Badam Halwa / Almond halwa

Halwa is a popular dessert recipe across india made from soaked wheat or almond or cashew nut. Sometimes made from grated carrot or beetroot.
Six months back we got lot of almonds in a party and it was sleeping in my kitchen for a long time. I was hesitant to prepare this dish bcoz i was under the impression that the recipe is difficult. Atlast tried one day and found the procedure is very simple and easy to cook.
Perfect indian dessert recipe.

Ingredients:

1. Almond - 2 cups
2. Milk - 1 cup
3. Crushed cardomom - 4 nos
4. Saffron - 1 pinch
5. Powdered sugar - 1 1/2 cups
6. Ghee - 6 tbs

Method:

1. Soak the almonds over night in water and blanch the skin.

2. Grind the almond with a cup of milk. If the almond batter is tight add 1/2 more cup of milk and grind well.

3. In a big pan cook the almond batter + sugar + 1 tbs ghee. Stir the mix continously. Add 1 tbs of ghee for every 10 mins and stir consiously. When the almond batter comes to thick paste consistency (2nd pic in 2nd row) add cardomom powder, saffron and remaining ghee and stir well. The halwa comes like round ball as shown in the pic. At this consistency remove from fire and cool completely.

4. Set up a working area and press the halwa to a sheet of 1/4 inch thickness using a rolling pin. Cut into different shapes (diamond or square) using a knife and serve.

Tip:- Arrange the remaining halwa in a air tight container and it can be stored in fridge for 15 days.

Peerkangkai / Ridge gourd / Luffa Chutney

Chutney.. ?? with Ridge gourd??? Ahhhh..... :P
This is how i reacted when i first heard about this recipe. Many of us know indian poriyal recipes with this vegetable. But how come chutney.... that too beyond the green smell of this vegetable??? Actually the nice aroma after cooking ridge gourd is awesome. Direct substitute for tomato but even creamy and tastier than tomato. Above all very simple to cook.
More suitable for Idli / Dosa.

Ingredients:

1. Peerkangai / Ridge gourd / Luffa - 1
2. Kadalai paruppu / Splited peas - roughly 1 handful
3. Red chilli - 2 nos (big)
4. Big brown onion - 1/2 roughly chopped
5. Cooking oil - 1 tbs
6. Salt to taste
Method

1. Wash the ridge gourd and peel off the skin. Cut into smal pieces roughly.
2. Heat oil in a pan and add kadalai paruppu /splited peas first. Once it is golden brown, add all other ingredients. Cook till ridge gourd is smashed then remove from fire.
3. Let the sauted mix cool for sometime then add salt and grind well in a mixie/blender.
4. If u like do the seasoning with mustard seeds.

Tip - Remove seeds if any while cutting the ridge gourd.
I have added some mint also while grinding the chutney. The aroma was still nice.

Avocado / Butter pear milkshake

Avocad milkshake - stomach filling recipe. More suitable for or after breakfast / dinner. Most of us heard about Dorito - Salsa combination with this american fruit. Here comes a delicious milkshake. Learnt this recipe from my hubby... Thanks!!

Ingredients:

1. Avacado
2. Milk
3. Powdered sugar
Method

1. Cut the stem portion and peel off the skin of Avocado. Slice the flesh portion and put it into the blender. Discard the seed.
2. Pour milk till the fruit slices are immersed. For one Avocado add 2 tbs of sugar. Grind well till the fruit flesh is shiny and creamy.

Cabbage pakora / Indian vegetable crisp

Cabbage Pakora / Indian vegatable crisp is deep fried vegetables dipped in gram flour. Most versatile snack recipe of india, can be combined with anything meat or vegetable. Can be served as an appetizer also.
A perfect winter comfort food. Mmmm its very cold outside naa... Enjoy!

Ingredients:

1. Gram flour / Besan flour / Chickpea flour - 1 cup or 250 grams
2. Red chili powder - 1/2 tbs
3. Salt to taste (or 3 pinch)
4. Hing / asafoetida - pinch
5. Cilantro / coriander leaves - 1/2 handful (washed and chopped)
6. Big brown onion - 1 roughly chopped
7. Cabbage - 1/4 roughly chopped (choose ur choice of vegetables mushroom, cauliflower, spinach, chicken, paneer etc.,)
8. Green chili - 2 nos chopped (optional)
9. Cooking oil for deep frying

Method (cooking time is hardly 30 mins)

1. Heat oil in a pan for deep frying.
2. In a big vessel mix all the ingredients by sprinkling water slowly. The batter should be very tight. The batter need not cover the vegetables, sticking around the vegetables is enough. 3. Sprinkle the mixture into the oil from a little height. The oil bubbles initially, wait till it settles. Flip with a slotted ladle and wait till the bubbling settles. Strain the oil and remove from fire. Store the pakora on a tissue paper and serve hot.

Ennai kathrikai kulambhu / Sauted egg plant gravy (Karaikudi special)

Ennai kathrikai kulambhu / Sauted egg plant curry - excellent combination for steamed white rice. Most popular dish in Karaikudi (Chettinad).

