Tuesday 27 December 2011

MIXED VEGES SALAD



MIXED VEG SALAD




WHAT YOU NEED:


Cucumber 1
Carrot 1
Cabbage 2 leaves
Beetroot 1
Onion 1
Tomatoes 2 
Pepper powder 1/2 tsp
Salt to taste
Lemon Juice of 1/2 lemon


LIKED THIS PHOTOGRAPHY.:))




HOW TO MAKE:


Wash all the veges and cut in small cubes
In a mixing bowl put salt and pepper powder and mix. Add all the veges and mix thoroughly.
Then mix lemon juice and serve as a side dish.


AN EASY PREPARATION...LOVE  SALADS...




A Healthy and Nutritious Salad....

Sunday 25 December 2011

CABBAGE SALAD/KOSUMBARI


CABBAGE SALAD


WHAT YOU NEED :

Cabbage leaves, chopped finely 6-8 (about 1 1/2 cup)
Green chilly 1, finely chopped
Salt to taste
Lemon juice, 1/2 of lemon
Coriander leaves finely chopped 2 tsp

CABBAGE SALAD, SIMPLE  N TASTY

HOW TO MAKE:

In a mixing bowl mix chopped cabbage, salt, chopped green chilly and lemon juice very well.
Garnish with coriander leaves.

A side dish...

Wednesday 21 December 2011

PLAIN DOSA AND COCONUT CHUTNEY



DOSA AND CHUTNEY


WHAT YOU NEED:


Udad dal  1/4 cup
Raw/ white rice 1 1/2 cups
Boiled/red/ukdo rice  1/4 cup
Salt to taste


HOW TO MAKE IT:


Wash and Soak Udad dal and rice separately for 3 hours.


Grind Udad dal with little water  to a fine batter.
Transfer this in a big vessel.
Grind rice with little water to a smooth dough.
Transfer this to the same vessel.
Add salt to the dosa batter before you go to bed.


Keep it overnight to ferment.


Next day stir the batter well.


Heat tava on high flame, grease with oil, reduce the flame to medium and pour a ladle full of batter on the tava and spread in circular motion to make a thin dosa. 
Put a little oil or ghee on the dosa's edges to make it more crispy. 
When crisp fold and serve hot with coconut chutney.


HOT YUMMY DOSAS AND CHUTNEY




For the Chutney:


Coconut grated 4 handfuls
Green chillies 3
Hurikadale dal 2 tsp
Curry leaves a few
Salt


Grind all the above ingredients to a fine paste.
Transfer this to a bowl and seasoning of mustard and curry leaves makes the chutney yummy... 

POORI MASALA



POORI MASALA


WHAT YOU NEED:


Potatoes  4 medium
Onions 2 medium
Green chillies 4
Ginger, chopped 1 tsp
Mustard seeds 1 tsp
Turmeric powder 1/4 tsp
Udad dal. 2 tsp
Curry leaves 2 sprigs
Coriander leaves, chopped 2 tsp (optional)


SOUTH INDIAN'S FAV BREAKFAST..




HOW TO MAKE:


Pressure cook the potatoes for 15 minutes.
Peel off the skin and mash them roughly and keep aside.
Chop the onions into big pieces.
Heat 3 tsp oil in kadai, add mustard seeds to it, when mustard starts fluttering add udad dal, ginger, slit green chillies, curry leaves. Saute for a while, then add chopped onions, saute till it becomes translucent.
Add mashed potatoes, salt and some water. Mix well.
Add turmeric powder, mix thoroughly.  Check the water. If you want gravy add water. Some love this dry.
 In the end decorate with coriander leaves. 


The same masala can be prepared for MASALA DOSA.


POORIS AND MASALA, A GOOD COMBO...




FOR THE POORIS:


WHAT YOU NEED:


Wheat flour 2 cups
Salt to taste
Water for kneading
Warm oil 3-4 tsp
Oil to fry


In a big mixing bowl, dissolve salt in some water.
Add wheat flour in the mixing bowl and start mixing it. 
Make a firm dough and knead well, while kneading add warm oil to make it soft, but firm. Poori dough should be little harder than chappati dough.
Keep it covered for half an hour.


Take out the dough and again knead, make small balls. ( smaller than chappatis)
Sprinkle wheat flour  on the balls and roll out as pooris.


Heat the kadahi with enough oil. When the oil is too hot slid a poori in the oil and fry till brown  on both the sides.


These hot pooris and masala makes the best breakfast on week ends here...:))

Sunday 18 December 2011

CHANA/PHOVA



CHANA PHOVA





One of the popular breakfast from South Karnataka. 


