Hash Browns

It was the Chinese new year [2006] and there was an air of festivity everywhere and during that wonderful time we visited a beautiful place called Hangzhou.Hangzhou is known for its rich cultural heritage.There were so many places to look around and we would leave the hotel early in the morning and rush to feast our eyes on the beautiful sites.

There was another feast for us in the morning-the breakfast.Tired after the previous day's sight seeing,the breakfast would awaken not only out taste buds but also refresh us totally.

What I enjoyed each morning at the table was hot crispy hash browns and coffee[not to mention all the other goodies].So I thought I will make my own Hash browns and check it tastes just like what I had in the hotel.
Hash browns though considered a breakfast food,are always a hit be it at breakfast,lunch or as a snack.I read that North American diners serve these as a breakfast staple with bacon or with burgers.

You need:
Baking potatoes
Salt and pepper to taste

1. Scrub the potatoes thoroughly and grate.[Peeling is optional]
2. Usually a potato ricer is used to remove the moisture from the grated potato but since i don't have one,I spread the grated potato over a clean cotton cloth and rolled it up and pressed it,but not too hard.[Be sure to remove as much moisture as possible.]
3. Heat a pan [I used a non stick one] and spread the grated potato.

4. Press gently and evenly so that no single area is too thick or thin.[If you have a lot of grated potato prepare this in batches or spread it out fully on the pan and quater it.]
5. After a few minutes check if that side has browned.
6. Flip it over and cook till both sides are brown.
7. Sprinkle salt and pepper and serve.

Sending this toAWED American event at DK's Blog.

Yiner Hangzao Lianzi Geng For The Grand Finale

Thirty days of non stop blogging was fun.Today is the last day of the marathon and finishing with a sweet note.


One of my Chinese friend had come home yesterday and she taught me to prepare this wonderfully healthy dish-Yiner[a kind of fungus] hangzao[red dates] lianzi[lotus seeds] geng.



Yiner also know as snow fungus is said to have medicinal properties and is used in Chinese cuisine for centuries.It is also considered an internal beauty suppliment to the skin for it has a spacial affinity towards the skin ,making it soft,moist and plaint when consumed regularly.Hangzao or red dates[also called chinese date,jujube] and Lianzi or lotus seeds have been a part of Chinese traditional medicine.Red dates strengthens the functions of heart and lung, as well as nourish the stomach and spleen.


So what we prepared yesterday was a treat to the tastebuds and tonic to the body.


You need:


Yiner-4 pieces
Red dates-15 numbers
Lotus seeds-a handful
Crystal sugar to taste

1.Soak yiner in water and after sometime cut into bitesize pieces .
2.You may find some brown or red color in the centre of the some yiner pieces [which looks like this]  .

3.Cut it out after soaking for a few minutes and then resoak in fresh water.[If you are preparing it for the morning let it soak overnight.If its for dinner let it soak from the morning.]
4.Wash lotus seeds and pressure cook till done[I cooked for 15 minutes]
5.Before preparation wash the yiner again and put into a pan with water.The quantity of water used depends on how thick or watery you prefer the soup to be.
6.Put in the cooked lotus seeds,red dates and bring to a boil.
7.Add the crystal sugar and stir to mix.
8.Let it simmer .[I let it cook for 20 minutes]
9.Remove from heat and serve hot.

When the soup was simmering the sweet aroma of the red dates filled the kitchen and made me all the more hungry.This is served both as a sweet soup as well as a dessert.

Bon Appetit...

My Kitchen Buddies

There are two very useful gadgets that I love having in my kitchen.

One is the yoghurt maker.

I must tell you that its a gift from heaven.When I landed in China it was in the middle of a harsh winter.The alien land made me miss home.What I missed equally was my favorite foodstuff-Yoghurt.I tried to make curds at home using the standard Indian method of adding starter to luke warm milk and setting it aside for a few hours-Failed.. Next I tried to put it in the oven-Failed, yet again..Then I thought I will leave the milk with the starter outside for a day or so..Terribly failed cos the milk turned rancid but no signs of curdling even after leaving it out for 2 days.

I was miserable.I was used to having curds with everything.Breakfast was curd rice for many years.If there was no chutney or no time to prepare a side dish,I would happily opt for curd.It was curd that was my comfort food.But,how I missed it now..

I looked in the food stores,the malls and everywhere I went, to check if I could get curd.Yes I did but it was flavoured or sweetened yoghurt.That didn't fit my palette.

Then one day out of the blue,Hubby dear came home with this wonderful yoghurt-maker and I was in heaven.

Here is a recipe for a colourful curd rice[Curd made using the yoghurt-maker]





The other gadget I love to having in my kitchen is my cute little mixie.When we went to the mall the very first day after landing here is to look for a blender.My eyes fell on this cute little thing and the girl at the counter showed us a demo.Wow!!It can be used to pound the hardest food stuff,wet grind,extract juice..What more will I ask.She even did the craziest thing.She left turned it on and immersed it into a bucketful of water.And the blender didn't stop!!Ok,i confess,I fell in love with it.It was just right for the two of us.Two little jars[Grind and store] and a bigger one with the juicer.No switches to operate,just fix the jars and twist to turn it on/off.How convenient.Got it home and have been using for 2 years.

Just 2 days back when I was grinding dosa batter,it stopped in the middle of the grinding process,exactly the same time I was planning to write about this cutie.I was heart broken.I was using this as a juicer,grind batter,puree veggies/dhal/fruits for my lil angel and not to forget the chutneys'.I just left it alone and waited for hubby dear to come home so that we can see if it can be repaired or get a new one.After an hour or so I just went to the kitchen and switched it on and wonders,it worked!That's when i realised that it had 'over-worked' and maybe the motor had heated up and switched off on its own!!Now that my buddy is back here is a something I prepared using it.

My favorite tomato onion chutney prepared using my fav kitchen gadget.




