Green leaves and sweet corn Pulav

Green leaves and sweet corn Pulav

What else can be an easy recipe for a complete meal on a tiring day.. A one pot meal . Today is one of those days, and found some green leaves and frozen corn in my refrigerator. Fortunately had some mint leaves / pudina as well (pulav without mint flavour becomes incomplete). So, here I go with the recipe. Enjoy this easy delicious, and healthy meal.


Ingredients:
Rice - 2 cups (Preferably Basmati rice)
Green leaves (Dantina soppu/palak) - 1 cup (Finely chopped)
Sweet corn - 1 hand ful
Green Chillies - 3 chopped lengthwise.
Onions - 2 chopped lengthwise
Ginger garlic paste - 2 tspn
Fennel seeds - 1/4 tspn
Mint leaves - 1/2 cup (Finely chopped)
Coriander leaves - 1/4 cup (Finely chopped)
Kasoori methi - 1 hand ful
Coconut milk/Fresh milk - 1/2 cup
Salt to taste
Whole garam masala - 2 each (Cloves, cardamom, Star aniseed)
Bay leaf - 1
Butter and ghee - 1 tbl spn each
Water : 2 cups
Lemon juice - 2 tbl spn (Optional)

Method:
1) Fry basmati rice with little ghee and soak it in 2 cups of water and coconut milk for at least 30 Min. (if you dont have time to do this step. Do not bother) :) (I soaked it in the vessel of electric cooker itself)
2) In a pan, add butter and ghee, once hot, add all the garam masala and the bay leaf, and fennel seeds.
3) Next, add green chillies, onions and saute till they get slightly transparent, and then add ginger garlic paste and saute for a minute.
4) Once done, add the chopped green leaves, mint leaves, coriander leaves and sweet corn, saute for another minute and add salt to taste.
5) Now add kasoori methi by crushing them between your palms.
6) Put this mixture into the rice where you soaked in the vessel of electric cooker, and turn it on to cook.
7) Once done, it will automatically drop and its ready to serve.
8) Garnish with fried onions/lemon juice. (Optional)
9) Serve with Raita.

Note: If you are using pressure cooker, fry the ingredients directly in pressure cooker and pour the soaked rice. let it cook till done. (Around 2 whistles should be good)

Cheers!
Madhavi

Methi Paratha / Fenugreek Leaves bread

Methi Paratha

Ingredients:

Wheat Flour - 2 cups
Kasoori methi - 2 handful
Onion - 1 Finely Chopped
Coriander Leaves (Optional)
Chilli Powder - 1/4 tspn
Garam Masala Powder - 1/4 tspn
Coriander Powder - 1/4 tspn
Jeera Powder - a pinch
Turmeric powder - a pinch
Salt to taste
Oil - 2 tspn
Warm Water - 1 cup
Butter to garnish.

Method:

Mixing the dough
1) In a vessel add wheat flour and add Kasoori methi, and all the dry powder and mix well.
2) Mix the flour adding warm water little by little and make a nice dough and set it aside for at least 15 min.

Making Parathas
3) Make orange sized balls out of the dough and roll them into thin rounds.
4) Heat a flat pan, once hot put this flattened paratha on the pan and roast them on both the side. Adding oil on each side is optional.
5) Once done, add some butter to garnish
6) Serve hot with Pickle, Yogurt, or any subzi.

Cheers!
Madhavi

Drumstick Rasam | Indian Drumstick Soup

Drumstick Rasam

Ingredients:

Drumstick - 2 (Cut into 2 inch pieces)
Toor Dal  - 1/2 cup

Tamarind paste - 1 tspn

Tomato - 1 small

Coriander Leaves - 2 strands

Curry leaves - 4-5 leaves

Jaggery - 1/2 tspn

Rasam Powder - 1 tspn

Water - 1 cup.

Salt  to taste

For Tempering:

Mustard - 1/4 tspn

Jeera - 1/4 tspn

Hing - a pinch

Ghee - 2 tspn

Method:

1) Pressure cook toor dal, turmeric, 2 drops of oil and tomato together till soft and keep aside.

2) Dilute the tamarind paste and bring it to a boil along with drumsticks, coriander leaves, curry leaves and rasam powder.

3) Once its boiled, add the dal mixture and salt and jaggery and bring it boil again on a very low flame.

4) Check for the seasoning and consistency. If required add some more water to bring it to required consistency.

5) Now for tempering, in a small pan, add ghee, once hot, add mustard seeds and jeera, once they splutter, add hing and pour this tempering on the drumstick rasam.

6) Serve hot with steam rice.

Variations:
You can also make it without toor dal. Its still yummy. I love the drumstick flavour in this rasam.

Cheers!

