YEN SAMAYAL ARAI

BANANA PANIYARAM

2012-05-16T09:45:00.000-07:00

When i was in Chennai i used to love this snack from kerala chips... it is so delicious.I had tried these couple of times in Chennai before marriage and after coming to US but not after i started blogging.and after a longgggg gap i tried it again... thanks to my friend and FB brother (Anu and Kanna) for suggesting sweet paniyaram when i was confused about the sweet when my cousin came.
But this time i used whole wheat flour instead of maida (all purpose flour) and brown sugar instead of white sugar.Texture does differ because of whole wheat and so does the taste. But it was Tasty(anything made with banana will.... right ?)
Here is what i did:
INGREDIENTS:
Whole wheat flour- 1 cup
Sugar-1/2 cup and about 1 tbs(according to taste)
Cardamom powder-1/2 tsp
Cashew-finely chopped 2tbs
Coconut gratings-2 tbs(or finely chopped coconut)
Soda bi carb-1/2 tsp
Salt- a pinch
Water or milk- to mix
Banana-1 ripe(well mashed)

METHOD:
1)Mix wheat flour,sugar,cardamom powder,cashew,coconut,salt and soda bi carb well.
2)Now mix well mashed banana.
3)Add water or milk to this above mixture slowly without forming lumps make a batter (sort of thick idly batter)
4)Heat the greased Paniyaram pan with about 1 tsp ghee or oil(Shallow hole pan ... like muffin pan).pour the batter in each hole and cook till golden brown .Then turn carefully using a spoon or a special stick for paniyaram and cook till the other side turns golden brown.
5) Serve hot hot tasty paniyaram.

URAD LADDU

2012-05-15T10:27:00.001-07:00

This is the one that was telling about in my previous post(jowar laddu)that gave me idea for jowar laddu.. and surprisingly today my neighbour told that she saw jowar laddu in some Telugu tv !!!ah ahhh with in a day someone stole my idea !! haha...kidding. i strongly feel its wrong to claim a recipe as their own...yes of course i do have copyright banner in my blogs but that for the work that i have done not the idea...many people can have similar views ideas one cant claim this can they???...anyways...thats my personal opinion and many may not agree...
ok now lets come to the yummy laddu...umm forgot my neighbour used jaggery as i did not have that i used brown sugar...but i honestly feel jaggery tastes better than brown sugar.

INGREDIENTS:
Urad dhal- 1 cup
Brown sugar-3/4 cup(according to taste)
Cardamom powder-1/4 tsp
Chopped nuts-3-4 tbs
Ghee-4-6 tbs(approximately to make balls)

METHOD:
1)Dry fry urad dhal to nice golden brown colour(till nice aroma comes)
2)Powder the dhal when cool along with brown sugar.to fine powder.
3) Mix cardamom powder and chopped nuts to this.
4)Heat ghee lightly and add to the powder little by little to make balls(laddus) and...
....njoy the tasty healthy snack... according to my neighbour they give this when girls mature and after pregnancy.I too have heard amma talk about urad and jaggery mixture given as kali(sort of pudding when girls mature as that would strengthen their body.

JOWAR LADDU

2012-05-14T10:29:00.002-07:00

My cousin had visited us last weekend and i was very excited as i was going to see her new born for the first time... i couldn't go for her baby shower or after sweet little Shashank( ....yes that's her cute kids name) was born :(
I wanted to do some special sweet for them... but since we don't buy sugar i did not know what to do...
Just then my neighbour called me for a pooja in their house and she gave me prasad... Urad laddu... she told me the recipe and this gave me a idea .why not me try the same with some other flour..when I oped my pantry first thing i saw was jowar.Jowar also know as Sorghum/Egyptian millet,milo or in tamil -CHOLAM
Though is 70% starch and can not be considered as healthy food on its own,its a good source of energy and Gluten free..and also good source of vitamin B complex.
So... why not try this... and fortunately it tasted good.... that too using just 3tsp of ghee...
Wait... not just this but more to come for sweet cousin and her kid... yes Urad laddu and banana paniyaram :)
INGREDIENTS:
Jowar-1 cup
Brown sugar(powdered)-3/4 cup(according to taste . this amount was mild sweet)
Coconut-1tsp and cashew-4-5(powdered along with sugar)(optional)
Ghee-3 tsp
Warm milk- approximately 3-4 tsp(to make laddu)
last
Cardamom powder-1/4 tsp
and yeah...
Chopped nuts-2tsp(optional)
METHOD:
1)Heat ghee in a pan and fry jowar and till nice aroma comes.
2)Powder sugar along with coconut and cashew.
3)Add cardamom powder and chopped nuts to jowar flour and mix with powdered sugar.
4)Add Warm milk little my little and make lemon size balls (laddus)
Tastes good and healthy and quick to make

