Quick and Easy Vegetable Briyani

Quick and Easy Vegetable Pulao with Pomegranate Raita

2nd Friday Aadhi Velli Menu of the day

Naivedyam was Arisi Paruppu Payasam @ Rice Kheer @ Rice Dhall Payasam and Paruppu Vada

For lunch one pot dish @ Vegetable Pulao with pomegranate raita and pappad

Ingredients
3 cups of basmathi rice - soak for 30mins
4 cups of water
1 small carrot - cubed
1 cup of cauliflower - cut
1/2 half of capsicum - cube - I used yellow to add some colours to my briyani
6-8 beans - chopped
1 big white onion
1 big tomato
3-4 green chilly
1/2 tsp ginger garlic paste
1 sprig curry leaves
2 tbs of coarsely chopped coriander leaves
1/2 tbs of fennel powder
1/2 tbs of cumin powder
salt to taste
1 lime juice
more coriander leaves -for garnishing

Spices for pulao
1 small cinnamon
2-3 cloves
2-3 green cardamon
2-star anise
1/2 tsp  cumin seeds
1/2 tsp fennel seeds


Method

1.  Wash and soak basmathi rice for 30mins. Later drain the rice, safe the water for later.
2.  Cut all the vegetables to cube size.  Set aside
3.  In a thick bottomed pot,( I used pressure cooker), heat some ghee
4.  Once hot, add the spices and fry till aromatic.
5.  Next add in the onions and fry till soft.  Add in the ginger garlic paste, tomato, curry leaves and coriander leaves, stir well for a few more mins
6.  Add in the vegetables, mix well and let it cook for 2-3 more minutes.
7.  Add in both fennel and cumin powders, mix well and cook for 2-3 mins.
8.  Add in the drained rice, stir well, pour in the water, salt to season, lime juice, mix well and cook.


Enjoy

Thengai Sadam || Coconut Rice || தேங்காய் சாதம்

What else can you do with rice that is simple and quick besides fried rice.  Today I made Thengai Sadam, ie loosely translated Coconut Rice @ தேங்காய் சாதம்.

This is one of the many rice varieties that you can prepare.  It is simple and quick.  The sweetness from the freshly grated coconut, the crunchiness that you get from the cashew nuts and channa dhal (split bengal gram) and the little heat of the green chillies is awesome.  I pair the rice with some homemade beetroot chips and onion raita.  Honestly it is good as it is, no side dish is required.

Tips

Try using freshly grated coconut to get the best of this dish.

I also used coconut oil for tempering though you may use any vegetable oil if you wish.  

I used left over parboiled rice.  You can also use long grain rice.  Be sure to cool down and loosen the grains so that it does not clump together.  

Dont skip the ginger as they give a nice aroma.  Try those young ginger.  

Thengai Sadam||Coconut Rice ||தேங்காய் சாதம்.

Servings : 2 -3 persons

Ingredients

1 cup of freshly grated coconut

1.5 bowl of  cooked rice

3/4tsp of mustard seeeds

2 tsp of channa dhal (split bengal gram)

1 tsp of urad dhall

1 sprig of curry leaves

2 green chilly - adjust to your heat requirement

10-12 cashew nuts - halved - adjust to your requirement

1 tsp of sliced ginger

3 tbs of coconut oil

Method

 

1.  Heat a wok or pan and coconut oil on a medium fire.

2.  Once the coconut oil and add mustard seeds,channa dhal and urad dhall.  

3.  Mix for a few minutes. Add in curry leaves, ginger, cashew and chilly.

4.  Keep stirring for about 3-4 mins ensuring not to burnt the any.

5.  Add in fresh coconut, mix well and stir every now.  Dont let the coconut turn colour or burnt.

6.  Add in the rice, mix well and salt to taste.

7.  Coconut rice is ready to be served with raita or chips.  Serve warm.

Thengai Sadam with onion raita

Pomegranate Raita

Anardana Raita || Pomegranate Raita

Pomegranate raita is a quick to fix dish that goes well with briyanis and variety rice.  The tangy taste from the yogurt and sweetness and crunchiness from the pomegranate gives you a yummy combo with the spice of briyani and curries.

