JENANI'S KITCHEN DIARIES..

BANANA OATMEAL BALLS

2014-05-22T08:32:00.004-07:00

My DH and I are big time foodies. I am so glad that both of us like almost all good items and don't have any preferences. He is open to new tastes and recipes. If I am able to try different recipes, its because of his support. Thank you DH! Well, even though we love to eat, we make sure we exercise regularly, eat healthy often and stay on track. This snack recipe is focused on healthy eating. This is probably the most healthiest I've ever done.

This is a flourless, sugarless, oil free recipe. And it takes only less than 30mins in total. Isn't that great?

Ingredients
makes about 10 lime sized balls

2 medium ripe bananas
1 cup uncooked quick/instant oats(plain)
1/4 cup crushed walnuts
a handful of roasted flax seeds

How to make it

- Mash the bananas well. Add the remaining ingredients to the bowl and combine well.

- Make into medium sized balls. I made them into lime sized.

- Place them on a parchment paper lined/non stick foil lined cookie sheet. This is to make sure ti doesn't get stuck to the cookie sheet.

- Bake them in a pre heated oven at 350F for 15 mins or until they are golden brown.

- Let cool and enjoy them

p.s. - If you want this recipe to be nut-free you could skip the walnuts or add sunflower seeds.

AVOCADO PASTA (KID FRIENDLY)

2014-05-22T08:07:00.004-07:00

Hey folks! Hope this week has been good so far. Its been good to me too. I have been into experimenting a lot of new recipes lately. One such is the Avocado Pasta recipe. This one is especially for kids. My toddler son likes variety for his lunch and thus the idea for this recipe. I used Orzo, a form of short-cut pasta. Any pasta should do fine but if your kiddo is choosy about a bigger size pasta, I strongly recommend to use this one. My son loved it. I hope yours will like it too.

Ingredients
makes 6-8oz

A handful of Orzo
1 small size Avocado
A handful of chopped carrots(or any veggie of your choice)
1 tsp of Olive oil
Salt to taste

How to make it

- Bring the water to a boil and put the uncooked pasta into it and cook according to package instructions. If you have time, I suggest to let it cook for 15-20mins. This would make the pasta softer and easier to chew. Add a tsp of oil to boiling pasta. This helps in not sticking together.

- Scoop out the Avocado and mash it nicely.

- Boil the chopped carrots in a separate pot or along with the pasta (or you can also sauté them)

- Drain the water and mix the cooked pasta, mashed avocados and carrots. Add salt to taste.

VEGGIE MUFFINS

2014-04-16T12:32:00.001-07:00

MUFFINS! MUFFINS!

I am not much of a sweet loving person. but I love certain ones. Pancakes with lots of maple syrup, blueberry waffles, eclairs, scones and of course muffins. I know I know! I get it. Let's say I prefer certain ones and don't like the rest?

Well, even though I love the regular muffins, I have always wondered about a savory muffin. I came across a spinach feta muffin recipe on edible garden. I couldn't resist from the moment I saw and made some right away with a little change of ingredients. I din't add much spice to it so that my toddler son can also eat it.
This is a recipe that can be done in 30 mins. Are you ready to try?

Ingredients
makes 12 mini muffins

1 cup of plain flour
1 tsp baking powder
1 cup of chopped spinach, broccoli, tomatoes.
3/4 cup milk
2 tbsp plain curd (or 1 egg if you prefer)
1tsp of Olive oil (or any other you prefer)
A handful of Cheddar cheese
A handful of chia seeds(optional)

How to make it

- Pre heat oven to 390F. Grease muffin liners.

- In a bowl, combine all the ingredients. Make sure the batter is evenly mixed.

- Pour the batter into lined muffin tray until the liners are 3/4th filled.

- Bake in a pre heated oven for 20 mins or until they turn
golden brown. Remember each oven time may vary. Use your judgement.

- Insert a skewer to make sure they are cooked inside. Enjoy them after its cooled down.

p.s. - I liked them with mint chutney and ketchup.

SPICY SESAME CRACKERS

2014-03-21T12:38:00.001-07:00

It was a chill evening. I needed something crunchy and spicy. Something that is healthy and baked. I saw a recipe of Chilli Ajwain biscuits in spicy treats sometime back. I just couldn't resist and baked some immediately. And, it bakes in 20mins. Whaaaaat!

Ingredients

Wheat flour - 3/4 cup (I used multigrain)

All purpose flour - 1 cup

Chilli powder - 1 tsp

Salt - 1/2 tsp

Cumin seeds - 1/2 tsp

Sesame seeds - 1/2 tsp

Flax seeds - 1/2 tsp

Olive oil - 1.5 tbsp

Yogurt - 1.5 tbsp

Water - as needed

How to make it

Mix all the ingredients in a bowl and knead it into a firm dough. Just like you do for a masala chapati.

