Cooking with Dipika

Award Time - Double Dhamaka

noreply@blogger.com (Dipika) — Fri, 04 Feb 2011 20:52:00 +0000

Hiii Friends,

I am very happy to receive 2 Awards !!!

Its been ages since I have had a real blogging experience again..!!!! I was away from the bloggers world, when I started studies last year September. A few weeks ago, I just thought of visiting my other blog (Food, music and beyond) to see some pooja procedures, its then I noticed that my both blogs are still on :), people are visiting and making use of it.

And Special Special thanks to Reva of (http://www.kaarasaaram.com/) for inspiring me to start blogging again and giving me "one lovely blog award ".

I have seen her blog and its amazing. I liked all her recipes and the clicks.

I read that her recipes were published in Uk's Magazine "khaana Peena Naachna Gaana". Must say they were very good recipes...nice collection Reva :)

The Second award that I saw today was from Sangeetha of (http://recipe-excavator.blogspot.com).."Stylish Blogger Award". Her recipes give us a tour of South India, with awesome dishes like Avail, kootu..mainly focusing on traditional Tamilnadu dishes, which I really enjoy cooking.

Thanks To both the ladies !!!

I will try my best to be part of the bloggers world again !!!

To accept this award:
Thank the person who gave you this award

Share 7 things " About myself"

List 15 friends you like to pass on this award to

I would like to share this award with the following 15 other friends:

1. Reva again!!!! ..

2. Sangeetha again!!!

3.Harikas' Kitchen - like the carvings ..amazing Harika.!!! - http://harikaskitchen.blogspot.com/

4. Deepa - http://hamareerasoi.blogspot.com/

5. Reshmi Mahesh - http://funwidfud.blogspot.com/

6. Aipi - http://usmasala.blogspot.com/

7. Lisha - http://malabarikitchen.blogspot.com/

8.Pushpa - http://www.simplehomefood.com/

9 Jay - http://tastyappetite.blogspot.com/

10 Kitchen Queen - http://kattameethatheeka.blogspot.com/

11 Rachu - http://ammaandbaby.blogspot.com/

12 Raks - http://www.rakskitchen.net/

13 Sowmya - http://www.creativesaga.com/

14 chitra - http://anyonecan-cook.blogspot.com/

15 pari - http://cooking-goodfood.blogspot.com/

Cauliflower Pickle - Andhra Style

noreply@blogger.com (Dipika) — Sat, 29 Jan 2011 00:38:00 +0000

Fresh cauliflower florets mixed with Indian spices and lime juice for the tangy -spicy taste.

No wonder there are 100's of variations and varieties in pickles, Andhra pickles always taste spicy and lip smacking .

I first heard about cauliflower pickle in Hyderabad

When I made this pickle at home, Mahesh loved it extremely and finished one large bottle in just 1 week. Even today he insists me to do cauliflower pickle, when I say that I would try other pickle this time :)

The aroma of ginger- garlic enhances the taste of the pickle. Goes well with parathas and hot rice :)

This pickle was taught to me by my friend Kavita. Later we all gathered at one of my friends place at our apartment and made this pickle . We took step by step clicks, to publish in my blog.

I told them I would be posting it pretty soon but I took very long time, as my other posts were in queue :(

So today its the Cauliflower pickle turn.

Ingredients:

Cauliflower - 1

Red Chilli powder - 1/2 cup

Salt - Little less than 1/2 cup

Garlic cloves - 8 - 10

Ginger 1 " - 4 -5

turmeric - 1 tsp

Lime - 1 (small - 2)

(To be roasted slightly and powdered)

Mustard seeds - 2 Tbsp

Cumin seeds - 1 tsp

Fenugreek seeds - 1/2 tsp

For Seasoning:

Oil - 5 tbsp

Mustard seeds - 1 tbsp

Curry leaves - 1 sprig

Dried red chillies - 5 -6

Method:

1) Separate the florets into small pieces , wash them properly and allow it to dry on a clean napkin cloth and put them in a large dry bowl.

2) Roast the above mentioned ingredients (mustard, cumin and fenugreek seeds) and powder them. Grind ginger garlic to a coarse paste.

3) In a bowl mix all the dry ingredients. This helps to taste the mix and modify salt- chilli mixture according to your taste.

4) Add this mix to the florets.

5) Finally prepare the tempering and allow it to cool for 5 minutes. Add this to the mixture , Squeeze lime juice and keep aside for a day.

6) The pickle leaves the juice and florets shrink a bit. Crispy, tangy and finger licking pickel will be ready .

Transfer this in an air tight jar and refrigerate it. Stays for about 1-2 weeks.

