VEGGIE PARADISE.....

BARLEY IDLI

2011-12-08T12:38:00.001-08:00

BARLEY IDLI

BARLEY - Barley is a great source of dietary fiber and actually contains both soluble and insoluble fiber. It is extremely nutritious and provides energy for the body.It reduces the inflammation of the stomach and expels toxins from the body.Barley is a must in the diet of health conscious people and it would make perfect sense to incorporate this tasty food item in our day-to-day eating patterns.

Barley Idli - Idli is a popular South Indian Breakfast item. Make these Idli's even more healthier by adding Barley . Serve hot with sambar or chutney of your choice

For this recipe you need

2 cups of parboiled (Idli) rice
2 cups of barley
1 cup of Whole Urad dal
1/2 tsp. of fenugreek seeds
Salt

PREPARATION

Wash and soak the rice along with barley for 3 to 4 hrs.

Wash and soak the urad dal for 3 to 4 hrs.

First grind urad dal along with fenugreek.While grinding keep sprinkling water at regular intervals. The consistency of the batter should be very soft and fluffy. Remove the batter from the grinder and keep it aside.

Now grind the rice with barley to a smooth paste.

Mix both the batters along with salt, cover and keep aside overnight to ferment for
10 -12 hrs.

Next day the batter would have raised 2 inches high with tiny bubbles.

Pour a laddleful of batter in idli tray and steam cook for 10 -15 mins.

Soft and Healthy Barley Idli's are ready to be served.......

Serve it hot with any chuthey of your choice or with sambar and

enjoy :)

Note :

The quality of urad dal, and the way you grind it, are the two most important things to be noted .

Don't add too much of water while grinding both urad dal and rice, always sprinkle water at regular intervals.

Don't remove the idli's immediately , from the moulds, wait for few minutes and then scoop out.

Dilute the batter, and start preparing dosa's. Both idli's and Dosa's tasted very well.

PORI URUNDAI - KARTHIGAI DEEPAM RECIPE

2011-12-05T05:15:00.001-08:00

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PORI URUNDAI - KARTHIGAI DEEPAM RECIPE

WISH YOU ALL A VERY HAPPY KARTHIGAI DEEPAM

Karthigai Deepam - Festival of Lights ushering prosperity and joy, this is celebrated in the tamil month of Karthigai(November - December ). On this day the entire house is decorated with little oil lamps (Agal villakus ). We make Pori urundai and Maa Vilakku (Lamp made of rice flour ) as prasadam to the Lord.

PORI URUNDAI

FOR THIS RECIPE YOU NEED

1 cup of jaggery
4 cups of puffed rice
Pinch of cardamom powder

PREPARATION

In a heavy bottomed pan, melt the jaggery by adding 1/2 cup of water without any lumps and filter it to remove impurities.

Now in the same pan, add the filtered jaggery along with cardamom powder and keep it stirring in medium flame.

The syrup starts to thicken, try testing the syrup by pouring a drop in a small cup of water. If the syrup does not spread ( you can also try to roll it into ball) then the syrup is ready.

Add the puffed rice to this syrup, Mix well and remove from heat.

Allow it to cool a bit,grease your palm with ghee, take small portions from the mixture and press the balls firmly until you get a perfect shape.

Note :

If you add more water , then the time to get the syrup consistency will be longer.

While testing the syrup, if it spreads, keep stirring and check again , repeat it until you reach the correct stage.

Do not allow the mixture to cool a lot, then you will find it difficult to shape them.

CORN ON THE COB KORMA (COCONUT AND ONION SAUCE) - STEP BY STEP

2011-12-04T20:21:00.000-08:00

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CORN ON THE COB KORMA - STEP BY STEP

This dish is for all the corn lovers. It is a great tasting recipe, with corns cooked in coconut and onion sauce.This goes well with roti's.

For this korma you need

1 corn on the cob, cut into 1 cm. chunks
1 large onion,finely sliced
2 medium sized tomatoes, chopped
1/2 tsp. of turmeric powder
1 tsp. of chilli powder
1 tsp. of cumin powder

For Grinding

1/2 cup of grated coconut
2" cinnamon stick
1 tsp. of black peppercorns
6 cloves

PREPARATION

Place the corn in a pan with sufficient water. Close the pan and cook until tender. Drain and keep it aside. (Reserve the water for preparing the curry).

Heat oil in a pan, add the spices(cinnamon stick, black peppercorns and cloves) fry for a min.Add the onions and saute until they turn translucent.

Add the grated coconut and saute until the whole mixture turns slight brown, Remove from heat and allow it to cool. Add little water and grind to a fine paste in a blender.