Ingredients:

-to cook
1. Brinjal / Kathrikai / Egg plant - 300 grams.
2. Tamarind pulp - 1 lemon size ball (soak in one cup water for 30 mins. Squeeze the juice and discard the husk)
3. Red Chili powder - 2 tbs
4. Coriander powder / Malli thool - 2 tbs
5. Salt to taste

-to saute
1. Cooking oil - 2 tbs
2. Gingelly oil - 2 tbs
3. Vendhayam / Fenugreek seeds - 1/2 tbs
4. Mustard seeds + urad dal (white lentil) - 1 tbs
5. Big brown onion - 1/2 chopped or small onion - 10 nos chopped (small onion will enhance the taste of this recipe)
6. Tomato - 1/2 chopped
7. Salt to taste

Method
1. Cut and remove the brinjal stem. Slit vertically at the centre in all directions (see pic). Put the slited brinjals in water and wash well. Heat a pan and saute the brinjal deeply. The skin color will change as shown below. Keep aside the sauted vegetable.
2. Heat cooking + gingelly oil together in the same pan and add fenugreek seeds first. After 30 sec add mustard seeds and wait till it splatters. Then add onion and saute till its transparent. Next add tomato and cook till its smashed.
3. Add tamarind juice, chili powder, coriander powder, salt and 2 cups of water & mix well. Bring this mixture to boil. Add the sauted brinjal to this and cook till the gravy thickens. Stir consiously after every 5 mins. Remove from fire and serve with hot steamed white rice.

Idiyappam - Coconut kurma / Rice Noodles - Coconut gravy

Idiyappam is a popular dinner/breakfast recipe in southern parts of india especially in tamilnadu & kerala. Its nothing but a steamed rice flour twigs. The dish is very soft and more apt for children.

For Idiyappam:

Ingredients
1. Rice flour - 2 cups
2. Salt - pinch
3. Lukewarm water (moderately hot) - 1/2 cup

Method
1. Add salt to rice flour and mix well.
2. Add the water slowly and blend till soft dough is formed. Keep it aside.
3. Heat 4 cups of water in idli cooker and bring it to boil. Meantime grease the idli plates with oil. Once the water boils minimize the flame so that water remains in boiling hot but not boiling.
4. Put the dough in idiyappam maker (See below) and press gently and pull circles on the idli plate.

5. Close the cooker lid. After 10 mins check whether idiyappam is cooked by pressing a portion. Then remove from fire.

For Coconut kurma:

Idiyappam goes well with 4 diff side dishes.
1. Just sprinkle sugar, gingelly oil and grated coconut over idiyappam. Mix well and serve hot.
2. Boil 2 cups of coconut milk with 1/2 cup sugar and a pinch of cardamom powder. This is a good medicine for ulcer (paati vaithiyam) and other intestine problems. Just pour this milk over idiyappam and serve (like cereals :) )
3. Sothi - Indian liquid gravy recipe popular in tamilnadu.
4. Coconut kurma - follows....

Ingredients

-to grind
1. Coconut - 10 nos (small pieces) or grated coconut - 1/2 cup
2. Sombu / Saunf - 1 tbs
3. Jeera / seeragam - 1 tbs
4. Red chili - 3 nos
5. Garlic - 1 clove (optional)

-to cook
1. Coconut oil - 2 tbs
2. Cooking oil - 2 tbs
3. Mustard seeds + urad dal (white lentil) - 1 tbs
4. Big brown onion - 1/4 (finely chopped)
5. Tomato - 1/2 (finely chopped)
6. Green chili - 1 (sliced)
7. Pasi paruppu / Moong dal / green gram - 4 tbs
8. Salt to taste
9. Cilantro - few (washed and chopped) - optional

Method
1. Wash and cook the pasi paruppu / moong dal in 1 cup of water and smash it. Keep this aside.
2. Grind everthing under -to grind
3. Heat the cooking oil in a pan and add mustard seeds + urad dal. Once mustard seeds splatters add onion + green chili and saute till onion is transparent. Add tomato and cook till its smashed. Then add the grinded paste + smashed moong dal. Add salt and blend this mixture.
4. When the mixture starts boiling add salt and cilantro. Cook for 7 more minutes.
5. Switch off the stove and sprinkle the coconut oil over it. Serve hot.

Tip: If u r a sour taste lover sprinkle some lemon juice on the kurma before serving.

Other: Such a delicious recipe but have to strive a bit. When compared to the taste worth taking pain.

Semiya kesari / Vermicelli halwa

Semiya kesari / Vermicelli halwa is a most popular indian dessert. Prepared in almost all parts of india. The cooking procedure is very simple and can be prepared in a very short time.

