San's Kitchen

Chicken Stew

2011-12-15T01:58:00.001-05:00

Ingredients:

Boneless chicken cubes-4 cups
Olive oil-2 tbs
Salt-As required
Pepper-As required
Chicken stock-6 cups
Chicken bouillon cubes-2 nos
Butter-1 stick
Chopped onions-1 cup
All purpose flour-3/4 cup
Heavy cream-1/2 cup
Diced carrots-2 cups
Peas-1/2cup
Chopped coriander leaves(optional)-few

Method:

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Place the chicken cubes on a sheet pan and drizzle some olive oil on top of it. Season it with some salt and pepper. Roast the chicken for almost 20 minutes or until its cooked thoroughly. Heat the chicken stock in a sauce pan and throw in the bouillon cubes into the stock. Melt the butter in an another pan and saute the onions for few minutes until it shrinks and turns translucent. Now add the flour and cook over low heat, stir it for a couple of minutes. Pour the chicken stock into the pan. Stir it once again and add required amount of salt and pepper along with the heavy cream. Then it's quite appropriate to throw in the roasted chicken, carrots, peas, onions and some coriander leaves. Let it boil for few minutes say for about 5 to 10 minutes. Stir it gently and serve it hot. Perfect stew to tackle the winter.

Nutella Cupcakes

2011-12-02T10:57:00.002-05:00

Would you like to bake a rich, light and succulent cupcakes? Then you must go for this cupcake. For those who are not aware of nutella, it is a spread combined with hazelnut and chocolate. A tsp of nutella is pure heaven.

I indulge in it when i get cravings for chocolate. I have baked it many times and shared it with friends but only now i got this chance of sharing the recipe. Verdict has always been "sinfully delectable". No frosting is required and how cool is that.

Ingredients:

Room temperature butter-1/2 stick
All purpose flour-2 cups
Powdered sugar-3/4 cup
Eggs-3 nos
Room temperature nutella-4 tbs
Vanilla essence-1 tsp
Salt-1/4 tsp
Baking powder-1/2 tsp

Method:

Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F. Line the muffin tin with paper liners. Cream together the butter and sugar for a couple of minutes. Add the eggs one at a time, stir in the vanilla essence followed by flour, baking powder and salt is thoroughly mixed. Now scoop the batter into liners until it is three fourths full. With the help of a knife or a spoon take a tsp of nutella and swirl it around. Bake for about 20 minutes, until a toothpick inserted comes out clean. Cool the cupcakes on a wire rack and then serve it after some time.

Cherry Tomato Chutney & A Visit To The Farmer's Market-Happy Thanksgiving!

2011-11-23T13:49:00.000-05:00

A visit to the farmer's market on the weekends is always exciting to see the locally grown fruits and fresh vegetables, bread, honey, eggs, handmade soaps, assorted jams and the market is packed with lots of people. This recent visit to the farmer's market had my refrigerator loaded with some cherry tomatoes, oranges and some fresh apples. Even though it's not a hunters paradise i came across some fancy cutleries that caught my attention and i got a cute salt and pepper shaker set. I thought of sharing the pictures with you all, hope you all enjoy the ride with me.

Iam not sure how many of you have the liking for cherry/baby tomatoes. Apparently cherry tomatoes has some sweet taste to it and a chutney made out of it gives sweet and tangy kick to the taste bud. Loved it as always :) I roasted some of them with few tsps of olive oil, salt and pepper at 400 degrees F for 20 minutes to mix it in the salad and with the rest of the cherry tomatoes i made this chutney. As per some readers and friends request iam posting this recipe, you can follow the same method with roma or any other tomatoes in the pantry. It pairs extremely well even with lays chips.

Roads are already deserted, yup it's the holiday season. Happy Thanksgiving! Happy holidays and have an eye on what you are eating :)

Ingredients:

Cherry tomatoes-2 cups
Chopped onions-1/2 cup
Chilli powder-1 1/2 tsp
Turmeric powder-1/4 tsp
Oil-As required

Water-As required
Mustard seeds-1 tsp
Salt-As required
Cumin powder-1 1/2 tsp
Coriander/dhaniya powder-1 1/2 tsp
Curry leaves-few

Method:

Heat the oil in a pan, add the mustard seeds to it. When the mustard seeds starts spluttering add some curry leaves to it. Incorporate some onions into it, let the onions turn brown. Grind the tomatoes and throw it into the pan. Saute it for some time, add some salt, turmeric powder, chilli powder, cumin powder and coriander powder. Stir it gently and let it simmer for 5 to 10 minutes. Now pour some water into it, let it boil for few more minutes till it attains thick consistency. Decadent cherry tomato chutney is ready to dig in with some dosa, idli or rotis.

Rice Payasam/Rice Pudding

2011-11-17T17:08:00.001-05:00

The word payasam or kheer will leave a smile on the face. Irrespective of all ages it is mostly sought quick dessert one could opt and afford to do rapidly at any time. Time for some dessert, this week is almost over. Even though sun is hardly seen here iam pushing my limits to fight cold weather by having some desserts handy :) Thanksgiving is round the corner and i can see you all getting geared up for that be it traveling or a get together with family and friends with a huge thanks giving meal.

