Maggie bread roll

We often eat bread rolls with the veg stuffing. But here today we did maggie roll with cooked maggie stuffing. It really taste gud and mouth watering. And also loved by children.....

INGREDIENTS:

For The Cheesy Maggie:

• 1/2 cup grated processed cheese
• 1 packet (70 gms) maggi noodles , broken into pieces
• 1 packet maggi noodles masala
• 1/4 cup chopped capsicum
• 1 tsp dry red chilli flakes (paprika)

Other Ingredients:

• 2 tbsp plain flour (maida)
• 13 bread slices
• melted butter for greasing

METHOD:

For the cheesy maggi:

1. Boil 1 cup of water in a deep non-stick pan, add the capsicum and maggi noodles masala, mix well and cook on a medium flame for 1 minute, while stirring occasionally.
2. Add the maggi noodles, mix well and cook on a medium flame for 4 minutes or till all the water has been evaporated, while stirring occasionally.
3. Add the cheese and chilli flakes, mix well and cook on a medium flame for 1 minute, while stirring occasionally.
4. Divide it into 13 equal portions and keep aside.

How to proceed:

1. Combine the plain flour and 2 tbsp of water in a small bowl, mix well and keep aside.
2. Remove the crust from all the bread slices and roll each slice with help of a rolling pin.
3. Place one portion of the filling on one side of the bread slice and roll it up tightly.
4. Apply some plain-flour water mixture at the edges and press to seal the stuffing.
5. Repeat steps 3 and 4 to make 12 more bread rolls.
6. Apple little melted butter evenly over all the bread rolls and bake them in a pre-heated oven at 180°c (360°f) for 15 minutes or till they turn crisp, turning them once after 10 minutes.
7. Serve immediately.

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Sphagetti Cheese Balls

         Flavourful and succulent cottage cheese balls; tangy tongue-tickling tomato sauce; and perfectly cooked, herbed spaghetti... each of these is as perfect as can be, whether in terms of flavour, texture or appearance, and when they come together the outcome is nothing short of magic. Lets c how to do this...

INGREDIENTS:

For The Tomato Sauce:

• 1 3/4 cups fresh tomato pulp
• 1 tbsp butter
• 1/4 cup finely chopped onions
• 1/2 tsp dry red chilli flakes (paprika)
• 2 tsp sugar
• salt to taste
• 1 tbsp fresh cream

For The Cottage Cheese Balls:

• 1 1/2 cups crumbled paneer (cottage cheese)
• 2 bread slices , torn into pieces
• 3 tbsp curds (dahi)
• 1 tbsp chopped coriander (dhania)
• 1/2 tsp finely chopped green chillies
• 2 tbsp cornflour
• 1/4 tsp baking soda
• salt to taste
• oil for deep-frying

For The Herbed Spaghetti

• 1 tsp dried mixed herbs
• 3 cups boiled spaghetti
• 1 1/2 tbsp butter
• 1 1/2 tsp finely chopped garlic (lehsun)
• salt to taste

METHOD:

For The Tomato Sauce:

• Heat the butter in a broad non-stick pan, add the onions and sauté on a medium flame for 1 minute.
• Add the fresh tomato pulp, chilli flakes, sugar and salt, mix well and cook on a medium flame for 3 minutes, while stirring occasionally.
• Add the fresh cream, mix well and cook on a medium flame for 1 minute, while stirring occasionally. Keep aside.

For the cottage cheese balls:

• Combine the bread slices and curds in a bowl, mix well and cover with a lid and keep aside for 5 minutes.
• Combine all the ingredients along with the bread-curd mixture in a deep bowl and mix very well.
• Divide the mixture into 12 equal portions and roll each portion into a ball.
• Heat the oil in a deep non-stick pan and deep-fry a few cottage cheese balls at time on a medium flame till they turn golden brown in colour from all the sides. Drain on an absorbent paper and keep aside.

For the herbed spaghetti:

• Heat the butter in a broad non-stick pan, add the garlic and sauté on a medium flame for a few seconds.
• Add the mixed herbs, spaghetti and salt, mix well and cook on a medium flame for 1 minutes, while stirring occasionally. Keep aside.

How to proceed:

• Divide the herbed spaghetti into 3 equal portions and keep aside.
• Reheat the tomato sauce, add the cottage cheese balls, mix gently and cook on a medium flame for 1 minute. Divide it into 3 equal portions and keep aside.
• Place portion of the herbed spaghetti on a serving plate along the circumference of a plate.
• Put the tomato sauce along with cottage cheese balls in the centre of the spaghetti.
• Repeat steps 3 and 4 to make 2 more servings.
• Serve immediately.

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Madurai Special Fish Fry (Sunday Special)

Fish fry makes a great appetizer or a side to a meal. A simple vegetable salad or onion wedges compliment the fish fry. It can be served as a side with any variety rice or with rice and rasam. This recipe is very easy to follow, a bachelor’s recipe and yields a tasty crispy fish.

