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Monday, November 19, 2007
Lemon Rice with Veggies
Ingredients
4 cup - Cooked rice
Juice of one - Lime
1/2 of a - Carrot, finely grated
1/2 cup - Peas, cooked
2 to 4 - Green chilies, chopped finely
Salt to taste
Seasoning
1 tsp - Mustard seeds
1/2 tsp - Jeera
1 tbsp -Chana dal
1 tsp - Urad dal
fistful - Peanuts
1/2 tsp - Turmeric powder
2 sprigs- Curry leaves
Sesame oil
Method
1 ) Heat oil in a skillet. Pop mustard, then add chana dal, urad dal, Jeera, Peanuts, curry leaves and turmeric. Fry for a minute on medium heat. Add Green chili, carrot and peas. Fry for a minute or two. Add salt to taste and mix. Turn off the stove.
2 ) Now add the cooked rice and mix with the seasonings. Add lime juice and mix in well. Initially soon after mixing lime juice with rice, the rice will be very tangy but will reduce gradually. If served after one hour, the rice will be balanced with all the flavors from seasoning and lime.
I like to have lemon rice with pappad and fish fry. How about you guys ??
Friday, November 16, 2007
Peanut Chutney
To roast peanuts in microwave - Place 1/2 cup peanuts in microwave safe plate and microwave for 2 minutes. Stop in between and stir and then continue cooking. Cook with caution, as peanuts can burn, if over cooked.
Tuesday, November 13, 2007
Mooli Paratha and An Early Christmas Gift !
Ingredients
2 - White radish, finely grated
4 to 6 - Green chili, chopped finely
1'' piece - Ginger, finely grated
1/2 tsp - Ajwain
1/2 tsp - Garam masala powder
1/2 tsp - Coriander powder
3 tbsp - Coriander leaves, chopped finely
Salt to taste
For the dough
3 cup - Wheat flour
Water to knead the dough
Method
1 ) Mix enough water with wheat flour and make a stiff dough. Place the dough in the refrigerator for 15 minutes. This will help to tightened the dough. You can use the water squeezed out of the radish to knead the dough, to get more radish flavor.
2 ) Squeeze water from the grated radish very well. Sprinkle little salt on the squeezed radish and keep it aside for 30 minutes. Again squeeze and take out the water. Then mix all the masala powders, chili, ginger, coriander leaves and salt. Mix and keep the filling ready.
3 ) Make small key lime size balls of the dough. To make one paratha, roll out 2 dough balls. In one rolled out dough, spread the filling. Place the other rolled out dough on top of the filled dough. Press the edges to seal in. Dust with flour and roll out the paratha.
4 ) Heat a tawa or a nonstick pan, on medium heat and place the paratha in it. Smear some ghee / oil on top and around the paratha. Flip and cook evenly on both sides, till it's golden brown in colour on both sides.
Serve with raita and pickle.
Check out other Parantha's with detailed pictures -
- Aloo Paratha
- Green Peas Paratha
- Chana Dal Paratha
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An Early Christmas gift to me from a dear blogger friend who bakes, perfect mouthwatering cakes. And i had the luck to taste one of the cakes baked by this dear friend. Fruit cake !! one of my favourite cake and it tasted just like the fruit cake we get in the bakeries back in kerala. I couldn't stop with one piece. Thank you so much Mishmash for this wonderful gift.
Thursday, November 08, 2007
Rawa Dosa with Coconut Chutney
Ingredients
1 cup - Rawa / Sooji ( use fine rawa )
1/2 cup - Rice flour
1/2 cup - All purpose flour / Maida
1/2 of one - Onion, chopped very finely
1 big - Green chili, chopped finely
1/2 inch piece - Ginger, grated finely
1/4 tsp - Jeera / Cumin, crushed mildly
3 tbsp - Curds / Yogurt
2 sprigs - Curry leaves, chopped fine
Sesame oil
Method
1 ) Heat little sesame oil in a pan, add jeera, then onion, green chili, ginger and curry leaves. Fry till onion is translucent. Add rawa and fry lightly on low heat till rawa's color changes lightly. Turn off the stove. Add rice flour and maida to the same pan and mix with rawa. Let the powders warm up with rawa.