FENUGREEK RASAM(SOUP)

2012-05-03T06:22:00.000-07:00

I am such a absent minded person that i have lots of photos in my list that have not been published in blog but published in FB ...One of such recipe is this healthy Fenugreek Rasam.My mom used to do lemon,
pine apple,pepper,paruppu,tomato rasam varieties so that's the ones which i know and of course Apple rasam and vegetable rasam.But first tasted this Fenugreek rasam in my in laws house.This is my Mother in law's speciality ..I loved it because of its unique flavor and taste.
INGREDIENTS:
Tamarind pulp-1/2 cup
Water-1 to 1 1/2 cup(depending on sourness of the tamarind)
Turmeric powder-1/4 tsp
Chilli powder-1/4 tsp(according to taste)
Jeera powder-1/4 tsp(optional)
Curry leaf- few
Corriander leaf- few
Onion(finely chopped)-1/4 cup
Mustard- for seasoning
Urad dhal-1/2 tsp
Tur dhal-1/2 tsp
Fenugreek-3/4 tsp
Asefotida-1/4 tsp
Red chilli- 1(optional)
Salt-to taste
Oil-1 tsp

METHOD:
1)Heat oil in a pan add mustard.After it splutters add urad dhal and tur dhal fry for a second..Add red chilli(This is optional.My mother in law does not add this or the jeera powder. but i like the smell of these to so i use)and Asefotida.
2)Add chopped onion.Saute for couple of minutes.
3)Add tamarind pulp and water.
4)Add salt.turmeric and chilli powder and jeera powder(or you can also substitute this with rasam powder)
5)Boil rasam till foam appears .
6)Serve with Rice.

LOTUS STEM PORIYAL

2012-04-08T10:40:00.000-07:00

Guess many don't know about this as a vegetable.In India we get lotus stem chips etc.In Chennai we used to get fresh lotus stem and my dad used to steam it add salt and jeera and pepper powder and eat.I used to like the taste. After coming here i did the same and my husband and sister in law too liked it. so i started trying different items like this poriyal and kootu. Even without adding any spices just steamed root tastes yummy for me. it reminds me of kutchi kizangu.It not only tastes good but also very healthy.My dad used to recommend this stem juice for people coming with cholesterol and heart problems.Lotus roots contain much iron, vitamins B and C. While browsing I also found that it also stops diarrhea, clears Heat and improve appetite relieves constipation(because of its high fiber content). And drinking 2 to 3 glasses of lotus root juice a day can stop bleeding of the esophagus an stomach (vomiting blood); bleeding of the rectum, intestines or stomach (blood in feces); nose bleeding or gum bleeding .

INGREDIENTS:
Lotus stem
Onion- chopped
Mustard-for seasoning
Channa dhal- for seasoning
Urad dhal- for seasoning
Salt- to taste
Peanut powder(coarse) -1 tsp
Coconut grated-1tsp
Saunf powder-1/4 tsp
Chilli powder- to taste
Turmeric powder- 1/4 tsp
Curry leaf-optional
METHOD:
1)Wash the stem well and pressure cook it.
2)Cut the cooked root.We may have to remove some fiber while cutting the lotus stem just plantain stem .
3)Mix this with salt turmeric and chilli powder and keep it a side.
4)Heat oil in a pan and season it with mustard, urad dhal,channa dhal and add saunf powder.
5)Add onion and saute.
6)Add lotus stem and saute for couple of minutes. Add coconut and peanut powder just before removing.
Healthy lotus stem poriyal is ready as a side dish for rice.