I like a simple raita to go with.  Not to many additions like cucumber or onions.  I like to savour the pomegranate as the hero in this raita.


anardana raita || pomegrante raita

ingredients
1 pomegranate seeds (they are called arils)
1 small green chilly deseeded and chopped finely (optional)
1 small tub of yogurt
1 small tub of buttermilk
1/4 tsp of cumin powder
1/4 tsp of black powder
salt to taste
chopped coriander leaves

method

1. in a bowl, whisk yogurt and buttermilk together.
2.  add cumin powder and black powder, salt, pomegranate and coriander leaves and mix well
3. serve chill.

note if you do not have buttermilk, just add some water to the yogurt, thickness desired for the raita.

Bhindi Ka Salan @ Ladies Fingers (Okra) Salan

Bhindi Ka Salan || Ladies Fingers (Okra) Salan

What is Salan.  It is a Hyderabadi dish that is typically served with briyanis.  It is a peanut based curry/gravy.  Can be served with rotis, chapatis and nans  Mirchi ka salan or chilly curry is another great salan that you can pair with briyani and breads.

Groundnuts, sesame seeds and coconut gives the rich taste to the salan and balance it with some spicy and tangy from the chillies and tamarind.

Let's look Bhindi ka Salan and how to prepare:

Bhindi Ka Salan

Masala Paste
4tbs of groudnuts
2 tbs of white sesame seed
3 tbs of coconut (fresh or dried ones)
1tbs of kas kas (optional)

10 medium sized okra - washed and halved into
1 big onion - slice finely
1 tsp of ginger garlic paste
2 green chilly- chopped finely
1/4 tsp mustard seeds
1/2 tsp cumin seeds
a few pieces of fenugreek seeds
1 tsp of red chilly powder
1/2 tsp of coriander powder
1/4 tsp of turmeric powder
4 tbs of oil.
1/2 cup of tamarind juice (from a lime sized tamarind soaked into half cup water)
1 sprig of curry leaves.
1 tsp jaggery
some coriander leaves finely chopped


Method

1.  Dry roast groundnuts on medium fire first as they take a little longer to roast.  If using coconut pieces then add them together. Finally the sesame seeds and kas kas if using. Make sure it is not burned.  Set aside and let it cool before grinding into smooth paste.  You may add a little water to grind smooth.

2. Wash and pat dry the lady fingers, cut into half.

3.  Next in a pot heat some oil. Fry the lady fingers to about brown. Set aside.

4.  In the same pot, add in mustard seeds, cumin and fenugreek seeds. Once they start to splutter, saute onions with some salt till soft and brown.

5.  Add in curry leaves and green chillies, fry for a few minutes.

6.  Add in ginger garlic paste, tumeric, coriander and chilly powders - mix till the raw smell is gone and in the grinded masala mix with  a cup of water and saute well into the mixture.

7.  Stir on medium fire and keep stirring to avoid burning or sticking to the bottom of the pan till the oil starts to split.

8.   Once the oil starts to split, add in chopped coriander leaves, tamarind juice, jaggery and salt to taste.

9.  When it starts to boil, add in the lady fingers, stir well and cook for another 5 minutes on slow fire.

Bhindi ka salan ready for action!

Enjoy

Kushka

Kushka ||குஸ்கா

Kushka is a simple yet flavourful rice dish. It's briyani dish without using any meat. and a South Indian speciality.  Within this they are a few variants of cooking, some one with water only, some a combo of coconut milk or milk with water and some with chicken/meat stock.

This is a lunch meal that goes well together with kurma and raita.  For this kushka I paired it with bhindi ka salan and pomegranate raita.

I used basmathi. I also used the rice cooker to the rice instead of a pressure cooker. Lets look at the ingredients.

Note : 1 cup of basmathi rice liquid to be at 1.5 cups.


