Few more awards....

Pari of Foodelicious has passed on these awards to me..Thanks a lot Pari,you made my day!!!






I share this with all my blogging buddies!!!

Read my guest post at Srivalli's-Spice Your life...

Providing adequate nutrition for children can be a daunting task for mothers especially if the children are picky eaters.Mom's all over the world are sharing their tips and tricks to feed their children with healthy and appealing foods.

One fine day Srivalli, [of Cooking for all seasons,who also writes another wonderful blog called Spice your life] and me were chatting about blogging and the topic turned to nutrition and when I mentioned I was a dietitian ,she asked me if I could do a guest post.I readily agreed but due to some unforeseen reasons the article that was to be sent got delayed.

I finally got it done yesterday and she has been so prompt in putting it up on her blog.I invite you to read about Nutrition for children @ Spice your life,where you can also find great recipes for kids,bacholer recipes and articles onDiabetes.

Thanks Srivalli for this opportunity..

Part 1 - Introduction
Part 2- Nutrients- Functions and sources
Part 3 - Tips to make food tasty and healthy

Capsicum raita

By now you must be aware of my love for yogurt.I like it in any form and the enjoy it as raita with rice varieties.Sometimes I like to savor the raita chilled just by itself.Total bliss!!!

Here is one of my favorite raita that can be whipped up in a jiffy..

You need:

Capsicum/Bell pepper - 1 medium sized,finely chopped.
[I used green and red to add color to the dish]
Yogurt / Curd - 2 cups,thick
Salt - to taste

Seasoning :

Mustard- 1 teaspoon
Jeera-1 teaspoon
Red chillies- 2 ,broken into bits
Oil- 2 teaspoons

1. Beat the curd with salt and keep aside.
2. Heat oil in a pan and put in the seasonings and wait for it to splutter.
3. Add the capsicum and reduce the flame and saute for a few seconds.If you like the capsicum crunchy,pour it over the curd after sauteing it for a few seconds.Else sprinkle a little water and cook till it is is soft and pour over the curd.
4. Mix well and serve with a rice dish of your choice.
   

Happy cooking,

Tomato rice

I was surprised when I noticed that I had not made a post on tomato flavored rice.It is one of the easiest rice dishes and can be prepared in two ways.Best of all,one of the methods uses up leftover rice and saves us the trouble of thinking out ways to use it.

If you have leftover rice from the previous days dinner, put it in a bowl and leave in the fridge till you decide to make any dish with it.Doing so will keep the rice grains separate and you are sure to end up with a lovely looking flavored rice.

Today's tomato rice is an easy way to use up leftover rice.

You need:

Cooked rice,[grains sepreate]-2 cups
Tomato-3 ,ripe ,chopped
Onion-2 medium sized,sliced
Garlic-2 pods,sliced
Red chillies-3/Red chilli powder-1 teaspoon
Turmeric powder-a pinch
Curry leaves-a few
Mustard-1 teaspoon
Channa dhal-1 teaspoon
Asafoetida powder- a pinch
Roasted peanuts-1 teaspoon[optional]
Salt to taste
Oil-2 teaspoons

1. Heat oil in a pan and put in mustard,channa dhal,asafoetida powder,curry leaves and wait for it to splutter.
2. Add the onion,garlic,red chillies once the dhal turns brown and saute till the onion turns transparent.
3. Put in the tomatoes,turmeric powder .If using chilli powder,add it at this stage.
4. Cook till tomatoes are mushy.Stir in between.
   
5. If it the mixture is too dry,add a few teaspoons of water.
6. Put in the cooked rice,salt and mix well.
7. Take care that the rice does not get mushy.
8. Add the roasted peanuts and remove from heat.
   

For other varieties of rice dishes check out Rendezvous with rice ,where you can find 20 different dishes to seduce your taste-buds.

Happy cooking....

Twists in the tale-Nellikai thokku

Nature gave us a bounty-again-this year.The gooseberry tree in MIL's backyard was so full,with every branch laden with juicy gooseberries.We found them right from the bark of tree upto the top-most branch!!Here is a glimpse of the tree with the succulent fruits.





With so many gooseberries I did not know what to do.Each day morning we found so many of them on the ground that we thought it was a waste to let them remain on the trees and I planned to cook something with it.

These are called 'Ara nellikkai',in Tamil[a South Indian language].They have a unique shape-like a star and are smaller to when compared to the round gooseberry.Unlike its counterpart[Amla,nellikkai],this one is very sour and I have heard a lot of people say they tend to catch a cold or end up with a sore throat after eating even a single fruit.So I was not prepared to eat them as such.

So the next thought was to prepare Gooseberry flavored rice but then MIL was not sure if it would taste good and on second thoughts I changed my priority.

Then I planned to make Nellikkai Pachadi-Yoghurt flavored with gooseberry,but then I already have that in the blog,and I wanted to prepare a new dish.

Finally I settled for gooseberry pickle .I didn't know the method.Mom to the rescue,once again.I set off with her directions.

I pressure cooked them for 10 minutes with a plan to cook them to a stage where I can cut it to pieces and remove the seeds.I put the cooker on the stove and happily forgot about it when lil angel wanted me to play with her.I was so engrossed with the dolls when suddenly MIL asked me what I was cooking.

