Masala Dosa

Masala Dosa is an all time favourite at our house.
Once I was starting to make Poori Bhaji, and as  I was cutting onion and green chillies my husband entered the kitchen and asked me what was I upto. I said I'm going to make Poori bhaji - he said make it masala dosa - so now u know how much favourite it is.

Ingredients:

2 Potatoes, peeled, washed and cut into cubes

1 Onion thinly sliced

4-5 Green chillies, chopped

1 piece Ginger

1/4 tsp Turmeric Powder

Few Curry leaves

1 tsp Mustard

1 tsp Urad dal

2 tsp Cashew nuts (Optional)

2 tsp Oil

1 cup water

Salt As per Taste

Dosa Batter - to make Dosas

Method:

Heat oil in a cooker. Add mustard and allow it to splutter well. Add urad dal and cashew nuts.
Add chopped Ginger, Green Chillies, curry leaves. Add onions and fry till they turn glassy.
Add potatoes and fry. Add turmeric powder and mix well. Add water and salt and mix well.
Cover with the lid with the whistle on.
Lower the flame after first whistle and cook for another 6 to 8 minutes.
Allow the pressure to drop and mash the potatoes well with a ladle.
Check the water consistency as required.

Prepare Dosa. Cook both sides. Add masala in the center of the Dosa and fold.
Serve with coconut chutney or Sambar.

 

Thenga Chammanthi / Coconut Chutney

This is our favourite chutney for Kanyi. Yes, my husband loves kanyi - especially during rainy season or winter or for dinner after a heavy lunch. So this is the chutney or chammanthi I usually make for Kanyi. Its very simple and the tamrind gives a tangy edge to it.

Ingredients:

1 cup Grated Coconut

2 tsp Chana Dal

4 Red Chilli

1 garlic

1 piece tamrind

1/2 tsp Asafoetida

2 small onions

Few Curry leaves

Salt As per taste

Method:

Heat oil. Add chana dal, red chilli, garlic, asafoetida, small onions, curry leaves and fry.
Add coconut and fry till brown. Add salt.
Allow to cool and grind in mixie without adding water or using as little water as possible to grind.
 

Kozhukattai / Uppu Kozhukattai

Uppu kozhukattai is one of  my favourite snacks which I love for breakfast and dinner.
Its very simple to make and very good for health too because it is steamed and not much oil also.
I usually make it with raw rice soaked for few hours but you can make it with rice flour also.

Ingredients:

2 cup Raw Rice soaked for 4 hours

1 cup Grated Coconut

5 Red chilli

Curry Leaves

1 tsp Mustard

1 tsp Urad Dal

Salt to taste

2 tsp Oil for tadka

Method:

Grind soaked rice coarsely.
Heat oil in a kadai. Add mustard, urad dal, red chillies, curry leaves.
Add ground rice, coconut and salt and mix well.
Keep stirring till the batter becomes a thick paste.
Remove from heat and make small balls.
Steam cook for 10 to 15 minutes.
Serve hot with Ulli chammanthi.

 

Garlic Rice

Garlic Rice is a very simple recipe which i learnt from my mother in law.

It is very good for our health and of course tasty too.

Ingredients:

1 cup      Cooked Rice           

4             Garlic

4 tbsp     Grated Coconut

4             Red chilli

1 tsp       Sesame oil

Salt         As per taste

Method:

Heat sesame oil in a pan.
Add red chillies and garlic and fry well.
Add coconut and fry till light brown.
Allow to cool and grind without adding water.
Mix to cooked rice. Add salt as per taste and mix. Serve.

See how simple it is!!!!

Shakkarpara Or Sweet Diamond Cuts

Shakkarpara or sweet diamond cuts is another diwali  hit in our house which my mom makes for every diwali. This is very simple to make, not much effort but tastes really good. It is basically plain diamond cuts coated with sugar syrup which gives it a sweet taste. If you want to try something really simple and yet get good remarks you should definitely try this.

Ingredients:

1 cup Maida

1 tsp  Ghee or oil

1 pinch Salt

Water to knead dough

Oil to Deep Fry

For Sugar Syrup:

1 cup sugar

1/2 cup water

1 tsp Lime juice

Method:

Mix Maida, ghee and salt and add water little by little to make a smooth dough and keep aside for 15 minutes.