INGREDIENTS:

• ½ kg fish fillets
• Oil as needed
• First marination
• 1 tbsp. ginger garlic paste or coarsely crushed
• Lemon juice as needed
• Salt as needed
• ⅛ tsp turmeric
• ¾ tsp garam masala
• ½ tsp coriander powder (if garam masala is very strong)
• ½ tsp red chili powder

Second marination:

• 1 ½ tbsp. rice flour
• 1 ½ tbsp. besan / chickpea flour / gram flour
• Salt as needed
• ¼ to ½ tsp red chilli powder or paprika (adjust to suit your taste)
• ½ tsp saunf
• ½ tsp ajwain
• ¼ tsp Kasuri methi or 1 sprig curry leaves chopped finely

METHOD:

• 
  
• Mix all the ingredients mentioned under first marination. Taste the marinade and adjust salt or spice as needed.
• Powder ajwain and saunf together or crush them coarsely. Mix all the ingredients mentioned under second marination. Repeat tasting this a bit. Adjust whatever is needed.
• Wash fish fillets thoroughly. If using a fish like salmon, make slits in the fillet.
• Drain off the water completely. Marinate with marinade prepared in step one. Set this aside for about 15 minutes.
• Place the fish in flour mixture we prepared in step 2. Make sure flour coats well on to the fish on both the sides. Fish looks floury at this stage. Set this aside till the dry flour turns moist. The moisture in the fish makes the flour damp and it sticks well to the fish. This takes around 10 to 15 minutes
• Heat a tawa. Add oil and spread it well. Heat it on a low flame. Fry till crusty on both the sides. Be gentle while flipping the fish otherwise the masala comes out. Fish can be pan fried or shallow fried both yield almost the same result.
• Garnish with onion wedges and grated carrot. Serve with a meal or as an appetizer.

For grilling the fish.

• After the second marination, Gently brush a generous amount of oil over the fillet. heat the oven at 170 C for 15 minutes and grill for about 25 minutes. You may need to grill for more or long depending on the thickness of the fillet or the variety of fish.

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Raagi puttu

   Ragi puttu, my favorite puttu of all time..I love it more than my rice puttu and wheat flour puttu. But tapioca puttu is also my favorite. I make sure to include ragi in my families diet atleast once a week, i make either idiyappam, idli, crispy dosa.

Ingredients:

• Ragi Flour / Finger Millet Flour - 2 cup
• Sugar - 2 tblspn
• Salt to taste
• Water as needed
• Ripe Banana as needed
• Fresh Coconut as needed grated

Method:

1. Take ragi flour in a large mixing bowl.  Add in salt, sugar and mix well.
2. Now add in water slowly and mix well with your hands. This will form into crumbs. The crumbs should not be dry, it should form into a tight ball when you hold it and it should crumble when you drop it.
3. Now take your puttu making gadget. I used cup puttu gadget.
4. Fill water in the pressure cooker and heat it up.
5. Drop the holed disc inside the cup. Now start layering the funnel.
6. First add some coconut in the bottom, followed by the puttu mixture, then top some sliced banana.
7. Place the cup over the pressure cooker. Cook this for 7 to 10 mins till the puttu is cooked.
8. Now flip the puttu cup and Serve this puttu hot with banana and sugar.

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Salmon fish fry (kerala special)

     It was my first experience cooking salmon using South Indian flavours and was a little doubtful of how it would work out. But the result was delicious and I am sure every seafood lover will agree with me on this one. Let c how to do it home...

Ingredients:

• Salmon steaks – 4
• vegetable oil/coconut oil – for shallow frying
• Salt – to season
• Red chilli powder – 2 tsp
• Turmeric powder – 1 tsp
• Freshly milled black pepper – 1 tsp
• Ginger – 1 inch piece
• Garlic cloves – 2 large
• Shallots/small onion – 2
• Juice of half a lemon

Method:

1. Clean, wash and pat dry the salmon steaks.
2. Season the steak pieces with salt.
3. Prepare the marinade by blending together all the ingredients given in the list. Adjust the amount of chilli depending on your palate for heat.
4. Rub this marinade onto the steaks making sure all sides are coated well.
5. Refrigerate as long as you can (I did it overnight) to let the flavours seep through the fish.
6. Shallow fry in oil.
7. Serve hot with vegetable salad and lemon wedges.

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Naral dooth avunti (Thengai paal kulambu)

      It is a vegetable stew prepared with mixed vegetables and coconut milk. I got this recipe from a friend and prepared it and clicked it long time back but found time to post it only now. It is a great combo with idiyappam and appam also. Its an sourastrian special dish... Lets c how to do dis in hme..

