Cabbage Kofta

Cabbage Kofta was a new recipe to me, I never used cabbage for making koftas. I found the reciped from Married to Desi. I immediately fell in love with the recipe. It was simple and easy to try and tasted really good...




Ingredients:

Koftas (This is for 30 Koftas, I just used half the qty)
1 small head cabbage,
1 carrot shredded or finely minced,
3/4 cup besan flour,
1 tsp garam masala,
2 tbsp red chilly powder,
Salt,
oil to deep fry

Gravy
1 pound tomatoes, (I used 3 large Roma tomatoes)
2 tbsp coriander seeds,
2 tbsp cumin seeds,
½ tsp poppy seeds,
1/2 tsp Fennel seeds,
1 /2 tsp anardhana powder, ( I guess this was pomegranate powder, I didnt use it)
2 tbsp minced/grated ginger,
2 medium green chillies,
3 dried red chillies,
a large handful of cilantro,
1 medium onion,
1/2 tsp turmeric,
1 clove garlic minced (optional)

Preparation:

I did small changes for my taste, still following the original recipe from Married to Desi...


1. Grind all the ingredients for the gravy together into a fine paste, adding about 2 cups of water. 2. Sauté the gravy with 2 tbsp. butter ( I didnt have butter, just used oil) letting it thicken. Bring this to a boil, seasoning with salt.
3. Mince the cabbage (best done with a food processor). Add salt and leave it for a few minutes.
4. Squeeze as much of the water out of the cabbage as possible.
5. Add the besan to the cabbage, along with the rest of the kofta ingredients, and knead it together.
6. Form this mixture into small balls, and fry them in hot oil until brown.
7. Add the balls to the gravy, and let it soak for about half an hour.

Serve hot with rice!!!!!

Thengai Manga Pattani Sundal!!!!!

Thengai Mangai Pattani sundal / Coconut mango peas sundal is a must have when u go to marina beach...U can see grown up kids selling sundal all over the beach... U will never admire the beauty of beach without these noises in the surrounding... Man! they wont leave u alone untill u buy a packet of sundal.. I love the taste of sundal with mango, it wont be mushy but it has a grainy texture..I tried recreating the same old magic, voila!!! perfect sundal.. Though we dont have beach nearby, I sat in my balcony cherishing our pool view....

Ingredients:

1 cup green peas (cooked till soft)

1/4 cup shredded coconut

1/4 cup shredded mango (UN ripe)

green chilies and red chillies

salt to taste

Seasoning: oil, mustard seeds, urad and channa dal

Preparation:

Soak green peas over nite and cook till soft...Heat oil in a pan do the seasoning.. U can use curry leaves too. Add chopped green chillies and red chillies. Adjust according to ur spice level. Add cooked peas. Stir for a minute. Add coconut and mango, stir for couple more mts.. Remove from heat..Serve hot!!!

Spinach Pasta and Black pepper shrimp

Hope u guys had a wonderful long w/e.. Mine was busy celebrating my SIL's birthday and then cooking...My heart felt thanks for all the participants in FIC event...

Spinach pasta was originally prepared by Indira of Mahanandi. Basically it is basil and spinach combo with pasta.. I didn't have basil so i omitted it.. It tasted different.. I have to try it with basil...Lets see the ingredients..




Ingredients:
1 cup of basil and 1 small bunch of spinach ( I didn't use basil)
Medium red onion and tomato - one each, cut into big pieces ( I used white onion)
6 to 8 green chillies and
4 garlic cloves - sliced into big chunks
Half cup of cashews
Salt and peanut/olive oil to your liking (I used corn oil)
Pasta of your choice (I used linguine)

Checkout the original version from Indira's site....

Preparation:

saute all the ingredients in a pan except pasta. Saute till the spinach wilts and the raw smell of the ingredients vanishes..Remove from heat..allow to cool. Use blender to make them into smooth paste. Don't add water, the mixture has to be thick. Heat a teaspoon of oil and pour in the pureed mixture. Stir in half to one cup of water. Have a taste, add salt if needed and simmer for about 15 to 20 minutes, until the sauce reaches the desired thickness. Meanwhile cook the pasta on boiling water until al dente. Strain and add the pasta to the sauce.. Pasta is ready..