2 ) When rawa has cooled, transfer to a mixing bowl. Add curds, salt to taste and 2 cups water and mix with a whisk. Mix well and let the batter stand for 10 to 15 minutes. Add a little more water if the batter is very thick. The batter consistency should be not too thick nor too thin.
3 ) Heat a non-stick pan on medium heat. When the pan is hot, using a big spoon pour one or 2 spoons full of batter on the pan and spread with spoon in a circular motion to make a thin dosa.
4 ) Smear some sesame oil around the edges of the dosa and in the center. Flip dosa onto the other side and cook both sides well.
Take off the pan and serve on a plate with coconut chutney.
To make Coconut Chutney
Ingredients
1/2 cup - Freshly grated coconut
2 tbsp - chana dal
2 - green chili, slit in center
2 tbsp - curds / yogurt
For Seasoning
1 tsp - Mustard seeds
1 sprig - curry leaves
2 - whole dry red chili
1/4 tsp - Asafoedita/ Hing
sesame oil
Method
1 ) Heat oil in a pan and fry green chili. Then add chana dal and fry chana dal till crisp. Take off stove and cool.
2 ) In a grinder, add grated coconut and the fried ingredients. Add curds, a little water and grind to a smooth paste. Pour to a serving bowl.
3 ) Heat sesame oil, add mustard seeds, curry leaves, dry red chili and hing. Pour the seasoning over the chutney and mix.
Serve with dosa.
Monday, November 05, 2007
Strawberry Raspberry Jam
Zlamushka of Zlamushka's Spicy Kitchen is organizing an event called " A spoonful of Christmas ." Contributing this jam as an entry for this event.
Thursday, November 01, 2007
Potato Mushroom Masala Curry
Serve with Chapati /roti.
Sunday, October 28, 2007
Coconut Almond Cookie
Serve as a snack.
Check out this simple cookie too.
Note - I have put together ingredients & created this recipe. Please do not copy, reproduce or blog this recipe.
Saturday, October 27, 2007
Naranga / Lemon Curry
Serve as a pickle with rice.
Thursday, October 25, 2007
Strawberry Fig Jam
Ingredients
1.5 cup - Mashed Strawberry
15 - Dry fig, chopped very finely
1 cup - Sugar
Juice from one orange
Juice from half a lime
Method
1 ) To a heavy bottom pan, add mashed strawberry, fig, sugar, orange juice and lime juice. On a medium high heat, stir and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium and cook for 10 to 12 minutes. While cooking, mash strawberry and fig with a potato masher to further mash the ingredients.
2 ) Cook till thick bubbles start forming and the jam reaches a semi-liquid consistency. Turn off the stove.
3 ) After the jam cools down a bit and when still warm pour the jam into sterilized glass jars. In the glass jar the jam will settle down and thicken up even more, when it has completely cooled down.
4 ) Store in the refrigerator after completely cooling down.
Serve spread on a toast with butter.
Check out other jams
Monday, October 22, 2007
Aval Upma
Ingredients
Note : Aval will lose moisteness and become dry if you have this after 2 - 3 hours of cooking. Best when still warm. If dry, you can sprinkle some water and microwave.
Thursday, October 18, 2007
Nadan Kozhi Curry
Ingredients
1.5 lb - Chicken, cut to pieces
2 to 4 - Green chili , slit in center
1/2 tsp - Black pepper powder
1 tbsp - Lemon / Lime juice
Salt to taste
Coconut oil
To dry roast & marinate
6 tbsp - Coriander powder
2 tsp - Red chili powder
1/2 tsp - Turmeric powder
1 tsp - Garam masala powder
Coarsely grind
10 medium size - Shallots, chopped
1'' piece - Ginger, chopped
5 big flakes - Garlic
Garnishing
1/2 bunch - Coriander leaves, chopped
3 sprigs - Curry leaves
Method
1 ) In a pan dry roast the masala powders listed on a low heat. With little water, make a paste of the roasted powders. Add salt to taste. Apply this marinade on the cleaned and cut chicken pieces. Marinate for 1 to 2 hours.
