Citrusy Refreshing Iced Tea

I got hooked on to ice tea after, i had it in Utsav a Veg restaurant in Hyderabad. This almost tastes as they serve it in Utsav. Sending this to the Thanda Mela hosted by Srivalli of Cooking 4 all Seasons

Ingredients
Tea                    - 2tsp
Water                - 6 Cups
Orange Juice      - 2 cups
Lime Juice          - 2tsp
Zest of Orange   - 1 tsp
Sugar                 - 2 taste

Preparation
Boil 3 cups of water, Add 2 tsp of tea and allow it to cool
Add 2 cups of Orange juice, 3 cups of water, Lime Juice, Orange Zest and Sugar to taste.
Refrigerate it
Serve it cold with lots of ice.


Recipe By: Brinda
Posted By: Brinda

Urrala Kayang, Kathrika & Murngkkai Poriayal

This is made on every auspicious occasion and is easy to make. I have been trying to get one of my friends to get interested in cooking and must say this dish was easy to make for her as well, who gets into the kitchen only after a lot of persuasion. She has sent the pics and cant stop raving about how well she cooked it.

Ingredients

Brinjal / Egg Plant : 250 gms cut length wise

Potato : 200 gms cut length wise

Drum Sticks : 2 cut length wise
Tomato : 200 gms chopped
Onion : 1 medjium sized chopped
curry leaves : few
Urad Dal / black gram : 1 tsp
Mustard & cumin seeds : 1 tsp
Red Chillie powder : 1 tbs
Coriander Powder : 1 tbs
Turmeric : 1/2 tsp
Oil : 3 tbs

Preparation

Heat oil in the pressure cooker to that add the mustard,; cumin seeds once they splutter
Add the urad dal and once golden
Add the onion and curry leaves and saute untill translucent
Now add the turmeric powder brinjal, potato, drum sticks, red chilli, coriander powder salt to tase
Saute for 2 to 3 minutes.
Now add the the tomatoes and abt 2 to 3 tbs of water and pressure cook for 3 whistles serve with Roti or rice.





Recipe : Mrs Malthi Ramaswamy
Posted : Pavithra Arcot

Cabbage & Carrot Poriyal / Stir Fry

This is one of the easiest dish to make and is done in a matter of minutes and every tamil and is popular in every tamil household. This goes well with sambhar rice or with rasam and rice and one of the best and tastiest way to eat cabbage and carrot.

Ingredients

Cabbage : 1/2 Kg chopped
Carrot : 250 gms chopped
Onion : 1 medium sized
Green Chillies : 3 to 4 chopped (according to taste)
Curry Leaves : few
Mustard & Cumin seeds : 1/2 tsp
Urad Dal : 1/2 tsp
Oil : 1 1/2 tbs


Preparation

Take a kadai or Wok heat oil to that add the mustard, cumin seeds once it splutters add the urad dal and once it turns golden add curry leaves, onions, green chillies and saute untill onions are translucent to this add the chopped cabbage , carrot and salt to taste, cover and cook untill done which takes about 5 to 10 mins. Garnish with freshly grated coconut and coriander.




Recipe : Mrs Malathi Ramaswamy
Posted By: Pavithra Arcot

Khatti Dal

This is one of the simple recipes and makes a wonderful option instead of your regular sambaar.
I made it the first time when mom was in the US and was pleased with it and most of my friends who tasted it loved it.

Ingredients :

Tuar Dal : 1 cup
Tamrind : 1 small golf ball sized / 2 tbs of tamrind paste
Onion : 1 small sliced
Green chillies : 3 to 4 sliced
Ginger garlic paste : 1/2 tsp
Tomato : 2 small chopped
Red chillie powder : 1/2 tsp
Coriander Powder : 1/2 tsp
Curry Leaves : Few
Oil : 2 tbs
Turmeric : 1/2 tsp
Mustard & Cumin seeds : 1/2 tsp
Red chillies : 2 to 3
Garlic pods : 2 to 3 crushed
Asefotide : a pinch

Preparation :

Pressure cook dal and then take a pan and add 1 1/2 tbs of oil to that add onion, once translucent add the ginger garlic paste, green chillies and saute. To this add turmeric, chillie and coriander powder, then add tomatoes and saute untill soft. Once this is done add the tamrind pulp or paste and to this add the dal and some water along with salt and let it boil till all is done. Once done
take the remaining oil and to that add the mustard & cumin seeds, curry leaves , red chillies , crushed garlic and asefotide and add to the dal. This dal is usually in a thick consistancy. Serve
with hot rice and ghee.





Recipe : Mrs Malthi Ramaswamy
Posted By : Pavithra Arcot

Mutton Chops Masala / Moluve Karri

This is everybody's favorite dish at home it goes well with rice as well as roti and is great to have on a rainy day or in winters. This is specially good when u have a cold and mom puts is some extra pepper to help our dead tongues.