Kushka

Ingredients

3 cups of basmathi - washed and soaked for 20mins. and drain
4.5 cups of water
2 red onion - slice finely
5-6 green chilly - slit into 2
1 big tomato - chopped finely
2 medium sized bay leave
2 small stick of cinnamon
2 star anise
3 cardamon
3 cloves
1 tsp fennel seeds
1tsp ginger garlic paste
1/2 cup of yogurt - whisked
4 tbs of ghee
1/4 tsp of turmeric powder
1/2 tsp of chilly powder
1/2 tsp of garam masala
a handful of mint leaves
a handful coriander leaves - chopped coarsely

Garnishing - Mint leaves and fried onion.

Method

1.  In a pot heat ghee. Add in bay leave, cinnamon stick, star anise, cardamon, cloves and fennel seeds.  Fry for a few minutes till aromatic.

2.  Add in sliced onions.  Saute with a little salt till soft and brown.  Add in the ginger garlic paste, fry till raw smell is gone.

3.  Add in chilly and all the powders and cook till mix well, stir for a few more minutes.  Add half of the mint and coriander leaves. Mix well and add in tomato.  Cook till the tomato is homogeneous and well mix into a combined paste.

4.  Add in yogurt and mixed well.  Stir in rice, stir well add in water and salt to taste, top up with the balance of coriander leaves and mint leaves and cook till it is done.

Serve with some home made fried onion and mint leaves.  Serve hot.

Green Capsicum Masala

Recipe credit : WWW.4Ksrecipe.com

I have always done a simpler version of capsicum masala. This is a rich creamy gravy that goes well with all kinds of bread and even with ghee rice.

Ingredients

Dry Roast Items

15 pieces of cashew (I used almonds)

2tbs of coriander

2 tbs of ground nuts

1tsp cumin seeds

To be grinded

1 whole red onion - chopped

1 large ripe tomato - chopped

1 small piece cinnamon

2 cloves

3 cardamon pods

2 large green capsicum - chopped

1 tsp ginger garlic paste
1 bay leaf
1/2 tsp tumeric
1 tsp chilli powder
1tbs fenugreek leaves (I used coriander leaves instead)


Method

• Dry roast almonds, coriander seeds, groundnuts and cumin seeds.
• Blend into fine paste the dry roast items with onions, tomato, cinnamon, cloves and cardamon pods with some water.
• In a pan, heat some oil
• Once hot, saute capsicum till soft but still crunchy. Set aside
• In the same pan, add oil if needed, add bay leave and ginger garlic paste and saute till the raw smell is done.
• Add in the blended paste and stir well on medium heat.
• Cook till the oil starts to separate
• Add the chilli powder, turmeric powder and salt to taste.
• Mix well and cook for another 3-4minutes.  If you find it is very thick, add a little liquid to your preferred consistency.
• Add the cook capsicum and coriander leaves.  Mix well and let it simmer for a few more minutes and it is ready.
• Serve hot

Vendakai Panchadi || Ladies Finger in Yogurt || Bhendi ka Raita

Sharing you a post that I made a few days ago.  Vendakai pachadi,  Its a quick and easy dish to prepare and goes well with rice, sambar, rasam or curries. Not to forget pappad.

Let's look at its preparation


Ingredients

350 gms ladies finger
1/2 cup of yogurt
2-3green chillies

For tempering

1 tsp of mustard seeds
1 dried chilly
1 sprig of curry leaves
salt to season

Method

1.  Wash and pat dry the ladies finger.
2,  Cut even sizes.
3.  Fry okra with chillies in some oil till brown and crispy.  Set aside
4.  Once cooled, add in yogurt, the thickness of the yogurt is up to you, you may add some water to dilute.  Salt to season.
4.  In a different pan, heat oil and add in mustard seeds. Once it starts to splutter, add in dry chilly and curry leaves and fry for a few seconds.  Pour into the yogurt mixture and stir well.
5.  Ready to serve.

Enjoy

Sathiarani

Indian Style Beans Carrot Stir Fry

A simple stir fry indian style with French beans and carrot.  Goes well as side dish with rice and chapatis.