PALAK PICKLE

2012-03-21T06:10:00.003-07:00

This post has been there in my draft for more than 2 months.. and finally getting published. Its one of my favorite Thokku ,which comes handy for packing quick lunch.it stays fresh for about a month in the fridge(or may be even longer....)And one more Think i should mention.... no one will ever know its palak until u tell them :)
INGREDIENTS:
Palak-1 bunch(big)
Tamarind- Lime size
Jaggery-1/2 tsp grtaed
Mustard- seasoning
Fenugreek powder-1/2 tsp
Salt- to taste
Chilli powder-to taste
Oil-1/2 cup(approximately. I prefer Gingelly oil)
Asefotida- 1/4 tsp

RICE AND LENTIL DOSAI(Indian Crepe)(Paper Roast)

2012-03-14T17:18:00.005-07:00

I never had a thought of posting the recipe for Dosa till i heard from many of them who talked about grinding separate batter for dosai and using separate pan for dosai and using non-stick etc.,etc.
Making Restaurant type dosai is not a troublesome(!!??) work like many think. because i make dosai with Idly batter ... same restaurant type crispy(even extra crispy dosai)As a do dosa lover , who comes from dosa loving family i think all we need to do know is the consistency and correct heat and small technique to make restaurant style thin or crispy dosai.
Just to make it bit clear i made a video... but since i used my mobile to shoot. it may not be very clear..
So INGREDIENTS: for the Batter ... just like Idly.
Idly made with same batter

Idly rice-3 cups
Urad dhal-1 cup
Fenugreek- 1/4 tsp(optional. i don't use it always.. and i don't see much of a difference except for colour and also flavour.)
METHOD: to grind the Batter

1)Soak rice and urad (along with fenugreek) separately for 6-7 hrs.
2)Grind Urad to smooth soft batter just like butter.
3)Remove the urad batter and then start grinding rice. grind this to smooth batter adding enough water.
4)Mix rice with urad batter along with salt.Add water if necessary to get correct consistency(it should not be too watery or too thick).
5)Let it ferment overnight.

6)Pour a ladle of the batter on the dosa tava .(Oil is optional.I personally like using less than 1.4 tsp oil )

cover and cook if you wish. no need to flip it over for the other side to cook.

Here is the video for making dosai without nonstick pan or oil.(i have used less than 1/4 tsp oil as i personally prefer taste of oil..except for the taste nothing differs because of oil)

Lot of my friends had this doubt how to use the same pan for both chapathi and dosai so here is a video for conditioning the pan before making dosai after making chapathi.

How to use Same pan for chapathi and Dosai.

Here is a sample of orange dosai same measurement except that i used orange juice while grinding instead of water.(saw this in some malayalam channel in youtube.)

EGG LESS BLACK FOREST CAKE

2012-02-29T13:30:00.002-08:00

My very favorite cake. Its been a long time since i made this. I think i haven't made this after my amma's illness.Actually i would not have made this even now if not for my friend anu and my Sil.They actually inspired me or i can even say they taught me a very valuable thing in my life..I don't know if they did it knowingly or unknowingly but but i should say i did learn this from them.
Day before yesterday ... my Birthday... I did not make anything spl... every one's question to me was what spl dish did i make?.... answer .. nothing... its just another day in life.... but when my friend anu called she said she made Kesari for my birthday:)) wow! what a friend ah??!! anyway... that's when i realised ..ummm. when people around me are happy that i was born... y not me??? y am i not celebrating it??? For everyone... life is a gods gift... anyone who is trying to conceive will know that...but we forget this as we grow.I have seen many of us celebrate birthday when young and as we grow old we don't have much fun in all these...
My point here is We have to be thankful for the life that god has given us... and love our self.
Anyway... lets leave my story behind and come to this yummy Egg less cake.
Since i did not have any plan of doing this i made this with the things that i already had at home.

INGREDIENTS:
All purpose flour/Maida-1 cup
Condensed milk/Milkmaid- 1/4 cup(i had only very little of this )
Soy milk-about 1/4 -1/2 cup(according to consistency)
Butter-1/4 cup
Powdered sugar about 3tbs to mix with cream.
Agave-1/2 tsp optional(since i had very little condensed milk i added this for sweetness)
Coco powder-3 to 4 tbs(according to your taste)
Baking powder-1/2 tsp
Baking soda-1/4 tsp
Vanilla essence 1/2 tsp
Whipped cream-filling
Grated chocolate- sprinkle on sides and top
Tutti fruity -sprinkle on sides and top

METHOD:
1)Pre heat oven to 350 degree.f
2)Grease a cake pan
3)Beat Butter(room temperature) and condensed milk well (I used hand mixer but we can also do that with wooden spatula)I also added Agave and about 1/4 cup of soy milk since i did not have enough condensed milk.
4)Sieve baking powder, baking soda , coco powder and all purpose flour.
5)Add all purpose flour mixture to the condensed milk mixture. add vanilla essence. and mix well.
6)Pour in greased pan and bake for about half hour.
7) Cool the cake and then cut it horizontally

8)Mix/beat Cream and sugar well to get peak consistency(like butter).
9)place one layer of cake and spread the cream. place the second layer .(if u wish u can also keep cut fruits like cherry or pine apple or any fruit on the cream.)
10) Now cover the cake with rest of the cream mixture and decorate with cherry or tutti fruity or chocolate shavings.

