THE CHEF and HER KITCHEN

Sagu Masala Dosa Recipe

noreply@blogger.com (chef and her kitchen) — Mon, 19 Feb 2018 02:50:00 +0000

Sagu Masala dosa recipe with step by step photos.Sagu is a typical karnataka style mixed vegetable curry made out of coconut paste with few spices which makes it unique in taste.Usually Sagu is eaten with set dosa or poori and you can even pair it with simple pulav or can be eaten with chapati/roti too.

I love to eat masala dosa any day and I try to cover many of my favorite dosa joints during my trip to Bangalore.You get the best masala dosa in Bangalore and I have mentioned in many of my earlier posts how the masala dosa available in bangalore is different from the other parts of the country.There is another version of masala dosa called Sagu masala dosa which is available only in few hotels.If I see Sagu masala dosa in the menu that would be my obvious choice than the masala dosa as I love the sagu masala dosa very much.A generous serving of thick sagu is smeared inside the dosa instead of the regular potato masala which makes it quite unique in taste.

We are lucky to have MTR in Singapore to satisfy a good masala dosa craving for a Bangalorean.Most of my trips to MTR would be having this sagu masala dosa as a constant order apart from Set dosa,Bisebele bath etc.I have not clicked step wise pics for this post but will update the space when I do next.

Check out other stuffed dosa varieties in my blog:

Here is how to make sagu masala dosa with step by step photos:

Sagu Masala Dosa Recipe:

Serves 3-4 | Author: Prathibha

Prep time: 20 mins | Cooking time: 20 mins | Total time: 40 mins + fermentation time

Cuisine: Karnataka | Category: Breakfast

Ingredients:

for Dosa batter:

2 cups Raw Rice

1 cup Idli Rice/Par boiled Rice

3/4 cup Poha/flattened Rice

3-4 tbsp Urad dal

1 tsp Methi(Fenugreek) seeds

Salt,to taste

1/8 tsp Cooking soda

for Vegetable Sagu:

2 cups of finely diced Mixed Vegetables(Carrot,Potato,Beans,Green Peas,Cauliflower)

1 Onion,roughly chopped

1/2 tsp Mustard seeds

2 tbsp Oil/Ghee

Salt to taste

ingredients to grind for Sagu:

1" Cinnamon stick

4-5 Cloves

1-2 Marathi Moggu

1/2 cup fresh grated Coconut

1 tbsp Khus khus

1 tbsp Fried gram

5-6 Green chillies

a handful of chopped Coriander leaves,optional

1 tsp Oil

Method:

to prepare dosa batter:

Soak both the rice together with methi seeds for 5-6 hours and soak urad dal with poha in another vessel for 3-4 hours.
Wash the rice and urad dal+poha separately.
Grind urad dal with poha to a smooth batter in the wet grinder and add rice to it and grind until smooth by adding enough water.
Remove the batter to a vessel and add enough salt and little rinsed water(from the grinder bowl) and mix it nicely with the hand and cover it and let it ferment for 9-10 hours.

to prepare Vegetable Sagu:

Heat a tsp of oil in a kadai/pan and add green chillies and fry them, but be careful as the whole green chillies might burst.You can make a small slit if you want to avoid bursting.Add cinnamon,marathi moggu and cloves to it and fry for sometime.
Grind the fried ingredients with grated fresh coconut,khus khus, fried gram, coriander leaves and make it into a smooth puree.
In a cooker,heat oil crackle mustard seeds and fry chopped onions until pink.Now add vegetables and fry until they are slightly crisp.
Add the ground masala and fry until the mixture leaves the oil and then add enough salt and 1/3 cup of water and pressure cook for 1-2 whistles(do not over cook).Once the pressure is released add lemon juice to it and give a good stir.

to prepare Sagu Dosa:

Take required amount of fermented batter in a bowl and add little water to get the pouring consistency and add cooking soda and mix it nicely.
Heat a thick dosa tawa and sprinkle some water to make sure that the tawa is hot.
Pour a big ladle of batter onto a medium hot pan and spread it in the circular motion towards the outer edge to form a uniform round shaped dosa.Do not make this dosa either very thin nor very thick.
Pour 1 tbsp oil/ghee approx over it and around the edges and cover it with a lid.
Let it roast on medium-high flame for 1-2 mins,remove the lid and spread 3-4 tbsp of vegetable sagu on the dosa and increase the flame and roast for another 1 minute.Fold it and serve.You can even spread coconut chutney on the dosa and place the sagu one side and then fold it.
Reduce the flame for one minute and hten start preparing the next dosa.Do not pour the batter on high flame,the batter will stick to the tawa.If you feel the tawa is over heated sprinkle some water over it before making next dosa.

Serve the sagu dosa hot with coconut chutney and sagu on the side.

Notes:

As the quantity of urad dal is less this batter needs more fermentation time.If your dosa is porous you can avoid adding cooking soda else you can add little bit and then make dosas.
Sagu needs to be thick as we are placing it inside the dosa and hence if you feel the sagu is slightly thin,put it on high flame until the water evaporates a bit and become a thick gravy.
You can prepare masala dosa using the same batter, it comes out super crispy outside and spongy inside.

Technorati Tags: sagu masala dosa,sagu dosa,saagu masala dosa,karnataka recipes,bangalore recipes,breakfast recipes,dosa varieties,south indian breakfast recipes

Gutti Kakarakaya | Andhra style stuffed Bitter gourd Recipe

noreply@blogger.com (chef and her kitchen) — Mon, 12 Feb 2018 10:50:00 +0000

Gutti Kakarakaya recipe with step by step photos.I have mentioned many times before that Bitter gourd is a favorite vegetable to TH and it is a norm to make a bitter gourd variety in any form atleast in one meal over the weekend.He likes the simple preparations like bitter gourd fry, bitter gourd onion curry where as I prefer to eat the stuffed versions as the bitterness can be balanced in the stuffed version. I had already posted a couple of stuffed bitter gourd recipes like Stuffed Karela with Besan, Stuffed Karela with Onion and today I am posting another version which is my mom's signature recipe.

Though I was never a fan of bitter gourd but always love my mom's Kakarakaya Podi and her version of stuffed bitter gourd which she fondly calls as 'Kakarakaya Biscuit'. I don't know why she gave it that name but even I got used to call this version as Kakarakaya biscuit.My mom's Kakarakaya podi is always a hit among my family and friends,whoever has tried it till date they just loved it and asked for extra helpings, it accompanies in my lunch quite often.

Check out other bitter gourd recipes in my blog:

Here is how to make gutti kakarakaya recipe with step by step photos:

Gutti Kakarakaya | Andhra style stuffed Bittergourd Recipe:

Serves 2 | Author: Prathibha

Prep time: 15 mins | Cooking time: 30 mins | Total time: 45 mins

Cuisine: Andhra | Category: Main course-Dry Curry

Ingredients:

6-8 small Bitter gourds

1.5 tbsp Coriander seeds

1 tbsp Tamarind pulp

1/3 tsp Turmeric powder

1.5 tsp Red chili pwoder

1 tsp grated Jaggery

Salt

2-3 tbsp Oil,to fry

to roast and grind:

1.5 tbsp Chana dal

1.5 tbsp Urad dal

1/2" Cinnamon

3-4 Cloves

1/4 cup grated dry Coconut

1 Onion,sliced

5-6 Garlic pods

Method:

Wash and trim the edges of the bitter gourds,peel them and make a cut vertically keeping the edges intact and scoop out the seeds.Peeling the skin is optional.

Apply salt all over the bitter gourds inside and outside and leave it for 1-2 hours.You can even par boil them in tamarind water for 5-6 mins.Both the methods reduce the bitterness.
Dry roast chana dal,urad dal along with cinnamon and cloves until the dals turn slightly red in color,remove them.

In the same pan add dry coconut,sliced onion and garlic pods and fry for a couple of minutes.Cool them.

Grind raw coriander seeds with the roasted dals, red chili powder, turmeric powder to a coarse powder.

Add the roasted coconut,onion,garlic and tamarind pulp and jaggery and grind to a paste.

Heat 1 tbsp oil and add the ground paste and fry nicely until the mixture is dry and starts leaving the oil at the edges.

Stuff the slit bitter gourds with this mixture.

Heat a wide pan and add 2 tbsp oil and place the bitter gourds with the stuffed side down and let them cook over low-medium flame until they are brown and roasted on all the sides.Keep turning them in between for even roasting.

Serve it hot with hot steamed rice.You can mix it with rice or eat as a side dish with dal/sambar/rasam.

Notes:

You can stuff the fried mixture in small brinjals to make gutti vankaya or blanched dondakaya(tindora) to make gutti dondakaya or in ridge gourd roundels to make gutti beerakaya.All the versions taste yumm.
I did not have dry coconut at that moment and hence I used grated fresh coconut.

Technorati Tags: gutti kakarakaya,stuffed bittergourd recipe,andhra style stuffed kakarakaya,stuffed kakarakaya recipe,koorina kakarakaya,side dish for rice and rotis,dry curries for rice,bitter gourd recipes,andhra recipes,south indian

Dahiwale Amrud | Guava Curry with Yogurt

noreply@blogger.com (chef and her kitchen) — Mon, 05 Feb 2018 01:41:00 +0000

Dahiwale Amrud recipe with step by step photos.I had posted a Guava Sabzi recipe some time back, it is a quick curry made out of very few ingredients yet very flavorful and tastes nice. It has become a norm to prepare guava sabzi when ever I get guavas home and have recently tried another version with yogurt -Dahiwale Amrud from Sanjeev Kapoor's book,this tastes good too but I like the other version better.Dahiwale Amrud is typically a marwadi dish and you can definitely try it for a change to the usual cooking.

Here is how to make dahiwale amrud with step by step photos.
Dahiwale Amrud | Guava Curry with Yogurt:
Serves 3-4 | Source: Sanjeev Kapoor
Prep time: 5 mins | Cooking time: 20 mins | Total time: 25 mins
Cuisine: Rajasthani | Category: Main course-Side dish

Ingredients:
4 Guavas
1 medium Tomato,chopped
1/4 tsp Garam masala powder
1/2 tsp Sugar
Salt,to taste

to mix together:
1/2 cup Yogurt
1/2 tbsp Coriander powder
1/2 tsp Red chili powder
1/4 tsp Turmeric powder
1 tsp Amchur powder(dried mango powder)

to temper:
2 tbsp Ghee
2 Green chilies,chopped
1/2 tsp Cumin seeds
1/2 tsp Fennel seeds
1/4 tsp Asafoetida

Method:

Remove the seeds and cut the guavas into small pieces.

Whisk the yogurt well with coriander powder, red chili powder, turmeric powder and amchur powder.

Heat ghee in a kadai and add chopped green chilies, cumin seeds, fennel seeds and asafoetida and stir to mix.

Reduce the flame or remove the kadai from the flame and add the whisked yogurt,tomato and salt and put it on the flame back and stir for a while.

Add 3/4 cup of water and bring to a boil.Add the guavas and let the gravy come to a boil again.Lower the heat,cover and cook stirring occasionally till the guavas are cooked.

Add the garam masala powder and sugar and cook for another 3-4 mins.

Serve it hot with phulka/parathas.

