Rajis Food Blog

Food thoughts

2018-03-21T16:17:00.001-07:00

How many of us frankly get up in the mornings worrying about , Oh My God what should I make that both the kids will have happily !

With my elder son growing years, I really did not bother much about it, maybe he was more giving and would like to eat whatever I cooked. I am not a self proclaimed good cook but I do get compliments for the same often. So, I am made to believe that I can cook to save my life. This also arose an unknown confidence in me and when my younger son started growing up to actually talk his thoughts, I revisited my culinary skills. It took me a few years to actually understand ( much to my relief..phew !) that he had a
different taste to food than all of us.

He would be super excited when it came to crunchies , biryani and Non Vegetarian varieties. I had to rework on my skills and draft a menu everyday which pleased both and satisfied both pallets.

With working schedule, It becomes difficult to have elaborate cooking everyday rather frankly any day of the week.But little did I realize that making quick foods actually took me out of the practice to make any recipe that takes time. In fact, I started looking out for shorter options of the longer recipes. I drool over the blogs where people post such beautiful pictures and admire them, but that's it ! I intend no further .. am happy the way it is for me..

My blog has a collection of such recipes. I keep claiming I don't click exotic pictures of the food nor do I present in the best manner , but just a humble thought to share right out of my table.

I make proper breakfast, snacks and lunch in the morning and my son's classmates and their mothers wonder how I do that...I never felt any pressure in executing all these in the morning, ofcourse I get up by 5 am..that's a habit I have developed over years. My morning time includes the ME time that I have with my cup of coffee, which I try not to compromise or it reflects the entire day in the the "not so happy" way..

It becomes easy when I plan my menu in advance and I generally do that for the week and also prepare my ingredients for next day meals in advance.

I would love to share the details of the same in my next blog because , it will take sometime and you have already been with me for a long while now.. so until we meet next...

Have wonderful week !

Cabbage Dal Soup

2017-11-16T12:45:00.000-08:00

Serves :2

Ingredients

Cabbage – 1 cup chopped

Yellow moong dal – 1/2 cup( soaked for 2 hours)

Ginger grated – 1/2 tsp

Green Coriander leaves – 2 tsp( Chopped)

Lemon Juice- 1tsp ( to taste)

Salt – to taste

Procedure :

Add water ( 1 cup), Cabbage , Moong dal, ginger, and salt to a container and cook it till 3 whistles.
Remove from heat and allow it to cool.
Now garnish with Coriander, squeeze the lemon and serve.
If you want the cabbage crunchy, cook in a open container for approx. 5 -7 min.

Lemon Rice

2017-06-28T18:26:00.000-07:00

Lemon Rice has been a comfort food, specially when kids have school on Saturday and I want to have the weekend feel... This needs no planning, just cook the rice while you prepare the basic saute stuff and mix them . As a child I remember carrying Lemon rice while on long train journeys. Mom used to pack small disposable boxes and handover to each one of us. So, comfortably sitting by the window of the train, it used to be a so fun watching the roads , green lustrous field and people pass by while we eat our box of lemon rice.Its unbeatable with dry coriander chutney and Papads. It is said that lemon delays staling of food, its cleanser and a rather strong start to the day and so that what makes it a favorite !

Though you can cook a ideal lemon rice with Ponni rice ( a rice variety that is popular in Tamil Nadu , If you are staying in the Northern Parts , you have now access to the south Indian store where you can get this rice. It can be ideally used for all SouthIndian recipes like Sambhar, rasam etc..) however if you don't have access , feel free to use any non aromatic rice, this is just to retain the aroma of lemon intact..Here's how I make it the easier way..

Lemon rice is a South Indian dinner favorite!

Serves : 2

Ingredients :

Rice - 2 Cup

Lemon - 1 small size

Asafoetida- a pinch

Curry leaves - 5-6

Dry Whole Red Chilli - 2

Channa Dal/ broken chick peas - 1 tbsp

Groundnut - 2 tbsp

Mustard Seeds - 1/2 tsp

Turmeric - 1/4 tsp

Salt - to taste

Procedure :

Soak the rice for 30 minutes, this helps to remove the stickiness of the rice when cooked.
Steam it in cooker or add 2 1/2 cup water with some salt and cook in a open container until water evaporates ( It should take 7 min approx)
Spread it on a plate and allow to cool . This is done so that the cooked rice grains are prevented from sticking to each other
In a pan, add 2 tsp oil. Drop the mustard seeds and allow to splutter.
Keep the flame low, add red chilli , curry leaves , chana dal / broken chick peas along with groundnut , asafoetida and turmeric powder.
When the groundnut turns golden, you will know it time to move further, so now we add the rice and sprinkle some salt ( Remember we already added salt while cooking rice)
Remove from flame and add the juice of 3/4 lemon if you want to easy with the tanginess but I Love it spicy and tangy , so I added the entire juice of 1 lemon )
That's it ! Lemon Rice is ready. Serve with Papad or Chips. I also serve with Dry Coriander Chutney which I will share later in another post .