INGREDIENTS:

• Cabbage 
• Carrot 
• Yellow Pumpkin/parangikkai
• Broad beans/ avarakkai 
• Potato 
• Peas -1/2 cup 
• Turmeric powder -1/4 tsp
• Salt as needed 
• Garlic - 4 cloves
• Onion -1 medium size
• Thin coconut milk -1 cup
• Thick coconut milk – 1 cup 

For grinding raw 

• Grated Coconut -1/3 cup or 4 tbsp
• Fried gram /Pottukadalai -1 tbsp 
• Green chilli -3
• Cumin seeds/jeera seeds -1 tsp 

For the seasoning

• Oil -1 tsp 
• Mustard seeds – 1 tsp 
• curry leaves - a sprig 

METHOD:

1. Chop onion and garlic and keep it aside.
2. Cut all the other vegetables into medium sized pieces. Total vegetables should be around 4 cups excluding peas.
3. Extract thin and thick coconut milk and keep it ready. Check out how to extract coconut milk.
4. Grind coconut, fried gram, green chilli and cumin seeds to a smooth paste and keep it aside.
5. Take a pan/pressure cooker, add all the vegetables including peas.
6. Add salt, turmeric powder, onion, garlic and thin coconut milk. Cook until the vegetables become tender.
7. Add ground coconut paste and cook for a few more minutes.
8. Then add thick coconut milk, heat it and remove from flame. Do not boil or cook for a long time once you add thick coconut milk as the mixture might curdle.
9. Heat oil, add mustard seeds, when it splutters, add curry leaves and pour it over the kulambu.

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Vadakari

     Vadakari is a south indian side dish for idly and idiyappam. It is made with bengal gram and some spices.It is delicious side dish and yummy too.Try this and enjoy and send me feedback.

INGREDIENTS:

• Bengal Gram - 1 cup
• Bay Leaves - 1
• Curry Leaves - few
• Coriander - To garnish
• Onion - 1
• Tomato - 1
• Coconut Milk - 1/2 cup
• Oil - 2 tablespoon

TO GRIND:

• Cinnamom - 2
• Cloves - 2
• Caradmom - 1
• Ginger - 1 inch
• Garlic - 2
• Green chilly - 1
• Pepper - 1/4 teaspoon
• Turmeric powder - 1/4 teaspoon
• Chilly powder - 1/4 teaspoon
• Saunf - 1/2 teaspoon

METHOD:

1. Soak bengal gram for half an hour
2. Grind the ingredients which given to grind smoothly
3. Grind the soaked bengal gram.(Not so fine and Not so rough)
4. Mix One spoon of grinded masala with grinded bengal gram
5. Add salt to that masala bengal gram and mix well
6. Steam that masala batter in idly plate
7. Finely chop the onion and tomato
8. Insert knife in the steamed batter if it is not sticky then it is cooked.then take it from steam
9. Heat pan and put oil on it
10. Then add bay leaves,chopped onion,curry leaves
11. Saute it till the onions get golden brown
12. Add tomato to itAdd remaining salt so that the steamed batter already contain salt
13. If the tomatoes are smashed,add the grinded masala
14. Add little water and wait till its raw smell goes off
15. Then add steamed masala batter and mix well.If u need water add to it
16. Add coconut milk to it
17. Don't cook more after adding coconut milk
18. Garnish with Coriander leaves
19. Serve hot with idiyappam or idly.

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Kara Dosai

 Kara dosai, which is a spicy dosai made with rice variety of dhal. Being bored with normal white dosai you enjoy this dosai.

INGREDEINTS:

• Tiffin Rice(Motta boiled rice) - 2 cup
• Urad dhal - 1/4 cup
• Toor dhal - 1/2 cup
• Bengal gram - 1/2 cup
• Fenugreek Seeds - 1/2 teaspoon
• Salt - as needed
• Oil
• Mustard Seeds - 1/4 teaspoon
• Curry Leaves - few
• Dry Redchilly - 4
• Garlic - 3 pods

METHOD:

1. Soak Tiffin rice and all three dhals and fenugreek seeds together for 8 hours.
2. Grind Soaked rice and dhal mixture with Dry red chilly and Garlic together as Dosa batter.
3. Add Salt to this batter as you need.
4. In pan put some oil and heat,add mustard seeds after splutter, add urad dhal  and curry leaves.
5. Mix this mustard seeds,curry leaves to the batter.
6. No need to ferment this batter like normal dosa.so you can use directly after grind.
7. Heat tawa,Make thin dosa.
8. Apply oil around the dosa to make crispy.
9. Serve Hot with Coconut Chutney.

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Bread kofta curry

  It is a dish made with mainly bread and potato.It is so delicious gravy type kofta curry.Enjoy with this Dish.It is go well with Chapathi,Parota.

