Tuesday 3 December 2013

FRESH PIGEON PEAS SUKKE / TARNI TORI SUKKE

A Konkani recipe.
FRESH PIGEON PEAS SUKKE 

WHAT YOU NEED:

Fresh pigeon peas / tori - 1/2 cup
Chinese potatoes - 1 handful ( small ones)
Red chilly - 2-3 ( roasted in little oil)
Grated coconut - 1 1/2 handfuls 
Tamarind - a small piece
Udad dal - 1 tsp
Curry leaves - 1 sprig
Mustard seeds - 1/2 tsp
Salt - to taste
TORI AND KOOK SUKKE 

HOW TO MAKE:

Pressure cook pigeon peas and Chinese potatoes separate vessels for 10 minutes.
Once chinese potatoes are cooked in pressure cooker, skin can be removed easily.  

Grind coconut, red chilly, tamarind and udad dal to a paste. ( if the paste is little coarse it is fine).

Heat a tsp oil in kadahi. Splutter mustard seeds, add curry leaves.
Add coconut masala and stir well.
Then add cooked piegen peas and chinese potatoes, stir well.
Add salt and little water. cook for few more minutes or till the water evaporates. 

Serve Tori sukke as a side dish

COLOCASIA IN CURD MASALA / ALVA MANDE TAKKA RANDAYI

This recipe is my my mother-in-law's favorite. She used to prepare this very often , so i learned from her and I loved this curry very much when I tasted it for the first time. This is not very spicy, hope children will like this curry.
COLOCASIA IN CURD MASALA

WHAT YOU NEED:

Colocasia bulbs - 10 
Bilimbis / Raw mango - 4-5 bilimbis / 3-4 pieces of raw mango
Green chilly - 3-4, slit
Coconut, grated - 1 1/2 handfuls
Curd - 1 tbsp
Curry leaves - 1 sprig
Salt - to taste.
ALVA MANDE TAKKA RANDAYI!

HOW TO MAKE:

Pressure cook the colocasia bulbs for 10 to 15 minutes.
When cool remove its skin. 

Grind coconut to a very fine paste.

Cut Bilimbis length wise.

Now put colocasia bulbs, bilinmbis, curry leaves and green chillies in a vessel and keep on the fire.
Let it cook for few minutes.
Then add coconut paste and salt to it and stir well. Add a little water if needed.
Finally add curd, mix well. Put off the fire.

Serve hot Colocasia curd masala as a side dish.






Sunday 1 December 2013

CAULI CAPSI MASALA

I love capsicum, so I try many dishes out of it. This time I made masala out of it and its flavor is awesome!  
CAULI N CAPSI IN CAPSI MASALA

WHAT YOU NEED :

Cauliflower florets - 1 cup
Green capsicum - 1, cut in big pieces
Red capsicum - 1/2 cup, chopped
Tomatoes - 2 chopped
Onion - 1 chopped
Cashew nuts - 5-6
Cumin seeds - 1 tsp
Coriander seeds - 1 tsp
Ginger - 1 tsp, chopped
Garlic - 1 tsp, chopped
Garam masala powder - 1 tsp
Red chilly powder - 1 tsp / to taste
Turmeric powder - 1/4 tsp
Butter - 2 tbsp
Salt - to taste
CAULI CAPSI MASALA

HOW TO MAKE :

Deep fry cauliflower in oil and keep aside.

Fry cumin seeds, coriander seeds, ginger, garlic, cashew nuts, onion, red capsicum and tomato in little butter.
Grind it to a paste when it is cooled.

Now heat butter in kadahi, add ground paste and fry till the raw smell appears.
Add garam masala powder, red chilly powder and mix well.
Now add fried cauliflower and green capsicum, stir well.
Add some water and cook for few minutes.

Serve hot with chappati or naan.


