently when halfway cooked and cook till done and all the water vapors out.

Garnish with chopped coriander leaves and serve hot

Note: Adjust the spices and salt according to your taste and requirements. Bitterness is gone by adding tomatoes and it can be further reduced by adding a tsp of lemon juice in the end to the above recipe. Mix gently and well after adding the juice.

Corn Raita :

Ingredients:

1 cup - corn kernals(preferablly sweet corn), fresh or frozen.
1 cup - yogurt
1/4 tsp - dried basil leaves, I used McCormick's brand
1/4 tsp - salt or as required

Method:

Thaw the corn kernals if you are using frozen ones. Beat the yogurt until smooth.

Crush basil leaves with your left palm and your right hand thumb ( like paanwaala in India) This helps to infuse the oil and flavor in the dried basil leaves. Add it to the yogurt. Add salt and corn kernals. Mix well.

Serve chilled or at room temperature. Tastes even better if chilled and served after 1-2hrs.

Achaari Paneer

2009-03-17T19:16:00.000-07:00

I was in a mood to eat something tangy and spicy for my dinner yesterday, then I made this gravy with the paneer and the bell peppers left in my refrigerator wanting to be cooked.

Achaari Paneer is a pickled flavored masala gravy. I loved the distinguished taste of this recipe. It's totally different and really tasty, finger-licking food. This recipe is again adapted from Nita Mehta's book lying in my shelf. The original recipe called for Kalonji(Onion seeds), which were 'out of stock' in my pantry, so please use them if you have them when you are cooking this dish. It tasted very good even without them.

Kalonji a.k.a onion seeds a.k.a Nigella Sativa seed is a seed of an annual flowering plant native to Southwest Asia. It is a spice and has a pungent, bitter taste. It is used in many North-Indian dishes, mainly in pickles. You can read more about it here.

Pic source: Wikipedia

Ingredients:

4-5 Oz (about 150gms) - paneer
1 - bell peppers, I used 1/2 green and 1/2 yellow, cut into 2" pieces
1/2" - ginger
2-3 cloves - garlic
1 - onion, chopped finely
2 - green chillies, chopped
1/4 tsp + 1 pinch - turmeric
1/2 tsp - garam masala
1/2 - red chili powder
1/2 tsp - amchoor(dry mango powder) or lemon juice to taste
1 - green chili, cut lengthwise into 4 pieces
1/2 tsp - salt or to taste
1/2 cup - curd
1/4 cup - milk
2 tbsps - cream
2 tbsps - oil

For Achaari Masala:

1 tsp - saunf(aniseeds)
1/2 tsp - rai(mustard seeds)
a pinch of methi seeds(fenugreek seeds)
1/4 tsp - kalonji(onion seeds)
1/2 tsp - jeera(cumin seeds)

Method:

Cut paneer into thick, big bite size pieces. Sprinkle turmeric, a pinch of salt and red chili powder on paneer and bell peppers.
Mix well and keep aside for 10 minutes.

Crush garlic and ginger roughly. Beat curd with 2 tbsp of water and a pinch of turmeric till smooth. Keep aside.

Heat oil. Add all the ingredients under 'Achaari Masala'. When they start to crackle and when the jeera turns golden, add chopped onions and green chillies. Cook onion till they turn brown.

Add crushed ginger-garlic paste. Cook for 1 minute, till the raw smell disappears. Reduce the heat to low.

Add curd. Mix well. Add amchoor, garam masala powder and salt(adjust according to taste).Cook for 2-3 minutes or till the curd dries up a little.

Add milk and slit green chillies. Boil on low heat for another 2-3 minutes, stirring continuously.

Add cream and marinated paneer and bell peppers. Cook for about 3 minutes more on low flame.

Serve hot/warm/cold with Rice pilaf or rotis.

Made for Each Other - The Round-Up

2009-03-04T19:50:00.000-08:00

My heartfelt thank you for all those participants who have sent me their wonderful cute entries. Here is the lineup of entries I've received for the Made for Each Other event.

But, before I go with the lineup, as I've promised that two entries will be awarded for each categories, MEO-Concept and MEO- Delish, and there is a surprise prize too. Being an enivormentally-consious individual that I am, I'm giving these gorgeous, chic, colorful grocery totes to the winners. I have these totes and I totally love them.

The entries were all stunning and all of them fitted the theme perfectly and all of them were really drool-worthy, so, after brain-storming session of judging the entries, I've decided to pick a random winner for the MEO-Concept. MEO-Delish winner is what I felt is the most drool-worthy entry for the event. For the categories...

MEO - CONCEPT

The WINNER is .....

Yasmeen of Health Nut, with her entry, Strawberry Cobbler with Orange Carrot Frozen Yogurt. Her entry was her Wedding Anniversary treat. Sweet and Scrumptious. Congratulations Yasmeen ! Please write to me with your mailing address and do not forget collect your award displayed above for MEO-Concept.

Now, for the WINNER for the most drool worthy entry is ...

MEO - DELISH

Asha of Foodie's Hope, with her entry Idli, pearl onion sambar,urad vadas, chutney and ghee. Her entry was truly traditional and drool-worthy and a heart-filling one. Congratulations Asha ! Please write to me with your mailing address and do not forget to collect the award displayed above for the MEO - Delish.

Here are all the wonderful jodis I've received for this event. For a detailed look, along with their pictures, please visit this gallery.

