WATER MELON WITH PASTA AND IAM BACK

Hi friends,Again I am here after a long break. I know from long time no post from my side. I guess this is how it is going to be for some more time. this is all because of my personal work. How are you all, hope you all doing great. As you all know now a days I am with my parents and enjoying my moms cooking. she always like to do some experiments in her kitchen . one day when I was going to the supermarket my mom ask me to buy some shell pasta,I wondered and asked her what? you like to eat pasta? she told me that you just bring a packet of shell pasta I will make some thing special for you, and here is the recipe born. And here I go with the recipe.............

INGREDIENTS:----

Watermelon pieces ---- 2cups
FOR WATERMELON PIECES:----
Cut the watermelon and remove the red fruit part and peel the green skin and take the white part and cut in to 2 inch size pieces.
Shell pasta---- 1 cup cooked
Boil water in a sauce pan and add 1 tea sp oil and pasta to boiling water and cook till done and drain the water and pour cold water and drain the cold water also and leave a side.
Other ingredients:----
Onion ---1 big finely chopped
Tomato --- 1 big chopped
Cashew nuts – 10
Oil – 1 tab sp
Cloves – 4
Cinnamon – ½ inch pieces 3
Cardamom – 3
Cumin seeds – ½ teasp

Dry powders:--
Red chilli powder – 1 tea sp(according to your taste or you can just remove from the list to make the recipe in a mild taste)
Turmeric powder --- ¼ tea sp
Salt – 1 ½ teasp or according to your taste
Coriander leaves --- 1 tab sp chopped
For masala:----
Coconut – 1 tab sp freshly grated
Poppy seeds – 1 tea sp
Garlic – 6 cloves
Cashew nuts or almonds – 5 soaked in water for 10 min.
Coriander powder – 1 tea sp
Grind all above masala ingredients in to fine paste and leave a side.

METHOD:----

1. Heat 1 tab sp oil in a sauce pan and add cloves, cinnamon, cardamom, cumin seeds let them splutter
2. Then add finely chopped onion and fry till onion become transparent.
   
3. Now add chopped tomato,salt, turmeric powder, red chilli powder mix well, cover with a lid and cook in a low flame till tomato become soft looks like a paste.
   
4. Then add ground masala and fry till raw smell disappears in this stage this masala become like a ball and that stick to your ladle it laves the oil on sides.
   
5. Now add water melon pieces and 1 cup water mix well and again cover with lid and cook till melon pieces are half done, this will take 10 min time check in between.
   
6. when melon pieces are half cooked add pasta,cashew nuts, if required add ½ cup more water and cook for 5 more min.
   
7. If you like thin gravy then add ½ cup more water mix well and bring to a boil
   Remove from the heat and garnish with chopped coriander leaves.
   

My mom and dad enjoyed this as a curry with there roties, but I really enjoyed this as a 1 bowl meal because it includes pasta and vegetables. You can remove red chilli powder and ground masala to make it a mild soup like thing. Or you can add the ground masala in less quantity.
Can use any small variety pasta.

RAVA- SEMIYA IDLI

This is an another version of instant idli. I have tried this recipe with instant rava and semiya idli mix (I didn't remember the brand name) long back and that time i have noted the ingredients from the pack and made some changes and tried at home they came out so soft and fluffy so this is not my own recipe I have adopted this recipe from some other place and made my changes tried it and posting here for all you people. so most of my traditional recipe s are from my mom, my grand mother s, my ants and some of the recipe from my cooking book collection and my friends. What is a traditional recipe ?...A traditional recipe is which is coming from traditions means that is not our own recipe some body else invented that recipe and we are following that . So who ever try the recipe now the ingredients and measurements are almost the same only.Like idli recipe is invented in 920 Ad and how can i tell that is my own recipe I am following that recipe with little changes, like that rasam (Saru) recipe is invented in 16 th century, in those days those cooks moved from place to place and carry there recipes with them to spread the recipe.Traditional recipes in my blog also Traditional Andhra recipes from my grand mother to my mom and from my mom to me and other recipes are from my friends if I adopted a recipe from any blog or website i will sure give a link to the original recipe.Hope you people understand me......

INGREDIENTS:----

Upma rava( semolina, rava,) -- 250gm

Semiya (vermicelli, I used bambino vermicelli) --150gm

Ghee (clarified butter)--- 1/4 cup

Sour curd -- 200 gm

Cashew nuts -- 3 tab sp broken

Mustard seeds -- 1/2 tea sp

Chana dal -- 2 tab sp(split chick peas)

Dry red chillies -- 4 broken in to small pieces

Asafoetida -- 1/4 tea sp

Black pepper corns -- 1 tea sp

Soda bicarbonate (cooking soda) -- 1/4 tea sp

Eno fruit salt --- 1 pack

Coriander leaves -- 1 tab sp chopped

Curry leaves -- 2 springs

Salt --- 1 1/2 tea sp or to taste

METHOD:-----

1. Heat ghee in a pan add mustard seeds and let it splutter then add channa dal,cashew nuts and fry till golden colour.
2 Now add asafoetida,curry leaves, and fry for few sec. then add rava and semiya fry till nice aroma comes out,make sure that don't change the colour of rava just fry till nice smell comes out.
3. Remove from fire and add chopped coriander leaves and curd and salt to taste and cooking soda mix well and leave a side for 5-7 min.
4. After 7 min. check if required add a very little water and make a batter like idli batter, mix well now add eno fruit salt mix well immediately pour in to greased idli moulds and steem cook like idlis for 15 min.
Remove from steem and serve hot with sambar and coconut chuteny or with Karappodi( spice mixture powder)
If you like you can add very finelly chopped veges like carrot ,beens to this idlis

