POACHED EGGPLANT SALAD

Eggplants are considered as a low calore vegetable Eggplant is effective in the treatment of high blood cholesterol.Normally how I make eggplant salad is grild and mixed with other vegetables like capsicum.This is a different recipe which gives a great taste to the salad.Parsely gives a beautiful flavour to this salad and I enjoyed it with roti....

Recipe source -- Tobiascooks.com
INGREDIENTS:---
Eggplants --- 2 large cut in to small cubes
Garlic -- 2 cloves crushed
Vinegar -- 2 tab sp
Parsley -- 1 cup finely chopped(nearly 100 g)
Green chillies -- 2 or accor ding to your taste
Salt --- 1/2 tea sp or according to your taste
Olive oil -- 2 tab sp
METHOD:---
1.Add half salt to eggplant cubes and leave a side for half an hour
2. Heat water in a sauce pan bring to full boil then add eggplant cubes and cook for 3 minutes.
3.Remove from heat and drain all the water well and keep a side
4. Blend parsley,garlic.green chillies,remaining salt,vinegar and olive oil and blend in to a fine paste.
5.Add this parsley sesoning to eggplant cubes mix gently, cover and leave it like that for couple of hours and serve.
This salad goes to Prathibha s only salads event and event started by Pari

HRAIMEH - FISH POUCHED IN A SPICY GRAVY(LIBYAN POUCHED FISH)

Lamb and chicken dishes dominate the Libyan cuisine.Most of the Libyan recipes are made with lamb more then chicken.But being a Mediterranean region Libyan diet is also rich in sea food like Fish,Octopus and squids. Sundried Octopus cooked in a tomato herb stew flavoured with garlic and served on Couscous is a favourite delicacy in Libya.We get many varieties of fish from mediterranean sea like Pomfert,Mullet,Moonfish,Sardines(spanish Sardine),Anchovies.Libyans likes fresh fish more then dried fish.Mostely fish is cooked on a grill and served with couscous or cooked as a stew with potatoes and served with Bazin(Bazin is popular and treditional dish in Libya which is made by a dough with roasted barli and other grains and served with a stew of fish or meat. It is similar to South Indian ragimudde(ragisankati) or jonnasankati ).And the next recipe with fish in Libyan cuisine is Hraimeh- which is fish pouched in a spicey tomato gravy flavoured with garlic and caraway powder. Here I go with Hraimeh recipe from Libyan cuisune.....
                                                                 

INGRDIENTS:---
Olive oil -- 3 tab sp
Water -- 1 cup (100 ml)
Lemon juice -- 1 tab sp
Tomato puree -- 5 tab sps
Garlic cloves -- 4 finely chopped
Salt -- a pinch or according to your taste
Cumin -- 1 tea sp ground(cumin powder)
Caraway - 1/2 tea sp ground (Caraway seed powder)
Paprika -- 2 tea sp (mix hot and sweet, I used Indian red chilli powder because we like little spicy)
Tuna Steaks -- 4 (140 g) You can use any other boneless fish steaks.
METHOD:--
1.Mix oil,water,lemon juice,tomato puree,garlic,salt and spices.
2.Pour in to a sauce pan and cook in a low heat for 10 minutes.
3. Add the fish and cook, turn the fish both sides so it absorbs the sauce.
4. Cover the pan with lid and cook on a low heat for 15 minutes.
5. sprinkle with coriander and serve
This is my entry for 16th Mediterranean cooking event

SPINACH AND CORIANDER RICE

There are many ways to make Spinach rice.This is a delicious and healthy recipe with great coriander aroma.Actually I make spinach rice with only spinach.This time I wanted to give a different flavour to my spinach rice and that's realy worked out. check out the recipe here....

INGREDIENTS:--
Spinach -- 1 cup chopped
Coriander --- 1 cup chopped
Green chillies --- 3 chopped
Garlic --- 4 cloves chopped
Cumin seeds -- 1 tea sp roasted
Rice --- 1&1/2 cup (basmati or any other long grain rice)
Water --- 3 cups
Olive oil --- 1 tab sp (you can use( ghee)clarified butter or any other oil if u like.
Cinnamon --- 1 inch stick
Cardamom -- 4
Salt --- 1 &1/2 tea sp or according to your taste.

METHOD:---
1.Make a coarse paste of spinach.coriander,green chilli,garlic and cumin seeds in a food processor.
2. Cook rice with 3 cups of water and tea sp of oil and let it cool .
3.Now heat remaining olive oil in a pan and add cinnamon,cardamom let them popup then add the ground paste, salt, give a nice stir then add cooked rice immediately and cover with a lid switch off the heat, leave it like that till you serve.
4. Just before you serve remove the lid and mix well to combine the flavours well and serve with pickle,curd and salad.
You can serve with fried eggs or fried fish or chicken on top of this rice in a bowl with salad as a one bowl meal..

