Cheese and Chilli bites

Third of the month long Marathon cooking with ABC theme. Third day we have to cook with letter C. For letter C I thought of making some cup cakes with cornmeal. When I was checking my bookmarked recipe s I find Basil crackers recipe from Gayatri. I made those basil crackers once they came out so well really crisp. Thank you so much for the recipe Gayathri, my Dad enjoyed them with his evening chai.
                                                                   Now I got a chance to give a twist to this bites with cheese. But only with cheese they taste very light, so I added some red chilli flakes to the dough to make the cheese bites little spicy. For this I used wheat flour, and gave a bite size to make them more interesting. 
Here is my recipe for the day C for Cheese and chillies
INGREDIENTS:---
Wheat flour  ----   3/4 cup (you can use all purpose flour also)
Cheddar cheese  ----   1 and half cup (grated)
Yeast   -----  3/4 tea sp
Baking powder  ---- 1/4 tea sp
Sugar  ----- 1/4 tea sp
Salt a bug pinch
Milk   -----   2 tea sp
Butter  ----  2 tea sp
Red chilli flakes ---  1/2 tea sp
                                                      

METHOD:--
1. Preheat the oven at 200Degree C, grease baking sheet and set a side.
2. Place grated cheese, flour, yeast, baking powder, butter, sugar, salt red chilli flakes in to a food processor and pulse until it turns in to coarse crumbs.
3. Now add milk and run the food processor till the dough forms.
4. Take out the dough and form it like a big ball.
5. Now flatten the dough on a floured surface.
6. Roll out the dough in to 1/8 inch thick rectangle.
7. Cut the crackers with a knife or a pizza cutter in to a one inch squares, poke a hole in the center with a toothpick.
8. Transfer the cracker in to a prepared baking sheet leaving a little space in between each cracker.
9. Bake for 15 minutes or until edges start  brown.
10. Remove from oven and let them cool completely on a wire rack.
Store in a airtight container..

Let's check the blogging marathon page here



Logo courtesy : Preeti

Blueberry Coffee Cake

Second day of maha marathon with the letter B. I decided to make a traditional Hyderabadi bread Bakharkahani. But suddenly I changed my plan when I fined this beautiful fresh blueberries in Bangaluru at Natures Basket. They are little expensive but I couldn't stop myself to buy them. After I came back to Chennai I started thinking what to make with this blue beauties for our BM second day . First I thought of making cookies, cookies recipe is already there in my blog, finely settled with the recipe of coffee cake. So here is my recipe for the second day with the letter B for Blueberries

 

INGREDIENTS:---

All purpose flour  ------   1 and half cups

Baking powder  ---- 1 tea sp

Baking soda ----   1/4 tea sp

Salt    -----  1/4 tea sp

Sugar   ----   3/4 cup

Butter  ----  6 tab sp

Vanilla essence  ---  1 tea sp

Egg     ----- 1

Egg white    --- one egg white

Butter milk   ----  1 1/3 cup

Cooking spray or butter for greasing the cake tin

Fresh Blueberries   ---- 2 cups

Sugar   ----- 1 tab sp

METHOD:---

1. Pre heat the oven at 180 degree C for 10 minutes.

2. Combine flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, mix well with a whisk.

3. Take sugar and butter in a mixing bowl, beat with a mixer at medium speed for 2 minutes or until blend well.

4. Now add egg, egg white, vanilla essence beat well till you get a smooth texture.

5. Add flour mixture little by little and butter milk alternately and beat well. do the process till you finish flour mixture and butter milk, beat well.

6. Shift half of the batter in to greased baking tin, sprinkle 1 cup of blueberries evenly then top with the left over batter over the blueberries.

7. Sprinkle the leftover blueberries and one tab sp of sugar on top.

8. Bake this blueberry coffee cake at 180 degree C for 50 min or till a wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean.

Leave it in the pan for 10 minutes then remove from pan and cool it completely on a wire rack

Serve this delicious cake with a cup of coffee or tea.

Let's check the blogging marathon page here

Logo courtesy : Preeti

Almond And Orange Cookies

This month BM is a month long marathon means, we normally do this three days in a week every month. But this month we decided to do this for full month of course Sundays we are taking break. We have already done one month full marathon in April. This is little different from that, This time Valli decided to cook with Alphabets and with some themes. Means we have to cook our first recipe name starts with A.
                                                                                   I have chosen my first weeks theme as Baking and my ingredient with letter A is Almond. Almond cookies recipe is in my cooking note book from long time. I have tried this recipe with chopped almonds (not powder) few times but didn't find much difference. Then I tried with a twist of adding orange essence to give flavor to this cookies. That was really wonderful but essence will give only aroma. Adding orange zest will give a wonderful aroma and taste to this cookies. When you grind almonds in to coarse powder that will give a crunchy texture to the cookies. The combination of almonds and orange make this cookies more delicious and interesting...
INGREDIENTS:--
Butter  ----  115gms
Sugar  ----  100gms
All purpose flour (maida) ---  155gms
Lemon juice  --- 1 tea sp
Orange juice  --- 1 tab sp
Almonds  ----  15 grind in to a coarse powder
Almonds  ---  10 chopped for topping
Baking powder  ----  1 tea sp
Orange zest  --  from one orange
                                                        

                                                           
METHOD:--
1. Preheat the oven at 200 degree C for 10 minutes
2. Add butter, sugar, ground almond to a mixing bowl and beat it till soft ( can use a electric beater for this).
3. In another bowl take flour, baking powder, orange zest mix well.
4. Add flour mixture slowly to the butter mixture and fold the mixture gently
5. Add lemon juice, orange juice mix well and leave this dough in the fridge for 15  to 20 minutes.
6. Remove the dough from the fridge and shape the dough in to golf ball size balls, place them on a baking tray.
7. Bake for 15 minutes on 150 degree C.
Remove and cool
 Let's check the blogging marathon page here

Logo courtesy : Preeti

Shikampuri Kabab (meatless)

