Avial (Mixed vegetable curry)

Avial is one of my favourites from Kerala cuisine. Its so simple but the flavour is extraordinary. Keralites use coconut in most of their dishes and especially this dish is relished with coconut. Any mixed vegetable can be used for this dish, but traditionally used vegetables are plantain, pumpkin, yam/karuna kizangu,drumstick, potato and carrot. I refreshed my memory with the help of Suganya's Avial recipe...The best combo for avial is adai, most of the restaurants serve this combo.

Checkout Suganya's version of Avial...



Ingredients:

1 cup Mixed vegetables ( carrot bean, peas, corn, potato)
4 tbsp grated coconut
7 green chillies
1/2 cup beaten yogurt (homemade is better)
1/2 tsp cumin seeds
salt to taste
curry leaves
2tbsp Coconut oil

Preparation:
Cut veggies length wise say 1 inch length. Cook vegetables in a microwave until 75 % done. Grind green chillies, cumin and coconut to a thick fine paste. Transfer ground paste, vegetables and salt to a pan. Add salt and cook till the raw smell vanish from the paste.Don't over cook the vegetables. Once the vegetables are cooked. Remove from heat. Add yogurt and coconut oil. Mix well and cover and leave it alone for 30 mts. Serve with avial. Don't cook after adding yogurt. If wanna re-heat it, heat in microwave for 1 mt.

Carrot spinach brown rice pulao

Brown rice has become my recent favourite!!! Brown rice is also known as whole grain rice is abundant source of fibre, vitamins and minerals.

The difference between brown rice and white rice is not just color! A whole grain of rice has several layers. Only the outermost layer, the hull, is removed to produce what we call brown rice. This process is the least damaging to the nutritional value of the rice and avoids the unnecessary loss of nutrients that occurs with further processing. If brown rice is further milled to remove the bran and most of the germ layer, the result is a whiter rice, but also a rice that has lost many more nutrients.

Women Who Eat Whole Grains Weigh Less

A study published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition underscores the importance of choosing whole grains such as brown rice rather than refined grain, i.e., white rice, to maintain a healthy body weight. In this Harvard Medical School / Brigham and Women's Hospital study, which collected data on over 74,000 female nurses aged 38-63 years over a 12 year period, weight gain was inversely associated with the intake of high-fiber, whole-grain foods but positively related to the intake of refined-grain foods. Not only did women who consumed more whole grains consistently weigh less than those who ate less of these fiber-rich foods, but those consuming the most dietary fiber from whole grains were 49% less likely to gain weight compared to those eating foods made from refined grains.

Read more about brown rice!!!

Ingredients:

1 carrot grated

1 bunch of spinach

1 onion

2 cups Brown rice

1 tbsp pepper powder

1 tbsp Badshah Biriyani Pulao Masala

salt to taste

2 tbsp oil

Preparation:

Heat oil in a pan, add onions and fry till translucent. Add spinach and grated carrot and saute for few minutes. Add pepper and pulao masala. Pepper is only source of spiciness in this recipes, adjust according to ur taste. I choose pepper coz, it act as a fat burner. One more tip..If ur trying to loose weight add fresh pepper to ur dishes, which helps weight loss by burning fat!!!. Once the raw smell evaporates, remove from heat and transfer to rice cooker.

Adding right amount of water is the tricky part. Check ur rice package, they would have suggested the water ratio. I buy Mahatma brand Brown rice and the water ratio is 1:2.5 (as suggested in the cover). I use electric rice cooker. Transfer the carrot mixture and rice, in this case add 5 cups of water. Push the button, once the rice is done...If ur using rice cooker leave it for one whistle and switch off the heat. Open after the pressure is released.

serve hot with pickle and yogurt.

I am sending this to CFK-Rice hosted byTrupti of Recipe center, brainchild of Sharmi of Neivedyam..

Curried Carrot Soup

Rachael Ray is my favourite host of 30 minute meals from Food network. I luv her way of cooking..What a chatter box she is? I would just imagine, How is it possible to speak non-stop and continue cooking..man that's tough task.. she does it with ease..I just love her. I like to try her soups and stew recipes..other recipes involves red meat so I never wanted to try those recipes..But looks yummo..while she present them at the table.