NOTE: we can also use Ice cream instead of the cream to make ice cream cake .
This is a mini ice cream cake that i made.

Kaki(Sharon)Milkshake

2012-02-09T08:05:00.000-08:00

Kaki or Sharon or Japanese persimmon fruit belongs to persimmon species is "high in glucose and balanced protein and various medical uses"
Its a very tasty fruit and Everyone in our family love it.
Apart from that I also read that it has high dietary fiber,Potassium, Magnesium,calcium,iron and manganese.rich in Beta carotene and Vitamin C.
INGREDIENTS:
Milk-1 Cup
Kaki(Sharon)-1 Chopped
Ice (crushed)
Cream(optional)-for topping
METHOD:
1)Put the fruit in the blender and blend it well with milk and crushed ice.
2)That's it... pour it in a glass and just njoy the healthy drink :) If u like u can add cream on top.

Corn Tortilla Chips and Salsa

2012-02-08T08:07:00.000-08:00

Actually this is chellam aunty's (Tacos shell) recipe little modified With salsa recipe that I found in food dot com(i think so )
When i was browsing for a tortilla chips recipe all i could find was using tortilla base ,which i did mot have in hand .I suddenly remembered chellam aunty recipe for tacos, which almost had same ingredients like tortilla so i decided to do tortilla chips right from scratch...

INGREDIENTS:

Maize flour-1 1/2 cup
Whole wheat flour-1 cup(instead of all purpose flour)
Oil-2 tbs
Water-to mix
Salt-to taste
Oil- to fry
and one more extra ingredient that i added was Baking powder
Baking Powder-1 /2 tbs
Oil - for frying
I also tried Baking version but my DH did not like it and me too. felt its not as tasty as fried :)
METHOD:
1)Mix Wheat flour and corn flour with baking powder and salt well.
2)Add oil and mix.
3)Add water and make a soft dough.
4)Cover this dough with wet cloth for about 2-3 hours.
5)Divide the dough to small lemon size balls and roll out each dough to thin chapathi/tortilla.(if it sticks sprinkle some flour and roll)
6)Now cut these chapathi into triangles and deep fry .
Serve with Salsa or any dip.
SALSA

INGREDIENTS:
Onion-2
Tomato-3
Garlic -2
Lemon-1/2
Cilantro/Coriander1/2 cup chopped
Green chilli-3=4(according to taste)
Salt- to taste
Tomato ketchup- 1/2 cup
Method:
1)Blanch 2 tomatos and make a puree.
2)Grind 1 onion , garlic, green chilli, 1/4 of the cilantro to slightly coarse paste.
3)Finely chop rest of the onion and tomato and mix it with the ground paste.
4)Add salt and lemon. Add tomato ketchup.Mix well and serve.

Note:Please roll the dough to thin chapthi/tortilla. Using All purpose flour instead of whole wheat tastes very nice

Vegetable Legume Vada(Fritters)

2012-02-07T08:17:00.000-08:00

Its a unbelievably Crispy vada that i have every eaten . Usually everone say my Masala vadai is crisp but this one.. it was amazing... guess its because of the skins of the legumes..anyway why dig deep into this... all that matters is taste... its tasty, crispy and healthy too, except for the deep frying part of it :).that too i tried to bake but it was not as crispy or tasty as fried one :)
Here is the recipe... actually before proceeding i have to mention the inspiration to make this vadai, my neighbour ,friend,Madhavi.She had a pooja yesterday and her vada was yummy. She used all dhal and veggi.So i wanted to try that but slightly different so used Whole dhals(Legumes) instead.and the result was superb.
Ok Recipe now...
INGREDIENTS:
Chick pea-1/2 cup
Peas-1/2 cup
Rajma-1/2 cup
Green gram(whole)/Moong dhal-1/2 cup
Onion finely chopped-1
Garlic-2-3(crushed)
Green chilli-5-6(to taste)
Cauliflower finely chopped-1 cup
Cabbage finely chopped-1/2 cup
Carrot grated-1 cup
Coriander leaves(cilantro) leaves-1/2 cup
Mint(optional.I did not use)-1 tbs chopped
Saunf powdered-1/2 tsp
Salt- to taste
Oil -to fry
METHOD:
1)Soak the legumes overnight.
2)Grind the legumes and chilli to slightly coarse paste adding very little water(just enough to grind).
3)Add chopped vegetables , crushed garlic, saunf powder, salt,cilantro(coriander leafs)mint(optional), chopped onion to the legume mixture. Mix well.
4)Heat oil in a pan .
5)Make small lemon size balls out of the mixture and flatten them. Fry them in oil.
Serve with Sauce or mint or any type of chutney.