Black pepper Shrimp

Shrimp/prawn is my all time fav.. I tried Black pepper shrimp in a Chinese restaurant.. It tasted so good.. I tried to imitate it with Indian ingredients.. It was 90% close to the original version.. I think there should be a secret ingredient which gives a punch to the recipe...

Ingredients:

1 cup uncooked shrimp
1 tsp pepper powder
1/2 tsp red chilli powder
1/2 tsp turmeric
1/2 tsp curry powder
1 tsp lemon juice
1 tsp soy sauce
salt to taste

Seasoning:
8 big garlic cloves finely chopped
8 redchilli ground to flakes

Preparation:
Marinate the shrimp with specified ingredients for 3-4 hrs. Heat oil in a pan, add chopped garlic and red chili flakes. Fry for few minutes. Add the marinated shrimp. saute for 5 -7 mts. Shrimp cooks very fast. Don't cook shrimp more than 10 mts (if ur using jumbo shrimp cook accordingly). Once the water is absorbed, the shrimp becomes dry.. Remove from heat.. Serve hot with Sambar or rasam rice...

Black chickpeas and spinach curry

My hubby bought two big packets of spinach from Sam's club... Even if i use it everyday for cooking, it will take two weeks to finish it... Men have no clue when it comes to grocery shopping :(... I will always go with him.. if not this is what happens.. No point in cribbing now.. I have to use them asap.. This is my trial recipe, came out very well.. Once in a while we have to try something new..like strange combos..u will be surprised with the result...




Ingredients:

1 cup black chick peas
2 cups spinach
1 onion
2 tomatoes
1 tsp red chili powder
1 tsp ginger garlic paste
1 tsp Chole masala (store bought)
1 tsp cumin powder
1/4 tsp turmeric powder
salt to taste
oil

Preparation:

Soak Kala channa over nite. Cook in rice cooker for 1 whistle. Remove, strain the water and reserve. Heat oil in a pan, do the usual seasoning. Add chopped onion, fry till translucent. Add g & g paste. Saute till raw smell vanishes. Add chopped tomatoes and spinach. Cook till tomatoes becomes mushy, by that time spinach would be cooked. Add all the masala powder and 2 cups of Kala channa cooked water. Let it boil. Adjust salt. Once the gravy become thick, add cooked channa. Cover and cook for 5 mts. Garnish with coriander.. Serve hot with chappathi..

This is on its way to Side dish for Chappathi event, hosted by Viki of Viki's Kitchen.

Mushroom gravy

Button mushrooms are my favourite. In India, I tried mushroom only once that too the big wild grown mushrooms, which tasted very good. Mushrooms are best eaten fresh otherwise it might cause some health issues(especially in restaurants, I don't order any mushroom dish). I was browsing vaishali's Holy cow blog, found this wonderful recipe from her dad. It was simple yet delicious.

Check out the original recipe from Vaishali's Holy cow....





Ingredients:

3 cups of assorted mushrooms, cleaned and sliced into chunky strips (I used Button mushroom)
2 medium potatoes, cubed and microwaved with some water for about 5 minutes until they are barely tender. ( I didn't use it)
2 tbsp canola oil ( Replaced with Corn 0il)
1 tbsp coriander seeds
1 tsp cumin seeds
2 red chillies
5 cloves ( I used 2 cloves)
5 pods of green cardamom (I used 2 cardamom)
1 tbsp black peppercorns
1 onion, thinly sliced
1/2 cup shredded coconut (I used coconut powder))
1-inch piece of ginger, thinly sliced
6 large garlic cloves, sliced
1/2 tsp turmeric
2 medium tomatoes, diced

Preparation:

I didn't make any changes to recipe, except excluding potatoes. Check out Vaishali's Holy cow!!!

