Cabbage Carrot curry December 23, 2008

This is the regular cabbage carrot peas curry but with a little different variation.

Ingredients:

1. Cabbage – grated-  2 cups

2. Carrot – grated – 1 cup

3. Peas – 1 cup

4.  ginger garlic paste – 1 tbs- optional.

5. Basil powder – 1/3 tbs.

6. Turmeric – a pinch.

Seasoning:

1. Mustard seeds – 1tbs.

2. Curry leaves – 5

Method:

1. In a large pan add 1 tbs oil and add mustard seeds, curry leaves, turmeric, ginger garlic paste and let them splutter for few seconds.

2. Now add all the grated vegetables and mix well.

3. Cover with a lid and cook for about 15 minutes. (Stirring often).

4. Now add salt and cok for about 5 minutes.

5. Is now ready to serve with hot rice or rotis.

Palli Chutney December 23, 2008

I just love chutneys/pickles.  If I have hot rice or idli’s / dosas to go with them. I am sure its  heaven for me.

Ingredients:

1. Palli/ground nuts – 1 cup

2. Green chillies – 3

3. Tamarind – 1 small piece(wash and dry)

Seasoning:

1.  Mustard seeds – 1tbs

2. Urad dal – 1 tbs

3. Jeera – 1 tbs

4.  Red chillies -1

5. Hing – 1 pinch

Method:

1. In a pan add the ground nuts, chillies and tamarind and fry for about 5 minutes.

2.  let them cool for about 10 minutes, grind and add salt.( add a pinch of sugar and water to make it smooth )

3. In the same pan add 1 tbs oil, hing, mustard seeds ,urad dal, jeera , red chillies.

4.   Garnish with corinader if  needed.

5. serve with hot Idlis, Dosas, upma and even katte pongali.

Kobbari Annam December 21, 2008

Rotini Pasta… December 15, 2008

I have a little saga to tell you for this dish..When I first came to US my dear husband who was trying hard to make me taste different cuisines.One  day he took me to a fine Italian restaurant.  We had our seats, ordered some xyz pasta ( I don’t remember the name ),  dear husband was busy explaining me delicious  the dish is and  I just couldn’t wait to get that dish into my mouth. As soon as our order was at out table my eyes grew bigger in anticipation..The dish looked ( just looks) great . I took a fork and put a piece in my mouth and lo..all the anticipation, drooling came to a simple end. My husband asked how it taste I simply did not say anything instead I made faces..which he could understand how good the dish is..I didn’t like it ( he explained me his similar first time experiences with pasta) . It was completely bland no sign a pinch of spice. Somehow it tasted weird to me. Soon after that incident one weekend my husband made the same dish at our home with a touch of spices to it and then to my surprise it was so tasty that I had a bowl full. The next time we went to the same restaurant  and ordered the dish. But this time we customized according to the taste I liked at the home and believe me I just started liking the Pasta..

But now pasta is something which we make almost couple of times a month..Here is the recipe

Ingredients:

1. 1 box whole wheat rotini pasta ( serves 4 )

2.  Capsicum – 1 cut into cubes

3.  Onion – 1 big  finely chopped

4. Garlic -  1 clove – crushed finely

5.  Carrots – 1 cut into rounds

6. Tomato – 1 chopped

7. Broccoli – 8 pieces

8.  Parmesan cheese – to garnish

9. Marinara sauce – I use  tomato basil  combination. (There are many a varieties )

10. Crushed red chilli seeds

11. olive oil – 2 tbs

12. Water -  3 cups

13. Salt – adjust according to taste

Method:

1. In a large deep pan add 3 cups water and let it boil for about 5-7 minutes.

2. Add 4 drops of olive oil to the water  and add the whole wheat pasta. Let it boil till the pasta is thoroughly cooked. (U can prick with a forck to see if its cooked)

3.  Now in a  deep pan add 2 tbs olive oil, crushed garlic, onion and saute for 1 minutes. Now add tomatoes,  capsicum, carrots and broccoli and sprinkle a big pinch of salt and cover them with a lid ( Don’t burn the bottom)

4. Once the vegetables are 90 5 done add the boiled  pasta  to it. Immediately add the marinara sauce to it and mix well.

