Everyday cooking recipes from my kitchen.....

Paneer Manchurian

2009-08-26T05:23:00.003-05:00

I have been intending on making Paneer Manchurian - My version, for a long time, but sheer laziness & i have been putting it off & landing in good old Mutter paneer,Palak panner & paneer parathas.. Finally the D-day dawned & guess sun rose from the west - that i decided to make the Paneer Manchurian...It came out well & my family enjoyed it, specially the kiddos who ate minus grumbling & had a clean plate at the end of meal, minus screams & warning of "Finish off the Veggis!!"

Ingredients:

Paneer - 1 pac

Onions - 2

Capcicum - 1

Cabbage - a small piece

Soy sauce - 2 tsps

Chillie sauce - acc to your spice level

Tomato sauce - 2 tsps

Thai Sweet Chillie sauce - 2 tsps

Salt - to taste

Oil

Method:

1. Cut the paneer into small cubes & shallow fry them.

2. In a pan, add oil & fry the onions for few mts. Then add the cabbage & capcicum & cook few mts, let the crunchiness of veggis remain. Now add the sauces & salt & mix well.

3. Add the paneer & mix all well together.

Your jhatpat Paneer manchurian is ready to be served either as an appetizer or with your main course!

Janmashtami Special

2009-08-13T04:07:00.008-05:00

Wishing You all a very Happy Janmashtami / Gokulashtami.

Today being a special day for Dear Lord Krishna, I made a few of his favourite preparations at home, to be enjoyed by the Lord & us too :-)

Pal Payasam :
This recipe i have posted already & here is the link - Pal Payasam . This is how i normally made my Payasam & its a favourite at home too...

Goddu Phovu (Sweet Aval)

Phovu (Konkani), Aval (Tamil) and Beaten Rice (English) is used in many preparations - From Aval payasama, to Batata Phova to dosas.. its used widely. I used this to make Goddu Phovu. This is a Konkani Preparation made by us for all good occassions. Its easy & tasty to eat too...

Ingredients:
Phovu ( Thick Aval)- 2 cups
Jaggery - 1 cup ( or more acc to your taste)
Coconut - 1 cup
Channa Dhal - 1/4 cup
Til - 2 tsps ( optional)

Method:

1. Mix the Phovu & coconut by hand in a wide mouthed bowl for 10 mts till it becomes little soft.

2. Put the jaggery in a pan & add 1/4 cup water & dissolve it. Then bring it to a boil & 1 string consistency. Let it cool down completely.

3. Dry roast the Channa dhal on a medium flame till it becomes golden brown.. it takes a few minutes. (If you do on a high flame chances of burning the channa dhal are high, so be carefull!!) Powder it coarsely & set aside.

4. If using Till dry roast it for a minute or two.

5. Now add the jaggery syrup to the Phovu & coconut mixture & mix everything well with your hands.

6. Now add the roasted & powder channa dhal & til & mix well...

Godu Phovu is ready to be served!

Back after a long gap & silence!

2009-08-11T07:41:00.002-05:00

Dear Friends,

Firstly sincere apologies for dissapearing off the blog world unannounced! I did not mean to take such a long leave of absence without informing, but things just got way out of hand & i think i am finally settled down to get back to bussiness & blogging.

I have been following all blogs as often as i could, ofcourse never left comments anywhere...Now since i am back, will get back to routine again.

Thanks & looking forward to catch up on all your blogs!

Vatha Kolumbu

2008-09-11T20:13:00.005-05:00

Vatha Kolumbu is a typical sounth Indian dish. Vathal – stands for sun dried stuff like dried Bhendi, Cluster beans or Marathakali. These sundried products are widely available in all leading grocery stores today. These have a long shelf life & adding these to these Kolumbus makes it really yummy & gives a different flavour.

I love Vatha kolumbu as its simple yet tasty! Just rice, vatha kolumbu & any simple vegetable on side & papad.. Ahh!! What a satisfying meal. They say Vatha kolumbu & Parruppu usali is the best combo & yes, I like it too, but its tastes great with just potato curry too…

So here my version of Vatha kolumbu for u!

Ingredients:

Tamarind – a lime size ball
Onion – 1
Gingelly Oil – 2 tbspns
Channa dhal – 1 tbspn
Mustard seeds - ½ tsp
Curry leaves – few
Maratha kali Vathal – a handful (store bought)
Sambhar powder – 2 tsps
Salt – to taste

Method:

1. Soak tamarind in water & set aside.

2. In a pan add little oil & fry the vathal for few minutes, till they turn slightly brown & puff up a bit. Transfer to a vessel & set aside.

3.In the same pan add remaining oil & mustard seeds, channa dhal & curry leaves.

4.Then add finely chopped onions & fry well till they turn slightly brown.

5.Now add the tamrind water & bring to a boil.

6.Then add the sambhar powder, salt & bring to a good boil, till the raw smell of tamarind goes off & you will see oil coming on top. By now it will have a good thick consistency too.

7.Finally add the fried Vathal & mix well.

Serve with hot rice & some vegetable & papad on the side.

Surna Adigai (Yam Pickle)

2008-09-07T23:45:00.009-05:00

Surna Adgai means Suran or yam pickle. This is a konkani instant pickle, quite easy to make and simply delicious!

I had this after long at the “CHUDI” pooja we had here at Konkani Sabha. Chudi or Tulsi Pooja is a festival we have in Shravan month( usually falls in Aug) & we do this every Friday & Sunday through out the month. You basically make a small bouquets of Dirbankur ( Arugampul / Grass that u keep for Ganesh Ji) & 4 other flowers all ties together. Actually there r typical flowers but I make do with what is available! You basically give this to other ladies & if older seek their blessings, if they r younger u get to bless them :-)

So this long forgotten Adgai was there & hence I made it & posting it for my dear blogger friends!

I am also sending this to , as my second entry to RCI - Konkani,hosted by Deepa of Recipes n More.

Ingredients:

Suran / Yam – a small piece
Red Chillies – 5
Tamarind – a small ball
Coconut – 3 tsps (if desired)
Salt – to taste

Method:

1. Take a small piece of suren & cut it into thin strips, about 1/2" long. Apply salt & let it sit for 15-20 minutes. Then squeeze these & deep fry them till nice & crispy.

2. In the same oil deep fry the chillies till they turn slightly brown.

3. Now put the chillies & tamarind in a mixer & grind to a fine paste. Add water as required. Use as less water as possible.

4. At this stage you can add the coconut & grind in too or leave it. It does not matter. Adding coconut means you have to finish of this pickle in a weeks time. Minus the coconut it stays longer. Coconut just brings in a thickness to the pickle. I added some to the one I made.

5. Now transfer the ground paste to a bowl, add required salt & fried suran.If u want u can season with oil & mustard seeds.

Let it stay for a day before u can eat it, as all the chillies & salt will blend well & the suran wil get to soak well in this spicy mixture.

You can have this with idlis & dosas.. Yes, its spicy, add a drop of coconut oil on top & its heavenly!! Or just simply enjoy it with curd rice.. its delicious!!!!!!!!

Soy Bhajili Ghassi

2008-09-07T07:53:00.007-05:00

Soy Bhajili Ghassi means literally fried coconut curry. This is a typical dish made more by Konkani speaking people in Kerela & very tasty. This is not very familiarly present in the Mangalore side, though now people are more aware & try different stuff!

So heres my First Entry to RCI - Konkani hosted by Deepa of Recipes n More.

Ingredients:
Black Channa – ½ cup
Raw Banana – 1
Drum stick – 1
Potato – 1
Toor Dhal – ½ cup
Salt - To taste

For Masol or Gravy:

Coconut – 1 cup
Red Chillies – 5
Dhania – 2 tsps
Udad Dhal – 1 tsp
Haldi – ¼ tsp
Tamarind – a small piece

Method:
1. Soak channa over night and pressure cook well.

2. Wash the toor dhal & pressure cook & set it aside.

3. Cut the banana & potato into big cubes & drumstick into 2 inch pieces. Cook these vegetables in a pan with enough water. Add just a little salt.

4. Once the vegetables are cooked, add the pressure cooked channa to it.

5. MASOL : Fry the coconut in a pan till it turns brown. This will take a good 10-15 minutes. Do it on a medium flame as otherwise it will get burnt out. Fry the other ingredients too & grind all these to a fine paste adding very little water. The masol is ready.

6. Add the masol to the veggie & channa & bring to a good boil. Then add the cooked dhal & salt & bring everything to a good boil.

Authentic & delicious Soy Bhajjili Ghjassi is ready.Enjoy it with rice & a simple upkari – Vegetable & pappad on the side!

Sakkarai Pongal

2008-08-15T11:02:00.004-05:00

Sakkarai Pongal is a traditional sweet dish of South India. It’s a very delicious sweet & easy to make too. Uses just a few ingredients & you have a yummy dessert ready.Today being India’s Independence day, Tulsi Puja & Varalakshmi Pooja too, I decided to make a sweet dish & ended up making Sakkarai Pongal.

Happy Independence Day dear Friends!

Ingredients:

Raw rice – ¾ cup
Moongh Dhal – ½ cup
Jaggery – 1 cup
Cashews & Raisins – few
Ghee – 3 tbspns

Method:

1. Dry fry the moongh dhal a little. Then add it to the rice & add 4 cups water & pressure cook well.

2. In a Kadai add the jaggery & little water & make it into a syrup & bring to a good boil. Strain it .

3. Now add the syrup & cooked rice & dhal mixture & mix everything well. Keep cooking on a medium high flame. It will all come together . Add ghee little by little & keep on mixing.

4. Roast nuts & raisins in ghee & add to the mixture.

Delicious Sakkarai Pongal is all ready to be enjoyed!

Sprouted Moogh & Meethi Sukke

2008-07-28T21:39:00.008-05:00

This is a typical Mangalorean dish, made by sprouting Green Moongh & Meethi seeds. It has a different taste, but a very healthy dish & easy to make. You can make the same dish also by just using Meethi & adding small diced potatoes along with it.

Ingredients:

Moongh - 1 cup

Meethi seeds- 1/4 cup

Oil - 2 tsp

Mustard seeds - 1/2 tsp

Curry leaves - few

Coconut - 2 tbspn

Haldi Powder - 1/4 tsp

Chillie powder - 3/4 tsp

Salt to taste.

Method:

Day 1: Soak Meethi seeds for 6-8 hours. Then tie in a muslin cloth & set it out in sunlight to sprout. Meethi takes longer to sprout & hence we do this a day in advance.

Day 2: Soak Moongh for 6-8 hours & tie in a muslin cloth & set out in sunlight to sprout.

Day 3: Let sprouting continue for a day more.

Day4: In a pan add oil & season with mustard seeds & curry leaves. Then add the sprouted moogh & meethi together & mix everything well. Add required salt & water & cover & cook till it cooks well. The moogh & meethi must not get mushy, so add water as required for cooking.

In a bowl mix well together coconut, haldi & chillie powder & add to the pan & mix well. Cover & cook for 5-7 minutes.

A delicious & healthy sprouted dish is ready!!!

UPDATE: Lot of friends had asked me name of the bean i had used in the below posting called - Kidney bean curry. The Bean is called Double Beans. I picked it up from Nilgiris in Chennai.

Kidney Bean Curry

2008-07-25T07:30:00.001-05:00

Kidney Bean, is a big flat creamish coloured bean. Its very tasty & has a creamy texture to it. In India, you get these in 2 sizes.. a medium one & a giant big one. I usually buy the big ones as we like those.

UPDATE: These are called Double beans in the store. I picked up the packed from Nilgiris in Chennai.

This curry is my Mom's recipe & comes out great. Its easy & delicious too!

So this curry is off to Srivalli of Cooking 4 all seasons, whos hosting the "Curry Mela". Thanks Sri for hosting a great event!