Technorati Tags: amrud recipes,guava recipes,guava sabzi,yogurd based gravies,rajasthani recipes,side dish for rotis

Snake gourd Kootu Recipe | Pudalangai Kootu

noreply@blogger.com (chef and her kitchen) — Tue, 30 Jan 2018 02:00:00 +0000

Snake gourd Kootu recipe with step by step photos.I rarely bring snake gourd home not that we don't like it but somehow it does not get its priority in my grocery list.My mom prepares various recipes with snake gourd like simple stir fry, dal, Pindi miriyam and even payasam.Last time when I got this vegetable I prepared this kootu and it was quite nice and paired nicely with rice.It is a very simple dal preparation with the addition of coconut which gives quite a unique taste to this kootu.I had posted Potlakaya(Snake gourd) Kobbari Koora in my blog long time back,check out the recipe here .

Here is how to make snake gourd kootu with step by step photos:

Snake gourd Kootu Recipe | Pudalangai Kootu:

Serves 2-3 | Author: Prathibha

Prep time: 10 mins | Cooking time: 30 mins | Total time: 40 mins

Cuisine: South Indian | Category: Lentils/Maincourse

Ingredients:

1 long Snake gourd

1/3 cup Toor dal

2 tbsp Chana dal,optional

1/3 tsp Turmeric powder

Salt to taste

to grind:

1/4 cup grated/frozen Coconut

1 tsp Cumin seeds

3-4 Red chilies

to temper:

1 tsp Oil/ghee

1/2 tsp Mustard seeds

1 tsp Urad dal

a sprig of Curry leaves

2 Red chilies,broken

1/4 tsp Asafoetida

Method:

Peel the snake gourd and cut into half and scoop out the seeds and cut it into thin slices or small cubes and add enough water to it and boil until done.You can even pressure cook it for 2-3 whistles.

Grind coconut with red chilies and cumin seeds to a fine paste adding water.

Wash and soak toor dal and chana dal for 10 mins and pressure cook adding enough water with turmeric powder and salt.

Mash the dal slightly and add cooked snake gourd pieces and ground coconut paste and let it come to a boil.Adjust the salt and the consistency of the gravy, it needs to be thick like dal.

In a small tempering pan heat oil or ghee and crackle mustard seeds and add urad dal and fry until it turns red in color and then add red chilies,curry leaves and asafoetida and fry until the curry leaves wilt and add the tempering to the boiling lentil-vegetable mixture and mix it and close it.

Serve it hot with hot steamed rice and other accompaniments.

Notes:

You can use moong dal instead of toor dal.I add chana dal as it gives a nice bite to the kootu.
Cabbage or ridge gourd or Spinach can be substituted with snake gourd to make cabbage kootu or ridge gourd kootu or Keerai kootu respectively.

Technorati Tags: snake gourd kootu recipe,snake gourd recipes,kootu recipes,south indian,side dish for rice,tamilnadu recipes

Ragi Idli Dosa Recipe using Ragi flour | Ragi Idli | Ragi Dosa | Ragi Idli Dosa batter

noreply@blogger.com (chef and her kitchen) — Mon, 22 Jan 2018 04:20:00 +0000

Ragi Idli Dosa recipe with step by step photos.Millets have become extremely popular these days and I have started including them on regular basis.Most of the days I am taking Millet rice instead of rice and I do not miss rice any more as the cooked millet is a good substitute for rice and pairs nicely with south indian curries,dals and sambar varieties.Finger millet is known for its high calcium and dietery fiber content and is known for its various health benefits.Ragi millet adds a very earthy taste to the dish and hence I try to include the ragi flour often in my menu in the form of Ragi Sangati, Ragi Rotti,Thalipeeth, Ragi Idli,Ragi dosa,Ragi Rava Upma,Ragi Cookies etc.

I prepare Ragi Idli using even Ragi Rava but today I am posting the recipe of idli dosa batter using ragi flour which can be used to make both idli and dosa.I usually prefer to make a spicy chutney to go along with ragi idli and dosa to balance the distinct flavor of ragi.However I like the ragi idli using ragi rava instead of ragi flour because of the usage of the rawa that gives the idli a better texture and softness,I will post that version sometime soon,but dosas come out nicely with this recipe and is a good way to feed those who are finicky to include this wonderful finger millet in their diet.If you want to use the whole finger millets instead of flour you can check out my ultimate multigrain dosa recipe where I have used the whole millets instead of the flours.

Check out other healthy dosa recipes in my blog:

Here is how to make ragi idli dosa recipe with step by step photos:

Ragi Idli | Ragi Dosa | Ragi Idli Dosa Recipe:

Yields 28-32 Idlis/20-22 Dosas | Author: Prathibha

Prep time: 30 mins | Cooking time: 20 mins | Total time: 50 mins + fermentation time

Cuisine: South Indian | Category: Breakfast

Ingredients:

1.5 cups Ragi flour(finger millet flour)

1.5 cups Idli Rice

3/4 cup whole white Urad

1/3 cup Poha(flattened rice)

1 tsp Methi seeds

Salt,to taste

Water,to grind

Oil,to grease

Method:

Soak the idli rice for 6-8 hrs.Soak whole white urad,poha and fenugreek seeds for 4-5 hrs.

Wash the rice and dal properly and grind everything together with poha and fenugreek seeds to a smooth paste using enough water in the wet grinder for better results.
Add ragi flour to the ground batter and mix with hands thoroughly so that no lumps will be left.

The batter should neither be very thick like idli batter nor very thin.
Add enough salt to the ground batter just before removing the batter from grinder.Remove the batter into a larger container which gives enough room for the batter to rise.
Ferment the batter for 8-10 hrs at room temperature or keep it in oven in winters with light on for speeding up the process of fermentation.The fermented batter would be frothy and almost double in volume.

for making Idli:

Take out the required portion of batter(do not mix the whole batter while scooping out) and refrigerate the rest of batter.
Grease the idli plates with oil and pour a ladle of idli batter until each impression is filled 3/4th.You can even line it with a wet muslin cloth and pour the batter on top of it.
Steam it in idli steamer or pressure cooker(with out whistle) for 10-12 mins.Let it rest for another 5 mins.

With a idli spoon cleanly remove the idlis.Dip the idli spoon in water in between which helps to remove the idlis easily from the plate.If you have used muslin cloth just invert them into the hot box.
Keep them in hot box or serve directly on to a plate.Always serve idlis hot.

for making Dosa:

I am sure everyone knows how to make simple plain dosa,still I explain the process of making it for people who are not familiar with it.
If the dosa batter is taken out from refrigerator,take out the portion how much you need and let it come to the room temperature.
Mix the fermented dosa batter well.Check the consistency of dosa batter,it should be of pourable consistency,if needed add little water and mix well.
Pour a big ladle of batter onto a medium hot pan and spread it in the circular motion towards the outer edge to form a uniform round shaped dosa.Do not make this dosa either very thin nor very thick,if it is very thin your dosa will get hard once it is cold and if it is very thick it would become very chewy.

Pour 1 tbsp oil approx over it and cover it with a lid.
Let it roast on medium-high flame for 1-2 mins,remove the lid and increase the flame and roast for another 1 minute.Turn the dosa to the other side and fry for a minute and serve directly.
Reduce the flame for one minute and then start preparing the next dosa.Do not pour the batter on high flame,the batter will stick to the tawa.If you feel the tawa is over heated sprinkle some water over it before making next dosa.

Serve dosa with spicy chutney of your choice like Coconut chutney / Peanut Chutney / Tomato-Onion Chutney and Sambar.

Notes:

Do not close the box with air tight lid while fermenting.Cover with a loose plate and once the batter is fermented cover the box with air tight lid which helps in keeping the batter fresh for long.
Always scoop out the required amount of batter from the box and keep the remaining batter refrigerated,do not mix the batter vigorously while removing it from the box.
If the Idlis or dosas turn hard add a pinch of cooking soda and mix nicely and make Idlis n dosas,they will turn out nice and soft.
Smear the pan with a half sliced onion every time you make dosa which gives a nice flavor to dosa.

Technorati Tags: ragi idli using ragi flour,ragi dosa using ragi flour,ragi idli dosa batter,ragi idli dosa recipe,millet recipes,finger millet recipes,south indian millet recipes,south indian recipes,breakfast recipes,andhra,karnataka,tamilnadu

Masala Poori Recipe | Spicy Poori

noreply@blogger.com (chef and her kitchen) — Tue, 16 Jan 2018 06:05:00 +0000

Masala Poori with step by step photos.Masala poori is a spiced version of the regular poori which can be paired with any spicy gravies.I love to serve the masala poori with dubke waala Alu sabzi(slightly watery alu sabzi) but gravies like chole,matar paneer,meeti kaddu sabzi goes very well with these pooris.There are various variations to the regular Poori like Methi Poori, Palak Puri or stuffed pooris which are usually called as Kachoris and there are few south Indian variations like Rice flour poori,Banana Poori(Mangalore Buns) which taste different and delicious.

Masala poori can be prepared instead of the usual poori and will be a hit in your parties or for a lazy sunday brunch.You can even add more spices in it and serve as a snack along with a cup of tea in the evening.Give the regular pooris a miss and try these simple yet flavorful pooris next time.

Check out other poori varieties in my blog:

Mangalore Buns | Deep fried Banana Buns
Matar Kachori- Delhi Style (must try recipe)
Methi Poori
Palak Puri
Poori
Vadappam(Riceflour Poori)

Here is how to make masala poori recipe with step by step photos:

Masala Poori | Spicy Poori Recipe:

Serves 2 | Author: Prathibha

Prep time: 10 mins | Cooking time: 10 mins | Total time: 20 mins

Cuisine: North Indian | Category: Breakfast/Snacks

Ingredients:

1 cup Whole Wheat flour

1/2 tsp Carom seeds(Ajwain)

1/2 tsp Red chili powder

1/2 tsp Coriander powder

1/4 tsp Turmeric powder

2 tsp Oil

Salt,to taste

Method:

In a bowl take wheat flour and add all the spices - carom seeds,coriander powder, red chili powder, salt, turmeric powder and oil and mix it nicely with hands and add adequate water and make a tight dough.Apply oil on the dough and cover it and rest it for 15-20 mins.

Heat the oil in a kadai until it is hot.
Knead the dough again for a couple of minutes and then make gooseberry sized balls and roll them slightly thicker like how we do for poori.

Drop one poori at a time in a hot oil and fry it on medium-high flame and gently press it with a ladle so that it can puff up and turn it to the other side and fry for half a minute.

Drain the excess oil and remove them on to the kitchen towel.

Serve them hot with Alu sabzi/Chole/Matar Paneer/Meethi Kaddu sabzi.You can even serve them with pickle and boondi ka raita.

Notes:

You can add 1-2 tbsp besan along with wheat flour for a rich taste.
You can add spices of your choice like kasuri methi or fresh coriander to get additional flavor in the poori.
The dough needs to be rolled fresh and fry immediately else they do not puff up nicely.

Technorati Tags: masala poori recipe,spicy poori recipe,poori alu sabzi,breakfast recipes,snacks,party recipes

Raw Mango Rasam | Maavinkay Saaru

noreply@blogger.com (chef and her kitchen) — Wed, 03 Jan 2018 02:30:00 +0000

Raw mango rasam with step by step photos.A typical south Indian meal always comprises of a rasam variety and it is my comfort food too. I am always happy to eat a simple meal of rice with a vegetable fry and rasam and would not complain about the other missing varietes as in a typical south Indian thali.My most favorite rasam varieties are Karnataka style Bele Saaru, Holige Saaru and Tomato Rasam but there are few other varieties like mint rasam,pacchi pulusu, pepper rasam, mango rasam, tomato dal rasam which I thoroughly enjoy too.