IDLI

Idli is a South Indian savory steamed rice cake which looks like a small white buns, made by black lentils and parboiled rice.This white cakes(idlis) are usually in 2-3 inches diameter and made by steaming a batter in round molds, which is consisting of fermented black lentils and parboiled rice.the fermentation process breaks down the starches so that the idlis are very easy digestive food for any age people.Most of the South Indians like to have this idlis as a break fast or dinner, with the combination of Sambar and coconut chutney and also with karappodi(mixed spice powder) with ghee. There are no leavening agents used in idli batter so this healthy idlis are born in Karnataka and became popular all over India
now.

Fermentation is the main step to get a soft and fluffy idli

1. Traditionally black lentils and par boiled rice soaked in water for 4-5 hours and ground in to a thick paste and leave in a warm place to ferment for over night.

2. In this process fermentation is caused by Air,Black lentils(urad dal,minapappu) and Fenugreek seeds these three ingredients produce a type of wild yeast so don't over wash the black lentils. preferably always use whole urad with skin or you can use de-husked whole urad also. But not split urad that won't give a good results to the finale product ,idlis will become hard after you steam. Because in the process of spliting the whole urad mechanically that generates heat and destorys the natural wild yeast in urad dal. If you dont get whole urad in that case you can use split urad by last choice by compensating with a spoon of fenugreek seeds .

3. Because Fenugreek seeds also contain same wild yeast which we find in whole urad so that you can get more natural yeast to ferment the idli batter.

4. Now one more very important ingredient in this recipe is Rice in olden days people didn't use rice for idli batter they use to soak urad dal in butter milk and grind in to a smooth paste with sour curd in this case curd acts as yeast but after some experiments people started grinding rice in to a coarse paste and mix with urad paste. but now a days we can get parboiled rice which is well known as idli rice.

5. Par boiled rice is pre-processed rice which contains 80% starch and gives a soft and plum texture. insted of par-boiled rice you can use cream-of rice which is made by again par- boiled rice. In case you didn't get idli rice(par-boiled rice) you can replace them with Arborio rice or Mochi rice(Japan) or sweet and waxy American rice but the texture may be little different some times.

6. And last and final ingredient is water yes chlorine in water destroy the natural yeast (wild yeast) if you find chlorine smell in water then better use spring water or boiled and filtered tap water.

7. better use non-iodized salt and add salt just before you pouring the batter in to the idli molds (means after fermentation)

8. The temperature should be 86 degree F to 90 degree F below that temperature it will take longer time to ferment. Idli batter should ferment Two& half times then original volume then only you can get soft and fluffy idlis.

Here is the recipe for Most wanted break fast IDLI.....

INGREDIENTS:----

Par-boiled rice (idli rice) --- 4 cups

Raw rice (dosa rice) (any short grain rice what we use for dosa batter) --- 1 cup

Black lentils(urad dal) --- 1 cup

Fenugreek seeds --- 1 tea sp

Salt --- 1 1/2 tea sp

METHOD:-----

1. Mix both rice and wash for 1 or 2 times and soak in enough water for 4 hours

2.Wash black lentils and soak in water for 1 hour with 1 tea sp of fenugreek seeds

3.Grind lentils in to smooth paste.If drop a small ball of lentil paste in a bowl of water that should stay on surface . Normally it will take 45 min. time to grind in a wet grinder 10 - 15 min. in a mixer(mixee)or blender.But wet grinder gives a good results.

4.Now grind rice in to a coarse paste and mix it with lentil paste mix well and leave it in a warm place to ferment.

5. If you like to use idli rava( cream of rice) then take 2 cups of cream of rice (idli rava) and soak in enough water before you start grinding lentils. After grinding lentils remove water and squeeze extra water and add this to lentil paste mix well and leave for fermentation.

6. leave this batter in a warm place for over night to ferment well and the batter should become2 1/2 times then original volume.

7. Next day morning add salt and mix well.

8. Grease idli molds with little oil or ghee and pour 1 ladle full idli batter and arrange idli plates in the stand .

9. pour 100ml water in to a idli cooker or a big vessel and bring to a full boil and place the idli stand into that idli cooker cover with lid and steam for 5 min, in high flame then reduce the flame and steam the idlis for 8 min.

10.Switch off the flame and leave it like that for 5 min. then open the lid and remove the idli stand from idli cooker.

11. Wait for 2 more min and scoop out the idlis from the molds and serve hot with sambar, coconut chutney and ghee .

12. You can use a pressure cooker for steaming idlis pour water in the pressure cooker and place the idli stand and cover with lid but don't put the weight (whistle).

13. You can use electric rice cooker also for steaming idlis pour water in to the rice cooker vessel and place the idli stand and switch on the cooker to cooking mode.