My second recipe for this meatless dishes theme is again a kabab. But this time It is a starter recipe. SHIKAMPURI KABAB is one of the most popular meat based recipe in Hyderabadi cuisine. It is a minced lamb kabab stuffed with seasoned hung curd and then shallow fried starter. I changed this popular meat snack in to meatless with finely chopped babyjackfruit. Let's check the recipe..
INGREDIENTS:---
Baby jack fruit  --- 250 gms finely chopped
Onion  ----  1 big finely chopped
Ginger  ---- 1/2 inch piece finely chopped
Garlic  ---- 5 cloves finely chopped
Bengal gram --- 2 tab sp
Mint leaves --  1 tab sp chopped
Coriander leaves ---  1 tab sp chopped
Dry red chillies -- 2
Lemon juice  ---  1/2 tab sp
Salt to taste
Ghee  ---- 1 tab sp
Oil for deep frying
Shahi jeera (caraway seeds) --  1/2 tea sp
Maida  --- 1 tab sp mix with 3 tab sp of water in to a thin paste
STUFFING:---
Yogurt ---  1 cup
Green chilli --- 1 chopped
Onion --- 1 big chopped
Fresh mint leaves ---- 1 tab sp chopped
Salt to taste
Roasted cumin seeds --  1/2 tea sp
Onion rings to serve
Green chutney to serve
METHOD:--
1. Heat oil for deep frying in a pan, add onions and fry till brown. Drain on a absorbent paper  and set a side.
2. Heat ghee in a pan add shahi jeera let them crackle then add broken dry red chillies, chopped ginger and garlic fry for a while then add chopped jack fruit sprinkle half tea sp salt stir well and cover and cook for five minutes, stirring occasionally.
3. Soak Bengal gran for half an hour, drain water and add dal to jack fruit mixture mix well and cook for one minute.
4. Add chopped coriander and mint leaves mix well cover and cook for five more minutes. Remove from heat and set a side to cool.
5. Grind the cooled jack fruit mixture with lemon juice in to a coarse paste (don't add water ) take it out from the blender jar and divide in to equal portions and set a side.
                                                         

FOR STUFFING:---
1. Tie yogurt in a muslin cloth and hang to drain for an hour or till most of the moisture has drain away.
2. Take out the hung curd in to a bowl add roasted cumin seeds, chopped mint leaves, salt to taste, chopped onion, chopped green chillies mix well and divide in to equal portions.
NOW LET'S CHECK HOW TO MAKE SHIKAMPURI KABAB:--
1. Flatten each portion of jack fruit mixture and place a portion of yogurt mixture gather the edges, shape in to a ball and flatten slightly.
2. Heat 2 tab sp of oil in a fry pan dip the kababs in maida paste, place this kababs and shallow fry turning all sides this will take three to four minutes cook both sides till lightly browned, cook all the kababs in the same way.
Serve hot with onion rings and green chutney.
This is my second post for Blogging Marathon 31 st edition under Meatless Dishes theme let's check other BM members recipes here
 Check how to cut baby jack fruit here

Shahi Kofta Pulao (meatless)

Meatless dishes is my theme for first week in this month BM. Meatless dishes means we have to give a twist with a vegetarian ingredient to a popular meat dish. When I choose this theme first I think about Awadhi cuisine because Awadhi cuisine has a lot of meat recipes. I wanted to try a recipe with Kofta because koftas are normally made with minced meat. I find this Shahi kofta pulao different, normaly we add koftas in to a gravy or we serve them like a starter, but in this recipe koftas are mixed with rice. In the original recipe koftas are made with chicken mince. I changed this chicken mince balls in to vegetarian. So let's check this meat balls recipe in to meatless dish.
Shahi murgh kofta pulao from Sanjeevkapoor
INGREDIENTS:--
Rice  ---  1 and half cup
Soya chunks (granules) -- 200 gms
Garam masala  --- 1/2 tea sp
Red chilli powder  --- 1/4 tea sp
Raisins  ---  30
Cashewnuts --- 20 droken in to small pieces
Ginger ----  1/2 tea sp chopped
Maida  ---  1 tab sp
Bread crumbs  ---  2 tab sp
Fresh coriander leaves ---  2 tab sp chopped
Salt to taste
Oil  for deep frying the koftas
Ghee  ---- 2 tab sp
Cardamom --  4
Cinamon  ---  1 inch stick broken
Cloves  ---  5
Onion ----  1 big sliced
Ginger garlic paste  --- 1 tea sp
Cococnut milk  --- 1 cup
Water  ----  2 cups
                                                    

METHOD:---
1.  Take 3 cups of water in a pan add  a pinch of salt  bring to a full boil then add soya granules and cook for 10 minutes,
2. Strain the water and pour some cold water and leave it a side, after ten minutes squeeze the water from soya granules, make it sure you have to squeeze all the water from the granules.
3. Take soya granules in a blender jar and run the blender for few seconds to make a course paste of the soya granules.
4. Take the soya granule paste in to a bowl add red chilli powder, salt to taste, garam masala, maida, chopped ginger, chopped coriander leaves, bread crumbs mix all these ingredients well to combine every thing.
5. Make small balls out of this mixture, flat the ball, stuff with two raisins and cashew pieces again roll it in to a ball.
6. Heat oil in a deep frying pan and fry this balls till you get a nice brown color remove and set a side.
7. Wash rice, add 2 cups of water and set a side.
8. Heat ghee in a pan add cloves, cinamon, cardamom let them crackle then add onion slices and fry till onion turn in to soft.
9. Add ginger garlic paste fry for a while then add coconut milk, rice which is soaked in 2 cups of water (with water), salt to taste mix well cover and cook in a low heat till done.
10. Just before remove from heat add fried koftas to the pulao mix gently, cover and leave it on a low heat for 2 seconds and switch off the heat.
Let it sit for a while then serve hot with onion raita.
This is my first post for Blogging Marathon 31 st edition under Meatless Dishes theme let's check other BM members recipes here
 

Bun Samosa

Before my trip to Ahmadabad I didn't even know this about this combination. Never thought of making this sandwich with Bun and Samosa. When first Vaishali told us about this bun samosa I thought may be how this combination will be. Then when I tasted this wonderful bun samosa I feel like having more and more. So thanks to Vaishali for introducing this delicious snack.
                                                           

                                          Can any body from BM group remember this
                                                           Bun Samosa we had in
                                                                       Ahmadabad
Samosa is my all time favorite snack, I have tasted samosa and jelabi few times. After I tried this bun samosa it became one of my favorite snack. Applying chutneys is most impotent for this. You have to apply chutneys liberally other wise bunsamosa taste very bland. If you are feeding this to kids then better don't apply garlic chutney.
                                              Yesterday I made some Whole wheat buns so I used them for this recipe and my samosas are store brought once.