From my Kitchen to Your's.. - Pakoras and Chai

Cooking with Swapna's - Aapam and Coconut milk

Rak's Kitchen's - Whole green moong dosa-Pessarattu with Ginger Chutney

Fireworks in my Kitchen's - Masala Tea with Crunchy Butter Biscuits

Priya's Easy N Tasty Recipes - Methi N Soyachunks Pulao With Cucumber Raitha

Foodie's Hope's - Idli, Pearl Onion Sambhar,Urad Vadas,Chutney and Ghee

Nanna Adige's - Brinjal - Zucchini subzi with Dill Chapathi

Messy Cook's - Aapam with Potato Kurma

Swap-Swapi's - Ghavan-Ghatle

Holy Cow! Recipes from a Vegan Kitchen - Vegan Lamb Curry with Creamy Mashed Potatoes

Simple Indian Food's - Chole Batura

The Footloose Chef's - Steamed sweet potatoes and Bird's eye chilli (kanthari) chutney

Madhu's food Journal's - Marshmallows and Hot chocolate

Curry in Kadai's - Kachipuram Idli with Velluli Karam

Indian Vegetarian Kitchen's - Aapam with Raw Onion Chutney

Bay Leaf's - Corn fried rice with Schezwan manchuria

Fusion's - Idli and Podi

Yummy Food's - Moong dal Kitchidi with Pudina Chutney

Madhu's Cooking Gallery's - Gobi Paratha with Raita

Appetizing Recipes - Masala Dosa with Tomato Chutney

Creative Saga's - Palak Poori and Chole

From my Palate's - Choley Batura

Ready for Sumptuous Meal's - Pongal and Vadai

Poonam Kitchen's - Butter Naan with Methi Matar Malai

Ratatouille-Anyone can cook's - Instant ragi dosa with tomato chutney

Usha Nadini's Recipes - Poori Kizhangu

Spice Club's - Puri and Masala

Asvadha's - Makki ki Roti-Sarson ka Saag

Kailas Kitchen's - Teekhat Meethachi Puri and Panchmel Dal

Seduce your Tastebuds - Tovvay Anna and Gojju

Healthy Nut's - Strawberry Cobbler with Orange Carrot Frozen Yogurt

Asankhana's - Chola Curry with Rice

Delectable Vegetarian Recipes - Poori Masala

Please write to me for any omissions or errors. Thank You !

Savory Pesto Palmiers

2009-02-26T16:16:00.000-08:00

The moment I laid eyes on Cham's Savory Palmiers, I knew I've to try them. I remember eating "Little Hearts" back in India. They were sweet and very cute, back then little I knew that they were called Palmiers. I browsed lot of recipes and found Ina Garten's recipe for savory palmiers. What a sweet lady she is. So soft and well spoken. I love all her desserts. I found this recipe in her book "Barefoot Contessa-Back to Basics". I love pesto and sundried tomatoes. What more can I ask for in a fool-proof recipe. The recipe called for 1/4 cup pesto sauce for two sheets of puff pastry dough and seemed to be less filling to me. So I doubled it. I've used 1/4 cup for one sheet. I really loved it. Crispiness from the puff pastry dough, the tanginess from the sundried tomatoes and the tartness of the goat cheese made the whole experience truly delectable.

Ingredients:
Makes 50 pieces

1 sheet - frozen Pepperidge Farm puff pastry, defrosted
¼ cup - prepared pesto, store bought or homemade
4oz (113g) - crumbled goat cheese (I used 365 brand)
¼ cup - finely chopped sun-dried tomatoes
1/5 cup - pine nuts
1/4 tsp - salt or to taste

Method:

For the recipe of Basil pesto, click here. Toast the pinenuts in a dry saute pan, over low heat, for about 5 minutes, until golden brown. Roughly chop the pinenuts and set aside.

Defrost puff pastry overnight in the refrigerator or thaw according to the package instructions. Lightly flour a board and carefully unfold one sheet of puff pastry. Roll the pastry lightly with a rolling pin smoothing out the surface. Cut and divide the sheet into half. Take one half and set aside.

On the other half spread with half the pesto, then sprinkle with half the goat cheese, half the sun-dried tomatoes, and half the pine nuts. Sprinkle with salt.

Working with one end, carefully fold half way to the center.

Fold the other side again toward the center until the folded edges almost touch.

Fold one side over the other and press lightly. Place the sheet on a pan lined with parchment paper. Repeat for the second sheet of puff pastry using the remaining ingredients. Cover both rolls with foil or plastic wrap and chill for at least 30-45 minutes.

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Cut the prepared rolls of pastry into ¼-inch-thick slices.

Place them face-up 2 inches apart on sheet pans lined with parchment paper. Bake for 10 minutes, until golden brown. Serve warm.

"It tastes better than it looks in the picture" S said after having a first bite. That's a wonderful compliment, as he first saw the picture and said "wow". I was happy and glad I tried it. We all loved it and I'm sure you'll love it too. Thank you Cham for inspiring me.

Compliments well as a snack with coffee or tea or as a dessert accompaniment. The first picture is an entry to Jugalbandit's Click Event, this month it's about Tofu/Cheese. After much jugalbandhi between picture 1 and 3, I'm leaning towards picture 1. What do you say, which picture you liked better of all?

Makki ki Roti - Sarson Ka Saag

2009-02-23T23:03:00.000-08:00

What a lovely combo ! They truly complement each other very well. The recipe is so simple and tastes so great. Sarson is called as Mustard greens here in US is widely available in many Indian and American Grocery stores. It is know for it's distinct pungent, horse-radish mustardy flavor and is rich in Vitamin A and Vitamin K. Because of it's pungent flavor it is usually cooked with milder greens like spinach.

This wonderful punjabi dish is my entry for my event - Made for Each Other. Only 4 days more left. Have you sent your jodi yet ? I couldn't think of a better jodi. Truly inseparable! What do you say ?

Sarson Ka Saag :

Ingredients:

1 bunch(like the one shown in picture above) - sarson(Mustard green)
1 cup packed - spinach
4 cloves - garlic, finely chopped
2" - ginger, peeled and finely chopped
2 - green chillies, chopped
1 tsp - salt or to taste
2 tbsp - makki ki atta( corn flour)
1 1/2 tsp - powdered jaggery
For Tempering :
3 tbsp - ghee or oil
1" - ginger, finely chopped
2 - green chillies, finely chopped
3/4 tsp - red chilli powder

Method:

Wash and clean mustard leaves. Remove the leaves. Hold the stem closer to the leaf and pull the leaf downwards, stringing out the thick fiber of the stem(like the way you string beans). Stems add flavor to the saag, but string them before adding and the stems have to be tender. Chop them finely. Chop spinach and add to the mustard greens.

