Gajjar Ka Halwa

This is an all time favorite in my house during the winter months


Ingredients :

Gajjar : 1.5 Kg

Milk : 250 ml or (100 gms khoya and 75 ml milk)          
Ghee: 200 grms
Sugar : 250 grms
Cardamom : 5-6
Cashew Nuts : 100 grms
Almond :   100 grms


Preparation :

Grate the gajjar and keep aside take a thick bottomed pan and heat the ghee in it, and saute the gajjar once it is sauteed well add the milk (milk & khoya) and let it cook till done once the milk evaporates add the sugar
and powdered cardamom to it mix well till the sugar dissolves completely and then garnish it with fried cashew and almonds. Serve this hot or cold and can be eaten along with roti as well.

Naam Kadi / Shakar paara

This is one of the easiest of sweets and can hardly go wrong and can be stored for at least a week or two.

Ingredients :

Maida (All purpose flour) : 1 kg                  
Salt : 1 tsp

Ghee : For frying                                    
Sugar : 300 gms
Cardamom : powdered 1/2 tsp
Rice flour : 3-4 tbs



Preparation :

Knead the flour with salt and water and let it rest for 45 mins then roll them into sets of three make a paste of the rice flour and ghee and spread it on the rolled dough and layer them one on top of the other roll this and cut them and roll these and cut into diamond or square shapes and fry in ghee till they are crispy. Make a mixture of powdered sugar and cardamom powder and sprinkle on the crispy biscuits while hot. Cool it and store them in a dry place.

Besan & Coconut Ladoo

Diwali or any other festival is incomplete without sweets of different varieties and in huge quantities. This is one of the easiest receipies


Ingredients :

Gram flour (Besan) : 500 gms
Desiccated Coconut : 150 gms
Ghee : 150 to 200 gms
Sugar : 200 gms
Salt : 1/4 tsp
Cardamom powder : 1/2 tsp
Dry Fruits : Cashew nuts, Raisins, Almonds diced and roasted in ghee

Preparation:

Heat ghee and then add the gram flour to it and roast it till it losses the raw smell, to this add the desiccated coconut and mix well keep stirring the mixture so that it does not burn and then add the sugar, salt & cardamom powder and mix well till it comes to a thick consistency now add the dry fruits and mix well. Let it cool for some time and then make them into golf sized balls another option is to spread the mixture evenly onto baking trays and cut them into diamond or square shapes and let it cool.

Karamani / String beans curry

The string beans is a vegetable which is seasonal, today i am posting the vegetarian version of the recipe  usually this is made with dry shrimp (erra (tamil) royalu (telugu).

Ingredients :

 String beans : 500 gms            

Onion : 1 medium sized                    
Tomato : 4 medium sized
Mustard seeds : 1/4 tsp
Cumin seeds : 1/4 tsp
Oil : 1 1/2 Tbs
Curry leaves : 2 sprigs
Turmeric powder : 1/4 tsp
Chili powder : 2 tsp
Salt to taste

Preparation :

Heat the oil in the pressure cooker add the mustard and cumin seeds once they splutter add the curry leaves and sliced onions to it and saute till translucent now add the string beans which have been cut to 1 inch size pieces  Add the turmeric, chili powder , diced tomatoes and salt to taste and mix well to this add about 1/2 cup of water and pressure cook for two to three whistles. Open and check if the water still remains put it on heat till the water evaporates serve this with chapaties or rice.

Mixed Vegetable Sambhar

Sambhar is one of the common dish made across South India this is served with all the three meals in a day.

