Recipe Index

Coriander Coconut Thogayal

October 20, 2012 By anusha 4 Comments

This is one of those recipes which happened in my kitchen after my recent purchase of Chandra Padmanabhan s Dakshin. I must tell that i m not at all disappointed with the book. I mean can i be after my stunning success with the Mysore Pak? Its easy. Its simple and it has comfort food written all over its face. It was absolute heaven to mix the earthy flavored chutney with hot steamed rice and drizzle a generous amount of sesame oil over it. Hmmm… that s what i shall call unadulterated bliss. Haa..the joys of eating. And not to forget, the joys of cooking…

When i made this in the afternoon, amma fell in love with it. And i was surprised to see that the chutney vanished along with a dozen dosas in the evening too. It tasted divine with dosas and i hope you all try it too.

Recipe For Coriander Coconut Thogayal

( A chutney made with grated fresh coconut, cilantro and a few spices)

Prep Time: Under 10 mins

Cook Time: Under 10 mins

Serves 2

What You Need?

Freshly grated coconut 8 tbsp

Bengal gram dal or channa dal 1 tbsp

Urad dal or black gram dal 1 tbsp

Cilantro leaves a small bunch chopped finely

Green chilies 5

Dry red chilies 2

Tamarind the size of a small marble

Salt to taste

Oil 1/2 tsp

To Temper:

Mustard seeds 1 tsp

Curry leaves a sprig

Hing a small pinch

Oil 1 tsp

How To Make It?

In a pan, heat 1/2 tsp oil.

Add the dals and chilies and saute the dals till light brown and aromatic.

Set aside to cool.

Place the coconut, cilantro, tamarind, salt, sauteed dals and chilies in a blender and grind to a coarse paste adding very little water at a time.

Heat 1 tsp of oil and add the mustard seeds.

Once the seeds splutter, add the curry leaves and hing.

Now add the tempering to the ground chutney and combine well.

Serve hot with hot steamed rice and some poppadoms.

This is my entry to this month s Hush Hush Week for the Avant Garde Cookies. Priya Sreeram set me the secret ingredient as greens and i m keeping my fingers crossed that she accepts Cilantro as greens. 🙂 In the meanwhile, if you are wondering what the other cookies are cooking up, check out Roshni, Priya Sreeram, Radhika, Jayanthi,Priya Mahadevanand Veena.

Mysore Pak – Diwali Special

October 17, 2012 By anusha 10 Comments

As promised, i m here with my mysore pak. I must confess i m a tad bit proud of myself after my first fling with mysore pak resulted in me tying the knot with the finicky lil sweet. I must also admit that i ve never been a huge fan of mysore pak. Despite the fact that i hail from Coimbatore, the birth place of the famous Shree Krishna Sweets, a pioneer in mysore pak making. I grew up with tonnes and tonnes of mysore pak shoved down my throat by relatives and friends alike. Maybe its that that drove me away from the Mysore Pak. And this sweet has a wiki page if you all dint know. You can check it out here. Strange that i can say stranger things when i m in that cooking frame of mind. Anyway, this whole mysore pak episode happened on a whim.

I just happened to buy Chandra Padmanabhan s Dakshin recently. So like i do with every cook book that i buy, i became obsessively engrossed in reading it and then there was this mysore pak recipe which called out to me in all that ” Baby, call me when you need me” tone. So what else can i do but make it straight away. And i must tell you all that it got a straight A from people too. Make it and i ll tell you, you will make it every time you have to whip up a sweet.

Ok starting from now, its only fair that i warn you of all the stirring that awaits you in the process of making it.If you intend to shed off the flab on your arms, its a good place to start with. Only you have to abstain from popping it into your mouth after having made it. Get the idea? So gear up and lets make some Mysore Pak.

Recipe For Mysore Pak
( Indian sweet made with gram flour, clarified butter and sugar)

Prep Time: Under 10 mins
Cook Time: Under 40 mins
Yields about 20 medium pieces

What You Need?

Gram flour or besan or kadala maavu 1 cup
Sugar 2 cups
Ghee 1.25 cups
Ghee 2 tbsp for greasing
A deep tray or a vessel with a flat bottom

How To Make It?

(I made a few adjustments to the original recipe. While the original recipe dint call for sieving the flour, i strongly recommend it if you are looking for soft mysore pak. The original recipe also calls for 2 cups of ghee but oh my conscience will never let me indulge so much for fear of a barrel staring at me when i look into the mirror in a few days. I just used about 1.25 cups of ghee and that s just about enough. It gave me delicious melt in the mouth mysore paks. So stick to mine and you will have a lil less guilt about making Mysore Pak.)

Grease the tray or the plate that you are going to use with ghee generously and set aside.
Sieve the gram flour well to get rid of any impurities. Set aside.
Heat a non stick pan with about 1 tbsp of ghee.
Saute the flour on low flame until just aromatic.
Set aside.
In the same pan, heat about 3/4 cup of ghee.
Add the gram flour to the heated ghee, stir quickly on low flame and set aside.
In another pan, place the sugar and add water to just cover it.
Boil the sugar syrup until it reaches one string consistency.You will know if it s that much when you touch the sugar syrup and there s one string that doesnt break off when you pull away your thumb and forefinger.
Strain the syrup and add the gram flour ghee mixture to the syrup. Mix well by placing it over a low flame.
Now, in another clean pan,( yes you are going to need 3 pans for this and i couldnt figure out a short cut for that!), add the reserved ghee and heat it up.
Now, add the gram flour sugar mixture to the reserved ghee and start stirring. Now s when you must hold your horses and prep yourself to some heavy duty stirring.
You must keep stirring the entire mixture on a low medium flame until the ghee separates and the mixture froths up.
Once the mixture froths up, pour this into the greased plate.
Lightly tap the plate onto the kitchen counter but be very careful while you do this. Remember the mixture is super scorching hot.
Now let it cool down considerably.

Once cool, cut into desired shapes and start eating right away like i did or be sweet enough to send some over to your neighbour.You can also store this in an air tight container and it keeps well for a week.

Churma

October 16, 2012 By anusha 6 Comments

I know its awfully early for diwali but then the festive spirit is infectious and so i thought i might as well get a hands on over the entire festive scenario. Starting this week, you will have delicious diwali delights on my blog either posted by me or a wonderful guest blogger. On that note, let me introduce you to a splendid blogger with some amazing talents. She s Nupur of UK Rasoi and she takes away the credit of being my first guest blogger. Uhhh what can i say about Nupur? Calling her versatile or fabulous or a brilliant photographer wont suffice. She s one of those people who makes sensible food but blogs about it in an exceptional way with an extra ordinary sense of photography. All her pictures are drool worthy and she s one of those bloggers who will make you run into the kitchen and start cooking pronto. I wont say anything more. I ll let Nupur herself wow you all with her post. Over to the utta gal!

This Blogging world is amazing !! Only those who resides in can understand the thrill of posting something you have prepared and seeing the world appreciating your work. Meeting fellow Bloggers “virtually” and befriending them is one of those exciting bonuses it provides you. Participating in events and contests keep the fun going, and similarly the honor of writing Guest Posts for other Bloggers maintains the serenity and blooming relations. Hence when Anusha of Tomato Blues asked me to write a guest post for her Blog, I was more than glad to do that for her.

Anusha has a wonderful Blog ( Of Course, now since you are here reading this, you already are aware of it by now :). I especially like the captivating name and fascinating layout. Anusha wanted some post related to the festive theme going around and I recently had prepared this Choorma as a dessert for my Husband’s birthday Party.

Choorma is basically a Rajasthani/Marwari dessert traditionally eaten along with the Combination of Daal & Baati. Its a very fulfilling and heavy dessert honestly and requires a lot of Ghee to prepare. Usually eaten in the form of Laddoos, I enjoy it just as it is. This might be the second time in my life ever that I made this, first being the time when Mum showed me how to. Although it does take a little more time and effort than the usual list we have, but then once in awhile its worth. And yes, the list of Ingredients is short, if that helps 😉 Recipe For Churma

Ingredients:

2 cup Whole Wheat Flour
½ cup Milk
2 cups Ghee
½ cup of Oil
2 cups Caster Sugar
1 tsp Cardamom Powder
½ cup chopped/ pound nuts (Almonds, Cashews, Pistachios)

How to make?

Sift flour in a bowl and mix ½ cup Ghee with fingers it till it gets all crumbly. Start kneading it in the form of a semi-soft dough with the help of milk. Avoid water if you can and use greased palms to knead for a soft dough. Keep aside for half an hour at least.
Now, make small balls or cylinders out of this dough. Heat 1 cup ghee along with oil in a Wok and start frying these cylinders into it until light brown. Fry them in 3-4 batches and keep on a paper towel to absorb extra oil. Allow them to cool a bit so that you can handle by naked hands.
When the chunks gets cooler, run them in a mixer to crush them in a powder, like semolina but courser. It should not be like a powder, its important.
Now heat the remaining ghee into the same wok and pour in this powder into it. Cook this mixture at low-medium flame for 10-12 minutes. This will turn further brown and will start giving nicer aroma.
At this point, add sugar and cardamom powder to it along with the chopped nuts and keep stirring till next 8-10 minutes till all sugar gets dissolved completely.
Turn off the heat and serve with a spoonful of Ghee on top…. And then run extra 15 minutes everyday for a month

My Notes:

Although I have clicked the pictures with just the powdered Churma, I did mould it into Laddoos after the Party. For Laddoos, just grease the palm and use warm Churma Powder to make round balls. They will get harder when cool down hence take care and do not reduce the quantity of ghee in the preparation.
This can be preserved uptil 10 days in an airtight container and upto a month in the fridge. Do not forget to warm it up before eating, it tastes best like this

Nippat Chaat or Thattai Chaat – Quick Snack Recipe

October 11, 2012 By anusha 5 Comments

Whenever i make chaats at home, a sense of nostalgia welcomes me warmly. Most of my college days were blissfully spent in tucking into a newspaper cone full of pineapple chaat or some tikki puris or nippat chaat. I dont even know whether these exist outside the periphery of Bangalore. I still feel my eyes welling up with tears when i reminisce of those days i spent lurking in the corner of our college library and rushing out to grab a bit of this and that when the stomach churned with hunger. I am a stickler for cleanliness but then there was this one tikki puri wala whom i exempted. He used to whip up newspaper cone after cone of deliciousness in a matter of minutes. And whats more, almost all of what he made was on the healthier side too. May it be his crunchy cucumber masala or congress or this nippat masala, there was no beating that guy. This recipe is just a recreation of those memories.

Now that amma is here, its usually only her and me in the evenings. While most of the evenings are spent reciting kandha sashti kavasam or screaming at the kids until my throat almost becomes hoarse, an evening of quiet visits us very rarely and this was just one of it. This recipe was made in a whim. Oh did i tell you how, everytime i decide to make chaat at home, i run out of one or more ingredients? But this time, fortunately, i had everything and so this got made in like what 5 mins? Real quick huh? Make this for the kids some day and wow them.

Recipe for Thattai Or Nippat Chaat
( A quick snack made with thattai murkku and an assortment of chutneys)

Prep Time: Under 10 mins
Cook Time: Nil
Serves 2

What You Need?

Thattai murukku 8 broken into tiny bits
Onion 1 medium chopped finely
Tomato 1 medium chopped finely
Carrot grated 1 tbsp
Cucumber 2 tbsp chopped finely
Pomegranate pearls 1/8 cup
Nylon sev 2 tbsp
Lemon juice 1 tbsp
Meeta chutney 2 tbsp
Pudina chutney 1 tbsp(Read The Recipe here)
Chaat masala 1/4 tsp
Salt to taste

How To Make It?

Place all the ingredients except the pomegranate pearls, sev and lemon juice in a large mixing bowl.
Mix well.
Add the lemon juice and combine well once again.
Garnish with sev, pomegranate pearls and chopped coriander.

Serve with a cup of hot chaai.

Paneer Vegetable Balls

September 23, 2012 By anusha 12 Comments

Okay. This is going to be a rant post. When i say rant, i mean heavy duty ranting. So gear up and hold your horses until i come to the recipe itself. Recently, the ladies club in the township announced a cooking competition. For reasons aplenty, i couldnt participate. So, i went ahead and became a lil magnanimous and shared my recipe with a friend. And guess what, she won a prize. So that s technically, my recipe winning the prize. Can you even begin imagining how that feels like? I felt so stupid. Half the reason why i dint go was that i thought i would look like a baby cook in front of all the ladies there. And now when that happened, i was furious with myself albeit the fact that i was happy for my friend who has not stopped thanking me profusely till date while the competition was a week back. Well, i felt pretty dumb but then gone is gone. Moral of the story? If you are a food blogger, if there s a cookery competition happening at just a stone s throw away from your house and you have some pretty decent looking crockery, then please go and cook!Have i ranted and bored you all enough? Ok now the recipe.