Preparing a good rasam is again an art, not everyone can prepare a well balanced rasam which makes a lip smacking meal when mixed with hot rice and paired with fryums.I do not like very thin rasam which is flavorless, the rasam should be of right consistency and even though it is thin it should not lack the flavors and should be perfectly balanced in taste.My FIL is a big fan of my rasam varieties, he always get excited the moment he sees a rasam on our lunch table.A simple rasam rice is always a comfort meal for south Indians like how a dal chawal is a comfort food for north Indians.

Check out other rasam varieties in my blog -

Here is how to make raw mango rasam recipe with step by step photos.

Raw Mango Rasam Recipe:

Serves 2 | Author: Prathibha

Prep time: 5 mins | Cooking time: 25 mins | Total time: 30 mins

Cuisine: South Indian | Category: Main Course - Side dish

Ingredients:

1 raw Mango

2 Green chilies

2 tsp Rasam powder

1/2 tsp Turmeric powder

2 tsp Jaggery

Salt,to taste

to temper:

2 tsp Oil/Ghee

1/2 tsp Mustard seeds

2-3 Red chilies,broken

8-10 Curry leaves

1/4 tsp Asafoetida

Method:

Wash and peel the skin of raw mango and cut into slices and reserve the mango seed.In a bowl add cut mango slices,mango seed and green chilies and close it with lid(no need to add water) and pressure cook for 3 whistles.

Once it cools down mash it nicely with the back of a spoon or puree it in the mixer.Reserve the mango seed aside.

In a small pan heat oil/ghee and crackle mustard seeds,add broken red chilies, curry leaves and asafoetida and fry until the red chilies turn slight brown in color.

Add mashed mango puree along with the cooked mango seed and 1.25-1.5 cups of water and add turmeric powder, rasam powder,salt and jaggery and bring the rasam to a boil.Check the seasoning and adjust it.Boil it well.

Serve it hot with hot steamed rice,fry and papads.

Notes:

You can add 1/3 cup of cooked and mashed toor dal or moong dal to the rasam while boiling for a different taste.
You can serve it as a soup or hot beverage.

Technorati Tags: rasam varieties,raw mango rasam,mamidikaya rasam,maavinkay rasam,south indian rasam recipes,side dish for rice,karnataka recipes,raw mango recipes

Achari Baingan Recipe | Spicy Brinjal with Pickle spices

noreply@blogger.com (chef and her kitchen) — Wed, 27 Dec 2017 02:30:00 +0000

Achari Baingan recipe with step by step photos.Brinjal is one of my favorite vegetables and I love to eat it mostly in the form of stuffed varieties.I have already posted many stuffed Brinjal curries like Stuffed Brinjals with fresh Coconut,Stuffed Brinjal with Onion and Bagara Baingan.Today I am posting a quick and easy Achari baingan recipe where brinjal is cooked in the pickle spices and mustard oil which imparts a nice achari flavor to the curry.I have tried various versions like the gravy kind, with and without onion and I liked this version the best.It is very simple and quick which does not include any grinding or chopping apart from the brinjals.

I highly recommend to use Indian baby brinjals or Indian long brinjals for this recipe but not chinese eggplants or aurbergines(bharta wala brinjal.Also try not to skip any of the spices or mustard oil in the recipe as that gives the typical achari flavor to the curry,I have even added carom seeds but it is entirely optional.You can even coarsely grind the spices and add to the oil instead of the whole spices.

Check out other brinjal recipes in my blog:

Here is how to make achari baingan recipe with step by step photos.

Achari Baingan Recipe:

Serves 2 | Recipe source:here

Prep time: 10 mins | Cooking time: 20 mins | Total time: 30 mins

Cuisine: North Indian | Category: Side dish

Ingredients:

6-8 small round Brinjals or 2 long Brinjals

a sprig of Curry leaves

2 tbsp Coriander leaves,chopped

1.5 tsp grated Ginger

2 tsp Coriander powder

1 tsp Amchur powder

1 tsp Red chili powder

1/2 tsp Garam masala

1/4 tsp Turmeric powder

a pinch of Asafoetida

1/4 tsp Sugar

Salt,to taste

to temper:

2-3 tbsp Mustard oil or any other vegetable oil

1/2 tsp Mustard seeds

1/2 tsp Cumin seeds

1/2 tsp Fennel seeds

1/4 tsp Fenugreek seeds

1/2 tsp Nigella seeds(Kalonji)

1/2 tsp Carom seeds(Ajwain),optional

Method:

Wash and trim the brinjals into 8 long slices and put them in water to avoid discoloring.

Heat mustard oil in a thick bottomed pan until it is smoking hot and switch off the flame and leave it aside for a while.Again heat the oil and crackle mustard seeds,cumin seeds,fennel seeds,fenugreek seeds, nigella seeds and carom seeds.
Add asafoetida,curry leaves and grated ginger and fry for half a minute.

Reduce the flame and add turmeric powder,coriander powder and red chili powder and quickly saute and add drained brinjal pieces and mix it nicely until all the pieces are coated well with the spices.

Fry the brinjal pieces for 2-3 mins and cover it and cook for 8-10 mins until done.You can sprinkle some water on the brinjals if you feel that the masalas are burning at the bottom.

Add salt,garam masala, sugar and amchur powder and mix well and cook it without lid for another 3-4 mins.

Garnish with chopped coriander leaves and serve it hot with rotis/parathas/naans/kulchas.

Notes:

Mustard oil is highly recommended for this recipe as it adds a nice flavor,but if you do not like it you can either use sesame oil or any other regular oil.
Indian baby brinjals or Indian long brinjals work best for this recipe.Do not use either chinese brinjals or aubergines(bharta wala baingan) for the recipe.
You can even coarsely grind all the spices(mentioned under to temper) and add along with the other powdered spices(like coriander powder),but I prefer this way.
I did few changes like the addition of carom seeds which was not there in the original recipe.

Technorati Tags: achari baingan recipe,achari brinjal recipe,north indian brinjal recipes,brinjal curry,side dish for rotis,side dish for rice,party recipes,baingan recipes,baingan sabzi

Danish Apple Cake Recipe | Easy Tea Cakes

noreply@blogger.com (chef and her kitchen) — Wed, 20 Dec 2017 03:30:00 +0000

Danish apple cake recipe with step by step photos.Tea cakes or Brownies are the most preferred ones at home rather than the cream based cakes.I have made this Danish apple cake several times and served to guests and I have even baked them in beautiful disposable loaf pans and it was loved by everyone.I have followed the recipe from one of my old books-Nita mehta cakes and bakes and must say that this recipe is a keeper and is tried and tested by me many times.The addition of walnuts and cinnamon powder complements the soft and juicy bite apple and must say that this was totally delicious.Try this quick and easy apple cake this Christmas.

Check out other Tea time bakes in my blog:

Here is how to make danish apple recipe with step by step photos:
Danish Apple Cake Recipe:
yields:8" square cake | Source: Nita Mehta
Prep time: 10 mins | Baking time: 35-40 mins | Total time: 50 mins
Cuisine: International | Category: Baking-Cakes

Ingredients:
3/4 cup(75 gms) All purpose flour
3/4 cup(75 gms) powdered Sugar
1 cup Red Apple,cored and chopped along with peel(from one big apple)
1/4 cup Walnuts
75 ml Oil
2 large Eggs
3/4 tsp Cinnamon powder
1/2 tsp Baking powder
a pinch of Baking Soda
a pinch of Salt
1 tsp Vanilla essence

for topping:
1/2 Red Apple,cut into slices along with the peel
1 tbsp Brown sugar
1/2 tsp Cinnamon powder
1 tsp melted Butter

Method:

Grease an 8"square tin with butter/oil and dust it with flour or you can line a parchment paper in the tin.
Sift flour with baking powder,baking soda,salt and cinnamon powder.

Separate egg whites and egg yolks.Beat egg whites with a pinch of salt and vanilla essence till stiff.Add sugar in batches and beat well after each addition.
Put egg yolk one at a time.Beat well.

Add oil and beat for half a minute.
Add flour gradually and fold gently with a large wooden spoon.

Fold 1 cup apples and chopped walnuts(dust the walnuts with flour before adding) into the batter.
Pour the batter into the prepared tin and evenly arrange the remaining apple slices on the batter.

Mix a 1 tbsp of brown sugar with 1/2 tsp cinnamon powder and 1 tsp melted powder in a bowl and sprinkle this mixture on the arranged apples in the tin.
Bake in pre-heated oven at 170 deg C/300 deg F for 35-40 mins.Insert a skewer in the center to check the doneness of the cake.If it comes out clean,remove from oven.

Let it cool and invert on a rack and cut into pieces and serve.

You can serve a warm/cold custard sprinkled with the cinnamon powder along with the cake.

Notes:

You can bake this in two small loaf tins or 1 big loaf tin too.
Walnuts add a nice bite in the cake,so do not miss it.
The cup I used in the recipe is 1 cup = 200ml.

Technorati Tags: apple cake,tea cakes,egg based tea cakes,baking recipes,apple tea cake,christmas cake recipes,tea time snacks

Eggless Wholewheat Chocolate Cake Recipe

noreply@blogger.com (chef and her kitchen) — Wed, 13 Dec 2017 02:46:00 +0000

Eggless wholewheat chocolate cake recipe with step by step photos.Chocolate cake is a favorite to most of us and I would never no to a piece of chocolate cake as it is always tempting.But we restrict ourselves to eat less as it is usually made out of flour(maida) and butter,though sometimes I go overboard and eat more and feel guilty later.Also when I prepare any bake for my son I like to do it with wheat flour rather than the regular white flour.This recipe of wholewheat chocolate cake comes to rescue under such circumstances.I have tried this cake a couple of times and it came out well.The only change I usually do in this recipe is to use cold milk instead of cold water as the cake tastes bit rich with the usage of milk rather than the water in the recipe.The cake is also very moist because of the usage of COLD water in the recipe.I have mentioned few variations in the notes in case if you want to try the recipe.

Check out other eggless cakes recipes in my blog here:

Here is how to make eggless wholewheat chocolate cake recipe with step by step photos:

Eggless Wholewheat Chocolate Cake:

Yields: 1 loaf or 7" round tin | Source: Vegrecipesofindia

Prep time: 10 mins | Cooking time: 35 mins | Total time: 45 mins

Cuisine: World | Category: Desserts/Snack

Ingredients:

dry ingredients:

1 cup(120 gms) Whole wheat flour(1 cup=250ml)

3 tbsp Cocoa powder

1/2 tsp Baking Soda

a pinch of Salt

for wet ingredients:

3/4 cup(150 gms) Sugar

1 cup(250 ml) Cold Water

1/4 cup Oil

1 tbsp Lemon juice/Vinegar

1/2 tsp Vanilla essence

Method:

Grease a loaf tin or 7" round tin with oil and line with parchment paper.
Preheat the oven at 180 deg C/350 deg F for 10 mins.

Sieve wholewheat flour with cocoa powder,baking soda and salt a couple of times and keep it ready.

In a bowl take sugar and add cold water and mix it until the sugar melts.Add oil and lemon juice and mix it nicely until you get uniform mixture.

Add vanilla essence and mix it again.
Now add the sieved flour-cocoa mixture to the wet ingredients and mix it nicely until you get a homogeneous mixture with out any lumps.The batter will be slightly on the thinner side.

Pour it in the prepared pan and tap it to remove the air bubbles and bake it in the preheated oven at 180deg C for 35-40 mins until the cake is done.To check the doneness of the cake you need to inset a toothpick in the center ,if it comes clean which indicates that it is done.

Remove the tin and let it cool for 8-10mins on the counter and gently loosen the edges with a knife and gently invert on the wire rack and let it cool completely.

