Aloo Methi

This is another side dish I tried and got the recipe from Rak's Kitchen. I tried to follow the same recipe of hers except few changes I made to suit our taste. Here goes the recipe...

Ingredients:-

1. Potato - 2 cups (chopped into cubes)
2. Onion - 1
3. Methi Leaves - 1 cup (wash it & finely chopped)
4. Turmeric powder - 1/2 tsp
5. salt to taste
6. Curry powder - 1 tsp (acc to taste)
7. Oil - 2 tsp
8. Cumin seeds - 1/2 tsp
9. Mustard seeds - 1/2 tsp
10. Green onion - 2 tsp (chopped for garnishing)

Put the chopped potato in a microwave safe bowl, add required amount of water and microwave it till its 3/4th done. In the mean time, preheat oil in a pan, splutter mustard and cumin seeds, add chopped onion and saute for few minutes till it becomes transparent. Now add the washed/chopped methi leaves and saute till it is fully cooked. Add turmeric powder, curry powder and salt at this time. Add the 3/4th cooked potato pieces, sprinkle 1/4 cup (or required amount) of water and cook till potato turns golden brown. Garnish it with chopped green onion and serve it with roti/chapathi or with rice.

Reposting for WYF Tea time snack

I am sending these three entries to EC's Tea time snack event.

Channa Saag

Alright this is another dish my twins love to eat(lick literally) if its from Royal Taj. I have tried making this dish few times and nothing came closer to theirs and my daughters immediately leave a statement "Amma this spinach is not good as Royal Taj's spinach". But this time, it came out well and it was almost close to their recipe and my daughters couldn't find any difference. Here goes the recipe.

Ingredients:-

1. spinach - 1 box ( I used frozen box- can also use fresh Palak)
   
2. Garbanzo beans - 1/4 cup ( I used canned beans)
   
3. cumin powder - 1/2 tsp
   
4. Co0riander powder - 1/2 tsp
   
5. Red chillies powder - 1 tsp (acc to taste)
   
6. Onion - 1 (finely chopped)
   
7. ginger - a small piece (chopped finely)
   
8. Garlic - a small piece (finely chopped)
   
9. Salt to taste
   
10. Oil or Butter - 2 tsp
    
11. Cream - 1/4 cup **
    
12. Green Onion - 1 tsp (To garnish)
    
13. Cumin seeds - 1/2 tsp
    
14. Fennel seeds - 1/4 tsp
    
15. turmeric powder - 1/2 tsp
    

First thaw the frozen spinach and cook it in the microwave for 6 to 8 mts or until it is cooked. In the mean time, pre heat oil (or butter) in a pan, splutter cumin and fennel seeds. Add chopped ginger and garlic and saute until garlic turns pink. Now add chopped onion and saute until it becomes transparent and fully cooked. Now add the cooked spinach, add cumin powder, coriander powder, turmeric powder, red chillies powder and a cup of water and let it cook for couple of minutes. Mash the spinach with spatula nicely(or can even grind it). Now add the cooked garbanzo beans along with required amount of salt. Mix it together and let it boil. Add the heavy cream at this stage and adjust water according to the required consistency. Let everything mix together and cook until excess water is evaporated. Garnish it with green onion and enjoy it with chapathis/rotis or pooris.

** - Since I ran out of heavy cream, I just used 1% milk (which was a mistake). If you need creamy texture, please use heavy cream.

Dhall Soup

This dhall soup is something which me and my husband love it very much. There is a North Indian Restaurant (Royal Taj) near our house and we go there every weekend and order this soup. My husband always asks me to try this recipe at home but I am kinda scared cos my twins like to try this soup atleast few teaspoons in that restaurant. If I make a mistake in the recipe, then I am pretty sure, they will not taste it anymore:) Was just waiting for good time to try and as I said earlier, I like to explore new stuff when my husband is not around. I tried this soup three times during this week and came out with the exact one (which we taste in Royal Taj)only day before yesterday. (Of course I had to waste couple of cups of dhall which is not really good). Well here comes the recipe.