Molten Lava Cake

2012-02-06T09:30:00.000-08:00

I first tasted this in Domino's .From then i wanted to try this at home ,but all the recipes i came across had

egg :(.So I couldn't make it until i saw Bhavana's video in youtube.It came out so very tasty that there was a fight between me and my DH for our shares :)

Apart from the taste and its egg less ... its also very easy ,simple and fast to make ...isn't that great... but may be if we are calorie watchers.... then our taste buds will miss this yummy cake...

INGREDIENTS

Condensed milk 1/2 cup

Baking chocolate -1/2 cup

Butter-1/2 cup

Maida(all purpose flour)-1/2 cup

Baking powder- 1/2 tsp

Vanilla essence 1 tsp

METHOD:

1)Preheat oven to 350degree F.

2)Sieve maida/all purpose flour and baking powder .

3)Melt Butter and Chocolate in Double boiler(Pour water in a pan and heat it. Keep a pan on top of this pan and add Butter and Chocolate and cook/melt) over medium heat

4)Add condensed milk and vanilla essence and mix well to the chocolate mixture.

5)Switch off the heat and add the flour carefully(keep mixing with spatula to avoid forming lumps).Mix well.

6)Pour in a well greased mould(till half).Insert some chocolate in the center and cover it with cake dough.

7)Bake for about 15 minutes.let it cool for some time.

8)Turn the cake upside down on a plate and serve with cream.

Here is a collage picture of the lava cake and lava cake that was cut and the lava inside.

But i thing i have to insert move chocolate inside .

So Nsoy :)

CHOCOLATE AVOCADO PIE

2012-01-28T11:03:00.000-08:00

This is Yummy easy to make pie.I always wanted to make a dessert with Avocado .Saw this in food dot com and tried it with some changes .Added Javarisi(sago/Tapioca).I have tried puddings using tapioca so..thought of using that here and surprisingly it worked out very well :)
INGREDIENTS:
Avocado- 2(ripe)
Condense milk-1/2 can
Sago powder-1tbs(optional)
Lime juice-2tsp
Pie crust-1
Water- little to make Sago paste.(optional)
Cool Whipped cream-garnish
Tutti fruity - garnish

METHOD:
1)OPTIONAL:Add Sago to water and cook till it dissolves and becomes a batter like paste.(You can omit this .As original recipe did not have this)
2)Combine avocado, condensed milk, lime juice and Sago paste(if using) and blend to smooth paste.
3)Pour into pie crust.
4)Refrigerate for about 3 hours.
5)Serve with whipped cream.

VEGGI RAGI(FINGER MILLET) UPMA

2012-01-27T07:57:00.000-08:00

This is one among the posts that has been in my draft for a long time...
Its very simple and healthy dish.But the draw back is...its not available in all the places.... meaning this ragi without the outer skin..Its available in Chennai.I tried the same with regular ragi but it doesn't taste that good.My dad's cousin,Viji akka sent me this (Ragi cereal rice, thats what the packet says) from India. Its nothing but regular Ragi ,which has been processed.
Ragi is Rich in protein.Its supposed to be good for diabetes and cholesterol.

INGREDIENTS:
Ragi (decorticated)-1 cup
Water-2 cup
Vegetables(finely chopped)-1/2 cup
Oil-1 tsp
Salt -to taste
Green chilli- to taste
Mustard, urad dhal -for seasoning
Corriander and curry leaves
METHOD:
1)Pressure cook Ragi and keep aside.
2)Heat oil and Season with mustard urad dhal.Add chopped vegetables, add salt and saute till cooked.(cover and cook if necessary)
3)Add the cooked Ragi mix well with the ingredients .Add corriander and curry leaves and serve hot with chutney.
NOTE: we can also do lemon rice...oops lemon ragi or even venpongal.