I ran to the kitchen to remove the cooker from the stovetop and noticed the time and I found that I had cooked it for 15 minutes!After the pressure went down,I opened the lid to find the gooseberries mushy and deseeded!

I had no option to make this thokku which was so yum that I could not believe my tastebuds coz this is my very first attempt in pickle/thokku making.SIL who dropped by for the weekend appreciated it and relished it with curd rice.

With plans to make flavored rice,dismissing the idea of pachadi,settling on pickle,I finally made this thooku!!!

For this delicious and quick thokku you need:

Nellikkai/Gooseberries-20 no.s

Mustard-1/2 a teaspoon + 1/2 a teaspoon

Fenugreek seeds-1/2 a teaspoon

Sesame seed oil-3 tablespoons

Asafoetida powder-a pinch

Red chilli powder-2 teaspoons

Salt to taste

1. Pressure cook the gooseberries for 10-15 minutes.
2. Remove and discard the seeds and mash.
3. Dry roast 1/2 a teaspoon mustard and fenugreek seeds,powder and keep aside.
4. Heat sesame seed oil,and put in mustard and asafoetida,mashed gooseberries,chilli powder,mustard-fenugreek powder,salt.
5. Cook for more than 10 minutes on low heat till the oil oozes from the sides.
6. Cool and store in sterilized jars.

Note:

This tastes best if sesame oil is used.In case you don't have this,use any cooking oil.

Adjust the red chilli powder to suit your taste.

Happy cooking...

Garlic Noodles for Taste and Create

For this months edition of Taste and create,I was paired with Marthe of Culinary Delights.

Taste and create is a monthly blogging event where we are paired with another blogger and prepare dishes from the partner's blog.It is an event started by Nicole of For the love of food to appreciate the dishes from another blog and share our thoughts about the dish we prepared.If you would like to join the fun,sign up for next month's edition.

As I was telling you,I was paired with Marthe. True to the name, it is a delight to browse Marthe's blog which has lots and lots of baked goodies and I was literally drooling.Then it struck me that I don't have an oven,so I had to look for some other dish.I found this Garlic noodles recipe and immediately bookmarked it.Since I am a vegetarian I have omitted the oyster sauce but stuck to the other ingredients.

It was really easy to prepare.I was skeptical if the amount of garlic would be over-powering,but it was just right.Here is the garlic noodles that I created from Marthe's blog.

You need:

Chinese noodles- 1 pack
Red onion-1,chopped
Garlic-4 cloves,minced
Salted butter-2 tablespoons
Light brown sugar-2 teaspoons
Soy sauce-1 teaspoon

1. Cook the noodles according to the instructions on the pack.[I cooked the noodles in a pan of water and drained it completely].
2. In a small bowl combine soy sauce and brown sugar.Keep aside.[I added a little water to make a thin paste.]
   
3. Heat a pan with butter and put in the onion and garlic.Stir so that it does not burn.Cook for a minute.
   
4. Add the noodles and the sauce mixture and mix well.
5. Remove from heat and serve hot.

This is an easy breezy dish and I am sure to prepare it again when I need a quick breakfast.The next time I will reduce the quantity of brown sugar as I found it a little too sweet for my liking but lil angel loved it!!!

Down the memory lane -Deepavali

After a wonderful Deepavali and a break for 2 days,I am back to share some memories.

Each and every festival brings back fondest memories and inevitably they are from my childhood.Then I feel it would have been so nice if I never grew up.Well,somethings can only be dreamt of...

This Deepavali too,got back some childhood memories.I was in middle school and we were in a colony exclusive for the company staffs .So naturally there was a whole bunch of naughty kids around every block.Most of us went to the same school and during the trip between home and school we used to talk about everything other than studies.

Two months before Deepavali we would discuss about the dresses that parents would get for us and the number of dresses each one would get would be the highlight.Then came the other important one-crackers.

In dad's company,they would distribute lists for crackers two to three months ahead of deepavali and we can place orders.A committee would go directly to Sivakasi[a town in Tamil nadu,South India, which is famous for manufacturing crackers and fireworks] and buy themat nominal rates distribute it a few weeks before Deepavali.

Once dad brings home the forms,I would get busy filling them out and urge dad it give it ASAP.The next day in the bus or when we assemble to play,we would discuss what each one had ordered.Most of us would revise the list a couple of times before feeling contented.

After the list is given,the wait to see the crackers is a real torture.It would feel like each day is crawling.How I would wished they would give the crackers the same day the list is handed over.Then on the D-day I would force dad to take me to the distribution center as early as possible so that I can get all that I had ordered.Dad would try to explain to me that since the orders were placed,we were sure to get everything even if we go late.But I could never wait.

When we came home from with the crackers ,the first thing I would do was to admire all the crackers and fireworks and rush off to inform my friends.I know this sounds so silly but in those days these were the things that got me excited.Simple issues that mattered the most!!

Mom would then get ready to prepare sweets and savories for the festival.I have never known mom to buy these from the store.She would start the preparations a few days before the actual festival.Sometimes she would even help her friends in the preparations.I would eagerly stand around to get a few nibbles.The aroma from the kitchen would be bewitching.

On the eve of Deepavali the lil ones in our block would gather and pile up the crackers and fireworks and start the celebration!What fun!The whole area would be filled with shrieks and laughter and in the haze we would catch a glimpse of our parents whose watchful eyes followed our every move.

