Baby corn 65

This recipe is very easy, fast and a crowd pleaser. It could be a good side dish or an appetizer.

INGREDIENTS:

Baby corn- I can, drained and rinsed in running water

Ginger garlic paste-1 tbsp

Yogurt- 1 tsp

All purpose flour or maida - 1 tbsp

Rice flour- 1 tsp

Red chilli powder, turmeric powder, cumin seed powder, fennel seed powder, Garam masala, coriander seed powder,salt - to taste 

Red food color-  A pinch , optional

Lemon juice and cilantro- for garnish

PROCEDURE:

1.Marinate the baby corn with all the above ingredients for 30-60 minutes.

2. Deep fry in oil. Garnish with lemon juice and cilantro.

Arisi Paruppu Sadam- Kovai Special

This is a Coimbatore district special and favorite. Almost like sambar sadam but with a little more flavor.

INGREDIENTS:

Toor dal- 1 cup
Rice- 1.5 cups
Onions- 1 medium, chopped fine
Tomatoes- Equal amount, 2 nos, chopped
Garlic- 2 tbsp, peeled and minced/crushed
Green chillies- 4 nos, slit
Fennel seeds- 1 tbsp
Mustard seeds- 1 tsp
Urad dal- 1 tsp
Turmeric Powder, Sambar Powder- To taste
Curry Leaves- A few
Cilantro- To garnish

PROCEDURE:

1. Wash the toor dal and rice and separately and keep aside.
2. In a rice cooker, add oil, fennel seeds, mustard seeds, urad dal, curry leaves and allow to splutter.
3. Add chopped onions and crushed garlic and saute till golden. Add green chillies and mix and then add tomatoes till well cooked.
4. Add the masala powders and salt and now add the rice and mix well.
5. Now add the toor dal and water in the proportion 1:2 which will be 5 cups of water and close the lid.Allow to pressure cook till well done.
6. Open the cooker and add some ghee and cilantro for garnish.
7. Serve hot with vadakam and any vegetable side dish of your choice but typically served with drum stick masala.

Rava (Semolina Kesari)

INGREDIENTS:

Rava- 1 cup
Milk- 1 cup
Water-1.5 cups
Sugar- 1.5 cups
Ghee- Enough to make the kesari smooth consistency
Cashew nuts- Handful
Craisins/Raisins- 1 tbsp appr
Almonds- Optional, 1 tbsp or more
Cardamom powder- 1 tbsp depending on the strength of the powder
Kesari powder- Optional, a dash for color.  Tamil people are used to the orange color for kesari.
Saffron- A pinch for garnish.

PROCEDURE:

1. In a pot with a little ghee, fry the rava until raw smell is gone and keep aside.
2. In the same pot, add a tbsp ghee and roast the nuts and craisins/raisins and cardamom powder until done and keep aside.
3. In the same pot, add one tbsp of ghee or more again and add milk and water and bring it to a boil. Add the color powder and mix.
4. Now add the fried rava and mix till smooth. Add more ghee if there are lumps. Thats the secret for a good consistency.
5. Mix the sugar and keep stirring until the kesari does not stick to the sides of the pot and moves freely from the edges.
6. Add the roasted nuts and craisins/raisins and mix well. Turn off stove and garnish with saffron.Serve hot.

Green tomato Ghosthu/Sabji

INGREDIENTS:

Green Tomatoes- 6 or 7 medium nos, cubed into small pieces
Garlic- 3 or 4 pods, finely chopped
Green chillies- 7 or 8 depending on your spice level
Curry leaves- A few
Turmeric powder-1/2 tsp
Chilli powder- 1 tbsp
Coriander seed powder(daniya powder)-1 tsp
Sugar/Jaggery- 1 tsp
Cumin seeds-1 tsp
Mustard seeds- 1 tsp
Asafoetida or Hing- Few puffs

PROCEDURE:

1.  In a pot, add a couple of tbsp of oil, mustard seeds, cumin seeds, hing, curry leaves. Allow to splutter.
2. Add the garlic pieces and green chillies and saute.
3. Add the cubed green tomatoes and all the spice powders and sugar for the tartness and some hot water and allow to cook well for 15-20 minutes.
4. Garnish with some cilantro and serve with hot dosas, chapathis or idlies.
   

Rava Laddoo

INGREDIENT:

Rava or semolina- 2.5 cups
Sugar- 2 cups
Ghee-For roasting rava,cashewnuts, raisins
Cashewnuts-A handful
Raisins- A handful
Cardamom powder- 1 tsp

PROCEDURE:

1. In a hot pan, add a tbsp of ghee and add the rava. Roast until golden color and raw smell is gone.
2. Keep aside and allow to cool.
3. In the same pan, add ghee and roast cashew nuts and raisins and add cardamom powder.
4. In a mixie, dry grind the roasted rava to a fine powder and keep aside. Now grind the sugar into a fine powder. 
5. Mix the rava, sugar, cashew nuts and raisins and make laddoos with your hands. Add ghee to be able to make a laddoo.