Ladies Finger fry recipe

2017-02-20T21:07:00.000-08:00

Bhindi Do payaza/ Ladies Finger or Okra sabzi recipe

Ingredients :

Bhindi/Ladies Finger – Half Kg (Chopped in 1.5cm Length)

Onion – 2 Medium ( chopped in length)

Tomato – 1 Medium ( Chopped in length)

Asafoetida / Hing – a pinch

Cumin /Jeera seeds – 1 tsp

Coriander/Dhania Powder – 2 tbsp

Dry Mango Powder/Amchur – 1/4 tsp

Cumin /Jeera powder – 1 tsp

Turmeric – 1/2 tsp

Red Chilli Powder – 1- 1.5 tsp (to taste)

Salt – to taste

Procedure :

Heat Oil in a pan.Add the cumin seeds, Hing. Allow to splutter
Now add the chopped onions, cook it till light brown
Add the ladies finger/Bhindi and salt to this.
Once the Bhindi loses its stickiness, add tomatoes and the dry masala’s.
Keep Stirring lightly in medium flame for about 7-8 minutes.
Remove from fire and before serving sprinkle some roasted jeera powder over it.
Serve hot with Roti/Phulka/Steamed Rice and Dal combo

Ladies Finger Jalsa (Okra or bhindi Barwa)

2015-12-23T09:35:00.001-08:00

Cooking time : 25 minutes

Ingredients :

Bhindi or ladies finger : 500 gms
Onion : 2 ( grated)
Tomato : 1/2 grated
Coriander powder : 1.5-2 tsp
Red Chilli Powder : 1 tbsp
Jeera or Cumin seeds : 1/2 tsp
Salt : To taste
Oil : to cook

Procedure :
1. Slit the Ladies finger length wise.Since there is not much seeds, do not bother about the harmless ones that you see in.
2.Heat a pan.Add oil.Add Jeera and saute. Add grated onion.
3. Now add the coriander and chilli powder.Followed by grated tomato.
4. Add salt to taste. Saute till the onion and tomato part with the raw taste.
5. Adding pinch of Garam masala is optional. I do not add as I prefer the natural taste. However, allow this mix to cool at room temperature.
6. Now fill the Slited ladies finger with this mix.
7. Press it properly to close it. Don't bother if it does not. It is not meant to ,anyway. We just want the masala to stay tight in .
8. Again heat oil in a pan. Saute with jeera. Add this filled ladies finger together into the pan and reduce the heat.
9. Do not keep mixing or moving the ladies finger as they might get offended and we might have the ladies finger and the masalas falling apart.
10. Once the Ladies finger starts losing the sticky texture and also start to tan at the bottom, gently turn them upside down.
11. Allow it to cook the other side as well.
12. Remove the ladies finger and serve hot with Paratha or Phulka ( roti)

Simple Curd Rice

2014-09-14T10:01:00.002-07:00

When I am Alone with kids on weekends, I keep myself away from any laborious cooking procedures as I get to do the pending miscellaneous works at home.The most realistic and simple food suitable for the tropical climate is Curd Rice.

A hectic week, busy schedule yet a hearty feeling to eat food, nothing comes easier than this.Usually my cooking spirit at the moment decides the sauting for curd rice.

Sunday was hectic as usual with preparation for the next week,uniforms, dresses, vegetables, washables, homeworks for kids.. getting things in place was priority.
Rahul(My Elder Son, 12 yrs) was in to give me a break and decided for this simple and docile lunch our own humble " Curd Rice".
However my conscience did not allow me to rest at that. So I clubbed it with a Crispy potato fry and pickles.

Ingredients for Curd Rice :

Rice - 1 Cup
Salt - As per taste

Seasoning for Curd Rice:

Asafoetida - pinch
Curry leaves - 5-6
Carrot - 2 Tbsp(Grated)
Cucumber - 2 Tbsp(finely chopped)
Grapes - 8-10(Optional)
Channa dal - 1 tbsp
Udal dal - 2 tsp(Broken)
Mustard Seeds - 1 tsp
Green Chilli - 1(chopped)
Oil - for saute

Procedure :

1. Soak 1 cup of rice. I generally use 1:4 ratio of rice: water when I plan for curd rice.This makes it easier to mash the rice.
2. Allow it to cool.
3. Slowly add water and keep stirring to avoid rice lumps.Since I use the thicker version of curd, I mix water to give it the desired consistency.
4. Refrigerate the rice for 1 hr.
5. Heat oil . Add Mustard Seeds, allow it to splutter. Follow with Channa dal, Udal Dal, Asafoetida.
6. Finally add chopped Green chillies and curry leaves. Add this to rice and mix well.
7. Garnish with grated carrot and chopped cucumber. You can also add green grapes for variation.

