Experiments in my kitchen

Some thoughts for the Mind

2009-10-01T07:37:00.007Z

Dear Friends,
I have come to my grand mom's place for vacation and hence i was not able to blog as before. Hope to resume blogging after a couple of weeks. I cant wait to read all ur posts. Before i go further , i proudly present my Amma's books here. The book is in Tamil, and your welcome to buy this book from the below mentioned address. I have read the books and i'm still reading as i get to learn a lot from her words !
BOOK 1

BOOK 2

About the Author
The author Selvi.Sagunthala was born in kadayanallur (Tenkasi Taluk,Thirunelvelli District) ,in a reputed family to Thiru.Hariharan,who was a freedom fighter and Thirumathi Chellamal hariharan. The author was born as a 3rd child on 18-07-1952. she leads a life of celibacy and has dedicated her life to serving God . Through her hard work and sincere efforts she has published many books.

The books are available in the below mentioned address.The books will be couriered to your address.

Selvi.Sagunthala

146, Big Street,

Muthu krishnapuram

kadayanallur - 627751

Phone: 99400-11216

Price of each book - Rs. 100 /-

Courier Charge - Rs 15/-

Tags and more awards

2009-08-27T03:34:00.003Z

Dear Friends

I'm so very grateful to Priya and Ramya for passing me these awards

Priya from recipes-priya has tagged me

The Rules:
1. Link the person who tagged you.

2. Post the rules on your blog.

3. Share the ABCs of you.

4. Tag 4 people at the end of your post by linking to their blogs.

5. Let the 4 tagged people know that they have been tagged by leaving a comment on their website.

6. Do not tag the same person repeatedly but try to tag different people, so that there is a big network of bloggers doing this tag.

The Tag:

1. A – Available/Single? No

2. B – Best friend? Many to mention

3. C – Cake or Pie? Cake

4. D – Drink of choice? Fruit juice

5. E – Essential item you use every day? My laptop,hair clip,mobile,face wash......

6. F – Favorite color? Baby Pink

7. G – Gummy Bears Or Worms? Gummy bears

8. H – Hometown? Salem

9. I – Indulgence? hmmmmm

10. J – January or February? February

11. K – Kids & their names? NA

12. L – Life is incomplete without? Happiness

13. M – Marriage date? March 3rd

14. N – Number of siblings? Brother

15. O – Oranges or Apples? oranges

16. P – Phobias/Fears? reptiles

17. Q – Quote for today? be positive

18. R – Reason to smile? my dreams

19. S – Season? Spring/winter

20. T – Tag 4 People? All my fellow bloggers

21. U – Unknown fact about me? let it be unknown

22. V – Vegetable you don't like? bitter gourd

23. W – Worst habit? --------

24. X – X-rays you've had? dont remember

25. Y – Your favorite food? mom's / granny's food

26. Z – Zodiac sign? Pisces

Hi guys i know by all of you around there must have done this.. if any of you havent done this please let me know so that i can tag you !

Priya has passed on this kreativ blogger,fabulous blog and priya and ramya have passed on the Scrumptious blog award

Thank you so much Ramya and Priya

Cauliflower Egg stir fry

2009-08-27T02:52:00.007Z

Dear friends

its been long time since i wrote a recipe post.! well i had few items in my drafts folder waiting to enter this web page.. finally made its way through ! One fine day dear H told me to make cauliflower with eggs and i was so very new to cooking that i dint know what he exactly wanted.. i had mixed the eggs even before the cauliflower could cook and after so much of sauting the egg taste was not there as i had added only one small egg ! hee hee hee.. some how we finished although it dint taste that good.. now i know the right method i guess ! you guys dont have to get scared, common go ahead and read it through , it does taste good !

Ingredients

Onion - 1 big
Cauliflower florets - 20 nos
Tomato - 1 small
Eggs - 2 nos
Cumin seeds - 1/4 tspn
Mustartd seeds - 1/4 tspn
chilli powder - 1/2 tspn
coriander powder - 1 tspn
garam masala - 1/4 tspn
turmeric powder - 1/4 tspn or even less
salt - to taste
oil - as per req.

Method

Heat oil in a kadaai and splutter the mustard and cumin seeds and then add the finally chopped onions and saute for a min or two
add the cauliflower florets at this stage and keep sauting until the cauliflower is almost cooked
then add the chopped tomatoes and add in tha chilli powder,coriander powder,turmeric powder,garam masala and salt
keep sauting this till the tomatoes becomes mushy and gets belnded
separately beat the eggs in a bowl and then add to this and keep sauting until the eggs get scrambled, you may have add some oil to prevent sticking
there u go , its done !
serve as side dish along with rice or chappathi

I'm sending these to the side dish for chappathi event
hosted by viki of elitefoods

Also sending these First cooked food event - Aug 09'

hosted by shamma of easy2cookrecipes

Back with celebration and a Award

2009-08-19T03:24:00.006Z

Happy Anniversary - "Experiments in my kitchen "

Dear Friends

It has been a pretty long time since i blogged ! ahh life had suddenly become too hectic to cope up! i'm slowly beginning to settle although we are still on the look out for a accommodation.. its been almost 3 years since i visited India ... lots of changes guys.. it was little hot when i arrived in Delhi now its not that hot with rains sneaking out now and then(not plenty though).i guess it will take a couple of weeks till i get my kitchen in full operating mode ! :-(((( ! My camera must be the only happiest person ! i thought all you guys might have forgotten me.. silly me ! i opened my mail to find in so many awards waiting ! I was so elated ! I missed reading all your rants and recipes.. I'm slowly catching up guys !

Guys i realized that my blog has turned One year... all this with no celebration --->bad mom !
It has been a wonderful journey throughout ! Thanks to all my dear readers , and fellow bloggers and followers for your continuous support and encouragements and ofcourse your beautiful awards ! Thanks to all of you !

Thanks to Chakh le re , Ganga and Aysha for passing on these tags and Awards to me !
Guys thank u soo much !

The Kreative blog award comes with certain rules. The rules are:

1. You must thank the person who has given you the award.
2. Copy the logo and place it in your blog.
3. Link to the person who has nominated you for the award.
4. Name seven things about yourself that people might find interesting.
5. Nominate 7 other Kreative bloggers.
6. Post links to 7 blogs you nominate.
7. Leave a comment on each of the blog to let them know they have been nominated by you.

Here are seven things about me. Hope you find them interesting !!

1. action freak
2. reserved
3. music fan
4. love to travel
5. novel freak
6. simple
7. lazy sometimes

I am really feeling excited to answer all the questions. Here are my answers.

1. What is your current obsession?
- want to setlle down soon in my new house

2. What are you wearing today?
-shirt and a capri

3. What’s for dinner?
-kadi and beans sabzi

4. What’s the last thing you bought?
-groceries

5. What are you listening to right now?
-songs from santhosh subramaniam

6. What do you think about the persons who tagged you?
-Chakh le re is very innovative and she never stops to try out new cuisine.. she has a beautiful web space
-Ganga brings out all the traditional cuisine and she has a great blog
-Aysha recipes are always interesting and she has a great blog too.

7. If you could have a house totally paid for, fully furnished anywhere in the world, where would you like it to be?
-In some Island

8. What are your must-have pieces for summer?
-cotton pants

9. If you could go anywhere in the world for the next hour, where would you go?
-to my native village

10. Which language do you want to learn?
- not any at the moment

11. What’s your favorite quote?
-Life is beautiful

12. Who do you want to meet right now?
-my mom & dad

13. What is your favorite color?
-Baby pink

14. What is your favorite piece of clothing in your own closet?
-a cotton shirt and pant and few kurtis

15. What is your dream job?
-genetic engineer

16. What’s your favorite magazine?
-Womansera

17. If you had $100 now, what would you spend it on?
- a gift for my dad

18. What do you consider a fashion faux pas?
-flowers on the head with jeans

19. Who are your style icons?
- not any really
20. Describe your personal style?
-comfortable and simple

21. What are you going to do after this?
-cleaning up

22. What are your favorite movies?
- plenty to mention

23. What are three cosmetic/makeup/perfume products that you can't live without?
- revlon,avon and gucci

24. What inspires you?
-Quotes and a talk with my mom or dad

25. Give us three styling tips that always work for you.

-simple
-put on a smile
-take a head bath

26. What do you do when you “have nothing to wear” (even though your closet’s packed)?
-go for a shower
27. Coffee or tea?
- not both

28. What do you do when you are feeling low or terribly depressed?

- i start cleaning with the music on ofcourse
29. What is the meaning of your name?
- worship

30. Which other blogs you love visiting?

- plenty to mention
31. Favorite Dessert/Sweet?
-Icecream(vanilla)

32. Favorite Season?
Winter/spring

33. If I come to your house now, what would u cook for me?
- your favourite Dish

34. What is your funniest cooking disaster?

- i made chicken briyani the very first time and i guess i gave up to 6 or 7 whistles in the cooker
when i opened all the chicken and th rice had become porridge like consostency..with only the chicken bones left behind.....but my hubby ate it--> poor dear !