Ingredients:

Kidney Bean - 1 cup

Coconut - 1/4 cup

G.Chillies - 3

Ginger - 1" piece

Garlic - 1 pod

Tomato -1

Onion - 1

Jeera - Dhania powder - 1 tsp

Salt -to taste

Oil - 2 tsp

Method:

1. Soak the kidney bean over night. Pressure cook for just 1 whistle next day. The bean has to retain its shape & not get mushy.

2. Grind together - Coconut, G.Chillies, Ginger & Garlic to a fine paste.

3. In a pan add oil & saute finely chopped onions till slightly brown. Then add the ground masala & fry for 3-4 mts.

4. Now add chopped tomato, salt, jeera-dhania powder & mix well. Add required water & bring to a good boil, till raw smell off masala is gone.

5. Finally add the cooked bean & boil again.

Garnish with corriander leaves & serve hot with fluffy phulkas or fried rice! A perfect meal is ready....

Capcicum-Potato Stir Fry

2008-07-23T07:42:00.004-05:00

This is simple yet tasty side dish, that goes well with chappathis or even dal & rice. Its very easy to make & can be ready in a jiffy!! A perfect dish, to make for that unexpected extra guest! If u have no capcicum on hand, just make it out of potato or mix & match other veggies of your choice.

Ingredients:

Capcicum – 2
Potato – 1
Onion – 1
Sambhar Powder – 1 tsp
Salt – to taste
Oil – 2 tsps

Method:

1. Chop the capcicum, potato & onions into small cubes.
2. In a pan add oil & fry the onions for 2-3 mts.
3. Then add the capcicum & potato & mix everythoing well.
4. Add sambhar powder, salt & mix it & sprinkle water & cook.

A yummy vegetable will be ready in 10-15 mts! Serve hot & enjoy!!

Rava Dosa & Coconut-Corriander Chutney

2008-07-20T06:02:00.003-05:00

Rava Dosa is one yummy dosa & to get it nice & golden & crisp with those numerous holes is a hard thing. My initial trial at these were a big flop…. Tried all the zillion mixes we get in stores only to land up in a gooey dosa! What a disaster I thought & totally gave up until now.

I was all again geared up to try it out again, especially since this is my definet order for BF at any restaurant. My Dad told me he had it at his friend’s place & it was so great. He got the proportion & inspired me to try. I did & it turned out fantastic! We just loved it .

Ingredients:

Rava – 1 cup
Maida – 1 cup
Rice Flour – 1 cup
Curd – 1 tbspn
Water – 6 cups
Salt – 3 tsps
Jeera – 1 tsp
Pepper – few
G.chillies – 2 (finely chopped)
Curry leaves – few (finely chopped)
Corriander Leaves – few (finely chopped)

Method:

1. Measure & put all the Ingredients in a large bowl & mix well. Make sure there are no lumps.

2. Keep aside for 45mts to an hour. It wil be a watery batter, do not worry.

3. Heat a dosa pan to a high temp & pour with a ladle slowly. Put oil on side & cover & cook. Takes 3-4 mts…then turn & cook other side too.

Serve with chutney or sambhar .I served them with coconut-coriander chutney.

Yummy Rava dosas are ready… with a cup of filter coffee…a delicious BF is ready & what a way to start the day !!

COCONUT - CORRIANDER CHUTNEY:

Ingredients:

Coconut – 3 tbspns
Corriander Leaves – a hand full
G.Chillies – 3
Ginger – 1” piece
Salt – to taste.

Method:

1.Grind all the Ingredients to a smooth paste using little water.

2.Season with oil, mustard seeds, udad dhal & curry leaves.

A delicious chutney is ready to be served!

Ambya Thiksani Humman ( Spicy Mango Curry)

2008-07-14T07:45:00.011-05:00

Well, wondering whats this dish with a long name????? Well, its Raw Mango & Bikkand - Thats jackfruit seed, all put together in one yummy curry. In the photo you'll see the jackfruit seeds too.

This is a spicy dish & goes extremely well with dosas & idlis, or even plain curd rice. This is all my all time favourite dish & i make it often when the jackfruit season is on.. eat the fruit & save the seed for a yummy curry... so practically no waste of anything!! Hows that?

I know in US we dont find the jackfruit seed. This curry can be made minus the Bikkand too & tastes great.Thats how i made all these years......

Ingredients:

Raw Mango - 1

Bikkand(Jackfruit Seed) - 8-10 no

Coconut - 1/2 cup

Red Chillies - 4

Bedgayi Chillies - 2 (this is only for colour)

Tamarind- a tiny piece

Oil - 2 tbspns

Mustard seeds - 1/2 tsp

Meethi Seeds - 3/4th tsp

Salt - to taste.

Method:

1. Chop the mango into big cubes.

2. Pressure cook the Jackfruit seed & then peel the outer skin(thats non-edible). Then cut it into 2 pieces.

3. Roast in a little oil - red chillies till slightly brown. No need to roast bedgayi chillies.

4. Now grind together - coconut, redchillies, bedgayi chillies, tamarind to a fine paste.

5. In a pan add oil, then season with mustard seeds & meethi seeds. Then add the ground masala & mango & jackfruit seed & mix everything well. Add required salt & water & bring to a good boil.

6. Make sure mango is cooked & gravy thickens....

Serve with hot dosas & idlis. Its a perfect accompainment!This can be stored for 3-4 days too.

AWARDS:

Well, another award from a Dear Friend Easy crafts of Simple Indian Cooking.
Thank you EC for the Friendship & Yum Yum Blog awards & thinking of me. It feels special & great getting both these from you. Thank you dear!

I would like to pass this on too,

1. Kalai of Samaithu Paarkalaam

2.Laavanya of Cookery Corner
3.Divya of Divyas Cook Book
4. Vanamala of Nalapaka
5.Pravs of Simply Spicy

Congrats friends on your awards!!

Sheera & an Award.

2008-07-09T06:30:00.000-05:00

Sheera / Kesari / Sooji Halwa - many names but one delicious dessert! Its an all time favourite & easy to make too. Though its made during festivals, its also the easiest & quickest back up dessert incase of sudden guests!

We also love having Sheera after eating a plate of Bajjis!!! Yum Yum!! It sounds wierd, but a hot glass of Filter coffee, bajjis & sheera on a cold / rainy day.....Wouldnt that be great? Try it out & you'll know what a great combo this is.

Ingredients:

Rava - 1 cup
Sugar 1& 1/4 cup
Kesari Colour - little
Elaichi powder - 1/2 tsp
Cashew & Raisins - a handfull
Ghee - 3-4 tbspns
Water - 2 & 1/2 cups

Method:

1. In little ghee fry the nuts & set aside.

2. Now in the same pan, add little ghee & fry the Rava till slightly golden brown.

3. Boil water in a pan & set aside

4. Add the sugar to the sooji & mix well. Then add the boiling water & keep on stirring. Make sure no lumps are there.

5. Add little colour, elaichi powder & mix everything well & cook till its done. Takes about 5 - 8 mts.

6. You can add in the fried nuts & mix everything well.

For Serving - You can serve in a bowl or you can grease a bowl with little ghee, put in some fried nuts & raisins on the bottom of the bowl, then fill it up with the Sheera & place the katori on a dessert plate upsidedown & empty it & you'll get a great presentation.

AWARD:

Divya of Divyas cook book has passed on the blogging with a purpose award . Thanks Divya for this award & thinking of me! It feels great to get another award... :-)

I would like to pass it on too...
1.RC of Red Chillies.
2.Uma of Essence of Andhra.
3.Happy Cook of My Kitchen Treasures.
4.Raaga of Chef at work.

Congrats to you all dear friends!

Podale Cutlets (Snake Gourd Cutlets)

2008-07-01T19:45:00.000-05:00

Podale is a Konkani term for Snake gourd, also know as Podalankai in Tamil. It comes either as a long gourd – just like a snake or even a small short one. We make upkari or vegetable out of it. Tamilians make a yum yum kootu too, which I like.

On my visit to my In-laws place my Mil said "Today, we’ll make Podale Cutlets". I said what cutlets??? I never knew Podale was used to make cutlets I said. So she said ok, I’ll teach u. With my camera in one hand & curiosity on the other I entered the kitchen ( which I rarely enter when I am at my in-laws!! ) I took step by step pictures too! She made cutlets out of Podale & they were super delicious!! With so many of us at home, it was over in a second :-)

Ingredients:

Podale – 1 ( small)
Green chillies – 4
Potato – 2
Hing – 1/4 tsp
Onion – 1 finely chopped
Fine Rava – little (for dipping)
Oil – for frying.
Salt- to taste

Method:

1.Pressure cook the potatos & mash them well.

2. Cut the podale into rounds (about ½” thick) & with a spoon on fingers take out the inside seeds & get it ready.

3.In a mixer or Ragado (traditional stone grinder) make a smooth paste of Green chillies & hing. Transfer to a bowl & add in the mashed potatoes & salt & mix well. Now add very finely chopped onions & mix & make into equal size balls.

4. Now take this potato balls & stuff inside the Podale & evenly press it so that it covers the entire circle of podale.

5. Now dip it in rave & place on a pan & shallow fry. Add oil as required. Cover & cook.

It takes a little while to cook, but worth the time & effort, as once these are ready they wont last long !! Serve it as it is or with ketchup.

Yum Yum Award!!

2008-06-06T06:18:00.010-05:00

Yummy blog award is the award given to the blog with most yummy recipes/photos". This award has been started by Roopa of My Kitchen treats and has been passed on to me by Divya of Divyas cook book. Thanks Divya for a nice & sweet award you passed on to me! It feels great to get it from you.

Four Dessets I have made & like are:

1. Kichidi

2. Churmundo

3 .7 Cups Burfi

4. Sweet Appo

Four Friend whom i would like to pass on The Award & Congratulate are...

1. Laavanya of Cookery Corner

2. Asha of Aroma

3. Pravs of Simply Spicy

4. Meera of Enjoy Indian food

Food Rules for Yummy blog receivers: The person who receives the award should display the "Yummy Blog !" logo on their blog and also the meaning of the award which is "Yummy blog award is the award given to the blog with most yummy recipes/photos".The receiver should also quote their favorite yummy-licious :) dessert(s) that they have ever prepared/eaten. Don’t restrict yourself to any dessert, chocolate bars also welcome.Also the receiver should pass on the award to four other bloggers whose blog they find "yummy" and let them know about the rules.

Pesarattu

2008-06-03T07:30:00.001-05:00

Pesarattu is nothing but dosa made out of Moong (Whole). This is a typical Andhra preparation & very famous. Its also called MLA pesarattu is some places - No idea why??? Its traditionally served with some upma inside the dosa. I made it minus upma as thats how my family likes it!

Ingredients:

Moong(Whole) - 2 cups

G.Chillies - 7 no

Ginger - 2"piece

Rice flour - 2 cups

Salt - to taste

Oil - little

Method:

1. Soak moong for 5-6 hours & gringd to a fine paste along with G.chillies & Ginger.

2. Transfer to a vessel & add riceflour & salt & mix well. Theres no need to ferment this. You can make dosas rightaway.

3. Spread like regular dosas & smear oil & cook both sides. You can make it plain or add onions, like in Onion uthappam.

Serve with coconut chutney or even simple pickle.. goes well with anything! You can add onions inside dosa & make too.

Oops! I was lost....

2008-05-31T07:38:00.003-05:00

Dear Friends,
Sorry for disappearing suddenly off blogosphere !!
Have been travelling & then sick since last 2 weeks. To top it our container arrived & i have been busy going to port off & on to get it released & clear customs etc.. finally done with everything.. Phew!!!! What a relief.

Will be back to blogging next week...... I Promise!
See u all soon.....

Charmurya Upkari (Snack out of puffed rice)

2008-05-16T05:02:00.004-05:00

Puffed rice or "Charmuro" as called in Konkani is a anytime munchy crunchy snack. With kids having summer hols & asking for snacks or "something to eat" as they often put it, this works out great. A healthy snack with less oil & easy to make too.