Rice kheer is made mostly on the festive seasons which is really filling after a heavy meal. I even know some friends who would gulp the kheer no matter what the entree is. If you have any left over rice you could make this pudding instantly with that rice.

Ingredients:

Raw rice-1/4 cup
Milk-3 cups
Granulated sugar-2 tbs
Condensed milk-3 tbs
Cardamom powder-1/2 tsp
Ghee-4 tsp
Any nuts(optional)-few
Raisins-few

Method:

Rinse the rise and place it aside. Pour ghee on a pan, let it melt. Add the raisins into it and fry it. Place the raisins aside. Throw in the rice onto the same pan and fry it for couple of minutes. Now add milk into it and let the rice to completely cook. You can add additional milk according to the required consistency and also look up for the doneness of the rice. Now it's time to add the sugar, condensed milk and cardamom powder. Stir it for some time so that the rice does not stick to the pan. Turn off the heat. The kheer/pudding will try to attain thick consistency. Remove it from the heat and put it in the refrigerator. It tastes best when served chilled.

Tomato Sambar

2011-11-10T16:54:00.000-05:00

The combination of tomato sambar with mini idly is well known, it's a melt in the mouth. Why not make it at home and give a pat on your back? Tomato sambar goes good with plain dosa too. The aroma and the taste will last long on your taste bud. Here is a quick version of it.

Ingredients:

Chopped tomatoes-3 cups

Chopped onions-1 1/2 cups

Oil-2 tbs

Mustard seeds-1 tsp

Urad dal/black gram-1 tsp

Garlic cloves-5 nos

Asafoetida-a pinch

Curry leaves-few

Green chillies-3 nos

Turmeric powder-1/2 tsp

Chilli powder-3 tsp

Cumin powder-1 tbs

Toor dal/yellow lentil-1/2 cup

Moong dal/green gram-1/4 cup

Water-As required

Salt-As required

Sambar powder-1 tbs

Coriander leaves-few

Method:

Pressure cook both the toor dal and moong dal with turmeric powder, 3 cups of water, garlic cloves and asafoetida for 5 whistles. Set it aside for sometime and later on mash it. Heat oil in a saucepan throw in the mustard seeds, urad dal, curry leaves and green chillies. Now add the onions to it, saute it until the onions turn brown. It is time to throw in the tomatoes along with salt, cumin powder and chilli powder. Stir until the tomatoes turn tender and pour required amout of water in it. Let it boil for nearly 15 minutes, Mashed dals goes straightway into the sauce pan, the sambar will tend to attain thick consistency enhancing the need to add sambar powder. Garnish it with coriander leaves. Decadent tomato sambar is ready to serve with idly, dosa or rice.

Hash Browns

2011-11-03T17:26:00.000-04:00

Hash browns from Dunkin Donuts is always delish. Are you tired of eating the french fries or home fries? If yes, here is this comfort side with potatoes which is an quintessential breakfast in uk.

These hash browns will make the morning more whimsical :)

Ingredients:

Grated potatoes-1 1/2 cups
Egg-1 no
Oil-As required
Salt-As required
Pepper powder-As required

Method:

Squeeze the grated potatoes using a clean cloth.Transfer them into a large bowl, add the egg to it followed by a dash of salt and pepper. Combine the ingredients well to a thick consistency as though you could form patties out of it. Heat a tbs of oil in a pan, scoop out the potato mixture, flatten it into patties and throw it into the pan. Toss it once the base is brown and crisp. Let both the sides turn golden brown, enjoy it as a side for breakfast.

Kaju Katli & Kara Sev-Wishing You All A Happy Diwali !!!

2011-10-25T08:22:00.001-04:00

The festival of lights needs no introduction and diwali is very special right from childhood especially awaiting for the fire crackers and having scrumptious meals and delicacies such as sweets and savories. I made kaju katli and kara sev. Presenting you with the pictures. The recipe for kara sev will be up later. Have A Wonderful Diwali !

Ingredients:

Cashews-1 1/4 cup

Granulated sugar-1 cup

Cardamom powder-a pinch
Water-1/2 cup

Method:

Grind the cashews to a fine powder. Combine the water and sugar in a pan. Let it boil and the bubbles will begin to pop in. Stir in the powdered cashews and cardamom powder. Keep it stirring avoiding lumps until it attains slight thick consistency. Transfer it to a greased surface where you can knead it later. Let it cool, knead the dough to make it soft. Now roll them and cut into diamond shaped kaju katlis. Knead again and repeat it for more kaju katlis. Let it dry and store it in room temperature.

Whole Wheat Barbecue Chicken Pizza

2011-10-21T18:29:00.000-04:00

Pizza night can be more fun, especially when you look forward to have a cheat meal. Then popped up this barbecue chicken pizza on the platter. I made this with whole wheat flour so the crust was light and crisp. If you would like the pizza crust to be fluffy you can replace it with all purpose flour or the combination of both the flours. Most of the families dine out on a friday evening. This would be ideal to eat in case if you wish to have a home made pizza.