Brown Rice Khichidi

noreply@blogger.com (Dipika) — Fri, 14 Jan 2011 19:56:00 +0000

One day, we went to a Thai restaurant and they served red curry with brown rice. It was very filling yet light. We were not feeling it too heavy or drowsy as we generally feel with an Indian restaurant food. We then saw on net about brown rice Vs white rice and to our surprise, we realized that white rice has about one fourth of fiber as compared to brown rice. White rice is chemically processed and they do add talc or glucose as a whitening or polishing agent. Eating white rice is ok, if we cook it in a right way (refer to my earlier post about Cooking rice the healthy way). But I feel, once in a while we have to include brown rice in our diet.

So we started cooking brown rice but I couldn't enjoy brown rice with south Indian chutneys and rasam. I seriously wanted to have white rice but my husband was enjoying it. I then thought probably, my taste buds weren't accepting it and I thought this happens with many of them, thats why many hesitate to buy brown rice. Then I started experimenting to make this rice tastier and see with what dishes it goes well.

I tried many dishes and came to know that it goes well with dal makhani, tadka dal, thai green curry and when cooked as mixed vegetable rice or khichidi.

Now I am going to share the recipe for Brown Rice Khichidi. There are many ways to cook khichidi but the basic premise is cooking rice with lentils. Simple and authentic :)

The spices are added according to my families taste, you can always modify it as per your taste.

Brown rice Basmati - 1 cup

mung dal - 1/2 cup ( I used whole green mung dal)

Ginger chopped - 2 tsp

green chillies - 3 to 4

Onions thinly sliced - 1

Crushed Pepper powder - 1/2 tsp

Clove - 3

cardamom and cinnamon - 1 each

Bay leaf - 1

curry leaves - 1 sprig

turmeric - 1/2 tsp

Crushed cumin - 2 to 3 tsp

oil/ghee - 1 Tbsp

salt - to taste

Wash rice and soak at least for 15 minutes. Meanwhile You can be ready with all the ingredients.

- In a pressure cooker, Add 1 tbsp oil and add crushed cumin seeds, cloves, cardamom, cinnamon and bay leaf. - Saute for a minute and add turmeric, green chillies, curry leaves, ginger and onions. Wait till onions become translucent.

- Add rice and dal, fry for a minute mixing all the masalas evenly and add 3 cups of water to it.( remember this khichidi must be very soft, you can add 1/2 cup of water more to it)

- finally add crushed pepper, salt and coriander leaves and close the lid. Wait till 3 whistles. turn off and serve hot.

Goes well with tadka dal or raitha.

Festive treats - Murrukulu / Chakli

noreply@blogger.com (Dipika) — Fri, 27 Aug 2010 19:41:00 +0000

Shravana masam - must say a festive month, with poojas and festivals.
When it comes to food, pindi vantalu/ snack items is compulsory. Murrukulu or chakli is one among these crispy snack varieties.

In Andhra and Karnataka...Chaklies/murrukulu are often made and served as snacks/ savories... Just like we have pop corn while watching tv or as time pass snack when friends arrive at our place....the same way these snacks were taken in olden days.....Having busy lifestyle, many cannot prepare these snacks at home and so people prefer instant mixes or ready made Indian snacks that are available in the supermarkets now a days.

Last week when I made these chaklies, it reminded me of my grandmother and tears rolled down my eyes...
I remember my grandmother making chakli (in kannada) whenever we visited her place...she used to store these in an air tight box and used to give us 4 chaklies..very crispy and crunchy and one rava laddu for snacks :).

So, I decided to make chaklies and got the presser from one of my friends in our apartments.
When I was preparing to make these chaklies, it was a challenging task, as one needs bit patience to prepare the Urad flour, press the murruku maker and also to clean up the kitchen after the mess..but the result I got was of course worth it...crispy chaklies..though not perfect round shape :)

Step by Step procedure : Chakli / Murruku

Ingredients :

Urad flour - 1 cup (Urad flour preperation shown below )
Rice flour - 2 cups
Melted Butter - 2 Tbspn
jeera - 2 tsp
asofoetida - 1 pinch
Salt - as per taste

Method :

1.Combine all the above ingredients in a mixing bowl.

2. Add water little by little and prepare the dough. Make sure that the dough is soft enough just like the chapathi dough.

3. Heat sufficient oil in a pan / tava for deep frying. Take a lemon sized portion of the dough and put it in the Murruku/chakli maker and press it directly above the tava for the batter to drop in the oil using the single star designed plate inside the presser.

4 Fry till golden brown color and place it on a paper napkin.
Store it in a airtight box for instant snacks anytime anywhere :)

Urad Flour :

1. Roast 1 cup urad dal /urad gota in a pan. When the color changes to light brown turn off the gas...(its fine if some urad seeds are white..its just that they should be roasted once) .Set aside for cooling.

2. Powder it finely, giving breaks in between so that the grinder doesn't get heated up.. :P.
Urad flour is ready :)

Banana Bread and an Award

noreply@blogger.com (Dipika) — Sun, 01 Aug 2010 01:53:00 +0000

Banana Bread - A flavorful delight, one can enjoy anytime with tea/coffee/milk

One can make various types of banana bread once the measurements are known. You can add nuts along with grated coconut for flavor. I sometimes add coconut milk to it by adding only one egg to the process.