MIXED VEGETABLE AND OATS BALLS

Yestarday I planed to make mixed vegetable balls for lunch and I for got that I don't have corn flour in my pantry.I already chopped the vegetables and added the other ingredients then I realise that hummm what to do?. I don't want to add besan(chick pea flour to this). Then I think way didn't we make some thing interesting this recipe. That time I was thinking for a different recipe for Priyas oats event and..... way don't we add oats to veges to make a interesting recipe and here I go......

INGREDIENTS:--
Chopped cabbage --- 1 cup(finely chopped)
Finely chopped carrot -- 1/2 cup(you can used grated also)
Green peas ---1/4 cup boiled and lightly mashed
Potato --- 1 small boiled and mashed
Oats --- 1/4 cup
All purpose flour(maida) --- 1 tab sp (you can add 1 tab sp pancake mix insted of flour)
Chopped green chillies --- 1/2 tab sp
Chopped garlic ---- 1 tab sp
Choppped ginger ---- 1/2 tab sp
Chopped coriander --- 1 tab sp
Salt -- 1&1/2 tea sp
Oil for deep frying

METHOD:---
1. Mix all above ingredients in a bowl and make small ball s
2. Heat oil in a deep frying pan.
3.Slowley droop this balls in to hot oil and fry in to a golden brown color.
4. Remove from oil an dplace the on a kitchen towle to remove if any extra oil.
Serve hot with rice as a side dish or with soup or you can enjoy then as a snack...
Note :-you can use frozen vegetables also ...
Sending this vege balls to Priya s CWF event by Kiran

KHANDVI FOR ICC

This month's Indian Cookin Challenge is KHANDVI a delicious Gujarati snack.I never made Khandvi before and never tasted also. when Sri Valli choosed Khandvi for this month's challenge I am very happy to try this one. I tried it for few times still I am not happy with this ,It dosen't came out perfect.But hubby dear likes it very much, I have to try this for one more time let's see.Thank you so much valli for choosing this delicious snack and thanks Lata for the recipe,I have choosed Lata's recipe..

INGREDIENTS:---
Gram flour (besan) -- 1/3 cup
Sour curd -- 1/3 cup
Water -- 1 cup
Sugar -- 1 tea sp
Ginger garlic paste -- 1 tea sp
Green chilli paste -- 1/2 tea sp
Turmeric powder -- 1/4 tea sp
Asafoetida powder -- 1/4 tea sp
Salt -- 1/4 tea sp or according to your taste
Oil ---- 3 tab sp
FOR SEASONING:---
Oil -- 1 tea sp
Mustard seeds -- 1/2 tea sp
Sesame seeds -- 1 tab sp
Grated coconut -- 2 tab sp
Chopped coriander leaves -- 2 tab sp

METHOD:---
1. Greas a flat plate with little oil and keep a side.
2.Take gram flour,salt,ginger garlic paste,green chilli paste,curd, water in to a bowl and mix well to make a thin batter(make sure that no lumps in the batter)
3. Now add sugar, Asafoetida, turmeric powder to the batter and mix well.
4.Heat 3 tab sp oil in a thick bottomed pan and pour the batter,stir continously in a medium heat till it turns in to a semi liquid.
5. Now transfer this cooked flour to the greased plate and spread the batter in to a thin layer and leave it to cool.

6. Once it is cool cut in to strips with a knife, roll this strips in to spirals.
7.Heat 1 tea sp oil in a pan add mustard and sesame seeds let them popup then pour over this seasoning on rolled khandvi
8. Sprinkle grated coconut and chopped coriander leaves and serve.

సంక్రాంతి శుభాకాంక్షలు -- HAPPY SANKRANTI

HAPPY SANKRANTI TO ALL MY FRIENDS AND READERS

This is the Sankranti days neivedam(offering to God) plater. In this plater you can see..

Chekralu (muruku)

Garelu (deep fried urad bean duplings)(vada)

Chekkera Pongali

Ariselu

OLKOPIR DALNA - KOHLRABI IN THICK GRAVY

In Indian cuisine curry considered as a side dish. Curry is analogous to soup or stew. In Indian cuisine vegetables are meat cooked in there spices with or with out gravy.in India thousand of curries can be made by vegetables and dal, although ther are regional variations in Indian cuisine.Bengali cuisine includes a wide variety of curries.Bengali cisine is famous for there fish curries but they also excel in the cookin of vegetables. They prepare a veriety of dishes using many types of vegetables,in different ways like.. Aum-bol (A sour dish mead with vegetables or fish and tamarind pulp),Chachari(stir fry),Jhoul( a stew), Dalna - Mixed vegetables cooked in a semi gravy seasoned with garam masala. Dalna is a thick gravy based dish which reminds me iguru kura in Andhra cuisine.So here I am with a Dalna recipe which I tried and tasted from Sandeepa's Bong mom's cook book OLKOPIR DALNA and served with rice I enjoyed it with roti also. I just fallowed the recipe so that I can get the real bengali dalna flavour...
                                                                                 