Heat another pan with oil, add cumin seeds, when they darken, add the chopped tomatoes, along with the spice powders (turmeric powder, chilli powder and coriander powder)and salt.Saute it well.

When the tomatoes and the spices get blended well, add the corn and stir them gently. Allow the corn to cook in this sauce for a couple of minutes.

Gently stir in the paste ,add few tablespoons of the reserved corn water.Keep the flame low and allow it to cook for 5 minutes.

Delicious Corn On The Cob Korma is ready to be served................

Serve it hot with Roti's /Naan and enjoy :)

RIDGE GOURD (PEERKANGAI ) SKIN CHUTNEY

2011-12-01T22:39:00.000-08:00

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RIDGE GOURD SKIN CHUTNEY | PEERKANGAI THOL THUVAIYAL

This is a delicious and tangy chutney prepared with Ridge Gourd peels. Very less ingredients is used and it takes less time to prepare too. This goes very well with Idli's / Dosa's/ Roti's or simple have it with curd rice.

For this thuvaiyal you need

Peeled skin from 2 ridge gourds
Marble sized tamarind
6 red chillies
1 tsp. of mustard and urad dal
Oil
Salt

Preparation

Heat oil in a pan, add the skin, along with tamarind and saute it until the skin turns slight brown, remove from heat.

Now add red chillies and saute it.

Grind all the ingredients with salt and sufficient water.

In a seperate pan, heat oil and add mustard seed when it stops spluttering, add urad dal. saute for a min. and Add it to the thuvaiyal.

Delicious Peerkangai Thol Thuvaiyal is ready to be served.......

Serve this thuvaiyal with Idli's /Dosa / Chapathi / Rice and enjoy :)

Note:

Tamarind is fried along with the ridge gourd peels, so that it becomes soft and while grinding they blend well.

You can also use the seasoning ingredients at the final stage of grinding.

RIDGE GOURD WITH CHANA DAL

2011-11-27T20:19:00.000-08:00

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RIDGE GOURD (PEERKANGAI) WITH CHANA DAL

A simple recipe with ridge gourd and chana dal. Always vegetables when combined with dals , makes it healthy and nutritious. This is a tasty and healthy recipe that goes well with rice or roti's.

For this recipe you need

2 medium sized ridge gourd
1 cup of chana dal
1/2 tsp. of turmeric powder
1 tbsp. of fresh grated coconut
1 medium sized onion
Salt

For Seasoning

1 tsp. of mustard and urad dal
A pinch of asafoetida
A sprig of curry leaves

Preparation

Peel the spin and wash the ridge gourd. Cut them into small cubes.

Pressure cook chana dal with little water and turmeric powder.

Heat oil in a pan, add mustard seed, when it stops spluttering add urad dal , followed by asafoetida and curry leaves. Saute for a min.

Add chopped onions and fry them until they turn translucent, now add the cubed ridge gourd ,saute it .

When the ridge gourd gets cooked add the chana along with salt and mix them gently.

Finally add the grated coconut and remove from heat.

Delicious and nutritious Ridge Gourd with Chana dal is ready to be served.......

Serve it with rice or Chapathi and enjoy :)

Don't throw away the peeled skin, we are going to prepare a nice tangy thuvaiyal from it. Coming up Next!!!!!!!

Note:

Don't overcook the chana dal.

I have omitted chillies in this recipe, if you need you can add red chillies at the the time of sauteing the seasoning ingredients.

I have added grated coconut , you can grind it with 2 green chillies and a tsp. of cumin seeds. Add them along with chana dal. A delicious Kootu is ready :)

METHI THEPLA | FENUGREEK PARATHA

2011-11-16T13:46:00.001-08:00

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METHI THEPLA

Methi Thepla is one of the popular dish in Gujarat. It is a very healthy and nutritious food,which is ideal for any kind of travels.

For this recipe you need

1 1/2 cups of wheat flour
1/2 cup of Besan flour
1 cup of fresh methi leaves (washed and finely chopped)
Handful of fresh coriander leaves (washed and finely chopped)
A pinch of asafoetida
1/2 tsp. of turmeric powder
1 tsp. of chilli powder
1 tsp. of coriander powder
1 tbsp. of oil for the dough
1/2 cup of yoghurt
Extra flour for dusting
Salt
Oil

Preparation

Combine the flours, asafoetida, spice powders and mix it well.

Add yoghurt, oil, salt , methi and coriander leaves . Mix them well. Add water as needed and knead the dough until smooth and firm.