PATRODE PODI

Made this recipe easier and quick to make to Patrode lovers. I have posted pothrode podi earlier,  but prepared with Maralva leaves. I have added Besan instead of fried udad powder. It became so crisp and one can hear the crackle sound while biting this podi! Yummy! loved this one ..
PATRODE PODI

WHAT YOU NEED:

Colocasia leaves - 5-6 ( to make one cylinder)
Rice powder - 4 tbsp ( should be little coarse)
Chana flour / Besan - 3 tbsp
Tamarind paste - 1 tsp
Salt - to taste
Red chilly powder - 1/2 tsp / to taste
Asafoetida - a small piece 
Cumin seeds - 1/2 tsp
CRISP N YUMMY PODIS 

COLOCASIA LEAVES FRY!

HOW TO MAKE:

Wash colocasia leaves and remove its stems and thick part of nerves.

Now take a little water in a mixing bowl.
Add asafoetida and dissolve in water.
Add tamarind paste, red chilly powder and salt. Stir well with your hand.
Add cumin seeds, rice powder and besan to it and mix well.
Add little water and make thick batter.

Now apply this mixture thin on the back side of the colocasia leaves.
Keep another leaf over it and apply again. So apply over all the leaves.
Then fold the sides and roll tightly downwards from the upwards and make a cylinder.

Now slice the cylinder thinly and keep aside.

Heat kadahi with enough oil in it.
When hot put 4-5 slices at a time in the oil and reduce the heat to low.
Fry till crisp, then flip the other side and again fry them till very crisp.

Serve as a side dish.


Saturday 30 November 2013

CHANA MASALA

Many times I prepared Chole, on that occasions  I had to depend on the powder which I had bought from the market. So I did not post the Chana masala in my blog, because the recipe is already printed on the packet. This time I made Chana masala myself. 
CHANA MASALA

WHAT YOU NEED:

Kabuli Chana - 3/4 cup
Garam masala powder - 1/2 tsp
Black salt - a pinch
Turmeric powder - 1/2 tsp
Red chilly powder - 1/2 tsp / to taste
Salt - to taste
Coriander leaves - finely chopped, to garnish

Tomatoes - 3, chopped
Onion - 1, chopped
Ginger - 1 " piece, chopped
Garlic cloves - 6, chopped

FOR THE POWDER

Black cardamom - 4
Cinnamon - 1 " piece
Pepper corns - 6
Cloves - 3
Cumin seeds - 1 tsp
Coriander seeds - 1 tsp
Fennel seeds - 1 tsp
Red chillies - 2
CHICK PEAS MASALA

CHOLE!

HOW TO MAKE :

Soak Kabuli chana in enough water for 8 hours or overnight.

Pressure cook the kabuli chana for 15 minutes.

Grind tomatoes, onion, ginger and garlic to a fine paste.

Dry roast all the ingredient for the powder one by one.
Powder it once cooled.

Now in kadahi heat one tbsp oil.
Add tomato paste and saute till the raw smell appears.
Now add spice powder, black salt, turmeric powder, red chilly powder, garam masala powder  and saute.

Now add cooked chana and salt and mix well. 
Add some water and allow to boil.

Finally garnish with coriander leaves.

Serve hot with poories, chappati or naan.


 

TOMATO RASAM - 4

There are many ways of making rasams. Recently I made rasam from leftover dalitaoy (dal). 
Here is the recipe..
TOMATO + DAL RASAM

WHAT YOU NEED:

Dalitoy - 1 cup
Tomatoes - 2-3, chopped
Garlic cloves - 3-4
Turmeric powder - 1/4 tsp
Rasam powder - 2 tsp
Tamarind paste - 2 tsp
Mustard seeds - 1/2 tsp
Curry leaves - 1 sprig
Coriander leaves stems - a few, cut in 3" long pieces
Salt - to taste

HOW TO MAKE:

Grind tomatoes, garlic and turmeric together to a fine paste. ( makes 1 cup )

Take Dalitoy in a vessel and pour 2-3 cups of water.
Add tomato paste, coriander leaves stems and tamarind and boil it.
Now add rasam powder and salt and boil for few more minutes.

Heat a small pan with 2 tsp oil.
Splutter mustard seeds, add curry leaves.
Pour this seasoning over the Rasam.