These two recipes will go into EC's event-What's your favorite kitchen gadget

Curry Leaf Flavored Rice RM # 2

Curry leaf is something hard to find here and so when I left India mom made sure I carry atleast a little.She picked ,washed and pat-dried and packed them.She also prepared tasty curry leaf powder to use instead of curry leaf or just mix it with some hot rice drizzled with ghee..Just the thought makes me drooollll... Today though, I wanted to have curry leaf powder and rice with a difference so this is what I did...

You need:

Rice -1 cup cooked and grains seperate
Curry leaf powder -2 tablespoons or more
Green peas-1/2 cup
Roasted peanuts-1 tablespoon
Mustard-1 teaspoon
Jeera-1 teaspoon
Red chillies-2,broken into bits
Ghee-1 tablespoon
Salt to taste

1. Boil the peas and keep aside.
2. Heat oil in a pan and add mustard and jeera.
3. When it splutters,add the red chillies,roasted grounduts,cooked peas.Saute for a minute.
4. Add the rice and sprinkle curry leaf powder over it
5. Mix well and check for salt and add if needed.[Curry leaf powder already has salt]
6. Serve hot with a raita/crispy.
   

Sending it over to Srivalli's Rice mela

Also in the rice mela...

Rice Sevai
Lemon sevai
Aval Upma
Curd rice
Ridgegourd rice
Capsicum Rice
Fusion Rice
Carrot Rice
Pepper flavoured rice

Check out my team mates on RM # 2 day 30

1) DK 2) Siri 3) Srivalli 4) Ranji 5)PJ [That's me]6)Curry Leaf 7)Medha 8)Priya 9)Bhawna 10)Raaji 11)Ruchii
12)Anu 13)Kamala 14)Roopa 15)Divya Kudua 16)Rekha 17)Divya M 18)Lakshmi 19)Raaga 20)Lakshmi Venkatesh 21)Sripriya22)Viji 23)Kamalika24)Pavani25)Karuna26)Roochi

Curry Leaf Powder

Karuveppilai podi/Curry leaf powder is an ever present thing in our home.Love to have it with piping hot rice drizzled with a tablespoon of ghee.The ingredients and the quantities used vary through each household.This is my moms recipe.



You need:


Curry leaves / Karuveppilai leaves-4 cups
Gram dhal/Kadalai Paruppu- 1 cup
Urad dhal[White]/Uluththam paruppu-1 cup
Toor dhal/Thuvaram Paruppu- ¼ cup
Peppercorns - 1 teaspoon
Red chillies-10 [adjust to taste]
Salt to taste
Asafoetida-a pinch
Oil

1. Wash the leaves and spread over a thin cotton towel to remove moisture/pat dry
2. Take 1 teaspoon oil in a pan and fry the leaves in low flame until the leaves becomes crisp and keep aside.
3. Heat 1 teaspoon oil and fry the toor dhal ,asafoetida till the dhal tun golden brown.Keep aside.
4. In the remaining oil fry the other 2 dhals,chillies till dhal is golden brown and keep aside.
5. When everything cools grind to a fine powder.
6. Add salt and mix well.Let the powder cool a bit[It will get a little heated up while grinding]
7. Store in an airtight container.
   

Pepper Flavored Rice RM # 2

Something to heat up the tastebuds on a cold rainy day.Increase or decrease the pepper to your taste.This lovely,pungent and sharp tasting spice can best be relished when used fresh ground pepper instead of the preground powder.

You need:

Rice- 1 cup ,cooked,each grain should be seperate
Ghee-2 tablespoons
Jeera-1 teaspoon
Mustard seeds-1 teaspoon
Black peppercorns-1.5 tablespoons
Black sesame seeds-1 tablespoon
Curry leaves-few
Salt to taste

1. In a pan ,dry roast peppercorns,sesame seeds and curry leaves till you get a wonderful aroma.Remove from heat ,let it cool a bit and powder coarsely.
2. Heat the ghee and add the mustard seeds and jeera,let them splutter and add the curry leaves and wait till it turns crisp.
3. Add the cooked rice,salt and the ground powder and mix well to combine.

Remove from heat and serve with a raita/gravy and crispies .This rice is a breeze to prepare,right!

.I served it with a tangy potato gravy for which the recipe will be posted shortly...

Sending it over to Srivalli's Rice mela


Also in the rice mela...

Rice Sevai
Lemon sevai
Aval Upma
Curd rice
Ridgegourd rice
Capsicum Rice
Fusion Rice
Carrot Rice


Check out my team mates on RM # 2 day 29
1) DK 2) Siri 3) Srivalli 4) Ranji 5)PJ [That's me]6)Curry Leaf 7)Medha 8)Priya 9)Bhawna 10)Raaji 11)Ruchii
12)Anu 13)Kamala 14)Roopa 15)Divya Kudua 16)Rekha 17)Divya M 18)Lakshmi 19)Raaga 20)Lakshmi Venkatesh 21)Sripriya22)Viji 23)Kamalika24)Pavani25)Karuna26)Roochi

Carrot Rice RM # 2

This is the first time I am trying it out.Wanted something with carrots for JFI and rice for Rice mela.Result-Carrot rice...I had some of the masala powder I made for the capsicum rice and used it with carrots.I expected the rice to be sweet but I was wrong cos it tasted great...

You need:

Rice-1 cup,cooked [Grains should be seperate]
Grated carrot- 1/2 cup
Onion-1 finely chopped
Curry leaves-a few
Red chillies -4
Peanuts-2 tablespoons
Coriander-To garnish
Salt to taste
Mustard-1 teaspoon
Jeera-1/2 a teaspoon
Urad dhal-1/2 a teaspoon
Oil-1 tablespoon

Roast in Ghee[1 teaspoon] and powder:
Red Chillies- 3 [More if u want it spicy]
Jeera-1/2 teaspoon
Urad dhal-1 teaspoon
Roasted groundnuts-1 tablespoon

1. Heat oil in a pan and add the mustard and jeera.
2. When they splutter add curry leaves,redchillies and saute for a few seconds.
3. Add onions and saute till transclucent.
4. Put in the carrot and cook till the raw smell disappears.
5. Add the peanuts,salt and the 1-2 teaspoons[depending on ur taste] ground masala and mix well.
6. After a few minutes add the cooked rice,sprinkle a little water if it is too dry and mix .
7. Remove from heat after a few minutes

Garnish with coriander leaves and serve with a raita and crispy.