Ingredients:

Whole wheat flour-2 cups
Warm water-3/4 cup
Olive oil-4 tsp
Dry yeast-1 pack
Salt-As required

For the pizza crust:

Stir in the yeast into warm water and let it sit for a while. Combine the flour, salt, oil, olive oil and the yeast in a huge bowl. Then transfer and knead the dough on a dusted surface and add some flour to it until you get the preferred consistency. Place the dough in a greased bowl preferably oil and cover it with damp cloth. Let it rise, so leave it for 2 hours.

Toppings:

Diced chicken-3 cups
Olive oil-2 1/2 tbs
Pizza sauce-1/4 cup
Chopped onions-3/4 cup
Peppers(optional)-few
Barbecue sauce-1/2 cup
Mozzarella cheese-1 cup
Parmesan cheese-1/4 cup
Salt-As required
Pepper powder-As required

Method:

Preheat the oven to 450 degrees F. Pan sear the chicken with some olive oil. Season with salt and pepper, set it aside. Use the same pan to fry the onions in oil. Knead the dough again, place it on a floured surface and roll the dough to make a perfect pizza crust. Now coat the crust with olive oil using a silicone brush. Then add the pizza sauce followed by mozzarella cheese, chicken, onions, peppers, barbeque sauce and finally top it with parmesan cheese. Bake it for almost 20 minutes or until the cheese is melted. Drool worthy barbecue chicken pizza is up to hog.

Spicy Deviled Eggs/Eggs Mimosa

2011-10-18T13:53:00.017-04:00

Deviled eggs are rich in protein and it's very easy to make. It is an absolute party snack that takes the center stage the reason being a crowd pleaser. Deviled eggs got its name since it is heavily or generously seasoned with hot spices. It is believed to have roman origin. Deviled eggs is otherwise known as eggs mimosa(Oeuf Mimosa) in french.

These are addictive and really tempting for all ages. You can have any kind of seasonings it need not necessarily be dijon mustard or hot sauce, you can incorporate anything that stays in the pantry. For kids you can use some cheese, sour cream.... For adults you can use horse radish, chilli powder, jalapenos, tobasco sauce... if you want it to be real spicy.

Ingredients:

Hard boiled eggs-5 nos
Mayonnaise-4 tbs
Hot sauce-1/4 tsp
Dijon mustard-2 1/2 tsp
Paprika-a pinch
Salt-As required
Pepper powder-As required
White wine vinegar-1 tsp

Method:

Before de-shelling the hard boiled eggs run them under cold water and then de-shell to avoid cracks. Slice the eggs lengthwise and scoop out the yolks from it. Mash the yolks in a bowl until the texture turns smooth. Stir in white wine vinegar, mayonnaise, hot sauce and dijon mustard. Spoon the filling into the egg whites. Season with some salt and pepper, sprinkle some paprika on it to kick off with little heat. Refrigerate the deviled eggs for 30 minutes to one hour and then serve it.

Mint/Pudina Chutney

2011-10-14T17:00:00.001-04:00

What can be more comforting than getting to eat idli or dosa with mint/pudina chutney? I should say that mint is the fanciest of all the herbs. More than twenty varieties of mint leaves exists, the most common being the peppermint and the spearmint. Mint leaves has its own share in beverages especially tea, appetizer's side, candies, cookies, ice creams too. It has its strong flavor in biryani though.

Mint is diuretic, clears stomach disorders, helps in curing asthma, sinusitis...Drinking herbal mint tea reduces irritated bowel syndromes and cleanses the stomach. I shall post the recipe of mint tea later on. I know that you are dreaming about having samosas with mint chutney now :) Now to the recipe.

Ingredients:

Mint Leaves- 1 bunch

Oil -1 tbs

Urad dal -1 1/2 tbs

Chopped ginger-1 tbs

Shredded coconut-1 tbs

Green chillies-1 no

Salt-As required

Water-As required

Tamarind extract-4 tsp

Method:

Wash the mint leaves under cold running water and strip the mint leaves off the stalk. Heat oil in a pan add the urad dal and the chopped ginger, fry it until urad dal turns slight brown. Now add the green chillies to it. After couple of minutes go ahead and throw in the mint leaves saute it until the mint leaves shrinks and changes its color. Remove from heat and let it cool. Now transfer it into a mixie or blender and add the shredded coconut, tamarind extract mixed with little water and a dash of salt. Grind it into a smooth consistency. Hearty mint chutney is ready to enjoy with dosa, idli or hot rice with ghee.

Pineapple & Banana Bread

2011-10-10T16:00:00.000-04:00

Ingredients:

All purpose flour-3/4 cup

Whole wheat flour-2 cups

Baking soda-1 tsp

Mashed bananas-2 cup

Vegetable oil-1/2 cup

Salt-1/4 tsp

Curry powder-1/2 tbs

Cinnamon powder-1/2 tsp

Powdered sugar-1/2 cup

Lime juice-2 tsp

Pineapple chunks-1 cup

Vanilla extract-1 tsp

Brown sugar-1/2 cup

Egg-1 no

Walnuts-As required

Method:

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Mix the flours, baking soda, salt, cinnamon powder and curry powder in a bowl. Whisk together the oil, egg, sugars, banana, vanilla extract and lime juice in an another bowl. Throw the the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients. Stir in the pineapple chunks and add the nuts to it. Pour the batter into a greased loaf pan. Bake for about 60 minutes or until a tooth pick inserted into the center comes out clean. Cool it on a wire rack before serving it.