Ingredients:-

1. Channa dhall - 3/4 cup
2. Toor dhall - 1/4 cup
3. Moong dhall - a little less than 1/4 cup
4. Turmeric powder - 1/2 tsp
5. Salt to taste
6. Green chillies - 1
7. Red chilli powder - 1/2 tsp ( acc to taste)
8. Whole pepper - 1/2 tsp (acc to taste
9. Ginger - a small piece
10. Garlic - 1 clove (as per taste - I amnot a big fan of garlic)
11. Onion - 1 (if it is medium size or 3/4 if its big)
12. Tomato - 1
    
13. Sour cream - 1 dollop
14. Green onion - to Garnish
15. Green peas - 2 tsp ( I used frozen and using peas is optional)
    
16. Oil - 1 tsp
17. Cumin seeds - 1/2 tsp
18. Lemon Juice - 2 tsp (acc to taste
    

First Soak all the three dhalls in hot water for half an hour. After half an hour, pressure cook it along with turmeric powder. In the mean time, pre heat oil in a pan, splutter cumin seeds and fry whole pepper along with asafoetida powder. Add chopped ginger, garlic and green chillies and fry it till garlic becomes pink in color. Now add chopped onions to it. Saute for few minutes. Add chopped tomato along with required amount of red chillies powder and salt and mix everything well and let it cook till tomato becomes mushy. In the mean time, when the pressure is released, take the dhall out and beat it with a spatula nicely. Now add the cooked dhall to the ingredients and add required amount of water (3 to 4 cups depending upon the required consistency) and let it boil for 3 to 5 minutes. If it becomes too thick, then add one more cup of water. Stir it well and turn off the stove. Let it cool. Mix the lemon juice and grind it into a smooth paste. Again, if the consistency is so thick, can add water while grinding. I kinda liked the smooth soup. Now add the thawed & cooked (cook it in microwave for few minutes) green peas and enjoy it with a dollop of sour cream and a teaspoon of chopped green onions.


This dhall soup recipe goes to Susan's MLLA event, 18th edition is being hosted by Srivalli

simple potato curry

When my husband leaves out of town on a business trip, I prefer eating some kind of tiffin for dinner and this is the time, I can explore some new side dishes. This is something my MIL used to make when nothing is available in fridge. Some how it takes just 10 mts to finish this side dish. I made this day before yesterday for dinner. My girls said, its little bit spicy but for me it was good. (:P) Here goes the recipe. Given quantity may be enough for one person (adult) and two kids :)

Ingredients:-

1. Potato - 2 (thinly sliced)
   
2. Carrot - 3/4 (slice it accordingly)
3. Onion - 1/2 (slice it accordingly)
   
4. Turmeric powder - 1/2 tsp
5. Garam masala powder - 1/4 tsp (optional)
6. Salt to taste
7. Red chillies - 1/2 tsp (acc to taste)
8. cumin seeds - 1/2 tsp
9. Fennel seeds - 1/4 tsp (optional)
10. Coriander leaves - for garnishing
11. Oil - 1 1/2 tsp

Pre heat oil in a pan, splutter cumin and fennel seeds, add sliced onion and saute for few minutes. Add potato and Carrots to it, add turmeric, garam masala and red chillies powder along with salt and sprinkle a hand full of water. Mix everything and let it be there for few mts till all the veggies are cooked. Garnish it with coriander leaves. Enjoy it with roti or with rice.

Pumpkin Dry Curry

This curry is something I tried from Raks Kitchen. It is similar to mathan thoran we make in my mom's place except for the fact that we have to add onion in this recipe. Here goes the recipe.

Ingredients:-

1. Pumpkin - 1 1/2 cups (chopped into cubes)
   
2. turmeric powder - 1/2 tsp
   
3. Salt to taste
   
4. coconut - 1 1/2 tbsp
   
5. Red chillies - 3 (acc to taste)
   
6. Green chillies - 1 (acc to taste)
   
7. Cumin - 1 tsp
   
8. Pearl Onion - 5 or 6
   
9. Oil - 2 tsp
   
10. Mustard seeds - 1 tsp
    
11. Red chillies - 1
    
12. asafoetida powder - a pinch
    
13. Curry leaves - to garnish

Pre heat oil in a pan, splutter mustard seeds and fry red chillies and asafoetida powder and add the pumpkin and saute for few minutes. In the mean time, grind, red chillies, pearl onion, coconut and cumin into a fine paste. Now add the ground paste to the pumpkin, add salt, turmeric powder and sprinkle water little bit and cover the pan with a lid. Let it cook for few minutes. When everything is mixed with pumpkin and the pumpkin is fully cooked, turn off the stove. By this time, the water should be evaporated fully and it should have become a dry curry. Garnish it with curry leaves

Kadamba Sambar

Kadamba sambar is something which my patti used to make during any special occasion in our house like somebody's birthday, or wedding day or some family get together. I have never seen my MIL make this sambar. She used to combine two or three vegetables and make sambar, but not with more than 6 or 7 vegetables. I made this kadamba sambar for our wedding day couple of days back. Here goes the recipe..