Ingredients:

1. Vermicelli - 200 grams
2. Food color - 1 pinch
3. Powdered sugar - 150 grams
4. Cashew nuts - 10 nos
5. Rasins (sun dried graphes) - 10 nos
6. Cardamom - 2 nos (roughly crushed)
7. Salt - pinch
8. Ghee - 4 tbs

Method

1. Heat 1 tbs of ghee in a pan in low flame. Add vermicelli and stir fry till nice aroma comes out of it (or till golden brown). Whip a washed plate with a dry towel and keep aside the vermicelli in it.
2. Heat 1 tbs ghee in the same pan and fry cashew nuts, rasin and cardamom in it. Keep this aside along with vermicelli.
3. Dissolve the food color, salt in 3 cups of water and heat in the same pan. Wait till the water boils. Then add vermicelli, fried cashew raisin cardamom mix. Stir well.
4. When the vermicelli mix starts bubbling add the sugar and remaining ghee. Mix thoroughly. Cook the vermicilli till the water content goes off. Stir consiously for every 2 mins.
Thats it. Serve hot or cold.

Tip:- Substitute vermicelli by suji/semolina & follow the same procedure for suji halwa.
Instead of Ghee we can use vanaspathi/dalda.

Mango milk shake

Yup... Simple and delicious!

Ingredients:

1. Riped Mango - 1
2. Honey or sugar - 2 tbs
3. Fresh unboiled milk - 1/2 glass (in which u r going to serve the milk shake)

Method:

1. Peel the mango and cut the flesh portion into a mixie / blender jar. Let the mango juice which sheds while cutting, drop into the blender jar.
2. Add sugar or honey & milk and grind for 7 mins. Thats it. Serve immediately or after refrigerating.

Chow chow kootu / Chayot dal

Chow chow kootu / Chayote dal - non spicy side dish apt for spicy rice varties and chappathi. Excellent combination with rasam rice.


Chayote is a commonly used vegetable in south india for preparing kootu. Sometimes used in sambhar also.


Ingredients:


1. Chow chow / Chayote - 2 nos
2. Bid brown onion - 1 (chopped)
3. Tomato - less than 1/2 (cubed)
4. Hing / Asafoetida - pinch
5. Mustard seeds + urad dal (white lentil) - 1 tbs
6. Curry leaves - 4 nos
7. Cooking oil - 2 tbs
8. Salt to taste
9. Green chili - 4 nos (sliced)
10. Pasi paruppu / Moong dal / Green gram - 1/2 cup or 1 handful (soak in 1 cup of water for 15 mins before start cooking)


Method


1. Wash the Chow chow / Chayote and peel off the skin. Cut at the centre (see pic) and remove the seed portion. Cut the vegetable in cube shapes.


2. Heat the oil in a pressure cooker and add mustard seeds + urad dal , curry leaves and hing. Once mustard seeds splatters add chopped onion, green chili and tomato together. Cook till onion is golden brown.
3. Strain the water completely from soaked moong dal. Add chow chow , moong dal and salt to sauted onion in the cooker and mix well. Level the mixture and pour one cup of water into the cooker. Close the lid and cook for 4 whistles. Serve hot.

Pattani thokku / Spicy coconut peas

Pattani thokku / Spicy coconut peas - Very very simple to cook. Excellent combination with sambhar rice /curd rice.

Ingredients:

1. Cooking oil - 2 tbs
2. Mustard seeds + urad dal (white lentil) - 1 tbs
3. Curry leaves (optional) - 4 nos
4. Pattani / Frozen peas - 1 1/2 cups (washed)
5. Salt to taste

-to grind
1. Garlic cloves - 2 nos
2. Cocunut - 10 small pieces or 1/2 cup grated coconut. (If u dont have coconut in stock, no issues. Increase the Jeera and Saunf proportions. 1 tbs extra than the measurements given below).
3. Red chili - 2 nos
4. Jeera / Cumin seeds - 1 tbs
5. Sombu / Saunf - 1 tbs

Method:

1. Grind well all the ingredients under to grind.

2. Heat oil a pan and add mustard seeds + urad dal, curry leaves.

3. Once the mustard seeds start splattering pour the grinded paste + 1 cup of water.

4. When the mix started boiling add the peas and salt. Mix well. Wait till all water gets evaporate, by that time peas will be cooked. Once the peas become dry, mix once again and remove from flame. Serve hot.

Thakkali kulambhu / Tomato dal gravy

Thakkali kulambhu / Tomato gravy - An equal mix of tomato and dal. This recipe is less spicy and goes well with rice and Parota (paratha). The cooking time is hardy 30 mins.

Ingredients:

-to saute
1. Cooking oil - 4 tbs
2. Mustard seeds + urad dal (white lentil) - 1 tbs
3. Curry leaves - 4 nos
4. Perungayam / Hing / Asafoetida - pinch

-to cook
1. Green chili - 4 nos (no need to cut)
2. Big brown onion - 1 (chopped)
3. Tomato - 3 nos (diced)
4. Cilantro - 1 handful (washed)
5. Red chili powder - 2 tbs
6. Tuvaram paruppu / Toovar dal / Red gram - 200 grams
7. Salt to taste
Method:

1. Wash the toovar dal / red gram and cook in a pressure cooker with 2 cups of water. Remove the cooker from flame after 4-5 whistles. Open the cooker cover once the pressure goeas off and smash the cooked lentil with hand mixer (see picture).
2. Heat 4 tbs of oil in a pan and add mustard seeds + urad dal, hing and curry leaves. Once mustard seeds starts splattering add green chili. Immediately add the chopped onion and cook till it is transparent. Add the diced tomato and cook till its smashed.
3. Add the smashed dal, chili powder, cilantro and salt to tomato & mix well. Cook in medium flame. Bring this mixture to boil. Switch off the stove and serve hot.