Ingredients:

Puffed rice - 6-7 cups

Dalia (Pottu Kadalai)- 1/2 cup

Peanuts - 1/2 cup

Oil - 2 tbsps

Mustard seeds - 1tsp

Jeera - 1 tsp

Red chillies - 10 no

Turmeric powder - 1/2 tsp

Curry leaves - few

Salt - to taste

Method:

1. In a pan add oil & fry the Dalia till it slightly changes colour. Drain & set aside. Then fry the Peanuts till golden brown & set aside.

2. Now in ramaining oil, add mustard seds & once it splutters add jeera, red chillies, curry leaves & turmeric powder. Mix all well.Turn off the gas.

3. Now add the puffed rice, dalia, peanuts & required salt & mix everything well.

If you want you can add sev too & all dry fruits too, but traditionally its made very simple & uses only everyday ingredients that you have in your kitchen.

Serve anytime, a delicious, healthy & jhatpat tasty snack to munch on is ready!!

Mixed Vegetable Khola Nonche (Pickle)

2008-05-14T07:30:00.001-05:00

Khola Nonche - A konkani term for pickle with gravy & that too made without any oil. My Mom used to make great Cauliflower pickles - the most amazing ones i've ever had & many of her friends & our Relatives still say mom's was THE BEST!! I tried my hands on it, my very first attempt & not bad, it turned out good, but not as Good as Mom's!

Ingredients:

Cauliflower - a small piece ( i used 3-4 florets)

Carrots - 1

Tindora - 6-7 no

Raw Mango - small piece

Lemon - 1

Mustard seeds - 2 tbspns

Red Chillies - 25 no ( Acc to your spice level)

Salt

Method:

Day 1: Boil 8 cups of water with 4 tbspns of salt & set aside. Cover & bring it to room temp. Leave it overnight preferrably.

Day 2 : Wash, dry & then cut all the veg into small pieces (bite size) . Then add them to the salt water mixture & leave it to soak over night.

Day 3: Using a clean strainer remove veg from the salted water & put in a clean & dry vessel. DO NOT THOW AWAY THE SALTED WATER.

Now take the red chillies & mustard seeds & powder to a coarse paste in a blender. Then add little of the salted water & grind to a smooth paste. Do not make the Gravy very thin, use as less water as poosible. Now transfer the ground Paste or "Kholu" as we call in Konkani onto the veg & mix well. Taste & see & add salt only if you want. Remember you used salted wated so salt will be there already, plus veg soaked in it so they will be slightly salty too.

Mix well & store in a glass bottle in the refrigerator & let all the veg soak for 3-4 days before you start eating it... Once the lemon & mango leaves its sourness & veg soak in the spicy Kholu, spicy & delicious pickle is ready!

Thali Jovan - 2

2008-05-12T05:15:00.000-05:00

Hi Friends,

I am back after a break....Relocatted & settled down quite well. Will visit all your blogs soon!! Thanks for all your wishes during our move.

Well today's Konkani Jovan is - Rice, Alsanda Bea (Blackeyed bean) Koddel, Dudhi upkari & Karatha(Bitter Gourd) Chips.

Alsanda Bea (Black Eyed Bean) Koddel:

Ingredients:

Black eyed bean - 1 cup
Coconut - 1/2 cup
Red Chillies - 3
Bedgayi Chillies - 2
Tamarind - a small piece
Oil - 2 tsps
Garlic - 2 pods
Salt to taste.

Method:

1. Soak the bean over night & pressure cook till soft .

2. Roast the red chillies in a little oil & grind it together with coconut & tamarind to a fine paste. Add water as required while grinding. This is called Masol.

3. Now add the Masol to the cooked Bean & add salt & bring to a good boil.

4. Season with oil & sliced garlic fried till slightly brown.

This seasoning is absolutely aromatic & brings out a different flavour & taste to this curry. Any coconut based curry with garlic seasoning is called a Koddel in Konkani Cuisine.

Dudhi Upkari:

Ingredients:

Dudhi(Orange Pumpkin) - 1 medium slice
G.Chillies - 4
Salt - to taste
Oil - 1 tsp
Mustard seeds - 1/4 tsp
Udad Dhal - 1/4 tsp

Method:

1. Cut the dudhi into length wise pieces along with the skin.

2. In a pan add oil & season with mustard seeds, Udad dhal & Green chillies. Then add the Dudhi pieces & salt & mix everything well

3. Add little water & bring cook till done.

This is a simple upkari but has a great taste & goes really well with the spicy koddel. It will have a slightly sweet taste as the Dudhi has its own sweetness.. if you like it, you will surely like this upkari.

Karathe( Bitter gord chjips) was store bought. Its great & goes well with simple dhal chawal or curd rice too!! Hope you liked my todays jovan!

Blog Breaking !!!!!

2008-04-03T15:49:00.003-05:00

Dear Friends,

I will be on Blog break till end of April, as we are relocating back to India. I will try to visit all your wonderfull blogs as & when time permits.

See you all soon......... in May.

Bye!

Pal Payasam

2008-03-27T17:00:00.000-05:00

Pal Payasam or Kheer is a popular sweet in India & liked by all. Its made by all for all major festivals & a must for every wedding too. Its a nice dessert and you can make it real quick too.

Heres my version of Pal Payasam!

Ingredients:

Whole Milk - 5 cups

2% milk - 5 cups

Raw Rice - 3/4th cup

Sugar - acc to taste

Method:

1. Wash the rice & set aside.

2. In a cooker add water( as u keep for cooking rice) & keep a big vessel & pour in the milk. Add the washed rice & cover the vessel with a lid. Close the cooker & put on the weight.

3. Keep for 2 whistles. Then turn gas to low & keep for another 45 minutes. Turn off & then once cool completely only open it.

4. Add required sugar & stir in well... serve slightly warm or cold, however u like it!

Enjoy your Payasam!

Beetroot Curry

2008-03-20T08:30:00.001-05:00

This is my Moms recipe & comes out real good. A Favourite at my place & it goes well with rice or rotis too...Simple & easy to prepare!

Ingredients:

Beetroot - 3

Onion -2

Coconut - 1/4 cup

Red Chillies - 4

Jeera - 2 tsp

Oil- 2 tsp

Mustard seeds - 1/2 tsp

Udad Dhal - 1/4 tsp

Salt- to taste.

Method:

1. Pressure cook the beetroot for 2 whistles. Onc it cools down, peel of the skin & chop it into small cubes.

2. Grind together - coconut, jeera & red chillies to a paste.Add water as required for grinding.

3. In a pan add oil & season with mustard seeds & udad dhal. Then add the chopped onions & fry till its translucent.

4. Now add the ground masala & fry well for 5-7 minutes.

5. Add the chopped beetroot & salt & mix well. Add little water & bring it to a good boil.

The Beetroot cuury is ready. Enjoy it with Phulkas or just rice & dhal!

Channa Ghassi

2008-03-12T18:51:00.003-05:00

Channa Ghassi is a typical Konkani preparation & a must for many festivals & functions. The gravy or "Masol", as we call it is the same as in any Ghassi. With Channa we usually add Suran / Yam, Potato as an accompianment in the dish.You can also add Raw Jackfruit, its hard to find it here though.

Ingredients:

Kabuli Channa - 1cup

Coconut - 1/2 cup

Red Chillies - 3

Bedgayi Chillies - 2

Tamarind - a small piece

Oil - 2 tsp

Mustard seeds - 1/2 tsp

Methi seeds - 1/4 tsp

Curry leaves - few

Salt - to taste

Method:

1. Soak the Kabuli Channa over night. Next morning pressure cook it till done(Dont make it mushy!)

2. Roast in a drop of oil both red chillies. Bedgayi chillies gives a great colour to the dish - they are not spicy.

3. Grind coconut, tamarind & roasted chillies to a fine paste.This is called "MASOL".

4. Transfer the Masol,channa & required salt to a pan.Add little water & bring it to a liquid / pouring consistency.Bring this to a good boil.

5. Season this Ghassi with Mustard seeds, Methi & curry leaves.

Serve hot with rice. Make a nice upkari (vegetable) on the side & some pappads & you have a great meal set!

Adai & Chutney

2008-03-06T19:00:00.000-06:00

Adai is a healthy & whole some Breakfast. Made with rice & all pulses its high in protein. Good & filling Breakfast for all & a healthy way to start the day!

Ingredients:

Raw Rice - 2 cups

Tur Dhal- 1/4 cup

Channa Dhal- 1/4 cup

Horse Gram - 1/4 cup

Udad Dhal - 1/4 cup

Black eyed peas - 1/4 cup

Kabuli Channa - 1/4 cup

Black Channa -1/4 cup

Moong - 1/4 cup

Moong Dhal - 1/4 cup

Onion - 1

Red Chillies - 8

Curry leaves - few

Salt - to taste

Oil - little

Method:

1. Soak Rice & all dhals together for 4-5 hours.

2. Chop onion into big pieces & fry in little oil. Add in red chillies & curry leaves & saute for 2-3 mts.

3. Add the soaked ingredients along with the fried ingredients & grind to a coarse paste. Add required salt & mix well.

4. Spread as regular dosas & serve hot with Chutney.

Coconut Chutney

Ingredients:

Coconut - 1/2 cup

G.Chillies - 4

Garlic - 1 pod

Ginger - 1" piece

Hing - 1/4 tsp

Salt - To taste

To Season: Oil, Mustard seeds & Curry leaves.

Method:

1. Grind all the things in the Ingredients together to a fine paste. Add water as required.

2. Transfer to a bowl & season.

Enjoy hot adais & yummy Coconut Chutney with a steaming hot cup of Filter coffee!

Onion Pakodas

2008-03-05T17:00:00.001-06:00

We folks in the Midwest were hit by a major strom system, that just dumped us with snow & more & before we realised it was a foot ( Yup 12 inches!!) of snow on the ground! What a nice thing to see, but a mess to clean! It was a back breaking thing of cleaning the driveway & side walks.. took us almost an hour! Kids had fun playing though & after all that tiring job all one wanted was a steaming hot cup of nice Masaledar Chai.

So i got set for some hot tea & instantly thought of making Onion Pakodas! It would be a feast some pakodas, Bhutta (corn) & Chai! So i made all these & we enjoyed our cold winter evening with these munchies.

Onion Pakodas

Ingredients:

Red Onion - 1

Yellow onion - 2

Gram Flour (Besan) - 1/2 cup.

Rice Flour - 1 tbspn

Chillie Powder - 2 tsps

Cilantro - little( finely chopped)

Salt - to taste.

Green chillies - Add if desired.

Oil - for frying.

Method:

1. Cut the onion length wise. Then to it add all flours, salt, chillie powder, cilantro & using little water mix it well. Dont add too much water, as pakodas will absorb oil then.

2. Put them in hot oil in small pieces & fry till golden brown.

Serve it as it is or with some mint chutney, either way it will vanish before you realise :-)

Enjoy your pakodas while it lasts!!

Another Award & Spinach Ambat

2008-02-29T07:00:00.003-06:00

Well, Well its pouring awards , awards & more on the blog world!!! Everyone's getting awards & passing it on.....I am truely overwhelmed on getting another award! Getting the E for excellence award so soon after entering the blog world is tuely amazing & i am so... happy! Thank you Dear Purnima of Fantasy Cooking for passing on this award to me.....I appreciate it :-)

I would like to pass it on too,

Laavanya of Cookery Corner , Maya of Konkan World and Meera of Enjoy Indian Food . Congrats girls on your well deserved awards :-)

Spinach Ambat

This is an authentic konkani dish, made quite often in our house. Ambat is a coconut based curry & cooked given seasoning with Onions. You can make Ambat with carrots, potatoes, Spinach, Chayote squash. This goes well with rice & some simple sabji.