2 ) Heat oil in a shallow utensil or mannchatty, add green chili, black pepper powder and curry leaves. Fry for a second, then add the coarsely ground ingredients and fry lightly. Add marinated chicken and stir and mix. Cover with a tight lid and cook on low heat till the chicken is fully cooked.
3 ) Add lemon juice, stir and mix. Adjust salt as to taste. Garnish with coriander leaves.
Serve with rice or chapati.
Tuesday, October 16, 2007
Tea Cake - To Rejoice a Year of Blogging !
Rejoicing a year of blogging with a tea cake, which is moist, soft and yummy. This cake brings back memories of childhood, when mom baked cake at home in a bundt Cake pan. I have used a 8'' spring form cake pan to bake this cake.
Ingredients
1 cup - All purpose flour
3/4 cup - Sugar
3/4 cup (1.5 stick ) - Unsalted butter, softened at room temp
2 - Eggs, at room temperature
3/4 tsp - Baking powder
1 tsp - Vanilla extract
4 tsp - Warm milk
Method
1 ) Preheat oven to 350°F (175°C). Generously butter pan and dust with flour, shake off excess flour.
2) In a bowl, sift together flour and baking powder, two times.
3 ) In a blender, cream butter until fluffy. Add sugar and continue to beat for 5 minutes. Add egg one at a time and beat well after each addition. Add vanilla extract and beat well.
4 ) Pour the creamed ingredients to the shifted flour in the bowl. Mix and whisk the flour and creamed ingredients. Add warm milk, mix and whisk in a clock wise direction, very well till you see air bubbles in the batter.
5 ) Pour the batter into the cake pan and level the batter. Bake for 25 minutes or until done. You can insert a wooden pick in the center of the cake to test if the cake is fully baked. Cool in pan for 30 minutes. Then invert cake onto cooling rack to cool completely.
A delicious tea time companion.
Thursday, October 11, 2007
Chana Dal Curry
Ingredients
1 cup - Chana dal
1 cup - Freshly grated coconut
1/4 tsp - Red chili powder
1/4 tsp - Turmeric powder
About 1'' piece - Tamarind, seedless
Salt to taste
Seasoning
1/2 tsp - Mustard seed
1/4 tsp - Jeera
1 sprig - Curry Leaf
2 - Dry whole red chili
2 pinches - Asafoetida / hing (optional)
2 to 3 flakes - Garlic, crushed
Method
1 ) Soak chana dal for one to two hours. This helps in reducing cooking time. Cook dal in 4 cups water on low heat till 3/4 th cooked.
2 ) Warm tamarind in little water, in the microwave and soften it. Add to the cooking dal. Then add red chili powder, turmeric powder and salt to taste. Cook till the dal is fully cooked.
3 ) Add grated coconut and mix with dal. Cook till water evaporates and reaches a thick gravy consistency. Take off the stove.
4 ) Heat oil in a pan, pop mustard, then add jeera, garlic, red chili, hing and curry leaves. Pour the seasoning onto the chana dal curry.
Serve with rice or roti.
Tuesday, October 09, 2007
Green Olive Pickle
Ingredients
6 oz bottle - Pitted green olives, cut into two
10 flakes - Garlic, chopped ( use more if you like garlic)
1 tbsp - Red chili powder
2 to 3 pinches - Fenugreek powder
1/4 tsp - Asafoetida powder / Hing
1 tbsp - Vinegar (optional)
Salt to taste
Sesame oil
Method
1 ) Heat 3 tbsp oil in a pan, add garlic and fry lightly. Then add red chili powder, fenugreek powder, hing and stir for a second on low heat. Add green olives and mix with the masala. Take off the stove.
2 ) Taste to check if you need more salt. Since olives are soaked in salt, use less salt if needed. Add vinegar and mix. Store in a glass jar. Use after 2 - 3 hours, by then the masala will settle and mix well with olives.