Heat 1/2 tbsp of the oil in a skillet. Add the coriander, cumin, chillies. cardamom, cloves and peppercorns and roast until they start changing color and become fragrant. Remove and reserve.Heat another 1/2 tbsp of oil stir fry half the sliced onion, garlic and ginger until they are golden brown. Reserve.Without adding any more oil, roast the coconut shreds for just a few seconds until they start turning golden-brown. Remove immediately. Be vigilant because coconut can burn easily.
Put the spices, onion, garlic, ginger and coconut in a blender and using 1/2 to 1 cup of water, grind to a smooth paste.In the same skillet used for toasting the spices and onions, heat the remaining 1 tbsp of oil.Add the remaining onion and cook until the onion starts turning golden-brown.Add the diced tomatoes and turmeric. Cook until the tomatoes start to break down.Add the sliced mushrooms and stir to coat with the spices. Add the potatoes.Cover and let cook until the veggies turn quite tender.Now add the ground spice-onion mixture. Stir thoroughly.Cover and let it cook another 10 minutes for the flavors to meld together.

Verdict:

The curry tasted heavenly. The flavour of fresh peeper and mushroom was awe some.. This is going to be one recipe I will cherish forever. FYI, I replaced mushroom with chicken and it was one hell of a combo... I am yet it to try it with mutton, coz the original recipe used to cook mutton.. I am sure, the mutton curry will be more tasty than Mushrooms...

Vaishali, Ur recipe is TRIED, TASTED & CERTIFIED:EXCELLENT.

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.

Cauliflower 65

Cauliflower 65 would be every one's favourite..handsdown..Its easy to make and taste so good. One of the favourite party foods as well as kids pleaser.

Ingredients:

1 whole Cauliflower floret

1 tbsp red chili powder

1 tbsp lemon juice

1 egg

1 tbsp g& g paste

1 tbsp garam masala

2 tbsp corn flour

1 tsp rice flour

1 tsp besan

1 tbsp Chicken 65 powder ( optional)

food color

salt to taste

oil for deep frying

Preparation:

Separate cauliflower florets and clean. Marinate it with corn flour, besan, rice flour, red chilli powder, lemon juice, g& g paste, garam masala , food color and egg. Leave it for 30mts to 1hr.

Heat oil for deep frying. Once hot, add cauliflower one by one. Fry till golden brown. Remove from heat. Remove excess oil with paper towel. Serve hot!!!!

Potato Masala and Keerai kozhumbu/ Spinach dal curry

Potato masala and keerai kozhumbu from my MIL's kitchen... Its such a simple recipe but tastes out of the world. As i already mentioned, I luv spinach and my hubby doesn't object it... it has permanent place in week day menu. This is another way of cooking spinach curry. Potato masala looks colorful, am sure would be a kids pleaser.

Potato Masala:

Ingredients:

2 potatoes

1/2 onion chopped

1 tbsp g& g paste

1 tbsp fennel seeds powder

1 tsp red chilli powder

1/4 tsp turmeric powder

salt to taste

2 tbsp oil

Preparation:

Cut the potatoes into 4 pieces and cook them till they are almost soft(3/4 done). Peel the skin and cur into small pieces. Marinate it with salt, turmeric and rec chilli powder for 30 mts. Heat oil in a pan, do the seasoning with mustard seeds and fennel seeds powder. Add onion an Fry till translucent. Add g&g paste. saute for 5 mts. Finally add the marinated potatoes and fry till golden brown Add oil if necessary. Potatoes will be crispy if u add more oil. Remove from heat.. Ready to serve....

Keerai kozhumbu/ Spinach curry

Ingredients:

1 bunch spinach

1/2 cup toor dal

1/2 onion

3 tomatoes

1 tbsp sambar powder

3 tbsp shredded coconut

salt to taste

Preparation:

Cook toor dal separately and mash it.. Grind coconut to a fine paste. Add sliced onions, tomatoes and salt to mashed dal and cook for 10 mts/ or till the onions and tomatoes are cooked. Add sambar powder, chopped spinach and ground coconut to the dhal gravy and cook till the spinach wilts and the masala should be cooked by 10 mts. Remove from heat. Do the seasoning separately and add to spinach dal mixture. Spinach gravy is ready!!!!

Beetroom Kurma and An Award!!!