This is truly a kid friendly recipe that s super quick on the stove. Plus its not deep fried. Take note my friends. I m heavily emphasizing the not deep fried part. I m sure that sounds like music to your ears. And its healthy enough if its got all veggies right? You can make them as a starter or a snack. Sadly, i couldnt get decent pictures cos i had like what? some 5 people hovering over me while i was trying to shoot. So please bear with the pictures and dont let them deceive you. This was a total hit. Remember the prize?

Recipe For Paneer Vegetable Balls:
———————————-
Prep Time: Under 20 mins
Cook Time: Under 10 mins
Yields 12
(In case, you dont want to bake them, you can cook them in a paniyaram pan(aebleskiver pan) by pouring little oil in each groove and placing each ball in a groove. Cook them till they turn golden and crisp all over. You can also deep fry them if you dont count your calories!For an extra crunch, roll the balls in bread crumbs before you cook them.)

What You Need?

Paneer cubes 1 cup
Carrot grated 1/8 cup
Sweet corn kernels minced roughly 1/8 cup
Onion 1 medium chopped finely
Bread slices 2
Potato 1 mashed and boiled
Roasted peanuts 2 tbsp
Tomato Ketchup 2 tbsp
Salt to taste
Green chili 1 minced
Red chili powder 1/2 tsp
Coriander leaves chopped finely 2 tbsp
Oil 2 tbsp

How To Make It?

Preheat an oven to 180 C.
Mash the paneer well and set aside.
In a large mixing bowl, add the carrot, corn, onions,coriander and the potato along with the peanuts, chili powder and salt.
Cut the edges in the bread and dip it slightly in water. Squeeze and add to the mixture.
Add the mashed paneer and tomato ketchup.
Now, mix well until everything comes together and the mixture resembles chapathi dough.
Divide the mixture into 12 equal parts and shape them into rounds.
Place the balls on a baking tray lined with parchment paper.
Brush them lightly with any vegetable oil.
Bake in the preheated oven for about 10 to 15 mins until golden and crisp.

Serve hot with any dip of your choice.

Dal – Mildly Spiced Lentil Stew

September 22, 2012 By anusha 5 Comments

My love affair with cooking dal began only after i got married. Mr.P loves dal. But the point to be noted is that he despises or rather used to despise dal cooked by me. Sigh! The affair intensified with the various dals i happened to taste in Baroda. While the traditional gujarati dal comes with a hint of sugar in it, my all time favorite version of dal is some creamy dal makhni. Recipe coming soon.But then i cant afford to make dal makhni everyday cos one Mr.P hates it ( call it non sequitur) and two because i cant remember soaking the legumes every now and then.

But this basic dal shows up on my table every now and then. Its easy, tasty and healthy. And gets made in a jiffy. Again this is a very versatile recipe. Each family in Baroda has its own version of this dal. And like wise, this is my version. Oh and yeah by the way, i just got a wake up call. People have been asking me why i dont post basic recipes. So for all those folks who gave me that much required nudge, thanks a million. Make this dal and prove me right!

Recipe For Basic Dal

——————–

Prep Time: Under 10 mins

Cook Time: Under 30 mins

Serves 2

What You Need?

Toor dal 1/2 cup

Tomatoes 2 small chopped finely

Onion 1 small chopped finely

Ginger grated 1 tsp

Garlic cloves 2 minced

Green chilies 4 minced

Curry leaves a sprig

Turmeric powder 1/4 tsp

Hing a large pinch

Jeera or cumin seeds 1 tsp

Ghee 1 tbsp

Salt to taste

Garnish:

Cilantro chopped finely 2 tbsp

How To Make It?

Pressure cook the dal along with turmeric powder, chopped tomatoes and salt in 1.5 cups water until completely cooked and mushy.

Once done,drain the water and preserve it.Now, mash the dal well.Add the drained water and mix well. Set aside

Heat a pan with ghee.

Add the cumin seeds and once they splutter, add the curry leaves and the hing.

Next, add the green chilies and saute till they turn a light brown.

Add the garlic and ginger next and saute for 30 secs.

Add the chopped onions next and saute till golden brown.

Now, add the mashed dal and mix well.

Bring to a boil.

Garnish with cilantro and serve hot with steamed rice or any rice dish of your choice.

Sending this to My Legume Love Affair hosted by Desi Soccer Mom Jaya this month for Susan and Radhi s Lets Cook Legumes And Lentils this month.

Bagala Bath

September 19, 2012 By anusha 9 Comments

You must call eating Bagala Bath or curd rice a specific south indian trait. Have i bragged about how south indian i am? I guess i ve bragged enough. But the point is i cant stop. No, i m proud of the fact that i m a south indian and there s nothing that will stop me from telling it to the whole world. Well,being a south indian comes with its own privileges. Like the fact that you get to eat gooey yummy curd rice on special occasions topped off with raisins, cashews and pomegranate pearls. This is in fact an obligatory course in a marriage feast. The meal has to end with a cup of not so cold yet not so hot almost flowing curd rice accompanied by a generous helping of cut mango pickles.

While i ve always had the feeling that amma s Bagala Bath is the best, i was a lil stricken when i got a slew of requests from a few friends and neighbors asking me the perfect recipe for that flowing just rightly sour curd rice. It s called bagala bath by many and this is only a recent discovery that i ve made. I know this simply doesnt justify my food blogger profile but come on, even a food blogger cant know everything. But a south indian food blogger sure does know how to make some nice curd rice and how to finish that bowl off too.

Recipe For Bagala Bath

( Learn how to make Bagala Bath, a simple gooey yummy version of curd rice)

Prep Time: Under 15 mins
Cook Time: Under 30 mins
Cooling Time: 30 mins
Serves 3

What You Need?

Rice 1 cup
Curd 2 cups
Water 2 cups
Grated ginger 2 tbsp
Mustard seeds 1 tsp
Urad dal 1 tsp
Cumin seeds 1 tsp
Hing a small pinch
Curry leaves a sprig
Green chilies 3 minced finely
Cilantro leaves chopped finely 3 tbsp
Salt to taste
Curd chilies 2 to 3
Ghee 2 tsp

Garnish:

Pomegranate pearls 4 tbsp

How To Make It?

Pressure cook the rice until mushy. Takes about 6 whistles. If you want a real gooey curd rice, you must cook rice separately for this curd rice. Left over rice will not work for this.
Once the rice is done, mash it into an almost smooth paste with the help of a ladle.
Let this cool down completely.
Once cool, add the water and mix well.
Whisk the curd well and add this to the rice.
Add salt and combine well.
Add the grated ginger, green chilies, cilantro and curry leaves to the rice and mix well.
Heat a pan with the ghee.
Add the curd chilies and saute them till a blackish brown on all sides.
Remove and set aside.
In the same pan, add the mustard seeds.
Once they splutter, add the cumin seeds, hing and urad dal and saute till the dal turns a light golden brown.
Add this and the curd chilies to the curd rice.
Mix well.
Garnish with pomegranate pearls and serve with some pickles.

For an instant pickle idea,try this quick mango pickle.

Paneer Peas Pulao Recipe

September 14, 2012 By anusha 9 Comments

When you begin doing something, you do it with all your heart and help and guidance will find its way to you like magic. That s a mantra in my life and i strongly live by it. When i began blogging, i did not know that events existed. I did not have an inkling as to what a blog hop is. And i did not have a single food blogger friend. In that sense, i m incredibly fond of Radhika of Tickling Palates whom i call fondly as Radhi.She was the one who opened up a world of possibilities to me in food blogger terms. Credit goes to her for me to have learnt what blog hopping is. True to her blog s name, she tickles everyone s palates religiously almost on an everyday basis.

But for me, she s beyond the tickling. She s a wonderful person who is completely modest despite the fact that her blog receives over 1000 hits a day. Not a day has gone by when i ve not admired her for her modesty and practicality. She s a wonder woman who weaves magic in her kitchen with 3 men madly in love with her. Her 2 lovely sons and her husband of course. But i m not here to do a food blogger profile of Radhi. For me, she s one of the best friends and a loving elder sister figure. She s been there with me at almost all those times when i ve needed someone to put some sense into me. She s been there to tell me that it will be fine when i have been in neck deep misery. She s borne my age tantrums with pleasure and she s guided me through blogging. For me, she s the sister that i dont have. The friend who i ferociously guard and stand by.
This post was supposed to be up on 7th september, when Radhi came crying into this world and people around her said happy birthday or congratulations. But then i had too too much on my plate and i couldnt sit down to write a post that will justify the way i feel about her. Today it happened and even though, i m a week late, i have to tell you, Radhi, belated birthday wishes to you and a million hugs all the way from here.Knowing Radhi, i dint make something fancy for her. My paneer peas pulao recipe is simple yet hearty and delicious. Something that typically reflects Radhi herself!

Recipe For Paneer Peas Pulao

Prep Time: Under 30 mins
Cook Time: 20 mins
Serves 2
( This pulao is really quick on the stove. I made this pulao on the stove top and it was my first time cooking rice on the stove top directly. Needless to say, i m super pleased with my efforts and will share that too with you all quickly.)

What You Need?

Basmati rice 1 cup
Green peas fresh or frozen 1/2 cup
Onion 1 large finely chopped
Paneer cubes 1/2 cup
Green chilies 3 slit lengthwise
Ginger garlic paste 1 tsp
Bay leaf 1
Salt to taste
Ghee 3 tbsp divided

To dry roast and powder finely:

Cinnamon 1″
Cloves 4
Pepper corns 3/4 tsp
Cumin seeds 1 tsp

Garnish:

Roasted cashews broken 3 tbsp
Cilnatro chopped finely 2 tbsp

How To Make It?

Soak rice in about 2 cups water for 30 mins.
Meanwhile make the other prep.
Dry roast the cumin, pepper corns, cloves and cinnamon and powder finely. Set aside.
Once the rice is soaked, heat a heavy bottomed or a non stick pan with 2 tbsp ghee.
Add the paneer cubes and shallow fry them until golden on all sides. Do this on low flame cos paneer burns quickly.Drain them on a kitchen towel. Now dunk the paneer in hot water not boiling hot but hot. Set aside. This helps the paneer to stay soft.
In the same pan, add the remaining ghee.
Now, add the green chilies and the onions and saute till the onions are a light brown.Add the ginger garlic paste and saute for about 30 secs.
Add the green peas next and saute for about 1 min.
Add the ground spice mix and salt.
Mix well.
Now add 2 to 2.25 cups of water to the pan and bring to a boil.
Drain the rice and add to the pan.
Cook closed with a lid that has a small opening for about 15 to 25 mins until the rice is cooked but not mushy.
Keep an eye after 20 mins cos the cooking of the rice depends on the quality of the rice too.
Once done, garnish with roasted cashews and cilantro.

Serve hot with potato fry and paneer tawa masala

Ennai Kathrikai Kuzhambu

August 27, 2012 By anusha 7 Comments

Mybetter half detestsbrinjals like there s no tomorrow. That said and done, he loves this particularEnnaiKathrikaiKuzhambu to pieces. Why, this is my favorite too. Oh to pour that tangy sauceonto hot steaming rice and a ladle full of sesame oil and gulp it down is bliss that is beyond words. Wellits not likei m making this the first time. I ve probably made this on so manysundays for lunch thati ve nicknamedennaiKathrikaiKuzhambu as the sundaykuzhambu.

The reason why i dint post the recipe was that i dint have decent pictures. But i think i ve done a fair job pinching the shutterbugs today. Make this for lunch tomorrow or why wait that long! Make it today for dinner to dip rotis in them and you wont regret the decision at all. Now, lets jump into some unadulterated eggplant bliss, shall we?

Recipe For Ennai Kathrikai Kuzhambu

Prep Time: Under 20 mins

Cook Time: Under 20 mins

Serves 4

( This recipe has so many versions typical to that of south indian cuisine. I make a coconut less version of this too but nothing beats the flavor of dry coconut in this kuzhambu. This tastes best when eaten the next day. And never attempt this recipe without any other oil other than sesame oil.)