This goes to JFI-Carrots hosted by The cooker and also sending it over to Srivalli's Rice mela


Also in the rice mela...

Rice Sevai
Lemon sevai
Aval Upma
Curd rice
Ridgegourd rice
Capsicum Rice
Fusion Rice


Check out my team mates on RM # 2 day 28
1) DK 2) Siri 3) Srivalli 4) Ranji 5)PJ [That's me]6)Curry Leaf 7)Medha 8)Priya 9)Bhawna 10)Raaji 11)Ruchii
12)Anu 13)Kamala 14)Roopa 15)Divya Kudua 16)Rekha 17)Divya M 18)Lakshmi 19)Raaga 20)Lakshmi Venkatesh 21)Sripriya22)Viji 23)Kamalika24)Pavani25)Karuna26)Roochi

Fusion Rice - RM # 2

'Totally uninspiring'-that's what I would call my kitchen venture today.I was in no mood to cook but had to coz 1]I didn't want to be chucked out of RM with just a few days to cross the line and 2]I was hungry..

I dragged myself to the kitchen and opened the refrigerator.It was overflowing with veggies and fruits but nothing sparked.I randomly selected a few veggies and without any clue of what I wanted to prepare started chopping them.I had no idea of what veggies were going into the dish so clicked a shot so that it may come in handy in case the final product turned out to be fit enough to eat.

What did I want to cook?Chinese fried rice?Briyani?Pulao?Just plain fried rice?Mmmm,Lets see...

I used :

Cooked rice - 1 cup
Mixed veggies - a handful each,finely chopped
[Carrot,capsicum,beans,green peas,cauliflower,cabbage]
Tomato-1 finely chopped
Onion-1 chopped
Green chilli - 1 slit
Garlic-2 pods,chopped
Ginger-1 teaspoon,grated
Jeera-1 teaspoon
Ghee-1 tablespoon
Coriander leaves to garnish


This is what I did...

1. Spread the cooked rice on a plate.
2. In a microwave safe bowl,I put in carrots,peas,beans,cauliflower,cabbage and sprinkled enough water and cooked the veggies[covered] on medium power for 8 minutes.
3. Heated 1 tablespoon ghee in a pan[used the stove top] and added jeera
4. When it spluttered,added chopped onion,garlic and grated ginger,green chilli,sauteed till onion turned translucent.
5. Then put in capsicum and sauteed for 2 minutes and put in the tomatoes.
6. Simmered and cooked till the tomatoes turned soft.
7. In went the cooked veggies,mixed well.
8. My mind was still not set to what I was going to do..So I refused to put in the soya sauce that was on the kitchen counter.
9. I felt the green chilli was not spicy enough for the amount of rice and veggies used so I added 1 tablespoon red chilli powder and mixed it to coat the veggies and sprinkled a little water and cooked for a minute.
10. What's next?Put in the salt,rice and mixed with all the things in the pan and let the flavours blend..

Removed from fire ,transfered to a serving dish and garnished with coriander leaves.The result looked liked this....

Why did I call it fusion rice,u might ask..It has fusion in method of cooking-microwave and the stove top.It is a 'non mixture' of cuisines..Neither chinsese[no soya sauce],nor briyani[no masala paste added],neither pulao or fried rice..I was not sure if this had a name..How else do I called it!!!!
Coming back to my lunch time-I was hungry by then and took a little of my experiment and slowly tasted a spoonful..Mmmmmm..it was piping hot and tasted really good.There were more veggies when compared to the rice and the tomato was juicy and u can see that from the color of the rice.

I went to the kitchen took some more and had a second helping as well and kept a little bit for hubby dear.He tasted it bravely and then seemed to like it coz he asked ' Is that all u have left..?I wish u make this more often'!!Wow isn't that a compliment!!!


Sending it over to Srivalli's Rice mela


Also in the rice mela...

Rice Sevai
Lemon sevai
Aval Upma
Curd rice
Curd aval
Ridgegourd rice
Capsicum rice

Check out my team mates on RM # 2 day 26

DK 2) Siri 3) Srivalli 4) Ranji 5)PJ [That's me]6)Curry Leaf 7)Medha 8)Priya 9)Bhawna 10)Raaji 11)Ruchii
12)Anu 13)Kamala 14)Roopa 15)Divya Kudua 16)Rekha 17)Divya M 18)Lakshmi 19)Raaga 20)Lakshmi Venkatesh 21)Sripriya22)Viji 23)Kamalika24)Pavani25)Karuna26)Roochi

Capsicum Rice RM # 2

Hereis a yummy rice variety with crunchy capsicum and peanuts.This is quick and easy to make..

You need:

Cooked rice -1 cup(each grain should be separate]
Capsicum - 2 big,deseeded and
Ghee/oil-2 tablespoons
Mustard-1 teaspoon
Jeera-1 teaspoon
Curry Leaves- a few
Salt to taste
Roasted groundnuts-2 tablespoons
Coconut-2 teaspoons,grated

Roast in Ghee[1 teaspoon] and powder:

Red Chillies- 3 [More if u want it spicy]
Jeera-1/2 teaspoon
Urad dhal-1 teaspoon
Roasted groundnuts-1 tablespoon

1. Spread the cooked rice on a plate and drizzle 1 tablespoon ghee over it and mix lightly using a fork.
2. Heat the remaining ghee and add and jeera and wait till they splutter.
3. Add the curry leaves and when they turn crisp,add the sliced capsicum and cook for 3-5 minutes.
4. The capsicum should not turn soft, ensure that they are crunchy.
5. Add salt,cooked rice,grated coconut and the powdered spices and combine well.
6. Let the flavors blend for a few minutes.
7. Add roasted groundnuts,mix well and remove from heat.
8. Serve hot with a raita.