Veg Chili with quinoa- SLOW COOKER-INDIAN STYLE

INGREDIENTS:

Onion- 1 small, cubed
Can of diced tomatoes and chillies-1
Can of triblend beans (Kidney beans, Pinto beans and Garbanzo beans)-1
Tomato Puree- 2 tbsp
Zucchini- 1 no, cubed
Yellow Squash- 1no, cubed
Green bell pepper- 1/2 no, cubed
Red bell pepper- 1/2 no, cubed
Garlic- 6-8 nos, cubed
Veg broth- 1 box
Baby Carrots- 4-6 nos, cubed
Green chillies- 1 or more depending on spice level
Quinoa- 1 cup, soaked in water for 1-2 hours
Cilantro- handful, chopped

Spice Powders:
Olive Oil- 2 tbsp
Cumin Powder- 1 tsp
Chilli powder- 1 tsp
Coriander  seed powder- 1 tsp
Garam Masala- 1 tsp
Salt-to taste
Turmeric Powder-1/4 tsp

Garnish:
 Sour cream
Green onions- chopped
Corn bread

PROCEDURE:

1. Turn on the slow cooker to high. Add all the ingredients except spice powder. Add water if needed depending on how much veggies you have.Let it cook for 2-3 hours.
2. Change setting to low and allow to cook over night for about 8 hours.
3. Now add all the spices and salt and allow to slow cook for 1-2 hours or leave it in warm until you want to serve.
4. Serve with shredded cheese (optional), sour cream and cut green onions. You can eat with corn bread or as is. If you want soupy texture, add more broth.

Mexican Green Chili Enchilada Sauce

INGREDIENTS:

Green tomatillos- 12-14, cut into halves
Jalapeno chillies-2 nos with seeded
Onions-2 nos, one cut into small chunks for baking and one into small cubes
Whole Green chillies from can- 2 nos, chopped
Garlic-8 nos- 4nos with skin, 4 nos that are chopped
All Purpose Flour- 2 tbsp
Cumin powder- 1 tbsp
Taco Seasoning - 2 tbsp
Salt and Pepper- To taste

PROCEDURE:

1. In a baking tray, arrange all the halved tomatillos cut side down and the garlic with the skin ,onion,jalapeno in slots where this is some space.
2. Broil in high for about 15-20 minutes until cooked.
3. Now allow the vegetables to cool. Remove the skin of garlic and grind everything to a smooth paste and keep aside.
4. Now in a big pot,add some olive oil, onions, garlic and allow to fry till brown. Add the green chilies from the can and saute well. 
5. Add the all purpose flour and mix with the onion mixture.
6. Add the spices and mix. Pour the paste that you have ground and mix and allow to boil.
7. Squeeze half a lime or lemon for taste.
8. Eat with enchiladas or as a chili with shredded chicken.

Oreo Cookie Balls

 This recipe is an inspiration from the website: http://allrecipes.com/recipe/oreo-cookie-balls/


INGREDIENTS:

Oreo Cookies- 1 packet- 18 sandwich cookies for the balls and 2 cookies for crumbs for garnish.
Chocolate Chips- 2 cups
Cream Cheese- 4 oz or half a pack of Philadelphia brand cream cheese

Servings:

16-18 nos

PROCEDURE:

1. Remove the cream from the oreo cookies and powder the cookies alone using a pin or a food processor.
2. Now mix in cream cheese with the cookies into a smooth paste.
3. Make balls and refrigerate for at least 1 hour until the balls are firm.
4. Now in a microwavable bowl, add the chocolate chips and melt for approximately 2 minutes stirring it for every 30 seconds until the chips are melted into chocolate.
5. Drop the oreo cookie balls into the melted chocolate and smother it with chocolate until fully covered. You can use a spoon if you need to. Remove the cookie balls from the chocolate using 2 forks and remove excess chocolate and place in a wax or parchment sheet.
6. Garnish with some cookie crumbs or sprinkles or any other chocolate syrup for decoration.
7. Refrigerate for 2 hours until firm. Enjoy!

Microwave Doodh Peda

INGREDIENTS:

Milk Powder(Mawa Powder)- 2 cups
Condensed Milk- 14 oz, 1 can
Butter- 1 stick or 8 tbsp or 1/4 cup
Cardamom- 1/4 tsp or to taste
Saffron- A pinch

PROCEDURE:

1. Take a big glass microwaveable bowl and put the butter in it. Microwave for 1 minute until the butter is melted.
2. Now add the milk powder and condensed milk and mix well.
3. Microwave for 5 minutes. Stir every minute taking care not to let the mixture overflow from the bowl. The consistency of the mixture should be a thick paste.
4. Add Saffron and Cardamom powder.
5. Allow to cool for 20 minutes until you are able to touch with bare hands.
6. Grease a plate with butter or ghee so the pedas dont stick to plate.
7. Make balls and flatten them in the middle.
8. Garnish with craisins. cashew nuts or pistachionuts.
9. Refrigerate for a few hours or serve in room temperature as per your choice. 
   

