CRANBERRY RASAM

Dear friends, hope all of you had a wonderful weekend. This long weekend was a blast for us though we didn’t make any long trips. We went for some black Friday shopping, watched a couple of good movies, took good rest, and of course did some experiments in the kitchen :). I made this rasam from the leftover cranberries after making cranberry rice and dhal. Cranberries are perfect for rasam. This sourness is exactly what I wanted in a rasam. I didn’t add any tomatoes for the rasam but I think I can try adding some tomatoes next time when I making this rasam. For those who feel cranberries are too sour may be you can try adding just a couple of cranberries initially and reduce the amount of tamarind when trying for the first time. I followed my MIL’s method of making rasam here and along with her homemade rasam podi. We usually add crushed garlic in rasam. They can be substituted with garlic paste.

INGREDIENTS: (This makes up to 3 cups of rasam)

1. Cranberries, (fresh or frozen), 1/4th cup, probably around 5-6.
2. Tamarind, 1 small lime-sized.
3. Rasam powder (homemade or store bought). 1 teaspoon. (I will post the recipe soon).
4. Asafetida, 1 pinch.
5. Mustard seeds, ½ teaspoon.
6. Cumin seeds, ½ teaspoon.
7. Red chilies, 2, (optional).
8. Garlic, 3 cloves.
9. Thalipu vadagam, ½ teaspoon, (optional).
10. Salt as per taste.
11. Curry leaves and chopped cilantro for garnishing.

PREPARATION:

Soak the tamarind in warm water for 15 minutes and extract thick juice from it. Crush the garlic and keep aside. Heat a pot with a teaspoon of oil. When the oil is hot enough, add the mustard seeds and let it splutter. Then add the cumin seeds, red chilies, and vadagam and fry for a few seconds. Now reduce the flame to low and add the cranberries and mix everything well. Keep stirring under low flame for 5 minutes until the cranberries are cooked and turn mushy. Then add the crushed garlic, salt, asafetida, and tamarind juice along with 3 cups of water and let it come to a boil. Once it comes to a boil, add the rasam powder, curry leaves, and chopped cilantro. Mix everything just once and switch off the stove. Serve with rice and any spicy side dish.

CRANBERRY RICE

This awesome recipe idea is from my hubby. With Thanksgiving Day just around the corner, who doesn’t get tempted on seeing abundant fresh cranberries in the market? I bought a big packet of cranberries with the idea of trying out cranberry pickle and maybe a dhal dish. It was my hubby who suggested after tasting the pickle that these taste as sour as tomato and why don’t we substitute these for tomatoes in thakali sadam (tomato rice), so here goes the recipe. Here I have used just 4-5 cranberries for half a cup of rice since we don’t prefer that much sourness in rice dishes. The cranberries can be increased or decreased according to individual preferences. Try adding 3 cranberries initially and when the mixture is cooked, just before adding the rice taste it for sourness and then add more cranberries if more sourness is preferred.

INGREDIENTS:
1. Any rice variety preferably basmati rice, 1/2 cup.
2. Cranberries (fresh or frozen),4-5.
3. Red onions, medium-size, 2.
4. Ginger-garlic paste, 1teaspoon.
5. Chili powder, 1 teaspoon.
6. Coriander powder, 2 teaspoons.
7. Garam masala (optional), ½ teaspoon.
8. Turmeric powder, ¼ teaspoon.
9. Mustard seeds, ½ teaspoon.
10. Broken cashews, 1 tablespoon.
11. Fennel seeds, ¼ teaspoon.
12. Curry leaves and cilantro for garnishing.
13. Salt as per taste.

PREPARATION:
Cook the rice separately and let it cool. The rice should not be mushy. Dice the finely. Heat a pan with some oil. When the oil is hot enough, add the mustard seeds and let it splutter. Then add the fennel seeds and cashews and fry for a few seconds. Add the onions and sauté for a few minutes until the onions turn brown. Now add the ginger-garlic paste, all the powders, and salt. Mix everything well and cook for 5 minutes under low flame. Now add the cranberries and cook for a few more minutes until the cranberries get mushy and blend with the mixture. Add the cooked rice to this mixture and mix well. Garnish with curry leaves and chopped cilantro and enjoy.

CRANBERRY PICKLE







I tried cranberry pickle from my friend Malar’s blog and they turned out great. Thanks a lot Malar for this drool-worthy pickle recipe. I followed her recipe exactly here. For the original recipe, click here

CHANNA MASALA – A DIFFERENT METHOD

I tasted this dish at my friend’s house recently. Initially when she served me this, I thought it was made with spinach. I couldn’t believe my friend when she told me that it was cilantro which gave the vibrant green color to the dish. It was so tasty and flavorful that I prepared it the same week. The key ingredient here is cilantro. I feel that adding tons of cilantro takes regular channa masala to a whole different level. The photo does not do any justice to the dish but most of the channa masala was devoured by my husband and me before I had a chance to take a click but I took a photograph anyway. I am sure everybody would love this once you gave it a try :)

INGREDIENTS:

1. Dry chickpeas, ½ cup.
2. Onion, medium-size, 1.
3. Tomato, 1.
4. Cilantro, 1 big bunch.
5. Ginger-garlic paste, 1 teaspoon.
6. Chili powder, 1 teaspoon.
7. Coriander powder, 2 teaspoons.
8. Garam masala or channa masala powder, 1 teaspoon.
9. Cumin powder, ½ teaspoon.
10. Salt as per taste.