Ingredients:

Spinach- 3 cups

Coconut - 3/4 cup

R.Chillies - 5

Tamarind - a small piece

Onion - 1

Salt - To taste

Oil - 2 tsps

Method:

1. Wash the spinach & chop it. Pressure cook for 2 whistles.

2. Roast R .chillies in a drop of oil till slightly brown. Then grind it with coconut & tamarind to a fine paste.

3. Add the ground masala to the spinach, add salt & 1/2 of onion finely chopped & bring to a good boil.

4. Season with finely chopped onions sauted in oil till brown.

Serve hot with rice...Ambat is ready & delicious!!

Black Channa Theeyal

2008-02-28T09:00:00.000-06:00

I first tasted this dish at our very close Family friend L aunty's house. It was awesome & i instantly loved it. Got the recipe from aunty & made it quite a few times already.

Ingredients:

Black Channa - 1 cups
Jeera - 1 tsp
Corriander seeds - 2 tsp
Methi seeds- 1/4 tsp
Onion - 1
Curry leaves - few
R.Chillies - 5
Coconut - 1/2 cup
Mustard seeds - 1/2 tsp
Tamarind - one small lime size (soak in water)
Salt - to taste
Oil

Method:

1. Soak Channa & pressure cook next morning.

2. Fry in little oil - Jeera, Corriander seeds, methi, chopped onion, curry leaves,R.chillies. Keep aside.

3. Then fry the coconut till it gets a nice brown colour.

4. Grind all the fried ingredients to a fine paste.

5. Now in a pan add oil & once hot add the mustard seeds. When it splutters at the ground masala & fry well for 5 minutes.

6. Then add tamarind extract & salt & bring the gravy to a good boil. Finally add channa & bring to a good boil & check on the gravy consistency.

Serve hot......... goes well with rice & rotis!

My First Award!!!

2008-02-26T14:37:00.007-06:00

My very first award - "Nice Matters" was passed on to me by - Pravs of Simply Spicy , Dhivya of Dhivyas Kitchen & Laavanya of Cookery Corner. Thank you Dear Pravs, Dhivya & Laav for passing it on to me & few other blog friends. I truely appreciate it. This is my first award & i am in peak of excitement.......Its like getting on Oscar :-)

"Nice Matters Award is for those bloggers who are nice people; good blog friends and those who inspire good feelings and inspiration. Also for those who are a positive influence on our blogging world.”

I was telling my daughter i got an award & she was like so wheres the trophy! Ha Ha!! Kids have their own thinking....

I have been in blog world only few months.. still a baby, learning slowly & trying to grow. Made a lot of friends & feels more like an extended family. Look forward to all comments / suggesstion all of you leave. Appreciate the time each of you take behind every comment & the sweet words.. its been fun blogging & every morning with my hot cup of coffe i log onto the blog world!!

Thank you all for all the sweet words, encouragement you give. I need no more recipe books i guess, as so many wonderful recipies in all blogs, its a giant collection of recipes!

I would like to pass on this award to all of you. I know i have to restrict the list & most of you have already got it. So it goes to Nupur of "One Hot Stove",RC of "Red Chillies", Deepa of " Recipes N More" & Ramya of "Mane Adige".

Thank you all & Happy Bloging!!

Arusuvai Friendship Chain & The Secret Ingredient !!

2008-02-13T22:00:00.002-06:00

The Arusuvai friendship chain has been going on for quite sometime now in India. It was started here, in the US, recently by The Yum Blog, Bhags & Bharathy. Thank you all, for starting this chain...... its fun watching people send & receive the "Secret Ingredient" & wait till a dish comes out of it!

So finally today i got my secret ingredient, sent by Deepa of Recipes N More.

It was a big chunk of Jaggery! I was excited on seeing it & quite a few dishes crossed my thoughts..... i wanted it to be something very different & i landed up making - Soornali. Its a kind of dosa - I made the salty & sweet version.. enjoy !!

Ingredients:

Raw Rice - 2 cups

Coconut - 3/4 cup

Poha - 1/2 cup

Butter milk (Sour) - 1 cup

Methi seeds - 1 tsp

Salt - to taste

Cucumber - 1 (If desired)

For Sweet Soornali : Jaggery - acc to taste.

Method:

1. Soak rice & methi seeds together for about 2 hours.

2. Grind it to a fine paste along with the coconut.

3. Wash the poha & set aside. Once it fluffs up, add to the ground mixture & grind well. Add the butter milk & salt.

Now transfer half the batter to a vessel & add in grated cucumber & mix it in well. This batter is for the "Salty Soornali". Cucumber can be omitted too if you dont want them, but it imparts a nice flavour & taste.

To the rest of batter i added about 1 cup of grated jaggery & ground well again. Check the batter for sweetness & accordingly adjust. This batter is for the "Sweet Soornali". You can add some elaichi powder if you like, but traditionally we dont add it.

You spread it like regular dosas, little thick & cover & cook only on one side. The sweet soornali, try taking with ghee.. it comes out real yum!

Soornali can be eaten with home made fresh butter or with any chutney of your choice. Ofcourse the sweet soornali - needs no accompianment! So heres the Soornali ready to be enjoyed!

The Secret Ingredient is now again on the move from my place to...

Maya of Konkan World.

Dhivya of Dhivyas Kitchen &

Red Chillies

Thank you Maya, Dhivya & RC for participating & continuing the chain. Good luck & awaiting the superb dishes you will come up with.

Udad Maida Dosa with Tomato Chutney

2008-02-12T10:00:00.000-06:00

This is an easy dosa & requires no fermenting! Its very soft & fluffy too.

Ingredients:

Udad Dhal - 1 cup
Maida - 3 cups
Salt - 3tsp
Oil

Method:

1. Soak Udad dhal for 2 hours & grind to a fine paste.

2. Mix the maida in a big container with lots of water without lumps. Add salt to it. Cover it & put it in the refrigerator for 4-5 hours. The maida will settle & water will be on top after couple of hours. Throw away the water.

3. Now to the maida, add the ground udad & mix it in well. Spread as regular dosas & cover & cook only on one side.

Hot hot Udad Maida dosas are ready!

TOMATO CHUTNEY

Spicy Tomato chutney, goes very well, with these soft dosas.

Ingredients:

Tomato - 4
Oil - 2tsp
Mustard seeds - 1/2 tsp
Jeera - 1/4 tsp
Channa Dhal - 1tbspn
Curry leaves - few
Red Chillies - 5
Salt - to taste

Method:

1. In a pan add oil & once hot add the mustard seeds, jeera & curry leaves.

2.Then add the channa dhal & fry it till its slightly golden brown in colour. Add the red chillies & saute 2 minutes.

3. Finally add in chopped tomatoes & fry for 3-4 mts. Allow to cool before grinding. Add required salt to the chutney.

For a variation, i add cilantro instead of curry leaves for a different taste. Adding green chillies can also be done.

Batata (Potato) Song

2008-02-11T15:30:00.000-06:00

With The Potato Fest (Dhivya) & Ode to Potato (Sia) being announced, i wanted to participate in these events! So many of you,have already sent their entries for this event.. heres mine - Batata Song - A konkani Potato dish, which is delicious & easy to make.
LINK: http://culinarybazaar.blogspot.com/2008/01/yet-another-event-potato-feast.html
http://www.monsoonspice.com/2008/01/announcing-ode-to-potato.html

Ingredients:

Potato - 2
Onion - 3
Tamarind - Small lime sized (soaked in water)
Chillie Powder - 1 tsp
Salt - To taste
Oil - 2 tsp

Method:

1.Pressure cook the potatos. Peel them & cool them completely. Cut them into medium sized cubes.

2. In a pan add the oil. Cut the onions into small cubes & saute them till slightly transparent.

3. Then add the chillie powder & mix it well. Now pour in the tamarind water & bring to a boil.
4.Then add the potatoes, salt & mix well. Add little water & bring it to agood boil.

You will see the gravy thickening a little. Serve hot with rice & dhal...This is a perfect combination! Simple & yet delicious.

Cooking from other blogs # 1

2008-02-08T15:10:00.000-06:00

I have been trying out, few recipes from other blogs.....Its been fun trying something new in some one else's style / method of cooking!

Its been interesting, trying out recipes & they all turned out so yummy & delicious! Its nice learning new recipes & meeting all my new friends. Though i started blogging only about 4 months back, i have made so many friends that, i feel this is another part of my family here that i interact with -"My Blog Family". Thanks to all of you for taking time to leave comments & sweet words.. I always appreciate it!!

Here's the first few recipes i tried.....

Microwave Masala Peanuts: These were super easy & real yum! We had a party at my place & my first trial at this.. i made one batch & loved it & rightaway made 2 more batches.. it was gone in a jiffy!! With drinks in hand.. do i need to say these vanish pretty fast.. believe me, you know these are not deep fried & low cal, so you go on & on.... Thanks Asha for a nice & guilt free recipe!!
LINK : http://aromahope.blogspot.com/2007/10/saffron-squash-patties-and-mw-masala.html

Vegetable Pulav or Bhath: Again a super hit!! Made this for a baby shower & it was loved by all. I followed the recipe to the dot, just i changed the veggies, as did not have Zucchini & bean on hand! I put in peas, lima beans instead & made it. We loved this one.. Asha Thank u:-)
LINK : http://aromahope.blogspot.com/2007/02/vegetable-pulao.html

Dry Garlic Chutney: This one was very nice & we loved it with curd rice. I thought mixing some of this with butter or cream cheese would make a lovely spread on crackers. But it did not last that long for me to try different things :-) Thanks Asha!! LINK: http://aromahope.blogspot.com/2007/03/gajar-masala-roti-with-garlic-chutney.html

Pineapple Sheera: This one tasted great. Different from our regular sheera, but delicious. A nice way a fruit to go in along with the sweet..... Even my kids enjoyed it. Thank you Shilpa :-)
LINK: http://www.aayisrecipes.com/2006/09/13/pineapple-sheera/

Moru Kolumbu: I had decided to try this the minute i saw the photo on her blog! To top it she used so many ingredients - that i never use in my method of moru kolumbu. So i tried it & it was real yummy... i thought it would last for next days lunch too... but it was all gone :-) Thanks Laav for a great recipe !
LINK: http://cookerycorner.blogspot.com/2008/01/mor-kuzhambu.html

Eggless Date & Walnut Cake: This was was a Super-Duper hit at my place & with all our friends too! By request, i have already baked this cake - 6 times :-) Yes, we truely love it & are ready for it always! I thought i had pictures of it, but can't find... not to worry.. i will bake one soon & update it here. Thank You Pravs for an awesome recipe!!LINK: http://simplyspicy.blogspot.com/2007/11/eggless-banana-cake-with-raisins-dates.html

Thank You, dear blog friends, for sharing all your wonderfull recipes, i truely enjoy reading all posts & learning new stuff every day!

Val Val - A typical Mangalorean dish

2008-02-07T16:41:00.000-06:00

Val Val - Are you thinking what a name for a dish! Well, i frankly don't know why they call it like that, but trust me its a super tasty dish & you can just eat it by itself.....Its very easy to prepare & a sure item on the menu for festivals & usually a must for konkani weddings.

In this dish we use vegetables - that are very specific (as far as i know) & we use Raw Cashew, called as BIBOO (in Konkani). Its the outer nut from the cashew fruit, that is dried & packed with the skin. We soak it in water & peel the skin & then use it. Instead of Biboo you can substitute regular cashews too.

Biboo is something as far as i know not available here in US. Its more in Mangalore / Bangalore / Kerela / Bombay where you will find it.

Here's recipe for Valval...

Ingredients:

Pumpkin (Orange one)- 1 medium piece

Sweet Potato - 2

Potato - 1

Tindora - 1/4 pound

Biboo ( Raw Cashew) - 1cup

Coconut milk - 1 can

Green chillies- 12no

Ghee - 2 tsp

Jeera - 1/2 tsp

Curry leaves - few

Salt - to taste

Rice flour - 2 tsp

Method:

1. Soak the biboo for 2-3 hours in hot water. If using regular cashews - no need to soak.

2. Peel the biboo & pressure cook for just 1 whistle. Raw cashews too pressure cook.

3. Cut all veg into 1 " long pieces length wise & put in a pan. Now add to the half can of coconut milk & water - just enough to cover veg. Add in slit green chillies & cover & cook.