Ingredients

150gm french beans - cut diagonally
1 small size carrot - sliced
1 onion - chopped finely
1/2 tsp of mustard seeds
1 red chilly - sliced
1 tsp of turmeric powder
1 tsp ginger garlic paste
a few sprigs of curry leaves
salt to taste

Method

1. Heat oil in a wok/pan
2. Once hot, add in mustard seeds, once popped add in onions and stir till soft
3. When the onions turn soft, add in red chilly, curry leaves, turmeric and ginger garlic paste.  Fry for a few more seconds
4. Add in the vegetables and stir till the paste mix well with the vegetables
5. Salt to taste and cook till soft.  If required, add in some water little at a time if they tend to burnt.
6. Once it is cooked, beans carrot stir fry ready to be served.

Enjoy

Sathiarani

Cabbage Kootu

Cabbage Kootu

If you want something quick and easy to prepare - a 2 in 1 dish combining dhall and vegetable.  You can use any

Ingredients that you require

1/2 cup of toor dhall/split moong dhall
1 tsp of ginger garlic paste
1 medium sized tomato - quartered
1/2 tsp of turmeric for boiling dhall + 1/2tsp for frying cabbage
4-5 green chilly - slit into half
200 gms of shredded cabbage
1/4 cup of milk + 1/2 cup of water ( or 3/4 cup of medium thin coconut milk)
1 tsp of fennel powder
1/2 tsp of cumin powder
salt to taste
chopped coriander leaves for garnishing

For Tempering
1/2 tsp of mustard seeds
1/2 tsp of urad dhall
1/2 tsp of cumin seeds
3-4 dried chilly
1 sprig of curry leaves
a dash of asofetida
1 large onion - sliced thinly
3 tbs of oil

Method

1.  Wash and boiled the dhall with salt, ginger garlic paste, tomato, turmeric and green chilly into fine soft.

2.  In a wok, heat oil, once hot, add in mustard seeds and once splutter, add in urad dhall and cumin seeds.  Once the urad dhall turn brown, add in asofetida and chilly. Fry for a few seconds.

3.  Add in onion, salt and curry leaves and fry till the onions are soft.

4.  Add in the cabbage, turmeric and fennel powder, stir well and cook further.

5.  Once the cabbage is cooked, add in the cooked dhall, milk and water, mix well and cook till the it starts to boil.  I prefer my cabbage kootu to be not too thick or thin.

6.  Remove from fire and garnish with chopped coriander leaves.  Serve with hot rice.


Enjoy

**Sathiarani**

Instant Rava Idli

Idli or steamed indian dumplings has many variations.

When you run out of idli batter, the best is make an instant idli batter that does not require any soaking,grinding and fermentation.  It is your quick fix either for breakfast and dinner.  The idli itself is a complete meal with nuts and vegetable.  It is soft and crunchy because of cashew, goes well with coconut chutney and sambar or dhall fry.


Preparation Time : 20 mins + 5 mins resting of batter + 10 mins cooking
Quantity : 18 medium sized idlis
Serves : 3-4 person

Ingredients
2 cups of rava/semolina/suji
8 whole cashew nuts - break into small pieces
6 tbs of yogurt - whisked
3 tbs  thinly sliced carrot
2-3 green chilly- sliced finely
1 tbs sliced finely ginger
1 sprig of curry leaves - finely sliced.
Water enough to make a batter

Tempering
2 tbs of ghee
1 tsp of mustard seeds
1 tsp of urad dhall
a pinch of asofetida

Method
1.  Prepare your idly steamer

2.  Dry fry rawa.  Make sure not to burn the rava.  Keep an eye and constantly stir till slightly brown. Remove into a bowl to cool down.

3.  In the same pan, heat ghee. Roast the cashew nut till brown on low fire, remove only the roasted nuts into the rawa leaving behind the ghee.

4.  Into the hot ghee, add in mustard seeds.  Once splutter, add in urad dhall, once it turn brown and add in asofetida frying for a few seconds.

5.  Add in the chopped chilly, curry leaves and chopped ginger.  Fry for a few more minutes till aromatic.

6.  Next add in the sliced carrots and fry till the raw smell of carrot is disappears and it become soft and crumbly.  Remove from fire and add into the rawa mixture

7.  Add in the whisked yogurt and salt and mixing well .  Add in water slowly mixing at the same time.  The batter should be neither too thick nor too thin - medium consistency.