Aval kara pori / Mirchi poha / Spicy rice flakes

Aval kara pori / Spicy rice flakes is a crunchy, yummy snack variety like popcorn. I learnt this recipe from friend of mine, she used to prepare this for long travels. Thanks to my friend.
Cooking time is very less and i can say its a best party mix.
Usually i prepare this dish once a week in bulk and store it in an air tight container.

Ingredients:

-to cook
1. Aval / Poha / rice flakes - 2 cups
2. Sev / Oma podi / Chickpea flour twigs (available in indian grocery stores) - 1 cup
3. Pori / Mamra / puffed rice - 1 cup
Based on the requirement take the above ingredients in 2:1:1 ratio (Aval:Sev:Pori)

-to saute
1. Cooking oil - 2 tbs
2. Green chili - 4 nos (washed and finely chopped)
3. Aldi / Turmeric powder - pinch
4. Salt - 2 pinch

Method

1. Heat 2 tbs oil in a pan and add chopped green chili, turmeric powder. Once chili started splattering add 2 cups of Aval / Poha / Rice flakes and saute till it becomes cruchy. Hardy this takes 4 mins. Remove from fire and put it in a container.
2. Heat the same pan and add Sev / Oma podi / Chickpea flour twigs and Pori / Mamra / puffed rice together and stir continously till they become crunchy. This takes 2 mins. Remove from fire and mix it with Poha prepared in the previous step. Sprinkle the salt while mixing. Thats it!!!

Beetroot cutlet

Beetroot is a bit difficult vegetable for me. I tried doing usili , sambhar and poriyal recipes with this. But nothing satisfied my taste buds. As a result, few beet roots were sleeping in my fridge for more than 2 weeks. Finally my hubby gave this idea and it worked out well. Now-a-days i am not afraid of buying this vegetable.

This dish recipe can be kept in fridge for about 2 days. In that case, heat for 30 sec in microwave before serving.

Ingredients:

-to cook

1. Betroot - 3 nos - peal the skin and grate using a grater thru thin slots.

2. Carrot - 1 no - similar to beet peal the skin and grate

3. Frozen peas - 1/2 cup (washed)

4. Big brown onion - 1 (finely chopped)

5. Garlic - 2 cloves (grate similar to beetroot)

6. Ginger - 1 small piece (grate similar to beetroot)

7. Saunf / sombu - 1 tbs

8. Jeera / cumin seeds - 1 tbs

9. Garam masala - 2 tbs

10. Cilantro - 1/2 handful - finely chopped

11. Salt to taste

12. Cooking oil - 5 tbs

-to coat

Crumbled rusk - 3/4 cup if it is not available u can use Rava / Semolina - 3/4 cup

Heat a pan and roast the Rava in 1/2 tbs of ghee

Method

1. Heat 3 tbs of oil in a pan and add jeera and saunf. Once it is splattered add chopped onion & cook till its transparent. Then add grated ginger and garlic. After 2 mins add garam masala and cilantro, cook this for 2 mins.

2. Add the grated beet, carrot + peas and mix well. The masala should blend with the vegetables. Add 1 cup of water and enough salt. Cook the mixture in medium flame till carrot and beetroot gets smashed. Stir the mixture consiously. The cooked vegetable comes like a dough. Remove from fire and allow it to cool.

3. Take the vegetable dough balls in ur palm and flatten it (like vada). Dip it in the rava or rusk powder. The particles should stick to all the sides of the cutlet.

4. Heat a pan and fry the cutlets by sprinkling oil drops. Flip the cutlet and fry so that the other side too gets cooked.Romove from pan serve hot with tomato / chili / tamarind sauces.

5. Arrange the excess cutlets in a box and keep it in fridge.

Paruppu keerai / Spinach dal

Spinach dal - Healthy combination , more suitable for kids and pregnant mothers. In bachelor's view its very simple to cook. It goes well with Sambhar rice / Chappathi.

Ingredients:

- to saute
1. Cooking oil - 2 tbs
2. Mustard seeds + urad dal (white lentil) - 1 tbs
3. Cumin seeds - 1 tbs
4. Hing / Asafoetida - pinch
5. Big brown onion - 1/2 (finely chopped)

- to cook
1. Spinach - 1 bunch (Remove debris if any, wash and strain for water in a filter. If the spinach leaves are very big, chopp it roughly after straining)
2. Tomato - 1/2 (cubbed)
3. Green chili - 1 no
4. Garlic cloves - 1 no
5. Tamarind pulp (small chickpea size) - 2 nos
6. Moong dal / Pasi paruppu - 1 handful

Method:

1. Wash the Moong dal in a pressure cooker and strain the water completely. Level the strained dal in the bottom of the cooker. The dal should be spreaded across the bottom of the cooker and nothing is sticking to the walls.
2. Above dall put spinach, cubbed tomato, green chili (no need to cut), garlic, tamarind pulp one above the other in the same order as mentioned. Spread 1/2 cup of water over this and close the cooker. Cook for 3-4 whistles.
3. One the pressure in the cooker goes off open the cover. Smash the cooked spinach with the hand mixer.
4. Heat oil in a pan and add everything under saute in 30 sec difference. Add it to the smashed spinach and serve hot.

