Awards

I am very glad to receive my first awards from my blogger friend Soujanya who have a wonderful blog with interesting recipes.

Passing these awards to all my blogger friends.

Sambar Powder

Nowadays most of us use off the shelf sambar powders including me which no way equals the homemade samabar powder. Sheer effort, time, process makes us to choose readymade sambar podi. The specialty of the homemade sambar podi is one can prepare according to their own authenticity. Though the ingredients almost the same prepared in any way the yields different flavors according to the ingredients mix ratio. Here is our way of preparing sambar powder. Trust me using the same recipe I made a aromatic sambar.

Ingredients :

Toor dhal – 1 cup
Channa dhal – 1 cup
Urad dhal – 1 cup
Dhaniya/coriander seeds – 3 1/4 cup
Red Chilies – 6 cup
Pepper corns – ¾ cup
Jeera – ¾ cup
Fenugreek seeds – 2 tbsp
Asafoetida – 1 tbsp
Curry leaves – 1 cup

Method:

• Dry roast all the ingredients one by one separately.
• Allow to cool and make a fine powder.
• Allow to cool to room temperature and Store in airtight container and use it for making aromatic and authentic sambar and rasam.

Note:

• Adjust Red chilies according to your taste.

Mushroom Briyani

I got this recipe from my friend Aarthi. She prepared this for lunch, and it was very inviting and appealing with nice aroma and it taste lip smacking good. Later I tried this in my kitchen and it was a sure hit. I am sure you will definitely like it.

Ingredients :

Basmati Rice – 1 cup
Button Mushroom – 200 gm
Tomato -1
Coconut milk – ¾ cup
Water – ¾ cup
Cloves – 1 no
Cardamom – 1 no
Bay leaf -1
Star Anise -1
Chopped Coriander leaves few
Salt for taste
Oil -2 tbsp
Ghee – 1 tbsp

Paste 1(Grind coarsly) :

Small onions – 10
Garlic -4

Paste 2(smooth paste) :

Coriander powder – 1tbsp
Garlic -2 no
Ginger – 2”
Cinnamon – 1” piece
Cloves – 2 no
Cardamom – 1 no
Green Chilies – 2
Red Chilies -2
Aniseed – ¼ tsp

Method:

• Wash and soak Basmati rice in ¾ cup of water and keep it aside for 10 minutes.
• Wash and chop the mushroom in to small pieces.
• In a pressure pan heat 2 tbsp of oil and 1 tbsp of gee and add Bay leaf, cinnamon, clove, star anise let them splutter. Now add the paste 1 and sauté until raw smell leaves.
• Then add the paste 2 and sauté for another 2 more minutes till the masala smell spread the kitchen.
• Add the tomato till they mashed.
• Then add the chopped mushroom and cook till mushroom begins to shrinks and water evaporates from it. Add in the chopped coriander leaves and salt for taste.
• Add the soaked rice along with water and coconut milk and mix gently to combine everything and take care the rice doesn’t break and now check the salt level.
• Reduce the flame and cover the lid and cook for 1 whistle.
• Hot and delicious Mushroom briyani is ready to serve with raita or curry of your choice.

Enjoy Eating…..

Strawberry-Kiwi Tangy Shake

This smoothie is simple and genuinely refreshing which is rich in protein and fiber. You could start your day with this healthy smoothie, it also stand long hours from hunger. Some science on “Kiwi”, an excellent source of polyphenols, source of vitamin E, Magnesium potassium, and copper, all of which may function individually or in concert to protect the blood vessels and heart. Kiwis are higher in vitamin C than oranges.

Ingredients :

Green Kiwi – 1 (ripe fruit, peel and roughly chopped)
Strawberries – 6 no’s roughly chopped
Honey for taste
Ice Cubes- 6

Method:

• Place all the ingredients in the blender and blend thoroughly for 1 minute until smooth.

Pour into chilled glass and enjoy.....

Note:

• Use fresh fruit for better taste.
• Substitute sugar instead of honey.

Vinayagar chathurthi Celebrations

Vinayagar chathurthi is one of the most popular of Hindu festivals. It is celebrated as the birthday of Lord Ganesha who is considered to be the God of good luck, prosperity, wisdom and wealth. The name Vinayaka! Indicates the remover of all obstacles. He is worshipped first in all prayers and before any auspicious work is begun. The festival is observed in the Hindu calendar month of Bhaadrapada, starting on the shukla chaturthi (fourth day of the waxing moon period). The date usually falls between 20 August and 15 September. The festival lasts for 10 days, ending on Anant Chaturdashi (fourteenth day of the waxing moon period).
- Courtesy Wiki.