14. Can cook idlis in microwave also but with microwave safe idli molds only.

MIXED VEGETABLE PULAV WITH PAV BHAJI FLAVOR

A aromatic vegetable pulav recipe from Chakh... le....re. This pulav tastes very different and we just love the aroma, thank you so much for the recipe.. Since 1 month I am with my parents because of my moms health . Now she is feeling much better.Both my mom and dad are food lovers. They like different varieties and flavors in their meal,Especially this rice varieties like mixed rice, biryanis and pulavs. Today I wanted to make some pulav and raita for my mom and dad because of V.day and long back when I make this pav bhaji pulav for my hubby dear he likes it very much so I tried it once again and it came out so very well and my mom and dad enjoyed it very much. Ha haa my mom enjoyed it a little bit more I think there is some left over about a small bowl so amma kept it in the fridge and had it for dinner also. One thing about my parents both of them are great food lovers and they enjoy the food what ever I make for them if it is a North Indian or a South Indian dish, ofcourse amma likes pasta also but with some Indian touch... And coming to the recipe I have made little changes in the recipe, she used Asafotieda in the original recipe I didn't used it if you like the flavor then add it with mustard and cumin seeds.And I used fresh vegetables you can use frozen also thats it I think.... Here I go with the recipe...........
INGREDIENTS:-------
Rice -- 1 cup (Iused basmati rice)

Oil --- 3 tab sp

Onion -- 1/2 cup finely chopped

Green chilies --- 2 chopped

Mixed vegetables -- 1 cup cut in to small pieces(I used fresh sweet corn, carrot, green peas)

Tomato puree -- 1/2 cup

Pav Bhaji masala -- 1 1/2 tea sp

Red chilli powder --- 1 tea sp

Garam masala -- 1/2 tea sp

Cumin seeds --- 1/2 tea sp

Mustard seeds --- 1/2 tea sp

Salt -- 1/2 tea sp



METHOD:-----
1.Wash rice and soak for 15 min.
2.Cook with 1 1/2 cup water till done and leave a side to cool
3.If using frozen vegetables thaw them (you can keep them in microwave for 3 min.)
4.I used fresh vegetables so chop them in to small bite size pieces and cook them in little water till they become soft but little crunchy or cook them in steamer for 10 min. remove from heat and leave a side.
5.Now heat oil in a pan add mustarde seeds and cumin seeds let them popup then add green chilies and fry for a while.
6.Now add chopped onions and fry till golden color then add mixed vegetables and fry for 3 min.
7.Then add tomato puree, red chilli powder, pav bhaji masala,garam masala and salt and mix well
8.Now add cooked rice to the vegetable mixture, mix it very well cover with a lid and leave it in a very low flame for 3 min.
9.Remove the lid and mix well once again and adjust the seasoning and switch off the flame.
Serve hot with raita or curd.

CHINTAPANDU CHARU

This recipe is from my mom s chilhood memories.My grand mother (my moms mother- Ammaamma) use to make this chintapandu charu as a home remedy for ill people at home.Normaly I make charu with boiling tomato and tamarind to- gather and extract the juice and add charupodi boil and give the seasonining to the charu. But this is a total different recipe. In this recipe she didn't boli the tamarind water before,after seasoning only they give a full boil to the charu thats it.when I make this charu today the house is filled with great aroma that is because of freshely grinded raw spices may be. I coudn't wait immediately I had a full bowl of hot rice with this charu. Hope you also like this unique recipe from my mom.


INGREDIENTS:-----
Tamarind --- 2 inch pieces 2 no. or 1 tea sp tamarind paste
FOR CHARU PODI:---
Cumin seeds --- 1/2 tea sp
Coriander seeds --- 1 tea sp
Black pepper --- 1/2 tea sp
Garlic --- 4 pods
Fresh coriander leaves --- 1/2 cup chopped or half bundle
Curry leaveas -- 1 spring
Red chilli powder ---- 1/4 tea sp
Salt -- 1 1/2 tea sp or according to your taste
Turmeric powder -- a pinch
FOR SEASONING:---
Oil --- 1 tea sp
Mustared seed -- 1/ tea sp
Cumin seeds -- !/4 tea sp
Dry red chilli -- 1 broken

METHOD:----

• Soak tamarind in warm water for 10 min. and extract juice with 3 cups water.
• Grind Charu podi ingredients- Cumin seeds, coriander seeds, black pepper corns(no need to fry this spices grind them raw only if you grind the the taste will be different . )
• First grind the seeds at last add garlic pods and grind for a sec.
• Now add this spice mixture to the tamarind water.
• Add salt, red chilli powder, turmeric powder, chopped coriander leaves and curry leaves.
• Now heat a pan with 1 tea sp oil and add mustared seeds let them popup then add cumin seeds and droken red chilli and fry for a while .
• Add this seasoning to the tamarind water.Now bring this tamarind water pan to the heat mix well and bring to a full boil.
• Remove from heat and serve with hot steamed rice

Note:--- This Charu will be a good choice after you suffered with a heavy feaver.
When you are ill if you take this charu as a soup or with little mashed steamed rice or idli (because rice and idli both are easy digestive food) that gives a very excellent taste to your mouth and it helps in digestion also.