Many variations can be done as per your interest and thats why I often choose to make this banana bread recipe.

First time I had no hand mixer at home , so I used the so called Indian Mixer and prepared the batter. I was surprised to get a very good banana bread .

Once u develop the interest you can always go for a hand mixer as its very handy and easy to operate.

Ingredients :

All Purpose Flour - 1 1/4 cup

Sugar - 1 Cup

Eggs - 2

Bananas ripe - 2

Baking Soda - 1/2 tsp

Baking Powder - 1/2 tsp

Salt - 1/2 tsp

Vegetable Oil - 1/2 cup ( I opt oil rather than butter ) / (If butter - 1/3 cup melted)

Butter - 2 Tbsp (melted)

Nuts ( walnuts/ cashew ) - 1/2 Cup (chopped)

Cinnamon powder - 1/2 tsp

nutmeg - 1/2 tsp (optional)

Vanilla Essence - 2 Tbsp

Required Material:

Measuring cups, 2 mixing bowls, hand mixer / (Indian blender ), 9/5 inch Loaf pan

Method:

Preheat the Oven for 350 F

In a big mixing bowl, combine all the powder ( Flour, baking pwdr, soda, cinnamon, nutmeg and salt) and mix it gently with a spatula and keep aside.

In another mixing bowl combine eggs and sugar. Whisk it properly - this is generally referred as creaming. To this add mashed bananas, vanilla essence and oil. With the help of hand mixer, keeping the speed on 1 whisk it for 2-3 minutes. ( note: Do not over do it as it may loose the binding)

Add nuts to the above mixture and mix it very gently with a spatula. One can even add 1/2 cup of unsweetened coconut to it. Tastes yummm..:)

Combine the above banana - egg mixture in the Flour mix bowl. Whisk it again till the flour and banana mixture gets a flowing thick consistency by adding extra 2Tbsp of butter for smoothness. Speed should be 2 if using hand mixer. If Indian mixie - press on pulse till the mixer gets combined and then switch to low/1 speed for 4-5 minutes.

Butter the Loaf pan or coat with cooking spray and pour this mixture. Keep the pan in the oven set the oven time to 60 minutes - temperature - 350 F.

Remove from the oven and allow it to cool for 10 minutes. Then invert the pan and let the bread cool completely for slicing and serving :)

(Tip: First set the temperature for 50 minutes. Insert a knife/ tooth pick in the bread, if it comes out clean , it means its properly done. If bread is getting sticked to the knife/ tp, set for another 10 minutes and check.)

MY FIRST AWARD :
This my first award that I received from my friends Vasavi Suresh and Asha Mernedi.
Thank you very much ladies for considering me as one of the versatile bloggers :)
Love ur blogs - Its always interesting, creative and exciting with delicious recipes !!!!

7 Things about myself:

1. Fun loving person
2. Extrovert - My nature
3. Cooking - my passion
4. Traveling - my hobby
5. Interior designing - my interest
6. Love my Husband and my family more than me
7. Believe in spiritualism - Fear and faith in God

I would like to share this award with the following 15 other friends:
1. Gayatri Raj
2. Jay
3.Padma's recipes
4. Pranitha
5. Deepa
6. Padhu
7. srividhya
8. Satya
9. Pavithra
10. Shanti
11.Priti
12. US masala
13.Aathidhyam
14. Savi ruchi
15 EC

To accept this award
Thank the person who gave you this award

Share 7 things " About myself"

List 15 friends you like to pass on this award to.

Mexican Rice - Indian Style

noreply@blogger.com (Dipika) — Tue, 13 Jul 2010 22:09:00 +0000

Steamed rice cooked with colorful bell peppers and soy sauce

Mexican Rice traditionally includes onions, garlic, tomatoes and rice cooked with broth. I tried this recipe with an Indian touch. I had 3 different colored capsicums at home and thought why not modify a bit , as each color capsicum has a different flavor in it, so tried using this in the recipe and it tasted yummm and looked colorful :)

The first time I made this Mexican rice, everybody at home loved it, though a different method but later got to know that Mexican rice can be made in different forms using broccoli's/tomatoes/capsicums. One can use this as a side dish with tortillas, beans or with tacos. But we relished only Mexican rice all alone whole heartedly.

So here is a very simple and a quick fix Mexican Rice recipe with an Indian tinge:

Mexican Rice

Ingredients :

Rice - 1 cup

Water / Vegetable Broth - 1 1/2 cups

Onion - 1

Bell peppers/ capsicums chopped into long slices - 2 cups

Tomato - 1 large (if using red capsicum you can avoid tomato)

Cabbage shredded - 1 cup

Garlic - 3-4 cloves

Chilli powder - 1 tsp

Soy sauce - 1 Tbsp

Butter/ oil - 2 Tbsp

Salt to taste

Method:

In a pressure pan , put some oil or butter and fry chopped onions till transparent, add crushed garlic to it and saute for a minute. To this add Rice and gently fry for 1-2 minutes and add 1 1/2 cups water/broth ,cook for 1 whistle keeping on medium flame. Sim for 5 minutes and turn off.