35. What would you do, if you crave something sweet in the late night?
-ice cream

36. Which food item do you enjoy cooking the most?
Channa

A diet tip ?

Add a question of your own, Rework and Reward and have fun!
And I would like it to share it with my following fellow bloggers.

1.KiranMary
2.PriyaPrashanth
3.MIMHUMI
4.Didolivescooks
5.Erica
6.Ashwini
7.Rush

AFRICA to INDIA

2009-07-01T12:00:00.002Z

Dear friends

i have been very ocuupied as i'm relocating to India.. i guess u can understand the pains of it..

argggggggggh.. too many things.. will be leaving next thursday.. but all in all i'm so very excited to go back to India.. its gonna be almost 3 years since i visited India.. had to leave to Paris after few months of marriage .then stayed there for 14 months then shifted to Abidjan,Ivory Coast

of course the number of tours i did while my stay in France.. oh i'm so tired of packing and unpacking !

i have displayed by full name - Pooja Sekar

as many people get confused with the other pooja's

i have not been able to visit your blogs and read your lovely posts..

but i guess after i reach India and as soon as i get my internet fixed i'll be able to blog !

so guys wish me luck and catch u all soon.

bye until then

Hooked on to T & T

2009-06-22T10:40:00.011Z

Dear friends,
i'm really hooked on to meena's hooked on heat !
she has a lovely blog out there with plenty of recipes and one can find recipes for daily cooking to elaborate dinner recipes... the best thing is i try something very simple from her blog and it turns out super hit ! Thanks a lot for sharing these recipes meena
i'm sending these to Tried and Tested food blogging event hosted by Kitchow and started byzlamushka

Some of the recipes which i tried form her blog are here.

i have sticked on to the original recipe just altering the quantity

please click on the recipe name for the original recipe

EGG MASALA
Spicy egg curry
this picture in meena's blog made me droooool !
this recipe can be made in a matter of time !
it was super spicy and tangy . perfect to cater the taste buds of spicy toothed(did i coin this ?) hubby !

hubby dear is going to enjoy his lunch !

GOBI MANCHURIAN

My all time favourite gobi manchurian..

i have made it dry as i like it that way !

Alu Bhaaji(potato curry)

BINDI PYAAZ (OKRA WITH ONIONS)

SPICY CURRY FRIED RICE

JEERA ALU

Parsley and Curry leaf bun

2009-06-21T22:45:00.008Z

Ever since i came across the recipe in anudivya's blog i wanted to try it.
her buns looked so drool worthy and the way she had shaped the buns looked like a pro
i have just altered the flour used and i have not added gluten,the rest is the same as the original version. the original recipe is here

Ingredients

All purpose flour - 2 cups
wheat flour - 2 cups
Salt - To taste
Baker's yeast - 2 1/2 tsp
Warm water - 1/4 cup
Sugar - 1/4 tsp
Yogurt - 1 tbsp
Olive oil - 1 tsp
Curry leaves - 2 tbsp chopped
Parsley - 2 tbsp chopped
Pepper - 1/2 tbsp
Sesame seeds - 1 tbsp

Method

Soak yeast in warm water along with sugar and let it sit for 15 minutes to foam and activate.
Meanwhile in another bowl, mix the dry ingredients - flour, salt and pepper.
Mix the dry ingredients with the activated yeast mixture, add oil and yogurt. Add the herbs and knead on a floured surface. Knead for 13-15 minutes by hand, or use a kneader attachment on the mixer. The dough should be soft and smooth.Cover and let it sit in a warm place for about 1 1/2 hours or till it doubles in size.
After that, take the dough, fold it over 3 or 4 times, releasing the air bubbles. Pinch into smaller balls, roll them neatly and firmly. Place it on a baking tray with enough room to expand while baking.
Cover with a cloth and place in a warm place again to rise. This method is called proofing

Preheat oven to 375 F.
After an hour, brush them with oil or an egg wash on top. Sprinkle sesame seeds and bake till the buns are golden brown on top.
Let it cool and slather with a spread/butter of your choice and devour.

sending these across to Low Fat (eggless) baking event by madhuram

also sending these to yeastspotting at wildyeast

Muskmelon/Cantaloupe smoothie

2009-06-21T16:54:00.008Z

Muskmelons are refered to as kirnipalam in Tamil.. my mom used to make juices during our summers and we used to enjoy them thoroughly.. Yesterday i saw these melons in the market and i felt home sick ! got the melons and made a juice and relished it with those lovely times spent with bro and friends drinking juices !
my mom used to make this juice with milk but i have substituted with soy milk

Cantaloupe are a source of polyphenol antioxidants, chemicals which are known to provide certain health benefits to the cardiovascular system and immune system. These chemicals are known to up regulate the formation of nitric oxide, a key chemical in promoting health of the endothelium and prevention of heart attacks. (image courtesy,source :wikipedia)

Cantaloupes also are an excellent source of vitamin C and beta carotene.

Ingredients

Muskmelon - 1
Sugar/honey - 2 tbspn (acc to taste)
Soy milk - 1 1/2 cups
Method

Cut the melon and scoop the pulp without the seeds
and add the pulp,milk and sugar and blend them well
serves as a refreshing breakfast !

hey look at the umbrella it was made by me !

sending these to show me your breakfast event by divya of dilse

Pound Cake

2009-06-21T11:36:00.007Z

Hey friends

yesterday i had spent a considerable amount of time Baking ! i beginning to fall in love witht he baking process.. i feel so elated when the result turns out good , as though i have done a magic :-)
i had so many recipes bookmarked to be tried and one such is the pound cake from
Finger Licking Food by Namratha...
i have followed her recipe dint change even a thing.. the original recipe is here
but still i will give the recipe
The cake came out awesome and i have been snacking on it since yesterday !

Ingredients

2 cups All-purpose flour

1 tbsp Baking powder

¼ tsp Salt

1 cup Sugar

2 sticks unsalted butter, at room temp

4 eggs, at room temp

1 tsp Vanilla extract

Method

Centre a rack in the oven and preheat oven to 325F.
Butter a 9 x 5” loaf pan. Place on a baking sheet.
Whisk flour, salt and baking powder in a bowl.
Cream butter and sugar in another bowl on high speed for 5 minutes, till light and fluffy.
Scrape down the sides of the bowl. With the mixer on medium speed, add one egg at a time. Beat 1-2 minutes after each addition. Stir in the vanilla extract.

Turn the speed to low, and add the flour little at a time, just until incorporated. Do not overmix it. Pour batter into the prepared loaf pan. Place in the centre of the rack in oven and bake for 70-75 minutes. The cake is done when a knife inserted in the centre of the cake comes out clean.
Remove from oven and transfer loaf pan to a rack. Let rest for 30 minutes, and then invert onto rack. Cool completely before slicing and storing.

Slicing: Slice it with a long serrated knife using a sawing motion. You can slice it thin or thick depending on what you are using it for.

Storing: Wrap the pound cake tightly with cling wrap and let sit on your kitchen counter. This tastes better the longer it sits. If wrapped well, the cake will hold good for 5-7 days at room temperature.

Channa Batura / chick peas curry

2009-06-20T00:39:00.009Z

Chickpeas are a helpful source of zinc, folate and protein. They are also very high in dietary fiber and hence a healthy source of carbohydrates for persons with insulin sensitivity or diabetes Chickpeas are low in fat and most of this is polyunsaturated (source :wikipedia)

When i got engaged my office colleague sent me an email containing a recipe PDF..
I had neatly printed it out and filed it. This came in handy during my trial times as i was zero in cooking .. i have tried this several times and this has always been a super duper hit at my place..
I'm not sure as to whether this is Sanjeev Kapoor's recipe.. but the taste is unbeatable !

For Bhatura
Ingredients

2 cups plain flour (maida)
2 tbsp. curds
2 tbsp. butter or oil
1/2 tsp. soda bicarb
salt to taste
Milk to knead dough
oil to deep fry

Method

Sieve together flour, salt and soda.
Add and mix in curds and oil.
Add enough milk to knead into a soft pliable dough.
Cover with a wet cloth.
Keep aside for 5-6 hours. Make sure the cloth does not dry up, or wet again.
Knead dough again. Take fistful of dough. Roll into 1/4" thick 5" diameter round. Fry in hot oil.
Turning only once. Till very light golden in colour. Repeat for all. Serve hot with hot channa and
slices of onions and lemon.