5.  Now according to taste add the crushed red chillies and empty the pasta into a serving bowl.

6. Garnish with Parmesan cheese and serve.

Pallakurra Kurra! December 15, 2008

Pallakurra Kurra.. My mother always used to make different dishes with pallak and made us to eat them with a dallop of ghee..(as it a vegetable rich in iron and calcium). And it aswell tastes great. So here it is one of my mothers recipe of pallak.

Ingredients:

1. Pallak – 1 packet or 1 bunch ( I prefer bunch to the packet as it is easy to cut and as well it is more fresh)

2. Onions – 1

3. Tomatoes – 1 (optional)

4. Green chillies

For seasoning:

1. Mustard seeds – 1 tbs

2. Jeera – 1 tbs

3. Hing – a pinch

4. Minnapappu/ Moong dal -  1 tbs

5. Sanaga Pappu / Chana dal – 1tbs

6. Red chillies – 1

7. Turmeric – a pinch

Method:

1. Wash and chop pallak, onions,tomatoes and green chillies.

2. In a pan put 1 tbs oil, mustard seeds, jeera, Hing, Minnapappu/ Moong dal, Sanaga Pappu / Chana dal, Red chillies,Turmeric . (Let them splutter)

3. Now add the chopped onions and tomatoes and fry for about 2 mins and then add green chillies and pallak.

4. Let it fry for about 10 minutes.

5. Finally add 1/2 tbs  salt and serve with Roti/ rice.

Malai kofta December 2, 2008

Malai kofta is a rich, delicious gravy curry with veggie balls in it.  It is definitely on top of the chart attracting every one. When you have naan’s to go with it then for sure the meal will be sumptuous.

Ingredients:

1. Potatoes – 3

2. carrots – 2

3. beans – 15

4. onions – 2

5. tomatoes – 2

6. Turmeric – 1/2 tbs

7. paneer grated – 1/2 cup

8. Cumin powder – 1 tbs

9. Coriander powder – 1 tbs

10 . Ginger garlic paste – 1 tbs

11. cashew nuts – 3 tbs

12. Malai/ Butter/ghee/ cream – 1 tbs

13. Milk – 1/2 cup

15. green chillies – 4

16. Red chilli powder – 1/2 tbs

17. raisins – 2 tbs

18. corn flower/maida – 2 tbs

Method:

1. Boil potatoes, carrots, beans. ( u can also add mutter/ peas)

2. In a large sauce pan add malai/butter/ghee/cream, ginger garlic paste, turmeric, onions, cashew nuts tomatoes and fry for about 10 minutes are grind them all and set aside.

3. Now take all the boiled vegetables, grated paneer, raisins, green chilies, 1/2 tbs salt mix them well and  roll them into round  balls.

4. Now in a deep pan pour 2 cups oil and fry the veggie balls. (Roll them in corn flour/maida and them put in oil) and set them aside.

5. Now again take the large pan in which you fried the onions and pour the blended mix and add chilli powder , 1/4 tbs salt and let it simmer for about 10 minutes.

6. Now add milk to this boiling sauce and also carefully add the veggie balls.( I said careful because the are delicate)

7.  Granish with some grated paneer ,corinader and serve with hot naans, rotis or Biryani.

Paneer Butter Masala December 2, 2008

I know this is the most common recipe with paneer and  the easiest one too. So let me not rant you about this paneer mutter, rather quickly let me tell you my  version of the recipe.

Ingredients :

1. Paneer – 10  pieces – Cubed

2. Mutter – 1 cup

3. onions – 1

4. Tomatoes- 2

5. Turmeric – a pinch

6. Ginger garlic paste – 1 tbs

7. garam masala powder – a pinch

8. Butter/ghee – 1 tbs

9. Milk – 2 tbs

10.coriander – to granish.