PREPARATION:

Soak the chickpeas overnight or for 6-8 hours. Remove the cilantro leaves from the stems, wash them well and keep aside. Chop the onion and tomatoes into big chunks. Heat a pan with some oil. When the oil is hot enough, add the chopped onions and sauté for a couple of minutes until the onions are caramelized. Then add the tomatoes and ginger-garlic paste and keep sautéing until everything is well blended. Switch off the stove and let it cool. Once everything is cool, transfer the contents to a blender along with the chopped cilantro. Blend everything into a smooth paste. Transfer everything into a pressure cooker. Add the chick peas, all the powders, salt, and the chickpeas along with 1 cup of water. Pressure cook for 2-3 whistles until the chickpeas are cooked. Once the pressure is released, it can be served as it is with chapathis. If needed, the dish can be cooked in a pan for a few more minutes under low flame to get the desired consistency.

SIMPLE AND EASY PASTA

I prepared this pasta dish in just 15 minutes after a long day out. We wanted to have something simple and tasty and I was not in the mood to cut any vegetables. I just cooked some pasta and tossed it with some sauces and lots of cilantro and it was absolutely delicious. Adding cilantro adds a nice subtle flavor to the dish. Again any type of vegetables can be added here for additional taste and nutrition.

INGREDIENTS

1. Any whole wheat pasta around ½ a packet.
2. Onion- 1.
3. Chopped cilantro, 1 cup.
4. Ground pepper according to taste.
5. Low-sodium soy sauce, 2 tablespoons.
6. Chili sauce, 1 teaspoon (optional).
7. Salt to taste.

PREPARATION

Cook the pasta to al-dente, drain the water, and let it cool. Meanwhile dice the onion finely. Add some oil to a pan or wok and when the oil is hot enough, add the onions and half of the chopped cilantro and sauté everything until the onion turns translucent. Then add the sauces, salt, pepper, and the cooked pasta and mix everything well. Mix in the remaining of the chopped cilantro at the end and serve hot.

MEAL MAKER OR SOYA NUGGETS FRY

I am back from my hibernation. It had been a month since I blogged. I was not feeling well with the change in weather and then my laptop was infected with virus. All my drafts including my project work had been deleted :( Now that everything has been restored, things are back to normal. I thank all my friends who were inquiring about me and also showering me with so many awards during the past one month. I’ll catch up with all your post soon :)

Coming to the recipe, this fry tastes almost similar to a chicken fry, a healthy dish for both vegetarians and meat-lovers. This dish is my hubby’s favorite. I make this as a side dish when I making briyani but this goes well with sambar, rasam, or curd. I have added some roasted peanuts at the end, even roasted cashews can also be added here.

INGREDIENTS

1. Soya nuggets around 1 cup.
2. Onions, medium-sized -2.
3. Ginger-garlic paste- 1 teaspoon.
4. Chili powder, 1 teaspoon.
5. Coriander powder, 2 teaspoons.
6. Turmeric powder, ¼ teaspoon.
7. Mustard seeds, ¼ teaspoon.
8. Green chilies, 1 (optional).
9. Cumin seeds-1 teaspoon.
10. Garam masala (optional, tastes good even without garam masala).
11. Salt, as per taste.
12. Roasted peanuts, ¼ cup.
13. Curry leaves and cilantro for garnishing.

METHOD

Take a cup of soy nuggets and put them in boiling water for 2 minutes until the nuggets are puffed up. Let them sit for 5 minutes, then rinse them well, drain them, and cut into small bite-size pieces. Dice the onion finely and slit the green chilies into two. Heat a kadai and add 1 tablespoon of oil. When the oil is hot, add the mustard seeds and let it splutter. Then add the cumin seeds and fry them for a few seconds. Now add the onions, chili, and a sprig of curry leaves and sauté well for a few minutes until the onions have caramelized, and then add the ginger-garlic paste and sauté for a minute. Add chili powder, coriander powder, turmeric powder, and salt, and fry everything for a few minutes until the spices lose their raw smell. If needed a tablespoon of water can also be added at this stage. Reduce the heat and add the chopped nuggets and peanuts and mix everything well. Cook closed under low flame for 5 minutes until everything is well blended and the soya granules absorb all the flavors. Turn off the heat, garnish the dish with cilantro on top and serve with rotis, idlis, and dosas.

KATHRIKAI KOOTUU (EGGPLANT DHAL)

This picture had been lying in my draft for a long time. I made this dish during those days when I used to make a dish and post it on the same day with the date on the picture. I found this out today as I was going through the old pictures. I guess its better late than never :) This is a recipe of my friend. I learnt this dish from her during my early marriage days when we were in Hyderabad. She usually prepares this as a side dish for idlis and dosas rather than with rice. This is more or less similar to kothsu and the moong dhal added here is very less compared to the regular kootus. I think this kootuu must go well with rice too though we have not yet tried it with rice. Here goes the recipe:

INGREDIENTS:
Moong dhal, ¼th cup.
Eggplant, a big one if bigger varieties like Japanese eggplants are used or 4-5 if regular small-sized ones are used.
Small onions, 1 cup.
Tomatoes, small, 2.
Chili powder, 1 teaspoon.
Coriander powder, 1 teaspoon.
Sambar powder, ½ teaspoon (optional).
Garlic, 2 cloves.
Mustard seeds, 1 teaspoon.
Cumin seeds, 1 teaspoon.
Asafetida, 1 pinch.
Salt as per taste.
Vadakam ½ teaspoon, (optional).
Turmeric powder, ½ teaspoon.