Serve with rice or roti.
Friday, October 05, 2007
Cherupayar Kaya Puzhukku
Ingredients
2 cups - Green gram dal
1 - Unripe plantain, chopped with the skin
Salt to taste
Coarsely grind
1 cup - Grated coconut
1 to 2 - Shallot
4 to 5 - Green chili
1/2 tsp - Cumin seeds
Seasoning
1 tsp - Mustard seeds
2 sprigs - Curry leaves
Method
1 ) In a pressure cooker, cook green gram dal and plantain with 4 cups water. Add salt to taste. After the first whistle, lower heat and cook for 5 minutes. Turn off the stove, cool and open the cooker.
2 ) Coarsely grind ingredients listed without any water. Add the ground mixture to the cooked green gram dal. Mix well. Add little water if there is no water after cooking green gram dal. Keep the cooker back on stove and just cook for a minute, so the ground ingredients are lightly cooked. Turn the stove off.
3 ) Heat a pan with coconut oil / sesame oil. Add mustard seeds and pop, then add curry leaves. Pour the seasoning over the puzhukku.
Serve with Kanji or rice or chapati.
Also check out Cherupayar Kaya Erissery
Thursday, October 04, 2007
Kantola Subzi
Ingredients
12 oz / 340 gm - Kantola, chopped
1/2 tsp - Crushed red chili powder,
1/4 tsp - Turmeric powder
1/2 tsp - Garam masala powder
2 medium - Shallots, chopped
4 to 6 big flakes - Garlic, crushed
Seasoning
1/2 tsp - Mustard seeds
1/4 tsp - Jeera seeds
1 sprig - Curry leaves
Method
1 ) Heat a pan with oil, add mustard seed and let it pop. Then add jeera, curry leaves, shallots, garlic and fry lightly. Then add red chili, turmeric and garam masala powder. Stir and mix.
2 ) Add kantola and mix with all the masala. Add salt to taste, sprinkle little water and cook on a low heat, covered with a lid. Once the kantola is cooked, add little more oil and stir fry. Take off the stove and serve.
Serve with rice or chapati.
Tuesday, October 02, 2007
Raspberry Jam
Ingredients
1/2 cup - Mashed Raspberry ( 6 oz yields 1/2 cup mashed berry)
1 - Grated Apple ( red delicious apple )
3/4 cup - Sugar
Method
1 ) To a saucepan, add mashed raspberry, grated apple and sugar. On a medium high heat, stir and cook for 10 minutes. Ingredients will cook together and a bit of foaming layer can be seen forming. Lower the heat to medium and cook till thick bubbles start forming. Cook till the jam reaches a semi-liquid consistency. Turn off the stove.
2 ) After the jam cools down a bit and when still warm pour the jam into sterilized glass jars. In the glass jar the jam will settle down and thicken up even more, when it has completely cooled down.
3 ) Store in the refrigerator after completely cooling down.
Spread jam on a bread and serve.
Check out Blackberry jam and see some detailed pictures.
Note : If you prefer your jam a bit less sweeter, you can reduce the sugar to 1/2 cup.
Friday, September 28, 2007
Chana Dal Paratha
Stuffed chana dal paratha's are nutritious and a wholesome meal.
Ingredients
For filling
1/2 cup - Chana dal
1/2 cup - Coriander leaves, finely chopped
1/4 cup - Onion, finely chopped
1 tsp - Coriander powder
1/2 tsp - Red chili powder
1/2 tsp - Garam masala powder
Salt to taste
For dough
3 cup - Whole wheat flour
1tbsp - Oil / Ghee
Water to knead the dough
Method
1 ) Wash and soak chana dal for 2 to 3 hours. In a pressure cook, cook chana dal with 1/2 cup water. Bring the cooker to full pressure and after the first whistle, take off the stove. Open the cooker after 2 minutes. Dal should be cooked,but not mashed up. Drain off any water if any.
2 ) Mix with chana dal, coriander leaves, onion, coriander powder, red chili powder, garam masala and salt to taste. Mix in well and keep the filling aside.