Serve chilled with any vegetable fry and pickle.

Menu Planner

2014-08-29T03:54:00.001-07:00

Cooking is exciting as much .If things are in place and more than anything you are planned for the week, then we have are in line and balanced. I will share with you what I generally run at my home for the most difficult sessions of cooking at home (Mon - Fri). Weekends are generally vary depending on the planets /kids climatic conditions.

I make one for my school everymonth and here is a shot of that for you. I buy vegetables and pack them day wise in fridge and also plan the type of the cooking so that the cooking of the same vegetables over months does not fringe on the taste buds.

Guys, this has been long due..ensoy !

Adai Dosa {Tamil Breakfast Recipe}

2012-07-01T10:21:00.000-07:00

Every Morning, it’s a strenuous session to plan the first meal of the day, for most women who indulge in cooking for their family…the first thought is …what to I do for a breakfast, lunch and dinner ? Though its been like ages, I always find a easy and pre-cooked assistance with recipes that demand preparations in advance specially the day before. Being a Tamil progeny I am blessed to have know these {Idli,Dosa,Pesarat etc}recipes more the typical guidelined way than their counter parts follow.

Today I made the Adai Dosa for breakfast, which is a favorite with kids.

Make sure Adai is prepared with patience and takes little longer time than Dosa for sure, if you want them to be crispier.

I suggest you do try adding ingredients like grated carrot,ginger, Jeera etc. The variation is not only to remove the singleton taste but also give it a variety !

When I told my Sindhi neighbor about this recipe sometime back, she almost recreated 80% and while I was just being glad I conveyed things in a proper way,she was ecstatic with her new found skill to expedite Tamil recipes.. :)

However,heres how I made it.

INGREDIENTS

Channa dal – 50 gms
Tuvar dal- 50 gms
Udad dal – 50 gms
Raw Rice – 100 gms
Idli bolied Rice – 50 gms
Red Chilli – 2 pieces
Onion - 1 chopped
Curry leaves - 5
Aesofotida – 1/4 tsp

METHOD:

Soak All ingredients in water overnight ( although 3-4 hours should be sufficient )
Grind all except the onion and curry leaves in a blender.
Just before its almost a paste, add the salt and swirl the mixer for 2 seconds to allow the salt to mix well.
Remove from the Blender/grinder and add finely chopped onions, chopped curry leaves.
Heat a little oil in a pan and add mustard seeds. Allow them to splutter . Cool and add to the ground paste.
Its ready to use now , so you can pour the batter carefully on a medium hot tawa or pan.
In case you are using a roti tawa to make adai, run a half cut onion dipped in oil over the tawa before pouring the batter for first two dosa’s, this will prevent them and further dosa’s to stick to tawa and you can take indulge in an uninterrupted session of perfect Adai .
Serve with Coconut pudina chutney or sambhar.

Idli Upma (Tamil-Breakfast-Recipe)

2011-07-01T02:12:00.000-07:00

Idli Upma (Tamil Breakfast Recipe)

I have always called this - best out of waste ! Well, the idea was to make use of leftover idli's and to have something as delicious.It just takes "2 minutes",check the clock as it ticks...
I always make the Idli's overnight if I need to have them for breakfast because they taste best when the Idli's are kept for few hours.Do not try making in fresh Idli's as they refrain from retaining the shape when we mix them with the spices.

Ingredients:

Idli- 4

Onion - 1 Chopped

Tomato - 1-2 Chopped

Curry leaves- few leaves

Mustard seeds - 1 tsp

Udad Dal- 1 tsp

Hing - pinch

Turmeric - pinch

Garam Masala - 1/2 Tsp

Gingerlly Oil- 1 tbsp

Method

1. Cut Idli in equal size

2. Heat Oil and saute with mustard seeds, hing and Udad Dal.

3. Put the chopped onions , tomatoes and curry leaves

4. Cook till the tomatoes are soft, add idli pieces and garam masala

5. Mix well. Garnish with coriander leaves and server hot.

Simple Pancake recipe

2010-12-04T07:26:00.000-08:00

I personally like pancake with honey, but variations with fruits is an healthy option specially for the kids.Its an "Zatpat recipe" for sure, all you need to do is to blend together all the ingredients in a Chopper cum Belnder. Ofcourse, I do believe traditional need to fold gracefully all ingredients in a fashion similar to cake prepartion, but need of hour for me is certainly fast cooking,atleast most of the times.