Take a lemon sized ball from the dough , dust it in flour and roll them into a flat , thin and round shaped one.

Heat the tawa, place the thepla's and drizzle oil on its sides.

When both sides are cooked well, remove from the tawa and serve it hot.

Flavorful Methi Thepla's are ready to be served...........

Serve hot with yoghurt or with any pickles and enjoy :)

RAVA DOSA | INSTANT RAVA DOSA

2011-11-11T22:53:00.001-08:00

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INSTANT RAVA DOSA

This is an easy and tasty recipe to prepare. As the name suggests this can be prepared in a jiffy as fermentation is not needed. It is a combination of rava , rice flour and maida. The consistency of the batter and the way you pour the batter over the tawa, are the two most important things to be considered .Serve this Rava Dosa with Coconut chutney or sambar and enjoy :)

For this recipe you need

1 1/2 Cup of Rice flour
1/2 cup of Rava
1 tbsp . of Maida
2 tsp. of Peppercorns
10 nos. of Cashewnuts (Crushed)
1 tsp .of cumin seeds
2 nos. of green chillies (finely choped)
Salt
1 tbsp . of ghee
Oil

Preparation

In a bowl, mix all the flours with water to make a very thin batter. Add salt to it

Add cumin seeds, green chillies, peppercorns and cashewnuts to the batter.

Heat a tawa, when it is hot enough pour two ladlefuls of batter in a circular manner. Drizzle oil along the edges and also in the holes of the dosa.(the tawa should be very hot while u are pouring the batter).

When the bottom turns crisp and golden in color , remove from the tawa .

Plain Rava Dosa is ready to be served.........

Serve hot with Coconut Chutney/Sambar and enjoy.

ONION GHEE RAVA DOSA

Pour the batter in the hot tawa,add some finely chopped onions on to it. Drizzle 1 tsp. of oil and 1 tsp. of ghee .(If you are not diet conscious ,skip the oil and enjoy this dosa with ghee).

when the bottom of the dosa gets cooked or turns golden brown in color , flip to the other side and cook for a min. Tasty onion ghee rava dosa is ready :)

Onion Rava Dosa with Ghee is ready to be served..............

For a Slight variation I mixed a pinch of turmeric powder to this batter and that is what you see in the pic. above. Yellow colored Rava Dosa :)

Note:

The consistency of the batter is very important, it should be very thin.(watery and flowing)

The next most important note for a perfect rava dosa ,Keep the flame high,while pouring the batter and then reduce the flame ,apply oil .Allow it to cook. The same way should be followed for making dosa's with the remaining batter

Always stir the batter, before you pour it over the tawa.

If the dosa is very thin , no need to cook the other side.

you can also add chopped curry leaves and coriander leaves.

Before adding the onions and green chillies, you can also saute it and then add to the batter.

PARUPPU KEERAI KOOTU - STEP BY STEP

2011-11-10T02:19:00.000-08:00

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PARUPPU KEERAI KOOTU

Lentils with vegetables or greens(Keerai) is definitely a wonderful and healthy combination.This dish is very nutritious and adding coconut paste enhances the taste . This goes well with roti's or with rice.

For this kootu you need

1 bunch of fresh Paruppu keerai

1 tomato

1 cup of moong dal

2 nos. of garlic

1/2 tsp. of turmeric powder

Salt

For Seasoning

1 tsp. of mustard and urad dal

A sprig of curry leaves

Oil

For Grinding

1/2 cup of grated coconut

2 green chillies

1/2 tsp. of cumin seeds

Preparation

Discard leaves from the stem and clean the leaves with water.

In a pressure cooker, add moong dal with turmeric powder, garlic ,tomato and water. Allow it for 4-5 whistles or until the dal is done.

In a pan, add the paruppu keerai leaves along with sufficient water ,close with a lid. Cook until the leaves turn soft.

When the leaves are cooked add the moongdal and stir it gently, now add the grinded coconut paste, mix it well and allow it to cook for a couple of mins. Finally temper with the seasoning ingredients.

Delicious Paruppu Keerai Kootu is ready to be served................

Serve it with hot rice / roti's and enjoy :)

BLACK EYED BEANS SALAD

2011-11-07T01:57:00.000-08:00

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BLACK EYED BEANS SALAD

A very simple and healthy salad easy to make. Raisins and coconut make a wonderful combination and it is mixed with coriander , lemon juice and sugar for an unique taste. Go ahead and try this nutritious salad :)

Recipe Source : India's Vegetarian Cooking - Monisha Bharadwaj

For this salad you need

1 cup of Black Eyed beans
1/2 cup of freshly grated coconut
2 tsp. of raisins
1 tsp. of lemon juice
Salt
1/2 tsp. of sugar
Handful of fresh coriander leaves

Preparation

Soak the beans overnight or for 6- 8 hrs.