Cook them with 1/2 cup water. Add ginger, garlic and green chillies while cooking the greens into the pan. Add salt. Cover and cook for 15 mins on a medium flame. Remove and set aside until cool.

Grind into a coarse paste. Do not grind into a smooth paste.

In a small bowl, take corn flour and add couple of tsps of water and make into paste. Set aside.

In a separate pan, add ghee and do tadka(tempering) by adding ginger and green chillies. When ginger changes color, add ground greens. Add corn flour paste and cook for 2-3 mins.

Add red chilli powder and adjust salt. Cook for another 2-3 mins. Add water if the saag is too thick. Turn off the heat.

Serve hot with Makki Ki Roti and with a dollop of butter.

*************************

Makki Ki Roti :

Ingredients:

2 cups - makki ki atta( corn flour)
1/2 tsp - salt or to taste
hot water - to knead
ghee for frying
2 small plastic sheets

Method:

Sieve the flour, add salt and knead gently with hot water to a soft dough. Do not knead the dough well in advance.

Place one plastic sheet on the working surface. Place one ball of dough and place the other plastic sheet on it, such that there is plastic sheet above and beneath the dough ball.

Press carefully with your fingers into slightly thick roti.

Heat a pan or tava on low flame. Carefully transfer the roti into the tava and both side by adding ghee. Serve hot immediately with Sarson ka Saag.

Oatmeal Raisin Cookies with Wheat Germ

2009-02-19T08:27:00.000-08:00

Cookie Monster's favorite and my favorite. Crunchy outside and soft, chewy inside. My first preference over any cookie is Oatmeal raisin, because of it's taste and texture. Hence, my first bake on cookies was oatmeal raisin. After couple of unsuccesful attempts and tweaking the recipe here and there, now, I can say that I've acheived some perfection in baking them at home. I've used wheat germ this time to make the cookie a hearty and healthy, which is very high in protein and also adds sweet and somewhat nutty flavor to the cookies. You can substitute raisins with 12 ounces of semi-sweet chocolate chips or any dried fruit like cranberries or cherries. Eat them straight out of jar - if not warm from the oven.

Ingredients:
(Makes about 30-32 cookies)

1 1/2 cups - old fashioned rolled oats, like Quaker oats
1/2 cup plus 1 tbsp - all purpose flour
3/4 cup (packed) - raisins
1/4 cup - toasted wheat germ
1/2 tsp each - baking soda and baking powder
1/2 tsp - ground cinnamon
pinch of salt
1/2 cup ( 1 stick) - unsalted butter, at room temperature
1/2 cup - granulated sugar
1/2 cup (packed) - light brown sugar
1 large egg, at room temperature
1/2 tsp - pure vanilla extract.

Method:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. In a large bowl, mix oats, flour,baking soda, baking powder, cinnamon and salt.
Put butter and sugars in the bowl of an electric stand mixer fitted with paddle attachment. Mix on medium speed until pale and fluffy for about 5 minutes. Fold in eggs and vanilla. Reduce speed to low. Add oats mixture; mix until just combined. Add raisins.
Using a 1 1/2 - inch ice cream scoop, drop dough onto baking sheets lined with silipat or with parchment paper, spacing 2 inches apart. Flatten the cookie dough slightly with a spoon or with a mini-spatula.
Bake until golden and just set, it takes about 14 minutes. Rotate the baking sheet half way through. This ensures even baking. When done, let them cool on sheets on wire racks for 5 minutes. Transfer cookies to wire racks and let them cool completely. Cookies can be stored in an air tight jar at room temperature for up to 3 days.

Beans Patoli

2009-02-13T16:47:00.000-08:00

Beans Patoli

Beans Patoli is a traditional South-Indian curry and is made in many homes. The crumbled dal mixture is called Patoli in my home. It is also called Usili in Tamil. This curry is a very nutritious and wholesome. It has got vegetables and protein-rich dal. It's very filling when eaten with rice or chapathis. There are many vegetables which can be replaced with the dal mixture. Vegetables like cabbage, plaintain flower or stem or cluster beans or bell peppers or greens like spinach to name a few.

Well, this favorite curry of mine is on it's way to My Legume Love Affair - Eighth Helping, this time hosted by Susan itself. I've been sincerly sending my entries to this event four times in a row now( also hoping to win ). It's a wonderful event and is one of my personal favorite.

There is a update about my event, I've started posting the entries as and when they arrive to me. You can find link to access the entries on my event page or by clicking on the link on the right side bar.

Now, towards my today's recipe.....

Ingredients:
For curry :
2 cups - Beans, chopped into small bits
Few curry leaves
1 tbsp - Oil
1 tsp - Salt or to taste
For Dal Mixture :
3/4 cup - Bengal gram (channa dal /sanaga pappu)
3-4 - Whole Red Chillies
Few curry leaves
1/2 tsp - Turmeric powder
1/2 tsp - Salt or to taste
pinch of asafoetida
For Tempering(poppu/tadka) :
1 tsp - Mustard seeds(avaalu/rai)
1 tsp - black gram dal(urad dal/minapappu)

Method:

Soak begal gram dal for 2-3 hrs in water. Later, grind it with curry leaves, red chillies, turmeric, salt and asafoetida into a coarse paste, by adding a spoonful of water at a time. Take care not to add lot of water and make it watery.

Take the paste into a deep steaming dish or onto idli plates. Steam it in pressure cooker for about 8-10 mins, with pressure weight on.

Note: I usually steam both beans and the dal mixture into two seperate steam dishes and steam them in the pressure cooker simultaneously, by placing one dish above the other. Do not add water in either of them. This way beans gets cooked faster and the amount of oil can also be reduced. Gets done in a healthy and super fast way!