Cut into slices and serve as a snack or decorate with chocolate ganache or cocoa frosting and serve as a dessert.

Notes:

To make ganache: heat 1 cup cream over medium flame until it is hot(you do not need it bubbling, just hot enough to melt the chocolate) and pour over 2 cups chocolate chips and whisk it nicely until you get an uniform smooth ganache mixture and let it become slightly warm.Pour this ganache over the cake and decorate it with sprinkles or cocoa powder for a simple celebration cake.
Use good quality cocoa powder and good quality chocolate for a richer taste.
You can even frost the cake with cocoa frosting or chocolate icing.
I have used 1 cup cold milk instead of 1 cup cold water and still it worked well and liked the taste of cake made with milk than the water.You can even use half and half of cold milk and cold water.Make sure you use cold water/milk not the room temperature water/milk.
You can make the cake with regular flour or half and half too.
You can replace oil with the melted butter(at room temperature)in the recipe but it needs to be beaten nicely as it is difficult to incorporate butter to the cold water.

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Kala Masoor Pulao | Whole Masoor Pulav Recipe

noreply@blogger.com (chef and her kitchen) — Wed, 06 Dec 2017 03:30:00 +0000

Kala masoor pulao recipe with step by step photos.Pulao varieties appear in my menu mostly over the weekends as I would like to spend less time in the kitchen and these pulao varieties are quite easy to prepare.Apart from the various vegetable pulav I like to prepare this kala masoor pulav as this recipe uses both vegetables and lentils in the same recipe and yet it is not mushy like khichdi.I prefer the version without vegetables if I have to prepare it for guests as the lentils add nutty texture to the pulao.This pulav is prepared like any other pulao just that the addition of lentils add a texture and nice taste to the pulao.You can pair it with a simple onion raita or boondi raita or any spicy vegetable gravy and papad,it tastes delicious.

Check out other pulao recipes in my blog:

Here is how to make kala masoor pulao recipe with step by step photos:
Kala Masoor Pulao Recipe:

Serves 2 | Author: Prathibha

Prep time: 10 mins | Cooking time: 30 mins | Total time: 40 mins

Cuisine: Indian | Category: Main course

Ingredients:

1 cup Basmati Rice

1/2 cup Whole Red lentils(Black Masoor)

1/4 cup Carrot,chopped

1/4 cup Peas

1/3 cup thick curd,beaten

1 large Onion,chopped

2 tsp Ginger-Garlic paste

2-3 Green chilies,slit

1/3 tsp Garam masala or Biryani Pulav masala

2-3 Bay leaves

1" Cinnamon stick

3-4 Cloves

2-3 Green Cardamom

1/2 tsp Shahjeera

2 tbsp Oil/Ghee

Salt,to taste

Method:

Soak whole red lentils in water for 2-3 hrs and wash the lentils and keep aside.Wash the basmati rice and soak it for 10 mins.
In a pressure cooker heat ghee and crackle shahijeera and add bay leaves,cloves,cinnamon stick and cardamom and fry for half a minute.

Add chopped onions,slit green chilies and ginger-garlic paste and fry until the onions wilt.
Now add chopped carrot and peas and fry for a minute and then add soaked and drained whole red lentils and fry for a minute and add garam masala and salt and mix nicely.

Add soaked and drained rice and mix it gently and add beaten curd and mix it nicely and cook until the water content from the curd evaporates.

Add 2.5 cups of water and let it come to a boil and close the pressure cooker and cook it for one whistle and simmer it for 7-8 mins.

Once the pressure is dropped leave it untouched for 5-10 mins and then gently fluff up the rice with a fork.

Serve it hot with Onion raitha or Boondi raita or Vegetable raita or any vegetable gravy.

Notes:

The addition of vegetables is entirely optional and I like it more without the addition of vegetables as the lentils add a nutty texture to the pulav.
You can increase the spice level according to your wish and if you want it more masaledar add more
garam masala in the recipe.
I recommend you to do this pulav in the cooker as the lentils get cooked properly.However you can cook in a thick kadai but make sure you add little extra water so that the lentils get cooked and cook it over low flame.

Technorati Tags: kala masoor pulav,whole red lentils pulav,whole masoor pulav,pulav varieties,easy pulao recipes. kala masoor recipes

Appam Recipe without Yeast | Kerala Appam Recipe

noreply@blogger.com (chef and her kitchen) — Wed, 22 Nov 2017 02:13:00 +0000

Appam Recipe without yeast with step by step photos.Appam with vegetable stew is a classic combo for breakfast from the state of Kerala.My mom has been making this Appam(without yeast) from our childhood but she had always paired it with Onion chutney.Her recipe is bit different from the traditional appam recipe which includes yeast, she makes a kanji(porridge) out of the rice batter and mix it with more ground rice batter and is fermented for long,they yield soft at the center and crispy and lacy at the ends kind of appams. But we used to call this dosa as Aapan dosa instead of appam and I am not sure why it was called so.Typical Kerala style appam has coconut and yeast in the recipe but if you do not like to use yeast in the appam recipe you can follow this recipe which yields similar results.

Appams can be served with coconut milk and sugar or sweetened coconut milk or flavorful vegetable stew or a simple coconut chutney.Appams are usually fluffy and can absorb the flavors very nicely and hence I always love to eat them with vegetable stew.

Check out other breakfast combos here in my blog:

Here is how to make easy kerala appam recipe without yeast with step by step photos:

Appam Recipe without yeast:

Yields 12-15 appams | Author: Prathibha

Prep time: 30 mins | Cooking time: 15 mins | Total time: 45 mins + fermentation time

Cuisine: Kerala | Category: Breakfast

Ingredients:

3 cups Raw Rice,soaked in water for 5-6 hrs

1 cup Raw Rice, soaked in water for 5-6 hrs

1/2 cup thin yogurt

1 tbsp Sugar

Salt,to taste

1/8 tsp Cooking soda,optional

Method:

Soak 3 cups of rice and 1 cup of rice separately for 5-6 hrs.
Wash and grind 1 cup of rice with enough water to get a coarse rawa consistency like batter.Grind the remaining 3 cups of rice with enough water to a smooth batter and keep it aside.
In a big pot add 4 cups of water,salt and sugar and let it come to a boil and then add the coarsely ground batter to it and keep stirring continuously till it thickens and become a kanji(porridge) and let it cool completely.
Once the cooked batter is completely cooled mix in the yogurt and ground rice batter(made out of 3 cups rice) and mix it nicely with out any lumps and let it ferment for 15-16 hours.
The batter should be little loose than the regular dosa batter,so adjust the consistency accordingly. Add cooking soda(if using ,see notes) to a tbsp of water and mix it in the batter nicely.
Heat the non stick appam chetti/kadai and pour a big ladle of batter in the center and swirl it in a circular motion so that it forms an aapam which is thin around the corner and thick in the center.
Pour the oil around the edges and close it with a lid and let it cook until the edges turn crispy and is soft and fluffy in the center.Loosen the corners gently with the help of spatula and slide the appam into a plate and repeat to make more appams.

Serve it with sweetened coconut milk or Vegetable Stew or any spicy curry.

Notes:

The addition of soda is optional,if the batter is fermented nicely you do not need to add soda to appam.Try making one appam without soda and if it is not fluffy you can add soda to the batter and make which definitely gives soft and fluffy appams.
My mom never added grated fresh coconut while grinding for appam dosa,but you can add 1/3-1/2 cup of grated coconut while grinding the rice(3 cups rice) batter.
The most important step in the recipe is making the kanji and mixing in the batter and hence follow the instructions carefully.
You can make the dosa like regular dosas or thick dosa like poha dosa with the same batter.

Technorati Tags: kerala appam recipe,appam without yeast recipe,appam recipe,kerala style appam,south indian breakfast,kerala breakfast varieties,breakfast combos,south indian breakfast combos

Vegetable Stew Recipe | Kerala Veg Stew for Appam

noreply@blogger.com (chef and her kitchen) — Mon, 13 Nov 2017 10:45:00 +0000

Kerala style Vegetable stew recipe with step by step photos. Appam with Vegetable stew is a famous Kerala breakfast combo variety which is loved by all.Appams are different from the regular dosa as these are lacy thin at the corners and fluffy in the center and are made in a Appam Chatti(kadai) instead of the tawa and hence the appams turn in the shape of kadai.Appam is served with a white coconut milk based curry with vegetables in it.The stew has mild spice levels and also has slight sweetness from the coconut milk but it is very flavorful and tastes delicious with the fluffy appams.The appams are so porous that they absorb the flavor from the stew beautifully and makes it taste more delicious.

Stew is made up of various vegetables and is cooked in a coconut milk with minimal spices but the process to prepare the stew is quite important otherwise you will not get the stew in white color. Freshly pressed coconut milk is the best choice for the stew but if you are lazy like me you can even use tinned coconut milk.I have used coconut oil in the recipe for the authentic kerala taste but if you do not like you can even use the regular oil in the recipe. Try this delicious kerala delicacy-stew with appam if you have not tried it before.

Check out other breakfast combos here in my blog:

Here is how to make kerala style vegetable stew with step by step photos:

Vegetable Stew Recipe:

Serves 2 | Author: Prathibha

Prep time: 15 mins | Cooking time: 30 mins | Total time: 45 mins

Cuisine: Kerala | Category: Side dish

Ingredients:

1 small Carrot,peeled and cut into 1" long thin sticks

1 small Potato,peeled and cut into 1" long thin sticks

10-12 french Beans,trimmed and cut into 1" pieces

1/4 cup Green peas

1 small Onion,thinly sliced

2-3 Garlic cloves, cut into long strips

1/2" Ginger,peeled and cut into thin strips

2-3 Green chilies,slit

1 pack(200ml) Coconut milk or 1 Coconut,grated

8-10 Curry leaves

Salt,to taste

to temper:

1.5 tbsp Coconut oil

4-5 Cloves

1" Cinnamon

4 green Cardamoms

8-10 Black peppercorns

Method:

If you are using freshly grated coconut to extract coconut milk add 1/2 cup warm water to the grated coconut and grind it nicely and strain it to get the thick coconut milk and add 3/4-1 cup warm water to the coconut residue and grind again to get a thin consistency coconut milk.If you are using ready coconut milk empty the contents of the carton to a bowl and add a cup of water to the empty carton and shake it nicely to get thin coconut milk.
In a kadai/pan heat coconut oil and add cloves,cinnamon,peppercorns and green cardamoms and fry for 10-15 seconds.I forgot to add the peppercorns in the tempering and hence did separately and added later to the curry.

Add cut ginger,garlic and slit green chilies and fry until the green chilies slightly wilt.Add 5-6 curry leaves and fry for few seconds.

Add thinly sliced onions and fry until they become translucent,do not let them turn brown.
Now add all the vegetables(you can add them raw or steamed) and add salt and thin coconut milk and cook until the vegetables are done.

Now reduce the flame(or remove the pan from the flame) and add thick coconut milk and 3-4 curry leaves and boil it on low-medium flame.
Adjust the consistency of gravy and seasoning by adding enough water and salt.The consistency should neither be thin or thick.

Serve it with Appam/Dosa.

Notes:

You can even add cauliflower along with the other vegetables.
Do not brown the onions,spices and vegetables otherwise it will change the color of the stew.
Freshly pressed coconut milk tastes best for the recipe but one can use ready one if pressed for time.
Coconut oil adds a nice flavor to the stew but if you do not like it you can use regular oil and make it.