Then there used to be a sort of contest-to see who gets up the first[earliest] to start the fireworks on Deepavali day.Each one of us would strive to be the first.On that particular day no coaxing would be required to get me out of bed.

After the customary bath and prayer at the early hours, I would rush out and invariably find a couple of my friends standing outside our garden,waiting for me!Then we would start again with all the fireworks with one of our parents standing around supervising to see what we are up to.

After breakfast, mom would send me out with packets of homemade goodies to distribute to all our friends and neighbors.I would happily oblige as it was one of the chances to flaunt the new dresses.My friends too would bring home the sweets and savories and I would gobble up so many of them.[I had no worry of putting on weight or thoughts that I would get a toothache or any other botheration.But now each and every morsel got to be watched!]

Each and every year I recall these happy moments.This year I am in India in my parents home and lil angel and me spent a lovely Deepavali with my parents.Hubby was not able to join us and we did miss him.Anyways,lil angel and me dressed in traditional Indian clothing,enjoyed the lovely food that mom had prepared and in the evening burst crackers and fireworks.Here is a glimpse of the crackers and fireworks.....


For a couple of hours I was a child and needless to say this is one of the memorable Deepavali I had.

Now comming to the most important part-Lunch!!!!Feast your eyes on this...



The lunch menu-

1.Semiya Payasa
2.Rice and dhal
3.Beans stir-fry
4.Drumstick-ambaday palidha
5.Saaru
6.Chitranna
7.Ambaday


The sweets and savories that she made were



1.Gulab jamun
2.Thatta murukku
3.Thenguzhal.

[I will post these recipes soon]

I am sure everyone out there would have had an equally great Deepavali!!!!I will be back tomorrow with another recipe..

Brown rice phirni

With every home filled with people in gorgeous dresses,tons of sweets and savories and of course the lights and sounds of crackers and fireworks,brightly lit homes[Wondering why?-Its Diwali-The festival of lights, in India] here is an easy breezy dessert that you can prepare today or just about any day...

This is another recipe that was in the forgotten treasure, but since I had some brown rice at hand ,I used it instead of the regular rice.A microwave version and hence no pains or worries about the cooking cooking time or phirni getting burnt or the need for frequent stirring.

Even when your home is filled with guests you can chat with them and yet whip up this simple and flavorful dessert and sit back to enjoy the compliments.

Phirni is a North Indian dessert ,also thought to be brought to India from the middle east and Pakistan.It is also spelt 'Firni' and is nothing but rice pudding with the basic ingredients being milk,rice flour and sugar.There are umpteen variations with different flavors like badam[almond].saffron,rose,strawberry etc.Mine has a hint of saffron....

You need :

Brown rice-1/4 cup
Milk-3 cups
Sugar-less than 1/4 cup
Ghee-1 teaspoon
Dark raisins and golden raisins - a few to garnish
Saffron - a few strands

1. Soak the rice for 2 hours[even if you are using the regular rice] and using very little water grind it into a smooth paste.Take care not to make it watery.
   
2. Soak the saffron stands in a tablespoon of warm milk,rub it and keep it aside.
3. In a deep microwave proof dish take a teaspoon of ghee and put in the raisins.
4. Mix to coat and microwave on 80% power for a minute or till they puff up.Drain from ghee and keep aside.
5. In the same vessel put in milk and ground rice.Mix well
   
6. Microwave on 80% power ,uncovered for 5 minutes.Stir with a wire whisk after every minute to avoid lump formation.If lumps do form be sure to break them.
7. Add sugar,soaked saffron and mix well.
8. Microwave on 80% power ,uncovered for 3 minutes,stirring at the end of every minute.It will be a little thick now.
   
9. Mix well and cool.
10. Serve garnished with raisins.

Note:

• The cooking time will vary.Hence start checking if it has thickened every minute from step 8.
• If the ground paste is watery,it will take more time to thicken.
  
• You can add powdered cardamom at the final minute of cooking.
• Can also be garnish with rose petals/fried nuts
• Serve warm / chilled
  

With is simple dessert comes my heartfelt wishes to all my blogging buddies,friends,visitors and well-wishers -

' A happy,colorful and safe Diwali [Deepavali]' :)

May the festival of lights bring new rays of happiness, joy & prosperity....

The tale of two cakes....

More than a year ago,when I was looking for an egg-less cake recipe,I came across Vandhana's Egg-less microwave chocolate cake recipe and decided to make it as she had mentioned it would take just 7 minutes to bake it!!!

I put together the ingredients[I just made a small addition of a tablespoon of chopped cashews] and was about to start the baking process when that lil voice in me suggested I try a small one first instead of baking a large one.I took a small glass bowl,poured a little batter,shoved it into the microwave and set the timer.At the same time someone chose to ring the door bell.When I was about to answer one of the hundred questions the salesman at the door managed to ask me in a second,I smelt something burning.[No points for guessing where it came from....].Leaving the terror struck salesman at the door I shot off to the kitchen to find smoke bellowing through the vent in the microwave oven.I switched of the power supply but didn't have the guts to open the microwave.I thought that was the last of the microwave and wondered what to tell mom.

Mom too rushed in and calmly opened the microwave.This was how the cake looked at the end of just 3 minutes in the microwave.The bowl was cracked and the cake burnt.

The disaster cake

After half an hour,I decided to try it once more in another microwave proof vessel and poured in half the batter and kept aside the remaining half-just in-case this one also got burnt.