For Channa

Ingredients

1 cup kabuli channa soaked overnight
1 large tomato
2 large onions
1 1/2 tbsp. chopped coriander
1 tsp. ginger grated
1 tsp. garlic crushed
1 lemon (juice extracted)
2 tbsp. oil, 1 tbsp. ghee
1 tsp. tea leaves (tied into a pouch in a
small piece of clean muslin cloth)
4 green chillies slit
2 bay leaves
1 tsp. sugar
1 tsp. cumin seeds

Dry masalas

1 tsp. red chilli powder
1/2 tsp. each cinnamon - clove powder,
turmeric powder
1/4 tsp. each garam masala, pepper powder
salt to taste

Method for Channa

Put the soaked, washed channa in a cooked with enough water, tea pouch and bay leaves.
Pressure cook till done. (approx. 6-7 whistles).
Cool about 5 tbsp. channa for grinding.
In a mixie, blend together 1/2 tomato, 1 onion, cooled channa and 1/2 tbsp. coriander. Keep aside.
Chop remaining tomatoes and onions fine.
Heat oil in a large skillet.
Add cumin seeds to splutter.
Add ginger-garlic and fry for a minute.
Add chopped tomatoes, onion and fry till tender.
Add channa-paste, fry further 3-4 minutes.
Add all dry masala except cinnamon-clove powder.
Stir and fry till oil separates. Add drained channa and 2 cup water which was drained from channa.
Stir and bring to boil.
Simmer for 7-8 minutes till gravy thickens.
Take in serving dish.
Heat ghee in a small sauce pan.
Add the chillies and cinnamon-clove powder.
Add chopped coriander and pour hot over the channa.
Squeeze lemon over channa.
Stir in seasoning gently.

Making time :- 30 mins (excluding pressure cooking)

I'm sending this to My Legume Love Affair hosted by annarasa and started by susan

Maavathal kulambu (sun dried mangoes curry)

2009-06-19T21:17:00.007Z

Dear friends

This dish has been my all time favourite.. its super tangy with lots of tamarind and sun dried mango.. but you can adjust it according to your taste..
Usually the raw mangoes are cut into pieces with lots of salt and are left in a container for few days
then they are dried in the sun for a couple of days until they become really dry..usually my grand mom makes these , but the poor mangoes gets eaten up by me and cousins before it reaches grand mom...the lucky survivors are used by her in the curries..
these mangoes were sent to me by my grand mom ( she managed to save them as we were not around :-) ....)
here is a picture of the sun dried mangoes

Ingredients

Sun dried mangoes - 6 to 7
shallots - 10
tamarind - size of lemon ( i make this dish very tangy so adjust the tamarind as per taste)
curry powder (kulambu milagai thool)- 2 tbspn ( substitute by chilli powder and coriander powder 1:2)
salt - as per taste ( be careful as the mangoes have lots of salt in it)
methi seeds- 1/4 tspn
cumin seeds - 1/4 tspn
curry leaves - 1 stalk
garlic pods - 6
sesame oil - 2 tbspn

Method

soak the tamarind and the mangoes separately in hot water
heat sesame oil in a deep bottomed pan and add the methi seeds and cumin seeds and allow them to splutter
then add the curry leaves and then add the crushed garlic pods, you can sense the aroma at his stage
add the shallots which are chopped lengthwise and saute till turns golden brown
at this stage add the curry powder and saute for a min or two
gently squeeze the tamarind and add only the tamarind water
then add the sun dried mangoes and wait for a while then check for salt
simmer it till the gravy turns semi thick
when done remove it and enjoy with rice and a vegetable kootu

Sending these to Mango Mela hosted by srivalli of cooking 4 all seasons

Bell Pepper Rings

2009-06-18T14:15:00.005Z

Dear friends

This time i have tried bajjis using green pepper..
Long back i had this snack at a friends place.. she had made with besan,green chilli paste and salt. so keeping that in mind i was planning to do the same except to substitute by adding red chilli powder but ended up adding many more things.. i had besan and then was preparing the batter and it had become too watery ... ooh i went to the pantry foraging for a packet of besan..alas to my dissapointment no besan was there.. crazy pooja was wondering what to do and finally ended up adding little rice flour but still the batter was little loose and then i opened the kitchen cabinet and there i spotted tomato ketchup..why not add some???? lets try ! thinking i added about a tsp of tomato ketchup.. the batter was better and believe me guys the recipe turned out to be good
now let me share this crazy recipe
you can also make this using the regular bajji batter

Ingredients

Bell pepper(green) - 1
gram flour/besan - 5 tbspn
rice flour - 1 tbspn
tomato ketchup - 1 tspn
red chilli powder - 1/4 tspn
turmeric powder - a pinch
asafoetida - a pinch
salt - acc to taste
oil - for frying

Method

slice the green pepper in the form of rings
mix the above mentioned ing with water to form a batter
mean while heat oil in a pan
now dip the pepper rings in teh batter and deep fry them in oil
serve hot with tea

this can be made in a jiffy , when you want to fix a quick snack !
sending these to AFAM(a fruit a month) - Bell Pepper hosted by priya and started by maheswari of beyond the usual

Celebrating my first award with a sweet

2009-06-15T16:28:00.007Z

I'm so very happy to receive my first award from pavithra
Pavithra you made my day.! i feel very touched !
i was looking at the coconut laddu from a2vegetariancuisine and was planning to make it .. fellow bloggers i must confess that i'm utterly zero in making sweets.. dessert at my dinner parties are always store bought ice creams.. this recipe was very easy and i thought , "why not give it a try?"
i was almost close to finishing the coconut laddu and was about to take some snaps, then a peed into my laptop and there was pavi's surprise.. i was so happy what a coincidence ! thanks again pavithra..

i sticked to the original recipe but changed it a little , i dint have condensed milk and so i used milk powder and mixed it with water and i added about a 1 tbspn of sugar.. thats all the changes i made.
Now lets share my award

This award goes to all my fellow bloggers but as i had to nominate 10...
This goes to ganga, divya vikram, parita , sharmi,vrinda , rekha, poornima nair,pooja,gita and padma
please accept the award and pass it on to your friends !

Souvenirs from Ivory Coast

2009-06-15T14:25:00.008Z

This weekend was spent eventfully with some shopping, meeting up friends and ofcourse munching on foods .. well on saturday we planned on buying some souvenirs and we did purchase few wooden stuff

On the way to the beach there are numerous shops made of thatched roofs and you can see the hungry sellers running towards the vehicles to sell their stuff.. i have spent 1 1/2 years in Abidjan and it has been fun and i got to see Africa , visit new places, see the lifestyle of them, theirs cuisine..all in all it was an interesting experience !

it has been raining non stop since 3 weeks here.. so there was no chance of going to the beach . so we decided to visit a place which is little away from the city , where hand made wooden stuff can be bought. i landed up buying some ebony, so here is a little note about ebony

Ebony is a general name for very dense black wood. In the strict sense it is yielded by several species in the genus Diospyros, but other heavy, black (or dark colored) woods (from completely unrelated trees) are sometimes also called ebony. The best-known ebony may be that from Diospyros ebenum native to southern India and Srilanka.

Ebony is one of the most intensely black woods known, which, combined with its very high density (it is one of the woods that sink in water), fine texture, and ability to polish very smoothly, has made it very valuable as an ornamental wood.

Chicken Fry/Tandoori Chicken

2009-06-12T14:04:00.004Z

Well i have experimented on tandoori chicken without using a tan door.
sounds strange but as i am away from india i dont have the tan door.
yeah but the chicken can be grilled in the oven also but i have used simple frying pan and cooked it on the gas.
This is a post from the archive but i would like to re-post it for the event Potluck chicken
hosted by viki

Ingredients

Chicken - 300 gms
For marination

Ginger paste- 1 tspn
Garlic paste- 1 tspn
Vinegar - 1 tbspn
Lime juice - 1 tbspn
Curd - 2 tbspn
Chicken masala - 2 tspn
Red color powder - a pinch ( optional)
salt - acc to taste.