Prepare 1 string consistency sugar syrup by mixing sugar and water and boil for 5-10 minutes.
Add lime juice at the end to prevent crystallisation of sugar.

Divide the dough into 4 or 5 balls. Apply little flour on the board and roll evenly as thin as possible.
Use plastic sheet or wax paper on you rolling board if you have difficulty in rolling.

Make straight lines using knife or pizza cutter. Make diagonal lines to form small diagonal shapes.

Heat Oil and add the doamond cuts. Keep turning them so that they cook evenly.
Cook till golden brown in colour. Transfer to a kitchen towel and immediately dip in the sugar syrup.

Mix well and remove to a plate. Allow to cool.

Sugar coated little diamond biscuits are ready.

Besan Ka Ladoo

I remember my mom making besan ka ladoo for every diwali and at some other festivals and occassions as well. I have seen her making these with a lot of love ever since I was a small kid and always love it for its simplicity - no complications in making, in its flavor or in anything about besan ke ladoo. So I decided to go for it this diwali. Here's my mom's recipe for Besan ke Ladoo.

Ingredients:

1 cup               Besan or Gram Flour

1/2 cup            Ghee, melted

3/4 cup            Powdered Sugar

1 tsp                Cardamom Powder

Method:

Heat a kadai or pan and fry besan till you get a good  aroma of roasted flour and it turns slightly brown in colour. Remove from heat.
Add ghee little by little and mix well.
Add powdered sugar, cardamom powder and mix. Add some more ghee if necessary.
The consistency should be such that you can shape into balls easily.
Apply some ghee in your palms, take a portion of the mixture and make into balls while the mixture is still hot .
Arrange in a plate and allow to cool.
Delicious Besan ka Ladoo is ready - and yeah don't forget to add lots ok love while you make them!!!

Badusha

Wowwwwwwwww  Badusha!!!!!!!!!!!!
Badusha is my husband's only favourite sweet. I had no idea how to make it until yestarday when I watched few videos in youtube and referred some websites for the recipe. Then only I realised how easy it was and thought I should definitely give it a try. And that's how Badusha is on top of my Diwali Sweets list. Here's the recipe.

Ingredients:

For Badusha:

 

2 cup      Maida

 

2 tsp       Curd

 

2-4 tsp    Ghee

 

2 pinch   Cooking Soda

 

Water to knead dough

 

Oil to deep fry

 

For Sugar Syrup:

 

2 cup       Sugar

 

1 cup       Water

1 tsp        Lime juice

Method:

Sieve Maida and cooking soda. Add curd and ghee to it and mix roughly with water.
Do not knead too much, mix the flour with other ingredients just roughly.
Keep the dough aside for 15 to 20 minutes.
Meanwhile, prepare sugar syrup. Add sugar and water to a bowl and bring to boil.
Reduce heat and keep for 15 minutes in loe flame to form a thick sugar syrup of 2 string consistency.
Add lime juice to prevent sugar syrup from crystallizing.

Heat oil in a kadai or pan. Oil should not be too hot.
Prepare small balls out of the dough and push in the centre to look like a doughnut.
Put the balls in the oil and cook for 15 to 20 minutes in low flame.
Turn sides frequently and always keep the flame low.
If oil gets too hot remove pan from heat and allow the balls to cook.
Drain the balls into a kitchen towel and dip in sugar syrup for few minutes.
Remove and arrange in a plate.
When all the balls are done pour sugar syrup over the badushahs and allow to cool for 30 minutes.
Garnish with almond and your Badusha is ready.

Tangy Veg Pasta

Pasta is my husband's favourite. I had to try this pasta recipe several times to make it exactly as per his taste. So here's the recipe for a tangy veg pasta.