Sending it over to Srivalli's Rice mela

Also in the rice mela...

Rice Sevai
Lemon sevai
Aval Upma
Curd rice
Curd aval
Ridgegourd rice

Check out my team mates on RM # 2 day 26

DK 2) Siri 3) Srivalli 4) Ranji 5)PJ [That's me]6)Curry Leaf 7)Medha 8)Priya 9)Bhawna 10)Raaji 11)Ruchii
12)Anu 13)Kamala 14)Roopa 15)Divya Kudua 16)Rekha 17)Divya M 18)Lakshmi 19)Raaga 20)Lakshmi Venkatesh 21)Sripriya22)Viji 23)Kamalika24)Pavani25)Karuna26)Roochi

Jackefruit Payasam RM # 2

I saw this recipe on a TV show and it came out really well.Here it is for you to try and taste.

You need:

Jackfruit,cut into small pieces -1 cup
Jaggery -1/2 a cup,powdered [or less]
Coconut-1/4 cup ,grated
Ghee-2 tablespoons
Cardamom-a pinch[optional,I didn't use it.]
Coconut milk-1 cup ,thick
Fried cashews-to garnish

1.Grind together jaggery,coconut and cardamom.[Add a little warm water for grinding.]Keep aside.
2.Heat the ghee in a pan and cook the jackfruit pieces in the ghee till soft in medium flame.
3.Put in the ground jaggery-coconut mixture.
4.As the jaggery melts,the payasam will turn watery. Simmer for 10 minutes.
5.Add coconut milk and simmer till you get a semi solid consistency.
6.Remove from heat and garnish with fried cashew.

Serve hot or chilled.


Why a sweet recipe when I had planned for rice recipes this week!! Its a sweet girls b'day today!!![Guess who?]

Check out my team mates on RM # 2 day 25
1) DK 2) Siri 3) Srivalli 4) Ranji 5)PJ [That's me]6)Curry Leaf 7)Medha 8)Priya 9)Bhawna 10)Raaji 11)Ruchii
12)Anu 13)Kamala 14)Roopa 15)Divya Kudua 16)Rekha 17)Divya M 18)Lakshmi 19)Raaga 20)Lakshmi Venkatesh 21)Sripriya22)Viji 23)Kamalika24)Pavani25)Karuna26)Roochi

Ridgegourd Flavored Rice RM # 2

I tried this one from a Cookery show on TV.

You need:

Ridgegourd-1 cup[Peeled and chopped .Do not chop into very small pieces ].Reserve the peel.You can prepare chutney out of it.]
Onion -1 finely chopped
Tomato-1 finely chopped
Red chillies- 4
Curry leaves-a few
Coriander powder-1 teaspoon
Mustard-1 teaspoon
Jeera-1 teaspoon
Urad dhal-1/2 teaspoon
Gram dhal-1 teaspoon
Oil-2 teaspoons
Salt to taste
Rice-1 cup cooked[grains should be seperate]

1. Heat oil in a pan and add mustastd ,jeera,urad dhal and gram dhal.
2. When they splutter and dhal turns brown add red chillies and curry leaves.Saute for a few seconts.
3. Put in tne onion and saute till soft.
4. Add tomato and cook till soft.
5. Add the chopped ridgegourd pieces,coriander powder,salt and cook till the ridgegourd is soft.[The mixture will be a little watery.]
6. When done,put in the rice and mix well.Let it be on the pan for a few minutes so that the rice absorbs the liquid and the flavors..
7. Stir once in a while and remove from heat after 5 minutes.
8. Serve hot with raita or crispies .

Sending it over to Srivalli's Rice mela

Also in the rice mela...

Rice Sevai
Lemon sevai
Aval Upma
Curd rice
Curd aval

Check out my team mates on RM # 2 day 24
1) DK 2) Siri 3) Srivalli 4) Ranji 5)PJ [That's me]6)Curry Leaf 7)Medha 8)Priya 9)Bhawna 10)Raaji 11)Ruchii
12)Anu 13)Kamala 14)Roopa 15)Divya Kudua 16)Rekha 17)Divya M 18)Lakshmi 19)Raaga 20)Lakshmi Venkatesh 21)Sripriya22)Viji 23)Kamalika24)Pavani25)Karuna26)Roochi

Saaru / Rasam RM # 2

Today was an exceptionally cold day...It was raining and the winds almost howling..Looking out of my kitchen window,the sights didn't inspire me to prepare 'Baingan Raita' or the brinjal raita that I had originally planned to post as a part of RM #2 ..Of course I love raita but no one else in my home would even take a look at it today [or thats what I thought.]

Moreover the weather made me crave for something warm and comforting.All I could think of piping hot saaru / rasam over a bowl of warm rice and a little bit of ghee..I was drooooooling....Mom makes the best rasam and I could just drink it anytime.I made sure she prepared rasam powder for me,coz I still feel I can't get the same taste of saaru even though I prepare the powder as per her measurement.The aroma of seasoning piping hot rasam is enough to set your tummy rumbling.So I set to prepare saaru....Here is the recipe.

You need:

Toor dhal-1/2 cup

Tomato - 1 large

Rasam powder-1 1/2 teaspoons

Tamarind-small lemon size

Asafoetida-a pinch

Curry leaves-a few

Coriander leaves-1 tablespoon ,finely chopped

Salt- to taste

Seasoning:

Ghee-1 teaspoon

Mustard-1/2 teaspoon

Jeera-1/2 teaspoon

1.Pressure cook dhal keep aside.Blanch tomato.

2.Make a thick extract of tamarind and take 5 tablespoons of it in a heavy bottom vessel.

3.Put in rasam powder,curry leaves and asafoetida and blanched and mashed tomato[without skin],salt

4.Let it boil for 5 minutes.