Madhavi

Bajji

Bajji:

Bajji falls under Indian crispy and quick snack category. Thats why I take this liberty to mention that this is the only snack all the men would love to cook. (especially during their bachelor party days). :) 


 
Ingredients.
Besan flour - 1 cup
Chilli powder - 1 tspn
Jeera - 1/2 tspn
Salt as required
Hot Oil- 1 tspn
Soda - a pinch (optional)
Oil for deep frying
Water as required

Vegetables which can be used :
Potato
Ridge guard
Onion
Raw banana
Bread

Method:
1) In a bowl mix the besan, chilli powder, jeera, salt, soda, and hot oil and mix well with little water to bring it to a idly batter consistency.
2) In a pan add oil enough to fry the bajjis and turn on the stove.
3) While the oil is getting hot, cut the vegetables of your choice into thin round slices, and keep aside.
4) Once the oil is hot, take one slice of vegetable and dip it into the bajji batter and drop it carefully into the hot oil. (You can add min of 5 bajjis in one go, based on how big or wide the pan is)
5) Deep fry the bajjis till they turn golden brown and now they are ready to be served with green chutney, sweet/tamarind chutney or even coconut chutney. It can also be eaten with tomato sauce or any dip of your choice.

Click on this link for chutney reciepes.

Reposting and sending this entry to : http://cooking4allseasons.blogspot.com/2011/11/announcing-snacks-mela.html

Cheers!
Madhavi

Bottle guard Paratha / Bread

Bottle Guard Paratha / Indian Flat Bread



Ingredients:
Wheat Flour - 2 cups
Sorekai - grated 1 cup
Kasoori methi - half handful
Onion - 1 Finely Chopped
Coriander Leaves (Optional)
Chilli Powder - 1/4 tspn
Garam Masala Powder - 1/4 tspn
Coriander Powder - 1/4 tspn
Jeera Powder - a pinch
Turmeric powder - a pinch
Salt to taste
Oil - 2 tspn

Method:
Cooking of the bottleguard
1) Squeeze out the water from grated bottleguard and keep it aside. (Do not throw the water/juice)
2) In a pan add little oil then add chopped onions and salt and saute for a minute.
3) Then add the grated bottle guard and saute for another 2 minutes.
4) Then add all the dry powder one by one, and also add kasoori methi by just crushing in between the palms. Saute till the raw smell disappears and cook till the bottle guard becomes soft and keep aside.

Mixing the dough
5) In a vessel add wheat flour and add the cooked bottle guard masala and mix well.
(Mix till all the water in the onions and bottle guard is used for mixing the flour. If more water is needed add the bottle guard juice) Make a nice dough and set it aside for at least 15 min.

Making Parathas
6) Make orange sized balls out of the dough and roll them into thin rounds.
7) Heat a flat pan, once hot put this flattened paratha on the pan and roast them on both the side.
8) Once done, add some butter to garnish
9) Serve hot with Pickle, Yogurt, or any subzi.

Cheers!
Madhavi

Walnut and Dates Cake | Vegetarian Microwave Cake

Pizza Hut "EBONY AND IVORY" Cake

Ingredients :

All purpose flour / maida - 1 cup
Heavy cream / Whipped cream - 1/2 cup
Powdered sugar - 3/4 cup
Dates - 1 cup
Milk - 1 cup
Baking soda - 1/2 tspn

For Garnishing :
Walnuts
Hershey's Chocolate syrup (Optional)

Method :
1. Soak the dates in milk for 2 hours and blend into a fine paste and keep aside.
2. Mix maida and baking soda and sieve the mixture 3 times to make sure its well mixed.
3. Take a mixing bowl and add heavy cream and powdered sugar and whip it.
4. To this add maida and soda mixture and the dates paste and whip it to make it to a idly butter consistency.
5. Take a baking dish and grease the dish with butter and sprinkle some maida.
6. To this baking dish pour the mixture and sprinkle some finely cut walnuts and put it into the microwave for 5 to 6 minutes till the cake is baked. (To check if the cake is baked, pierce a knife into the cake and check if the dough inside is cooked)
7. The cake is now ready to be served hot with a scoop of vanilla ice cream and a generous helping of Hershey's chocolate syrup


Notes:
If you are using a conventional OTG, then preheat the oven to 180 degrees and bake the cake for 45 min.






Cheers!
Madhavi

Tomato Chutney

Tomato Chutney

Ingredients:

Tomatoes - 3 nos.
Coriander leaves - 2 strands
Green chillies - 1 no. (Optional)
Red chilli - 2 nos.
Cashew nut - 2 nos (Optional)
Tamarind juice - 2 tspn
Cumin seeds - 1 tspn
Mustard seeds - 1 tspn
Hing - a pinch
Oil - 1 tspn
Salt as per taste

Method:
1) Chop tomatoes into large cubes.
2) In a pan, add oil, once hot, add mustard seeds and cumin seeds allow them to splutter.
3) Now, add cashews, green chillies, red chillies and Hing. .
4) To this add chopped tomatoes and and salt and allow them to cook till tender and turn off the stove.
5) Now, pour this mixture into the blender and add tamarind juice and coriander leaves and blend it to a fine paste.
6) Tomato chutney is ready to be served with hot rice or chapati or idli/dosa.

Note:
1) If you wish you can garnish the chutney once again with mustard and cumin seeds.