PALAK THOKKU(SPINACH PICKLE)

2012-01-25T09:41:00.000-08:00

'Palak',Spinach also known as 'Delhi palak' in Tamilnadu is a green which is loved by many.I tried pickle(thokku)yesterday and it was so tasty that i am planning to do more and storing it to make instant rice variety for lunch :)
Since i was trying it for the first time i did not make any note of the measurements... so its all approximate. next time when i make i will make a not and update it here .

INGREDIENTS:(Approximate measurements)
Palak- 1 bunch
Tamarind paste-2 tbs
Salt - to taste
Chilli powder-11/2 tbs(according to taste )
Oil-4-5 tbs
SEASONING
Mustard- 1/2 tsp
Fenugreek-1/4 tsp(i used whole . but can also use powder)
Asefotida-1/4 tsp

METHOD:
1)Wash and Grind palak to slightly coarse paste using little water.
2)Heat oil in a pan. add mustard and fenugreek. Add Asefotida.
3)Add ground palak, salt, chilli powder and tamarind paste and cook till oil oozes out.
Can be mixed with rice...tastes yummy.

QUINOA SWEET PONGAL/AKKARAVADISAL

2012-01-20T09:38:00.000-08:00

Quinoa, the grain that has gained popularity among many Indians these days have been used by people in Andes region from about 3000-4000 years ago.It contains Essential amino acids, calcium,phosphorus, iron and not to forget protein.And above all easy to digest too.

(So for my friends in India ... it looks similar to Varagarisi,kudhiravali.)

Though many indian dishes like briyani, bisibela bhath etc can be done,I love doing pongal using this grain.specially venpongal... anyway this post is on sakkarai pongal or can i call it Akkaravadisal??

INGREDIENTS:(measurements approximate)

Quinoa-3/4 cup

Moong dhal-about 1/4 cup

Jaggery-about 1/2 (according to taste and sweetness of jaggery)(i used light brown sugar)

Ghee- 2-3 tbs

Cardamom -2 or 3(powdered)

Saffron- a pinch

Cashew /almond /raisin

Water or milk - to cook

METHOD:

1)Add little more the twice the amount of milk or water to quinoa , moong add saffron and pressure cook.

2)When cooked add jaggery or sugar and cook till it mixes with the quinoa well.Add cardamom. Mix well.

3)Heat ghee and roast nuts and garnish .

THAYIR VADAI /DAHI VADA

2012-01-18T06:54:00.000-08:00

My amma loves this very much. Actually I made this for her pooja.She loves garnishing this with boondhi... since no boondhi or cucumber or corriander its just carrot this time :)

INGREDIENTS:
Urad-2 cup
Rice flour-2 tbs
Ginger-small
Green chilli-according to taste
Salt- according to taste
Asefotida-a pinch(optional)
Onion-1)finely chopped
Curds
METHOD:
1)Soak urad for 4- 5 hours.
2)Grind it along with chilli and ginger.(don't add much water. normally soaking 1 cup urad in 1 or 1 1/2 cup water would be enough for grinding. For keerai vadai we may not need so much water as when mixed with greens it will leave out some water.Add water little by little while grinding)
3)Mix the batter well with salt, onion,chopped coriander, curry leaves and rice flour.
4)Heat oil in a pan.
5)Wet the palms and take the batter as a ball and place the batter in one of the palm and just make a hole in the center(please do not try to flatten it by pressing
6)Fry on medium heat till golden brown.
7)Dip the vadai immediately in warm water for a second and immediately put in in seasoned curd. and soak for couple of minutes.

NOTE:Press the vadai gently to take off the excess water after dipping in water.

DHAL SHORBA

2012-01-17T08:01:00.000-08:00

I think this is North Indian version of palak(spinach) sambar.This recipe was given to me by... actually i dont remember if its mt nutrition specialist cousin Shoba or my (culinary collage principle )dad's relative. Any way someone gave me this bunch of recipes labelled recipes for diabetes... so just wriring what ever was there int that paper... i substituted moong dhal instead of masoor dhal.
INGREDIENTS:
Masoor dhal-20 gr.(i used moong dhal)
Onion(sliced)-20 gr
Tomatoes-40 gr
Spinach- to garnish
Crushed garlic-2 flakes
Curry powder-1tsp
Salt- to taste
Oil- 1tsp
(But i used 1/2 cup moog dhal , 1 onion,tomato(medium size) and 1/2 cup spinach(chopped))
METHOD:
1)Wash dhal and cut onion , tomato and spinach.
2)Heat oil and fry onion and garlic and curry powder and cook for few seconds.
3)Add this to tomatoes and dhal along with 1 cup water and pressure cook.
4)When cool. Blend it in mixer.
5)Add salt and chopped spinach and boil for few seconds and serve.