{Read More}

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Dal Ghost (Mutton in Tangy Tuvar Dal Gravy) - Non Vegeterian

2010-09-14T19:14:00.000-07:00

When the Delhi temperature dips, there is nothing more comfortable than a high spicy food.This adventure is only frequented on Sundays, when we have the time to experiment.

I have been reading a lot about Dal-Ghost but have been avoiding it as a " tangy lamb " was somehow not exciting my taste buds. With all courage, I was totally take for the surprise that was in store when I finally made it.Not sure, if its for novelty or its genuine existence, somehow its become a recent visitor at home.

The only thing to take care is to avoid adding the tamarind and salt in the initial stages. Tamarind slows the cooking process and salt removes the water content from the lamb which could lead to hardening of the lamb pieces.Its important that the water content is retained in them.Although when I first tried this I was sure to follow the procedure exactly,which means cook Dal and the mutton in turns and not together, but when you are running short of time, you can cook them together atleast I did not see any change in either the aroma or the taste.Only the display might show some change in consistency, but that acceptable.

To make the gravy thick, I generally fry chopped onions, tomatoes, ginger and garlic in little oil and leave it to cool. Then grind them to a paste. This query was long due!

{Read More}.....

Palak & Egg Burji (Breakfast Recipe)

2010-08-23T04:20:00.000-07:00

A quick rush to work calls for a faster cooking menu. "Egg" does behave a sincere saver in such cases
.
My Kids don't have a immediate liking for spinach, however I keep identifying ways to camouflage them and use. It just happened when kids asked for scrambled egg for breakfast, I chopped the spinach and after sauteing added them like coriander. Little did anyone realize it was not coriander !

I have been ever since trying to make this highly nutritious food a compulsion in my weekly menu !You can add grated carrots by all means, I had to omit has I did not have stock and obviously cant have my mornings to such leisure chores :)

We also make it for dinner at times..It is a multipurpose recipe !

Ingredients :

Palak / Spinach - few leaves (8-10)
Egg -2
Salt - to taste
Garam Masala - a pinch
Green Chilli - 1
Tomato - 1 chopped
Dhania leaves - few

Method :

1. Saute the chopped Palak leaves in Olive oil or butter(if making for kids)with pinch of salt, till it tenders.

2. In a Bowl, add this palak,egg, garam masala, little salt, chopped dhania leaves and tomatoes.

3. Pour on tava/kadai and keep stirring slowy , so that they form lumps

4. Serve hot with bread toast /paratha's

Vegetable Jalfrezi (Mixed Vegetable Sabzi)

2010-08-15T22:45:00.000-07:00

More for the look of the vegetables, I like this particular recipe.Am an sincere veg-freak , I relish recipes that get these vegetables closer to reality and Jalfrezi gets them in real big chunks. The advantage here is apart from the masala the taste of vegetable itself is so evident owing to their large size that it ends up giving a rather refreshing taste !

Ingredients

Potato - 2
Capsicum - 1 1/2
Tomato -1
Garlic - 3-4 pods (chopped)
Jeera Powder- 1 1/2 tsp
Dhania Powder- 1tsp
Red Chilli - 1/2 tsp
Turmeric Powder- 1/2 tsp
Salt - to taste
Oil - to use

Procedure:

1. Cut all vegetables in length.

2. Heat oil in pan. Add Jeera to it and allow to splutter. Add chopped garlic.

3. Finally add potato first.fry for 3 minutes.Add all masalas- Jeera pwd, dhania pwd, turmeric pwd and Red chilli pwd.

4.Followed by capsicum and tomato. again stir fry for 2 minutes. add salt and mix well.

5. Just make sure while stirring the shapes of the vegetable are retained.There is nothing better than a good presentation to arouse one's apetite !

6. Serve hot with roti or steamed rice and dal combination

Parangikkai Masiyal aka Kaddu ki Sabzi

2010-07-26T22:53:00.000-07:00

Back home , we make parangikkai as Poriyal or in Sambhar.These only went well with rice but I wanted to have the Parangikkai with Paratha/Roti and when I got this taste from a Punjabi friend here,I could not hold myself from calling her mom and to check out this preparation.

What I made was certified almost close the target "kaddu sabzi" !So , here we go !

Read More

Meen Varuval (Tamil-Fish-Fry-Recipe)

2010-07-23T22:31:00.000-07:00

True origins of coastal South India,my family relishes meen/fish anytime and its also the most preferred Non-Vegeterian dish during the weekdays.
Fish Storage
People do get paranoid when it comes to preserving/storing fish, I do not count amongst them and have been doing so conveniently for years now. And only for those who are interested and can’t get to the market regularly I will share the basic of fish storage techniques which I follow for decades now!!