4. The veg will get cooked & when almost done, add in the biboo/ cashews, salt & stir all well.

5. Now add the rest of the coconut milk & slowly bring to a boil. Once it boils if you want to thincken the gravy just take the rice flour & mix it with little water & make a paste & pour it into the dish & stir well. Bring to a boil again.

6. Season with ghee, jeera & curry leaves.....Serve hot.

You can just eat it by itself. It goes well with any spicy curry too.

Tomato Saaru / Soup - How ever u like to call it!

2008-02-03T16:32:00.000-06:00

With winter being the season & we here having 8" of snow, Rasam was the perfect dish i could think of cooking! A perfect dish for all those colds & coughs associated with the season. So heres a simple rasam / soup - if u like to just drink it.....

Ingredients:

Roma Tomatoe- 5

MTR Rasam Powder - 1 1/2 tsp

Garlic - 2

Oil - 1 tsp

Salt - to taste

Cilantro - for ganishing

Method:

1. Blanch the tomatoes in hot water til u see the skin of it ready to come off.

2. Peel of the skin & put it in a blender & blend it well.

3. Now transfer to a pan & add water ( I added 1 cup) - to bring to your desired consistency. Add MTR Rasam Powder, Salt & bring to a boil.

4. Season with finely chopped garlic roasted in oil, till slightly brown. Add in chopped cilantro leaves & serve hot!

We had it with rice, but you can even drink it like a soup.....your choice!

Vatani Usal

2008-02-01T13:00:00.000-06:00

I first had this dish at my friend Vandy's place. It tasted so yum with hot hot puris she served us. I instantly decided i need to learn & make it, but unfortunately got stuck as she said you need "GODA masala" ! What masala??? Never heard of that!! Then she told me it was a Maharastrian Masala. I waited for someone to make an India trip & finally got my Masala a week back - a friend was sweet enough to bring it for me :-)

I have no idea if this masala can be made at home.. will try to do more research & see....If any of my blogger friends know about it, please let me know. Will appreciate it!

UPDATE: Asha of Foodies Hope replied about Goda Masala. She has got the recipe, to make this masala in her blog. Just type RCI - Maharastra in the search box in her blog & you'll get the link. Thanks Asha !

Here recipe for Vatani Usual:

Ingredients:

Yellow & green peas (dried) - 2 cups

Onion - 2

Garlic - 2 pods

Tomato - 2

Tamarind - small lemon size (soak in water)

Chilli powder - 1 1/2 tsp

Turmeric powder - 1/4 tsp

Goda Masala - 2 tsps

Garam masala - 1/4 tsp

Cilantro - for garnishing

Salt - to taste

Method:

1. Soak the green peas over night. Pressure cook them, taking care not to over cook it.

2. In a pan add oil & saute the thinely sliced onions till their almost brown. Then add the minced garlic & saute for 2 mts.

3. Now add the chillie powder, turmeric powder & mix it well. Now add the finely chopped tomatoes & tamarind water.Stir it all well & cook this on a medium flame till the tomatoes are mashed up & masala leaves oil.

4. Now add the cooked peas, goda masala, garam masala & salt. Mix everything well & add water to bring it to a desired consistency. Bring it to a good boil.

Garnish it with cilantro leaves & serve hot with pooris or rotis! Real yummy dish.

Kela Upkari (Banana Sabji)

2008-01-30T11:53:00.000-06:00

Banana is a great vegetable/ fruit. This is one plant that we use the leaves, flower, raw fruit & finally ripe bananas too.. along with that we even eat the stem of this plant too. Today i cooked the raw banana - a simple Upkari (vegetable), which is my mom's style - a simple - jhat phat vegetable.. goes deliciously well with sambhar & rasam!

Ingredients:

Raw Banana - 3

Oil - 2 tsps

Mustard seends - 1/2 tsp

Udad Dhal - 1/2 tsp

Green chillies - 4

Coconut - 3 tbspn

Salt - to taste

Method:

1. Peel the banana & cut into cubes. Put them in a bowl with water as otherwise they will discolour.

2. In a pan add oil, mustard & udad dhal along with green chillies. Saute Them for a minute.

3. Then add the cut & strained banana & mix everything well. Add salt to taste & very little water. Cover & cook.

4. When its 90% cooked add grated coconut & mix well. Let it cook another 2-3 minutes serve it hot hot.

This is a simple upkari, but tastes yum yum! Perfect combo with a spicy gravy & rice.. how about applams on the side too & some payasam for dessert....What a meal it will be :-)

Garlic Parmesan Flatbread With Homemade Salsa!

2008-01-28T20:48:00.000-06:00

I was thinking of what to make for the Game night event hosted by Mansi of Fun & Food. For more details on the event check out at: http://funnfud.blogspot.com/2008/01/announcing-event-game-night-party.html

I was shopping at Traders Joe & came across the Garlic & Parmesan crusted flat bread. Sounded interesting & i thought of a very simple & delicious snackfor the event that will be ready in less than 15 minutes.

Ingredients:

Garlic & Parmesan Flat bread - 1 packet (Traders Joe)

Red onion - 1

Tomatoes - 2

Bell pepper - 1/2

Cilantro - 3 tsps (finely chopped)

Salt - to taste

Pepper powder - 1/2 tsp

Lemon juice - 1/2 lemon

Habanero sauce - optional (to make it spicier!!)

Method:

1. Chop all the veggies into small cubes.

2. Mix it well with salt, pepper, lemon juice & cilantro. Add habanero sauce if desired to suit your spice level.

3. Preheat the oven / toaster-oven & cook the flat bread as instructed in the box.

4. Cut the flat bread into wedges & serve with the home made spicy salsa.

A perfect snack to munch on & ready very quick. You can make the salsa before hand itself & just cook the flat bread, once your guests start to arrive.. its will be reasy in minutes all hot & delicious!

Also use the salsa for chips too... add some melted cheese on top of your tortilla chips & you have one more game night food ready!

Simple Konkani Jovan !!

2008-01-21T18:34:00.000-06:00

Its over 3 weeks since the new year began & i have been not blogging at all. Just too many things going on... first the new year hangover :-), then my dad visiting us, plus my dad & daughter's birthday - yes they share their b'days !!

All of a sudden we decided on a vacation & off we flew to Cancun, Mexico. Oh! man its so beautiful, peaceful, laidback & relaxing.. most importantly - WARM!!! I hated coming back to St.Louis.. its so cold....:-(

So after 8 days of vacation & all junk food - lived on chips & salsas - the best salsas i've ever had.. tried in lot of different places... from posh restaurants to road side small cafes....the cafes make the best i feel! Their spice levels are so high.. its amazing...but irresistable too & one goes on & on..... crunch crunch!! With a nice drink on hand, beach, ocean ..... what more to ask for.

Finally back to base & we are craving for a simple hpome cooked meal. So today its basic konkani food...Rice, Dali Thoy, Thendle upkari & Avalla Gojju.

Sending this to Meeta's Monthly Mingle - http://whatsforlunchhoney.blogspot.com/

This months theme is - COMFORT FOODS. Thanks Meeta for hosting a lovely event.

DALI THOY:

A staple in Konkani cuisine, its made from Toor dhal. Very easy & simple, but tasty.. a must for any festival & loved & hated by many!

Ingredients:

Toor dhal - 1 cup

Green chillies - 4

Red chillies - 1

Curry leaves - few

Hing - 1/4 tsp

Oil - 2 tsps

Mustard Seed - 1/2 tsp

Salt - to taste.

Method:

1. Pressure cook the toor dhal very well. Mash it & add water till u get a desired consistency - not too thin!

2. Now add to it salt, green chillies & bring it to a boil.

3. Season it with mustard seeds , curry leaves, hing & red chillies.

Your Dali Thoy is all ready to be served!!

THENDLE UPKARI: (TINDORA CURRY)

Thendle is also made quite often in konkani cuisine & there are few varieties we make out of it, most popular being Thendle Thalasan. Will post recipe for it soon.. todays its an upkari or dry curry.

Ingredients:

Tindora- 1/2 pound

Coconut - 3 tbspn

Oil - 2 tsps

Mustard seeds- 1/2 tsp

Jeera - 1/4 tsp

Channa dhal - 2 tbspn

Green Chillies - 4 (finely chopped)

Curry leaves - few

Salt - to taste

Method:

1. Wash the tindora & cop it lenth wise into strips.

2. In a pan add oil & once it heats up add mustard seeds, jeera, chopped green chillies & curry leaves & saute for a minute. Then add the channa dhal & saute for 2-3 minutes, till it changes colour.

3. Now add the tindora & mix everything well. Add required salt. Sprinkle water & allow to cook slowly. It will take some time - check in between & sprinkle more water if necessary.

4. Finely add coconut when its almost done, mix well & serve.

AVALA GOJJU :( GOOSEBERRY CHUTNEY)

This is a simple one & as long as you can find or have on hand salted gooseberrys in brine water, its easy to make. People in India, usually in the gooseberry season, but it & soak it in brine solution. It lasts for years....But here its difficult to find gooseberry.But i recently found it in the Indian store - PERIYAR brand sells gooseberry in brine solution. The minute my eyes were on it, i knew i had to have it as we love this gojju!!

Ingredients:

Gooseberry - 5 no

Green Chillies - 4

Coconut - 2 tsp

Curds - 1/2 cup

Salt - if u need

Oil - 1 tsp

Garlic - 1

Method:

1. Drain the gooseberry from the liquid & chop it, throwing away the pit. Add to this green chillies & coconut & grind to a fine paste.

2. Transfer to a vessel & add to it curds. Mix well. Check & see if u need salt. Remember the gooseberrys were soaked in salt solution.. it might be too salty too!! So be careful!!

3. Heat oil in a pan & add to it chopped garlic. Saute till its slightly brown in colour. Pour it on top of the gojju, mix & serve.

Enjoy a simple & delicious meal !!

BEST OF 2007

2007-12-30T15:43:00.000-06:00

Another year gone by... it was as though just few days back we were in 2007 & celebrated the new year & in a flash i feel a whole year of 365 days has gone past...

Nupur of One hot stove has this event called Best of 2007. Check out more details at :

http://onehotstove.blogspot.com/2007/11/announcing-best-of-2007-event.html

So here i am all set to take part in the event hosted by Nupur! Thanks Nupur for creating & hosting this event. Its a wonderful idea & sure lots of our blogger friends will be taking part in this. Though i am into the world of blogging for just 3 months, i still had so much fun, meeting & making so many new friends & trying out so many recipes! Each one of you has your own special idea, creativity & zillions of recipes & methods. Loved them all & hope to try atleast few recipes from each blog....

So here my Best of 2007 - Top 10 Recipes.