In our family we celebrate in grand festive manner. Actually we start chathurthi celebrations one day prior to the actual day by performing pooja to Parvathi devi , the mother of Vinayaka, the goddess face which is made with turmeric powder and decorated with flowers.

On this day in India you get to see Vinayagar idol of various sizes and forms. My father use to buy one for this day too. It has become a customary for me and my sister to open eyes seeing this Vinayagar Idol. On this day my grandfather will decorate lord vinayagar by arukampul, arukalam malai and flowers to the clay idol.

My mom and grandmom would perform pooja to vinayagar by chanting ashtotiram 108 names of lord vinayagar. Now comes the best part. The dishes prepared on this lovely day to celebrate the birth of Vinayagar. The special dishes are actually the neivedhyam such as Idly (kudumulu), steamed dhal balls (Udhu untallu), Rice flour payasam (Thalikallu paravanam), Rice balls sundal (undrallu sundal) and finely two types of Kollukattai with coconut and white sesame filling/ sweet dumplings (Jillidikayalu).

Note: the bracketed names are names of the dish in telugu. As soon as the pooja is over we start enjoying the Neivedhyam hahaha….

Ok.Let’s get back to business. “Cooking”. Starting with Kolukattai. I am gonna brief you with two variety of kolukattai namely WhiteSesame kolukattai and Coconut kolukattai….

Below is the method for outer layer of kolukattai dough preparation.

Kolukattai Dough:

The same dough is used to do other dishes for Rice flour payasam and Rice balls sundal.

Ingredients:

Rice flour / Idiyapam flour - 1 cup
All purpose flour / Maida – 1 tbsp
Water - 1 1/4 cup
Salt - a Pinch

Method:

• Mix rice flour and Maida and keep it aside.
• In a bowl add water and salt a pinch, when it starts boil simmer the stove and add the rice flour mixture and leave for ten minutes.
• After ten minutes switch off the stove and knead the dough by adding 1 tbsp of oil and sprinkle some water to it.
• Now the outer layer dough is ready to make Kolukattai/ Rice flour payasam/ Rice balls sundal.
• Apply some oil in your hand and take out small size dough and make a ball. Using thumb slightly press the ball in the middle and hold with your fingers and make a cup. (To make cups simple can use mould or chapatti press too).
• Now add the filling in the centre of cup and press the edges and seal well.
• Finish all the dough by filling the mixture inside as above. Arrange in a greased plate and steam it for ten minutes. You will see the color change and shiny.

Filling for Coconut kolukattai:
Ingredients:

Coconut scrapings- 1 cup
Sugar – 3/4 cup
Cashews – few
Ghee – 1 tsp
Cardamom powder a pinch (optional)

Method:

• In a pan add a tsp of ghee and roast the cashews and keep it aside.
• In a same pan add the coconut scrapings and sugar and mix well let cook on low flame until the sugar melts and get thicken.
• At this stage add cardamom powder and roasted cashews to it and mix well.

Now the coconut filling is ready.

Filling for Sesame kolukattai:
Ingredients:
Sesame - 1 cup
Jaggery - 3/4 cup

Method:

• Powder the jaggery and keep it aside.
• In a heavy bottom pan add sesame and sprinkle some water to it. Once the sesame crackles and roast till nice aroma comes and turns to brown.
• Switch off the flame and let it cool for a while.
• Now grind the sesame to powder and the powdered jaggery to it and run again for once and mix well and use it for filling.

Rice flour payasam / Thaligalu paravannam:

Ingredients for Paravannam/Payasam:

Jaggery - 1 cup
Coconut scrapings - 2 tbsp
Rice - 1 tbsp
Cashews - few
Cardamom -1 no
Ghee

Method:

The recipe for preparing thaligalu dough is same dough used for kolukattai.

• Place this dough in murukku pressure (there is a option for whole) and then squeeze the dough on a well greased plate. Now steam it for 10 to 12 minutes when open you will see the color change and shiny.
• Now grind coconut, cashew, rice and cardamom together into a smooth paste and keep it aside. In a bowl add the jaggery and some water just to immerse it and heat till the jaggery dissolves completely.
• Once done strain it and transfer to another bowl and add the ground paste to it and boil for few minutes.
• When it starts boiling add the steamed rice noodles to it (you can break it into small pieces). Stir well for 3 min and your Rice flour payasam is ready to eat. :).