Ingredients:

Toor Dal : 1 1/2 cup

Onion: 1 medium sized                    
Tomatoes : 3 medium sized
Curry Leaves : 2-3 sprigs
Coriander : 1 bunch
Green Chilies : 4
Tamarind extract : 1 golf sized ball
Vegetable Choice : Pumpkin, Butter nut squash , Capsicum, Carrots, Drum Stick, Radish etc etc
Oil : 2 tsp
Mustard seeds : 1/2 tsp
Cumin Seeds : 1/2 tsp
Asafoetida/hing : pinch
Turmeric powder : 1/4 tsp
Red Chills powder : 1/2 tsp
Sambhar powder : 2 tsp
Salt to taste

Preparation :

Pressure cook (3 whistles) the dal with the turmeric and mash it and keep it aside (for people who don't like chunks of tomato boil it with the dal). Take a wok and heat oil now add mustard and cumin seeds and once they splutter add the hing, curry leaves, onions and saute till translucent now add the green chillies and the vegetables of your choice here i have used drum stick, carrot, capsicum, tomato and saute for some time now add the red chili powder and tamarind extract and let it come to a boil add this mixture to the pressure cooker with the dal now add salt, sambhar powder and water if needed pressure cook this for two whistles(depending on the vegetables used u can reduce or increase the cooking time) . Garnish with chopped coriander and serve with hot steamed rice with ghee.

Tomato Rasam

This is something every meal has to have in a tamil household and is very good for digestion and is a home remedy for the common cold as well as indigestion. Everybody has there own recipe or the different  proportions used to make there own rasam powders. There are many rasam powders available in the market and the only one I have tried and tested is the MTR rasam powder which is good.

Will follow up with the recipe for the rasam powder which we make at home.

Ingredients :

Tamarind 2 tbs or the size of a golf ball (note this is not the ready made paste)
Coriander 1/2 bunch

Curry leaves 2-3 sprigs        
Tomatoes 3 medium sized
Garlic pods - 2
Rasam powder - 3 tsp
Cumin seeds - 1/4 tsp
Mustard seeds - 1/4 tsp
Asafoetida/hing - a pinch
Turmeric - a pinch
Red chillies - 2
Oil - 1 tsp
Salt to taste

Preparation :

Soak the tamarind in water for half an hour remove the extract completely and keep aside to this add mashed tomatoes coriander and curry leaves, salt to taste and put in the rasam powder at last and don't stir this into the rasam. Now for the tempering/tadka heat oil add the mustard & cumin seeds once the splutter add the garlic which should be mashed and then add the turmeric and asafoetida/hing and the red chillies and add to the rasam. Heat this rasam mixture along with the tadka and let it come to a boil, please note as soon as it comes to a boil it should be taken off the heat.

Paruppu Vadai

This is the vadai that we make on all festivals and this is easy to make and the mixture can be stored in fridge for upto 2 days. This makes a wonderful snack in the evenings during winter months.

Ingredients:

1/2 Kg Channa dal
100 gms Urad dal

4-5 Green Chilies (as per taste)                
3 one inch pieces of Ginger

1 bunch Coriander                                          
2 mdum sized Onions
Salt to taste
Oil for frying

Preparation:

Soak Channa & Urad dal for two hours drain the water and grind coarsely and keep aside. Make a paste of the ginger and green chillies and add to the ground pulses. Finely chop the onions and coriander and mix all of them with salt to taste. Make flat rounds with the mixture and deep fry till golden brown and serve with mint chutney or any other chutney of your choice.

Paruppu Vadai

Adarsam

This is a recipe for Adarsam which is a must for Diwali and is specially made for the Diwali nombu
                             

 Ingredients:

1 Kg rice
3/4 Kg Jaggery
10 gms Dry Ginger powder (Sonti)
10 gms Aniseed powder (Somp)
Oil/Ghee for frying

 Preparation:

Soak rice for 3 hrs in water drain water completely and and dry it for 10 mins on a cotton cloth so that the excess water is absorbed. Grind the rice to a fine powder and keep it a aside. Heat jaggery with about 4 tbs of water and boil it till it comes to a two string consistence add the Ginger & Aniseed powder and mix well start adding the rice flour in small measures and keep stirring the mixture so that there are no lumps, the flame should be less when adding the flour and keep repeating this process till the rice flour is added completely to the jaggery mix once done take off the heat and keep stirring so that the lumps do not form. Pour some oil on the top once the mixture is done.


Make small flat rounds of the dough and fry in oil or ghee once golden brown remove and drain the oil off.

