2009/11/30

CAULIFLOWER FRY



INGREDIENTS :

Cauliflower -- 1 small
Onion -- 1
Tomato -- 1
Mustard and Jeera -- 1 tsp
Salt to taste
Ginger-garlic paste -- 1 tsp
Chilli powder - 2 tsps
Turmeric powder - 1 tsp
Garam masala powder - 1 tsp

METHOD OF PREPARATION :

1) Wash cauliflower florets in water with a pinch of salt and turmeric . Separately cook then in fresh water , strain the water and keep aside.
2) Heat oil in a kadai . Add mustard and jeera . When it splutters,add chopped onion and saute till tender.
3)Then add tomato and saute till it forms thick gravy.
4) Add Ginger -garlic paste and all other powders.
5) Finally , add the cooked florets to it and mix them well .Remove from flame once it gets well mixed with the gravy.
5) Then add florets to it amd mix them well.

2009/11/27

COOKING TIPS

Dear Friends ,

I had a blog separately for giving tips . While developing that blog , i ended in some technical problem , so i closed that blog and decided to give them in this page itself . Will soon post all my posts in that blog .

As a first step , i post my cooking tips for you . Few of these tips will be the familiar ones . Some of these are from my friends , relatives, neighbour , google and some magazines .

COOKING TIPS :

1) While cooking Toor dal or Moong dal in a pressure cooker , add 2 tsps of oil and a pinch of turmeric powder . Dal will be cooked fast and soft .

2) I follow this measurement for making Dosa/Idly . 6 cups of rice , 1 cup of Urad dal and 1 tsp of Methi seeds for saoking . While grinding add 2 handful of beaten rice /Poha for crispy dosa.

3) While making the batter , first grind dal and then rice . Once transferred to the bowl , add salt and mix them well with your hand before fermenting . Proper mixing of dal and rice batter will give you perfect Idly and Dosa .

4) Store them in 2 separate containers , use only 1 at a time . Once you started using batter with ladle , in due course the batter will have sour smell . Once the small container is done , we can refill them .

5) Have a new scotch brite separately for cleaning Carrots , Radish and sometimes less muddy potatoes instead of a pealer .

6) When your curry or gravy have more tamarind taste , add more karam to it . The gravy will be perfect .

7) When your curry turns to be too spicy , finally smash a tomato to it .

8) While cleaning non-vegetarian foods , wash them thrice with little of turmeric to it . This will help to remove their raw smell .

9) While preparing chicken,mariante it with powders and a spoon of curd to it. They will become soft.

10) If you use chicken with bones , add less oil while cooking .Their skin and bones will leave some oil and your recipe will be too tasty.

11) If your pantry have half rippen fruits or veggies , you can leave them in your cello hot box . They will rippen soon . Otherwise,you can leave fruits like Custard Apple , Mango in rice .

12) To avoid ripening of bananas very soon , you can hang your banana to a thick thread tied in a comfortable place for you .

13) Remove the stem of curry leaves , pudina and greens before storing them . They will be fresh for a long time .

14) Remove the cap of chillies while storing it .

15) When you make homemade sambar powders , store them in a airtight container . If you have prepared in large quantities , have a small container for daily use . Can refill them,once finished.

16) While making greens , just sprinkle little water . They by themselves will leave some water and the colur of the greens will not be changed . Once you overcooked them , they will have bitter taste .

17) While making kootu using channa dal , we can soakovernight but leave it in refrigerator.Dal will be soft after cooking with the same freshness.

18) When we cook non-veg foods , our kadai or pan will sometimes be too oily or have the masala smell . So , while we clean those vessels we can use form cleaner and hot water .

19 ) We can cover our gas stove with aluminium foil .Cut them for each burner . This will help you to clean the stove easily . We can just remove the foil and through them ,when we drop milk or any burnt food fall it it. We can maintain our stove as newly as possible.

20) While making Paruppu usli , we must stir the dal mixture continuously in the pan.This will consume long time and give pain to your hands . Insted we can steam cook them in Idli pan .

Enjoy and have more fun.

2009/11/26

TOOR DAL CHUTNEY / THUVARAM PARUPPU THOVAYAL




INGREDIENTS :

Toor Dal -- 1 small cup
Coconut --- 7 pieces
Curry leaves -- 1 handful
Garlic cloves -- 9
Salt to taste
Tamarind - 1 small lemon size
Red Chillies -- 5

METHOD OF PREPARATION :

1) Heat a spoon of oil in a kadai . Then add red chillies , curryleaves , garlic and tamarind . Saute till the aroma smells out .
2) Remove it to a plate . Then add dal to the kadai and roast it till the smell comes out .
3) Remove from the flame and allow it to cool .
4) Then grind them in a mixer with coconut and salt .