Ingredients:

Mutton Chops - 1/2 Kg
Onions - 4 medium sized
Green chillies - 10 to 15 gms (adjust to taste)
Coriander - 1 big bunch
Mint - 1 small bunch
Ginger Garlic paste - 2 tbs
Pepper - 10 gms (adjust to taste)
Cinnamon - 1 1/2 inch
Cloves - 5 to 6
Chilli Powder - 1/2 tbs (optional)
Turmeric - 1/2 tsp
Coconut - 1 ground to paste
Oil - 4 tbs

Preparation:

Grind 3 1/2 onions, green chillies, coriander, mint, corainder, cinnamon and cloves. Heat oil in a pressure cooker add the 1/2 sliced onion and once translucent add the ginger garlic paste and saute and then add the above ground paste and turmeric and saute for 2 to 3 minutes. To this add the mutton chops , red chilli powder , salt to taste and saute for a few minutes. Add about
2 1/2 cups of water and pressure cook for 3 whistles (3/4th done). Once done add the fresh ground coconut paste and then pressure cook for abt 2 whisltes or untill done (add water if necessary, or according to the consistancy of the gravy preffered). Serve this with steamd rice
or phulkas.



Recipe: Mrs Malathi Ramaswamy
Posted by: Pavithra Arcot

Spinach and Cabbage Soup

Did not have the mood to cook, yeah i have this mood more often and plus when hubby is not around i just don't feel like cooking for myself....I hate doing the dishes, You guys might be wondering she is keeping a food blog and she hates dishes which is a lets call a side effect for cooking...wow i keep making these wired sentences :)


I really get bored to eat leftovers, this you can say thanks to mom who made fresh food everyday...i think you get the point...don't want to cook and clean but love to eat :)

So i try creating these soups/salads and make a whole healthy meal out of it...try to incorporate carbs,proteins and good fat...these days, I try to cook and eat as healthy as possible.

I usually stock the low sodium broths, both Vegetable and chicken...use this to make a different versions of soups, which are easy and fast and delicious and to that add a handful of pasta and viola you have a complete meal

Ingredients
Cabbage                      - 2 cups(Chopped/sliced)
Spinach                        - 1 cup(Rustic Chop)
Whole Wheat Pasta      - handful/ half cup
Garlic                           - 4 Big pods(chopped finely)
Veg/Chicken broth       - 3 cups
Oil                                - 1 tsp
Salt                              - to taste
Green chilli                   - 3 slit length wise(Substitute with fresh ground Pepper or Jalapenos)

Preparation
Heat the oil
Add the minced garlic and Green chilli and fry it for 1-2 mins
Now add the cabbage, spinach and the broth
Add the pasta when the broth comes to boil
Cook until the pasta is well done(Al Dante)

does not take more than 10 mins..and tastes like it was simmering the whole day...
And this does not taste cabbagey at all :)

Recipe By: Brinda
Posted By: Brinda

Chicken Dum Biryani

This is one of the oldest & favorite dishes of Hyderabad, every household has a different version of this one pot meal. I tried making this for the fist time when I was in class six though the outcome was disastrous but edible I still got hundred rupees from Viji Aunty for the effort. Over a period of time after several attempts I have got
it right.


Ingredients:


Chicken - 1 Kg
Basmati Rice - 3/4 Kg
Onions - 5 medium sized (4 1/2 sliced and fried to golden brown)
Mint leaves - 1 1/2 bunch
Coriander Leaves - 2 bunches
Green Chillies - 20 to 30 grams
Lime - 3
Vegetable Oil - 4 tbs (use the one in which the onions were fried)
Ghee - 4 tbs
Curd - 100 gms
Ginger Garlic paste - 3 tbs
Bay Leaves - 3 to 4
Cloves - 20
Cinnamon - 4 one inch peices
Turmeric - 1 tsp
Cardamom - 2 to 3
shahi jeera - 1 tsp




Marination:

Grind 1 each bunch of the coriander and mint along with 20 gms of green chillies 15 cloves and
2 cinimon sticks add this to the chicken along with the curd, tumeric , 4 tbs of ghee and 1 sliced onion. Marinate this for atlest 2 hrs.




Preparation:

Boil 2 ltrs of water and to that add salt and the remaining cloves, cinamon, cardamom, shahijeera, bayleaves once it comes to a boil add the soaked basmati rice (soak atleast for 30 mins). When the rice is cooked about 3/4 th take it off and drain the water.

Take a thick bottomed vessel / wide mouthed pan, put the marinated chicken in the bottom of the pan and to that add a layer of rice on this sprinkle the remaining chopped mint & coriander leaves, lime juice , slit green chillies, and fried onnions along with a 1 tbs of oil. Repeat the process
utill all the rice is completed and seal the container such that the steam does not escape. Put this on a high flame for abt 8 mins and then on a very slow flame untill done (which would be about 10 to 15 mins) .

Serve this with curd raitha , fresh green salad and lots of lime and boiled eggs.

Reciepe : Mrs Malathi Ramaswamy
Posted : Pavithra Arcot