3 ) To make dough - Mix wheat flour, oil and salt. Mix and rub the flour to get oil and salt mixed well. Then add water little by little, knead and make a stiff dough. Rest the dough for 20 to 30 minutes. Cover with wet towel, so that dough doesn't dry out. Then again knead the dough to get a soft workable dough.
4 ) To roll out the paratha - Make small balls of the dough. Take one dough ball and roll it out with a rolling pin. Take a small amount of filling and place in the center of the rolled out dough. Wrap the dough around the filling ball, close and seal well. Dust some flour and then lightly flatten the dough with hand.
5 ) With a rolling pin, roll out carefully to make a round paratha.
6 ) Heat a tawa or a non-stick pan, on medium heat and place the paratha in it. Smear some oil on top and around the paratha. Flip and cook evenly on both sides, till it's golden brown in colour on both sides.
Serve hot with raita.
Check out other stuffed parathas, and the step by step preparation details with pictures.
Monday, September 24, 2007
Jackfruit Thoran
Jackfruit thoran made with unripe jackfruit. Got frozen jackfruit from the Indian store to make this thoran. The product came all the way from kerala, was not so fresh. But after cooking, the thoran tasted good. So if you can get some fresh ones, this thoran will be very delicious.
Ingredients
12 oz packet - Unripe jackfruit, shredded
1/4 tsp - Turmeric powder
salt to taste
Grind coarsely or Crush with mortar & pestle
1/4 cup - Fresh grated coconut
2 - Green chili
1 - Shallot ( medium size )
1 flake - Garlic ( optional )
Seasoning
1/2 tsp - Mustard seeds
1 sprig - Curry leaves
Method
1 ) Cook jackfruit with turmeric powder and salt to taste in little water. Cook covered with a lid on low heat.
2 ) Crush the ingredients listed, either grind coarsely in a blender or crush with a mortar & pestle.
3 ) Add crushed ingredients with cooked jackfruit and mix. Cover and cook for a minute or two on low heat. Take off the heat.
4 ) Season with mustard and curry leaves. Heat oil in a pan, pop mustard seeds and then add curry leaves. Pour over the jackfruit and mix.
Serve with rice as a side dish.Thursday, September 20, 2007
Walnut Bread - Steam Cooked
Ingredients
2.5 cup - All purpose Flour
1 cup - walnuts, chopped to small pieces
2 - Eggs
1 cup - Milk
1/2 cup sugar
2 tsp - Baking powder
1 tbsp - Honey
Pinch of salt
Method
1 ) Sieve flour with baking powder, two to three times. Beat eggs , honey and sugar very well. I used a blender to whip. Add milk into the blender and blend very well.
2 ) In a mixing bowl, add walnuts, sieved flour, pinch of salt and mix. Pour in the mixture from the blender and mix everything together in the mixing bowl with a spatula. Fold and mix in a clockwise direction.
3 ) Grease a flat bottom bowl, like one you see in the picture below and also one that fit into the pressure cooker. Pour the bread mixture into the bowl and cover with a aluminum foil. Seal very well, so that no water gets in when steaming.
4 ) Into a pressure cooker, pour 3 cups of water. Place a separator that you get with the pressure cooker. Place the bowl on the separator, close the pressure cooker and bring cooker to a full pressure. Reduce the heat to medium and steam cook for 30 minutes.
5 ) Open the cooker and pour 1 to 2 cups of water into the pressure cooker for further cooking. Close the pressure cooker, bring to a full pressure, place the vent weight and after the 1st whistle, reduce heat to medium and cook for 5 minutes. Switch off the heat and allow the pressure cooker to cool completely. Open the cooker and take out the bowl.
6 ) Fresh from the cooker.
7 ) Place a plate on top of the bowl and invert the bread onto the plate.
8 ) Let the bread cool completely. Then with a bread knife, cut the bread.
The bread was slightly soft on the day it was made. By next day morning it became firm, like how a bread should be. I dipped the bread in 100 % pure Maple syrup and had it for breakfast.