Parupu Rasam/Lentil Soup

2011-10-04T22:14:00.001-04:00

Rasam is said to have an exotic combo with hot steamed rice often. It is eventually compared to a soup made with lentil which is an ultimate healer for cold, digestion issues..I was one among the rasam haters club :) I start with sambar rice, exclude the rasam(always said to be the second course) and straightway move on to the curd rice. Things have changed now, i started liking rasam because of its medicinal values. Rasam is preferably made for luncheon, rasam with papad, potato fry or egg podimas is a combo to die for. There are many types of rasam right from dal/parupu rasam, tomato rasam, garlic rasam, lemon rasam, pineapple rasam... I have made dal rasam with the combination of tomatoes and garlic.

Ingredients:

Toor dal/yellow lentil-3/4 cup
Asafoetida-a pinch
Mustard seeds-3/4 tsp
Garlic-6 to 8 nos
Chopped tomatoes-1/2 cup
Peppercorns-2 tsp
Cumin seeds-2 tsp
Urad dal-3/4 tsp
Dry red chillies-4 nos
Curry leaves-few
Turmeric powder-1/4 tsp
Salt-As required
Oil-1 tbs
Water-As required
Tamarind paste-1 tbs
Cilantro-few

Method:

Pressure cook the toor dal with turmeric powder, water and asafoetida for 5 whistles. Lightly mash the cooked dal after few minutes. Grind the cumin seeds, peppercorns and dry red chillies, set it aside(this is used as rasam powder). Heat the oil in a pan now add the mustard seeds, urad dal, curry leaves and garlic. Dilute the tamarind paste with half a cup of water and add the mashed dal to it along with the chopped tomatoes. Stir this mixture into the pan. Pour water into it according to the required consistency. Let it boil, add salt and the ground spice. Turn off the heat after 5 to 7 minutes, you can see the froth. Garnish it with some cilantro leaves. Aromatic garlic rasam is ready.

Yipee My bloggie baby turns 2 today ! Celebrating it with Lemon-Blueberry Bundt Cake...

2011-09-25T20:42:00.015-04:00

Hey All,

Sanscurryhouse turns two today. I still could not believe that its been two years now. Feeling little surreal though. Phew time flies. The first ever bundt cake i made today is lemon-blueberry bundt cake since i added a bundt cake pan to the collection. My huge thanks to everyone for your enormous support and most treasured comments.

Ingredients:

Self raising flour-2 3/4 cups
Dried blueberries-3/4 cup
Baking soda-1/2 tsp
Salt-1/2 tsp
Lemon zest-1 1/2 tbs
Eggs-3 nos
Butter-3/4 cup
Sugar-1 1/2 cups
Lemon juice-1/4 cup
Buttermilk-3/4 cup

Glaze:

Lemon juice-1/4 cup
Butter-1 3/4 tbs
Sugar-1/4 cup

Combine the butter, sugar and the lemon juice in a saucepan and bring it boil. It will turn slightly caramel color and syrupy as well, now remove the saucepan from the heat. Brush the glaze all over the cake.

Method:

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Butter and flour a bundt pan. Sift together the flour, salt and baking soda in a bowl. Now using an electric mixer whisk together the butter, sugar and the lemon zest till it's light. Now throw in one egg at a time and beat it. Pour the lemon juice into it. Add partial buttermilk into it followed by first half of the flour mixture. Repeat with the remaining buttermilk and the flour mixture. Throw in the dried blueberries. Pour the batter into the bundt pan and bake it in the oven for 60 minutes. Brush the glaze and let the cake cool for 30 minutes and then serve it.

Peach Cobbler-Come on, dig in guys!

2011-09-23T20:18:00.002-04:00

Who would say no to these gorgeous fresh peaches? Definitely not me. I had a chance to heartily pick them from the grocery store since i could not take my eyes off it. The minute i entered my nest i had been thinking to make a dessert out of them. My thought process landed in peach cobbler, which can be enjoyed even without ice cream. Summer is gone and even though fall keeps me excited(winter is a demon) these desserts are an amusement to experience and kick out feeling blue.

Ingredients:

All purpose flour-3/4 cup
Sliced peaches-3 cups
Sugar-1 cup
Butter(cold)-4 tbs
Nutmeg-a pinch
Baking powder-2 tsp
Cold water-1/4 cup
Lemon juice-2 tsp
Salt-1/4 tsp
Boiled water-1/4 cup
Cornstarch-1 tbs

Method:

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Now mix together the flour, 1⁄2 cup of sugar, baking powder, salt and nutmeg in a bowl. Throw in the cold butter to form coarse mixture. Pour the boiled water into it until the dough turns moist and place it aside. In an another bowl combine together the cold water, cornstarch, lemon juice, the rest of the sugar and the sliced peaches. In a skillet add the peach mixture and bring to boil. Cook it for a couple of minutes. Remove from heat,transfer it to the baking pan lined with parchment paper. Now drop the dough evenly over the peach mixture. Bake it in the oven for about 45 minutes until the top becomes golden brown. Let the cobbler cool and then serve it.