CHANA




WHAT YOU NEED:


For Chana:


Chick peas /Chana 1/2 cup
Raw banana  1/2
Coconut Grated 1 tbsp
Red chillies  4
Salt to taste
Mustard seeds 3/4 tsp
Curry leaves  1 sprig


PHOVA




For Phova :


Phova, thin variety  2 cups
Coconut grated  1/2 coconut
Cumin seeds 1 tsp
Coriander seeds 3 tsp
Jaggery, a small piece
Red chillies 2 (fried in little oil)
Salt


Red chilly 1
Mustard seeds 1/2 tsp
Curry leaves 1 sprig


HOW TO MAKE:


Wash and soak chana for at least 8 hours.
Wash banana and cut into small cubes. 
Pressure cook chana and banana together with enough water, for 15 minutes. Let this cool down naturally. This curry is basically little dry.  I make this watery consistency as I like soaking Phova in this gravy and eat. 
Heat a small pan with little oil. Add Mustard seeds to hot oil, when it splutters add broken red chillies. Saute. Then add curry leaves.


Keep chana on the fire and add salt, grated coconuts and pour the seasoning in the curry. Let it boil for few minutes.


This is Chana upkari.


SERVED CHANAPHOVA  WITH BANANA....




Now How to make Phova...


Grind roughly coconut gratings, cumin seeds, coriander seeds, jaggery, red chillies and salt together.


Transfer this masala in a mixing bowl. 
Add Phova and combine well with the masala.


Now again take a small pan with 2-3 tsp oil and heat. Add mustard seeds, broken red chilly and curry leaves.


Pour this on Phova and mix well.


It is a breakfast item... Chana and Phova eaten together 











Friday 16 December 2011

CHICKPEAS/ CHANA SALAD.



CHICKPEAS SALAD
A healthy and Nutritious salad.


WHAT YOU NEED:


Boiled chickpeas  1/2 cup
Onion 1, finely chopped
Green chillies  2 finely chopped
Lemon, juice of half lemon
Coriander leaves, finely chopped 2 tsp
Salt to taste


CHANA/CHICKPEAS SALAD




HOW TO MAKE:


Mix chickpeas, onion, green chillies, salt in a mixing bowl.
Add lemon juice and mix thoroughly.
Garnish with coriander leaves. 
Serve as a side dish.

Thursday 15 December 2011

APPLE CHUTNEY


APPLE+TOMATO KETCHUP DIP


It is very easy and quick preparation. Surely children will enjoy chappatis with this sweetish chutney.

WHAT YOU NEED:

Apple 1
Tomato ketchup 2 tbsp
Honey 3,4 tsp 

APPLE TOMATO KETCHUP CHUTNEY


HOW TO MAKE:

Wash apple and chop roughly( I did not peel it)
Grind apple and tomato ketchup to a paste.

Transfer this paste in a bowl and mix honey.

Serve this with chappatis or phulkas.



Wednesday 14 December 2011

CHILLY BAJO



CHILLY  DIP FRY
Chillies! Hot! Yummy too. Chilly baja reminds  me of TRICHUR POORAM, a very famous festival. In the festival exhibition ground it sells like hot cakes. Since many years we have been relishing this baja with thin mint chutney... The stall people were very kind as they never increased the price, since then they have kept up the same price ie, Rs. 10. But the quantity is becoming less year by year. From 4 to 3, then 2. May be next time we can expect 1 chilly for Rs.10. People don't care for the money, just enjoying eating the baje in a paper plate, in the open air,chatting, laughing, commenting on people's behaviour...all it was just fun....


WHAT YOU NEED:


Long chillies  6
Gram flour  1 cup
Red chilly powder 1/4 tsp
Cumin seed powder 1/2 tsp
Asafoetida,  a chana size
Soda bicarb 1/4 tsp
Salt


FRESH CHILLIES




HOW TO MAKE:


Wash chillies and slit. Remove the seeds and keep aside.


In a mixing bowl, put a little water and add salt, chilli powder, cumin powder, asafoetida, soda bicarb . Mix well.
Then add gram flour and adding  little water to it  make a thick batter. 


MIRSANGE BAJO




Heat kadahi with enough oil to fry the bajos.


Dip Chillies well in the gram flour batter and put in a hot oil. fry them till it is crisp and done.