Serve hot Tomato rasam with steaming rice.

Tuesday 26 November 2013

VARN

Varn is one more important item in Varshik function.
VARN

WHAT YOU NEED:

Green gram / Moogu - 1/4 cup, sprouted and cooked
Grated coconut - 2 tbsp
Green chilly - 3-4
Red chilly - 1, roasted in little oil
Cumin seeds / Jeera - 1/2 + 1/2 tsp
Turmeric - 1/2 tsp
Tamarind paste - 1 tsp
Lemon juice - 4 - tsp
Curry leaves - 1 sprig
Mustard seeds - 1/2 tsp
Salt - to taste

HOW TO MAKE:

Grind coconut, red chilly, turmeric powder and tamarind with little water.
When the consistency become smooth add 1/2 tsp jeera and grind it again.

Now add this ground masala, slit green chillies and salt to the cooked green gram/ moogu.
Add 3-4 cups water and cook or boil.

Heat a small pan with little oil.
Splutter mustard seeds, jeera then add curry leaves.
Pour it over the Varn.
Finally add lemon juice.

Serve Varn with hot steaming rice.





UMBARI

Umbari is another type of fritters, made of raw rice and jaggery.
GHARI

WHAT YOU NEED:

Rice powder - 1 cup
Grated coconut - 2 tbs
Jaggery - 3-4 pieces or 2 lemon size pieces
Ripe Banana - 1
Salt - to taste
GHARI

HOW TO MAKE:

Grind coconut, jaggery and banana.
Mix rice powder, salt and ground paste together.

Now heat kadahi with enough oil in it.
When oil becomes hot, make small small balls from the paste and drop in oil.
Fry them till they are dark brown.


GHARI

Ghari is deep fried fritters, made of Udad dal. This is mainly prepared at the time of Death anniversaries and prepared by Daughter-in-law.  When my Father-in-law's first death anniversary came I was unaware of all those dishes specially made on that particular day. So I had to search on the net for Ghari, Umbari, Varn etc...  But I could not find any such items on the net. I asked recipes from my few GSB friends, with their help I could do all the dishes.
UMBARI

WHAT YOU NEED:

Udad dal - 1 cup
Cumin seeds/ jeera - 1 tsp
Salt - to taste
TOOK THE PIC IN THE LAST MINUTE..ONLY 2 UMBRIS WERE THERE!

HOW TO MAKE :

Wash udad dal and soak in water for 2 hours.
Drain the water.

Now Grind udad dal adding very little water to make a thick paste.

Mix salt and cumin seeds in the paste.

Heat enough oil in kadahi.
Wet your hand and drop a tsp of paste in to the hot oil. Fry in batches.
Fry till golden color.




Monday 18 November 2013

CUSTARD APPLE ICE CREAM

Yesterday my husband brought a lot of custard apples from the market. My both the daughters love this fruit very much so he keeps bringing, for them. This time he brought ripe and a lot were there.  So I thought trying some sweet dishes but in the end I changed my mind and tried my own recipe. It came out so good, soft and smooth. My hubby and Driti loved this and had many bowls. Me too ..:)


CUSTARD APPLE ICE CREAM

WHAT YOU NEED:

Milk - 500 ml + 2 cups
Sugar - 10 - 12 tbs
Custard Apple - 2 ( it makes 3/4 cup pulp along with seeds)
Corn Flour - 2 tbsp
GMS Powder - 2 tbsp ( these powder available in the market)
Alginate S4 ( ice cream stabilizer ) - 1/4 tsp
Fresh cream - 1/4 cup
CUSTARD APPLE ICE CREAM

HOW TO MAKE:

Heat 2 cups milk along with Custard apple's pulp with seeds. 
Cook custard apple  till the milk  becomes from 2 cups to 1 3/4 cups.
Allow it to cool.

Take 500 ml milk and keep 2 tbsp milk separate.
Mix cornflour in 2 tbsp milk and make paste.

Now heat remaining milk and add sugar, gms powder, alginate powder and stir well.
When milk starts boiling add cornflour paste and keep stirring.
Allow it to cool.