Beetroot has slight sweet flavour, we have to make it spicy to contemplate with sweet flavor. This kurma recipe does this magic... The gravy will have slight sweet and more spicy flavour... It goes great with Idli too...

Ingredients:
2-beetroots (medium size)
1-cup green peas (Frozen)
1 cup Soya Chunks
Salt to taste (1-2 teaspoons)
Hand full of green coriander leaves.
5-6 tablespoons of oil

Paste:
2-onions
2-tomatoes
7-8-cloves of garlic
½ inch ginger
4-green chillies
½ cup grated coconut
½ teaspoon black pepper
½ teaspoon Coriander seeds
1-teaspoon Fennel seeds
½ inch Cinnamon
2 cloves
½ teaspoon poppy seed
2-cardamoms

Preparation:
Peel beet root. Cut them into small cubes. Cook with peas by adding enough water .Grind all the Ingredients to a thick paste.In a non-stick pan pour 5-6 tablespoons of oil and cook the masala paste for few minutes. Add salt and also the cooked beetroot and peas. Stir it thoroughly. Lower the flame. Cook for few more minutes. Finally add soya chunks. Cover and cook for 5mts.Season the kurma with mustard and curry leaves. Garnish it with green coriander leaves.

Serve with hot chapattis or parotas.

Yesterday I received " one lovely Blog" award from Sailaja of sailaja's kitchen.... Thank you so much for passing on this award to me...

I would like to pass this award to the fellow blogger who follow me!!! Check out my side bar!!!!

Zucchini Kootu

Zucchini is a squash, I never heard of... My sis in law used to make kootu with it. It tasted so good. I asked her about the veggie, she said its zucchini... I bought it next time when i went for grocery... kootu was awesome..

If u r like me...first time hearing abt zucchini... Introducing zucchini to every one...

A popular summer squash, ranging in color from dark to light green with a bit of mottling. The flesh is white with a light and delicate flavor. Zucchini is cylindrical but irregular, and is often 4 to 8 inches in length, but can be found very small or homegrown at lengths up to 2 feet and 6 inches in diameter. Many explorers who came to the Americas brought back what they considered strange foods. The zucchini eventually found its way to Italy where it was named zucchino. Inhabitants of Central and South America have been eating zucchini for several thousand years, but the zucchini we know today is a variety of summer squash developed in Italy. The word zucchini comes from the Italian zucchino, meaning a small squash. The term squash comes from the Indian skutasquash meaning "green thing eaten green." Christopher Columbus originally brought seeds to the Mediterranean region and Africa. The French term for zucchini is courgette, often used interchangeably for yellow squash as well. Although the term summer squash can mean a variety of different squashes depending on whom you are speaking with, you can pretty much use the different summer squash varieties interchangeably. The English also refer to a variety that is slightly larger and plumper as marrow. plural: zucchinis
Ingredient
Season: April - August
How to select: Smaller zucchini will be younger and more tender. Select skins free of blemishes and with a bright color. ( source)

Nutrition in Zucchini
Zucchini has vitamins and minerals in abundance. Low in calories, and cholesterol free zucchini is high in folates, potassium and vitamin A with lesser amounts of the B vitamins, phosphorus, magnesium, zinc and copper. With all that nutrition, zucchini gifts us further by being low in calories.

How to make this kootu....

Ingredients:

2 Zucchinis

1 cup toor dal

1/4 tsp turmeric powder

Salt to taste

Paste:

2 tbsp shredded coconut

1 tsp cumin seeds

5 green chillies

Seasoning:

1 tbsp ghee

1 tsp mustard seeds

1 tsp cumin seeds

Asofeotida/ hing

curry leaves

Preparation:

In a pressure cooker, add toor dal, zucchini pieces, turmeric powder and 2 cups of water. Cover and cook for 2 whistle. Remove from heat. let it cool.

Meanwhile, make a paste of the ingredients mentioned with little water. Let it be a fine paste.

In a pan, do the seasoning. Add the ground paste. saute for a minute. Add the cooked dal and zucchini. Mix thoroughly. Adjust salt. Let it cook till the raw smell of green chillies vanishes. Remove from heat, garnish with coriander leaves.