This time I reduced the power to 60% and timed it for 8 minutes.Now the smoky kitchen was replaced by a drool-worthy aroma and I could hardly wait to taste it.I let it stand in the microwave for a few minutes.

Meanwhile,I decided to bake the other half on the stove.Years ago when I was in school,mom got an 'oven' that could bake cakes on the stove top.It has 2 layers.The bottom one has to be filled with sand and on the upper layer there is large pan and small cups for cupcakes.Mom used to bake cakes for me with this one and I wanted to use it .So the batter was distributed between the pan and the cups.In this method,the baking time was around 20 minutes.I had to check frequently if it was baked as I have never used this method.

The batter ready to be baked[left],Cake fresh out of the microwave[upper Right],Delicious cake ready to be served[Bottom right]

Finally I got 9 cupcakes and 2 large cakes.The taste was good but I wished I could do some icing.Lack of time lead me to serve them as such.Nevertheless the cakes were appreciated by my parents.Yes,I had baked it for my parents wedding anniversary last year.[Yes you read it right,I did say- last year!].All these days it was in my drafts and finally I decided to post it today as it is hubby's B'day and here I am miles away from him.I would have baked this cake for him today but now am virtually sending it across to him :)





For this delicious eggless chocolate cake you need:

Maida/All purpose flour - 1 and 2/3 cups
Sugar - 1 cup
Cooking Oil- a little less than 1/2 a cup
Milk - 1/3 cup(cold milk)
Curd - 1 cup
Cocoa - 3 tablespoons
Drinking chocolate-3 tablespoons
Soda bi-carb - 1 level teaspoon
Cashew nuts-1 tablespoon ,chopped

1. Sieve together maida and soda bi carb.
2. Toss the nuts in a little maida and remove the excess flour and keep the nuts aside.
3. In a large bowl mix together all the ingredients and make a smooth batter.
   
4. Pour the batter into a greased microwave proof bowl[The batter should be up-to 1/4 level of the bowl only]
   
5. Microwave on 60% power for 8 minutes.To check if the cake is done,insert a skewer into the cake,if it comes out clean,the cake is done.
6. Let it stand in the microwave for 2 minutes.Take it out and let it cool a bit.
   
7. Cut and serve!!

Note-The timings may vary hence start checking if the cake is done from the 5th minute itself.

Try it out and let me know how it turned out....

Bittergourd crisps

Yet another family favorite.As I had mentioned in my post on Bitter gourd stir fry ,we love this vegetable so much that I always have a couple of these in stock.Whenever hubby wants two vegetable curries with lunch,this is the easiest to prepare.

Even though it is a deep fried curry,we just cant stop eating them!!!

You need:

Bittergourd -1
Salt to taste
Red chilli powder to taste
Oil for deep frying

1. Heat oil in a pan.
2. Meanwhile wash,pat dry and slice the bittergourd into thin circles.It there are seeds remove them .
   
3. When the oil is hot,fry them in batches till brown.
4. Remove from oil with a slotted spoon onto a bowl lined with a paper towel.
5. When the whole lot has been fried,transfer them to bowl and sprinkle salt and red chilli powder.
6. Toss and serve.

Sometimes we finish this off first,even before we start the meal coz they are so irresistibly!!!

Spicy brinjal curry

I like brinjal/ eggplant in a few dishes only-say, like Ennai kathirikkai or the stir fry that mom prepares.It's just so-so in sambar.I don't get the small variety here, just the long Chinese brinjal. Hence ennai kathirikkai is out of question. I tried this recipe with the Chinese variety and it was not as tasty as it ought to be. So not trying it any more.

Amma's stir fry has a yummy lentil powder that is added and tastes best as a side dish but I love to mix it to piping hot steamed rice with a dollop of ghee.. Absolute delight to the taste buds. Hubby too likes mom's version of stir-fry and does not prefer any other dish with brinjal..

Recently I wanted to try a variation in that stir-fry and came up with this one. I was skeptical if he would like it or not. But I did have had the guts to pack it up for his lunch box one day and never even mentioned that there was another variety of brinjal stir-fry in it. Usually hubby calls during lunch to talk to lil angel ,but that day he didn't call.I was getting anxious but didn't have the courage to ask him about the dish.

Even when he returned from work, he didn't mention anything so I thought maybe he was too busy to have lunch or he was away from office and had to eat outside [these two things happen often!!].

Then came the dinner time and I had prepared dosai. When he just got started with the meal, out of the blue, he said-'Hey that brinjal curry u packed today was really good'.I literally wanted to jump with joy. What’s more, he even asked if there was any leftover curry from the lunch!!! I happily heated the remaining curry and served it to him. Dosa with brinjal curry! That too from a person who prefers to stick on to certain combination's in food like Poori and masal,chapathi and kurma and of course Masala dosa with Sambar and chutney!What better compliment can I get!!!

Then I knew that this stir-fry had really impressed him so much and from then I prepare this regularly. Now here is the recipe...