Curried carrot soup was one such recipe caught my attention. very simple yet delicious. Soup and garlic bread with salad..what an amazing and "figure friendly" dinner!!!


(Recipe source)


Ingredients
1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil, 1 turn of the pan
2 tablespoons butter
1 medium onion, chopped
1 1/2 pounds packaged baby carrots, (I used carrots)

6 cups chicken stock, available on soup aisle (I substituted with water)
1 tablespoon mild curry paste or 1 1/2 tablespoons curry powder (Garam Masala)
1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon ground cayenne pepper( I used Jalapeno Pepper)
Coarse salt
1 cup sour cream (I didn't have it, so didn't use it)
6 blades fresh chives, cut into 1-inch pieces (I used coriander leaves)



Directions
Preheat medium pot over medium high heat. Add olive oil, butter, onions and carrots and saute 5 minutes. Add 4 cups chicken stock, curry and cayenne, and about 1 teaspoon salt to the pot. Bring to a boil, cover and cook until carrots are very tender, about 15 minutes. Place pot on a trivet next to food processor. Process soup in 2 or 3 small batches until soup is smooth and carrots are fully pureed. Transfer processed soup into a large bowl as you work to make room for more soup in the food processor. Return completed soup to the soup pot and place back over low heat. If the soup is too thick, add remaining stock, up to 2 cups, to achieve desired consistency. Adjust seasonings. Place sour cream in a plastic condiment squeeze bottle or into a medium food storage bag. Cut a very small hole in the corner of the bag with scissors. Ladle soup into bowls and squirt a swirl of sour cream around the bowl from the center out to the rim. Drag a toothpick from the center of the bowls out to the edges, forming a spider web design on soup. Pile a few pieces of cut chives at the center of each bowl to resemble green spiders in their webs! Cool!

Exotic Indian Stew

A stew is a combination of solid food ingredients that have been cooked in liquid and served in the resultant gravy.It is a slightly thicker form of soup. U know Me and my Hubby are trying to diet, so I try these new combos. U can just have with garlic bread..that's it easy dinner..low calorie food...I did add out Indian spices and veggies and made this Indian Stew.

Stews are best made in slow cooker but I did in a normal sauce pan. I didn't find any taste difference..Tasted really good...I am calling it exotic because the vegetable combo was unusual and tasted awsome..

Ingredients:

1 Cup Red kidney Beans (Boiled)

1 chayote or chow- chow

1 carrot

1 onion

2 tbsp coriander powder

1 tbsp cumin powder

1 tbsp pepper powder

salt to taste

coriander leaves

Oil

Preparation:

Heat oil in pan. Chop the onions into big bite size pieces. Add onions to oil and fry till translucent. Add carrot and chayote pieces. Saute for 5 mts. Add 1 cup of water, cover and cook. Keep stirring, if the veggies stick to the bottom add water. Once the veggies are tender, add the Masala powders and salt. Add water if the gravy is too thick. It should be thicker than soup. Allow to boil. Finally add the red kidney beans. Cover and cook for few more minutes. Remove from heat.Garnish with coriander...

Serve with Garlic bread!!!!

Bakery Sandwich

Bakery sandwich is a very tasty snack/Tiffin item. Kids love to have this sandwich in the evening after school..I used to have this snack after finishing my Gre classes. Nilgiris was just opposite to our coaching centre... We used to go there after class, munch in these sandwich and rose milk..Yum Yum..

Ingredients:

2 Bread slices
1 carrot
1 onion
1 tomato
1 green chilli
1/2 cup mint
salt to taste
oil

Preparation:

Heat oil. Fry onions till tender. Add tomato and saute until the juice fully evaporates. Add green chilli and grated carrot. Fry for 2 mts. Add mint. Fry for 5mts. Ur kitchen will be filled with mint aroma..Once the carrot is half cooked. Remove from heat..

Meanwhile toast the bread with butter. Fill the stuffing. and serve hot!!!

Note: U can add egg s to this filling for non- veg touch!!!