MENTHI KURA CHIKKUDUKAYA KURA ( FENUGREEK LEAVES WITH INDIAN BROAD BEANS)

A light green leafy vegetable with little bitter taste and gives a wonderfull aroma all over in your house when you cook with dall or any other vegetable like potato or indian droad beans or you mix it with paratha dough.This aromatic leafy vegetable is a oldest and power full medicinal herb in India wich contains lots of iron and also enriched with minerals like calcium, potassium, rich in C vitamin and K vitamin.According to ayurveda fenugreek leaves are cooling agent, when you soak some leaves in a glass of water for over night and gargle in the morning it prevents mouth ulcers. protect againest cancer and lowring type1 and type 2 diabetes.Consumption of fenugreek leaves helps in digestion abilities and iron deficiency. So try to add this healthy leafy vegetable in your diet at least 2 times a week.

By fresh looking leaves the fresh leaves looks light green color and make sure there are no holes and white lines on the leaves

Wash the fresh leaves under running water for 3-4 times to remove dirt and soil.

Renmove from water and spread the leaves on a kitchen towle for 10 min. then chopp them and use in the cooking.

Now comming to the today s recipe. MENTHI KURA CHIKKUDUKAYA KURA(FENUGREEK LEAVES WITH INDIAN BROAD BEANS) and here is the recipe....

Ingredients:---

Fenugreek leaves -- 1 big bundle or 2 cups chopped(washed and chopped finely)
Indian broad beans--- 250gms cut in to 1/2 inch pieces
Onion --- 1 big finely chopped
Green chilies -- 2 chopped
Ginger and green chilli paste -- 1 tea sp
Oil -- 1 tab sp
Mustard seeds -- 1 tea sp
Urad dal(split black gram) -- 1 tea sp
Cumin seeds -- 1/2 tea sp
Dry red chilies --- 2 broken
Turmeric powder --- 1/2 tea sp
Salt -- 1&1/4 tea sp or to taste
Red chilli powder -- 1/4 tea sp


METHOD:----

• Clean, wash and chopp fenugreek leaves
• Tear, open and check Indian broad beans if there are any insects in side and cut in to 1/2 inch pieces and leave a side
• Peal and chopp onion very finely and cut green chilies in to small pieces.
• Heat oil in a pan and add mustard seeds and let them popup then add urad dal, cumin seeds and broken dry red chilies and let them fry till nice golden color.
• Now add chopped onion and green chilies and fry till onion become transparent.
• Then add ginger and green chili paste, Indian broad bean pieces, salt, turmeric powder mix well and add 1/2 cup water cover with a lid and cook till Indian broad beans are cooked this will take 10 min. time in a low flame or you can cook till all the water is evaporated.
  
  
• Now add chopped fenugreek leaves, red chili powder mix well and sprinkle 1 tab sp water cover with a lid and cook in a low flame, stir in between till it became semidry curry.
• You can add 200gms of chopped eggplant pieces also to this curry when you add Indian broad bean pieces for adifferent taste.

enjoy with rice or roti.

RICE RAVA PULIHORA

Hi every one..... sorry for my sudden disappearance. I was little bussy with my mom because she is not well,now she is fealing better, so to day I tried to post this recipe. this recipe is from my mom only.Today morning she sat a side in the kitchen and teached this recipe to me and this is a very new recipe to me. Normaly with rice rava I make upma, more kali or undrallu making pulihora with rava is first time but it taste really great and a perfect choice for breakfast or dinner . Here is the recipe for delicious Rice rava pulihora with great lemon aroma......

INGREDIENTS:----
Rice rava --- 300gm. 3 cups
Oil --- 70gm (groundnut oil)
Dry red chillies -- 3 broken
Mustard seeds -- 1 tea sp
Ginger green chilli paste -- 2 tea sp
Green chilies -- 3
Chana dal(split chick peas, pachi senagapapu) -- 1 tab sp
Ground nuts(pea nuts, verusenagapappu) -- 1 tab sp
Asafoetida -- 1 pinch
Curry leaves -- 2 springs
Turmeric powder -- 1/2 tea sp
Salt -- 1 tab sp
Lemon juice -- 2-3 lemons (according to your taste)
Water -- 6 cups

METHOD:----

• Heat oil in a pan fry ground nuts(peanuts, verusenagapappu) till nice golden color remove and leave a side.
• Now add mustared seeds let them popup then add split chick peas(chanadal, pachi senagapappu), dry red chillies, asafoetida,green chilies,curry leaves let them fry for a while .
• Then add ginger and green chilli paste, turmeric powder then add lemon juice water and salt bring to a full boil.n
• Now add rice rava to the boiling water slowly(like how we add rava for upma)stir well and cover with a lid and leave it in a low flame till rava became soft and well cooked.
• mix well and remove from heat.
• Serve hot.

HOME REMEDY FOR BODY HEAT AND INDIGESTION

In the preparation of this tasty and healthy drink Jaggery and Black pepper are the ingrdients besides water.

Jaggery is well known as Gud or Bellamu in Telugu. It is a traditional unrefined sugar which is made from sugar cane juice and is being used in many traditional sweets in India. Traditionaly it is made by boilling the raw sugarcane juice in a big pan till this juice become like a thick syrup. Before the syrup becomes solid they use natural clarificants like vegetable clarificants to clarify the syrup. They don't use chemicals in this process. jaggery has various medicinal properties as it contains minerals, vitamins, essential amino acids and also rich in calcium. It is a good source for bone strength.It is also rich in iron content. It purifies the blood and also prevents diseases like anemia. Jaggery is more healthy then refined sugar because it won't introduce in to the blood directly. As per ayurveda jaggery is very beneficial in treating throat and lung infections. According to Hindu tradition jaggery is considered auspicious. when we are going to do a good work or starting a new or important work a piece of jaggery is taken and distrubuated to wellwishers and then start the work .