Pressure cook with little salt until they are done . When the pressure is down , drain the excess water from it.

In a bowl mix all the ingredients along with the cooked beans and serve this salad.

Nutritious Black Eyed Beans Salad is ready to be served..........

Note :

If you are using tinned black beans , make sure you drain and rinse it thoroughly to get rid of the salted water in which they are preserved.

Mixing yoghurt with this salad makes it a wonderful and delicious raita.

MUSHROOMS IN SPICY YOGHURT SAUCE

2011-10-31T23:39:00.000-07:00

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MUSHROOMS IN SPICY YOGHURT SAUCE

This is a dish cooked with the combinations of onions , tomatoes, yoghurt and fresh mushrooms, together with the spices. One of the delicious gravy that goes well with hot roti's.

For this recipe you need

2 cups of chopped Button Mushrooms

1 medium sized onion

2 medium sized tomatoes

1 tsp. of ginger- garlic paste

1/2 tsp. of turmeric powder

1 tsp. of chilli powder

1 tsp. of coriander powder

1/2 tsp. of garam masala powder

2 tbsp. of yoghurt

1 tsp. of cumin seeds

Handful of fresh coriander leaves ( for garnishing)

Salt

Oil

Preparation

Heat oil in a pan, add the cumin seeds,saute for a min.

Add the chopped onions and fry them until they turn soft, add the ginger-garlic paste and fry for a few seconds.

Add the chopped tomatoes along with the spice powders and mix well.

Allow it to cook until the oil separates and keep stirring frequently.

Add the chopped mushrooms and cook for 4 mins in medium flame.

When the mushrooms are half cooked stir in the yoghurt along with salt, and cover with a tight fitting lid.

Let the mushrooms get cooked in the steam for about 8 - 10 mins.

Remove from heat and finally garnish with fresh coriander leaves.

Mushrooms in spicy yoghurt sauce is ready to be served.........

Serve it hot with roti's and enjoy :)

SUZHIYAN | SUZHIYAM

2011-10-24T21:42:00.000-07:00

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SUZHIYAN | SUZHIYAM

Suzhiyan is a festive dish and is one of the traditional and popular sweet prepared during Diwali. This is nothing but sweet dumplings , dipped in a batter prepared with maida and finally deep fried. First you need to prepare the filling with chana dal, jaggery and coconut and the rest becomes easy :)

For this sweet dumplings you need

1 cup of jaggery
1/2 cup of chana dal
1/2 cup of grated coconut
1/2 tsp. of cardamom powder

For the outer layer(Batter)

1 cup of maida
Salt
Oil for frying

Preparation

Soak the Chana dal for 30 mins. Pressure cook them until they turn soft , mash it and keep it aside.

In a pan, dry roast the grated coconut slightly and keep it aside.

In a heavy bottomed vessel, add jaggery along with a cup of water , when the jaggery gets dissolved filter to remove the impurities from it.

Add the filtered jaggery to the same pan, add the mashed chana dal along with coconut and cardamom powder and allow it to cook until it thickens.

Filling for preparing suzhiyan is ready.

In a bowl , mix maida with salt and add sufficient water , make a slightly thick batter.

Now take small balls from the filling , dip in this batter and deep fry them.

Remove the suzhiyans from oil and keep them in kitchen towel.

Delicious suzhiyan's are ready for this Diwali :)

WISHING U ALL A VERY HAPPY DIWALI :)

E-BOOK - 100 YUMMY DIWALI RECIPES

2011-10-18T21:02:00.000-07:00

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EBOOK - 100 YUMMY DIWALI SWEETS & DESSERTS

Here's the much eagerly awaited e-book from Indus Ladies for this Diwali, which you can download from here.
I am happy that my Kozhukattai Payasam (using Condensed Milk) is featured in this book.

Feel free to share it with your family & friends

Have a wonderful and safe Diwali!!!!!!!!!!!!

PANEER PAKORA

2011-10-16T21:03:00.000-07:00

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PANEER PAKORA

Paneer Pakora - A spicy and tasty fritters with cottage cheese dipped in a batter of gram flour. Pakora's are a common and popular snacks or appetizers made with vegetables like cauliflower, potatoes and brinjal. These paneer pakora's tastes a lot more different ,as they are spicy and crisp on the outside and very soft inside.

