Carrot Curry / Carrot Poriyal

Carrots are a good source of Beta Carotene , Vitamin A, antioxidants, dietary fibre and minerals. As we all know, Vitamin A deficiency cause poor vision and night vision loss. By including carrots in the daily diet, this deficiency can be rectified to some level. During my childhood, I used to see carrots in sambar, upma, any subzi, plain subzi, etc.,in my home. Carrots and greens were mostly included in the daily food menu. Well, some people might not consider this Carrot Curry at all and cannot imagine making a separate curry/subzi with carrots alone. !!!!( Even my husband thinks so!!!). Its better for them to have raw carrots in salads, doubly happy to eat carrot halwa as much as they can. But inclusion of carrot curry in the daily menu cannot be avoided by me as I am a veggie lover. So I try to twist the carrot curry in different ways and make it special. This is one of the varieties of carrot curry I make. Try this out with fresh carrots and you will surely enjoy this curry.

Ingredients

Fresh Carrots -  1 Bunch ( Around 6-7 Medium )

White Onion - 1/2

Oil - 3 tsp

Hing / Asafoetida - 1/2 tsp

Mustard Seeds - 2 tsp

Jeera / Cumin Seeds - 1 tsp

Urad Dal / Ulutham Paruppu / Minna Pappu - 2 tsp

Curry Leaves - 5 or 6

Dry Red Chillies - 2 Medium

Salt - To Taste

Turmeric Powder - 1 tsp

For the Powder

Groundnuts / Kadalai / Peanuts - 2 tbsp

Black Peppercorns - 2

Cumin Seeds / Jeera - 1/2 tsp

Dry Red Chillies - 1 Medium

Procedure

• Roast the ingredients mentioned under the "Powder" slightly and grind them into a fine powder and keep it ready.
• Wash and peel the carrots and cut them into small squares. Cut the onion into small pieces and keep it ready.
• In the cooking pan, add the oil first for tempering. Add the ingredients for tempering in order and when its done, add the onion pieces and fry them for a minute.
• Add the cut carrots with little turmeric powder and some water.
• Cover the cooking pan with a lid and allow the carrots to get cooked thoroughly.
• After 6-7 minutes, open the lid and add the grounded powder into the pan. Add required amount of salt too into the pan. Mix everything thoroughly for 3-4 minutes.
• Switch off the flame. Serve this with white rice or any other rice combo.

Methi Chole

Chole, a famous Punjabi food is one of our family favorites too.. As I have abundant home grown methi leaves ( fenugreek leaves ), I opted to make "Methi Chole" side dish for my chappathis. This time, I was keen in making the dish in a traditional punjabi way. On a snowy winter day, a plate of hot chappathis/rotis with a side of hot spicy chole definitely adds joy to the day. This time, I referred to my small recipe slip which i have been preserving since years given by my Delhi neighbour. In those days, my punjabi friend used to feed us with so many specialities. Chole was one of them in her list. Thanks to her tips and recipe, I am blogging this Protein Packed Methi Chole with you all...

Ingredients

Chickpeas / White Channa / Garbanzo Beans / Vellai Kondakadai - 2 Cups

Onion - 1

Tomato - 1 Big

Salt - To Taste

Sugar - 1 Pinch

Oil - 1 tbsp

Jeera/Cumin Seeds - 1 tsp

Fresh Fenugreek Leaves / Methi Leaves - 2 Cups

Cinnamon Sticks - 2

Lavang/Cloves - 4 or 5

Bay Leaves - 2 or 3

Turmeric Powder - 2 tsp

Red Chilli Powder - 2 tsp

Coriander Powder - 1 tsp

Anardana Powder - 1 tbsp

Punjabi Chole Powder - 1 tbsp

Cardamom Powder - 1/2 tsp

Green Chillies - 2

Ginger Grated - 2 tsp

Butter or ghee - 1 tsp ( For Flavour, its optional)