Enjoy

Sathiarani

Asian InspiredTaufoo Salad

Simple and easy, no fuss salad ala Thai.  No specific measurement just go with the flow.

Ingredients

Taufoo - cut bite size and deep fry.

Sliced Onions - slight crushed with your hands

Chilly - sliced small

Carrots - Shredded

Cucumber - Sliced finely

Roasted peanuts - removed skin in whole or crushed

Roasted white sesame 

Coriander - coarsely chopped 

Sweet & Spicy Sauce

Preparations

Mix all the ingredients nicely coated with the sauce and ready to serve.

Enjoy

** Sathiarani**

Deep Fried Banana Balls @ Cekodok Pisang @ Cucur Pisang

If you have over-ripe bananas what else can you do instead of cake.  Well this is what we used to have as tea time snack - Deep Fried Banana Balls.  Back home it is known as cucur pisang or cekodok pisang.

It is as easy as 1,2,3...

Step 1 : Mix all ingredients

Step 2 : Fry till golden brown

Step 3 Serve

Ingredients

4-5 over ripe bananas - any bananas will do I used the long type
1 cup of self raising flour
salt
sugar according to to your taste

Preparation

1.  Mashed the bananas well

2.  Mix all the flour, salt and sugar.

3.  Heat oil and and once it is hot, drop in dollops of mixture. I use a spoon to get almost same size balls.

4.  Fry till golden brown, remove and strain.  Make sure the oil is not too hot as it will turn brown fast but not cooked inside.

5.  Serve and enjoy.



** Sathiarani**

Laukhi Ki Chutney @ Bottlegourd Chutney

I have got half of a laukhi/bottlegourd/soorkai which I have used the other half to make sambar.  I was planning to make idly for dinner with chicken curry and needed to make a chutney.

Remembered long back, a friend of mine ever mentioned making chutney out of the skin ridged bottlegourd.  I was tempted to make my chutney of the same but the decided otherwise as the bottlegourd skin was more brown than green.  Instead I used chopped bottlegourd.

I always like to prepare my chutneys using coconut oil.  It gives this nice aroma while sauteing and afterwards.  I was pleasantly surprised on how it turned out - my sister-in-law liked it.

Ingredients:

Half of bottle gourd medium sized
1 medium sized onion
1 tsp ginger garlic paste
2-3 green/red chilly - depending on your spicy taste bud
1 sprig of curry leaves
10 sprigs of coriander leaves - chopped coarsely
salt to taste
tamarind paste/juice - small pinch
1 -2 tbs of coconut oil - optional can use any other vegetable oil
1tsp cumin seeds
1 tsp of channa dhall
2-3 tbs of coconut gratings.


Preparation:

Some of the ingredients 

1. Removed the skin of the bottlegourd.  Chopped the vegetable to small pieces.  Since you are grinding into a paste, you need not remove the inner white portion and the seeds of the bottle gourd if they are not hard.

2  Heat coconut oil. Once hot, add in cumin seeds.  Let it splutter.  Afterward add in channa dhall and let it turn slightly brown.

3.  Next add in the onions and cook till soft and light in colour.  Add in ginger/garlic paste - stir till the rawness of the paste disappear.  Add in green chilly and curry leaves.  Fry for another minute or two so.

4.  Add in the the chopped bottle gourd. Mix well and let it cooked till soft.

5.  Add in the coriander leaves and cooked for a few more minutes.

6.  Remove from fire and leave it to cool.

7.  In a grinder, add in the cooled bottle gourd mixture, adding coconut scraps. salt and tamarind juice/paste.  Blend into a fine paste.

8.  Remove from the blender and serve with some chopped coriander leaves.

Dhall Fry

Dhall fry is so simple to prepare that anyone can do it.  It is best eaten with rice or chapatis/rotis, naans.

Dhall fry best done with tuvar dhall (pigeon pea lentils).  You can also make them with either moong dhall, masoor dhall or chana dhall.  