Vengar rasam / Onion rasam / Indian hot and sour soup

Rasam is indian hot and sour soup goes well with hot rice. Its made of tamarind / tomato / lemon juice.
In south india rasam is being used as a medicine for fever (paati vaithiyam). Add hot rasam to smashed cooked rice, mix well and drink this semi solid at bearable warmth. This secretes enormous sweat and so the body loses the excess heat.

This version of rasam i am posting is very simple. 1-2-3 --> Squeeze-Grind-Heat

Method

To squeeze
1. Tamarind pulp - 1 lemon size ball
2. Tomato - 1

Soak the tamarind in one cup of water, extract the juice and discard the husk. Cut the tomato into 2 halfs and squeeze it in the tamarind extract.

To Grind
1. Cumin seeds / Jeera - 2 tbs
2. Garlic cloves - 3 nos (dont remove the skin)
3. Red chili (big) - 1 no
4. Pepper corns - 1 tbs
5. Big brown onion - 1 (roughly chopped) or small onions - 10 nos

Grind (coarsely) everything except onion in 1/2 cup of water. Add onion and grind for 5 sec.

To Heat
1. Turmeric powder - pinch
2. Hing / Asafoetida - pinch
3. Salt to taste
4. One handful of cilantro - washed and chopped

Mix everything from step 1 , 2 and 3 together and heat in medium flame. Do not stir the mix while heating. Slowly bubbles get formed on the top of rasam (as shown in the fig above). At this stage remove flame. Serve hot.

Mulanghi sambhar / Raddish-lentil stew [without odor :) ]

Sambhar is a traditional south indian vegetable-lentil stew goes well with Idli & White rice. The flexiblity of the dish is, with the same procedure we can choose our choice of vegetables.

Raddish gives a green smell like cucumber even after cooking. Using it in sambhar disturbs the real taste of sambhar. Here follows the recipe for raddish sambhar without green smell. Enjoy!

Ingredients:

- to cook
1. Raddish - 300 grams (washed and cut in round shapes)
2. Toovar dal - 150 grams
3. Big brown onion - 1 (rougly chopped) or small onions - 10 nos (without chopped)
4. Tomato - 1 (roughly chopped)
5. Tamarind pulp - 1 small lemon size ball (soak in water for 15 mins and squeeze juice and discard the husk)
6. Cilantro - 1 handful (washed and chopped)
7. Sambhar powder - 4 tbs

- to saute
1. Cooking oil - 3 tbs
2. Mustard seeds + urad dal - 1 tbs
3. Cumin seeds - 1 tbs
4. Hing /Asafoetida - pinch
5. Curry leaves - 4 nos
6. Turmeric powder - pinch

Method:

1. Wash and cook the toovar dal / lentil with 3 cups of water in a pressure cooker. 3-4 whistles is enough. Let the cooked lentil in the cooker itself.
2. Heat 1 tbs oil in a pan and add everything under saute one-by-one in 30 sec difference. Add the chopped onions and cook till its transparent. Add tomatos and cook till its smashed. Add this mixture to cooked lentil.
3. Heat the same pan and put 2 tbs oil. Saute the raddish till its green smell goes off. Use medium heat. Consiously stir the raddish then only the green smell will completely go off. Add this also to the lentil.
4. Add salt, tamarind juice, sambhar powder and cilantro to the lentil + one more cup of water. Mix everthing once and close the cooker. Cook for 3-4 whistles. Serve hot.

Muttai poriyal / Egg bhurjee / Scrambled egg fry

Muttai poriyal / Egg bhurjee / Scrambled egg fry is a quick indian side dish goes well with rice. Usually I prepare this dish whenever I am bored of cooking vegetables.

Ingredients:

1. Egg - 4 nos
2. Cooking oil - 4 tbs
3. Mustard seeds + urad daal (white lentil) - 1 tbs
4. Big brown onion - 1 no (finely chopped)
5. Green chili - 3 nos (finely chopped)
6. Salt to taste
7. Powdered black pepper - 1 tbs
8. Lemon - 1/2

Method:

1. Heat 2 tbs of cooking oil in a pan. Add mustard seeds + urad daal. After it splatters add chili and onion. Cook until onion is trasparent.
2. Add the eggs and beat it to blend with onions. Add salt at this stage and beat again. Consiously stir the mix for every 3 mins. After 15 mins sqeeze lemon (this is to avoid the offensive smell of the egg) and sprinkle the pepper powder & remove from fire. Serve hot.

Quick cauliflower stir fry / Cauliflower varuval

Cauliflower fry / varuval - This recipe is not too spicy. But we can adjust the seasoning based on the requirement. This recipe goes well with variety rices ( Lemon rice, curd rice, sambhar rice...). This requires very less cooking time.