Method

• Wash and soak the Chickpeas / white channa in water for overnight or for 6-7 hours in warm water.
• Pressure cook them along with a cinnamon stick for 6-7 whistles till the channa get cooked well. Take 2 tbsp of cooked channa and mash them well and keep the paste aside.
• Meantime, cut the onions, tomato, green chillies into small pieces and keep them ready. Wash the fenugreek leaves thoroughly without any sand and chop them nicely.
• Keep all the required powders aside.
• In any suitable cooking pan of your choice ( mostly i make them in the used pressure cooker itself), add butter/ghee and oil first. When its heated, add cumin seeds, cinnamon stick, cloves, bay leaves, onion pieces first.
• Fry them till the onion turns golden brown. Add the fenugreek leaves at this stage. On a low flame, fry the methi leaves for few minutes.
• Add the tomato pieces along with all other powders, little salt, pinch of sugar and a cup of water and cook them well.
• Add the well cooked channa into the gravy along with the mashed channa paste.
• Cover the cooking pan with the lid and cook them for few more minutes. Switch off the flame and garnish with fresh coriander leaves. Serve with hot rotis/chapathis.

Vankaya Kothimira Karam \ Brinjals in Spicy Coriander Based Gravy

Vankaya Kothimira karam, is an another variety made using fresh small baby brinjals.  The gravy for this variety is made using coriander leaves, leftover coriander stems and some lentils and spices. The taste is so fresh and delicious and it also goes well with ghee rice, plain basmati rice or hot white rice and its an excellent choice for parties as its a good combination of colour, aroma and taste. Needless to say the benefits of coriander leaves, its always a good choice to consume coriander leaves in daily cooking.

Ingredients

Small Baby Brinjals - 12 - 14.

Red Onion - 1

Oil - 2 tbsp

Salt - To Taste

Turmeric Powder - 1 tsp

Red Chili Powder - 1 tsp

For the Gravy

Coriander Leaves / Stem - 2 or 3 cups

White Sesame Seeds - 1 tbsp

Green Chillies -  3 to 4 medium

Ginger - 1 Small piece

Channa Dal / Senaga Pappu - 1 tbsp

Urad Dal / Minna Pappu - 2 tsp

Jeera / Cumin Seeds - 1 tsp

Black Peppercorns - 3 or 4

Tamarind - 1 small pinch.

Jaggery - a tiny piece.

Method

• Wash the baby brinjals and make 4 to 5 slits at the wider portion without breaking the Brinjals. Likewise, carefully make the slits into all the brinjals and keep them temporarily ready in a bowl filled with water. Cut the red onion into small pieces and keep them ready.
• Meantime, in the frying pan, add the ingredients for the gravy as mentioned above and roast them slightly except coriander leaves. Switch off the flame. Add the coriander leaves and stems and fry them in the remaining heat for few seconds. Transfer all the contents from the pan into the mixer grinder and grind them after its cooled down. Keep  the coriander gravy paste ready.
• In a thick bottomed vessel or non-stick pan, add oil first. When its heated, add the mustard seeds, cumin seeds into the oil. When its sputters, add the finely cut red onions and brinjals into the kadai and fry them well in that oil for a minute or two.
• Add turmeric powder, little salt and some water for the brinjals to cook three fourth. Cover the vessel with the lid and allow them to cook for 5 - 10 minutes till the brinjals get cooked.
• Open the lid and add the gravy paste into the kadai. Add a tsp of red chili powder, required amount of salt and coat the cooked brinjals with the greenish thick coriander paste in all directions.
• Cover the lid and allow them to cook for few minutes.  Switch off the flame after you see some oil oozing out of the gravy.
•  Serve the greenish gravy dish with a side of hot rice or ghee rice or rotis.

Tips / Variations

You can add more green chillies to the gravy to make it more spicier.

Cook the brinjals well before adding the gravy.

You can add 1 or 2 tsp of cashewnuts to the gravy when you make it on special occasions. This is turn would make the gravy thicker and tastier.

 

Thengai Thogayal / Kobbari Pachidi / Spicy Coconut Hummus

Thengai Thogayal / Kobbari Pachidi is one of the most common item in the festival menu. Also, we could see this item along with some spicy vegetable fry during normal days. Fresh coconuts are always tastier and they taste better if its made with a good punch. Even today, I like to scrap the coconut flakes instead of cutting them across and grinding them with spices.