Chicken masala

The chicken masala which i usually use is "sakthi chilli chicken "
Marination

wash the chicken and make small incisions on it (with fork or knife) and set it aside
in a bowl add ginger garlic paste and all the above mentioned ingredients for marination
stir it properly so that the masala gets dissolved
then add the chicken pieces and mix it well
now this has to kept it in the refrigerator for to 1 to 2 hrs for proper marination
sometimes i keep it overnight( depends upon the availability of time)

Method

Heat about 1 tbspn of oil in the frying pan
when its hot add the marinated chicken pieces
make sure the flame is low
occasionally brush it with oil n make sure to turn it
keep cooking for about 10 to 12 mins
here we go tasty chicken is ready

Enjoy it as a starter or with chappathi or naan

Bourekas

2009-06-11T13:42:00.007Z

Bourekas are made out puff pastry filled with various fillings. The most popular fillings are cheese,mashed potato,spinach,eggplant,pizza-flavor, and mushrooms.
i have had this several times at a Jewish friend's place . On quizzing my friend got to know that Bourekas was brought to Israel by the Jews from Turkey and Balkans..
Burek ( other variant name) is popular in the Arab world, some countries around the Mediterranean Sea, the Slavic cuisines, throughout the Balkans and the former Ottoman Empire.
You can check out the variants here on wikipedia(Burek)

Whenever i go to my friends place she always gives these delicious treats and i end up eating so many and my tummy is so full by the times we reach the main course.I'm staying in West Africa and its difficult to get puff pastry here.. i tried one of store bought pastries and some how dint like the smell of it. Got to know from my friend that their house keeper prepared everything from the scratch and i was taken aback.preparing puff pastry at home... now was not that meant to be difficult... well i was so obsessed with the Bourekas and was very stubborn on learning it.. so one fine day she arranged a cooking lesson for me and i was so excited.
i had made video of the entire process and i tell you it was so much fun..
i came home all enlightened ( he he he) and the following weekend i was set to try it at home.
here i have made the bourekas using the fillings cheese and pizza flavour..

now for those of you who can get ready made pastry its very easy for the unlucky ones like me
the procedure for making the puff pastry is given below

Making the puff pastry

Ingredients

all purpose flour(for dough) - 6 cups
all purpose flour(for dusting) - 1 cup
oil(olive/sunflower)- 2 tbspns
salt- 1 tbspn
sugar-1 tbspn
margarine-200 gms
water-sufficient amount to knead
Method

sieve the flour for the dough and add in the salt, sugar and oil
add in sufficient water to form a smooth dough
sieve the flour for dusting in a separate bowl and set aside
choose a big platform and dust some flour on the surface and roll the dough to uniform thickness..its better to use a big surface as the dough has to rolled to about 1/4 inch thickness
now grate the margarine all over the dough surface , about 25 gms should be fine.
now close the dough from both sides and gently press with your hands
dust some flour on top of the spread dough and beneath (on the surface) also , so as to avoid the dough sticking and rol the dough once again
again grate some more margarine on top of the dough and repeat the process for 4 more times ( in total it is 6 times of repeated rolling, grating,folding and again so on for 6 times)
this process is a little tiring but its worth the effort
when you are done with the 6th time ,by then entire margarine should be finished
roll the dough again to uniform thickness cut into small squares of desired size

Pizza-flovour

Ingredients

Onion- 1 small
Garlic - 1 pearl
tomatoes - 2 nos
tomato puree - 1 tbspn
pepper powder- 1/2 tspn
salt- to taste
oil- 1 tspn
grated cheese - 1/2 cup
Olives - 1 tbspn

Method

heat oil in a pan add the finely chopped garlic and saute for a min and then add the finely chopped onions and when they turn golden brown add the finely chopped tomatoes(store bought can also be used) and add little salt and when they begin to become mushy add the tomato puree and pepper and saute for 5 mins and turn off the flame
cool the mixture and to this add the grated cheese, i have used emmental cheese and add the chopped olives and mix it well

Cheese flavour

Ingredients

grated cheese- 1/2 cup
Olives- 2 tbspn
egg white - 1

Method

mix the grated cheese, i have used emmental and the chopped olives and blend in the agg white and keep aside

Making the Bourekas

On a lightly floored surface the dough has to be cut into squares
place a tbspn of the required filling on the dough and close to form a triangle
crump the edges using a fork
place it on the tray lined with a baking paper
and beat the egg yellow and brush the top of the bourekas and sprinkle sesame seeds on top
bake at 350 degrees until puffy and golden brown

voila you have hot Bourekas , enjoy !

Thanx a ton to my dearest friends !

Idiyappam / string hoppers/Rice noodles

2009-06-10T13:35:00.017Z

Idiyappam or string hoppers has been one of my favorite dishes since my childhood.. my appetite becomes never ending when i start eating this dish ! LOL
Idiyappam is also known as Rice noodles only that it is very thin. Its been a long time since i made this at home.. today i gave myself a treat !
i made idiyappam in 3 different ways today. lets jump start on to the recipes

Method for Idiyappam

boil water thoroughly
take about 2 to 3 cups of rice flour,i have used the store bought rice flour, alternatively rice flour can also be roasted at home at very medium flame for few mins
add salt to the rice flour and about 1 tbspn of oil and pour in the hot water to form a soft dough ( i used a slotted spoon while kneading the dough, the water being very hot)
fill the dough on to a idiyappam presser and squeeze it on to the idli trays and steam it for a couple of minutes
when done allow it to cool and remove them

Coconut & sugar

The Idiyappam can be had with grated coconut and sugar
Just crumble the idiyappam and mix the desired amount of sugar and coconut

Savory lemon

heat some oil in a pan add mustard seeds , urad dal and channa dal
add in dry red chillies and curry leaves
squeeze about half a lemon and add turmeric powder and salt
crumble the required amount of idiyappam and and to this and garnish with coriander leaves

Kurma

Ingredients

cinnamon - 1/2 inch
cloves- 2
fennel seeds- 1 tspn
poppy seeds- 1 tspn
ginger garlic paste- 1/4 tspn
onion- 1
tomato- 3
grated coconut(fresh)- 1/2 cup
chilli powder- 1/2 tspn
garam masala- 1/4 tspn
coriander powder - 1 tspn
curry leaves- 1 stalk
coriander leaves - 5 to 6 leaves
salt - acc to taste
oil - 1 tbspn

Method

Heat oil and add the cinnamon and clove
add the finely chopped onions and saute them till they turn golden brown
add the ginger garlic paste and saute for a min or two
add the finely chopped tomatoes
you can also add vegetables of your choice like potatoes and cauliflower ..
add the chilli powder,turmeric powder, coriander powder,garam masala and salt
mean while grind the fennel seeds,poppy seeds and grated coconut to a fine paste
add this paste and keep sauting
pour in sufficient amount of water and bring to a boil
garnish with coriander leaves and enjoy with the idiyappam.

.
I am sending this post to
monthly mingle- ravishing rice guest hosted by edible garden
Creator of Monthly mingle - meeta
also sending this to EFM June - Breakfast series
also sending this to show me ur breakfast hosted by divya of dilse

Crochet bag

2009-06-08T17:29:00.004Z

I learnt how to crochet from Teresa's blog.. i've made a small crochet bag using colors, blue and baby pink.. Never knew that it would be so much fun crocheting.. i'm still learning and there is miles to go.. have some projects in mind ..lets see how far i go..
but i truly enjoyed making this bag.. baby pink is my favourite color.. i felt so happy when i was done with the bag... felt very confident ! i gifted this to a dear friend of mine .. she was very touched !

i had also made place mats for my friend.

Spring Onion stir fry

2009-06-06T21:38:00.004Z

Last week i had gone to my friend's place for lunch and she had made this dish , looking at it I had thought it was some spinach until i tasted . It tasted delicious. Got the recipe from her and sharing it with u all here...