For this pakora you need

1 cup of paneer cubes
1 cup of gram flour
1 tbsp. of rice flour
1 tsp. of chilli powder
1 tsp. of ginger-garlic paste
Handful of fresh coriander leaves, finely chopped
1/4 tsp .of soda bicarbonate
A pinch of asafoetida
Salt
Oil for frying

Preparation

Heat oil in a deep kadhai.

In a bowl, mix all the ingredients required for the batter with sufficient water.

Dip paneer into the batter and gently drop them in hot oil. Fry until they turn golden brown, drain them on a kitchen towel.

Crispy and tasty Paneer Pakora's are ready to be served.....

Serve these Paneer Pakora's with tomato ketchup and enjoy :)

MIXED VEGETABLE KURMA(VEGETABLES IN COCONUT CURRY)

2011-10-11T21:44:00.000-07:00

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MIXED VEGETABLE KURMA|VEGETABLES IN COCONUT CURRY

Mixed Vegetable Kurma - This is a simple and delicious recipe using variety of vegetables. The basic curry paste is very versatile and taste better the next day. It goes very well with hot roti's or with poories.

For this kurma you need

2 cups of mixed diced vegetables(Potatoes, carrot, beans,cauliflower and peas)

1 big sized onion

1 medium sized tomato

1 tsp. of ginger-garlic paste

2 - 3 nos. of cardamom

3 nos. of cloves

1 inch of cinnamon

1/2 tsp. of turmeric powder

1/2 tsp. of garam masala powder

Fresh coriander leaves (for garnishing)

Salt

Oil

For grinding

1/2 cup of grated coconut

2 - 3 nos. of green chillies (Acc. to ur taste)

1 tsp. of Aniseed

Grind them to a smooth paste by adding little water

Preparation

Heat oil in a pan, add cardamom and cloves ,fry for a min.

Add the chopped onions and fry them until they turn soft, followed by ginger - garlic paste, saute it well until the raw smell goes off.

Add the chopped tomatoes , saute for a couple of mins.

Add vegetables with enough water and close the pan.

When the veggies are cooked, add the grinded paste along with salt and mix them gently, allow it to cook for about 5 - 10 mins.

Remove from heat and garnish with fresh coriander leaves.

Mixed Vegetable Kurma is ready to be served...................

Serve this delicious vegetable kurma with hot Chapathi's/Poori's and enjoy...... :)

NOTE:

The consistency of the kurma depends on the water ,so adjust it accordingly before adding the coconut paste.

MyCityCuisine.org : A Traveler's Guide to Local Cuisine

2011-10-09T20:49:00.000-07:00

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My CityCuisine. org : A Wiki Project

Few days ago, I received a mail about an interesting wiki project called “My City Cuisine". The aim of this project is to help travelers discover local dishes from all over the world. Food is an integral part of the local culture ,so naturally tasting local food is high on most traveler's to-do list. However until now there has been no single comprehensive source for this information. The MyCityCuisine project aims to fill this void. Please take a look at their site to learn more about their project.

This is an online guide to the most tasty , traditional foods from different countries all over the world . This site is for those who are interested in tasting local food and not for someone looking to cook it at home, so recipes aren't required.

It is a wonderful project and they are on the lookout for contributors.So you can also contribute your local cuisine by simply adding them.

Apart from this you also have priviledge to access some of their features like

Correct mistakes in an existing dish description
Suggest a new dish to be included
Upload a new dish photo

So what are you waiting for? Go Visit MyCityCuisine.org to add a dish from your city!!!!

PANEER JALFREZI - STEP BY STEP

2011-10-07T05:08:00.000-07:00

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PANEER JALFREZI - STEP BY STEP

Paneer Jalfrezi - A recipe with cottage cheese very easy to prepare. Its a delightful combination of crunchy onions and pepper, along with paneer and tomatoes . Serve with hot roti's and enjoy.

For this recipe you need

1 cup of paneer cubes
1 large onion
2 nos. of ripened tomatoes
1 medium sized capsicum
1 tsp. of ginger-garlic paste
1/2 tsp. of turmeric powder
1/2 tsp. of chilli powder
1/2 tsp. of cumin powder
1/2 tsp. of garam masala powder
1 tsp. of cumin seeds
Salt
Oil

Preparation

Heat oil in a pan, add the cumin seeds and saute for a min. Add the sliced onions and fry them until they turn translucent.

Add ginger-garlic paste and saute until the raw smell extracts from it. Now add the sliced tomatoes.