Ingredients

Baby brinjals 10

Tamarind extract 2 cups from tamarind the size of a lemon

Sesame oil 1/2 cup

Jaggery grated 2 tbsp

Salt to taste

Spice Powder:

Dhania or coriander seeds 3 tbsp

Channa dal or bengal gram 2 tbsp

Urad dal 1 tbsp

Kopra or dry coconut grated 4 tbsp

Dry red chilies 12

Hing a large pinch

Fenugreek seeds or methi 1 tsp

Salt 1 tsp

Sesame oil 1/2 tsp

Tempering:

Curry leaves a sprig

Mustard seeds 1 tsp

Hing a small pinch

Sesame oil 2 tsp

Directions

In a pan, add 1/2 tsp of oil and roast all the ingredients for the spice powder except the dry coconut. Allow it to cool. Blend to a not so coarse not so fine powder in a blender. Set aside.

Keeping the stalks intact, make a criss cross on the top of the brinjals carefully taking care not to halve them completely. The idea is to make the stuffing stay inside.

Now, stuff about 2 tsp of stuffing into each of the brinjals in the cut made. Set aside. You will have some of that spice powder left. Save it cos we are going to use it later.

Heat the 1/2 cup oil in a pan.

Drop the stuffed brinjals gently one by one and cook them until tender on medium low flame. Turn them gently so that they cook on all sides. Takes about 4 to 5 mins.

Once done, add the rest of the spice powder and mix gently.

Now add the tamarind extract, 1/2 cup of water, the grated jaggery and salt and mix well.

Let it simmer until oil separates from the mixture.

Once done, temper with curry leaves, mustard seeds and hing.

Serve hot with steamed rice and poppadoms.

Sending this to MLLA 50 hosted by Susan this month

Maa Laadu

August 25, 2012 By anusha 6 Comments

I am not an authentic south indian for no reasons. The fact that i was born and brought up in one of the most hospitable cities in Tamil Nadu apart, i love tamil food. Or should i say anything that has the tag South Indian. This is mainly because most of the recipes from South India are versatile. Most of them being add a little of this and a little of that. But mind you each dish is a challenge for to achieve perfection in each is a mighty task. I ve seen people cooking just eyeballing ingredients. Why only the other day i was watching Menu Rani Chellam Aunty making these yummy maa laadus. Even though she told us the precise measurement and everything, making a south indian dessert is so unlike baking.It does not call for standard cup sizes and spoons. Its more like make it as it suits your palette. I got inspired by her and the last week of The Avant Garde Cookies where we picked authentic tamil cuisine was the perfect excuse to make these super delicious loaded with protein laadus.They are easy to make. People will definitely think you are some Julia Child of the south or something when you make these and serve them. Oh! believe me will ya all?

Prep Time: Under 30 mins

Cook Time: Nil

Makes 24 to 30 laadus

( I am not an expert when it comes to the circle shape. I cant make perfectly round laadus but do you care as long as they are yummy in the tummy? These laadus when eaten in excess will give an upset stomach. They are traditionally made for gokulashtami. Addition of cashews optionally. Melted warm ghee works best for shaping the laadus. Be careful when you add the ghee and mix the flour. I burnt my hands so learn from my careless self and save yourself from those burns.200 g of dharia yields about 2 cups of flour after sieving.)

What You Need?

Roasted channa dal or dharia or pori kadalai 200 g

Powdered sugar 1.75 cups

Ghee 3/4 cup

Cashews 12 to 15 broken

Cardamom powder 1 tsp

How To Make It?

Place the dal in a blender little by little and blend to a fine powder. Make this in two batches and sieve. You must have 2 cups of flour at the end of the sieving.

In a large mixing bowl,add the channa dal flour, powdered sugar and cardamom powder and combine well using a whisk.

Now, melt the ghee and you must have about 1 cup of melted ghee. If not add a little more and if you are worrying about the flab, close your eyes!

Once the ghee is melted completely, add the broken cashews and wait until just light brown.

Let the ghee become warm a little so that you can handle the heat.

Now, make a well in the middle of the flour and pour the ghee along with the cashews.

Using a whisk, gently but quickly combine the entire mixture so that it resembles bread crumbs.

Now, start making small balls out of them.

Let them cool completely before you store them.

Once cool, store them in dry air tight containers and enjoy them!

Check out the other Avant Garde Cookies here. Also sending this to Susan s MLLA 50 this month

Vegetable Fried Rice

August 24, 2012 By anusha 5 Comments

Did you think i got over my chinese frenzy with yesterday s recipe? Oh boy you are wrong. Dont you want to know what we ate the manchurian sauce with? Vegetable fried rice of course. If there s something like the easiest dish, then i m sure veg fried rice will figure in this list. You have the rice. You chop the veggies and your fried rice is 80% done. And what s more, it s a fabulous way to use up leftover rice.

Prep Time: Under 20 mins
Cook Time: Under 15 mins
Serves 2
( Short grain rice already cooked and cooled works best for fried rice. There are many people who add cauliflower too. So be my guest if you are fond of them florets.If you want a nice brown looking fried rice, add dark soy sauce. I prefer mine white so i just went along with the light one.)

What You Need?

Cooked rice 2 cups
Carrot 1 cubed
French beans chopped finely 1/4 cup
Capsicum 1 chopped finely
Cabbage shredded 1/3 cup
Onions 2 medium chopped finely
Celery chopped finely 1 tbsp
Spring onion whites chopped finely 2 tbsp
White pepper powder 1 tsp
Soy sauce 2 tsp
Oil 1 tbsp
Salt to taste

For Garnish:

Spring onion greens 2 tbsp

How To Make It?

In a wok, heat the oil.
Add chopped onions and saute till pink.
Now, add the chopped veggies and the celery and saute for about 4 to 5 mins.
Add the soy sauce and the white pepper next and saute for a minute.
Next, add salt and combine well.
Add cooked rice to this and combine gently.
Garnish with spring onion greens.

Serve hot with tomato sauce, chilies in vinegar and soy sauce.

Tomato Rice- One Pot Meal

August 21, 2012 By anusha 8 Comments

My father in law calls this kind of stuff kadale pori which when translated means puffed rice and groundnuts.And my husband follows suit. He never says it but i know its running at the back of his head. In the sense, he doesnt consider this a meal but ends up licking his fingers anyway. I think i ve done enough damage to Mr.P s repute here. And God forbid he reads this post.
Now i know i ve really jumped the gun.

Coming down to the recipe, i love tomato rice. I love coconut rice. I love lemon rice. I love curd rice. Period. But no one else in my house does. Wondering who else? Of course Mr.P. All that jabber apart, this is a super easy one pot meal that can be put together in a jiffy. So make this when you are lazy or when you need a quick lunch recipe for your kids lunch box or when you are just lunching or dining alone at home.

Prep Time: Under 10 mins
Cook Time: Under 20 mins
Serves 2

( There are so many versions of tomato rice on the net. But this is my go to recipe cos its simple and more importantly, it has south indian written all over it. I hate rice recipes that use basmati rice. But this one s an exception. Make the whole thing in ghee to take the dish to another level.)

What You Need?

Cooked rice 2 cups
Tomatoes 4 large ripe ones
Cinnamon 1″ piece
Cloves 2
Bay leaf 1
Cumin seeds 1 tsp
Fennel seeds 3/4 tsp
Turmeric powder a large pinch
Garam masala 1/4 tsp
Red chili powder 1 tsp
Coriander powder 1 tsp
Ginger Garlic paste 1 tsp
Oil 2 tbsp
Salt to taste

Cilantro for garnish

How To Make It?

Bring water to a boil in a large pan.
Drop the tomatoes in the water for about a minute.
Remove and transfer to an ice bath.
Now, peel the tomatoes and mash the tomatoes coarsely.Set aside.
Heat a pan with oil.
Add cumin seeds. Once they crackle,add fennel seeds.
Now, add bay leaf, cinnamon and cloves.
Add the ginger garlic paste and saute for 30 secs.
Now, add the mashed tomatoes next and add all the spice powders.
Mix well and cook till oil separates from the mixture.
Add salt and mix well.
Now, add to the cooked rice and combine well.
Garnish with cilantro leaves.
Serve hot with any raitha of your choice.

Mumbai Pav Bhaji Recipe

August 20, 2012 By anusha 8 Comments

Have i told you about my love for pav bhaji yet? I am bananas over the famous street food served up in almost the whole country. I mean, how can someone not like pav and bhaji? I ve been such a fool to not share my version of pav bhaji with you all. I ve probably made this like a 50 times by now. No, no , just dont jump into conclusions that i dont cook anything much other than pav bhaji.

I do cook everything else but this is one dish that can tickle my taste buds anytime. I am hungry, i can eat pav bhaji. I am angry, pav bhaji will lift my spirits. I am just craving for something nice, then its definitely pav bhaji. That much is how much i m addicted to pav bhaji. I wont write much on this post. Because that plate of hot bhaji and pav toasted in sizzling butter is beckoning me from the table. So i ll quickly tell you all how i made it and get down to tucking in. Now for the recipe!

Recipe For Pav Bhaji
( Learn how to make Pav Bhaji, dinner rolls served with vegetable gravy_

Ingredients

Pav or dinner rolls 16 pieces
Butter 4 tbsp ( see note)

For The Bhaji:

Potatoes 2 medium boiled and mashed
Cauliflower florets 1/2 cup
Cabbage shredded 1/4 cup
Green peas fresh or frozen 1/4 cup
Carrot 1 peeled and cubed
Green bell pepper 1 chopped finely
Tomatoes 2 large chopped finely
Onions 2 large chopped coarsely
Ginger 1/2″ piece
Garlic cloves 4
Green chili 1
Oil 2 tbsp
Salt to taste

Spice Powders:

Pav bhaji masala 1.5 tbsp
Red chili powder 2 tsp
Turmeric powder a large pinch

To serve:

Onion rings
Lemon wedges
Butter
Cilantro chopped finely 1/8 cup

Note:

1. Replace the butter with any neutral flavored oil for a vegan version.

Directions

Pressure cook the carrot, cabbage, cauliflower and peas for 2 whistles.Once done, mash them well to a mushy consistency and set aside.
Grind together the onions, garlic, ginger and green chili to a fine paste without adding any water. Set aside.
Heat a pan with oil.
Add the bell pepper and saute for a minute.
Now add the onion paste and saute until light brown and fragrant. Takes about 3-4 mins on medium flame.
Now, add the tomatoes and saute till mushy.
At this stage, add the spice powders and combine well.
Cook until oil separates from the mixture.
Now, add the mashed potatoes and the mashed veggies.
Combine well.
Add salt and about 2 cups water and mix well.
Simmer for 5 to 7 mins on medium high flame.
Garnish with cilantro.

To Assemble and Serve

In a griddle, heat up a lil butter.
Slit the dinner rolls in the middle.
And toast them on the griddle.
In a plate, place the dinner rolls and bhaji.
Squeeze lemon juice over the bhaji.

Serve hot with onion rings and papads.

Chocolate Loaf Cake – Vegan

August 18, 2012 By anusha 9 Comments

This Vegan Chocolate Loaf Cake is an incredibly soft and sinfully chocolatey cake that has the additional brownie points of being vegan. Today is chocolate cake day. For so many reasons. But the first is because i was supposed to have made something with chocolate and yeast but the weather guy is being very difficult here. With the mercury falling and rising like a charging bull, its very difficult to proof the dough. I failed four times in a row. That did little to inspire me but then, the better half soothingly suggested that i let it be and make something else with cocoa. After all, do we need a reason to gorge on chocolate or for that matter, any thing loaded with cocoa?
Ok now for the second part of the story. Why did i even want to make something with chocolate and yeast when i knew the weather guy was not in his friendly best. Well, its the hush hush week. Wondering what that is?? Let me tell y’all. The Avant Garde Cookies set each other a secret ingredient. At the end of the first week, we are supposed to make a dish featuring the ingredients. This time, i got paired with the vivacious Kavi and she did turn out to be a lil naughty gal. She gave me chocolate and yeast. Well, the rest of the story, i ve already told you all.

And now finally the cake. Let me tell you all how this cake happened. I was religiously scouring the fridge shelves when i happened to discover carton after carton of coconut milk. And i was loaded with guilt for having forgotten about it.I wanted to use up the milk and i was already craving for a sinful dessert. Not that i m a chocolate person. But i love my desserts. Anyway, so i went into the kitchen, hovered aimlessly over the counter for a while and then started working out as slow as an old donkey. And in the middle of it all, just when i set the beater to whip up the liquids, the bowl toppled over and all i was left with a counter that had a emulsified mixture of milk, oil and
vanilla all over without a sense of direction.