You need:

Brinjal - 1 large or 10 small ones
Tomato- 1 small
Onion-1 small
Ginger garlic paste-1 teaspoon[or grate - ginger -1 cm piece + 2 cloves garlic]
Chilli powder-1 ½ teaspoons[adjust to taste]
Coriander powder-1 teaspoon
Turmeric powder- a pinch
Mustard-1/2 a teaspoon
Jeera/cumin seeds-1/2 a teaspoon
Curry leaves- a few
Asafoetida powder- a pinch
Oil-2 teaspoons
Salt to taste

1. Trim the edges of brinjal and cut into even sized pieces.If u are using the small ones cut it wedges.Keep it aside in a bowl of water.
2. Chop tomatoes and onion.
3. Heat oil in a pan and put in mustard and jeera.
4. When it crackles,add asafoetida,curry leaves,ginger garlic paste and onion
5. Sauté till the onions are transparent.
6. Add tomato and cook till soft and mushy.
7. Add the chilli powder,coriander powder,turmeric powder and mix well.Cook for a minute.
8. Drain the brinjal and put into the pan
9. Mix well to coat the masala.
10. Cover and cook for 5 minutes.
11. Remove lid and stir once in a while.If it is too dry,add some water[just a few teaspoons will do]
12. Add salt and cook uncovered till brinjal is soft.
13. Serve hot as a side dish with rice.

An award and a meme...

Nivedita of Nivedita's Kitchen has passed on 'Your blog is over the top' award.Thanks a lot Nivedita,you made my day!!


This award goes with a fun meme which is passed onto 6 of ur favorite blogs and which has to be answered with only one word.

Here is the meme part:

• Where is ur cell phone : Near me
  
• Ur hair:black
• Ur mother: Manjula
• Ur father: Rao
• Ur fav food: Fruits
  
• Ur dream last night:None
• Ur fav drink:Rose milk
  
• Ur dream:Study
• Ur hobby:Reading
• Ur fear:Dogs
• Where do u want to be in 6 yrs:Anywhere
  
• Where were u last night:home
• Where did u grow up:Tamil nadu
  
• Last thing u did: shopping :)
  
• Ur t.v:Off
• Ur pets:Fishes
• Ur friends:many
• Ur life:Contented
• Ur mood:Relaxed
• Missing some one:Hubby ;)
  
• Vehicle:No
• Something u r not wearing: wrist watch
• Ur fav store:Times square
  
• Ur fav color: Black
  
• When was the last time u laughed:an hour ago
  
• Last time u cried: Forgot
• Ur best friend:Lil angel
  
• One place I go over and over:Parks
• One person who emails me regularly: Nivedita
• Fav place to eat: Dining Table

Passing it on to :

Pavithra
Prathiba
EC
Preethi
Kamala
Ambika

Baby potatoes with fenugreek

This post has been in my draft for more than 6 months and somehow missed my attention.
Last April,we visited the temple town- Madurai in South India.


We stayed there for a couple of days and one evening we visited the famous Meenakshi amman temple.It is one of the biggest temples in India and its history dates back to the early AD!The architectural beauty is beyond words and it takes a long time to see all the parts of this massive and large temple.

When we were retuning to our hotel,we passed by plenty of small shops selling everything from bangles and bindis to dresses and electronic items.

My eyes immediately fell on a row of small shops that sold used books and guess the first book that I saw!Fusion Food-Vegetarian Special by Komal Taneja.I picked it up and browsed though the recipes and true to is title it had fusion recipes from all over the globe and just below it I found Tarla dalal's-'Forever young diet' book.It was my lucky day but hubby could not hide his amusement.I picked up these two book that looked brand new and wondered what kind of person might have sold them to a used book dealer.Well, that is none of my business,isn't it..

Hubby hurried me into the car worried that I might start looking for more books as he and lil angel were tired and hungry but the enthusiasm in finding these two books renewed my energy level.

After I came home,this baby potato and fenugreek recipe was the first one I tried out.Catch a glimpse of that book and on it is my version of the dish.

I altered the recipe slightly and here it is..

You need:

Baby potato with skin -500grams
Fenugreek leaves-500 grams
Mustard leaves-1/2 teaspoon
Jeera/Cumin seeds-1 teaspoon
Ajwain/Carom seeds-1/2 teaspoons
Red chilli powder-1 teaspoon
Turmeric powder- a pinch
Oil-1 tablespoons
Salt to taste

1. Wash the potatoes and pressure cook them until done but not mushy.Peel if required.
2. Wash and chop the fenugreek leaves.
3. Heat oil in a pan and put in mustard,jeera and carom seeds.
4. When it splutters add the turmeric powder and put in the fenugreek leaves.Stir once in a while.
5. Cook leaves till almost done,add red chilli powder,salt and potatoes.Mix well.
6. Cover and cook for a few minutes.Stir in between.
7. Serve hot with steamed rice.

Doesn't it look delicious!!!!

Note:

• For best taste,use fresh fenugreek leaves
• If you don't have baby potatoes,cube the usual potatoes and follow the recipe
• In case you don't want to pressure cook the potatoes,start from step 3-you can add the potatoes to the pan with the seasonings and sprinkle water to cook the potatoes.When the potatoes are 80% done,add fenugreek leaves and cook till potatoes and green are soft.
  

Mango Milkshake

Mango,as we all know, is a tropical fruit that is sometimes referred to as 'apple of the tropics'.Mango is used throughout the world in creating various culinary delights.

Mango is one fruit bursting with nutrients.The vitamin contents of the fruit varies with the variety ,maturity of the fruit.When the mango is green ,the vitamin C content is higher.As the fruit ripens,the Vitamin A [Beta carotene] content increases.