Now remove the seeds from the custard apple pulp.
Mix this in the cooled milk.

Refrigerate this mixture for 2 hours.

After 2 hours blend this mixture well in a blender.
Keep in the freezer for 3-4 hours.
After taking from the freezer blend it again for 5 minutes.

Pour the mixture in a aluminium flat vessel, cover and keep in the freezer till it is set or firm.

Serve Custard Ice cream in a bowl with chopped nuts.



Wednesday 13 November 2013

AVALE NONCHE / AMLA PICKLE

Here it is a season of Indian gooseberry, little bitter in taste. I tried Murabba, pickle, Saaru etc.. Here is a new recipe of Gooseberry pickle. Pickles are always welcome and it enhances the taste of meals.

GOOSEBERRY PICKLE


WHAT YOU NEED:

Indian gooseberry - 20 -25
Red chilly - 20- 22
Mustard Seeds - 2 tsp + 1 tsp
Methi seeds - 1 tsp
Asafoetida - a big piece
Turmeric powder - 1/4 tsp
Lemon juice - 1/4 cup
Sesame oil/ mustard oil / vegetable oil - 1 tbs
Salt (crystals or sea salt) - 2 big handfuls 
Add caption


HOW TO MAKE:

Wash gooseberry thoroughly, then pat dry.
Slit the gooseberry with knife on 2 sides.  

Boil salt in 2cups of water for few minutes. Allow it to cool.

Dry roast red chilly, mustard and methi seeds separately.
Roast asafoetida and turmeric too.

Powder the roasted ingredients.

Mix gooseberry and spice powder along with salt water. 

Add lemon juice and stir well with spoon.

Keep covered for a week, but stir the pickle each day once.

If you find the salt is less then put table salt over it.

After a week, ( I removed the seeds from the gooseberry)

Heat a small pan with one tbsp mustard oil and splutter 1 tsp mustard seeds.

Pour this seasoning over the pickle.

Store the Pickle in a dry jar. I have stored it in the fridge.

Serve Avale Nonche / Amla Pickle as a side dish.










Tuesday 12 November 2013

PAKKAWADA

Pakkavada is very popular snack in Kerala State.  My dear friend Rani, also my neighbor herself is a great cook. I got Pakkavada's recipe from her a few days ago. You wd really love if there is something to munch when you have your evening tea...

WHAT YOU NEED:

Rice powder - 2 cups
Chana powder / Besan - 1 cup
Red chilly powder - 1 1/2 tsp
Asafoetida - a big chana size
Butter - 2 tbsp
Salt - to taste
Oil - to deep fry

HOW TO MAKE :

In a mixing bowl add all the above ingredients  (except oil) and form a dough adding little water.
THE DOUGH....

Then heat enough oil in deep kadahi.

Now take a small part of the dough and fill in a Pakkavada Maker.
CRISP PAKKAVADAS


When oil is hot press directly in the kadahi.

Fry and keep stirring all the time till the pakkavadas golden and crisp.

Remove and place over a tissue.

Store the Pakkavadas when they are completely cooled. 

Serve Pakkavadas as a Snack with Tea or Coffee.



Tuesday 29 October 2013

VEG KURMA

I got this recipe from a Food group on Facebook. I had prepared Kurmas earlier too. But this time I added home made paneer, these cubes made the dish unique and tasty.
VEGETABLE KURMA

WHAT YOU NEED:

Fresh Peas - 1/2 cup
French beans - 7-8
Cauliflower - florets - 1 cup
Capsicum - 1 small, cut in to 1 inch pieces.
Paneer - 10 -15  1 inch cubes.
Onion - 1, finely chopped
Chilli powder - 1 tsp
Garam masala powder - 1/2 tsp
Turmeric powder - 1/4 tsp
Coriander leaves - 2-3 tbsp, finely chopped
Salt - to taste

For the masala:

Coconut - 2 tbsp
Onion - 1 chopped
Tomatoes - 2 chopped
Green chilly - 2
Ginger - 1 inch piece
Garlic cloves - 5-6
Cardamom - 2
Cloves -2
Cumin seeds - 1 tsp
Coriander seeds - 2 tsp
VEG KURMA....