                                                             Here is my Bun Samosa
INGREDIENTS:--Bun --  1 (I used home made bun you can use store brought buns also)
Samosa ---  2
Green chutney  ---  1tab sp
Imli chutney  ---  1 tab sp
Chilly garlic chutney --- 1 tab sp
Butter   --- 1 tea sp
                                                            

METHOD:--
1. Cut the bun in to two
2. Apply the butter on the both slices
3. Apply the three chutneys one by one on both slices
4. Crush the samosas a little and place them on one bun slice, close with the other bun slice, press the bun alittle.
Cut in to four pieces and serve.
This is my second post for Blogging Marathon 30th edition under combo Dishes theme let's check other BM members recipes here

Onion and Tomato Frittata with Garlic Bread

Another Week of BM 30 th edition, this week my theme is Combo Recipes. Valli has given some popular combo recipes list to us, we have to choose three recipes from that list. All the recipes from that list are very popular combo dishes. Apart from this recipe most of the recipes in the list are Indian recipes. When I first check this list I thought of making some poori and aloo ki sabji combo. Then I realise that I have posted  a few recipes of poori and sabji.
                                                 
                                                                     There is one wonder full combo dish in this list and that is a dessert Rasagulla with rabadi. But I don't want to choose sweet dish so dropped that plan. Then this one caught my attention. Since long time I didn't make any Italian dish at home. I didn't bake bread after I came to India that means I didn't bake any bread from 2 years. ofcouse I am baking cakes and cookies but not bread. So I wanted to try my hand in bread baking with Indian flour.
                                                                

I wanted to bake pav buns but I couldn't,t find a right pan for that so I baked it in a round cake pan. I didn't satisfy with the shape, but the texture of the bread was pretty good will post the recipe for sure. That was a garlic flavored bread.
                                                                   

 Now Then next part in this combination dish is Frittata. Frittata is a egg based dish originated fro Italy. This recipe sounds like and looks like omelet, with little changes. This dish is made with beaten eggs mixed with chopped vegetables or with meat cubes and flavored with herbs. Some time can add  grated cheese also to this egg mixture. You can use any chopped vegetables like onion, tomato, potato, brocoli, spinach, mushrooms. This can be served with bread, salads, beans and olives.
                                                                

                                                             I made onion and tomato frittata with Garlic bread. Normally frittata will be cook in a skillet on a low flame the shift it in to hot oven to cook the top till light golden. There are many variations for this frittata recipe but the basic Italian frittata recipe is made with beaten eggs and vegetables or meat and cheese. Today I baked the frittata in  muffin tins to make individual portions and you can call them mini frittata. so lets check the recipe for Frittata..
INGREDIENTS:---
Eggs  --- 3
Onion  ---  1 big cut in to slices
Tomato  --- 1 big cut in to cubes
 Garlic  --- 2 cloves crushed
Parmesan cheese  ---- 1 tab sp grated
Milk  ---- 2 tab sp
Salt to ttaste
Olive oil  ---   1 tab sp
Pepper powder  --- 1/2 tea sp
METHOD:--
1. Beat eggs in a bowl then add onion slices, crushed garlic, salt, pepper powder, milk and mix well then add tomato cubes mix well.
2. Add cheese mix well.
3. Now hear olive oil in a skillet and pour the egg mixture and keep the flame in low cook till the edges leaveing the pan, cover with a lid and cook for few minutes.
4. When the edges are leaving from the sides of the pan switch off the heat.
By that time pre heat the oven.
5.  Now place the egg mixture skillet in the pre heated oven and cook till the top turns in to golden.
Remove from oven and serve hot with bread and salad.
This is my first post for Blogging Marathon 30th edition under combo Dishes theme let's check other BM members recipes here



 

Mor Kozhambu (Tamilnadu style)

This is third and final recipe for this week theme Cooking with curds. Mor Kuzhambu is  a south Indian kadi made with curd and vegetables. You can use any one verity vegetable or mixed vegetables for this kuzhambu.  my mother makes this kuzhambu with bottle gourd and some times with okra, that taste so delicious. But she makes it in Andhra style, in Andhra style we don't add coconut. That is the only differences between Mor kuzhambu and majjiga pulusu. The most important ingredient for this curry is the paste. Ingredients for this paste will change in each recipe I mean for each family. About vegetables can use vegetables like white pumpkin, okra, carrot, chow chow, bottle gourd. In Tamil style they don't add onions to this curry so lets check the Mor Kuzhambu....
INGREDIENTS: ---
Curd   ---- 2 cups
Turmeric powder  --- 1/4 tea sp
Salt to taste
Oil  --- 2 tab sp
Mustard seeds  ---  1/2 tea sp
Fenugreek seeds  --- 5 seeds
Dry red chillies  --- 2 broken
Curry leaves ---  1 spring
Fresh coriander leaves  --- 2 tab sp chopped
FOR PASTE:---
Split pigeon peas  ---  1 tab sp
Coriander seeds  ----  1/2 tab sp
Cumin seeds  ----  1 tea sp
Rice   --- 1 tab sp
Green chillies  --- 3 or according to your taste
Grated fresh coconut  --- 4 tab sp
VEGETABLES: --- I used white pumpkin and carrot you can use any other veges you like but not cauliflower and cabbage. Cut the vegetable in to 1 inch cubes and set a side.
METHOD:---
1. Soak pigeon peas, coriander seeds, cumin seeds, rice in enough water for for 2 to 3 hours.
And grind them with green chillies and grated coconut with little water in to a fine paste and set a side.
2. Take curd in to a bowl and add this ground paste, salt to taste, turmeric powder and whisk well.
3. Heat oil in a pan add mustard seeds let them splutter then add fenugreek seeds, dry red chillies, curry leaves and add vegetable pieces saute for a while then add 1 cup of water  reduce the heat cover and cook till vegetable pieces become tender.
4. Open the pan add curd mixture mix well, check and adjust salt and bring to a full boil, then reduce the heat and cook for 5 minutes.
5. Remove from heat garnish with coriander leaves serve hot.
If you want to use okra then no need to boil the okra. cut okra in to 1 inch pieces and fry them in oil till they change the color then add them to kuzhambu and bring to boil.
Serve hot with rice, idli, dosa or with rava pongal. I like to have this with upma also and this also taste better next day..
This is my third post for Blogging Marathon 30th edition under cooking with curd's theme let's check other BM members recipes here