Ingredients:-

1. Potato - 1( chop it into cubes)
   
2. Drumstick - 6 (acc to taste)
3. Tomato - 1 ( chop it into cubes)
4. Eggplant - 1( chop it into cubes)
5. Pumpkin - a small piece (5 cubes)
   
6. Chow chow - a small piece (5 cubes)
7. Onion - 1( chop it into cubes)
8. Okra - 2 (chop it accordingly)
   
9. Tamarind - a small lemon sized (soak it)
   
10. toor dhall - 1 1/2cups
    
11. Turmeric powder - 1/2 tsp
12. Sambar powder - 1 1/2 tsp (acc to taste)
13. Salt to taste

To Grind:-

1. Coriander seeds - 1 1/4 tsp
2. Channa dhall - 3/4 tsp
3. Urad dhall - 1/2 tsp
4. REd chillies - 3 or 4 (acc to taste)
5. Fenugreek seeds - 1/4 tsp
6. Coconut - 3 tsp
7. Asafoetida powder - a pinch

For seasoning:-

1. Oil - 2 tsp
2. Mustard seeds - 1/2 tsp
3. Fenugreek seeds - 1/4 tsp
4. Red chillies - 1
5. Asafoetida powder - a pinch
   
6. Curry leaves - for garnishing

First pressure cook toor dhall with required amount of turmeric powder and keep it aside. Take a pan, fry the ingredients given to grind, to golden brown and grind it into a fine paste. Keep it aside. Squeeze juice from tamarind for about one and half cups and keep it aside. In a flat bottomed pan, pre heat oil, splutter mustard seeds, fenugreek seeds, red chillies and asafoetida powder and fry it till golden brown. Now add the above given vegetables one by one and saute for a minute. Now add the squeezed tamarind juice to the vegetables, required amount of salt, turmeric powder and sambar powder to it and cook it for atleast 7 to 10 minutes ( or till the vegetables are 3/4th cooked). Now add the grounded coconut paste to the vegetables and let everything cook together for another 3 minutes. Now add the cooked toor dhall to it and boil it for another 5 minutes. Garnish it with curry leaves. Serve it hot with rice.




This recipe goes to CMT - Dhal/Kadi/Sambar/Rasam, hosting by Priya , an event by Jagruti.

Rasvali - Mixed Vegetable Gravy & Entries for Rice Event

This is absolutely new recipe for me which I got from one of my good friend Rani. I hope I spelled it right. She emailed me this recipe and asked me to try it out. I tried this yesterday and as she said, it tastes really good and goes really well with rice and can be used as side dish for roti, dosa etc. Here is the recipe..

Ingredients:-

1. Potato - 4 (medium sized) (chop it into cubes)
2. Carrot - 2 (chop it into cubes)
3. Peas - 1/4 cup ( i used frozen)
4. Onion - 1 (if its medium or 1/2 if its big)
5. Tomato - 1 (chop it)
6. Coriander powder - 1 1/2 tsp
7. Cumin Powder - 1/2 tsp
8. Red chillies powder - 1/2 tsp (acc to taste)
9. Salt to taste
10. Turmeric powder - 1/2 tsp
11. Jaggery - 1 1/2 tsp
12. Peanut powder - 3 tsp (acc to taste)
13. White Sesame seeds - 1/4 tsp **
    