Ingredients

Fresh Coconut shredded - 1 Cup

Oil - 1 tbsp

Hing /Asafoetida - 1 Dash

Urad Dal / Minna Pappu / Ulutham Paruppu - 1 tbsp

Dry Red Chillies - 6 -7

Tamarind - 1 small piece

Curry Leaves - 5 or 6

Mustard Seeds - 1 tsp

Cumin Seeds / Jeera - 1 tsp

Salt - To Taste

Jaggery - 1 tiny piece

Method

• Using a proper shredder, take out the fresh coconut flakes and keep them ready.
• In the pan, add oil first. When its heated, add Hing, Urad Dal , dry red chillies and roast them slightly on medium flame.
• When they turn golden brown, add the tamarind, jaggery and mix them well. Switch off the flame.
• Add the coconut flakes into the pan and mix them very well and transfer them to the grinder jar.
• Grind them coarsely and add required amount of salt and keep the thogayal ready.
• In a separate tempering pan, add oil and when its heated, add Mustard Seeds, Cumin Seeds, little urad dal, curry leaves and fry them for few seconds.
• Pour the tadka over the Thogayal/Pachidi and serve with hot rice.

Tips

Dont reduce the spice level. If the coconut is sweeter, it might reduce the spicyness of the Thogayal.

Apple Halwa

Though we like to eat fresh apples all the time, its always interesting to try out new things with our favourite fruits or vegetables at home. One of my friends had given us lots of their home grown fresh apples. I made apple halwa out of those sweet apples. The process was quicker and we require only very less ingredients for making this delicious halwa. Try this out at home and I am sure you will enjoy the unique taste of apple halwa. Later you can twist, customize your version with different kinds of apples..and let me know your discoveries too...This sweet will be an ideal healthy sweet especially during parties as its different.

Ingredients

Apple Puree - 5-6 cups ( My friend gave me a bag full of apples..I made a puree out of it using the   

                                        blender without peeling the skin. So, you can approximately take 4 or 5 Red

                                        Delicious Apples.)                                

Sugar - 3-4 tbsp

Cardamom Powder - 1 tsp

Food Colour ( Red ) - a small pinch.

Ghee - 3 tsp

Cashew nuts - 2 tsp

Pista - 2 or 3

Almonds / Badam - 3 or 4

Method

• Make apple puree using a mixer grinder or blender without peeling the skin. Take out the seeds of the apples and then grind them.
• In a big non-stick pan or any thick bottomed vessel, add the puree and allow them to cook with the lid for 10-15 minutes till the apple puree become thicker.
• When its slightly thicker, add sugar and food colour powder to the pan and cook them for another 3-4 minutes.
• Add the cardamom powder, ghee to the halwa and stir them nicely.
• When the apple halwa becomes thicker and comes out of the sides of the pan easily, its an indication that the process is complete.
• Switch off the flame and transfer the halwa to the serving bowl.
• Decorate the apple halwa with lightly roasted cashewnuts, pistas, almonds and serve..

Tips /Variations

Adjust the sugar level according to your taste buds and also according to the sweetness of the apples you have.

To thicken the apple puree quickly, you can also use microwave while making this halwa.

Vegetable Biryani - Hotel Style / Vegetable Biriyani - Hotel Style / Veg Biryani - Hotel Style

Vegetable biryani served in hotels have a very different taste all the time for me. I tried several times to get to the right version of the Hotel Biryani but somehow it was failing all the times. Finally I got the secret recipe from my friend aunt in Bangalore couple of years ago and she explained to me in detail how they would do that biryani in large and small quantities in restaurants. From that time, I could feel confident that my biryani almost tasted like the Hotel ones. I tried the recipe several times at home and it did not disappoint me at all. This is the first version of the vegetable biryani which I learnt in my life and all other rice varieties were later tried by me, learnt from others..in the recent years.

I use our regular rice for making this biryani but not the Basmati Rice mainly to resemble the "Kadai Biryani".

Ingredients
For grinding:
Tomato - 2 Medium or 1 Big ripe
Pudina Leaves/Mint Leaves - 5-6 stems
Ginger - 2 small pieces
Coriander Leaves - 1 Cup
Garlic Pods - 9-10.
Red Onion cut - 1/2 cup
Green Chillies - 8 or 9
Sombu / Fennel Seeds - 1 tsp
Cinnamon Sticks / Pattai - 1 Stick Medium
Krambhu / Lavang / Cloves - 4 or 5
Cashew Nuts - 1 tbsp
Marathi Moggu - 1 tiny piece
Biryani Flower - 1 tsp

In a big non stick pan, add 1 tsp of ghee and 1 tbsp of oil and fry the above mentioned ingredients for few minutes and make a thick paste of it using a mixer grinder and keep it ready.