 

Doddapatre Tambli

Doddapatre well known as Ajwain ke patte or Pattarchur in Hindi, Karpuravalli in Tamil, Vamu aaku in telugu, Pan ova in Marathi or Cuban Oregano. This leaves has many medicinal values specially  It is used in treating common cold and cure phlegm in children. Tambli is a traditional Karnataka dish normally made with leafy vegetables or with vegetables and curd also some time with out curd. Since My theme for this week is Cooking with curds I made Doddapatre Tambli with curd. Let's check the recipe...
INGREDIENTS:--
Doddapatre ----   10 leaves ( Cuban Oregano/ Vamu aku)
Curd  ---  1 cup
Black pepper corns  --- 10
Dalia  ---  1 tab sp ( roasted gram/ vadacha kadalai/ veyinchina senagapappu)
Cumin seeds  ---  1 tea sp
Grated coconut --- 1/4 cup
Salt to taste
Turmeric powder  ---  1/4 tea sp
Oil  --- 2 tab sp
Mustard seeds  ---  1/2 te asp
Cumin seeds  --- 1/2 tea sp
Asafoetida  --- 1/4 tea sp
Dry red chillies  --- 2 broken
                                                         

                                                My Doddapatre(vamu aaku) Plant

METHOD:---
1. Wash the leaves well and pat dry them on a kitchen towel.
2. Dry roast the leaves in a pan till they wilt this will take just one or two minutes, remove and set a side.
3. In the same pan dry roast dalia, pepper corns, cumin seeds till nice aroma comes out, remove them in to a plate and let it cool for a while.
4. Now grind roasted dalia, pepper and cumin seeds in to a powder then add wilted leaves, coconut, salt to taste, turmeric powder, grind all this ingredients in to fine paste with little water.
5. Now Now take curd (curd should be little sour) in to a bowl and whisk well to make it smooth. Then add ground paste mix well to combine every thing and adjust the seasoning.
6. Heat oil in a pan add mustard seeds let them splutter then add cumin seeds, Asafoetida, broken red chillies fry for a while and add this to tambli.
Mix well and serve with hot steamed rice and pappad.
This is my second post for Blogging Marathon 30th edition under cooking with curd's theme let's check other BM members recipes here


 

Mixed Vegetable Perugu Talimpu

Second week of BM 30, I have chosen cooking with curds as my theme for this week. Going to post three recipes with curd as main ingredient. In Andhra cuisine we use curd a lot in gravies and also other recipes like perugu vadalu, majjiga doselu, challa chekralu (a type of muruku made with sour curds). Specially a number of perugu pachadi ( boiled vegetables in yougurt gravy)varieties are there in Andhra cuisine.
                                                                               This recipe sounds like Avial but with little changes. Avial is a traditional Kerala recipe which is made with boiled vegetables in coconut gravy. In avial they use 2 table sp of sour curd  to give a sour taste to avial using curd is optional in avial recipe. If they use raw mango in avial they don't add sour curd. In this perugu talinpu we use only sour curd, not any other ingredients like raw mango, tamarind or lemon. Adding mixed vegetables is totally my version. normally we make perugu talimpu with onion or tomato. This is not perugu pachadi in perugu pachadi we don't add coconut. So you can say this is fusion of perugu pachadi and Avial. hope you all like this. Let's check the recipe
INGREDIENTS:---
Mixed Vegetables  ---
Carrot   --- 1 cut in to one inch pieces
Chow chow  --- 1/2 cut in to one in ch pieces
Beans   ---- cut in to one inch piece
Pumpkin  --- 1/2 cup one inch pieces I used red pumpkin
Yam  ----  1/2 cup one inch pieces (kanda)
Raw banana --- 1/2 banana cut in to one inch pieces
Cook all the vegetables with a pinch of salt till tender and set a side.
For Paste  ---
Grated coconut  --- 1/4 cup
Green chillies  --- 4
Ginger --- 2 inch piece
Cumin seeds   --- 1 tea sp
Grind all above ingredients in to a fine paste with little water
                                                  

Other Ingredients  ---
Salt to taste
Oil  --- 1 tab sp
Mustard seeds  -- 1/2 tea sp
Curry leaves  --- 2 springs
Asafoetida  -- a pinch.
Curd   ---- 1 and half cup
METHOD:---
1. Add ground paste to curd and beet well to combine every thing.
2. Add cooked vegetables to curd mixture, adjust salt mix gently.
3. Heat oil in a pan add musterd seeds let them splutter then add asafoetida and curry leaves fry for a while, add this to curd and vegetable mixture mix well.
Mixed vegetable perugu talimpu is ready to serve.
Serve with rice or kichidi, best combination with pongal.
You can use any vegetables but not cauliflower, cabbage, green peas.
This is my first post for Blogging Marathon 30th edition under cooking with curd's   theme let's check other BM members recipes here

 

Aloo palak Kofta (Potato And Spinach Dumplings)

Aloo Palak Kofta or Potato spinach dumplings This recipe I was inspired by most popular German potato dumplings. In German cuisine this potato dumplings are made with mashed potato stuffed with meat and served with bread or meat. Some times they make this potato dumplings as a dessert where the mashed potato is stuffed with fruits. Here I have changed that typical German potato dumplings in to Indian flavor and in German cuisine they are simmered in a soup or in plain boiling water, Here I deep fried them
                                                                               When I choose this theme for BM I don't have any idea what to make. Only one thing I got in my mind is masala vada pulusu or urundai kuzhambu. I made it for my first day post then for next day post I googled a lot and landed in this German dumplings recipe. But hubby doesn't like boiled potato, then I decided to deep fry those potato dumplings with Indian flavors in it. when I tasted them.. aloo kofta!!! ha haa finely I made aloo koftas. Try to make some thing different and landed in aloo koftas ?!!.. I didn't add any bread crumbs or bread to this potato mixture for binding. For a difference I have added 2 tab sp of gulab jamoon mix, that gave a good color and a small different taste. So lets check how I made them.. I know most of the people like potato in their meal because of that potato is a universal vegetable.
INGREDIENTS:---
Potato  ----  2 big boiled and mashed
Onion  --- 1 big finely chopped
Green chillies  --- 3 finely chopped
Spinach leaves  --- 1 cup finely chopped
Coriander leaves  --- 1 tab sp finely chopped
Ginger garlic paste  --- 1 tea sp
Salt to taste
Red chilli powder  --- 1/2 tea sp
coriander powder  --- 1/2 tea sp
Chat masala --- 1 tea sp
Garam masala  --- 1/4 tea sp
Instant gulab jamoon mix  ----  2 tab sp
Oil for deep frying
                                                    