Phew! So, then i cleaned up, mopped up and set to work again. And in the mind,i was telling myself, this is not your cake day. Anyway, i went ahead and finished mixing up the batter, licked the bowl clean ( oh yeah i do that every time i bake a cake. You do that too and you ll understand why i do it!) and put the cake in the oven and waited for that ting sound. And out came a nice plump and healthy dark chocolate cake.

Recipe For Vegan Chocolate Loaf Cake

( Learn how to make Vegan Chocolate Loaf Cake, an easy chocolate dessert that is dairy free)

Ingredients

All Purpose Flour 1.5 cups
Cocoa 3 tbsp
Sugar 1 cup powdered
Thick coconut milk 1/2 cup
Cold water 1/2 cup
Vegetable oil 1/4 cup
Salt a tiny pinch
Baking powder 1 tsp
Baking soda 1/2 tsp
Vanilla extract 1 tsp

Note:
1. You can replace coconut milk with any nut milk of your choice. In that case, skip the cold water and use 1 c of nut milk.

Directions

Preheat the oven to 180 C. Line a loaf tin with butter paper or parchment paper or grease with a tiny amount of oil on all sides. Set aside.
In a large mixing bowl, place the coconut milk, cold water, vegetable oil, vanilla and the sugar.
Whisk till combined well.
Now, in another bowl, sieve together the cocoa, flour, baking soda, baking powder and the salt.
Add this to the liquid mixture gradually and whisk until combined well.
Now, pour the batter into the loaf tin and gently drop the tin once or twice on the counter top.
Bake in the oven for 30 to 35 mins until a wooden skewer inserted comes out clean.
Cool completely on a wire rack.
Slice up and serve warm with some vanilla ice cream or eat as is.
Makes a super yummlicious dessert.

Also check out the other cookies Radhika, Jayanthy, Kavi,Priya,Veena and Roshni for their lip smacking hush hush hungama!!

Sending this to I Love Baking and Bake Fest Hosted By Kavi for Vardhini

Rava Pongal

August 15, 2012 By anusha 9 Comments

This is a very very delayed post. I was supposed to have done this last week. But then the skies opened up. The trees went into a trance that lasted forever and all connection with the world came to a standstill. No phones. No internet. No blogging. And i had more crippled than ever. Not that i was jobless otherwise. Between rehearsing for a play,teaching kids on a five hour basis every day and the maid not coming in for a couple of days, i was all but breathless. But then the pleasures of blogging. The vicious pleasures of clicking away food. And the thrill of creating something new to munch in the kitchen is something that i can hardly contain. And when i m denied all that, i know that i can feel almost sickly.

Somewhere last evening, the telephone guys had the wisdom to come and restore our phone lines and our internet. And relief, excitement and glee washed over me all at once. So this rava pongal that got made and clicked for The Avant Garde Cookies last week. I was supposed to have posted it on last friday. But then the lazy bug bit me sometime on wednesday night when i felt drafting the post more than sufficed and that publishing it can wait. That was no wise thing to do cos the rain Gods betrayed me the next morning. So after a week s delay, i am rewriting that post and sharing this uber delicious breakfast idea with you all.

Recipe For Rava Pongal

( Learn how to make Rava Pongal, a delicious breakfast with semolina and moong dal)
Prep Time: 20 mins
Cook Time: 20 mins
Serves 2

(This is a nice twist to the regular yet yummy ven pongal. We are terrible fans of the ven pongal and we are people who are not ashamed to say that we pour ladles of ghee on our pongal. While we make the ven pongal with rice and moong dal, this is made with semolina and yellow lentils aka moong dal. The ingredients are pretty much the same but the procedure differs. Make this on a sunday for brunch and take that well deserved nap!)

What You Need?

Semolina or Rava 1 cup
Moong dal or yellow lentils 1/4 c
Black peppercorns 2 tsp coarsely crushed
Cumin seeds 1 tsp
Cashews 10 broken to bits
Ghee or clarified butter 4 tbsp
Curry leaves a sprig
Hing a pinch
Salt to taste
Water 3/4 c
Water 2 c

How To Make It?

In a large pan, heat about 1/4 tsp ghee and saute the moong dal till aromatic on medium low flame.
Once done, pressure cook the dal until tender and mushy. Mash with a fork and set aside.
Now, in the same pan, heat the remaining ghee.
Simultaneously, boil the 2 cups of water.
Now, add the pepper, cumin, curry leaves, hing and the cashews in that order.
Once the cashews have turned a light brown, add the semolina and saute till aromatic just like you would do for upma.
Once the semolina is aromatic, add the mashed moong dal and salt.
By now the water would have come to a rolling boil.
Add this water to the moong dal semolina mixture and stir continuously on low medium flame.
In 3 to 4 mins, the mixture would start leaving the sides and that s when you know the pongal is done.
Once done add about 1 tbsp ghee.

Serve hot with any chutney or eat it with Vatral Kuzhambu like we did. Sending this to Susan s My Legume Love Affair this month.

Bharwa Bhavnagari Mirch

August 7, 2012 By anusha 13 Comments

When i was a little kid, Daddy used to take me to a small eatery where the man used to make crunchy chili fritters. I never used to eat them then because as a kid, i never used to eat them for fear of them being spicy. But as i grew up and my choice
of palette widened, i started taking a liking towards those fritters.And i never knew of any other use for those chilies until i married. Neither did i know that these chilies are from Bhavnagar.

This is the peak season for these chilies and i couldnt resist picking them up from the vegetable vendor.But i knew i dint want to make them fritters. And then i was reminded of this delicious stuffed chilies that my stand in cook once made. I immediately set about to make it and i must say, we relished it totally. Licked our fingers and plates clean is more like the term.

Prep Time: Under 20 mins
Cook Time: Under 45 mins
Serves 2

( This recipe is made using chickpea flour too. But since we are not fans of chickpea flour, i made this using moong dal and i must say, it turned out to be a healthier and tastier version too.)

What You Need?

Bhavnagari mirch 6
Oil 2 tbsp

For The Stuffing:

Moong dal 1/4 c
Onion 1 medium chopped finely
Green chilies 2 minced finely
Ginger grated 2 tsp
Turmeric powder 1/4 tsp
Oil 2 tsp
Coriander leaves 2 tbsp
Salt to taste

How To Make It?

Pressure cook the dal with turmeric powder. until soft. For 3 whistles.
Once done, drain the dal in a colander and let it cool down.
In the meanwhile, remove the stalks of the chilies and make a vertical slit on each chili.

Heat a pan with oil.
Add the onions and saute till pink.
Now, add grated ginger and green chilies.
Add the cooked dal and combine well.
Now cook this mixture on a medium low flame until the mixture thickens and leaves the side.
Once done let it cool completely.
Now, take about 2 tbsp of the stuffing and stuff the chilies gently with this.
Heat another pan with oil.
Add the stuffed chilies and cook till blistered and lightly browned on all sides. Takes about 5 mins.
Remove from heat gently and drain on a kitchen towel.

Serve hot with rotis or any flatbread of your choice.

Baby Corn Paneer Jalfrezi

July 30, 2012 By anusha 10 Comments

How To Make Baby Corn Paneer Jalfrezi?

BABY CORN PANEER JALFREZI- BABY CORN & COTTAGE CHEESE COOKED IN A TANGY SAUCE.

Before i delve into Baby Corn Paneer Jalfrezi recipe, i have some things to share.Have you heard my diatribe on corn before?? If not please, i insist you read my post on corn katti rolls. I am not that gal who goes all oohing and aahing over a bowl of corn kernels. I m not even that person who is visited by sudden gung ho when i pass through fields where corn taller than me has grown. I admit they are beautiful but only grudgingly though.

No kind of corn appeals to me a great deal and baby corn is no exception. But the combinations of a meal platter that is possible with baby corn will leave anyone more than amazed. I have a list as long as the Hanuman s tail. What s the list about?? Oh its got baby corn recipes. I find the light yellow of the baby corn light on the eye and boy! am i addict to those crispy baby corn fritters. Probably a recipe that i ll write up soon. In the meanwhile, here s baby corn paneer jalfrezi.

Recipe For Baby Corn Paneer Jalfrezi

( Learn how to make baby corn paneer jalfrezi, a simple curry with tender baby corns and cottage cheese)

Ingredients

Baby corn 8 cut length wise
Paneer cubes 1 cup
Bell pepper 1 sliced thinly
Spring onions chopped finely 1 cup divided
Cumin seeds 1/2 tsp
Hing a pinch
Ginger green chili paste 1 tsp
Turmeric powder a large pinch
Chili powder 1/4 tsp
Tomato puree 1/4 cup
Oil 2 tbsp
Salt to taste
Coriander for garnish

Directions

In a pan, heat oil.
Add cumin seeds. Once they crackle, add hing,ginger chili paste, spring onions and capsicum.
Saute until capsicum becomes just tender and the spring onions begins wilting. Let s say this takes about 30 secs.
Now, add the spice powders and saute for another 30 secs.
At this stage, add the baby corn and saute for a min.
Now, add the tomato puree and cook till oil separates.
Add salt to the mixture and combine well.
Add paneer cubes next and mix gently.
Garnish with coriander leaves.

Serve hot with any flat bread of your choice.
This is in memory of the wonderfully talented Barbara of Winos and Foodies who lost her battle to cancer recently. I dint have the chance to know her personally but then her blog is a testament by itself to her life and her willpower.This month s Monthly Mingle is all about A Taste Of Yellow and is being hosted at Cook Sister in memory of Barbara. We are all cooking something in yellow this month for Barbara, the brilliant blogger!

Arisi Kadala Paruppu Payasam- Rice& Chana Dal Pudding

July 22, 2012 By anusha 8 Comments

August is the month of festivals and it is the time to make Payasam including this delicious and simple Arisi Kadala Paruppu Payasam.It starts off with the red letter amavasya and newly wed brides amidst the madhwas perform gouri pooja for five weeks on tuesdays. In that sense, every week brings in a festive day and the lunch menu almost always is a huge spread. The usual lunch accompanied by a koshimbir, kheer and lentil fritters, when the lunch is over, our tummies are begging us to let go and leave a little for the others to eat. Let not forget the tables that groan under the weight of all the food served.

We madhwas have a few restrictions on what to make on a festival day and along those lines, moong dal, yams, greens and such stuff are not to be cooked. And every festival has a predetermined menu. So what was the menu for the amavasya this thursday? Eggplant mor kuzhambu, fried okra, apple rasam, koshimbir, lentil fritters and then this delicious rice chana dal pudding.
I love Arisi Paruppu payasam for so many reasons but mainly because it uses jaggery and is loaded with proteins. A health package and a dessert too. Can it get healthier than that? Oh boy. Yes it can. Cos you can almost make this with as little ghee as possible. Of course, i wont deny that the taste element goes upto another level when there s oodles of ghee. But for the conscious, you know what i m talking about, dont you?? This recipe also doesnt require a gourmet chef in action. It s an easy sail and no one can get it wrong.

Prep Time: Under 10 mins
Cook Time: Under 30 mins
Serves 4 to 6

(The chana dal must be firm and cooked and not mushy. You can avoid the condensed milk and add more jaggery if you desire. Freshly pressed coconut milk takes this pudding to completely another level. The first pressed milk tastes best. In case of freshly pressed milk, use about 3/4 cup. In case of using packed coconut milk, dilute it with about 1/4 cup of water. You can also add bits of coconut to the pudding in the end. I used amul mithai mate for my condensed milk but you can use any brand you desire.)

Ingredients

Raw rice 1/2 cup
Channa dal 1/2 cup
Jaggery grated 1 cup
Condensed milk 1/2 cup
Coconut Milk 1/2 cup diluted
Green cardamom crushed about 3 pods
Cashews broken 15
Raisins a handful
Ghee 3 tbsp

How To Make It?

Wash the channa dal and rice and pressure cook for 3 whistles until the rice is cooked and the dal is cooked but firm.
Once done, add the jaggery to the rice dal mixture and mix well until the rice is mashed well and the mixture is well combined.
Heat 1 tbsp ghee in a pan.
Add the crushed cardamom pods and the rice mixture.
Saute on medium flame for about 2 mins.
Now, add the coconut milk and the condensed milk and combine well.
Bring to a boil and then simmer for about 4 to 5 mins on medium flame.
Now, heat the remaining ghee in another pan.
Add the cashews. After about 30 secs, add the raisins.
Wait till the cashews become light brown and the raisins fluff up.
Add to the pudding.
Mix well.