Once the steamed dal mixture is cooked and chilled, crumble into rough powder by hands or run in grinder for few seconds until you get a coarse powder.

Heat a pan, add 1 tbsp oil and do the tempering. When mustard splutters and urad dal turns light brown, add beans and cook till 3/4th done. If you've have steamed like I've mentioned above in my note, cook beans in the pan for 2-3 mins, till all the water from the beans is gone.

Add the powdered dal mixture to the curry and mix well. Add salt and mix well and let it cook for another 10-12 mins till the dal mixture gets the brown-crunchy texture. Turn off the heat and serve.

The curry tastes great with hot rice and best when eaten hot. Yum ! Try it and let me know how you liked it.

Paneer Paratha

2009-02-09T11:16:00.000-08:00

I've always wanted to do a step by step procedure of a recipe with photos showing exactly what to do. It makes life of a new chef easy and it leads to a perfect ending all the time. Well, to play safe let me say, most of the time. So, here is my first pictorial recipe in my blog.

By the way, I've been receiving tremondous response for the event at my blog. Wonderful recipes so far. I'm planning and working on to post the recipes as and when I receive it. You'll be seeing a link soon. Thank you guys ! But please just one post per person or blog. Couple more weeks to go. Feb 28th is the last day. So, have you started making your jodis yet ??

Talking about jodis makes me want to focus on today's post. It's Paneer Paratha served hot with Pomegranate raita. It's my first time trying both of them and I must say both of them complement each other very well. Paneer parathas turned out really tasty and really chewy. Perfectly hot and spicy for this cold winters. Recipe for Pomegranate raita can be found here.

Ingredients:

For the dough:

Chapati Flour - 1 1/2 cups

Salt - 1/4 tsp

Oil - 1 Tbsp

For the stuffing:

Paneer - 14 oz, grated

Salt - to taste

Chaat Masala - 1/2 tsp

Roasted Cumin Powder - 1/2 tsp

Red Chili Powder - to taste

Green Chilies - 2, finely chopped

Cilantro/Coriander - 5 sprigs, finely chopped

Oil - for pan frying

Method:
Mix Flour, Salt, Oil and until Oil is incorporated into the dry flour. Add warm water and mix into firm dough. Cover and set aside for atleast 15mins.

To the grated Paneer, add Salt, Chaat Masala, Roasted Cumin Powder, Red Chili Powder, Green Chilies and Cilantro /Coriander. Mix well.

Divide dough and paneer mixture into 8 portions. Using a little dry flour, roll out the dough ball into a small disc.

Place one portion of the paneer mixture in the middle of the disc .

pull up sides of the disc around the paneer. Pinch the dough at the top to seal the ball. Flatten the stuffed dough and dip into dry flour to coat all sides

Roll out into a larger disc - continuing to dip into dry flour to prevent sticking. Place paratha on a hot tava/skillet and cook until bubbles start to appear on the top. Flip the paratha over and cook for another minute.

Drizzle a little Oil on both the sides of the paratha and spread to coat evenly. Flip the paratha over and press gently with a spatula on all sides. Cook paratha until the appearance of raw dough is gone.

Remove paratha from the tava and continue with remaining parathas. Serve hot with Pomegranata raita or any raita or with pickle.

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Announcing - Made for Each Other

2009-01-26T12:15:00.000-08:00

UPDATE : The entries are posted as they arrive. They can be accessed HERE or by clicking on link on the right side bar.

'Made for Each Other' is a theme based event and it is based on food and love for this Valentine's Day.

There are so many theme based events, that I've participated, missed and unaware of. I've been thinking of a lovely and cute event to begin with for the first time in Asvadha. I've been waiting to start this event for a long time. Finally the time has arrived. The theme for this event is about food that is made for each other. It can be an accompaniment, an appetizer, a side dish or even a dessert. Basically it is the love between both the dishes which complement each other. Well the rule is, your main dish has to be accompanied by any other side dish. Like sambar for idli, raita for biriyanis or parathas, salsa or any dips for chips, jam for bread... you get the idea. Another rule is that you'll have to prepare a main dish and an accompainment in the same posting, that is two recipes in one. Two-for-one ! It's all about love !

A surprize gift and award will be given for two entries. Being the host, I get to pick the award-winning entries. The categories are MEO-Concept, for the most original entry and MEO-Delish, for the most drool worthy entry.

Results and round-up will be announced by March 10th.

Go gear up and send in your entries.

Guidelines:

Prepare a lovely vegetarian or vegan recipe(s) with main dish and it's Jodi (partner). Any traditional, any cuisine, any course is allowed. Only one entry per blog/person. If you send multiple entries, the first one will be used.

Post about it in your blog between now and Feb 28th 2009. Please provide a link to this announcement and please spread around the word with your fellow bloggers.

The last date for sending your entry is Feb 28th 2009, midnight , PST.

Send me a email with MEO-2009 in the subject line to asvadha@gmail.com with the following details :

Your name

Your blog name

Name of the entry ( both main and it's accompainment)

URL of your post

An optional photo which is 800 pixels wide or 800 pixels long (not both)

A line about why you think they make a perfect pair.

If you do not have a blog and if you are interested in sending me your entry, please send me an email with the recipe and above details.

Older posts are accepted if they are re-posted and updated with the link to this announcement.

Feel free to use the logo below in your post.

(By taking part in this event, participants accept that the pictures submitted to Asvadha.com have been taken by them, and do not infringe upon the proprietary rights, including but not limited to the copyright, of any third party.)

So, start making your Jodi's instead of depending on 'RAB' (GOD).

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Medhu Vadai ~ Garelu

2009-01-26T09:05:00.000-08:00

Idli, Vada & Dosai is the famous trio in South India. Each one of them complement each other very well. From the trio is the Vadai or Garelu(in Andhra) which is savory donut, made out of lentils. It is seasoned with green chillies, ginger and salt, fried and served with chutney or sambar. It can be dipped and soaked in hot sambar and can be eaten as sambar vada, or it can be soaked in yogurt(dahi) for dahi vada. Either way you eat, it tastes great.