INGREDIETNS:

• White Bread - 4 Slices
• Potato - 2
• Milk - Little
• Onion - 1
• Tomato - 2
• Garlic - 2
• Green Chilly - 1
• Mustard Seed - 1/2 teaspoon
• Chilli Powder - 1 teaspoon
• Turmeric Powder - 1/4 teaspoon
• Garam Masala - 1/2 teaspoon
• Coriander - To garnish
• Salt as needed
• Oil

METHOD:

1. Boil potatoes and smash it and keep it aside.
2. Take smashed potatoes and mix it with bread,salt.
3. Use milk to make that potatoes and bread as tight batter.
4. From that batter,take little amount and make as ball.
5. Heat oil and fry these balls to golden brown.
6. Finely chop the onion.
7. Grind tomato,garlic,green chilly together.
8. Take a pan,fry mustard seeds then add finely chopped onions and saute it.
9. Then add grind tomato paste and add turmeric,chilli powder,garam masala and add salt as u need.
10. Let be wait until the raw smell goes off. 
11. Add very little water if u need.If u add more water then the kofta will not be crunch.
12. Add koftas now.
13. Mix it with gravy and Garnish with Coriander leaves.
14. Serve with Chapathi or parota.

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paruppu poli

      It is a traditional Sweet Recipe,Specially prepare for ugandi.It has many types of variety but it is most common method of preparing poli.The stuffing is made with Bengal Gram And Jaggery.Everyone like this sweet recipe.Enjoy doing this Parupu Poli and Post your Comments,Suggestions,FeedBack.

INGREDIENTS:

• Maida or All Purpose Flour - 1 Cup
• Bengal Gram - 1 Cup
• Jaggery - 1/2 Cup
• Cardamom Powder - 1 Pinch
• Salt - To Taste
• Ghee or Oil - As Needed
• Yellow Food Color - 1 Pinch(Optional)

METHOD:

1. Add Maida,salt,Food Color together.Food color is optional,if you dont want leave that and use.
2. Knead this flour as Chapathi batter and keep it aside for 4 Hours.
3. Pressure Cook Bengal gram and smashed it.
4. Add Jaggery to cooked bengal gram and stir in low flame till it get like a ball without water.
5. Make it cool and make like lemon size balls.
6. Take the maida batter and divide the batter into small balls.
7. Spread like chapathi and place besan gram ball into it and cover it with maida batter spread.
8. Again spread it without sweet balls comes out.
9. Heat one Teaspoon of Oil in Tawa and place the spread poli and cook in tawa till golden color.
10. Now Parupu Poli is ready to serve.

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Kaara Kulmabu (South Indian Special)

         Rice and some type of spicy gravies are a common one in a southindian home. We make it daily at home, I love to try different types of gravies so we wont get bored having the same thing again and again. Lets c how to do dis home.

INGREDIENTS:

• Brinjal - 3 nos
• Small Onion (Sambar Onion) - 10 whole
• Fenugreek - 1 1/2 tbs
• Bengal gram - 1 tbs
• Tomato - 1 Chopped (Small)
• Red chilly - 3 nos
• Garlic – 1 bulb
• Pepper corn - 5 nos
• Grated Coconut – 2 tbs
• Asafoetida -1 tsp
• Coriander seed - 2 tbs
• Tamarind juice – 1/4 cup
• Turmeric powder - 1 tsp
• Mustard seed - 2 tsp
• Grated Jaggery - 2 tbs
• Urad Dal - 2 tbs
• Cumin seeds - 1 tbs
• Gingly oil - 7 tbs

METHOD:

1. Dry roast (dont add oil for frying) fenugreek and grind to fine powder and keep it aside
2. Fry & Grind to fine paste the following : 3 Onions+2 Red Chilli+2 tbs of Coriander seed+Coconut piece+ 1 tbs Bengal gram+ 1 tsp Urad dal + 5 nos pepper corn+ 1 tbs cumin seed
3. Heat oil in pan and pop mustard, Urad Dal, Garlic then add onions and fry until it turns brown / transparent.
4. Sprinkle fenugreek powder, then add turmeric powder and asafoetida.
5. Add chopped tomato and mix well.
6. Now put fried Brijal (Cut into pieces along side or keept it whole if the size is too small. Put excess Gingly oil)
7. Pour the ground mixture then add tamarind water ( not too thick or too diluted )
8. Add the ground paste, salt & Jaggery.
9. Once done pour 5 tbs of Gingly oil over the Karakuzhambu
10. Serve with boiled rice.

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Idiyappam

        Idiyappam /sevai/string hopper is a very popular Tamilnadu/kerala breakfast recipe. Its really liked by ever childrens in home. Let c how to do this in home easily.

INGREDIENTS:

• Rice flour - 1 cup
• Water - 1.3 to 1.5 cup
• Salt as needed
• Gingely oil - 1 tsp

METHOD:

1. Boil water well, add salt and oil to it.Add the boiling water little by little to the rice flour and make a soft dough. Knead it well.
2. Grease the inside of an idiyappam maker with oil and fill it with the prepared dough and press it in a circular motion on idly plate in the form of long strings.
3. Steam it for 10-15 minutes. I used my idli pot for steaming.
4. The basic idiyappam is ready. It can be served as such with vegetable stew, sweetened coconut milk, coconut chutney, Kurma or any gravy of your choice.