Ingredients:

1. Cauliflower - 1 no - washed and cut into bite sized
2. Mastard seeds + urad daal (white lentil) - 1 tbs
3. Garlic - 3 cloves (crushed roughly)
4. Curry leaves - 3 nos
5. Cilantro - 1/2 handful (washed and chopped)
6. Cooking oil - 2 tbs
7. Garam masala - 2 tbs
8. Salt to taste

Method:

1. Heat 5 cups water in a big vessel and bring it to boil. Switch off the stove and put all the cauliflower into it. After 15 mins strain water completely.
2. Heat 1 tbs of cooking oil in pan and add mustard seeds + urad daal. After 30 sec add curry leaves. Immediately add the crushed garlic. After 30 sec add the garam masala + salt together. Before the masala burns quickly add the cauliflower and mix thoroughly so that the masala gets coated around the cauliflower.
3. Add the remaining oil and cook slowly in medium flame. Stir consiously after every 10 mins. Add cilantros and remove from flame.
Serve hot with rice.

Festival of lights / Thirukarthigai

Right from our childhood everyone of us is fond of 'Photos'.... The entire house will be filled with excitment & joy on the day our developed fotos are received. Now-a-days some of us cant pose for the next photo without seeing the previous snap in the LCD screen.
I too like clicking fotos....

Thirukarthigai / Festival of lights:

South indians celebrated this festival on Dec 12, 2008. It comes in the Karthigai star in the month of Karthigai (mid November to mid December). On this day God is worshipped in the form of flame. The entire house will be decorated with oil lamps. We can feel that Deepavali came once again. Some people burst crackers also. I just clicked this foto on the Thirukarthigai day. Since we are staying abroad, for safety constraints (carpet floors, wood houses) we lighted wax lamps.

Lemon rice

Lemon rice - simple, quick indian rice recipe.

Ingredients:

1. Sona masoori / Ponni rice - 1 1/2 cup
2. Lemon - 3 nos (Wash, Cut and sqeeze the juice)
3. Red chilli - 3 nos
4. Splited peas - 1 tbs
5. Mustard seeds + urad daal (white lentil) - 1 tbs
6. Cooking oil - 1 tbs
7. Gingeely oil or sesame oil (nalla ennai) - 2 tbs
8. Salt to taste
9. Cilantro leaves - washed and chopped - one handful (optional)
10. Gralic - 3 cloves
11. Curry leaves - 4 nos
12. Turmeric powder - 2 pinch

Method:

1. Wash and cook the rice with 3 1/2 cups of water in a rice cooker. Once the rice is done remove the cover and let it get cool.
2. Heat cooking and gingelly oil together in a pan. Add mustard seeds + urad daal + splited peas. After one min add curry leaves. After 30 sec add garlic and red chilli. After 30 sec add the turmeric powder. After 1 min add the lemon juice + half cup of water. Add salt to the mix and bring it to boil. Remove from fire after 15 mins.
3. In a big vessel mix the lemon concentrate prepared above to the rice slowly. Add the cilantro leaves also while mixing. Thats it!!!

Quick breakfast - Bread kurma / Bread with indian sour sauce

Bread kurma - Its a half spicy and half sour recipe. French toast (Bread soaked in sugared milk and toasted) was the only recipe I know using bread during my early stages of cooking. Me and my hubby hate to have sweet dishes for break fast but not ready to give up eating breads. One day this combination stricked me when i was cooking puri masal. I tried it one day and found 'its yummmmy'. Since then this recipe becomes our all time favourite and proud to say its my invention ;)

Ingredients:

1. Cooking oil - 1 tbs
2. Mustard seeds + urad daal (white lentil) - 1 tbs
3. Brown onion - 1/2 finely chopped
4. Tomato - 1/2 finely chopped
5. Green chili - 1 (cutted vertically)
6. Gram flour / Besan flour - 1/2 cup or roughly 1/4 handful
7. Salt to taste
8. Lemon - 1/2

Method

1. Heat oil in a pan and add mustard seeds + urad daal. Once it started splattering add green chili. After 30 sec add chopped onion, cook it till it is transparent. Add tomatos and cook till it gets smashed.
2. Meantime dissolve the gram flour in 2 cups of water and filter it to remove lumps. Add this filtered water to the cooked onion-tomato. Add salt to taste. Bring this mix to complete boil. Bubbling would be the apt word. Consiously stir the mixture in every 5 mins. You will see the mixture gets thicken within 15 mins. Once it is thickened squeeze the lemon over it and mix once again and remove from fire.
Serve hot with toasted hot bread.

Channa masala / Chickpea spicy gravy

Channa Masala / Chickpea gravy is a traditional north indian recipe. Its a spicy dish so goes well with neutrals (chappathi, rice, naan...). Early i was afraid of making this dish, somehow it got registered in my mind that its very difficult. From my sister i got this simple recipe and frequently preparing it now a days. Thanks to my sister.