Ingredients

spring onions - 4 bunch
onion - 1 small
garlic - 1 clove
cumin seeds- 1/4 tspn
chilli powder- 1/4 tspn
gram flour - 1 1/2 tbspn
oil - 1 tbspn
salt - acc to taste

Method

heat a wok and add oil and splutter the cumin seeds and add the finely chopped garlic and saute for a second and the add the finely chopped onion and keep sauteing until golden brown
finely chop the spring onions and add in at this stage and keep sauteing and chilli powder and salt until the raw smell goes and the spring onions are almost done
now add in the gram flour and saute it till you obtain a scrambled texture.
its that simple ! enjoy it with roti or with rice and dal

I'm sending this to SWC - cooking with greens hosted by creative saga

sending this also to show me your breakfast hosted by divya of dil se

Cookies

2009-06-03T22:43:00.007Z

ooooooh its time for click and event..!
this is the first time i'm contributing for an event and i'm so excited !
well about the click.. i'm a clumsy photographer trying to figure out how to take a good photo
many thanx to the jugalbandits from jugalbandi for motivating me on this Herculian task..
i got inspired by their click monthly event.

this pic goes to the event click:june 2009(stacks)

i'm also sending this post to the let's celebrate event hosted by ria

now lets munch some cookies
i have used a basic recipe here ,as i'm still experimenting on baking ! but it sure tastes good.
Ingredients

all purpose flour - 4 cups
sugar(powdered) - 1 1/2 cups
dry dessicated coconut (store bought) - 1 1/2 cups
vanilla with sugar (store bought) - 1 sachet net weight being 7g / Vanilla essence
Chocolate powder - 2 tbspns
butter - 200 gms + 1/2 tbspn

Method

In a large bowl add the all purpose flour , sugar , coconut and vanilla
make sure the sugar is well powdered
add in the butter(200 gms) and keeps mixing so that the flour is well coated with the butter
when done take about 1 cup of this and set aside
to this 1 cup add the chocolate powder and the remaining butter and mix it well
now let your imagination play and make desired shapes and patterns
here are a few of mine !

can u find the chakla and belan(imagination ran wild while making these hee hee hee :-) )

were you guys able to figure out the bracelet i have made

New look on blog

2009-06-02T21:20:00.003Z

Of late i have been playing a little too much with settings tab, adding new gadgets and yes
of course i have changed the template.. last week i had done something with the html code and it had changed the look of the header image and it took quite sometime for me figure out the mistake....i was kind of bored with the old one being there for a couple of months.. though i have used a basic template i like the new look. looks refreshing ! I'm still not done playing with settings tab.. thinking of changing the header a little ..lets see if i can get some idea !
This blogging is so addictive ! but i love it , getting new friends and of course the appreciations..thank you fellow bloggers for stopping by and commenting ..i feel so happy !
Happy blogging to all of you out there !

Idli & Mutton kulambu

2009-06-01T23:09:00.008Z

Now here i'm with a post on Idlis and Mutton kulambu.. I dont take mutton but i make them for my hubby as he loves this combo..
My hubby has been behind my back for weeks asking for mutton and finally i gave him his treat !
i have used a very simple recipe ..

Idlis

Idlis are basically rice and lentil cakes !
The batter is obtained by soaking the rice and urad dal along with methi seeds(optional)
for a couple of hours and then they have to grinded and then left for fermentation process
and then ready to be used

Ingredients

Rice - 5 cups
Urad dal - 1 cup + 2 tbspns
Methi seeds - 1 tspn
salt - 2 tspns

Method

Soak the rice separately and the urad dal along with methi seeds separately for few hours. i usually soak them overnight and grind them in the morning
grind the urad dal and methi seeds and when done keep aside
grind the rice with sufficient water to a thick texture
mix both the batter together along with salt
when the batter is mixed together thouroughly set them aside for fermetation
care should be taken that the batter should not be thin it shud be thick in consistency
when fermented pour them in the moulds ( to which a bit oil is applied) and steam them for 5 to 7 mins in a pressure cooker
alow it to cool and then remove them
the remaining batter can be refrigerated . From the same batter dosa can be made by diluting it. i will soon post a post on dosa

Mutton kulambu

Ingredients

Mutton - 750 gms
lemon - 1 no
cinnamon - 1 inch
cloves - 4
cardamom(green) - 4
cardamom(black)- 1
kapok bud - 1
fennel seeds- 1 tspn
poppy seeds - 1 tspn
Ginger garlic paste - 1 1/2 tspn
curry leaves - 1 stalk
Onion - 1 no
tomato- 2 nos
green chilli - 1 no
coconut- 1/2 cup
turmeric powder - 1 tspn
chilli powder - 1 tspn
coriander powder- 2 tspn
mutton masala - 1 tspn
salt - acc to taste
oil - 2 tbspns

Method

wash the mutton pieces thouroughly and mariante them walong with lemon juice ,1/2 tspn of turmeric powder and salt for 30 mins to 1 hr..( i had left mine for 4 to 5 hrs in the fridge)
heat oil in a pressure cooker and add the cinnamon sticks, cloves, cardamom and kapok buds
when they begin to sizzle add the finely chopped onions and the finely chopped green chilli and saute them for a while and now add the ginger garlice paste and saute for a sec or two and then add the finely chopped tomatoes
now add the chilli powder,turmeric powder,coriander powder,mutton masala and salt and saute till the tomato becomes juicy
at this stage add the marianted mutton and mix them so that it gets coated on all sides
pour about 1/2 cup water and pressure cook them upto 7 whistles( this depends on the kind of mutton you buy, i had give upto 10 whistles for it to get cooked completely)
mean while grind together the coconut,fennel seeds and poppy seeds to a fine mixture
when the whistles are done leave a settling time of about 15 mins and then open the cooker and add the coconut mixture and keep it on medium flame and add sufficient water and check for taste. leave for about 10 mins and then switch it off.garnish with curry leaves and serve them for Idlis/rice

Kathirikai kadasal (brinjal curry)

2009-05-29T16:43:00.004Z

This is a recipe of my grandmother and it can be made very quickly
i tend to make when i run out of time and want to fix a quick lunch/dinner.
here goes the recipe

Ingredients

Brinjal - 3 nos
Onion - 1 medium
Tomato - 2 (small)
Dry red chilli - 1
mustard seeds - 1/4 tspn
curry leaves- 2 stalks
salt- according to taste
turmeric powder- 1/4 tspn
oil- 1 tspn

Method

cube the brinjal and boil them in sufficient water along with turmeric for 7 mins and then drain the brinjal and keep aside
heat oil in a pan and add the dry red chilli and and then the dized onions and saute for a while and then add the cubed tomatoes and saute until it is softened
let the mixture cool and then add this along with brinjal in a mixie and grind for 2 mins
season it along with mustard and curry leaves and enjoy with rice

Pakoras (Onion,Corn&beans)

2009-05-28T00:19:00.005Z

This weekend was raining and i wanted to eat something hot ...after much thinking zeroed on Pakoras being the easiest... i wanted to add something different and tried with corn and beans
and it came out well..here goes the recipe

Ingredients

Onion- 1 medium sized
Corn- 3 tspns
Beans - 2 tspns
Gram flour(besan/kadalai maavu) - 1/2 cup
rice flour- 1 tbspn
water - 3/4 cup(approx)
salt - according to taste
Asafoetida(hing) - a pinch
turmeric powder - 1/4 tspn
chilli powder- 1 tspn
garam masala - 1/4 tspn(optional)

Ingredients

cut the onions lengthwise and finely chop the beans and keep in a bowl
to this add corn( i have used the tinned corn which is little sweet)
add the turmeric ,hing, chilli powder, garam masala and salt and mix well
to this add the besan and rice flour and mix well such that the veggies are coated uniformly
now add water little by little to form a batter neither loose nor stiff
heat oil and fry these in batches ..
serve with chutney or ketchup

Samosa

2009-05-22T14:19:00.006Z

Samosas have always been a hit in all my dinner parties !
I'm dedicating this post to my dearest Em who has always been a great fan of my samosa
Thanx Em

Ingredients for the filling

Potatoes - 4 to 5
Onion - 1 medium sized
Carrots - 1/2 cup
Frozen Peas - 3/4 cup
Coriander leaves - 6 stalks
Turmeric powder - 1/2 tspn
Cumin - 1 tspn
Chaat masala- 1 tspn
Chilli powder - 1 tspn
Garam masala - 1/4 tspn
Salt -according to taste
Oil- for deep frying

Method

Boil the potaotes until soft and when done cool and mash the potaotes and keep aside
Cube the carrots and boil them until soft and set aside
Heat 1 tbspn of oil in a wok and add the cumin and then add finely chopped onions
Saute them for a while and when golden brown add the potatoes and saute for few mins and then add the carrots and peas followed by chilli powder, chaat masala ,garam masala,turmeric powder ,salt and saute them until the masala is well mixed then add the lemon juice and coriander leaves and switch off from flame
Nuts of your choice such as groundnuts,cashew nuts can be roasted separately and add to this mixture.. i have not used any nuts in this recipe due to taste preferences
Let this misture cool mean while the dough can be prepared

Preparing the dough

Ingredients

maida - 1 1/2 cups
salt - 1/4 tspn
baking soda - 1/4 tspn(optional)
oil - 1 tspn
water - for kneading

mix the above mentioned ingredients to form a soft pliable dough

Method for samosa

take dough to the size of lemon and gently roll into a circle
now cut the circle into half as shown below
now take one half of the circle(semicircle) and gently seal the edge using water to form a small cone( refer pics below)
hold the cone using your fingers and palm and place 1 tbspn of the filling into it and seal the edges using water
when done with the desired number of samosas
deep fry them in hot oil with the sealed side facing up and when brown turn them
and when done serve them with the chutney of your choice.