Roll it on a lightly floured surface into desired thickness.

Cut into desired shapes using a cookie cutter or knife.

Bake it for 20-25 mins in a pre heated oven at 350 F

Allow it to cool for sometime and enjoy with a hot cup of coffee or tea

BLACK OLIVES AND BUTTERNUT SQUASH CROSTINI

2014-03-06T14:15:00.001-08:00

Ooo! Doesn't that sound intriguing? it might also sound demanding but trust me it's not. Crostini is just a fancy Italian name for sliced baguettes served as an appetizer. One can take a variety of ingredients as toppings. Inf act, a fruit and a vegetable that you think will work together will do wonders. How about roasted tomatoes and pineapples? I am so doing this soon.

This time, I took Black olives(Kalamata, greek ones), butter nut squash and monterey jack and mild cheddar nuggets. Oh! Ant the multi grain baguette from Trader joe's. Any of your favorite baguette will do. The sour and sweetness of these out together gave a pleasant flavor. If you prefer a strong flavor, I suggest you change the ingredients to your choice.

This took about 15 mins in total to get things ready and pre heat the oven. Took less than 5 minutes for the baking part. This one is sure to get done by 25 mins max.

Ingredients

1 Multigrain demi baguette
A cup of cut black olives (to taste)
A cup of Butter nut squash (to taste)
Small amount of Monterey Jack and Mild Cheddar nuggets (You can also cut block cheese into fine nuggets)
1/2 tsp Olive Oil
Salt and pepper to taste

How to make it

- Saute the cut butter nut squash in little oil. Make sure the raw smell goes away.

-In a big bowl, combine sauteed squash, cut black olives, oil, cheese, salt and pepper and mix evenly.

- Cut the baguette into 3/4 inch slices. On a baking sheet, arrange them into a single layer. Broil for 1 to 2 minutes until slightly brown.

- Divide the toppings mixture evenly over the slices and broil again for 2-3 minutes or until cheese is melted.

SUN DRIED TOMATOES AND CHEESE ROLLS

2014-02-28T06:15:00.002-08:00

Yes! You heard it right. Doesn't it sound good?

I recently bought some bagels and an awesome Hatchet pepper cream cheese from Wholy Bagels.
Oh! They were scrumptious. The bagel got over but the cream cheese din't. taddaaaaa! I couldn't wait to use them on my rolls. I also used everyday seasoning grinder from Trader joe's. They have an amazing combination of Coriander, black pepper, mustard and chilli.

I usually add some garlic and basil leaves in variation. I strongly suggest to add basil leaves with sun dried tomatoes. They smell absolutely divine.

This recipe involves a lot of preparation but its definitely worth the effort. This is a wonderful recipe for an appetizer or a snack or even for breakfast with coffee. You can go wild on the filling and experiment with a lot of sweet and spicy ingredients. So, here is the recipe.

Ingredients
makes 16 mini rolls

2 cup all purpose flour
1.5 tbsp yeast
1 cup of sun dried tomatoes, julienned (I used Trader joe's)
1 cup of warm water
Salt to taste
Cream cheese to taste
Everyday seasoning to taste
A handful of Pine nuts for topping

How to make it

- Mix flour, water, yeast and salt into a fine dough. Keep in a bowl covered with cling in a warm place for about 45mins. This is for the dough to double.

- Punch the dough to knock down the air.

- Split the dough into two halves. Roll one half into a rough rectangle.

- Add sun dried tomatoes, cheese and the seasoning. Spread evenly.

- Roll from one end gently but firmly. Cut it into 8 equal portions.

- Do the same to another half of the dough.

- Arrange them into the pan leaving some space for the dough to raise. I used Pyrex glass 8x8.

- Place them in a pre heated oven of 375F for about 30-35 mins. Enjoy them while they are warm.

p.s. - Use your judgment in adding water to the dough. The amount of water depends upon the type of flour you use. Also, oven temperatures vary. Keep checking to get the perfect rolls.

VEGETABLE AND PASTA - KID MEAL

2014-02-25T11:44:00.002-08:00

Hello People!

Hope you are doing great. My kiddo A is keeping me super busy.Now my day starts with son up and ends with son down. Life is now so much fun and awesome. My son is no longer an infant and recently graduated to Toddler, the next stage. I am looking forward to more noise, dirt and mischief.

Now that he is big, I have introduced table foods and experimenting with different tastes and his likes. This post is a kid friendly..um..more of a toddler friendly recipe. I want to my kiddo to taste different lunch or dinner everyday just like us apart from the usual paruppu/rasam sadham. If you are looking for a change from the routine this is the one. And its super quick and easy to make too.