METHOD:--
1. Heat 1 tea sp oil in a pan add chopped onion and fry till golden.
2. Take mashed potato, fried onion, chopped green chilies, chopped spinach, chopped coriander leaves, and all other ingredients except oil.
3. Mix well with your hands to combine every thing and make a dough like consistency.
4. Divide this potato dough in to golf ball size portions and give any shape you like.
5. Deep fry this potato dumplings in hot oil till golden remove.
Serve hot with tomato sauce.
This is my second post for Blogging Marathon 30th edition under Dallying With Dumplings theme let's check other BM members recipes here

 

Masala Vada Pulusu

I came across many versions of vada curry, specially in Tamilnadu they make this as a semi gravy. In Andhra pradesh we make this with a tamarind base gravy specially in south Andhra Pradesh. Here I give a small twist to normal masala vada. Normally we deep fry the masala vadas, but here I  stuffed the masala vadas with raisins and steamed them in idly cooker to make it little more interesting.

FOR MASALA VADA (STEAMED):--

Chana dal  ---- 1 cup
Ginger  --- 1/2 inch piece
Green chillies ---  3 or according to your taste
Fennel seeds  --- 1/2 tea sp
Raisins  ---20
Salt to taste
METHOD:--
1. Soak chana dal with fennel seeds in enough water for 2 hours.
2. After 2 hours drain the water and ground the chana dal with ginger and green chillies in to a coarse paste.
3. Make small balls out of this chana dal mixture and stuff with 3 raisins in each bal, flatten them lightly.
4. Arrange the flatten chana dal vadas in idly plates(grease the idly plates with little oil before you arrange the vadas).
5. Steam cook masala vadas in the idly cooker for 15 minutes, switch off the heat and leave the masala vadas in the idly cooker and set a side.
Instead steaming you can deep fry the masala vadas and add them to the Pulusu (tamarind gravy).
                                                                

FOR TAMARIND GRAVY( PULUSU):---
Onion  ---- 1 big finely chopped
Tomato   ---- 1 medium finely chopped
Garlic  ---  5 cloves finely chopped
Tamarind -- golf ball size that is 10 gms or one table spoon thick tamarind paste.
Turmeric powder  -- -1/4 tea sp
Red chilli powder --- 1 tea sp
Salt to taste
Coriander powder --- 1/2 tea sp
Oil  --- 1 tab sp
Mustard seeds  --- 1/2 tea sp
Cumin seeds  --- 1/4 tea sp
Fenugreek seeds --  10 seeds
Curry leaves -- 1 spring
METHOD:---
1. Soak tamarind in warm water for 10 minutes and extract juice with 1/2 cup water or if you are using paste then dilute with 1 cup water and set a side.
2. Heat oil in a pan add mustard seeds let them splutter then add cumin seed, fenugreek seeds, curry leaves, then add finely chopped onions and fry till onion turns in to light brown.
3. Add chopped tomato, salt to taste, turmeric powder, red chilli powder, coriander powder and cook till oil separates from the masala.
4. Now add tamarind water and 1 cup of plain water, bring to a full boil now reduce the heat in to low flame and cook for 10 to 15 minutes.
5. After 15 minutes add steamed masala vadas to the tamarind gravy cover and cook in a low heat for 10 more minutes, by that time you can see the oil on the top of the gravy, now switch off the heat and leave it like that till you serve.
Serve with rice or with idly or with dosa or with curd rice.
My choice is with curd rice..
This Masala Vada Pulusu will taste wonderful next day with rice even with leftover rice with curd.
This is my first post for Blogging Marathon 30th edition under Dallying With Dumplings   theme let's check other BM members recipes here





 

Chettinad Vellai Kurma

This week my theme for BM is Cooking with colors. For this theme we have to pick a color and cook. The main ingredient should be the color what we have chosen,The final product may be in the same color or not, that is not a point. Here I have tried to give the final product also the same color because it is my favorite color. Yes White is my favorite color and I have chosen the ingredient for white is coconut, which is again my favorite ingredient. I wanted to make a gravy with coconut but what ever gravy or kurmas we make with coconut finely they turn in to other color because of red chili powder and turmeric powder. Then I remember about this white kurmas which are very popular in Hyderabadi cuisine. Not only in Hyderabadi cuisine one white gravy kurma is very popular in Chettinad cuisine also. Chettinad Vellai Kurma one of the most popular side dish for idli, dosa, parota, ghee rice and even with plain rice. This vellai kurma is a perfect blend with coconut and fennel seed flavor and lot's of vegetables. Apart from vegetables they make this kurma with chicken also but I tried with mixed vegetables so lets check the recipe...
INGREDIENTS:--
Potato  ---- 1 big peel and cut in to small cubes
Carrot  ----  2 peel and cut in to small cubes
Beans   ---   50 gms cut in to half inch pieces
Pumpkin   ----  half inch pieces 1 cup
Brinjal  ----  4 cut in to half inch pieces
Onion   ----  1 big finely chopped
Tomato  ----  1 big finely chopped
Curry leaves  --- 2 springs
FOR MASALA PASTE:--
Grated fresh coconut ---  3 tab sp
Poppy seeds  ---  1 tab sp
Dalia (fried chick peas, pottukadalai, buna chana)  --- 1 tea sp
Ginger   ---  1/2 in ch piece
Garlic  ----  6 cloves
Green chillis  ---  4 or according to your taste
Yogurt (curd) ---  1/2 cup
Coriander powder  --- 1 tea sp
Fennel seeds  ---  1/2 tea sp
Cashew nuts  ---  6
FOR TADKA:--
Oil -- 3 tea sp
Cloves  --- 4
Cinamon  --- 1 inch stick
Cardamom  -- 3
Bay leaves --- 2 broken
Cumin seeds  -- 1 tea sp
Fennel seeds  -- 1/2
OTHER INGREDIENTS
Salt to taste
Fresh coriander leaves 1 tab sp for garnishing
Garam masala powder  ---1/4 tea sp optional
METHOD:---
1. Grated fresh coconut, poppy seeds, dalia,ginger,garlic,green chillis,
yogurt (curd), Coriander powder,fennel seeds,cashew nuts grind all these ingredients in to a fine paste and set a side.
2. Heat oil in a pan add cloves, cinamon, cardamom, bay leaves, cumin seeds, fennel seeds and let them splutter
3. Then add curry leaves, chopped oinion and fry till translucent.Don't over fry the onions if onion turn in to brown then youe garvy also change the color, we have to keep them white because we are making a white gravy.
4. Add chopped tomato cook for a few minutes then add vegetable pieces, salt to taste, 2 cups of water cover and cook in a medium heat for 10 minutes or till vegetables are tender.
5. Now add ground masala give a good stir cover and cook for 10 more minutes in a medium heat or till oil separates from the gravy. Here check the gravy if your gravy is too thik then add 1/2 cup more water mix well and bring to full boil, adjust the seasoning cook for 2 more minutes in a medium heat  and switch off the heat, garnish with chopped coriander leaves.
Serve hot with Idlis, kaldosa, iddiyappam, appam, chapati, ghee rice or simply with white rice even this a wonderful combination with poori too.
This is my first post for Blogging Marathon 29th edition under  Cooking With Colors theme let's check other BM members recipes here
 