14. Tamarind paste - 1/4 tsp **
15. oil - 2 tsp
16. Cumin seeds - 1/2 tsp
17. fennel seeds - 1/2 tsp
    
18. Coriander leaves - for garnishing.

First dry roast peanuts and white sesame seeds to golden brown and grind it into a fine powder. Keep it aside. In the mean time, take a pan, add potato, carrots & peas, add required amount of water and let it cook. Drain it when it is done and keep it aside. Pre heat oil in a pan, splutter cumin and fennel seeds, add onion and saute for few minutes. Now add tomato and saute for few seconds and add the cooked vegetables, required amount of water (say about half a cup), turmeric powder, salt, tamarind paste, cumin powder, chilli powder and coriander powder and let everything cook together really well. Add water if necessary. Add the grounded peanut+sesame seeds now along with jaggery and let them cook for another couple of minutes. Consistency will be like sabji. Add water to adjust the required consistency. Garnish it with coriander leaves. It really goes well with rice which we tried yesterday. I just followed the same recipe she emailed me. But I added couple of more ingredients. They are...

** - In the original recipe, there was no tamarind or white sesame seeds. But I added those two which I think was a good idea cos my hubby could not figure out whether it is a sambar or not (LOL)

I am reposting couple of my variety rice recipes for Srilekha's EFM - Variety Rice Series

My First Entry is Bell Pepper Rice


Second Entry is Tomato Rice

Thir one is Orange Rice
Fourth one is Palak Pulav


Fifth one is curd rice

Drumstick Curry

All these years i have only tried drumstick dhall, drumstick kootu, drumstick vathakozhambu or drumstick sambar. One of my twin is a very big fan of drumstick. She can eat drumstick in any form. But I was kinda bored to make the same stuff with drumstick. So I wanted to try this drumstick curry which one of my friend used to bring for lunch when we were in college. It came out pretty good and as always my little one had fun eating drumstick along with tomato and onion...Here is the recipe.

Ingredients:-

1. Drumstick - 1 cup (chop it into 2 inch long)
2. Tomato - 1 (chop it)
3. Onion - 1 (chop it)
   
4. Turmeric powder - 1/4 tsp
5. Coriander powder - 3/4 tsp
6. Red chilli powder - 1/2 tsp (acc to taste)
7. salt to taste
8. Oil - 1 tsp
9. Mustard seeds - 1/4 ts
10. cumin seeds - 1/4 tsp
11. coriander leaves - to garnish
12. Asafoetida/hing - a pinch
    

Preheat oil in a pan, splutter mustard seeds, cumin seeds and asafoetida powder, till it becomes golden brown. Now add the chopped onion and saute till it becomes transparent. Now add the chopped tomato along with chopped drumstick. Saute for couple of minutes. Add required amount of water, add turmeric powder and salt and let it cook for 5 to 7 mts till the drumstick is almost done. Now add the coriander and chilli powder to the mixture and saute for few more minutes. Sprinkle a handful of water if necessary. Turn off the stove when you get the required consistency. I wanted a little bit watery consistency curry. So I added little bit extra water. Adjust water according to the required consistency. Garnish it with coriander leaves.

Spicy Plantain Curry/Vaazhakkai kara curry

Plantain/Vaazhakkai is one of my favorite vegetable. I usually make vaazhakka curry or vaazhakka podimas in a simple way. But this time, I wanted to try the spicy curry which my chitti used to make. Actually she will make this curry using Taro root/chepangezhangu. But I wanted to try the same method with vaazhakkai and it came out really well..

Ingredients:-

1. Plantain - 3
   
2. Turmeric powder - 1/2 tsp
3. Red chillies powder - 1/2 tsp (acc to taste)
4. Salt to taste
   
5. Rice flour - 3 tsp (required amount acc to the quantity of plantain)
6. Oil - 4 tsp
7. Mustard seeds - 1/4 tsp
8. Urad dhall - 1/2 tsp
9. Asafoetida - apinch
   

There are two ways of cooking plantain. Just cut them into small cubes and cook it on stove top with required amount of turmeric and salt and drain it once its done or Pressure cook it along with the skin and peel the skin once it is done. I used the second method. Once it is cooked, peel the skin and cut it into cubes. Keep it aside for 10 minutes. In the mean time, mix rice flour, turmeric powder(if you have not added it before), chillies powder and salt together and rub those plantain cubes in it. Now take a pan, preheat oil, splutter mustard seeds and fry urad dhall & asafoetida powder to golden brown. Now add the plantain pieces to it and fry it in low flame. Cook it until all becomes golden brown. Enjoy it with Sambar rice or curd rice...