INGREDIENTS:---
Olkopi/Kohlrabi/Noolkol --- 1 peeld and cut in to cubes
Potato ---- 1 cut in to cubes
Fresh or frozen green peas -- 1/2 cup
Tomatoes -- 2 blanched and pured
Ginger paste -- 1&1/2 tea sp
FOR MASALA:---
Cumin powder -- 1 tea sp
Coriander powder -- 1 tea sp
Red chilli powder -- 1 tea sp or according to your taste
Kitchen king masala or garam masala -- 2 tea sp
Yogurt -- 1 tab sp
Tomato ketchup -- 2 tea sp this gives a bright color and sweet taste if you dont like just skip it.
FOR SEASONING:--
Bay leaves -- 3
Cardamom -- 2
Clove -- 2
Cinnamon -- 1/2 inch stick
Fenugreek seeds -- 1/2 tea sp
Salt --- 1 tea sp or to taste
oil -- 1 tab sp
METHOD:--
1.peel and cut the kolrabi and potatoes in to small cubes and steam till half-done.
2. heat oil in a pan add seasoning ingredients fry for a while and add tomato pure, cook till oil separates from the tomato pure.
3. Add ginger paste and stir for a while.
4.Now add steamed vegetables, green peas and saute till the vegetables take on a little color.
5.In a small bowl mix yogurt,cuimin, coriander, red chillipowder,garam masala or kitchenking masala mix well to combine and add to the vegetables and stir till masala coats on the vegetables and fry for few minutes.
6. Add tomato ketchup, salt and 2 cups of water mix well, cover and cook till vegetables are done.
7. this is a thick gravy so adjust the water according to your like and check the salt and adjust according to your taste.
Enjoy this OLKOPIR DALNA with plain steamed rice..

PESARA CHEKRALU -- MOONG DAL MURUKU

This is one more variety of every body's favorite cruncy snack .Commonly murukus are made with rice flour but in this recipe I used maida(all purpose flour).Here we have to do little home work before we mix the dough with maida

Steam maida:Tie maida in a thin muslin cloth .. spread a clean white muslin cloth and put maida in the midle of the cloth and take all four sides of the cloth in to your hand and tie the cloth tightly like a bag.Make sure that maida should'nt come out.keep this maida bag in a vessel and place this vessel in a steamer, steam cook for 25 to 30 minutes in a meadium heat. You can do this process in a pressure cooker too with out weight. Remove from cooker and break lumps and sieve the maida now this maida is ready to mix the muruku dough..

Now let's check the other ingredients..

INGREDIENTS:--

Green gram dal(moongdal,pesarapappu) --- 1 cup

Steamed maida(allpurpose flour) ---- 2 cups

Seasame seeds -- 1 tab sp

Salt --- 1 tea sp

Butter --- 1 tab sp

Cumin and black pepper --- 2 tea sp tab sp coarsely powdered (dry roast both cumin and black pepper and grind in to coarse powder

Oil for deep frying

METHOD:--

1.Wash and cook moong dal in 2 cups of water till soft and water is absorbed completely.

2. Remove from heat and mash well, add salt, butter and cumin,pepper powder,seasame seeds mix well to combine every thing.

3. Add steamed maida little by little and mix in to a thick dough.

4.Heat oil for deep frying in a deep frying pan.

5. Set single star or small holes disc in to muruku maker and fill the muruku maker with dough, press murukus direct in to hot oil or you can make small murukus over a polythene sheet and drop them in to hot oil.

6. Deep fry murukus till crisp and nice golden color.Remove from oil and place them on a absorbent papper for few minutes to remove if any excess oil.

7.when they cool to roomtemperature, store them in a ari-tight container.
Enjoy this different murukus with a cup of tea or coffee......

LIBYAN HARISSA - LIBYAN CHILLI PASTE

Harissa is a red chilli paste which is very commonly found in North African cuisine. In Libya,Tunisia and Moroccan cuisine it is offen used as a condiment in meat dishes, stews, sauces and also in couscous. In Libyan Harissa is offen used as a marinate for meat.It is popular as a break fast spread, Harissa mixed with tuna is a favorite sandwich filling in Libya.There are many recipes for Harissa according to household and region.Variations can include the addition of cumin, garlic,mint,dry coriander and lemon juice.Comming to the chillies the main ingredient commonly used is piri piri peppers or serrano peppers or other hot chilies you can use less spice chillis also but that won't give a original flavour, olive oil is a standard ingredient.I came up with two recipes from my Libyan friends one is less spice and the other one is realy hot .The less spicer one include tomato puree that is gone very well with sandwich and salads.the other one Iam using as a marination and as a flavouring for stew s and curry's
                                                                             