Ingredients

1 small juicy tomato, finely chopped
a small bunch of spinach finely cut
3-4 strands of spaghetti pasta chopped into small ones
3-4 drops of olive oil
salt to taste

How to make it

- In a pan, heat the oil and add the finely chopped tomatoes. Make sure it turns pulpy.

- Boil water. When the water is bubbling, add the pasta along with spinach. Boil until its dine.

- Strain the water and add the spinach and pasta to the tomatoes.

- Add salt and mix well. Voila! It is ready.

Let me know if you try this. Any inputs or improvisations are most welcome.

p.s. - This can easily be converted to adult meal with a few tweaks. I am going to try. Are you?

ALMOND AND WALNUT CAKE (NO GHEE VERSION)

2013-11-01T21:16:00.001-07:00

Festive season is always fun. And sweets go synonymous with it. I am not much of a sweet person but this one is sure to make me go crazy. It is hard for me to keep a count of how much of these I gobble up. And it has no ghee in the making. Almonds and Walnuts can be substituted with other nuts too. Make some and start digging.

Ingredients
makes atleast 20

3 cups of raw nuts (I took 2 cups of almonds and 1 cup of walnuts)
3/4th cup of sugar
1.2 cup of water
some butter to grease the pan

How to do it

- Grind the nuts into a fine powder. Just make sure it doesn't turn into a paste.

- In a pan(preferably non-stick), combine sugar and the water and heat it to make a sugar syrup.

- Let it boil until it reaches a one string consistency.

- Immediately pour into the pan with the grounded nuts and mix gently until well combined. Take a small amount and see if you are able to roll it into a soft ball. If you are, then it's ready. Otherwise, cook for a bit longer.

- When the right consistency is reached, remove from fire and pat into a greased (with butter or ghee) plate or tray.

- Once it cools, cut into desired shape

Note - To check if the sugar syrup is ready, take a small amount of the sugar syrup on the back of a spoon, take a bit with your finger tip and check between the index finger and thumb. If the sugar syrup is sticky and extends into a string, it's done!

DOUBLE TOMATO BRUSCHETTA

2013-09-25T19:38:00.004-07:00

I have never tasted Italian until I came to US. I wasn't impressed at first. But later, I realized Italian cuisine has a flair of its own. And now, Italian and Indian go side by side in my kitchen.

I recently bought a jar of julienne cut sun dried tomatoes and a french baguette and wanted to use both. This recipe from allreceipes.com caught my attention. This is the usual Bruschetta with a twist..yes! the twist is the sun dried tomato.I made some changes to the recipe and it turned out yummy every single time. Let me know how it turned out for you :)

Ingredients

Makes 12 slices

2 roma (plum) tomatoes, chopped

1/4 cup julienne cut sun-dried tomatoes

1 clove minced garlic

1/4 cup olive oil

1/4 teaspoon pesto sauce ( I din't have fresh basil)

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper

1 French baguette

A handul of shredded Mozzarella chesse

How to make it

- Preheat the oven on broiler setting.

- In a bowl, combine tomatoes, sun-dried tomatoes, garlic, olive oil, salt, pepper and pesto sauce

- Allow the mixture to sit for 10 minutes.

- Cut the baguette(for about 12 slices) into 3/4-inch slices

- On a baking sheet, arrange the baguette slices in a single layer.

- Broil for 1 to 2 minutes, until slightly brown.

- Divide the tomato mixture evenly over the baguette slices. Top the slice with mozzarella cheese.

- Broil until the cheese is melted.

Take it out and enjoy.

PASTA CASSEROLE

2013-09-01T15:19:00.000-07:00

Baking fascinates me. I am often tempted to attempt it. I have had my bad days. But there are some days when it turns out to be real good. This is one such. Though this recipe doesn't involve too much of oven time and doesn't come under 'baking', I still it call it the same. I am grateful to Gayathri for introducing me to this, a good friend who is also like a sister to me.

I have done lots of experiment with the ingredients and this one is always a

classic. If you are looking for mouth watering, irresistible dish, this is the one.

Ingredients

serves 2

1/2 a box of Pasta of your Choice (but not the noodle ones)
1 tsp Olive oil
2 cloves of Garlic, crushed and minced
1 medium sized onion, finely sliced
2 green chillies (adjust according to your spice level)
A bowl of Chopped Cauliflowers, Brocolli, Carrots, Brussel sprouts
(You can always change the choice of veggies. Go wild on that!)
1 Jar of pasta sauce of your choice ( I used garden vegetables)
2 tsp of Mccormick Garlic pepper grinder (This one is real good)

(if not)

2 tsp of grounded black pepper, ,red chilli flakes, a little bit of Oregano leaves
salt to taste (I usually don't add salt as pasta sauce already has it)
3 handful of shredded cheese of your choice for topping(I used American, Monterey Jack, Mild Cheddar and Mozzarella)
Some bread crumbs

How to make it

- Boil desired amount of Pasta according to package instructions. I usually boil around 1/3rd and add a lot of veggies for two people.