Serve warm as dessert after a huge lunch.
Sending this to My Legume Love Affair hosted by Simona of Briciole

Simple Cabbage Saute Recipe| Side Dish for Flatbread

July 21, 2012 By anusha 4 Comments

In my vegetable likes list, there are ranges from frenzy to hatred. If you know, what i m talking about, then you also have a similar list. Coming to the list itself, while there are some veggies that can give me a heady feeling of euphoria, ( almost like the fragrance of petrol or even some varnish) there are some which i think are probably God s way of punishing the once excessively naughty and troublesome me. Well, you guessed it right and one such veggie is the Cabbage. The ubiquitous cabbage. The smelly cabbage. The cabbage in red. The cabbage in green. The cabbage in yellow. The cabbage that tastes bitter. The cabbage with the thick and lumpy leaves. Oh, i could go on and on.

If you allow me, i ll write a sonnet or an ode for the cabbage and will probably call it An Ode To The Vegetable That Needs A Body Spray sort of thing. Do you get my idea? Now that i ve actually started off, i might as well write a sonnet or rather an ode. It will probably go like this.

The fat ole cabbage,

stink full of leaves,

And some of greens.

In the lush green fields,

A place it has,

And people who tend to it,

But no matter what,

Its just stink that the cabbage leaves.

So full of peeves.

The deep purple ones,

the creamy yellow tonnes,

And then the spring green fellas.

So much of color and yet all the same.

No matter what color,

what shape.

The cabbage is just one big round

which is lifeless and

then of course, tasteless!

Now that s what happens when you get me started on cabbage. I cant believe i wrote a whole poem. Ok so now that i ve told you all about my intense dislike for cabbage, i also have to agree that its not as bad as it smells and then, there s the phosphorous in it. So i do eat it now and then but i make sure that i make it in a decent way. This is just one of my ways of making cabbage and is probably as easy as eating a cake. Try it on one of those days when you are not upto too much chopping or when you are running late for that pedicure appointment but yet to make lunch. Oh and yeah and by the way, i must accept,cabbage makes a fantastic photo subject. So its definitely not as bad as it stinks. I m just saying.

Recipe For Simple Cabbage Saute

( Learn how to make a simple cabbage saute with spices and cabbage)

Ingredients

Cabbage chopped finely 2 cups
Onion 1 large chopped finely
Tomatoes 2 small chopped finely
Ginger garlic paste 1 tsp
Cumin seeds 1 tsp
Carom seeds 1/2 tsp
Oil 2 tbsp
Salt to taste
Turmeric powder 1/2 tsp

Spice Powders:

Red chili powder 1/2 tsp
Cumin Coriander powder 1/2 tsp

Garnish:

Chopped coriander leaves 2 tbsp

Directions

Heat oil in a pan.
Add cumin seeds and caraway seeds.
Once they crackle, add the onions and saute until pink.
At this stage, add the ginger garlic paste and saute for another 30 secs.
Next add in the spice powders and saute for 30 secs.
At this stage, add the chopped tomatoes and cook till oil separates.
Now, add the cabbage and salt and cook on a low flame for about 7 to 8 mins until the cabbage is cooked.

Once done,garnish with coriander leaves and serve hot.
Sending this to Kalyani s Kitchen Chronicles Only Vegan hosted by Vardhini this month.

Bitter Gourd Chips

July 17, 2012 By anusha 7 Comments

Let me be honest here. I m not a fan of bitter gourd. Mr.P eats it though but not with much fervor. But then, when i amble along the farmer s market and my eyes chance upon them, i do feel that sudden upsurge of guilt in me. Amma s voice admonishing in the back of my head for not eating my veggies right. And then, i ll go all in a frenzy and buy half a kilo of them. Only to regret the decision later and give away the gourds to the maid. That s my love hate relationship with bitter gourds.

There s one exception to the vegetable though. Bitter gourd chips are my favorite.Maybe because i can munch on them guilt free. Whatever the reason, i ve been in love with these chips since the time i got to taste them at Adyar Anand Bhavan some years back. The chips were forgotten for a while until i saw them at the store on my last trip home. From then on, i wanted to make them at home and finally here they are. I m sure you will enjoy them. Even the bitter gourd haters out there.

(This recipe requires an enormous amount of patience. Dont drop the coated bitter gourds in a cluster. Make sure each one of them is separate. I wanted to add sesame seeds to the batter but then forgot at the last minute. In case you experiment, let me know. Dont remove the chips from the oil until the hissing sound subsides. Or you ll land up with soggy chips. More like bitter gourd bajji. Get my point? In case you want to make a large batch, then after you fry them completely at 200 C for about 10 mins. And dont add more liquid than mentioned in the recipe. The amount of liquid is the key factor in getting the chips crunchy munchy.)
Prep Time: Under 15 mins
Cook Time: Under 20 mins
Yields about 2 cups

What You Need?

Bitter Gourds 3 sliced thinly but not deseeded

Corn Flour 1/8 cup

Chickpea flour 1/8 cup

Rice flour 1/8 cup

Cumin powder 1/2 tsp

Coriander powder 3/4 tsp

Red chili powder 2 tsp

Fennel powder 1/8 tsp ( optional)

Curd 1 tbsp

Salt to taste

Oil for deep frying

How To Make It?

In a large mixing bowl, place the bitter gourds and all the other ingredients except the curd and the oil.
Combine well.
Now, add the curd and mix well ensuring that the batter coats the gourd slices evenly and generously.
Heat oil in a pan.
Wait until it reaches the right heat. Make sure the oil is hot enough but not smoking.
Now, drop the bitter gourd slices one by one.
Reduce the flame to a low medium and fry till golden brown and the hissing sound from the oil subsides.
The whole quantity will get done in 2 to 3 batches but a lot of patience is required.
Once golden brown, transfer the chips onto kitchen towels and store in an airtight container.

Snack on them while you enjoy a cup of hot coffee or a mug of chocolate.

Snake Gourd Lentil Stew Version 2 for Blog Hop Wednesdays

July 13, 2012 By anusha 15 Comments

Between all the people visiting me like crazy and my visiting spree during which i ve made making my parents life full of torments and tumults the dictate of my existence, cooking has been put on the back burner. Well, one can only do so much. Isnt it?? But in the little time that i cooked, i managed to whip up some delicious stews and sides. The stews basically laden with lentils of all sorts and sides as usual bursting with veggies. That s just the dieter part of me worrying about our dose of proteins. And yes i do diet! (emphasises again) So when Radhi paired me up with Sangee, i was, let me think. I was euphoric. Sangee, who is also one of the gourmets on Gourmet Seven, is a fabulous cook who has walked more than an extra mile when it comes to conjuring delicious pots of food. Her space is a delight to any vegetarian and non vegetarian though she s primarily veggie. I had too many recipes that i wanted to try but too lil time. But the thought of this lentil stew with chunks of snake gourd appealed to me more than anything. Lets just say when she posted this recipe, i couldnt wait to lay my hands on these gourds! Needless to say, that sunday when i got back from the farmer s market, i had an armload of veggies which included these gorgeously green gourds. The recipe s quite a breeze to prep up and make. And its definitely comfort on a sunday when all you want to do is lie down on that couch and watch old movies with your belly full of food that will make you feel all cozy and fuzzy inside. Get my idea?I ve one more version of this stew and that s without the onions and tomatoes.Try both. After all, will i lead you astray?

Prep Time: Under 20 mins
Cook Time: Under 30 mins
Serves 2 to 3
Pair This Up With Vatral Kuzhambu, steamed rice and some poppadums

( I tweaked Sangee s recipe a little bit. I used channa dal or bengal gram mostly with little moong dal. You can make it the other way too. Also, i did not pressure cook the onions but sauteed them before adding the cooked dal and the ground paste.)

What You Need?

Snake gourds 2 medium chopped into roundels
Channa dal or bengal gram 1/4 cup
Moong dal 2 tbsp
Onion 1 medium finely chopped
Tomatoes 2 small finely chopped
Turmeric powder a large pinch
Oil 1 tbsp
Salt to taste

For The Paste:

Coconut grated 1/4 cup
Green chilies 4
Cumin seeds 1/2 tsp

To Temper:

Oil 1 tsp
Mustard seeds 1 tsp
Curry leaves a sprig
Hing a large pinch
Dry red chili 1

How To Make It?

Grind together coconut, green chilies and cumin to form a smooth paste.Add water as necessary. Set aside.
In a flat bottomed vessel, place the dal, snake gourd and tomatoes in that order in a layered fashion. Add water and turmeric and pressure cook for 3 whistles until the dals are cooked but make sure not to cook them till mushy.
Now, in a pan, heat 1 tbsp of oil. Add onions and saute till pink.
Now, add the ground mixture and cook on low flame for about 1 min.
Next add the gourd and the cooked dal and saute for about 2 mins on medium flame. Combine well but gently making sure you dont make the mixture mushy in the process. We are looking forward to eating those tender bengal gram bits.

At this stage, add the salt and stir well.
Simmer for about 2 to 3 mins on medium flame.
Now, in a tempering pan, heat oil.
Add mustard seeds and once they crackle, add the rest of the ingredients.
Add this to the lentil mixture and gently combine.

And thats it! Our stew is ready to be devoured alongside hot rice and ghee. Some poppadoms wont hurt either. Just dont think about that growing waist line!
This goes off to Blog Hop Wednesdays Week 19 and My Legume Love Affair hosted by Simona for Susan this month.

Flax Seed Curry Leaves Spice Powder

June 28, 2012 By anusha 5 Comments

I m not a big fan of spice powders. Strange for that statement to come from a person who s a south indian at her very core. We southies eat a variety of these spiced powders. Called as podi, no south indian household is complete without a generous stock of this stashed away in the pantry. Why i m not a fan is something i m yet to discover.But then after making this powder, i ve changed my mind. I m in love with the concept of eating dosas with spice powders mixed with copious amounts of sesame oil.Or better yet. Mix a heaped tablespoon of this along with some ghee, hot steamed rice and some salt and gorge on this for breakfast.

I m salivating now. And the brownie point is that this s so healthy!Flax and curry leaf! Can you beat the duo? No.On second thought, there are two brownie points. The other being this s such a breeze to make in the kitchen. So get your blenders ready. We are all set to go!

Prep Time: Under 20 mins
Cook Time: Under 20 mins
Makes about 200 g

What You Need?

Flax seeds 1/2 cup
Curry leaves fresh ones preferably 1 cup packed
Bengal gram or kadala paruppu or channa dal 1/2 cup
Urad dal or black gram or ulundhu paruppu 2 tbsp
Coriander seeds 1 tbsp
Cumin seeds 1 tsp
Sesame seeds 2 tsp
Dry red chilies 15
Hing 1/2 tsp
Salt to taste
Oil 1.5 tbsp

How To Make It?

In a kadai, dry roast the curry leaves until aromatic. Takes about 3 to 4 mins. The leaves must not have any moisture left.
Then in the same kadai, heat 1 tbsp oil.
Now, add the channa dal and urad dal and roast till they turn a light brown.
Transfer to a bowl and set aside.
In the same kadai, add the coriander seeds, hing,cumin seeds and the flax seeds and roast till aromatic.
Now, finally, add the dry red chilies and saute for 2 mins.
Let all this cool down completely.
Once cool, add salt and grind to a coarse mixture or a fine powder.That option s purely yours.

Store in an airtight container and relish your idlies, dosas or rice with this delicious yet healthy spice mix.

Battenberg Cake ~ Daring Baker Challenge 2

June 27, 2012 By anusha 20 Comments

I ve made so many cakes before.But all of them have been one bowl or simple ones until now. I ve not had the nerve to ice a cake till now.Let alone make a post of it. I mean i did frost one and it was beautiful and all that but somehow,i knew i could do better.So, this month when the daring baker challenge was announced, i was both excited and a lil scared. I wanted to try the cake real bad but at the same time, so many things about this cake daunted me. Like the chocolate plastique for starters.I wont say this s a great attempt but then even though slightly run of the mill, the cake boosted my confidence like hell. And that s why i thought i m definitely posting my cake!
So what s battenberg cake? I sure had not heard of it before this challenge. And i must say it was quite a challenge!When Oggi couldnt make it to host this month s challenge, Mandy of What The Fruit Cake came to our rescue last minute to present us with the Battenberg cake challenge. She highlighted Mary Berry s techniques and recipes to allow us to create this unique little cake with ease. I must say she made the whole thing a lot simpler for us and i m so in love with that chocolate plastique that she gave us.She even suggested a combination of flavors. Thanks Mandy! Well, off to the cake now.