Tastes good not only with rice but also roti/chapathi

VEGETABLE UPPURUNDAI(RICE BALLS)

2012-01-15T06:57:00.001-08:00

This is a very easy and simple tiffin .
INGREDIENTS:
Raw rice(or can also use Rice flour)- 1cup
Water- to grind and mix
Vegetables- 1/2 -3/4 cup(grated)
Salt- to taste
For Seasoning::-
Mustard
Green chilli- to taste.
Urad dhal
Aseofida

METHOD:
1)Soak rice for 3-4 hours and grind little coarsely.(or can use rice flour instead. but it will have smooth texture.I prefer coarse)Consistency should be like dosa batter.
2)Heat oil and add mustard,urad dhal. chilli, asefotida, salt (little just for vegetables) and vegetables saute for couple minutes.
3)Mix this to the rice batter.Add salt for this .
4)Heat a pan with oil (about 5-6 tbs) and cook this batter well till colour changes and forms a dough.(keep stirring to avoid forming lumps)
5)Cool this dough a little. Make balls and steam this like idly .
6)Serve with spicy chutney.
We can also use about 1tbs grated coconut to the dough or while grinding the batter...It tastes yummy...

YELLU(TILL/SESAME)RICE

2012-01-10T09:19:00.000-08:00

This is a very easy, tasty and healthy rice.As many of us know Sesame is a very source of zinc, calcium and magnesium.We get 2 variety of sesame ... white and black. basically i prefer black as it has the outer skin which is good.Anyway... this is a ready made rice mix which comes handy o pack lunch for my DH early in the morning.
Sesame seed are very good source of copper , magnesium , zinc and calcium, which are good for osteoporosis,rheumatoid arthritis, PMS, diabetes heart disease,and not only this but phytosterols in sesame seeds lowers cholesterol... is that great!

INGREDIENTS:(approximate measurements)
Yellu/Till/Sesame-1 /2 cup
Red chilli-5-6(to taste)
Asefotida- 1/2 tsp
Salt- to taste
SEASONING:
Oil
Mustard
Channa dhal/urad dhal
Peanut
Curry leaf
(When needed heat oil and add all the ingredients and mix it with rice.)
METHOD:
1)Dry roast-sesame till aroma comes.
2)Dry fry red chilli and asefotida. cool
3)Powder all the three together.And store it in a bottle.(it stays fresh for a week outside)
4)When needed mix this powder to warm rice add seasoning along with salt.Serve with any vegetable.

MUSHROOM FRY

2011-11-02T08:27:00.000-07:00

I cant believe how this photo has been in my draft for more than a year... anyways... its a very easy sidedish for any kind of rice.
INGREDIENT:
Mushroom
Onion- 1 finely chopped
Mustard- seasoning
Urad dhal-seasoning
Oil
Green chilli--to taste
Salt-to taste
Garam masala- 1/2 tsp
METHOD:
1)Heast oil season with mustard and urad dhal.
2)Add onion,garam masala and chilli and saute.
3)Add sliced mushroom and cook till dry.
Serve with rice.

KHOWSUEY

2011-11-01T05:47:00.000-07:00

One more recipe which I learnt from chellam aunty is Khowsuey, which is a Burmese noodle.its very filling dish. with all the crunchy sev, which really gives a special taste to normal noodles.
Since i did not have couple of things from the original aunty's recipe i made change like using almond and very little coconut instead of coconut milk.Did not add lime juice at the end along with spring onion .
Used soy bean instead of peas... that's it.... other things are the same.

Without too much stories let me go to the yummy recipe..