Ingredients:

1 Onion    Cut in cubes
2 Garlic    Finely Chopped
1 cup Beans  
1 Capsicum
1 Carrot
1 cup Mushroom
4 Baby corn
1 tsp Chilli Flakes
1 tsp Oregano
4 tbsp Red Pasta Sauce
3 tbsp White Pasta Sauce

1 cup Pasta
2 tbsp Olive oil
Salt to taste

Method:

Cook pasta in a bowl of water. Add few drops of olive oil while cooking to avoid pasta sticking to each other. Cook for 8 minutes or as per instructions on the pack. Drain and keep aside.
Cut vegetables as per the size and shape of pasta so that it looks good when served.
Heat olive oil in a pan. Add garlic, onion and saute for a while.
Add beans, baby corn and cook for 2 minutes. Add carrot, mushroom and cook for 2 minutes.
Add capsicum, chilli flakes and oregano and mix well.
Add red and white pasta sauce and mix well. You can add more red or white sauce if you need.
Add cooked pasta and salt. Mix well and cook for 1 minute.
Check for salt and remove from heat.
Serve hot.
 

Tamrind Rice / Puliyogare

Puliyogare is a very popular South Indian rice variety. It is distributed in most south indian temples as prasadam also.
Today I am sharing this recipe which I learnt from my mom as requested by my friend. So here's the recipe.


Ingredients:

For Puliyogare Paste:

1 cup           Tamrind Pulp
2 tsp             Jaggery
1 tsp             Mustard Seeds
6                   Red Chillies
1/2 tsp          Asafoetida or Hing
2 strands      Curry leaves
1-2 tsp         Chilli powder
2 tsp            Salt
4 tbsp          Oil

For Tamrind Rice:

2 cups       Cooked Rice
1 tsp          Mustard Seeds
4 strands   Curry leaves
1/2 tsp       Asafoetida or Hing
1/4 cup      Groundnuts
3-4 tbsp     Puliyogare Paste
2 tbsp        Oil

Salt           As per taste

Method:

For Puliyogare Paste:

Soak tamrind in 2 cups of water for 2 hours, blend in a mixie and strain to get tamrind pulp.
Heat oil in a pan, add mustard and allow to splutter. Add curry leaves, red chillies and asafoetida.
Fry and add the tamrind pulp. Allow to boil well and keep in low flame for 10 minutes, stirring occassionally. Add salt, chilli powder and jaggery and keep stirring.
Taste a portion of this paste and add more tamrind, chilli powder, salt or jaggery as needed.
Allow the mixture to boil in low flame, stirring occassionally until you get a thick paste. (This takes around 15 to 20 minutes).
Puliyogare paste is ready. You can mix it with rice right away or allow it to cool and store it in an air tight container in fridge for months.

For Tamrind Rice or Puliyogare:

Cook rice and spread in a large bowl or plate.
Add the puliyogare paste prepared above to rice and mix well.
Make a seasoing by heating oil in a pan, add mustard seeds, asafoetida, curry leaves, ground nut.
Add the seasoing to rice along with some salt and mix well.
Tamrind Rice or Puliyogare is ready!!!!

Pav Bhaji

When ever i hear the word Pav Bhaji my childhood memories run into my mind.

I was brough up in mumbai so I need not explain further - why..........

I love all the chat items - especially the vada pav which is so handy.

But today let me share my version of Pav Bhaji which i think is easy and you will also like it.

 

Ingredients:

Potato                         1
Beans                         125 gram
Cabbage                     100 gram
Capsicum                   1 small
Peas                           1 cup
Carrot                         1
Onion                         1
Green Chilli                2-3
Jeera                          1 tsp
Chilli powder              1 tsp
Pav Bhaji Masala       1 tsp
Turmeric Powder       1/4 tsp
Salt                              As per taste
Lemon juice                Juice from 1 lemon
Corriander Leaves      1 cup

Method:

Heat oil in a cooker, add jeera, green chillies and onion and fry
well.
Add tomato and fry. Add the remaining vegetables (all vegetables
finely chopped), chilli powder, turmeric powder, salt and 1 cup water
and pressure cook for 5-8 minutes.
Mash the vegetables well and add pav bhaji masala and corriander
leaves. Add more water if required and allow to boil and cook well.
Serve hot garnished with finely chopped onion, corriander leaves and
lemon juice.
It goes well with Indian Pav. Heat the pav in a pan with little butter
on both sides. Serve hot.