Ingredients:

- to saute
1. Cooking oil - 2tbs
2. Bay leaves - 2 nos
3. Cinnamon sticks - 2 nos
4. Saunf - 1/2 tbs
5. Cumin seeds /Jeera - 1/2 tbs
6. Aldi / turmeric powder - 1 pinch
7. Mustard seeds + urad daal (white lentil) - 1 tbs
8. Curry leaves - 3 nos

- to cook
1. Channa daal / Chickpea - 250 grams (soaked overnight or atleast 3 hours)
2. Brown onion - 1 (finely chopped)
3. Tomato - 1 (finely chopped)
4. Ginger garlic paste - 1 tbs
5. Cilantro - 1 handful (finely chopped)
6. Besan flour / Gram flour - 1 tbs
7. Garam masala - 2 tbs
8. Salt to taste
9. Lemon - 1/2

Method

1. Wash the soaked channa / chickpea and cook in pressure cooker (with water level upto channa is immersed) for 4 whistles and keep it aside.
2. Heat 2 tbs of cooking oil in a pan and add mustard seeds + urad daal, Cumin seeds, saunf, bay leave, cinnamon sticks one by one. Once it started splattering add curry leaves. Immediately add the chopped onion and cook until it is transparent. Followed by onion add the tomatos and cook it until it gets smashed. Then add the ginger garlic paste and cook until the fresh aroma goes off.
3. Open the pressure cooker and add the above paste to the cooked channa. Add garam masala, cilantro and salt. Dissolve the besan flour in 3/4 cup of water and add it to channa. Sqeeze lemon juice over it and mix everything once. Cook the channa once again in the same pressure cooker for 4 whistles.
Serve hot with chappathi.

Eggless sponge cake

Here comes a simple eggless sponge cake for all the veggie lovers!!!

Ingredients:

1. All purpose flour or maida - 2 cups
2. Vanilla essence - few drops
3. Baking powder - 1/2 tbs
4. Powdered sugar - 1 1/2 cups
5. Butter - 3/4 cup

Method

1. Take the all purpose flour in a vessel big enough for beating / mixing.
2. Melt the butter in very low flame and add it to the flour.
3. Add vanilla essence, baking powder and 1 cup of water and mix well using a hand mixer / hand beater. If the batter is tight add some more water slowly and beat again. Finally add sugar slowly. The batter consistency is shown below.

4. Grease the baking pan and pour the batter and level it with a spatula. Preheat the oven to 350 degree F and bake the cake for 15 - 20 mins. Pick a tooth picker and it should come out without any sticking batter. Else cook for 5 more mins.

Cool completely before icing.

Vendaikai poriyal / Okra fry / Ladies finger fry

Vendaikai poriyal / Okra fry is a non-spicy indian side dish recipe.

General pattern of indian recipes - Usually the indian recipe combinations will be neutral + sour or spicy + neutral. This recipe is neutral and it goes well with all spicy or sour gravies.

Ingredients:

1. Cooking oil - 3 tbs

2. Mustard seeds + urad dal (white lentil) - 1/2 tbs

3. Onion - 1/2 (chopped)

4. Green chili - 1 (cutted straight)

5. Okra / ladys finger / vendaikai - 250 to 350 grams ( finely sliced. I have used frozen okra so not able to slice further)
6. Grates coconut - 1 cup

7. Curry leaves - 3 nos

8. Salt to taste

Method

1. Heat 1 tbs oil in a pan and add mustard seed + urad daal. Once it started splattering add curry leaves. Add green chili immediately after curry leaves. After 30 sec add chopped onion. Cook till it becomes transparent. Add okra (do not wash okra after slicing) and fry. Slowly add the remaining oil after every 5 mins.

2. Okra at the initial stage have a sticky gel around it. In due course of cooking the gel will disappear. This indiactes that its cooked. Stir fry the okra till that consistency. Do not close the pan for cooking okra !!!

3. Add salt and grated coconut 5 mins before removing from flame.

Serve hot with any spicy or sour combination.

Keerai puli kuzhambu / Spinach sour gravy

Puli kuzhambhu / Sour Gravy is a traditional south indian gravy recipe goes well with hot rice and pappad. The gravy becomes more tasty while cooking with certain combination of vegetables. Spinach is one such combination.

Ingredients

-to saute
1. Gingelly oil - 2 tbs
2. Cooking oil - 1 tbs
2. Fenugreek seeds - 1/2 tbs
3. Mustard seeds + urad daal (white lentil) - 1/2 tbs
4. Curry leaves - 3 to 4

- to cook
1. Fresh Spinach - 1 bunch (If the spinach leaves are very big to cook, wash and chop the bunch)
2. Tamarind - one small lemon size (Soak the tamarind in 1 cup of water and sqeeze it for juice) or 1/2 cup tamarind juice
3. Onion - 1 (finey chopped)
4. Tomato - 1 (finely chopped)

- Masalas
1. Chilli powder - 1 1/2 tbs
2. Coriander powder - 1/2 tbs
3. Salt to taste

Method

1. In a hot pan, heat 1/2 tbs cooking oil. Wash the spinach leaves and cook in it. Spinach reduces 75 % of its volume during this process. Keep aside the sauted spinach.
2. Heat 2 tbs of gingelly oil and 1 tbs of cooking oil together in a pan. Put fenugreek seeds and then mustard seeds + urad daal. After 30 sec put the curry leaves. Followed by curry leaves immediately add chopped onion and cook till it becomes transparent. Then add the tomatos. Cook the tomatos till it gets smashed.
3. Add the sauted spinach to this and cook for 1 min. Then pour the tamarind juice to this + 2 more cup of water. Add the ingredients under masalas one by one and mix well.
4. Boil the gravy till it gets thicken and then remove from fire.
5. Optional - If you feel the recipe is spicy add 1/4 cup of coconut milk 5 mins before removing from fire. Serve with hot rice and pappad.