Malai Kofta (vegetable dumpling in spicy gravy)

Malai kofta is a rich spicy gravy made with fresh cream, paneer...not so good for health conscious people...Once in a while its good to let go yourself and plunge into great Indian delicacy...I learnt this recipe from Vah chef..Absolutely love it. Consumes lots of time if ur making for a group. I made this for new year's eve potluck... Man I was so tired after doing this for 15 people. U need to make koftas at least two for a person..It came out very well though!!!!

Ingredients:
Kofta:

1 cup boil grated vegetables(Carrot, peas, beans)
1 cup grated paneer
1 cup boiled grated potato
3 chopped greenchillies
1 tsp coriander powder
1tsp cumin powder
1 tsp redchilli powder
chopped nuts
chopped coriander
salt to taste
2 tbsp all purpose flour (APF)
oil to deep fry

Malai sauce:

1 onion chopped
2 tomatoes chopped
4 tbsp cashew nut powder ( dry grind the cashewnut to caorse powder)
1/2 cup cream
1 tsp cumin powder
1 tsp redchilli powder
1 tsp shahi jeera
1 tbsp coriander powder
1 tsp ginger garlic paste
1/2 tsp turmeric
Chopped corriander leaves
salt to taste
oil
2 tsbp grated paneer


Preparation:

Kofta:

steam cook the veggies and potato. Remove any extra moisture from them by squeezing them in a thin white cloth. There should be no moisture, otherwise the kofta will break.

Mix all the ingredients except all purpose flour in bowl. don't add water. Moisture in the veggies would be enough to bind them. Make small balls or any shape u like. Finally roll them in APF and deep fry till golden brown.

Malai Sauce:

Heat oil in pan. Add onion and a pinch of salt and fry till translucent.Add ginger garlic paste and turmeric powder. Fry for a minute. Add chopped tomatoes and fry till mushy. Add redchilli, cumin and coriander powder.Add water if it gets too dry. cover and cook till oil separates. Remove from heat. Let it cool down. Grind to a fine paste.

Heat oil in a pan, add shahi jeera. Add blended paste when the cumin crackles.Bring to boil. Add cream. Bring to boil. Add cashew nut powder. Finally add koftas to the gravy and switch of the heat. Sprinkle garam masala over it and garnish with coriander leavesand paneer.

Serve hot with naan.

Carrot Curd Rice

Curd rice with a twist... I was bored making usual curd rice.. I had leftover carrot for longtime in my fridge..Idea....Carrot in curd rice.. nice addition + healthy food...I gave it a try..It tasted so good...


Ingredients:


1 cup rice
1 cup milk
3 cup yogurt
2 tbsp butter
salt to taste



Seasoning:


2 tbsp oil
3 green chillies or red chillies
1 tsp mustard seeds
1 tsp urad and chana dhal
curry leaves
1 pinch asofoetida/Hing (perungayam)
2 carrots grated


Preparation:

In pressure cooker, add washes rice, 1 cup milk and 3 cups of water. The reason for adding more water is to get mushy rice. Add salt in the rice. Cover and cook for two whistles. Remove from heat..Keep the cooker under cold tap water to release the pressure immediately. Make sure all the pressure is released... Remove the whistle to see if the pressure is fully released. Open the cooker and transfer the contents to serving bowl. Add butter to it and mix well. Add yogurt(if u like sour taste add Indian home made yogurt) and mix well. Adjust salt.

Heat oil in a pan and do the seasoning. Add chopped redchillies and hing. Fry for few minutes. Add grated carrot and fry for 5 mts. Don't over cook carrot. It has to be crunchy... Remove from heat, add to the yogurt rice... Serve hot or cold with pickle...Yum Yum..

Once again, Thanks akal for passing me the award "U R A SWEET"....