                                                                                                               
                                                           

Happy Diwali

Happy Diwali to everybody, its been a long time since a recipe has been posted so starting with a few  vegetarian recipes. Few sweets and a some savoury dishes and during festivals there is a overload of food whether it is snacks or regular food so hear we go !!!!

Almond Rock (Nut rock)

 It’s been so long that i have posted an entry...
Summer was good and fall is not bad...so every weekend, we are doing something with little S, She is all of 1.5 years and a bundle of energy..so u can say i was lazily busy :)

Smitha of Smitha's spicy Flavours is guest hosting an the MEC festive event for Srivalli of cooking4allseasons

And I have an easy and "can be very popular recipe of your kitchen" without much sweat in the kitchen.

I have used 100% cacao...coz i am a chocoholic and i can control the amount of Sugar
I have sweetened the chocolate with honey and sugar
You can try with any percentage of cacao...if ur using lesser percentage than remember that chocolate already has some sugar and milk solids

Ingredients

8 oz 100% Cacao chocolate
10 tbsp sugar powdered
5 tbsp honey
2 cups Nuts(Almonds and Walnuts)

Preparation

Roast the nuts in the microwave (Roasted the Almonds and Walnuts separately)
30 seconds each time and keep tossing them every 30 seconds for 2 mins.
Cool and chop the nuts

Chop/grate the chocolates roughly and microwave it for 1 and 1/2 minutes

Add all the ingredients mix well. as the mixture can start to harden
Spread it on the Parchment paper or silver foil. i think u can shape them as laddoos(round) too.
Cut now so that it would be easier to cut once the chocolate cools. Allow it to cool


i usually refrigerate it for 1 to 2 hours...i know u don’t refrigerate the chocolate...but believe me its not bad


Note:
The Nut ratio is like more than the chocolate...basically like a cheekii
If the mixture hardens and u find it a little difficult to spread
Put it in the microwave for another 30 seconds.

Also sending this to

'Cooking for Kids' event by Sharmi , guest hosted at Veggieplatter 

 

Recipe By: Brinda
Posted By: Brinda

Daddy's simple chicken fry

 My Dad is one of those guys who is not comfortable in the kitchen, totally not his fault, his grandma i.e is my great grandma was a fabulous cook and then that was taken over by his wife my mom, who is a fantastic cook :)... these were the famous words ofmy nainamma(Dad's mom).

I remeber growing up we would try makingsomething whenever mom was not around and always ended up creating a disaster, but made lot of happy memories...this one time me, dad and my cousintried making mutton and ended up putting lot of chilli powder as it did not look as red as the the way mom made. In the end we ate scrambled omlette that day

About this chicken recipe...Dad and one of his cousin had to spend somwtime away from home due to work..and both dudes :) wanted some home cooked meal...and this was what mom taught dad..and till this date this is the only dish dad can whipout...and mion you its as finger licking as it looks :)

Ingredients

Chicken                                - 1lbs or abt 500gms

Red Chilli powder                 - 1tsp

Corriander/Dhania Powder   - 1tsp

Turmuricpowder                   - 1/4 tsp

Lime Juice                            - 2 tbsps

Ginger-GarlicPaste               - 1 tsp

Onions                                 - 1 small chopped finely

Curry leaves                         - 6 to 8 leaves

Oil                                       - 3 to 4 tbsps

Green Chillies                       - 3 to 4 slit length wise

Salt                                      - to taste

Kothmir/Cilantro                  - for garnish

Preparation

Cut the chicken into bite sized pieces and Marinate it with all the ingredients except onions, curry leaves oil and green chillies. Marinate it for atleast about 1/2 hrs

Heat the oil in a pot/pan

Add the curry leaves, green chillies let it splutter

Add onions and green chillies, cook for 3 to 4 mins

Add the chicken and fry it till done(can add a little water or stock)

Check for the seasonings)

Garnish with lots of kothmir/cilantro.