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Bisibela Bath

          Bisibelabath is a very popular dish in Karnataka. The name Bisi bele bhaath is a phrase, which literally means "Hot Lentil Rice", as in Kannada.  I am a great fan of this rice dish. It tastes great when served hot with papads and onion raita. 

INGREDIENTS:

• Raw Rice - 1 cup
• Tur dal - 1/2 cup
• Tamarind - small lemon sized ball 
• Oil -1 tbsp
• Ghee - 5 tsp
• Pearl onions -15
• Beans - 4-5
• Carrot - 2
• Potato - 1
• Peas - fistful
• Tomato - 1
• Capsicum - 1

Bisi Bela Bath Masala (fry and dry grind)

• Oil - 1 tsp
• Kopra/Dry coconut powder -1/2 cup
• Coriander seeds - 1 tbsp
• Red chillies - 6-7
• Bengal gram/Channa Dal - 2 tsp
• Urad dal - 1 tsp
• Fenugreek - 1/2 tsp
• Cinnamon - 1 inch piece
• Cloves - 2
• Cardamom -1
• Khus khus -1 tsp

For the seasoning

• Mustard -1 tsp
• Fenugreek - 1/4 tsp
• Curry leaves - little
• Asafoetida/hing - 1/4 tsp

METHOD:

1. Heat a tsp of oil, roast the ingredients under Bisi Bela Bath Masala, adding coconut at the end. Roast everything until it becomes slightly brown in colour and dry grind it. You can prepare this a few days before if you are using kopra as it will not get spoiled. Store it in an airtight container.
2. Pressure cook rice with 4 ½ cups of water for 4 whistles.
3. Pressure cook dal with a cup of water and keep aside. Mash it well. I usually soak dal for 15 -20 minutes in hot water as it takes less time for cooking.
4. Cut pearl onions into 2-3 pieces. Cut beans and carrot lengthwise. Peel and chop potatoes into cubes. Cut capsicum into small pieces.
5. Soak tamarind in a cup of hot water for 15 minutes. Extract its juice and discard the pulp.
6. Heat a tbsp of oil, add mustard seeds, when it splutters, add fenugreek seeds, hing and curry leaves. Saute for a seconds and add chopped onions.
7. Sauté onions until it becomes transparent. Then add all the vegetables (except capsicum) and sauté for a few more seconds. Sprinkle water and cook for 4-5 minutes.
8. Now add tamarind extract, needed salt and the bisi bela bath masala powder. Let it boil well until the raw flavour goes. By the time the vegetables will also get cooked well.
9. Add cooked dal, cooked rice, 4-5 tsp of ghee and mix well.
10. Heat a tsp of ghee and sauté capsicum until slightly cooked. It should be crunchy.
11. Garnish Bisibelabath with capsicums, coriander leaves and serve hot with chips or papads or onion raita.

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Paneer pulao

This pulao is similar to my peas pulao except with the addition of paneer . It is very mildly spiced and is very tasty. It hardly takes 10 minutes to prepare this pulao.Those who do not have much time to spend in the kitchen, here is a satisfying and tasty dinner idea for you.

INGREDIENTS:

• Basmati rice -1 cup
• Water - 2 cups
• Onion - 2
• Green chillies - 2
• Ginger-garlic paste -1 tsp
• Peas - 1/2 cup
• Paneer cubes - 15-20 small cubes
• Mint leaves -handful
• Coriander leaves - handful
• Lemon juice -1 tbsp
• Salt as required

For the seasoning

• Oil- 1 1/2 tbsp
• Cloves -2
• Cardamom-1
• Cinnamon-1 inch piece

METHOD:

1. Wash and soak basmati rice for 20 minutes. Drain and keep it aside.
2. Shallow fry paneer cubes in oil till golden brown. Put them in warm water with a little salt for 5 minutes. Drain and keep it aside. Cut the paneer into small cubes. (To make it visually appealing, I just placed 4-5 bigger pieces in the photo above)
3. Chop onions finely, slit green chillies.
4. Heat oil, add cloves, cinnamon and cardamom, then add finely chopped onions, green chilli and saute till onion turns transparent.
5. Add ginger-garlic paste and saute for some more time.
6. Add peas, finely chopped coriander leaves, mint leaves, rice and saute for a few more seconds.
7. Add 2 cups of boiling water, lemon juice, salt required and pressure cook rice for 3 whistles.(I usually cook with a vessel inside the cooker. If you are cooking directly in the cooker, you do not have to cook for 3 whistles. Just close the cooker without the weight and cook on medium flame, once it is half cooked, stir the contents, close the cooker with weight and simmer for 4-5 minutes.)
8. Then add fried paneer cubes to the cooked rice, mix well and serve with raita or any gravy or just homemade potato chips.

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Paneer Ladoo

Paneer ladoo is my latest discovery, i got this recipe from the milkmaid website and it is pretty easy to make and taste so yum. You just need a handful of ingredients and this is a tasty ladoo.

