Brussels Sprout Curry / Brussels Sprout Poriyal

Brussels Sprout is a kind of green leafy vegetable and looks like a mini cabbage. These tiny ones contain a chemical which has high anticancer properties. Its recommended to steam cook this vegetable in order to retain its nutrient values and fiber. As boiling this vegetable reduces its anti cancer compounds, its recommended to either steam cook, microwave or stir fry this vegetable. Its always challenging to introduce new vegetables in our regular cuisine. Initially, I added this tiny cabbage in our regular sambar, pappu charu. But I tried making few curries earlier. This version is the simplest one and also it retains the taste and nutrient values considerably as I adopt the steam cooking method.

Ingredients

Brussels Sprout -  Between 15 to 20 of uniform size

Oil - 3 tsp

Salt - To Taste

Hing/Asafoetida - 1 Dash

Mustard Seeds -1 tsp

Urad Dal / Ulutham Paruppu / Minna pappu - 1 tsp

Curry Leaves - 5 or 6

Fresh Coconut Flakes - 1 tbsp

Dry Red Chillies - 1

Green chillies - 1 slit into two.

Grated Ginger - 1/2 tsp

Method

1. Pick tiny Brussels sprout of uniform size if possible. Take out the extra stems from the sprouts and trim them. Wash them thoroughly and slit the sprouts in the middle into four or five portions.  Don't cut the sprouts while making slits from the centre. Like how you make slits in a brinjal while making Brinjal Masala, you make similar slits into the sprouts too. Keep them ready.
2. In a frying pan/kadai, add Oil first. When its heated, all the other ingredients for tempering. When its done, add all the Brussels sprouts at one shot and mix them well.
3. Sprinkle few water and little salt and close the pan/kadai. Let the sprouts get cooked with the steam inside for few minutes. ( mostly 5-6 minutes)
4. Add some more salt now and fry them openly for two minutes.
5. Finally add the grated ginger, coconut flakes into the curry and serve.
6. Its definitely a healthy curry and be a good substitute for our regular cabbage curry.

Tips

Don't overcook the tiny sprouts which in turn makes the curry soggy.

Mango Kesari and Tomato Rava Bath Combo

To celebrate our wedding anniversary, I made another version of  Chow Chow Bath this morning for breakfast. This time, I made a combo of "Mango Kesari" and "Tomato Rava Bath/Upma".  Using this concept, try creating chow chow bath with different combinations of Kesari and Upma and enjoy...

My Hearty Thanks to all my dear blogger friends for visiting my food blog. Today I am happy to see that the Blog visits crossed 10000. Thank you all once again for your support.

Mango Kesari

I used a fresh Mango for making this yummy kesari. Peel the skin and take out all the mango flesh. Follow the same method of preparing regular kesari and add the mango flesh when rava starts cooking. For good flavour and colour, I added few strands of Saffron to this Kesari. Did not add food colour to this version. All other ingredients and method of preparation remains the same as normal kesari.

Tomato Rava Bhath / Upma

We love to have a tangy, spicy upma any time of the day. In this version, I just added 3 tomatoes along with some red onion, peas, green chillies and ginger. Again, the ingredients and the method remains the same as normal rava upma.

Dondakaya Masala / Kovakkai Masala / Tindora Masala

Kovakai / Dondakaya / Tindora / Ivy Gourd vegetable is widely used in Indian Cuisine. We prefer to make a simple fry using this vegetable as its a good accompaniment in any meal. But I tried to give a twist with an idea given by my friend and made a gravy " Kovakai Masala". It goes well with both chappathis/ rotis and rice. My dear blogger friends, try this masala once during parties or during the get-together in our regular party menu and I am sure you will elated with the appreciations.!!!

Ingredients

Kovakkai / Dondakaya - 15 to 20 fresh.