Sri Lankan Chicken Curry

2011-09-19T17:57:00.002-04:00

Sunday meal has to be really elaborate to please the taste bud and it should definitely be yummy in the tummy :) Presenting you with the divine Sri lankan chicken curry. Serve it with hot rice, dosa, naan...

Ingredients:

Boneless chicken cubes-300 gms
Chopped onions-1 cup
Chopped tomatoes-1 cup
Garlic cloves-6 nos
Turmeric powder-1/2 tsp
Oil-2 tbs
Salt-As required
Water-2 cups
Chilli powder-2 tsp
Garam masala-2 tsp
Coriander leaves-few
Coconut milk-3/4 cup

Method:

Heat the oil in a heavy bottomed pan, add the onions and cook until it turns brown. Now throw in the garlic cloves, turmeric powder, chilli powder, salt and garam masala powder along with the tomatoes. Stir it well for few minutes, add the chicken cubes. Pour water into it. Let it boil for 10 minutes. Now reduce the heat in order to pour the coconut milk. Let the curry boil for 20 more minutes. Garnish it with coriander leaves. Check whether the chicken is cooked through and turn off the heat to serve it with the perfect accompaniments of your choice. It tastes awesome the next day.

Strawberry Scones-Mmm Mmm Mmm

2011-09-15T15:23:00.001-04:00

Scones are of british origin. Scones are widely popular in scotland and ireland. There are sweet and savory versions of it. I feel no guilt in having fresh strawberries as snack so there will be atleast a cup of fresh strawberries in the refrigerator most of the time. Here is a quick recipe with strawberry made and enjoyed on a lazy sunday morning :)

Ingredients:

Sliced strawberries-1 1/4 cup

All purpose flour-3/4 cup

Whole wheat flour-1 cup

Granulated sugar-1/4 cup

Cold butter-1/2 stick

Salt-a pinch

Baking powder-1 1/2 tsp

Buttermilk/Heavy cream-3/4 cup

Vanilla extract-1 tsp

Method:

Preheat the oven to 400 degree F. Sprinkle a spoon of sugar on the strawberries and place it aside. Sift together the flours, sugar, baking powder and salt in a bowl. Add the butter to it, mix it thoroughly until it forms coarse texture. Combine together the buttermilk and vanilla extract. Stir in the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients, throw in the strawberries. Place the parchment paper on a sheet pan. Scoop and drop the dough on the sheet pan. It will yield 6 to 8 scones. Sprinkle some sugar on top of it. Bake for about 15 to 17 minutes until all the scones turn brown. Cool it on a wire rack and serve it with milk or a cup of tea if desired.

Mullangi/Radish Sambar-Radish Cooked With Hot Lentil.....

2011-09-13T11:15:00.018-04:00

Is there any day without sambar? Idli with sambar, pongal and sambar, dosa with sambar, rice with sambar...... There can be more combinations with sambar and especially sambar vada yum. Iam more inclined to radish when considering favorite veggie in sambar. Mostly what i get here is pink radish, even though the peeling is little time consuming it's so succulent to eat at the end of the day. I remember my cousins making a volcano look alike with the rice and have sambar on it like the lava :) it is fun to watch it. I got amazed on seeing it for the first time.

Ingredients:

Toor dal/yellow lentil-1 cup
Sliced pink radish-3 cups
Chopped onions-1 cup
Chopped tomatoes-3/4 cup
Chilli powder-1 1/4 tbs
Coriander powder-1 tbs
Sambar powder-1 tbs
Turmeric powder-1/2 tsp
Garlic pods-5 nos
Asafoetida-a pinch
Tamarind paste-1 tbs
Mustard seeds-1/2 tsp
Urad dal-1 tsp
Oil-2 tbs
Salt-As required
Water(Refer the instructions for the usage)-5 cups
Curry leaves-few
Coriander leaves-few

Method:

Pressure cook the toor dal with garlic pods, 1/4 tsp of turmeric powder, asafoetida, a tsp of oil and water. Turn off the stove once you hear 5 whistles it will almost take 20 to 25 minutes. Wait for a while, once the pressure settles down, mash the dal/lentil and leave it in the cooker. Heat the oil in a large cooking pot, add the mustard Seeds, once they start popping up, add the urad dal and curry leaves, let them crackle. Now add the onions and saute it till it turns brown. Add the chopped tomatoes and fry till the oil oozes out. Incorporate the chopped radish, saute it for sometime until the veggie turns tender. Pour 2 cups of water into it, throw in the chilli powder, salt and coriander powder. Once the radish gets boiled, the dal/lentil is added along with tamarind (Dilute the tamarind paste in 3/4 cup of water). Let it cook for 20 minutes for the spices to get along and finally add the sambar powder into it. Mix it well without forming lumps. Garnish the sambar with coriander leaves and serve it hot with rice and papad.

Shrimp Aglio E Olio

2011-09-07T20:33:00.008-04:00

Aglio E Olio is a tradional italian pasta served with parsley and parmesan cheese on top of it. Aglio E Olio is pronounced as "ally-E-o" -"eh" -"olly-Oh" The classic preparation of this dish is simply with garlic, olive oil and red pepper flakes. It is definitely a quick serving dish packed with punch of flavors. It can be made even without meat.