HOW TO MAKE:

Grind all the masala ingredients to a smooth paste.

Fry Paneer pieces in little oil and keep aside.

Heat oil or ghee in a kadahi.
Add onion and fry for few minutes.
Add masala to it and fry again till you get the aroma.
Now add chilli powder, garam masala powder and turmeric powder, stir well.
Add the vegetables and combine well with the masala.
Add enough water, salt and cook till all the veges are tender.
Now add paneer pieces, mix and cook again for few more minutes.

Finally add coriander leaves.

Serve Vegetable Kurma with Pooris / chappatis



PAAV

I happened to see a beautiful tempting pic of Paav on my Facebook page, last week. I do not remember whose post it was, but immediately I noted down the recipe and 2 days back I gave a try and it came out so well, soft and puff. Here is the recipe...

WHAT YOU NEED:

Wheat flour - 1 cup
Maida - 2 cups
Warm water - 1.5 - 2 cups
Dry yeast - 1 tbsp
Salt - 1 tsp
Sugar - 2 tbsp
Olive oil - 1/2 tbsp


MIXTURE OF YEAST N SUGAR
FLOURS, OIL, YEAST AND SALT
HOW TO MAKE:

Add sugar and yeast in a one cup warm water and keep aside to set for 5 minutes.

In a mixing bowl, mix flours, salt, oil and yeast mixture. 
Form a soft dough adding warm water.
Cover with damp cloth for 1- 1 1/2 hours. The dough will be doubled the size.
DOUGH
COVERED WITH DAMPEN CLOTH... 

Now roll the dough on a kitchen slab, cut into even size.
Make the balls of each pieces and flatten a little.



Grease Baking tray, place the balls leaving a little space in between.
Keep covered for another half an hour., Again the balls size will increase.

Preheat the oven at 180 degrees.
Smear the olive oil over them and bake for 10 minutes or until the crust is browned.
HOT PAAVS/BUNS 

After that flip the buns over a mesh tray.
Smear some warm milk over them while still hot to soften them.

Heat tava, grease butter and warm buns adding more butter.

Serve Buns/Paav with Paavbhaji






Friday 25 October 2013

LADY'S FINGER / BHINDI UPKARI / STIR FRY

Very simple preparation..

WHAT YOU NEED:

Lady's finger - 20-25
Dry red chilly /green chilly - 3-4 (broken / cut lengthwise)
Mustard seeds - 3/4 tsp
Salt - to taste
Oil - 1tbsp

HOW TO MAKE:

Wash Lady's fingers and pat dry.
Cut into thin rounds.

Heat 1 tbsp oil in kadahi.
Splutter mustard seeds, add dry chilly or green chilly, saute.
Add Lady's fingers, salt and mix well.
Reduce the heat to minimum.
Cover and cook till bhindis are cooked. 
Stir the bhindi several time, otherwise it may get burnt.

Thursday 17 October 2013

CHEESE METHI PARATHA


CHEESE METHI PARATHA WITH ALOO METHI

WHAT YOU NEED:

Wheat flour - 1 cup
Fenugreek leaves - 3/4 cup, finely chopped
Cheese cubes - 2 ( I used Amul cheese)
Cumin seeds / Jeera - 1 tsp
Turmeric powder - 1/4 tsp
Salt - to taste
Red chilly powder - 1/2 tsp or to taste
Ghee - 1 tbsp
GOOD COMBI....

HOW TO MAKE:

Heat 1 tbsp ghee in kadahi.
Splutter cumin seeds, then add Fenugreek leaves and saute.
Add turmeric powder, red chilly powder and salt. Stir well till the leaves are soggy.
Put off the fire.
Now scrape cheese cubes over it and mix well.
Then add wheat flour and required water to make the dough.
Knead well and keep aside for half an hour.

Now make the balls from the dough and roll them with a chappati roller.