[Note: one can use rice cooker but make sure that the rice grains are separated no matter what process u follow to cook the rice.]

In a pan, add 2 tbsp oil/ butter, fry capsicums for 3-4 minutes and add shredded cabbage, fry for 2 minutes, add tomato slices , chilli powder, soy sauce, salt and mix it.

Finally add the cooked rice and gently mix along with all the ingredients. Garnish with parsley :)

Gobi Paratha - Quick n Easy

noreply@blogger.com (Dipika) — Sat, 03 Jul 2010 00:12:00 +0000

Cauliflower curry stuffed in the plain bread/roti and served hot with pickle, salad and curd

Gobi Paratha is my all time favorite delicacy. Its a bit tricky to make gobi parathas since while rolling the dough , the stuffing can spill out because the stuffing is not as soft as that of the other parathas.

I have mentioned two methods of making the paratha.I find the second method very quick and easy with lots of stuffing in it.

Nutrional facts: Three florets of cauliflower a day will provide you with 67% of your daily vitamin C requirement. When purchasing cauliflower, make sure the tops are white. If the floret has begun to spot brown or puple, it is past its nutritional peak.

One can eat raw cauliflower for the nutritional benefits, however if you cook it...one can steam it or slights cook the vegetables but not fry it completely till it changes its color.

Step by step procedure:

Serves : 8-9 parathas
Dough:
Chapathi flour - 2 cups
Mix the dough by adding a pinch of salt, 1 tbsp of oil and required amount of water. Prepare the dough. Apply oil and keep aside covering a wet cloth on it for about half an hour.

Stuffing
Cauliflower - 1
Green chillies - 2-3
Ginger 1" - 1
Cumin powder - 2 tsp
Coriander Powder- 3 tsp
Chilli Powder - 1 tsp
turmeric - a pinch
Salt as per taste
Corriander leaves for garnishing.
oil - 1 Tbsp

1. Grate cauliflower finely and keep it aside.
2. In a pan add 1 Tbsp of oil and add finely chopped green chillies and ginger. Add grated cauliflower to it and mix all the ingredients and cook on medium flame till the raw smell of cauliflower and the moisture in it goes away.
3. Keep aside to cool.

Method 1:
Make round balls for the parathas. Roll it to a puri size and place the stuffing as shown below

2. Close the roll by joining all the edges just as a dumpling shape.
3. Make a bigger roll by dusting the flour. The stuffing should be spread evenly as shown below.

3. Place this on the hot pan / tava. keep turning till the both sides are cooked evenly. Apply a dot of butter and serve hot gobi parathas with pickle and curd :)

Method 2.
1) In this method, take two small balls and prepare like chapathis . Spread the stuffing on top of one chapathi Pic shown below.

2) Now place the second chapathi above it and seal the edges evenly. If possible spread some flour and roll it slightly finally. Place this on a hot pan and cook them on both sides.
3) when done, you can cut into any shape or serve one full paratha placing a dot of butter on top of it. :)

Corn Malai Palak / Creamy Corn Spinach

noreply@blogger.com (Dipika) — Mon, 28 Jun 2010 16:40:00 +0000

Corn kernels topped over creamy spinach puree and blended with aromatic flavors, to add spice to the dish!!!

I always have palak in my refrigerator and I make sure to include it in several dishes like for dals, curries and yes...in Palak paneer ofcourse..how can I miss this main dish :).
As paneer adds lot of fat, I thought of using peas or corn.

So, finally ended up with corn malai palak menu.

A very simple and delicious dish, similar to palak paneer.

Colorful combination - yellow and green :)

Ingredients:

Palak / BabySpinach - 1 packet (2 bunches)
Green chillies - 4 to 5 (can add more)
Garlic pods - 4 to 5
Ginger 1" piece -3
Onion - 1
Fresh cream - 3 - 4 Tbsp (I used Lite cream)
Boiled Corn - 1 cup
Cumin and coriander powder - 1 Tbsp each
cumin seeds - 1 tbsp
Turmeric - a pinch
Oil - 2 Tbsp
Salt - as per taste

Method:

1. Blanching : Wash palak/spinach and put them in boiling water for 5 minutes / till it becomes dark color. Drain water and pour cold water on to it and keep aside. This is called blanching.
2. Make a puree of it without adding water.

3. Coarsely make a paste of green chillies, garlic and ginger.

4. In a pan , add oil, cumin seeds. When they crackle , add onions, turmeric and saute till the onions become transparent and then add the above paste, cumin - coriander powder. Mix well.
5. Add the palak/ spinach puree. Cook for about 10 minutes. add corn to the curry and mix it gently. cook for another 5 minutes.