I must tell you all that this requires some amount of planning and a lot of patience.The reason why my cake looks a lil badly finished is because the pink half broke into two when i was turning it out from the tin and i had a very difficult time assembling the cake. So this cake s all about patience and slow down actions! You cant make this snappy!

Prep Time: Under 30 mins for the cake
Under 30 mins for the chocolate plastique
Cook Time: 30 mins for the cake
Under 20 mins to knead the plastique
Under 20 mins for the assembly
Makes an 8″X6″ cake
(Because i dint have enough butter to make buttercream, i used jam.But in case you are using chocolate plastique, your best bet is some butter cream icing.I really wanted to take pics of the tin and the prep of the cake but i was so short on time that i couldnt.I ll make the cake sometime again and repost the pics.Until then, just enjoy the finished pics :))

What You Need?

For The Cake:

Butter softened and unsalted 3/4 c
Castor Sugar 3/4 c
Self Raising Flour 1 and 1/4 c
Eggs 3 large at room temperature
Almonds ground 1/2 c
Baking powder 3/4 tsp
Vanilla extract 1/2 tsp
Almond extract 1/4 tsp
Pink food coloring liquid or paste or gel a little

For The Dark Chocolate Plastique

Cooking dark chocolate 200g chopped coarsely
Liquid glucose syrup or corn syrup 4 tbsp

Special Equipment:

Battenberg cake tin or an 8″X8″ cake pan divided into two with the help of parchment.

To Finish:

Any fruit jam 1/2 c and some more

How To Divide The Cake Tin?

You Will Need:

Butter paper or parchment paper.
Tin foil

Fold a sheet of tin foil several times to reinforce the divide.
Now, fold the butter paper into half and insert the folded tin foil in the fold.
Now, grease the pan with butter and place the parchment paper with the tin foil in between.
The butter will help glue the paper onto the pan.
Your battenberg tin s ready.

How To Make The Plastique:

In a double boiler,melt the chocolate until glossy and shiny.
Let it cool for about 5 mins.
Now, add the corn syrup or liquid glucose syrup.
The chocolate will seize up immediately.
Now, in a sealable bag, place the chocolate mixture, spread it evenly and leave it overnight or leave it in the fridge to set for about 2 hours.

How To Make The Cake:

Preheat the oven to 180C.
In a large mixing bowl, cream the butter and sugar together until light and fluffy.
Now, add the eggs, vanilla, almond extract and whisk until the mixture is light and just combined.
At this stage, add in the flour and whisk until well combined.
Now, divide the batter into two.
In one half, add the food color and mix well.
Now, place the pink batter in one half of the tin.
And the yellow batter in the other half.
Bake for 25 to 30 mins till a tooth pick inserted comes out clean.
Let it cool completely before you turn the cake out.
Now, trim the edges of both the cakes and cut them into 2 vertically.Make sure all the strips of the same size to get an even finish.
You will have 4 vertical strips of alternate colors now.
On a large cutting board, place the cake strips.
Heat the jam on high in the microwave for 1 and 1/2 minutes.
The jam would have become liquid now.
Spread the jam on the sides of the cake strips.
Combine one pink strip and yellow strip this way.
Now, spread the jam on the top of the cake strips.

Combine the other two strips in the same fashion like you did the first two strips.
Place the combined two strips over the first two strips making sure that the pink strip is over the yellow strip and the yellow strip s over the pink strip.The objective is to get an alternate checkered pattern in the cake.
Now, remove the chocolate from the sealable bag and start kneading the chocolate on a surface coated with powdered sugar,
It will break in the beginning but as it warms up and will become pliable.
Knead until you get a dough like structure out of the chocolate.
Now, roll out the chocolate plastique into a thin sheet of rectangle.
Spread the jam over the chocolate well so that once you place the cake, it will stick to it and stay firm.
Now, place the cake on one end of the chocolate rectangle and start rolling the cake making sure that the chocolate covers the cake well.

Now, trim the broad ends of the cake a little bit to get an even finish.
A battenberg keeps well for 2 to 3 days. Dont put it the fridge as the chocolate hardens up and the cake becomes a lil crumbly. Keep it in an airtight container and enjoy a slice whenever you breeze in and out of the kitchen.And at that rate, you neednt even be contemplating storage.Just saying though !

Corn Flakes Cookies~ Vegan

June 21, 2012 By anusha 7 Comments

I was a butter person. Note the tense. Was. That s the grammar gal in me talking. But i am now a convert. No, its not that i m crazily becoming a vegan or something.Its just that the prospects of me sweating it out in a gym seems scary to me. So we go easy on the butter these days.And i try and veganise cookies. Mind you only cookies. Why? Because i like cookies with less mess and butter means a lot of measuring, calculating and cleaning up. The others. The cakes, the breads and everything else, we eat oodles of butter. Am i sounding self contradictory? Yes i m. I just dint want to tell the whole world that i m a lazy bag on bones who hates softening butter and cookies means i ve to soften butter.Or i dont get the texture right. Did you even think that i ll worry about work outs? Come on.. are you kidding me?

Anyway, i made these cornflakes cookies for two reasons. One, they are chewy and i absolutely love chewy cookies. And two because, Mr.P in the name of dieting picks up about half a dozen boxes of cereal and never bother to open them. He always manages to eat dosas or poha.Anyway that s another story.But these cookies are gone now.Not even a crumb left to feed the poor squirrels who rummage about for food in my trash. So, will you bake these?

Prep Time: Under 20 mins
Chilling Time: 1 hour to 12 hours max( refer notes)
Cook Time: 12 mins
Yields 16 cookies

(Let me warn you! these cookies are not quickies.In my opinion no cookie s a cookie. Because you have to chill the dough to have fabulous cookies. And you must chill the dough atleast 10 hours. I baked 2 batches of cookies. One with dough chilled for an hour. And the other chilled for 10 hours.And i must say there was a phenomenal difference in both. You can make this a normal cookie by using 1/2 cup butter instead of oil and cow s milk or full fat milk instead of soy milk. The baking powder acts as a brilliant leavening agent in this cookie and hence no eggs.)

What You Need?

Flour 1 cup
Corn flakes 1 cup
Corn flakes coarsely crushed 1/2 cup
Sugar 1/2 cup powdered
Canola or any flavorless vegetable oil 1/2 cup
Vanilla extract 1/2 tsp
Baking powder 1/4 tsp
Salt 1/8 tsp
Soy milk about 2 tbsp
16 cashew halves to top the cookies

How To Make It?

In a medium mixing bowl, sieve together the flour, salt and baking powder.
Add the sugar and combine well.
Now, in another large mixing bowl, place the oil and the vanilla extract.
Add in the sieved flour slowly until just combined.
Use your hands and gently bring the dough together until it forms a mass.
The dough should be a teeny weeny bit crumbly at this stage.
Wrap with cling film and let it sit in the fridge for about 10 hours at least.
At the end of the chilling time, preheat the oven to 180C.
Line a baking tray with tin foil.

Take out the dough and if you find it too hard to mix, add about 1 tbsp of the milk and try and bring together the dough.Add the remaining only if required.
Now, add the corn flakes to the dough and mix gently.
Its ok if they break a lil in the process.The idea is to get those lovely crunchy flakes as you eat the cookie.
Once you are done, divide the dough into 16 equal portions.
Shape each portion into a small ball and coat them with the crushed corn flakes.
Gently flatten the cookies into flat discs and place them on the baking tray atleast 1/2 inch apart.Place a cashew half on each cookie in the middle.
Bake for 12 mins until you get a light golden crust on the top.
I must tell you that at the 8th min, the house was enveloped in a heavenly smell of vanilla along with that comforting aroma of a cookie baking.
The cookies will be a lil soft when you take them out.
They harden once they cool down.If you bake for longer, then the cookies become very hard. Mine were perfectly done and chewy.
Transfer to an air tight container.

Enjoy with a glass of cold milk or hot chocolate.
Can there be a better meal?
Sending these cookies to I love Baking 5, Lets Cook Kids Special and Vardhini s Bake Fest 8 hosted byReshmi

Peerkangai Thugayal Recipe| Easy Chutney Recipes

June 20, 2012 By anusha 18 Comments

My fancy for gourds s unrelenting. Especially my love for ridge gourds. Its something like the ice cream love that you have when you are a kid. Everytime the ridge gourds make an appearance at the market, i ve to buy them. Many a times, i even turn my head away from the vendor who has beautifully arranged the gourds on his wicker basket. But no. I know i ll walk back to that guy and without a second thought buy 2 or 3 of those fleshy gourds no matter what the price. If you ask me why, i really dont know except that my love for these gourds is something special. If you ask me how i cook it, then i only have 3 ways of making it. One in a dal and the other this chutney. And then fritters. I dont know any other recipes. Nor do i want to know. Because i want to keep the memory of eating tender ridge gourd chutney unadulterated.

I make this chutney in 2 or 3 ways. This way is just one of them. Actually this s technically a Thuvayal or Thugayal as the tamilians back home call it. There s a lot of difference between chutney and thugayal.While a chutney s traditionally served with idlies, dosa or upma, the thugayals are made with some vegetable and are eaten along side rice.Or some people, i call them the thugayal devotees mix them with the rice itself and devour it like there s no tomorrow. I m proud to say i m one of those. These thugayals are a God send when you are short on veggies or when you really dont have the mood to whip up pot after pot of rasam and sambhar and curry. Its a terrific God send when you are just back from a tiresome day punctuated with an arm load of shopping and eating too much road side food. Try this with a cup of hot rice and generous spoonfuls of ghee and you wont be disappointed.
( You can add more coconut if you desire.You can even substitute the green chilies with dry red chilies. Saute all the ingredients separately.Use the stalks of the coriander leaves too for a nice flavor.In case you dont have tamarind, then add about 2 tsp of tamarind paste that you get ready made.)

Recipe For Peerkangai Thugayal

( Learn to make peerkangai thugayal, an easy chutney or dip with ridge gourds)

Prep Time: 10 mins

Cook Time: 10 mins

Serves 2 generously

Allergy Info: Vegan, Nut And Soy Free

Course: Side

Cuisine: South Indian

Ingredients

Tender ridge gourd 1 large one peeled and cubed
Tamarind the size of a marble
Coconut grated 1/4 cup
Urad dal 1 tbsp
Coriander leaves a small bunch
Cumin seeds 1/2 tsp
Green chilies 4 to 5
Oil 1 tbsp
Salt to taste

To Temper:

Mustard seeds 1 tsp
Oil 1 tbsp
Hing a large pinch
Curry leaves a sprig

Directions

Heat a kadai with 1 tbsp oil.
Saute the gourd and the green chilies until the gourds are tender and have wilted. Takes about 5 mins.
Now, transfer this to a bowl and set aside to cool.
In the same kadai, add the urad dal and cumin seeds and roast for about 1 min until the dal is a light brown. Set aside to cool.
Once cool, place the gourd, chilies, tamarind, urad dal, cumin, salt, coriander leaves and coconut in the blender and grind to a thick paste without adding any water. The water in the gourd is sufficient to grind this.
Transfer to a bowl and temper with mustard seeds, hing and curry leaves.
Serve alongside rice and rasam or mix it up with hot rice, add a spoonful of ghee or sesame oil and devour it with papadams or chips.