Technorati Tags: vegetable stew,kerala style vegetable stew,veg stew,stew for appam,veg stew for appam,side dishes,kerala side dishes

Gongura Pickle Recipe | Andhra Niluva Gongura Pacchadi

noreply@blogger.com (chef and her kitchen) — Mon, 06 Nov 2017 01:35:00 +0000

Gongura pickle recipe with step by step photos.Gongura pickle does not need any introduction as it is one of the most popular pickles from the state of Andhra and any Andhra meal is incomplete without gongura pickle being served in it.Gongura pickle is sour and spicy and is made out of red sorrel leaves,it can be stored for a couple of months if made carefully. I also have posted a version of Gongura Pacchadi with Green Chilies and Gongura Pacchadi recipe using Red chllies which have less shelf life and should be consumed in a day or two.Gongura pickle is usually mixed with hot steamed rice,ghee and is eaten with raw onions on the side, the onions elevate the taste of the gongura pickle and hence do not miss to serve it with onions.

I do not miss to get these wonderful greens when ever I go to little India and in fact it has become a norm to keep a bottle of Gongura pickle or Pulihora Gongura pickle handy in my refrigerator these days.It is much better to eat the homemade pickles rather than the preservative loaded ready made pickles.I also prepare another version of gongura pickle - Pulihora Gongura pickle which is prepared in a different way with the addition of tamarind and few other spices and even this Pulihora Gongura pickle can be stored for a couple of months.Both the pickles taste absolutely delicious in its own way, try these pickles at home and enjoy the delicious home made andhra famous gongura pickle.

Apart from the pickles we make various other pacchadi,dal,curry and rice varieties with these greens and these greens give a peculiar taste and sourness to the recipe which makes it even more tastier.Check out all Gongura recipes in my blog here:

Here is how to make gongura pickle recipe with step by step photos.

Gongura Pickle | Niluva Gongura Pacchadi Recipe:

Shelf life:1 month | Author: Prathibha

Prep time: 15 mins | Cooking time: 30 mins | Total time: 45 mins

Cuisine: Andhra | Category: Pickles/Accompaniments

Ingredients:

1 big bunch or 8-10 cups tightly packed Gongura(Red sorrel) leaves

1 tbsp Mustard seeds

1.5 tsp Fenugreek seeds

6-8 Red chilies

Salt to taste

1.5 tbsp Sesame oil

to temper:

4 tbsp Sesame oil

1 tsp Mustard seeds

5-6 Red chilies,whole or broken

15-16 Garlic cloves,peeled roughly

1/4 tsp Asafoetida

Method:

Dry roast mustard seeds,fenugreek seeds and red chilies until they are nicely roasted.Cool them and grind them along with salt to a fine powder.

Remove the gongura leaves from the stems and wash them thoroughly and drain the water thoroughly. Spread a big kitchen towel and spread the leaves on the towel and let them dry in shade for 3-4 hours.They do not need to get wilt just that the water has to be completely absorbed by the towel.

In another pan heat oil and add gongura leaves(dried for a while) and saute them until they become soft and pulpy.Do not add water to the leaves at any point of time.Continue frying for 7-8 mins until the water evaporates from the leaves mixture.

Cool the gongura leaves and grind it to a paste along with the ground spice powder.

In the same/another pan heat 4 tbsp of sesame oil and crackle mustard seeds and then add garlic cloves and red chilies and fry them until they turn slight brown in color and add asafoetida and then add the ground gongura mixture and fry it nicely for 8-10 mins until the mixture starts leaving the oil along the edges.Sometimes the oil gets seeped inside the pickle but it will start leaving after a couple of hours when stored in the bottle,so do not worry.
Cool it thoroughly and store it in an air tight glass bottle in the refrigerator.It stays good for a month or two in refrigerator when handled carefully.

Serve it with hot steamed rice with ghee and raw onions on the side.

Notes:

You can add 1.5 tbsp of Coriander seeds while roasting the mustard and fenugreek seeds.The addition of coriander seeds is optional.I add sometimes and skip it sometimes and however the taste does not alter much.
If you are using tella gongurs(not the typical red gongura leaves) you need to add a small gooseberry sized tamarind while frying the gongura leaves for the sourness.
The amount of red chilies can be altered according to your spice level.
Do not skip garlic in the recipe as it adds a nice taste and also always serve the gongura pickle with raw onions on the side.
Sesame oil is recommended for the recipe, if you do not have you can use regular oil.
Always use a clean and dry spoon when you take out the pickle and close the lid tightly and store it in refrigerator for increased shelf life.
You can take the required portion of the pickle and mix in the chopped onions and serve it with hot steamed rice and ghee.

Technorati Tags: gongura pickle reciperecipe,andhra style gongura pickle,gongura uragaya,niluva gongura pacchadi,gongura with garlic pickle,gongura niluva pacchadi,south indian pickle varieties,andhra pickle recipes

Tomato Sevai | Tomato Idiyappam Recipe | Thakkali Sevai

noreply@blogger.com (chef and her kitchen) — Tue, 24 Oct 2017 02:00:00 +0000

Tomato Sevai recipe with step by step photos.Tomato idiyappam or Tomato Shavige is an additional idiyappam(or sevai) variety which is apart from the usual varieties like lemon sevai,tamarind sevai and coconut sevai recipes.Freshly pressed Shavige which we call as Otthu shavige is one of my most favorite breakfast varieties and we usually make a sweet kheer made out of khus khus and jaggery and also a spicy variety usually lemon shavige, this is considered one of our traditional breakfast and is prepared on special occasions.However it is tedious to prepare fresh shavige at home and also we are getting the freshly made shavige easily in the markets.I find the preparation process of tamil version-Idiyappam is lot easier compared to shavige and also the usage of instant rice noodles available in the market is making our lives lot easier.I use Anil brand instant rice vermicelli and I am quite happy with it.

Tomato shavige is prepared in a similar way we make tomato rice and one can customize it easily according to each personal preference.We usually add a handful of green peas and few cashewnuts in lemon sevai and tomato sevai where as we add groundnuts in tamarind sevai as they complement well in their respective dishes.You can even add grated carrot in the tomato sevai which balances the tartness from the tomatoes.

Check out other sevai recipes in my blog:

Here is how to make tomato sevai recipe with step by step photos.
Tomato Sevai | Thakkali Sevai Recipe:

serves 2

Prep time: 10 mins | Cooking time: 30 mins | Total time: 40 mins

Cuisine: South Indian | Category: Breakfast

Ingredients:

3 cups cooked Sevai(instant sevai) or freshly prepared Idiyappam/shavige

1 big Onion,finely chopped

2 large Tomatoes,finely chopped

2 tsp chopped Coriander leaves

1/4 cup frozen Peas

3/4 tsp Red chili powder

1/4 tsp Turmeric powder

2 Green chilies,slit

Salt, to taste

to temper:

2 tbsp Oil(sesame or any other oil)

1/2 tsp Mustard seeds

2 tbsp chopped Cashewnuts

1 tbsp Chana dal

1/2 tbsp Urad dal

a sprig of Curry leaves

Method:

If you are using instant rice vermicelli,prepare the rice vermicelli as per the instructions given on the pack.Cool it completely.
Blanch the green peas in hot water for few mins and drain them.
Heat oil in a big kadai and crackle mustard seeds.
Add chana dal,urad dal,cashew nuts and fry until they turn slight golden in color.

Add green peas and green chilies and fry for 3-4 minutes until the green chilies wilt and green peas gets fried nicely.
Add finely chopped onions and curry leaves and fry until they become translucent.

Now add chopped tomato,salt and turmeric powder and cook for 4-5 mins until the mixture becomes pulpy.

Add red chili powder and fry nicely until the mixture leaves the oil at the edges,switch off the flame.Leave it for 5 mins.

Add prepared rice vermicelli to the tempering mixture and chopped coriander and mix it nicely until everything is incorporated well.Taste it and adjust the seasoning according to your wish.

Serve it warm with coconut chutney,potato chips or sliced cucumber.

Notes:

Cashew nuts add better taste to it,so do not skip it.
Instead of green peas you can even add 3-4 tbsp grated carrot while frying the onions,this balancess the tangyness of the tomatoes.
You can use sambar powder in the recipe instead of red chili powder.
If you are using instant rice vermicelli,boil a big pot of water with a tsp of oil and salt and then add instant rice vermicelli noodles and cook it for 8-10 mins approximately(see your pack for clear instructions) and strain it and give it a cold water bath and drain off the excess water.Spread it on a wide plate until it becomes cold and follow the recipe.

Technorati Tags: tomato sevai recipe,thakkali sevai,tomato idiyappam,instant tomato idiyappam recipe,idiyappam recipes,idiyappam varities,south indian breakfast varieties,sevai recipes,sevai varieties,shavige recipes,shavige varieties,tamilnadu breakfast recipes

Mathri Recipe | How to make Mathri | Diwali Snacks

noreply@blogger.com (chef and her kitchen) — Fri, 13 Oct 2017 01:24:00 +0000

Mathri recipe with step by step photos.Mathri is a crispy cracker which is one of the most common snacks in North India.Mathris are thick,crisp,flaky and yet soft to bite kind of crackers which pairs perfectly with tea or coffee.It is usually served with spicy pickles/achar as the mathris are usually not spicy.

Mathris are simple to make but if you do not prepare it carefully you will end up with a soft mathri.The consistency of the dough and the frying process are the key things to follow while making mathri.I have highlighted few pointers in the recipe to get perfect mathri.Always fry the mathri on low-medium flame until they turn light golden brown, though it takes time you need to follow these steps else you will end up having soft mathri.

As Diwali is nearing by try out this simple mathri recipe for your friends and family members.If you are scared to prepare any murukku/sev recipe then this mathri recipe is perfect as it is very simple and similar to puri preparation process.

Check out other Diwali savouries in my blog here:

Also check out the wide collection of Diwali Sweets Recipes and Payasam/Kheer Varieties.

Here is how to make mathri recipe with step by step photos.

Mathri Recipe:

yields 15 crackers

Prep time: 20 mins | Cooking time: 20 mins | Total time: 40 mins

Cuisine: North Indian | Category: Snacks

Ingredients:

1 cup All purpose flour

2 tbsp Sooji

2 tbsp Oil

1/2 tsp Carom seeds(ajwain) or cumin seeds

1/2 tsp Black pepper,coarsely ground

Salt,to taste

1/3 cup warm Water,as needed

Oil,to deep fry

Method:

In a bowl mix flour,sooji,carom seeds,crushed black pepper,oil and salt and mix nicely.

Add warm water to it and mix it to a tight dough and keep it aside covered for 15-20 mins.

Pinch small gooseberry sized balls out of it and flatten them with a rolling pin to a 2 inch circular disc of 1/2 cm thickness.Prick them with a fork to avoid them puffing up in the oil.

Heat oil in a thick kadai for deep frying.
Once the oil is hot check the heat by adding a small ball in it,if it comes up immediately then the oil is hot enough.Add few 5-6 mathris and deep fry them on low-medium flame until they turn crisp and light golden brown on both the sides.Always make sure that the mathris are covered with enough oil.

Remove with a slotted spoon and drain in the colander or kitchen napkin.
Once it is cooled completely store them in an air tight container.

Serve them with a spicy pickle for a tea time snack.

Notes:

You can add cumin seeds instead of carom seeds in the recipe,it gives a different flavor.
Use warm water and knead it into a tight dough.
Always fry them on low-medium flame until they turn light golden brown else if you fry them in hot oil they will be soft inside.
They can be stored until 3-4 weeks if stored in an airtight container.