Simple Cabbage Garbanzo Curry

This is another recipe I learned from my cousin Rashmi. During our last visit to her place for get together, she made this curry. I really loved the combination of cabbage and Garbanzo beans. I usually add green peas with cabbage. But this is something new to me. So thought of trying it today.

Ingredients:-

1. Cabbage - 3 cups ( chopped)
2. Garbanzo beans - 1 cup ( I used canned beans cos its already cooked)
3. Salt to taste
4. Oil - 1 tsp
5. Mustard seeds - 1/4 tsp
6. Urad dhall - 1/2 tsp
7. Red chillies - 1 or 2 (acc to taste
8. Shredded coconut - 1 tsp (optional)
9. curry leaves - for garnishing
   

First drain the required amount of garbanzo beans from the can and keep it aside. Add the chopped cabbage in a pan, add required amount of water and salt(just enough for cabbage cos beans will have salt), cook it nicely. Make sure its not mushy. Drain the extra water from cabbage and keep it aside. Pre heat oil in the same pan, splutter mustard seeds, fry urad dhall & red chillies to golden brown, add cooked cabbage and garbanzo beans and mix everything together. Also add the coconut and mix well. Turn off the stove. Garnish it with curry leaves. It just took me 7 minutes to finish this curry.

Quick Carrot Rice

Somedays you don't feel like cooking anything but you have people around and have no other choice, this rice comes handy. I learned this recipe from one of my friend's mom. Frankly speaking, it is easy to make and luckily my girls really liked that rice. I usually make carrot rice in this way. Here is the recipe.


Ingredients:-

1. Carrot - 1 (shredded)
2. Onion - 1 finely chopped
3. Tomato - 1 finely chopped
4. Garlic - 1 clove
5. Ginger - a small piece (chop it)
   
6. Green chillies - 1 (acc to taste)
7. oil - 2 tsp
8. mustard seeds - 1/2 tsp
9. cumin seeds - 1/4 tsp
   
10. Rice - 1 cup ( I used sonamasoori rice)
    
11. Turmeric powder - 1/2 tsp
12. Salt to taste
13. Coriander leaves - for garnishing

Preheat oil in a pan, splutter mustard seeds and cumin seeds and fry green chillies to golden brown. Add chopped onion, ginger & garlic and saute' for a minute. Now add the chopped tomato and shredded carrots to it. Add turmeric powder and let it cook for couple of minutes. In the mean time, wash the rice, drain it and keep it aside. When the veggies are half cooked, transfer it to the pressure cooker, add the drained rice, add required amount of water ( I usually add 3 cups of water for 1 cup of rice, but this time, I just used 1 1/2 cups of water along with half cooked vegetables and rice). Pressure cook it upto 2 whistles. Open the cooker when the pressure is released and garnish it with coriander leaves.

Deepavali Goodies....

HAPPY DEEPAVALI TO ALL MY FRIENDS HERE...

Diwali is one of our favorite festival we celebrate everyyear. I bet you guys must have celebrated it in a grand manner this year too. WE went to a potluck party this year and had fun there. I was planning to make lots of goodies this year, but ended up making only two because of some unavoidable reasons and the news from India that my patti (who is my first inspiration in cooking)is sick and she is in the hospital. I just made Atta laddoo and omapodi this year for diwali. Thanks to Rashmi who shared this recipe with me. Here is the recipe for Atta laddoo. This recipe is similar to rava laddoo we make. Instead of rava, I used wheat flour.

Ingredients:

1. Atta/wheat flour - 1 1/2 cups
   
2. Sugar - 2 cups
   
3. Ghee - 1/4 cup (I used little less than that)
   
4. Warm Milk - if necessary (to make balls)
   
5. Cashew & Raisins - a tbsp each

Take a thick bottomed pan, pre heat couple of teaspoons of ghee and fry the cashew and raisins to golden brown and keep it aside. In the same pan, fry the atta till a nice aroma comes from it. Keep the stove in a low flame while frying atta. In the mean time, also melt the ghee in a separate pan and keep it aside. When the atta is done frying, transfer it to another vessel, add the fried nuts and raisins and pour the warm melted ghee slowly and make small balls. If you feel the mixture is too dry, then warm 1/4 cup of milk and keep it aside. Sprinkle little by little and then start making laddoos.

I followed my patti's recipe for making oma podi too..