Needless to say,the start would be cleaning the fish thoroughly with rock salt and turmeric{I clean them twice}. Now grate fresh ginger- garlic and apply them to the fish, followed by dhania /coriander powder, chilli powder {option:green chilli paste} , salt, turmeric and Jeera Powder. Add a proportionally larger quantity of jeera powder{Cumin seeds powder}as Jeera cuts down the smell of raw fish even when you fry it after 4 days. Deep freeze them in small boxes {so that you can remove only a part of it and thaw , rather than doing the whole stock everyday which will only reduce the storage life}. So that when you need to use the fish for that day, keep it in room temperature for 2 hours and use the way you want.
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My Nutrition Corner

- Fish is a very good source of protein, Omega3 fatty acids
- Good for low fat diets
- Contains Vitamin Bwhich helps to reduce stress and Anxiety
- Vitamin A helps prevent arthritis, acne and bronchitis
- Calcium helps teeth and bones to keep healthy
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Ingredients:

Sheela Fish - 1/2kg {use any Fish}
Red Chilli Powder - 1tbsp
Jeera Powder - 2tbsp
Dhania Powder - 1 1/2tsp
Karuvepilai/ Curry leaves powder - 1tsp(dried and powdered)
Ginger /garlic paste - 1tbsp
Salt- to taste
Olive oil - to use {alternatively any cooking oil}
Method:

1. Mix all the ingredients with little olive oil and apply on fish.

2. Allow it to soak for 2 hrs in fridge{if you are runnign short of time, you can cook in 10 minutes but be ready to accept a comparatively insipid taste}.

3. Heat a pan and grease with olive oil. Place the fish on them. Allow to cook for 2-3 min and turn over and again allow to cook the other side.

4. Server hot with steamed rice and dal/sambhar.

Karai Kozhambu Podi- Tamil Gravy Masala

2010-07-21T02:12:00.000-07:00

Note :

A spicy gravy Podi/Masala used to make gravy with vegetables like Brinjal,Ladiesfinger, Chick Peas etc.

I generally get this ground from the local "Atta Chakki/Flour Mill Machine" during my visit to Chennai.It stays fresh for almost a year when stored properly. Ideally I keep a good amount of the Podi, in a air tight container in my kitchen rack for regular use, while the rest stays secured in fridge sheltered in "ziplock covers"{alternatively in any air tight containers}.

For those not having access to the local Flour Mill , can grind in a food processor.But be careful not to fill them in containers soon out of the blender as the heat in the Masala/Podi will translate to mositure and dampen the Podi. This will reduce the shelf life ruin the entire effort.If I had the time I would have preferred doing them at home,as the aromaof all the fresh masala's transforming in the blender is a heavenly nostalgic experience.

From Rajis Food Blog

Ingerdients

Whole Red Chilli - 250 gms
Dhania Seeds - 500 gms
Jeera -50gms
Black pepper - 50 gms
Curry leaves ( 1 Cup)- Washed, dried and lightly dry roasted

Method

1. Dry roast all ingedients. Please roast ingredients seperatly as all of them have different heating temperature and you can land up buring dhania seeds and red chillis while waiting for blackpepper to roast.
2. Cool the roasted ingedients and grind them together in Processor /Local Flour Mill.

Bisibela Bhat (Sambhar Rice- Tamil Rice Recipe)

2010-07-19T06:14:00.000-07:00

Bisibela bhat has been associated with special occasions in our house. I have deliberately avoided making that often to retain the sanctity of taste that is so unique.I have tasted a lot number of variations in Bisibela Bath in different corners of the Country.

What I make is a spicier version as for me, the tangy hot flavor with the extra spice evokes is what makes it so special. Thankfully, my family agree to this,specially the kids making it all the more easier.

While I was in Bangalore, I liked the garnishing with Khara boondi.However,Bisibela Bhat in Chennai are served with Applam.

I have always believed -there is no perfect "recipe" defined , the way you like is perfect for you!

Preparation time: 10 mins
Cooking time: 20 mins
Serves: 6

Ingredients:
1 cup onions, finely chopped
1 1/2 cup vegetable, chopped and boiled (carrots, potatoes, peas and beans)
1 1/2 cup raw rice
1/2 cup toor dal /Lenthil
Tamarind Size of a small lime
1 big tomato, chopped
4 green chilli, finely chopped
1 inch (25mm) of ginger, chopped
1 tsp of mustard seeds
1 tsp of cumin seeds (jeera)
pinch of asafoetida (hing)
2 tsp red chilli powder
2 tsp corainder powder (dhania)
2 tsp sambar powder
1 tsp of bisibela bhat powder (optional)
pinch of tumeric powder
6-8 curry leaves
4-5 piece of drumstick
1 cup of water
1 tbsp of ghee

Method:
1. Wash rice and dal. Place in the containers with 2 1/2 cups of water, a pinch of turmeric powder . Cook in a pressure cooker till the rice and dal is done.