PREPARATION:
Wash the moong dhal. Chop the eggplants and tomatoes into small pieces. Peel the onions and crush the garlic coarsely. Take a pressure cooker or a pressure pan and put the washed moong dhal, chopped eggplants, tomatoes, peeled onions, crushed garlic, turmeric powder, all the powders, salt as per taste along with 1-1/2 cups of water. Pressure cook for about 10-15 minutes up to 3 whistles. Transfer the cooked dhal to a vessel when the pressure is released. The eggplants will be well mashed up at this stage. If they are still whole, mash them with a spatula. Meanwhile heat a small pan with 1 teaspoon of oil. When the oil is hot enough, add the mustard seeds. When the mustard seeds start to splutter, add the cumin seeds, vadakam, asafetida let them fry for 30 seconds and switch off the stove. Add the seasonings to the kootuu and mix everything well and serve hot with idlis, dosas, rotis, or rice.



Thanks to the Food Buzz team for sending me Nature’s Pride Breads as a part of their TasteMaker’s Program. We have never brought Nature’s Pride breads before and I like the texture of these breads particularly the 12-grains bread. We have been having these as a simple peanut butter and jam sandwiches. I am planning to try something different with these too like a bread pudding for the weekend.

SPLIT PEAS VADAIS OR FRITTERS

Split peas vadais are similar like the regular peas and channa dhal vadais. I had some split peas in the pantry after making some split peas soup, so thought of using them in vadais instead of regular peas. These fritters came out pretty well. We had this as a side dish with rice and vathakuzumbu. These fritters can also be had as an evening snack with some ketchup. I have grinded the vadai batter into a smooth paste since I like the vadais to be crispy on the outside and soft inside. For crispier vadais, the peas can be ground into a coarse paste. For this consistency, run the blender for just one or two pulses.

INGREDIENTS:
Split peas, 1 cup, soaked for 2-3 hours.
Fennel seeds, 1 teaspoon.
Rice powder, 1 tablespoon.
Garlic, 2 cloves.
Ginger small pieces.
Green chilies, 3.
Salt, as per taste.
Red onion, medium-sized, 1.
Curry leaves, a handful.
Cilantro, a handful.

PREPARATION:
Wash the soaked split peas and grind them along with the fennel seeds, chilies, garlic, and ginger without water. Chop the onion, curry leaves, and cilantro into small pieces. Add the chopped onion, curry leaves, cilantro, rice powder, and salt to the ground split peas and mix everything well. Heat a kadai with 1 cup of oil. When the oil is hot, take a small amount of the ground mixture and flatten it with the palm of the hand and drop into the hot oil. When the vadais rise up and turns golden-brown, remove the vadais from the oil and drain the excess oil with a paper towel. Serve the hot vadas with ketchup.

FISH MANCHURIAN

I tasted this dish for the first time in a restaurant in Chennai and wanted to try this at home ever since. Since manchurian dishes are usually deep fried, I have been putting it off for a long time (the original version of this dish is a deep-fried version where the fish sticks are coated with a cornflower batter, fried, and then mixed with the sauces).Then the idea of baking the fish and adding everything to the sauce struck me and I think it turned out pretty well. I even tried this dish with tandoori chicken and that was awesome too without the extra calories from the oil. I have used salmon here. Any types of fish works well in this dish. Even baked shrimp can also be used.

INGREDIENTS:
Salmon, around, 2-3 slices with the skin removed.
Red onion, 1.
Green, yellow, and red bell peppers, ½ of each.
Chili powder, 1-1/2 teaspoons.
Food color or paprika powder, ½ teaspoon.
Salt as per taste.
Lemon juice, 1 tablespoon.
Ginger-garlic paste, 1 teaspoon.
Garlic, 2 cloves.
Aji-No-Moto or MSG, 1/4 teaspoon, (optional).
Tomato sauce, 1 tablespoon.
Soy sauce 1 tablespoon.

PREPARATION:
Cut the salmon into bite-size pieces. Add 1 teaspoon of chili powder, paprika powder or food color, ginger-garlic paste, salt, and lemon juice to the fish and mix well. Let it marinade for 30 minutes. Arrange the salmon pieces on a baking tray and bake at 350 degrees for 15 minutes until the fish is cooked and a brown crust is formed on top of the pieces. The fish can also be cooked in a regular flat pan or cast-iron pan with a little oil. Meanwhile cut the bell peppers and red onions into the long, thin strips and chop the garlic into very small pieces. Heat a pan with some oil. When the oil is hot enough, add the bell peppers, onions and crushed garlic and sauté everything for a minute. Then add 1/2 teaspoon of chili powder, salt, Aji-No-Moto, soy sauce, and tomato sauce and mix everything well and sauté for 5 more minutes under low flame and switch off the stove. Then add the baked salmon into the mixture and mix everything well. Garnish with spring onions on top and serve hot with fried rice or briyani.

HAPPY VIJAYADASAMI

Dear friends, wishing you all a Happy Vijayadasami. Here are some kolu pictures taken at my mother-in-law’s place in Pondicherry. See you all in my next post :)

CRACKED WHEAT RAVA PONGAL

This recipe is for my mother. My father is a diabetic and though his diet is controlled, there are some foods which he takes in moderation. These are particularly the ones which he loves like briyani, pongal, and SWEETS. I have been trying some to introduce some rice substitutions for my mom, which she can cook easily without going through a lot of trouble. When I say something like, “I tried this dish with cracked wheat or oats”, the first question that she asks me is “How does it taste”. You know how skeptical moms can be :( I hope she likes this picture of wheat pongal I have posted here and tries it soon. I have not used ghee here and still it tasted great. A spoonful of ghee or butter can also be added while seasoning.