Making Medhu vadai, was a quite a experience for me. It is a skill which took me a while excel. I used to make mistakes everytime I made them. I used to add lot of water, which made the dough, loose and I could never make the holes in the center. All my vadais turned out to be bondas. Else, it turned out to be hard, too hard to even bite. Well, " practice makes one perfect ". That came out true for me in this case. Now, my medhu vadais not only looks great, it is softer to chew and crunchy on the outside and melts in my mouth.. If you are new and trying this for the first time, please don't get put off, if it doesn't turn out perfect. Keep trying you'll get it.

Ingredients:

(Makes around 20 vadais)

2 cups - Urad dal ( black gram dal, mina pappu)
2 tbsps - Rice
8 - Green Chillies
1 1/2" (inch) - Ginger
1 tbsp - Black pepper ( ground coarsely), optional
Few curry leaves, torn into smaller bits
Salt as required
Plantain leaf or ziploc(plastic sheet) for making vada
Oil, for deep frying

Method:

Wash well and soak urad dal and rice for 3-4 hrs. Drain the water completely. Add the rest of the ingredients, except curry leaves and oil. Grind in small batches, by sprinkling very little water. It is the key. Use water, just enough to run the motor blades of the food-processor effectively, without creating any 'jam-session'. Grind into smooth paste. Add curry leaves to the dough.

Heat oil, on a medium heat, in a kadai or a deep pan. Oil should be atleast 1" deep.

Take a bowl of water to begin making vadais. Place the plastic sheet or plantain leaf on the counter-top. Wipe the sheet/leaf with water. Take about half handful(about 1/5th cup) of dough on the sheet/leaf. Dampen your fingers with water and flatten the dough gently, making a circle, put a hole in the center with your finger. Gently, transfer the dough into oil and deep fry till it is golden.

Do not turn the heat to high, as the inside of the vadai may not cook properly.

Don't loose heart if you are unable to make dough into donuts, drop it in any shape. Take the dough by a spoon and drop it into oil. It tastes the same no matter how it is shaped. Remember, keep practicing.

Serve Medhu Vadais as a snack or as an appetizer with chutney or sambar.

This Vadais is on their way to the My Legume Love Affair- Seventh Helping, hosted this month by Srivalli of Cooking 4 all seasons and initiated by Susan of The well seasoned cook. There are 5 more days left to send your entries. So, Giddy Up Rodeo !

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Hot Plantain Thuvaram Curry

2009-01-16T14:04:00.000-08:00

How many of you have watched the movie " The Namesake " ? I guess most of you have watched it by now. It's a wonderful movie. I watched it when it got released in theaters and now recently I watched again on television, this time I got engrossed a bit more and loved it more than the first time. It relates so much to our lives here, outside India. A friend of mine suggested the book, written by Jhumpa Lahiri, is more better than the movie. As I love reading books, I couldn't wait, I went and bought one. The books is so well written, that few lines made me laugh and cry. I could relate myself with the character and got totally engrossed. I'm still reading it now. It's a must read. Those who haven't read the book till now, please go get one from your local library or buy one from a book store. It's lovely !

Well, about today's recipe, it's plantain thuvaram curry. Thuvaram means "Poriyal - dry, sauceless curry" in Tamil. Plantain is one versatile vegetable for me, can be cooked in many ways, and it turns out tasty every time. When I moved in here, I had tough time cooking this vegetable, as it used to turn out hard to chew after a while , after cooking. I used to steam it in pressure cooker like I do for all other vegetables. Now, I directly boil it on top of the stove. It comes out perfectly cooked and soft to chew.

I've tried this recipe and I have liked it. I'm sure you'll love it too. It's very easy and quick(of course you'll have to cook the plantains, so include time to cook the vegetable too). It's a bit on the hot on the spice level, so adjust your spiciness according to the taste.

Ingredients :

2 - Plantains
7-8 - Red chillies
1 tbsp - Grated coconut
2 tsps - Cumin seeds
1/2 tsp - Turmeric powder
1 1/2 tsps - Salt
For tempering :
1 tsp - Mustard seeds ( Rai, Avaalu)
2 tsps - Black gram dal ( Urad dal, Minapappu)
Few curry leaves
2 tsps - Oil

Method:

Peel and cut plantain into small bit size cubes. Add them into water immediately, as they turn darker in color like potatoes and apples. Cook them directly over stove-top. Add 1/2 tsp salt and turmeric while they are still cooking. It takes around 15 mins to cooks completely, the pieces should be soft to touch and the shape should be intact.Drain out remaining water and keep aside.

Grind together, red chillies, coconut and cumin seeds together into coarse paste.

Take a pan, add oil. When oil turns hot, add mustard seeds, black gram dal and curry leaves. When mustard seeds splutter and dal turn brown. Add cooked plantain. Add ground paste and mix well. Add the remaining salt now and mix well and gently trying not to make the curry mushy. Cook for another 5 mins and turn off the heat and serve hot.

Tastes great with plain rice and can be accompanied with tomato dal or any other dal. Have fun !

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Sweet Pongal

2009-01-14T15:58:00.000-08:00

I made Sweet pongal, as they make traditionally in most of the South Indian homes during the harvest festival, which is called Pongal in Tamil or Sankranthi in Telugu. It's a celebration of the prosperity associated with the harvest by thanking the rain, sun and the farm animals that have helped in the harvest. It's like Thanksgiving in India. It also signifies the day, on which the sun begins its journey northwards is referred to as Makara Sankranti. Wonderful info about this festival can be found here and here.