 

Chocolate Dosa

Dosa is one of the most favorite breakfast in Indian cuisine. Normally we make savory dosa but we have some sweet dosa recipes too. We make a few verities of dosas with different combinations of flours. But a common dosa batter is made with rice and urad dal right. Now to day my recipe for the final day of this week BM is a sweet dosa. We make sweet dosa with Whole wheat flour and jaggery  or sugar and garnish with grated fresh coconut. Now I am going to give twist to that sweet dosa with  my favorite ingredient Chocolate.
                                                                        After I finish making this chocolate dosa I realise that only coco powder will give a light color and mild flavor to the dosa. If you like can add two tab sp of chocolate sauce or melted chocolate to the batter, That will give more chocolate flavor to the dosa. You can spread some chocolate sauce or nutella on top and roll it and can make a lunch box or snack box for your kid. Let's check the recipe.
INGREDIENTS:--
FOR JAGGERY WATER:-- You would like to use jaggery for this sweet dosa. Take 1/2 cup grated jaggery in a bowl  add 1 and half cup water and mix well to dissolve jaggery then strain the jaggery water
Wheat flour---   1 cup
Rice flour  --- 2 tab sp
Coco powder   ---- 4 tab sp
A pinch of salt
Ghee for frying
METHOD:--
1. Mix wheat flour, rice flour, coco powder, a pinch of salt mix well to combine every thing.
2. Add jaggery water to flour mix and whisk well to make batter, This batter should be like a pan cake batter.
3. Heat a dosa pan, pour a laddle sweet dosa batter and spread it like a circle drizele  a tea sp of ghee on the sides cover and cook foe a few seconds in a medium heat then flip the dosa other side and cook for few seconds.
Remove from pan and serv hot as a snack or pack it for snack box.
If you like can add some chopped nuts to this dosa batter
This is my Third post for Blogging Marathon 29th edition under Indian Fusion With Chocolate theme let's check other BM members recipes here

Chocolate Lassi

Now my second twist to an Indian recipe with chocolate is a drink. Lassi is a very popular drink in North India. In South India we rarely have curd with sugar or butter milk with sugar. We have butter milk with salt, ginger and green chilli, some curry leaves this is called Masala majjiga in Telugu. This masala majjiga we have after our meal, But butter milk with sweet taste is not a favorite among telugu people. I don't know some how I like that sweet taste in butter milk.

                                            I have tasted Lassi many times, but what I have tasted in South India it's very different form North Indian Lassi. In North India They make lassi thick, creamy and topped with lots of cream on it.Few years back I have tasted Lassi in Varanasi, That is thick, creamy top with lot's of cream (malai) with a wonderful rose flavor and served in a matki(earthen bowl). And few months back I tried the same lassi in Amritsar where actually the lassi was born. Here also like Varanasi it is thick and creamy. Curd is the most important ingredient for this lassi. Curd should be fresh and sweet sour curd will spoil the taste it should be thick not watery. If you find curd watery then drain the extra water or you can hung the curd for few hours in the fridge. If you hung the curd in room temperature that will become sour. Saffron and rose water are the traditional flavors in lassi but you can give twist with any fruit pulp like Mango, Strawberry, banana. Today I am going to give my twist with Chocolate so let's check the recipe....

 

INGREDIENTS:---
Curd   -----200 gms (chilled)
Drinking chocolate  --- 2 tab sp
Milk chocolate bar ---  2 tab sp melted
Coco powder  --- 2 tea sp
Sugar   ---  2 tab sp ( I prefer less sugar you can add as your required)
Water  ---  1/4 cup
Few ice cubes
METHOD:---
Take all the ingredients in a blender jar and blend till they mix evenly.
Pour in to glass and top with chocolate shavings and some toasted almonds
Serve chilled.
This is my second post for Blogging Marathon 29th edition under Indian Fusion With Chocolate theme let's check other BM members recipes here

Chocolate Gulab Jamoon

I am a big chocoholic I like to have chocolate any time and any form. Even I like my coffee with chocolate flavor some times. When Valli announced this chocolate theme for this month BM I just took this. Because it is my favorite ingredient and that is in to Indian means it is a fusion. I like to have chocolate in any form but not with chili and mint flavor some how I don't like those two flavors. Any way that is my choice.
                                                                   This gulab jamoon recipe I have tried few times first time I tried with kova mixed with coco powder, that time they turned out little hard an lightly bitter. May be that time I fried for long time. Second time I tried it with only drinking chocolate but this time I didn't get the chocolate flavor means a very mild flavor. So this time I used both coco and drinking chocolate and stuffed the jamoon balls with milk chocolate pieces. And ohhh this is what a perfect chocolate gulab jamoon, I am just enjoying them. let's check the recipe...