Serve with Pongal / Dosa / Idli / Chapathi /Rasm Rice .

2009/11/24

MUTTON BONE SOUP / ELUMBU SOUP


Mutton Bone soup has more health benefits. It helps strengthen bones and effective remedy for cold , cough and severe congestion. It boosts the immune system and help children of underweight to gain weight and the necessary nutrients for their growth. This soup can be given to toddlers from 1 year.

INGREDIENTS :
 

  • Mutton bone : 200 gms
  • Tomato -- 1 big  
  • Pepper- Jeera powder -- - 6 tsps 
  • Salt to taste
  •  Curry leaves
  •  Turmeric powder -- 3 tsps 

For Masala : 
  • Pearl onions -- 1/4 cup 
  • Garlic --- 5 cloves
  • Ginger - a small piece

 METHOD OF PREPARATION : 

 1) Wash bones and keep aside . 
2) Heat 4 tbps of oil in a pressure cooker and once hot , add bones and saute for 3 minutes.



3) Then , add grinded masala to it. Saute till the raw smell leaves. Add 2 cups of water.




4) Smash a tomato to it and add curry leaves , turmeric powder, and a cup of water. AddC pepper jeera powder , cook for 6 whistles .




 Serve hot.

This soup goes to Sudeshna's Think Spice : Think Turmeric event ,event started by Sunitha. Other Recipes for the event are : AVIYAL POORI MASALA MASALA DOSAI

2009/11/18

OATS RAVAI IDLI




INGREDIENTS:


Oats -- 1 cup
Rava -- 1 cup
Fresh curd - - 2 cups
Salt to taste
Water - -2 cups



METHOD OF PREPARATION :

1) Powder oats and rava in a blender .
2) Then mix it with curd,water and salt . Leave the batter for 15-20 minutes.
3) Then pour the batter in idly pan and steam cook for 10 minutes.



Serve hot with sambar or chutney.Sending this to Sara's Oats Feast Event .



Other Oats Recipes are :



2009/11/17

FRENCH BEANS PORIYAL


INGREDIENTS :
French Beans / Long Beans - 200 g
Salt to taste
Onion - 1 (medium)
Turmeric powder - a pinch
Mustard,Urat dal - 2 tsps each
Curry Leaves Grated coconut -- 1/4 cup Red chillies - -3

METHOD OF PREPARATION :
1) Heat oil in a kadai .Once hot,add mustard,urat dal .When it splutters , add curry leaves and chopped onion .Fry till golden brown.
2)Add Chopped beans and add little water .Cover with a lid ,wait till beans becomes soft without any water.
3) Then,turmeric powder and salt . 4) Add Salt and coconut .Remove from flame when the flavour of coconut raises ,mixed with the veggie. Serve hot with rice.
You might also like:

2009/11/13

CHOW CHOW KULAMBHU


INGREDIENTS :

  • Chow chow -- 1 big
  • Onion -- 1 
  • Curry leaves 
  • Salt to taste  
  • Mustard,Jeera-- 1 tsp each

 For Masala :

  • Tomato - 1
  • Cashew -- 4 
  • Coconut --7 pieces
  • Fennel seeds -- 1 tsp 
  • Dried red chillies - 8

METHOD OF PREPARATION : 

1 ) Heat 3 spoons of oil in a pressure cooker . Once hot , add mustard , jeera and red chillies . When it splutters , add chopped onion and curry leaves till tender .



2) Add the grinded masala ,Ginger-garlic paste, all the powders and salt .


3)Then add peeled and chopped chow chow .Saute for 3 minutes . 

4) Pressure cook for 4 or 5 whistles ,allow the steam to leave . 5) Once the gravy becomes thick , remove from the flame. Garnish with coriander leaves.

Serve hot with Rice / Roti

2009/11/11

RADISH CHUTNEY




INGREDIENTS :


Radish -1( big )
Pearl / Sambar onions - 1/2 cup
Red Chillies- 3
Tomato - 1 big
Chana dal-2 tsps
Curry leaves and Coriander leaves
Salt to taste

METHOD OF PREPARATION :


1) Wash and peel the skin of radish.
2) Heat oil in a kadai . Once hot , add chana dal, chillies .
3) Add finely chopped onion and tomato , fry till golden brown.
4)Add chopped radish with curry and coriander leaves . Fry them till raw smell of radish leaves and cooked well .
5) Turn off the flame.Allow to mixture to cool down for 5 mins.
6) Then grind the mixture with salt.Chutney is ready to serve. Serve hot with dosas or idli .