INGREDIENTS:
Cracked wheat, 1 cup.
Moong dhal, ½ cup.
Ground pepper, 1 teaspoon.
Cumin seeds, 1 tablespoon.
Chopped cashews, 1 tablespoon.
Curry leaves, a handful.
Ginger, 1 small piece.
Green chili, 1 (optional).
Any cooking oil, 1 tablespoon.
Salt as per taste.

PREPARATION:
Dry roast the cracked wheat for 5 minutes and let it cool. Wash the moong dhal and cook it in a pressure cooker until it is well-cooked and turns mushy. Chop the ginger into fine pieces and slit the chili into 2 and keep aside. Heat a small pan with a tablespoon of oil. When the oil is hot enough, add the cumin seeds and cashews and fry for a minute until good smell comes cumin and the cashews turn brown. Then add the chopped ginger, curry leaves, and chili and fry everything for another minute. Now add the cooked dhal, cracked wheat with 2 cups of water along with salt, mix everything, and cook under medium flame until the whole dish turns to a pongal consistency. At this stage, add another tablespoon of oil or ghee and cook for a few more minutes under low flame. Switch off the stove and serve the hot pongal with coconut chutney and sambar.

REPOSTS FOR ITS A VEGAN WORLD - INDIAN EVENT

REPOSTS FOR ITS A VEGAN WORLD - INDIAN EVENT

I am reposting some of my recipes for Its A Vegan World Event, brainchild of
Vaishali and hosted by Erbe in cucina


Tofu and peas masala

Black chicpeas curry

Palak Tofu

ONION AND CRANBERRY CHUTNEY

ONION AND CRANBERRY CHUTNEY






This chutney is the same as the onion and tomato chutney I make regularly, only this time I substituted the tomatoes with cranberries. This chutney was a little sour, so I added some jaggery to balance the taste. It tasted so good with idlis and dosas. I even paired this chutney with wheat rava idlis next day and it tasted good with those idlis too. The jaggery can be replaced with brown sugar, regular granulated sugar, or any artificial sweeteners.

INGREDIENTS:
Red onions, medium-sized, 2.
Cranberries, fresh or frozen, 1 cup.
Garlic, 2-3 cloves.
Red chilies, 3-4.
Asafetida, a pinch.
Jaggery or brown sugar, 1 teaspoon.
Salt as per taste.
Mustard seeds, 1 teaspoon.

Preparation:
Dice the onion into big chunks and keep aside. Heat a pan with some oil. When the oil is hot enough, ad the onions and sauté them for a few minutes until they turn brown, then add the garlic cloves, red chilies, asafetida, and cranberries and sauté everything for a few more minutes until the cranberries start to burst. Let it cool and grind everything into a smooth paste and add some salt and jaggery as per taste. Heat another small pan with some oil and when the turns is hot, add the mustard seeds and let it splutter. Pour this mixture over the chutney and mix well. Serve with idlis, dosas, and chapathis.

If needed, the chutney can be diluted with a little water and cooked under low flame for a few more minutes to get the desired consistency.




I made whole wheat pizza from scratch this weekend. I made the crust with whole wheat flour, 1 teaspoon of wheat germ, and ground flaxseeds. The crust tasted more or less similar to that of a regular pizza. The only topping I used here were some skim milk mozzarella cheese and caramelized onions. I cut the onions into long thin strips and sautéed them until they were brown and added it as the toppings. If you are crazy about onions like my hubby and I, you are sure to love this pizza :)

IDLI MILAGAI PODI

My dear friends Priya of http://ennsamaiyal.blogspot.com/ has awarded A giant bear hug award and Shobana of http://priars.blogspot.com/ has awarded me I love your blog award and tagged me. Thank you very much Priya and Shobana for making my day :) I am not doing my tag now since I have already posted my tags in my previous posts.

Dear Priya from http://recipes-priya.blogspot.com/ has awarded me The yum blog award, A giant bear hug award, and 360 foodie award. Thank you very much for these awards and reminding me about them Priya :)

Coming on to the recipe, I had this dish for the first time soon after my marriage when my mil prepared this for evening snack. Actually idli milagai podi is a very common evening snack in many Tamilian households. This is very easy to prepare too, takes just a few minutes if leftover idlis are at hand. This had to be eaten hot and when the idlis are crispy on the outside. I prepare this dish with sesame oil for a better taste. Another variation is the same dish can be made with bread too. This tastes really great and is much crispier than made with idlis but when bread is used, sesame oil is not ideal as it changes the taste of the dish. I have also included my mom’s idli milagai podi recipe here.

FOR THE PODI:
Channa dhal, 1 cup.
Urad dhal, 1.
Mustard seeds, ½ teaspoon.
Fenugreek seeds, 2-3.
Salt as per taste.
Red chilies, around 15 (this can be increased or decreased according to personal preferences).
Curry leaves, 2 springs. (optional).
Asafetida, 1 pinch.

Dry roast the dhal one by separately and let it cool by spreading it on a plate covered with paper tissue or newspaper. Dry the chilies, mustard seeds, fenugreek seeds, and curry leaves and let them cool. Once everything is cooled, blend everything to a smooth powder along with some salt and asafetida making sure the jar of the mixie or blender is completely dry. Transfer the contents to an airtight container, let it rest by leaving the lid open for an hour. This can be stored for up to 3 months outside.

FOR MAKING IDLI MILAGAI PODI:
INGREDIENTS:
Leftover idlis, 4-5.
Idli podi, 2 tablespoons.
Sesame oil, 1-2 tablespoon.