INGREDIENTS:---

Gulab jamoon mix  --- 1 pak 250 gms
Coco powder  ---  2 tea sp
Drinking chocolate powder  ---- 2 tea sp
Milk chocolate  ---- 1 bar cut in to 1/4 inch cubes
Sugar ----     300 gms
water for sugar syrup  -- -1 and half cup
Oil for deep frying or ghee
METHOD:---
1. Take jamoon mix, coco powder, drinking chocolate powder in a mixing bowl add little water and make soft dough.
2. Take a small portion of this dough keep milk chocolate cube in the center cover and give it in to a ball shape.
                                               

3. Heat oil in a deep frying pan drop this chocolate stuffed ball in to oil keep the heat in to low flame and fry till light brown
4. In the mean while mix sugar and water bring to a full boil and make a syrup.
5. Now drop this fried chocolate balls in to hot syrup and set aside for 10 minutes
Serve hot with rabadi or firni..
If you want to make them more chocolaty then check this

INGREDIENTS:---

Melted milk chocolate   ---- 1/2 cup
Julab jamoons  ---- 10
tooth picks
Take one gulab jamoon with the help of a tooth pic and dip it in the melted chocolate, place  the chocolate coated gulab jamoon on a paper cup and leave them in the fridge for at least half an hour.
Serve this with a scoop of ice cream...
This is my first post for Blogging Marathon 29th edition under  Indian Fusion With Chocolate theme let's check other BM members recipes here


 

Dapka Kadi

I hate lizards and flies, at the movement I saw them I will be behind them and will send out of my house. When I finish my kadi and set my bowl to take pictures, two flies came in to my house. I was very busy for one hour in sending them out, finely I am tired but I couldn't send those two flies out. But those are hidden some were in the house, At the movement I started taking pictures one came in front of my camera lance and one on my hand. Now tell me how can I take pictures, again started running behind those flies finely I send them out after one hour, then took my pictures peacefully.
                                                                    For this month Indian Cooking challenge Valli has chosen this delicious dish called Dapka kadi grom Gujarathi cuisine. This is almost like panjabi kadi but with little sweet taste. But that sweet taste is a highlight for this kadi and totally different from South Indian morkozhalambu. For kadi pakodi we make pakodis with chick pea flour. In this recipe we use split moong dal batter to make dapkas. Thanks for the recipe Valli and vaishali
INGREDIENTS FOR KADI:--
Curd  ---  2 cups
Besan(chick pea flour)  ----  5 tab sp
Ginger green chilli paste --  1 tea sp
Curry leaves  ---  6
Sugar  ---  3 tab sp
Salt to taste
Ghee --- 2 tea sp
Cumin seeds  --- 1/2 tea sp
Mustard seeds --  1/2 te asp
Dry red chillies ---  2
INGREDIENTS FOR DAPKA:--
Moong dal (split yellow gram)  --- 1 cup
Oil   ---- 1 tab sp
Ginger and green chilli paste ---  1 tea sp
Sugar  ----  1/2 tea sp
Soda bi carb  ---  a pinch
Salt to taste
METHOD FOR DAPKAS (MOONG DAL DUMPLINGS)
1. Soak mung dal in enough warm water for 4 hours, after 4 hours drain water and blend moond dal in to a fine past in a blender or mixee.
2. Transfer the dal mixture in to bowl add ginger and green chilli paste, salt to taste, sugar, sodabi carb mix well and set a side.
METHOD FOR KADI :---
1. Take besan in a mixing bowl add curd little by little and whisk well.
2. Add 4 cups of water to curd and besan mixture, whisk well to avoid lumps.
3. Add ginger green chilli paste, sugar, salt to taste, mix well and cook in heavy bottom pan on a medium heat, stir in between and cook till it starts boiling.
4. Heat ghee in a small fry pan add mustard seeds let them popup then add cumin seeds, when the cumin seeds crackle add curry leaves and red chillies, add this tempering to kadi  mix well and cook for 5 more minutes on a low heat.
5. Just before serving again bring the kadi to boil and take a little moond dal batter with your fingertips and form in to small dumplings and drop slowly in the boiling kadi.^
6. Keep the heat in low flame and drop all the moong dal batter dumplings in to boiling kadi and wait for five minutes or till dapkas starts floating on the top of the kadi.
Garnish with coriander leaves and serve hot with rotla. I didn't made rotlas but we enjoyed this with roti and rice.
While adding Dapkas to kadi first drop one dapka and wait for it to float to top and then continue with the rest of the batter.
I that didn't come up then your batter is too thin, add little besan to dapka batter and try again.



 

Mango Salsa With Cilantro

This is my final recipe for this week BM. I am cooking from my cooking book collection and my combination for to day is mango and greens. greens I used in this recipe is fresh coriander leaves(cilantro) and spring onion greens. This salsa is a best combination with tortila chips, taco chips. I have adopted this recipe from the book Delicious dips by Diane Morgan in this book you can find some delicious dips (I have tried a few of the they came out so well) and also with few salsa recipes. pick a sweet mango means totapuri mango is best for this. means mango should not be too sour that should be sweet but not ripe. Instead of jalapeno chilli you can use any Indian variate chilli but jalapeno s will give a wonderful flavor. let's check how to make this salsa.
INGREDIENTS:--
Mangoes   ---- 2 cut in to  small pieces
Onion   ---- 1 medium cut in to small pieces
Spring onions  ----  4 chopped
Tomatoes   ----- 2  cored and cut in to small pieces like mango pieces
Jalapeno chilli  --- 1 minced, I used caned if you want use caned the take 6 pieces and chop them
Fresh cilantro leaves (coriander leaves)  --- 1 cup finely chopped
Lemon juice ---- 1 tab sp
Olive oil  ---- 2 tab sp
Salt ----  1/2 tea sp, check and adjust before you serve
                                                           

METHOD:--
1. I a mixing bowl take mango, onion, tomato, jalapeno chilli, spring onion pieces and chopped cilantro mix and set a side.
2. I a other bowl take lemon juice, olive oil and salt mix well to dissolve salt, and then pour over this to mango mixture stir gently to combine.
3. Transfer the mango salsa in to serving dish, cover and set a side for 1 hour and serve.
serve with Tortilla chips or with bread, sprinkle some olive oil on the bread and serve with this salsa.
This is my third post for Blogging Marathon 29th edition under Cooking From A Book let's check other BM members recipes here.
 