A chilled mango milkshake is perfect for a hot day...Very simple,as usual, but mighty refreshing.

You need:

Mango Pulp from 1/2 a mango[big]
Chilled Milk-2oo ml
Sugar/honey-optional

Blend all the ingredients and serve chilled.

I play around with the quantity of the ingredients. Sometimes I add very less mango pulp and more milk and vice versa.Sometimes I add crushed ice while bending and most of the time leave out the sweeter[sugar/honey] as they taste great even without it.

Come and take a sip of my mango milkshake garnished with grated chocolate...

Masala Poori

Poori is a favorite dish at home and it finds its place on the table almost every week.This week I wanted a change and prepared masala poori.

It actually involves no extra work but the taste is excellent.Lil angel is fond of this poori and hence I prepared this for Srivalli's Kid's Delight event...

You need:

Whole wheat flour-2 cups + 1/4 cup for dusting

Turmeric powder- a pinch

Sesame seeds-1 tablespoon[I used black]

Jeera/cumin seeds-1 teaspoon

Chilli powder/garam masala- 1 teaspoon

Salt to taste

Oil for deep frying

1. Take a large bowl and put in all the ingredients.
2. Mix well and add water [little by little] and knead to a firm dough.
3. Pinch out small balls and roll out small circles.Dust a little flour if needed.
4. Heat oil in a pan and deep fry the pooris till they are golden brown on both sides.
5. Drain and serve hot with potato masal.

Mini masala pooris served with potato masal for my lil angel

How To Dry Curry Leaves In The Microwave

When hubby visited an Indian store a few days ago,he got me a pack of curry leaves,dried one that is, and I almost fainted when I saw the price tag.100grams of dried curry leaves cost 15 RMB!!!

I recollected the curry leaf trees in mom's backyard.Any time mom wants them for a dish,she would go to the backyard and grab a handful,wash them and use it in the dish.But,here I had to pay a fortune for them...

I had to make a quick trip to India and whenI reached home I went to our backyard to have a look at those fragrant trees. There they stood,tall and lush,dancing gracefully to the tunes of the gentle breeze.There were 3 big trees and a few saplings around them.I almost jumped with joy.

Our backyard with curry leaf trees.

Before I returned back I wanted to take some with me.The previous time mom had prepared a batch of dry curry leaved to carry with me.She had sun dried them and had said it was a tedious process.

This time I didn't want to trouble her so thought I would dry them in the microwave.I had read about drying herbs in the book that came with the microwave.The method and timing were not mentioned in the book and I had to experiment.

Here is what I did,follow these instructions and you can dry them at home instead of paying a ransom....

1. Pluck the curry leaves from the trees and wash them well.
2. Drain well and spread them out on a clean cloth.
3. Pat dry if needed.
4. Once it is completely dry,take a handful and spread it on a glass plate and microwave on 80% power for approximately 1 and a half minutes.
5. Remove from microwave and spread it on another plate.
6. Once cool store in an airtight container.
7. Repeat for the remaining curry leaves.

My first batch of dried curry leaves

Note :

• Once you microwave them start checking the leaves after the end on the first minute.Increase the timing in steps of 10 seconds.At first the leaves will be a little moist and later start turning crisp.
• The timing will depend on the power level and also on the amount of curry leaves in each batch.
• The leaves must be spread in a single layer and if it is heaped ,it turns soggy.
• Once the leaves are slightly crisp,remove from the microwave and spread them on a plate.Soon they will turn crisp,else microwave for a few more seconds.
• If they crackle in the microwave,it means the leaves are not dry enough.Pat dry and microwave.

The most remarkable thing in this process is that the leaves remain as green as the fresh ones! Hard to believe?Take a look ...

The dried curry leaves from the store was very pale and not very fragrant.This home made version was green and aromatic and very crisp.This is one of interesting uses of microwave.The dried curry leaves can be used in the same way we use the fresh one.

Sending this simple method across to MEC-Fresh produce hosted by Suma of Veggie platter.Microwave easy cooking,MEC,as it is known is the brainchild of Srivalli of Cooking for all seasons.

Is curry leaf new to you?Here are some titbit's that might interest you .....

• Curry leaves are called sweet neem leaves /Black neem leaves.
• Its botanical name is Murraya koenigii.
• It is also known as karuveppilai,Karibevina soppu,Keddiappala,Kari patta,Bhursunga,Patra,Kadhi patta,Mithlo limdo,Karapincha.
• It is native to India
• The leaves are used in seasoning and are valued for the taste and aroma they impart to the dish.
• They are also used in Ayurvedic medicine and are known to have anti diabetic,antioxidant, anti microbial,anti inflamtory properties.They are also know to keep hair shiny,long and healthy.

Rajma sundal

I had prepared sundal for each day during Navarathri but couldn't post them all.When I saw this months theme for JFI,I was glad that I had clicked a shot of Rajma sundal.So sending it across for JFI-Rajma hosted by Divya @ Dil Se,an event started by Indira of Mahanandhi.