- Heat the pan and add oil. Add chopped Garlic and chillies and saute. Add onions and wait till they get translucent. Add Pepper and chilli flakes and add the chopped veggies. Let it cook but be careful not to burn them.

- Add pasta sauce adequate enough for both veggies and the boiled pasta and cook it covered until the raw smell goes off.

- Drain the boiled pasta and add it to the sauce and mix them well.

- Take a 8x10inch pan and fill them with these. Top them with shredded cheese and bread crumbs.

- Place it in an pre-heated oven at 425 F for about 20 minutes.

- Broil it for 2-3 mins. Here is a step-by-step photo of how to make.

FETTUCCINE PASTA

2013-09-01T08:05:00.001-07:00

This recipe is inspired by Carabba's Italian grill's Pasta Sostanza. Srik and I are big time foodies and we loved this entree. I wanted to try this for a very long time and of course I did some variations. Here is the recipe. Try it and let me know. I am sure it will be a hit.

Ingredients

serves 2

1 tablespoon olive oil (I used California estate oil by Trader joe's)

2 tsp of pine nuts
2-3 garlic cloves, peeled and minced
2 whole tomatoes with juice, chopped
8 mushrooms, diced
1 can artichoke hearts, drained

1 tsp of pesto sauce(I used Trader joe's)
salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste

How to make it

- Boil Fettuccine(as needed) in salted water according to packaged instructions.

- In a medium-sized saucepan, heat oil and add garlic, pine nuts and saute.

Add the chopped tomatoes stirring frequently. When its done, add the salt and pepper to taste. Add pesto sauce and blend it with the tomato sauce.

- As pasta is cooking, add chopped mushrooms and chopped drained artichoke hearts. When done, drain pasta and add the cooked veggies mixing to sufficiently coat.Transfer to plate or pasta bowl. Sprinkle Italian bread crumbs and 1 tsp of olive oil(optional) prior to serving.

CABBAGE WRAPS

2012-05-06T14:04:00.004-07:00

I have always liked the 'Lettuce wraps' at P.F.Chang's. Inspired by that, I tried 'Cabbage wraps'. Well, I din't have Tofu and instead used Paneer and it turned out to be really good. This is a very easy and no fail recipe.

Ingredients

serves 2

- 1 medium sized onion

- 2 small sized tomatoes

- 1 big sized potato

- Paneer (I took about 20 pieces)

- 3 tbsp of Soy syrup

- 3 tbsp of green chillies paste

- 1 garlic pod

- 1/2 tsp of red chilli powder

- Crushed black pepper to taste

- Salt to taste

- 2 tsp of oil

How to make it

- Heat oil in a wok.

- Put finely cut onions, garlic and saute.

- Once onions become transparent, add finely cut tomatoes.

- Then add finely cut potatoes and Paneer pieces.

- Let the vegetables cook completely and slightly get brownish.

- Now add red chilli powder, add soy syrup and green chilli paste. Mix well.

- Add black pepper and salt. These syrups have salt in them. So taste before you add extra salt.

- Serve with Cabbage leaves.

Notes

- The amount of paneer can be added more or less according to your liking for paneer.

- I guess finely chopped green bell peppers gives a super taste to this.

- The Ingredients mentioned above is just my imagination. You can improvise as usual.

- Cabbage leaves are different from Lettuce leaves. Both don't taste the same.

KADAI PANEER

2012-03-22T06:43:00.005-07:00

My DH and I love paneer in almost any form and taste. In fact, we loved it when we found it in our pasta :) ( I will post that recipe later). Now, the recipe for the addictive Kadai paneer. Before that, the word 'Kadai' means wok or pan, in case you are wondering.

Ingredients

serves 2-3

2 cups paneer, cubed

1 medium sized capsicum / green bell pepper, cubed

1 large onion

2 green chillies

2-3pods of garlic, crushed

1 piece of ginger, crushed (or 1tsp ginger paste)

2 medium sized tomato, pureed

A pinch of kasuri methi / dried fenugreek leaves

1 tsp red chilli powder

A pinch of turmeric powder

1/2 tsp jeera / cumin seeds

1 tsp coriander powder / dhania powder / malli podi

1 tsp garam masala

2 tsp oil

1 tsp of Lemon juice

1/2 cup fresh curd

Salt to taste

How to make it

- Deep Fry the Paneer cubes in Oil, until they turn to golden brown in color.( I generally don't fry paneer for other recipes, but for this one, I have tried both and they have a taste of their own. So, frying is purely optional. If you don't fry paneer, you can skip the next part. It might turn too soggy or even break.)