Salt - To Taste

Sugar - 1 Pinch

Turmeric Powder - 2 tsp

Oil - 1 tbsp

For Tempering

Hing / Asafoetida - 1 Dash

Mustard Seeds - 2 tsp

Urad Dal / Ulutham Paruppu - 2 tsp

Curry Leaves - 1 stick

For the Gravy Paste

Cashew Nuts - 6 or 7 full

Khus Khus - 2 tsp

Dry Red Chillies - 5 or 6

Coconut flakes - 2 tsp

Ellu / Sesame Seeds - 2 tsp

Groundnuts / Peanuts - Around 10 full

Method

1. Wash the Ivy Gourd thoroughly and slit them lengthwise and keep them ready.
2. In a frying pan / kadai, dry roast all the ingredients for making the gravy paste. Transfer them into a mixer grinder and grind them into a thick gravy paste.
3. In the same pan, add oil first. When its heated, finish the tempering process by adding all the ingredients.
4. Then, add the cut Tindora into the kadai and fry them for 2 minutes.
5. Add the turmeric powder and a pinch of sugar and sprinkle some water for the vegetable to get cooked. Cover the pan with a lid and allow the vegetable to get cooked three fourth and not fully.
6. When its done to that level, add required amount of salt and the grounded paste. Pour some water to the pan if its too thick and not in gravy consistency.
7. Mix the contents completely and allow them to cook for 5-6 minutes. Stir the masala in the middle to make sure that its not turning black at the bottom.
8. Cook for few more minutes and switch off the flame after you get the desired gravy consistency. Raw smell of the paste should be off completely and you would notice the oil getting visible on top of the gravy which indicates the completion point.
9. Switch off the flame and transfer the Ivy Gourd Masala into a serving bowl.
10. Enjoy this yummy Masala with your favourite rotis/ chappathis or white rice.

Tips / Variations

1. You can add some red chili powder if the gravy spiciness is not enough.
2. Don't overcook the vegetable in the beginning stage itself. 

Puran Poli / Bobbatlu / Poli / Bobbattu / Healthy Bobbattu

Its all always difficult to control the tongue especially during the festival days. But at least, if we try to make it little more healthier with less oil, we can have one without guilt. We try to make the Poornam Poli / Bobbattu with whole wheat flour only in our house. For Ugadi, I made Poornam Bobbatlu using wheat flour and enjoyed.

Ingredients

For the Dough

Whole Wheat Flour - 4 Cups

Maida - 1 Cup ( For easy spreading )

Salt - To Taste

Oil - 1 tbsp ( for making the dough )

Water - As required for making the dough

For the Poornam

Jaggery - 2 cups ( Depending on your taste )

Toor Dal ( Thuvaram Paruppu in Tamil / Kandi Pappu in Telugu) - 2 Cups

Channa Dal ( Kadalai Paruppu / Senaga Pappu) - 1/2 cup

Cardamom Powder - 1 tbsp

Nutmeg Powder - 1/4 tsp ( Jaathikai / Jajikai )

Ghee - 1 tbsp

Fresh Coconut Flakes - 1 cup

Variations 

1. You can add a pinch of Kesar Yellow food colour if you want your Poli to be colourful but its  optional.
2. You can add mashed sweet potatoes 1 or 2 with the cooked dal to make it more tastier and healthier. 

Method of Preparation

1. Make a dough out of whole wheat flour, little maida , salt and oil like how you make  a dough for a normal chappathi. Keep it aside for sometime.
2. Wash the dals and cook it in a pressure cooker for 4-5 whistles till it becomes soft and mashy.
3. On a thick bottomed vessel, add the cooked dal, fresh coconut flakes, crushed jaggery to make the pooranam. Mix thoroughly and stir for sometime till the jaggery gets melted and form a thick paste.
4. Finally add the cardamom powder, nutmeg powder, ghee to the pooranam.
5. Stir patiently on a medium heat so that it does not stick to the bottom.
6. When it comes to a texture enough to make small balls, turn the heat off and allow it to cool.
7. When you are ready to make the Poli, start making small balls of pooranam and keep it ready.
8. Make a big round chappathi using the dough, keep the pooranam in the centre and cover it fully.
9. Then slowly roll it bigger and bigger by flipping it with that maida flour. Here, the maida really helps to make the Poli in proper shape with all pooranams inside.
10. Then fry the Poli on both sides on a frying pan on medium heat with little oil.
11. This is one of our favourite sweet in our house as it consumes very less oil and good for kids as it has very good protein value too.

Tips

1. While making the Poornam, try not to add water as it might get sticky. This in turn makes it difficult to spread the Poli / Bobbattus.
2. While making the dough, try to make it in right consistency like not too loose and not too tight. Should be medium easier for us to spread the bobbattus.
3. While frying the Polis/Bobbattus in the frying pan, try not to add ghee at that stage. Store all the Polis/Bobbattus in a plate. Just before serving, add some hot ghee and enjoy. I personally feel that adding at the end makes it tastier and better.