Tomato Chutney / Indian Tomato sauce / Thakkali chutney

Chutney - Indian sauce recipe goes well with Idli / Dosa.

Ingredients:

1. ½ brown onion ( roughly chopped)
2. 1 Tomato (roughly chopped)
3. Garlic - 1 clove
4. Small piece of ginger
5. 1 tbs Split peas (channa daal or kadalai paruppu)
6. 2 Red chilies (milagai vathal)
7. Handful of Cilantro
8. Tamarind - 2 Chickpea sized balls
9. Cocunut small piece or ½ cup grated coconut
10. ½ tbs oil

- Method

1. Heat 1/4 tbs oil in a pan and fry the split peas. Once it is cooked add all the ingredients except coconut. Cook the mix in medium heat until the tomatos get mashed.

2. Remove the mixture from fire and allow it to cool completely. Once it is cooled grind well with coconut.

3. For seasoning, heat 1/4 tbs of oil and split mustard seeds in it.Spicy tomato chutney is ready!!!

Easy Rava dosa (Diet version) / Semolina indian pan cake

Rava dosa is traditional indian pan cake made from soaked Rava / Semolina. Usually lot of curd / butter milk will be used to prepare this dish. This version is completely curdless.

Ingredients:

1. One cup Rava / Semolina

2. ½ tbs cumin seeds

3. ½ tbs pepper corns

4. ½ Brown onion (finely chopped)

-Method

1. Soak all the ingredients except onion in equal measure of water for 30 - 45 mins or even more. If you like add 1 tbs of curd.

2. After 45 mins add salt and roughly grind (2 - 3 mins) the mixture. If the dough is very tight add more water while griding until the batter comes to the consistency shown below.

3. Add the chopped onion and mix well. Heat a non stick pan and pour the batter in a random fashion. Do not touch the pan to spread the batter. Just splash the batter from little above the hot pan. Springle some oil in all the sides. Flip the dosa after 2- 3 mins. Cook for one more minute and remove.

Serve hot with Coconut chutney or spicy sauces.

Tip:- Store the excess batter in fridge and use. More the soak time more the recipe is tastier and crunchy.

Easy Vegetable Biriyani / Vegetable Rice / Spicy indian rice

Biriyani is a famous indian rice variety, usually consumes lots of time in marinating, putting it in dhum, grinding masalas etc... This version is very simple but still tasty.

Ingredients

-to Saute

1. 1 tbs Cooking oil
2. Mustard seeds
3. Bay leave
4. Cinnamon sticks (If u like add cloves and cardamom also)
5. Cumin seeds
6. Saunf
7. Curry leaves
8. Small amount of butter (Optional)

-to Cook

1. 1 cup basmati rice soaked in water for ½ hour – 45 mins (If u don’t have time soak it for 15 mins – that’s enough. If rice is soaked for long time the cooked texture will be good)
2. Grind small piece ginger + 2-3 cloves Garlic or 1 tbs of ginger-garlic paste
3. 1 Finely chopped onion
4. 1 chopped tomato
5. Milk from one handful of Coconut or 1 ½ cup coconut milk
6. Peas as required
7. Carrot as required
8. Chopped Bell pepper as required (Choose vegetables of your choice like mushroom, cauliflower, cabbage etc)
9. Handful of finely chopped mint and cilantro

10. Salt to taste

-Masala
½ tbs of Indian garam masala
½ tbs of Indian chilli powder

-Method

1.Heat 1 tbs of oil in a pressure cooker and add the ingredients under sauté one by one.

2.Add the chopped onion fry until it becomes transparent. Add chopped tomato after this and cook till the tomato is mashed. Once the tomato is cooked add ginger-garlic paste to it and cook for 5 mins.

3. Add masalas and then all the vegetables one by one. Cook the vegetables for 10 mins. Once the vegetable is 25% cooked add the coconut milk + ½ cup water and bring it to boil. (Basically for 1 cup of rice 2 cups of water required. Since we have 1 ½ cups of coconut milk fill the remaining ½ cup with water).

4. In the mean time wash the soaked rice and drain completely. Fry the drained rice in a pan with ½ tbs of oil. Fry till the rice grains doesn’t stick to each other (porous).

5. Put the rice and salt into the boiling ingredients and mix well. Close the pressure cooker without whistle. Keep the stove in medium hot. Once the gas comes out of the vent put the cooker whistle. Cook till 2-3 whistles.
That’s it. Veg rice is ready. Serve hot with raita and potato chips.