- Remove from the Oil and transfer them to a bowl containing 1/2 cup of Fresh Curd and keep them together for 10 min. Mix the Paneer cubes well with curd, so that the Paneer turns soft and fluffy. Keep aside.

- Heat 2 Tbsp Oil in a Pan, add Chopped Onions and Turmeric Powder and fry until the Onions slices turn transparent. Then add Ginger and Garlic and fry for a minute.

- Now add chopped Green Chillies, Chopped Tomatoes and fry until the Tomatoes turns soft and are cooked properly. It might take nearly 5 minutes to have the Tomatoes cooked.

- At this stage, add all the powders listed in the ingredients box above – Chilli Powder, Coriander or Dhaniya Powder, Cumin or Jeera Powder and Garam Masala Powder to the pan.

- Add Salt and half cup of Water to this mixture and cook for 5 minutes.

- Now add Green Capsicum (Bell Pepper) to the pan and cook for 5 min by closing the lid. Ensure that the Capsicum or Bell Pepper pieces do not turn too soft.

- Add fried and soaked Paneer or Cottage Cheese with Curd to the above mixture along with dried Fenugreek leaves or Kasuri Methi and cook for 2-3 minutes so that the aroma of the Kasuri Methi spreads into the Curry.

- Next add Lemon Juice and mix well.

- Once done, garnish with cilantro and serve hot with naan/kulcha/chapathis

SHEERANAM (SWEET MILK PONGAL)

2012-03-20T06:53:00.005-07:00

This is very similar to Akkaravadisal, another sweet pongal recipe. Though I am not much of a sweet lover, there are certain sweets to which I will never say no. This is one such. Very easy to make and tasty to eat recipe.

Ingredients

serves 2-3

Rice - 1/2 cup

Milk - 5 cups (3 low fat milk + 2 half and half - my proportion)

Sugar - 3/4 cup

Cashew nuts - 1 tsp

Cardamom crushed - 1/2 tsp

Raisins - 1 tsp

Almonds(cut) - 1 tsp

Ghee - 2.5 tsp

How to make it

- Wash rice and add 5 cups of milk and pressure cook for 10 mins. (I did like this to save time but you can also do the same in open flame and it might take some time to cook completely).

- Transfer to another container. Once the rice is cooked, reduce flame and add sugar little by little and mix well till it is dissolved.

- Remove from fire and add fried cashewnuts, raisins, almonds. Heat rest of the ghee, pour on the top and serve.

TRISCUITS WITH A TWIST

2011-12-11T20:45:00.000-08:00

It was a sunday evening. Here-ends-the-weekend depression was about to set in. I wanted to eat something but din't want to strain too much and in fact din't have the motivation to do anything. But I had to make something to feed another hungry soul, my DH Srik. That's when I got the idea for this recipe. All you need is Triscuit crackers. It is a whole wheat snack cracker in a square shape and comes in a variety of flavors. If you are looking for something different to pop into your mouth and make it in a jiffy, this is the one.

Ingredients

No of crackers per choice ( I used cracked pepper and olive oil flavor)

Shredded cheese of your choice ( I used Monterey jack)

2 tsp of mint chutney

How to make it

- Arrange the crackers.

- Make tiny patties of the shredded cheese and place it on the top of each cracker.

- a small amount of mint chutney on top of cheese on each cracker.

This is not a much of a recipe-kind. But if you are clueless as to what to do for a fresh flavor, this might help as an idea. And as always, you can experiment with your creativity. And when you do, don't forget to let me know the recipe ;)

SPICY STUFFED ZUCCHINI BOATS

2011-11-20T08:13:00.000-08:00

If you are looking for a spicy and a refreshing recipe ..this is definitely the one. This recipe was adapted from chow.com. This recipe is just to give an idea but regarding the ingredients you can let your imaginations run wild.

Ingredients

serves 2

2 medium sized zucchinis

2 small sized tomatoes finely chopped (not the tiny ones)

1 medium sized onions

1 clove of garlic minced

a handful of green bell peppers, carrots, beans finely chopped

2 tbsp olive oil

2 green chillies finely chopped (according to taste levels)

2 tsp Garam masala (for a stronger flavor)

2 tsp Pav Bhaji masala

1 tsp red chilli powder (to taste)

Salt to taste

How to make it

- Sauté the onions in oil until onions are translucent. Add garlic and sauté.

- Add the tomatoes and the remaining vegetables. Add a little amount of water so that it doesn't get burned. Cover the pan and bring to a boil.

- Meanwhile slice zucchini in half lengthwise. Place in a large pan, cut side down, and fill the pan with enough water to cover the zucchini halfway. Cover the pan, bring to a boil; once boiling, let cook for 5 minutes. Remove the zucchini from the water and place on a plate to cool.