6. Turn of the gas and add the cream.
7. Garnish with a few corns and cream on top and serve hot with rotis. naans, kulchas ..:)

Thai Pineapple Fried Rice

noreply@blogger.com (Dipika) — Wed, 23 Jun 2010 23:19:00 +0000

Rice fried with pineapple chunks,Cashews, flavored with soy and curry powder and finally garnished with spring onions n Coriander..!!! Truly veggie

Hmm sounds different for the first time listeners :). Even I had the same feeling but trust me when I had this at a Thai restaurant...I was pleasantly surprised by its taste and flavor.

We had pineapple at home and my husband generally includes pineapple in the salads and while baking. This time he thought of using it in a different way and so I suggested him to make my favourite thai fried rice.
He researched online...got some idea...mix and matched a few recipes and created his own :).
Believe me it was pretty decent and delicious for the first try itself.

The sweet and sour taste of pineapple makes this dish yummm..
Here is the recipe :-

Ingredients :
Pineapple chunks - 2 cups (3/4 th of whole pineapple) / 1 can of pineapple ready made
Cashews - 1/2 cup (broken cashew)
Precooked rice - 3 cups ( if freshly cooked rice, keep aside for an hour)
onion - 1
green chillies - 2
Spring onions - 4
Soy sauce - 2 Tbsp
Curry powder - 1 Tbsp
garlic - 3 cloves
Coriander leaves - Garnishing
Salt - for taste
Olive oil

Method:

1) Add some olive oil in the precooked rice and mix it well, so that the grains are separated and keep it aside.
2) In a pan put some oil, saute onions till transparent, add chopped garlic, green chillies minced, mix it well and then add cashew nuts and fry it for a minute or two.
3) Now add the above rice and pineapple chunks together. Mix it gently and add soy sauce, curry powder and salt. Cook for about 3-5 minutes.
4) Finally add finely chopped spring onions and coriander leaves. Garnish and serve hot :)

Options : 1) One can add 1 egg after the step2 and continue the process.
2) Add peas and grated carrot for the extra flavor

Quick Fixes - Pasta !!!

noreply@blogger.com (Dipika) — Tue, 22 Jun 2010 03:55:00 +0000

Pasta combined with carrots and greens and seasoned with italian herbs

A healthy dish that can be combined with lot many veggies and herbs.

Ideal for lunch boxes. One can serve it hot or cold, however the taste does not change at all.

Now a days, I have started making cold pasta for my husband's lunch box.

I cook the pasta at night and pour some olive oil on it, so that it doesn't get sticky . Finally keep it in the fridge.

All set for the next day. Just combine with some fresh veggies, herbs and spice it up according to your taste.

Serves - 2 people

All you need is:

Choice of any pasta variety - I used Rotelle

Broccoli florets - 1 cup

Grated carrot - 1 cup

Chopped capsicum - 1 cup

Spring onions (only greens) - 1 bunch

baby Spinach - handful or even more.

Garlic - 3

Extra virgin olive oil

Method:

1.Boil the pasta in hot water for 15-20 minutes. (As suggested in the instructions)

2. Once cooked, drain the water and keep the Rotelle aside. Put some EVOO (extra virgin olive oil) and gently mix it.

3. In a pan, heat some EVOO. Add minced garlic and broccoli and saute till for 2 minutes. Next, add in rest of the veggies.

let it cook for 2 minutes.

4. Sprinkle some italian seasoning, salt and pepper.

5. Finally add the boiled Rotelle . Mix well and Voilaaa..all done

Optional : finally add 2 tsp of lemon juice / 2 tsp of rice vinegar to add tanginess to the dish.

Gongura pacchadi/ Sorrel leaves chutney

noreply@blogger.com (Dipika) — Thu, 17 Jun 2010 18:32:00 +0000

Gongura leaves finely blended with aromatic spices and tempered to serve with hot rice or dosas

Sorrel leaves are tangy and this makes the dish very relishing. No wonder , it tastes awesome if it's combined with any dish.. say dals, chutneys or pickles,

Gongura pickle is very famous in Telangana region and it tastes de-li-ci-ous...
When it comes to North karnataka, we enjoy gongura chutney (pundi palya) with jowar roti (jonnarotti).

We love pacchadies and so we just finish it rt away :)

Rice - Gongura pacchadi - dot of ghee - onion ..!!!

what a great combo..I sometimes wonder who discovers such combinations...

then I say..anyways just enjoy and relish the chutney..who cares.:P

Ingredients:
Gongura/Sorrel leaves - 1 big bunch
Onion - Big chuncks - 1 cup
Coriander seeds - 2 Tbsp
Urad dal - 1 Tbsp
Channa dal - 1 Tbsp
Methi seeds/ fenugreek - 1/2 tsp
Garlic cloves - 5-6
Dried Red chillies - 8 (6 for grinding - 2 -3 for tempering)
Green chillies - 3
Tamarind - 1 small piece (3" approx) / 1 tsp
Turmeric - pinch
Salt - as per taste
Oil - 2- 3 tbsp

Method:
1. Dry roast coriander seeds, fenugreek, channa dal and urad dal till you get a nice aroma.