Ingredients:

Whole-wheat linguine pasta/spaghetti-250 gms
Peeled garlic cloves(finely chopped)-10 nos
Tail-less shrimp-20 nos
Red pepper flakes-1 tsp
Chopped parsley-1/4 cup
Grated parmesan cheese-As required
Salt-As required
Olive oil-1 tbs

Method:

Cook the pasta/spaghetti in water with a pinch of salt, drain the water and place it aside. Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium heat, add the finely chopped garlic cloves and stir it for few seconds. Care should be taken not to burn the garlic cloves because it would taste bitter. Now stir in the shrimp, cook for 5 to 7 minutes. Season with salt and red pepper flakes. Add the cooked pasta into it followed by parsley and parmesan cheese.

Ganesh Chaturthi Special-Modak/Kozhukattai/Sweet Dumplings

2011-09-03T01:41:00.009-04:00

Festive season should be keeping every one on high spirits. The month of august and september is the mark of many happenings, everybody gets excited especially the kids. Assuming that you all would have celebrated ganesh chaturthi in a grandeur manner with family and friends. Ganesh chaturthi has been my personal favorites since my childhood. The birth of lord ganesh is immensely celebrated having his clay idol at home for a week and then immersing it in the well or the ocean. Right from kozhukattais/modak/sweet dumplings, sundal, sweet pongal, vada n what not... are the perfect times to hog on for the special day. I could just manage to make butter murukku, sundal, modhakam n sweet pongal. I will share the recipe of murukku and sundal later on. Modak/kozhukattai is a sweet dumpling made using rice flour. Modak being vinayakar's/ganesh's favorite i prepared it with two types of fillings inside.The first one being the jaggery and coconut filling, the second one being the combination of grated coconut and sugar. The recipe follows.

Modak/Kozhukattai/Sweet Dumplings:

Ingredients:

Rice flour-1 cup
Water-1 1/2 cup
Oil-As required
Salt-a pinch

Method:

Heat water in a pan, let it boil. Add salt to the boiling water. Remove the water from the heat. Now slowly add water to the rice flour little by little. Use a ladle to mix and take care not to form lumps. Let it cool for few minutes. Apply some oil on the hand and knead the dough to a smooth consistency.

To prepare modak:

Make small round balls out of the dough and press it. Later on flatten the edges to make a small cup by pressing the edges back and forth using thumb and forefinger. Now place the fillings inside it and seal the edges with water. I don't have the mold, iam thinking to get it shortly. Repeat the process for the rest of the dumplings. Arrange them on a greased idli plate and steam cook for 8 to 10 minutes.

Jaggery Filling:
Ingredients:

Grated jaggery- 1 cup
Grated coconut-3/4 cup
Cardamom powder-a pinch
Water-As required
Ghee-1 tsp

Method:

Heat the ghee in a pan, add the jaggery to it. Pour enough water to the pan as though it melts the jaggery. Add the cardamom powder to it. When the mixture thickens throw in the grated coconut. Stir it well and remove it from the stove. Let it cool and place this filling inside the dumplings.

Coconut Filling:
Ingredients:

Grated coconut-1 cup
Granulated sugar-1/2 cup
Ghee-4 tsp

Method:

Heat ghee in a skillet, add the coconut to it followed by sugar. The mixture would turn little brown. Turn off the stove. This makes an ideal filling for the dumplings.

Buttermilk Pancakes

2011-08-29T18:13:00.005-04:00

I love to go to the restaurant IHop. Their menu works wonder for a hungry soul, i always end up ordering their pancakes or waffle with strawberries and whip cream on top :) I was having a quickie in mind during the weekend and apparently it resulted in making this filling and a simple breakfast.

Ingredients:

All purpose flour-3/4 cup

Whole wheat flour-1/2 cup

Granulated sugar-2 tsp

Baking soda-1 tsp

Buttermilk-1 cup

Egg-1 no

Melted butter-1 tbs

Method:

Combine the flours, sugar and baking soda in a large bowl. Now whisk together the buttermilk, oil, egg and the butter. Add it to the flour mixture, stirring just until moist. Heat a griddle or nonstick skillet over medium heat, lightly coat it with cooking spray or butter. Spoon about 1/4 cup batter onto griddle. Flip the pancakes after cooking it for 2 minutes per side until it turns golden color. Serve the pancakes with maple syrup, scrambled egg and some fruits esp strawberries and whipped cream on top of it makes the breakfast even more divine :)

Krishna Jayanthi Special-Sweet/Vella Seedai & Salt/Uppu Seedai

2011-08-22T17:27:00.002-04:00

Wishing you all a lovely gokulashtami ! Krishna Jayanthi is a festival celebrated on the occasion of the birthday of Lord Krishna, an avatar of Lord Vishnu. Lord Krishna was born in the prison of Mathura to Devaki and Vasudeva as their eighth son. This incarnation of Vishnu is the most delightful of all his avatars. He was born at midnight and was carried across the River Yamuna to Nanda Gopal and Yashodha who brought him up. Krishna was born in the month of Shravana (August- September) on the eighth day of the dark fortnight and his birth falls on the star Rohini. Lord Krishna was born to kill the evil Kamsa.