For the Biryani Main Process :

Red Onion - 1 Medium

Capsicum - 1/2 finely shredded or cut

Carrots - 1 medium

Beans - 15 to 20 cut into finger size

Potato - 1 Big

Peas - 1 Cup

Mint Leaves / Pudina Leaves - 2 tsp

Cinnamon Stick - 1

Marathi Moggu - 1

Sombhu / Fennel Seeds - 2 tsp

Kala Jeera - 1 tsp

Biryani Leaves - 3 or 4

Thick Coconut Milk - 1 Big Tumbler / Glass

Sona Masoori Rice - 2 Cups

Salt - To Taste

Red Chilli Powder - 1 tsp

Coriander Powder - 1 tsp

Turmeric Powder - 2 tsp

Ghee or Butter - 2 tsp

Oil - 2 tbsp 

Actual Preparation Process :

Make the Gravy as mentioned above.

Extract the Coconut Milk and keep it ready.

Soak the Rice in water till you switch on the flame.

Cut the vegetables and keep the other ingredients as mentioned above and keep them handy.

1. In a non-stick vessel or in a big pressure cooker, add the ghee / butter and oil first.
2. When they get heated, add the masala spices first followed by Onion and capsicum. Add  a pinch of salt and fry them till golden brown.
3. Add the grounded paste ( gravy ) into the cooker and fry patiently on low flame till the raw smell is completely gone.
4. Add the cut vegetables into the cooker now and fry them for a minute.
5. Add all the powders into the cooker at this stage and fry everything well for another 2 minutes.
6. Drain all the water from the rice and add them to the cooker and fry it along with all other ingredients till the rice get dried and slightly fried.
7. For 2 cups of Sona Masoori Rice, add a cup of thick coconut milk and a cup of little watery coconut milk and 2.5 cups of water.
8. Mix them well and add required amount of salt into the cooker and allow them to cook for just 2 whistles on a medium flame.
9. If you cook the biryani in a Non-stick vessel, then close the lid and allow them to cook on a low flame till the biryani is completely cooked.
10. Switch off the flame after the biryani is done in both the cases and allow the cooker to get cool down completely.
11. After 10-15 minutes, slowly open the cooker and check the Biryani consistency. Keep the lid open for few minutes.
12. Add some fried bread / bun pieces ( if you like ) into the biryani and serve it with cool onion raita.
13. You will definitely enjoy this version of the biryani though it might take little more time.
14. Its a complete meal and an excellent choice for weekend lunch.

Tips / Variations

Don't add more water as it makes the Biryani Pasty.

Don't reduce the spice level in this version, especially don't reduce the green chillies at all. Otherwise, the biryani would be sweeter due to the addition of coconut milk. ( My experience!!!) 

Adai - Protein Rich Lentils Dosa

Adai is one of the traditional South Indian tiffin which is mostly served with Aviyal in restaurants. This is made with a mixture of different Lentils and there are many varieties of Adai like Carrot Adai, Cabbage Adai, Coconut Adai, Drumstick Leaves Adai, Onion Adai, etc., based on the vegetable we add to the Lentils Mix. Now, I am blogging about the regular Adai with some onions in it. I try to make this often for breakfast as its a rich high protein breakfast for kids. With a side of fresh curd, Adai is definitely an ideal wholesome breakfast.

I used the Lentils like Moong Dal ( Green Gram ), Thuvar Dal ( Split Red Gram ) and Channa ( Chickpea / Bengal Gram ) in my Adai along with some Idly Rice.

Upon looking at the nutritional benefits of Lentils, they are having highest level of protein, contain dietary fiber, folate and other vitamins. Sprouted Lentils also contain sufficient levels of all amino acids and they are a good source of Iron.

Ingredients
Channa Dal / BengalGram - 1 Cup
Moong Dal / Green Gram - 1/4 Cup
Thuvar Dal / Split Red Gram - 1/2 Cup
Idly Rice - 1/2 Cup
Hing / Asafoetida - 1 Dash
Dry Red Chillies - 3
Red Onion shredded - 1/2 cup
Curry Leaves - 7 to 8.
Salt - To Taste
Oil - To fry the Adais.