Chocolate Bark

June 19, 2012 By anusha 10 Comments

In the midst of all that was loaded onto my plate, the fact that i completed a year of blogging went by just like any other day. I completed a year of Tomato Blues on the 14th June. Little did i know a year back, that i would get so hooked on to writing about food and more so ever, making food with a fervor unbeknownst to my folks back home and here. The kitchen s all i need. A skillet s all i want. I was a girl who loved shopping for her clothes.There was a time when not a month had gone by without me splurging on a new t shirt or that stylish jacket. Funnily now, times have undergone a drastic change. I dont want to buy colorful tshirts or sassy jackets anymore. All i want to buy is table linen and white crockery and cutlery. Like i said, the kitchen s all i need.
I was married a year before i began blogging. As a new bride who dint know her lentils and spices, i did find the time spent in the kitchen annoying and sometimes frightening in the beginning. I really dont know when my perspective on food changed or how it changed. But then, that change has sort of changed my whole way of life. And it s given me so much of hope and love from around the world. A year of marriage, some experimentally successful cooking and Mr.P was gently urging to me begin telling the world how to cook. I was apprehensive but once i began, there was no looking back. I ve not stopped since and i doubt if i will.
The beginning of a food blog was not very exciting for me. I had too many inspirations.But still, to get the aesthetics of food blogging right took me about 6 months. And then, a whole new world opened up to me. Bloggers i met through virtual events went on to become great friends. And now they have all transcended to being my best friends. I know it s been a while since i have been here on the blogosphere. But to this date, any new comment still leaves me with a wide grin just like my first comment on my first post did.
I must thank a few people for helping me come so far. First, Mr.P of course. Its not easy living with a food blogger. Mind you. But he does and i m really thankful to him for that. It can be very irritating when your stomach is growling with hunger, the food s readily sitting on the table looking all pretty but then your wife has to click that picture or she wont have a post to do. He s put up with my experiments( some were real nasty) and my constant urge to click anything food for the past 1 year. And whats more! He s been there with me when i ve talked to him about how much i long for some ramekins in white. He s borne all this with abundant patience and for that i m terribly grateful to him.
And after Mr.P, its definitely Amma and Daddy who take the time out to look into my blog and tell me what they think. I couldnt have asked for better critiques. While Amma calls me often to tell how much she liked one picture or the other, Daddy, just like Dads are, tells me that all my posts are lovely and that each recipe s simply mouth watering.
Now that we are done with family, i ve some more people who i must say, have made a great impact on the way i blog. Lets start with all you beautiful beautiful people who cook from my blog. I value all your comments and even though i dont respond to each comment, believe me they are all incredibly inspirational to me. Thanks a million for your unwavering and growing support for Tomato Blues.And then there are my lovely friends.Co bloggers who ve become chuddy buddy sorts now. The entire Gourmet Seven is like extended family to me. I resort to them when all else fails in my kitchen and they ve never let me down until today. Thank you beautifuls for making my blogging experience such a delight.
Having said all this, no one finishes a year of something without something to celebrate the memory with. Mr.P became very generous last month and bought me a Nikon D55 to commemorate the occasion of my first blogoversary. Thanks to Mr.P for such a loving and thoughtful gift again. I ve been meddling with the camera for sometime now and that s the reason i ve such good pics at times and then i ve some real dirty ones. Please bear with me until i get the hang of it. I m experimenting a lot with colors, whites and focus. So until i m there, the pics are going to be this way. A lil nice and a lot bad.

Now, all this definitely calls for some kind of a toast. I decided i ll toast all the lovely people in my life, Mr.P, Amma, Daddy, my precious readers and the whole of G7 with this chocolate bark. After all finishing up a year sure does make one feel festive. Before i begin, here are some recipes that won many hearts in my one year of blogging.

Masala Biscuits

snake gourd kootu

Moong Cheelas

Curry Leaves And Garlic Kuzhambu

Capsicum Paneer Masala Dosa

Dhoklas

Sponge Dosa

Egg Plant Kara Kuzhambu

Butter Scotch Blondies

Marble Cake

Chocolate Cornets

Tomato Bread

1 min Microwave Mug Cake

Methi Malai Mutter Paneer

Paneer Cigar Rolls Baked

Lauki Kofta

Molten Lava Cupcakes

Paruppu Urundai Kuzhambu

Recipe For Chocolate Bark

( Learn how to make chocolate bark at home. Loaded with nuts and dried fruit, its an easy and great edible gift choice)

Prep Time: Under 20 mins

Cook Time: Under 20 mins
Setting Time: 1 hour
Yields about 12 medium size pieces

( This chocolate bark cant get easier. You can make this using dark chocolate or milk chocolate or white chocolate. You can add about any kind of topping or stick to one particular combination like maybe craisins and pistachios or you can even make some that are nutty and minty. You must be very very careful when you are melting the chocolate. Even a teeny weeny bit of water can spoil your chocolate and then you will be terribly disappointed.If you are melting your chocolate in a double boiler, then make sure you dont let the steam escape or the moisture from the steam will spoil the chocolate. Line your tray with butter paper before you begin the entire process.)

What You Need?

Cooking chocolate ( dark or white or milk) 250 g chopped roughly
Mixed nuts (almonds, cashews, pistachios) 1/4 cup slivered
Mixed dried fruits ( candied peel, figs quartered, raisins, sultanas)1/4 cup

Other Things That You Must Have:

A tray that is 1/2″ deep
Butter paper 1 sheet
Rubber spatula
Two steel bowls.One that will fit in snugly into the other and will have a gap of about 10 to 15 cms between the both to use as a double boiler.For more details on how to melt chocolate read my posts on
chocolate fudge cake and home made mint filled chocolates

How To Make It?

Line a tray with the butter paper and keep ready.
Place the chocolate in a double boiler and let it melt completely stirring occasionally.
Once the chocolate s completed melted and glossy, pour the chocolate onto the lined tray evenly.
This step entirely depends on how thick you want the bark to be.In case you want thick barks, then you need not spread the chocolate to the whole tray.

Once you are done pouring the chocolate, drop the tray gently on the kitchen counter.
Spread the nuts and fruit on the chocolate while its hot evenly.
Now, let it come to room temperature.
Once it comes to room temperature, let it set in the fridge for about an hour.
Once set, chop into pieces and pack them up into cute gifts.

Or start devouring them like we did.You cant resist home made chocolate bark, can you?

Cherry And Banana Smoothie

June 16, 2012 By anusha 9 Comments

Cherries. For some reason they cheer me up.May be its got to do with the name. And the color too. Yeah color definitely. And then that sweet sour zing that you get when you bite into one of them. Well, isnt it obvious that i m a cherry lover. I eat them by the boxes. Everytime i open the fridge, i pop a few of them into my mouth. There was a time when i ate 3 boxes of them in a day. That much s how much i love them.

Cherries having become ubiquitous in Baroda, Mr.P picked up a huge box for me the other day. And immediately i was delving myself into a world of gastronomical utopia. Cherry cobbler, cherry pie, cherry smoothie. What not? So here comes cherry and banana smoothie.Quick recipe. Breakfast menu. And will be gone in a shot.

Prep Time: Under 20 mins
Cook Time: Nil
Makes 2 tall glasses

( This s a versatile smoothie. You can skip the ice cream and add condensed milk. Replace about 1/2 cup of the milk with 1/2 cup of yoghurt. You can even add a mango instead of a banana. See what i mean?)

What You Need?

Cherries pitted about 15
Banana 1 large
Milk 2 cups
Vanilla ice cream 1 scoop or about 1/2 cup
Sugar 2 tbsp

Ice cubes to serve

How To Make It?

Place the cherries, banana and ice cream in a blender and blend to a smooth puree.
To this, add the milk and the sugar and blend again.

Serve chilled with ice cubes.

Methi Soya Curry Recipe| Side Dish For Flatbreads

June 13, 2012 By anusha 7 Comments

It has been a while since i posted some curries. Easy to make that is. After all, you cant make restaurant style food everyday at home. I have to tell you all something now that i ve started on restaurant food anyway. The other day, Mr.P and i visited a new restaurant. After much deliberation on where to go and what to eat, we had zeroed in on this one with practically a lot of difficulty. Anyway. We found the place nice. Great ambience. Great music. Heck! We even had a maitre’D.Plus the service crew was flashing bright smiles. Nothing could have gone wrong at all. Until the menu appeared. When the very handsome and cherubic waiter presented the menu, i was like a cat which had swollen a canary. Its in my making you know.

I look forward to seeing a hotel s menu just so that i can learn new dishes, grill the poor waiter guy about what goes into what and all that. So, it was that familiar feeling kicking in. But then, when i opened the menu, i felt like a deflated meringue. I mean everything seemed familiar. And at the back of my head was a voice which said “you can make this at home” So i just decided not to complicate the dinner further and looked up at Mr.P. Mr.P now gave me a sheepish smile and told me very succinctly, “You know you should stop making everything at home.” That kinda summarised the entire menu for me. From that night till today, i ve not made a single gourmet dish with the exception of that tomato and corn pie. Luckily for me, there are no good pies available in Baroda. So no fear of overdoing them. Well, this curry is just one of those attempts in making finger licking good old home food which only has love and comfort written all over it.

Recipe For Methi Soya Curry

( Learn how to make Methi soya curry, a medley with fenugreek leaves and textured veg protein)

Prep Time: 10 mins

Cook Time: 25 mins

Serves 2

Allergy Info: Vegan, Gluten free

Course: Accompaniment

Cuisine: Indian

Ingredients

Soya chunks or textured vegetable protein 1 cup
Methi or fenugreek leaves 3/4 cup chopped finely
Oil 2 tbsp
Salt to taste
Cumin seeds 1 tsp
Tomato Puree 3/4 cup or 2 medium tomatoes pureed

To Be Ground To A Paste:

Onion 1 large
Garlic cloves 3
Ginger 1/2″ bit
Green chili 1

Spice Powders:

Red chilli powder 1/2 tsp
Coriander cumin powder 1/2 tsp
Punjabi garam masala 1/2 tsp
Turmeric powder 1/2 tsp

Directions

Bring 4 cups of water to boil in a large pan.
Add some salt and the soya chunks and cook them for about 5 mins.
Drain, let cool and squeeze all excess water out.Keep aside.
In a pan, heat the oil. Add cumin seeds.
Once they splutter, add the ground onion paste, bring down the flame to the lowest and saute till the paste turns a light brown.
At this stage, add the spice powders and saute for about 30 secs.
Now, add the methi leaves and saute till they wilt.
Add the tomato puree next and cook till oil separates.
Now,add the soya chunks along with salt and cook for about 6 to 7 mins.
After this, if you want a semi dry curry, then you can remove it off the flame. In case you desire a gravy like curry, then add about 1/4 cup of water and bring the whole mixture to a boil.

Serve hot with phulkas or rotis or rice.

Butter Beans and Peanut Sundal

June 9, 2012 By anusha 5 Comments

Its actually amusing to watch a 3 year old. I ll call it the transformation phase. From a toddler to a kid. So when my SIL s daughter was here, she blew up quite a storm. I m used to a quiet house all to myself. So, having her here was a lil different and boy! she s quite a charming young lady. She can convince anyone with that big toothsy grin of hers. Now, if you are wondering why i m talking about this particular charming young lady, it s just to tell you that i ve been dead on the blog because of her. While the television was constantly tuned into POGO with Chota Bheem performing all kinds of antics, the lil minx dint spare the kitchen as well. She used to breeze in unexpectedly, raid all the shelves, pick up a packet of those yucky packeted chips ( sorry if you like them!) and go back to watching Bheem. So, doing anything normal was itself a big task. Doing something out of the ordinary.Well! the question was ruled out. I did manage to make a few things before she breezed in to color our lives. Unfortunately i couldnt get the camera out when she was here. So this s just a part of those set of dishes that i made way back.
Sundal is a Navrathri thingy in most south indian homes. We can liken it to a legume salad with all the indian elements in it. This s a very simple recipe and is a face saver on one of those days when your H wants to snack on something but you dont have anything. Whizzing to the recipe now.

Prep Time: Soaking Time-2 hours
Others Under 10 mins
Cook Time: Under 30 mins
Serves 3

( This is kinda an indian salad. Loaded with protein, its a fun snack as well as a great accompaniment to any meal. You can add onions to this if you desire. But then, avoid the lemon juice.Make sure you dont overcook the peanuts and beans or you will be left with a gooey mass.)

What You Need?

Peanuts 1/2 cup
Butter Beans 3/4 cup
Grated coconut 4 tbsp
Green chilies 6 minced
Salt to taste

To Temper:

Oil 1 tbsp
Mustard seeds 1 tsp
Urad dal 1 tsp
Hing a large pinch
Curry leaves a sprig

Garnish:

Lemon juice 2 tbsp

How To make it?

Soak the beans and peanuts together in about 3 cups water for 2 hours.
Pressure cook the beans and nuts together for 3 whistles or until tender and soft. Drain the water completely.
Heat a kadai with the oil.
Add mustard seeds. Once they splutter, add the chilies, urad dal, hing and curry leaves.
Once the dal turns a light brown, add the peanuts and beans along with some salt and combine well.
Now, add the grated coconut and saute well.
Remove from fire. Let cool completely.
Add the lemon juice and mix well.

Serve as a snack or as an accompaniment for lunch.
Sending this to My Legume Love Affair hosted by A Canadian Foodie this month.