11. red chilli powder -1 tbs

Method:

1. In a pan add Butter/ Ghee, ginger garlic paste and turmeric.

2. Now add onions and fry until golden brown.

3. Now add cubed paneer and fry.

5. Once onion and paneer turn golden brown add tomatoes,mutter,salt, and red chili powder.

6. Cook for about 10 minutes and add milk and then switch off the stove.

7. Garnish with coriander and serve with hot rice/ rotis.

Paneer tikkas December 2, 2008

A perfect snack for Cold winter evenings! If you have a masala chai to go with this then for sure its heaven.

Ingredients:

1. Paneer- Cubes – 10 (Soak paneer in lemon juice for 5 minutes)

2. Capsicum – 1 slice around 10 pieces.

(** u can use onions if u want**)

3. Lemon juice- 2 tbs

4. pepper- just to garnish.

Method:

1. Cut the paneer and capsicum into cubes.

2. In a pan fry the paneer and capsicum till they are 80% done. (* sprinkle salt to soft the capsicum)

3. Once the are soft sprinkle lemon juice and pepper on it.

4. Serve them hot with hot masala chai/ coffee.

Tomato Rice December 2, 2008

Winter weekends make us lazy. This weekend was no diffrent. After the four long holidays which included lots of potluck parties..So I had no plans to spend lot of time in kitchen yesterday. I wanted to make something real quick. So here it is Tomato rice..which tasted delicious.

Ingredients:

1. Basmathi rice/ any rice – 2 cups (I used Basmathi rice)

2. Tomatoes- 3-4

3. Onions – 1

4.Curry leaves – 4

5. Mutter / peas- 1 small cup

6. Coriander – to garnish

7.Turmeric – 1/2 tbs

For seasoning:

1. Mustard seeds – 1 tbs

2. Shah jeera – 1 tbs

3. Cardamon – 1

4. Biryani flower – 1 (optional)

5. ginger garlic paste – 1 tsp (optional)

Method:

1. Boil the rice by adding 1 tbs salt and also turmeric. ( So that they mix well )

2. Now in a large sauce pan add oil, mustard seeds, Shah jeera, Cardamon, Biryani flower, ginger garlic paste, curry leaves and let them sputter.

3. Now add onions and fry until they are golden brown and add chopped tomatoes. ( sprinkle 1/4 salt )

4. Once rice is boiled add that to this and mix well.

5.Now garnish with coriander and U can as well add some lemon juice to it.

Cabbage patoli! November 26, 2008

Patoli is a delicious and nutritious recipe from Andhrapradesh and Tamil nadu (Paruppu Usili).  Its rich in Protien as it has many lentils in it. It goes well with any vegtable and the taste is just delicious.

Ingredients:

1. Cabbage – 1

2. Curry leaves – 4

3. Turmeric- 1/2 tsp

4. Jeera/ Cumin powder – 1 tsp

5. Coriander – to garnish

For making the patoli you need:

1. Sanaga pappu/ Chana dal – 1/2 cup

2. Kandi pappu / Toor dal – 1/2 cup

3. Dhaniya – 2 tsp

4. Red chillies – 10 -12

Method for patoli : Soak Sanaga pappu/ Chana dal, Kandi pappu / Toor dal, Dhaniya, Red chillies in water for about 15 minutes and then grind them to a fine paste  ( Add little  water while grinding ).Now put the paste in a bowl or idli stand steam in a pressure cooker. (Like idlis) for about 10-15 minutes.

Method:

1.  In a large pan add 1 tsp oil , cumin seeds, curry leaves and turmeric.

2. Now add the cabbage, cover with a lid and leave it for about 10 minutes.

3. When cabbage is almost 80% done add salt, and the patoli to it.(don’t cover with lid this time)

4. Cook for about 15 minutes ( Stir often now, the patoli might burn at the bottom)

5. Garnish with coriander and serve with ric or rotis.