2. Soak tamarind in a little water and extract juice.

3. Heat little ghee, add mustard seeds, cumin seeds.

4. When the mustard seeds and cumin seeds crackles add curry leaves, pinch of asafoetida, ginger and green chillies.

5. Add onions fry them till they are translucent.

6. Add drumstick and tomatoes and fry for few minutes.

7. Add vegetables and fry them for few more minutes.

8. Then add red chilli powder, corainder powder, tumeric powder, sambar powder and salt to taste. Mix well.

9. Add the tamarind pulp and cook for some time till the raw smell of masala is gone.

10. Add rice to the mixture and 1 cup of water. Mix well and cook it for few minutes.

11. Mix well. Remove from fire. If you like ghee, add just before serving.

12. Serve with onion raita and papad.

Paneer Liver Curry (Paneer and Palak sabzi)

2010-07-06T07:18:00.000-07:00

Nutrition Corner :
** Paneer is a wholesome food rich in protein and riboflavin
** Spinach has a high nutritional value and is extremely rich in antioxidants,
specially when fresh,steamed,or quickly boiled,also a rich source of vitamin A
** It is considered to be a rich source of iron.
** Spinach also has a high calcium content
** For maximum benefit from the folate in spinach,better to steam it than to boil it

So, we have all reasons to have this in our menu regularly ...!!

It might sound a little extensive process , but trust me the pleasure of the final dish is so divine that, it overrules the effort. :)

Ingredients :

Palak - Half Bundle
Paneer- 250gms
Besan - 3 tsp/ as per taste
Capsicum - 2 (cut in slices)
Onion - 1
Tomato - 2
Khaskhas - 1tsp
Dhania Powder - 1tsp
Turmeric Powder - 1/4tsp
Red Chilli Powder -1/2 tsp
Ginger Garlic Paste - 1 tsp
Green Coriander /Cilantro - for Garnish

Method :

1. Wash and steam Palak. Remove water and add pinch of red chilli powder and salt to Palak and grind in mixie to make a paste

2. Grind Khas Khas to a fine paste

3. In a pan , heat 3 tsp Oil, add onion, tomato, Khas Khas Paste, Ginergarlic Paste, Rede Chilli, Turmeric and Dhania. Stir well.

4. When almost cooked, add the water which was used to steam palak, and pinch of salt to it ( make sure you add the salt only for the gravy)

4. To the palak puree add besan and bring to dough consistency. Make lemon size balls and steam them.

5. Remove , cool and fry these balls in oil over medium heat.Cut into medium sized piece.

6. Add Paneer and Capsicum and cut palak balls to the gravy and mix well.Garnish with fresh dhania leaves.

7. Remove from fire and serve with hot Parathas'

This recipe is a participant of :Let's relishh-Paneer

Pather Beni (Indian-festival-Sweet)

2010-06-20T05:03:00.000-07:00

A sweet from the Bengal (I believe, although I cannot vouch for his evolution there !),can be made with variations by adding food colors , different shapes can be a favorite with kids ! I remember having scored a A+ grade when we had to make one in my college while during my Food & Nutrition. I vow a lot to this than just putting it in my blog!!

Ingredients:
Maida - 1 cup
Sugar - 2 cup
Rice Flour - 1 tsp
Dessicated Cocconut - 2 tbsp
Ghee -2tsp + 1 tsp

Method:

1. Mix 1tsp Ghee and Maida.

2. Add sugar to 2 tsp Ghee and beat well.

3.Make a sugar syrup by adding water to sugar (Add water to a level that the sugar is totally submerged in water). Boil to one thread. Add Elaichi Powder and Saffron.

4.Make small puri's.Coat a layer of rice mixture and paste another puri over it.In similar way add 5-6 puri one over another. then roll it and cut into pieces.

5. Take one piece and make a small puri.

6. Fry in ghee and dip in sugar syrup.Sprinkle with desiccated cocconut.

Note * This can be stored for almost a week.

Tomato Rasam Recipe (Dal-Lenthil Recipe)

2010-06-19T04:45:00.000-07:00

Nothing to beat the chilling winter better than with a piping hot cup of rasam {I have learnt to love the tangy hot "rasam" as a starter, thanks to my Punjabi friends,who get aghast when I ask them to have it with rice}.Ofcourse, we tamilian know it better with rice, but in Northern India, I recall my friends bidding for it against all starters in cold mellow winter afternoons !