Sweet pongal is what my mom and my mom-in-law makes during this festival. I now make it too. Most of the South Indians must have tasted this or one that is made with sugar. I have tasted both and love both of them. It truly signifies the meaning of a real pongal. As written in Wiki -

"Sweet(Sakarai, in Tamil) Pongal or Veetu Pongal, it is celebrated by boiling rice with fresh milk and jaggery in new pots, which are later topped with brown sugar, cashew nuts and raisins early in the morning and allowing it to boil over the vessel. This tradition gives Pongal its name.
Kolam decorations in front of house during Thai Pongal
The moment the rice boils over and bubbles out of the vessel, the tradition is to shout of "Ponggalo Ponggal!" and blowing the sangu (a conch), a custom practiced during the festival to announce it was going to be a year blessed with good tidings. For Tamils, it is considered a good sign to watch it boil over, since it means that good luck and prosperity is forthcoming. Then New boiled rice is offered to the Nature during sunrise, a gesture which symbolises thanks to the sun and nature for providing prosperity. It is later served to the people present in the house for the ceremony. People also prepare savories and sweets such as vadai, murukku, payasam and visit each other and exchange greetings. "

To make this relish you need :

2 cups - Rice
3/4 cup - Moong dal ( pesara pappu)
3 cups - Brown sugar or Jaggery
3 cups - Milk + 2 cups water
1/2 cup - Ghee
1/2 cup - Grated coconut (optional)
1 tbsp - Cardamom powder
3 tbsp - Broken cashews
2 tbsp - Golden raisins
and a pinch of salt to enhance the taste ( I like to add a pinch of salt in all sweet dishes, it really enhances the taste of the dish)

Method :

Broil rice and dal together in a pan on medium heat, till the raw smell disappears and dal smells good. Rinse them well with water and in a thick bottom pan or in pressure cooker, cook rice and dal together with milk and 2 cups water listed above for 15-20 mins with weight on. The rice and dal has to cook soft, not grainy.

Once cooked, transfer the contents into a separate deep thick bottomed pan and add brown sugar and salt. Mix well. The mixture will turn watery and will thicken in few minutes. Keep stirring. Pay attention to not to burn the bottom of the pan.

In a separate pan, heat ghee and fry cashews till golden color, and add raisins and fry till they balloons out. Add grated coconut into the pan and saute for 2-3 mins. Add the contents into the rice-dal-jaggery and mix well. Add cardamom powder and mix well once again. Cook for another 2-3 mins stirring occasionally.

If the pongal is too thick add little more milk or water and cook for another 2-3 mins. If it is runny, cook little longer, till pongal turns thick. Add more or less ghee,sugar according to your taste.

Please note that, I've used brown sugar for my recipe as I find the taste similar to that of jaggery and it is easy and convenient to use. I use it for most of the recipes which calls for jaggery.

Also, if you are using sugar instead of brown sugar or jaggery, use 3 cups of sugar instead of brown sugar or jaggery. Take out a handful of moong dal(pesara pappu) and add a handful of bengal gram dal (sanaga pappu). The rest of the ingredients stays the same and so is the method.

Happy Pongal and Makara Sankranthi Subakanshalu to all of you.

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Wish you a Very Happy Sankranthi

2009-01-13T20:47:00.000-08:00

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Pomegranate Raita

2009-01-11T14:12:00.000-08:00

Pomegranate is derived from latin - pomum ("apple") and granatus ("seeded"). This fruit is native to the region from Iran to the Himalayas in northern India and has been cultivated and naturalized over the whole Mediterranean region and the Caucasus since ancient times. This fruit is in season during winters here in US and around the world.

Pomegranate is good in anti-oxidants and in Vitamin C and B5, so, it's really good for health. The above photo is my little one holding the arils of the pomegranate fruit.

Separating the red arils is simplified by performing this task in a bowl of water, wherein arils sink and pulp floats. It is also possible to freeze the whole fruit in the freezer, making the red arils easy to separate from the white pulp membranes. More info about this wonderful tasty fruit can be read here.

This colorful, red juicy fruit has been sitting in my fruit basket craving for attention. Well, I finally decided to use it to make raita for my parathas. It's really simply super easy and very tasty. Serves well with parathas, Rice varieties or just alone as a snack.

All you need : 1 - Pomegranate ( which yields around 1/2 cup of arils or seeds), 1 1/2 cup - low fat plain yogurt, 1/2 tsp - salt. Mix'em all together and serve. Super delicious.

The above photograph is sent to Bee and Jai Click event.

It is a monthly event dedicated to food photography. This month's theme is "Red" . Bee and Jai says "Whatever you portray must be edible or have a clear culinary association".

So if you are intrested please send your entries too. All the previous entries are so inspiring that I thought I'll try my luck.

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Naaza

2009-01-09T09:34:00.000-08:00

Well, you must be wondering what the heck is Naaza ! It a great combination of Pizza and Naan ! Ever since I laid my eyes on the recipe in Nita Mehta's "Exotic Cooking with Paneer" book, I felt I must definetly try it. It is very tasty Indianized pizza with Naan as pizza base and paneer (Indian Cottage cheese)as topping. How to make paneer can be found here. It is very easy fool proof recipe and very delicious. Ever since I've tried this, it has become my family favorite now. Yummy and truly Indian.

Naan is spread with an Indian tomato spread flavored with kasoori methi for the yummy-buttery taste, restaurant like, and topped with paneer tikkas and mozzarella cheese. It is finally grilled in the oven.

You can find ready-made naans these days in grocery stores either fresh or frozen. I've used fresh readymade naan which I bought at Whole Foods Market. I usually buy fresh whole wheat naans and freeze them so that I can use whenever I need to without worrying about the expiration date. It usually stays good frozen for about 3-4 months. I've used regular naan as I was out of the whole wheat ones. You can try with the whole wheat naans, it will taste the same and it is also healthy. Also, if you are using frozen naans, layer the toppings on the frozen naan, thawing is not required and you'll grill the naaza at end. But, you may need to grill a little longer, another 2-3 mins extra.

The Ingredients below serves 4 people and please don't get put off by the ingredients list. It is readily available in most Indian homes and it's really effortless.