It is a tea time snack, serve with mint chutney 

RADISH/MOOLANGI SUKKE





RADISH+POTATO DRY


WHAT YOU NEED:


Radish  4 medium 
Potato 1 small
Coconut grated 3 handfuls
Red chillies  4 (fried in little oil)
Tamarind a small piece 
Udad dal  2 1/2 tsp
Salt


FRESH RADISHES..




FOR THE SEASONING:


Mustard seeds 3/4 tsp
Curry leaves 1 sprig


HOW TO MAKE:


Wash radish and potato and cut into a little big cubes. I used even radish leaves in the curry... it tastes awesome.
Pressure cook the vegges for 10 to 15 minutes. (without adding water to the veges)


Making of masala:


In a little oil fry udad dal till golden brown and keep aside.


Grind coconut gratings, fried red chillies, tamarind to a rough paste. Add fried udad dal to the masala and again grind it for 1 more min.


MOOLANGI SUKKE




Transfer the veges in a vessel and add salt. Keep on the fire, stir combine the veges and salt.
Add masala to the veges and add little water. Mix well.


Heat a small pan, add a tsp of oil.
Add mustard seeds, when it splutters add curry leaves, saute.


Pour this seasoning on the radish sukke. The curry should be dry.


Serve hot, a side dish.





Saturday 10 December 2011

CAULI AND YELLOW BELL PEPPER CURRY




CAULI N BELL PEPPER CURRY





One more preparation from Cauliflower.... 




WHAT YOU NEED:
  1. Cauliflower (florets) 1 cup
  2. Yellow Bell pepper, cut into big pieces 1 cup
  3. Onion 1 big
  4. Tomatoes 2
  5. Ginger, chopped 1 tsp
  6. Garlic, chopped 1 tsp
  7. Chilli powder 1 tsp
  8. Coriander powder 2 tsp
  9. Cumin seeds 1 tsp
  10. Turmeric 1/4 tsp
  11. Pepper powder 1/2 tsp
  12. Coconut milk, thick, 1 cup
  13. Cloves 2
  14. Cinnamon pieces 2
  15. Curry leaves 1 sprig
  16. Salt to taste
  17. Coriander leaves chopped finely 2 tsp 
CAULI FLOWER



CAULIFLOWER AND BELL PEPPER CURRY
                                                             

HOW TO MAKE:

Wash Cauli flower florets and bell pepper. Cut bell pepper into big pieces.  Keep aside.
Before using cauli flower in the curries, put them in salt water for minimum 15 minutes, not only it keeps away the germs..also flower retains its freshness


Make a paste of chilli powder, coriander powder, turmeric powder and pepper powder with little water. 


Heat kadahi, add 3 tbsp of oil.
Add jeera/cumin seeds, when it crackles add cloves,cinnamon and curry leaves. Then add  chopped ginger and garlic and fry.
Add onion and fry till it color changes, then add masala and fry for a while.
Add chopped tomatoes anc cook till it becomes mushy.
Then Add floret and bell pepper, saute them for few minutes. Add salt and few spoons of water and cook till done.
Finally add coconut milk, just heat it.
Decorate it with chopped coriander leaves.


Serve hot with chappatis or phulkas.




CUCUMBER/MAGGE AMBAT



MAGGE AMBAT




This is one of the fav, curries of my children.


WHAT YOU NEED:


Magge 1 medium
Cabbage 1/2 cup ( I used the thick part of it)
Potato 1 small
Boiled Tur dal 1 tbsp
Onion, 1 small, chopped finely
Salt to taste


For the masala:


Coconut  grated, 3 handfuls
Red chilli  5, fried in little oil
Tamarind  a small piece


BEFORE SEASONING




HOW TO MAKE:


Wash Magge, peel off the skin and remove the seeds.
Cut them into a little big cubes.
Cut the cabbage leaves, 2 inches piece
Peel  the skins off potato and cut into cubes


Pressure cook the Vegs without water for 10-15 minutes, after the first whistle.


Grind coconut, red chillies and tamarind with a little water to a fine paste.


Transfer the boiled veges in a vessel and add salt to it and keep on the fire.
Add boiled dal and ground masala  and mix well. Let it boil.
When it starts bubbling switch off the burner.


YUMMY MAGGE AMBAT




Heat a small pan with 2 tsp oil.
Fry chopped onions till golden brown. Pour this seasoning on the Magge Ambat.


Serve hot with steaming rice.