INGREDIENTS:--
Red chillies --- 12 finely chopped
Cumin seeds -- 1 tea sp
Garlic -- 6 cloves
Coriander seeds -- 1 tab sp (dry roasted)
caraway seeds -- 1/4 tea sp (dry roasted)
Salt -- 1/2 tea sp
Olive oil to cover the paste
If you like can add 1 tab sp of tomato paste to make harissa less hot
                                                                           

In a pan add chopped chilli s, garlic cloves, spices and tomato paste (if using) cook in a low flame till chillies are cooked.
Add salt and bleand in to a smooth paste.
Store Harissa in a clean glass jar top with a thin layer of olive oil.
This will stay for a month in fridge.
You can make Harissa with dry red chillies also in that case ..
Soak the dry red chillies in warm water for 15 minutes or untill chillies became soft then chop and bleand with other spices and little water (which we soaked the dry chillies) and pour olive oil on top to cover the paste.
If you are using dry chillies then no need to cook them, just soak the chillies till soft and grind .

HAPPY NEW YEAR

WISH ALL MY READERS, BLOGER FRIENDS A VERY HAPPY AND PROSPOEROUS NEW YEAR.

COCONUT MURUKU- KOBBARI CHAKRALU

Muruku,chakralu or chakli what ever name it was, a popular savoury snack in South India.Muruku's are typically made with rice flour and urad dal powder,salt, chillipowder, asafoetida,ajwain or cumin seeds.Murukus are made with various combinations of flours and flavours. Let's try some coconut flavoured muruku s for this festival season....

INGREDIENTS:--
Rice flour --- 4 cups
Roasted urad dal flour -- 1 cup
Salt -- 2 tea sp
Butter --- 1 tab sp
Coconut extract -- To mix the dough
Oil for deep frying (if you like can fry in coconut oil )
Coarsely crushed cumin and pepper powder -- 1 tea sp.
METHOD:--
1.Sieve both flours and take in to a broad bowl.
2.Add salt,cumin,pepper powder and mix well to combine.
3. Now add butter and mix well with your hand to bring a bread crumbs stage.
4. Divide the flour in to 5-6 portions. Sprinkle coconut extract to each portion to make a thick dough (separately) just before you make murukus.
5. Make a thick dough, Keep the three eyed star disc in to the muruku maker,grease the muruku maker with little oil and place the dough in to the muruku press.
6. Make small murukus on a wet cloth or a polythene sheet.
7. Heat oil in deep frying pan to fry the muruku's
8. Take murukus carefully from wet cloth or sheet and slowly drop them in to hot oil.
9. fry the murukus in a medium heat till they turn in to nice golden color, remove from oil and place them on a absorbent paper for few minutes to remove if any excess oil.
10. When they cool to roomtemperature, store them in a ari-tight container.
Enjoy the coconut flavour murukus in this festival season..
For coconut extract grind coconut scrapings with little water and strain through a fine sieve to get a thick extract.
For fried urad dal flour dry roast urad dal in a pan and grind in to a fine powder in a coffee grinder or in a mixee.
after making the dough make murukus immediately other wise they may become hard.
take care when u add butter to make dough don't add more just fallow the measure what I have given.
Murukus retain it's color when u mix the powder with water or any other liquid just before u start frying if you mix all the dough at a time last portion of the muruku will become dark in color when you fry them in the hot oil.

DONDAKAYA NUVVU PODI KURA (IVY GOURD STIR FRY WITH SEASAME SEED POWDER)

Dondakaya -- Ivy gourd or Gherkins in English, this is a popular vegetable in India. It is eaten as a side dish by stir frying or stuffed it with masala and sauted or as a chutney (dipping). this small green colored vegetable is rich in beta-carotene.we make some delicious stir fry dishes with different flavours.This Ivy gourd stir fries are good combination for rice and dal.In this array of Ivy gourd stir fry s this recipe is with delicious nutty flavour and very well go with sambar or dal thadka so let's check it out ...