Cut the idlis into small bite-size pieces. Heat a pan with a little bit of oil and add the idlis and turn everything for a few seconds until the idlis pieces are coated with oil. Then sprinkle the idli podi over the idlis, add some more oil and keep sautéing under medium-high flame for a few minutes until everything turns crisp. Serve hot and enjoy.

TRIED AND TASTED VIKI’S INDIAN CHICKEN CURRY IN OVEN:


I tried Viki's chicken and it came out very well. I took of photograph of the dish to share it with everybody. I made a few variations to the dish like sautéing the onions, tomatoes, ginger garlic paste, and powders (instead of ground ingredients she had made) and then adding it to the cut chicken and baking it. This taste was completely different from my usual chicken preparation. The flavors and very much concentrated and tasty. Next time, I am planning to follow her recipe as it is and cook the chicken.

TOFU AND PEAS MASALA

TOFU AND PEAS MASALA
This recipe was on my mind for long ever since I started cooking with tofu. It came out pretty good. Here I have fried the tofu a little bit to get that crispy brown color on tofu. The tofu can be added as such too. The same gravy can be used for paneer butter also.

INGREDIENTS:
1. Extra-firm or firm tofu, 1 small box.
2. Fresh or frozen green peas, 1 cup.
3. Medium-sized onions, 2.
4. Tomatoes, 2. Canned tomatoes works best too. If canned tomatoes are used, 1 cup is required.
5. Ginger-garlic paste, 1 teaspoon.
6. Almonds or cashews, around 8-10 pieces.
7. Red chilies, 3-4.
8. Coriander seeds, 1 tablespoon.
9. Cardamom seeds, 2.
10. Fennel seeds, ½ teaspoon.
11. Cinnamon, 1 small stick.
12. Paprika powder, 2 teaspoons. (optional).
13. Salt as per taste.
14. Cilantro for garnishing.

PREPARATION:
Dice the onions and tomatoes finely and keep aside. Drain the water from the tofu and pat it dry with a paper towel. Cut the tofu into bite-size pieces. Heat a pan with a tablespoon of oil and place the tofu pieces on the pan leaving sufficient space between each piece. Fry the tofu under medium flame for 10 minutes, taking 5 minutes for each side. Remove the tofu from the pan and let it cool. In the same pan, add another teaspoon of oil and add the cinnamon stick, cardamom pods, fennel seeds, coriander seeds and let everything fry for a minute. Then add the red chilies and fry for a few seconds. Transfer everything to a plate and let it cool. Add the diced onions to the same pan and sauté for a few minutes until onions turn brown. Then add the tomatoes and ginger-garlic paste and keep sautéing until everything is blended. Switch off the stove and let it cool. Grind the mixture into a smooth paste along the almonds and fried spices. The spices can also be ground separately and added to the blended onion and tomato paste. Transfer all the contents into the pan, add a teaspoon of oil, 1 cup of water, paprika powder, and salt as per taste and let it cook closed for 5-10 minutes under low flame. Add the fried tofu and peas, mix everything, and cook for 2 more minutes. Garnish with chopped cilantro and serve hot with chapathis. I am sending my recipe for Side Dish for Chapathi event hosted by Viki

MY RECIPES FOR 4 ONGOING EVENTS

I am reposting some of my recipes for the events hosted by Priti, Purva, Dhivya, Viki, and Sireesha.

FESTIVE FOOD EVENT FF
These are my entries for Festive Food Event FF hosted by Priti and Purva






Vinayaka Chadurdhi Celebrations

Walnut Halwa


SHOW ME YOUR OMELET EVENT
These are my entries for Show me Your Omelet Event hosted by Dhivya



Spinach omelet with egg whites

Vegetable Omelet

Cheese omelet with scallions


SIDE DISH FOR CHAPATHI EVENT
These are my entries for Side Dish for Chapathi Event hosted by Viki



Easy chicken kozumbu or gravy

Baked Vegetable Manchurian

Red bell pepper dhal

Black chickpeas curry

Palak tofu

Vegetable Kurma

Quick and easy moong dhal with red amaranth leaves

Soya gravy

Soya peas fry

SOUP 'N JUICE EVENT
These are my entries for Soup ‘N Juice Event hosted by Sireesha



Tomato and fava bean soup

Tomato soup with barley and pasta

Black bean soup

Spinach and barley soup

Tomato and basil soup

16 beans and pasta soup and red bell pepper soup

Middle Eastern lentil soup

Lima bean soup

Kale and white bean soup

Egg drop and egg noodles soup

QUINOA PULAV

QUINOA PULAV
I started cooking with quinoa recently only after hearing the benefits about this super grain. This is my first attempt cooking with quinoa. I added only garam masala powder since the grains were very small and I didn’t want to bite into whole spices. If needed, a bay leaf can be added while cooking and removed just before serving. It did taste pretty good and the pulav was not too mushy. This can be had with a simple raita and pickle since quinoa is already a protein source and pairing it with chicken or fish is not ideal. Any vegetable side dish like baigan bhartha goes well with this pulav. Here are some interesting facts about quinoa: Quinoa contains all 9 essential amino acids that are required by the body as building blocks for muscles.It has magnesium, fiber, manganese and copper.

INGREDIENTS:
Quinoa, 1 cup.
Red onion, medium size, 1.
Roma tomatoes, 2.
Green chilies, 2-3.
Chopped vegetables like green beans, cauliflower, carrots around 1 cup.
Green peas, ¼ cup.
Ginger-garlic paste, 1 teaspoon.
Turmeric powder, ¼ teaspoon.
Chili powder, ½ teaspoon.
Garam masala powder, 2 teaspoons.
Salt as per taste.
Chopped mint and cilantro, 1 cup.
Water, 1-3/4 cups.
Salt as per taste.