Method :



Making the Adai Batter :

Soak all the Lentils and Idly rice in a same container with water for 2-3 hours. Drain the water and grind it using a mixer grinder with Hing and Dry red chillies. Add some water into the coarse paste and make it little thicker but not like thin dosa batter. Add required amount of salt and crushed curry leaves to the Batter and keep it ready. After 2 or 3 hours, start making the Adais as they taste better after you leave the batter for sometime. But it should not be kept for fermentation.

Making the Adai on the Stove :

Heat the frying pan on the stove on medium heat. Using a red onion, spread little bit of oil onto the frying pan/tawa and make the surface uniform and smooth before pouring the batter. When its sizzling hot, reduce the flame and pour one round of batter into the center and slowly extend it and make a big round like below.  Apply oil along the sides of the Adai and in the middle. Fry the Adai on medium heat on both sides.

Continue the same process for the rest of the Adais and serve the crispy thin adais with a side of thick fresh curd and ginger pickle.

Tips / Variations:

While frying the Adais, turn it to the other side of frying only after the first is fried to slight golden brown and crispy.

Add drops of oil in the middle of the Adais instead of pouring more oil on its sides.

Try to serve with a side of good Aviyal if you are making this on special occasions.

Vegetable Pongal / Veg Bath - Quick and Simple!!!

Really difficult to decide on a menu to cook on an ice cold night with temperature in minus. Our mind automatically think about some hot, spicy food at that time. As I had very less time for dinner, I needed something which satisfy the mind and stomach and at the same time, it needs to be done in just 15 minutes. In this scenario, the most quickest and easiest Veg Bath or Veg Pongal came for the rescue. Its a simple one pot complete meal with all nutrients in it. No extra grinding is required in this process.

Ingredients

Sona Masoori Rice - 1 Cup

Toor Dal / Thuvaram Paruppu / Kandhi Pappu - 1/4 cup

Turmeric Powder - 1 tsp

Sambar Powder - 2 tbsp

Hing / Asafoetida - 1 Dash

Salt - To Taste

Jaggery - 1 small piece

Red Ripe Tomatoes - 2 Big

Carrot - 1 Big

Beans - 8

Potato - 1 Medium

Peas - Handful

Brinjal - 2 small or 1 Medium

Chayote / Chow Chow - 1 small or 1/2 medium

Red Onion shredded - 1/4 cup

Peanuts / Groundnuts - 1 tbsp ( optional )

Tempering

Oil - 1 tbsp

Mustard Seeds - 2 tsp

Cumin Seeds - 1 tsp

Dry Red chillies - 2

Curry leaves - 1 stem

Urad Dal / Ulutham Paruppu / Minna pappu - 1 tsp

Cashew Nuts - 1 tbsp ( optional )

Method

1. Wash and cut the vegetables into small uniform portions and keep them ready.
2. Wash the  Toor Dal and put them into the pressure cooker first. Add the turmeric powder and little bit of water and allow the Dal to boil with the lid open for 3-4 minutes.
3. Meantime wash the rice and add it to the Pressure cooker along with all other powders, vegetables, salt and Jaggery.
4. Add 4 cups of water to the Pressure cooker and cook the pongal for 3-4 whistles.
5. After the Pressure cooker gets cooled completely, add the tadka to the vegetable Pongal and serve it hot with a side of Raita or Papads/Appalams.  
6. Before serving to kids, add some ghee on top of the Veg Bath / Pongal to make more delicious.

Andhra Puliyogare \ Puliyodarai in Andhra Style\ Andhra Style Tamarind Rice

Puliogare \ Puliodarai \ Tamarind Rice is one of the traditional south Indian rice variety which is made during special festivals or occasions.   Every tamarind rice variety in South India is unique in its own way. In Andhra style puliogare, its flavoured with either roasted sesame seeds powder or mustard seeds powder which makes the rice so... delicious and special. Generally, the leftover tamarind rice tastes very yummy on the second day as the rice would set perfectly with the tamarind extract and spices. So, I don't remember having an excess tamarind rice or wasted tamarind rice in our house. Everything will get over.!!!!