Serve hot with chappathi/ Rice...

Baby Potatoes Tandoori

I luv baby potatoes..perfect round shaped beauties. My mom used to make potato fry and I still luv it. When I go to supermarket, I will look for those wee ones...never got those perfect small ones. Finally, I found those perfect babies in walmart..Hurray.. I wanted to try my mom's recipe but ended up trying Tandoori Aloo by Shilpa of Aayis recipes.

This recipe was quite new to me..tasted very good..My hubby loved it..we finished all in one sitting. Its such a simple recipe but yields a great taste....

Shilpa: Ur recipe is Tried, Tasted &Certified:Excellent..

(Recipe source)

Ingredients:

7-8 baby potatoes peeled

1/2 cup chopped onion

1/2 tsp cumin powder

1/2 tsp coriander powder

2 tbsp thick curd/yogurt

1-2 tsp chili powder

1 tsp ginger-garlic paste

1 tbsp lemon juice

Oil

Salt to taste

Preparation:

I didn't do any change to the recipe..just followed the steps mentioned by shilpa..

Prick with a fork or put some deep slit marks with a knife on all the potatoes.Grind onions(preferably without water) to a smooth paste. Add onion paste and all other ingredients, except oil to the potatoes and mix well so that the potatoes get a thick coating of potatoes all over. The yogurt should be very thick so that the mixture remains thick.Leave the potatoes for around 1hr. Heat oil in a non stick pan and add the potatoes with the masala. Close the lid and let it cook on a low flame for around 15mins.

Preheat the oven at 350F for around 5mins. Take the potatoes in a greased bake ware and broil at 350F for around 10-15mins(till the coating has turned brownish).Serve hot with lemon juice.

Garnish with coriander leaves..

Potato & Peas Kurma

Election is finally over all over India.. I guess Voting went as peaceful as possible as mentioned by mother..Anything might happen..lets wait and see the result..Hope we have a Government which would raise India to great Heights!!

Today's Menu is P&P kurma...Potato and peas kurma is authentic south Indian curry goes well with rice and chappathi. No introduction needed for this dish..its creamy and spicy sauce with sweet peas and potato!!!..

Ingredients:

1 cup Boiled peas
1 cup potato
1 onion
2 tomatoes
1 tsp ginger and garlic paste
salt to taste
1 tsp oil

Grind to Paste:

2 Redchillies
4 Green chillies
2 cloves
1" Cinnamon
1 cardamom
1 tsp fennel seeds
2 tbsp coriander seeds
1/2 cup coconut

Seasoning: Oil, Mustard seeds, Curry Leaves.

Preparation:
Heat 1 tsp oil and start fry the chopped potatoes. Let it get half cooked. Now add onion, tomatoes, g&g paste , salt and ground paste. Add 1 cup of water. Mix well. Reduce to medium heat. Cover and cook till the raw smell vanishes and potatoes are tender. It might take up to any where bet wen 15 to 20 minutes or less. Finally add boiled peas and leave for another 10 mts. Add more water if the gravy starts thickening. Garnish with coriander and remove from heat...


Serve hot with Chappathi/Rice

Brinjal /Kathrikai Bajji

Vankayi Bajji as mentioned by my hubby's household is the other name of Brinjal Bajji..Goes very well with Idli and dosa. Whenever we call our MIL.. we ask whats for dinner..she will dosa..My hubby will ask Bajji ? (Bajji mean chutney in telugu..learnt it from hubby)..she Will say vankayi bajji..My hubby will say..amma vankayi bajji dosa entha nasa undu kadha???? (meaning..Brinjal bajji and dosa is a best combo isn't??).. My hubby loves it...So I had no choice other than learning this recipe from my MIL... Its very simple but tastes very good with dosa and Idli..

Ingredients:

4 Brinjal

6 Tomatoes

6 Green chillies

2 Redchillies

1 cup coriander leaves

1/2 onion

salt to taste

Seasoning: Oil, Mustard seeds, Curry leaves

Preparation:

In A pressure cooker, first add chopped tomatoes, then brinjal and other ingredients. We don't add water that's why we use tomatoes at the bottom. The juices in tomato will be sufficient to cook brinjal. Cover and cook for 1 whistle over medium heat. After 1 whistle, remove from heat and let it cool down.