INGREDIENTS:--
Ivy gourd -- 1/2 kg(500 gms)
Oil --- 1 tab sp
Garlic cloves --- 5 crushed
Mustard seeds -- 1/2 tea sp
Urad dal --- 1 tea sp
Cumin seeds -- 1/2 teasp
Curry leaves -- 1 spring
Salt -- 1 teasp
Turmeric powder --1/4 tea sp

FOR MASALA POWDER:--
Seasame seeds -- 1 tad sp
Coriander seeds -- 1 tea sp
Dry coconut -- 1 tab sp (grated)
Cumin seeds -- 1 1/2 tea sp
Dry red chillies -- 5 or you can reduce according ti your taste.
1. Heat a pan and add cumin and coriander seeds, seasame seeds then add red chillies and fry till they turns in to nice golden color,now add grated dry coconut stir for a second switch off the heat and leave a side to cool.
2. Make a fine powder with above fried ingredients and leave a side.
3.Wash and wipe Ivy gourd cut the gourds in to small chunks.
4. Now heat oil in a deep frying pan add mustard seeds let them popup then add urad dal, cumin seeds, crushed garlic, curry leaves fry for a while.
5.Add Ivy gourd pieces,salt,turmeric powder give a good stir cover with a lid,reduce the flame and cook for 15 minutes,stir in between.
6.Check if the gourd pieces are cooked if not cooked again leave it in a low flame for 5 more minutes.
7.Remove the lid and add ground powder stir fry for 5 minutes to get a crisp Ivy gourd stir fry.(if you dont like crisp or deep fried then after adding the powder stir for 2 seconds and switch off the heat)
Serve hot with Rice and Sambar or tomato pappu,dosakaya pappu or any other dall you like.
Cuting the gourd is up to your choice you can cut them in to small chunks, round disc s or long pieces.
This same recipe you can make with Bitter gourd-Kakara kaya also.

CREAM OF CARROT SOUP WITH CRUNCHY APPLE

Carrot a beautiful orange colored root vegetable normally cooked as a side dish in South India.In North India it is used in salads, sweets,pulao and biriyani.Eating raw carrot is more beneficial for health,but carrot are used in a variety of ways .Carrot juice is also widely used as a health drink alone with carrots or mixed with other fruits.Carrot is well known for it's B-carotene, but when you eat them raw they releases only 3% during digestion and this will improve when you cooked. Pulp or chopped and cooked in soups,stews also grated and mixed with cake mixture or chopped or julienne carrots are mixed with rice are the most common ways to cook carrots.A bowl of piping hot soup will make a chilled winter evening more pleasant.

here I came up with a creamy, thick and delicious cream of carrot soup with a crunchy twist and here I go

INGREDIENTS:

Carrots -- 3

Onion -- 1 small

Garlic -- 3 cloves

Potato -- 1 small

Vegetable or chicken broth --- 300 ml or 1 can

Milk -- 1 cup (low fat milk)

Dry thyme - 1/2 tea sp (you can use fresh chopped thyme for more aroma)

Salt --- 1 tea sp or according to your taste

White pepper powder -- 1/2 tea sp

A dash of ground nutmeg

4 leaves of fresh spinach blanched and chipped finely

1 Apple de-seeded and chopped in to small chunks.

Olive oil -- 1 tab sp

METHOD:-

1. Wash carrots in lots of water(pealing the skin is optional) and cut in to small cubes.

2.Peal the potato and cut in to small cubes like carrot.

3. Cut the onion in to thin slices, Peal and chop garlic.

4. Heat olive oil in a saucepan add chopped garlic,onion stir for few seconds.

5.Add potato and carrot cubes,thyme give a good stir add broth mix well, bring to a full boil.

6. Reduce the flame,cover and cook in a low flame for 10 minutes.

7.Remove from heat and allow it to cool.

8.Blend the carrot mixture in a blender till smooth.

9.Bring back this carrot pulp to the saucepan add milk, chopped spinach and bring to a full boil,Reduce the flame and boil for 5 minutes, stir constantly.

10.Remove from heat add salt,pepper powder, nutmeg,Apple chunks mix well and serve hot.

Enjoy your chilled winter evening with hot crunchy,creamy carrot soup.

Note:-- you can use full cream milk instead of low fat milk

Butter in the place of olive oil

Can add 1/2 cup of cream for more rich taste and texture.

Can add more chopped spinach if you like.

KASHMIRI DUM ALOO FOR ICC

Kashmiri Dum aloo is the recipe for this months IndianCookingChallenge. This recipe belongs to Kashmiri Pandits cuisine. Kashmiri cuisine has it own hundreds of years history. the main influence is Kashmiri pandit's cuisine and then it was influenced by Central Asian , Persia,Afghanistan cuisines.But the Kashmiri Pundit's cuisine is usualy gives an impotence to vegetarian recipes which containce yogurt alot.Kashmiri Pandits cuisine avoids onion, garlic,tomato and they use alot of spices like fennel seeds, turmeric,clove,cumin and many more spices ....
This Kashmiri Dum Aloo is well konown as Dum Oluv which is cooked in a spicy yogurt gravy with lots of Kashmiri chilli powder and great flavor of dry ginger. Thanks to Valli and Lata for choosing this aromatic Kashmiri recipe for this month ICC.