Palak Pakoda

Palak is known as Spinach in english. There are many indian delicacies made from palak - the most popular one being Palak Paneer. Today I am going to share a different recipe of palak - Palak Pakoda. I had this pakoda first during a trip to Mahabaleshwar in Maharashtra few years back. I had it from a small road side tea stall and they made it fresh in front of me.
So here's the recipe

Ingredients:

Spinach leaves - 8 to 10
Oil for Frying

For the Batter:

Bengal Gram Flour Or Besan  -  1 cup
Rice Flour - 2 tbsp
Chilli Powder - 1 1/2 tsp        
Salt - As per taste
Asafoetida - 2 pinch
Turmeric Powder - 1/4 tsp
Water - As required

Method:

Mix all the ingredients for batter with water. Make a paste little thick than dosa batter.
Clean spinach leaves and wipe to remove water.
Heat oil in a flat pan. Dip the spinach leaves in the batter and fry in oil.
Turn both sides till golden brown color.
Remove into paper towel to drain excess oil.
Serve hot with tomato ketchup.

 

Curd Rice

Curd rice is a typical south indian dish which is quiet easy to make, light on stomach and gives you lot of energy as well. It is made in different ways at different parts of south india but the basic idea is to mix cooked rice and little sour curd with some salt. And the variations include adding some fruits like pomegranate or grapes and even fried cashew nuts or raisins. Here's my version of a very simple curd rice.

Ingredients:

Rice                         1 cup, cooked well.

Curd                         2 cups

Salt                           As per taste

For Seasoning:

Small onion              3-4, finely chopped

Curry leaves             Few

Green Chilli             3-4, chopped

Ginger                      1 inch piece, finely chopped

Mustard                    1 tsp

Oil                            2 tsp

Method:

Cook rice very well and keep aside.
Heat oil in a small pan to make seasoning, add mustard and when they splutter add ginger, green chillies and curry leaves. Add onion and fry for 1 minute. Remove from heat.
Mix curd and rice well. Add salt as per taste. Add the seasoning and keep for 15 minutes.
Serve with your favorite pickle or rice crackers.

Note: If you are using sour curd, mix rice with milk and add only 2 tablespoon of sour curd. Mix and keep for 3 to 4 hours. Your curd rice is ready!!!

Mushroom Curry

Mushroom is my favourite and there are many ways I love to have them.
This is a simple mushroom curry which is easy to make and goes well with chapathi, naan, parotta, dosa and even rice if you like.
Just make sure you buy fresh mushrooms and don't buy and keep it in fridge for more than 2 days.
Check the expiry date on the label also to be sure because sometimes it is difficult to know when the mushrooms have gone bad.
Here's my recipe for a simple mushroom curry.

Ingredients:
Mushroom 250 gm
Tomato 2 medium
Mustard seeds 1 tsp
Turmeric Poder 1/4 tsp
Corriander Leaves
Oil

For Masala:
Onion 1 Big
Garlic 6-8 cloves
Ginger 1" piece
Corriander Powder 2 tsp
Chilli Powder 1 1/2 tsp
Pepper 1/2 tsp
Elaichi 1
Cloves 2
Cinnamon 1 piece
Fennel Seeds 1 tsp

Method:
Fry all the ingredients for Masala. Allow it to cool and grind to make a paste.
Heat Oil in a cooker. Add mustard seeds, curry leaves, tomato. Add turmeric powder.
Fry well and add the masala paste.
Fry till the masala is well cooked. Add mushrooms cut in any size you like.
Add salt and 1 cup water. Add some corriander leaves.
Pressure cook for 4 whistles. Serve hot with Roti or naan.

Molaga Bajji

 

Molaga Bajji is the most tempting sight when you visit any beach in chennai.
Garlands of fresh green chillies make them even more tempting and it is very difficult to have a stroll on the beach without giving it a try.
They have always been my favourite on my every single visit to beach.
At home, there is no match to hot molaga bajjis with tomato sauce on a rainy day.
So here you go........

Ingredients:

Bajji Molaga (Chilli) 4

For the filling:
Boiled and mashed Potatoes 2 medium
Red Chilli powder 1 tsp
Turmeric powder 1 pinch
Salt As per taste

For the batter:
Besan (Gram flour) 1 cup
Rice flour 2 tbsp
Red chilli powder 1 tsp
Turmeric powder 1 pinch
Asafoetida 2 pinch
Salt to taste

Oil for deep frying
Method:

Mix all the ingredients for batter with sufficient water to make a thick batter.
Mix the ingredients for filling and keep aside.
Make long slits into the bajji chillies to stuff filling inside- make sure not to slit them at the stem.
Stuff the chillies with potato filling and dip in the batter to coat well.
Deep fry in hot oil on medium flame till golden brown on all sides.
Serve hot with tomato ketchup.