This goes to Sireesha's Pickles and Chutney's event .



My Other Entries are :

CHUTNEY'S :

1) SPICY BRINJAL CHUTNEY
2) Beetroot Chutney
3) Amla / Nellikkai Chutney
4)
Sesame Chutney
5)
Coconut Chutney6) Radish Chutney
7) Peanut Chutney
8) Red Chilli Chutney
9)Spicy tomato chutney
10) Qucik Tomato Chutney
11)Carrot Chutney
12)Capsicum Chutney
13)Dried Red Chillies Chutney

PICKLES :
1) GONGURA PICKLE

2)BITTERGOURD PICKLE

2009/11/09

POORI



INGREDIENTS:

Wheat flour -- 2 cups
Sufficient water
Salt to taste
Oil for deep frying.




METHOD OF PREPARATION : 

1) Sieve the wheat flour. Add Salt and sufficient water and kneed a soft , a bit firm dough. Atlas, roll the dough in a spoon of oil.



2) Take a small ball of dough and rolled out in small thick circles with a rolling pin.




3) Heat oil in a deep pan for frying .  



4) Once hot, drop the rolled out dough in the oil. Slowly take some oil from the pan and spread over the top. Hold its corner lightly, the poori will puff out.




5) Flip to its side. Once done, remove from the flame.



Serve hot with Potato Masala or Potato Kurma.

2009/11/05

MY FIRST COOKED FOOD EVENT ROUNDUP!!!!!!

Greetings !!!

Yet an another happy event. Thank you all the wonderful ladies, who participated shared their lovely recipes. Here comes the array of yummy delicious recipes with sweet unforgettable evergreen memories behind them .Click on each recipe and read about their interesting memories. My First Cooked Food , MIXED VEGETABLE KURMA











Sanghi has sent this yummy Carrot Halwa Bala Sarawathy has sent this mouthwatering Oyster Sauce Chicken curry Namitha has passed this yummy Paruppu-Andra style SHAISTA TABREZ has sent this delicious Tahiri Varsha has sent this mouthwatering recipe Spicy Kerala Fish Curry Ann has sent this healthy simple Cheera Thoran Viki has passed this lovely recipeMurungakkai masala poriyal EC has passed this lovely Bisibela bhath Ramya has sent this lovely Semolina/Sooji Khichadi Sireesha has sent this quick healthy Bhindi Fry Pooja has sent this yummy recipe Cauliflower egg stir fry Nandini has passed these yummy delicious combo Brinjal Kozhumbu and Potato Fry Padma has sent this yummy tempting Rice Cutlet Priya has passed this spicy good recipeSpicy Potato Thokku Priyaraj has passed this quick yummy breakfast Onion dosa and Simple tomato chutney Vidhya Aravind has passed this yummy recipe Kovaikkai Masala Curry Vanisri has passed this delicious different Yam Kootu Sri Valli has passed this tempting Stuffed Brinjal curry Jyothi has sent these delicious Dal fry & Rice Avanthi has passed thes soft fluffy Idly's Sushma has passed these yummy delicious recipes : 1) Chutney Sandwich 2) Rajma Wrap 3) Mini methi puri 4)Noodles Poha 5) Simple Egg sandwich Swapna has passed this yummy Gothambu payasam Nivedita has passed this yummy quick Simple Upma . Sanjana has passed this lovely recipe Veggie Packed dhai varo . Shifa Firoz has sent gulab jamun and spring rolls. Kamala's first cooked food,Plain Potato dry" and she told : "My first cooking experience started in a kerosene wick stove in Mumbai with my husband after marriage in 1979. My in laws were in their home town. My husband, the only person who could comment about my food never gave any negative comments just to encourage me to develop my cooking skills." Sudha's first chicken curry and her experience in her words : "Chicken curry was the first recipe that I tried when I was 14 years old . Both my parents were working and my classes were afternoon session at that time.The curry was slightly watery for my first trial.LOL. But mom came to the rescue after she came back from work.She encouraged me and told me my curry was tasty for my first trial!!!" Nithiya's first cooked food,Maida paalakayalu and her sweet story : This dish is the one that I tried for the first time in my life when I was in 8th class. Mom used to help me out to make the dough and make me sit and roll them into balls. Used to do that for hours popping one into the mouth now and then. I just cant forget the the experience. :) Lata Raja has shared her daughter's first cooked foods with us. Hope u all have enjoyed and smelled the aroma of these recipes . Enjoy and have fun.

KOLLU IDLI (Horse gram Idli)