Simple and ready to eat in a jiffy. Makes a good Starter

Aloo & Tofu Biryani

Today is sunday which means lots of non veg being prepared at home. Today mom made chicken biryani.......and just to get away from temptation (cause i have turned vegetarian) I made this vegetarian biryani with the ingredients found at home. Must say tastes as good as the non vegetarian biryani.


Ingredients:

Tofu : 200 gms cubed and fried
Potato : 2 medium sized, cubed and fried
Onions : 2 small sized sliced abd fried
Mint : 1 big bunch
Coriander : 1 big bunch
Green Chillies : 5 to 6
Basmati Rice : 3 cups
Turmeric : 1/2 tsp
Cinnamon : 1 inch stick
Cloves : 4
Ginger Garlic paste : 1 tbs
Bay leaves : 2 or 3
Shahijeera : 1/2 tsp
Salt : To taste
Lime juice : 1
curd : 3 tbs
ghee : 1/2 tsp



Preparation:

Take 3/4th portion of coriander & mint leaves, to this add the cinnamon and cloves, 4 green chillies and grind to paste. To this paste add the curd, ginger garlic paste ,turmeric, fried potato & tofu, salt and marinate it for abt 30 mins. In some water add some salt for the rice , shahijeera, bay leaves and par boil the rice, strain the water from the rice. In a nonstick wide dish coat the base with little ghee (1/2 tsp) first put in the marinated tofu and aloo, on that a layer of rice and then place the remaining green chillies coriander, fried onions, lime juice and then cover with another layer of rice . Now cover the container and cook it on high flame for 3 to 4 mins and then on low flame for ant 8 mins. Serve this with raitha, onion rings and lime.

Recipe By: Pavithra Arcot
Posted by: Pavithra Arcot

Mushroom Mutter & Paneer Masala

Here's another paneer dish, for people who are dieting they can use tofu instead. This is pretty easy to make and tastes like restaurant style paneer. Serve this with Roti or rice.



Ingredients:

Paneer : 500 gms (fried in oil)
Onions: 4 to 5 medium sized ground to paste
Tomatoes : 4 to 5 medium sized ground to paste
Green Chillies: 6 to 7 slit
Tomato Puree: 1oo ml
kasuri methi : 4 tbs
Mushroom : 200 gms
Peas : 200 gms
garam masala : 2 tsp
Oil : 4 to 5 tbs
Turmeric : 1 tsp
Red chilli powder : 2 tbs
coriander powder : 2 tbs
sahijeera : 1 tsp
Salt : to taste
Ginger garlic paste : 1 tbs


Preparation :

Heat oil in a kadai to that add sahijeera once it splutters add the onion paste and saute untill light brown to this add the ginger garlic paste and the kasuri methi. Once the oil leaves the side add the green chillies , mushrooms, peas and saute for a min or two to this add the turmeric, Coriander and Red chilli powder and tomato paste and get to a boil. Now add the fried paneer, garam masala and salt to taste. Add some water to it and cook until done. Garnish with fresh coriander. Serve this with hot roties, onions and lime.



Receipe: Pavithra Arcot
Posted by: Pavithra Arcot

Mixed Veg Semiya

My cousin was home and she loves to snack all the time, she needed something to eat and I though will make her something healthy so made this.

Ingredients:

MTR Vermicelli: 2 cups
Onion: 1 medium chopped
Carrot: 1 1/2 grated
Sprouts: 5 tbs (any i had methi so used it)
Tomato: 1 medium chopped
Green Chilli: 3 slit
Mint: 3 tbs chopped
Coriander: 4 tbs Chopped
Lime: Juice of 1
ginger garlic paste: 1/2 tsp
Oil: 3 tsp
Salt: To taste
Turmeric: 1/4 tsp


Preparation:

Take a wok or a kadai in that heat oil, add onions and saute untill translucent, to this add the ginger garlic paste, turmeric and saute . Now add the carrot, green chillies, sprouts, mint & chopped tomato saute untill tender . Add the vermicelli and salt and fry for atleast 2 minutes now add sufficent water and cook it till done. Add the lime juice and coriander and serve it hot.
You can add as many vegitables as you want to this like capcicum, peas, corn , potato.