Ingredients

Sona Masoori Rice - 2 Cups

Thick Tamarind Extract - 3-4 Cups

Salt - To Taste

Oil - 2 tbsp

Gingelly Oil - 1 tbsp

Hing/Asafoetida - 1 Dash

Mustard Powder -  2 tbsp

Mustard Seeds - 1 tbsp

Cumin Seeds - 1 tsp

Dry Red Chillies - 5

Green Chillies - 4 or 5

Ginger - 1.5 tbsp ( cut into small pieces or shredded )

Urad Dal /Minna Pappu/Ulutham Paruppu -  4 tsp

Channa Dal/Senaga Pappu/Kadalai Paruppu - 4 tsp

Ground nuts / Peanuts - 3 tbsp

Curry Leaves - 3 stems

Jaggery - 1 small piece

Method

Tamarind Paste :

     Soak a ball of raw tamarind in warm water for about 20 - 30 minutes. Then, make a thick tamarind extract out of that. Also, extract all the tamarind juice from the soaked tamarind and keep it aside. In a small round frying pan, add 1 tbsp of oil and little gingelly oil, hing, little Jaggery and the extracted tamarind extract totally into it. Allow them to boil and cook for 15-20 minutes till you get the thick tamarind paste. You might notice oil oozing out of the sides considerably which denotes that the extracting process is done.

Cook Sona Masoori Rice:

Cook the Sona Masoori Rice and transfer them into a big tray or big round vessel where you are going to make the tamarind rice. Just drop 2 tsp of oil on top of the rice and keep it open.

Mustard Powder:

Roast the Mustard seeds in a frying pan for few seconds and then grind them into a fine powder. Keep the Mustard powder also ready.

Tempering / Tadka :

In a frying pan, add remaining oil. When it gets heated, add Hing, Mustard Seeds, Cumin Seeds first. When it sputters, add the groundnuts / peanuts into the pan and fry them for a minute. Then, add the channa dal, urad dal, dry red chilli, curry leaves, green chillies, crushed ginger into the oil and fry them till they all get roasted considerably but not black or dark brown. Add turmeric powder into it and switch off the flame.

Mixing Process:

Transfer the contents from the tadka pan on top of the rice spread on the tray / vessel. Mix them once with a flat big spoon. Add the tamarind extract slowly and keep mixing it with the rice. Add required amount of salt, gingelly oil, mustard powder into the mixing tray / vessel. Mix everything upside down till everything gets mixed uniformly. Add some more tamarind extract if you find the thickness and sourness is not enough. If its for a prasadam or Neivedhyam, then its ruled out. We would be discovering the missing tastes after its being offered to God, and we could later add or modify the missing tastes. Generally this version of tamarind rice tastes heavenly after 2-3 hours as all the spices set with the tamarind extract and rice perfectly. Enjoy this tamarind rice with a side of papads and appalams.

Variations / Tips

You can add some cashew nuts too to this tamarind rice if you are making it for a party or a very special occasion.

You can add another 1 or 2 tsp of oil / gingelly oil if you like..

Dont overcook the rice at all and if the Puliogare is made with sticky or pasty rice, then our efforts are waste and it wont look good and taste good too...

Dont forget to add the Jaggery while making this Puliogare.

Okra Fry / Bendakaya Fry / Bindi Fry - Andhra Style

Ladies Finger / Okra / Bindi / Bendakaya / Vendaikai, the green vegetable is mostly liked by all. This vegetable is rich in fiber, loaded with plenty of vitamins like Vitamin A, C, iron and calcium. Okra is mainly suited for diabetic people and for people who suffer from constipation. There are hundreds of reasons for including Okra in our regular cooking due to its high nutrient source. Though we make many varieties of food items using Okra, Okra fry ( Bindi Fry) is the most common and one of the favourites in any household as it goes well with rice, rotis. This time i made the Okra fry in andhra style, as served in many andhra restaurants in their traditional food thali. I loved this recipe and sharing with you all....

Ingredients

Fresh Tender Okra / Bindi - 1 Full Vessel or Around 40 to 50 Okras.