Bagara Rice (Flavoured Rice)

Bagara rice is flavoured rice...I learnt this recipe from Sanjeev Kapoor's Khanna Kazana...Wonderful party food...Ingredients:

2 cups raw rice

1 onion sliced lengthwise

1 tsp ginger garlic paste

3 greenchillies

1 cup vegetables(carrot, beans, corn) anything of ur choice

2 tbsp ghee

salt to taste

1 tsp cumin seeds

Spice in a bag:

1 bay leaf

1 tsp saunf / fennel seeds

1" cinnamon stick

3 cloves

1 cardamom

Preparation:

I always use frozen mixed vegetables..which is easy to use and readily available..

Heat ghee in a rice cooker (if u don have one use nonstick sauce pan). Add cumin seeds. Once aroma oozes out..Add onions and green chillies... fry till translucent. Add ginger garlic paste. Fry for 3 mts. Add the mixed vegetable and saute for few minutes. Add rice and 3.5 cups of water. Add salt.

Interesting part is, u gather these spices and tie it in a muslin cloth/ thin white cloth. Tie the knot tightly....Drop this bag in the water and close the cooker lid. Leave it for one whistle. Switch off the heat, let the cooker sit till its fully cooled down. Before serving, remove the spice bag..

Serve hot with vegetable kurma, chicken gravy or Bagara Baingan....

Vegetable Fried Rice

Vegetable Fried rice is road side comfort food... U can get these in kaiyendhi bavan..Its very easy ..if u have left over rice this is best recipe...

Ingredients:

2 cups cooked rice

1 cup vegetables ( carrot, beans, corn, bell pepper)

1 onion

3 green chillies

8 garlic cloves

3 tbsp soy sauce

1 tsp pepper powder

1 tsp garam masala powder

2 tbsp tomato ketchup

salt to taste

Preparation:

Heat oil in a pan, Add chopped garlic..fry till aroma oozes out. Add chopped onion and saute for few minutes. Add cooked vegetables and fry for another 5 minutes. Add pepper and garam masala powder...Add cooked rice and mix well. Add salt, tomato ketchup and soy sauce. Mix well..Add soy sauce according to ur taste. Cook for another 5 minutes..so that flavours mix together...Remove from heat... serve hot !!!!

Note: U can add egg before adding veggies...good alteration for non- vegetarian...

Carrot Halwa

Carrot is a root vegetable which contains proteins and vitamin a. Carrot halwa is my favourite sweet. I learned the recipe recently and absolutely love it. It is easy to make recipe but consumes lot of time.
I am sending this recipe for Sweet series - Halwa, kathli, burfi & peda Hope everyone like it !!!!





Ingredients:

2 carrots grated
5 cups milk
8 tbsp sugar
1 tsp cardamom seeds
5-7 strands of saffraon
3 tbsp ghee
1/2 tsp food color
cashew nut

Preparation:

In a non-stick sause pan, add carrot, milk, cardamom seeds, food color and saffron. Keep stirring the mixture in medium heat. After 15 mts, reduce heat and leave it to reduce stirring occationally. Once the milk is been fully reduced( there should be no trace of milk), add sugar and mix well. Keep stirring untill the water from sugar evaporates. Meanwhile, heat ghee in a pan and fry the cashew nuts. Add ghee and cashew nut to the carrot mixture. Keep stirring for 10 mts util the ghee is mixed. Remove from heat, transfer to seving bowl. U can make laddo with this mixture!!!!

Carrot Beans Poriyal

Carrot and Beans poriyal is a simple side dish which can be made within 10 mts. This will great side dish for rasam or sambar. U can even have it for chappati along with yogurt.

Ingredients:

2 carrots

1 lbs beans

2 green chillies

4 red chillies

1 tsp channa dhal

1 tsp urad dhal

1 tsp mustard seeds

1/4 cup grated coconut

1 tbsp oil

salt to taste

Preparation:

Chop carrots and beans into small pieces. Heat oil in wide mouth pan. Put mustard, once it starts spluttering, add channa and urad dhal. Don't fry them too long, just for 2- 3 mts. Add redchillies and green chillies to the seasoning. Add the chopped vegetables. Cover and cook for 10 mts. Add salt to the vegetables, sprinkle little bit of water. Cover and cook for another 10 mts stirring occasionally. Finally add shredded coconut and saute for 3 mts in low heat. Carrot beans poriyal is ready!!!!!