Ugadi Festival

Ugadi Festival is celebrated by the people of Andhra Pradesh on the first day of the "Chaitra" month, which is considered to be the beginning of their New year. This festival symbolises the arrival of Spring ( Vasantha Rutu) which is the first season of the Year. On this auspicious day, people decorate their houses with mango leaves, put rangoli in front of their houses, decorate the home with many fresh flowers, clean the Pooja room and make it ready for the festival. People wear new dresses on Ugadi day and visit the temples in the evening to pray for a prosperous new year. Ugadi Bhojanam is very special on this day which starts with the Ugadi Pachidi first followed by Puliogare, Paramannam, Mango based food items, Garelu, Bobbatlu, Boorelu, etc., On this day, people generally hear the yearly "Panchangasravanam" told by priests which is the prediction for the coming year.

Ugadi Subhakankshalu to all my dear bloggers and friends.

We celebrated Ugadi at our house with both Bhakti and Bhukthi.!!! In the morning, my husband did the Ugadi Pooja elaborately and offered the Prasadams paramannam, puliohara and ugadi pachidi to God. Then, we had a typical Andhra Buffet Lunch with our guests. Our menu included :

Menu :: Kobbari Mamidikaya Pachidi, Paramannam, Alasanda Vada, White Rice, Potato Fry, Cauliflower Fry, Vankaya Masala, Mango Pappu, Puliohara, Pappu Charu, Bobbatlu, Ugadi Pachidi

1. Kobbari mamidikaya Pachidi / Coconut Mango Pachidi

2. Mamidikaya Pappu /  Mango Dal

3. Pappu Charu / Andhra Style Thin Sambar

4. Cauliflower Tomato Koora

5. Potato Fry

6. Vankaya Masala

7. Alasanda Methi Garelu / Blackeyed beans vada with methi and onion.

8. Bobbatlu

9. White rice

10. Fresh Curd

11. Appadalu, Vodiyalu...

12. Pulihara

13. Paramannam

14. Ugadi Pachidi

For Ugadi recipes, please see the links as below :

 Ugadi Pachidi
Paramannam
Andhra Puliohara
Alasanda Garelu
Bobbatlu
Mamidikaya Pappu / Mango Pappu
Vankaya Masala

Beetroot Halwa

Made this halwa due to my daughter's request. She has been an ardent fan of beetroot halwa since her childhood. Instead of grating the beetroot for the halwa which I regularly do, I steam cooked the beetroot and grinded it. This process was super quick and the halwa consistency was achieved faster than expected. As Beetroot is very healthy vegetable, this sweet item is very sutiable for kids.

Ingredients

Beetroot - 2 Big ( 4 Cup )

Sugar - Between 1 Cup and 2 cups

Cardamom Powder / Elachi Powder - 3 tsp

Cashewnuts - 1 Handful

Melted Butter / Ghee - 3 tbsp

Rose Essence - 2 Drops

Method

Peel the skin and steam cook the beetroot using a pressure cooker. Grind the beetroot using a mixer grinder and transfer it into a thick bottomed pan/ kadai. Add the sugar, cardamom powder and a drop of rose essence and stir them well.  When the consistency of the Halwa is perfect, then add the ghee to the halwa and stir them for few more minutes. After the halwa is done, transfer the halwa into a serving bowl. Decorate the halwa with ghee roasted cashew nuts on its top just before serving..

Tips/Variations

Grate the beetroot using a grater and cook them directly in the kadai/pan and try..

Karadaiyan Nombhu / Karadaiyan Nombu / Karadayan Nombu

Karadaiyan Nombhu / Savithri Vratham festival is celebrated by all married women in the state of TamilNadu. Married women generally observe fasting during this auspicious festival and pray for their husband's long life, good health and good relationship. They pray to Goddess Kamakshi on this day and offer Vella Adai ( Sweet ) and Uppu Adai ( Salt) and a cup of butter to the Goddess and finish their fasting. They tie a sacred yellow thread while chanting the mantra and even girls of all ages in the house will tie this sacred thread on this day. I started liking this festival since my childhood without knowing its significance as I liked the Prasadams very much.!!! After knowing the real purpose of doing this festival, lots of thoughts crossed my mind and many times I debate with my other self. Still I have not won the other side of myself and the war keeps going...( Sadly there is not a single festival celebrated for the wellness of the wife, her long life, etc.,by a husband or by any family members..!!). Well, I also did the pooja  and offered the prasadams to Goddess Kamakshi and prayed for my husband, parents, kids and for the whole family and thanked God for everything in life.

Happy Karadaiyan Nombu to all my dear blogger friends. 

For the Kadaiyan Nombhu recipes, click here...

Karadaiyan Nombu Adai