Open the pressure cooker, everything will be almost mashed. Use mathu/ whipper to mash it to chutney consistency. Don't over mash it... Heat oil and do the seasoning..pour it in brinjal baji!!!

Simple delicious bajji is ready!!!

If ur having this as a side dish to Idli, Make a small hole in the centre of Idli..Add 1 tbsp of ghee..Pour the bajji over the Idli..It gives a divine taste!!!

Okra Fry with Poppy seeds

I prefer ladies finger to be fried. I don't like it in gravies coz of its stickiness. I already blogged about my favourite Verision. I was looking for something new to try..Found a wonderful recipe from Indira's website..Actually Mahanandi is like google for recipes.. Tried this one..absolutely fantastic..Me and my hubby finished the whole lot fry in one sitting...

Recipe source!!!

Ingredients:

20 okra

3 tablespoons poppy seeds (kus kus)

3 dried red chillies

Salt and turmeric - to taste

Seasoning: 1 tablespoon oil,Pinch each - cumin, mustard seeds and 6 curry leaves

Preparation:

I might have changed the quantities a little bit..just followed the original recipe..

1 Trim the ends and cut the okra to quarter to half inch wide rounds.

2 Roast poppy seeds in a dry, hot iron skillet for about 3 minutes, until they just start to color and release their aromas. Add dried red chillies and a pinch of salt and pound or blend all the ingredients together. Keep working until a nice, moist paste is formed.

3 In a wide skillet, heat a tablespoon of oil. Add and toast the seasoning ingredients first and then add the okra pieces. Mix once and fry the pieces, very rarely stirring, until they are free from moisture. A well seasoned cast-iron skillet charms the okra to a beautiful crispiness. If you have one, use it for this recipe.

"When okra pieces transform from clinging kids to leave me alone type teenagers,
it’s time to introduce the adulthood delights with spices."

This is my favourite quote, I love Indira's way of connecting with real life..Indira please don't mind me for highlighting these lines from ur post...

Add the poppy seed powder, turmeric and salt. Mix gently and saute for few more minutes.

Serve hot with any curry!!!

Bottle gourd / Sorakay curry

Its getting hotter day by day in Houston. Even though we had a splash of rain and thunderstorm on Monday still hot..Can u imagine standing near the hot stove without window in the kitchen..so hot..I actually reduced my cooking time..not trying any new things..I have to go through this hot climate for another 4 months.. cant imagine.. I wanted to make something cooling..we know mor kozhumbu but this is simplified version..learnt from my keralite Friends..This is very easy and can be done in jiffy..I loved the soothing effect of bottle gourd and cooling of yogurt..

Ingredients:

1 bottle gourd

2 cups yogurt ( use sour yogurt/home made)

1/2 tsp turmeric

salt to taste

7 green chillies(adjust to ur taste)

1 tbsp grated coconut

1 tsp cumin and mustard

3 redchillies

curry leaves

oil

Preparation:

Clean the bottle gourd/Sorakay and dice them to bite size piece.

Make a smooth paste with green chillies and coconut.

Heat oil in a pan, do the seasoning with mustard, cumin, redchillies and curry leaves.

Add bottle gourd and fry for few minutes.

Add ground paste, turmeric and salt.

Add 1 cup water, cover and cook over medium heat.

Once the bottle gourd is soft, reduce the heat and add the whisked yogurt.

Remove from heat. Let it stand for 10 mts for the flavours to mix up.

Serve hot with rice!!!

Cabbage Poriyal

Cabbage is a high source of vitamin K and Vitamin C. Health benefits include,

• Optimize Your Cells' Detoxification / Cleansing Ability


• Promote Gastrointestinal Health


• Promotes women's health by reducing cancer producing cells

There are many more benefits of cabbage..They are always a part of our dinner menu. This is another simple poriyal with limited ingredients and can be done in minutes..