5.Mash dhal and pour into the tamarind mixture.

6.Add a little water if it is too thick.

7.Let it boil ,stir once or twice and boil till foam arises.

8.Make sure that the foam does not boil over coz the yumm taste likes in that foamy part.

9.Remove from heat.

10.Garnish with finely chopped coriander leaves.

11.Heat ghee in a small kadai and when hot put in jeera and mustard

12.When they crackle remove from heat and pour over the rasam

Serve hot with rice and a dollop of ghee....

Check out my team mates on RM # 2 day 23

1) DK 2) Siri 3) Srivalli 4) Ranji 5)PJ [That's me]6)Curry Leaf 7)Medha 8)Priya 9)Bhawna 10)Raaji 11)Ruchii
12)Anu 13)Kamala 14)Roopa 15)Divya Kudua 16)Rekha 17)Divya M 18)Lakshmi 19)Raaga 20)Lakshmi Venkatesh 21)Sripriya22)Viji 23)Kamalika24)Pavani25)Karuna26)Roochi

And The Shower Continues

I should have acknowledged the awards earlier but somehow got delayed..sorry gals....

Divya,Ramya have passed on Kreative blogger,Yum yum blog,360 foddie award,great buddy awards..I feel so honoured..Thanks a lot girls..

Andra flavors has passed on great buddy award..Thanks and cheers to our friendship!!!

Here is a Meme...

7 Things I Say More Often : Sweety,Oh God,Amma,Please,a load of pet names to call out to my lil angel......

7 Things I Did Before : a leisure meal,played veena,Danced,looong hours on the phone,ate a lot of snacks and fast foods,needlework,was working as a health care professional......

7 things I do now : Cook and blog,play with my lil angel,take care of the household,attend parties and get-together,sing lullaby,eat healthy food,online chat with mom.....

7 Things I Want to do : Go on a wonderful holiday,cook and blog more,write to my buddies more often,learn a new art,color my hair[Not those 'screaming' colors,but something nice],catch up with my music lessons,travel all over the globe..... and one very important thing I really,really want-To host my very own cookery show :)

7 Things That Attract Me About Opposite Sex : Honesty,providing emotional support,sense of humor,surprise gifts,smile,being understanding,simplicity......

7 Favourite Foods : Yoghurt based dishes,ice creams,finger chips,dosas,happala karadha payasa[a sweet dessert],thayir vadai,baked goodies.....

Here is another award from Divya....

.....'Inspiration award'.I am truly overwhelmed..Thanks divya...

Jamie started this award and now in her own words -This is given to bloggers whose stories and recipes inspire us. Whether it’s to eat healthier, dive back into our past to conjure up something we ate as children, or just make the light bulbs in our brains go on with a new idea for a recipe.As recipients of this award, please share with us what inspires you and then pass on the Inspiration Award to 4 other deserving bloggers. Please let them know what the award means and what to do with it. Feel free to post the Inspiration Award Logo on your site for the whole blogsphere to see. (logo photo taken by my inspiring friend and co-author of Dueling Foodies, Beth.)

The Things that inspire me :My parents,all the awards/comments,when I hear good music-the soft melodies,elderly people,sunrise,my buddies,oh ,there is so much more ,i could write a separate post on that.. :)
I pass on these awards to

Jamie[I know u created this award but sharing this with u along with the other awards :) ]

Hari Priya
Sukanya
Adlak's tiny world

Black Bean Salad

Like I said before,black is my favorite color.And guess what this months theme in FIC is?!Its purple or black..


I have already posted on my favorite color [Check it out here.]So,I prepared a new one for this event -A salad not only for dieters but to suit everyones tastebuds.


You need:[For one portion/serving, I used the following]

Black beans- a handful
Corn-1 teaspoon
Green peas-1 teaspoon
Carrot, grated-1/2 a teaspoon
Pepper powder to taste
Lemon juice- to taste
Salt to taste


1.Soak beans for 5 hours,drain and pressure cook with just enough water till done.Don't let it get mushy.
2.Boil corn and green peas till done.
3.In a bowl put in the beans,corn,peas,salt,pepper powder,lemon juice and toss well.
4.Garnish with coriander leaves and serve.[I liked it chilled].


Also sending it to Vegan ventures #2 hosted by Suganya of Tasty Palettes and to My legume love affair-fifth helping started by Susan, now hosted by Simona.

Banana Raita RM # 2

Raitas need not always be ' savory'..Here is a 'sweety-salty-savory' raita..

You need:

Thick curd - 1 cup
Banana -1, sliced
Salt to taste

Seasoning:
Musatard-1 teaspoon
Jeera-1 teaspoon
Urad dhal-1/2 teaspoon
Red chillies -1 or 2 broken inot bits
Curry leaves - a few
Oil-1 .5 teaspoons

1. Beat the cured with salt.
2. Put in the banana slices.
3. Heat oil and put in the seasonings.
4. When they splutter and the dhal turns brown,pour over the raita.
5. Mix well and serve.

If u want it sweeter add a teaspoon of sugar...



Check out my team mates on RM # 2 day 22
1) DK 2) Siri 3) Srivalli 4) Ranji 5)PJ [That's me]6)Curry Leaf 7)Medha 8)Priya 9)Bhawna 10)Raaji 11)Ruchii
12)Anu 13)Kamala 14)Roopa 15)Divya Kudua 16)Rekha 17)Divya M 18)Lakshmi 19)Raaga 20)Lakshmi Venkatesh 21)Sripriya22)Viji 23)Kamalika24)Pavani25)Karuna26)Roochi

Lentil Dumplings In Spicy Yogurt Gravy RM # 2

A fancy name for a traditional dish.Its 'Pidichay palidha' as we call it or ' Paruppu urundai kuzhambu' in Tamil .Instead of using veggies as in the regular morekuzhambu/Palidha, I'm going to use lentil dumplings.The taste is so yummmm and its my dads fav food.