PREPARATION:
Wash the quinoa grains well and soak them water for 20 minutes. Dice the onion and tomatoes finely and slit the green chilies into two. Heat a pan with some oil. When the oil is hot enough, add the diced onions and sauté it for a few minutes. When the onions turn brown, add the diced tomatoes, green chilies, and ginger-garlic paste and keep sautéing until everything is well blended. Now add chili powder, garam masala, and turmeric powder along with the chopped vegetables and green peas and keep sautéing under medium flame until the veggies are partially cooked and the masala powders lose their raw smell. Add salt and water and let it come to a boil. Then lower the flame and add the quinoa grains and mix everything well. Cook closed under low flame for 10 minutes until the grains are cooked and the dish turns a little bit dry. Switch off the stove and let it cool for 5 minutes. Add the chopped mint and cilantro leaves and fluff the grains with the fork. Serve with raita and pickle.

AWARDS AND VINAYAKA CHADURDHI CELEBRATIONS

AWARDS AND VINAYAKA CHADURDHI CELEBRATIONS

Happy Vinayaka Chadurdhi friends. Here is a photo of the celebrations at my home. We couldn’t get a clay Ganesh idol here, I have some small Ganesh statues with which I performed my puja. The neiveidiam I made were kozukattais, black chickpeas sundal, pongal, and vadas.

OATMEAL THAIR SADAM (OATMEAL WITH YOGURT)

OATMEAL THAIR SADAM (OATMEAL WITH YOGURT)

Dear friends, how are you all doing? We have settled down in our apartment, actually I finished unpacking and arranging everything the same week itself, I needed some more time with my short-term course I am doing with Penn Foster University and I am almost there. I am posting a photo of my kitchen in this post. Hope you all like my new kitchen.
Coming to the recipe, these days I have been substituting oatmeal for rice very often. This was one such crazy day when I thought if oatmeal goes well with sambar and pongal, why not try it with curd rice, anyway I love my curd rice to be gooey. I was very reluctant to post this recipe, though I had taken a few photographs of the dish. This afternoon I mentioned about this dish to my friend Viki on the phone and she seemed to like it very much, now I finally got the courage to post this recipe. Actually I loved this dish very much, this was much lighter and there was no significant taste difference at all. It went very well with pickle and I love this healthy version of curd rice. Here goes the recipe:

INGREDIENTS:
Regular whole-grain oatmeal, 1 cup.
Nonfat or low-fat plain yogurt, 1 cup.
Salt as per taste.
Mustard seeds, ½ teaspoon.
Broken red chilies or slit green chilies, 2.
Asafetida, 1 pinch.
Ginger, 1 very small piece.
Curry leaves, 1 sprig.
Wheat bran and ground flaxseed powder, 1 teaspoon of each, (optional).

PREPARATION:
Cook the oatmeal with water according to the package instructions and let it cool. I have added a teaspoon of wheat bran and flaxmeal to the oatmeal, these can be omitted too. Transfer the yogurt to a bowl, add salt and the cooled oatmeal and mix well. If needed, some water can be added to get the desired consistency. Meanwhile, heat a small pan and when the oil turns hot, add the mustard seeds and let it splutter. Then add the broken chilies, curry leaves, ginger, and asafetida powder and fry for a few seconds. Pour the contents of the pan over the curd and oatmeal mixture and mix well. Serve with any spicy side dish or pickle and enjoy.

Brown Rice Uppu urundai

This is an ideal evening snack and it is not deep-fried. It can be had by itself but I love having these with coconut chutney. My MIL makes this an evening snack very often. Whenever she grinds the batter for idlis and dosas, she takes some of the rice batter and makes uppu urundai out of the batter. I find this method very easy. Here, I have used brown rice instead of regular rice.

INGREDIENTS:
Brown rice, 1 cup.
Mustard seeds. ¼ teaspoon.
Red chilies, 2.
Channa dhal, 1 tablespoon.
Broken cashews, 1 tablespoon.
Salt as per taste.
Chopped cilantro, ¼ cup.
Curry leaves, 1 sprig.

PREPARATION:
Wash the rice and soak it for 3-4 hours. Grind the rice along with some salt until its smooth. I used a blender for grinding. Add one more cup of water to this batter. Heat a pan with some oil. When the oil is hot enough, add the mustard seeds and let it splutter. Then add the broken red chilies, channa dhal, cashews and fry for a few seconds until everything is brown. Then add the chopped cilantro and curry leaves and the ground rice batter and mix well. Keep mixing under medium flame until the batter starts to thicken and forms into a large dough. It should be firm enough to make small balls out of it. To test the dough, take a pinch of the dough and roll it. The ball will be formed very easily if the consistency is right. Make similar balls from the dough. I have formed small bite-sized balls, so they can easily had with a fork. Then steam the balls for 15 minutes. I used an idli cooker to steam them by arranging them on the idli plates and then steaming them. Serve them with coconut chutney or tomato chutney.

KATHRIKAI MURUNGAKAI PORIYAL (EGGPLANT AND DRUMSTICK CURRY)

KATHRIKAI MURUNGAKAI PORIYAL (EGGPLANT AND DRUMSTICK CURRY)

This is my mom’s favorite poriyal. She makes this often. I never liked this poriyal that much before I got marriage. These days, I am crazy about eggplants and it has been one of my favorite veggies ever since. There are different variations to this poriyal. My mil adds tomato to this poriyal and sometimes my mom adds a potato cut into small cubes and then tops it off with grated coconut. It tastes great both ways. I make it with a slight twist by adding a teaspoon of sambar powder.