Ingredients:-

1. Omam/ajwain - 1 tsp
   
2. Rice flour - 2 cup
   
3. Besan flour - 1 cup ( Most people use this more than rice flour)
   
4. Salt to taste
   
5. Unsalted butter - 2 tsp
   
6. Hing/asafoetida -a pinch
   
7. Oil-to deep fry.
   

Soak omam previous night in water. When you are ready to make this, filter omam and just take the water(my MIL used to grind this and then filter the omam, but patti just use the water). I personally felt my MIl's method is better than this one. Add all the dry ingredients, add butter and start kneading the dough adding omam water. Add water if necessary. Pre heat oil in a pan, Take required amount of dough and put it in the Omapodi press and press it in the hot oil(careful while doing this). Fry it till it becomes golden brown...

Dhaniya Podi (coriander seeds Podi)

I am reposting this Corianderseeds Podi (Dhaniya podi) for Priya's Think Spice-Think Coriander Event. This is my husband's favorite. Ingredients for making this podi are as follows:

Ingredients:-

1. Channa dhall - 1 Cup
2. Toor dhall - 1 cup
   
3. Urad dhall - 2 tsp
4. Cumin seeds - 1 tsp
5. Coriander seeds - 3 cups
6. Red chillies - 4 (acc to taste)
7. Black pepper - 1 tsp
   
8. Salt to taste
9. Asafoetida powder.

Fry all the ingredients one by one to golden brown (including salt). Let it cool and grind it into a fine powder. This goes well with white rice and a teaspoon of sesame oil. This podi recipe goes to Priya's Event

I am linking this coriander logo to Sunita's blog.

Oats chapathi & Mint chapathi

I have never tried roti/chapathi with oats. One of my friend from the kids' school told me about this oats chapathi and I wanted to try this today. She wanted me to try this adding more oats than wheat. Since I wasn't sure whether it will wor, i just tried with more wheat and a part of oats....Here is the recipe I followed..

Ingredients:-

1. Wheat flour - 1 cup
2. oats powder - 4 tbsp (grind quaker oats into a fine powder)
3. salt to taste
4. Water to knead
5. Sesame oil - 1 tsp

Mix wheat and oats flour, add salt and knead the flour into a nice dough. Spread the sesame oil and leave the dough for atleast half an hour. When you are ready to make roti, take required amount of dough to make one roti and spread it into a circle shaped roti of 7" diameter. Cook it on both sides and enjoy. Surprisingly, it was really good. This is the first time, I am trying roti with oats. Since my husband stopped eating oats, I have a whole bunch of oats in my pantry, and now I can use them for making rotis...

I also made one more flavor roti. I first made two small rotis for my girls using the dough and I used some leftover Mint thogayal to the remaining dough. I used two teaspoons of thogayal with the remaining dough and made chapathis with that. It tastes new to me cos this is the first time I am trying chapathi with mint leaves.

Saraswathi Pooja Celebrations & goodies

Saraswathi Pooja is my most favorite celebration when I was a girl. Cos thats when we don't have to do any homework nor do we study on that day(lol). Since its the last day of navrathri, in my mom's place, we make lots of goodies on that day. This year, I wanted to do the same way so that my girls could also learn our tradition and culture. This year I made aama vadai, pal payasam, kondakadala(black channa dhall) sundal and the regular south Indian traditional samayal. It was really fun that day and we successfully enrolled our girls for swimming lessons. Since I have posted recipe for pal payasam already, I am just posting recipes for aama vadai and kondakadalai sundal here along with few more pictures of that day...



Kondakadalai sundal:-
Ingredients:-

1. Kondakadalai/Black Channa dhall - 1 cup
2. coconut - 1 tsp
3. salt to taste
4. oil - 1/2 tsp
5. mustard seeds - 1/2 tsp
6. urad dhall - 1/2 tsp
7. red chillies - 1
8. curry leaves- few
9. asafoetida powder - a pinch

Soak black channa dhall over night. Pressure cook it when you are ready to make sundal. Drain it fully when the pressure is released. Take a pan, pre heat oil, splutter mustard seeds, fry urad dhall and red chillies to golden brown. Now add the cooked sundal to it. Add salt and mix it well. Turn off the stove. Now sprinkle the coconut and asafoetida powder and mix it well. Garnish it with curry leaves.
Well I guess I need to post the recipe for aama in my next post cos my girls want me to read a book now.