INGREDEINTS:

• Paneer - 200 grams crumbled (Recipe here)
• Sweetened Condensed Milk - 100 grams
• Saffron for decoration
• Cardamom Powder - 1/4 tsp
• Pink Food Colour few drops
• Kewra Essence few drops

METHOD:

1. Take paneer, condensed milk, pink colour in a blender and puree till smooth.
2. Take this in a nonstick pan and cook on medium high heat till it leaves the sides and get thick.
3. Now add in essence and cardamom powder and mix well.
4. Remove this to a plate, and cool it completely.Now take small portion and shape it into ball.
5. Decorate it with saffron and chill for few min.

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Tomato curry leaves chutney

  This is my go to chutney recipe, i make a big batch of this and keep it in fridge and use it through out the week. lil one loves it so much, this chutney taste amazing with idli, dosa..Even have it with roti or chapati..It taste wonderful..This is very easy to make..Also use good amount of oil in the chutney which preserves it  for a long time..

INGREDIENTS:

• Tomatoes - 3 large chopped
• Oil - 1 tblspn (use gingelly oil)
• Sesame Seeds - 2 tblspn
• Coconut - 1/2 cup grated
• Green Chillies - 3 to 4
• Curry leaves around 1 cup
• Coriander leaves a big handful
• Salt to taste
• Sugar - 2 tsp

For Seasoning:

• Oil - 2 tblspn (use gingelly oil)
• Mustard Seeds/ Kaduku - 1 tsp
• Urad dal / Ulundu Paruppu - 1 tsp

METHOD:

1. Heat oil in a pan, add in sesame seeds and fry for a min. Add in coconut and toss well.
2. Add in green chillies, curry leaves and coriander leaves and mix well. Take this in a blender and pulse for few times.
3. Now in the same pan add in tomatoes, salt and sugar and mix well. Cover and cook this for 10 mins.
4. Now cool this and take it in the blender and puree till smooth.
5. Heat oil in the same pan, add in mustard and urad dal and mix well.
6. Now add in chutney and mix well.

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Tomato peas biriyani

Biriyani is everyone favourite. Dat too childrens never eat peas biriyani. If we do biriyani with peas. They used to eat. Lets c how to do dat in home easily.

INGREDIENTS:

• Basmati Rice 1 cup
• Peas ( I used frozen) 1/2 cup
• Onion 1
• Tomato 2
• Ginger/ Garlic 1 tsp
• Turmeric 1/4 tsp
• Garam Masala 1/2 tsp
• Red chili powder 3/4 tsp
• Water 1 & 1/2 cup

METHOD:

1. Wash and soak Basmati Rice for 20 min in 1 cup of water.Chop onion and tomatoes evenly. Heat oil in pressure cooker add items under “To temper”. Add ginger/ garlic & saute for few sec. Add onion and cook till onion turns light brown.
2. Add tomatoes and green peas with little salt . Cook till tomatoes turn mushy. Add dry spices as turmeric, garam masala, red chili powder and cook for a minute.
3. Add Basmati rice, stir and mix it well. Add water with required salt. Close the lid and pressure cook for 3 whistles.
4. Serve hot with Raita or Pickle!

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Pudhina Pulao

  Today I want to share an easy to make with less effort Pudina flavored rice. Its healthy one pot meal. Pudina has very strong flavor and good for digestion, so I am trying to prepare 2/3 times in a month. This is the best idea to give it in a kids lunch box. Even bachelor can cook this rice easily and enjoy !

INGREDIENTS:

• Basmati Rice 1 cup
• Onion 1
• Mint leaves 1/2 cup
• Cilantro 1/2 cup
• Ginger Garlic paste 1 tsp
• Green chilies 2-3
• Tomato 1
• Frozen peas 1/2 cup
• Water 1.5 cup
• Salt As per taste

METHOD:

1. Cook the rice in 4 cups of water in a pressure cooker and keep aside.
2. Grind mint leaves, ginger, red chillies, peppercorns, coconut, curds and salt to a smooth paste.
3. Heat the ghee in a deep vessel, add peanuts and roast for few seconds.
4. Add the chana dal, curry leaves, mustard seeds, cumin seeds, cardamom and cloves.
5. When mustard seeds stop spluttering, add the prepared mint paste and stir fry for few seconds.
6. Now add the cooked rice and mix thoroughly.
7. Cover and cooked for 2-3 minutes and stir in lemon juice, mix well.
8. Serve hot with any raita of your choice.

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Aloo Gobi

Aloo Gobi is a delicious main dish made with potatoes, cauliflower, and a great blend of spices. Aloo Gobi can be served with various breads, such as rotis, parathas, and puris.