1. Fruit Pizza : This is a very nice dessert & quite easy to make. A crowd pleaser & loved by all. It has a whole bunch of fruits, so a perfect way to get those fruits into our diet.

http://myrandap.blogspot.com/2007/10/fruit-pizza.html

2. Pavakkai Theeyal : A very nice dish if you like Karelas! It’s got a perfect blend of spices & flavours & goes well with both rotis & rice.

http://myrandap.blogspot.com/2007/10/pavakkai-theeyal.html

3. Seven Cups Burfi : A very easy to make sweet & always loved by all. Its my family favourite dessert & i make it often compared to other sweets!

http://myrandap.blogspot.com/2007/11/seven-cups-burfi.html

4. Sanna Polo : A dish you can call a complete meal in itself. An easy to make & healthy dish. Batter can be stored for 3 days.. my kids love this one.

http://myrandap.blogspot.com/2007/11/sanna-polo-cabbage-onion-dosa.html

5. Chicken Curry : Non-veg anytime is loved here. This dish is easy to prepare & comes out great too.

http://myrandap.blogspot.com/2007/11/chicken-curry.html

6. Black eyed bean curry : This is another tasty & slightly different flavoured dish. Easy & tasty!

http://myrandap.blogspot.com/2007/12/black-eyed-bean-curry.html

7. Mochakottai Kolumbu : Aah!! This is an all time favourite at my place.. my better halfs favourite i must say! This tastes so creamy & soft.. it literally melts in your mouth. A tasty bean & perfect gravy.. cant ask for more!

http://myrandap.blogspot.com/2007/12/mochakottai-curry.html

8. Zucchini & bell pepper sweet & sour curry : A blend of 2 veggies with some onions & peanuts.. you get a smooth texture from zucchini, yet a cruchy peanut inbetween, along with the sweet & sour gravy.. goes very well with rotis.

http://myrandap.blogspot.com/2007/12/zucchini-bell-pepper-sweet-sour-curry.html

9. Shrimp Curry : Loved this one.. it was just great masala & shrimp all cooked together to form a spicy jhatpat masaledar shrimp.. vanished with some malaysian parathas!

http://myrandap.blogspot.com/2007/12/shrimp-curry.html

10. Sweet Appo : Appo is loved by all & there r many versions, i stick to this as it comes out good. Easy & fast sweet dish.

http://myrandap.blogspot.com/2007/11/sweet-appo.html

So here are my top 10 dishes.. hope you all liked them !! Will keep more dishes coming in 2008...
WISHING ALL MY FRIENDS & FAMILY, A VERY HAPPY NEW YEAR, FILLED WITH GOOD HEALTH, HAPPINESS & PROSPERITY.

Shrimp Curry

2007-12-27T13:51:00.000-06:00

Today was my very first try at this shrimp curry & it came out awesome!! Perfect taste & very yum. I got this recipe from my friend Jaya & here i am rightaway sharing with my blogger friends.

Ingredients:

Shrimp - 30 ( cooked & jumbo ones)

Salt - to taste
Oil - 3 tbspn

Fry in oil & grind to a fine paste:

Onion-1

Tomato-1

G.chillies-1

R. chillies-2

Fennel seeds (sombu) - 1/2 tsp

Garam Masala - 1/4 tsp

Curry leaves - 5

Ginger-garlic paste - 2 tsp

For Marination:

Lemon juice - 1 tbspn

Pepper powder - 1/2 tsp

Turmeric powder - 1/4 tsp

Method:

1. Wash the shrimp & drain water well from it. Now marinate it in lemon juice, turmeric powder & pepper powder for 10 minutes.

2. In a cooker add little oil & fry all the ingredients listed & gring them to a fine paste.

3. Now add remaining oil & put in the ground masala & fry for 5 minutes. Then add the marinated shrimp & salt & stir everything well.

4. Close cooker & cook for 1-2 whistles. Do not add water.

Your Shrimp curry is ready !

Kulitha Saaru ( Horsegram Saaru)

2007-12-19T19:14:00.001-06:00

This is a typical Mangalorean dish i guess! This is a simple & easy to prepare saaru & good for health too.

Ingredients:

Horse gram - 3/4 cup
G. Chillies - 4
Garlic - 1 pod
Salt - to taste
Oil - tsp

Method:

1. Wash the horsegram & soak it over night with 5 cups of water.

2. Pressure cook the same for 7-8 whistles.

3. Using a strainer, seperate the cooked horse gram & the water.

4. Now grind the horse gram to a fine paste & add to the water. Add in sliced g.chillies & salt too. Stir it well. Bring this to a boil.

5. Season with just garlic sauted in oil.

This simple & tasty Saaru is ready...

Banana Fry

2007-12-19T18:57:00.000-06:00

Banana fry, is a simple & tasty side dish. I learnt this recipe from my friend Sunitha. I tasted it at her place & loved it, simple & a very nice dish, something different from our normal style of cooking.

Ingredients:

Raw Banana – 2
Garlic – 3 pods
Jeera – 3 tsp
Chili Powder – 1 ½ tsp
Salt – to taste
Oil / Pam spray.

Method:

1. Peel the Bananas & cut them into round slices about ¼’thick.

2. Grind together Garlic, Jeera & Chili powder to a fine paste using little water.

3. In a pan add the cut banana, salt & the paste. Mix everything well with hands & add ¼ cup water & cook till the bananas are 90% done.

4. Now in another flat non-stick Pan, spray some pam & layer these Bananas in a single layer & cover & cook. They will get brown & crispy, turn & cook other side. Repeat same process till all bananas are done.

Banana fry is ready!! Serve it with rice & dhal or even as an appetizer.. goes well with drinks!

Zucchini & Bell Pepper Sweet & Sour Curry.

2007-12-10T19:00:00.000-06:00

This combination of Zucchini & Bell pepper goes well & this curry has a tangy & sweet taste. Adding peanuts brings in a crunch too. This recipe i learnt from a friend here & loved it! Something different, but really tasty & a good accompaniment for Chapatis.

Ingredients:

Zucchini - 3

Bell Pepper - 2

Onion - 2

Garlic - 1 pod

Tomato - 2

Tamarind - small lime size (soaked in water)

Sambhar Powder - 2 tsp

Brown Sugar - 3 tsp or more

Peanuts - 1/4 cup ( Dry roasted & Unsalted)

Salt - to taste

Oil - 1 tbsp

Method:

1. Cut the Zucchini, Bell Pepper & Onions into medium sized cubes.

2. Add oil in a pan, fry in the chopped garlic. Then add the onions & fry till transparent. Add the tomatoes & fry till its completely cooked.

3. Now add the sambhar powder & fry till the raw smell goes off. Then add in the bell pepper & Zucchini & mix all well. Add the tamarind extract & brown sugar, salt & bring to a good boil.

4. Finally add the crushed peanuts (run for couple of seconds in mixer) & just stir it in & your all set.

A yummy curry is ready to be enjoyed!

Mochakottai Curry

2007-12-08T13:00:00.000-06:00

Mochakottai - is a flat creamish coloured bean. I love this bean!! This recipe i learnt from our family friend.

I have tried trying to substitute this with Val - that we get here, but it does not taste like the ones we get in India. I am yet to find an exact replacement of Mochai ! If any of you know please let me know. But i have my stock of Mochakottai that i buy on every trip back home..........

Ingredients:

Mochakottai - 2 cups

Tamarind - 1 small lemon size (soaked in water)

Coconut - 2 tbsp

Jeera - 1 tsp

Chili powder - 1&1/2 tsp

Garlic - 2 pods

Brinjal - 2 small

Coconut milk - 1/2 can

Mustard seeds - 1/2 tsp

Salt - to taste

Oil - 2 tbsp

Method:

1. Soak Mochakottai over night & pressure cook till their soft.

2.Grind together - Coconut, Jeera & Chili powder to a fine paste.

3. In a pan add oil, mustard & then add the sliced garlic & fry till slightly brown. Then add the cut brinjal pieces & saute for 2 minutes.

4. Now add the ground masala & fry till its well done. Then add the coconut milk, Tamarind water, mochakottai & add salt. Bring to a good boil & keep on medium heat till u get a nice & thick consistency.

Your Curry is ready. This goes very well with rice or rotis.

Black Eyed Bean Curry

2007-12-04T17:00:00.000-06:00

Black eyed bean, also knows as Chowli (North) , Karamani (South) are very high in protein content. There are quite a few dishes one can make from this & here's my first one.

Sending this to Susan, from the " Well seasoned cook" who's hosting the event - MY LEGUME LOVE AFFAIR. Check more details at :

http://thewellseasonedcook.blogspot.com/2008/01/my-legume-love-affair-event.html

Thanks Susan for hosting a lovely event!

Ingredients:

Black eyed bean - 2 cups

Onion - 3 no

Tomato - 2 no

Ginger-garlic paste - 1tsp

Chili powder - 1 tsp

Channa Masala - 1 tsp

Cilantro - finely chopped

Garam Masala - 1/4 tsp

Salt - to taste

Oil - 1 tbsp

Method:

1. Soak the bean overnight & pressure cook. Be careful not to over cook these.

2. In a pan add oil & finely chopped 2 onions. Grind the other onion into a fine paste.

3. Once slightly done, add Ginger-garlic paste & saute few minutes. Now add the onion paste & fry till the raw smell goes off.

4. Then add chili powder, Channa masala & tomato finely chopped or as puree. Mix all well & bring to a boil.

5. Then add the cooked bean & salt & add little water & bring to a good boil. Add little garam masala & cilantro.

Your curry is ready & this goes well with rotis. Serve a raita as an accompaniment & your all set!

Spinach Parathas

2007-12-04T00:10:00.000-06:00

Spinach is a good green for all of us. To sneak it into kids diet, can be a tough job & we as mom's need to try hard to make them eat this. I am sure most of us as kids hated greens & thought it to be yucky, soggy & stinky!! Well, my kids are not any better than i was :-( So i have to get them to eat this in a hidden form & hence we named this Green Parathas... & they love it!

Ingredients:

Wheat flour - 2 cups.

Spinach - 4 hand fulls

Green Chillies - 3

Ginger - 1" piece

Salt - to taste

Oil - little

Method:

1. Wash the spinach & put in a vessel along with green chillies & ginger & pressure cook them for couple of whistles.

2. Once it cooled down run it through a blender.

3. Now add this to the wheat flour & add salt & mix like chappathi batter.

4. Roll out like regular chapathis, add little oil & fry both sides.

Serve these just like that or with curry or raita. Real good!!

Pondu Kolumbu (Garlic Curry)

2007-11-30T20:40:00.000-06:00

Garlic is good for health & if you like the taste & flavour of garlic, you will like this dish. This recipe i learnt from my friend Meena. It tastes great & a favourite at our place!

Ingredients:

Garlic - 3 full pods

Oil - 3 tbspns

Mustard - 1/2 tsp

Fenugreek Seeds - 1/4 tsp

Onion - 2 (Finely chopped)

Tomatoes - 2

Salt - to taste

Tamarind - 1 lemon size ball(soaked in water)

Fry in oil & gring to a fine paste:

Red Chillies- 8

Dhania - 4tsp

Pepper - 1 tsp

Jeera - 1/2 tsp

Channa Dhal - 3 tsps

Onion - 1

Coconut - 1 tbspn

Curry Leaves - few

Method:

1. In a pan add oil, mustard, fenugreek & once it splutters add onions & fry till golden brown, then add the garlic & fry till slightly brown.

2. Add the chopped tomatoes & stir till its well cooked. Now add the ground paste & fry for 5 minutes.

3. Then add the tamarind Water & salt & bring to a good boil.

Your Pondu Kolumbu is ready! Goes well as a side dish with rice & dhal.

Sweet Appo

2007-11-29T16:25:00.000-06:00

"Sweet Appo" is also know as Kuli Paniyaram in tamil. You need a special vessel to make this sweet. A very tasty sweet & very easy to make.

Ingredients:

Raw Rice - 1 cup

Jaggery - 1& 1/4 cup

Coconut pieces - 3 tbspns (if dersired)

Elaichi powder - 1/2 tsp

Cahews & raisins - little

Ghee - as required

Method:

1. Soak rice for an hour. Grind to a coarse paste with as less water as possible.

2. Now to this add jaggery & Elaichi (I keep the jaggery in the microwave for a minute to soften it).

3. Once everything blends well, trasfer to a vessel & add the coconut pieces, cashews & raisins.

4. Keep the Appo vessel on gas & add ghee into each hole. Then once its hot pour in this mixture & cover & cook. Once the first sides done, turn & cook other side.. takes about 5 minutes to completly be done. Keep reating the process til your batters done!

Your Appo are ready to be served.... hot or cold its yummy always!