Happy Navrathri!!!

HAPPY NAVRATHRI TO ALL MY BUDDY BLOGGERS!!!

Hope you guys are having fun with all those wonderul dolls. Kolu is one of my favorite Indian festival where we get to see lots and lots of beautiful dolls. This year I got some help from my girls cleaning up the dolls, setting kolu padi, giving manjal kumkumam to friends etc. Since I had to go get thamboolam from my friend's place, I am doing sundal & sweet on every other day and the remaining days, I just use white rice for neivedhyam. Yesterday I made Kadala paruppu sundal & Rava Kesari for neivedhyam. On sunday I made Garbanzo sundal and aval Payasam. I am sharing the recipes of kadala paruppu sundal and rice flakes payasam here cos I have already posted the recipe for rava kesari and Channa sundal.

Kadala Paruppu Sundal:-

Ingredients:-

1. Channa dhall/Kadala Paruppu - 1 cup
2. Red chillies - 1 or 2 (acc to taste)
3. Salt to taste
4. Shredded coconut - 1 tbsp
5. Asafoetida powder - a pinch
6. oil - 1 tsp
7. Mustard seeds - 1/2 tsp
8. Urad dhall - 1/2 tsp
9. Curry leaves -few
   

Soak dhall for an hour. Pressure cook it upto one whistle. Dhall should not be over cooked. Other wise it will be mushy. Once the pressure is released, drain the dhall and keep it aside. Take a pan, pre heat oil, splutter mustard seeds, fry urad dhall and red chillies to golden brown. Now add the cooked dhall to it and mix it well.Add salt and asafoetida powder and mix it. Turn off the stove and sprinkle the coconut and garnish it with curry leaves.

Aval Rice Flakes Payasam:-

This is the first time I am trying this payasam and I found it very easy and handy. Here goes the recipe.

Ingredients:-

1. Rice flakes - 1 cup
2. Milk - 2 cups
3. Sugar - 1 cup(acc to taste)
4. Cardamom - 1 or 2 ( powder it)
5. Edible camphor/pachakarpooram - a pinch
6. Food color - a pinch (this is optional/I used orange color)
7. Cashew - few for garnishing
8. ghee - 1/2 tsp

Soak rice flakes in water for half an hour. Drain it fully and keep it aside. Now take a thick bottomed pan and pour a cup of milk and bring it to boil. When the milk starts boiling, add the aval to it and let it boil for 3 minutes. Now add the remaining mil, cardamom, food color and pachakarpooram and let it boil for another 5 minutes. When the quantity becomes 3/4th turn off the stove and add the sugar at the end and mix it well. Fry cashew to golden brown in ghee and pour it on top of payasam. It just took 10 minutes to finish this payasam.

Lemon Poha

Well after seeing Srivalli's Poha Upma I was so tempted to make that upma last week. Since my kiddo was sick that time and my MIL suggested me to give her something with a pinch of lemon, I got this idea of making lemon poha. I just followed the steps we use for making lemon rice. Instead of rice, I used poha/riceflakes. Here is how I made this lemon Poha..

Ingredients:-

1. Rice Flakes/Poha/Aval - 1 cup
2. Lemon juice - 2 tbsp (acc to taste)
3. Green chillies - 1
4. Ginger- a small piece
5. cashew nuts - 1 or 2 (I used little only for my other twin)
6. salt to taste
7. turmeric powder - 1/2 tsp
8. Sesame oil - 1 tsp
9. Mustard seeds - 1/4 tsp
10. Urad dhall - 1/2 tsp
11. asafoetida powder - a pinch
    
12. coriander leaves - for garnishing..

First wash and soak rice flakes in water for 1/2 an hour ( it depends or which flakes you use whether its thin or thick). Drain it fully and keep it aside. In the mean time, chop green chillies and ginger, squeeze juice from lemon and keep it aside. Take a pan, pre head sesame oil, splutter mustard seeds, add urad dhall, green chillies and ginger and fry it till it becomes golden brown. Now add salt and turmeric powder in the oil itself and mix it well. When it is done frying, add the fully drained poha to it. Turn off the stove and mix it well so that turmeric powder spreads all over the dish. Garnish it with coriander leaves and let it cool. After 5 or 10 mts. add the lemon juice to it and mix it well.