- Once cool enough to handle, use a tablespoon to remove pulp, leaving about 1/4 inch of pulp in the zucchini. You can either use the pulp in the spicy mixture or leave it.

- Pre heat oven to 350 F for 6-8 mins.

- Stuff each zucchini half with some of the mixture. Place in a baking dish (cover the base with aluminium foil) and bake for about 20 minutes. Let cool for about 5 minutes before serving.

BAKED NATURAL CUT FRIES

2011-10-12T13:22:00.000-07:00

Potatoes are irresistible..and potato fries are sinfully delicious. I sincerely believe 'potatoes' can bring world peace. Well! Even you will talk about the blissfulness of crispy on the outside and super soft on the inside potatoes once you try this out. This is a no-strain easy-breezy recipe that will definitely work like a charm. Are you ready to experience the taste?

Ingredients

serves 2 (for one serving)

2 large potatoes (any type of potato you have)

6 tbsp olive oil

3 tbsp cornstarch/cornflour

1 tsp regular salt

1 1/2 tsp freshly ground black pepper

½ tsp garlic powder (optional)

How to make it

- Bring a saucepan with 4 cups water to a boil. Scrub the potatoes clean (don't peel) and insert into the boiling water. Or, cut the potatoes into wedges without peeling the skin and put them in the boiling water(This is what I did). Simmer and let the potatoes par-boil. It usually takes me 10-12 mins. When a knife is inserted it should go in without effort but make sure the potatoes don't become cooked soft or mushy. Remove from water and let it cool on a plate.

- Transfer the potato wedges into a large bowl. Pour in the olive oil and add all other ingredients into the bowl. Mix gently until well combines. I did this step by hand, rubbing all the ingredients gently into the potato pieces. Crack some pepper on top again if you'd like once you are done mixing.

- Lay the pieces on a baking tray (I used aluminum foil to line the baking tray) without overlapping. If your baking tray is small, bake in two batches but make sure that you line the potato wedges in a single layer.

- Bake in the pre-heated oven(200C/390F) for 30-40 mins until the wedges are golden brown and crisp on the outside. It may be a good idea to turn the baking tray around once during baking so that all the pieces get uniform heat, more or less.

Serve it with hot ketchup.

CARROT HALWA

2011-10-06T14:47:00.000-07:00

I am not much of a sweet-eating person. But recently I had this extreme craving for Carrot Halwa and incidentally, today being Vijayadasami (10th day of Navrathri) I made it and couldn't resist the taste. Why don't you try too?

Ingredients

serves 2

3/4 cup of ghee melted (I used unsalted butter of the same quantity)

3 large or 3 cup of carrots grated

1.5 cups of milk

1 cup sugar

a handful of cashews, raisins (to taste)

How to make it

- Pressure cook the grated carrots and milk for 1 whistle.

- Heat ghee in a pan, fry cashews and raisins.

- Strain milk from the carrots and keep it aside.

- Add the cooked carrots to the pan and add some milk if you find it quite dry.

- Cook for 5-6 minutes and add sugar.

- Sugar will turn it watery but don't mind and continuously stir it until you get the halwa texture or till the excess water evaporates.

Enjoy it immediately :)

TOMATO RICE

2011-06-25T14:05:00.000-07:00

My whole idea of this blog is to present a lot of simple recipes that would be of a great help during just-started-to-cook phase or if one wants something different as I remember how I used to sit and take notes referring to various sites. So came the idea of compiling all into one blog which I experimented, relished and tasted by my family and good friends.

I try this once in a while when I get bored of the usual stuff. Certain dishes like this helped me a lot when I initially started to cook. This is a no fail, simple and easy recipe. Here comes the to-do list.

Ingredients

serves 2

Rice - 1.5 cups

Onion - 1 medium, finely chopped (optional)

Mustard seeds - 1/2 tsp

Urad dal - 1 tsp

Channa dal - 1 tsp

Red chillies - 2 (I add one more as I like it spicy)

Red chilli powder - a pinch (optional)

Peanuts - 1/2 cup

Asafoetida/Hing - a pinch

Turmeric powder - a pinch

Curry leaves - a few

Peas - a handful

Salt - to taste

Sambhar / Curry powder - 1/2 tsp

(or dry-roast and grind - coriander seeds(1.5 tsp) + Channa dal (2 tsp) + Red chillies (2) + Fenugreek seeds(1/2 tsp)

Oil - 2 tbsp

How to make it

Heat the oil and temper mustard seeds and urad dal. Add the chana dal, green chillies, peanuts and chopped onions and saute for about 3 mins.