Oil - 2 tbsp

Hing/Asafoetida - 1 Dash

Mustard Seeds - 2 tsp

Cumin Seeds - 2 tsp

Urad Dal / Mina Pappu / Ulutham Paruppu - 2 tsp

Curry leaves - 5 or 6

Red Onion finely cut - 1/2 cup

Turmeric Powder - 1 tsp

Red Chilli Powder - 2 tsp

Groundnut Powder ( grounded coarsely for good taste ) - 3 -4 tbsp

Method

• Wash the Okra and cut them into small size and keep them ready.
• Make the groundnut powder using a mixer grinder and keep it ready too.
• In the kadai or frying pan, add oil first. When its heated, add Hing, Mustard Seeds, Cumin seeds first. When it sputters, add the urad dal, curry leaves and fry them for few seconds till they become slightly brown in colour.
• Then, add the cut red onions and fry them till they become translucent. Add the cut okra to the kadai now and fry them in the oil for a minute.
• Add the turmeric powder, salt now and cook the okra with the lid closed for few minutes. NO NEED TO ADD WATER.
• When the cut okras become little softer and cooked, open the lid and add the red chilli powder and groundnut powder to the frying pan.
• Fry the okra mix on a low flame till they get fried uniformly with all the spices coated. Stir the fry in the middle so that they get fried uniformly. No need to add any besan ( Bengal Gram Flour ) to make it crispier. The taste of the fry is definitely unique with the mix of red chilli powder and groundnut powder..
• When you are satisfied with its fried level, switch off the flame.  Serve the Okra with hot rice or rotis.

Tips / Variations

You can add more red chilli powder to have a very spicy Bindi fry.

If you add little coarse groundnut powder ( Peanut powder ), the fry looks good with small pieces of groundnuts in the middle and the taste is also much better. I made a fine paste of groundnut powder this time.

Raita - Delicious curd based Gravy

Raita is generally served in almost all parties, indian buffets along with a side of hot biryani's or any spicy mixed rice varieties. Various kinds of raita can be prepared like onion raita, cucumber raita, mixed raita with onion, grated carrot, fine cut tomatoes, boondi raita, etc., I made a simple raita with a mix of onion, cucumber and few pomegranate seeds. An excellent yogurt based dish which can even be eaten as it is on a sunny day.

Ingredients:

Red Onion - 1 Medium

Crispy fresh Cucumber - 1/2

Coriander Leaves - 1 Handful shredded finely for garnishing

Pomegranate Seeds - 2 Handful

Salt - To Taste

Black Pepper Powder - 1 tsp

Fresh Curd - 4 Cups ( Not sour curd ).

Method :

Cut the Onions, Cucumber into tiny pieces and place them on a vessel or tray. Add the pomegranate seeds on top of them. Add salt and pepper powder in succession. Add the crushed coriander leaves on top of the items and mix them with 4 cups of fresh curd. Before serving, garnish them with few coriander leaves.

Variations

Add finely crushed green chillies ( may be 1 or 2 ) to the raita if its not for kids.

Add grated carrot, tiny pieces of tomato, tiny pieces of boiled and peeled potatoes into the raita along with other vegetables.

Try to make raita with only thick, fresh homemade curd but definitely not with the leftover sour curd.

Urundai Kathirikai Pepper Fry \ Guthu Vankaya Pepper Fry

We can do any magic with the small purple brinjals  at any time. This time, I made Brinjals Pepper fry on a cold winter night with garlic rasam. It was indeed a good combo and the meal satisfied our taste buds very well. Try this out on a rainy, gloomy day with just a rasam and you will enjoy the meal happily. This spicy pepper fry is too good for people especially for those who suffer from running nose, sore throat and severe cold.

Ingredients

Small fresh Purple Brinjals - 12 -15.

Red Onion - 1/2

Coriander Leaves - To Garnish

Oil - 2 tbsp

Hing/ Asafoetida - 1 Dash

Mustard Seeds - 2 tsp

Cumin Seeds - 1 tsp

Urad Dal / Ulutham Paruppu / Minna Pappu - 2 tsp

Curry leaves - 6-7 ( I did not add due to unavailability )

Salt - To Taste.