Cheers!
Madhavi

Bisibele bath powder | Sambar rice powder

Ingredients:

Black Pepper - 1/2 tspn
Cumin Seeds - 1/2 tson
Methi Seeds - 1/4 spn
Cinamon - 1 inch pieces - 4 nos.
Cloves - 4 - 5 nos.
Marati moggu - 4-5 nos.
Channa dal - 100 grm

Urad dal - 60 grm

Coriander seeds - 50 gm
Dry coconut - 1 cup (Grated)
Dry chillies - 50 grm
Poppy seeds - 25 grms

Method:

1) With a tspn of oil roast Channa dal, Urad dal till they turn golden brown on medium flame.

2) Dry roast Coriander Seeds, Cinamon, marati moggu, cloves, methi seeds, cumin seeds, black pepper till they give out good aroma.
3) Roast the dry chillies separately
4) Roast, poppy seeds on the same hot pan. and

5) Take a vessel add all the roasted ingredients and mix together.

6) Once the mixture comes to room temperature, blend this mixture to a course powder and keep aside.  

7) Roast dry coconut to slight brown colour and add it to the blend mixture.

8) Now, blend all together once again and
9) Bisibele bath powder is ready to be used to make bisibele bath or also to enhance the flavour along with any vegetable.

Enjoy the recipe

Cheers!
Madhavi

Vangibath Pudi

Vangibath Pudi

Ingredients:

Channa dal - 1 cup

Urad dal - 3/4 cup

Coriander seeds - 3/4 cup
Cinamon, marati moggu, cloves - all mix 10 grm (Cloves being on the higher count)
Poppy seeds - 25 grms
Dry coconut - 1 cup (Grated)
Dry chillies - 50 grm

Oil for roasting

Method:

1) With a tspn of oil roast Channa dal, Urad dal till they turn golden brown on medium flame.

2) Dry roast Coriander Seeds, Cinamon, marati moggu, cloves till they give out good aroma.
3) Roast the dry chillies separately
4) Roast, poppy seeds on the same hot pan. and

5) Take a vessel add all the roasted ingredients and mix together.

6) Once the mixture comes to room temperature, blend this mixture to a course powder and keep aside.  

7) Roast dry coconut to slight brown colour and add it to the blend mixture.

8) Now, blend all together once again and
9) Vangibath powder is ready to be used to make Vangibath (Brinjal Rice) or also to enhance the flavour along with any vegetable.

Enjoy the recipe!

Cheers!
Madhavi

Puliyogare | Pulihora | Puli saadam | Tamarind rice

Puliyogare

Here I am posting today, the most awaited recipe from my MIL's kitchen. Iyer's Puliyogare Gojju. I am sure you all will enjoy trying this recipe.

Ingredients:

For gojju
Thick tamarind juice- 1 cup
Salt - 1 handful
Curry leaves - 2 strands
Rasam Powder - 1 handful
Turmeric - 1/2 tspn
Oil - about 50 grms
Jaggery - 1 handful
Till powder - 1 handful (Mix of Black and white till will add on the taste)\
Dry coconut - 1 handful

For Seasoning
Oil - 100 grms
Mustard seeds - 2 tspn
Urad dal - 2 tspn
Channa dal - 2 tspn
Ground nuts - 3 tspn
Hing - 1 tspn
Turmeric - 1/2 tspn
Curry leaves - 3 strands

Method:

Making the Gojju
1) Take a pan and boil the juice in low flame till it thickens
2) To this add salt, curry leaves, Rasam powder, turmeric, oil, jaggery, Till powder and dry coconut and bring it to a boil and till the consistency is like a paste.

For seasoning the Gojju
1) In a pan add oil once hot, add urad dal, channa dal, Ground nuts, hing, turmeric, Curry leaves and fry this mixture till the the ground nuts are done.
2) Now, pour this mixture into the above made gojju.

For chitranna
1) Take 1 cup of cooked rice.
2) Add 1 tspn of the above made gojju.
3) Give it a good mix and its ready to be served.

Note:
1) You can store this mixture in the refrigerator for weeks.
2) The above picture is taken without the seasoning As I give the seasoning while making the Chitranna.
Cheers!
Madhavi

Rasam/Gojju Pudi

Rasam Pudi

Ingredients:

Dry Chillies - 1/4 kg (Byadige menasinakai)
Green Coriander Seeds - 1/4 kg
Black Pepper - 100 grms
Cumin Seeds - 150 grms
Methi Seeds - 50 grm
Mustard Seeds- 25 grm
Curry Leaves - 1 bunch/2 handful
Turmeric - 2 tbl spn
Hing - 25 grms

Method:
1) Dry roast mustard, Methi seeds, mustard seeds, cumin seeds, Green Coriander seeds till splutter and give out good aroma.
2) Roast black pepper with little ghee and keep aside.
3) Roast chilli and curry leaves with 1 tspn of oil.
4) Mix all the roasted ingredients and add hing and add turmeric on the mixture while roasting in small portions.
5) Once they come to room temperature, grind all the above to a fine powder
6) Rasam powder can be stored in air tight container for months.

Cheers!
Madhavi