Doodhi Paneer Ka Sukha Salan

To day I am going to share one more Hyderabadi delicacy from the same book Royal Hyderabadi Cooking by Master chef Sanjeev Kapoor and Chef Harpal Singh Sokhi. The recipe is Doodhi Paneer ka Sukha Salan. In Hyderabadi cuisine These Salans have their special place with the flavors of their own ingredients.Main ingredient for this salan is the masala paste which is made by typical Hyderabad flavors like Dry coconut, peanuts, sesame seeds and tamarind pulp. This masala is a star for Salan, Salan is normally made with vegetables like Mirchi (big green chillies like Banana peppers) and also a combination of ridge gourd and lamb, karele ka salan and many more like this. Actualy Salan is a gravy based side dish for biriyani or with any Indian bread. Today I am going to share salan recipe with a unique combination that is Bottle gourd and Paneer and this is my choice of combination for second day BM post under cooking from a book theme. So let's check the recipe....
INGREDIENTS:--
Bottle gourd  ---  1 peal and cut in to 3/4 inch cubes
Paneer    ----   200 gms cut in to cubes
Grated dry coconut  ----  2 tab sp
Peanuts  -----  1 tab sp
Sesame seeds  ---  1 tea sp
Tamarind -- 1 golfball size ball
Oil    ----  4 tab sp
Oil for deep frying the onions and panneer
Onion   ---- 1 medium sliced.
FOR SEASONING:--
Cumin seeds   ---  1/4 tea sp
Fenugreek seeds   ---1/4 tea sp
Fennel seeds  ---- 1/4 tea sp
Onion seeds (kalonji)  ---  1/4 tea sp
Mustard seeds  ---- 1/4 tea sp
Curry leaves  ---  8 leaves
Ginger garlic paste ---  2 tea sp
Green chilies --- 4 chopped
Coriander powder  ---  1 tea sp
Roasted cumin powder  --- 1/2 tea sp
Turmeric powder   --- 1/4 tea sp
Red chilli powder  ----  1/2 tea sp
Garam masala powder  ----   1/2 tea sp
Salt to taste 
Fresh coriander leaves  ---- 1 tab sp chopped
                                                                            

                                                                            
METHOD:---
1.Dry roast the coconut, peanuts,sesame seeds, cool and grind in to fine paste with little water and set a side.
2. Soak tamarind in warm water for 15 minutes  and squeeze the pulp with little water strain and set a side.
3. Heat oil in a pan and fry sliced onions till golden brown and crisp remove and set a side then fry paneer pieces for a while remove and set a side.
4. Heat four tab sp oil in a pan add cumin seeds, mustard seeds, fennel seeds, kalonji, fenugreek seeds when they began to splutter add curry leaves, ginger garlic paste and saute till raw smell disappear.
5. Now add the copped green chillies and bottle gourd pieces, salt to taste give a good stir cover and Cook for 15 minutes in a low heat, stir in between.
6. Add coriander powder, turmeric powder, red chilli powder, cumin powder stir for four minutes.
7. Add fried onions, stir fry for few minutes then add peanut and dry coconut paste, tamarind pulp give a good stir and cook till the oil separates
8. Stir fry well to coat the masala all over the pieces, add garam masala powder, chopped coriander leaves again give good stir.
Remove from the stove and serve hot with roti or rice.
This is my second post for Blogging Marathon 29th edition under Cooking From A Book let's check other BM members recipes here.

Char Dal Ka Dalcha

Char Dal Ka Dalcha a small variation of typical Hyderabadi Kaddu ka Dalcha. A traditional Dalcha is normally made with channadal and kaddu(sorakaya, bottle gourd) or with lamb. Using Kaddu is a vegetarian version, a very good combination with Bagara annam. This is my second week in BM 29 and I have chosen Cooking from a book as my theme for this week. Under this theme I am going to cook two traditional Hyderabadi recipes, which are very popular in Hyderabadi cuisine. These two recipe are from Royal Hyderabadi Cooking written by Master chef Sanjeev Kapoor and chef Harpal Sing Sokhi. This wonderful book includes some delicious Hyderabadi non-vegetarian and vegetarian dishes, some sweets from the royal cuisine.
For this theme Valli has given few ingredients and we have to pair them and cook so today my combination of ingredients are Channa dal and toover dal. Here is the recipe for delicious Char Dal Ka Dalcha....
                                                                     

 

INGREDIENTS:--

Channa dal ( bengal gram. spllit chick peas)  ---   1/4 cup

Masoor dal (split red lentils)  ----   2 tab sp

Toovar dal ( pigeon peas, kandi pappu) --- 1/4 cup

Moong dal (split green gram, pesarapappu)   --  2 tab sp

Turmeric powder  ---  1/2 tea sp

Red chilli powder  ---  1 tea sp

Tamarind  -- golf bal size

Onion --- 1 big sliced

Ginger paste  --- 2 tea sp

Green chillies --- 5 slit

Bottle gourd  --- 1 medium size peal and cut in to one inch cubes

 

 

FOR SEASONING:----

Pure ghee  --- 2 tab sp

Cumin seeds  ---  1 tea sp

Dry red chillies   --- 3 broken

Curry leaves  ---  15 leaves

Garlic cloves  --- 6 chopped.

METHOD:---

1.Soak all the dals in enough water for half an hour, after half an hour add turmeric, red chilli powder and 3 cups of water, pressure cook for three whistles. You can cook in a open pan till dal s are completely cooked.

2. Soak tamarind in warm water for ten minuets and squeeze out the pulp with one cup of water, strain and set a side.

3. Now heat oil in a pan add onion slices and fry till golden then add slit chillies, ginger paste saute for few seconds.

4. Add bottle gourd pieces  fry for a while then add cooked dals, salt to taste, cover and cook for ten minutes or till bottle gourd is tender.

5. After that add tamarind pulp and 1/2 cup water cover and cook in medium heat for five minutes stir in between the reduce the heat to low and cook for five more minutes.

6. Now heat ghee in a fry pan add cumin seeds when they starts changing the color add broken dry red chillies, chopped garlic cloves fry till garlic turns light golden add curry leaves fry for a while and add this seasoning to Dalcha cover the dalcha pan with a lid immediately to trap the flavors.

Serve hot with plain rice or Bara chaval or with Hyderabadi chicken biriyani.

This is my first post for Blogging Marathon 29th edition under  Cooking From A Book let's check other BM members recipes here.