Gobi Manchurian(dry)

2009-05-17T21:41:00.006Z

This has been my all time favorite !

Ingredients

Cauliflower florets(medium sized) - 30
Milk - 1 tbspn
Maida/all purpose flour - 1 cup
Corn flour - 3 tbspn
Ginger garlic paste - 3 tspn
Soy sauce(thick)- 2 tspn
Hot red chilli sauce - 1 1/2 tbspn
Tomato ketchup - 1 1/2 tbspn
Red chilli powder- 1 tspn
Spring Onions - 5 stalks
Onion - 1 medium sized
Capsicum - 1 medium sized
Salt - according to taste
Water - for boiling the florets
Water - 1 cup (approx)
Oil - for deep frying
Oil - 2 tbspn
Red color powder - 1 pinch (optional)

Method

Clean the cauliflower florets and boil them in water along with 1 tbspn of milk for 5 mins and leave it closed mean while get the other things ready.
In a bowl mix together the maida, corn flour, 1 1/2 tspn ginger garlic paste, 1 tspn of soy sauce,chilli powder, 1/4 tspn of salt and now add 1 cup water (approx) and mix together to form a thin batter
drain the floretts and pat them dry. dip the boiled florets in the better one by one and deep fry in hot oil and set aside.
heat 2 tbspn of oil in a wok and add the chopped onions and saute them for few mins and then add the chopped spring onions and cubed capsicum
fry them for a while and add 1 1/2 tspn of ginger garlic paste and fry for 2 mins
dissolve the red color powder(optional) in 1 tbspn of water and add at this stage
add the deep fried florets and saute for few seconds and then add 1 tspn of soy sauce and the hot red chilli sauce and the tomato ketchup and salt
you can adjust the amount of red chilli sauce and tomato ketchup according to taste
Enjoy with rotis !

This post stands dedicated to my friend Ms. Indu Nair

Vegetable Pulao

2008-11-04T16:54:00.004Z

This is one of the easiest and can be made in a jiffy !

Ingredients

Basmati rice - 1 cup
Vegetables - (carrots n beans) - 1 1/2 cup
onion - 1 medium sized
tomato - 1 no
chilli powder- 1 tspn
turmeric powder - 1/2 tspn
coriander powder - 1 tspn
garam masala - 1/4 tspn
salt - acc to taste
coriander leaves - a bunch
oil - 1 tbspn

Ingredients

Heat oil in a pressure cooker and add the finely chopped onions and fry fro few mins
then add the cubed carrots and chopped beans and fry for a while
add the finely chopped tomatoes and fry for few mins
add all the chilli powder,coriander, garam masala ,turmeric and salt and keep sauting for a min or 2
then add the washed rice to it and saute for 1 min
then add 2 cups of water and check for salt
then add the finely chopped coriander leaves and stir it once and close the lid
after 1 whistle remove from flame
serve it with raita ir any curry of ur choice

Potato Buns

2008-11-04T16:12:00.004Z

I found this recipe in divya's blog ..i wanted to try it out immediately...
it came out so well. an excellent tea time snack !

Paruppu vadai

2008-11-04T15:39:00.003Z

Paruppu vadai is made out of dal dumplings fried in oil .
it tastes excellent when eaten hot. here goes the recipe. I happened to do this for a potluck on Diwali party.

Ingredients

Channa dal - 500 gms
Onions - 2 big nos
Curry leaves - 4 stalks
Dried red chillies - 4 nos
cumin seeds - 2 tspns
fennel seeds - 2 tspn
salt - approx 2 tspn(acc to taste)
asafoetida - 1/4 tspn
oil- 3 cups for frying

Method

Soak the channa dal for abt 2 hrs
when they have doubled in size set aside about 5 tbspns of channa dal, this gives a crunchy taste to the vadai
grind the remaining channa dal along with the red chillies to a coarse paste and add the chopped onions,roughly chopped curry leaves and cumin,fennel,asafoetida , salt ,coarsely grinded channa paste and the remaining dal and mix thoroughly .
heat oil and meanwhile gently form lemon shaped balls out of this coarse paste and press it down with your palms
when done fry these in batches and serve it hot with any chutney of ur choice or enjoy it as such.

Egg Macroni

2008-11-03T00:16:00.004Z

Ingredients

Pasta - 200 gms
Onion - 1 medium sized
Egg - 2 nos
Tomato puree - 4 tbspn
Garam masala - 1/4 tspn
Chat masala - 1/4 tspn
Chilli powder - 1/4 tspn
Coriander powder - 1/4 tspn
Pepper powder - 1/4 tspn
Salt - acc to taste
Oil - 2 tspn
Butter - 1 tspn

Method

Boil the pastas with 1 tspn o f butter and drain and keep aside
In a pan heat oil and add the finely chopped onions and when they become golden brown add the tomato puree and saute for few mins and then set aside.
In a larger pan add oil and break open the eggs and all the above mentioned masalas and keep sauting till the eggs get scrambled
at this stage add the boiled and drained pastas and saute for few secs and then add the previously prepared onion and tomato paste .
make sure the pastas are properly covered with the masalas
serve it for breakfast or as a evening snack.

Prawn 65

2008-11-01T09:51:00.008Z

Ingredients

Prawns(cleaned & deveined) - 30 (small) or 15 (big)
soy sauce - 1 tbspn
vinegar - 1 tbspn
Ginger garlic paste - 1/4 tspn
Red Color - a pinch (optional)
Coriander powder - 1/4 tspn
Chilli powder - 1/4 tspn
garam masala - 1/4 tspn
turmeric powder - 1/4 tspn
Corn flour - 1 tbspn
Egg white - 1 no
Salt - acc to taste
Oil - 1/2 to 3/4 cup of oil for frying

For seasoning

Curry leaves - few
Green chillies - 2 to 3

Method

Heat a pan(no oil needed) and add the prawns and turmeric powder.the prawns will leave water . keep sauting gently until the water dries up.now u can see the prawns coiled up at this stage remove from flame and allow it cool
in a bowl add the prawns , ginger garlic paste, soy sauce,vinegar,coriander powder,garam masala powder,chilli powder,salt n red food color and leave it for atleast 30 mins to get marinated. i usually leave it for 2 to 3 hrs.
Mix the egg white and corn flour to the prwans and leave it for 5 to 6 mins
Heat oil in a pan(i usually use a small pan to reduce the amount of oil) and then fry the prawns in bathches of few .
when done... heat abt 1/4 tspn of oil in another pan and ad the curry leaves and the green chillies cut lengthwise and then add the prawns saute for few secs and serve them hot as an appetizer

Chicken Briyani

2008-10-25T17:49:00.009Z

Chicken Briyani is made of chicken cooked with spices and basmati rice.
Ingredients 1

Chicken - 1 kg
Curd(yoghurt) - 3 tbspn
Lemon juice- 1 tbspn
Salt - 1 tspn
Chicken Masala - 2 tspn
GingerGarlic paste- 2 tspn
Turmeric powder - 1 tspn
Coriander powder- 2 tspn
Chilli powder - 1/2 tspn

Ingredients 2

Bay leaf- 2 nos
fennel seeds - 1 tspn
Nutmeg powder - 1 tspn
star anise - 1 no
cardamom - 4 nos
Clove- 5 - 6 nos
cinnamon sticks - 2 - 3 nos

Ingredients 3

Onions - 2 big nos(lengthwise)
Tomato- 2 big nos(cubed)
Green Chilli - 2(slit lenthwise)
Ginger Garlic paste- 3 tbspn
Coriander- a bunch(chopped finely)
pudina(mint leaves)-a bunch(chopped finely)
Ghee(clarified butter) - 2 tbspn
Basmati Rice - 2 cups
Chicken masala - 3 - 4 tbspn (as per taste)
Oil - 4 - 5 tbspn
salt - acc to taste

Method

Chicken Marination

wash the chicken(medium size) and set aside
In a large bowl add 2 tbspn of curd and all the other ingredients 1 and mix it well
Add the chicken to this and leave it aside for min of 40 mins
wash and soak the basmati rice for a min of 30 mins
In a pressure cooker or a heavy bottomed pan heat oil
and then add the ingredients 2 except nutmeg powder and wait till they splutter ( 1 min)
and then add the onions cut lengthwiseand saute it for few mins
then add the nutmeg powder and saute it
then add the green chillies , coriander leaves,mint leaves and tomaotes and saute for few mins
then add the ginger garlic paste and saute it for sometime till the tomatoes get smashed
then add the marinated chicken and salt and chicken masala..(Add 2 tbspn of chicken masala and then as per taste adjust accordinly)
cook for some time till the chicken is almost cooked
drain the water from basmati rice and set aside
in the mean time heat a pan and add the ghee and then add then add the basmati rice
saute it carefully and when the flavour of basmati arises and the rice does not stick to one another at this stage switch off from flame
now add this basmati rice along with the chicken which is almost cooked
taste for masala and spice level and then add 3 cups of water..the rice shud be just immersed in water
close the lid and keep the flame in lowand wait until the rice cooks
when the rice is cooked arnish with coriander and enjoy it with raita and eggs.