Nobody even realizes the amount of sweets and savouries they eat during this festival, lots of them will be there to hog on. I will be confused to pick what to eat during my childhood :) This festival is so endearing to me since my maternal grand mother would prepare right from kara sev,om padi, vadai, muruku, thattai, seedai, laddoos, burfis, thirati pal, appam, mysore pak, .... there were days that i wished this auspicious day to be everyday :D Her seedai is the best one could ever eat. I made sweet seedai/Vella seedai along with salt/uppu seedai on this festive day. I did not use sesame seeds for the sweet seedai, you can incorporate it.

Sweet/Vella Seedai:

Ingredients:

Rice flour- 2 cups

Room temperature butter-2 tbs

Cold milk-1 cup

Grated coconut-1 tbs
Powdered Sugar -1 cup

Cardamom(optional)-a pinch

Baking soda -1/2 tsp

Oil-As required

Method:

Dry roast the rice flour for nearly 10 minutes, let it cool. Now mix together the rice flour, butter, coconut, baking soda and the sugar. Pour the milk gradually into it, get the consistency similar to roti dough consistency. Roll the dough into round balls and get it ready to fry it in the oil. Wait until the sweet seedai turns golden brown, then remove it from the heat. This overcomes the craving for people having sweet tooth :) You would n't end up eating just one, so stay careful :)

Salt/Uppu Seedai:

Ingredients:

Rice flour-2 cups

Urad dal flour-3 tbs

Asafoetida-a pinch

Room temperature butter -2 tbs

Cumin -1 tsp

Grated coconut-1 tbs

Sesame seeds -2 tsp

Salt-As required
Oil-As required

Water -As required

Method:

Dry roast the rice flour in a pan for nearly 6 to 8 minutes, take care not to burn it. Remove it from the heat, let it cool. Those who do not have urad dal flour can dry roast the urad dal and grind it. Now mix together the flours, asafoetida, cumin, butter, sesame seeds, coconut, salt and sufficient amount of water. The dough should resemble the roti dough consistency. Heat oil in a skillet, have it in the medium heat and make small balls gently. Fry them in the oil, take care that the seedai might burst initially so stay little away from the stove. Remove it from the heat when it turns golden brown color. Place them on paper towels and drain the excess oil. Salt seedai/ uppu seedai is ready to munch around.

Masala Dosa & Egg Dosa

2011-08-17T19:11:00.004-04:00

Well today's recipe is two different types of dosas. Dosa, what can be said more about that being a common south indian breakfast which is thoroughly enjoyed right from infants to seniors. Dosa is a gluten free breakfast recipe in case you are allergic to wheat. Dosa can be compared to a pancake that's made more often with the combination of rice and white lentils. None can resist this dish with a spicy hot chutney, sambar or any other non vegetarian curry. I always get demanding with my mom when it comes to dosa, i would like to eat a thin crepe. Nowadays iam not demanding any more he he i guess you might know the reason now. Because it's self cooking, be it the end product comes as a dosa or utthapam :) Trust me iam getting closer to getting a thin crepe. Let me remind you about other types of dosas such as rava dosa, paper dosa, methi dosa, cone dosa, set dosa, onion dosa, ghee roast, ragi dosa, wheat dosa, neer dosa.....hmm the list is endless. Egg dosa and masala dosa have been my favorites till date. Now to the recipe.

Ingredients for Dosa Batter:

Idly rice-3 cups

White lentils(Urad dal)-3/4 cup

Rice Flakes/Beaten Rice/Poha(optional)-1/2 cup

Fenugreek seeds(optional)-3/4 tsp

Salt-As required

Method:

Soak the idly rice in water for 5 to 6 hours or leave it overnight. Similarly soak the urad dal,poha and fenugreek seeds in water for few hours. Grind the rice separately and the urad dal, poha with fenugreek seeds separately to a thick consistency batter(pancake batter consistency) using a blender or grinder. Set it aside in a warm place because you got to get it fermented, the batter tends to raise from 1 inch to 2 inches depending upon the weather and the place where ever you reside. Add some salt and water to get the desired consistency.

Now heat a skillet, grease it with some oil. Pour 1/4 cup of the batter on it spreading it evenly, pour some oil around the corner and flip the dosa. Dosa will turn little brown and crispy. This is just a plain dosa.

Masala Dosa:

Masala dosa is placing potato masala stuffing inside the plain dosa.

Potato Masala:

Ingredients:

Cooked & mashed potato-2 cups

Curry leaves-few nos

Asafoetida(optional)-1/2 tsp

Cilantro-As required

Turmeric powder-1/4 tsp

Mustard seeds-1 tsp

Chopped onions-3/4 cup

Green chillies/Serrano pepper-2 nos

Salt-As required

Water-As required

Oil-As required

Method:

Heat the oil in a pan, add the mustard seeds followed by turmeric powder, curry leaves, green chillies and asafoetida. When the mustard seeds splutters add the onions to it, when the onions turn little brown incorporate the potato into it. Sprinkle the salt on it, pour some water to it. Let it cook for almost 6 to 8 minutes. The masala should be turning thick, garnish it with some cilantro. Now spread this masala on a plain dosa and fold it. Yummy masala dosa is ready.