This is my entry for Fall in love with Brinjal event hosted by Sanghi from http://www.sanghi-tastybites.blogspot.com/

INGREDIENTS:
Eggplants, medium-sized, 3. If Japanese eggplants are used, only one is required.
Drumsticks, 2. (choose drumsticks with medium to thin stalks). Precut frozen drumsticks are available in regular Indian stores.
Small onions, 2.
Mustard seeds, ¼ teaspoon.
Ginger-garlic paste, 1 teaspoon.
Chili powder, 1 teaspoon.
Coriander powder, 2 teaspoons.
Sambar powder, 1 teaspoon (optional).
Salt as per taste.
Curry leaves and cilantro for garnishing.

PREPARATION:
Dice the onion finely. Cut the drumsticks into long thin pieces. If a thick drumsticks are used, peel the other skin. Cut the eggplant into small pieces and put them in cold water to prevent them from blackening. Heat a pan with some oil. When the oil turns hot enough, add the mustard seeds and let it splutter. Then add the diced onions and sauté for a few minutes until the onions turn brown. Then add the drumsticks, along with the powders, ginger-garlic paste, and salt as per taste. Add enough water just to cover the drumstick and cook closed under medium flame for 10 minutes until the drumsticks are well cooked. Then add the chopped eggplant pieces and mix well. Cook closed under low-to-medium flame until the eggplants are tender and the curry is dry. Switch off the stove, garnish the dish with curry leaves and cilantro and serve hot with rice or chapathis.

Variation: The drumsticks can be cooked in microwave and then added along with eggplants to reduce cooking time.

MINT AND CILANTRO CHUTNEY – A DIFFERENT METHOD

MINT AND CILANTRO CHUTNEY – A DIFFERENT METHOD
This chutney recipe was a sudden idea with the change of plans for dinner last week. I was about the start preparing regular mint and cilantro chutney with idlis one evening when my hubby said that he didn’t want coconut in the chutney. I have never prepared mint chutney without cilantro and started to wonder whether it would be creamy without adding coconut. Then I got this idea of adding walnuts to the chutney and it did turn out pretty tasty. I added some onions to the chutney, which is variation from my regular. It was indeed creamy and healthy. We liked it with idlis. This goes well with chapathis also.

INGREDIENTS:
Mint and cilantro, 1 big bunch of each.
Red onion, small, 1.
Green chilies, 2-3.
Ginger, 1 small piece.
Tamarind, 1 small lemon-sized ball.
Chopped walnuts, 2 tablespoons.
Mustard seeds, ¼ teaspoon.
Salt as per taste.

PREPARATION:
Extract thick juice from the tamarind and keep aside. Remove the leaves of the mint and cilantro and wash them well. Dice the onion finely and slit the chilies into 2. Chop the ginger into small pieces. Heat a pan with a teaspoon of oil. When the oil turns hot, add the chopped onion and keep sautéing it until it is tender. Then add the chilies, ginger pieces, and the mint and cilantro leaves and sauté for a few more minutes until the leaves have wilted. Switch off the stove and let it cool. Once the mixture is cooled, add the contents to a blender along with the tamarind juice, chopped walnuts, and salt as per taste and blend it into a smooth paste. Transfer the chutney into a bowl. Heat a small pan with a teaspoon of oil. When the oil turns hot, add the mustard seeds and let it splutter. Pour the hot oil over the chutney, mix well, and serve with idlis, dosas, and rotis.

Variation: The tamarind juice can be substitued with 2 tablespoons of lemon juice.

FRIED TOFU PATTIES

FRIED TOFU PATTIES
This is yet another great snack idea for tofu lovers like me. This fried tofu was crispy on the outside and soft inside with a delicate flavor of soy sauce going throughout. Here I have coated the tofu lightly with breadcrumbs. If needed, marinated tofu can also be used here and the tofu can be thickly coated with breadcrumbs.

INGREDIENTS:
Extra firm tofu, 1 packet.
Egg whites, ½ cup.
Breadcrumbs, 1 cup.
Soy sauce, ½ teaspoon.
Chili powder, ¼ teaspoon, (optional).
Salt as per taste.
Oil for shallow frying.

PREPARATION:
Cut the tofu in big half-inch thick slices. Remove the excess moisture from the slices by patting them dry with paper towels. Beat the egg whites, soy sauce, chili powder, and salt together. Heat around 3/4th cup of oil in a pan. Meanwhile create a work station with the breadcrumbs on a plate first, egg whites next to that, and the tofu adjacent to the egg whites. Dip the tofu slices in the egg whites and then coat them with the bread crumbs and shallow fry the tofu slices in hot oil for a few minutes each side until they are golden-brown. Serve hot with ketchup or soy sauce.

ANGEL HAIR PASTA UPMA

ANGEL HAIR PASTA UPMA
This recipe idea is from my hubby. I bought a pack of Angel hair pasta recently made a regular pasta dish the next day. My hubby said that it tasted like vermicelli and why don’t we try making semiya upma with it. I prepared upma with this pasta that week. He liked this upma so much that I made it again for dinner the very same week. This upma goes well with coconut chutney although my favorite combination is with meen kuzumbu or fish gravy.