Technorati Tags: mathri recipe,spicy crackers,tea time snacks,diwali snacks recipes,diwali savories recipes,north indian snack varieties,deep fried snacks recipes,karwa chauth recipes

Atta Ladoo | Easy Diwali Sweets

noreply@blogger.com (chef and her kitchen) — Wed, 11 Oct 2017 01:30:00 +0000

Atta ladoo recipe with step by step photos.Ladoos are popular sweets for any occasion and there are various ladoo varieties like rava ladoo, moong dal ladoo, minapa sunnunda, boondi ladoo, moti choor ladoo, atta ladoo, besan ladoo, dry fruit ladoo, gond ladoo to name a few.I find the ladoos made out of flour are easy to make compared to the ones like boondi ladoo or moti choor ladoo.I love rava ladoo,motichoor ladoo and moong dal ladoo the most among all the varieties.My mom always adds nicely fried nuts(in ghee) to the ladoos which adds a nice bite and taste to the ladoo and hence I highly recommend to add the fried nuts for the ladoos though it is optional.You give a try once and let me know how you liked it.

As Diwali is nearing by I have tried to post few easy and quick recipes for the festival as homemade sweets and savories are always the best compared to the store bought ones.These atta ladoos are quite healthy as it is made out of wheat flour and is an ideal snack for the kids and adults.Though it has good amount of ghee in the recipe it is still a healthy ladoo which one can eat without any guilt.

Check out other Diwali sweets recipes on my blog:

Check out various Diwali Sweets Recipes here.
If you are looking for more Savoury Recipes,Check out Diwali Savoury Recipes here.

Here is how to make atta ladoo recipe with step by step photos.

Atta Ladoo Recipe | Wheat flour Laddu:

yields:12 ladoos

Prep time: 10 mins | Cooking time: 20 mins | Total time: 30 mins

Cuisine: North Indian | Category: Sweets

Ingredients:

1 cup Wheat flour(Atta)
1 cup Sugar powder
1/3 cup Ghee(+2 tbsp ghee if needed)
8-10 Almonds,finely chopped
8-10 Cashew nuts,finely chopped
2-3 tbsp Raisins,optional

3 Cardamoms,seeds removed

Method:

Grind 1/2 cup + 2tbsp sugar along with cardamom seeds to a fine powder.

Dry roast wheat flour on low-medium flame for 8-10 mins until you get a nice aroma from it and the flour starts turning brown in color.Make sure you keep stirring it constantly and not let it burn.

Heat ghee in a small kadai and add chopped almonds and cashew nuts and fry them until the badam turns slightly brown.Add raisins to it and fry until they swell and remove them and keep aside.

Mix together sugar powder and roasted wheat flour and fried nuts and raisins without any lumps and it is mixed properly.Check for the sweetness now if you want more sweet add 1-2 tbsp extra sugar powder and mix well again.

Add hot melted ghee to the wheat flour and sugar mixture to it and mix it properly until the ghee is coated properly.If you try to make a laddu it should hold the shape, if it is not add 1-2 tbsp melted ghee and mix it again.

Let the mixture becomes luke warm and can be handled with hands.Make lemon sized round balls out of it and arrange them in a plate.
Once it is cooled completely store it in an air tight container.These can be stored for over a month.

Enjoy it as a dessert or snack.

Notes:

These laddus can be stored for over a month and hence store it in an air-tight container.
If you find it difficult to make laddus out of it and the mixture is dry,feel free to add 1-2 tbsp melted ghee to it and mix again and then start making laddus.
The addition of fried nuts in the ladoos make them taste extremely delicious,so I highly recommend to use them and not to skip them.
Always roast the wheat flour on low flame until it turns brown and starts getting a nice aroma,do not let it burn.

Technorati Tags: wheat flour laddu,atta ladoo recipe,easy diwali sweets recipes,easy ladoo recipes,laddu varieties,kids recipes

Cornflakes Mixture Recipe | Cornflakes Chivda | Easy Diwali Snacks

noreply@blogger.com (chef and her kitchen) — Mon, 09 Oct 2017 01:30:00 +0000

Cornflakes mixture recipe with step by step photos.Diwali is just around the corner and many would have started the preparation process and cleaning the house for the festival.We have a tradition to give sweets or dry fruits along with diyas/gifts to friends and family.Every year I try to make few sweets and savories as I like to share the homemade sweets and snacks rather than the store bought and there are few exceptions at time when I am pressed for time I buy the ready stuff to share with friends.

Cornflakes mixture is very light and crunchy snack to eat along with a cup of tea.It is a very simple mixture recipe which can be prepared with minimal ingredients available in the pantry.It is a very simple recipe compared to other mixtures or savories as we just need to deep fry all the ingredients separately and mix it with minimal spices at the end.I am posting a simple cornflakes chiwda recipe but one can add various ingredients like poha or sev to make it a bit heavy kind of mixture.Cornflakes consume less oil compared to other mixtures or sev varieties but make sure you use the fresh stock of raw cornflakes(not the cereal variety).

Check out other Diwali savouries in my blog here:

Also check out the wide collection of Diwali Sweets Recipes and Payasam/Kheer Varieties.

Here is how to make cornflakes mixture recipe with step by step photos.

Cornflakes Mixture | Cornflakes Chiwda Recipe:

Yields 1 medium box

Prep time:5 mins | Cooking time: 20 mins | Total time: 30 mins

Cuisine: Indian | Category: Snacks

Ingredients:

2 cups raw Cornflakes

1/3 cup raw Peanuts

1/4 cup Cashew nuts,halved

1/4 cup Fried gram

1/4 cup Raisins

1/4 cup Curry leaves,washed and pat dried

1.5 tsp Red chili powder

3/4 tsp roasted Cumin powder

1/8 tsp Citric acid/Lemon salt

Salt,to taste or Kala namak(black salt)

Oil,to deep fry

Method:

Keep all the ingredients ready and heat oil in a thick kadai.

Once the oil is hot add peanuts and deep fry them until they turn slight red in color and remove them with a slotted spoon and put it in a steel bowl or steel strainer.

Repeat the process and fry all the ingredients like cashew nuts,fried gram,curry leaves and corn flakes separately.Every ingredient takes different time to get fried,so make sure you fry each ingredient separately and cornflakes need to be fried in several batches.

Finally add raisins and fry until they are plumped up and drain them immediately,do not fry them for long as they will harden or burn.

Once all the ingredients are fried put them in a large bowl and add salt,red chili powder, roasted cumin powder and citric acid and mix quickly while the fried ingredients are still hot/warm so that they get blended and coated well with the masalas.

Once it is cooled down store it in an air tight container.

Notes:

This stays good for 2-3 weeks when stored properly in an air tight container.
You can add the ingredients more or less according to your wish.
You can even add sliced or whole fried almonds or fried poha or sev or bhujia or kara sev to the cornflakes mixture.
You can even add little powdered sugar while mixing the mixture but I do not prefer to add it.
The addition of citric acid is optional but one can even add kala namak(black salt) or chaat masala for different flavor.
If you want to keep the spices simple avoid cumin powder too in the recipe.
Make sure that you always deep fry the cornflakes on medium flame, if it is fried on low flame(or oil is not hot enough) it will consume lot of oil.

Technorati Tags: cornflakes mixture,cornflakes chiwda recipe,easy chiwda recipes,easy diwali snacks,diwali snacks recipes,diwali savories recipes,tea time snacks,savory snacks for diwali

Sooji Halwa Recipe | Suji Halwa | Rava Sheera Recipe

noreply@blogger.com (chef and her kitchen) — Tue, 26 Sep 2017 09:16:00 +0000

Sooji halwa recipe with step by step photos.Sooji halwa is one of the most easiest desserts which can be prepared in no time and makes an excellent dessert or a simple sweet or prashad.South Indians make Rava Kesari which is similar to sooji halwa with added kesar color where as sooji halwa is commonly prepared in the other parts of the country.Sooji halwa is usually prepared along with puri and dry black chickpeas on the eighth day(Ashtami) during Navaratri in north India and is prepared for any festivals like Ganesh chaturthi,Navaratri etc.

I am posting a basic version of Sooji halwa, there are no hard and fast rules for preparing this halwa, the recipe I am posting has just right sweetness the way my family prefers but you can increase the sugar and ghee quantities according to your requirements.Sometimes I add fresh fruits like apple,banana,mango,pineapple to the sooji halwa to make it in different flavors.

If you want to make the sooji halwa rich add milk or a mix of milk and water in the ratio as mentioned and proceed with the same recipe.The addition of nuts again is individual choice,I even add roasted almonds along with cashewnuts and raisins which adds a nice bite to the halwa.I sometimes add saffron to the halwa instead of cardamom powder.If you are preparing the halwa for prashad you can add a pinch of edible camphor which gives a divine taste to the halwa.I prefer to make sooji halwa rather than Rava kesari as I am against the usage of synthetic colors in our regular food.

Check out other halwa recipes in my blog:

Here is how to make sooji halwa recipe with step by step photos.

Sooji Halwa | Rava Sheera Recipe:

Serves 2-3

Prep time: NIL | Cooking time: 20 mins | Total time: 20 mins

Cuisine: Indian | Category: Dessert

Ingredients:

1/2 cup Sooji/Rava

1/3 cup Sugar

3-4 tbsp Ghee+ 1 tbsp Ghee

1 1/4 cups Water

1/2 tsp Cardamom powder

7-8 Cashew nuts,chopped

2 tbsp Raisins

Method:

Heat ghee in a thick bottomed kadai and add cashewnuts and fry them until they turn light brown in color and remove them and then add raisins and fry them until they swell up and remove them and keep aside.
In the remaining ghee add rava and roast it on low flame until you get nice aroma from it.

Meanwhile boil water in another container and pour this water in the roasted sooji and keep stirring it continuously and let it cook until done.You can even boil the sugar in the water and add it to the roasted sooji and mix.

Add sugar to it and cook further,initially the mixture will become watery.Let it cook further until it is done.

Add cardamom powder, fried cashew nuts,raisins and 1 tbsp ghee and mix it nicely.
Cover it and leave it for a while.

Serve it hot/warm or at room temperature.

Notes:

This is mildly sweet,if you want it more sweeter add 1-2 tbsp of sugar to it.
The addition of ghee at the end will keep the halwa soft and does not harden after it sits for a while too.
You can prepare it in complete milk or mix of milk and water using the same ratio as mentioned.
You can increase the water to 11/2 cups for a soft halwa.
You can even add roasted almonds,chopped figs in the halwa for a richer taste.Instead of cardamom powder you can add saffron soaked in hot milk which gives a nice flavor and color to the halwa.
You can prepare various fruit based halwas like banana halwa by addding chopped banana at the end and cook for a minute or by adding chopped mangoes to make mango halwa.You can add finely chopped apple pieces,pineapple pieces while boiling the water and proceed with the same recipe for apple halwa and pineapple halwa.

Technorati Tags: sooji halwa recipe,rava halwa,rava sheera,suji halwa recipe,festival sweets recipes,easy halwa recipes,sooji recipes,rawa halwa,navaratri recipes,ganesh chaturthi recipes

Pasta Payasam | Macaroni Kheer Recipe | Kheer Varieties

noreply@blogger.com (chef and her kitchen) — Tue, 19 Sep 2017 10:17:00 +0000

Pasta kheer recipe with step by step photos.Navaratri is around the corner and it is a norm to prepare a different sweet and sundal variety for naivedyam on those nine days.I have been planning to post the pasta kheer recipe from so long and finally I am able to post it for this navaratri.The preparation process of pasta payasam is very similar to any other payasam variety just that we need to boil the pasta and then add to the milk unlike other kheer varieties where vermicelli or sooji or rice is cooked in the milk.