BLACK PEPPER:One of the most popular spice of India.black pepper is widely used in many tradetional medicinal systems. Black pepper had a very high source of manganese and also rich in iron and dietary fiber. There are so many health benefits with this popular oldest spice of India, like it improves digestion,stimulates taste buds and improves the appetite .It also helps in prevention of diarrhea and constipation and prevents gastric troubles.

Water --- 1 glass
Jaggery (powder) --- 1 tab sp
Black pepper --- 10 (corsely ground)
METHOD: prepare Instantly
Mix both jaggery and black pepper powder in 1 class of water mix well to dissolve the jaggery, you can drink this any time in the day not after dinner.
Name& reason for which the remedy is prepared: to controle body heat and gastric troubles, indigestion, stimulates taste buds.
Oral consumption: oral consumption 1 time a day
For whom kids/Adults/All/Specific Gender: Every one (kids from 2 years)
Can prepare fresh: Should be made fresh and used immediately.
This Home remedy goes to "HOME REMEDIES'' SERIES-1 at A2ZVEGETARIAN CUISINE by Sadhana & Muskaan

CHEGODILU FOR ICC(LATE ENTRY)

Indian cooking challange hosted by srivalli at SPICE YOUR LIFE is a great chance to try some traditional Indian recipes.As you all know I am very much interested in trying different recipes so when valli announced the challenge I just dropped a mail to her that Iam going to join ICC..., that time I didn't even think is it possible to take challenge or not every month. This month I couldn't post the ICC recipe on time, because of some family problems, but I don't want to miss any recipe from the challenge so I tried the recipe yestarday and recipe is chegodilu, they came out realy so crisp like store brought chegodilu. This recipe is totally different then mine, in my recipe (what i learnt from my mom) I don't boil the water to mix the dough and I mix the rice flour with fried chick pea flour(putnala podi,daliya,porikadalai) any way will post my recipe some other time now here I go with the recipe CHEGODILU from Srivalli s INDIAN COOKIN CHALLENGE


INGREDIENTS:---
Rice flour --- 1 cup
Water -- 1 cup
Split yellow moong dal -- 1&1/2 - 2 tab sp
Cumin seeds -- 1 tea sp
Sesame seeds -- 1 tea sp
Chilli powder -- 1 tea sp
Ghee or oil -- 1 tab sp
Salt to taste
Oil for deep frying


METHOD:---

• Soak moong dal in water for half hour to 1 hour
• In a deep bottom pan, boil water, then add salt, ghee and moong dal. Bring it to boil.
• Simmer and slowly add the rice flour.
• Using a rolling pin or the ladle, mix the flour with water by stirring it well.
• When the flour is mixed, turn off the heat immediately.
• Cover with a lid and leave a side for 10 to 15 min.
• Once the dough is cool add chilli powder,cumin and sesame seeds and mix well.
• Knead this dough till you get a smooth dough
• Adjust the spice depending on your taste.

FRYING THE CHEGODILU:---

• Heat a deep frying pan with enough oil to fry 3-4 chegodilu at a time, If you are conscious of not using too much oil then simmer once it gets hot, the temperature should not be smoking hot.
• Grease your fingers with oil and a pinch out a small lemon(golf) size ball and roll between your palms to form a thick rope.
• Bring the two ends together and press to hold the both ends like a ring.
• Make sure the ends are firmed pressed as not to give out during frying.
• Continue with the rest of the dough until you are done with the entire batch.
• You can eaither cover with aplate or a cloth to prevent the dough from getting dried.
• At the same time heat oil in adeep frying pan and check if the oil is in the correct temperature, by dropping a little bit of the dough in to the oil.
• Now gently drop the rings or chegodilu in batches like 4-5 at a time .
• The flame should be on high till the chegodilu come up to the surface, then lower The flame to medium and cook till you get a golden color on the chegodilu
• When the chegodilu are golden all over, using a slotted ladle, remove from oil in to a kitchen towel and cool.
• Store in an air tight container for longer life.

NOTES:-- Remember to turn the heat to medium to high and high to medium for getting the chegodilu golden color and also to be cooked evenly. only this way you get crispy chegodis. this should not be cooked on a low flame as they will absorb more oil and can turn soggy also at times.
VARIATION:-- Instead of cumin seeds and sesame seeds 1 tea sp Ajwain(vamu, omam) can be used along with the chilli powder.

APPLE CAKE

Apart from Indian food cakes are my all time favorite and that too Apple cake...With a cup of hot chocolate or green tea or black tea is a great combination. Baking is my hobby means I just love baking cakes and breads yeh…. cookies also but my husband doesn’t like cookies. Every time when I bake first I give a try and then second time I make some changes and if any mistakes clear them and then I post the recipe here. In the original recipe they didn’t add chopped apple to the batter but they top the cake with apple wedges, that wedges gave a juice and crunchy texture to the cake so when yester day I again bake this cake I added some chopped pieces in the batter too and this time the cake taste more delicious with crunchy apple pieces and nice cinnamon flavor. We just enjoyed the cake hope you all also like the recipe. Now let’s check the Apple cake recipe….