Rajma Masala

2007-11-28T10:00:00.000-06:00

North India is famous for its Rajma / Channa masalas. Heres my version of the same dish.. sure my fellow blogger friends have their versions too.

Sending ths to Susan of the Well Seasoned Cook - who's hosting My Legume Love Affair. Check out more details at :

http://thewellseasonedcook.blogspot.com/2008/01/my-legume-love-affair-event.html

Thanks susan for hosting a great event!

Ingredients:

Rajma - 1 cup

Onion - 2 no

Tomatoes - 2 no

Ginger Garlic Paste - 1 tsp

Jeera-Dhania Powder - 1&1/2 tsp

Chillie powder - 1 tsp

Salt - Acc to taste

Garam masala - 1/4 tsp

Oil - 2 tsp

Method:

1. Soak Rajma overnight & pressure cook for 2 whistles & set aside.

2. Grind together- onion, ginger-garlic paste, tomatoes to a fine paste.

3. In a pan add oil & fry this paste till slightly brown & raw smell of onion goes off. Then add chillie powder & jeera-dhania powder & fry well. Add little water if necessary.

4. Then add the cooked Rajma & salt & bring to a good boil. Add Garam masala & cilantro & serve hot.

You can add in a boiled potato to the gravy.. goes well & gives quantity too.

Chicken Curry

2007-11-27T10:34:00.000-06:00

There are different ways to make a gravy, for the chicken dish & this one, i learnt from my friend Jaya. It comes out great & i've made it for 2 parties & it was a great hit!

Ingredients:

Chicken - 1 whole (cut into medium size pieces)

Lime Juice- 2 tsps
Cinnamon, Cloves, Bayleaf - Few
Curry leaves - few
Oil - 5 tbspns

Pepper powder - 1tsp

Onion - 1 (chopped finely)

Tomato - 2

Grind these to a fine paste:

Red Chillies - 6

Coriander Seeds - 1tbspn

Jeera - 1 tsp

Ginger-garlic paste - 2tsp

Onion - 3no

Turmeric powder- 1/2 tsp

Method:

1. Marinate the chicken with turmeric,pepper, half of the ground masala & lime juice for atleast an hour.

2. In a cooker, add oil, Cinnamon, cloves, bayleaf & onions. Fry till the onions are almost brown.

3. Now add the other half of the ground masala, tomatoes & fry till its well done. Takes about 10 mts.

4. Then put in the marinated chicken pieces & fry them all well for 5-7 mts.

5. Add water - 1 cup, curry leaves & salt, stir in well & close & cook for just one whistle.

Your Chicken curry is ready to be served.. goes with rice or rotis!

Mutter Panner

2007-11-19T12:30:00.000-06:00

Mutter Panner,a all time favourite with most of us for sure. Its a great dish & perfect for rotis or nans... I am sure there are many versions of this dish & here my version.

Ingredients:

Onions- 3
Tomatoes - 2
GingerGarlic paste- 1 tsp
Panner - 1 pac (I used Nanak Brand)
Peas- 2 cups
Yoghurt- 1 tbspn
Oil- 1tbsp
Jeera Dhania powder- 3 tsps
Chillie powder- 1&1/2 tsp
Salt - To taste
Cilantro - finely chopped
Garam Masala - 1/4 tsp

Method:

1. In a pan add little oil & saute onions till transparent.Then add the chopped tomatoes & Gingergarlic paste & saute till tomatoes are cooked. Grind it to a fine paste.

2. Now add oil & fry this masala for sometime, Add jeera-dhanai powder, chillie powder & mix it well. Then add the yoghurt.

3. Now add in peas & required water & salt & bring to a boil.Then add panner & let simmer for few minutes.

4. Add garam masala & cilantro & serve hot!

Sanna Polo (Cabbage-Onion Dosa)

2007-11-17T14:38:00.000-06:00

"Sanna Polo", a traditional Konkani dish, is loved by one & all. Its a healthy & complete meal in itself. It easy to prepare & the batter can be stored for 2-3 days. Its tasty & nutritious as well.

This is my entry to JFI - Toor Dhal hosted by Linda.

Ingredients:

Raw rice - 1 cups
Toor dhal - 3/4 cup
Coconut - 1/2 cup
Tamarind - A pinch
Hing - 1/4 tsp
Dry red chillies - 4 no.
Onion - 2
Cabbage - a big piece.
Oil - for frying dosa
Salt - acc to taste

Method:

1. Soak rice & dhal together for an hour.

2. Fry red chillies in a pinch of oil, till slightly brown.

3. Grind rice, dhal, red chillies, coconut, tamarind, salt & hing to a slightly coarse paste. Use as little was as possible. It must be a thick mixture.

4. Transfer to a vessel & add to it finely chopped onions & cabbage. Mix all well.

5. Heat a dosa pan & take a hand full of the batter in your hand and spread on dosa pan with hands. It must be 1/4 inch thick. Put oil & coverwith a lid to cook. Takes about 3-4 minutes.

6. Then turn & cook other side too till golden brown.

Serve hot or cold.. yummy always! Goes well with rice & dhal, or just eat it as such. You can use the same batter & fry like vadas. They are called Cabbage Ambodos. Another way is steam the same batter like idlis & its called Sanno Khotto... so its a 3 in 1 dish!!

Jeev Batana Bhuthi (Green Peas Curry)

2007-11-12T13:52:00.001-06:00

Jeev Batana Bhuthi - Literal translation is fresh peas curry, is a dish that goes well with Rice or chappathi. Its my all time favourite !!

Ingredients:

Green Peas - 2 cups

Coconut - 3/4th cup

Red Chillies - 4

Corriander seeds - 2tsps

Tamarind - a pinch

Onions - 3

Mustard seeds - 1 tsp

Oil - 2tbspns

Method:

1. Roast red chillies in a little oil. Then grind together coconut, tamarind, Red chillies, corriander seeds to a fine paste.

2. In a pan add oil & add mustard seeds, when it splutters, ass the finely chopped onions & fry till transparent.

3. Then add the ground masala & saute for few minutes. Now add the peas, add little water & salt & let it simmer for 10 minutes till you get desired consistency.

Serve hot!! You can make this same curry with just onions or even tindora. Comes out great.

FANTASTIC FOUR MEME

2007-11-09T14:42:00.000-06:00

Dear friends,

Yahoo!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! My first Meme, in this world of blogging. I am s.........o very excited!! Bhawna of http://www.frommypalate.blogspot.com has tagged me for this & i am all ready, to play along.....with all my other friends.

Thanks Bhawna for tagging me - my very FIRST tag :-)

FANTASTIC FOUR MEME:

Four Places i've lived....
1. Trichy
2. Libya
3. Chennai
4. St.Louis

Four Jobs i've had...
1. A loving daughter to my parents.
2. A good friend, philosopher & guide to the many friends i made along so far.
3. A sweet wife (Do i hear a grumble!!???)
4. A loving mom to my girls.

Four Favourite places i've holidayed...
1. Kodaikanal
2. Hawaii
3. Florida
4. Yosemite National park

Four Favourite foods...
1. Baby corn manchurian
2. Any chaat item
3. Stuffed Parathas.. any kind.
4. Tandoori Chicken

Four Places i'd rather be...
1. Chennai.
2. Hawaii ( Love this place)
3. Relaxing anywhere with my family
4. Any place where i can get pampered 24/7!! :-)

So that my Meme.. Hope u all came to know a little more about ME!! Now, its my turn to Tag four of my friends, hmm......... lets see, I'd like to tag.....

1. Ramya - Mane Adige
2. Sagari - Indian home cooking
3. TBC - The Budding Cook
4. Kribha - Veetu Samayal

My dear friends, please play along............ its fun & we your blogger friends, would like to get to know you a little more better!!

SHUBH DEEPAVALI

2007-11-08T02:00:00.000-06:00

WISHING YOU ALL A VERY HAPPY DIWALI

May God, shower his blessings on each of us, for a life filled with Peace, Prosperity & Happiness.

Gova Kichidi (Wheat Kichidi)

2007-11-07T12:11:00.000-06:00

"Gova Kichidi" is again a Manglorean sweet. Not many of you, would have heard / tasted it. Its made from Broken wheat (Samba Godumai - Tamil). Some of us use broken wheat to make upma.. but you must be wondering sweet... is that right?? Yes, its a sweet & tastes yummy!!

Ingredients:

Broken wheat - 1 cup

Channa dhal - 1/4 cup

Grated Coconut - 1 cup

Sugar - 1&1/2 cups

Ghee - 4-5 tbspns

Elaichi powder - 1/2 tsp

Cashews - few

Raisins - few

Method:

1. Take broken wheat & channa dhal in a vessel. Wash once. Add required water & pressure cook for 2 whistles. (Channa dhal must not get mashed up!!)

2. Now put this in a pan along with, coconut, sugar, ghee & on a medium high heat, keep stirring.

3. It will seem liquidy, but as you cook, it will thicken & come together.

4. Then add elaichi powder & stir in well.

5. In another pan add little ghee & add cashews & raisins - fry them a little & add to the kichidi.

Your Gova kichidi is ready... serve slightly warm.

Cornflakes Mixture

2007-11-07T09:22:00.000-06:00

Mixture - This is a snack we all love, munch it anytime & we sometimes even forget how much of this goes in, specially when your watching a movie. A hot cup of tea & mixture is perfect for evening time...

Ingredients:

Cornflakes - 1 bag

Wheat barn Cereal - 2 cups

Peanuts - 2 cups

Split peas dhal - 1 cup

Cashew nuts - 1/2 cup

Potato fingers - 1/2 packet

Boondi

Sev

Salt - acc to taste

Chillie powder - acc to taste

Curry leaves - few

Method:

1. Make Boondi & sev & set aside.

2. Deep fry - cashew nuts, peanuts, curry leaves.

3. Add all ingredents now to a big vessel, add salt & chillie powder & give it all a nice shake couple of times.

Your mixture is ready!! Its a simple & easy mixture.. faster & more healthy version as very few things are deep friend. Munch as much as u want & dont have to worry on the calorie part :-)

Chur Mundo ( Besan & Wheat Flour Laddo)

2007-11-07T08:48:00.000-06:00

"Chur Mundo" is a Manglorean sweet, & is very tasty & yummy to eat. My family loves this one & so do my friends.

Ingredients:

Besan - 1 cup

Wheat flour - 1 cup

Sugar - 1 & 3/4 cup

Elaichi Powder- to taste

Ghee - as required

Method:

1. In a pan fry the besan with 2 tsps of ghee till golden brown.

2. To the same add the wheat flour & fry till the raw smell goess off. Takes about 15 mts.Then let it cool for few minutes.

3. Now add the powdered sugar to this mixture, along with Elaichi powder.

4. Mix everything well. Add required ghee & mix the flour till its easy enough for you to make laddos.

5. Make small laddos & serve.

Chur Mundo is all done for your guests!!

Thatai (Nippat)

2007-11-06T21:58:00.000-06:00

Thatai - is a nice crunchy, munchy snack that all love. Its easy to make & has a long shelf life too... if it last that long!!

I got this recipe from my friend Gayathri, a few years ago & have made many times. Its comes out great everytime!! Thanks Gayathri, for a great recipe :-)

Ingredients:

Rice Flour - 1 cup

Udad Flour - 1 tbspn

Channa Dhal - 1/2 cup

Hing - 1/2 tsp

Salt - 1 tsp

Chillie powder - 3/4 tsp

Butter - 1 tbspn

Curry leaves - few

Method:

1. Soak Channa dhal in water for an hour. Drain & set aside.

2. Measure all other ingredients & add the channa dhal & mix well, till butter mixes well with all the flour.

3. Then add required water & make dough like chappathi batter.

4. Make small balls & set aside.

5. If u have a "Roti Maker" U can press the small ball on that. This helps in faster making process & gets a almost perfect round shape. Else use 2 ziplocs greased with some oil & pat this ball in between them with your fingers to get a even layered round shape.