INGREDIENTS:

• 2 cups of cut cauliflower (cut into small florets)
• 2 medium potatoes (cubed into bite sized pieces)
• 1/2 inch shredded ginger
• 3 teaspoons coriander powder (dhania)
• 1/4 teaspoon turmeric (haldi)
• 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper ( lal mirch)
• 3 tablespoons water
• 3 tablespoons oil
• Pinch of Asafetida (Hing)
• 1/2 teaspoon cumin seeds (jeera)
• 2 green chilies, sliced in long pieces
• 2 bay leaves
• 1 teaspoon salt (to taste)
• 1 teaspoon mango powder (amchoor)
• 2 tablespoons of chopped cilantro (green coriander)
• 1/4 cup water as needed

METHOD:

1. In a small bowl, mix the shredded ginger, coriander powder, cayenne pepper, turmeric, and 3 tablespoons of water to make a paste.
2. Heat the oil in a pan. Test the heat by adding one cummin seed to the oil; if seed crack right away oil is ready.
3. Add hing and cumin seeds to the oil after seeds crack add the bay leaves and green chilies and stir for a few seconds.
4. Next, add the spice paste and stir for a minute until spices start leaving the oil.
5. Add cauliflower, potatoes, 2 tablespoons of water and salt. Mix well. Cover the pan and let it cook on medium heat for about 15 to 20 minutes until the vegetables are tender. Make sure to stir gently every 3 to 4 minutes.
6. Lastly, add the mango powder and fresh cilantro (green coriander). Mix everything and cover for a minute. Adjust the salt to your taste.

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Fried Popcorn Chicken

Today's recipe is going to be POPCORN..What POPCORN? Yes POPCORN..But it is POPCORN CHICKEN…KFC's most famous recipe, I am going to remodel it to my taste and construct it so that we can enjoy it in home daily..To be Frank I have never tasted it, but I browsed so much and checked out so many pictures and I can imagine how it will taste in real..

INGREDIENTS:

For Marinating Chicken:

• Boneless Chicken Breast - 2 chopped into bite size pieces
• Onion - 1
• Garlic - 4 cloves
• Salt to taste
• Pepper - to taste

For Seasoned Flour:

• All Purpose Flour - 1 cup
• Oregano - 2 tsp
• Salt to taste
• Pepper - to taste

For Egg Coating:

• Egg - 1 beaten
• Milk - 1 tblspn

For Crusty Coating:

• BreadCrumbs - 1 cup
• Plain Corn Flakes - 1 cup
• Salt to taste
• Pepper - to taste

METHOD:

1. Take onion and garlic in a blender and make into a fine paste. Marinate chicken pieces in the given ingrediant for marination along with the ground onion and garlic mixture and let it rest for 10 mins.
2. Now take a shallow plate and add the flour, oregano, salt and pepper and mix well. Set it aside.
3. Take egg and milk in a bowl and beat it slightly.Set this aside.
4. Take cornflakes in a plastic bag and bash it with rolling pin till they are crushed. In another bowl take the ingrediants given for the crusty coating along with crushed cornflakes and mix well. Set this aside.
5. Now time for some dipping and dunking. First take the marinating chicken and dredge them in the seasoned  flour, then dip them in egg mixture, now coat them in the cornflakes mixture….Now comes the interesting part..dip them again in egg and coat again in cornflakes mixture. Place them in a plate and finish the entire batch like this.
6. Now time for frying. Take oil in a pan which has tight fitting lid…Heat them in medium heat. Drop the chicken pieces and cover it with the lid for 4 mins..Flip them over inbetween to ensure they are fried evenly.
7. Drain them in paper towel and serve with ketchup.

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Ven Pongal

Ven pongal is a very easy and comfort food. Mostly in weekend mornings I make it to laze around.I make it only with chutney if I want to make it simple. But brinjal or any sort of gothsu will be great side dish for pongal. Lets c how to do it easily in home.

INGREDEINTS:

• Raw rice - 1 cup
• Moong dal/pasi paruppu - 1/4 cup
• Water - 4 cups
• Salt - as needed
• Ginger chopped - 1 tblsp
• Asafoetida - 1 pinch

To temper:

• Ghee - 2 tblsp
• Pepper - 2 tsp
• Jeera - 2 tsp
• Curry leaves - 1 sprig
• Asafoetida - 2 pinches
• Cashews - 6

METHOD:

1. An optional step is to roast the moong dal for extra flavour. Wash rice and dal together. Heat a small cooker with a tsp of ghee. Fry ginger and asafoetida for few seconds.
2. Add 4 cups of water,bring to boil. Add the washed rice,dal,salt and pressure cook for 4 whistles in medium flame.Wait until pressure gets released by itself,open & mash.
3. Season with the items given under to temper table. First add ghee, when hot add pepper and let it start splutter and then switch off the flame. Add cashews and fry till it starts golden and then lastly add jeera. Add curry leaves and asafoetida lastly. Mix in the heat well and then add it to pongal and mix well.

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Mushroom Pulao

Mushroom pulao is a very tasty and flavorful dish and can be made in a matter of few minutes.