Ingredients

Tomato-2 nos
Whole red chilli-3
Cumin seeds-1tsp
Peppercorn-1/2 tsp
Garlic-5 flakes
Turmeric powder-1/4 tsp
Mustard-1/2 tsp
Aestafoida (Hing)-a pinch
Curry leaves
Coriander leaves
Salt
Oil
Water -3 cup

Method :

1.Grind red chill,peppercorn,cuminseed,garlic and Turmeric powder.Don't grind into fine paste.Crush {Do not grind it to powder state, it has to half ground} it in mixer without adding water.

2.Mash the tomato.

3.Pour oil in a kadai/pan.Add mustard and allow it to crackle.Following this add ground ingredients,mashed tomato and Hing/aestafotedia.Saute for 4 min.

4.Now add curry leaves and pour water and salt.

5.Garnish with coriander leaves

6.Serve with boiled rice.

Fruits Salad (mayonnaise-base)

2010-06-16T23:22:00.000-07:00

This is a unconditional favorite for dinner. It’s a salad I tried, when I a strong liker of “Coleslaw” but just that having it regularly got me a little disinterested. I managed a successful variation, very carefully with the proportions though, but was delighted when it came out a winner!
All the vegetable - carrots, potatoes and peas are bolied in water with salt and pepper.This gives a flavour to every single piece of those vegetables in salad.

Ingredients:

Potato dices - 1 cup
Peas - 1/2cup
Carrot - 1 cup
Peach - 1 cup
Apple - 1 cup
Groundnut - 1 tbsp
Pepper - 6-7 (crushed)
Mayonnaise - to taste
Mustard sauce - to taste
Honey - 1 tbsp

Method :

1. Boil Potato's , carrot's and pea's separately in such texture that its not over cooked but still remains firm and soft. Strain the water.

2. Cut Peach and Apple.

3. Roast groundnut and crush it coarsely.

4. In a bowl, add the vegetables, fruits,mayonnaise, honey , mustard sauce , crushed pepper. Add crushed groundnut and mix well.

5. Serve chilled.

Spicy Kuli Appam

2010-06-09T03:56:00.000-07:00

Kuli appam has always come to my rescue, as snacks when my son gets back from school in a undecided state of hunger ! Kuli Appam always converts that semi hunger state of stomach to a generous snacking experience.Do try this with your kids.

All you need to do is- hide yourself until you grate to glory, all vegetables denounced by your kids and mix them in ! They would never guess what went it, and I assure you for that.. :)

*{Avoid using any vegetable with water content in them like Bottle Gourd /Lauki , Cucumber/vellarikai etc}

Ingredients
Rice 1 cup
Boiled Rice 1 cup
Urad Dal ½ cup
Green chillies 1 or 2
Coriander (Cilantro) leaves ¼ cup
Onion 1 small
Grated carrot
Ginger (optional) ½" piece
Fresh coconut pieces ¼ cup
Soaked chana dal ¼ cup
Salt to taste

Preparation
1.Soak the rice, boiled rice and urad dal overnight.

2.Grind the three together into a thick paste.

3.Chop the green chillies and onion.

4.Add green chillies, coriander leaves, ginger, onion, soaked dal, coconut and salt to the paste. Mix well.

5.You will have to cook this using a kuli appam pan.

6.Grease each slot and put dough in the slots.

7.Cover the pan fo a few minutes. Turn it when it is brown.

8.Leave the Appam in for a few minutes before taking them out.

Chicken Pepper Fry (Chicken Tamil style)

2009-12-09T05:08:00.000-08:00

Desperate to get away with the busy Sunday loads, I decided to do a spicy chicken to match the chill winter morning. This is probably no different from what most of you do or maybe it is ! In my family,it was a clear win with rasam and steaming hot rice.

When you have too many chores to handle, you can just do some water to cook the chicken, the ultimate result can still be crispy with soft and tender inner layers. I hardly spent any time with the cooking here,check out the steps.