Egg Dosa:

Ingredients:

Dosa batter-1 cup

Oil-As required

Salt-As required

Pepper-As required

Method:

After pouring the dosa batter on a skillet break a whole egg onto the dosa, sprinkle some salt and pepper on it. Then flip it so that the egg gets cooked. Pour some oil around it. Egg dosa tastes great with chicken korma or any other chutney.

Tender Coconut Kheer

2011-08-15T19:47:00.009-04:00

I was one among many people who would possibly opt for tender coconut water regularly during the summer time back home in order to battle against the scorching heat. Even though all i could get is the tetra pack these days i prefer to drink it. Tender coconut water is the natural beverage which is full of nutrients. It helps to keep the body cool, promotes digestion and boosts the immunity. This is truly heavenly, everyone should try it.

Ingredients:

Frozen coconut meat/fresh coconut pulp - 4 small cubes

Tender coconut water - 1 cup

Milk -1/2 cup

Condensed Milk-50 ml

Coconut milk - 1 cup

Custard powder-1 tbs

Cardamom powder -a pinch

Ghee-4 tsp

Cashews -As required

Raisins-As required

Method:

Add the custard powder to the cold milk. Stir it continuously for some time so that the custard powder does not form clusters. Grind the coconut meat thoroughly. Boil the milk in a pan, add the ground coconut meat/pulp to it. When the milk boils add the condensed milk to it gradually ,mix it well. Pour in the tender coconut water and the coconut milk. When the kheer attains thick consistency add the cardamom powder to it. Turn off the heat and let the kheer to cool. Heat the ghee in a pan, add the cashews and raisins to it. Later on throw them into the kheer for additional flavor and aroma. Refrigerate the tender coconut kheer for a while and then serve it. I added the custard powder for a change, you can eliminate it if you wish to.

Hearty Tomato & Celery Soup

2011-08-07T23:59:00.005-04:00

Hope you all had an amazing weekend. Let me go to the recipe now, it's soup day. Hmm ...,What do i say about celery? Well i turn into a kid when it comes to eating celery stalks. I cannot eat it as such so i eat with some peanut butter or ranch. Otherwise i like incorporating them into raita, salad and soups which turns out to be bearable. The smell of this herb(celery) is overpowering so not many of them likes it. So here is a way to add them into our diet as a soup Celery has amazing nutritional values and it contains negative calories. One stalk of celery is equivalent to 6 calories.

Some health benefits of celery:

1. It helps to reduce body weight and blood cholesterol levels. Celery is a functional food. Its leaves are rich source of flavonoid antioxidants which has a major role in cancer protective functions.

2. It is also good source of vitamin-A and vitamin-C. Vitamin-A and beta carotene are natural flavonoid antioxidants. Vitamin A is also required for maintaining healthy mucus membranes and skin and is essential for vision. Consumption of natural foods rich in flavonoids helps body to protect from lung and oral cavity cancers.

3. It also has established role in Alzheimer's disease patients by limiting neuronal damage in the brain.

Note: Before using celery wash them in cold water in order to remove surface dust, fungicide, and pesticides.

Ingredients:

Diced tomatoes-2 cupsChopped onions-1 cup

Finely chopped celery-1/2 cup

Olive oil-1 tbs

Vegetable stock-2 cups

Garlic-5 nos

Dried parsley-1 tsp

Oregano-3/4 tbs

Dried rosemary-1 tsp

Chilli powder-1 tsp

Salt-As required

Pepper-As required

Method:

Heat the oil in a pan, add the onions and finely chopped celery. Saute the onions and celery for a while. When the onion turns translucent, add the vegetable stock, oregano, rosemary, and chilli powder. Simmer on low heat for 10 minutes. Roast the garlic cloves in little oil. Dust the diced tomatoes with some olive oil, salt and pepper, grill it until it turns tender using an electric grill. Add them to the pan. Let it blend well with the other ingredients.

Transfer half of the soup to the blender, add the roasted garlic, and puree until it turns thick. For a smoother soup, blend the rest of the soup and return it to the pan. Add the parsley, salt and pepper to taste. Remove it from the heat. Serve it hot, this soup turns out to be really filling. Enjoy the tomato and celery soup with some crackers.

Easy Breezy Cheesy Ground Chicken Burger... Yummm !!!

2011-07-12T17:27:00.002-04:00

Ingredients:

Hamburger buns-5 nos

Ground chicken-3 cups

Egg-1 no

Garlic powder-1 tsp

Salt-As required

Black pepper powder-As required

Cheddar cheese-few nos

Tomatoes/Onions-1 no

Cooking spray/Oil

Method:

In a bowl mix together the ground chicken, egg, garlic powder, salt and the pepper powder to form patties. In a pan coated with cooking spray, place the patties over medium heat and cook both the sides until brown throughout. Later place the patties on the hamburger buns with some lettuce, tomatoes, onions, cheese alternatively to your choice and serve the burger with tomato ketchup or ranch. It tastes amazing. Try it and let me know buddies.