Stew / Ishtu

Stew is a typical kerala curry made from coconut milk and potato apart from other ingredients.
For me and my husband stew is our favourite combination with idly and dosa.
Its very simple to make and is ready in no time.
Here's the recipe

Ingredients:

Potato                   4, Boiled and cubed

Coconut milk         From 1 coconut
     3rd Extract       1   cup
     2nd Extract      1   cup
     1st Extract        1/2 cup

Onion                    1 Large, thinly sliced

Ginger                   1 inch piece, Juvenile

Green Chilli           4 to 5, slit into two

Curry leaves          Few

Salt                       As per taste

Coconut Oil          1 tbsp

Method:

Cook boiled and cubed potatoes, onion, ginger and green chilli in 3rd extract coconut milk.
When well cooked, add salt and 2nd extract coconut milk. Allow to boil.
Add 1st extract coconut milk and remove from heat after just one boil.
Add curry leaves and coconut oil, cover with a lid and keep for 10 to 15 minutes before serving with hot idlies.

 

Rava Semiya Kichadi

Who needs a break from the usual rava, semiya or aval upma???
Here's a treat for all those who said yes - its Rava Semiya Kichadi.
All you need to make this is Rava, Semiya and the usual upma ingredients.
So without wasting much time lets go straight to the recipe.

Ingredients:

Roasted Rava                      1 cup
Roasted Semiya                   1 cup
Onion                                  1 Finely chopped
Green chilli                           4 to 5 Finely chopped
Ginger                                  1/4 inch piece, Finely chopped
Mustard                               1 tsp
Chana Dal                            1 tsp
Curry Leaves                       Few
Turmeric Powder                 1/4 tsp
Salt                                      1 1/2 tsp or As per taste
Ghee                                    1 tsp
Oil                                        2 tsp
Water                                   3 cups

Method:

Cook roasted semiya in boiling water for 5 minutes and drain.
Heat oil in a pan, add mustard, chana dal, green chillies, ginger, curry leaves.
Add onion and fry well. Add turmeric powder and 3 cups of water and salt and allow to boil.
Add roasted rava when water boils and cook in low flame for 1 minute.
Add Semiya, mix well and add ghee.
Cover and cook for 1 minute in low flame.
Remove from stove and serve hot.

 

Fish Fry/Meen Porichathu

This is a simple fish fry which anyone can make. I learnt this from my mother in law who is a great cook.

I have used Pomfret (Avoli) in my recipe but you can use any kind of fish for this recipe according to your taste.

Ingredients:

Avoli                               2 Big

Cut in thin slices              

Onion                             1 Big

Garlic                             2 cloves

Pepper                           1 tsp

Chilli powder                  2 tsp

Curry leaves                   few

Salt                                2 tsp

Oil                                 1 tbsp

Method:

Grind all the ingredients except fish. Marinate fish with the masala and keep for 1 or 2 hours.

Shallow fry in vegetable oil and serve.

My favorite combination is fish fry with pepper rasam and steamed rice.

Chakka Pradhaman / Jackfruit Payasam





Chakka Pradhaman is an authentic kerala dish made using very few ingredients available at any keralite's kitchen. The main ingredient for Chakka Pradhaman is chakka varatti or jack fruit jam. Chakka varatti is usually made during the end of summer season when jackfruits are in plenty and people store it by taking the jackfruit flesh and reducing it on a thick bottomed vessel called uruli by mixing enough ghee and jaggery. At the end you get a dark brown coloured jackfruit jam commonly known as chakka varatti which can be stored for months in a clean air tight jar.

Now for our recipe.... Chakka pradhaman is made for any occassion like any other payasam or pradhaman. Today was special as it was my dear mom's birthday. So i thought of celebrating this special day with something prepared by her. So here we go....