You need :

Rajma-1/2 a cup

Coconut grated-1 tablespoon

Mustard-1 teaspoon

Jeera-1 teaspoon

Red chillies-2 broken into bits

Grated ginger-1/2 a teaspoon[optional]

Curry leaves- a few

Salt to taste

Oil-1 teaspoon

1. Soak rajma overnight and discard the water the next morning.
2. Pressure cook rajma with sufficient water for 20 minutes or till soft but not mushy.
3. Drain water and keep aside.
4. Heat oil in a pan and put in mustard, jeera,red chillies,grated ginger,curry leaves.
5. When the mustard crackles,add the cooked rajma,grated coconut and salt.
6. Mix well and let it cook for 2 minutes
7. Remove from heat and serve as a snack with coffee/tea or as an accompaniment for any rice dish.

Mooli Paratha & A scary night and a memorable breakfast...

Final day of our semester exams-friends talking animatedly amongst themselves-naughty giggles-hurried shopping…The reason - we were leaving on a tour that evening ,to visit a few places in North India. Freedom at last –even if it was just for 20 days. Yes, freedom from exams, boring lectures and of course, freedom from parents!!!!

One of the places we visited was Udaipur –the beautiful city of lakes. We strolled through the beautiful road facing the ‘lake palace’. It was a magical place and looked like a page out of a fairy tale. After a camel ride and visiting a few more beautiful places we were ready to resume our journey to another city.

We got into the bus that the guide had arranged for us and I looked at the packed food that the hotel had provided us. A packet of chapathi with mango pickle.It looked dry and I was in no mood to eat it.Most of us had just finished off some chaats and the dry chapathi didn't look very inviting.

As we began our journey,we started playing the usual games in groups and started singing and dancing[yes,in the bus itself] and then when we began to feel tired, settled to our seats and began the typical conversations like who bargained to the lowest to buy something,who got what for her family and the like between friends.

We were traveling on the Ajmer highway. It was nearing midnight and we had planned to cut a cake that we had got to celebrate Christmas .Exactly when my friend was about to cut it, we heard a big ‘bang’ and the bus swerved.

Many of us screamed and I thought we had met with an accident. The driver managed to bring the vehicle under control and stopped by the roadside. We were informed that one of the tires had burst. Thank God, there was not much traffic on the highway and hence no causalities.

Just around that time, I realized the Pav Bhaaji I had in the evening almost vanished and I was hungry again.I didn't even want to think of the stale chapathi and most of the snacks we had purchased in Udaipur was long gone. Most of my friends were in the same situation. We shared a piece of cake and waited to resume the journey.

All our hopes were shattered when the driver announced that any chances of changing the tire would be at dawn. I looked around and saw that we were stranded in a place that looked like a forest with rows and rows of trees and that too in the middle of the night without a single soul in sight.

Suddenly someone mentioned about bandits and we shrieked.We were around 40 girls and a lady guide,sitting in that bus and the 2 guys who were with us[the driver and the cleaner] didn't look like they would protect us from the thieves,in case they sprang up from nowhere.

There was not a single light on the highway.The occasional hoot of the owl and noises of the insects we more than enough to scare us. Every single sound made me jump.I wished more than ever that I was sleeping in that cozy hotel we had vacated earlier ,without fear and dreaming of all the beautiful places we had seen.

There were hardly any vehicles passing that way and all the fun and laughter that was heard minutes ago had died down to a whisper.A few lorries sped by after a while and a some of them who stopped to help us could not change the tire.Our driver was left with no choice but to go and look for a mechanic at day break.

Somehow we managed to spend the cold night[it was winter] in the bus and by morning the driver got some help and much to our delight informed us that there was a dhaaba nearby.That was the best thing we had ever heard and immediately started walking in the direction of our ‘saviour’.

The mere sight of the dhaaba signaled warmth, comfort and scrumptious food. There were wooden cots to sit upon and a wooden plank placed across the width of the cot to keep dishes.

Seeing 40+ hungry people,the dhaaba owner and the cook were delighted and started taking the orders and I must say ,the food appeared on our 'table' pretty quick.

We[my 2 friends and me] ordered all what we wanted-parathas,kulchas and some titbits- without even thinking if we would be able to finish them. Soon there was a delicious spread in front of us. The first ones to appear on the 'table' were Mooli parathas and dhal ,Kulcha and chole.

I started off with the Mooli parathas and dhal.The aroma was more than enough to seduce me.The mooli parathas and punjabi dhal tasted divine. Never did I know I could polish off so much food in such little time. Parathas were washed down with a cup a hot chaai[Indian tea]. I did eat the kuchas but the parathas had a carved a special place in my heart.

We sat there lazying around and taking sweet nothing ,basking in the warmth of dawn till our bus was ready to take us to the next stop-Jaipur.The weariness of the previous day's experiences were nowhere in sight once we had our fill of the yummy food.

Later when we re-started our journey I noticed numerous dhaabas dotting the roadsides.The food was inexpensive and definately had a 'home-made' touch..

I can never forget this trip as it was the last one that I went out together with all my friends.Often I think about the tour and want to try out mooli parathas but never got around to making them.But I did make them for IFR-Memories hosted @ Indian food rocks ,where Manisha asks us to share a recipe that brought back a memory and specifically asked for a dish that was not tasted for a decade.

Mooli paratha hasn't found its place in my table and also my moms[until my wedding,maybe even now it doesn't],so I prepared this last week to re-live those wonderful moments that I shared with my friends on a road side dhaaba enjoying the tasty food laced with giggles and chitchat.

Radish or Mooli as it is called,is one vegetable that I rarely buy.Even if I do it goes into the sambar.This time,I got Mooli just for Manisha's event.As with any recipe this one has numerous methods of preparation and here is mine.