2. Add dry chillies and saute for a minute.

3. Powder the above ingredients.

4. In a pan, heat 1 tbsp of oil, add split greenc hillies, washed sorrel leaves/gongura. Saute till the leaves change to dark green color and shrinks. Finally add garlic, big chunks of onion and mix gently for 2-3 minutes.

5. Cool the above mixture and grind it along with the powders, ,adding salt, pinch of turmeric and tamarind pulp.

6. Grind it to a fine paste and put in a bowl.

Tempering:

1. Heat 1-2 Tbsp of oil
( the more oil you add -the more tasty the chutney gets..so just pour a generous amount of olive oil if worried..:)

2. Add 1 tsp each of cumin, mustard seeds, dry red chiillies, handful of curry leaves, 1 or 2 sliced garlic cloves.

3. Gently put this tempering on the chutney/pacchadi

Breakfast Bread Burrito - BBB

noreply@blogger.com (Dipika) — Sun, 13 Jun 2010 17:59:00 +0000

Bread stuffed with scrambled eggs,spinach, jalapenos and Italian seasoning.

Many of you must be aware of the famous breakfast Burrito....yummm...mouth watering?
So here is a similar kind of breakfast deal I have today...Breakfast bread burrito...easy and quick snack to go...

Healthy breakfast, ready to go - Quick and easy -

All you need is:
Eggs - 2 (for one bread Burrito)
Pepper - 1 tsp
Spinach - 1 cup chopped
Salt - to taste
Jalapenos / Green chillies - 2-3
Italian seasoning - 1 tsp
oil - 2 tsp

Method:

Stuffing:
1. Heat oil in a wide flat pan and add chopped spinach and Jalapenos. Saute for a minute - two.
2. Now add the egg whites (optional to avoid egg yolk). Add salt, pepper and seasoning.
3. mix well for a minute. Stuffing is ready

Bread:
1. Heat a dot of butter on pan and place the breads. cook them evenly for a minute turning them.

Stuff the above stuffing in the bread . Ready to serve .

More delicious: One can grate cheddar or mozzarella cheese with hot n sour sauce on top of the stuffing and dress it with lettuce.

Sopapillas - Simple recipe at its best

noreply@blogger.com (Dipika) — Mon, 07 Jun 2010 23:42:00 +0000

Puffs flavored with cinnamon sugar and glazed with honey on top ...!!!

A very quick and jiffy tea time snack, perfect to munch with coffee or tea.

Had many puff pastry sheets at home and was wondering what I can prepare apart from the puffs.
found this instant recipe and was ready to go...!!!

All we need is :
Puff pastry sheets - 5
Cinnamon sugar - 3-4 Tbsp
Honey - to garnish (optional)

Tip: If u dont have cinnamon sugar u can always prepare one by your own. for 3/4 cup of fine sugar , add 2 Tbsp of ready made cinnamon powder...

Method:
1. Cut the puff pastry sheets into half. And just fold the sheets in whatever desired shapes u need. Envelopes or rectangular...
2. Preheat the oven for 350 F
3. Place the sheets and bake for 15 minutes. Add extra 5 minutes if not done completely.
4. Place it aside until it gets warm. Now in a bowl keep all the puffs and sprinkle cinnamon sugar generously on top or with the help of a tea filter.

Garnish with honey for that extra flavor..yummm

The Vah Chefs Bagara Baingan

noreply@blogger.com (Dipika) — Fri, 04 Jun 2010 23:19:00 +0000

Brinjals cooked in the peanut and sesame gravy

Sorry Ladies..was on a long vacation..My DH celebrated my birthday in LA n Sandiego...A very memorable day as it being my first birthday after my marriage....:)

So here comess yet another gr8 dish on ur platter...

Bagara Baingan...A delicious Hyderabadi dish, served mostly in all the occasions...gr8 combination with biriyani or bagara rice...I love the way my aunt cooks this dish...the gravy in this can be used to make capscicum masala , mushroom masala and yes mixed veg masala...too

I call this as vah chefs Bagara brinjal as i have taken a few tips from the Vah chef show of frying the brinjals...and followed with my own recipe...
The combo with rice goes good when served as bagara baingan or as capsicum masala....