I usually get various pasta varieties which includes penne, shell, spiral, fettucine, macaroni, linguini, fusili, sphagetti etc but penne pasta is the favorite at my place as it absorbs the sauce well compared to the other ones.I have used macaroni for this payasam but one can either use shell or penne pasta varieties to prepare this kheer and I will not recommend other pasta varieties as they will not absorb the fluids well. The kheer absorbs the milk and thickens as it sit and hence while making the kheer add enough milk and adjust the sweetness as for your preference.

Check out other Kheer recipes in my blog here.

Here is how to make pasta payasam recipe with step by step photos.

Pasta Payasam Recipe:
Serves 3-4
Prep time: 2 mins | Cooking time: 25 mins | Total time: 30 mins
Cuisine: Fusion | Category: Sweets/Desserts

Ingredients:

1 cup Macaroni or any other small Pasta variety

1/4 cup Sugar
1/2 cup Condensed milk

3/4 liter full cream Milk

10-12 Cashew nuts

2 tbsp Raisins

15-20 Saffron strands

2 tsp Ghee

Method:

Soak saffron in 2 tbsp warm milk for 10-15 mins.

Boil macaroni in a big pot of hot water,add little ghee and let it cook for 12-15 mins until done or follow the instructions given on the pack.
Boil milk and simmer it for 12-15 mins until it reduced to 3/4th of the quantity.

Add cooked pasta to the simmering milk and reduce the flame and cook for another 5-7 mins.
Add saffron soaked milk,sugar and condensed milk and mix gently till it dissolves and let it continue cooking over low flame.Always cook over low flame otherwise the milk might curdle.

Meanwhile heat ghee in a kadai and fry cashew nuts and fry them until golden in color and remove them and keep aside.
In the same kadai add raisins and fry them until they fluff up and remove and keep them aside too.

Add ghee roasted cashew nuts and raisins and cardamom powder to the kheer and mix and switch off the flame.

Serve it hot/warm/cold or at room temperature.

Notes:

You can add 1/2 tsp Cardamom powder to the kheer while it is boiling.
You can make any kheer varieties like sago,vermicelli,millets etc.Sago and vermicelli needs to be roasted in ghee before adding to the milk mixture.
The kheer tends to thickens as it sits and hence make sure it has enough liquid when you finish making kheer.If it is thickened at the time of serving you can add boiled and cooled milk to the kheer.

Technorati Tags: pasta kheer,pasta payasam,macaroni kheer,macaroni payasam,indian sweets varieties,fusion sweets,fusion recipes,payasam varieties. kheer varieties,pasta recipes with home made pesto,navaratri recipes,diwali sweets,party recipes

White Chocolate Sponge Cake | White Chocolate Cupcakes

noreply@blogger.com (chef and her kitchen) — Mon, 11 Sep 2017 03:33:00 +0000

White chocolate sponge cake with step by step photos.I bake pretty good tea cakes,cookies and breads regularly for my family but I am still novice when it comes to decorate the cakes.Somehow I take an extra plunge to decorate a cake on my own to mark the celebrations at home.Though the final look of the cake is not perfect,it gives me an immense pleasure when I bake and decorate a cake for the loved ones.Don't you agree?

I follow many food groups on facebook and I must say that fb group has become a nice medium to learn new recipes.When I came across this white chocolate cake recipe from flours and frostings blog in one of the baking groups I follow I was sure that I would be doing this for my son's birthday.Though I had ordered another cake for the party celebration I prepared this on his actual birthday and also for his school to share with his friends.

I followed the recipe to the T and it is a very simple recipe to follow and it tastes amazing with white chocolate flavor.I love white chocolate and hence it was a double treat for me,I strongly recommend anyone to try this no fail easy cake recipe.I am not an expert in decorating and hence kept it simple but I have mentioned in the recipe how I did in case if anyone wants to know the procedure.

Check out other celebration cake recipes in my blog:

Here is how to make white chocolate sponge cake with step by step photos:

White Chocolate Sponge Cake Recipe:

Yields 8" Round/Square cake | Recipe source: here

Prep time: 20 mins | Baking time: 40-50 mins | Total time: 60-70 mins

Cuisine: International | Category: Desserts/Snacks

Ingredients:

1 1/2 cups(190 gms) All purpose flour

3/4 cup(170 gms) White Chocolate,chopped

3/4 cup(150 gms) Sugar

3/4 cup(180 ml) Milk

6 tbsp(80 gms) Butter,cubed

3 Eggs

1 tsp Vanilla extract

1 1/2 tsp Baking powder

1/2 tsp Salt

Method:

Preheat the oven at 170 deg C/350 deg F for 10-12 mins.
Place a parchment paper and grease an 8" round or square tin and dust it with the flour.I used a 7" round tin and 6 cupcake tin.
In a thick bottomed sauce pan heat cubed butter, chopped white chocolate and milk and let it cook until the chocolate and butter melts and forms a uniform liquid.Keep this mixture WARM.
Sieve together the flour,baking powder and salt a couple of times and keep it ready.

Using a stand mixer or electric beater beat the eggs with the sugar and vanilla essence until it triples in volume and the mixture should turn PALE in color.If you draw an eight on top of the mixture,you should be able to see the whole 8 before it disappears,this consistency indicates that it is right.

Reduce the speed of the beater/mixer and add the flour mixture gradually and mix well until it is incorporated.

Add the warm chocolate-milk-butter mixture and continue beating until you get a smooth mixture.

Now pour the batter in the prepared pan until it is 3/4 th of the height of the pan.I added few dried cranberries to the remaining mixture and poured in the prepared cupcake tin.

Bake it for 40-45 mins until done.It should pass the toothpick test,if you insert the toothpick in the center and remove it should come clean which indicates that the cake is done.I refrigerated the cupcake tin while I baked the big cake and then baked the cupcakes for 15-18 mins until they are done.
Cool the pan nicely for 10 mins and run a knife around the edges and invert the pan and gently tap it on to a plate and then transfer it to a wire rack to let it cool down completely.

Serve it warm or at room temperature or slice and decorate with whipped cream or ganache frosting.

to decorate(how I did):

Sugar syrup - Boil water along with sugar until it forms a nice syrupy liquid,strain the water and let it cool.Add lemon juice to it and mix and keep it in fridge.
Cut the Cake into two or three pieces depending on the height of your cake.

Whip chilled heavy fat cream in a chilled bowl and added little icing sugar and vanilla essence and whipped until it gave stiff peaks.
Place a cake on the serving platter.Place the butter paper along the sides from the platter so that it can be removed once the process is completely done.

Soak with 1/4 cup sugar syrup.Spread some whipped cream filling on cake and add some chocolate chips over it and cover those with the other piece of cake.Soak cake again with 1/4 cup syrup.
You can do a crumb coat,refrigerate it and give another thick coat for a neat look.You can even apply a thick coat of whipped cream on level it nicely on the top and around the edges.

Melt 1 part of chocolate with 2 parts of heavy cream in a thick vessel on a stove top and let it cool down a bit.I poured this on the chilled frosted cake and let it drip on the edges and let it set.Once it is set you can pipe few patterns with the whipped cream and decorate it with chocolates.

Notes:

I reduced the sugar by 1/4 cup in the cake recipe as I frosted the cake with whipped cream and chocolate ganache.
They stay good for 2-3 days when stored well in an airtight container.

Technorati Tags: white chocolate sponge cake,sponge cake recipe,white chocolate cake recipe,tea cakes,cupcakes recipes,white chocolate cupcakes,baking recipes

Instant Sooji Appe | Instant Rava Paniyaram Recipe | Rava Appe

noreply@blogger.com (chef and her kitchen) — Tue, 05 Sep 2017 01:40:00 +0000

Instant sooji appe recipe with step by step photos.It is always a difficult task for me to plan the breakfast as I decide what to prepare the stuff instantly most of the times rather than planning it in advance and only on weekends I plan my breakfast menu the previous night.My weekend breakfasts are elaborate where as on weekdays it would be a quick fix or easy breakfast options.Appey or Paddu or Paniyaram or Gunta Ponganalu or Gunta Punugulu is one of the favorite breakfasts for me.We usually make Gunta ponganalu with left over Idli/dosa batter or avalakki paddu or instant oats paniyaram or this instant sooji appey.

Sooji appey does not need any fermentation and can be prepared instantly with the easily available ingredients at home.This recipe is very similar to my oats paniyaram recipe just that I do not add oats to it.
Check out other appey recipes - Gunta ponganalu with left over Idli/dosa batter, avalakki paddu ,instant oats paniyaram.

Here is how to make instant rava paniyaram with step by step photos:
Instant Rava Paniyaram | Sooji Appe | Rava Appey Recipe:
Serves 2
Prep time: 10 mins | Cooking time: 20 mins | Total time: 30 mins+ standing time
Cuisine: South Indian | Category: Breakfast/Tiffin

Ingredients:

1 cup Sooji/Rava

1/2 cup sour Curd

1 big Onion,finely chopped
1 Carrot,grated
1/4 cup grated fresh Coconut

3 tbsp chopped Coriander

2-3 tbsp chopped Curry leaves

1.5 tsp Green Chili paste

1/2 tsp Cumin seeds

1 tsp Eno/Fruit salt

1/4 tsp Cooking Soda

Salt to taste

Method:

Dry roast sooji lightly and do not roast much.
Beat curd well and add it to a big bowl add sooji and mix well.Add enough water to it to get the consistency of dosa batter.

Add salt and cooking soda to the mixed batter and leave it aside for 1 hr.You should leave it at least for 20 mins aside.
Add finely chopped onions, grated carrot,grated coconut,coriander, curry leaves along with green chilli paste,cumin seeds and mix well.

Check the consistency of batter,it might become thick as the sooji absorbs water when it is soaked.Add extra required water to it to get the dosa batter consistency.

Just before making paniyaram add eno to the batter and mix well.

Heat the paniyaram/gunta panganalu pan/Aebliskever pan and add 1/2 tsp of oil in each impression.When it is piping hot keep the flame on LOW and pour the batter using a table spoon until it covers 3/4 th and pour some more oil over it and cover it with a lid.Let it roast on low-medium flame until golden brown in color.

When you see the edges turning golden in color use a sharp knife and run it around the edges of each paniyaram and turn them to the other side and roast until golden brown on both the sides.

Serve it hot with Coconut chutney or Mint-coriander chutney or peanut chutney.

Notes:

You can add blanched corn to the batter and make paniyaram.
Make sure that you use sour curd to make this.
You can refrigerate the batter and use it on next day as well.Add eno to the batter before using it.
If you do not have eno you can use only cooking soda in the recipe.

Technorati Tags: instant rava paniyaram recipe,rava paniyaram,sooji appey,rava appe,paddu recipe,breakfast recipes,tea time snacks,evening snacks

Pumpkin Erissery | Mathanga Erissery | Onam Sadya Recipes

noreply@blogger.com (chef and her kitchen) — Wed, 30 Aug 2017 09:36:00 +0000

Pumpkin Erissery recipe with step by step photos.Pumpkin is one of those favorite vegetables for the little one and hence I get pumpkin at least once a week.It is boring to eat the same preparation again and again and hence tried this pumpkin curry-kerala style for the first time.I had got a brief about this recipe from a Kerala friend and also checked the recipe in Mallika Badrinath's cook book and also referred maria's menu.Though the versions are slightly different from each other but the basic ingredients remain the same.My friend's version and Mallika badrinath cookbook version use red chilies for spicyness and do not add shallots in the recipe and the version I am posting is slightly different with the addition of green chilies and shallots but the remaining ingredients being the same.I have also mentioned few more options in the notes where pumpkin can be replaced with other vegetables.Few use red cowpeas along with pumpkin in this yeriseri recipe.