Tuesday 6 December 2011

KOOK/CHINESE POTATO PICKLE



CHINESE POTATO/KOOK PICKLE




WHAT YOU NEED:


Kook/Chinese potatoes, cut into cubes, 1/2 cup. (Wash  kooks and remove its skin)
Red chillies 8-9, fried in little oil
Asafoetida, size of a small pea
Turmeric, a pinch
Tamarind, a size of gooseberry
Salt to taste
Oil to fry


FRIED PIECES




FOR THE SEASONING:


Mustard seeds 1/2 tsp
Curry leaves 5-6


KOOK PICKLE,  CAN SEE SOME KOOKS NEARBY..




HOW TO MAKE:


Apply salt to the kook and keep aside for half an hour.


Heat kadahi with oil. When it is hot, take a handful of cook pieces and squeeze well to remove its salt water and put in hot oil. (put all the pieces in the hot oil removing its salt water).  Reduce the heat and fry till it becomes crisp.
Keep aside.


Grind fried red chillies, tamarind, turmeric, asafoetida  with little water to a fine paste.


Transfer this paste to a bowl. Add fried kook pieces and mix well. Check the salt, if it is less add little salt and mix. Here the kook pieces were already in the salt for half an hour.


Heat a small pan with 2 tsp oil, when it is hot add mustard seeds, then curry leaves.


Pour this seasoning on the Kooka Pickle.


A side dish, it enhances the taste of your meals.

KOOK / CHINESE POTATO SAGLE

This is a GSB recipe. Very simple coconut based curry. Now the Chinese potato/ Kook season has started. I use big size for Upkari and small ones for masala curries, because removing its skin is a messy job and it takes long time to remove the skin of small ones. So I pressure cook the whole kook with skin for 10 minutes, once cooled it is easy to remove the skin.

CHINESE POTATO / KOOK SAGLE






WHAT YOU NEED :


Kook or Chinese potato  (whole)small size - 1 1/2 cup

Coconut - 1/2, grated

Red chillies - 6-7, fried in little oil

Coriander seeds - 3 tsp

Tamarind - a small gooseberry size

Salt to taste


KOOK/CHINESE POTATOES, FOR THIS CURRY I USED SMALL ONES.




FOR THE SEASONING:


Mustard seeds 3/4 tsp
Curry leaves  6-7


KOOKA SAGLE




HOW TO MAKE :


Pressure cook chiense potatoes for 10 to 15 min. 
When it cools down, remove the skins of Kook. and keep aside.


In a small pan add a tsp of oil and heat. Add coriander seeds and saute till it becomes crisp or it changes the color.


Grind coconut gratings, tamarind, fried red chillies to a rough masala. Then add fried coriander seeds and again grind just a minute more.


In a vessel, add boiled Kooka, some water and salt. 
Keep on the fire. 
Add ground masala and cook on law heat till bubbles appear. Add required water...


A CLOSE VIEW...




SEASONING:


Heat a small pan, Put a tsp of oil.
Add mustard seeds, when it splutter add curry leaves. saute.


Pour this seasoning on the Kooka Sagle.


A side dish, tastes nice with hot steaming rice

Saturday 3 December 2011

PUMPKIN SOUP





PUMPKIN SOUP
WHAT YOU NEED:


Pumpkin, Pieces 1 cup
Onions 2  chopped roughly
Garlic 3 cloves, chopped
Milk 1 1/2 cups
Salt 
Pepper
Celery, chopped 1 tbsp
Butter 2 cubes


A PIECE OF PUMPKIN




HOW TO MAKE:
Heat kadahi,  put butter.
Add garlic and saute till brown. 
Then add onion and fry for few mins.
Add Pumpkin pieces and saute again.


In the same kadahi, put chopped celery and fry for a minute.
Keep aside.


A HEALTHY N TASTY PUMPKIN SOUP




Pressure cook Pumpkin, onion and garlic for 10 mins.
Let it cool down naturally. Open the lid and take out the boiled pumpkins.
Blend it to a very smooth paste.
Transfer this paste to a kadahi and keep it on the fire.
Add salt and pepper powder. Stir well.
Add milk and stir again.


Serve this hot soup in serving bowls and garnish with fried celery.



Wednesday 30 November 2011

MALTA LEMON /EED / BADGAPULI PICKLE



MALTA LEMON




Malta lemon is basically very bitter in taste. When I was small my grand mother had prepared its pickle for my grand father as he was ill and he had just recovered from fever. My granny thought this lemon would help him get back his taste. My grand father never liked this fruit, but granny used to force him to have this. I always wondered why he was so reluctant to have this pickle. I got to know when I licked  my finger dipped in this pickle.
Now I have tried Malta lemon's pickle, but it is not that bitter. It really enhances the taste of your lunch or dinner. This pickle goes especially well with Paje.