INGREDIENTS:-
Baby potatoes - - 1 kg
Oil -- for deep frying the potatoes
Wash the potatoes poke with a fork soak in salted water for 20 min.
Heat oil in a deep frying pan.
After 20 min. remove the potatoes from salted water and wipe with a kitchen towel.
deep fry the potatoes in hot oil till golden remove and drain on a paper towel, keep a side.
FOR CURD MIXTURE:--
Curd -- 2 1/2 cups (yogurt)
Kashmiri chilli powder -- 1 tea sp
Dry ginger powder --1 tea sp
Cardamom powder --- 1/2 tea sp
Fennel powder --- 1 tab sp
Mix yogurt,fennel powder, kashmiri chilli powder, dry ginger powder,cardamom powder mixx well and add fried potatoes to this curd mixture combine well and leave a side.

FOR SEASONING:--
Mustared oil --- 4 tab sp
Cloves -- 6 roasted and powdered
Asafetida -- a pinch
Salt to taste (1 tea sp)
Frim dough made with a cup of wheat flour.
Garam masala -- 1 tea sp
Cumin powder --1 tea sp
Heat mustard oil in a pan on a medium flame and add clove powder ,asafetida mix well, add 1 cup of water to and bring to a full boil.
Now add potato and curd mixtute to this boiling water mix well to combine every thing.
Seal the edges of the pan with dough and make sure that the no steam can escape give dum to the potato mixture in a very low flame for 15 minutes.
Switch off the flame remove the lid add cumin powder and garam masala, cover again quickly, leave it like that for 5 minutes.
Serve hot with rotis or naan but I enjoyed it with plain rice too.

THOTAKURA TIYYA PAPPU--- AMARANTH LEAVES WITH MOONG DAL

Thotakura-Amaranth leaves is a very common leafy vegetable in Andhra Pradesh. In Andhra pradesh people use this green leafy vegetable in their daily cooking atleast two times in a week.Fresh amaranth leaves are usualy cooked with lentils or as stir fry, curry with tomato and onion(thota kura pulusu). This nutrious green leafy vegetable is rich in iron when we mix with lentils that will be a protein rich, healthy, delicious side dish for steamed rice or with roti.Here Iam with a recipe amaranth leaves and split mung beans (moong dal),which is a good combination with rice. Here is a version that how Imake Amaranth leaves with moong dal.

INGREDIENTS:--
Amaranth leaves --- 2 cups chopped (1 big bundle)(chop amaranth leaves very finely for this dal can use a chopper if u can't chop finely by hand.for consistency of this recipe leaves should be very finely chopped.)

Moong dal -- 1 cup
Onion -- 1 small chopped
Green chillies -- 3 slit in to two

FORSEASONING:---
Oil -- 1 tab sp
Mustard seeds -- 1/2 tea sp
Cumin seeds -- 1/2 tea sp
Urad dal -- 1 tea sp
Dry red chillies -- 2 broken
Curry leaves -- 1 spring
Salt -- 1tea sp(according to taste)
Turmeric -- 1/4 tea sp

METHOD:---
1.Wash dal add 2 cups water,chopped onion,amaranth leaves,green chillies,turmeric start cooking,bring to full boil and reduce the flame to low and let it cook till done.
2.Remove from heat add salt and mix with a spoon to combine every thing no need to mash the dal.
3. Heat oil in a small pan add mustard seeds,urad dal, cumin seeds,broken dry red chillis,curry leaves and fry for a while then add this seasoning to dall and amaranth mixture mix well.
Serve hot with rice and pickle,usualy any type of pulusu(tamarind gravy) is a great combination with this dal.
Can use spinach also insted of amaranth leaves

PANTUA(BENGALI DEEP FIRED CHEESE BALLS IN SWEET CARDAMOM SYRUP)

Sweets in Bengal is generally made by milk productes like Chenna (cottage cheese) or Khoa (reduced solified milk) with a little addition of flour or any other ingredient.Pantua is a sweet dish from Bengal, made with chenna (paneer). This is very similar to roshgolla but deep fried.

                                                                     

My experiance with Pantua first I made this sweet they blast all over the kitchen and my kitchen is filled with oil
This disaster because of extra flour Ihave aded and I didn't knead the chenna well.
so main point is knead the chenna well in to a smooth paste (don't add water if you add water then you have to add more flour. more flour will give a result of hard texture.)
place chenna on a flat surface and knead it with your palm.
Fallow the recipe and use the flour how much given in the recipe more flour will give a result of hard balls and they may blast.
If you add less flour cheese balls may become oily or they may split in the oil at
frying time. So be carefull don't fear
I tried 3 times 3 rd time I got the right texture and taste .
Trust me and give a try to this delicious Bengali sweet PANTUA
                                                         