For Grinding

Urad Dal / Minna Pappu / Ulutham Paruppu - 2 tsp

Channa Dal - 2 tbsp

Jeera / Cumin Seeds - 1 tsp

Black Pepper - 1 tbsp

Coriander Seeds - 1 tsp

Method

• Roast the ingredients for making the powder first in the kadai / vessel. Then grind them using a mixer grinder and keep the powder ready.
• Wash the brinjals and make four or five slits in its round bottomed portion without breaking the brinjal totally. Follow the same process for all the brinjals. Cut the red onion also into small pieces and keep them ready.
• In the kadai / vessel, add oil first. When its heated, add Hing, Mustard seeds, cumin seeds, urad dal in succession. When it sputters, then add the finely cut red onion, curry leaves and fry them till golden brown.
• Add the brinjals next into the pan / kadai and mix them well with the onions and sprinkle some water and allow them to cook inside for few minutes.
• When the brinjals are cooked to three fourth, add the grounded powder into the kadai/pan and coat the small cooked brinjals with the spice powder.
• Add required amount of salt to the fry and allow them to cook with the lid closed for another few minutes.
• Open the lid and fry them on a low flame till they get fried to golden brown and blended well with the spice powder.
• Now the Spicy Hot Brinjal Pepper Fry is ready. Garnish with some coriander leaves and serve.

Tips

You can cook the brinjals in the microwave too and add them into the kadai along with the spice powder at one shot in order to fasten the process.

Rasamalai - Using Ricotta Cheese

Rasamalai, a milk based sweet was a pleasant surprise to me when I first tasted this delicious sweet in one of the restaurants in my childhood. I never knew that there would be a sweet like this which is a  combination of Rasagulla and Badam Milk. I was not a big fan of Rasagulla as its too sweetish for me..Since then, I used to think  how would it taste if i squeeze this rasagulla and soak it in my favourite badam drink for few minutes and then eat...So, the introduction of  Rasamalai was a sweet shock to me...My kids also like rasamalai too much. This time, I made it for diwali but posting it now.!!! I used 2% fat Ricotta cheese, 2% milk and MTR Madam Mix in the preparation in order to enjoy the rasamalai guilt free.

Ingredients

For the Malai:

Ricotta Cheese - 1 box ( 2 lbs )

Sugar - 2 tbsp

For the Ras:

2% Milk -  4 - 5 Glasses Full

Aachi Badam Powder / MTR Badam Mix - 1 Small Packet full

Almonds -  4 -5

Pista - 10-12

Cardamom Seeds - 2 -3

Method

• Boil the 2% milk till it thickens little bit. When its boiling, add the Aachi Badam Powder or MTR Badam Mix packet and mix it thoroughly.
• Add 2-3 tbsp of sugar as required to the boiling milk and switch it off after 2-3 minutes.
• Allow the Ras ( Badam Milk ) to get cooled completely. After its cooled, keep the milk in the refrigerator.
• Meantime, grind the almonds, pista and cardamom into a coarse powder or crush it manually so that the nut pieces are visible when sprinkled over the Rasmalai. Keep this crushed nut powder ready.
• For making the malais, mix the Ricotta cheese with 2 tbsp of sugar uniformly and fill them into the muffin baking pans. You can also transfer them into a square baking bowl and cut the baked malais into square shapes. This way, we will be having square malais in our Badam Ras.
• To have a small round malais like how we get in shops, muffin tray would be perfect. Grease the muffin moulds with little ghee or butter first before filling the moulds. Then, fill in the ricotta cheese mix into the muffin moulds uniformly.
• Bake them for about 35-40 minutes. Open the oven after 20 minutes and check to see if they are baked completely. You might notice some slight brownish tint over the cheese rounds and if you insert a stick inside, it should come out cleanly without any cheese. Then, we could confirm that the malais are done.
• Take out the muffin tray and allow them to cool down completely.
• After its cooled, turn the muffin tray upside down and gently tap the moulds. The baked cheese malais would come out easily.
• Slowly drop them into the chilled Badam Ras and decorate them by sprinkling the crushed nut powder on its top.
• Its a perfect party dessert as its milder and its mostly loved by kids.

Tips / Variations :

You can add a pinch of saffron strands to the Badam Ras along with the Badam Powder. This will definitely enhance the taste and also makes it more richer.

You can increase / decrease the sugar according to your taste buds.

I don't use any cream, half and half or thick milk / whole milk in my preparation. You can substitute them in your preparation if you don't worry about calories.