Add the spice powders along with salt ,keep stirring frequently until the powders get blended .Add the sliced capsicums and saute them for about 5 mins.

Finally add the paneer cubes and cook for a couple of mins. Remove from heat and finally garnish with fresh coriander leaves.

Paneer Jalfrezi is ready to be served....................

Serve this Paneer Jalfrezi with hot roti's and enjoy :)

Note:

If using a store bought paneer, drop them in a bowl filled with hot water and keep it aside for about 15 mins. It helps to make them soft.

100 Yummy Diwali Sweet Recipes - Ebook from Indus Ladies! | VEGGIE PARADISE

2011-10-06T02:12:00.000-07:00

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100 Yummy Diwali Sweet Recipes - Ebook from Indus Ladies!
For the upcoming Diwali on October 26th, 2011, we at Indusladies are compiling an E-Book called “100 Yummy Diwali Sweet Recipes”. We are collecting sweet/dessert recipes from various bloggers to be featured in this E-Book.

This E-book will be made available as a free download to our community's 1.3 Lakh+ members. In addition, we will also be making this E-Book available to our 9000+Facebook fans and Twitter followers. It's LOTS and LOTS of exposure to those food blogs entering the E-Book!! We believe this would be a nice way to get the word out about a wonderful blog to the entire membership of IndusLadies!!

Those bloggers interested in submitting a recipe for this E-Book...all you need to do is as follows:1. Send a link from your blog for a sweet / dessert recipe. It should also include the picture of the sweet/dessert. Your recipe, food picture, recipe URL as well as the entire blog URL will get featured in the E-Book.

2. In return, we need you to do two things:- Now make a blog post in your blog announcing the E-Book compilation by IndusLadies and the recipe you are sending for this E-Book. That way inviting your co-bloggers interested to send in their contribution by Oct 10th,2011.

- Between Oct 11 and Oct 26, make a blog post featuring the E-Book and announcing it is available for FREE download in IndusLadies. We will be providing you sooner with the picture of the E-Book’s cover page that you will use to include in this blog post.

Come on...hurry! What are you waiting for??

I am sending these desserts sakkarai pongal and semiya payasam.

Send a sweet/dessert recipe link from your blog to partners@indusladies.com by Oct 8th, 2011.

AVIAL(AVIYAL) RECIPE | VEGETABLES IN YOGHURT- STEP BY STEP

2011-10-01T00:23:00.000-07:00

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AVIAL |AVIYAL (VEGETABLES IN YOGHURT)

AVIYAL - A rich variety of vegetables cooked in yoghurt. This is one of the popular dish in South India, especially in Kerala.It is a classic dish and nutritious. The taste of adding coconut oil before serving gives an unique flavor to this recipe. This goes well with rice and also with Adai - Lentils Dosa.

For this recipe you need

2 - 3 cups of Mixed vegetables (see the Note)
1/2 cup of desiccated coconut
2 green chillies
1/2 tsp. of cumin seeds
1/4 tsp. of black peppercorns
2/3 cups of yoghurt
A tsp. of coconut oil
A sprig of curry leaves
Salt

Preparation

Boil the vegetables with sufficient water.Cover and cook until they turn soft.

Grind the coconut , chillies, cumin seeds and peppercorns with little water to a smooth paste.

Add this paste to the cooked vegetables and bring it to boil , allow it to cook for 5 mins. in low flame to blend.

Beat the yoghurt with salt and pour it on the vegetables, allow this to cook for a couple of mins.Finally add the coconut oil and curry leaves , stir it gently.

Remove from the heat and serve it hot.

Aviyal(Avial) is ready to be served.......

Serve this Aviyal with rice and enjoy :)

Note:

Mixed Vegetables - Potatoes, Peas, Raw banana, Yam, Red pumpkin, Drumstick, Brinjal, Carrot and beans.

The consistency of the avial depends on the water your adding at the time of boiling.Before adding the coconut paste drain off the remaining water.

Don't skip coconut oil as it enhances the taste of this recipe.

POTATOES WITH BLACK PEPPERCORNS | POTATO PEPPER FRY

2011-09-25T21:24:00.000-07:00

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POTATOES WITH BLACK PEPPERCORNS (POTATO PEPPER FRY)

Potato Pepper Fry - This is a great tasting stir fry . I love the combination of hot peppercorns and potatoes, as they blend very well . Serve this delicious fry with rice or roti's.

For this fry you need

2 medium sized (Boiled) potatoes
1 onion
2 tsp of peppercorns (Crushed)
1 tsp. of mustard and urad dhal
1 tsp. of sambar powder
A sprig of curry leaves
Salt
Oil

Preparation

Heat oil in a pan, add mustard seed when they stop spluttering add urad dhal followed by curry leaves and crushed pepper, fry them for a min.

