Simple Home Cooking

Beetroot Chutney

2013-11-07T08:10:00.001-08:00

Ingredients
Beetroot pieces - 1 cup (cleaned,pealed & diced)
Tamarind - a small piece
Salt - as per taste
Turmeric - 1/4 tsp
green chilli - 1
Water - as required for grinding

For Tempering
Mustard - 1 tsp
Urad dal - 1 tsp
redchilli - 1
Curry leaves - 1 spring
Oil - 2 tsp

Method
1.Heat kadai and add the beetroot pieces,salt,turmeric,greenchilli and saute for 5 minutes.Switch off the flame and let it cool.

3.In a blender,add sauted beetroot pieces,tamrind,add little water and grind to a smooth paste.

4.Transfer it to serving bowl and temper with the tempering items and mix well.

5.Serve with Idlies or dosas!

Stuffed Bitter Gourd

2013-07-30T07:22:00.004-07:00

Ingredients:

4 bitter melon (karela)
Salt as per taste
1 tablespoon lemon juice
2 tablespoons of oil

For the Filling:

2 tablespoons oil
1 teaspoon cumin seeds (jeera)
1/8 teaspoon asafetida (hing)
2 tablespoons gram flour (besan)
2 tablespoons coriander powder (dhania)
1 tablespoon fennel seeds powder (saunf)
1 1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon turmeric
1/2 teaspoon red chili powder adjust to taste
1 1/2 tablespoon mango powder (amchoor)
2 tsps Sugar

Preparing the Filling:

Heat 2 tsps of oil in a saucepan.Add the cumin seeds and asafetida to the oil. After the cumin seeds crack, add the karela scrapings and stir fry for about 2 minutes.
Add gram flour (besan) and stir-fry for another minute.
Add coriander powder, fennel powder, turmeric, chili powder,mango powder,Sugar. Sauté for a minute and then turn off the heat.
Stuff the split karelas with this spice mixture (if there is more spice mix remaining,save it to use later). Note :Tie the karelas with a thread so that the stuffing does not come out while cooking.

Method:

Wash karelas thoroughly and using a knife, scrape the skin. Set the scrapes aside.Make a slit in the karelas length wise and remove the seeds.Add karelas and the skin scrapings to a bowl. Mix and sprinkle with salt and lemon juice. Let it marinate for at least an hour.Squeeze the karelas to remove all the marinade. Wash karelas twice with hot water and then squeeze out all the water.Separate the scrapings from the whole karelas.
Add 2 tablespoons of oil in a sauce pan over medium heat. Add the stuffed karelas to the pan and sprinkle with little salt. Cover the pan and let it cook for about 2 minutes.
Sprinkle some water and add the remaining spice mixture over the karelas. Cover the pan and let it cook until karelas are well coated with the mixture.(Make sure to gently turn them over in between)

Bitter Gourd Fry

2013-07-30T07:22:00.002-07:00

Bhendi Fry

2013-07-30T07:20:00.003-07:00

Jackfruit Curry

2013-07-30T07:20:00.001-07:00

Yam Fry

2013-07-30T07:19:00.003-07:00

Cauliflower Curry

2013-07-30T07:18:00.001-07:00

Capsicum Tomato Curry

2013-07-30T07:17:00.000-07:00

Capssicum Besan Curry

2013-07-30T07:16:00.001-07:00

Tomato Curry

2013-07-30T07:15:00.001-07:00

Stuffed Eggplant

2013-07-30T07:14:00.003-07:00

Brinjal Milk Curry

2013-07-30T07:14:00.001-07:00

Brinjal Sesame Seeds Curry

2013-07-30T07:13:00.001-07:00

Brinjal Tomato Curry

2013-07-30T07:12:00.001-07:00

Brinjal Fry

2013-07-30T07:11:00.003-07:00

Long Beans in Peanut Sauce

2013-07-30T07:11:00.001-07:00

Flat Beans Tomato Curry

2013-07-30T07:10:00.001-07:00

Cluster Beans Curry

2013-07-30T07:09:00.002-07:00

Flat Beans Peanut Curry

2013-07-30T07:08:00.001-07:00

French Beans Curry

2013-07-30T07:07:00.002-07:00

Carrot Curry

2013-07-30T07:06:00.001-07:00

Ingredients
Carrot - 250 gms
Salt – 1/2 tsp ( as per taste)
Turmeric powder - 1/4 tsp
Red Chilly powder - 1/2 tsp
Grated coconut - 2 tsp(dry or fresh)

Seasoning
Oil/ghee - 2 tsp
mustard seeds - 1 tsp
Red chillis - 2
curry leaves - a few

Method
1.Wash the Carrots and steam in the pressure cooker ( 3 whitsle)

2.chop into small squares

3.Heat the oil in the frying pan.