Ingredients:

Chicken - approx 800gms (I dont buy chicken which are more than 900 gms, so post cleaning this is what it weighed)
Onion - 3-4 small /2 big
Curry leaves - 1 cup (I use a lot of them, apart from the goodness they also contribute extra crispiness )
Whole Garam Masala - Approx 3-4 pieces of cloves, cinnamon (1 inch each), Cardamon, bay leaves
Saunf - 1 tsp
Pepper - 2 tsp (try crushing in fresh pepper corns, they do enormous taste enhancement)
Dhania Powder - 1 1/2 tsp
Jeera Powder - 1 1/2tsp
Tomato - 2 small/ 1big
Garam Masala Powder - 1 1/2 tsp
Green Dhania Powder - 2-3 tbsp
Turmeric Powder - 1/2 tsp
Salt - to taste (1 1/2 tsp)

Procedure::

1. Heat oil in a wok.
2. Add saunf (Aniseeds). When they splutter, add curry leaves. When curry leaves become dark green in color,it indicates they are done. At this stage, remove 10 -12 leaves and keep aside for garnishing.
3. Now add the the whole garam masala.
4. Add onion,tomatoes,pepper powder, garam masala,Dhania powder,Turmeric powder, Jeera powder, Green dhania powder and salt.
5. Add 1 cup water and cover to cook. In approx. 20 minutes when the water is used, remove the cover and cook for 10min. This makes the chicken crispier from outside.
6. Remove from heat and garnish with fried curry leaves.

Dal Ghost aka Mutton in Dal gravy (Andhra Spicy Mutton)

2009-09-15T22:18:00.000-07:00

Ingredients:

For the gosht:

Mutton - 3 cups(1/2 kg)
Garlic Paste - 2 tsp
Ginger paste - 2 tsp
Salt

For the dal ::

Masoor dal - 1/2 cup
Toovar dal(Arhar) - 1/4 chana
Chana dal(Bengal gram) -1/4 cup
Urad dal(Split black lenthils) - 1/4 cup
Onions - 1 cup
Tomatoes - 1cup
Turmeric powder - 1 tsp
Tamarind paste - 2tbsp

For the tempering :

Garlic - 2 tbsp
Dry Red Chillies - 3-4
Chilli Powder - 1 tsp
Cumin Powder - 1 tsp
Coriander Powder - 1 tsp
Garam Masala - 1 tsp
Oil - 3 tbsp
Salt - to taste

For the Garnish :
2 tbsp chopped corainder

Method

For the ghost:
1. Clean and wash the meat.Apply the ginger paste,garlic paste and salt and mix well. Keep aside

2. Pressure cook the mutton for 15 minutes,remove and keep aside.

For the Dal:

1. Soak the dals for 3-4 hours, if you are running short of time like me most of the times, then soak it for 1/2 hr in hot water.

2. After 1/2 hour add onions,tomatoes, turmeric powder and salt to the dals and pressure cook for 20 minutes.

3. When cooked add tamarind paste to it and cook for 1/2 hr (You may choose to add the tamarind to the Dal while pressure cooking, but make sure you cook for 10 minutes more as Tamarind hinders the cooking process )This is make sure we get a smooth paste of Dal for a Memorable "Dal Ghost".

For the Tempering :

1. Heat oil in a pan. Add chopped garlic, dry red chillies.

2. Add chilli powder,cumin powder,coriander powder and garam masala.Keep stirring to avoid tanning the masala's.

Procedure:

1. Add Meat, Dal and tempering together.Mix well. Cook for 5-10 minutes. Server hot with Steamed Rice.

Almond Cake ( Desert Recipe )

2009-08-12T00:40:00.000-07:00

Serves : 10
Preparation time : 25 min plus 1 hr cooling

Ingredients :

225gm Butter softened(plus extra for greasing)
55gms semi sweet chocolate, broken into pieces
1tbsp Strong Coffee
1 ½ cup Maida (Self raising flour / refined flour)
1tsp Baking powder
1 cup golden superfine sugar
4 eggs, beaten
½ cup ground almonds
2 tbsp milk
1 tsp vanilla essence

Method :

1.Preheat the oven to 350 degree Fah/180 Deg Fah. Grease a 1.7 lit ring mould. Place the chocolate and coffee in a heat proof bowl and set over a pan of gently simmering water until the chocolate has melted. Stir until smooth & let cool. Sift the flour and baking powder into separate bowl.

2.Add the butter , sugar, eggs, ground almonds and milk. Beat together thoroughly until smooth.

3.Transfer one half of the cake batter to another bowl and stir in the vanilla extract. Stir the melted chocolate into the other half of the cake batter. Place spoonfuls of the 2 cake batters alternately into the prepared mould, then drag a toothpick through to create a marbled effect. Level the top. Bake in the oven for 50-60 min or until well risen and tip of a knife inserted into the center comes out clean. Let stand in the pan for 5 min, then turn out into a wire rack to cool completely.

4.To make the frosting, place the chocolate, butter and water in a heatproof bowl and set over a pan of simmering water until melted. Stir until smooth, then pour over the cake, working quickly to coat the top and sides. Let set before serving .

5.Serving with chocolate toping is optional. Since I find them very filling, I prefer without them.

6.Another variation is if you don’t have ring mould, 9 inch deep round cake pan.