Heat the tava greased with ghee. Fry the parathas both the sides adding ghee.

Serve hot Cheese Methi Parathas with any curry / curd.


Wednesday 16 October 2013

ALOO METHI



ALOO METHI

WHAT YOU NEED:

Potatoes - 4
Tomatoes - 3
Fenugreek leaves / methi leaves - 1 cup, finely chopped

Ginger - 1/2 inch piece, finely chopped
Garlic cloves - 3-4 , finely chopped
Turmeric powder - 1/4 tsp
Jeera / Cumin seeds - 1/2 tsp
Coriander powder - 1 tsp
Red chilly powder - 1/2 tsp or to taste
Salt - to taste
POTATOES WITH FENUGREEK LEAVES...

HOW TO MAKE :

Wash, peel and cut the potatoes in pieces.
Cut the tomatoes as same size of potatoes.

Now heat the kadahi with little ghee / oil. 
Splutter jeer, add coriander powder, garlic, ginger and saute.
Add potato pieces, fenugreek leaves and tomato pieces. Stir.
Now add turmeric powder, red chilly powder, salt and little water. Cover and cook till potatoes are cooked.

Serve hot Aloo Methi with Parathas /Chappatis / Phulkas.


TAPIOCA AMBODO


TAPIOCA AMBODO

WHAT YOU NEED:

Tapioca, boiled and mashed - 1 cup
Green chilly - 1-2, chopped finely
Udad dal - 1 tsp, fried in little oil
Coriander leaves - 1 tbsp, finely chopped
Salt - to taste
Lemon juice - 1 tsp

For the batter:

Chana powder/ besan - 5-6 tbsp
Salt - to taste
Asafoetida - a little, diluted in little water
Red chilly powder - to taste
BADDI KANANGA AMBODO!

HOW TO MAKE :

Mix all the above from boiled tapioca to lemon juice and keep aside.

In a mixing bowl add salt asafoetida, red chilly powder and gram flour / besan and mix adding little water to make a thick batter.

Now heat kadahi with enough oil in it.

Make small balls from tapioca mixture, dip them in gram flour batter and slid in hot oil. 
Deep fry them till they are golden color.

Serve warm Tapioca Ambodo with sauce or coconut chutney.

Thursday 10 October 2013

BREAD FRUIT STIR FRY / JEEV KADGI UPKARI


BREADFRUIT UPKARI

WHAT YOU NEED :

Bread fruit, tender one - 1 small
Red chilly - 3-4, broken in to pieces
Mustard seeds - 1 tsp
Salt - to taste
TENDER BREADFRUIT

JEEVKADGI UPKARI

HOW TO MAKE :

Wash Breadfruit well then cut thin 1 inch pieces.
Apply salt and keep for half an hour.

Heat 1 tbs oil in kadahi.
Splutter mustard seeds, add red chilly and saute for 1 min. 
Squeeze out the salt water from the bread fruit, then add in to the kadahi. Saute well.
Reduce the heat, cover and cook till done. Stir fry several times in between the cooking.
Breadfruit cooks fast. 

Tuesday 8 October 2013

COCONUT CURRY LEAVES CHUTNEY



WHAT YOU NEED :

Coconut gratings - of half coconut
Green chilly - 4
Hurikadale dal - 2 tbsp
Curry leaves - 3 sprigs
Ginger - 1/2 inch or asafoetida - a small piece
Salt to taste
Mustard seeds - 1 tsp

HOW TO MAKE:

Heat oil in a small pan.
Add 2 sprigs curry leaves, fry till crisp. Add asafoetida and stir a minute more. (instead of asafoetida you can add ginger directly while grinding the chutney).

Now grind coconut gratings, green chilly, salt, hurikadale dal, ginger/ asafoetida and fried curry leaves along with little water.

Transfer the chutney in a serving bowl. Add water if needed.

Heat a small pan with a tsp oil.
Splutter mustard seeds and add 1 sprig curry leaves.

Pour this seasoning over the Coconut curry leaves chutney.

Serve Coconut curry leaves chutney with Dosa or Idli.