Add the chopped onions and saute until they turn translucent.

Now add the potatoes along with salt and sambar powder. Stir it well and allow to cook in medium flame for about 10 mins.

Remove from the heat and serve it hot.

Potato Pepper Fry is ready to be served.......

Serve these hot Potato Pepper Fry with rice and enjoy :)

Note:

Those who like the taste of ginger-garlic can add at the time of frying the onions .

You can also add some grated coconut at the end and mix them gently.

Adjust the peppercorns according to your taste.

MEDHU VADAI(URAD DAL VADA)

2011-09-22T11:50:00.000-07:00

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MEDHU VADAI/URAD DAL VADA

Medhu vadai - A delicious fritters made of urad dal. I love these vada's for their crisp texture and divine taste. No South Indian festival is complete without some fried accompaniment.This is one of the classic and nutritious dish quick to cook and very easy to digest. :)

For this vadai you need

1 cup of urad dal
2 -3 nos. of green chillies
A sprig of curry leaves
1 onion
Salt
Oil

Preparation

Soak urad dal for an hour.

Drain off the water and grind it to a smooth paste by sprinkling little water.

Chop the onions and green chillies finely.

Add the chopped ingredients along with salt and sprig leaves to the batter. Mix it well.

Heat oil in a pan, wet your palm ,take a small portion of it pat in your palm ,make a hole in the center and drop it in oil. (It should rise quickly to the top)

Fry them in medium flame until they turn crispy and golden brown. Drain them on kitchen paper to remove excess oil from it.

Tasty urad dal vada is ready to be served.......

Serve it hot with coconut chutney/Sambar and enjoy........ :)

Note:

Don't add too much of water while grinding , just sprinkle now and then.

The batter should be soft,frothy and non sticky that is the correct consistency.

After frying if your vada's doesn't seem crispy add a tsp. of rice flour and then try out.

Make sure you fry them in medium heat . Turn them around a few times to brown them evenly.

CHICKPEAS SUNDAL

2011-09-15T23:50:00.000-07:00

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CHICKPEAS SUNDAL

Chickpeas sundal a protein rich snack that can be prepared in a jiffy and with very less ingredients.

For this sundal you need

1 cup of chickpeas

A sprig of curry leaves

1 tsp. of mustard and urad dal

2 nos. of red chillies

A pinch of asafoetida

1 tbsp. of grated coconut

Salt
Oil

Preparation

Soak chickpeas in water overnight

Pressure cook the channa with salt. Allow it for 3 - 4 whistles. When the pressure is down, drain the water and keep it aside.

Heat oil in a pan, add mustard seed when they stop spluttering , add urad dal followed by curry leaves, red chillies and asafoetida. Saute for a min.

Now add the cooked chickpeas and stir it gently.Allow it to cook for 5 mins.

Check for salt,finally add the grated coconut and mix it gently.

Remove from flame and serve it warm.

Healthy and delicious Chickpeas sundal is ready to be served...............

Serve it warm and enjoy :)

CHILLI PAROTTA - STEP BY STEP

2011-09-10T02:33:00.000-07:00

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CHILLI PAROTTA

Chilli Parotta - A very classic Indo - chinese recipe and one of the common dish in almost all the South-Indian Restaurants. I have many good old memories associated with this dish. Growing up in Pondicherry, when going out to a restaurant ,I would always order for this dish and this still continues even after my marraige, whenever I visit India on vacation, my H never forgets to order this dish :). It is very simple and easy to prepare. This can be served as a complete meal accompanied by onion raita.

For this dish you need

3 nos. of leftover Parotta's
1 medium sized onion
1 medium sized tomato
1 small sized capsicum
1-2 green chillies (adjust acc to ur taste)
1/2 tsp. of turmeric powder
1 tsp. of chilli powder
1 tsp. of coriander powder
1/2 tsp. of garam masala powder
1 tsp. of tomato sauce
Handful of coriander leaves
Salt
Oil

Preparation

Heat oil in a pan.Split and add green chillies, saute it.

Add chopped onions and fry until they turn translucent, followed by ginger-garlic paste saute it until the raw smell extracts from it.

Now add chopped tomatoes along with turmeric powder, chilli powder, coriander powder and garam masala powder. Mix them gently. (Add a pinch of salt, for the tomatoes to get cooked fast).

When the tomatoes get softened add chopped capsicum and saute it for a min. Now add the ripped parotta's.