Receipe: Pavithra Arcot
Posted by: Pavithra Arcot

Kheema Vada/Minced Meat Patties

These have been the all time favorite in the family and my ammama (maternal grandmother) could make this in a jiffy and also made different kinds of non veg as well as vegetarian vadas and no one could make out the difference whether it was a veg or a non veg dish which always kept us guessing what was the main ingredient she used. Miss her as well as her cooking a lot.

Ingredients:

Kheema(Mutton) :1/2 Kg
Onions: 4 medium 2 (finely chopped) and 2 (sliced)
Green Chillies: 10
Mint Leaves: 1 bunch
Coriander: 2 bunches, 1 finely chopped
Cinnamon: 1 1 inch piece
Cloves: 4
Ginger Garlic Paste: 2 tsp
Turmeric: 1/2 tsp
Coconut: 1/2 a coconut
Puttnal pappu: 3 tbs powdered
Egg: 2 for binding
Salt: to taste
Oil: Frying

Preparation:


Boil the kheema with turmeric and water, there should be no water left and the kheema should be 3/4th cooked. In a kadai take abt a 1 tsp of oil and in that saute the 2 sliced onions along with the mint leaves, 1 bunch of coriander, the Cinnamon, green chilles, cloves and then grind it to a paste. Grind the boiled Kheema as well separately but do not make it into a paste it shouls still be coarse. Grind the coconut as well but without water. Mix Kheema, the sauteed paste and the coconut and to this add the finely chopped onion, 1 bunch of coriander, eggs, puttnal pappu powder and salt. Shape them into vada and deep fry them. Serve it hot with your choice of sauce or mint chutney.

Recipe by: Mrs Sarala Padmarao
Posted by: Pavithra Arcot

Methi Sprouts Salad

Went grocery shopping yesterday an found some methi (fenugreek) sprouts . So made a healthy salad with it and must say was not bitter and was tasty as well.

Ingredients:

Methi Sprouts: 150 gms
Onion: 1 medium sized, finely chopped
Cucumber: 1/2 finely chopped
Mint Leaves: 1 tbs finely chopped
Coriander: 2 tbs finely chopped
Green Chilli: 1 slit and chopped(optional)
Lime: 1 tbs juice
Salt: to taste


Preparation:

Mix all the above ingredients in a bowl and add serve it as soon as you make it. This is a very good meal when you are maintaining a healthy diet. You can also make this with yogurt/curd and not add the lime in it. This is a very good summer meal which is filling as well as lite on the
Stomach.

Recipe by: Pavithra Arcot
Posted by: Pavithra Arcot

Mango Pickle

It is summer time and one of the things the house wives do is pickle the mango as it is seasonal. I always wait for this season as the mango pickle is just so yummy with rice cant resist it at all.


Ingredients:
Mangoes: 25 big sized(pickle mangoes)
Ginger paste: 1 Kg
Garlic paste: 1 kg
Garlic pods: 1/2 kg
Sesame(Til) oil: 2 1/2 ltrs
Mustard (rai) powder: 100 gms
Fenugreek(methi) powder: 100 gms
Cumin (Jeera) powder: 50 gms
Turmeric powder: 100 gms


Preparation:

Cut the mangoes in chunk size pieces and wipe it with a clean cloth so that there is no extra moisture. Now weigh the mango pieces, for every 1 Kg of mango pieces add 1/4 Kg of salt and 1/4 Kg of chilli powder(u get it separately for pickles).




Tempering:

Take a big kadai or wok and heat the complete oil and then turn off the heat and in that add 75gms of mustard seeds, 50 gms of fenugreek seeds, 25 gms of Cumin seeds and abt 2 tsp of asefoetida(hing) powder. Once they splutter add the ginger garlic paste and mix thoroughly(tip: add the ginger garlic paste in little amounts so that the oil does not spill). Once this mixture is cold add the magoes, salt, garlic pods, chilli & tumeric powder and mix well. Keep this mixture aside for 3 days and then shift it into a clean and dry jar(tip: while shifting pls check the salt and then pls sprinkle some salt in the end of the jar as well). This pickle stays for a year untill the next mango season.