FOR CHENNA(COTTAGE CHEESE):
Milk -- 1 liter
Lemon juice -- 1 tab sp
1. Boil milk in a pan bring to a full boil and add lemon juice stir well and let the milk curdle and bring to a full boil once more This will take 7 to 8 minutes.
2.Remove from heat and let it sit for 10 minutes then strain from a muslin cloth and hang this for few hours to remove all the water from paneer.
After this you channa is ready.
For filling:
Khoya --3/4 cup
Raisins -- hand full
Mix khoya and raisins and leave a side. If you don't like to fill with khoya the leave it and can use only raisin to stuff the cheese balls.
For pantua balls:-
Chenna (paneer,cottage cheese) -- made from 1 liter milk
Ghee -- 1tea sp
Flour (plain flour,all purpose flour, maida) -- 1& 1/2 tab sp
Baking Soda -- a pinch
1. Mix all the above 4 ingredients and knead gently in to a very soft and forms in to a smooth ball.
2.Now divide this dough in to equal portions and make smooth balls.
3. Make a cup shape with this cheese ball and stuff with khoya and raisin mixture and close from all sides and form in to a smooth ball again.
For Sugar Syrup:--
Sugar -- 1 & 1/2 cup
Milk -- 1 tab sp
Cardamom powder -- 1 tea sp
1. Add 1 cup water and 1&1/2 cup sugar to a thick bottom pan let the sugar dissolve well and add 1 tab sp milk let it boil for a while bythe the time all the dirt comes to the suface,remove from heat and strain the syrup.
2. Again pour the syrup in the vessel and bring to boil and let it boil till you get a sticky syrup.Keep the syrup warm.
3. Heat Ghee in a deep frying pan keep the flame low and drop the cheese balls slowly and fry the balls in a low flame till nice golden color.
4. While frying stir the oil with a slotted spoon but not touch the balls,keep swirling the oil with out tossing or turning the chenna balls.
5. when they turn in to golden remove from the ghee. Drain well to remove the extra ghee.
6. Immerse the fried chenna balls in warm sugar syrup.
7.Allow them to soak at least for 1 hour.
Enjoy the Pantua's
This delicious Pantua's are on the way to Padmaja's celebrate sweets - bengali event by Nivedita

RED CABBAGE RICE WITH PARUPU PODI

Red cabbage rice with paruppu podi is a recipe where roughly chopped red cabbage is sauted with Indian spices and mixed with cooked rice. I tried and tasted this recipe from Priya's Easy N Tasty Recipes for this months T&T by Padmaja of Seduce Your Tastebuds event by Lakshmi

About Red cabbage is a vegetable from cabbage family with red/purple leaves.On cooking normally it turns into dark purple(blue).If you want to retain the red color can add a spoon of vinegar or a piece of lemon at the cooking time. This vegetable can be used in salads or cooked as a side dish.Red cabbage is rich in fiber,'C'vitaminand beta-carotene also.

INGREDIENTS:----
Basnati rice -- 1 cup
Onion -- 1 medium
Red cabbage -- 1 cup chopped
Red chilli powder -- 1/2 tea sp
Coriander powder -- 1/2 tea sp
Curry leaves --- a few
Mustard seeds -- 1/4 tea sp
Urad dal -- 1/4 teasp
Paruppu podi -- 2 tab sp
Salt -- 1 tea sp or according to your taste
oil -- 1 tab sp

1.Cook rice with 1&1/2 cupr water and 1/2 tea sp oil let it sit for a while and spread the rice in plate to cool (can use leftover rice also.)
2.Heat oil in pan add mustard seeds and urad dal let them splutter.
3.Then add chopped onion and curry leaves and cook till onion become transculent.
4. Add chopped red cabbage,red chilli powder,coriander powder,salt stir well and cook for few minutes or till the red cabbage changes it's color in ti blue.
5. Now add paruppu podi stir well then add cooked rice mix well to combine every thing.
serve hot..

RIZ AU LAIT- FRENCH RICE PUDDING

Rice pudding is a dessert made with rice and milk are found neary every area of the world.With different variations it is served as a poridge, dinner or dessert. When used as a dessert it is commonly served with sweetener.Recipe is almost the same in every country.The dessert is boild like Indian Kheer or payasam or baked like Sütlaç Turkish rice pudding.In France it is a creamy rice pudding cooked in both ways(boiling abd baked ways) with chopped fresh fruits and served as a dessert. Cooking method is almost same like Indian rice pudding only thing they use egg yolks, vanilla,cinnamon. It tasted really great with choped strawberrys.
RECIPE SOURCE :-- FAMOUS FRENCH DESSERTS