You need:

For the dumplings:


Gram dhal/Kadalai paruppu-1/2 a cup
Toor dhal/thuvaram paruppu - 1/4 cup
Urad dhal/ulutham paruppu -1 teaspoon
Red chillies -5[More if u like it spicy]


Seasoning:


Oil - 1 tablespoon
Mustard-1 teaspoon
Jeera-1 teaspoon
Gram dhal-1/2 teaspoon
Curry leaves - a few
Asafoetida-a pinch




Salt to taste
1.Soak the dhal and the chillies for 4 hours.
2.Drain completely and grind them without adding water or sprinkling very little water
3.The resulting paste should neither be too smooth or coarse.



4.Heat oil in a pan and put in the seasonings.
5.When they crackle and the dhal turns brown,add the ground paste ,salt and mix well.
6.Cook for 5-8 minutes ,stir so that it does not stick to the bottom of the pan/get charred.Remove from flame and let it cool.
7.Take a lump of this paste and shape into oblong or balls.[This measurement of dhal yeilds 10-12 oblongs]
8.Arrange them on a steamer or iddli cooker and steam for 15 minutes.[I used the traditional iddli cooker that uses cotton cloth on the idli plates]


9.Remove from heat and keep aside.

Yoghurt gravy:

You need:

Sour /Fresh curd – 2 cups

Turmeric powder – ½ teaspoon

Besan [Bengal gram flour]- 2 tablespoon

Salt to taste

Seasoning:

Mustard seeds – ½ teaspoon

Fenugreek seeds – ½ teaspoon

Asafoeteda – a pinch

Curry leaves -a few

Coconut oil / Sunflower oil – 1 Tablespoon

Grind to a smooth paste :

Green chillies- 5

Ginger – 1” piece

Grated coconut – 5 tablespoons

Jeera – ½ teaspoon

1. Beat curd well adding salt and turmeric powder .

2. Heat oil in a pan and add the seasonings

3. When they crackle ,add the beaten curd,ground paste.

4.Put in the steamed dumplings.

5. Add a little water to the besan and keep aside.

6. When the curd mixture comes to a rolling boil, blend in the besan paste. The mixture will thicken on boiling.

7.. Simmer for a few minutes.When it reaches the desired consistency,remove from heat and serve with rice.


Also try out the regular Morekuzhambu....

Check out what my team is upto in RM #2 day 21...

1) DK 2) Siri 3) Srivalli 4) Ranji 5)PJ [That's me]6)Curry Leaf 7)Medha 8)Priya 9)Bhawna 10)Raaji 11)Ruchii
12)Anu 13)Kamala 14)Roopa 15)Divya Kudua 16)Rekha 17)Divya M 18)Lakshmi 19)Raaga 20)Lakshmi Venkatesh 21)Sripriya22)Viji 23)Kamalika24)Pavani25)Karuna26)Roochi

Udhin Hittu Raita RM # 2

This one is from mom who knows my love for curd and raitas.I was really struck by its taste and simplicity.A very different raita-no veggies used,just udhin hittu[urad dhal powder in kannada].This is a great side dish for veggie rice dishes like veggie pulao/briyani.

Prepare the powder in small batches and store.Use it when u are in a hurry to make a quick raita or when u are bored with veggie raita or need a change or u just don't have any veggies but need a raita with tomato riceor you need a light raita to go with a heavy briyani. And whats more -This preparation takes just 5 minutes.

You need:

White urad dhal- 5 tablespoons

Red Chillies - 3 [Adjust to taste,add more if u want a spicer version or add when seasoning]

Dry roast urad dhal and chillies till the dhal turns brown.Powder and store in an airtight container.

To prepare the raita,take 1 cup of curd, put in salt and add 2 teaspoons of udhin hitttu and beat well without any lumps.

Heat 1 teaspoon oil and when hot add 1/2 teaspoon mustard seeds,1/2 teaspoon jeera,a few curry leaves [and 1 0r 2 pieces of red chilly-optional] and wait till the seasoning splutter.Then pour over curd mixture and mix well.It is now ready to serve..

Easy isn't it!!!

Check out my team mates on RM # 2 day 20

1) DK 2) Siri 3) Srivalli 4) Ranji 5)PJ [That's me]6)Curry Leaf 7)Medha 8)Priya 9)Bhawna 10)Raaji 11)Ruchii
12)Anu 13)Kamala 14)Roopa 15)Divya Kudua 16)Rekha 17)Divya M 18)Lakshmi 19)Raaga 20)Lakshmi Venkatesh 21)Sripriya22)Viji 23)Kamalika24)Pavani25)Karuna26)Roochi

Tomato Raita RM # 2

A good accompaniment to rice varieties and it is my fav side dish for Venn-pongal[A south Indian breakfast,rice moong dhal combo].


You need:
Tomatoes - 2
Curd - 2 cups,fresh and thick
Curry leaves - a few
Red chilles -2 ,broken into bits
Salt-To taste
Seasoning:
Mustard seeds -1/2 teaspoon
Urad dhal - 1/2 teaspoon
Asafoetida- a pinch

1. Put the tomatoes in boiling water and let it simmer for 5 minutes or till the skin separates.
2. Cool,drain and peel the tomatoes.
3. Mash lightly.
4. Beat curd with salt till smooth and keep aside.
5. Heat oil in a pan and add the seasonings,asafoetida,red chillies,curry leaves and fry till mustard splutters.
6. Add the tomatoes and cook for a few minutes.
7. Let it cool.Add this to the curd.
8. Mix well and serve.
   

Check out my co runners on RM # 2 day 19
1) DK 2) Siri 3) Srivalli 4) Ranji 5)PJ [That's me]6)Curry Leaf 7)Medha 8)Priya 9)Bhawna 10)Raaji 11)Ruchii 12)Anu 13)Kamala 14)Roopa 15)Divya Kudua 16)Rekha 17)Divya M 18)Lakshmi 19)Raaga 20)Lakshmi Venkatesh 21)Sripriya22)Viji 23)Kamalika24)Pavani25)Karuna26)Roochi

Curd Aval RM #2

Another quick breakfast/snack.