Ingredients:

Chakka Varatti                              1 cup

Jaggery                                          2-3 blocks or 250 grams or as per taste

Coconut Milk (From 1 coconut)

      3rd extract/Moonampal            1 cup
      2nd extract/Randaampal           1 cup
      1st extract/Onnampal               1/2 cup

Cardamom Powder                        1/4  tsp
Dry Ginger Powder                        1/4  tsp

Jeera/Cumin Powder                      1/4  tsp

Coconut cut into small pieces         1  tbsp

(Thengakothu)

Cashewnuts                                   10

Raisins                                           1  tbsp

Ghee                                              1 tbsp

Method:

For Coconut Milk

Add hot water to grated coconut, blend for a minute and squeeze it for 1st extract.
Add 1 cup of hot water to the coconut again and blend and squeeze for 2nd extract.
Repeat this for 3rd extract.

For Chakka Pradhaman

Melt the jaggery in 1/4 cup of water and strain it to remove fine sand particles.

Heat 3rd extract coconut milk in a thick bottomed pan (like uruli) and add the jaggery.

Add chakka varatti and mix well to dissolve it in coconut milk.

Keep stirring. Reduce flame when the mixture thickens and boils.

Add 2nd milk and allow to boil again stirring continuously for 8-10 minutes.

Finally add the 1st milk. Keep stirring and cook for only few minutes till it just starts boiling.

Turn off the flame and add dry ginger powder, cardamom powder and jeera powder.

Heat ghee in a pan and fry coconut pieces, cashewnuts and raisins separately and pour over the pradhaman.

Cover with a lid for 10 minutes and that's it - you don't have to wait any more - just indulge in it.

Tomato Rice

Tomato Rice is a very common lunch in Tamil Nadu, an ideal meal for travel and very filling too.
Without wasting any time, here's the recipe....

Ingredients:

Mustard                               1 tsp

Chana Dal                            1 tsp

Cloves                                 2

Cinnamon                            1 small piece

Green chillies                        1 or 2, chopped

Curry leaves                         Few

Finely Chopped Garlic         2 tsp

Finely Chopped Ginger        1 tsp

Finely Chopped Onion         1 medium sized

Tomatoes                             4-5, pureed

Chilli powder                        1 tsp

Turmeric powder                  1/4 tsp
Salt                                       As per taste
Rice                                     1 cup, cooked

Method:

Heat oil in a pan, add mustard and when it is spluttered add chana dal, cloves, cinnamon, green chillies and curry leaves. Add ginger and garlic and fry. Add onions and fry for a while. Add chilli powder and turmeric powder and tomato puree. Mix well and allow to cook for 5 minutes. When tomato is reduced add salt and rice. Mix well. Cover and cook till rice absorbs the tomatoes well, stir in between.
Tomato rice is ready - serve hot or pack it in your lunch bag.
It is best served with any pickle of your choice and curd.

Aviyal

Ingredients:

Yam                         50   gram
White pumkin          100 gram
Red Pumkin             50  gram
Drumstick                1
Raw banana            1
Carrot                      1
French Beans
or
String Beans             100 gram
Raw Mango              1 small
Salt                           As per taste
Turmeric powder       1/4 tsp
Coconut oil

To Grind:

Sour Curd                1 cup
Green chilli               3 to 4
Grated Coconut       2 cups
Curry leaves             Few

Cut all the vegetables in thin long strips.
Cook yam for 5 minutes. Add all vegetables, salt, turmeric powder and cook well.
Grind curd, green chilli, coconut and curry leaves.
Add ground masala to vegetables and mix well.
Allow for one boil. Add curry leaves and coconut oil and take off from heat.

Kurumalagu Rasam (Pepper Garlic Soup)

Be it a rainy afternoon or you have a bad cold or no particular reason at all - all these are good reasons to have this peppery rasam. Rasam is usually had at the end of a sadhya. The ingredients used in it - pepper, garlic, jeera, asafoetida, corriander are all good for digestion and relieves you from cold, throat pain. That is why it is taken during fever also.
There are few varieties of rasam also - Pepper rasam, tomato rasam, parippu rasam. So without any more explanation lets go straight to the recipe.