Mine was a combo of moong dhall and tuvar dhall equal portion. I like to saute with ghee and a cooking ahead atleast an hour or more so as to let the spices absorb well with the dhall gravy.

You can use a pressure cooker or with a laid back fashion as I just did (but beware not to burnt them though)

Ingredients

1 cup of tuvar dhall

1 cup of moong dhall
enough water to pressure cook
1 tsp of turmeric powder

4 tbs of ghee
1 tsp of mustard seeds
1 tsp of cumin seeds
1 big onion - chopped

1 tsp ginger garlic
2 red chilies - chopped coarsely
2 sprigs of curry leaves
2 -3 dry chilly
a good dash of asofetida
1 tsp of turmeric powder
1 tsp of red chilly powder

1 medium sized tomato - chopped finely

salt to taste
3-4 tbs of chopped coriander leaves
water to adjust the thickness of dhall
1 tsp of lemon juice. - optional

How to prepare:

1.  Wash and pressure cooker both dhalls with turmeric powder till soft without any grains felt.  It should be kind of creamy and mushy.

2.  In a pan, heat ghee till melted.  Add in mustard seeds and let it splutter

3.  When the mustard seeds starts spluttering, add in onions, fry till soft and translucent, add in ginger garlic paste. Once the rawness of the ginger garlic is disappear, add in the chilies and curry leaves, stir well

4.  Add in the powders, stir and mixed well.

5.  Next goes in the chopped tomatoes, mix well and stir well and cooked till the tomatoes are soft and the oil is separated from the sides.

6.  At this point, season with salt, add in the cooked dhall, mixed well, beware though, the dhall is very thick and they will start to pop.

7.  Add in some water, depending on your required consistency, mixing well with the tempered and dhall.

8.  Once they are well coated, remove from fire, add in the chopped coriander leaves and lemon juice.  Stir well.

If you prefer, you may add in a dash of ghee and chopped coriander leaves while serving.

Enjoy.

Dhall Fry

Dhall Fry and Chapatis

Sathiarani

Vendakai (Ladies Finger/Okra) with Mothchai "மொச்சை" (Lima Beans) Puli Kulambu

Vendakai (Ladies Finger/Okra) with Mothchai "மொச்சை" (Lima Beans) Puli Kulambu

I love mothchaikotai or mothchai ie lima beans.  My mum used to make curry with dried fish and motchai kind of thick and slightly spicy.  Just thinking of one can make me drooling.

Lets look at how I make this thick gray full of tangy, spicy and sort of thick gravy suitable for a cold winter with hot chapati or hot steaming rice.

Ingredients
10 ladies finger - medium sized - washed and sliced into 2 or 3
1/4 cup of lima beans - washed and soaked overnite or atleast 4hours  and boiled
1 medium sized tomato - chopped small.
1/2 tbs of
1 big onion - sliced
1 sprig of curry leaves
1/2 tsp of mustard seeds
1 tbs of fenugreek seeds
1 tbs tamarind paste mixed with 150ml water
2 tbs of chilly powder (I used the kashmiri chilly powder)
1 tbs sambar powder
1 tsp turmeric powder

How To Prepare
1.  Prepare the beans, ie wash and soaked overnite preferably otherwise about 4 hours will do, then either pressure cook it or boil soft with some salt.  Once done, drain and you can either remove the skin or leave it on.

2.  Next heat oil.  Once hot, add in mustard seeds.  Once it starts to pop/splutter, then add in the fenugreeks, stir fry, do not burn the fenugreeks or you will have bitter after taste.

3.  Add in onions and saute till soft, followed by the ginger garlic and tomatoes.  I like to crush my tomatoes with my hands sort of like puree. Mix well for 3-4 minutes.

4.  Add in all the powders, mix well with oil mixture, saute for a few more minutes, till the oil starts to split.

5.  Pour in the tamarind juice and mix well, season to taste.  Cover and let it boil for a few more minutes, add in the beans and let it reduce to a almost thick gravy.

6.  Once it is almost thick gravy add in the sliced ladies finger, mix well and let it simmer till the ladies fingers are tender and cook and require consistency.