Note:

Microwave heating may vary for different brands and power watts. Time of cooking may vary accordingly. 

Beetroot Halwa

INGREDIENTS:

Beetroot- 3 small nos
Sugar- 6 tsp or to taste
Mawa Powder aka Milk Powder- 2.5 tsp
Milk- 1/4 cup
Ghee- 4 tbsp
Cashew nuts- 1 tbsp
Cardamom Powder- 1/2 tsp

PROCEDURE:

1. Peel the beets and grate finely using a chopper or a grater.
2. In a separate pan add a tsp of ghee and saute some cashewnuts until golden brown. Keep aside.
3. In a pressure cooker, Add 2 tbsp of ghee and saute the chopped beets until raw smell is gone.
4. Now add the milk and cook for a whistle in sim. Make sure that the beets do not get burnt.
5. Open the pressure cooker and add the sugar and mix well until the sugar is incorporated well into the beets.
6. Add the Milk powder, one spoon at a time and mix well. 
7. Add more ghee if needed.Keep stirring until ghee separates from the beet halwa.
8. Add the cardamom powder and the sauteed cashew nuts into the halwa. Serve warm.

Vegetable Puffs

INGREDIENTS:

Puff Pastry sheets- 1 box- Pepperidge Farms brand
Potatoes- 2 big, boiled well

Frozen carrot peas- 1/2 cup
Onion- 1/2 small,Diced into small cubes
Green chillies- 4 nos, cut into small pieces
Ginger Garlic Paste- 1 tbsp
Cumin Seeds- 1 tbsp
Turmeric Powder, Coriander seed powder, Chilli powder,Fennel seed powder, Garam Masala- To taste
Chat Masala- Optional, 1/2 tsp
Lemon Juice- 1/2 Lemon
Cilantro- To Garnish
Milk- 2 tbsp for rubbing over the pastry sheet for shine and crispiness.
Salt- To taste

PROCEDURE:

1. Boil potatoes in pressure cooker until well done. Once the pressure is off, remove the peel and mash well.
2. In a pan with little oil, add cumin seeds, onions, ginger garlic paste, green chillies and saute well till raw smell is gone.
3. Add the frozen or boiled carrots and peas and mix well.
4. Now add all the masala powders, salt  and mix.
5. Add the mashed potatoes and stir till well done.
6. Turn off stove.Add the lemon juice and cilantro and mix one more time.
7. Now after the puff pastry sheets are thawed, spread the sheet in a cutting board and smother with milk using a pastry brush.
8. In the middle of the sheet, uniformly spread the potato masala.
9. Now cover the potato masala with the puff pastry sheet from below and spread the milk using the brush.
10. Then take the puff pastry sheet from the top portion and cover. Now brush the sheet with milk again.
11. Cut the sheet into four pieces and place them in a cookie sheet tray.
12. In a preheated oven with temperature of 400 degree Fahrenheit, place the cookie tray and bake for 20-25 minutes until the puffs are golden brown in color.
13. Serve with ketchup.

Aloo Paratha

My grandma makes the best aloo parathas and I used to crave for her aloo parathas that inspired me to make them at home by myself. The taste and texture is not as good as her but I have tried my best. I dedicate this post to her.My hubby loves them too and I make it for him on special days.

INGREDIENTS:

Aloo Stuffing:

Golden Potatoes- 2 or 3 boiled well.

Green chillies- Finely chopped

Oil-1tbsp

Turmeric powder-1/2 tsp

Chilli powder-1 tsp

Coriander seed powder-1/2 tsp

Saunf powder- 1 tsp

Cumin seed powder- 1 tsp

Garam masala-1 tsp

Salt- according to taste

Cilantro- A handful chopped finely

Paratha:

Wheat flour-  3 cups

Water- Enough to mix into dough

Oil-2 tbsp

Salt- to taste

PROCEDURE:

1. Boil the potatoes in a pressure cooker. Peel and mash into a fine paste.

2. In a pan add oil, green chillies, salt, all the spice powder and mix well.

3. Add the mashed potatoes and mix till well done. 

4. Garnish with cilantro and allow to cool.

5. Make Chapathi dough by mixing well.

5. Now make balls of aloo separately and Chapathi separately.

6. Roll the Chapathi ball a little bit and place the aloo ball.

7.Pull the sides of the rolled out dough and make a pocket.