I fried the cashew nuts separately and added to poha for my other twin. Luckily both of them liked it very much and they ate fully which made me very happy. I am sending this dish to Srivalli's Kids Delight Event along with another dish and few art work by my girls.Another dish which I would like to send for the event is the Kids friendly chapathi which is a very big hit in my family and many of my friends here are still following the same recipe to make their kids eat chapathi/roti.

Kids Friendly Chapathi

This is a heart made by one of my twin. I got my wisdom tooth extracted few months back and both the kids were so co-operative and they didn't any trouble to my husband(except they started asking "when is amma gonna cook"? after eating his rasam for two days). Last week I had my dentist check up and this little one assumed that I am going to have another surgery. So she made this heart by herself. She took a single side white sheet from our printer and drew a heart and cut it and colored it and made some decorations in it. I was really impressed by this and was very happy to see this heart which she gave it to me after I came back from the check up.

 

This is another art work by the other one. She made this maracus and call it "shake-a-shake-a-boom-boom". I really have no idea why she named it like that. Most of you know that I do beading work. I keep some of the defected beads or broken beads in a separate box so that I could use those for some other art work. Last sunday I was busy cooking for our guest and these two were busy watching some cartoon(thats what I assumed actually). This one came to me and asked for two empty yogurt box and I gave her and told her not to disturb me for another 30 mts. Within few minutes I heard the beads rolling in my living room and as usual I came out from the kitchen screaming(lol). I saw she had the box full of defected beads and she said she want to sort them and she also promised me that she will clean up the hall. I was ok with that and I went inside. But after 10 minutes, she came inside with this maracus saying "amma I made shake a shake a boom boom with your beads". I was really surprised and was very proud.

 

All the above given recipes and the art work goes to SriValli's Kids Delight Event.

Mixed Vegetable Rawa Idly

Another post after a week. I was kinda running between doctor's office and home cos one of my twin is sick and she has stomach flu. This is something I hate and it takes more than 10 days for my girls to start eating properly. I learned this from Sripriya's blog and tried this one for my other twin. She was not actually excitied after seeing vegetables in Idly, but she tried one and she liked it. My husband really liked the new changes in regular rawa idly. I followed almost the same recipe of Sripriya but skipped few vegetables. Here is the recipe...


Ingredients:-

1. Coarse Rawa - 2 cups
2. carrots - 1 (shred it)
3. Peas - 2 tbsp (I used frozen)
4. Beans - 2 tbsp (finely chopped)
5. Green chillies - 2 (acc to taste)
6. Ginger -  a small piece
7. Yogurt - 1 cup
8. salt to taste
9. turmeric powder - 1/2 tsp
10. oil- 2 tsp
11. mustard seeds - 1/2 tsp
12. urad dhall - 1/2 tsp
13. cashew nuts- few
14. Eno salt- 2 tsp

Take a wide bowl, add rawa, yogurt, salt, turmeric powder and vegetables and mix well. Also add oil, eno salt and add water accordingly to get it like  idly batter. Let it sit for half an hour. when you are ready to make idly, pre heat oil, in a pan, splutter mustard seeds, add urad dhall and cashew nuts and fry it to golden brown. Also add green chillies and ginger and fry it and pour it on top of the batter.  Now spray the idly moulds, add the batter and steam cook it for 10 to 12 mts.  Garnish it with coriander leaves.


Vanisri has passed this Honest Scrap award. Thanks vani..

 

Rules are:

• I Must than the person who gave me the award and list their blog and link it
• I must list 10 honest things about myselt (which is pretty hard:D)
• I must put a copy of The Honest Scrap Logo on my blog
• I must select at leatst 7 other worthy bloggers & list their links
• I must notify the bloggers of the award and hopefully they will follow the above three requirements also. 
  

 Okie here goes the honest scrap about me...

1. love to travel with my family
2. love to wear cotton sarees
3. love to make fashion jewelry
4. love to stand in the beach (water of course) for hours.
5. Love to eat cotton candy.
6. very very possessive
7. lazy most of the times....
8. god fearing
9. love to read Dr.Seuss books
10. love to watch movies late night....

Well according to me all my friends who visit my blog are worthy bloggers for this award. So I am sharing this award with all my friends.