INGREDIENTS:----

Self-rising flour --- 250g

Un-salted butter --- 250g

Caster sugar --- 250g

Eggs ---- 4

Vanilla extract --- 1 tea sp (you can use ½ tea sp vanilla essence also)

Cooking apples --- 2 peeled, cored and cut in to wedges

Cooking apple --- 2 peeled, cored and chopped

Demerara sugar --- 2 tab sp

Cinnamon ground ---- ¼ tea sp

METHOD:----

1. Pre heat the oven at 180 c gas mark 4 for 10 min.
2. Butter a 26cmx16cm tin then line the base with a baking paper
3. Now in a big bowl beat the eggs it they become stiff and leave a side
4. Then in a big mixing bowl beat butter and sugar till it turns fluffy.
5. Now add beaten eggs to the butter and sugar mixture mix well to combine.
6. Then add flour to the wet mixture and beat quickly to make a smooth batter.
7. Add vanilla, chopped apple and mix well to combine.
8. Now pour this batter in to the prepared tin and top with the apple wedges
9. Sprinkle with the demerara sugar and cinnamon.
10. Bake in a pre heated oven for 1 hour or till skewer comes out clean.
11. Remove from the oven and leave to cool for few mins.Then release the tin and cool the cake on a wire rack.
12. Serve warm with a cup of green tea (with out sugar)
13. I used self-rising flour you can use all-purpose flour with 1 teasp baking powder.
14. I used green apples (total 4 apples) you can use any cooking apples you like.
15. For me it took 1 hour to bake it depends on your oven if it is not finished in 1 hour then you can keep it for 5 min. more ... check with a skewer before you remove from the oven..

TOMATO CHUTNEY

Some times we get bored with same old coconut chutney with dosa and idli,at that time this Tomato chutney will be a great choice and it goes very well with any thing like dosa, idli, hot steamed rice or even with chapathi. Same thing happened to me this morning at breakfast time I don’t want to make same chutney for dosa, I am craving for some thing tangy and spicy then I checked my fridge there were some beautiful red tomatoes and here I go with the Tomato chutney

INGREDIENTS:---

Tomato ---- 3 medium (red ripe tomatoes)

Green chilies --- 5-6 or according to your taste

Tamarind --- 1 inch piece

Coriander seeds --- 1 tea sp

Cumin seeds --- 1&1/2 tea sp

Garlic -- 4 cloves

Salt to taste or 1 tea sp

Oil -- 1 tab sp

Coriander leaves --- 1 tab sp chopped

METHOD:---

1. Cut tomatoes in to small pieces and slit green chillies and leave a side

2.Heat a pan and add coriander seeds and cumin seeds fry till they change the color and nice aroma comes out.

3. Remove from the pan and grind in to a fine powder.

4. Now heat oil in the same pan add green chilies and tomatoes and fry till tomatoes become soft. Then add tamarind piece to the cooked tomatoes and leave a side to cool.

5.After tomatoes cool down add this green chilies and tomatoes, tamarind and salt to the coriander and cumin powder grind in to a smooth paste

6. At the end add garlic cloves and chopped coriander leaves, grind for a second to blend well.

7. Remove from the blender jar and serve with dosa, idli or any thing you like.

PALAK PURI (SPINACH PURI)

Hi everyone I am back from my one month vacation. When I came back from my holidays I have only some wheat flour at home and I don’t know what to make for dinner and I didn’t have vegetables also at home yeh I have some cauliflower pickle in the fridge which I made before I am leaving for holidays and suddenly I remember that there is a packet of frozen spinach in my freazer.I thought of making dal or palak paneer then I realize that I don’t have dal and paneer also at home ahhhhhhhhhh.. Getting mad .Then subbenly hubby dear told me that` way didn’t you make palak puri we can have them with that cauliflower pickle’. Hummm not a bad Idea and here is the recipe……

INGREDIENTS FOR PALAK PURI(SPINACH PURI):-----

Whole wheat flour (Atta) --- 2 cups

Spinach ------ 1 small bunch or 1 pack of frozen palak (after you make the paste that should measure 1 cup or 100 Gms)

Garlic --- 5 cloves grated

Oil -- 1 tab sp

Salt to taste (aprox.1/4 tea sp)

Oil for deep frying

According to Spinach paste and Wheat flour measurement that should be in 2:1 that means if you take 2 cups of Wheat flour then Spinach paste should be 1 cup.

BLANCHING THE SPINACH:---

1. Blanching vegetables is a Cooking form that makes the vegetables soft, intensifies the color and heightens the flavor but remains the crunchiness of the vegetable especially leafy greens like spinach.

2. To blanch Spinach fill a large pan with water and bring to a full boil add spinach to the boiling water.

3. Blanch Spinach for 30 seconds or till leaves turn in to bright green color.

4. Now switch off the flame and strain the spinach from water in to another bowl and add ice water with ice cubes this will stop further cooking.