Ingredients :

2 ready made naans
4 - 5 oz / 100 - 150 gms mozzarella cheese

Tomato spread :

1 tbsp Oil
4 flakes - Garlic, crushed
2 - tomatoes, pureed or 1 tbsp - tomato paste ( If you making puree with fresh tomatoes, save 1 tbsp for making paneer topping
1/2 tsp - Salt
1/4 tsp - Garam masala powder
1/4 tsp - Red chilli powder
2 tbsp - Tomato ketchup or sauce
2 tsp - Dry fenugreek leaves ( kasoori methi )

Paneer topping :

4 oz / 100 gms - paneer, cut into 1/4" pieces1 small bunch - Brocolli (optional)
1/2 green and 1/2 yellow bell peppers, cut into 1/2" pieces ( you can substitute with 1 green bell pepper
1 - Tomato, deseeded and cut into 1/2" pieces
1/2 - onion, cut into 1/2" squares
1/4 tsp each - Salt, Red chilli powder, Haldi and Garam masala powder, or adjust according to taste
1 tbsp - Tomato puree
1/2 tsp - Ginger- Garlic paste
1 1/2 tbsp - Oil

Method:

For tomato spread-

Heat oil, in a sauce pan. Add garlic and all other ingredients. Cook till thick.

For paneer topping-

Heat oil in a pan. Add onion. Saute till transperant. Add ginger- garlic paste, salt, red chilli powder, haldi and garam masala powder. Mix well. Add tomato puree. Add bell peppers and tomato. Mix well once again.

Add paneer and kasoori methi. Mix well and remove from heat. You need not cook paneer in the pan as you would be grilling them later.

Brush naan with 1 tsp oil or spray oil from can. Spread some tomato spread, covering well till the edges.

Sprinkle some mozzarella cheese. Spread paneer topping. Sprinkle little more cheese again.

Grill for about 15 mins at 350 degrees F or 180 degrees C , till the paneer get grilled and the edges of the naan turn brown. Be careful not to grill for long time, as the base will turn hard.

Cut into retangular pieces. and serve hot.

Yummy and spicy naaza is ready to be enjoyed.

The recipe in the book says, you can serve Naaza with Mint-Yogurt chutney. For Mint-Yogurt chutney you'll need to mix together, 2 tbsp mint paste, 3 tbsp yogurt, a pinch of black salt ( Kala namak) and pinch of cumin ( jeera )powder with 1 tsp oil. I had mine Naaza alone.

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Asvadha Wishes You A Very Happy New Year !

2008-12-31T11:12:00.000-08:00

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Italian Tomato - Bean Soup

2008-12-30T12:27:00.000-08:00

It is an Italian Comfort Food ! If you need a soup which is very easy, quick and spicy, this tomato-bean soup hits the mark. It is a truly delicious and completely satisfying meal anytime of the day. A little extra spice in the soup definitely satisfies our craving for warm, spicy food this cold, wintry days.

This recipe is adapted from "Everyday Italian" - TV show by Giada De Laurentiis on Food Network. The moment I laid eyes on this recipe, I thought I must give it a try. No regrets at all. It is really tasty and will now become a regular meal at my home. I've made very minor changes to the original recipe to suit mine and my family's taste buds.

I've used cannellini beans for this soup, which is white Italian kidney beans. You can substitute with the red kidney beans(Rajma) if you prefer.

Ingredients:

2 tablespoons olive oil
2 carrots, peeled and chopped
1 small onion, chopped
1 clove garlic, minced
1 (26-ounce) jar marinara sauce (recommended: San Marzano brand)
14-ounce ( 1-1/2 cup) Vegetable broth
1 (15-ounce) can cannellini beans, drained and rinsed
1 1/2 tsp red pepper flakes
1/2 cup Elbow Macoroni pasta ( you can use any small pasta like pastina, orzo etc)
1 teaspoon salt
1 tsp freshly ground black pepper

Method:

Warm the olive oil in a large soup pot over medium-high heat. Add the carrots, onion, and garlic and saute until soft, for about 2-3 minutes.

Add the jar of marinara sauce, vegetable broth, red pepper flakes, pasta, salt and pepper. Simmer for 8-10 minutes, until the pasta cooks. Add cannellini beans and cook for 2 more minutes.

Ladle into bowls and serve.

You can also save the left-over by freezing it for later.

This soup goes to My Legume Love Affair event at Tasty Palletes, which is hosted by Suganya. The mother of this event is a Well Seasoned Cook, Susan, an articulate blogger and a great photographer.

This is my last post for this year 2008. Hope to see you all again in the coming year. Wish you a very very Happy New Year. Hope the new year brings us Joy and Peace of mind to all of us.

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Sprouted Mung Salad in Wonton Cups

2008-12-20T10:57:00.000-08:00

What a day ! I felt I'll loose my domain name today. With no time to spare at home these days, it slipped out of my mind that I had to renew the domain this week. Today I see a 'parking page' instead of my webpage. I was shocked and thought I lost my domain name and all my effort and the little name and fame I earned this last one year to somebody. I immediatly renewed the domain and made few frantic calls to the hosting company (especially on a week
end morning,and due storm at the east coast there were low representatives to attend the calls - long wait! ah !). I've also posted at forums. What a wonderful response I got from the forums - a nice person guided me through the whole process and helped me till my website is up and running successfully. I feel grateful to people who are there to help us in such crisis. Thank you !

It all started when I sat today to post my entry to JFI-sprouts hosted by Dee at Ammalu's Kitchen. I was close in missing the event this time as I thought it would take me few days for my site issues to get resolved. I'll never forget this event now. Phew ! I can make it now.

Sprouted Mung Salad in Wonton cups

Sprouted mung salad in wonton cups is an inspiration of two recipes combined. One from Ellie Krieger - who cooks wonderful healthy recipes at a show called " Healthy Living " at Food Network and my recipe of sprouted mung salad. Ellie Krieger gave me the idea of using Wonton cups to serve my mung salad. I've spiced my mung salad with chaat masala for that zing we need these cold-wintery days and I've added mango bits for a sweet-sour taste. In the end to top it all I've added a dollop of low-fat sour cream. It's healthy and very tasty tea-time snack.