Enjoy

Sathiarani

Tindly Fry (Kovakkai)கோவக்காய் Fry

Tindly, Ivy Gourd or it is called kovakkai in tamil (கோவக்காய்) is a kind of vegetable that you find in abundance in Qatar as it vegetables are mostly imported from India.  This is the second time only I have cooked, first being when my husband bought the vegetable out of curiosity.

To tell the truth, I am beginning to like them and I shall be trying more different style of cooking with this newly found love towards Tindly @ Kovakkai..

You can find out more about ivy gourd/tindly on this http://www.healthbenefitstimes.com/health-benefits-of-ivy-gourd/

These are matured kovakkai that do not want to cook.

Ingredients Required
350gm of kovakkai - wash and sliced thinly
1/2 tsp of mustard seeds
1/2 tsp of urad dhall
1/2 tsp of ginger garlic
1 sprig of curry leaves
1 big onion  - finnely chopped
1/2 tsp of tumeric powder
1 tbs of curry powder - I used kashmiri chilly powder for the extra spiciness.
  
How to prepare 

1.  heat oil and  once hot, add in mustard seeds, when it starts to splutter, add in urad and followed by onions
2.  Saute the onions till soft.
3.  Add in ginger garlic and curry powder stir.
4.  Add in curry powder and turmeric and stir in  for seconds,
5.  Stir in the sliced kovakkai, mix well and and add in 2 -3 spoons of water and stir well.
6.  Season with salt and cook till tender.
7.  Ready to be serve with chapatis and rice.

Enjoy!!!

Sathiarani

Cabbage Poriyal /Stir Fry Indian Style

One of my lunch menu : fish curry (click here), fish fry (click here), cabbage carrot poriyal and vendaika (okra/ladies finger) poriyal.

Let's look at cabbage/carrot indian style.

Ingredients

Cabbage cut into thin slices
shredded carrots
onion - sliced
ginger garlic paste
green chilly - sliced
curry leaves
mustard seeds
turmeric
fennel powder
salt
oil

Method

Heat oil, when it is hot, add in mustard seeds, let it splutter.
Add in onion, saute for a few seconds till soft, add in curry leaves, green chilly and ginger garlic paste.
Fry for a few more seconds.
Saute in turmeric powder, fennel powder and salt
Add in cabbage n carrot and mix well.
Cook till the cabbage is soft.
Remove from fire and ready to serve.


Enjoy


Sathiarani

Drumstick Pulp Rasam

I was just jayblogging when I chanced upon Priyas and what caught my attention was this Drumstick Pulp Rasam and my brained zoomed to delicious drumstick soup that I had at Anjappar recently. 

It was really delicious and I was actually surprise that we can make soup of drumstick. Normally I had cooked them with sambar, sardine curry or just simply drumstick masala with egg .

Priyas Versatile Recipes - Everyday's Cooking (http://priyaeasyntastyrecipes.blogspot.com)  is a great page with loads of recipes just waiting to try and enjoy.   I knew I have stock of drumstick in my fridge so that's it, and I always have ready stocked of boiled toor dhall.

I tried and was very happy with the result. It was a good combination with sambar and cabbage fry.

Drumstick Pulp Rasam
Source : http://priyaeasyntastyrecipes.blogspot.com/2014/01/drumstick-pulp-rasam.html
copy and paste from Priya's page

Ingredients Required

1/4cup Toor dal (cooked)

2 nos drumstick big and tender ( I used 3 as mine was slender looking drumstick)

1tsp Rasam powder

1no Tomato (crushed) - I blend instead

Few curry leaves

2nos Garlic cloves (crushed)

1tsp Lemon juice

Few coriander leaves

3nos Dry red chillies

1tsp Mustard seeds +Urad dal

1/4tsp Asafoetida powder

Oil

Salt

 

Method

1. Cut the drumsticks as one inch pieces.
2. Cook the sliced drumsticks with enough water until they turns soft.
3. Drain the water and scoop out the pulp from the cooked drumstick and keep aside.
4. Now take this drumstick pulp,crushed tomato,cooked toordal,curry leaves, crushed garlic cloves, coriander leaves,salt and rasam powder  in a bowl.
5. Add enough water to make it thin.
6. Heat the oil, lzt splutters the mustard seeds,urad dal, add the asafoetida powder,dry red chillies, fry until they turns brown.
7. Add immediately the already prepared drumstick-dal mixture to the tempered spices, once the rasam starts bubbling put off the stove.
8. Add the lemon juice and give a stir, serve with rice.