5. Remove Spinach from ice water also and squeeze all of the excess water.

6. Now you can make paste with this blanched spinach and use in your curries like palak paneer and palak puri too

NOW LET US SEE HOW TO MAKE PALAK PURI(SPINACH PURI):---

1. In a big mixing bowl add wheat flour, spinach paste, salt, one tab sp oil, grated garlic and mix with your hand to make a semi- hard dough(if you fell like dough is little bit hard to form like a ball or cracks on the ball then sprinkle little water and knead well).

2. Keep the dough covered for at least 10 min.

3. Then divide the dough in to equal sized balls (this measurement gives you nearly 15 balls)

4. Now dust the surface with little flour and roll the each ball in to 4 inch – diameter discs.

5. In the same time heat oil in a deep frying pan and fry this beautiful green color puries both sides in a medium heat.

6. Remove from oil and drain on to an absorbent paper and serve hot with any pickle and curd or raita or you can try with dal fry also a good combination for this puri

DRY FRUIT HALWA

This dry fruit halwa is from my mom's kitchen.Halwa with lots of nuts,Amma made this delicious halwa for both of us(me and my hubby).She already prepaired her menu for my vecations before I landed here.When I eat a piece of this halwa and told superb amma she gave a beautiful smile to me and i enjoyed that smile.And this halwa is really so mouth-watering with a special ingredient thats my moms love............
Hope now you all understand where i am yaa I am in India for vecation...

INGREDIENTS:------
Maida (all purpose flour) --- 1 cup
sugar ---- 1 cup (or according to your taste you can increase or decrease the sugar)
Yellow food color --- 2 pinches
Cashew nuts --- 20 broken
Almonds --- 20 chopped
Pista -- 20 chopped(fry all nuts in ghee till light brown color)
Netmeg powder --- 1/4 tea sp
Ghee --- 1 cup
Cardamom powder --- 1 tea sp
METHOD:----
Now add little water to sugar and boil it to make a sticky syrup(add a little water to sugar don't add too much water ).

Shift maida in to a big bowl and add water to make a thin batter like rava dosa batter and add food color to this maida batter and leave a side.Now add maida mixture to the sugar syrup keep stirring well. with in 6-8 min it will get thick.

In the same time heat the ghee, now start adding the ghee to the maida and sugar syrup mixture and keep stirring.

The halwa would absorb all the ghee then again add some more ghee and keep stirring.

By the time you finish the ghee halwa starts to leave the sides of the pan and it will become like a ball around to your laddle. Now add cardamom powder and mix well.

Now add fried dry fruits, netmeg powder mix well.

Now transfer it in to a greased plate and make it flat with a spoon and let it cool and cut in to pieces.
enjoy your sweet.

This will stay for 15 days if you keep it in the fridge 1-2 month s

When ever you want to serve remove from the fridge and keep it in the microwave for 5 sec. and serve.

This process will give a fresh taste and texture to halwa.

SWEET CORN AND VEGETABLE SALAD WITH ITALIAN DRESSING

Like any other words in cooking language SALAD also came from French word 'Salade' of the same meaning,which is originally came from a Latin word 'Salata' means vegetables seasoned with salt,pepper powder ,some herbs and olive oil or any salad oil. Vegetables seasoned with brine was a popular Roman dish (Brine is a saturated water which is comonly used in preserving vegetables,meat.fish and some cheese like Feta cheese.). Salad is often served as an appetizer before a meal but also some times served as a side dish or a main course. Now a days 99%people are health-conscious so they don't like high calories in their every day meal ,due to their low calorie density these salads became a main course in their every day meal.most of the people like salads with lots of green leafy vegetables, vegetables, lentils,meat and seafood also. After the vegetables the main ingredient in this salads is dressing many light edible oils, vinaigrettes , mayonnaise are used in this salad dressing but my personal favorite is olive oil with some italian herbs and lemon juice.And to day I am here with a simple salad with Italian dressing and the recipe is like this.................
INGREDIENTS:----
Sweet corn -- 1 cup
Carrot -- 1 cup chopped
Olives -- 1/4 cup chopped
Red bell pepper -- 1 chopped
Green bell pepper -- 1 chopped
Zucchini -- 1 chopped
FOR DRESSING:---
Extra-virgin olive oil -- 1 tab sp
Freshly ground black pepper -- 1/4 tea sp
Lemon juice --- 1 tab sp (optional)
Salt to taste
Basil -- 4-5 leaves chopped
Dry Italian hearbs -- 1 tea sp
salt to taste
METHOD:---
Mix all dressing ingredients in a small jar or bottle and shake well(or you can take this in to a big mixing bowl and wisk well) and leave a side.
Mix all vegetables in a mixing bowl and pour the dressing on top of the vegetables and now toss well to coat evenly .
Garnish with lots of carrot juliennes
Enjoy your salad with brown bread..
If you like you can add boiled and chopped chicken to this salad.

GINGER - GARLIC PASTE -- BASIC RECIPE FOR INDIAN COOKING

In many Indian recipes one of the main ingredient is Ginger garlic paste . so many of us generaly brought this from store but most of the times we make this at home also.but other then store brouht ginger garlic paste what we make at home will give a better taste and aroma to our curry.A must ingredient in every non-vegetarian recipes.Normaly we make this paste and store it in the fridge for 1 week so that we can use it when ever we need. to day let us see how I make and store ginger garlic paste for long time.