serves 6 people if you want can reduce the ingredients.
INGREDIENTS:--
Milk --- 4 cups
Vanilla -- 1 pod (scrap the seeds) or 1 tea sp extract
Cinnamon -- a big pinch
Sugar -- 1/2 cup or according to your taste.
Arbirio rice -- 1 cup can use any other round short grain rice.
Unsalted butter -- 3 tab sp
Egg yolks - 2 egg yolks
Salt -- a pinch
METHOD:---
1. Heat milk in a heavy bottom pan add vanilla extract (cut the vanilla pod and scrape the seeds in to milk if you are using vanilla pod),salt a pinch and let the milk boil in a very low flame.
2. Now boil 4 cups of water add rice and cook till half done.
3. Remove the rice from hear and strain the water.
4. Add this half done rice to the boiling milk.
5. Cover and let it cook for 40 minuts in a very low heat keep string in between.
6.Add butter and stir well.
7.Add egg yolks one by one and stir well,add cinnamon mixwell and switch off the heat.
Serve warm or cild with chopped fruits like raisins,cherries,straberrys or any other fruits you like.
This delicious creamy rice pudding goes to priya's AWED-FRENCH event by DK OF CHEFINYOU

AMRITSARI ALOO (PUNJABI)

SPICY POTATOES IN PUNJABI FLAVOR.....
How time flying so fast. It's already 1 month finished in Tripoli.When I came here I seriously thought that to post my recipes every day. but because of this chilled weather ..May be I became lazy.Any way comming to the recipe it's from Punjabi cuisine AMRITSARI ALOO. YOU CAN SERVE THIS AS A SIDE DISH OR A SNACK.Ihope potato is a favorite vegetable for every one so this one is a great choice for potato lovers with a nice blend of punjabi flavors(masala)

INGREDIENTS:--
Aloo -- 250 gms (potato)
Onions -- 2 sliced
Ginger garlic paste -- 2 teasp
Ajwain -- 1/2 tea sp
Besan -- 1/2 cup (chickpea flour)
Coriander powder -- 1 tea sp
Red chilli powder - 1 tea sp
Garam masala powder -- 1/2 tea sp
Tandoori masala powder -- 1/2 teasp
Anardana powder -- 1/2 tea sp(dried pomegranate seeds powder)
Turmeric powder -- 1/4 tea sp
Salt -- 3/4 tea sp
Oil for deep frying
Corainder leaves -- 1 tab sp chopped

METHOD:---
Cut Aloo in to long pieces.
Mix besan,salt,ginger garlic paste,turmeric.ajwain,garam masala,tandoori masala,1/2 tab sp oil and 2 tab sp of water mix well.
Add potato pieces to this mixture mix well to marinate and leave a side for 10 minutes to marinate.
After 10 minutes heat oil in a deep frying pan deep fry the marinated potato pieces till light gloden color.
Or you can grill the potato pieces in grill till crisp and golden color.
Remove the potato pieces from oil and keep a side.
Now heat 2 teasp s oil in a pan add onions, saute till light brown in color.
Then add remaining marinate paste (if you have) stir well for few seconds.
Now add fried potato pieces chilli powder,anardana powder stir well.
Check the taste and adjust salt, stir well to coat every thing garnish with coriander leaves.
Serve hot as a snack or a side dish with dal and rice or with roti.
enjoy your meal.
This aloo Amritsari is for Flavours of punjab at Pari's Foodelicious event started by Nayna
And also for cws-Anardhana at samayalarai and event by Priya

VARO (INDIAN PRALINE WITH MIXED NUTS) FOR ICC

Varo a Indian praline with mixed nuts.This version of Indian praline is from Sindhi cuisine.Sindhi people make this as a Diwali special sweet.This Varo is very similar to chikki The only difference is we use jaggery in chikki in Varo it is only sugar.This months Indian Cooking Challenge recipe is Varo.After a long break again I joined ICC, Thanks Valli.Valli choosen two recipes of varo among them I tried from Simply sindhi recipes. here I go....

INGRADIENTS:----
Mixed nuts -- 1 cup chopped (I used Almonds, Pistachios and Cashew nuts)
Dry coconut slices -- 1 tab sp
Sugar --- 1 cup
Ghee (clarified butter) --- 2 tea sp
Cardamom powder -- 1/2 tea sp
Poppy seads --- 2 tea sp (Idid'nt use poppy seads due to lack of this ingredient)

METHOD:--
Mix all nuts,dry coconut slices and poppy seads(if using) in a bowl.
In a heavy bottomed pan heat clarified butter then add sugar cook in a low flame till the sugar melt.
Let the sugar melt and reaches the caramel stage in to a light brown color(this process will take 5 min.).
Add nuts mixture, cardamom powder and stir well to coat the caramelized sugar.
Pour this mixture on to a greased plate or on a rolling bord.
Flat the surface with a rolling pin, This has to be done very fast otherwise the mixture starts harden as soon as it removed from heat.
Make marks with a grease nife when it is little warm.
Leave it a side to set for some time.
Break in to pieces and store in a air tight container.