Recipe by: Mrs Malathi Ramaswamy
Posted by: Pavithra Arcot

Capsicum, Peas and Paneer Masala

Was at home today so thought would dish up something vegetarian, this is what i came up with goes well with roti and also can use it as a filling in sandwich.

Ingredients:

Paneer: 200 gms (fried in oil)
Capsicum: 200 gms
Peas: 150 gms
Onion: 2 medium ground to paste
Tomatoes: 4 medium sized ground to paste
Oil: 3 tbs
Ginger Garlic paste: 1 1/2 tsp
Garam Masala: 1 tsp
Red chilli powder: 2 tsp
Dhania powder: 2 tsp
Turmeric: 1/2 tsp


Preparation:

Take a kadai and heat oil and add onion paste to it saute for a couple of minutes and then add ginger garlic paste. Once the oil leaves the side add the turmeric , capsicum, peas and saute well.
To this add dhania powder, chilli powder and tomato puree and salt to taste. Now add the fried paneer and cook untill done and then add garm masala and cook untill the oil leaves the sides. Garnish it with coriander. Serve with roti.



Receipe: Pavithra Arcot
Posted by: Pavithra Arcot

Lamb/Goat Meat balls in Minty Cocunut Gravy - Urundai Khoumbu

This is one of my favorite dishes, and this can be made a head as it tastes very yummy the next day:)

Ingredients

Ground Lamb/Goat      - 1lbs or 1/2 Kg

Onions                         - 2 large

Mint                             - about a cup

Cilantro/Khotmir           - 1 big bunch

Cloves/Lavang              - 4 to 5

Cinnamon stick             - 1 inch
Coconut                         - 1/2 cup
Roasted Channa Dal powder - 1 tblsp
Green Chillies                  - 8 to 9
tumeric powder               - 1 tsp
ginger garlic paste            - 1 tsp
lime/lemon juice               - 2 tsp
Salt            to taste
baeten curd/yogurt           - 2tblsp

Preparation

To the gound meat add half onion chopped finely, 1/4 cup Mint and cilantro chopped,tumeric,salt, roasted channa dal powder(putnal powder), 2- 3green chillies chopped, Mix and make meat balls about the size of a walnut or key lime

Gravy

Saute cloves, cinomon, onions,Mint and geen chillies till traslucent in about 3 tsps of oil.

Cool and grind it to a smooth paste.

Grind the cocunut to a smooth paste adding very little water

Now in a pot in some oil saute the paste, add ginger garlic paste

Add salt( remeber there is salt in the meat balls )

Add some water and bring it to a simmer

Add the meat balls to the gravy

Add the beaten curds

Cook it forabout 10 to 12 minutes(till the gravy thickens)

Add the lemon juice and its ready to eat withrice/roti/bread...

Recipe By:Mrs Malathi Ramaswamy

Posted By: Brinda

Saboodana Kichidi

This is a very good dish when u are fasting and want to break the fast, this is what my friend usually makes when somebody is fasting and would like to eat something light in the evening. This also makes a good breakfast dish.



Ingredients:
2 cups saboodana
1 cup Ground nuts (dry roasted, peeled and ground coarsley)
3 to 4 green chillies (slit and chopped)
curry leaves few
1 tsp mustard seeds
1 tsp cumin seeds
1 tsp urad dal
a pinch Hing
2 tbs oil or ghee
coriander to garnish
lime juice (according to taste)



Preparation:

Wash the saboodana and soak for 6 to 8 hrs, (if making it for breakfast can soak overnight), drain the water completely and add the salt to taste and the corasely ground peanuts and keep this aside. Take a wok or kadai and heat oil to this add the musturd , cumin seeds, urad dal, hing, curry leaves, green chillies once done add the saboodan and peanut mixture to it and fry untill cooked well. Garnish with corainder and lime juice.



Tip: If u have the time can add vegetables like potato cubed, grated carrot etc.

Receipe: Sheetal Jayaprakash
Posted by: Pavithra Arcot