Pumpkin erissery also known as Mathanga errisery is one of the items that is served for Onam sadya.As Onam is around the corner I thought of posting a sadya recipe which will be apt for the festival.I am a novice to Kerala cuisine and have just a basic knowledge of the cuisine because of my blogging journey.I would like to explore more about this cuisine and will post more recipes in future.I have posted another famous kerala dish Avial which is a medley of vegetables in a coconut base,if you are interested check it out.

Check out other Pumpkin recipes in my blog:

Here is how to make pumpkin errisery recipe with step by step photos:

Pumpkin(Mathanga) Erissery Recipe:

Serves 2

Prep time: 10 mins | Cooking time: 20 mins | Total time: 30 mins

Cuisine: Kerala | Category: Side dish/Curry

Ingredients:

2-3 cups Yellow Pumpkin

1/2 tsp Turmeric powder

1/2 cup grated Coconut

2-3 Green chilies

1/2 tsp Cumin seeds

Salt,to taste

to temper:

2 tsp Coconut oil/regular oil

1/2 tsp Mustard seeds

1 tsp Urad dal

4-5 Shallots,sliced

2-3 Red chilies

a sprig of Curry leaves

3 tbsp grated fresh Coconut

Method:

Wash and remove the skin and seeds of pumpkin and cut into small cubes and add enough water to it and cook for 8-10 mins.You can even pressure cook it for one whistle.Once it is cooked drain the extra water and slightly mash half of the cooked pumpkin pieces.

Dry roast or roast the grated fresh coconut in little coconut oil until it turns crispy and keep it aside.

Grind the grated coconut with green chilies,turmeric powder,cumin seeds and salt to a fine paste by adding enough water.

Meanwhile in another pan heat coconut oil and crackle mustard seeds and add urad dal and fry until it turns red and then add sliced shallots and fry until they become slight pinkish and then add red chilies and curry leaves and let them wilt.

Add the ground coconut mixture to the cooked pumpkin pieces and mix it nicely and let it cook.
Pour this tempering over the cooked pumpkin erissery.

While serving add the fried coconut over the curry and serve it hot.

Notes:

You can add even red cow peas in the curry and cook it along with coconut and follow the same recipe.
Green chilies can be replaced with red chilies.
Raw banana,yam or Raw papaya can be used instead of pumpkin to prepare erissery.
Coconut oil gives a nice flavor to the curry and hence do not skip it.If you do not like you can use regular vegetable oil.
The addition of shallots is optional and is used in some parts of Kerala.

Technorati Tags: pumpkin erissery recipe,pumpkin recipes,kerala onam sadya,kerala recipes,mathanga erissery recipe,yellow pumpkin recipes,side dish for rice,yeriseri recipe

Vegetable Puffs Recipe | Veg Puffs recipe using ready puff pastry sheets

noreply@blogger.com (chef and her kitchen) — Mon, 28 Aug 2017 04:26:00 +0000

Veg puffs recipe using ready puff pastry sheets at home with step by step photos.Vegetable puffs or Veg puffs is one of the popular snacks in most of the bakeries across the country. A spicy vegetable filling is filled in a puff pastry and baked to golden brown which gives a crisp yet a soft bite to the puffs and the butter loaded puff pastry lends a slight sweet and very buttery texture to the final baked puffs.

Veg puffs and Egg puffs were one of those most common snacks which we used to get home when we were kids.Though I do not prefer to eat eggs in the omlette form or any other forms I do not mind to eat it in a boiled form or use it in bakes. Veg puffs taste best when they are served hot/warm with tomato sauce along with a cup of tea/coffee and also you can carry them for a picnic too and they taste good even at room temperature.

I usually use ready puff pastry sheets which are pre rolled and all you need to thaw a couple of sheets and prepare the filling and bake them as mentioned below, it is a very good and filling snack and is definitely a crowd pleaser.But you also get puff pastry dough where one can roll the dough and follow the same process to bake them or one can prepare their own puff pastry dough and follow the recipe. I personally have never attempted to make my own puff pastry dough just because I need small quantities at a time and also the rolled sheets are available easily and I would love to attempt to make my own puff pastry dough one day.

Check out other snack recipes in my blog - Vegetable Chops, Vegetable Sandwich, Vegetable Idli, Onion Samosa, Veg Uthappam.

Here is how to make vegetable puffs recipe with step by step photos:

Vegetable Puffs Recipe:

yields: 8-10 puffs | Author: Prathibha

Prep time: 20 mins | Cooking time: 20 mins | Total time: 40 mins + baking time

Cuisine: Indian | Category: Snacks

Ingredients:

3-4 Puff pastry sheets,frozen/homemade

1 tbsp Milk, to brush on top

for the filling:

1 large Potato,peeled and finely chopped

1 medium Carrot,peeled and finely chopped

1 small Capsicum, finely chopped

1/3 cup Green Peas,fresh/frozen

1 Onion, finely chopped

1.5 tsp Ginger-garlic paste

1 tsp Green chili paste

1/2 tsp Red chili powder

1/2 tsp Garam masala

1/2 tsp Turmeric powder

1 tsp Amchur pwoder

1.5 tbsp Oil

2 tbsp chopped Coriander leaves

Salt,to taste

Method:

for the filling:

Heat oil in a kadai and crackle cumin seeds and then add finely chopped onions, ginger-garlic paste and green chili paste and fry them until the onions turns slight pink in color.

Add the chopped vegetables and fry well for 2-3 mins and then add salt and turmeric powder annd add 1/2 cup of water and cover it and cook until the vegetables are done.Add more water of required in between but make sure you use less water as we want our mixture to be dry at the end not soft and mushy.

Once the vegetables are cooked add red chili powder, garam masala, amchur powder and mix nicely and cook for another 2-3 mins.
Add coriander leaves and mix well and let it cool a bit.

rolling,filling and baking the veg puffs:

Thaw the puff pastry sheets as per the instructions mentioned on the pack. Mine were already rolled so I did not need to roll them.But if you need to roll the pastry follow the instructions mentioned on the pack, roll the puff pastry by sprinkling some flour on the puff pastry and roll it into a large square preferably of 1/2 cm thickness and cut into long rectangles or squares and keep them ready.Check the pictures for a rough idea to get the size of the squares/rectangles in which the puff pastry is to be cut.

Preheat the oven at 180 deg C/350 deg F for 12-15 mins.
Place 2 tbsp of filling on one side of the puff pastry and brush some water at the edges and fold from the other side and close it gently,you can use a fork and press it to create some patterns at the corners.
Arrange them on a baking tray lined with a parchment paper and brush with milk on top of the puffs.

Bake the puffs in a preheated oven for 30-35 mins until the puffs are golden brown in color.Keep an eye after 25 mins and check whether they are done or not.
Remove them and let them sit in the tray for a while and put it in the wirerack to cool if not serving immediately.

Serve them hot/warm with tomato sauce.

Notes:

You can even steam or pressure cook the cut vegetables and then add to the fried onion mixture and follow the same process.
You can add small cubes of paneer to the vegetable mixture to make paneer puffs.
If you like to prepare Egg puffs, you can boil a couple of eggs and peel them and cut into halves and add the cut eggs to the vegetable mixture and mix nicely until it coats the eggs nicely.Place some vegetable mixture and one halved egg(flat surface down) at the center of the puff pastry square and join the edges on top of the egg to give a shape like danish pastry.

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Fried Modak Recipe | Ganesh Chaturthi Recipes

noreply@blogger.com (chef and her kitchen) — Mon, 21 Aug 2017 10:45:00 +0000

Fried Modak recipe with step by step photos.Ganesh Chaturthi is nearing by and we are all excited to welcome Ganapati Bappa to shower his blessings on us.Ganesh Chaturthi or Vinayaka Chavithi is one of the major festivals in the south and Maharasthra and is celebrated in a grand manner.Every year I wait for this festival as it is one of my favorite festivals which I have thoroughly enjoyed celebrating it from my childhood.Though the pooja process is bit lengthy it was really fun as this is the only festival where our entire family sit together and do pooja till the end with so much of attention.The menu for this festival is almost fixed every year due to the restrictions of the ingredients to be used and also they are apparently lord Ganesha's favorites.

Our usual menu on this festival includes Nooka Idli(not the regular idli rawa one) with coconut chutney for breakfast and of course kudumulu are served along with breakfast and the lunch menu varies with different vegetables,sundal,rasam,dal and also we make different lentil dumplings for this festival especially.We prepare various Kudumulu varieties like Steamed Kudumulu - with 3 fillings, karida kayi kadubu and Undralla payasam.

Check out other important recipes for Vinayaka Chavithi:

Steamed Kudumulu - with 3 filling

Karida Bele Kadubu | Fried Modak

Bellam Kudumulu | Vella Ammini Kozhukattai

Paal Kozhukattai | Undralla Payasam

Puran Poli

For a complete list of various options for Ganesh Chaturthi menu, check out here.

Here is how to make modak recipe with step by step photos:

Fried Modak Recipe:

Yields12-14 pieces

Prep time:30 mins | Cooking time:30 mins | Total time: 1 hr
Cuisine: South Indian | Category: Sweets/Festival Specials

Ingredients:

for outer layer:

1 cup Maida/All purpose flour

1/2 cup Chiroti Rava(fine rava)

a pinch of Salt

1 tbsp hot Oil

for stuffing:

1 cup grated Coconut

1 cup grated Jaggery

1/2 tsp Elaichi powder

Oil,for deep frying

Method:

for covering:

Mix maida,rava,salt and oil and add enough water to form a stiff dough.It should be stiffer than the regular chapati/poori dough.
Keep aside for 1/2 an hour and cover it with wet cloth.

Knead the dough well until it becomes soft and pliable.Make small gooseberry sized balls and keep them ready.

for coconut stuffing:

In a kadai mix grated coconut and jaggery and cook it on a low-medium flame until the jaggery melts and coats the coconut and form a thick dry and sticky lumpy mixture.It takes 10-12 minutes and keep stirring it occasionally.

Add cardamom powder to it and mix well and let the mixture cool completely and store it in air tight container.Make small gooseberry sized balls and keep them ready.
You can make it on the previous day itself and store at room temperature which eases the process on the festival day.

for fried modak:

Make small balls from the maida dough and roll it out to very thin chapatis of 3" diameter.

Place a tablespoon of stuffing in the center and start making the pleats like how we do for momos and bring it to the center and pinch it slighlty to seal the pleats so that stick to each other.Refer the pictures for details.You can even pinch the edges and bring all the pinched folds to the center and gently pinch again to let them stick at the center.Seal the edges nicely else the filling will come out while frying them in oil.

Repeat the process and prepare all the modaks.

Heat oil in a thick bottomed kadai and once the oil is hot enough add 6-7 modaks slowly in the hot oil and let them fry over low-medium flame until they are golden brown and cooked thoroughly.Turn them in between so that they are evenly fried.
Drain them on a kitchen towel.

Serve them hot/warm or room temperature.

Notes:

You can even use wheat flour in the recipe and avoid chiroti rawa in the recipe.But chiroti rawa makes the modak's outer layer crispier.
You can even add sesame seeds or finely chopped cashewnuts to the coconut filling for extra crunch.
Seal the edges nicely else the filling will come out while frying them in oil.
You can even replace jaggery with sugar and follow the same recipe.

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