Sweet Mango Pickle

2008-10-15T15:11:00.007Z

This is my all time favourite!!!! whenever i make this i get reminded of my childhood days where my grand mom used to make this for me n my cousins... we used to relish with curd rice. we all used to sit around our grand mom and she used to give curd rice on our palms and we used to lick mango pickle along with it. This week as i was passing by i found mangoes on the trees ...wat a beautiful sight ...i stopped my car and i plucked enough mangoes
this ia a very simple recipe

Ingredients

Mangoes - 1 no (refer pic below for size)
Oil - 1 tspn
Chilli powder - 1/4 tsp
Mustard seeds - 6 to 7 seeds
Urad dal (splitted) - 6 to 7 seeds
Salt - 1/4 tsp
Jaggery(powdered) - 3 tspn

Method

Cut the mangoes into cubes ..u can also cut them into small pieces.
heat oil in a pan and allow the mustard seeds and urad dal to splutter
then add the magoes and saute them for say about 7 to 9 mins
then add the salt and chilli powder and saute for 2 mins
then add around 3 tsp[ns of powdered jaggery and saute so that the mangoes get coated with the melted jaggery
wait for 2 mins and then remove from flame
sweetish tangy mango pickle is ready in mins
cool and then enjoy with curd rice
according to ur taste u can adjust the amount of jaggery

Shahi Paneer

2008-10-07T16:10:00.011Z

Making paneer

Ingredients

milk powder - 4 tbspns(heaps)
water - 1 big glass
vinegar - 1 tbspn

Paneer is an Indian cheese n tastes yummy..
i usually prefer to make paneer with full cream milk but since i cant find any good full cream milk here in Africa ...i have used the nestle milk powder .

take 4 tbspns(heaps) of milk powder in a boiling pan and add a big glass of water and mix it thorougly so that there are no heaps
now heat this milk until it begins to boil ..at this stage add one tbspn of vinegar and after few secs switch off flame . the result will look like the pic below - the paneer n the water wud've separated
filter this and spread the paneer on a plate..
cover the paneer with damp cloth and a place a heavy vessel filled with water and let it set for a min of 3 - 4 hrs.. i usually leave it for 6-7 hrs. then cut into pieces and freeze it..

Ingredients for shahi paneer

Onion - 2 big ones
Tomato - 1 big one
Cloves - 6 nos
Cardamom - 6 nos
Whipped Cream - 20 cl
Paneer - 2 cups
Cashew nuts - few nos(optional)
Kashmiri chilli powder - 1 tspn
Coriander powder - 1 tspn
Turmeric powder - 1/4 tspn
Garam masala - 1/2 tspn
Oil - 2 tbspn

Method

leave the paneer at room temperature atleast 2 - 3 hrs before preparing...so that it is soft
now grind the onions n tomatoes to a fine paste n set aside
heat 1 1/2 tbspn oil in a pan and add the cloves n cardamom n let it splutter and then add the ground onion tomato paste.
keep stirring for a while n then leave it till the water from the paste gets dried . this will take around 20 mins...this step is very important as this gets rid of the raw smell from the onion-toamto pste
when the onion- tomato begins to stick then add 1/2 tbspn of oil n keep stirring
after few mins add the dry masala(Coriander powder, kashmiri chilli powder, turmeric,garam masala n salt acc to taste)
saute this for a min or 2 and then add the whipped cream to this and keep stirring for 3 mins and then add the paneer cubes ...make sure that the paneer is coated evenly with the paste n care shud be taken not to break the paneer cubes.
switch off from flame and transfer to another dish.
garnish with cashew nuts (optional)... here i have not used cashew nuts for taste preferences
serve with hot parathas or roti

Pizza

2008-09-08T14:08:00.009Z

Usually we eat pizza outside but i wanted to try it at home...and yes it was a success and i thought i wud share it with you all.

Ingredients

All purpose flour/Maida - 2 cups
Yeast - 1 tbspn
Sugar - 1 tspn
Salt- acc to taste
Vegetables for topping - onions,Capsicum,Mushroom,Maize(any veggies of ur choice)
Tomatoes - 4
Onions- 1 small
Garlic - 2 pods
Grated Cheese - 400 gms
sunflower oil- 1 tspn
Olive oil- 1 1/2 tbspn
Pizza Spices - store bought

The spices for pizza which is available in the store consists of
Origano,Marjoram,Bay,Ginger,Paprika,Onion,Garlic,Rosemary,Salt

Method

in 1/2 cup of luke warm water dissolve yeast,salt n sugar and in a bowl add the all purpose flour and then slowly add the luke warm water and one tbspn of olive oil and mix it to form soft pliable dough
when done just apply the remaining olive oil on the outer surface and leave it closed until the dough is properly fermented or till it doubles in size.
chop the garlic n onions very finely and puree the tomatoes
heat oil in a pan and add the garlic and then the onions and fry it for a while then add the tomato puree to it and cook it for a while..if desired u can use the store bought tomato puree also...add salt and 1/4 tspn of garam masala(optional)
now roll the dough to your desired shape....here i have made it rectangle to the size of my tray...
when u have prepared the base just apply the tomato puree on top of it and then add the vegetables for topping which is cut lengthwise and then spread the pizza spices all over n then top it with the grated cheese.
then place it the oven at 160 ..keep checking if its done. it takes 20 to 30 mins .

Medhu Vadai

2008-08-11T12:16:00.004Z

Medhu vadai is made of urad dal and it is my all time favourite
Sunday evening it was raining "cats n dogs " and we felt like having somethin piping hot
after few mins of thinking we zeroed in on having medhu vadai.

Ingredients

Urad dal- 1 cup (200 gms)
Green chillies - 4 to 5
Onions - 2
Curry leaves - a bunch
Ginger grated - 1 tspn
Asafoetida- 1/2 tspn
Coriander leaves - a bunch
salt - acc to taste
Oil - for frying

Method

wash n soak the dal and refrigerate for min 1 hr
in the mean time chop the onions finely
cut the green chillies and grate the ginger and finely chop the coriander leaves and curry leaves
now grind the urad dal smoothly . care shud be taken not to add too much water as it might absorb excessive oil.
when done add the onions , chillies, curry leaves , ginger, coriander leaves, needed sal and asafoetida. mix it thoroughly
heat oil in a pan
now comes the trickier part.
usually the vada's have a hole in the centre to allow even frying
the mixture must be in th right propotion to get this
for begginers it is ok if u just fry it without the hole in the centre.
wet ur hands and take the misture to the size of the lemon ball and a make a hole with ur thumb and gently drop it in the oil
allow it to get fried , the color changes to golden brown and then turn it and fry evenly
when done serve with coconut chutney .
alternatively u can cool the vada and drop in curd and enjoy as thayir vadai(curd vada)

Rava upuma

2008-08-11T11:22:00.005Z

This is one of the most easiest tiffin items.
i have submitted a recipe of upma without vegetables but u can add ur choice of vegetables to this.

Ingredients

Rava/Sooji - 1 1/2 cups
Onion - 1 big
Green chillies - 4 to 5
Curry leaves - a bunch
Mustard - 1 tspn
Urad dal- 1/2 tspn
Channa dal - 1/2 tspn
Ginger grated - 1/2 tspn
Water- 2 cups
Salt - acc to taste
Oil - 1 tbspn

Method

Heat oil in a pan and then add mustard seeds n urad dal n allow it to splutter
then add the channa dal n curry leaves n saute it for few secs. when the curry leaves begin to become crisp add the grated ginger n green chillies slit lenghtwise
saute for few secs and add the onions which are cut lenghtwise and keep frying till they become golden brown.
at this stage add water n salt and close the pan with a tight lid
allow the water to boil and when it has almost reduced to half add the rava n keep stirring
care shud be taken while doing this or it might get clustered
i prefer to have my upma dry for those of u who dont want it dry can increase the amount of water.
now reduce the flame and keep it closed for 5- 7 mins
remove from flame n relish it with pickle / chutney/sugar

Aloo Paratha

2008-08-05T10:26:00.008Z

Paratha is a piece of flat unleavened bread fried on a griddle.
The dough is made from wheat flour.
Well this is my favourite north indian dish !
But it is fattening as in addition to the potato we use butter to brush the parathas.
so guys who are on diet be aware!