Ingredients:
Baby brinjals/Regular small brinjals - 7-8
Peanuts - 1 cup
Sesame seeds - 4-5 Tbsp
Corriander seeds - 1 Tbsp
Bay leaf - 2-3
Cloves - 4
Cinammon - 1 whole
Cardamom - 3
Ginger Garlic Paste - 1 Tbsp
Dry coconut Powder - 2 tsp / 1" piece of dry coconut piece (optional)
Onions - 2
green chillies - 2
Cumin and Coriander powder - 3 Tsp each
Cumin seeds - 1tsp
Red chilli powder - 1 tbsp ( I love spicy..so i add even more :))
Small Lemon sized tamarind - 1
Oil for frying and for cooking
Salt

Method:

1. Wash the brinjals and clean them with a clean napkin. Set aside a pan for shallow frying the brinjals. Once they are 80 % cooked. take them out from the pan and place it on a paper napkin.

2. Meanwhile in a pan roast the peanuts, sesame seeds, coconut and coriander seeds to a smooth paste. If possible add little oil to get a smoother paste. Soak tamarind in 1 cup of warm water and extract the pulp when it becomes soft.

3. In another pan, take 3 tbsp of oil and add cumin seeds, cloves, bay leaves, cardamom and cinnamon. When they splutter, add finely chopped onions and slit green chillies. Once the onions become transparent, add ginger-garlic paste. fry for a minute.

4. Now add the above peanut paste to the masala. Add a cup of tamarind water and mix gently. Let it cook for about 10 minutes.

5. You will notice that the gravy starts getting thick. Add cumin, coriander and chilli powders. Mix well by adding sufficient salt.
Tip : If the gravy becomes too thick - add water little by little.

6. Now add the cooked brinjals in the gravy...and cook for about 5 minutes. Cook till u get a good consistency ...Garnish with coriander and serve hot with Biriyani or jeera rice.

Mushroom Pulao

noreply@blogger.com (Dipika) — Thu, 27 May 2010 04:09:00 +0000

Mushrooms flavored with Indian garam masalas, herbs and cooked with rice.

I name this dish as Ramani's Mushroom Pulao....As my friend Ramani taught me this dish a few days ago.
I came to know about this dish only when I visited her place for some getogether. ....I had no words to describe...when I had the first spoon of mushroom pulao, it was so very De-li-ci-ou-s....even when my stomach was shouting I m full, my tongue was craving more...:)

When I asked her for the recipe,,she herself came to my house and showed me this recipe when I had a potluck at my place. very sweet of her..:)
So here is the recipe from my friend that I am sharing with u all :)

Ingredients:
Basmathi Rice -2 cups
Mushroom sliced - 1 1/2 cups
Mint/Pudina - 1 cup
Coriander leaves - Handful
Green chillies - 3-4
Onion - 1
Cloves - 6
Cinamon stick - 1 whole
Cardamom - 4
Bay leaves - 4
Curry leaves - 4
Shahjeera/kala jeera - 1 tsp
Ginger Garlic paste - 2 Tbsp
Water - 3 cups
oil - 5 tbsp
Salt - 3 tsp

Method:
1. Wash rice and soak it for 15 min. Meanwhile, make a paste of mint and corainder and keep aside.

2. In a pan or cooker, heat oil, add shahjeera, cloves, cardamom, cinnamom stick, bay leaf and slit green chillies. When they splutter, add sliced onions and saute for a minute or two.

3. Add ginger-garlic paste, mix well for a minute. Now add the mint-coriander paste and mix well.

4. Add in the mushrooms. Cook for about 5 minutes. The mushrooms absorb the flavor and blen well with the rice.

5. Drain the water from rice and add rice into the pan/cooker. Saute by adding salt and then add 3 cups of water. close the lid and cook for 10 minutes.

6. keep checking once in 5 minutes...when the rice is almost done(80%). put it on sim(very low flame) and close the lid and keep aside for 10 more minutes. (this stage is called dum)

7. Finally garnish it with coriander and serve hot with raitha or gravy :)

Mushrooms

Cauliflower curry with colorful toppings

noreply@blogger.com (Dipika) — Tue, 25 May 2010 19:41:00 +0000

Cauliflower florets blended with mix veg toppings and Indian spices

A very tasty and interesting curry that goes well with any kind of Indian bread is Cauliflower or Potato curry.
I prefer taking lot of rich fiber food when it comes to the health factor. So I generally opt for either broccoli or cauliflower.

We find toppings on pizzas...ice creams.. and salads...
I thought why not use such toppings for our regular curry....I had this frozen mixed vege packet at home..that had corn,peas,carrots and beans...so I used this as a topping for my cauliflower curry.

Ingredients:
Cauliflower - 1
Mixed veg - 1 cup
Chopped Onion - 1/2 cup
cumin powder - 1 Tbsp
Coriander Powder - 1 tbsp
Chilli powder - 1/2 tbsp
Green chillies - 1 -2
Garlic - 3 flaks
Curry leaves - 1 sprig
Mustard seeds - 1 tsp
cumin seeds- 1 tsp
oil - 2 Tbsp
Salt

Method:
1. Separate the cauliflower florets into small pieces and wash them gently and drain it.