INGREDIENTS:

• Basmati Rice- 1 cup
• Button mushrooms- 150 grams
• Onion- 2 medium size
• Ginger-Garlic paste- 2 tsp
• Green chilli- 2-3
• Mint leaves- handful
• Coriander leaves- handful
• Thick Curd- 3 tbsp (should not be sour)
• Salt to taste

For the seasoning: 

• Oil -1 tbsp
• Cinnamon -1 inch piece
• Bay leaf -1
• Cloves -3

METHOD:

1. oak basmati rice for 20 minutes, drain the water and keep it aside.
2. Clean the mushrooms and cut them as you like but not into very small pieces.
3. Thinly slice onions and slit green chillies.
4. Heat oil and add all the ingredients mentioned under "for the seasoning".
5. Add onions and saute until they turn transparent.
6. Add ginger-garlic paste, slit green chillies and saute for few more minutes.
7. Then add button mushrooms, chopped mint, coriander leaves and fry for a few seconds.
8. Add curd and saute for a few more seconds.
9. Now add 2 cups of water, needed salt, basmati rice and pressure cook for 3 whistles.(if using a separate vessel inside the cooker)
10. If cooking directly in the cooker, after adding everything, close the cooker without weight, when it is half cooked, stir the contents and close it with weight and cook on very low flame for 5 minutes. Switch off and open once the pressure subsides.
11. Once done, fluff the rice with a fork and serve hot.
12. Rice cooker method- transfer the contents to a rice cooker and switch on the rice cooking mode. Once cooked, fluff it with a fork and serve hot.
13. You can prepare any tomato based gravy as a side dish for mushroom pulao.

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Pineapple Pulissery

Pulissery is another popular sweet and sour yogurt based dish from Kerala. It is one of the many dishes in the Onam Sadya menu.  Today we will learn how to make pineapple pulissery following this easy recipe. As it is a very simple recipe.

INGREDIENTS:

• Pineapple -1 cup chopped
• Turmeric powder -1/4 tsp 
• Chilli powder -1/2 tsp
• Salt needed
• Curd/yogurt -1 1/4 cup

For Grinding: 

• Grated coconut -1/3 cup
• Green chillies-2-3 
• Cumin seeds-jeeeragam -3/4 tsp

For the seasoning: 

• Coconut oil -2 tsp
• Mustard seeds -3/4 tsp
• Fenugreek seeds -1/4 tsp
• Red chillies -2
• Curry leaves- few

METHOD:

1. Peel pineapple and cut it into small pieces. Discard the core.
2. Grind coconut, green chilli and cumin seeds with a little curd/yogurt to a smooth paste.
3. Whisk curd without adding water.
4. Cook pineapple with very less water adding turmeric powder, chilli powder, salt needed until soft.
5. Once cooked, add the coconut paste and cook for another 2-3 minutes on low flame.
6. Add curd and heat it slightly on very low flame. Switch it off.
7. Heat coconut oil, add mustard seeds, when it splutters, add fenugreek seeds, red chillies and curry leaves. Saute for a second and add the seasoning to the pineapple pulissery.
8. Serve with hot rice, any thoran (dry vegetable curry) of your choice and pappadam.

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Bhindhi Masala

Lady's finger is one of my favorite vegetable. I love preparing this very simple bhindi masala/lady's finger masala as it goes well with both rice and roti. Today let us see how to prepare bhindi masala/Lady's finger recipe/Okra recipe/Vendakka masala following this easy recipe.

INGREDIENTS:

• Lady finger -500 grams (tender ones)
• Onion - 2 thinly sliced
• Tomato - 2 finely chopped
• Green Chilli - 1-2 slit
• Turmeric powder - 1/4 tsp
• 1 tbsp oil for frying bhindi

Spice powder:

• Coriander powder - 2 1/2 tsp
• Cumin/Jeera powder - 1 tsp
• Red chilli powder - 1 tsp or as needed
• Garam masala - 1/2 tsp

For the seasoning:

• Oil - 2 -2 1/2 tbsp
• Cumin/jeera seeds -1 tsp

METHOD:

1. Wash lady's finger/okra well , wipe it dry with a clean towel, otherwise it would become sticky while cooking. Cut the base and the tip of the ladyfinger. Then cut it into 2 inch long pieces.
2. Heat 1 tbsp of oil in a kadai and saute lady's finger uncovered until it is half cooked or browns lightly. Keep it aside.
3. Heat oil in a pan /kadai, add cumin seeds, when they splutter, add onions, green chilli and saute until onions turn golden brown.
4. Then add chopped tomatoes, turmeric powder, chilli powder, coriander powder, cumin powder, garam masala powder, salt needed and cook until tomatoes become mushy. If the masala mixture becomes dry, you can add a tbsp of water and continue cooking until tomatoes become mushy.
5. Then add lady's finger, cover and cook on low flames, stirring from time to time, until lady's finger/okra becomes soft.

Serve hot with chapati or rice or naan.

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