CHOPPED MALTA LEMON






WHAT YOU NEED:


Malta/wild lemon 2
Crystal Salt 1 cup ( small tea cup)
Red chillies (whole) 55 nos.
Mustard seeds 1 tbsp
Hing/ asafoetida 3 pieces (3 kabuli chana size)


MALTA LEMON PICKLE




HOW TO MAKE:


Wash malta lemon and wipe with clean cloth.
Cut into small pieces. Then apply salt and keep in a vessel for 2 days, in between shake the vessel so that the salt will completely dissolve in it. 


Powder red chillies, mustard seeds and asafoetida. 
Mix chilli powder and Malta lemon pieces very well. Add little warm water and mix again.











BANANA HALWA





BANANA HALWA



WHAT YOU NEED :


Bananas 2 very ripe ones
Sugar 3/4 cup
Ghee 1/4 cup


HOW TO MAKE:


Peel off the skins of banana and make a smooth paste of it.


Transfer this paste in a nonstick kadahi. Keep on the fire and keep stirring for few minutes.
Reduce the heat. Add one tbsp of ghee and continue stirring till the paste changes to blackish color.
Add sugar and ghee. Keep stirring till the paste become bit hard.


KEPT FOR COOLING




NENDRA BANANA HALWA


Spread some ghee on a plate and pour halwa mixture. 
Apply some ghee on the spatula and spread evenly.
Cut with knife to your desired shapes.
Allow it to cool down.







Tuesday 29 November 2011

MIXED VEG IN COCNUT MILK / VALVAL

This is one of the popular dishes from Konkani household. This is my father-in-law's fav curry.  He had requested me to prepare this many times and I had obliged too. When I prepared this yesterday, we all remembered him very much as he left us an year ago. Whenever he had it, he always used to say...'Wah! What a curry..' I hope you also will say Wah!!!!




MIXED VEGES IN COCONUT MILK




WHAT YOU NEED:
Pumpkin 3/4 cup
Long beans(Alasnado) 3-4 (cut into 2' long)
Yam , 1 inch cubes, 4-5
Potato, 1' cubes, 4-5
Sweet potato 1"cubes, 3-4
Bottlegourd, 4-5 cubes
Tender cashews 7-8
Green chillies 4
Curry leaves 5-6
Asafoetida a little, dissolved in little water
Salt
Coconut 1/2( Prepare 1 cup thick and 1/2 cup thin coconut milk)


VALVAL






VALVAL, MY FATHER-IN-LAW'S FAV.


HOW TO MAKE:


Wash all the vegs and cut all in one inch cubes.
Put all the vegs in a vessel and add slit green chillies and salt.
Pressure cook these vegs without water for 10 minutes. Allow it to cool naturally. Or you can cook all these veggies in thin coconut milk till done.


Take out the veges and keep on the fire in thin milk. Stir the veges  carefully. Then pumpkin pieces will become like paste and the curry becomes thick. The curry should be a little thick, but see that not all the pumpkin pieces dissolve in the curry.
Add thick milk, asafoetida, curry leaves and stir carefully. Switch off the burner.


A side dish

Monday 28 November 2011

BUTTER PANEER MASALA


BUTTER PANEER MASALA


WHAT YOU NEED:

Paneer cubes 1' about 12-15
Onion 1 big
Tomatoes 2 big
Corinader powder 1 1/2 tsp 
Cumin/jeera powder 1 1/2 tsp
Turmeric a little
Dried fenugreek leaves 1 tsp
Ginger paste 2 tsp
Garlic paste 1 tsp
Red chilli powder 1 tsp
Salt to taste
Butter 2 tbsp
Cream 1 cup
Water 1 cup 

SOFT PANEER CUBES IN BUTTER MASALA



HOW TO MAKE:

Keep paneer cubes in warm water for sometime. 


Chop onion and make a smooth paste of it.
Wash tomatoes, chop and make paste.


In a kadahi put 2 tabsp of butter and melt.
Add ginger and garlic paste in a melted butter and saute for few mins.
Add onion paste and fry till it changes the color.
Put coriander powder, jeera powder, haldi powder and mix well.
Add tomato paste and cook for few minutes.
Then add paneer cubes, mix well with the masala and add red chilli powder, salt and 1 cup of water.


Cover the lid and let it cook for nearly 5 to 10 minutes or till paneer become soft.
Add fresh beaten cream, mix and cook for few more minuts.

Garnish with dried fenugreek leaves.


Very good combination with Fried rice. It can also be eaten with chappati or phulkas.