2. In a pan , heat some oil and add mustard and cumin seeds. When they crackle add curry leaves, chillies,onions and finely minced garlic. Mix it and add the florets.

3. Add some salt and cover with a lid keeping the pan on medium flame and cook for 5 minutes.

4. now the cauliflower florets would be slightly tender. Now to this add , cumin powder, coriander powder and chilli powder. mix gently and add 1 cup of mixed veg (corn,peas, carrot).

5. cook it for 10 minutes. Give a final mix and garnish it with coriander or parsley.
Serve hot with any Bread, roti or hot rice

Multicolor Dal - Green-yellow-orange

noreply@blogger.com (Dipika) — Mon, 24 May 2010 17:42:00 +0000

Lentils cooked with Spinach , mango and garlic

I call this Dal as Triplet ..:D since I used three lentils, namely Split green gram(Moong dal) , Split red lentil (Masoor dal) and Split yellow lentil (Moong dal yellow)

Though a very simple dal, variations with lentils and the way we cook always differs the taste.
And dal being a very common dish in many households, here is a different variety where one can try it :)

Ingredients:
Spinach/palak - 1 bunch
Raw Mango pieces - 1 cup (optional)
Split green gram - 1/3 cup
Massor dal - 1/3 cup
Moong dal -1/3 cup
Green chillies - 4-5
Garlic - 4
Ginger - 1"
Salt to taste
Oil - 1 Tbsp

Tempering:
Oil - 1 Tbsp
Mustard seeds - tsp
Cumin - 1 tsp
Dried red chillies - 3
Curry leaves - 1 sprig

Method:

1. In a pressure cooker, add 1 tbsp of oil. When the oils gets heated up, add crushedgarlic, Slit green chillies saute for a few seconds. Add spinach and raw mango pieces. Mix well for about 5 minutes.

2. Add the lentils and fry for a minute. Add sufficient amount of water with a pinch of turmeric. Cook till 3 whistles.

3. Cool the cooker and open the lid. Mix the dal gently by adding salt. Finally prepare tempering and add to this mix.

Server this fast and easy dal with hot rice.

Sabudana Khichidi with spicy Peanut chutney

noreply@blogger.com (Dipika) — Fri, 21 May 2010 17:47:00 +0000

Great combos:

Sabudana as in Sago..Khchidi is a very famous dish in North Karnataka. Specially when it comes to fasting, many in my family prefer taking khichidi for breaking their fast.

The recipe that I am sharing here is from my grandmother (Aayi). Sabudana khchidi goes very well with spicy peanut chutney. I cannot eat khichidi alone without this combo.

Ingredients:

Sago - 1/2 cup
Green chillies - 3-4
potato - 1 cup
Roasted peanut powder - 2 Tbsp
Curry leaves - 1 sprig
coriander - for garnishing
Salt - taste

Tempering:
oil - 2 tbsp
Mustard seeds - 1 tsp
Cumin seeds - 1 tsp
Hing/Asafoetida : 1 pinch

Method:

1. Wash Sago/sabudana cleanly and keep it aside for an hour with very little amount of water in it ( a few sprinkles of water would be sufficient). After an hour the sago will be puffed up and separated
2. Take the sago in a bowl , add roasted peanut powder and salt to it. Mix gently with a spatula and keep it aside.
3. In a pan, put oil and the above mentioned tempering. Once they start to crackle, add curry leaves, green chillies chopped and potato pieces, pinch of turmeric and fry them till soft.
4. Now add the sago mixture and mix well. cover with a lid for 5 minutes . Give a final 2-3 mixes and all done.
5. Garnish with coriander and serve hot with spicy peanut chutney.

Pessarattu - Moong bean dosa

noreply@blogger.com (Dipika) — Thu, 20 May 2010 01:28:00 +0000

I love pessarattu, sply when served with ginger chutney. I always ask myself who discovered this combo :)
I remember MLA pessarattu in Hyderabad is very famous, where they put upma as the stuffing. Never dared to tried though...but many say even that tastes yumm...

I generally tend to make this not only that these dosas are healthy...but as a matter of fact that these are easy..no fermentation required :)
I recently came to know that mung beans are one of the most cherished foods in Ayurveda because they do not create abdominal gas or bloating, infact it helps in our digestion process. Thats why they recommend to consume in the form of mung bean dosas as in pessarattu or khichidis, mixed with spices.

Here is a simple recipe that my Mom shared with me .....

Ingredients:
Moong bean (whole green gram) - 1 cup
Rice- handful
Green chillies - 6
Ginger 1" - 3
Coriander - 1 sprig
Cumin/ jeera - 1 tsp

Method :
1.Take moong (whole) and add a handful rice and soak in water for 5-6 hrs.
2.Grind to a fine paste by adding green chillies, ginger pieces,coriander leaves.
3.Add salt to taste, 1spoon of jeera and make dosas immediately.
(For this no fermentation is required)
Remaining batter can be stored in the fridge.