Ingredients
1 cabbage shredded
1 onion
1 tomato
3 green chilies
1" ginger juliennes
1/4 tsp turmeric powder
salt to taste
1 tsp cumin seed and mustard seed
Oil

Preparation:

Heat oil in a pan, do the seasoning with mustard and cumin seeds. Add juliennes fry for a minute. Add onion, green chilies and shredded cabbage. Fry for 10 mts in medium heat. Add tomato and fry till mushy. Add turmeric powder.Sprinkle water, cover and cook till cabbage is soft. Remove from heat..
Serve hot with chappathi or side dish for any curry!!!

Brinjal Black eye beans Sprouts curry

I had black eye beans in my pantry from long time, was looking for some recipes to try...I came through sprouting section of Mahanandi's site...It was very informative.. I know sprouts are more healthier than the actual beans..so gave it a try...

Lets see the nutritional benefits of black eye beans!!!

Black-eyed beans have a smooth texture, pea like flavour and are good when mixed with other vegetables.
Like most beans, black-eyed beans are rich in the best sort of fiber - soluble fiber - which helps to eliminate cholesterol from the body. They are a good source of folate, potassium, copper, phosphorous and manganese. As a high-potassium, low-sodium food they help reduce blood pressure. Not only are they low in fat, but when combined with grains, beans supply high quality protein which provides a healthy alternative to meat or other animal protein. Beans also contain protease inhibitors which frustrate the development of cancerous cells

Sprouting is the practice of soaking, draining and then rinsing seeds at regular intervals until they germinate, or sprout. This can be a semi-automated or fully automated process when done on a large scale for commercial use. (wikipedia)

How to make this curry????

Ingredients:
1 cup black eye beans sprouts
3 small brinjals
1 onion
2 tomatoes
1 tbsp ginger garlic paste
1/4 tsp turmeric powder
1 tsp redchilli powder
1 tbsp coriander powder
1/2 tsp cumin powder
2 cups water
salt to taste


Preparation:

To sprout, soak the peas in water overnight. Next day, drain the water and gather the peas in a clean, breathable cotton cloth. Place them in a basket, cover, and keep the basket at a well ventilated windowsill or warm area in the home. Dont let the cloth dry. Spray water to supply moisture necessary for sprout growth. Usually within a day, sprouts start to appear and wait another day or two, to grow them the size shown in the photograph. (Mahanandi)

Heat oil in a pan, do the normal seasoning. Add onion and cut brinjal. saute for few minutes..
Add ginger garlic paste and cook till smell evaporates!!!
Add tomatoes and sprouted beans, saute for few more minutes. Tomatoes will start wilting..
Now, turn for all masala powders and 2 cups of water...
Add salt...Cover and cook till the beans is soft(not mushy).
Remove from heat , garnish with coriander leaves..
Curry is ready!!!!
Serve with chappathi or rumali roti!!!

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!!!!

Baby Radish Raita

Baby radish....Looks beautiful in bright pinkish red color with greens on the top. I was introduced to this beautiful veggie by my Mother in Law (MIL). She made sambar with baby radish... I tried to make raita with it...It was aw some for chappathi..It was a great hit with my hubby too..

Radish is:

Low in Saturated Fat and Cholesterol
High in Dietary Fiber, Vitamin C, Folate, Potassium, Riboflavin, Vitamin B6, Calcium, Magnesium, Copper and Manganese

The nutritional value of radish makes it ideal for:

Maintaining optimum health
Weight loss

Avoid including too many Radishes in your diet if you're interested in:

Weight gain (Source)

Ingredients:

1 bunch baby radish with greens

2 greenchillies

1 cup yogurt

salt to Taste

Seasoning: Oil, Mustard seeds, Urad dal and channa dal

Preparation:

Clean the radish thoroughly. Chop the leaves and keep them in flowing cold water. It removes any sand residue in the greens. Chop the greens and grate the radish.

Do the seasoning, Add greenchillies, greens and grated radish. Saute for 5 mts. Don't over cook it. Radish should be crunchy. Remove from heat. Allow to cool down. Mix with yogurt and adjust salt. Radish raita is ready!!!

Serve with chappathi...