Finally add tomato sauce and mix them gently until the parotta's get blended well with the gravy. Add salt accordingly and keep frying for another 5 mins.

Garnish with coriander leaves at the time of serving.

Hot and Spicy Chilli Parotta is ready to be served..............

Serve it hot with onion raita and enjoy :)

Note:

For more healthier version you can add veggies like carrot , peas and cabbage.

SEMIYA PAYASAM

2011-09-05T01:12:00.000-07:00

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SEMIYA PAYASAM /VERMICELLI PAYASAM

Semiya Payasam is a traditional sweet of South india .This is a quick and simple payasam that can be prepared during any festivals or special occassions and here comes my version of it.

For this payasam you need

1 cup of Semiya/Vermicelli

2 - 3 cups boiled milk

1 1/2 - 2 cups of sugar (adjust acc. to ur taste)

1/2 tsp. of cardamom powder

2 tsp. of ghee

10-15 nos. of cashews

Preparation

Heat ghee in a pan, add the cashews and roast them till they turn gold in color, remove and keep it aside.

In the same pan, add the semiya/vermicelli and roast them slighlty.

In a heavy bottomed vessel, cook the vermicelli with 1 cup of water or with sufficient water needed to cover it .

When the vermicelli gets cooked , keep the flame low and add the milk along with sugar ,stir it well

Allow it to cook for about 10 - 15 mins, until the payasam thickens up slighlty.

Finally add the cardamom powder and roasted cashews ,mix it gently.

Remove from flame.

Delicious Vermicelli Payasam is ready to be served.

Serve it warm or cold and enjoy :)

Note:
Don't skip roasting the vermicelli as it avoids forming lumps.

The payasam thickens as it gets cold. To adjust its consistency add boiled milk accordingly at the time of serving and enjoy.

PANEER BUTTER MASALA - STEP BY STEP

2011-07-11T08:15:00.000-07:00

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PANEER BUTTER MASALA - STEP BY STEP

Paneer Butter Masala - Cottage Cheese cooked in rich sauce made with onion, tomatoes and cashews. This is an authentic paneer recipe that goes very well with roti's /Naan.

For this recipe you need

1 cup of fresh paneer cubes
1 onion
1 tsp. of chilli powder
2 tsp. of coriander powder
1/2 tsp. of garam masala powder
1 tbsp. of dry fenugreek leaves/Kasuri methi
2 tbsp. of fresh cream
Oil
Butter
Salt

For Grinding

2 onions
6 tomatoes
15 nos. of cashewnuts

PREPARATION

Heat butter in a pan

Add the paneer cubes, fry it until they turn slightly brown. Remove and place them in kitchen towel .

Heat oil in a pan, add the chopped onions and saute it for a min ,then add the cashewnuts .

Now add the chopped tomatoes, saute it. Cover and cook in low flame until the tomatoes are well cooked. Allow it to cool, grind it smoothly and filter it.

Heat 2 tbsp of butter and oil, add the chopped onions and saute it well. Add Ginger-Garlic paste and saute until the raw smell extracts from it.

Add the filtered puree along with salt, chilli powder , corainder powder,sugar and garam masala powder stir them well. Cover and cook in low flame for 15 mins. Add the dried fenugreek leaves and mix it well.

Add the paneer cubes . Switch off the flame. Finally add the fresh cream and mix gently

Creamy Paneer Butter Masala is ready to be served..............

Serve this Exotic Paneer Butter Masala with Chapathi / Poori's / Naan and enjoy :)

Note:

When adding fenugreek, take some in your palm, crush and add it to the gravy

MACARONI UPMA

2011-07-03T23:24:00.000-07:00

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MACARONI UPMA

Macaroni Upma - A very quick and tasty upma to prepare.

For this Upma you need

1 cup of pasta
1 onion
1 tomato
2 green chillies
1 tsp. of mustard and urad dal
A sprig of curry leaves
Salt
Oil

Preparation

Boil water and add macaroni along with salt and little oil.

When the macaroni turns tender(approx. this takes around 10 - 15 mins.) , drain the excess water and keep it aside

Heat oil in a pan, add the mustard and urad dal, when they stop spluttering add the curry leaves and saute for a min.

Add the chopped green chillies , saute for a min.

Add the chopped onion, saute it until they turn translucent.

Add the chopped tomatoes, along with salt. when the tomatoes get cooked, add the macaroni and mix it gently.

Healthy tasty Macaroni Upma is ready to be served.......

Serve it hot and enjoy......... :)

Note:
If you want you can add veggies to make it healthy