8. Pat it down and rub some dry Chapathi flour on top and roll out into uniform aloo parathas.

9. Put it in hot pan and turn till done. You can add oil or ghee to keep the moisture.

10. Serve with mango pickle and yogurt.

Baingan ka Bharta

INGREDIENTS:

Eggplant- 1 big
Onion-1/2 a small, cut finely
Tomato-1 small, cut finely
Ginger Garlic Paste-1 tsp
Green chillies- 1 , cut finely
Peas- 2 tbsp
Cumin seeds- 1 tsp
Red chilli powder- 1 tsp
Coriander seeds powder- 1/2 tsp
Garam Masala- 1/2 tsp
Kasoori Methi- 1 tbsp, crushed with hand before adding
Turmeric Powder- 1/2 tsp
Honey- 1/2 tsp
Cilantro- For garnish

PROCEDURE:

1. Quarter the big eggplant. Rub the outside and inside with some olive oil and place in the oven for 25-30 minutes or until tender at 425 F
2. Remove the eggplant from the oven once done. Allow to cool. Remove the skin by pulling it out. Try to mash with hand. I prefer, blending them into a paste with a mixie for uniform texture.
3. In a separate pan, add oil and once heated, add cumin seeds. Allow to splutter and add the onions and ginger garlic and cook till raw smell is gone.,
4. Now add green chillies and tomatoes and pour some water to cook it completely. 
5. Add the green peas and saute for a min or two. Add all the masala powders and salt. 
6. Add the mashed eggplant mixture. Allow to cook.
7. Add the kasoori methi and honey and mix and cook for a minute.
8. Turn off stove and add lemon if needed and cilantro for garnish.
9. Serve hot with rotis.

Masala Vada

 Masala Vada are also called as Dal Vada and is a good evening time snack served along with tea or coffee.  They are basically lentil fritters almost similar to the Mediterranean Falafels.

INGREDIENTS:

Channa dal-1 cup
Rice Flour-1 to 1.5 tbsp
Fennel Seeds- 4 tsp
Red Onion-1 small cubed
Green chilli- 1 big
Red chilli-1 no
Ginger-1/4 of an inch
Garlic- 2 pods
Cilantro- A handful, chopped
Curry leaves- 1 string, chopped
Salt- To taste

PROCEDURE:

1. Soak channa dal for 3-4 hours or overnight.
2. In a mixie, add green chilli, red chilli, ginger, garlic, fennel seeds and grind them into a paste. 
3. Now add the channa dal without any water to the mixie and grind coarsely.
4. Add chopped onions, cilantro, curry leaves, rice flour,salt to the ground mixture and mix well with hand.
5. In a pot with oil, deep fry vadas by making small balls and flattening out with hands in medium flame.
6. Serve with your favorite chutney or eat just like that. Yummy :)

Instant Oats Idly

We have been trying to eat healthy once in a while to catch up on the snacks and parties over the weekends and I have been trying to add quinoa, brown rice and now oats to our meals for a better nutrition. This Instant Oats Idly recipe is very healthy with vegetables, easy  and light and tasty. I can assure you that you will definitely like this. I would say that its a  healthier version of the Rava Idly.

INGREDIENTS:

Quaker brand Instant Oats- 2 cups
Rava(Cream of wheat) or Samba rava (Broken wheat)-1 cup
Yogurt or Buttermilk- 4 to 5 cups.
Grated Carrots- 2 -3 tbsp
Green chillies- 4 or 5 depending on your spice level
Ginger- Grated or cut into small pieces- 1/8 of an inch.
Cilantro-  A small handful cut finely
Mustard seeds- 1 tsp
Asafoetida or Hing- 2 puffs
Salt-To taste
Baking soda- 1/4 tsp
Cashewnuts- A handful

PROCEDURE:

1. In a pan, add the instant oats and fry them for 3-4 minutes until the raw smell is gone. Keep aside and allow to cool. Once it is cooled dowm , grind it into a fine powder.
2. Now in the same pan, add rava or broken wheat and fry for 2-3 minutes until the raw smell is gone and allow to cool.
3. Now add a little oil, add mustard seeds, asafoetida, green chillies, ginger pieces and cashew nuts and allow to cook. Turn off the stove and add the grated carrots and cilantro and mix well in the pan itself.
4. Now take these ingredients in step 3 and add to the toasted rava. Add the powdered instant oats. Add salt and baking soda. Now add buttermilk ( I prefer this since its creamy and easy). If you dont have buttermilk, then put the yogurt in a blender along with some water and blend to a creamy texture and add to the idly mixture.You can add water if the idly mixture sucks up all the liquid.
5. Allow the batter to sit for 15 to 30 mins. Pour in idly plates.
6. Serve with choice of your chutney. The picture shows tomato chutney and coconut with cilantro chutney. Enjoy.