Sathiarani

Sukanya Amma's Potato Fry

Sukanya, one of my neighbour in my housing compound brought this for our mini pot luck gathering.  I definitely enjoyed it very much.   It has a crispy like taste and definitely easy to make.  Of course what next - definitely you get to share her recipe with me.

Try them and see if you enjoy them as much as I did.  My daughter made this as well and she too find it easy and nice.  Good combo with rasam, sambar or the like.

Sukanya Amma's Potato Fry
Source - Sukanya
Ingredients

3-4 potato
1tsp of turmeric powder
3tbs curry powder - I used Kashmir curry powder
2-3 of vegetable oil

Method

Quarter the potatoes and slice it - not too thin or too thick
Marinate with turmeric and curry powder for a few minutes.
Heat oil in a heavy pan/wok
Once the oil is hot, add it the potatoes and coat will with oil.
Let it cook on slow fire.
Keep stirring the potatoes so that does not stick to the pan.
Ready when the potatoes are cook.

Enjoy

 

Birthday Mania...Carrot Rice, Oreos No Bake Cheese Cake & Snowy Cheese Cake

After a gap of 2 months for summer holidays, we are continuing the tradition of celebrating birthdays again.  This time I decided to bake too for the celebration.  

I thought for a change have a cheezy month - Oreos No Bake Cheese Cake, Snowy Cheese Cake and Strawberry Cheese Cake.  Yes it is cheese mania month...The first 2 cake turn out very well but was not so successful of strawberry cheese cake.  Need to CSI further where I went wrong..

I also made Carrot Rice for my part of the pot luck.  My sister and her husband made this carrot rice when we visited them during our holidays.  It has this nice orangy yellowish colour to it - no additional colours required.  Sort of ghee rice.

Thank you Gowri and Guna for sharing the recipe

Carrot Rice
Courtesy of Gowri & Guna

Ingredients
4 cups of basmathi rice ( or any long grain rice) - washed and soaked for 10 mins, the drain
6 cups of water (inclusive of the carrot juice)
2 cups of grated carrot - squeezed the juice but don't discard
1 big onion - sliced
2tbs of ginger garlic paste
1 bay leaves
2  cinnamon stick - break into 2 or 3
2-3 cloves
2-3 star anise
2 green chillies - slit lengthwise
2 tbs heap of ghee (you can use oil or even butter)
salt to taste

How to prepare
1.  Wash and soak rice for about 10 mins, then drain
2.  Grate carrot, squeeze out the juice.  Keep the juice
3.  Heat ghee and when hot, sauté bay leaves, cinnamon stick, cloves, start anise till aromatic.
4.  Next add in onions and sauté till soft and pink. Add in the chillies too and sauté for a few more minutes.
5.  Put in the grated carrot and salt and sauté for 2-3 minutes.
6.  Add in the rice, stir well and fry for another 2 -3 minutes.
7.  Pour in the water and the juice of the carrot. stir well, and bring water/rice to slow boil
8.  As soon the water/rice starts to boil, cover the pot and cook on medium flame till all water has been absorbed.  Turn off the heat and let the rice sit for 5minutes.
9.  Use a fork to get fluffy rice and it is ready to serve.

Note
Basmati rice is a type of aromatic rice that originates from India, has an elongated grain and a unique flavor. It cooks in less time and with less effort than long grain white rice, and you won’t need a rice cooker to get it right. The finished product looks slightly different than long grain rice, but it is unlikely your guests will know the difference until they taste the flavor -- which is sure to delight their senses.

Read more: http://www.ehow.com/how_2159533_cook-basmati-rice.html#ixzz2hyzMSGsR

Basic rule of cooking basmathi is 1cup of rice to 1½cups of water.

Hope you enjoy just like we did...