You need:

Poha/Aval[Pressed rice]- 1 cup

Thick curd- 2 cups
Grated coconut -2 tablespoons
Red chillies -2, broken

Mustard- 1/2 teaspoon

Jeera-1/2 teaspoon

Urad dhal,split,white- 1/2 teaspoon

Curry leaves -a few
Coriander leaves - to garnish,finely chopped. [I used a handful]
Salt to taste
Oil -1.5 teaspoons

1.Wash aval and soak with just enough water.[Water used for soaking should not be seen above the aval/poha].Leave aside for some time till soft.Check by mashing between your fingers.Else sprinkle a little more water.Stir gently and leave aside for few more minutes.

2.Meanwhile beat the curd well.

3.When the aval is soft put into the beaten curd ,add salt,grated coconut and mix well.

4.Heat oil and add the mustard,jeera ,urad dhal,chillies.

5.When it splutters and dhal turns brown add curry leave and wait for a second.Pour over the aval.

6.Mix well and serve as such or with pickle.

If the aval absorbs the curd,add some more before serving.

Sending it over to Srivalli's Rice mela

Also in the rice mela...

Rice Sevai
Lemon sevai
Aval Upma
Curd rice

Check out my team mates on RM # 2 day 18
1) DK 2) Srivalli 3) Ranji 4)Curry Leaf5)Medha 6)Priya 7)Bhawna 8)Raaji 9)Ruchii
10)Anu 11)Kamala 12)Roopa 13)Divya Kudua 14)Rekha 15)Divya M 16)Lakshmi 17)Raaga 18)Lakshmi Venkatesh 19)Sripriya20)Viji 21)Kamalika22)Pavani23)Karuna24)Roochi

Pancha Ratna Raita RM # 2

I put in 5 kinds of veggies so I call it Pancharatna[5 gems] raita.

You need:

Yoghurt- 1 soup-bowl full
Onion- 1/2 a small one,finely chopped
Tomato- 1/2 a small one ,finely chopped
Capsicum-1/2 finely chopped
Carrot-2 tablespoons, grated
Cucumber-1/4,peeled and finely chopped
Coconut-2 teaspoons,grated[Optional]
Salt to taste

Seasoning:
Oil-1 teaspoon
Mustard seeds- 1/2 teaspoon
Jeera - 1/2 teaspoon
Red chilly - 1 broken into bits
Curry leaves- a few
Coriander leaves/mint leaves to garnish[Optional]

1.Mix all the veggies in bowl.




2.In another bowl beat the curd and salt till smooth.
3.Put the veggies into the curd.
4.Heat oil and put in the seasonings.
5.When they crackle pour over the veggie-curd mixture.
6.Mix well and serve garnished with coriander /mint leaves .
It tastes yumm when served chilled.Can be served as an accompaniment with any rice preparation /chapathi,or if u are like me,have it as such!




As I was preparing this easy raita,I wonder what my teams are cooking in their kitchen.So I'm off to visit them on day 17 of RM #2

1) DK 2) Srivalli 3) Ranji 4)Curry Leaf 5)Medha 6)Priya 7)Bhawna 8)Raaji 9)Ruchii
10)Anu 11)Kamala 12)Roopa 13)Divya Kudua 14)Rekha 15)Divya M 16)Lakshmi 17)Raaga 18)Lakshmi Venkatesh 19)Sripriya20)Viji 21)Kamalika22)Pavani23)Karuna24)Roochi

Shower Of Awards !!!!

I was drenched in a shower of awards this morning from Pavani .

Thanks Pavani!!You made my day!!!

Passing these on to my blogger buddies-

Jayashree
Pooja
Mythreyee
Usha
Annarasa

Happy blogging!!!

Cooking For Me And Me Alone

No folks,I'm not being selfish...I love to cook for anyone who loves good food.But I thought of what I would cook for myself after seeing Lubna's announcement -Rendezvous with kitchen flavours -Scrummy Sunday Showcase ,I listed out a few of them.Like she said,we all love cooking favorites for our families but never think of preparing something 'special' for ourselves.


So,here are five of my favorite food stuffs that I can indulge upon anytime!!!

1. Happala karadha Payasa- A sweet dessert from my hometown.

2. Thayir vadai-Fried lentil dumpling in Yoghurt.

3. Curd rice-Yoghurt n rice garnished with goodies.

4. Baby brinjal in tangy sauce-A low fat version of traditional 'Ennai Kathirikkai'.

5. Potato crisps-Crisp potato wafers,who would'nt love them!!!



There are many more,but Lubna has asked for 5, so I will stop with this...

Curd Rice RM # 2

Would you believe me if I told you that I had been eating this humble curd rice for breakfast for the more than 10 years!! Wonders-When I come to think of it I am amazed myself.When mom used to turn out yumm breakfasts, I still would adamantly stick on to my favorite curd rice.Yes, for many years during my school and college times this was my breakfast staple. I still remember my school bully who heard me discussing my breakfast menu with one of my friends and went around spreading this wonderful news and telling everyone that those who ate curd rice in the morning were bound to be dull-headed as it would make them sleepy and even more important would do badly in their studies.But that clearly didn't deter me from changing my breakfast menu.Not only did I do well in school,I was a medallist in college as well[Not bragging girls,but just telling everyone not to believe in such rumors ;) ]!!

Curd rice is a breeze to prepare and you can add or omit the garnishing to your taste.Add in Raisins/roasted cashews/finely chopped apples/green grapes/raw mango/cucumber-anything to suit your palate.If you are in no mood to garnish,just plain curd and rice with pickle is a meal to die for :) ....