INGREDIENTS:
Spaghetti or noodles:100 gr
Carrot-50 gr
peas-100 gm
Cauliflower-small
Onion-1chopped
Tomato-100 gr chopped
ginger-small
Garlic-4-5
Coriander seed-4tsp
Redchilli-4-5 (to taste)
Coconut-1/2(take milk)(i used 8 almond and 1 tbs grated coconut ground to smooth paste mixed with 1cup water)
Chilli powder to taste
Spring onion- 1/2 bunch(garnish)
Sev-50 gr(garnish)
Roasted bengal gram(dhalia/pottukadalai) or peanut-4tsp(coarsely ground)
Onion-1/2(finely sliced and fried to garnish)

METHOD:
1)Boil plenty of water and cook spaghetti/noodles along with salt. Cook .
2)Drain the water and Keep in running water , drain and apply oil and keep aside.
3)Grind chilli,garlic, coriander and ginger to smooth paste.
4)Heat oil fry onion and ground masala.
5)Add finely chopped tomato cook.
6)Add finely chopped vegetables with coconut milk and salt.Cook.(Add water if necessary)
6) Add this semi gravy on spaghetti .
7)Garnish with fried onion,finely chopped spring onion and chilli powder(optional)
8)Finally sev just before serving.

BADHUSHA

2011-10-31T10:35:00.000-07:00

This Indian 'Dougnut',Badusha always sounds royal to me 'Badshah'-meaning king.For me its truly king of sweets. My amma used to make yummy colourful- meaning garnished with colourful dessicated coconut Badhusha. Actually I think it was this colourful dessicated coconut that attracted me more than the taste :P

Here is the recipe she gave me:
INGREDIENTS:
Maida/All purpose flour- 1cup
Butter-100 gr(melted)
Soda bi carb- about 1/4 tsp(little more than a pinch)
Curds/Yogurt-1 tsp
Salt - pinch
Water -to mix
SUGAR SYRUP
Sugar-1 cup
Water-1/2 cup
Chopped Almond or dessicated coconut.

METHOD:

1)Rub soda bi carb and melted butter along with salt well.(we can see change in colour to white)
2) Add sieved Maida slowly , mix well to get bread crumbs sort of consistency.
3)Now Add Curds/yogurt to the flour and mix again. Add little water to the flour and mix well to get soft dough.
4)Simuntaneously heat water and sugar to sticky syrup consistency(1 string) and keep in simmer
5)Make small size balls out of the dough and press each ball lightly and make a dent in the center.
6)Heat oil and fry the badhushas till golden brown and put them in the syrup immediately.
7)After few minutes remove them and roll one side on dessicated coconut or garnish with almond.

GREEN GRAM LADDU

2011-10-30T11:13:00.000-07:00

I think this is a traditional Tamilian Dish.Its simple and tasty too.

This recipe was given by my periyamma.
INGREDIENTS:
Split green gram dhal(pasi paruppu)-1 cup
Sugar-3/4 cup
Ghee-to mix
Cardamom-2-3(powdered)
METHOD:
1)Dry fry split green gram dhal and powder it along with sugar.
2)Add cardamom mix well.
3)Mix hot ghee little by little to make laddu.

BOONDHI LADDU

2011-10-29T11:11:00.000-07:00

Very easy to make traditional sweet.This is a sweet which i have always feared is very difficult to make . I was told by my amma that laddu have to be made into balls while it was still hot. So i have never attempted to even try this until my friend vijaya told me that it was very simple.
I think i have misunderstood my amma's statment or may be she thought i was too young and could not handle the warm boondhi syrup.. any way .. its not hard :)
INGREDIENTS:
Gram flour/Besan- 1cup
Milk- to mix
Food colour- 1 pinch.
Salt- a pinch.
Sugar- 1cup
Water-1/4 cup(for syrup)
Chopped nuts and raisin(fried)
Cardamom powder- 1/4 tsp
Kalkandu(rock candy/ sugar candy)- few(optional)
Clove- few(optional)
Nutmeg and Pachai karpooram(cooking camphor)- a pinch(optional)
METHOD:
1)Mix water, sieved besan ,food colour and salt to make a nice boodhi batter.
2)Mix Sugar and water and boil till we get half string consistency( just sticky before 1 string consistency) and simmer it.
3) Simteneously heat oil in a pan and start making boondhi and add it to the warm syrup immediately.
4) Repeat this till all the batter is done.
5)Add all the other ingredients ,Chopped nuts,cardamom ,nutmeg powder, Cooking camphor,Kalkandu, clove to boondhi syrup and mix well.
6) Mash the boodhi in the syrup a little when all the syrup is absorbed .Apply some ghee on palm and start making balls.( this will be warm.)
BOONDHI LADDU READY.