You need:

Whole wheat flour -2 cups + 1/4 cup for dusting
Mooli /Radish -2 small or 1 large-Peel and grate

Salt to taste

I added a handful of coriander leaves for color and flavor

1. Take a big bowl and put in all the ingredients
2. Mix well and knead
3. Add water[little by little] to make a smooth but firm dough.
4. Let it rest for an hour or so.You can also skip this step.
5. Check the dough before preparation.If its a little sticky,add a little wheat flour and knead again.
6. Pinch off a golf sized ball and roll out thick roundels.Dust a little flour if required.
7. Heat a griddle and cook the paratha on both sides till brown spots appear.Drizzle a little oil if required.
8. Serve hot with a dollop of butter[optional] and a dhal.
   

Mooli Parathas served with palak dhal.

Note:

You can refrigerate the dough for later use too.Put it in a ziplock bag and place in the fridge.You can also store it in an airtight container.

When you want to use the dough,take it out of the fridge and leave it out for 15 minutes or till it is soft,knead with a little flour if sticky and make parathas.

Kaalu Chutney

Kaalu literally means lentils and this is one simple recipe which reminds me of mom’s cooking. Whenever we are in need of a change from the routine menu or when we want a light meal mom prepares kaalu chutney.

We usually mix this with piping hot rice and drizzle a little sesame seed oil or ghee.I love to dunk morsels of rice mixed with chutney into a bowl of piping hot rasam. The taste is absolutely heavenly…

Usually we[mom,dad and me] sit together during meal time and talk about the happenings of the day.Dad used to talk about his day at work and mom about her students and me of course about the new things I planned for my patients-workshop.

The topics were nothing serious and we loved to have dinner in this way.No watching TV during meal time. Dad totally dislikes this idea. He always says that people don’t even know what they are eating coz they are more engrossed in what’s going on in the program than on what’s on their plates!This is true ,for many a times when I dine with my friends,I find them all glued to the TV and are lost into it and half the time they eat either too much or too little. Since we are not much interested in TV programs especially the soap’s we really don’t mind it much and always looked forward to dinner time –not only for the tit-bits we shared but also to the warm dishes mom prepared each day.

Dad usually finishes his dinner first and after he leaves the table mom and I would discuss other stuffs.. This was the best part of day.I used to share with her many things that I would normally share with friends and she too would treat me alike. We would then discuss about the typical 'lady stuffs' like where to buy dresses for an occasion or what to cook for the next day ,a little bit of harmless gossip.

On the days when mom prepares this kaalu chutney, I would sit with her chatting all the while ,even after dinner is complete and place dollop after dollop of this kaalu chutney on my plate and savor it as such. By the time dad comes around to see what we are up to the bowl of kaalu chutney is long over and much to mom’s delight there are no left-overs. So you can guess how much I love this dish.

Nowadays,when I chat with mom[on the net,not at the table] the conversation starts with ‘who cooked what today’ and a few days back mom mentioned that she prepared kaalu chutney and saaru. Even before she finished the remaining menu I was drooling and I realized I hadn’t prepared it at all.

So got the recipe from her and prepared it pronto.It did taste good but I found something amiss. I am sure it is her touch that was missing.

Anyways,the preparation is very simple,as I said before and it should be ground thick and a little coarse .


You need:

Toor dhal-1/2 a cup
Red chilllies – 5[adjust to taste]
Asafoetida powder-a pinch
Coconut-2 tablespoons ,grated
Tamarind- a small bit
Salt to taste
Oil- 1 teaspoon

1. Heat oil in a pan and put in asafetida,toor dhal and red chillies and fry on medium flame till the dhal is brown in color.Take care not to char the dhal.
2. Switch off the flame and add the coconut and tamarind piece.
3. Stir to mix and cool.
4. Grind using a little water to a thick and a little coarse paste
5. Add salt and mix well

Serve with warm steamed rice. Drizzle with a little sesame oil / ghee for extra flavor….

AFAM roundup

The Chinese gooseberry also known as Kiwi fruit was chosen to be the fruit for the month for September's edition of AFAM.So,here they are in their different forms to seduce your taste buds.....

Beverages:

Priya of Priya's Easy and tasty recipe made this tempting Italian creamy delight-Kiwi and coconut milk pannacotta



Kamala of cook @ ease has a tasty kiwifruit crush


PJ of Seduce your taste buds paired kiwi with her favorite fruit to make - kiwi banana shake


Try out PJ's-Kiwi cucumber lassi for a refreshing drink that is different from the regular lassi.


Salads

Shaista of Mixcalculation has this irresistible fruit chaat



Kamala of Cook @ ease has another version of salad-Kiwifruit salad



Salsa with a twist from PJ of seduce your tastebuds -Kiwifruit salsa


A sweet and tangy raita from PJ of Seduce your tastebuds Kiwifruit raita


Bakes

Sudha of Malaysian delicacies has baked this wonderful Chocolate kiwi tarts

Spread

A different spread for toast from PJ of Seduce your tastebuds-Kiwi fruit Marmalade


Having tasted all these delight,here are some tasty bites on kiwi fruit compiled by PJ..

Hope you liked the roundup and thanks Maheswari [of Beyond the usual] for giving me this wonderful opportunity....I really got to know more about this fruit and of course tried a couple of new recipes just for this event!