No Bake Brownies

May 21, 2012 By anusha 10 Comments

I ve been gone for a long time now. I know that i ve not been a star blogger these few weeks. Too many things on my plate and then there s the scorching heat which makes any chore to be done in the kitchen a daunting task. Added to all the mayhem was the AC which failed us dutifully. Which only made us crankier than ever. Sleepless, sweaty as pigs and scorning was how we were this weekend. I couldnt stand that status much. I mean, crankiness and sweating are not my best friends and i dont appreciate the situation if it goes on for a long time. So this time around, i decided that i ll try and better the situation a little. And that s why these brownies got made in my kitchen. Despite the fact that the AC did not work. And the fridge was acting up.

I know that a lot of things on this blog has been on a standstill. FBTE and Cook Book Tuesdays havent been happening much. I ve been ignoring the kitchen for a long time now. And that includes my book shelf too. I decided to make a comeback today with these brownies. I hope these brownies work as my good luck charm in the coming week. I hope i will be able to do a few posts in the coming days. And the next post s extra extra special. Its a guest post. A very special guest and a simple post. But then the guest s who that matters. So stay tuned for the next post too. And if you are bored like me or if you feel that you simply cant stand the heat, then make these brownies, cut them up and down them in as many goes as possible alongside a glass of chilled milk. Believe me, then, your day will look way better.

Prep Time: Under 20 mins
Cook Time: Nil
Makes a 9″ brownie

( These brownies require atleast 3 hours of setting time in the fridge. You can add any nuts of your choice. You can even try a combination of nuts. Make sure you crush your biscuits coarsely for a beautiful texture in the brownies.You can use granulated sugar too.)

What You Need?

Digestive biscuits 20 to 25
Condensed milk 1/2 tin or 200 ml
Castor sugar 2 tbsp
White chocolate chips 1/4 cup
Unsweetened Cocoa powder 3 tbsp
Walnuts roasted and chopped coarsely 1/4 cup

How To Make It?

Crush the biscuits into a coarse powder using a rolling pin. Make the whole job less messy by placing the biscuits in a zip pouch and then rolling the pin over it. Do not use a processor to do this as you will land up with a fine biscuit powder and that s simply not the brownie way.
Now, add the cocoa, sugar, nuts, chocolate chips and combine the mixture well.
Add the condensed milk to this mixture and start mixing. The mixture will be very thick and will not make it a delightful experience. But cheer yourself up by licking the batter now and then continue to mix anyways.
Now, line a pie dish 9″ in size with butter paper or parchment paper if you are one of those fancy bees.
Transfer the biscuit mixture to the pie dish and cover the pie dish with cling wrap.
Now, start evening out the mixture using your hands making sure the mixture is evenly spread on the dish.
Leave it in the fridge to set for atleast 3 to 4 hours.
Once done, remove the brownie from the pie dish and chop into squares.

What are you waiting for? Start gobbling them brownies and dont forget to get a glass of milk to go with them.

Chocolate Cupcakes

May 13, 2012 By anusha 18 Comments

Chocolate and cupcakes. No one can beat that. I mean, chocolate cupcakes!! Cant get any better, right? Anyway, coming to the point, I somehow do not believe in Mother s day or Father s day or husband s day. I mean if that exists. I m not sure. But i mean do we really need a day to celebrate our loved ones. Especially your mom. Every individual thinks the world of her mom.Correct me if i am wrong. Oh! but i m doubly sure here. In fact more than doubly sure!! For me every single day of my life is Mother s day, Father s day and Husband s day. I think of them every moment. And i thank God everyday for blessing me with an abundance of love. I ve never felt love lost in my life. Oh.. its not like i dint have my teenage tantrums or something. I was stubborn as a mule and as rebellious as an army of soldiers when my mom did tell me something. Those telling me off occassions were rare. And i ve had my share of duels with my mom over a pink frock or a sleeveless top. But at the end of all that, my mom still manages to be a beautiful soul who touches my life in every way possible. In spite of the zillion rows we have, we still talk on the phone for hours on end. With my father in the background reminding us that the phone service provider may get annoyed and disconnect our connections. Fat chance of that happening! She was a working mom but that did not stop her from teaching me to do the right things or bringing me up as a good human being who respects others’ feelings. Sure, i dont have a fat pay check. But like amma says, every one s special in some way and you neednt bring home a hefty pay check to be special. I am widely admired by a lot of people in the circle of my friends and family. While my mom stands back and watches me with a smile, i know that its my mom who deserves all that oohing and aahing. I may not tell her that she s the bestest mom everyday. But i love her and i am grateful beyond words to her for her timely bits of wisdom, for holding on to the rocky boat,for her thoughtfulness to pick up a bundt pan for me and then some more scrunchies and earrings. Even though she knows i have a treasure chest full of them.And for letting me wail and cry!! I am proud of my mom and i admire her for bringing me up as a decent human being. Above all that, i m thankful to God for giving me a mom who manages to be there for me all the time. No matter i want to cry or laugh.

My mom doesnt go gaga over cakes and cookies. Not that i do. But then, i made them because my mom s like this cake. A lil sweet, a lil sour, a lil bitter and a lil salty. All in the right amounts. That you simply cant ignore any of the bits and yet you will get a taste of every bit of flavor there s in the cake. All moms are like that in their own way. And we dont need a day to celebrate motherhood. We just need to make the time.

Recipe For Chocolate Cupcake

( Learn how to make Chocolate cupcake, a flavor loaded easy cupcake recipe)

Prep Time: 20 mins
Cook Time: 20 mins
Yields 12 to 14

( The original recipe calls for buttermilk. But i replaced it with yoghurt and it worked like a charm. The cakes were moist, soft and lovely. They rose beautifully too.In case you want to use buttermilk, use 6 tbsp of it instead of the yoghurt. You can frost these with whipped cream or cream cheese or even some dulce de leche.)

What You Need?

Flour 3/4 cup spooned and levelled
Sugar 3/4 cup powdered
Butter 3 tbsp melted
Egg white from a large egg
Egg 1
Thick fresh yoghurt whisked 6 tbsp
Baking powder 1 tsp
Baking soda 1/2 tsp
Cocoa powder 6 tbsp
Hot water 3 tbsp
Salt 1/4 tsp

Muffin cups for lining the tray

How To Make It?

Preheat the oven to 180 c.
In a mixing bowl, add the flour, salt, baking soda and baking powder along with the sugar and combine well. I sieved this twice. Set aside.
Now, combine the cocoa and hot water to make a thick paste.
In another bowl, add the melted butter, cocoa paste, yoghurt, egg white and egg and whisk until just combined.
Now add the flour mixture to this cocoa mixture and slowly combine until well incorporated. You can do this in an electric mixer on low speed for about 2 mins.
Spoon about 2 tbsp of batter in to each muffin cup.
Bake for 20 mins or until a skewer inserted comes out clean.
Let it cool on a wire rack completely before removing them.

Once cooled, enjoy them with a scoop of ice cream or eat them up as they are.
Sending a bite of these to I Love Baking 4

Shahi Paneer Recipe- Step by Step Recipe

May 4, 2012 By anusha 5 Comments

HOW TO MAKE SHAHI PANEER?

SHAHI PANEER-A RICH, DECADENT CURRY WITH PANEER.

Shahi paneer is a curry fit for royalty as the name suggests. We are not big fans of onion tomato gravy based paneer dishes. Somehow, i find it too sweet or too sour when i order them at a restaurant. But Shahi paneer is something we all love.

The shallow fried cubes of paneer swathed in that rich , smooth and silky gravy is a treat indeed. However, making shahi paneer is a bit time consuming. But it is worth the effort. Any number of efforts is worth this decadence.

Recipe For Shahi Paneer

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Shahi Paneer Recipe| Side Dish For Flatbreads

Shahi Paneer- a rich and decadent curry with succulent paneer. Pairs well with roti, naan and kulcha

Prep Time10

Cook Time30

Total Time40

Course: Mains

Cuisine: North Indian

Servings:

Author: Anusha Praveen

Ingredients

Paneer cubes 1.5 cups
Milk 1/2 cup
Onions 2 large chopped finely
Tomatoes 1 medium pureed
Ginger 1" bit minced
Turmeric powder 1/2 tsp
Chili powder 1/2 tsp
Cashews 8
Salt to taste
Sugar 1 tsp
Oil or ghee 3 tbsp
Coriander leaves for garnish
To roast and grind:
White pepper corns 6 -7
Cinnamon stick 1/2"
Cloves 2
Bay leaf 1 torn
Star anise 1/2
Moti elaichi 1 pods only discard peel

Instructions

Dry roast all spices in a pan until fragrant. Let cool and grind to a smooth powder. Set aside.
Heat a pan with 1 tbsp oil. Add paneer cubes and fry till golden on all sides. Turn them over using tongs and do this on low flame. Drain and set aside.
Heat the same pan with 2 tsp oil. Add cashews and fry till golden. Drain.
Add ginger.
Add the onions and fry till pink. Let cool. Add this to a blender along with the cashews. Blend to a smooth paste.
Heat the same pan. Add 1 tbsp oil. Bring down flame to medium and the ground paste.
Now cook this till it becomes a light brown color. Do not leave the gravy unattended. It will burn. Keep stirring while this cooks.
Once it changes color, add the ground masala and the remaining spice powders and mix well. Cook for 2 mins.
Now, add tomato puree and continue to cook till raw smell of tomato goes away. Takes 4 -5 mins. Once done add salt and sugar. Mix well.
Once done, add the milk and mix well.
Add paneer cubes at this stage, mix and simmer for 2 mins on low flame.
Your Shahi Paneer is now ready.

For Instant Pot & Air Fryer Recipes

Instant Pot timings may vary based on your geographic location. Air fryer settings and timings may vary based on the capacity and the model of the Air fryer.

Disclaimer

Nutrition values are provided here as a courtesy and are only a rough guide. Please consult a health care provider if you have any concerns.

Tried this recipe?Mention @tomatoblues or tag #tomatoblues!

Step By Step Pictorial For Shahi Paneer

Dry roast all spices in a pan until fragrant. Let cool and grind to a smooth powder. Set aside.

Heat a pan with 1 tbsp oil. Add paneer cubes and fry till golden on all sides. Turn them over using tongs and do this on low flame. Drain and set aside.

Heat the same pan with 2 tsp oil. Add cashews and fry till golden. Drain. Add garlic and ginger. Fry till garlic begins to brown. Add the onions and fry till pink. Let cool. Add this to a blender along with the cashews. Blend to a smooth paste.

Heat the same pan. Add 1 tbsp oil. Bring down flame to medium and the ground paste. Now cook this till it becomes a light brown color. Do not leave the gravy unattended. It will burn. Keep stirring while this cooks. Once it changes color, add the ground masala and the remaining spice powders and mix well. Cook for 2 mins. By now you ll see that the gravy has become a thick paste and also reduced in volume.

Now, add tomato puree and continue to cook till raw smell of tomato goes away. Takes 4 -5 mins. Once done add salt and sugar. Mix well.

Once done, add the milk and mix well. Add paneer cubes at this stage, mix and simmer for 2 mins on low flame.

Your Shahi Paneer is now ready.

Missi Roti

May 3, 2012 By anusha 6 Comments

How To Make Missi Roti, A Rustic Flatbread Using Gram Flour?

Missi Roti is a rustic chewy flatbread made with whole wheat and gram flour along with a few spices including turmeric.There are some things which are an eye sore in my pantry only to the limited audience of me of course! And one among them, in fact, the only one is the chickpea flour or besan. I loathe that light yellow flour. I hate the texture, smell, flavor and everything else there s about besan. Sorry if you all are pally with besan. I really do not know when i developed a yawning hatred for chickpea flour. Maybe it was when a friend told me about some fritters that she ate which made her sick. I have no clue. But all i know is if i look at chickpea flour, then i m pushed to screwing my face up. If i am asked to cook with chickpea flour, then i m almost going to be in tears. And if you ask me to eat something that has chickpea flour, then you have pushed me to tears.When i was on a pantry cleaning spree last week and when i knew i ve to empty my gram flour stocks ,i decided to make some missi roti, a wonderful rajasthani delicacy. I loved these rotis. But chickpea flour is still not my BFF.Serve hot with some spicy Paneer T awa Masala or some shahi paneer. Recipe coming soon!! Also,Sending this to MLLA hosted by Priya for Susan.

Recipe For Missi Roti

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Missi Roti

Missi roti is a rustic flatbread made with whole wheat flour and chickpea flour. Vegan.

Prep Time15

Cook Time10

Total Time25

Course: Lunch

Cuisine: North Indian

Servings:

Author: Anusha Praveen