Add the turmeric, hing and the curry leaves and fry

Add the chopped tomatoes and cook till the raw smell leaves the mixture. Add salt, peas and curry powder or grounded masala.Make sure that the mixture is a thick paste and not watery (don't add water. If you fidn it to be watery, increase the flame and keep stirring so that the excess water evaporates).

Once done, mix in the cooked rice, stir well until blended, adjust taste and serve hot with raita of choice. ( My favorite raita is onion-cucumber combo)

RAVA DOSA

2011-06-23T10:58:00.000-07:00

One of the easiest and delicious recipe, enjoyed by all. Unlike the usual dosa, the dosa batter doesn't need to wait hours together. This is definitely one of my favorites.

Ingredients

serves 2

Rava or sooji - 1 cup

Riceflour - 1/2 cup

Cumin seeds - 1/2 tsp

Plain yogurt (preferrably sour) - 1 spoon

Green chillies (finely chopped) - 2

Curry leaves - a few

Ginger - a small piece chopped finely

Oil

How to make it

Mix the rice flour, maida and rava and add water and salt to it. The batter should be watery, almost similar to the consistency of a buttermilk.

Add the rest of the ingredients to the batter and mix thoroughly.

Heat the tawa or pan (the tawa should be very hot) and take one ladleful of batter and spread on the tawa starting from the sides and finishing off in the middle as rava dosa cannot be spreaded like ordinary dosa. It is alsmost like sprinklin the batter on the tawa.

Drizzle 1/2 tsp of oil on the sides. (If preferred, ghee can also be used)

Turn it over when it becomes golden brown or dark crispy brown(I like the color to be really dark and not light) accordingly for a minute.

Serve hot with sambhar or chutney of your taste.

Note

To avoid the batter sticking to the pan and for crispy dosas, rub the pan with a slice of onion.

I would recommend that the batter is mixed and kept at least for half an hour before you start to cook.

The more watery the batter is, the more crispier it will be...

p.s. - excuse the shape of the dosa. My iron pan doesn't have sides to shape the dosa accordingly. :T

KAARA PORI (SPICY PUFFED RICE)

2011-06-22T15:27:00.000-07:00

This snack was introduced to me by my good friend Prem Kumar. Though I have heard the name vaguely, I never had a chance to taste it until he made for us when we visited his place. Talking about this guy, he being a north indian guy ( no offense meant), loves the south indian food, much more than I do. There is also a tale that, no one can stop him from eating sambhar once he starts..lol...jokes apart, I profusely thank him for this recipe. Thank you Prem Kumar!

Ingredients

serves 2

2 cups of puffed rice (plain and not the sweetened ones)

Mustard seeds - 1/2 tsp

Curry leaves - a few

Red chilli powder - 1/2 tsp

Salt - to taste

Turmeric powder - A pinch

Asafoetida - A pinch

Oil - 1 tsp

How to make it

In a pan, add the oil in a medium flame. Once the oil is heated, add the mustard seeds and curry leaves.

Let it splutter. Add the asafoetida, turmeric powder and the red chilli powder.

Saute for a few seconds and add the puffed rice. Mix it well. Add the salt and mix again.

And its ready to eat.

Note

This might take only 10 mins to finish. Make sure you do all these in a medium flame (whichever is not very high for you) so that the rice doesn't get burned.

ALOO TIKKI

2011-06-22T15:09:00.000-07:00

I like anything with potato. You have no idea how much I love potato. My second love is potato. The first is Chocolate...er..we are still talking about food :)

I had this burning desire to try these out after getting the recipe from the famous cooking blog edible garden. I din't follow it in the order given probably next time
I'l do it.

Ingredients

(serves 2)

2 medium potatoes, grated

A bunch of fresh coriander leaves, chopped ( I dint use it and used curry leaves instead)

1 tsp jeera / jeerakam

2 green chillies, chopped

1 generous pinch asafoetida / hing / perungayam

1/2 tsp red chilli powder

1 to 2 tbsp besan / bengal gram powder / kadala mavu

Salt to taste

How to make it

Grate the potatoes and add the other ingredients in.

Mix welll.

Make into flat patty shapes on palm of hand and shallow fry in a wide pan until golden brown on both sides.

Serve hot with ketchup, mint chutney.

Notes

I noticed that once the potato is grated and kept, it becomes very soggy. So, see to that you drain the water so that it becomes easy for you to make the flat shapes. The shape doesn't come if the mixture is soggy.

Besan is just for the grated ones to hold tight. The given amount is just an assumption.

I forgot to add onions. Why don't you try and tell me how it tasted?!

PANEER PEAS PULAO

2011-05-28T13:57:00.000-07:00

This is another simple recipe. These kind of recipes, especially the variety rice(s) type, helped me a lot when I started to learn cooking and turned out to be great. I hope you also find it interesting as I do.