INGREDIENTS:----- Ginger -- 250 g.
Garlic --- 250g.
METHOD:---

1. Wash ginger peel a little skin(if you like with skin then no need to peel but that will give a brownish color to the paste)
2. Peel garlic also and chop both garlic and ginger in to small pieces
3. Now blend ginger and garlic in to a fine paste in a blender.
4. Remove from the blender jar in to airtight container and store it in the fridge.

1. If you want to store this for long time then add 1tea sp salt and 1 tea sp oil while grinding ginger and garlic.
2. And then place 1 tea sp paste in each block of ice cubes try and place it in the deep freezer and leave it for over night to make ginger garlic cubes( that means at least 12- 15 hours)
3. Then take out from the freezer and remove the cubes from try and place them in a container and again leave it in the freezer.
4. When ever you want to use take out from the freezer before you start cooking
5. This will stay fresh for 1 year with its original aroma.
6. You can make Ginger and green chili paste also in the same way and store it in the freezer

Regarding this ginger-garlic paste storage I got 2 questions...
1. when I place the try in the fridge I covered it with foil so that the strong smell of the g&g paste won't spread in the freezer.
2.@ Malar .. yes if you keep it in the fridge some times it changes the color but you do like this the color won,t change.

TOMATO CHARU (SPICY SOUTH INDIAN TOMATO SOUP)

Charu – Rasam – Saru is a very common dish in every day meal in South Indian cuisine. Charu or Rasam means extract or juice in Telugu or any other south Indian language. Traditionally made by tamarind extract and seasoned with spices like black pepper corns, dry coriander seeds and cumin seeds. Charu is a tangy and spicy thin tamarind soup which is a very power full home remedy for digetation, clod and perfect comfort food when you are having flue it keeps you warm. This traditional recipe was adapted in to British cuisine as Mulligatawny soup (pepper water) and it is very popular even today in England. A bowl of lightly mashed rice with a few drops of ghee and mix with hot Charu and vadiyalu (vadam,sundried rice flour wafers, deep fried in oil like fryams)or a potato stir fry, yummmm is there any other comfort food other then this …….. If you ask me no… any way

There are so many versions in this Charu recipe like

Chintapandu charu (tamarind Soup),

Vellulli charu(garlic soup)

Pappu charu or pappu rasam (lentil soup)

Miriyala charu (black pepper soup)

Pineapple rasam (spicy pineapple soup)

Ulava charu (horse gram soup)

Nimmakaya charu (lemon soup)

Tomato charu (thin spicy tomato soup)

Tiyya charu (sweet tamarind soup)

Pachi charu(pachi pulusu, Raw tamarind soup)

Majjiga charu (butter milk soup)

In some versions we use pappu kattu(cook 1 tab sp any lentils with 2-3 cups of water till lentils become soft remove from the heat and strain the water and use this water in the place of normal water for making charu. If you like you can add that cooked lentils also but mash well and mix with Charu).And to day here I am with the recipe TOMATO CHARU………….

INGREDIENTS:----

Tomato --- 1 big

Tamarind -- 1inch pieces 4-5 pieces soak in hot water(if you hold all these tamarind pieces tightly in your hand that should become like table tennis ball size.After you soak and extract water from this tamarind that should be 100 ml thin tamarind extract.

Oil -- 1 tab sp

Garlic -- 3 cloves crushed

Mustard - 1/2 tea sp

Asafoetida --- 1 pinch(hing, inguva)(optional)

curry leaves -- 12 leaves

salt to taste

Water --- 2&1/2 -3 cups

Charu podi (rasam powder) -- 1&1/2 tea sp you can use any brand which is easly available in any Indian store like MTR - Rasam powder or Priya Rasam powder or you can make at home check my recipe here.

Coriander leaves --- 1 tab sp chopped.

Soak tamarind in warm water and extract juice with 120 ml water and you can get 100 ml tamarind juice from that.

Pour this tamarind juice in to a heavy bottom pan and start boiling in a medium flame.

Take 1 big tomato and make puree in a blender. when you measure this tomato puree this should be 1 cup means 120- 130 ml.

Now add this tomato puree(if you want you can strain this tomato puree to remove the tomato skin pieces add 50 ml water (1/2 cup) and strain through a juice strainer) to tamarind juice,add 1 cup water(120 ml) and boil in a medium heat the raw smell of the tamarind and tomato will disappears .

This will take 10 min. to boil.After 10 min. add crushed garlic, salt to taste,curry leaves and 1 more cup water, charu podi(rasam powder), bring to a full boil lower the flame and let it cook for 15 min.

After 15 min add chopped coriander leaves and cook for 2 more min and remove from heat.

Now heat oil in a pan add mustard seeds and let them popup(here you can add a pinch add asafoetida if you like) then add this seasoning to Charu immediately cover with a lid and let it rest for at least 10 min before you serve.

Serve hot with rice.
Note: -- if you want to make a fresh rasam powder the

Coriander seeds -- 1/2 tea sp

Cumin seeds -- 1 tea sp

Black pepper corns -- 1 tea sp

Garlic cloves -- 3

few curry leaves (if you are making this instant Rasam powder with garlic and curry leaves then no need to add garlic and curry leaves what i have given in the ingredients list.)

Dry roast all ingredients in a pan and make a coarse powder in a hand pastel or a coffee grinder.This will give a great aroma to charu.

You like hot and spicy soups then strain this Charu through a strainer and enjoy like a soup.