You need:
Cooked rice -1 cup [Cook with a little extra water]
Thick curd- 2 cups
Salt to taste

Seasoning:
Oil- 1 tablespoon
Mustard- 1 teaspoon
Urad dhal[white,split]-1 teaspoon
Green chillies -2 slit or Sundried chillies-2
Curry leaves- a few

Garnish:

Raw mango 1" Pieces - 5 teaspoon
Cucumber peeled and diced - 5 teaspoons
Pomegranate seeds - 5 teaspoons
Carrot,grated - 5 teaspoons
Coriander leaves,finely chopped - 5 teaspoons

1. Spread the cooked rice on a plate and let it cool.
2. Transfer it to a bowl and mix in 1 1/2 cups curd + salt.
3. If using sun dried chilles do not add with the seasonings.Deep fry in oil ,crush it and add to rice mixture.
4. Heat oil and add the seasonings.When they splutter and dhal turns brown add to rice.Mix well.
5. Garnish and serve as such or with any pickle.

In case you prepare this ahead of time,mix in the remaining curd [if necessary] before serving.

Sending it over to Srivalli's Rice mela

Also in the rice mela...

Rice Sevai
Lemon sevai
Aval Upma


Check out my team mates on RM # 2 day 16
1) DK 2) Siri 3) Srivalli 4) Ranji 5)PJ [That's me]6)Curry Leaf 7)Medha 8)Priya 9)Bhawna 10)Raaji 11)Ruchii
12)Anu 13)Kamala 14)Roopa 15)Divya Kudua 16)Rekha 17)Divya M 18)Lakshmi 19)Raaga 20)Lakshmi Venkatesh 21)Sripriya22)Viji 23)Kamalika24)Pavani25)Karuna26)Roochi

This Weeks Special - My Favorites

Guess my favorite food stuff....I will give u a hint-A dairy poduct produced by bacterial fermentation of milk.You guessed it -Its our humble Curds Yoghurt/yogurt/dahi/thayir/perugu/Mosaru....

Call it what you like,its full of goodness. It is good because of its nutritional goodies-Protein,Calcium,Riboflavin,Vit B6,B12 apart from having a cooling and a general tonic effect.

Ayurveda says the best time to take curds is during summer.It has great digestive properties.It helps to relieve constipation in combinatination with psyllium seeds or stop that nasty diahhrea.When consumed regularly ,curd restores the bacterial balance in the digestive tract and also helps clear toxic symptoms like bloating and indigestion
Buttermilk,just like curd,is a wise idea to turn to in summer.Plain buttermilk or had with a dash of spices like ginger is an antidote to sunstroke or to simply cool the system.
Summer or winter,breakfast or dinner this is my all time favorite.
There are a number or Indian and international dishes that use yogurt/buttermilk as a base and here are few of my favorites.I love to have them anytime.This is what I am going to post this week..
Curd rice
Curd aval
Pancharatna raita
Tomato raita
Udhin hittu raita
Lentil dumplings in spicy yoghurt gravy

Aloo Gobi Masala RM # 2

A great accompaniment for roti/Chapathi.

You need:

Potatoes, 2 ,peeled and cubed
Cauliflower- 1 small,cut onto florets
Onion-1 small, sliced
Tomato-1 finely chopped
Coriander powder- 1 teaspoon
Cumin - 1 teaspoon
Turmeric powder-1/2 teaspoon
Ginger - a small peice,finely chopped
Chilli powder - 1 teaspoon
Oil -2 teaspoons
Salt to taste
Coriander leaves to garnish

1. Parboil potatoes.Keep aside.
2. Heat water in a vessel,bring it to boil and add salt and drop in the cauliflower frlorets and remove from heat.Keep covered and drain after 10 minutes.Keep aside.
3. Heat oil in a pan and add cumin and wait till it splutters.
4. Add ginger and onions and saute till translucent.
5. Put in the tomato and saute till it is soft.
6. Add the turmeric,chilli and coriander powder and saute till raw smell goes off.
7. Put in the potato and cauliflower and salt.
8. Sprinke a little water.
9. Cover the pan and cook for 10 minutes or till the veggies are soft.[Do not overcook.Check in between]
10. When done remove from heat and garnish with Coriander leaves.

You can add a little lemon juice when luke warm for a tangy Aloo Gobi Masala.




Check out my team mates on RM # 2 day 15
1) DK 2) Siri 3) Srivalli 4) Ranji 5)PJ [That's me]6)Curry Leaf 7)Medha 8)Priya 9)Bhawna 10)Raaji 11)Ruchii
12)Anu 13)Kamala 14)Roopa 15)Divya Kudua 16)Rekha 17)Divya M 18)Lakshmi 19)Raaga 20)Lakshmi Venkatesh 21)Sripriya22)Viji 23)Kamalika24)Pavani25)Karuna26)Roochi

Coriander Chutney RM # 2

You Need:

Coriander leaves - 1 bunch
Cocount[grated] – ¼ cup
Green chillies – 4 [adjust to taste]
Tamarind - gooseberry size
Salt to taste

Seasoning:
Oil – 1 tsp
Mustard – ¼ tsp
Split white urad dhal – ¼ tsp

1.Clean the coriander leaves and chop them and keep it aside.
2.Grind these coriander leaves, coconut, chillies, tamarind and salt with limited amount of water so that the chutney remains thick.
3.Remove it in a bowl and season.
4.Mix well and serve with idli,dosa or rice.

[You can soak tamarind in small quantity hot water for a few minutes or microwave it with a little water for a minute or two before grinding.You can also saute coriander leaves with a little oil before grinding.]




Check out my team mates on RM # 2 day 14
1) DK 2) Siri 3) Srivalli 4) Ranji 5)PJ [That's me]6)Curry Leaf 7)Medha 8)Priya 9)Bhawna 10)Raaji 11)Ruchii
12)Anu 13)Kamala 14)Roopa 15)Divya Kudua 16)Rekha 17)Divya M 18)Lakshmi 19)Raaga 20)Lakshmi Venkatesh 21)Sripriya22)Viji 23)Kamalika24)Pavani25)Karuna26)Roochi