4.Add the seasoning,when mustard seeds start splutering,add turmeric and fry for few seconds.

5.Now add chopped carrot,salt,chilly powder and fry till the raw smell goes off.

6.Add grated coconut and mix well before removing from stove.

7.This tasty and healthy curry goes well with rice or chapati.

Potato Curry

2013-07-30T07:03:00.001-07:00

Ingredients:

Potatos - 2 medium sized(Boil, Peel & Coursely Mash)
Tomatos - 2 small
Greenchilli - 2
Salt - to taste
turmeric powder - a pinch
hing - a pinch
curry leaves - a few
mustard seeds - 1tsp
jeera - 1 tsp
red chilli - 1 broken
Oil - 3 tsps

Method:

1.Heat oil in a Kadai.Add Seasoning.

2. Add the chopped tomatos and mix well

3. Add all the dry powders, mix and allow it to cook until oil comes out.

4. Add the boiled potato, mix well and add enough water and adjust salt and allow it to cook for 5 minutes with lid covered.

5. Garnish with coriander leaves.

Beerakayi Palu Kura

2013-07-30T06:55:00.000-07:00

Ingredients
Ridge Gourd - 3(peeled and chopped into small pieces)

Green chillies - 2
Red chilli powder - 1/2 tsp
Salt - 1/2 tsp
Turmeric powder - 1/4 tsp
Milk – 1 cup
Coriander leaves – for garnishing

Tadka/Popu
oil or ghee - 1 tsp
Cumin seeds - 1/4 tsp
Mustard seeds - 1/4 tsp
Red chillies - 1
Curry leaves - a few

Method
1.Heat Oil in a cooking vessel.
2.Add tadka/popu and fry for few seconds.
3.Add turmeric powder,ridge gourd pieces and cook until pieces are tender.
4.Now add salt,chilli powder and mix well.
5.Close the vessel and cook for few mins.
6.Lastly, on medium flame, slowly add the milk to the curry, till you get the desired curry consistency.Constantly stir otherwise the milk will curdle.
7.Turn off the heat and garnish with coriander leaves.

Note:
1.After peeling ridge gourd. Cut a small piece from each one and taste it. Make sure that it is not bitter.

Potato Masala

2012-10-25T05:12:00.002-07:00

Ingredients:

Potatos - 2 large (boiled,peeled & chopped)
Mustard Seeds - 1/2 tsp
Cumin Seeds - 1/2 tsp
Channa dal - 1 tsp
Chopped Ginger - 1/2 tsp
Chopped green chilli - 1
Hing - a pinch
Turmeric Powder - 1/2 tsp
Salt - as per taste
Lemon Juice - 1 tsp
Coriander leaves - a few (for garnishing )
Oil - 1 tsp
water - 3 tsps

Method:

1.Heat oil in a pan,add mustard seeds.

2.When mustard seeds crackle,add cumin seeds,Channa dal,Hing and fry for a min.

3.Add turmeric,ginger,greenchilli stir it once.

4.Add potatos,salt and let it cook for 5 mins.

5.Add water and cook for 2 more minutes.

6.Add Lemon juice and Turn off heat.

7.Garnish with coriander leaves and serve.

Masala Dosa

2012-10-25T04:49:00.001-07:00

Ingredients
Urad Dal - 1 cup
Rice - 2 cups
Idly rava - 2 tsps (optional)
Methi Seeds - 1 tsp
Oil - 1 tsp for each dosa
Salt - to taste

Potato masala - 1 laddle full for 1 Dosa (Click here for the Potato masala Recipe)

Method
1. Wash & Soak the Urad dal, rice,methi seeds with water for at least 4-6 hours.

2. Grind the soaked ingredients with enough water into a batter,But keep in mind not to add too much water and make the batter running.

3.Boil idly rava with some water and add it to the batter and mix well without any lumps.

4.Allow batter to ferment in a warm place for about 8-10 hours. Make sure the container has enough room for the batter to rise.

5. Place a non stick griddle on medium heat.Add salt and water(if required) to the batter.

6. Once hot, pour a ladle full of batter at the center,With the back of the ladle, spread the batter,Start from the center and work outwards, in a fast circular motion.

Note: Spread the batter as soon as you pour it on the griddle. The batter will start getting cooked other wise batter stick to the ladle, if you try spreading it after a while.

7.Drip few drops of oil in the middle of dosa.Let it cook on medium heat until it turns light golden brown in color.

8.Now add a laddle of Potato masala in the centre and roll the dosa.

9. Remove from griddle and offer it to the Lord with tulasi leaf.

note:
The fermentation is slow in winter and quick during summer. The key to getting nice dosas is in fermenting the batter.