6. Deep fry in oil, till slightly golden brown.

Your Thatai is ready!!

Seven Cups Burfi

2007-11-06T21:21:00.000-06:00

"Diwali" - The festival of lights, is a festival, celebrated throughout India. Its a festival of lights, fire works, sweets & savouries. Sure all are getting geared up, to celebrate this festival & are making some amazing sweets & snacks in their kitchen !!

Well, here's my first post for this occasion...This recipe is my mom's & i learnt it from her.

Ingredients:

Badam - 1 cup

Besan - 1 cup

Ghee - 1 cup

Milk - 1 cup

Sugar - 3 cups

Method:

1. Soak badam in water for couple of hours. Then peel the skin off & grind badam along with milk to a fine paste.

2. Now pour this ground paste in a pan, along with all other ingredients & stir on a medium high flame continuously.

3. After about 20 minutes, you'll see it thickens & bubbling up.

4. Wait for another few minutes & you'll see it bubble up more & leave sides of vessel.Usually time taken to get right consistency is anywhere from 25 - 30 minutes.

5. Then transfer to a greased plate. Wait till slightly cool to cut into pieces.

Your burfi is all ready to be served!!

Green vegetable pulav

2007-10-31T09:50:00.000-05:00

Vegetable Pulav is every one's favourite dish. My kids love it! Its a best way to get them to eat few veggis if they are fussy eaters. Its easy to make & tasty too....

Ingredients:

Basmati Rice - 2cups
Corriander Leaves - 1 bunch
Ginger-garlic paste - 1 tsp
Green chillies - 6no
Coconut - 2 tbspns
Onion - 2
Oil - 2 tbspns
Ghee - 1 tsp
Cinnamon - 1" piece
Cloves - 4
Bayleaf - 1
Elaichi - 1
Green Beans, Carrot, Potato, Cauliflower, Peas - all together - 2 cups.

Method:

1. Chop all vegetables into 1" long pieces. Slice the onions & set aside.

2. Wash basmati rice & keep ready.

3. Grind together - Corriander leaves, green chillies & coconut to a fine paste.

4. In a pan add oil & ghee, then add the whole spices - Cinnamon, cloves, bayleaf & elaichi.

5. Add the sliced onions & ginger-garlic paste, & saute for 2-3 minutes. Then add the vegetables & fry all for 5 minutes.

6. Now add the ground green masala & fry till the raw smell goes off.

7. Now add the washed rice & mix all together for about 5-7n minutes, till its all blended well. Add required salt.

8. Add 4 & 1/4 cups of water in a rice cooker & then trasfer these ingredients from the pan into it. Mix all well & turn on the rice cooker, till done.

Very soon your home will be filled with the aroma of pulav & you'll be ready to serve a mouthwatering dish..... Serve hot !!

Cranberry Thokku (Pickle)

2007-10-31T09:45:00.000-05:00

Cranberries - Why only use it in desserts.. use it to make a pickle too! When, my friend Deepa said this, i said, pickles from Cranberries? Interesting right??? Well, finally i did muster courage to try.. & result was great recipe. Thanks Deepa!!

Ingredients:

Cranberries - 1 pack (I used 12 oz pack)

Oil - 4 tbspns

Mustard seeds - 1 + 1 tsp

Methi Seeds - 1 tsp

Hing - 1/4 tsp

Chili Powder - 2 tsps

Turmeic powder- 1/2 tsp

Salt - to taste

Method:

1. Wash cranberries in a collander & set aside to dry off.

2. In a pan, dry fry 1 tsp of mustard & methi seeds & powder coarsely.

3. Add oil to pan & 1 tsp Mustard seeds & hing. Let it splutter, then add the washed cranberries & stir well.

4. It will mash up & come together in few minutes.. Then add the chili, turmeric & salt & mix well.

5. It will be all mashed & come well together, now add the coarsely powder mustard & methi mixture & stir in well for 2-3 minutes. Your Cranberry Thokku is ready!!

Its a little bit on the sour side...so increase the spice level accordingly. But tastes good, something different !! Your Cranberry Thokku is ready.

Beans & Potato Udad Methi Curry

2007-10-30T10:00:00.000-05:00

This is a new recipe that i just learnt this past weekend from my friend's mom. It tastes great & goes well with chappathis. My very first try & it was a great hit at my place !

Ingredients:

Beans - 1/4 pound

Potato - 2 no

Coconut - 6 tbspns

Red Chillies - 4

Turmeric Powder - 1/4 tsp

Tamarind - A small piece

Udad Dhal - 1 tbspn

Methi Seeds - 1/2 tsp

Oil - 2 tsps

Mustard - 1/4 tsp

Curry Leaves - Few

Salt

Method:

1. Cut the beans into 1" long pieces & potato into medium size cubes. Put the veggies in a pan. Add little salt & water. Cover & cook till 90% done.

2. Fry the red chillies in a drop of oil. Grind them with coconut, tamarind & turmeric powder to a fine paste.

3. Roast udad dhal & methi in a pan without oil. Just till udad dhal turns slightly reddish in colour.Now add this to the ground coconut mixture & grind again till all mixes well.

4. Add the ground masala to the cooked veggies, add more salt as required & bring to a boil.

5. Season with mustard seeds & curry leaves.

Serve hot. Goes well with chappathis.

Channa Sundal

2007-10-29T16:00:00.000-05:00

Garbanzo Beans ( English),Kabuli Channa (Hindi), Konda Kadalai (Tamil) is a great bean & very nutritious. You can make quite a few things out of this & heres my first recipe....

Ingredients:

Garbanzo Beans - 1 cup

Oil - 2tsp

Mustard seeds - 1/4 tsp

Jeera seeds - 1/4 tsp

G. Chillies - 3no

Curry Leaves - few

Coconut - 2 tbspns

Hing - little

Salt - to taste

Method:

1. Soak the bean over night. Pressure cook for 1-2 whistles with just enough water for it to cook in.

2. In a pan add oil, mustard, jeera & when it splutters, add the hing, G.chillies & curry leaves.

3. Then add the cooked bean, salt & mix all well.

4. Stir for few minutes. Add little water so that all the flavours get into the bean. Cook for few minutes, till water evaporates.

5. Then add grated coconut & stir.

Your Channa Sundal is all ready!! Enjoy the sundal....

Tomato Pickle

2007-10-28T18:20:00.001-05:00

Tomato Pickle is really easy to make & comes in handy on those days your lazy too cook.. goes well as an accompianment with dosas, Idlis or even Rice & Dhal!

Ingredients:

Tomatoes - 10 no (I used Roma Tomatoes)

Canola Oil - 2 tbspns

Gingelly Oil - 2 tbspns

Mustard Seeds - 1 tsp

Meethi Seeds - 1/2 tsp

Chili Powder - 1 1/2 tsp

Turmeric Powder - 1/2 tsp

Hing - 1/4 tsp

Salt - to taste

Method:

1. Wash tomatoes & cut them into medium pieces.

2. In a pan, add both oil (if you dont have Gingelly oil,use only Canola oil - increase amount)& once hot add mustard seeds, methi seeds & let it splutter.

3. Then add chopped tomatoes & cook it. It will leave a lot of water, but will thicken as u cook.

4. Once tomatoes are mashed & half cooked, add chili powder, turmeric powder,Hing, Salt & keep on cooking till it becomes thick & oil starts to come to the sides of the pan.

Your pickles ready to serve. Can be stored for a few days.

For variation, i add chopped garlic or ginger in sometimes, while cooking.

Methi Parathas

2007-10-28T16:57:00.000-05:00

Methi leaves are good for health & we can russel up some quick dishes with these if on hand. Tonight's dinner at my place is Hot Hot Methi Parathas with pickle & curds.

Ingredients:

Wheat Flour - 2 cups

Methi Leaves - A Bunch (Washed & Chopped)

Jeera - 1/2 tsp

Turmeric Powder - 1/2 tsp

Chili powder - 1/2 tsp

Salt - to taste

Oil

Method:

1. Mix all ingredients except oil & mix the flour like for normal Chapati.

2. Apply some oil on the outside of batter & leave it for some time.

3. Roll out to make chapatis & fry on a hot pan with oil. (You can use butter too - It tastes really good - That's how traditionally it is done in Northern part of India)

4. Serve hot with some pickle & Curd.

Enjoy your Parathas!

Fruit Pizza

2007-10-26T19:07:00.000-05:00

This pizza is just simply superb & a great hit with people who dont like fruits too!! Its simple & very easy to make. I tried this recipe from Allrecipes & it was awesome.

Ingredients:

1 (18 ounce) package refrigerated sugar cookie dough
1 (8 ounce) package cream cheese, softened
1 (8 ounce) container frozen whipped topping, thawed
2 cups sliced fresh strawberries

1/2 cup white sugar
1 pinch salt
1 tablespoon cornstarch
1/2 cup orange juice
2 tablespoons lemon juice
1/4 cup water
Other fruits of your choice to decorate your pizza.

Method:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Slice cookie dough and arrange on greased pizza pan, overlapping edges. Press dough flat into pan. Bake for 10 to 12 minutes. Allow to cool.

2. In a large bowl, soften cream cheese, then fold in the whipped topping. Spread over cooled crust. You can chill for a while at this point, or continue by arranging the fruit.

3. Begin with strawberries, sliced in half. Arrange in a circle around the outside edge. Continue with fruit of your choice, working towards the middle. If bananas are used, dip them in lemon juice so they don't darken. Then make a sauce to spoon over fruit.

4. In a saucepan, combine sugar, salt, corn starch, orange juice, lemon juice and water. Cook and stir over medium heat. Bring to a boil, and cook for 1 or 2 minutes, until thickened. Remove from heat, and add grated orange rind. Allow to cool, but not set up. Spoon over fruit. Chill for two hours, then cut into wedges and serve.

Your Fruit Pizza is ready to serve!!

Pavakkai Theeyal

2007-10-26T14:01:00.000-05:00

Pavakkai (in Tamil) or Karela (in Hindi) or Karathe (in Konkani) is one of my favourite vegetables!! I know lot of you will be thinking such a bitter vegetable, but i guess its an acquired taste & once you like it you'll really like it!! I make quite a few dishes from this vegetable & this recipe is from my cousins wife.

Ingredients:

Pavakkai - 2
Onion - 2
Tamarind - 1 small lemon size (soak in water)
Coconut - 5 tbspns
Corriander seeds - 2 tsps
Meethi seeds - 1/2 tsp
Red Chillies - 4 or acc to taste
Oil
Salt
Sugar - 1 tsp

Method :

1. Cut the Pavakkai into thin round slices. Apply salt & set aside for 10 mts.

2. In a pan add just the coconut & fry till its brown in color. Then fry the dhania, red chillies & meethi with a drop of oil. Grind all these 4 to a fine paste along with tamarind.

3. Now add oil in a pan & add finely sliced onions & saute till golden brown.

4. Deep fry the salted Pavakkai & set aside. Fry till its crispy & well done.

5. Add the ground masala to the sauted onions & add the fried pavakkai too. Add salt, sugar & very little water & bring to a good boil.

Serve this hot. Its yummy & goes well with rice & dhal!

Poha Polo (Poha Dosa)

2007-10-26T13:52:00.000-05:00

Poha or Avul (in Tamil) is used in this dosa preparation. It's a very fluffy, soft dosa & very different from the usual ones we normally make.

Ingredients:

Raw rice - 1 cup
Udad Dhal - 3 tbspns
Poha - 1 cup
Salt

Method:

1. Soak rice & udad dhal for 2-3 hours & grind to a fine paste.

2. Then wash Poha in little water & drain & set aside. It will get fluffy in 5 minutes.

3. Add this to ground batter & grind again till well done. Add salt.

4. Theres no need to ferment this batter, you can make dosas instantly.

5. Serve it with any chutney of your choice.

This dosa you cover & cook only on one side.. no need to flip & cook other side. You will see lots of tiny holes on dosa when its cooked .