Rice balls Sundal /Undrallu Sundal:

Ingredients:

White channa – 2 tbsp
Field Bean (Mochai) – 2 tbsp
Ground nuts – 2 tbsp
Horse gram (Kollu) – 2tbsp
Rice Balls – 1/4 cup
Green Chilly -4
Coconut – 1 tbsp
Asafoetida – a pinch
Mustard – 1/4 tsp
Curry leaves
Coriander leaves
Lemon extract – 1 tbsp
Salt for taste
Oil – 2 tsp

Method:

• Soak all beans for 5 to 6 hrs and pressure cook for 3 whistles and keep it aside.
• The dough to make Rice balls for sundal is same dough used for kolukattai.
• Apply some oil in your hand and take out small size dough and make small balls and place them in greased plate and steam it for ten minutes.
• You will see the color change and shiny.
• Now the Rice balls are ready to add in sundal.
• In a pan add 2 tsp oil and crackle mustard and add the curry leaves, green chili and cooked beans and sauté for a while.
• Now add the steamed Rice balls to it and add salt for taste and sauté for 2 more minutes.
• Now switch off the flame and add lemon extract and coriander leaves to it.

Yummy Rice balls Sundal is ready for Neivedhyam…

Wish you all a very happy Vinayagar Chaturthi.

Beetroot Halwa

Today I plan to do some dessert and I saw a couple of beetroots in my fridge and instantly stricks halwa in it. Beetroot has a high nutritional and medicinal value. As most of us are adding very less quantity of vegetables to our daily diet, this is also one of the best way to include to our diet. With rich taste and color this invites all, especially kids who will enjoy this!

Ingredients :

Beetroot - 1 big
Sugar - 3/4 cup
Milk - 1 cup
Cashews - few
Cardamom Powder - a pinch
Ghee - 2 tbsp

Method:

• Peel the skin and grate the beetroot and pressure cook by adding milk to immerse it and keep it aside.
• Heat one tbsp of ghee in a thick bottomed pan and roast the cashews till golden brown and set aside.
• In a same pan add the cooked beetroot and add sugar (depends upon your sweetness) to it and let cook on low flame until the sugar melts and get thicken.
• At this stage add cardamom powder and ghee and stir continuously till the mixture leaves the pan.
• Finally garnish with roasted nuts.

Serve warm or cold as a dessert.

Enjoy Making...

Tips:

• Keep the halwa in refrigerator and can use it for upto one week.
• When serving add a scoop of vanilla ice-cream on top.
• Instead of sugar you could substitute with sugar free to enjoy the dessert to reduce calories.

Potato Kurma

Though there is various choice of menu list for our daily breakfast and dinner the only comfortable and easy digestive dish is our south Indian dish “Idly”, and many side dishes compliments with Idly. Now I am comeback with drooling side dish “Potato Kurma”, this also goes well with “Dosa” too. Trust me this Hot and Spicy kurma is also tasty as its spiciness.

Ingredients :

Thoor dhal – ½ cup
Potato – 2
Onion – 2
Tomato – 1
Garlic -2 no
Turmeric powder – ¼ tsp
Mustard seed – 1/4 tsp
Curry leaves few
Coriander leaves few
Ghee - 1 tsp
Salt – for taste

To roast and grind :

Red chilies – 1 no
Coconut Scrapings – 2 tbsp
Coriander seeds – 2 tsp
Channa dhal – 1 tsp
Urad dhal – 1 tsp
Jeera – ¼ tsp
Ani seed – ½ tsp
Pepper corns – 4 no
Cinnamon – 1’’ inch
Cloves – 2
Garlic – 3
Ginger – 1 inch piece

Method:

• Pressure cook thoor dhal with garlic and turmeric powder and keep it aside.
• Cook the potatoes and mashed it and keep it aside.
• Roast and grind all the other ingredients in a mixie into smooth paste by adding some water to it.
• In a pan add a tbsp of oil and add mustard and curry leaves after they splutter add the onions to it ffry till onion turns golden brown and add chopped tomatoes and saute till tomatoes become soft and mushy.
• Now add the grounded paste to it and add enough salt and adequate water to it and keep stirring continuously till the raw smells leaves away.
• Once the masala is sauted well now add the cooked and mashed thoor dhal and potato to it and.
• You can test the spice level at this point.
• Once done switch off the stove and add a tsp of ghee and garnish with coriander leaves.

Potato Kurma is ready to Serve it with hot idly or dosa. :)

Tips:

• This Kurma should not be very thick when served.
• You could try this Kurma even without adding potato.
• You can adjust the spiciness by adding red chili powder to it.