Ingredients

serves 2

Basmati rice - 1 1/2 cups

Onion - 1, chopped fine

Green peas - 1/2 cup

Paneer cubes - 1/2 cup

Green chillies - 2

Ginger garlic paste - 1.5 tbsp

Cumin / jeera seeds - 1 tsp

Whole black pepper - 1/2 tsp (can also use pepper grinder)

Cloves - 4

Cardamom - 2

Cinnamon stick - a 1″ piece

Bay leaves - 1

Anise seeds - 3 whole

Ghee / oil - 2 tbsp

Salt to taste

How to make it

Soak the basmati rice in enough water to cover it, for 15 mins.

Grind the pepper, cloves, cardamom and cinnamon together.

Heat the ghee in a pan and throw in the cumin seeds. Once they splutter, add the ground ingredients. Tear the bay leaf into 3 and add Anise seeds and toss that too.

Now add the onions, split green chillies and saute until onions turn transparent.

Then add the ginger garlic paste and saute well for a minute.

Add the peas and paneer cubes and mix well for another 2-3 mins.

Drain the rice completely and add to the pan. Mix thoroughly.

Add 2 cups water to the above and let it cook until the rice is done.

Garnish with coriander leaves and serve with side-dish of choice or raita.

p.s. - I fried the panner seperately and added it as I love the fried part ;)

NAVARATNA KURMA

2011-05-13T12:22:00.000-07:00

I am not a big fan when sweet is mixed with masalas. I don't even try Kashmiri pulao and have a thought if I were to taste Navaratna Kurma. That's what set me thinking why can't I make it little spicy equaling the sweetness. I was glad that there were others too who thought just like me in the cooking blog-o-sphere. I had a dekko into the recipe from Edible Garden.

Ingredients

serves 2

2 cups of diced, mixed vegetables - carrot, beans, peas, cauliflower, capsicum and potato

A few cubes of paneer

10 cashew nuts and 10 raisins soaked in warm water, drained and ground to a paste

1 large onion, minced

2 tomato, quartered and pureed

3 green chillies slit in the middle

1" piece of ginger

4 garlic cloves

1 cup milk

1 tbsp butter

Salt to taste

3 tsp garam masala

1/2 tsp red chilli powder

1/4 tsp turmeric powder

2 tsp coriander powder

1/2 tsp jeera

1/2 tsp fennel seeds

How to make it

Heat the butter or ghee in a kadai / pan.

Add minced onions and fry until pink and transparent.

Add the green chillies with the ginger and garlic to the onions. Fry for 30 seconds.

Add all the spice powders. Fry for a minute.

Add the pureed tomato

Mix well and let it cook about 4-5 mins.

Add milk.

Add the chopped vegetables. Mix well and cook covered for another 5 mins or so, until the vegetables are cooked, yet firm.

Add the cashew nut-raisin paste and mix well. Add salt and paneer cubes. Cook open for another 5 minutes until the gravy thickens and comes together.

Serve it with hot rotis

VEGETABLE BIRIYANI

2011-05-09T13:40:00.000-07:00

This is one of my favorite dishes that it will be repeated maximum 2 times in a month. The ingredients list is quite long but its totally worth the taste :)

Ingredients

serves 2

Basmati Rice - 1 cup

Chopped mixed vegetables - 1 cup (potatoes, cauliflowers, carrots, beans, green peas, capsicum)

Onion - 1 big, chopped

Red chilli powder - 1 tbsp

Turmeric powder - 1/2 tsp

Fennel seeds/Saunf - 1/4tsp

Cardamom / elakka - 4

Cloves / grampoo - 4

Bay leaf - 1

Oil - 3 Tbsp

Green chillies - about 4, adjust according to taste

Cumin seeds - 1 tsp

Cinnamon - a 1" piece

Ginger - a 1" piece

Garlic - 1 tbsp, ground paste

Anise seeds - 3

cashews - 7-8 half broken ones

Garam masala - 1 tsp

Coriander powder - 1 tsp

Badshah biriyani pulav masala - 1/2 tsp (optional)

How to make it

Wash and soak rice for about 15 mins. and pressure cook for one whistle with one cup water.

Heat oil/ghee and roast the fennel seeds, cardamom, cloves, anise seeds, cashews and bay leaf for about 30 seconds. Then add the green chillies, ginger, garlic, onions and fry till it turns pink and translucent. Add the masala powders and saute for 30 secs.

Add the vegetables next and see to that they are cooked(remember to turn the flame to medium).

Next add the red chilli powder, turmeric powder, and salt and mix well.

Turn off the heat. Add the cooked rice and mix gently until well blended.

Serve hot with raita, papad and pickles.

p.s. - I pressure cooked potatoes and cauliflowers for 2 whistles.