Ingredients

Aloo(Potato) - 2 medium size
Green chillies - 4 nos
Onion - 1 medium size( finely chopped)
Mustard - 1 tspn
Garlic - 4 pods ( finely chopped)
Coriander leaves- a bunch ( finely chopped)
Cumin - 1/4 tspn
Ajwain - 1 tspn
salt- acc to taste
chilli powder- 1/4 tspn
coriander powder- 1/4 tspn
garam masala - 1/4 tspn
butter- 2 to 3 tbspn
oil- 1 tbspn

alternatively this recipe can be prepared without using chilli powder, coriander powder and garam masala.

Method

Pressure cook the potatoes until soft and when done cool it and mash the potaoes and add 1/2 tspn of ajwain and set it aside
heat about 1 tbspn of oil and then add the mustard seeds and allow it to splutter and when done add the cumin seeds and saute for few secs and then add finely chopped garlic
when it begins to brown add the finely chopped green chillies and then add the finely chopped onions and keep sauting till the onions begin to turn brown
now add the mashed potato mixed with ajwain to this
add salt , chilli powder, coriander powder and garam masala and keep sauting
when the mixture is almost dry add the chopped coriander leaves and switch off the flame and allow it to cool

Preparing the dough

take about 1 1/2 cups of atta (Chappathi flour/wheat flour)
add about 1/2 tspn of salt and 1/2 tspn of ajwain and add needed water sufficient enough to make a soft pliable dough. when ur making this for the first time it will be quite tricky as one tends to add more water there by making it either too soft or too hard but i assure you it is not that difficult.
now take sufficient dough to the size of a big lemon and flatten it on the edges using your fingers and then take the potato dumplings to the size of a small lemon and place in on the dough
flatten the potato dumplings but not too much to the edges
now pull the edges of the dough to a heap using your fingers so that the potato dumplings are not seen on the outside( refer to the pics below)
now spread some dry atta on the surface where u r going to roll
and roll the dough using a rolling pin to a round shape.(well was able to obtain this shape after several attempts)
heat tawa and place this on it when hot
after few secs turn over n wait for it to get cooked
then brush with butter and turn it
again brush with butter on the other side and wait for 2 secs and then take it from the tawa.
serve with pickle or any chutney of your choice.

Source

From a friend.

Lemon Rice

2008-07-29T11:54:00.002Z

Perhaps it is one of the most easiest recipe.
Whenever i make lemon rice i get reminded of my picnic days in my childhood.

back in India, we always used to take this or Puliyodarai with any thuvaiyal prepared by my grand mom.

Ingredients

Rice - 1 cup

Lemon- 2 (deseeded n juiced)

Mustard Seeds- 1 tsp

Urad dal - 1/2 tsp

Channa dal- 1/4 tsp

Red chillies - 1 or 2
Curry leaves - a bunch

Asafoetida- 2 pinch

Groundnuts- 1 tsp

Turmeric powder- 1 tspn

Salt

Oil- 1/2 tbsp

Method

Cook the rice n keep it aside.
In a pan add oil and when it is hot drop mustard seeds,urad dal n channa dal
allow it to splutter and then add the curry leaves , red chillies n asafoetida
then add the groundnuts and saute for a min.(i have avoided using groundnuts but it is gives more taste)
when their flavours has got a chance to intermingle add the lemon juice and turmeric powder, wait for 2 mins and then take it off the flame
add the needed salt and mix it with the rice.
simple isnt it?
enjoy with potato chips or any thuvaiyal

Tomato Briyani

2008-07-18T10:37:00.002Z

Ingredients

Basmati rice- 1 1/2 cups (300 gms)
Onion - 1 big
Tomato - 4 nos(big)
Ginger garlic paste - 3 tspns
Clove - 2 to 3 nos
Cinnamon - 1/2 inch
Briyani leaf - 1 no
sompf - 4 to 5 nos
nutmeg powder- 1 tspn
Briyani masala - 3 tspns
Turmeric powder - 1 tspn
Oil - 2 tbspn
salt - acc to taste

Method

Soak the rice for 30 mins to 1 hr
heat oil in a thick bottomed pan
add the cloves, cinnamon n sompf
wait for few seconds then add briyani leaf n onions cut lengthwise
fry till the onions begin to turn brown
then add the ginger garlic paste n fry for few mins
add nutmeg powder n saute for few seconds
add the diced tomatoes n then add salt turmeric pwdr n briyani masala
wait until the tomatoes are almost cooked
drain the water from the rice and add it and saute it for few seconds
add 3 cups of water and mix properly
close the pan with the lid firmly and keep on low flame
after 20 to 25 mins the rice is almost ready
turn of the fire and let it be in standing time for some time say 5 mins
tomato briyani is ready
garnish with coriander and enjoy with raita

Sambar

2008-07-17T15:07:00.002Z

Well i started my cooking with my husband's help.
It was my husband who taught me to make sambar and yes it is really yummy
Naveen i hope it is helpful for you. Try it , it is a Bachelor's recipe( ha ha ha ).

Ingredients

Onions - 1 big size or Small onions - 10 nos
Tomato - 2 big ones
Toor dal - 150 gms
Vegetables - Carrot/Chow Chow/Raddish/Drumstick/Beans/Capsicum
Curry leaves - a bunch
Coriander - a bunch(chopped)
Mustard - 1 tspn
Urad dal - 1 tspn
Fenugreek - 1/2 tspn
Asafoetida - 1/2 tspn
Tamarind - size of the lemon
Turmeric Powder - 1 tspn
Sambar Powder - 2 tbspn

Method

Soak the dal for abt 30 mins and pressure cook it with turmeric powder(also can be done without soaking)
Boil the tamarind with water for 2 mins n set aside
In a kadai add oil and then add mustard , urad and fenugreek and allow it to splutter
Then add curry leaves and asafoetida and saute it for few secnds
Then add Onions slit length wise and saute it till little brown
Then add the cubed vegetables and saute it for 3 to 4 mins
Saute it with the cut tomatoes
Add the tamarind juice and the cooked dal
Then add salt and sambar powder
wait till it boils well
Garnish with coriander
Serve with steamed rice

Chicken Fry

2008-07-17T13:21:00.006Z

Well i have experimented on tandoori chicken without using a tandoor.
sounds strange but as i am away from india i dont have the tandoor.
yeah but the chicken can be grilled in the oven also but i use a simple frying pan n cook it on the gas.

Ingredients

Chicken - 300 gms

For marination

Ginger paste- 1 tspn
Garlic paste- 1 tspn
Vinegar - 1 tbspn
Lime juice - 1 tbspn
Curd - 2 tbspn
Chicken masala - 2 tspn
Red color powder - a pinch ( optional)
salt - acc to taste.

Chicken masala

The chicken masala which i usually use is "sakthi chilli chicken "
U can get the chicken masala from the Indian store .

Marination

wash the chicken and make small incisions on it (with fork or knife) n set it aside
in a bowl add ginger garlic paste and all the above mentioned ingredients for marination
stir it properly so that the masala gets dissolved
then add the chicken pieces n mix it well
now this has to kept it in the refrigerator for to 1 to 2 hrs for proper marination
sometimes i keep it overnight( depends upon the availability of time)

Method

Heat about 1 tbspn of oil in the frying pan
when its hot add the marinated chicken pieces
make sure the falme is low
occasionally brush it with oil n make sure to turn it
keep cooking for abt 10 to 12 mins
here we go tasty chicken is ready

Enjoy it as a starter or with chappathi or naan

Potato Fry

2008-07-17T11:10:00.003Z

Ingredients

Potato - 1 medium size
mustard seeds - 1/2 tspn
urad dal - 1/2 tspn
Oil- 1 tbspn
Chilli powder - 1 tspn
Coriander powder- 1 tspn
Salt - acc to taste

Method

Slice the potato to oval shape n keep it aside
Pour oil in a frying pan
and when the oil is hot add mustard seeds n urad dal.
wait for few seconds and when the mustard seeds splutter
add the sliced potatoes n let it fry for some time say 5 mins, then add chilli powder , coriander powder n needed salt... the saute it for 5 to 6 mins. there you go simple potato fry is ready
relish it with sambar rice or chappathi