Ingredients:
serves 6 (3 wonton cups each)

Cooking spray
18 - wonton wraps - I used Nasoya Wonton wraps , bought at Whole Foods Market
2 tsps - Oil
Salt as needed

For Salad :
2 cups - sprouted mung beans
1 - Ripe Mango
2 - Tomatoes
Few coriander leaves
2-3 tsps - Chaat Masala
1 tsp - salt or as needed
4 tsps - lime juice

4 tbsps - Lowfat sour cream

Method:

Method of how to sprout mung beans can be found here

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. Spray 2 mini-muffin pans with cooking spray.

Brush the wonton wrappers with oil, and place each wrapper into a section of a mini-muffin pan. Gently press each wrapper into the each tin and arrange so that it forms a cup shape. The wrapper will overlap itself and stick up out of the cup. Sprinkle with salt and bake for 8 to 10 minutes, until browned and crisp. Remove from the pan and allow wrappers to cool.

Meanwhile, peel and cut mango into small bits. Deseed tomato and cut into small bits. Chop coriander leaves finely. In a mixing bowl, toss together the sprouted mung beans, chopped - mango, tomato, coriander leaves, chaat masala, salt, and lime juice. Adjust chaat masala and salt according to your taste.

Fill each cup with Mung salad and top it with a small dollop of sour cream and serve immediately.

This in my entry to JFI - Sprouts. JFI - sprouts is hosted by Dee of Ammalu's Kitchen for the the month December. JFI is a wonderful event started by Indira of Mahanandi.

It is the third year of JFI ( Jihva for Ingredients) which showcases different ingredients which savour our taste buds. The ingredient is picked by the host of that month.

Thank you Dee and Indira.

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Chekkalu A.K.A Thattais

2008-12-11T18:12:00.000-08:00

The chilly winters are here and hence my craving for spicy food begins. Chekkalu in Telugu or Thattai as they call in Tamil has been in my 'Brooding-Over' list for a long time now, and what a better chance I can get to treat myself with it once in a while? Simple and basic ingredients which are readily available in our pantry is what is required to prepare this crunchy-munchy snack. Well, as far as the list part goes....I've a 'Drooling-Over' list too and I'll be soon posting the recipes from that list too.

Chekkalu ~ Thattai

This recipe is a traditional one. Although many modifications can be made according to the taste buds, which I'll be mentioning at the end of the post, so that, I don't confuse you. Now, going to the recipe I've made:

Ingredients:

Makes around 25-30 pieces ( depending on the size and definetly including the ones we gobble up while preparing)
Rice flour - 2 cups
Roasted urad dal powder - 1/4 cup ( Slightly roast urad dal and grind into smooth powder)
Sesame seeds - 2 tbsps
Roasted bengal gram dal( Dhalia, Putnala pappu) - 4 tbsps
Butter or Ghee(Melted) - 4 tsps
Chilli powder - 1 1/2 tsps or to taste
Curry leaves - Few
Salt - 1 1/2 tsps or to taste
Oil for deep frying.

Method:

Mix all the ingredients together( except the oil for deep frying ) with warm water. Adding warm water tends to crispier ones.
Heat the oil for frying. Roll out the dough into small marbles. Grease a ziploc bag or a plastic sheet with oil and flaten out the balls into discs(thattais) by pressing evenly with the fingers. The thickness should not be less than 1/4 inch.
Add the thattais in oil and cook to a golden brown color and remove.

Mix all the ingredients together( except the oil for deep frying ) with warm water. Adding warm water tends to crispier ones.
Heat the oil for frying. Roll out the dough into small marbles. Grease a ziploc bag or a plastic sheet with oil and flaten out the balls into discs(thattais) by pressing evenly with the fingers. The thickness should not be less than 1/4 inch.
Add the thattais in oil and cook to a golden brown color and remove.

Modifications :

1. You can use par boiled rice instead of rice flour. You have to soak the rice for about 2-3 hrs and grind into soft paste like murukku dough and mix the rest of the ingredients.
2. You can use raw rice instead of rice flour, soak for 2-3 hrs and drain. You can use the wet rice like (1) or dry it well for two to three days in hot sun. Drying in shade will tend to soft thattais.
3. You can replace roasted bengal gram dal with peanuts. If you are using peanuts, roast them for 2-3 mins and remove the skin and break them into halves, else the peanuts will fall out from the discs while frying.
4. Ground pepper can be added to the recipe for the extra spice level.
5. You can substitute ground green chilli paste for red chilli powder for different taste. Cumin seeds can be added too into the dough along with the green chilli paste.

Either way you want to try it, this chekkalu/thattai is a good tea time snack or in-between-meal snack. They store well for 10-12 days in an air-tight container. Try 'em you'll LOVE 'em.

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1st Blogiversary

2008-12-10T09:50:00.000-08:00

Yeaaaaaaaaaa ! This is my first post after a wonderful year of blogging. Never thought I would be sticking to it this long. But, now this has become one of the most important part of my life. Some coding, little bit of food photography and other non-cooking skills like embroidery when I've participated in events by fellow bloggers. WOW ! It has taught me so much.

I've made some amazing friends who visit my blog regularly. I'm glad to be sharing the stuff I feel I'm pro at - recipes taught to me by my Mom, friends and from the books that I have in my shelf and cakes I've baked and decorated ! I thank all the friends, the fellow bloggers and visitors who leave such wonderful comments and the ones who are shy. I hope to last in this food blogging world for many years to come and I hope share many more recipes and participate in all the events by the fellow bloggers and hopefully start one too.

I express my gratitude again to all my friends, fellow bloggers and all the visitors. This first post in the second year is a wonderful sweet jelly bean treat for all of you. Thank You !

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