INGREDIENTS:
Whole wheat Angel hair pasta, 6 ounces.
Onion, medium-sized, 1.
Green chilies, small, 2.
Ginger-garlic paste, 1 tsp, (optional).
Salt as per taste.
Mustard seeds. ½ teaspoon.
Chopped cashews, 1 tablespoon.
Curry leaves, 1 twig.
Chopped cilantro 2 tablespoons.

PREPARATION:
Cook the pasta as per the package instructions and drain the water. The pasta should not be overcooked. Dice the onion finely and split the green chilies into two. Heat some oil in a pan and when the oil is hot enough, add the mustard seeds. When the mustard seeds start to splutter, add the cashews and fry for a few seconds until the cashews turn brown. Then add the chopped onions and green chilies along with ginger garlic paste and salt and sauté for a few minutes until everything is tender. Switch off the stove and add the pasta and mix everything well breaking the pasta into small pieces while mixing. Garnish with curry leaves and cilantro and serve hot with coconut chutney or pickle.

EASY CHICKEN KOZUMBU OR GRAVY

EASY CHICKEN KOZUMBU OR GRAVY
This is my MIL’s recipe. This is a Sunday breakfast special at my in-laws place. We usually have this as a side dish for idlis or dosas. This can be had a side with rice and rotis too but this dish is super spicy. The spice level can be adjusted according to personal preferences. We usually add a lot of heat to non-vegetarian dishes. The chicken can also be substituted with lamb but the cooking time for lamb should be increased accordingly. The time taken to cook this dish is usually 20-25 minutes.

INGREDIENTS:
Chicken, 1 lb.
Red onions, medium-sized 4.
Roma tomatoes, medium-sized, 3.
Ginger-garlic paste, 1 teaspoon.
Turmeric powder, ¼ teaspoon.
Chili powder, 4 teaspoons.
Coriander powder, 4 teaspoons.
Ground black pepper, 1 teaspoon.
Garam masala or chicken masala (optional), 1 teaspoon.
Curry leaves, 1 spring.
Chopped cilantro, ½ cup.
Salt as per taste.
Thalipu vadakam (optional), 1/4 teaspoon.

PREPARATION:
Clean the chicken and cut it into bite-size pieces. Dice the onions and tomatoes finely. Take a pressure cooker or pressure pan and add the chicken pieces, diced tomatoes, onions, chili powder, coriander powder, garam masala, turmeric powder, ginger-garlic paste and salt and mix everything once. Pour water in the cooker just enough the cover the chicken. Cook the chicken for up to 3-4 whistles and switch off the stove to let the pressure down. Heat another pan with a teaspoon of oil. Add the vadakam and let it fry for a few seconds. Then add the cooked chicken gravy along with ground pepper, curry leaves, and cilantro and let it cook for 5 more minutes until the desired consistency is reached. Serve hot with rice, idlis, dosas, or breads.

NOTE: Thalipu vadakam is a mixture of fenugreek seeds, cumin, mustard seeds mixed with dried pearl onions and garlic. We usually add it as a seasoning for gravies like sambar, rasam etc. Another seasoning method used by my MIL is that she fries a teaspoon of very finely chopped onions until they are brown and adds it on top of the gravy. This also gives a good flavor to the dish.

SOY GRANULES STUFFED BUNS

SOY GRANULES STUFFED BUNS

Ever since I saw Usha’s oats pav bread, I really got hooked on to her recipe. This is the second time I made them and I tried to add stuffing to the buns instead of having of them as pav. Thanks a lot Usha for this amazing bread. The stuffing I have used here is a side dish I made that day for our lunch. I stuffed the leftovers in the buns and voila..a tasty evening snack to go with tea. I am not posting the recipe for the bread since it is not my recipe. The only change I made in her recipe was that I used whole wheat flour instead of all-purpose flour, still the texture of the bread was not so dense compared to regular whole wheat bread. For the oats pav recipe, please click here:

www.veginspirations.blogspot.com/2009/06/oat-pav-bread.html

INGREDIENTS FOR THE STUFFING:

1. Soya nuggets or granules around 1 cup.
2. Onions, large-1.
3. Ginger-garlic paste- 1 teaspoon.
4. Chili powder.
5. Fennel seeds-1 teaspoon.
6. Garam masala (optional, tastes good even without garam masala).
7. Salt, as per taste.

METHOD:

For the bread, mix the dough and let it rise for an hour. Take a cup of soy nuggets and put them in boiling water for 2 minutes until the nuggets are puffed up. Let the, sit for 5 minutes, then rinse them well, drain them, and cut into very fine pieces or they can be minced well using a blender. Take care not to make them into a paste, just one or two pulses in the blender will be fine. Chop the onions into small pieces. Heat a pan and add 1 tablespoon of oil. Add the fennel seeds and let them fry for a few seconds, then add the onions and sauté for a few minutes until the onions are caramelized. Add a teaspoon of ginger-garlic paste and sauté for a minute. Then add a tablespoon of chili powder, garam masala, and required salt and fry for everything for a minute on a low flame. Add around 3 tablespoons of water and add the soy granules and cook them closed on low flame around 5-8 minutes until they turn dry. Turn off the heat, add cilantro and let it cool.

After an hour, take the dough, make small balls of dough and flatten it very slightly in the palm. Add 1 to 1-1/2 teaspoons of stuffing in the middle of the flattened dough and fold the dough gently over the stuffing. Smooth the edges into a ball and make similar balls from the rest of the dough. Arrange them on a baking sheet sprayed with nonstick cooking oil. They can be arranged closely or apart. Bake them at 350 degrees for 20-25 minutes. Remove the buns from the oven, let it cool, and enjoy.