Ingredients:

Tamrind                     One lemon size
Chilli powder              1/2 tsp
Hing Powder               3 pinch
Turmeric powder        1 pinch
Salt                             1 tsp
Water                          4 cups

For Masala:

Pepper                      2 tsp
Garlic                        4 cloves
Corriander                1/2 tsp
Jeera                         1/2 tsp

Method:

Add the first set of ingredients aand allow to boil. Grind masala with little water and add. Boil in low flame for 7 minutes. For tadka - heat little oil in a pan. Add mustard, red chilli, jeera, curry leaves and fry. Add to rasam. Add chopped corriander leaves and serve hot.

Pomegranate Salad with Mandarin and Lime Dressing

Salad is a good treat for summer. With the mercury rising to 45 degrees, in a hot and dry place like Riyadh, the best thing to do in summer is to dig into a large bowl of fresh home made salad.
So here's the recipe for a wonderful Pomegranate Salad with Mandarin and Lime dressing. This recipe is from a website but modified to suit my taste.

Ingredients:

For Dressing:
1 tsp Olive Oil
2 tsp fresh Lime juice
1 tsp Honey
1/2 tsp Salt or Black Salt
1/4 tsp Black Pepper

For Salad:
1 cup Pomegranate seeds
1 Pear, chopped
2 mandarin oranges, peeled, cut into segments
1/2 cup thinly sliced red onion

Directions:
In a small bowl mix together dressing ingredients and set aside.
In a large bowl, toss together salad ingredients; add dressing to taste and toss well.
Serve and have fun!!!!

Egg Fried Rice

Today i decided to go green on my lunch menu. And there you go - i had all the greens i wanted in my fridge - Beans, Spring Onion, Capsicum - what else do you need. So a quick recipe came to my mind - Fried Rice with capsicum in soy sauce. To make it a little protein rich i decided to go for Egg Fried Rice. So here's the most quickest lunch recipe for a lazy day.

Ingredients:

Basmati Rice           1 Cup, cooked
Egg                         1, Scrambled
Ginger Garlic paste  1 tsp
Beans                      Handful, finely chopped
Spring onion            1 cup, finely chopped
Soy Sauce               1 tsp
Salt                          As per taste
Pepper                     As per taste
Butter or oil              2 tbsp

Method:

Cook basmati rice and keep.
In a pan heat little oil and scramble one egg with little salt and pepper and keep aside.
Heat oil or butter in same pan, add ginger garlic paste and beans and spring onion (save some spring onion for garnish).
Add salt and pepper for the vegetables alone and cover and cook for 3minutes.
Add rice, soy sauce, salt and pepper and mix well.
Cover and cook for 2 minutes.
Sprinkle spring onion and serve hot.

Dhokla

 

Dhokla is for gujaratis as idly or vada for south indians. They just can't do without it.

I learned to make dhokla from my mom ofcourse.

She makes really yummy, soft dhoklas which you can really go on eating.

So i decided to make dhokla today evening - just wanted to give it a try to see if i can make as yummy and soft dhoklas as my mom.

And you will not believe me, I did make some yummy, soft dhoklas - yahoooooooo!!!!

So here goes the recipe......

 

Ingredients:

Besan (Bengal gram flour)      1/2 cup

Rava                                     1/2 cup

Turmeric powder                   1/4 tsp

Salt                                       1 tsp

Eno or fruit salt                      5 grams

Green chilli                            2

Ginger                                   1 small piece
Jeera                                     1/4 tsp
Curd                                     1 cup

Blend green chilli, ginger, jeera and curd together and sieve.

For Tadka:
Mustard, curry leaves, Hing, 2 tbsp water

Mix  Rava, besan, turmeric powder and salt with curd. Use more curd if needed and make it to a consistency little thick than idly batter. Keep for 15 minutes.

Add eno or fruit salt just before you keep it on stove for steaming.

Pour the batter into a greased plate or bowl and steam it for 15 to 20 minutes.

Check with a knife if it is cooked.

Remove from heat and allow to cool.

Put tadka and pour on top of it. Cut and serve with coconut chutney or tomato ketchup.

Panji Vada

Grind 1 cup soaked urad dal, 2-3 tbsp coconut, green chilli, corriander leaves, red chilli, salt, 2 tbsp rice pwd, 1/2 tsp hing. Grind well. Add butter and grind in the end to a smooth thick paste. Deep fry like small vadas in oil.